Newborn Pictures

Taken November 19, 21, and 25.
The first four I used for the birth announcement.
The middle two are barely edited.  The first and fourth are more edited.
I don't really know how to edit but I think they turned out okay.




Some more.

Introducing & Details

Our little one:


A little after 4 on Thursday is when contractions began.  About a half an hour later our preschooler got home and wanted to go down the street to play at a neighbor's who has a daycare.  So we went, they were outside playing hockey and my boys joined in.  After dinner the contractions were pretty long and frequent so I decided to call my visiting teachers and my mom.  I thought it would be best to get the boys to bed normally before leaving but wanted to call to let them know it was coming.  My visiting teachers showed up as we were getting them into bed so we were able to leave right after ... probably 8:15 or so.  My mom would take over for them when she arrived.

Thankfully triage was full so I went straight to a delivery room.  I was 8 cm.  After one particularly long and difficult contraction I looked at my hands and my fingers were all stiff and straight and I swear they looked discolored but my husband said they weren't.  I thought I was gripping his hand so it was freaky to see they were like that.  Anyway, at that point I asked if the midwife could come in because certainly this couldn't go on much longer.  A little later I felt a bit silly about that because the baby still hadn't come.  The midwife left for a little bit and I didn't ask for her again until it was definitely time to push.

She broke my water before having me push and within a few pushes he was out.  At 10:17.  I felt pretty good about how I did except for screaming at the end.  Not sure why I felt I had to do that.  Besides the pain, obviously.  I'm just saying I didn't feel too out of control so shouldn't have done it.

Anyway, then I got to hold my baby for the next hour ♥   I got 4 stitches for a 1st degree tear.  He almost immediately started to make his way to breastfeed and by 11 had figured it out.  When he was an hour old his dad had a quick turn with him and then they weighed, measured, and washed him right in the delivery room.  In fact, he didn't leave me until about 4 am Saturday morning when they took him for shots.  My other boys had their baths and their hearing tests away from me.  He was 7 lbs, 20 inches.  I love when he stretches out those toes!



My mom brought the boys over in the morning and it was really fun to introduce them to their baby brother! (I couldn't seem to snap the camera at the right moment for a kiss from our toddler, though he gave me lots of opportunities.) Both boys were really sweet.





Before they left my preschooler came and patted my belly and said "You're growing another baby, mommy." I gave what I thought was a decent though brief and simple explanation of why my tummy was still big but his response was just to repeat "You're growing another baby, mommy."



After dinner that evening the boys came over again.  My dad had made it up too and got to meet the little guy.


Love these of him with his dad!


My parents and boys came over again in the morning and we all left the hospital together.

Little Brother

The boys are getting a little brother in November!  Here's some pics from the June 25th ultrasound.


Our preschooler had guessed girl and it took him a few hours to accept that it was a boy.  But he continues to be sweet to the baby (and to me!  It's nice that he understands and doesn't get upset when I tell him I can't do something because of my belly ... that'll be even more useful in a couple months I'm sure!)

We haven't said much of it to our younger boy but he's catching on anyway.  He likes to point to my belly/belly button and say/sign baby.  And the other day he pointed to a doorknob and said shhh baby, then he closed the door and said shhh baby again.  I'm not really sure where that one came from but it was cute.

I love my little boys and am super excited to be getting another!

28 Weeks

Picture of our new little guy's cute face at 28 weeks!

He moved a lot during the ultrasound.
His eyes were closed and he was sucking his fingers ♥

20 Weeks!

We're very excited about getting another little boy!

Here's a picture of me from Monday -- at 20 weeks.  I tried to get big brother to be in the picture with me so it would be cuter, but he didn't consent.  Sorry about my lack of expression.

And here are pictures of our new baby from Tuesday's ultrasound.

All curled up with his knees by his mouth.

I was finally sure I felt him kicking by 17 weeks. (Though there were times before that when I thought I did.) And have felt him every day since. But I don't think I realized quite how active he was until during the ultrasound when I saw him turn and flip and kick and move his arms and hands. So fun!

Family of Four

Newest member due August 12th!

22 Months

We have the greatest, cutest, funnest, playfulest, happiest, lovingest little boy ever!

He is getting great at letting us know what he wants.

Even though he knows how to go up and down the stairs he prefers we help him.

He often comes up to me and makes sure I look right at him smiling at me.  It's so adorable and I super love his smile.  It means he wants me to watch him or come with him or play with him.

He often holds one hand with the other to fold his arms for prayer time.  It doesn't necessarily last through the whole thing.

He does more with the sign language he knows.  For example, "more" doesn't just mean "I want more food" but it can mean "there is more _____." Like, "I have more food" or "there are more stars in this book" or "I have more toy buses."

The last couple weeks he has often had a crayon, colored pencil, pencil, or chalk in his hand.  With paper, notebook, or coloring book.  He loves to color!  He's moved on from his adorable lightly drawn dots and lines.  And he loves it when he makes a mark that resembles a letter.  Every now and then I have to help him know what is okay and not okay to color on but it's not nearly the issue I thought it could be.  He's a smart kid!


A couple of Saturdays ago Hot Cup brought an easel home from his trip to Ikea! Fun!


This Sunday he finally colored in nursery.  Seems he's always loved coloring so it's been interesting that he just sits there during coloring time in nursery.

When he knows he's done something good and that I'm going to be proud of him, and when he's being silly, he leans forward and smiles, while walking.  He's actually done this for a long time but it's been a little more often lately.

He loves long sleeves.

He's been tasting our food more.  He doesn't always like it but that's okay.

We shared our guacamole and chips with him at Qdoba.  And after a minute he decided he didn't really need the chip he'd dipped and licked a million times and started using a fork.  He doesn't like to touch slimy avocados, but apparently I should try mashing them and giving him a utensil.

We went to the library a couple times this month.  The first time he'd just take books out and put them back somewhere else; hardly looking at them and going pretty fast.  The second trip he did the same some, but wasn't quite the busybody again.  He seemed to have fun both times and he loves the books we bring home!

Some of the things he loves to do in the basement:
> Play with his train set. Both on the train table and on the floor.
> Make shapes and letters with crayons & colored pencils, like daddy taught us.
> Make a mess!
> Color :)



More Pictures
> Organizing by color
> Helping unload the dishwasher


We took him to ride the carousel at the mall. He loved the carousel last summer at Ocean City but did not want to sit on a horse this time. Maybe next time.