Things I'm Loving This Time Around

I thought I would share a little bit about the things I am loving the second time around with this baby thing.

1. My Moby. I love this, we have the Baby Bjorn that I used with Lydia when we would go to football games, tailgating and other times that required walking and not a good environment for a stroller. However Lydia was over 3 months old when I started using it and she fit in it really well at that point. This time around I needed both hands to deal with a toddler and a baby who didn't want mamma to put him down but unfortunately the baby bjorn did not hold him as close and snuggly as he needed so thank goodness my cousin got me the Moby. I LOVE IT he is snug and right up next to mamma and he loves it too.

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2. This is silly but I love this wipes dispenser!! We just used the huggies one with Lydia and I saw this awesome dispenser at Buy Buy Baby and wanted to give it a try since we were already buying big refill packs. This thing rocks, if you have ever used the other dispenser you know that sometimes you are left fighting a strand of wipes as long as your arm because you can't get them broken apart, this thing has a weight in it so you get one wipe every time! YAY, no more holding squirmy baby feet trying to keep them from kicking their poo all over the place and using your teeth to separate the wipes.

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3. Our big rocker/recliner/glider, last time we just got a simple white wooden glider I had no idea what I was missing so it was fine, this time I wanted something that could handle two kids in my lap for story time so my parents got us our new chair as a gift for the nursery and I am in LOVE, now I know what I was missing.


4. Double stroller, we didn't buy this right away but after my first trip to the mall (with the help of my sister) and pushing the baby in his stroller with baby seat and letting Lydia walk, I realized I needed something that worked for both of them. So glad we did and this one has the place for her to stand and/or sit and she loves it, she thinks it's really cool.

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5. Aden + Anais swaddle blankets, having a summer baby with temps in the 90's and 100's I wanted a blanket that was light but still offered him some protection and these are awesome! I love how big they are and I love that I have learned to swaddle my sweet boy for bedtime and he loves it.

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Little Man's Nursery

my favorite part of the nursery 

A little break down:

ABC's purchased at Hobby Lobby and modge podged with scrapbook paper by me
Jenny Lind style crib - Overstock.com
Garrett Burlap Bunting - Land of Nod
Yellow Dresser - Craigslist and refinished by my husband
Big Comfy Chair - A gift from my parents from Buy Buy Baby
Floor lamp already in that room when it was the office
GMH hooks - Hobby Lobby
Curtains- Shower curtain from Target
Book case already in that room when it was the office
Elephant print - a gift from a good friend after Garrett was born
Cute baby - made by a beautiful combination of Jesus, me and my husband :)

I'm sure it will continue to evolve because Lydia's is still changing and she is 2 but it's oh so fun and I am happy with how it turned out for our little mystery baby turned baby boy :)

The Truth About Our Life With 2

So the past month has been...interesting, we will go with interesting. Don't get me wrong I am head over heels in love with my little guy, he is the sweetest, squishiest, loveliest little boy in the world. Like I said I never worried that I wouldn't be able to love him as much as Lydia but I was not prepared for how to handle a 2 year old and a newborn and all that comes with it.

I want to remember this time so that if/when we decide to add to our family I will not be looking through rose colored glasses at the "seamless" "effortless" transition of growing our family because neither of those words fits the last month.

2 year olds are hard, newborns are hard (but not as hard as said 2 year old) put them together in the same house after only days of knowing the others existence in this world and you have a complete breakdown of the family dynamic, routine, and system you once knew. Lydia likes her brother, I wouldn't say loves or adores but she likes him, she thinks he's pretty cool sometimes but she didn't think mom was real cool for bringing him into this world. There was a complete break in communication between me and Lydia, she did not listen to me, she actually did the opposite of anything I asked, she ran in the other direction of me because she knew mommy's boo boo made me slow and less likely to hunt her down to change her 2lb saggy diaper butt or wipe that booger crusted toddler face.

Lydia also decided she no longer wanted to sleep in her big girl bed, we had a dream baby sleeping 4 hours for some stretches straight off the bat and here I am up for 2 hours chasing the big sister back into her bed, re-tucking, re-reading the bedtime story, crying, screaming....you get the point. So her crib slat went back up. Crisis averted for now except my ego as a mother is totally crushed, FAILURE much?? but at least we sleep when Garrett sleeps.

We now look like a three ringed circus anytime we leave the house, diaper bag packed for toddler and newborn check, massive double stroller check, wipes in said diaper bag... CRAP! yup I've gone to the park had both kids poop their pants and had 1 wipe left in the wipe case :) Not to mention anytime we go anywhere now we have to be prepared for the massive- omg- the world is ending tantrum from Lydia because she doesn't want to leave. Forget sweet hugs and kisses goodbye when it's time to go we have to already have Garrett strapped in and ready to go then put the girl over our shoulders and high tail it out of there before her scene causes stares and concern for bodily harm.

Now don't get me wrong, there are fantastic moments, the first time Lydia asked to hold Garrett I thought my heart would explode at the love I had for those two little humans that I help to create, the first time she actually introduced him to a visitor as her brother and "her Garrett" , when she asks me to go check on her Garrett or "bring my Garrett with us", those moments are priceless and make me so hopeful of what is to come. I want to enjoy my sweet boy in these newborn squishy moments because I am already all to aware of how fast he is growing but time can only help make this transition easier and maybe one day it will take reading back at this post to remember just how hard this was.

Oh and just to add to our madness I decided to try our hand at potty training :) Yes I am CRAZY but two in diapers is expensive and I would love for her to be potty trained before I go back to work, might not happen but a mom has to dream.

More on those and other adventures to come, for now I am going to try my best at loving and hoping my kids show me a little grace as I figure this whole juggling two kids thing. They sure are a blessing to my life though even in the chaos and tears.

1 Month

Here it goes my monthly letters to our little man and my attempt at documenting him through his first year. I hope I can keep up :)

Garrett,

Cliche way to start but so true, I cannot believe it has already been 1 month since we held you in our arms for the first time and I finally knew what that little bean was that had been giving me heart burn, attempting to break all my bones and keeping me up at night was. We were thrilled to hear the words "It's a Boy" and learn that Garrett Matthew would join our family.

Since that time you have been a DREAM baby! You barely fuss and when you do it's usually easy to figure out why, you are either hungry (happens often, you eat every 2-3 hours) you might have a gas bubble stuck somewhere (you are hard to burp), or you are wet but I swear that is rarely the reason you cry because you HATE having your diaper changed.

You have put up with a lot of tantrums that have been thrown by the big sister as she adjusts to this whole big sister thing, you sleep through dogs barking and vacuums running. You are starting to have longer awake periods which is fun because you are starting to take in your surroundings, noticing the fans, moving your head towards my voice (i like that one a lot) and not to mention you look like a brand new person with those beauitful eyes wide open.

You are now sleeping in your crib at night after a couple weeks of sleeping in the vibrating lamb seat by my side of the bed. I now get to rock you before bedtime in your own nursery and the other night I was thinking of all that I love about you, I couldn't finish my list before you were sound asleep and it was time for me to put you down but here are a few from that list:

- I love that I know the most about what you need and what makes you happy
- I love that you grab my necklace or the collar of my shirt when I'm rocking you or feeding you
- I love the noises you have started making when you are awake, you remind me of a little baby bird
- I love that when you are asleep you look just like your sister did when she was a baby
- I love that you follow your mama's voice if you are awake and someone else is holding you
- I love how relaxed and go with the flow you are, unless it's food time then it's all business

You weigh 10 lbs. 5 oz and are 22 in. long, do you hear that big boy, that is 2 lbs and 2 in from the time we left the hospital to now. You are a growing boy!!

I love you mister and cannot wait to see you continue to develop and grow everyday, I am so excited to watch a new little one learn something new everyday. Never forget I am your biggest cheerleader so I get really excited at all the little things.

Love you to the moon and back,
Mommy

Big sis wanted in on the action so just for fun, here is your silly big sister

Garrett's Birth Story

I didn't really think I would have much to blog about as far as how Garrett entered this world, scheduled csection, be there at 6 a.m., surgery scheduled for 8 a.m., back in recovery by 9 a.m. and family can come once we are in our post partum room. That's what we thought would happen but what actually happened looked a little different.

We called the hospital as we were instructed to at 5 a.m. to make sure they weren't backed up, I was the only scheduled csection on the books and they said we were all good to come on in at 6 a.m. so I showered, blow dryed my hair and put on make up. I was determined that this time I would look decent when my child was born.

Taken right before leaving for the hospital

We get in and registered, I make small talk with the nurse who went to my high school and challenged her to get my IV in before the 5th try (that's what it took last time) she gets it in the first time then it blows and I start breaking into a sweat, ready to pass out and she looks for another place to put my iv in (nice hair and make up didn't last). I HATE those things, I have awful veins for them, it was not easy for her to get me hooked up and going. Once we were hooked up met our new nurses I was thinking we would get to meet our baby in just a little over an hour. WRONG

There were twins that needed the room before us, I was ok with this because I found out the poor mother had been in the hospital for almost a month on bedrest. Ok please take her and get those babies out of her asap. Then we found out there was another mom who had gone all night and stopped progressing she would go before me too (weird story, my moms know the grandma of this girl, small world)

Going a little stir crazy waiting

Our 8 a.m. delivery time turned into 1:30. In that time we watched the olympics, I started having contractions and actually went into labor while waiting and became very iratable and uncomfortable plus my anxiety already through the roof kept sky rocketing the longer I waited.

I finally walked back on my own at 1:30, as soon I stepped out of my labor/delivery room towards the operating room the water works began, I was a mess. The anxiety and nerves, the fear of the spinal (which I hated by the way) and the lack of my rock (the husband) were just too much.

The surgery was much like I remember including the terrible shakes after the baby was born, probably a little easier and the joy of hearing my baby scream and seeing him for the first time was out of this world. I don't think that could ever get old.

The surgery took a bit longer as they cleaned up some of the mess from my last csection that ended horribly. In the end my mom and sister got to see me after the surgery and we stayed in my room for 2 hours until we made the way up to my much larger than last time post partum room. This was awesome because I actually enjoyed every first moment with my baby because I was not totally exhausted. I actually got to have skin on skin time with Garrett which I never did with Lydia.

We stayed in the hospital for 3 nights, Matt stayed with me and Lydia came to visit every day starting the 2nd day in the hospital. I did not want her to see me hooked up to an iv unable to really move as I regained feeling. I'm glad I did that as I was totally unhooked by the time she came. She loved the "alligators" which were the elevators and riding on my moving bed.

helping feed "my Garrett"

Baby Garrett was 8 lbs. 9 oz, 20 in. and born at 2:04 p.m. I had a feeling it was a boy, Matt thought it was a girl so for him his first words after hearing it's a big healthy baby boy was "Damnit I was wrong" :) Then he was obviously over the moon to finally put a boy in his corner at home.

happy daddy waiting to leave for home

We love you sweet baby Garrett.

He's Here!!

A big welcome to my son, Garrett Matthew

Friday, August 3, 2012

2:04 p.m.

8lbs. 9oz.

20 in. 

Perfection.

This is it...

Well, this is it, the last week as a family of 3. The last week that my girl will be an only child and the last week that she won't have to share all of those closest to her. I do not worry about my love for this new baby (we've had plenty of time to bond over the last 9+ months) but I worry about Lydia's little world and what is happening to it come Friday.

My prayer lately over and over again has been that God will prepare her little heart for all that being a big sister means, for now it means sharing mommy and daddy, sharing her doggies, sharing her mamaw's and papaw's and aunts and uncle. I know she will adapt and eventually she will not really remember a time without her brother or sister.

The last 27 months have been such an amazing time for Matt and I as we learned to become parents, more than just partners in life with a house, expenses, and jobs but parents with a little life that has depended on us for everything.

Lydia has been such a blessing and continues to prove to me that we are right where we are meant to be, I will shed a few tears for the change our life is about to take but they will soon be replaced with tears of joy and thankfulness that we get to do this all over again, just adding to the love and craziness in our home.

To my girl, know you are so much more than I could ever have imagined God blessing me with in a daughter and I cannot wait to see you love on your baby brother or sister in just a few short days.

All photo's from Kevin Monahan Photography