Monday, March 28, 2016

It Won't Be Like This For Long


Owen whimpers. I pry my eyes open and wait to see if it's his real wake-up or just a whimper as he changes position. I give myself the okay to sleep just a little longer, seeing that he's already drifted off to sleep. My body moves in and out of sleep and rest, sleep and rest. Owen whimpers and grows continually restless and just as I go to lift him off of his comfy sheepskin in the cosleeper next to me, he lets out an audible cry.

Ian, who apparently has the ears of a Greater Wax Moth (just looked it up- apparently it has incredible hearing capabilities!), can detect an Owen cry from anywhere in the house. Immediately, my door clicks open and he asks, "Mama, are you awake?" At least it's not, "Mama, I have a poopy." That's a common wake-up call around here.

Caught red-handed, I am awake, with a crying baby in my hands and I am preparing to nurse. My body and eyes beg to stay in rest-mode, but my toddler is on to me. My eyes are, in fact, open and I am holding a baby that's interested in nursing and falling back to sleep. It happens every morning. Owen returns to sleep, but I have been caught and ensnared in the sleep-robber's trap ;)

We have a great routine in the mornings. Jim greets Ian in the morning, since he usually hasn't left for work yet. He gives him milk and an apple and turns on Pandora on our TV. Ian asks to listen to music. Jim gets ready to leave and says goodbye to Ian. Then he plays with toys until he hears sounds of life from within our bedroom, which leads us back to Owen's whimpers.

Normally we're into the seven o'clock hour before my door is opened, sometimes even eight. It's lovely. It hasn't always been like this, so I know how wonderful this is. When Owen first came home Ian's wake-up call was in the five o'clock hour. Yeesh. That was rough.

Groggy and ready for coffee, I lay Owen back down to slumber peacefully on his sheepskin while I rip myself out of bed to greet the day. Ian often has a book or two for me to read as soon as I admit that I am awake and we read those while snuggled in my bed.

Then it's time for coffee.

And, then it's time to make breakfast.

Breakfast is possibly my favorite meal of the day. As a pregnant or breastfeeding mom, eggs have become my staple breakfast in the morning. I love, love, love making scrambled eggs with added ingredients, delicious omelettes, or "Friday" eggs with bread or a slice of leftover pie. It's not a meal to skimp on, for me. It's the start of the day and it's to be savored.

Ian knows and expects that breakfast will take some time to make. Lately, it's been a really pleasant time of the day. He's content after reading books and snuggling with me for a bit, so he finds his animals and settles down to play independently. Owen's napping soundly for another thirty or forty-five minutes.

Pandora still plays in the background, with comforting music.

Once breakfast is ready, Ian washes his hands, gets us utensils, and comes to sit with me at the table. We chat and eat until Owen rustles and I fetch him to join us at the table.

It's the only time of the day that seems to have any consistency.

After breakfast or during it's time for me to nurse Owen and we move to the couch. Ian brings me books to read, shows me toys, or plays near us.

Depending on the day, I start to feel pressure to clean up for guests, or to get the ball moving to get us out the door. Not this day, though. No PMO today, as we have any other Monday. So we settled deeper into the couch and into just being.

Pandora shuffled through. I looked up just as a song was starting to see, "It Won't Be Like This For Long" start. I listened to each word as I watched my boys move and play. The next one was "You're Gonna Miss This."

Ian turned to me and said, "Mama, you wanna dance with me? You wanna hold my hands and dance with me?"

Umm.

You bet!!!
There's nothing I would rather do in this moment.

And so we did. We danced. We did circles around the living room, we tapped our feet, and we held hands. He gazed up at me with eyes full of love and joy like all of his dreams were coming true.

It won't be like this for long.
I'm really going to miss these days.

I could not help but smile.

No tears this time,
just smiles and beaming at my children who think it's the bees knees to be in our arms,
holding our hands,
and dancing with them.

Saturday, March 26, 2016

The Darndest Things, Part 2

Let's talk a little about this kid (since it never happens on this blog). Kidding, kidding.
It is just fascinating to hear children develop their understanding of the English language.
 "That make me feel better" or "That's more better" or "I feel better, Mama." Ian says these words after he gets hurt and gets a kiss or a piece of ice. This happened after Ian was born that he needed one of those two things. I think it was a combination of different caretakers helping and his understanding of what also makes things feel better. It's so sweet to hear him explain that he's better... everyone can calm down now, as if we ever get very freaked out in this doctor's family (sincere sarcasm there). Ha!!
 Friday Eggs. One of my favorite things he says has to be "Friday eggs." That's what he calls fried eggs!! The first time he ever said it was on a Friday, so it made me chuckle even more. I think fried eggs are now and forevermore going to be called "Friday eggs" in our family.
 You see dat, Mama? "Dat way, way back there." Before Owen was born, we switched Ian's carseat from the middle seat to one of the outside seats. I explained that he would be able to see out of the window much better and that he could sit next to his baby. For weeks Ian talked about how great it was to be able to sit next to the window and look out the window. Almost everyone we met got to hear about his great new spot in the car.



He really enjoys pointing things out to me, whether it's a cow, motorcycle, "fruck" (truck), or even a round-and-round (concrete truck). Sometimes I don't see it in time and he explains that it was "Dat way, way back there. On dis side." It's so fun to be able to talk about things with him in the car. He's always very observant.

One time someone ran a stop sign in front of me. Fortunately, I saw and stopped but I exclaimed something and then had to explain to Ian that what the man was doing was not safe, because he was so curious about what happened. Since then he will sometimes say, "Stop guy!!" And it always refers to that experience in the Kroger parking lot. I don't remember saying that, but perhaps that's what I exclaimed!!



"When Owen gets bigger and I get smaller!" We talk a lot about the things that they will be able to do together when Owen gets bigger. Ian brings it up, mostly, and is obviously excited about the prospect, but understand that it can't happen right now. "Right now Owen too little?" Yep, it won't be long in our adult timeline, but I am sure that it feels long for him. It always makes me chuckle when he talks about getting smaller... hmm. That would certainly be interesting, but it won't happen until you're much older, Sweet Boy ;)

Yesterday, as we were sitting down to breakfast, I asked Ian what he would like to pray for, as we usually do. Ian said, "For Owen to get big like me." Welp, melt me into a puddle. I hope and pray that these boys grow to become good buddies.

Friday, March 25, 2016

Springtime Joys

I'm never one to wish the time away. I appreciate each season and weather change. This year, though, I am so happy for the switch to springtime weather. With an active two year old and a newborn baby, getting outside makes all of us so happy.

Springtime in our yard is wonderful. The weather is mild and pleasant and the mosquitoes haven't hatched yet. Days are getting longer and therefore the time to play outside can be extended to after dinner, as well as all day long. It's lovely.

Two nights ago Jim and Ian stayed outside planting our garden until it got dark. It was so sweet watching Ian tag along behind Jim for each bucket-load of mulch wood chips and dirt. Jim gave Ian small tasks and Ian requested to help; they both came inside so refreshed, windswept, and content. Hopefully this is just a snapshot of what they will do together in the coming years.


Spring, we're so glad you've come. You are welcome here. Make yourself at home.

Sincerely,
The Postpartum-Stay-At-Home Mama,
Rugby-Playing-Working Papa,
Active-Outdoor-Loving Two Year Old,
and The Ever-Observing Six Week Old

Aunt Phoebe's Visit


We've been very spoiled since Owen arrived in our family. Since his birth, there has only been one full week that I've spent on my own without a family visitor or  Jim on vacation!! It's been so nice to have company during the day, play mates for Ian, and arms to hold Owen while I play with our firstborn or throw in a load of laundry. I cannot stress how wonderful this has been.

I write this post after our last visitors, my parents, have left. The house is quiet (mostly because Ian is sleeping) and it feels empty. Our hearts are full, though. Full of the memories and love that surrounds us and our sweet boys.

Phoebe came for about five days and it was SO lovely to have her around. It's been a while since we've had sister time, just the two of us, and our days were full of conversation and cuddling/entertaining the little guys.

She stayed with Ian one night while we went to a wedding and the two of them had a grand old time. Thank you for watching him!!

Enjoy a few pictures of the adoring aunt with her little fellas.
When she walked in the door and first met Owen.

Time at Pandapas Pond. 
Ian found a new favorite spot with a make-shift bridge!
When she wasn't playing with Ian, she was holding Owen :)








Approximately 5 weeks at 5 weeks, two days.


Thank you for choosing to spend your spring break with us!! We loved having you here. And we miss you.

Sunday, March 20, 2016

First Bath!

Today's been such a lovely, lazy morning. Last night Jim and I (& Owen) went to a wedding about an hour away and didn't get home until late, and then hung out with Phoebe chatting about the evening. We stayed up late, much later than we usually do. This morning we had a super laid back breakfast and haven't really gotten off of the couches and chairs since. It's been lovely.

The morning in this picture was similar... excuse the messy, unwashed hair. It's true to what I look like in real life these days. Ian drinking his "nooki" (milk), me cuddling with Owen, and trying to ease into the day loving each other well.
 This may really gross some people out, but Owen never had a bath until after he turned one month old. We are those people in the hospital who ask that our children not be given a bath as soon as they are born. It's good for babies in so many ways to have the vernix on their skin longer. Not necessarily a month longer, but certainly not removed during the first day.

We had every intention of giving Owen a bath on day two (as we did Ian- as a first-time mother I felt like I had to do the "right" things) but he was so clean looking, smelling, and sweet that we decided to wait. Being born in the midst of winter, a bath would be cold and perhaps even dry his skin out. He wasn't dirty and he was cleaned in his nether regions during each diaper change, so we decided to wait.

Even when I gave him a bath at a month old, I didn't think he really needed it. Poor second child. If he could speak, I think he would have thanked me, though.

When he did get a bath, it was a family affair. Jim with the camera, Ian watching and helping, we gave Owen his bath as a right of passage. For the first time ever, I placed a towel on the floor of the bathtub and used our new shower-head to bath him, allowing the water to pool around him about an inch.
 For the most part he was fascinated and interested in the sensation of the water on his extremities and trunk.
 Incredibly adorable, the rest of us marveled at him.
 Ian was patient and attentive to Owen's expressions.
 He even helped me run the water over his arms and legs, belly and chest.
 Those brothers...

And soon it was over and he was bathed. His first bath ever.
Fully alert and aware.
This picture makes it look like he is lacking in the hair department, but he certainly has hair!

So much love for this little, squeaky clean babe.

Thursday, March 17, 2016

Snapshots of Life

These cover a span of time between Owen's three and four week birthdays. Life with this lad is pretty sweet.