Spring?

Could it be?!  Is it really Spring?  I feel like every time we get excited about Spring in our house, it snows again.  I am cautiously optimistic these days. 

Michael celebrated his 3rd Birthday and everything went off without a hitch.  He tells us weekly that "being 3 is really hard."  He is very into reading, figuring out puzzles, and cooking.  He is also an amazing helper for his little brother.  He had his check up and he is as healthy as can be.  He is 3 feet, 3 inches tall and weighs 36 pounds.  Based on the projections (and the size of his feet) we can expect him to be somewhere around 6 feet 1 inch when he is fully grown.   I guess he really does take after his Daddy. 

Sam is also doing great.  He is finally starting to fill out, and is making up for all of the spitting up and puking that he is doing.  He is such a happy baby, and is only crying these days if he is hungry or tired.  He has doubled his weight and grown a few inches.  He took his first round of shots like a champ! Sam even gave us our first real taste at a normal sleep schedule and slept from 8pm - 4am last night.  These two children are nothing short of amazing and I am so blessed to have them in my life. 

As summer approaches, we are finding our calendar is already starting to fill up.  It is amazing how quickly time flies, and I feel like it speeds up even more now with children involved. 

Easter 2014

Brothers

Mall of America- Michael didn't like this ride by the end...

What's up?

Back to the Grind

Well, here we are.  The first day back in the workforce for me.  Sam is now 10 weeks old- 10 weeks.  How on Earth did that happen?!  He is becoming more and more interactive every day and I just LOVE seeing his smile that shows off his one dimple.  I could kiss his chubby little cheeks all day long and never get tired of them. I have always known that I am not meant to be a Stay At Home Mom- I just don't posses the creativity to keep Michael entertained and the patience to keep a cool head all the time.  That being said, I have a whole new appreciation for Stay At Home Moms and Daycare Providers.  These last 10 weeks have been so nice to be home with both my kiddos, but also a real challenge.  I have come to realize that I am not "Super Mom" and that is 100% okay.  Not having the creative juices for activities that stimulate my busy (almost) 3 year was hard on me, to feel like he was bored all the time while home. But, I had to keep reminding myself that I was not only recovering from major surgery, I was trying to juggle the balancing act of now having 2 children.  Needless to say, we all survived, and I think we all even managed to still like each other!  ;)  Thank goodness for Pinterest and the Internet to keep the toddler activities rolling!

Michael has been so amazing as a big brother.  I always knew in the back of my mind that he would be, but it is so amazing to witness.  He is always concerned about what Sam is up to, giving him hugs and kisses, and making sure that all of his needs are met.  It melts my heart.  I hope that they grow into being the best of friends as time goes on. 

I can't believe that this weekend we will be celebrating his 3rd birthday.  Wait, what?!  3rd?  Yikes.  Are Tom and I old enough to have a 3 year old?  What a blessing he has been to our lives.  I can't wait to celebrate with him and have our nearest and dearest along as well. 

Stay tuned for more stats on these kids, as we have their checkups coming up this week and next! 

Samuel Thomas

Knowing exactly when you are going to be having a baby is both a blessing and a curse.  A blessing because we were able to really take in some moments with Michael before we brought another life into this world.  A curse, because you can't seem to take your mind off the fact that your life is about to drastically change.  Although, both Tom and I admitted that it was much less surreal this time around than with Michael.  We were already parents, which took a lot of the anxiety out of the equation.

We tried our best to have an extra special weekend with Michael leading up to our 2nd baby's birth.  on Saturday, we took Michael to the Library (something he LOVES to do) and to Lookout Ridge to get some of his sillies out.  We are so lucky to live in a community with an indoor playground to take advantage of during these cold months.  We also played outside with snow paint, which is always a fun activity for him.  (Side note: if you haven't tried snow paint, you must.  So easy, and so fun for kiddos.  Take some bottles from the dollar store, fill with water and washable crayola paint.  Shake up and create your very own winter artwork!)

On Sunday, we took Michael bowling for the first time.  He wasn't so sure about the whole thing, but said later that he had a blast.  After, we headed to Yarusso Brother's for dinner, since that is what I was hungry for and it was going to be my last meal for a while.  We were surrounded by family and friends, and it was perfect.  Michael headed to Grandma and Grandpa's for the next 4 days, since Tom and I would be in the hospital.  Tucking him in that night, and reading to him was very bittersweet.  I held on to him a bit longer, and my hug was a bit tighter.  I made sure to tell him that I loved him very much, and that even though life was changing in the morning, my love for him stayed the same.  I may or may not have cried the whole way home....

On Monday, January 13th , Tom and I headed to Woodwinds bright and early.  We got to our room, got prepared for surgery, and headed down to the OR.  I will admit that I was much more nervous this time around, knowing what was about to happen, and how you can't feel anything, but feel everything at the same time.  It is an experience that only someone who has had a c-section can really understand.  And, at 10:12 am, Samuel Thomas was born.  He weighed 7 pounds, 11 ounces, and was 20.5 inches long.  There was no doubt that his lungs worked, and he had a full head of hair. 

We headed home on Thursday afternoon, and started our life as a family of 4.  We have had some trying times, mostly with adjusting to giving Michael enough attention, but not neglecting Sam either.  So far, Michael has been an amazing big brother.  He is very in tune with what Sam is up to, and makes sure to let us know if Sam ever makes a "peep."  He also likes to interpret what Sam is thinking and fill us in; it is pretty cute.  The first thing Michael does in the morning, is ask where "his baby" is, and runs to his room to check on him.  It melts my heart every time. 

 Is this what Football Sundays will look like for me?

Next up for us:  getting this family of 4 up to the lake for some much needed R & R.