Christmas!!

Well the last week of our lives has been a little bit of a whirlwind.  Not unlike many of you I'm sure.  Tiring, but oh so worth it!  We started out in Illinois with my family for a few days last week.  We had plenty of great family time, some friend time, and we even got to go to the Christmas program that the church choir puts on each year!  It's always on a Wednesday night so we haven't gone and I've been talking to Danny about how much I miss it ever since we got married.  So I was super excited to go again!

Summer is not especially into presents yet.  She's just not quite old enough to understand.

 But she did like what was inside once it was opened and out of the box!

She loved being with her grandparents and cousins and I loved watching her be with them.

She's still a little shy when we first get out there but she is slowly getting to know them and building a relationship with them!

These happen to be some of my very favorite people in the world:)

Sawyer finally got to meet my grandma:)  She loves little babies and was in her own little world here!

And he took his first sink bath and LOVED it!

But all the action wore him out and when it was time for his last feeding before bed he just couldn't. wake. up.

We came back and had our little family Christmas on Christmas Eve.  It was really low key but we still enjoyed it!  Danny did a great job on my gift- getting me some cheesy Hallmark Christmas movies and snacks to go with them!  And we got to watch one that night:)

He really didn't have anything to open that night.  I did the 12 Days of Christmas for him so he had been opening little things all along.  The last one was a card with 12 things I love about him but it did seem a little weird to not have an actual present to open.  But I think he liked it anyway!

The next day it was onto Danny's family!

There was the kids Christmas play,

the men's rendition of Little Drummer Boy,

lots of play time,

and a few presents from grandpa and grandma.

AND... there was the most unique and crazy grab bag game for the adults!  My brother in law made up a Fear Factor game where basically, the harder the stunt, the more money/gift cards you got.  It was pretty intense!

Just ask the people who ate live critters.  And yes, that is a barf bucket- just in case!  But out of I think 16 different critters between six or seven different people, it was only used once.  What. A. Night!

Looking back, it's hard to believe all the festivities started just a week ago.  So much was squeezed into that time.  But we loved every minute of it and are so grateful to have had that time!

Winter, How We Love You..... Kinda

It's cooooooold outside.  Winter has arrived in full force!  And with it has brought a new obsession.  Gloves!  Almost every day when Danny walks in the door from work, Summer asks for his gloves.  She thinks they're the greatest thing ever.

Last weekend she tried sledding for the first time.  Sounds like it was a little bit of a love hate relationship with it, but in the end I think she liked it.  I stayed home in the nice warm cozy house wearing my nice warm cozy pajamas watching cute little babies.  But it did look kind of fun to go out.  Maybe next time.

We have decked our halls!  I do love me some Christmas decorations.  Oh and what's that hanging from the door frame?

That would be our mistletoe.  We are a classy bunch:)

And this little guy has just been so fun and sweet!  He's been a good baby- not super fussy and sleeping pretty well at night.  Six hour stretches are fairly normal at this point, give or take a little.  We just love him to pieces!

Danny was excited to try the bumbo with him last week.  It may have been a little premature, but he sure looked cute propped up in it!

This week we are looking forward to lots of family time here and in Illinois.  But until then, we are sitting here enjoying a low key Sunday night watching a great movie.  Any guesses?

Here's your first clue:  Ice
Second clue: Quack

Oh yes.  The Mighty Ducks!

Anyway, good night and have a Merry Christmas!

Thankful

We had a great Thanksgiving with our family!  We celebrated early with Danny's family last weekend and then headed out to Illinois to be with my family over the actual holiday.  There was a get together with my extended family, a movie night with a few cousins, having lunch at my favorite restaurant (twice), games with my parents.... for all of which my camera stayed safely tucked away in it's case.  Finally on Saturday night I remembered to bring it out during a small get together with some friends.  We had a wonderful evening having supper, playing games and just catching up on life.

My brother and his family had been gone all weekend until Saturday, so we had our family Thanksgiving on Sunday.  Summer had never gotten her own ice cream on a stick before and she thought it was pretty fun!

We also got to meet our niece who was born four weeks before Sawyer.  We were afraid they didn't really like each other, because they wouldn't look at each other!

So we traded places and were feeling better about the situation.

But then she bopped him on the chin so we just don't know what their feelings about each other are.  Only time will tell!

After all that, it was good to get back into our own space and routine.  Plus, we're going back in just a few weeks for Christmas so it's not quite so hard to say goodbye.  

As for right now, I just got really tired and would love to lay down for a nap.  But Summer just woke up.  Ain't that how it goes!!

Singing Those Baby Blues

Well we have made it home and are in the middle of trying to figure out a new normal.  It was good to be home.  We had both reached the point in the hospital of just being ready to move on.

I want to start by saying that I absolutely do not think that post partum depression is anything to joke about.  I know it is very real and there is no shame AT ALL in getting the appropriate help.

However.  I've got me some baby blues that are just plain funny.  Kinda sorta.  There's been a few things that I've shed tears over that really do have merit.

I have cried for my friends that either struggle with infertility or have lost babies due to miscarriage.  It's not something that we have dealt with but I feel grief just thinking about it and can't imagine what the reality of it would actually feel like.

Or like when Summer came home.  She had been at my parents for the week and I cried because I missed her.  And then she came home and I cried and cried when I put her to bed for the first time because everything is different now.  And while just a week ago she seemed so small to me, now she seems so huge!  It was one of those moments when I was begging time to just stand still.  Oh, and she loves the bouncy seat.  It's like her new little recliner:)

And then there's other reasons I cry that deserve a little chuckle.  The thought of watching a movie in the basement where we usually do was just too much.  I insisted on watching it in the living room on my laptop because the basement was just too overwhelming!

I wanted a mom.  My mom hadn't come out yet and Danny's mom is on vacation.  And even though he was home with me during that time, I just wanted a mom.

The smell of my post partum bathroom supplies.... Weird, I know.  But the smell made me miss being in the hospital with all the nice, doting nurses.  Even though just two days earlier I was chomping at the bit to get out of there.  But you know- hormones!

I drove my car for the last time.  We just bought a van and my car is for sale now.  It's a great one if you're interested!  But anyway- I took it out for one final spin and just let the tears fall.  I don't know though- that reason might be an actual good one to cry.  I'm gonna miss that car!!

It's evening time.  And at this point that's as good of a reason as any to just have a good cry.

This all happened with Summer too and it lasted a couple weeks.  So I know things will get better.  But in the meantime it's been quite the roller coaster of emotion over here!

Other than that, we've been loving our baby snuggles,

getting to know some cousins, (check out that mouth!)

and seeing our name in lights, among other things.

I'm pretty spoiled as far as easing into a new routine.  Between Danny and my mom, I have almost two weeks of extra help before it's just me and the two kiddos.  It's pretty handy!  We'll get there... all in good time:)

Welcome To The Great Big World!

Sawyer Jacob entered our world at 12:13 pm on October 28.  He weighed 8 lbs 5 oz and was 20.5 inches long.  We've got ourselves a robust little fella!

I had a scheduled induction but thought for sure I wouldn't actually make it that far because at my last doctors appointment nine days earlier she said my body was good and ready.  But I guess little man just was too cozy to come on out.  So we showed up, got started, and begged for an epidural.  That was all between the hours of 7:00-10:30ish.  By the time I got my epi, I was at 5cm and settled in for a little nap, thinking it would be mid to late afternoon before things really picked up.  My labor with Summer was 24 hours and I figured it wouldn't go that long again but didn't think it would go too incredibly quick.  Well.  About 11:30-11:45 I started thinking the nurse should check me because I could feel enough pressure to know that the contractions were coming long and hard and right on top of each other.  Right around noon my doctor stopped by to see how it was going and to do a quick check.  To which she said if nobody comes in here, this baby is going to deliver himself!  So we had a quick whirlwind setup, three or four pushes, and there he was!  It was a whole lot faster and easier than I expected, having pushed for two hours with Summer.  I was pretty happy about not having to do that again!

Those first moments are pretty surreal...

First family of four picture:)

This girl.  She cracks me up!  She loves the "de-de" for right now but we're not sure she'll love him once it's just me at home with her and Sawyer!  But for the next couple weeks she'll be well taken care of by grandma and daddy and will not have to face reality quite yet.

Cashed out after a tasty meal.  He's so red and blotchy and scratched up!  He came out with super long, razor sharp nails so I kinda wonder if he scratched himself up real good inside the womb.

Chillin' out in his first real outfit just waiting to go home!  Oh, and we got a little chastised about the paci:)  But boy it sure was nice to have a four hour stretch of sleep the night before!

The official celebration meal before heading home.  Twas tasty!

We have loved starting to get to know our little guy.  So far he has been pretty good.  He loves to be rocked and held but hasn't been a terrible crier thus far.  But he does have really stinky toots!  Looking forward to taking him home and getting settled and start introducing him to our friends!

While We Wait...

Ho hum, the waiting game is in full swing now.  Last week at my doctor's appointment it seemed like things might be happening and I was getting all excited about going early.  But then this week there were almost no changes:(  So I'm surrendered to the idea of the possibility of going late again.  But at least there's been a few things to keep us distracted while we wait!

The sisters all went to Beef and Board's one night.  It was actually last year's Christmas present to Danny's mom but it just took us this long to get it accomplished.  We had a great night! 

The next day we got up and went with Danny's family to the zoo and to Chuck E Cheese.  Summer's favorite part was the farm area.  She loves farm animals.  (That's my girl!)

She mostly just wandered around the restaurant taking it all in, but she did get a horsey ride- which she was just a little unsure about!

A few sad sick days:(

Getting some practice!  Summer does really good with babies as far as being gentle, but she is a mama's girl so that will be an adjustment!

Reading books...

Getting her first daddy horsey ride

And we've also been doing grown up things too like looking at vans.  We're not in a huge hurry since this is just kid number two and we can still use the car pretty easily, but the search is on!

One week and one day until Due Day.  Here's to hoping we get to meet our little guy sooner!

September Smatterings

One day I was doing dishes and couldn't quite decide where Summer was playing or what she was doing.  But I could hear things every now and then so I figured nothing too bad was going on.  When I was finished in the kitchen I sat down and read her a book and THEN looked over to her toy basket.  Filled with her dirty diapers that she had carried one by one from her room to the basket.  I had to laugh out loud on that one!

We made applesauce one day!  Only a half bushel but it's enough for us right now.

Start 'em out young:)

We got to spend almost a week with our nieces while their parents were on vacation.  We had a lot of fun with them but were pretty wiped out by the time we got done!  (Five kids is juuuuust a little different than one.)

Someone learned the art of walking in princess shoes.  Kind of.  But when she's successful she's pretty excited about it!

We had a really quick, short and sweet trip out to IL this past weekend.  Aaron and Cassie had planned to go and invited us to tag along and so of course we did!  On the drive out there, I discovered that Cassie had never ridden in a combine.  I was a little bit shocked and appalled.  So we made it happen:)  And then I got to ride for about 20 or 30 minutes which is the extent of my harvest experience this year.  Maybe next year I won't be ready to pop and will be able to spend a little more time enjoying it.

October is just around the corner and while we have some plans, we also have a lot of waiting around and laying low, just waiting for this baby!  I've gotten a little sentimental about Summer not being my baby anymore so I'm trying to just really enjoy her these next few weeks.  But not so sentimental that I'm not really excited to meet our little guy!  Ready or not I guess...