Getting The Hang Of Things

Somehow I already have a 6 week old. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT! I remember after Lucy was born having a hard time during the first few weeks because of the lack of sleep. Sadly, I wished that time away because I wanted sleep so badly. I told myself this go around that I would cherish those moments in the first few weeks because they pass so quickly. I certainly have soaked in those precious moments this time, especially during those middle of the night feedings when it's just Michael and I. Pushing through the exhaustion this time has been easier just knowing that it goes by fast, and here I am already getting a good 4-5 hour stretch of sleep most nights, which as any mom knows is HUGE!

The first two weeks were rough for me and Lucy. My c-section recovery was easier this time but its still not ideal to be playing on the floor with your toddler after major surgery so she wasn't too happy about momma not being able to give her as much attention and the new baby getting so much of momma's time. Needless to say, it broke my heart and resulted in tears for this momma on more than one occasion. 

Lucy has adjusted to Michael quite well though. She really isn't super interested in him at this point. She loves to give him kisses, but doesn't care to hold him. It has really put her liking for her baby dolls in full swing. She plays a great momma to her babies and likes to do everything I do, which is pretty darn cute. 

As for me, I knew having two kids would be hard, and well, it's true. The first few days flying solo with the two of them I cried way too many times to count (we'll blame some of that on hormones). One of those days was also my 30th birthday which also may have had something to do with all the emotions, eek! There's always 31! ;) But once I gave myself a little grace and was reminded that a little t.v. (or a lot) for Lucy right now isn't the end of the world if it means an uninterrupted feeding for Michael, or time to sit down and eat, or chug my cup of coffee. 

Now here we are 6 weeks in, and I am not claiming to have it all together, but we are getting in a groove and day by day things are getting a little bit easier. I invested in a Solly Baby wrap which has been amazing! It is so soft and breathable and not to mention super cute. It took a few times to get him used to it but now he loves it and doesn't fight it :) 

We have also been getting outside again which has been great for me! A little vitamin D goes a long way! We have been going out in the morning because it's a little too hot for Michael in the afternoons.  It's great though because there is usually a nice breeze in the mornings and he hangs out in his little chair and snoozes.

And to wrap things up, some adorable photos of the little man, including his awesome mean mug face, first real smile, and "I'm too cool for school" pose ;)

Welcome Michael Benjamin!

We are so excited to introduce Michael Benjamin! He was born on June 18th at 7:36am weighing 6 lbs 11 oz and 20 inches long!

He is so precious, and such a chill little dude! My heart is just so full of love for this little boy! And it was such a fun surprise in the OR when they announced the sex! 

He is named after my dad, Michael and of course my amazing man, Ben.

He looks so much like Lucy when she was born. Him on the left and her on the right :) 

Speaking of big sis...she adores him and it totally melts my heart to see her interact with him.

We are at home settling in as a family of four and we couldn't be happier! 

This is the week, Baby!!

We are officially less than 3 days away from finding out if baby #2 is a boy or a girl! I think I'm in a bit of disbelief that the time has come. I had my final doctor's appointment late last week and as I suspected my body still isn't changing in spite of all the contractions I've been having so I'm planning on this baby following through with "the plan". It is a bit strange because it has made me feel somewhat invincible these past few days, and in a "live it up" mood. It will be quite funny if I end up going in to labor in the next couple days, but hey I think God does have a sense of humor ;)

We have been truly living it up around these parts lately, starting with celebrating our last weekend as a family of 3! It is crazy the amount of pictures I ended up taking, but I'll spare y'all and share the real good ones ;)

Saturday started off with Ben building a fence on one side of the house that we knew would be easier to get done now versus after the baby came so Lucy and I took advantage of the gorgeous weather and played outside!

This little girl LOVES this water table! Our sweet friends got it for us and we just got it out a few days ago and she is obsessed! And I was glad to see her warm up to her baby pool because earlier this year she was not too interested. I adore this picture of her and her Daddy :) She is such a daddy's girl, and this picture just expresses it perfectly. She looks so content just hanging out in his lap.

After a good afternoon nap, we cleaned up and got ready for church. I had to get a picture of Lucy in her new dress and jelly shoes! It is so hard to find dresses that fit her with her cute round belly and short stature so I found this one in a 12-18 month and it fit perfectly! Plus I had to buy the jelly shoes because I had some when I was a kid, so why not bring 'em back! ;)

Sunday was declared all day family day that started with Lucy's first trip to the Denver Zoo. Unfortunately we had a very sleepless night Saturday night (tummy ache, teething, not really sure?) but we were determined to not let that get the best of us. 

Lucy had a blast! I feel like she is at the perfect age for the zoo right now. She got really excited for most of the animals and was pretty content going back and forth between her stroller and walking around to see everything. 

Anxiously awaiting the start of the sea lion show!

Nothing melts my heart like seeing her reaching up for Daddy's hand :)

The only successful family picture I was able to get

Tippy toes...

She lasted a good while at the zoo, past her nap time and amazingly did not fall asleep in the car so we took advantage and stopped for lunch. Once we got home, there were naps to be had! The rest of the day consisted of more fun outside at the water table and grilling out so we could soak up the sunshine.

I was amazed at how well she tolerated the freezing cold water! ;) 

That's a wrap on the weekend! There will be lots of snuggles, dance parties, and other shenanigans going on in these next few days to keep us busy! So...until next time...when this family of 3 becomes a family of 4!! :)

A Week of Pictures

Last week was a fun filled, busy week for us. Lucy and I had loads of fun together during the day and the fun didn't stop once Daddy came home from work. I wanted lots of fun stuff to do for Lucy, but also wanted to stay busy so that time would go by a little faster to get us closer to d-day. Let me just say the week flew by and I can't believe we are just barely over one week away from meeting our second little one!

Let me just say, Lucy is an outdoor kiddo, and Ben and I wouldn't have it any other way! I feel like the majority of the time coming inside or leaving the park results in a meltdown. And girl plays hard out there! So here are some snap shots of her in her happy place :)

So Hollywood cruising down the sidewalk in her shades ;)

Playing "soccer" with Daddy

Gorgeous day at the park

She's thinking about it...

And decides she can totally take it on ;)

Ice cream outside after dinner one night

Daisy got to go for a swim before getting an over due bath.

Lucy was pretty upset that she couldn't get in the water and swim too :(

And I am pretty sure this is the only picture I got of her sitting still all week...testing out the baby seat. She loves to sit in here! She points to it, gets really excited, and says "bebe"! :)

Excited for another fun week with this sweet little munchkin!