Whew...Putting My Big Girl Pants On

Okay, so after being totally spoiled for the past seven weeks, our family is officially on our own. The splitting long nights with Mimi have given in to a total of three hours of sleep. The clean kitchen and prepared bottles have now transitioned to a sink full of dishes and the last two ounces of milk prepped to drink. The constant companionship and advice has become seemingly silent. Yet, we are making it. B has been a relatively easy baby per se...as long as he's fed and burped, he's pretty happy. But B and sleep just don't seem to mix well right now. Well, let's just say that B doesn't want to miss a thing...he loves conversation and LOVES television. So when there are better things to do than catch 40 winks, he's all over it. Though everyone else would rather a few z's here and there, B has other plans. And like I told Big J the other day, I wouldn't trade it for a thing....But I still miss my mommy already :)

So what have we been up to? Well, we had a good Thanksgiving week in Orlando. We got to visit with some of my work friends, take in some basketball, spend time with cousins from the west coast and SHOP. Of course, everyone was glad to see the boys and they both delighted in all the attention....Certainly two ladies' men!!!! (SN: I will be in trouble in 10 years...cue the gray hair). We missed Guncle this year but he had a great time hanging out on an island, I guess that's his Thanksgiving tradition now.

Anyhow, we came home to the greatest surprise of a HUGE Christmas tree waiting to be decorated. WHOA. Okay, so in full disclosure, I have never had a live Christmas tree before, so that's new. And secondly, I am the lazy decorator who gets the 5 foot plug in tree and calls it a day. So looking forward to the change this year. J is already having a great time as the lights are going up and his train is starting to loop around the base of the tree.

In other news, our birth announcements have gone out, so B is now officially a part of the family :). We have our Christmas shoot scheduled for Monday. Okay, so I had a long debate with myself as to whether or not we should have sent announcements AND holiday cards...I had decided the answer was no, but then that changed somewhere along the way, so holiday cards coming soon! Did I do the right thing?

Well, I guess I will leave you with another image of my princes. Love yall!

THANKFUL

Just a quick post...I know everyone is posting about the holiday and what it means to them. This year, as every year, I have much to be thankful for. As I reflect on my time, the only thing that I long for is if my dad were still here. Regardless, I am still thankful for having him in my life and for him making me the person that I am. Laughing tonight as me and J are burning the midnight oil (hey, he's on vacation too)...I showed him a picture of me and my dad when I was an infant and J is insistant that the picture is of Pawpaw and B. LOL. I guess baby B does look like me after all. Okay, I digress, back to the point...

I am thankful for:
-Love and a loving God
-A healthy, happy family
-Being able to get through nine months of pregnancy
-The support of family and friends
-Shelter, provisions, transportation, luxuries
-A job to sustain our lifestyle
-Blogs, facebook, photography...capturing the moments of life
-Every minute that I am blessed with

Love you all!

with Many Thanks

in this season for holidays, family, friends and love, i pause to give thanks for all that is special to me and near and dear to my heart.

i am on a mini blogging break until after thanksgiving to enjoy time and live in the moment.

me and my three boys are sending you all big holiday hugs and plenty of kisses

And For the Big Reveal...

My little loves!!!! J and B :)

If you want more pics, leave a comment below and I will email some to you! Announcement cards will FINALLY go in the mail this weekend.

Don't you just love J's face on this pic??? Priceless! You have to wonder what the boys are thinking. I hope they are the best of friends!

Kisses!!!

This is the Way We...

This is the way we brush our teeth...wash our hands...blow our nose...you name it...

Yall know that song we all sang when we were little as we immitated various behaviors. Well, lately, I think I need to sing that song to myself. Let me explain...

Some days, I literally don't know where the time goes. It's like I blink and it's dark outside and we're ready to start the bedtime routine to get ready for the next day. Now, I won't say that I get everything done in a day because that's far from the truth, but I manage to pull off a few things here and there. That doesn't mean that sometimes it's not until lunchtime when I realize that I haven't brushed my teeth or washed my face (sorry if you think that's TMI, but that's the reality of life with a newborn and preschooler)...But hey, at least like I said, I get it done, lol.

Between taking care of the boys and house and home, things are just on a slower timetable and the focus has shifted. So like one of my best friends said yesterday when the dishes go unwashed or the floor unmopped, I really don't care. I don't count it as a loss and I don't lament over the things piling up on the counter. I keep them all in the "to do" pile and move on to getting ready for the next day.

My boys are fed, clean, happy and thriving and that, to me is a mommy win!

This is the way...I roll :)

On What I Wish I Knew

I quickly learned this time around that there are so many things I wish I knew when cooking baby boy B. At different times I have "blamed" a lot of my mommy friends (sorry y'all) for not keeping it real with me about what goes on during this time. Now y'all know that if nothing else, I don't have a filter when it comes to telling it like it is, so I feel its only right that I compile this list of stuff I wish I knew...but as SDJL told me, it may be better that I keep this stuff to myself so that I don't discourage any of you or put a cloud on your mommyhood pursuits...so if you fall in that category, feel free to stop reading now and check back tomorrow :)...this is also my TMI alert, so the faint at heart (or stomach) need not read any further...

Now that that's out of the way, here are my musings on the stuff they didn't tell me:

-Pregnancy is not all fun, games and glowing...okay, so maybe it is for some women, but not for me...we are all prepared for the weight gain, constant bathroom breaks and general discomforts, but the migraines, frequent nosebleeds, gas, heartburn...need I go on? Bottom line--be prepared for your body to totally betray you. You will do things and hear sounds generated by your temple that you never thought possible.

-Its not all mushy all the time. I always watched the kleenex commercials with the moms totally overwhelmed by emotion with every doctor's visit, ultrasound appointment, baby kick, etc. Well, though I marvled at the creation growing within and was amazed at God's awesomeness in this whole process, I was rarely moved to mushiness. At the risk of thinking something was wrong with me, I conversed with my doc to realize that I was completely normal. It was cool and so was I :)

-Doctor's appointments are the most unpleasant times...up until delivery. Now, the early appointments exploring the wonders of pregnancy were great. But as the time clicked closer to d-day, so did the need for pain pills. What the heck was the doc reaching to find? My heartbeat from down there? Geez...throwing back the liquid for the glucose tolerance test was one thing, but loosing all your dignity every seven to ten days to see if your little ones head was emerging...all I can say (or scream) is OUCH! Okay, but once you get over the pain, its hospital time. And while these professionals do it every day, there's something about having your hospital gown ripped open, undies pulled down and privates bared publically that just does something to you. Having a baby? Leave your modesty at the door. I somehow thought that with a csection, I would escape some of the probing...not so.

And last thought for today (baby waking, so to be continued later...)

-In my words that I screamed on day 4 from home...HOLY BOOBS BATMAN! God bless you if you happen to suffer engorgement like I did. Let me tell you, its the worst pain I have experienced (and I have gone through some things and surgeries). Breastfeeding/pumping/expressing is not for the faint of heart. To sum it up, my pain pill popping was more for my breasts than my c-section...

That said, don't want to scare y'all, just keeping it real :)

Even with the experiences aforementioned, I wouldn't trade a minute of them to have B safely in the world!

Not too Bad...

For one month post baby! I'll take it... Now, let's heal so I can get to the gym and get rid of the last portion of baby B's 9.5 month home :)

Birthday Dance

We are doing the ONE MONTH birthday dance for B! What a great month it's been. I am enjoying watching B grow and seeing his little personality start to develop! Here's to another great month ahead! Pics still to come...sorry for the delay...

Eleven Eleven Eleven

So I guess baby B wanted to stick to the Eleven theme for the day. He had his four week check with the doctor this morning. We were all taking bets on how much weight he's gained and let's just say that we were all blown away. So here are his stats:

Baby Boy B
4 weeks, 2 days old
11 pounds, 2 ounces
22 inches

Yep, you read it right. Baby boy has passed the 11 pound mark. Whoa. At 2 weeks, he was almost 9 pounds, so he's holding steady gaining a pound a week. Meal time is still one of his favorite times. He's eating 4-5 ounces per feeding every three hours. I compared his stats to J and while J weighed more at birth, it seems that B is gaining more steadily and quickly. We will see how they compare at eight weeks.

Speaking of weight, I think I told yall that I went to the doctor earlier in the week too. Praise report--despite the major surgery I had last year and the c-section, I am healing well and much better than my (awesome) doctor expected. Okay, back to weight--probably the best news for me, well, you know what I mean...I am only three (count it 3!!!) pounds away from my pre-baby weight. Whoa. And that's without exercise or anything. It's not like I gained a ton, but I didn't expect to drop it this quickly either. Definitely one check in the "not complaining" box. I have all these lofty goals to start yoga (Ayo, I am gonna do it!) and pilates and get back to my running (love, love, love the "Black Girls Run" website) after I am cleared by the doctor in another few weeks, so holiday sexy--here I come...LOL!

Anyhow, back to the boys...Just so we all check in--J is holding STRONG at 64 pounds...CRAZY! At his four year old check up, he's over the curve (as he has been since he turned one) and is very tall (almost to my breasts). So looks like I will have two big men to protect mommy one day. Baby B is in the 90th percentile in weight, height and head measurements and as I said, Joshua is wayyyyy over the curve. But since they are proportional, the doc isn't concerned. Again, they will just be some big boys and I love every minute of that... #futureprosportsmom !

Well, I think that's it for today. I keep hearing that there's supposed to be some majestic thing in the air today and the ladies are overcrowding the area delivery rooms to have their babies today (nut cases), but yeah, well, I missed making a wish at 11:11 this morning, so since I know me and B will be doing the baby dance tonight, here's to a great wish come true at 11:11pm for us and for all of you.

Much love and happy weekend :)

Hello Out There....

Also, quickly, for all you anonymous readers, PLEASE do me a favor and click on the link on the right to become a follower so I know you're out there. It'll be quick and painless...I promise :).

Thanks!

N

Home on the Range...Or Something Like That

Hello folks in internet world! All is well here. I didn't realize it had been a few days since I put up a blog post, sorry about that. Nothing new really since my weekend updates in my last post. B is now four weeks old and wow, I can't believe it'll be his one month "birthday" in two days! It seems like it took forever for him to get here and now it seems like the days fly by. But by all accounts we are doing okay. B goes back to the doctor Friday, so I will have an update on his stats then. I have money on the fact that he's more than ten pounds now...This boy can EAT! I guess he's trying to catch up to J :)

In other news, we got the proofs back from our first family photo shoot. I am so excited to share them. Once I get the CD in the mail, I will post a few images. Let me just say that I have two of the most handsome boys on the planet! Our amazing photographer did a great job of capturing some oh-so-sweet moments during the session. I can't wait to get them back over there for our holiday shoot. But in the meantime, I won't leave you in suspense too long, so I will post some pics by the end of the week.

I had my check up at the doctor yesterday and all looks good. I am so thankful for great professionals here who have taken great care of me and my body. Even with the extensive surgery I had last year (more on that later), everything went much better than expected and by all accounts, all looks better than expected on the inside! I am amazed really given all that my little girls parts have been through. Just so glad that I found skilled doctors to pull me together enough!!!

Anyhow, off to take a quick nap...trying to make myself nap these days (who am I kidding, I won't go to sleep)...So off to clean and wash the dishes before this little one wakes up to EAT again...

Later loves :)

Weekend Randoms

Just a few musings and thoughts from the past few days...

-As I turned in my last paper before my final exam for my class, I thought...Hey, maybe I am superwoman! I will somehow manage to complete two more courses toward my PhD while taking care of my newborn and preschooler. Even though I have resolved that "passing grades" would be good enough for now, I am striving for A's...Only one final away in one class, then we will work on the other.

-If anyone has the magic good behavior pill for four year old's, please send it my way. For some reason, my sweet, adorable, loving boy J has decided that there's no reason to display that same wonderful behavior within the confines of his school. Eeekkk!! What to do? I am trying to work with his teachers on his behavior plan, but it's hard as we don't see those same behaviors at home. Magic pills can be sent via UPS directly to my house. I will provide a shipping account number free of charge!

-Sometimes we all need a break...Yes, working full time is HARD, but being at home full time is hard as well. I never thought I could be a stay-at-home mom. With J, I had to work from home for his first few weeks as there was no leave granted to me back then. This time around, with the medical leave and FMLA, I have the blessing of being able to be home to take care of my little ones while still getting a paycheck. But hey, some days the laundry goes undone, dishes are left in the sink and dinner doesn't make it to the table. And that doesn't mean I sat around on my @*! all day. I just can't figure out where the time goes on days like that. Before I know it, it's 4pm and I am just getting around to brushing my teeth (TMI, but that's reality)...

-ROUTINE! That's what I miss most right now. I thrive on knowing what to expect and when to expect it and that plus newborn don't mix. B is pretty predictable though, eating every three hours, playing for a bit, sleeping and waking up to eat again. The cycle doesn't change much, but that doesn't mean I can count on it to stay the same. I am learning to just roll with it.

Well, that's all for now...Just a few weekend ramblings. I hope you guys enjoy your weekends...

GO JAGS...GO TIGERS...GO SAINTS!!!!

#LouisianaSportsFan!

On Location

B at his first family photo shoot...Pictures coming soon to a blog near you :)

On the Sands through an Hourglass

This crazy concept of time is one that I struggle with...Well, I guess in more ways than one...For those who know me IRL know that I have this habit of being late or getting places right at the appointed hour. Being early never really was my thing. But before I digress, that's neither here nor there. The "time" I am referring to is the passing of time--from seconds to minutes; minutes to hours; hours to days; days to weeks; weeks to years...

It seems like just yesterday, I was bringing J home from the hospital...A wide eyed, calm (except at feeding time) newborn with a world of potential locked inside his little body. And now, I look at that "not so little" body of his--who am I kidding--I look at that HUGE body of his and wonder where the time has gone since that August day in 2007. It just doesn't seem real that he's now a four year old who has his own demands and doesn't hesitate to articulate them. It all seems like a blur. When J was an infant, I tried to make a point of making mental snapshots of special times that would burn in my memory so that I would always have them to recall. I would snuggle him tight, close my eyes and commit every detail of that moment to my memory. I can still recall sitting in a hotel room with him when he was a few days old, sitting on my bed with him playing when he was a few months old. And I am grateful that I can recall those times so vividly. I can only hope that it always stays as fresh to me!

And now, when I look at B, I want to create those same moments in my mind. I want to be able to have those images to recall years from now because as I can now see, the time goes so quickly. So as B's days have turned into weeks (HAPPY 3 weeks B!), I am not eager for the weeks to turn into months and years. Of course, I want him to grow and thrive and hit all his milestones accordingly. But I also want him to be a baby and for this time to go slowly and the moments to last as long as they can.

I wonder what my own mommy thinks when she looks at me and my brother...I know the time seems to go in fast foward. I can only hope to look at my boys the same way one day.

Cherish the day!

Going it Alone

I love every minute with my little guys. As I said, J keeps me on my toes and is in constant motion. B, well, he's doing all things newborn right now and it's a constant up-and-go attending to both of their needs. I don't have to tell the moms out there about the round the clock feedings, diaper changes, comforting AND the reading, playing with cars, preschool runs, etc. Ahhhh, the life with a newborn and preschooler...and oddly (or not) I wouldn't change the madness for anything.

BUT I know that I couldn't do this alone. I guess you do what you have to do, but geez, without my mom and big J, I would probaly be a royal mess by now. On top of healing from my C-section, I couldn't be as effective or present without them. I guess this all has a way to humble you. I now know, if I ever had any doubt, that I am not superwoman...and I am proud to admit that (cue the jaws dropping)...but seriously, as an over achiever, coming to that realization should be rather upsetting to me, but it's just the opposite.

You see, I have always been "that girl" ... You know, the straight A student, president of the class, model, dancer -- well rounded and successful in all things. At work, I produce great events and constantly stand out on top. I am a go-getter and I don't like to settle for less than the best. So I guess I have this drive to be that superwoman...but looking at my sons, I have realized now more than ever that some things are just more important. The don't need me to channel my super hero powers, they need me to be the best me I can be...to love them, provide a safe and secure environment, foster their dreams and to be FULLY present.

And I couldn't be any of those things without help. So to J and my fab mommy, I say THANK YOU fully.

I don't know how folks go this road alone...

Blessed!