My little monkey is getting chunky!

It's so exciting to go to the Doctor and find out what your little one weighs! I just love it! With Matthew, it's not only the weight but also noticing how everything fits differently. 0-3 month clothes are fitting (some even TIGHT), his swaddle blankets are becoming too small, and he is looking SO BIG in his carseat! So many signs of growth. After an abnormal blood test, Matthew is going to see a specialist tomorrow to figure out if anything is actually wrong with him. We haven't noticed any issues, so we're hoping it's just an error. Enjoy the pics of Matthew at 6 weeks (plus two days, actually - I had a camera issue on Monday). The second picture was him either at the beginning or end of a smile - those are still so hard to catch on camera! The third pic is his little tongue hanging out - a look that compliments all babies! Sorry the pics are blurry - it's hard to take a picture of the kid you are holding (Nicholas' pictures of Matthew didn't turn out so great!).

I found out yesterday that I have the shingles... again. I had it in college and vaguely remember it being a horrible, painful experience. Jason remembers more than me, I think, and is truly dreading the next few weeks. Since the outbreak just occurred Tuesday, the medicine they are giving me will have more of an impact. Hopefully it will shorten the time & make the entire illness less painful. I just can't imagine how much fun I'll be to live with these next few weeks!!!

All About Nicholas

Anyone who knows much about Nicholas knows that he HATES water on his head. This is frustrating as he doesn't normally enjoy the pool (unless his head is above water the WHOLE TIME), sprinklers, or washing his hair in the bathtub. Needless to say, the kid would not consider the idea of a shower. On Friday, we bribed him! We told him we would buy him some special Spiderman body wash if he took a shower. So, after much coaxing, he got into the shower with Jason & it was successful!!! Since then, he has taken TWO MORE SHOWERS!!!! YEAH!!! This is big - maybe he'll even learn to ENJOY water!
Yesterday, we loaded up the family in the car and went back to Waterfall Park. Nicholas climbed the big rock they have (yes, that is for KIDS to play on - scary, right?) and rode his bike around on a path while I pushed Matthew in the stroller. We were out early as to avoid the heat & humidity of the day!
This morning, I had a typical post-pregnancy clothing meltdown (why do only MATERNITY pants fit???). Nicholas overhead and wanted to know why I was upset & crying. I told him the basics... when I got dressed (in maternity pants that I don't think ever fit while I was pregnant and a non-maternity shirt), he commented that my clothes fit fine and I look cute. What a sweetie! He makes it his job to make me feel better and I love him for it. Right now, he's in his room listening to his Veggie Tales Christmas CD and whisper-singing every word. He's whispering because his brother is sleeping in the next room! So considerate - he usually yells a lot during Matthew's sleepy times!

Matthew

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Pics, etc.

Thought I'd post some cute pics from last Sunday. I dressed Matthew in a blue & white striped polo outfit... Nicholas searched in HIS closet until he found a similar shirt! He wanted to match brother! He often matches Daddy on purpose, but it was super-cute to have matching boys! A funny side note: Nicholas told me I "looked gorgeous" on Sunday - wearing the white shirt from the picture. I changed into a pink shirt later that day to exercise and he told me I no longer looked gorgeous because my shirt wasn't white! :) Also, he said he doesn't like girls because they have long hair (except for Mommy, he said). Guess that's a good thing for now! I'm sure he'll like plenty of girls later on!
Today our friends RJ & Shelley are having a baby girl! Again, I am super-excited for them and can't wait to meet their beautiful new baby girl! What an amazing baby week!
Tonight I'm off to my monthly Mom's Night Out. I always look forward to the conversations and kid stories and tonight is no exception. I'm sure Jason is a little nervous as this is really the first time he's been alone with both kids (other that 30 minutes when Matthew was a week old). He'll do great - his routine with Nicholas is down pat - they make a pizza each month! While Matthew can't participate yet, I'm sure he'll have a good time too!

Baby is HERE!

Becky had her baby today... sounds like Mom & Baby are doing well. She sounds elated - I heard her laughing on the phone before I even said hello (when she called to tell the terrific news)! Aren't we just so blessed? We can't wait to meet little Macy and welcome her into the world! Today I was holding Matthew, remembering how we hoped and prayed for another little one, the waiting, the way we discovered we were pregnant, waiting again and waiting some more! We know we are lucky to have Matthew, especially a HEALTHY Matthew!
Tonight Jason is having a fantastic evening. He's at the Tom Petty concert. Me, personally, I would be miserable at the event as I can't stand Tom Petty's voice. Or the drug references in nearly every song. However, Jason loves him & is probably having a blast right now. Not to be outdone, the boys and I had our own great time tonight! We played at our friend Jack's house (guess I should say Jack & Maren, although Maren & Matthew probably won't play together for many months!). Nicholas had a great time - he always loves someone else's toys! For dinner he made a pita pizza for himself - one of his favorites! Then we spent our evening making a coffee cake for Daddy and pureed vegetables. We pureed broccoli, spinach, and butternut squash. Nicholas has decided that carrots and green beans are the only veggies for him. While I, not a veggie lover myself, respect this decision, I'd like to incorporate some other veggies into his diet. So, THANK YOU Jessica Seinfeld for your book & recipes. I will continue serving Nicholas his veggie favs while adding purees to other recipes! Hopefully he'll never know the difference! Plus, this is giving me GREAT practice for making baby food for Matthew! Don't we sound healthy? Both boys are now asleep - I am going to wash dishes & maybe spend a few minutes relaxing before Matthew's next feeding. Wish me luck on the veggies!

Becky & the new baby!

I am SO SUPER EXCITED TODAY!!! My wonderful friend Becky is having her 3rd baby today - a GIRL - and I just can't WAIT!!! Her second child (also a girl) is two months, 2 days older than Nicholas and we love getting the kiddos together for playdates! Macy, her newest addition, will be 5 weeks, 1 day younger than Matthew! Perfect! I wish Becky & her family all the best today... and I can't WAIT for the big news!

One Month Old

One Month Already?

Hard to believe my little guy is already one month old! We think he looks a little chubbier, but basically the same.
Yesterday we braved Independence Center - the play area - with our friends Becky & Merrick (& let's not forget Macy!). Nicholas & Merrick had a wonderful time playing together - especially bringing their moms pretend ice cream & other food. I just love the imagination 3-year-olds have! Isn't it great? We only brought $3 each with us - $2 for the carousel, $1 for rides. Unfortunately, they've recently raised the prices on those silly ride-on machines! 75 cents for a ride!!! I held Nicholas off as long as possible, and they had a great time playing. I was shocked when two hours flew by! Matthew did great - I don't think he cried once! The kids enjoyed O'Charley's for lunch (gotta love the rolls & free kids meals!) and then we sent Becky on her way! Next time we see them, there will be a new little one to celebrate!
Today I took the boys to Waterfall Park, the new park at Bass Pro Shop. It was wonderfully shaded and had lots of fun equipment for Nicholas. For some reason, he played less than an hour and decided he was ready to head home. Fine by me, but it seemed strange!
Matthew is going through something... after two great nights of sleeping, we've had three bad ones in a row. The result is a set of cranky parents! Cross our fingers for a better night tonight! Tomorrow we head to the pediatrician's office for our one month check-up! I can't WAIT to hear his newest stats!

Grumpy at the Post Office (& Liberty)

So I took the boys to storytime at the library today... We've been three times already and today went well just like the other times. After the library, we headed to the post office to pick up my certified mail from Liberty. I was worried about waiting in a long line with two kids, but wanted to know what my "secret mail" was. I waited in a short line (thank goodness) but was then told I needed to go to the Post Office Annex building on the other side of town. Seriously? She pointed to the name & address printed on the card I received. I didn't even check it because you get mail at the POST OFFICE, not some ANNEX! Anyway, we got BACK into the car & headed across town to the ANNEX. It was a little tricky to find, but we managed to get there quickly. I picked up my mail (I was so worried, for some silly reason). It was paper work regarding extending my INSURANCE through Liberty. I was so disappointed that I went through all of that just for something I don't need or want! What a waste! Gladly I didn't have to wait at either place too long, but it was still a small hassle! Soon after, I received a text from Jason saying things are a mess at work and we're on our own for dinner... may the afternoon pass quickly! :)

Just another Monday!

Well I made it through the weekend just fine. Jason had fun with the boys and I had fun with MY boys! Nicholas, Matthew, & I went to a friend's house for a playdate on Saturday... the boys had a good time & I loved the adult conversation aspect of it! Nicholas is getting to be very particular about things... the little boy he was playing with wanted him to play something different. Nicholas was incapable of simplying saying "No thanks" or something similar. Instead he started ranting, "You aren't my friend. I don't want to play _____ with you" at a very loud (yelling) voice. Grrr... grumpy boy! He did have a great time playing with his friend and thoroughly enjoyed his McDonald's lunch (much better than what mommy would have made at home!). Later on Saturday I ventured out to Wal-Mart spending more time & money than I originally anticipated. Doesn't that store just suck you in??? It's terrible, really!

The craziest part of Saturday was after we got home. I had an agenda: feed Matthew, make Nicholas & I dinner, give Matthew a bath, put Matthew to sleep, play outside with Nicholas, "fix" Nicholas' hair (Daddy gave a bad haircut according to Nicholas), give Nicholas a bath, put Nicholas to bed, then CRASH! Granted, I had lots to do, but you wouldn't even BELIEVE how quickly the time passed! We had only a few minutes to play outside because it was super-late! I finally got everything completed and crashed on the couch. Matthew woke up to eat at 11pm - fell back asleep and didn't wake to eat again until... 3:51am!!! Yippee!!! I had about 4 hours of uninterrupted sleep!!!! So divine!

On Sunday, I took the boys to church (the lady sitting next to me commented on how "brave" I was bringing a newborn to church by myself) and then to Liberty to meet the boys & bring Jason back home. We spent the rest of Sunday taking it easy... and now we begin another week!

Matthew is 4 weeks old day... although I'm going to hold off until Wednesday (1 month) to take more pictures! We think he's getting chunky! I'll get him weighed today & see if it's true! He's falling into a predictable routine & rarely gets truly upset. He's pretty even-tempered as of now. When we put him down to sleep, he cries for a minute or two (sometimes WAILS) and then stops altogether! This is so different from his big brother! Nicholas could wail with the best of 'em for a LONG time - he was a crier! Jason & I comment DAILY on how different this kiddos' temperament really is! He's fitting well into his 0-3 month size... and we're about to bid our "newborn" sized clothes goodbye! I always enjoy moving up to the next size... new clothes to put him in! He spits up enough to warrant several new outfits a day, so that's always fun!

BIG BOY!

Last night was a big night at our house! Matthew slept in his OWN BED for the first time (at night). We were worried about the transition as Nicholas sleeps in the very next room, but with both boys having sound machines to drown out noises, they didn't bug each other at all! Nicholas didn't even wake up while Matthew was screaming during naptime today (I thought with the lighter sleep, lighter daytime he might wake up...).
On another note, I need to vent about my housecleaner. We have someone who cleans our house every other week (she's been coming for several months now). This was exceptionally helpful to me during pregnancy & I've been excited about her continuing now that we have two little ones at home. Unfortunately she is the MOST UNRELIABLE PERSON I KNOW!!!! There have been many occasions when she did not show up, many more that she has rescheduled, and I don't think she's EVER been on time. Seriously, she says she'll be here at 9am and shows up an hour or more later! She was supposed to come on Tuesday this week - we even CONFIRMED Monday night - she called at 8:45am Tuesday to reschedule for Thursday. I was accommodating - we have nothing going on. So today, after spending much time picking up my messy house, we waited and waited. We waited until 10:40am for her to show up when we finally just left (to attend our music class). I don't know if she ever came or not. She certainly didn't call either the house or Jason's cell phone. So today I have a dirty house & no one to clean it. Any takers??? My wonderful friend Becky has a great mom who is helping her clean & organize her house before the birth of her newest little girl - can I borrow your mom, Becky??? Thank goodness my mother-in-law is wonderful & is coming over tomorrow to help me!
Aaahhh... so much better after venting!

3 weeks old!

Matthew is 3 weeks old already! He weighed in at 8 pounds, 7.6 ounces yesterday, meaning he is gaining approximately 9 ounces per week! "They" recommend babies at this age gain between 4 and 7 ounces per week, so we are ABOVE the curve! Yeah! Another good eating & growing baby! He is doing fantastic, getting up at night only to eat! What a trooper! Nicholas is still in love with little brother & life is good!

Happy 4th of July!

We had a great 4th of July... enjoying the fireworks display our neighbors set off & (finally) watching the Blue Springs display from our driveway - one of the perks about living so close to Blue Springs H.S. Nicholas had a great day - he was excited about the fireworks & having Grandma, Grandpa, & Andrew over to visit!

Looks like Nicholas???

Here's two pictures of Nicholas: one when he was a little over two weeks old, and one taken when he was a little over one month old (right after a bath - that's why his nasal cannula isn't on!!!). Someone asked me if I thought Matthew looks like Nicholas - my answer is "YES!!!" though others may not see it...

Two Weeks Old...