What a Year...

2012 has been a year for the books.  Our family has celebrated many wonderful and amazing things, but we unfortunately have cried and grieved together too.

This year began with us grieving the loss of Carly's GG (Dave's Grandma) and making a return trip to Seabrook to celebrate her amazing life.  Before we were able to come up and breath from this event, my mom was hospitalized due to chest pains and underwent a heart catheterization.  Thankfully these results were positive, just in time for her and my dad to transport Robert up to the Cleveland Clinic for an evaluation due to a new development of seizure activity in him.   Tests up in Cleveland showed that a portion had been left during his original surgery in 1996 and a "clean up" job was needed.  He went into surgery up there.  Once he was cleared to come home my dad made the journey back to Columbia in the middle of the night with both my mom and brother in time for Robert to be admitted to the rehabilitation hospital at 6:00am.  During his evaluation an infection was suspected, so Robert was transported to the nearby ER and was in surgery later that evening.  His recovery has encompassed a lot of my parents time (and his); however, David Jr was not intending on waiting for life to settle down.  On Thursday, April 26th our family celebrated the birth of David Charles Orr, Jr.  (Finally a positive trip to the hospital.)  However his labor and deliver had to follow the course of the year - originally their wasn't enough room at the hospital so my check in was delayed, David Jr was sunny side up - making the delivery a challenge, and we had to move rooms due to overcrowding 5 hours after meeting our son.  Two weeks later I was in intense pain and crying while my OBs tried to figure things out.  Less than 24 hours later I was in a operating room having a prolapsed urethra repaired...  In July we began to learn that David Jr had food challenges (aka allergies) and that he was being affected by my diet.  At the same time my mom fell while out in Texas when she missed a step in an outdoor pool area and spent some time in the ER.  Thankfully, things began to calm down after this little misstep.  My grandmother has been working with her doctors this fall and winter trying to figure out why she isn't 100% and spent a few nights in the hospital looking for answers.

Through all of that craziness Dave also competed in 4 sprint triathlons and committed to compete in 2 half Ironman events in 2013.  In addition to working full time and going to graduate school.  Best of all, he made it out on the boat a handful of times - a few solo trips, some Daddy-Daughter boating trips, and then two trips as a family of four.  Carly began 2012 saying very few words and is now talking about a mile a minute.  She spent the year completing a session of swimming lessons, participating in gymnastics, visiting Seabrook and her GG Papa, and a few weeks after David arrival with her Aunt Boo-Boo and grandparents.  Carly also began preschool this September and is coming out of her shell even more.  She comes home after her mornings in preschool with a craft project she can't wait to tell me about and ready to "play" school when she should be napping.  I began running again in June and immediately ran for 3 miles, starting my training for a 10k in September and finished up the year with a half marathon under my belt and a scheduled marathon in March of 2013.  David Jr entered the world facing up and setting the tone for life to be exciting.  In June and July our family did quite a bit of traveling and celebrated Dave's mom's 60th birthday with a huge surprise party in Atlanta.    In these past 8 months David has gone from a newborn to an almost crawler (he is doing everything but going forward at the moment).

While I pray that 2013 is an overall better year than 2012, I can't say that 2012 was a bad year.  Dave and I welcomed our son into the world and our daughter has continued to grow into a smart and compassionate little girl.  I look forward to Dave competing his 2 half IronMan triathlons, me completing a marathon, Carly continuing to learn new things everyday, and seeing our little David crawl and take his first steps in 2013.

8 Months

It blows me away that our little man can be 8 months old.  There are moments in my life where I feel like he has been apart of our family just as long as Carly or Jake have been, but then more frequently I feel like he just joined our family.  At the moment David Jr is sitting very well and wanting to crawl.  He will go from his sitting onto his belly and will even balance himself to reach as far as he possibly can to grab a toy before rocking back into the sitting position.  He has become the master of butt scooting around the room and is typically more interested in Carly's toys than his own.  (Which is fine, because she seems more interested in his new Christmas presents than her own.)  He loves to grab for books, paper, hair, and especially glasses.  Jake and Carly are his absolute best friends and he continues to Maamaa when he wants me to feed him (and occasionally when he just wants me).  He is eating his baby food like a champ and has a lot of variety in his diet.  He prefers vegetables and fruits over the rice cereal, so we have just resorted in hiding a few teaspoons here and there in the pureed food.  He is typically eating about 7 - 8 ounces of pureed fruits and vegetables for lunch and dinner with about 2 teaspoons of cereal added to the meal.  On extra hungry days he will ask for 3 - 4 ounces of fruit at breakfast.  We are looking forward to these last few months of "babyhood" for our little man and can't believe we are now two-thirds of the way to David's 1st birthday!

Tis the Season...

So the conversation that just took place at our house -

Sharon - "Dave, I figured out what I'm getting you for Christmas.  I'm just not sure I can get it delivered in time." 

Dave - "I told you, I want a Maglight"

Carly - "We got that already, daddy."

MaMaMa

This morning David Jr said his first word!  I had just gotten out of the car and opened his door when he caught my reflection in his mirror and begin saying, "MaMaMa."  It was quite clear and meant just for me.  Best of all was the HUGE grin he had on his face when our eyes met.  Dave claims it doesn't count because no one else was around, but deep down I'll always know that my little man's first word was "MaMaMa!"

Dance Party

Our family had a mini-dance party this evening after dinner.  Carly requested "her jam" while I was cleaning up and Dave was checking some work items.  The playing of "Call Me Maybe" had all four members of our family dancing and singing.  And best of all - one song led to MANY!!

7 Months

Happy 7 Months to our Little Man!  I can't believe 7 months ago today Dave and I were hanging out in the hospital meeting David Jr for the first time!  Thinking back to that first day I am amazed at how much babies change during this first year.  David Jr is now "butt scooting" around the floor to get to toys that he is interested in playing with or investigating in general.  He gets a hoot out of dumping the box of Duplo blocks out all by himself, along with the animals in our Noah's Ark set.  During our nap and bed time story times he loves to "snuggle" with his sister and will roll over to get closer to her in the bed.  He is a very steady sitter, who HATES to fall over.  He has started to push himself backwards slightly when trying to "crawl" and can hold his weight in the crawling position, but can't quite get it altogether on his own.  David Jr is also becoming quite the chow hound at the dinner table.  He typically nurses twice in the morning, then eats 7 oz of baby food for lunch, nurses again before and after his afternoon nap, eats another 7 oz at dinner time, and tops the evening off with another nursing (if not more in the middle of the night).  He currently is enjoying - puréed butternut squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, green beans, peas, avocado, apples, pears, bananas, and prunes.  He does not seem to be a fan of baby cereal.

Dentist

Carly went to the dentist this morning and had a fabulous check up.  I know very little about the appointment, except that everything looked GREAT because she went back alone.  When the hygienist called her name she began walking to the door, I remained in my seat looking for cues from her about whether I would be heading back with her or not.  About half way to the door she turned back and told me to come on, her name had been called.  I then asked her if she wanted me to come or if she wanted to go by herself and have me just wait in the waiting room.  She then proceeded to tell me that I could just wait for her.  So, David Jr and I did just that.  We waited.  About thirty minutes later we were asked to come back for the summary report - everything looked great, her 3 year top molars were started to make her gums tender, and she was right on track for a girl who didn't get her first tooth until 17 months old.

Sick Daze (I mean DAYS)...

Sunday Carly's nose became congested.  As the day progressed, so did the signs of the cold that was about to take over our house.  By Monday morning it was clear that she would not be heading anywhere.  At one point she laid down on the sofa, covered herself up, and asked for a movie (as in a 20 minute cartoon).  I told her I needed to put David Jr down for his nap, then I would allow her to watch a movie if she promised to stay on the sofa the entire time and not play.  Well, 20 minutes later she was still just laying on the sofa waiting on me.  Needless to say, she got her movie.

Tuesday, Carly's mood picked up a little bit.  She did get to venture out of the house while I went to vote, but only because Dave called and told me there was absolutely no line and to "GO."  I promised Carly if she got dressed quickly I would get her a special breakfast since I was taking her out of the house without breakfast and when she really didn't feel well.  She only ate 2 bird sized bites of her Sausage Egg McMuffin once we returned home.  (Another true sign she still didn't feel well.)  Her imagination did begin to take off during her second at home day and she asked me for a basket.  She then wrapped one of her dolls up in a blanket, placed him in the basket, and began to act out the story of Baby Moses.  The imaginary role playing occurred for the remainder of the week.  Unfortunately, by 11am Carly said the dreaded phrase, "my ear hurts."  I tried distracting her, thinking she just wanted to go to the doctor to make her feel better when really there was nothing that could be done for this cold.  However, by noon when the phone lines were closing for lunch I knew she wasn't just using the "ear" as an excuse to go to the doctor.  (My only suspicion for this was because she had asked Monday to go to the doctor for the pink medicine so she'd feel better.)  I was able to call during nap time and get a same day appointment to confirm that Carly had another ear infection in her right ear.

Wednesday I kept everyone at home again in hopes that Carly would feel like heading out to preschool on Thursday.  Thankfully she did, just in time for David's nose to start running and turning green.  By Friday we felt he needed to be seen before the weekend for an ear check too.  It turns out, his ears were clean at the moment but his sinus area was infected.

I don't think everyone is 100%, and David and I are both just feeling sluggish after a full week of two sick kids - I do feel like we are finally on the upswing of this illness.

A Colorful Weekend

This weekend many family members traveled into town for Charlotte's first Color Run - a 5k race where colored powder paint is thrown at you at each kilometer.

The wildness began on Friday afternoon when our family began to arrive.  That evening we celebrated Uncle Earl's birthday and even found cupcakes that he and I could both eat!  Saturday we loaded most of the family up and headed off to the Charlotte Motor Speedway.  After a very colorful 5 kilometers we headed home for a pre-Thanksgiving feast.  The best portion of all of this fun was watching Carly interact with her 2 cousins.  There were points in the weekend when the kids were outside throwing sand, chasing each other around the house, and having an overall great time together.  While it all made for a wild and crazy time, I can't wait for everyone to get together again for Christmas!

Moving on Up

Yesterday I spent most of my spare time switching out David Jr's closet.  He is one tall little boy and wasn't fitting into anything that was 3-6 months, so out with the old and in the with new.  His closet is currently sporting clothes ranging from 6 months to 9 months; however, the 6 month one piece outfits are getting a little snug if he tries to fully extend his legs and arms.

6 Month Well Visit

David has his 6 month well visit today.  He is weighing in at 17 lbs, 14 oz (54%), 28 inches long (92%), and his head  is 44 centimeters around (61%).  Everything during this visit went well, we discussed David's growing appetite, ability to sit, desire to move, and how we are fairly confident he has already had his 6 month growth spurt due to a few middle of the night feedings these past few days.  We also discussed David's allergies and decided to hold off on giving him a flu shot until he is skin tested next month.

6 Months

What an amazing 6 months we have had with David Jr.  I can't believe he is this old, but at the same time I feel like he has been out in the world and apart of our family forever.  He is a very happy go lucky baby and smiles most of the time.  He is working very hard at sitting up and is quite stable until he tries to reach for an object or toy.  He is also very ready to move.  When on his tummy we can put our hands behind his feet and he will very happily push himself off and scoot around his quilt.  He does not really seem interested in rolling over and has only done it once or twice.

His favorite toys are some wobble sports balls, soft blocks, duplo pieces, a giraffe and elephant from his kick mat, and a rattle toy.  He also enjoys rolling a ball with his sister and interacting with her in any way that he can.  When in his exersaucer he will stop playing to watch her and/or Jake.  Jake has become more interested in David Jr and will now walk up to him while he is sitting on the floor or in his exersaucer.  Thankfully, he is a calm dog and doesn't mind David's "petting."

David has begun eating solid foods and so far has tried (and liked) peas, green beans, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, applesauce, and rice cereal (his least favorite).  He is eating a few tablespoons each day at lunch and dinner while we are all sitting together at the table.

David is currently wearing a size 3 diaper and moving into 9 month clothing due to length.  He has cute, full checks; however, the rest of him is quite lean.  No pudgy little rolls down his arms and legs at the moment, although he isn't mobile yet so there is still time.  His hair is starting to come in and is starting to look like some wild and out of control peach fuzz on the top of his head.  It appears to be very blonde, matching his bright blue eyes nicely.

3 Years Old

Three years ago our world changed, our precious little girl joined the world and has kept us on our toes ever since.  At three years old Carly is going to preschool at our church 2 days a week, gymnastics once a week, and enjoys going to our local library's weekly story time. While at home she tends to play with her baby dolls - treating them as if they were her babies (feeding, changing diapers, tummy time, placing them in the car seat, etc.).  She also uses Duplo blocks, her train set, playdough, and art supplies regularly.  Her imaginary play is really beginning to develop, and quite frequently can be seen having "story time" with her babies or playing grocery store, restaurant, and even preschool.  Carly also throughly enjoys looking at photos and videos on cell phones and tablets and will do almost anything independently if you promise to take a photo or video of her doing it that she can then watch later.  Her favorite apps at the moment are a handwriting app, 2 paint brush coloring style apps, and the "running" game.

When outside, Carly enjoys playing on slides, swinging, blowing bubbles, riding her tricycle, and running.  She has become quite the little "runner" and like to mimic Dave and I in our running.  She will put on her "running" shoes (aka tennis shoes) and go outside to run "5 miles."  Her 5 mile stretch is between two stop signs in our neighborhood and typically she last for about a third of a mile.  After her run, she will then go grab her bike helmet and start riding her tricycle like daddy does.  She thinks it is so cool that both her and Dave's bikes are red.  She was supposed to compete in her first kid run two Saturday's ago but couldn't due to an ear infection.  She is scheduled to run in a one mile fun run on Saturday.

Carly is potty trained during her awake hours and is currently wearing mostly size 4 clothing due to length (size 2 still fits her waist and hips).  She still hasn't had a haircut and likes all of your typical toddler/preschooler foods, while doing her best to avoid all vegetables (except for peas and broccoli).  She is absolutely in love with her brother and thanks us regularly for giving him to her.  She can be quite strong willed and enjoys getting her way, unfortunately for her Dave and I are the same way.

Carly knows a lot - her birthday, full name, colors, numbers (up to 11), the alphabet, and recognized all 26 letters (when she doesn't feel like being "silly").  She also has an amazing memory and will randomly start telling you about small details from an event many months ago.  (The other day she told me that she and Aunt Boo-Boo had lunch at Chick-fil-a while waiting on David Jr to be born.  She then continued to tell me, it was because it rained and she couldn't go to the park with Owen and Molly as planned.)  She does enjoy being "silly," and I found preschool humor strange.  Her big joke the other day was calling me "daddy" and Dave "mommy."  She got quite the hoot out of herself.

5 Months

At 5 months our little man is continuing to work on rolling over, although doesn't seem nearly as interested in trying as he did a month ago.  Everything he can get his hands on goes straight into his mouth - especially his socks once he works them off.  He is currently wearing size 3/6 or 6 month clothing and size 2 diapers.  (Although we are on our final sleeve of these and will be moving into size 3 in just a few days.)  David is very interested in food and has really enjoying eating about a tablespoon of food occasionally at lunch and dinner.  He enjoys playing in his exersaucer, snuggling in his sister's bed during our nap/bed time routine of 2 books and a few songs, and his currently working through his first ear infection.  

Bedtime

Carly has become quite a fan of having David in her bed during her bedtime routine.  They snuggle while I read and sing before Carly falls asleep.

Carly has been hoping for temperatures to drop low enough at night for her to be able to wear her footie fleece pajamas... well tonight was her lucky night.  (If only these temperatures would stick around.)

Little Mommy

Carly is definitely a little mom.  Everything we need to do with David, Carly is right there helping us with and then turning around and completing the same task with her four baby dolls.  Today her dolls got hungry and needed to eat some baby food.

Where's David?

Carly spent the afternoon playing "Birthday Party" and her brother was one of the guests invited to the party.  He was happily sitting in his seat when the party formed around him...  (but he wasn't the birthday boy during this play - Carly's doll "Eddie" was today's special birthday boy.)

Tired

Sending late night e-mails is HARD work!

Playing Together

ROAR

Carly attended a friend's birthday party today and had her face panted up like a tiger.  She sat very nicely while her face was painted and really was keen on me taking a picture of it before we washed her face for nap time.

Table Food

David is 4 months 1 week and 4 days old today.  While Carly was stalling to finish eating her dinner I asked Dave if he wanted to put David in the high chair since he was starting to object to being in his swing.  Once David was seated in the chair and the straps were tightened he sat there like a little boy, looking very natural.  Dave asked if we had any cereal to feed him, which we didn't.  Our plan was to not start introducing foods until after our pediatric allergists appointment next Tuesday.  I suggested just dipping a spoon in some breast milk and seeing what happened.  We ended up skipping this idea and giving him a few little tastes of applesauce.  Surprisingly enough he took the food and swallowed it without pushing a lot of it back out.

While I am not ready to admit that David is ready for solid foods, I know that he is needing a few extra calories here and there and some extra fat due to our current dairy, egg, peanut butter, and shellfish free diet.

First Day Excitement

Carly had a wonderful first day of preschool (I think).  After posting about how excited I was to hear all about her day last night, she decided to be shy and quiet about it upon returning home.

Carly woke up this morning in a fabulous mood and was excited.  She posed to have her picture taken with her brother and on our front porch prior to loading up into the car to head to school. Once we arrived and all four of us were unloaded we made our way into the building.  Then she was swept inside by the lead teacher and drop off was done.  As we walked through the door of the building she was happy to see Miss Debbie ready to greet her; however, I think was shocked at how quick she was swept into the room.  There was not a good-bye hug or kiss for anyone.

When David and I went to pick her up this afternoon she immediately asked where daddy was.  Unfortunately, he was caught up on a call so was waiting for us at home.  My response seemed to satisfy her, but I was told she'd tell me about school when daddy was with me.  Once home, she was still a closed book before heading off to lunch with Dave.

Through various conversations and an e-mail from her teacher I have pieced together that Carly's day at preschool involved singing, dancing, riding a tricycle without a helmet, play dough, snack, coloring, reading two books, and making 2 new friends.

T'was the Night Before Preschool...

... and all through the house not a toddler was stirring, not even a baby.

Both children appear to be down for the night and I am wrapping up our day in preparation for Carly's first day of preschool tomorrow.  Dave has gone in and checked on Carly a few times so far this evening since she fell asleep just before 8 and came out commenting once that he can't believe she starts preschool tomorrow.  I'm not 100% sure it has really struck me that tomorrow she will be gone from me for the morning and that this will continue for the remainder of the school year for two days a week.  Sure she's gone off to her grandparents' homes for overnight stays and I did travel out of the country last summer, but something about this is just different.  It's her first "activity" where I just drop her off.  Gymnastics, art, music, story time, etc. have been and still are "mommy and me" classes.  This doesn't change around our area until either 3 or 4 depending on the class/program.  Don't get me wrong - I am very much looking forward to this extra time with David, but at the same time it means our little girl is growing up.

I have no reservations about Carly going to preschool.  She is ready!  She is very interested in the idea of writing and scribbles on paper to make "shopping lists" or to "write" her own thank you notes.  She has a vivid imagination and is starting to play more and more with children, instead of beside children.  She is coming home from Sunday School teaching me the new songs they sang during their time and telling me about many of the other activities they did and who was present.  Carly is also VERY, VERY excited about tomorrow's big day!  Over the past 2 months we've been using her book bag as her "diaper bag," (although I don't think there is a single diaper in it - rather a change of clothes, and then a water bottle and snack when appropriate it).  As a result, the bag has just lived in the car and only travels inside when it needs to be restocked with a snack.  This afternoon Carly grabbed her book bag and told me she would need it in the morning for preschool.  She also told me this morning that she would be wearing a ponytail (using a pigtail holder rubber band) and a bow to help keep her bangs out of her face tomorrow morning.  She has told me repetitively the names of her teachers and how she's going to be so "EXCITED" tomorrow.

I would not necessarily say that I am as excited for tomorrow morning as Carly is, but I can not wait to pick her up and hear all about her big first day.  I can already hear her in my head talking a mile a minute in her loud and excited voice telling me all about each activity and the four other friends she met while having this special first day!!

We're On a Boat!!

We finally made it out as a family of FOUR on the boat today.  Carly and Dave had been out here and there throughout the summer as "Daddy - Carly" dates or with friends and family.  Dave has even gotten a few solo trips out to run the boat and just relax with friends.  After his solo trip out on Sunday I was itching to get out on the water.  So after David's morning nap and our lunch, we set out for the water.  Carly and Dave hurried off to get the boat ready, while David and I followed about 15 minutes behind them.  Unfortunately, Dave received a weather warning from 2 police officers who were docking at the neighborhood's day dock.  This warning and the darkening skies did shorten our trip - however, we did get out in the main channel and then over to see where our friends are now starting to raft up with one another.

The ride was BLISSFUL!  I had David sitting on my lap and cradled in left arm, while Carly sat on the back bench next to me with my right arm wrapped around her.  Both children were all smiles until they eventually drifted off to sleep.

Leaving the neighborhood docks

While Dave was covering the boat up, I took the kids up to our neighborhood pool.  Carly and David both splashed in the baby pool until Dave came up to join us, our family then entered the larger pool.  Carly was eager to jump into the water and swim back to the ladder - showing off for the various neighbors.  David was also very happy and relaxed floating around in his life vest, only wanting to get out of the pool when he got hungry.  Hopefully, I will be able to take advantage of our Y's indoor pool during the cooler (and/or cold) months to help maintain this enjoyment for the water.

4 Month Stats!!

David Jr had his 4 month check up yesterday.  Everything went well and David was his happy bubbly self.  He is right on track developmentally and with hitting his milestones.  We did spend quite a bit of time talking with the doctor about the food "fun" I have been having recently with David and were referred to a pediatric allergist.  The allergist office was very accommodating and is able to fit us in on Carly's second day of preschool (they were able to fit us in on her first day, but didn't think the time window that Carly would be in school that day would be long enough...).

Before meeting with the doctor David measured in at 26.5 inches long (93%), weighing 15 lb 11 oz (53%), and with a head circumference of 42.5 cm (73%).

4 Months

David Jr is now four months old, which is amazing to think about!  There are times when I feel like he has been here for a lot longer than 4 months and there are other times when I think he was just born.  Today also marks the 1 year anniversary of Dave learning about me being pregnant with Baby Orr #2.

At four months David is...
~ recognizing our voices and faces.  Carly gets what she refers to as "the good morning smile" every time she talks to him or enters the room.
~ being to attempt to roll more and more, unfortunately he can't seem to get his lower half and upper half to try at the same times.  He is quite flexible, however.  There are many times that we will find one portion almost flat to the ground, while his other half is on its side or slightly facing the ceiling.
~ rotating himself when on his back to position himself under the right toy to chew on at the moment.
~ putting various toys in his month, along with his hands.
~ grabbing at his legs.
~ smiling with regularity when we speak to him or when someone else talks to him for a while.
~ giggling.
~ cooing and babbling up a storm.  There are times when he can go on, and on, and on...  (I think he may be learning this from his sister.)
~ likes to look at himself in the mirror and look at books with photographs of other babies.
~ is lifting his head almost a full 90 degrees (while raising his chest some) and looking all around during tummy time.
~ using both hands to grab at his carseat toys and my hair with a death grip.
~ continuing to sleep through the night (once he is willing to fall asleep at night) and taking 3 regular naps a day.
~ an absolute blessing!!

Daddy-Carly Date

Kids say some of the cutest things, and unfortunately I don't always remember the cute things Carly says by the end of the day.  However, today's cuteness stuck with me.  David had returned home this morning from his sprint triathlon (which he finished in just under 2 hours, beating his goal of 2 hours!!) and was quite hungry and craving some Waffle House.  He mentioned this idea, and then quickly dismissed it because I couldn't have it and we had already planned to have a family brunch when he arrived home.  Since I hadn't prepped anything for this brunch, I encouraged him to go out and get what he wanted.  He asked Carly if she wanted to go, to which she responded "Daddy - Carly Date."

My impression of their outing is that they had a wonderful time!  David was able to refuel his body and Carly got a waffle and chocolate milk (and extra special treat)!  A win - win for both of them.  I was also able to get in a quick walk with David before their return home.

Slowly but Surely

David Jr is a wonderful, loving, happy baby boy!  You would never know he had acid reflux, except when we are a few seconds late on giving him his medicine each morning and evening.  You would also never know from his happy, bubbly self that he was allergic to dairy, egg, peanut butter, and selfish - unless something slips by us in an ingredient list.  Then the next day we have roughly a two hour cranky spell due to an upset little tummy.  As a result David and I have been quite diligent about checking ingredients, researching restaurant menus online prior to going out to dinner - however, things occasionally slip by us and restaurant workers aren't always super careful about making sure my meal doesn't have a trace of something that will upset David's tummy.  As a result I have started to steer away form packaged and processed foods... as least as much as I can with a 2 year old and 3.5 month old in the house.  Today, Dave and Carly stepped it up a notch!  Earlier today we headed out to a nearby kitchen store and purchased a 2nd pasta attachment for our mixer.  During Carly's nap, David and I headed to the grocery store to buy the necessary ingredients to make rigatoni pasta from scratch and to then make Sausage, Peppers, and Onions Rigatoni.  After Carly's nap, David went down for his nap, I headed out for a bike ride, and Dave and Carly worked together to make rigatoni from scratch!  After the pasta dried, we prepped dinner and had a wonderful meal that was dairy and egg free!

Our family is still getting used to me being dairy, egg, peanut butter, and shellfish free but tonight's meal was a delicious, family fun meal that made me not miss all the other foods I'm currently avoiding.

Singing

Carly has gotten into music recently.  She will put ear buds up to her ears and tell me she is running or listening to Call Me, Maybe.  She will hold an older model iPod in her hand and talk to it - asking it to turn on and play various songs.  She has also spent much of the weekend singing Row, Row, Row Your Boat (including through most of our visit to a local sporting goods store).  After dinner tonight I took her with me to the grocery store.  As she was collecting her shoes and putting them on, she began singing a song of her own about going on a "Carly - Mommy" trip to the grocery store.  She couldn't have been happier to have this "special' outing - even if it was just to pick up the food for this week's meals.

Things I Never Thought I'd Hear or Do

David and I have become a lot more active over the past few years.  Grant it, the year leading up to our marriage we were both gym junkies.  For the two or three years prior to that, David was a gym junkie and actually returned from his European Adventure with Jessica in 2003 the smallest he has ever been in his adult life.  However, even with this "past" we have really surprised ourselves recently.

After Carly's birth we both began running.  David's completion of the Cooper Bridge Run was just the beginning of a journey that has taken him down the road to a Half Marathon and now into Triathlons.  My first race was 5 months after David's and has led me to a Marathon and hopefully a triathlon next month.  But the conversation that evolved last night at the dinner table and then transpired is what really left us thinking - "did we really just do this?"  David brought up our evening timeline and when he would like to go for a run.  Carly asked if she could go with him.  As the conversation continued it turned into all four of us would be going.  David would run his 2.5 miles while pushing the stroller, I would run with them but then continue on for another 1.5 miles.  When we re-entered our neighborhood Carly would be allowed out of the stroller, given a red gps running watch we have, and allowed to run home.  So about 30 minutes after dinner we set out on a FAMILY RUN!  Unfortunately, David and I are not really good at running together.  So after about a quarter of a mile he told me to go ahead on my way and we'd meet up at the end.  Our paths crossed just before I hit the 4 mile mark.  Unfortunately for me at this point, David mentioned that he thought I was supposed to go 4.5 miles.  So, my run continued... even though I really only needed to go 4 miles based on my training program.  Due to this extended milage, Carly didn't get out of the stroller quite as early as we had promised her.  She did get out of the stroller later on and run just over a quarter of a mile.  While just these three runs on our family run may not seem like a lot - it was just a portion of the exercise that occurred this weekend.

Friday -
Sharon - swam 850 yards
David - swam 2200 yards
Carly - ran 0.33 mile

Saturday -
Sharon - ran 4.5 miles
David - ran 3.1 miles
Carly - ran 0.27 mile

Sunday -
David - biked 23 miles, then ran 3.1 miles
Sharon - biked 12 miles

Movie Date

Carly and I had a movie date this morning.  Many of the theaters around down host summer movies.  They typically show a G and PG movie two or three days within a week for $1.  The only movie that I thought Carly may even possibly sit through was Chimpanzee.  Carly doesn't watch a lot of TV and has never sat for 90 minutes (except when she had the flu).  I was advised by moms to stock up on snacks and just let Carly eat her way through the movie if I wanted to stand a chance to see the whole thing.  I wasn't thrilled with the idea of her consuming empty calories for 90 straight minutes, but did accept the idea that Carly would need the "kids" snack pack at the movie since everyone else in the theater would have a drink, popcorn, and candy.  I also couldn't figure out how having David Jr in the theater would go.  He hadn't been thrilled with the loud noises and flashing lights during the dolphin show at the Atlanta Aquarium.  Thankfully, my mom and brother were willing to come up last night to stay with David Jr while Carly and I had our movie date.

Carly and I departed for our date this morning after breakfast.  We bought our tickets and snacks before entering the theater.  Carly was immediately amazed by the size of the screen.  I kept telling her that it was much larger than a TV, but she defiantly was not expecting something quite that large.  We found seats and were settled in just as the movie started (thankfully without previews).  Carly was immediately engrossed in the movie.  She asked if the chimpanzees were going to get her (many, many times), told me every time there was fighting, playing, or a baby chimp drinking milk from his mom.  She also ate some of her popcorn, all of her fruit snacks, and drank her fruit punch during the 90 minute movie.  What amazed me the most was that during the credits there was additional video footage that she sat and watched while everyone else was leaving the theater.

Overall Carly did a fabulous job.  She was talkative during the movie, but she was talking about the movie - which is her way of processes everything she was seeing (many of the kids were doing this).  I know she did not catch the movie's plot, but she enjoyed her time watching this documentary.

3 Months

It is very hard to believe that our little man is 3 months old today.  David Jr is eating and growing well even with a dairy allergy and acid reflux.  He is so happy and bubbly that you only hear fussiness when it is time for his medicine or if he is overtired.  He LOVES his sister, thinks his dad has the most comfortable set of arms, and smiles every time I pick him up from either his crib, car seat, or swing.  He  is blowing bubbles like a champ and talks and sings throughout his day.  One of his favorite times of day is Carly's nap and bedtime he gets into bed with her and listens to stories and songs - which he is now participating in.  He is also continuing to sleep through the night and is even sleeping in until 9am most mornings (if only his sister would do the same for us).

Singing

Carly's nap and bed time routine is quite lengthy (in my opinion - although it is shorter than the recommended 20 minutes that a routine should be at this age) and involves stories and songs.  Since having David we have needed to alter this routine slightly.  He is now either in the room eating during her routine or next to her in the bed.  I think they both prefer it when David Jr is in the bed.  They will turn towards each other, he will touch her, she will kiss/pat/hug him, and they both have HUGE smiles across their faces during this time.  Well today during nap time, David Jr began to sing with Carly and me.  While the sounds coming from him didn't quite mimic the words we were singing, the tone definitely reflected singing and not talking. This of course made Carly quite excited!

It has really been a lot of fun to listen to our little man babble (and now sing).  Carly wasn't quite as vocal at an early age - actually she didn't say much until she started talking, but now she seems to talk non-stop.  I can't wait to see what David Jr is like as a talker - constant and steady like Carly or rather a man of few words.

Wall Decor

Carly moved into her room at the beginning of this year, yet her walls have basically remained bare.  We did hang art work up that was moving over from her nursery, but that was about it.  On Monday, Carly, David Jr, Aunt Julia, and I headed out to the store to purchase some wall decals to correct this bare wall problem.

The decals sat under books for about 48 hours to help flatten everything out and were finally hung today by Aunt Julia.  Carly was quite the cheerleader - she was giving her aunt verbal encouragement "Good work Aunt Boo-Boo" while also jumping around the room.

Here are photos of Carly's upgraded room.

The start of the caterpillar's adventure (and Carly's closet)

The traveling caterpillar

A very fat caterpillar eating through Saturday's meal.

A cocoon and "beautiful butterfly"

A cute detail

First Magazine Subscription

When did my daughter get so OLD?  On average I get WAY TOO MANY e-mails in a day.  Most of them are "daily" deals from various companies I have placed online orders with over the many, many years.  Today's "deal" was 50% off of magazine subscriptions to The National Wildlife Federation's different children's magazines.  I had been saving this idea for a possible present for Carly's birthday; however, when I saw the e-mail I thought "Why wait?"  Trying to be sensible, I e-mailed David with only an hour left in the "sale" and determined not to make such an impulse purchase without the green light from him.  His response came within 3 minutes (I did send it to his work account hoping to up my odds in a timely response) and stated that he thought she would enjoy it too.  So Carly officially has her first magazine subscription on the way in the next 6 to 8 weeks!  What a big girl!!  This is only the beginning I'm sure.  It will start with Wild Animal Baby and eventually end with Seventeen...

TGIF

This week has been one for the books.  Last Friday I came down with a head cold.  It started with a scratchy throat and went down hill from there (rapidly).  By Friday night I was in a complete fog and had no voice.  Carly developed a runny nose Friday evening, but seemed a lot better off than I did.  On Sunday afternoon I was desperate enough to take cough medicine and Dave started to complain about a tickle in his throat.  He woke up Monday morning fulling congested and coughing.  I was able to rally through Monday and Tuesday; however, by Tuesday I was warning him that I wouldn't be able to pull off Wednesday and all of its neighborhood festivities alone.  He woke up Wednesday feeling much better and was up for participating with Carly in the neighborhood parade and then swam with her for about 2 hours during the neighborhood's picnic.  Thinking he was on the mend he even headed off for a short evening bike ride.  Thursday was quite a different day.  Dave felt horrible and was achy.  I woke up covered in hikes, and David Jr had a bright red rash that wasn't hives.  So off to the doctor we went with him.  We came home with some cream and an elimination plan to help figure out what could be causing his rash.  We also had orders to call if he developed a fever or had blood in his diaper - meaning we would need a new plan of action.  So as the doctor was closing at 5:00pm for the day, David Jr relieved himself requiring a new diaper and a phone call to the nurse's call line due to blood in his stool.  So with orders to give him a bath with baking soda added to the water and to call the office first thing in the morning we were settling in for the night.  My hives from the morning began to return and Dave began complaining about his right year (in addition to the elephant sitting on his chest).  By 9pm it was decided that Dave, David Jr, and myself would all be visiting doctors during the next day.

As the phone lines opened today I was pressing send on my cell phone.  David's appointment was made first (thankfully with his doctor, unlike Thursday's appointment which was with another doctor in the practice) and Dave and I followed by making our appointments.  Thankfully, the rash had cleared up a great deal by the time David Jr woke up around 8:30 this morning and my hives were present but not overbearing.  At David's appointment I was told to just stay off of dairy (thank goodness - I was having a hard time coming up with a yummy breakfast item that didn't consist of dairy, eggs, and peanut butter).  At my appointment I was told that this was his 6th or 7th case of hives this week and that I had a sinus infection.  Dave (whom I ran into at the checkout station of the office) was informed he had a sinus infection, an ear infection, an ear that was en route to being infected, and may be wheezing - but the doctor couldn't tell due to Dave having to cough during each deep breath.  (Needless to say Dave wins the illness award of the week.)  So, we left there and I headed off to get all of our prescriptions filled, while Dave went off to get a sympathy chocolate milkshake for himself.

Thankfully my mom graciously volunteered to enter our infected home to help with Carly (and a few chores that I've neglected this week), but I would advise you to only enter our home at your own risk.

Chilling

Carly's Bed

I don't really know how she fits into her bed with all of her books, dolls, and stuffed animals.  But you better believe she has a tight inventory on everything and will call me out if I try to have something "vanish" when she isn't look (or even in the room). 

Happy July 4th

Our family has had a wonderful day celebrating our nation's birthday!  Our morning started off with Dave and I feeling better than we both have since Sunday (when Dave was still the non-sick parent).  Carly and Dave ate breakfast while watching Stage 4 of the Tour de France.  After breakfast and a little bike racing, they brought Carly's tricycle inside to decorate for our neighborhood's 4th of July parade.  Thirty minutes later her tricycle was all decked out.  Later on we headed down to the pool to visit with friends and get Carly in line with the parade.  The highlight of the parade for Carly (and many of the kids) was the large ladder fire truck.  David Jr and I were on the sidewalk watching and photographing the event while Dave and Carly participated.  Carly did a lot of the work, with Dave only helping with the steering.  During a downhill stretch he was actually able to walk beside her.

Our neighborhood's celebration continued after the parade with a cookout.  Once we were all sunscreened up and dressed in our bathing suits we headed back down to the pool.  Carly then turned into a fish.  She took a few breaks in the two hours she was at the pool to eat, but otherwise she was jumping, swimming, and playing in the pool.  The one chance I had to get in the pool with her I backed away about 3 feet and had Carly jump right on top of me.  When I mentioned this to Dave he informed me that he had been standing in the middle of the pool and she was jumping and then swimming to him.  I did get the opportunity to watch her swim underwater using her arms and legs for a few yards on two separate occasions.  All of her time at the beach and pool this summer has helped create our little fish!

ADORABLE

And the little one said...

... ROLL OVER!  Alright, so David Jr. may not have said anything other than a few coos here and there; however, he did roll over tonight.  He was put down on his belly for some tummy time, Dave walked over to let Jake outside, and when Dave returned seconds later he found David Jr on his back.

Later in the evening I noticed David Jr. working on it again.  He was pushing up with both of his arms and getting his chest completely off of the ground, then he turns his head to one side making him unbalanced enough to "maybe" flip onto his back.  He didn't repeat this while we were watching, but he will soon.

Imaginary Play

Carly has been doing A LOT of imaginary play recently.  Her imagination today has placed her at the grocery store checking out and bagging Jell-O (multiply times) and cooking, pouring drinks for, and feeding me, David Jr, and herself.  At the moment she is upstairs during her "quiet time"pretending she is a doctor typing on the computer.  She has an old keyboard that lives in her room and all of the doctors' offices we have visited over the past year have installed computers, so she has seen doctors referring to or referencing the computer during our visits and typing in information throughout the visit. Apparently, that is what her keyboard is for today as well.

2 Month Well Visit

David Jr, Carly, and I set off for David's two month well visit this morning.  David weighed in at 13 pounds and 12 ounces (87%ile).  He was 25 inches long (97%ile) and with a head that is 40.5 centimeters (61%ile).  Everything checked out great and we are continuing to treat his acid reflux with medicine - which is thankfully helping!  As we said our "good-byes" the doctor mentioned that during our next visit we would discuss when he should begin to try solid foods... (My initial thought "My baby boy can't be ready for solids," then I remembered that he will be twice as old as he currently is  now when we return and the comment was we'd discuss "when" - not that he would begin that day.)

Arms Full

Bedtime routine can be quite the production with two children...

2 Months

We can't believe that David Jr is 2 months old today.  He is currently in LOVE with his sister and watches everything she does.  He also turns his head for her voice and look for her when he can hear her, but can't see her.  He enjoys playing on his kick mat and making the kick board light up and play music.  He is lifting his head and turning it in both directions regularly during tummy time and enjoys tummy time for the first 5 - 15 minutes.  He is also tracking objects and faces with his eyes.  His favorite items to track are a rattling giraffe, his dump truck and train with popping balls, and our faces.

David is currently in size 1 diapers (but not for much longer) and is on the verge of out growing his 3 month clothing.  He has his doctor's appointment on Friday, and we are very interested in seeing how large our chunky monkey is now.

Chores

Even a "princess" has chores in this house.  Carly got this crown yesterday on her second trip ever to a Burger King.  She insisted on sleeping in it last night, and has worn it this morning to dry her cups (which she volunteered to do for me).

Pay Back

There are quite a few stories of me as a child blabbing about the gift for an upcoming celebration or event (like my mother's Christmas presents each year).  Well God has granted me a daughter who is the EXACT same way.  A few months ago I found a neat Father's Day gift idea on the internet for David.  It was cheap, thoughtful, and it was a bag of Peanut M&Ms placed in a nice container with a note saying "To my slightly nutty but sweet Dad."  Last week M&Ms were on sale at our local grocery store so this mom stocked up.  A bag (or 2) for David's gift, a bag for Carly's potty adventures, and then 2 more bags just to stock pile since the sale was for 1/2 off.  Carly watched me add her bag of regular M&Ms to her potty jar and then hide the remainder of the candy in a Gamecock grocery reusable grocery bag (I knew the Tiger in our house wouldn't be sporting that bag to the store any time soon).  Well, in the bag it all sat until tonight.  Carly and David were snacking on a few pretzels while I made dinner.  As dinner time got closer, I put the pretzels away much to Carly's dismay.  She began asking for various items in our pantry with no luck.  Finally she pointed up to the bag of candy and said M&Ms, Daddy's M&Ms.  Needless to say the M&Ms and I were busted.  They were never put into a cute jar and the cute saying was never added to them, but they are being enjoyed by David which is the whole point of Father's Day.  

Daddy ~ I'm sorry I always told our Christmas "secrets"

Picnic with Daddy

Last Friday Carly, David Jr, and myself piled into the van and headed south to Columbia.  Our goals for the day were to  A) survive  B) go to the zoo  C) have lunch with my parents and brother  D) not get sunburnt  E) return home in the same day.  Well we accomplished all of this AND Carly got a new lunch box that matches her book bag - both of which she plans to use this fall at preschool.  Over the weekend and for most of yesterday she carried them both around having a lot of imaginary role playing by herself and occasionally saying "preschool."  This morning she told me she wanted to use her lunch box for real.  I told her we would take it for a picnic one day when it wasn't raining and maybe we could have a picnic one day with her dad.  She was satisfied with my response and continued on with her play.  While her back was to me I grabbed the phone and sent David a text message about having a picnic lunch with us one day this week.  A few text messages later we were scheduled for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich picnic in his office's cafeteria for noon that day.

As Carly, David Jr, and I headed off to the gym I told Carly about our lunch plans - in hopes of speeding her up.  This absolutely made her morning.  She told EVERYONE at the gym about her lunch date that was scheduled for later on.  After the gym we came home and made our lunches and packed everything up. Once we arrived at David's office she told and showed EVERYONE her new lunch box.  We had a very short, but pleasant lunch with David and even got to see a few friends.  He was also able to show off both of his children to various co-workers.  Carly is definitely looking forward to using her lunch box again, soon.

Playing Together

I knew that David and Carly would not begin playing together as soon as he was born, but I was surprised to see it start today.  David was on his activity map and began kicking his legs.  This triggers music to play to help develop the idea of cause and effect.  While he was doing this Carly was bouncing around from toy to toy, not really settling on anything.  Unfortunately, every kick to the mat does not trigger music and David has not yet learned that each animal character sports the sensors.  However, when he would actually trigger the music to play Carly would stop what she was doing and begin dancing all around.  I encouraged her to move over some so that David could watch her dance.  David began kicking harder (maybe dancing too?) and smiling and cooing at his big sister.  This lasted at least 10 minutes - which is a LONG time in our world.

Carolina Raptor Center

Carly, David Jr, and I ventured out this morning with Carly's playgroup to the Carolina Raptor Center.  I wasn't really sure what to expect from our outing.  Carly recently has developed a fear of birds entering the house when we have our windows open and asked if the birds were going to get her when we discussed the trip this morning.  Thankfully she saw two of her friends in the parking lot as soon as we got there, and was all about following them.  She willingly got into our single stroller while I got David situated in the front baby carrier and we were on our way.  We saw a variety of rescued birds - various vultures, hawks, owls, and eagles were some of the "main" attractions.  Thankfully it was quite shaded and had a very clearly marked gravel path, so the kids were able to walk or ride and not get too warm.  At times they led each other (or really chased each other) from exhibit to exhibit and at other times they rode along.  Overall we were at the center for 2.5 hours with almost 2 of those hours being spent to look at the various exhibits.  Carly never got nervous about the birds and actually asked to go back another time as we were leaving.  The cutest thing of all is that she is currently talking about the Raptor Center in her room right now (instead of napping).

Within 30 Minutes

I absolutely love my 2.5 year old but did text Dave this afternoon and comment that she was up for sale.  We had a fabulous day, minus 30 minutes which I would love to completely erase.  It all started with me pulling her up on my lap to re-tie her shoe while we were at the vet's office for Jake's annual heart worm test.  She began kicking me and her brother's stroller.  This then landed Carly in time out while we continued to wait.  She was very, very angry at me over this and decided to have a potty accident in the car during our 5 minute ride home.  (The "on purpose" look was all over her face when I asked her about it.)  After I got everything cleaned up and unloaded from the car I realized that the diaper bag with my wallet and phone were still sitting in the front seat.  I returned to the car prior to changing Carly out of her wet clothes, which resulted in her locking me out of the house.  Thankfully, she wised up and unlocked the door after my second knock on it.  Thankfully this was the end of her negative behavior and our day returned to "normal" once she was done having time out and a fit in her bedroom.  

On a positive note about today - I decided to blow off some steam tonight by going for my first postpartum run.  I was able to run a full 5k in just under 34 minutes.  While my time may not have been quite what I would have liked, I did run a lot further than I had anticipated being able to go.  

A Door?

The past few days (or really 10 days) have been quite trying in our household - however last night won the prize (at least for the moment).  Carly was fighting bedtime and it quickly turned into a battle over who was more strong willed, her or her daddy.  We tried good cop, bad cop approach.  We tried talking to her in hopes of finding the underlying issue.  At points we have thought she had become afraid of the dark or us abandoning her.  We also questioned if she was regressing back to being a "baby" since when David cries at night we jump to his side.  However, the only major common thread in all of her break downs has been her desire for us to not leave the room.  Sometimes asking that one of us gets in bed with her or just sits with her.  At some point after 2:00am (yes, over 6 hours after it all started) Dave and Carly had a break through.  He for some reason offered to leave her door open if she promised to stay in bed and stop crying.  Well she did.  She at some point between then and 3:30am fell asleep - which allowed me to sleep until she awoke at 7:00am bright eyed and bushy tailed.  (David on the other hand slept from 3:30am until 10:00am.)

Well at nap time I thought I would resort back to our pre-David Jr. nap time and bedtime routines.  They had been altered slightly during the four weeks Carly was either away or we had company helping us and were much shorter than this lengthy routine, but I was DESPERATE and had read a ton of articles, blogs, and random advice during our 6+ hour battle.  A common thread was that sometimes older kids needed longer to wind down for bed when a new sibling arrives, may need extra cuddle time, etc.  I was willing to try it.  However, it didn't seem to help.  We had our typical nap time battle and I was struggling on my 3 hours of sleep.  Finally she asked if the door could stay open.  Out of desperation and being tired of her coming in and out of her room I allowed it.  Well it worked again and within 10 minutes she was asleep.  She took a 90 minute nap and only woke up because I refused to let her sleep past 4:00pm.

Tonight we went straight to the door resolution (with the LONG bedtime routine) and wouldn't you know - it WORKED.  She stayed in her room and didn't cry.  She didn't fall asleep immediately, but she did fall asleep on her own before 9:00pm.  (Unfortunately, David Jr had a hard night with his reflux so didn't get into a deep sleep until around 10:30 - maybe one night they will fall asleep close to 8:00pm and I will get things done around the house in time to be in bed by 9:30...)

Note - I fully anticipate this door trick not working tomorrow and it all just being a fluke.  

Out and About

Life is quite different with a second child.  With Carly we did not venture out unless it was mandatory for the first 2 months (if not longer).  A lot of precaution was due to the warnings we received from the pediatrician and nurses who were with us during our final day at the hospital and during our discharge and their fears of the H1N1 virus that was currently working its way through our community.  David Jr was born in the spring and has a an active older sister.  He has been out quite a bit during his first 5.5 weeks; however, tonight was his largest outting.

Today was a tiring day for our family, so Dave decided we would load up into the car and head out for a drive - hoping that both kids would nap.  Thankfully his goal was a success.  We drove up to Lake Norman State Park and checked out the swimming, boat launch, and camping scenes and the kids napped the entire time (except for when David Jr wanted to eat quickly while we were at the park).  These successful naps allowed us to have a fun evening out as a family.  The small town just north of us holds concerts in May through September twice a month and was hosting one tonight.  The weather was perfect for this outing - 80 degrees, breezy, and partly cloudy.  We had a picnic dinner, listened to music, danced, and even ran into our pediatrician.

Pizza, Pizza

This week was my first full week home with both kids (and it was only a 4 day week thanks to Memorial Day).  On Tuesday morning Carly, David Jr, and I had breakfast with some friends of ours playgroup friends.  The moms who had recently had a baby were all joking about how the day is much better when their is an activity planned for the morning, so as a result we were looking to fill our calendars.  This idea was in the back of my mind throughout the remainder of the morning.  We had plans for each day, except for Friday.  Then while fixing lunch I realized that we had most of the ingredients for homemade kid pizza and would be able to make more than one.  This gave me the idea to host a pizza making activity for today.

So for lunch today we had three moms, three two year olds, and three new babies (a 4 month old and two 1 month olds).  It made for quite the full and crazy house.  The toddlers and moms had a great time, and the babies seemed unaware of anything going on.  The mess was HUGE but manageable and left us all thinking about how large it will be when 6 kids are pulling out toys, instead of 3.

Priceless

1 Month Well Check Up

David Jr had his well check up today.  He weighed in at 11 pounds, 10 ounces (87th percentile) - up almost 4 pounds from birth (he was 7 pounds, 14 ounces).  He has grown to 23.25 inches long (93rd percentile) - up 2.75 inches.  His head has also grown 2 centimeters and is now has a circumference of 38 centimeters (42nd percentile).  Our doctor entered the room asking if I were taking steroids or feeding David steroids.  I actually found it quite amusing since the lactation specialist we saw during discharge at the hospital was concerned about David's weight loss during those first 40 hours.

The remainder of our visit was low key.  I asked a lot of questions (its amazing what I know now having done this before) and began a discussion about acid reflux.  Carly had been a happy spitter and we had been warned about characteristics to watch for in case things changed.  They never did; however, that discussion was vaguely in my memory and left me thinking David had an acid reflux problem.  Based on my description of these spitting up spells and a quick exam, we were sent home with a prescription for a reflux medicine and with a warning that it may take time to work through his system or he may begin to show improvement immediately.  We were also sent home with instructions to start vitamin drops to insure David is getting enough iron and vitamin D since he is nursing 100% of the time.  (We will be starting these in 3 days, once we know that there isn't a reaction from the acid reflux medicine.)

David will return next month for another check up and a round of shots...

If Carly Could Blog

If Carly could blog she would have a TON to tell you.  She returned on Sunday afternoon from spending 8 nights with her grandparents and aunt in Atlanta.  During her time she went to the zoo, ate pizza, went out for frozen yogurt, went to the public library, played in the sprinklers, and I'm sure did many more things she hasn't told me about yet.  Prior to her time in Atlanta her Grandma and Aunt were here helping her feed the ducks, go to the park, play bubbles outside, and read books.  Her Grandma and Aunt brought her back from a week at Seabrook, where she also got to play with her Papa and GG Papa.  (Click here for a post about this visit.)  And before her week at the beach she was her (with her Aunt) awaiting her new brother's arrival and playing with him.

These stories she has told me about when asked about them.  Sometimes the stories have a lot of details, other times you are just told the basics.  David and I were (and are still) worried that she would find her return home boring.  During the day she has to share me with her new brother, instead of having 2 to 4 adults ready to help make her request a reality.  Based on watching Carly play today, I don't think she has been bored since her return.  She was able to entertain herself quite nicely while I fed and changed David.  However, the real treat was watching her play.  She nursed her baby dolls, stopped them from crying, and got them all tummy time while David was eating.  Then she loaded one of her dolls up into its car seat/baby carrier and told me she was leaving.  When I asked where she was going she stated that she was taking her baby to the pool after they went to the boat.  This is exactly what Carly did on Sunday with her daddy upon her return home.  Within 2 hours of walking through our front door, Carly and David were sun screened up, in their bathing suits, and walking down to the boat for a quick ride prior to heading to the pool.

Carly also spent a lot of the day telling me about gymnastics and how her daddy was coming or about how he came.  This morning she announced to all of her friends at a playgroup breakfast about how her brother was now out of my tummy and how she had gymnastics and her daddy was meeting her there.  During gymnastics Carly REALLY showed off for him.  She listened and followed all of the directions and did a fabulous job at each station.  While we were stretching, she even glanced over occasionally to make sure he was stretching too and watching her.  Then on our ride home, she told me all about how Daddy had been at gymnastics, seen her new water bottle (which I was informed needed to be washed when we got home), and was now returning to work.  This was her last week at gymnastics until the fall, and Carly was very excited to show off her new skills to her Daddy.  

Finally

Well as of 9:55PM both of our children are in their beds!!  Tonight was not a super smooth night as a family of four.  After dinner we discussed going for a family car ride to re-trace David's 20ish mile bike ride from this morning.  Unfortunately, Carly didn't get into her car seat when asked so the car ride was canceled.  This of course led to tears during her bedtime routine, which led to her not listening while I was washing her hair.  This not listening then led to her not getting time to play with her bath toys following her shampoo.  The tears ended and I read her a bed time story, then the tears began.  She wanted David or me to sit in her room with her - which we aren't wanting to encourage.  So with a few tears and us checking on her regularly she eventually fell asleep in front of her door.

While Carly was falling asleep in front of her door David and I were busy bathing David and then trying to get him back to sleep.  After about an hour of eating, rocking, bouncing, carrying, and holding David finally fell asleep and was in his bed around 9:50.  Which was when we rechecked on Carly and found her in front of her door.  David was able to reach around the door and gently wake her up enough to encourage her to move so he could pick her up and place her in bed.

Oh what a bed time routine... and David just woke up again...

1 Month

David Jr has been out in the real world for a full month!  During this very busy month he has grown into size 1 diapers, out of newborn clothing, began tracking faces and objects that get close to him, and has gained a lot of head controls.  He is very interested in a blue elephant bell that hangs above his tummy time mat, tends to quit his antsy cry when his sister sings to him, likes to look at the baby in his soft mirror, and stares at a blue "my first bear" that he has.  He also enjoys having his Black and White Contrast book read to him and his book about Smiles.

4 Weeks

It is hard for us to process the idea that 4 weeks ago today we greeted David Jr. for the first time.  These past four weeks have been a whirlwind; however, I think time is only going to speed up during the next 4 weeks (rather than slow down).  At 4 weeks David Jr. is continuing to fall into a routine, he isn't quite there yet.  For the most part he is sleeping through the night, getting up every 3 to 4 hours to eat before going straight back to sleep.  Last night wasn't quite that way - he was quite content eating around 1:45 and then being awake until shortly after 5:00.  Thankfully he was happy during this time and even played happily in his crib around 3:00AM for an hour (when he wanted to eat again).

David Jr. is really working hard on gaining more control of his next muscles and isn't head butting us quite as frequently when he lifts up off our chests.  He is also becoming interested in the animals that hang above his head in the activity gym.  He will watch them and bat at them during his play time.  He is also enjoying looking at features on our faces, his black on white contrast book, and at the baby that looks back at him in his soft mirror.

Tummy Time

I'm working on my neck muscles!!

3 Weeks

David Jr. continues to grow!  He is currently eating every 2 - 3 hours, picking his head up and looking around in short spurts during tummy time, and is wearing size 1 diapers now.  He hadn't quite out grown his newborn diapers, but we weren't interested in investing in a 7th sleeve of them.  His occasional crying or fussy spells can be calmed by his sister's singing - at least on the short term and she seems to think she is only supposed to sing to him when he's upset.

We are all slowly starting to fall in a routine; however, my week of recovery has slowed it down.  Hopefully by 4 weeks things will be slightly more constant.  At the moment David Jr sleeps about 9/10PM until 9/10AM and wakes roughly 3 or 4 times to eat during this 12 hours stretch.  He also enjoys to be awake and active before lunch time and then going down for a nap while his sister naps or has quiet time.  The remainder of his day isn't quite as consistent, and I'm sure all of this will change as we start to get out more and more with Carly.

Big Sister

When David begins to get a little cranky Carly is very quick to announce to us that he is crying.  The common response from David, myself, her Grandma, and Aunt Boo-Boo has been, "Sing to him."  Which she will promptly do.  Here is a short video of her finishing up singing to him.  Unfortunately, she would not sing to him again because he wasn't crying anymore and was "happy."

Perspective

A lot of things in life can be positive or negative depending on how we choose to look at them.  It's the whole is the glass half full or half empty type of thing.  The past few days in our lives have been quite the experience.  I've tried looking at them from the "glass half full" perspective, but its been difficult.

Half Full Perspective - Carly was at the beach with her GG Papa, Papa, Grandma, and Aunt Julia having a lovely time!  David Jr was slowly starting to fall into a routine and slept for one 6 hour stretch on Wednesday night/Thursday morning.  We have fabulous insurance, intelligent doctors, and a nearby medical facility. My mom came up to visit with me and spend some time with David Jr on Thursday and had the flexibility (because of Thursday being a state holiday for my dad) to stay for the remainder of the weekend.

Half Empty Perspective - I woke up after sleeping for a straight 6 hours in more pain that I experience immediately after either of my natural child births.  As the morning progressed, so did the pain.  By 8:00am I was showered, dressed, and ready to call the doctor for an appointment - unfortunately, the office didn't open until 8:30.  The scheduler made me wait and talk to a triage nurse.  By 10am I finally got a call back and convinced this nurse that I needed an appointment and not just a prescription for a UTI.  (I told her I couldn't quite tell where the pain was coming from, but did have stitches from my delivery - although I knew at this point they weren't the problem.)  While I waited for my 2:30pm appointment my mom arrived - not a bad thing I was in a ton of pain.  I check in for my appointment and am seen quickly by one of the two more senior and intelligent doctors in the practice.  However, she has no idea what exactly she is viewing but knows I need a specialist.  She goes an get the other senior and intelligent doctor in the practice and they begin to have professional dialogue about what exactly we are dealing with in hopes to clearly express to a urologist why I need to be seen immediately and not the next day.  We wait in the office for 45 minutes on a nearby urologist to call her back, after getting frustrated with this office the doctor called a second urologist who isn't quite as convenient and gets me in immediately.  While waiting I notify David about what is going on, while also attempting to nurse my son in the OBGYN office and realize that I don't have an insurance card because it is off with Carly.  So David has to leave work and meet me, so that I am able to continue to the urologist.  We rush to this urologist to realize that we are for the last patient of the day and the office is still open just for us.  While I'm filling out paper work David attempts to change David Jr's diaper.  During this "diaper change" David Jr. begins to poop while uncovered making a huge mess.  As I stop filling out paper work to help we get yelled at by the receptionist that I can't help because I need the paper work completed so I can be seen.  I had already given the receptionist her paperwork and was only working on the family history portion at this point - so it wasn't slowing her down from her job.  As this is all happening, the nurse calls us back and starts to fuss because we had put a baby and his changing pad on the floor instead of coming back and using one of the exam tables in a room.  We get back and meet the doctor and I am quickly examined and then catheterized to confirm my diagnoses.  It turns out that while delivering David Jr. exactly 2 weeks earlier I pushed a little too hard and caused my urethra to prolapse - therefore cutting off blood flow to the exposed live tissue, which was dying as a result and causing all of my pain.  The doctor said the only pain relief would be surgery and I would be in less pain immediately following surgery than I was in at the current moment.  He also said that surgery would be the very next afternoon and the nearby hospital.
So, the next afternoon I was readmitted into the same hospital that Carly and David Jr. were born in for outpatient surgery.  I had read on the internet that I would be able to nurse David Jr as soon as surgery was over and I was alert enough to hold him.  Unfortunately, the anesthesiologist felt I should wait 24 hours which meant my 9.5 oz that I left at home with David and David Jr. wasn't going to be enough.  I then heard we had to wait another 90 minutes or so until the operating room would be available for my surgery.  I called David to relay the information and hear that David Jr. just happily accepted a 3.5 oz bottle (based on the books he should have consumed 2 oz).  Hearing the information from the anesthesiologist and David I burst into tears - so down to the hospital David Jr. and David came.  Right before the anesthesiologist's nurse walked in I began to nurse David Jr.  Upon seeing this, the nurse said that since I'll be under general anesthesia for less than an hour she would say that I only need to pump and dump once before I could nurse him again.  Feeling much better away I went for my first "real" surgery.  I was pulled into the operating room at 3:51 and was in recovery alert at 4:45.  After less than an hour I was dressed and loaded into my mom's car with a bag catheter for the next 5 days.
Carly, her Grandma, and Aunt Julia returned from a lovely trip to the beach on Sunday.  Unfortunately, I was not cleared to drive, lift, and was still carrying a plastic catheter bag with me so was finding it very difficult to fully take care of David Jr. and was clueless about how I would also take care of Carly too - this really made me feel bad, in addition to feeling very unattractive thanks to a catheter bag.  (Thankfully, Janet and Julia were able to stay through the week to help me with both children.)

Today my cup returned to being half full.  David Jr, Janet, and I made our way to the urologist's office just before lunch time.  During my exam I was told that everything had healed nicely, the catheter could be removed, and my restrictions now only included those already set by my OBGYN from delivery and lifting more than 20 - 25 pounds for the next week (too bad Carly is just over 30 pounds).  Carly will be heading to Atlanta for next week due to my lifting instructions, but then hopefully we will be able to establish our family's new "normal" as a family of 4.

Seabrook

Carly spent almost a full week at Seabrook Island with her GG Papa, Papa, Grandma, and Aunt Boo-Boo.  The goal was for David, David Jr, and me to rest and bond - little did we know when Carly left us Tuesday after lunch that I'd be having surgery later on in the week.  It is amazing how things have a way of just "working out."

Here are a few photos from Carly's big adventure!

 

Playing on the Beach Tuesday evening!

   

Waiting to go to the pool on Thursday morning!

   

Thursday evening!!

   

Riding Popcorn on Friday!!

   

Feeding Popcorn on Saturday!!

2 Weeks

At 2 weeks David Jr really enjoys sleeping.  We continue to need to wake hime regularly to eat and set an alarm for him at night.  Last night I accidentally slept through the alarm and our little family got a 6 hour stretch of sleep.  He continues to nurse very well at each feeding and is growing.  While he is still wearing newborn diapers and clothing, they are starting to be filled in a little more each day.

**Note - alarms were no longer needed after this blog was typed.  David Jr began waking up on his own every 2- 4 hours each night.

Swimming

Our neighborhood pool officially opened on May 4 (Friday), so our family headed down on Saturday morning.  Carly and her father headed down first, and David and I followed down after he finished his breakfast.  When I arrived, Carly was splashing and really having a great time in the kid pool and was begging to enter the larger pool.  Thankfully for her daddy, we were able to convince her to wait until the pool party later in the day (we were anticipating the water to be quite chilly).  After just over an hour Carly's morning pool time ended.

 

Our family returned later in the evening for a neighborhood party.  During this time, Carly did get to swim in the larger pool and our family enjoyed a yummy taco bar catered by a local Mexican restaurant.  While David Jr and I were not able to participate in the pool actives, we did enjoy our time outside with Dave and Carly.

Strawberry Picking

Carly and her Aunt Boo-Boo went strawberry picking this morning. While the weather was quite warm and they both came home tired and sweaty, they appeared to have a fabulous time.  Together they picked 2 pints of strawberries and Carly played on the playground for a long while after picking her strawberries.  The cutest thing ever was after they got home.  As part of Carly's visit she got an activity book, which she was very eager to show to her little brother.

Bath Time

David Jr had his first bath at home tonight.  His umbilical cord stump is still attached, so it was sponge bath style.  With a little tag team action we were able to accomplish it very quickly.  Unfortunately, there were many tears and some screaming - just as we expected.  Once his umbilical cord stump falls off he will be able to have a more traditional bath in his whale tub, making it a warmer and much more pleasant experience.

1 Week

David Jr. is officially one week old today.

He enjoys sleeping, eating (if it doesn't interfere with when he wants to sleep), and looking at his Black and White contrast book as his sister "reads" it to him (as in tells him what each picture is).  He also enjoys tummy time when Carly is down next to him talking to him.  He will stare at different features of her face.  Occasionally he will even bat at one of the toys hanging near by on his mat.

Curious George

Today Carly and Julia ventured out to our local library for an Open House.  This celebration included the character Curious George (whom Carly is currently referring to as "big monkey"), cake, juice, crafts, goody bags, and story time.  She was so very excited to come home and tell me all about it and show me all of her neat stuff that she made and did while there.

Riding Solo

I'm not alone yet with David Jr and Carly, but I did make a solo trip out today with David Jr for our lactation follow up appointment.  We loaded the car up - baby, car seat, stroller, nursing pillow, diaper bag, pump, and tons of water (we are currently experiencing highs in the 90s at the moment) and away we went.  Our appointment went very well.  David Jr weighed in at 7 lbs, 13.6 oz and consumed 2 ounces of milk during our visit (which is right on track).  I was also informed that at this rate, he would probably be back to his birth weight by either tonight or tomorrow - which means we can start letting him sleep for 1 four hour stretch in the middle of the night!!  YAY for me!

Once we finished at laceration I was escorted over to the maternity ward to visit a friend who had given birth on Monday.  This escort was very appreciated because it allowed me to use the elevated walk way between the physicians plaza and the hospital, instead of having to go back down stairs, through the main floor walk way, and then back upstairs to the floor I had just previously been on.

David's First Outing

This afternoon, David, David Jr, and I loaded up into the car and headed for the pediatricians office for our one week visit (a few days early).  The hospital pediatricians really wanted David Jr checked out today due to his 7% weight loss in the first 36 hours and his jaundice, so off we went... and nervous.  All weekend, David and I would look at him and question if he was getting more yellow or less yellow and were getting concerned because he was having to be woken up for EVERY single feeding.  Well, our worries were squashed today while at the doctor (can I say how much I love this office).  David Jr. weighed in at 7 lbs, 12 oz (up 5 ounces from Saturday morning at 4am) and the doctor's comment about the jaundice - "yeah, he has some jaundice but nothing I would have worried about."  David Jr. also measured 20.5 inches long, showing a 1.5 inch increase since Thursday - NOT POSSIBLE.  We are now assuming, that David was born 7 lbs, 14 oz and 20.5 inches long - Carly's exact measurements too.

We were also cleared during this visit to not return next week, but to wait until our 1 month appointment!!

David Jr's First Weekend

The first weekend of David Jr's life was quite exciting.  He arrived into the world on Thursday, April 26, 2012 at 5:14pm.  As he prepared to make his debut my mom was in route to North Carolina to meet him, and Julia was already settled in at our house and helping out with Carly.  During his first hours of life (and our weekend), he met his parents, Big Sister, Grammie, and Aunt Julia.  Only a few hours later, he met his "Yay-Yay" and "Dye" (otherwise known as Jason and Kelly - two really good friends of ours).

Friday was just as exciting with visits and snuggles from Mrs. Amy and Mrs. Emily (both local moms with children Carly and David Jr's ages).  Then before he could officially turn 1 day old, his Grandma and Papa arrived in North Carolina to hold and love on him for the entire weekend.

On Saturday, David Jr. and I were discharged from the hospital and he was able to go home for the first time.  The three of us arrived home to Carly and David Jr's Papa, Grandma, and Aunt Boo-Boo.  This was quite different than when we brought Carly home - that afternoon we came home to an empty house determined to figure it all out on our own.  While that worked well back then, we knew it would not work with our second child.

Our in house excitement continued on Sunday.  Carly, her grandparents, and aunt went off to church while David and I had a lazy morning at home with David Jr.  Then my parents and brother arrived for a large family lunch - all four grandparents and 2 of the 4 aunts & uncles.

While this type of excitement isn't going to be the norm for our new family of four - it was a great first weekend as a family of 4!

Heading Home

All buckled up and ready to GO!!