Luke - 4 months

Luke at four months old!

-you're getting so big! i just pulled out your next size clothes, 3-6 months.  and we're using up the last of our size 2 diaper and on to size 3.
-all of the sudden you decided you did not want to be swaddled for sleeping anymore.
-you LOVE watching quinn.  you will crank your head as far as it can go just so you can keep watching her, where ever she's off to.  and you get a little excited when you start to hear her coming.
-you rolled over from tummy to back for the first time on june 23rd.  you've only done it once since then. but you can rotate around while on your back... i'll set you down one way and look back later and you've twisted around facing another way.
-still working on getting past those short naps.
-you sleep better though if we're out on the go since your carseat is moving or you're in the ergo. so most mornings we try and get out and you'll get a great morning nap while quinn plays.
-nursing once a night still and for a little while it was back to twice a night but it think you were going through a growth spurt.
-you nurse really fast, like 3-7 minutes per side! (unless you're really tired) but you are obviously getting enough cause you're getting more and more chunky by the day!
-you're just a smiley, cuddly, content little man who likes a good mommy cuddle when he's tired.

Luke - 3 months

Luke at three months old!

-on june 4th (2 months and three weeks) you weighed 13.1 pounds (35%), length 24.25  inches (64%), head circumference 42 inches (93%).  you'll be passing up your sister in no time!  and i can't believe your head was so big... didn't seem that big to me until it was measured!
-talking/cooing lots more!
-you've made some little giggles here and there.
-definitely ticklish but just aren't sure what to do about it yet.
-you go to sleep great on your own at night but for naps you are in your swing.  i'm a little worried about this habit but i guess we still have a little time and at least it's in your swing and not on me.
-still loves a good swaddle and paci to sleep.
-asleep for the night around 7:30-8:30 depending on your last nap. up once to eat around 1-3am and then up for the day about 7ish. lately though you get really restless around 5am so i just have to give you your paci a few times until you're really ready to wake up.  makes for one tired mom!
-awake span is still about an hour. maybe a little more if you got a good nap.
-still a pro at the 30-45 minute nap so instead of eat, play, nap for a good chunk... it's usually a short nap but you're still tired so you stay in your swing until you fall back to sleep for another short nap until you eat again.  i feel like all you're doing is trying to get to sleep!  cause one short nap is never enough for you and then you'll get way over tired and not want to nurse.
-nursing about every 3+ hours in the day.
-found your hands.  eating and watching them.
-still working on tummy time being longer than a couple minutes without getting upset.  but i guess having a big head might make it a little harder :)
-still loves a warm bath.
-following objects or people with your eyes.
-getting great at falling asleep in your carseat now! (as long as you have a paci!) i'm grateful for this too because it is a must being number two!  most morning naps are in your carseat while we do a quinn related activity out of the house.
-still a happy, content baby when your needs are met.
-i can't eat broccoli or eggs without you getting a horrible belly ache.  you scream your head off for about an hour and nothing makes you feel better!  no paci, all the holding/rocking i can do, a bath... nothing.  it's too sad.  so i've learned my lesson.
-size 2 diapers
-you looove to wait to poop until you're all swaddled and almost asleep for a nap!  and it takes you a while to get all the way to sleep so i'm not enjoying this little trick!

it just keeps getting better

(this was going to be luke's three month update but then i felt like i needed get out some thoughts on being a mom of two.  cause saying i have two kids makes me really feel like a mom now!  ya know, like deep down in your soul feeling.  not that i wasn't a mom before with just one but i really feel like i'm living the life.)

i can't believe i have a three month already! i'm sure i'm going to say that about every age for both my kids, but really!!  i can't believe it!  i feel like it was just yesterday that i was wondering how everything would change adding another little human to our lives, our home.  how quinn would do... would i go crazy from figuring out how to juggle two...  how hard would the bad days really be...  what kind of baby would he be...  turns out it's all been much better than i was preparing myself for.  i'm not saying it's easy or anything, cause man sometimes it really feels like so. much. work. (maybe cause it is)
but then there are the times in between all the hard work, and the learning to juggle toddler needs with a new baby's needs,  that make it all seem perfect.  like i can do this!  like i'm doing exactly what i should be doing and who cares if i don't get all the cleaning done in one shot anymore or i'm not wearing make-up for the third day in a row, or my nursing cravings are totally winning right now cause i'm too tired to really care.  it's in the moments when luke is watching his big sister, like really watching, and busts out with the biggest smile.  or when quinn gently says, "it's oookay buddy, it's ok." when luke is crying and goes to rub his head or give him his paci.  or when i watch my husband get on the ground with the kids and make luke "walk" while quinn sends her head back laughing, thinking it's the best thing ever that "luke is walking!".

i'm constantly feeling guilty that i can't do and be as much for quinn as i want to be or as much as i was before luke came.  honestly, it has made me really really sad a lot of days.  i know she doesn't really know the difference, but i do.  and that has been the hardest part for me.  i miss my quinn.  (i don't want someone to help me with her while i'm caring for/nursing luke... i want to do it!) and then all at the same time i feel like i'm not giving luke as much i could.  i guess it all goes with the territory, right?!
but i feel now that he is three months i can breathe a sigh of relief.  i've always heard the first few months are the hardest when adjusting to adding a new baby.  i hope they're right because i feel like we're getting there.  i may still want to nap within only minutes of being awake in the morning but then i smother my babies with kisses on their sweet, soft skin and feel that, deep in my soul, feeling that i'm really a mom and i'll be missing these days sooner than later.

^^first brother-sister high fives together! (was he ever really that teeny?!)^^

Luke - 2 months

Luke at two months old!

-thankfully your growth spurt didn't last forever but it was a good two weeks or so long!

-nursing every 3 (give or take a half hour) hours during the day.  last feeding for the day between 8-9pm and asleep for the night about an hour after that or sooner if you didn't take your last nap well.  then up once to eat in the night anytime between 3-5am.  most of the time you go right back to sleep but sometimes it takes a little more rocking and convincing you to stop smiling at me!  then up for the day anywhere between 7:30-8:30am.

-awake span is about an hour (including feeding time) so your first nap is always an hour after you wake up.  we try to keep an eat, play, sleep routine and it makes things much easier!

-likes to be swaddled with a paci to sleep.  

-likes to fight naps often and takes some good rocking to get you to fall asleep.  if i'm lucky you'll fall asleep in your swing once we swaddle you.

-besides sometimes fighting naps you are a great baby!  really only cry for a reason to let us know you're hungry, need to be put to sleep, or have big poop or burp coming.

-loves the bath if you're not cold and napping in the moby wrap.

-you don't talk much (but quinn was a talker from the start so i don't know any different) so we hear little coos every now and then but not often.  

-you are SUPER smiley especially when we talk to you up close.  you love that!

-had your first evening beach trip with the family.  i forgot to get any pictures of you cause you slept in the ergo on me for the first part and then we left after i fed you.  but the short time you were awake i laid you on the towel after you had just eaten and you looked like you were loving the wind and taking it all in.

-not a fan of your carseat all the time.

-finally had your first trip to church on mother's day.  surprisingly, you stayed asleep in your carseat for all of sacrament meeting and longer!  

-wearing size 0-3 month clothes and size 1 diapers.

(i don't have a good camera nor do i really know what i'm doing when it comes to taking pictures so bare with me on the bad lighting and quality of these!)

it's amazing how much you look like quinn did but just in a boy version!

Luke's Birthday

Luke surprised us two weeks early on Wednesday, March 12, 2014 at 4:04 pm.  He was due on Tuesday the 25th.  He weighed 7.6 pounds and was 20 1/4 inches long.  Labor was 14 hours and pushing was seven minutes!  Seven! ...with Quinn I was in labor for 27 hours and pushed for 2 hours and it would have been hours more if I didn't get an episiotomy.  So all of Luke's labor and delivery was a welcomed surprise for sure.

Tuesday morning, the day before he was born, Brian left for a one night camping trip with a few of his buddies from his police squad.  It was only an hour and a half away, one night, he'd be home by 2ish the next day (Wednesday).  And I really did have two weeks left so although I was a tiny bit worried for him to go I would have felt like a mean wife if I had said no.  He was really looking forward to going.  The only catch was that I didn't really know he wouldn't have cell reception where he was at.  I kind of found that out too late in the game for me to say I didn't feel too comfortable with him going.  But you know, I did still had two weeks to go!

(warning- this is about childbirth so if you don't want to know about mucus plugs and such things stay away.  i'm not shy about discussing these things.)
So at 1:45am Wednesday morning I woke up having to pee, and within minutes or less contractions started.  I had been having painful braxton hicks consistently for weeks by then and had been super uncomfortable for days, like more than I ever was with Quinn, so I didn't think too much about the pain and discomfort I was having.  I just thought to myself, I feel like he's coming sooner than later but it better not be tonight!  I laid back down and tried to go back to sleep but I couldn't.  I had to go to the bathroom again and when my mucus plug came with I knew things were about to get real.  And I couldn't believe it was happening then!  I know you can loose it way before you go into labor but these pains were a little different and I just knew (i had been feeling different all day)... even though I was telling myself this. is. not. happening!  My husband is sleeping in the woods somewhere far away and I have a needy/busy toddler that is going to wake up in about five hours! (and she freaks out crying if she sees me in pain, even if I try to hide it, she knows.)

I laid down again trying to sleep and waiting to see if these contractions would keep coming or not.  After I realized for sure that they weren't stopping, and I could no longer sleep because of everything happening, I got in the shower.  I really was so tired and just wanted to go back to sleep but I knew that if I wanted to get anything done I better do it now before things got too intense and before Quinn woke up.  And I was planning on showering that morning before a doctors appointment anyways.  So I showered, got a few more things together in mine and Quinn's bags that were already half packed, and then laid down again to see if I could get some sleep since it wasn't too crazy yet (I also thought that I would have a lot longer of a labor than I did.)  I called and texted Brian and texted every single guy he was with! (he gave me all their numbers incase this were to happen.) Of course I still couldn't sleep and I started to be all like... all the things must be put away and everything so clean!  And I knew it was now or never so I swept the kitchen floor and cleaned up like a crazy pregnant lady in labor taking breaks for contractions to come and go.  In the end I realized it was way better that I was up and moving even though I really wanted to just lay down because I was still tired.  I felt so much better to be standing, I mean hunched over the counter, and swaying/moving during contractions.  Even though my legs were so tired I just could not sit!  It was way more uncomfortable if I did.  Being able to be up and moving and actually getting a break in between contractions was also a welcomed surprise this time around.  I was all like ohhh this is what women mean when they say they feel fine in between and it gives them a little break until another pain comes.  With Quinn I was shaking uncontrollably during and in between from the very beginning (I never got a break with her, ever!).  As much as I wanted to try moving around to help things along all I could do was lay there and feel like dying.  So this was a big blessing that I could get things together and done in between the pain since Brian wasn't here and because I had Quinn to think about too.

By this time I think it's about 4:30/5am and I know Brian's mom is awake (we planned for her to take Quinn) but she had to be home because the kids she watches come early.  I texted her saying that today was the day and to plan on having Quinn sometime soon and that I still haven't gotten ahold of Brian, and that I would call my mom in a couple hours once she was up to come over and help get Quinn up.  My mom got to our place around 7:30.  By this time the contractions were the kind I had to concentrate on working through.  She helped me get Quinn up and ready for Brian's mom to pick her up after she took kids to school.  We still hadn't gotten ahold of Brian, surprisingly I wasn't freaking out too much about this. (I knew eventually they were going to be at a spot to hike that morning that would get reception.  I was just praying that he would actually remember to check his phone!)   But things were working out as best as they could!  Quinn was picked up by 9am.  I realized  I hadn't eaten anything since the night before and I knew I wouldn't be eating much at the hospital so I forced myself to eat some cereal when I couldn't finish it and decided it was finally time to get ready to leave for the hospital.  Brian finally called when we were halfway there.

My mom helped me get checked into triage.  I felt like we were there for forever waiting for a delivery room.  But maybe it just felt like forever since I felt like I was dying.  When they checked me I was at a 3 and 80% effaced.  They hooked me up to monitor the baby and consistency of my contractions.  This was torture.  I was so sweaty and in pain that those elastic belts were were so itchy and driving me nuts because I still could not sit!  I feel like we made it to the hospital just in time because the contractions came full force right after we got into triage.  Finally after I knew that Brian wasn't going to be there for a while longer I asked for an epidural.  As soon as I asked they wheeled me up to a room and was given one within minutes, they hadn't even gotten the room fully set up.  I think it was around 12pm by then.  Things were getting crazy.  Oh, and Brian got to the delivery room literally two seconds after I got the epidural.  Lucky him.  He wouldn't have liked it but I'm sure I would have made it much longer without one had he been there!  I don't think they checked me again for another hour or more.  I don't really remember what I was when they checked me the next couple times.  All I know is that my water was still intact and the nurse said it was literally right there bulging and she tried breaking it a couple times but she couldn't.  She had me moving a lot the next few hours because Luke's heart rate would decelerate often.  She was quiet about it, which didn't help me think calmly about it.  I don't know the details cause they wouldn't tell me much but I heard her calling up the NICU just incase.  I was freaking out.

My water still hadn't broke and I started to feel crazy amounts of painful pressure because of it... the nurse checked me.  I was at a 9 and then things got super crazy!  I thought I would be waiting a little longer to push until I got to a 10 but nope!  As soon as she said I was at a 9 and I was clearly (loudly) feeling the pressure and pain, and because of his heart decelerations, they started having me push right away.  Everyone came rushing in, setting things up, and the doctor kept telling me to push, like none stop.  I was pushing but didn't feel like I was at all.  Apparently the doctor just wanted the baby out fast and wasn't waiting for a contraction to come.  Finally the nurse realized this and helped get things under control and he was out with the next few minutes.  I couldn't believe I had just had a baby!  Everything happened so fast.  Oh and my water shot out every where sometime during all that.  They were so intense about getting him out NOW that I was so worried once he was out.  They took him to the warming table right away and said I was loosing a lot of blood.  They gave me pitocin to control my bleeding.  Luke had swallowed meconium so he was still on the table being suctioned and his heart checked.  Luckily, he only got a little in him and after what seemed like forever I finally got to see him, nurse, and be skin to skin for the next couple hours.  I really was in shock and couldn't believe I had another baby.  He was perfect.  And I realized, I love having babies!  It is the most amazing thing your body can do.  It feels incredible!  Everything was so much better this time around that I even told Brian that we could have a third just minutes after he was out.  I did tear along my scar tissue from my old episiotomy but only needed a couple stitches.  Which was like nothing compared to the first time around.

Recovery, nursing, adjusting to a new baby, everything has been wayyy easier than I thought it would be this time around.  Thank goodness!  Quinn of course had to, and still is adjusting but has done so much better than I thought she would.  It's definitely work juggling two babies when daddy has to be working but I think I was well prepared for the job and I couldn't be happier doing it!  I feel so blessed to have this little family of mine.  Life couldn't get any better.

^^^couldn't even get a picture of her holding him for the first time because she pushed him away within seconds.^^^

^^^her present from baby Luke.^^^

^^^and then this is all she wanted to do.^^^

^^^this was the next morning.  Brian went and got her so we could have some just the four of us time and she could have us without all the family around like the night before.  it was perfect being together that morning.  she was so good and just wanted to change her new babies diaper over and over.^^^

Luke - 1 month

Luke at 1 month old!

(instead of rewriting all this in his baby book too I'm going to end up printing these monthly updates, so this is more for journaling purposes)

-hungry all the time!  loves to nurse and is good at it!  until about three weeks old he would nurse every 3-4 hours and i could count on it. (it made things so easy with a toddler too)  but then he hit a crazy growth spurt and wanted to nurse all the time and ever since then he nurses about every 2-2.5 (or sooner sometimes!) hours during the day, with an occasional 3 if i'm lucky.  during the night he'll go one 4 hour and then the rest after still 2-3 hours.

-weighs about 9.5 pounds.

-really only cries when he is hungry or tired.  or has a big burp or poop coming.

-likes to be swaddled to sleep, will sometimes take a paci.

-starting to smile more often.

-loves his swing! used to be able to fall asleep in it perfectly but not as often anymore.  he needs a little more help to get to sleep.

-becoming a little more needy since he's growing out of the newborn stage.  his naps are no where near as long and will wake up before he's really ready to, like after 30-40 minutes, so things are getting a little harder to juggle two.

-not as vocal as i remember Quinn was by now.  i've heard some little coos but they aren't very often.

-not a fan of his carseat and won't stay asleep in it for very long if we've gotten out of the car :( 

-but does love being in the moby wrap! 

big sister needed in on the fun too :)

(birth story coming as soon as i finish it!)

two years old...

Quinn at two years...

-weight: 21 pounds (1%)

-height: 33 inches (33%)

-still as busy and active as ever.

-talks non stop all the time and says new words almost every day.

-some of her favorite things: the park, she could stay on the swings for forever, animals but especially cats and dogs and pandas, the zoo, babies, grandma and grandpa, bubbles, ballons, her nails painted, showing off her painted nails, showing off her shoes, stirring things in the kitchen with us, playing with her play kitchen, her daddy, any cup that isn't her's that is in her reach (watch out! she is fast too!), washing her hands, bubbles baths, running (seriously, she asks all the time to run on the grass at our apartments, and loves to run circles around the house),  wrapping, rocking, feeding and changing her baby, stuffed animals, a few favorite baby einstein episodes off of youtube: on the go, most animal ones, the sign language one (she does not/will not watch other shows or movies! i've tried them all! never thought i'd want my child to sit and watch something but sometimes it would be nice.  she's just too busy and not interested!)

-some of her favorite songs: wheels on the bus, itsy bitsy spider, ring around the rosie, and mary had a little lamb.

-she loves books but has a large stack of favorites that we read once or twice day: baby bear, baby bear, what do you see?, good night moon, i like bugs, where's baby's mommy?, and more.

-favorite foods: peas (lots of peas!), strawberries, mini frozen tacos, yogurt, anything with some kind of dip, scrambled eggs with catsup, peanut butter! (like spoonfuls!), pizza, green beans, hummus, string cheese, loooves pickles, noodles or mac n cheese...

-oh and she out grew her dairy allergy!  we tested her with some dairy at 18 months and no reactions happened and she did great!  although she doesn't really care for milk, even chocolate milk!, so she never drinks it.  thankfully she does love yogurt and string cheese so most breakfasts are a big serving of a full fat yogurt, and she loves her gummy calcium supplements.

-she can be very social and friendly but can also be very shy and cautious depending on the stranger.  

-can put her shoes on and off by herself and with a little help her socks and pants.

-loves other kids but can be a little bit of a bully if they are her size or smaller.  but has definitely gotten better at being nice (not taking their toys/pacifiers, sharing, and being soft) to the littler ones since she comes with me to nanny... it's given her lots of good practice and i've seen a big improvement.

-very stubborn and knows exactly what she wants, or doesn't want.

-wakes up around 7am, takes one 2-3.5 hour nap at about 12:30pm, and in bed by 8pm.

-loves her crib and will play/talk in it for a good amount of time in the mornings so i don't have to rush in right away... yes i am taking advantage of this before baby boy comes!  (doesn't really mean i get to sleep in because i can hear her but when you're not a morning person it's nice to wake up slow and not have to rush to a crying baby.)

-wears size 12-18 months but some are getting a little short but then she is too skinny for most 2t sizes. (thank goodness for leggings!)  just tall and skinny and a little in between sizes i guess.  size 5 shoes if they aren't too wide/bulky.

more of summer

July:

^^^we spent the 4th of july at the schimpf's swimming and playing.^^^

i can't wait until next summer because swimming with this girl is too much fun!  it was one of those things i always imagined doing before i had her and seeing her love the water this year made my momma heart so happy.

^^^quinny got in some one on one time swimming with daddy while i was sick at home one day... 

he is THE BEST!^^^

she's obsessed with her daddy to say the least! we got pretty lucky.

^^^bug catcher...purse...it's all the same :)  this was her favorite toy for the longest time!^^^

^^^we discovered how much entertainment we can get out of a paper bag or a bug catcher.  this girl loves her bags!^^^

^^^grandpa (her most favorite person in the world!) + water = heaven on earth for this baby^^^

^^^the results of so much excitement for the water.^^^

^^^ducky lover napping away in the camper. (thank goodness for that thing too cause noise and sleeping do not go together for this girl.)^^^

we ended the month with the best mini vacation.  we could only go beach camping for one night and day but i was sooo glad we did and it ended up being just enough camping for quinn.  she loved the water but hated the sand so one full day of sun was more than enough for her!