Michael: 12 Months!!

5/15/14
This month:
*You weigh: 21lbs 6.5oz 

*You are: 29 3/4in tall
*You are wearing: size 12 month clothes and size 18 month sleepers

*You still eat about every 2 hours. I feed you in the morning, when I put you down for a nap, when you wake up for a nap (x2), before bed, and typically once in the early morning around 5:30 or 6:00. 
*You have your 2 top teeth, 1 next to your top tooth and another trying to pop through, and your 2 bottom teeth.
*You are in a size 4 diaper.

*You go to bed around 8:30-9:00 and sleep until around 9:00. You take 2 naps a day that range from 1.5-2 hours long. You get up in the morning around 9:00, nap at 11:00 and sleep until around 12:30-1:00 and take your second nap around 3:30 and sleep until 5:30ish.

You have started taking a few steps at a time, but still don't cant to walk full time. You are so fast when you crawl and have no need for walking to slow you down!! You like to eat and love to feed yourself but are still pretty picky. You really like carbs. A meal full of breads and pasta is heaven for you! You are soooo loud during meal times. You sit in your highchair and yell until we feed you or you get what you want. We say "Oh that's just Michael singing his dinner song". It's super fun. I hope you grow out of that phase quickly.

You don't really talk, you do say ma ma ma ma and da da da da but I'm not sure that you are using them in context or know what you are saying. I'm sure you will eventually be a little chatterbox like your sister. You are still a mamas boy and I love it. We are still nursing, and I'm not sure how much longer we will go, but I love that down time we have to just snuggle and spend some quality time together. 

You are so smart. I know that every parent always thinks their child is a genius, but you are pretty smart! You are a little observer and love to mimic what other people do. You got a new riding toy for your birthday and you knew exactly how to push yourself around on it.  

You get into everything. Ev-er-ry thing. Everything. It's insane. I don't remember it being like this with Ellie, but every time I turn around you are into something you're not supposed to be, or putting something else in your mouth. Did I mention the time you ate ashes a few months ago? That was fun. You can climb up onto the couch in our living room and have taken a few falls off of it and even one or two over the back of it. We all say that you are going to be our ER baby. You definitely keep me on my toes there's no doubt about it!

I absolutely can not believe how fast the past year has gone. It feels like it was just last summer and I was trying to get the hang of balancing the needs of a newborn and the needs of a toddler. Those days sure seemed long, but the weeks flew by! I am so glad that we have long since settled into a routine and that you and Ellie are starting to play together more and more. You just adore her and love to be in whatever she is doing. She is still learning to be gentle with you and that she has to share all the things, but I am looking forward to the day that you two are the best of friends and spend all day playing together. I'm sure we will still have some quarrels in there too, but it is my hearts desire for you to have a close relationship. After all, I don't know what I would do without my siblings!!

We love you so much sweet boy. I am so glad that God chose me to be your mama and look forward to watching you grow and learn. I can't imagine all the changes that will be coming in the next year! 

Happy First Birthday Michael!

Our Journey to Parenthood

When I was younger and thought about getting married and having a family I just assumed that when my husband and I were ready I would get pregnant right away and have a healthy baby. I was so naive. I personally know women, and have read stories of many women's heartaches with trying to conceive, miscarriages, stillborns, or the loss of an infant. Every story doesn't always have a happy ending.

Mike and I were high school sweethearts and go married in February of 2008. All I've ever wanted in life was to be a mom and I was ready to have a baby right away. Mike; not so much! So in the spring of 2010 we decided that we were going to try and get pregnant in June of that summer. Apparently God had other plans because on April 24 I saw two pink lines on a home pregnancy test. It was a little earlier than we expected but we were both so excited. I was due January 4th and had a very uneventful pregnancy. In August we found out we were going to have a little girl and decided to name her Eleanor. She came into our world at 37 weeks and changed our life forever.

Head over to Everyday Love to read the rest of our story of our Journey to Parenthood

Ellie: 3 years

12-15-13

I look at you and I can't believe that it has been 3 years since I was pregnant feeling your kicks and nudges and dreaming about your future. It feels like yesterday that we were bringing you home from the hospital completely unaware of all the ways our lives would change. And change they have; but I wouldn't trade it for a minute. As I watch you grow and see your personality take shape I can't help but be so proud.

 You are 31lbs and 38in. You are in size 3T clothes and wear size 8 shoe. You know your colors and shapes. Not only can you sing the ABC'S, but you can recognize them and know what sound they make. Sometimes when you talk you will sound out the first letter of whatever you are saying. "I'm H-H-Hungry." You are so smart and observant. You love to learn and problem solve. You are sweet and kind. You are strong-willed and fiercely independent. You remember every thing. Everything. You like to be busy and on the go, you would rather be out and about then sitting at home.

Three has brought about its challenges. One minute you are so sweet that I think you could melt, but then the next you are a ball of defiance that has my head spinning. But in every moment I am aware that I love you so much I feel like my heart could burst. You want to do everything yourself. You can be very argumentative. You will now tell us "I love you mommy/daddy" unprompted and it is the sweetest thing ever. You have become quite the cuddler. You will snuggle up next to me on the couch and say "I'm mommy and daddy's little baby.' I love these little moments.

You are very polite. When we offer you something (mostly vegetables) at dinner you will say "No, thank you" or "Um, no thanks" and think it gets you out of having to have some. You do have a knack of saying "you have to do this for me" Instead of saying "Please" but we're practicing. You are so funny and have a few of your own Ellie-isms. When you have a runny nose you will come to me and tell me that you have a sneezer. Sometimes I will (purposely) call you by the wrong name (ask "are you ready freddie") and you will say "I'm not freddie, I'm Ellie!"

You are more of an introvert. If we go to someones house, especially if there are a lot of people around it takes you a little bit to warm up. You will cling to daddy or I and want us to pick you up and hold you until you are comfortable and have had enough time to warm up. We have to remind people to just give you time and not to take anything personally-you just need a minute. But once you come out of your shell you are a ham. You are an observer. You take everything in just like a little sponge and are always aware of what is going on around you. I think you have a sixth sense for knowing when someone is eating. We can't hide anything from you! If you hear a wrapper you say "I want some of that". You won't even know what it is; but you know that you want some! You love to sing and are constantly walking around singing songs and opening and lifting your arms like you are on center stage. The words don't always make sense and I can't always understand what your're saying, but that doesn't stop you!

Nap time is hit or miss around here, but you still go down for at least some rest time every day. Some days you will actually fall asleep, but most days are spent with you quietly singing or trying to do a somersault in your bed. You have become quite the picky eater. Your favorite food is peanut butter and jelly, and you would have it for every meal if you could. I'm hoping that this phase will pass, but there are a lot of nights that you won't eat what's for dinner. You are still in diapers. Sometimes you will go on the potty before you get in the bath at night but that is pretty much it. You have NO interest in wearing underwear. At all. I'm hoping that one day you will just wake up and be over diapers. 

You are such a great big sister and are very sweet to Michael. You like to talk to him and love to give him food at dinner time. You aren't a big fan of the fact that he can crawl and get into your toys though. I think sharing will be a never-ending lesson when it comes to siblings.You are still obsessed with animals; mostly cats and dogs and light up when you see one. You love Aunties cat Jack and always make sure to tell us what he you think he wants and needs.

If I could bottle you up and keep you little I definitely would; but I am so excited to see what God has in store for your life; I know He is going to use you in some amazing ways. You have turned our world upside down and caused our hearts to double in size. I am so thankful God gave you to us. We love you so much and are completely enamored with you my sweet Ellie Bellie. 

A Little Catch Up

There are so many things going on in our life right now! I feel like I am finally getting the hang of having 2 mini humans to keep alive all day, but I'm certain something will happen soon to make me feel otherwise.

Isn't that always how it goes?
Michael's monthly updates seem to be about all I can manage to type out lately. It's hard when the minis team up against me so I have to free minutes in the day! As soon as one goes down-the other wakes up. I think they have a secret code! But today I actually seem to have a few minutes of overlapping naps!!

 

I can't believe that Ellie will be 3 in a few months. 3. T.H.R.E.E. THREE. How did that happen. Three isn't a baby anymore. Three is officially a big girl. It seems like the past (almost) three years has flown by, but then sometimes it seems like it's been forever since she was a baby like Michael. She has quite the personality. She is a very strong willed girl. I know that this will be a good thing when she is older, but honing it while she's a toddler is an every day battle! She is so observant and remembers everything. We have to be extra careful what we say around her because she is going to repeat it. I don't mean like swear words (she doesn't hear those), just everything in general. She is starting to sing songs off the CD we listen to in the car and it is so cute. She doesn't always get the words right, but it warms my soul. This just reinforces why we only listen to contemporary Christian/worship music in the car (and sometimes oldies when we're with Mike). I don't need her singing "I kissed a girl and I liked it"" or any of that crap. She has prayed a few times at dinner and the first time brought me to tears. There is no sweeter sound than to hear her talk to the Lord. When I ask her what she wants to pray for she says "God loves mommy and daddy and Ellie and Michael".

Melts. Me.

 

She speaks in full sentences. scratch that. Full paragraphs. She is a little chatterbox. Sometimes I wonder how she knows so many words and how to string them together! She loves to learn and definitely keeps me on my toes. She knows her ABC's. She can recite them, recognize them when written down, and knows the sounds they make. She knows all her colors. And learned to count to ten (sometimes 12) over the summer. She loves driving past the airport and looking at and talking about all the planes.

 

I just love that little girl.

 

 

 

 

Michael: 4 Months

9-15-13

I can't even explain how much I love you! You are the sweetest little baby. I can't believe how fast time has gone and that you are already 4 months old. It seems like we just brought you home and here you are transitioning from a little newborn into an infant. You are learning so many new things and even though you aren't our first baby we love to watch you take in the world and reach all these new milestones. I can't imagine our life without you!

This Month:

*You weigh: 16lbs and 15.5oz (Ellie didn't weigh this much until 8 months!!)
*You are wearing mostly 3-6 month clothes.

*You still eat about every 2ish hours; sometimes more, sometimes less. You are pretty efficient though and nursing sessions only take about 5 minutes or so.
*You are in a size 2 diaper.

*You have a bath every night around 8:00 and then eat and go to sleep. On August 16 you started a horrible sleep regression. You were waking up every 2 hours, and sometimes every hour. You were try to roll over in your sleep and are constantly waking yourself up. We have tried a lot of different things to help you sleep better. Nothing is working. I am hoping that in time you will go back to sleeping longer stretches. I don't know how much longer mama can handle this!!

Your hair has definitely lost most of the auburn hue and is pretty lint with just a hint of auburn!

You are a little more content in your swing or bouncy. During dinner you want to sit in the bumbo on the table and be a part of the action. Or you like to be held on our lap; which doesn't make eating very easy! You love to lay on the ground under your play mat. This month you accomplished rolling from back to belly AND belly to back! I guess all that practicing in your sleep really paid off!

You have a toy monkey that you love playing with. Whenever I bring it over you will smile and wave your hands and kick your feet. Everything instantly goes in your mouth. If someone is holding you, you always try to put their fingers in your mouth and gum them! 

 You are such a happy sweet boy. Anytime someone talks to you, you break out in a huge grin. It is the sweetest thing ever. You are such a talker and love when we lay down and talk to you, sometimes you are just down right loud! You definitely love attention!

 You have discovered your feet and are constantly grabbing at them. You love to put them straight in your mouth! Who needs a pacifier when you've got your big toe! Speaking of pacifiers, we've pretty much given up hope of you taking one. You still have no interest in taking a bottle, but that doesn't keep us from trying!

I think we have conquered the car seat and you rarely ever cry in the car any more. Thank the good Lord for that! There has been more than one occasion that you have fallen asleep while we're driving. I love it.

 You are definitely a little thumb sucker, and it still melts me when I see you do it. It usually means that you are tired and we better get you down for a nap asap! You can really only handle being awake for about 1.5 hours before you need to be back to sleep so it makes it a challenge to get anything done during the day! I still feel like most of my day is trying to get you to nap! We are getting into a little more of a routine and I feel like I am finally starting to get the hang of it! (Or maybe my hormones are just starting to balance out!)

You love to watch Ellie run around and you are constantly staring at her. She loves to bring you toys and try to hold your hand. She still gives us a play by play of what you're doing. I can't wait to see the two of you become best friends and watch you play and grow together.

Here is Ellie's 4 month update for comparison

Michael: 3 Months

8-15-13

 

 

This Month:

*You weigh a little over 16lbs according to our scale at home! You are definitely not a peanut like your sister was!
*You are in some 3 month clothes but a lot of 3-6 month stuff!

*You eat about every 2 hours. You are pretty efficient though and nursing sessions only take about 5 minutes or so.
*You are in a size 2 diaper and we have used cloth a lot this month.

*You have a bath every night around 8:00 and then eat and go to sleep. You are still a pretty good sleeper at night. You sleep until about 3-3:30ish eat, then go right back to sleep. After your first feed you are up about every 2-3 hours until about 8:00.

Your hair is still a little bit auburn, but it's lightening up. I am really going to miss it if it goes completely blonde!

You are definitely still in a hold me phase and always want to be held. You like to face out and see what everyone is doing. You will take a long nap if you are in the ergo or being held, otherwise you usually only stay asleep for about 30 minutes or so. But I know you will get there...eventually. You still aren't the biggest fan of your swing or bouncy, but you are getting more interested in your toys and are getting a little more content. You are starting to grasp your toys and you always bring them straight to your mouth.

 

 

Evidently we waited too long to try giving you another bottle because you want nothing to do with it. You just push it our of your mouth, look at us like we're trying to poison you , and then get ticked. We've tried a TON of different kinds too. You better believe we're going to keep at it tough. Mama and daddy need a date night! We have tried I think 4 different kinds of pacifiers and I'm pretty sure it's just not going to happen. You are getting better at sucking your thumb and I think it is the cutest thing in the world. I know that it might be a hard habit to break when you get older, but I just can't resist the cuteness. 

 

Whoops!

You are such a happy baby and you are so chatty! You love to talk and have the cutest little voice. You are always cooing and squealing whenever anyone looks at you. You are getting better with your car sear. Most of the time you sit there and play with your monkey and there have even been a few times that you have fallen asleep. *GASP* It makes the car rides a lot less stressful when we're not trapped with a screaming baby inside.

 

Ellie is still doing really well with you. She loves to bring you toys and any time you are fussy she will pick up a toy and shake it in front of you and say "Here. Here you go Michael." She is so sweet. She loves you so much and I can't wait to see you two play together and watch you grow into the best of friends!!

We are so blessed to have you as a part of our family and we love you so much. I am constantly amazed at how much I cherish and adore our children.

 

We'll get there

Written on 7-11-13

Some days being a stay at home mom of two kicks my butt. I am currently typing this while Michael is in the Moby. I had to give Ellie a bath, put lotion on her, put on jammies, brush her hair and teeth, and hoist her up and over her crib all while carrying all 13ish pounds of Michael in the wrap.

 

My back is going to hate me tomorrow.

 

 Michael is 8 weeks old and Ellie is 2.5 and we still haven't quite found our groove yet. Michael likes loves to be held, isn't fond of his swing or bouncer, and needs to be held, swayed, and bounced to sleep. And if you put him down you have maybe a half hour before he wakes up. But at night time he's out and sleeps like a log when I put him down.

 

 Thankfully Ellie does pretty well playing by herself most of the time. But I feel like I am always telling her "Hold on Ellie" "Just a minute Ellie" "After I feed Michael" and it makes me feel horrible. Sometimes I can have Michael in the Moby while I color or play stickers with her and today we went for a walk outside and I was able to spend some quality time talking with her but I still miss the one-on-one time with my first baby. Luckily, Mike works less hours in the summer so she has a playmate when he gets home from work.

 

I just feel like I am being pulled in 100 different directions and I wish there were 2 no 3 no 4 of me to get everything done that I need to and be able to give everyone 100% of my time and attention. I really had to adjust my expectations for this summer and what being a mom of two would be like. Ellie seriously slept for the first 6 weeks of her life. No joke, she woke up to eat and was right back asleep until it was time to eat again. So I expected that I would be able to put Michael in the swing or bouncer and life would carry on as normal. Until he got a little bigger and started being mobile. Not the case; he's a little needier than I expected.

I had a lot of expectations about what it would be like to have a baby when Ellie was born. They were all shattered. There were months filled with incessant screaming. Nothing went the way I had imagined in my head. Nothing. But I readjusted my expectations and we made it. Yet that didn't stop me from dreaming and making expectations about what this summer would be like. Expectations that I've not let go. We really haven't done much of anything that I imagined we would do.

And that's ok.

 I think this time I was a little better prepared for what having a newborn is like; but you forget. It's been 2.5 years since I had a teeny baby who's needs are so constant and need to be met immediately. And this time not only do I have this needy little creature, but another bigger needy creature running around demanding my constant attention.

Being a mom is hard work. Being a mom of 2 littles is hard work. I'm sure being a mom of 3 is harder work! But time goes so fast and is so precious. I just imagine that it will be next July before we know it and I will have a 3.5 year old and  a 1 year old. So today-today I am going to snuggle this baby and  cherish this toddler and cut myself some freaking slack. I'm not super-mom, I'm still struggling to figure out our routine, I don't have time to be a perfect "Pinterest Mom", and some days I'm lucky to get the laundry finished.

But we'll get there.

 

Michael: 2 Months

7-15-13

 

I can't believe another month has gone by! I feel like the time is just flying! We are still trying to find our groove, but I'm just taking things day by day and I know that we'll settle into some sort of routine at some point. Ellie wasn't on a schedule until she was 6 months. I don't know if I can wait that long this time!

 

 

This Month:

*You weigh 13lbs 6oz. (Your sister didn't weigh this much until she was almost 6 months!!)
*You are in some 0-3 sleepers, but mostly 3 month clothes!

*You still love to eat! You eat about every 2-3 hours (I'm feeding on demand so I don't watch the clock. If you're fussy I just always offer the boob first and go from there!)

*You are in a size 1 diaper and I think we're going to start cloth here soon.

*You do have a schedule when it comes to bedtime. Which unfortunately conflicts with Ellie's schedule. You get a bath around 8:00 and then eat from about 8:30-9:30 and then pass out and have actually given us a few 7 hour stretches!! Hallelujah, Praise the Lord!!! You typically stir around 2:30ish and sometimes Mike or I can pat your back and get you back to sleep until 4:30-5:00ish, but if you don't settle I will feed you and then you eat every 2 hours the rest of the night and usually wake up in the morning when Ellie gets up.

 

 

You still really like to be held. You are getting a little more fond of your swing and bouncy seat, but mostly you want to be next to me or in my arms. Mike can put you to sleep like nobodys business so when he is home that job is transferred to him. You won't nap in your swing, you need to be bounced and swayed to sleep and then prefer to be held the whole time. If we lie you down on our bed the longest stretch you will stay asleep is about 30 minutes. I feel like most days I spend the entire day trying to get you to sleep-and stay asleep. But I know that these days are short lived and one day soon you won't fall asleep on us anymore.

Your hair still has an auburn tint to it and I absolutely love it. I hope it doesn't change! You still don't really take a paci. Sometimes if we hold it in your mouth long enough you might keep it in for a minute or two but mostly you spit it out and look at me like I'm crazy. You suck on your hands a lot and try to get them in your mouth though. You are getting better with tummy time and do pretty well holding your head up. You get lots of practice lifting your head because *gasp* you sleep on your stomach 99.9% of the time.

 

You have the chubbiest cheeks and I just love it! You are such a sweet smiley boy. You melt my heart! You love to talk and coo. You are so happy if someone sits with you and makes faces at you and talks to you. You aren't too fussy of a baby, and thankfully pretty much never cry in the middle of the night when you wake up hungry. You just rustle around a little bit and move your head from side to side and then coo at me when I change your diaper. You still hate your car seat and I get stuck riding in the very back of the van trying to keep you happy whenever we go anywhere. Hopefully you learn to love it soon. Very soon!

 

 

You had your first bottle around 8 weeks and you took it pretty well. I only put an ounce in it because I certainly didn't want to waste precious breast milk if you weren't going to drink it! We haven't tried again since then so I don't know if you will still take one. Hopefully, I think mommy and daddy are ready for a date night!

Ellie adores you. She will give you a hug and kiss and say "I think he likes me". Anytime you start to fuss she says "I think he needs his brand new toy" and runs around the house bringing you little toys. Or she says "Mama calm him down". I can't wait to watch you two become little best friends!

 I love you so much sweet boy.

 

Breastfeeding-The Second Time Around

Breastfeeding the second time around isn't that different than the first. Other than I have another child to chase after and keep out of trouble while I'm feeding Michael. Now I just need to master feeding in the Moby wrap or Ergo and I will be good to go!

 

When I was pregnant with Ellie I was told by countless people about how bad breastfeeding hurt and to expect it to be horrible for at least the first two weeks. I was told that it would hurt so bad that when she would latch it would take my breath away. I was nervous, but I was mentally prepared for the pain and it was so important to me that I breastfed that I was willing to push through it. So in order to prepare I took 3 hour breastfeeding class at the hospital and was super gung-ho that I was going to make it at least a year.

After she was born she latched right away and nursed like a champ. Every time that I had to feed her I would page a nurse and have her help me make sure that she was latched correctly. I had no qualms about every one of my nurses seeing my boobs. I wanted to make sure that I was doing it right. Surprisingly it didn't hurt. There was a little discomfort but that was about it. I never cracked or bled. I was never in tears while I got her to latch and fed her. I was so thankful! She ate every 2 hours around the clock for months. She had some belly issues around 3 months and that was he first time I introduced formula. I remember sitting in the glider in her room crying while I gave her a bottle. I felt like a failure. I ended up "getting inside my head" and was constantly worried about my supply and if she was gaining enough weight. She was a dainty thing and I always had people asking me if she was getting enough to eat or telling me that she was still hungry every time she cried (which was A LOT). So the stress did eventually affect my supply and let-down. It was a vicious cycle. I continued to breastfeed, but she was so impatient and slowly more and more bottles crept in until she weaned at 8 months. I was devastated that we didn't make it a year, and I was determined that if we had more kids that I would do things differently.

Enter Michael. Just like his sister he latched and nursed like a pro right after birth. But this time I had more confidence. I didn't ask the nurses for help, and I had 2 different lactation consultants come in and offer their services before we were discharged, but things were going so well I told them thanks, but we were all set! Here we are at 2 months still going strong.

Since Ellie ended up getting so impatient with breastfeeding and ended up getting so many bottles I had no desire to give Michael a bottle. EVER. Even if that meant I could never leave his side for the next 6+ months. However; due to some recent circumstances I realized that I should make sure he could take a bottle in case there was ever a time that I had to leave him with someone so at 8 weeks he just had his first experience with a bottle of breast milk. I put an ounce in a bottle and gave it to Mike and he drank it no problem. I was pretty shocked because he doesn't do so well with a pacifier so I figured he would do about the same with the bottle. I am happy, but at the same time I kind of feel like he cheated on me! Thankfully, there was no problems the next time he nursed, but a bottle will not be a regular thing.

 

 

Ellie has seen me nurse Michael from the beginning and sees me pump too. I want to make sure that breastfeeding is normal for her and that she doesn't ever feel like it's something that has to be hidden or that is taboo. With Ellie I was so nervous about nursing in public. I spent a lot of time feeding her sitting in a bathroom. Gross. This time-not so much. Half the time I don't even use a cover. It's to friggin hot for a cover. And Michael is fussy when I try to use a cover. I wouldn't want to eat under a blanket either! I just wear a tank top under my shirt and then pull the top one up and you can't see a thing. If you don't like it-feel free to leave!

 

Now I am by NO means against formula feeding moms. My motto is "feed your baby". Whatever method that may be. Please just remember the AAP recommends no solids until SIX months of age. It's hard enough being a mom; we don't need to judge each other on how our babies are fed. We're all just doing the best we can!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Let Freedom Ring

My family got together at my brothers house to celebrate Independence Day and my mom's birthday which was on the 7th. (My dad's birthday is the 6th so it's a busy week for us!) I put the kids in their red white and blue and we headed over for a day fun in the sun.



I swear she was happier than she looks!

My brother had a giant blow up water slide that all the cousins were playing on, but Ellie was absolutely terrified to go down the big slide and wanted nothing to do with it. I told Mike to just make her go down, and she reeeally didn't like it after that. There was a spray gun attached to it and she had no problem shooting other people with it, but ran away yelling " No no don't get me" any time anyone aimed it at her. Typical.

After lunch and a non existent nap Ellie played outside with her little cousin and we played with some sparklers and made some s'mores on the bonfire. I had Michael in the Ergo, managed one s'more and high tailed it inside at the first sign of mosquitos.

 

Over all we had a good day and had fun celebrating my mom and the fourth. I had such a good time spending the day with family and Ellie always loves getting together to play with her cousins. It will be so fun next year to see Michael running around and playing with all the other kids.

And what day would be complete without a mini photo shoot at Aunties house??

 

 

 

 

Meeting Michael

 

When I was pregnant we didn't tell anyone until pretty late in the pregnancy. We kept it a secret and only told immediate family until we had already found out we were having a boy. After the miscarriage I was nervous that everything would be ok so we waited extra long to share the news. We waited just as long to tell Ellie because we didn't want her running around saying "Mommy has a baby in her belly!!" When we told her we tried our best to make sure that Ellie understood what was happening. We would tell her that she was going to be a big sister and that baby Michael was in my belly. We prayed for him every night that he would grow big and strong and that he would be healthy. She would talk about him and she heard his heartbeat when she went to a few of my midwife appointments with me. I really didn't know how much she actually grasped and wondered how much it would rock her world when he actually arrived.

 

When I went into labor Ellie stayed with my brother and sister-in-law Andrea while we were at the hospital. Andrea sent us lots of pictures of Ellie having fun while she stayed at their house. We couldn't believe how big she looked now that we had another little baby in our family.

Doesn't she look so big!!

We had told her that I was going to have baby Michael and she was going to be a big sister. The day after Michael was born they came up for her to meet him and I was so curious how she would react. I am so thankful to Andrea for capturing these first moments of us as a family of four! Ellie was excited to see her daddy and I and knew right away that this was baby Michael.

I told her that baby Michael was here and wasn't in mommy's belly anymore. She kept saying "aww he's so cuuuute." and "he's so liiiiiittle." She knew that this was baby Michael and this was her little brother. It was so sweet and warmed my mama heart to see her loving her little brother so much.

 

She was so gentle and sweet with him I couldn't believe it. After a little while my brother and SIL held Michael while Ellie and her little cousin entertained themselves playing in the hospital room. It was such a sweet time and I was so glad that Ellie was able to come up and meet her little brother.

 

 

Since we have been home she hasn't asked if there is a baby in my belly and she absolutely adores Michael. She looks for him first thing in the morning, she always strokes his head and says he's so cuuute, when I burp him she pats his back and says "he's such a good baby", and she covers him with a blanket; and not his head either. She will just put it over his legs and say "there ya go". She tells me she loves him and is just so sweet.

 

She seems to have adjusted so well and hasn't had really any behavioral changes or jealousy outbursts. She has never tried to hit him, or ask when he's going back to the hospital. She was in heaven after he was born because Mike took some time off work and she got to play with daddy all day. I love her sweet spirit and am so thankful that it was a pretty smooth transition for her. I am so excited to watch them grow up together and I pray the become the best of friends in the years to come!