These Little Moments...

I have childhood memories of a never-ending bridge, of looking as far as the eye can see and swearing our tires would never hit truly solid ground again. It stands tall, illuminated in darkness, intimidating to unfamiliar travelers and those who drive in outer lanes. As I got older, I grew brave, and even as I listened to the sound of my mother repeating the Lord's prayer, I gazed out over the still water, planning exactly how I would save my sister should we crash. 4.3 miles of bridge, shore to shore. I journeyed over this bridge last week. With my husband in the driver's seat and my sweet babies in the back, I looked straight ahead, anxious to watch the road lifted before me become a road already traveled. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge is no longer such a scary thing, but a bridge to all that I love about Maryland, specifically the warm embraces of grandparents, delicious food, wonderful conversation, and the familiar smells of a home away from home. This trip was special, not...

This morning, I painted with my daughter, gave her a high five for doing such a beautiful job, read her books without dropping them, hugged her with both arms... all while holding Ethan against my chest (his favorite spot) thanks to this... Now, I'm no expert "wrapper", but after using this borrowed Moby wrap three times today, I'm hooked to this hands free way of keeping a happy, sleeping baby. One of my biggest challenges has been balancing both children... for example, holding a fussy Ethan while also reading a book to an anxious Gracie. In addition, I've felt guilty about plopping my comfortably snoozing boy down throughout the day to handle other tasks when all I really want to do is keep him close. This has worked for me today and I only wish I had tried using it sooner! I'm excited about it, can you tell? And yes, the little guy is wrapped right now, as I type. And for those wondering... yes, he can breathe... yes, I kind of feel pregnant again (min...

I don't have much time for words, but I did want to add a new picture from this past weekend... Gracie is down for an early (and much needed) nap right now. Ethan is sort of sleeping in his swing, although he seems ready to wake at any moment... And... he's awake and hungry. :) Happy Tuesday.

I don't know that I've ever had a month go by as quickly as this one has. It seems like we were just arriving home from the hospital with our newborn baby, and now he is a month old! I do find it hard, however, to even remember life without him here. Ethan, you are such a sweet baby! You bring so much joy to every day. You've been busy doing a little growing over the past month and have become much more alert. Here is a little more about you at one month: -You've started sharing your precious little grin with us! I'm looking forward to seeing you smile more and more. -You are batting at your toys and are starting to show more interest in the hanging toys on your play mat. -You are still such a little cuddle baby. You love being held close and rocked. I try to get in as much cuddle time with you as possible. -For the first time last night, you slept for 5 hours straight! Highlights of the Month for Mommy... -Watching you and your sister together has been a...

I've been busy. In fact, stopping long enough to put this post together means I've set aside (yet again) the opportunity to put away any one of the three loads of folded laundry that are staring me down right now. But, both little ones are sleeping, so I'm taking a moment, and celebrating the fact that I have  folded laundry at all. Trying to balance the needs of a newborn and three year old, while also attempting to take care of the usual household duties, has been interesting. Some days go much better than others, but overall, I feel like we're doing really well at this point. I have to keep reminding myself that just a little over three weeks ago, I was still pregnant. It's okay to feel like I don't know what I'm doing half the time, as if I'm ever really certain anyway. Gracie has been so patient over the past couple of weeks, and while she has taken her frustrations out on me from time to time, she's always as sweet as can be to her baby brot...

"It's time to push..." Alright. If Dr. P says it's time to push, then I'm ready to push! I did ask him if he was serious, to which he replied, "I wouldn't joke about that". And so began one of the more exciting, and most exhausting, parts of the labor process. I was once again blessed with the most amazing birthing support group, which consisted of my husband, my sister, and my mom. These were the same faces and voices I focused on while bringing Gracie into the world, and they didn't let me down this time either. I guess I won't ever really know if I was doing as great as they kept saying I was, but it sure was helpful to have their encouragement. Pushing was hard for me... I was so totally exhausted and there were moments I was sure my pushes were getting us nowhere. I pushed while on my left side, I breathed in and out through an oxygen mask. I pushed while on my right side, I cried. I worked at getting this baby boy out for a good hour.....

We enjoyed a relaxed 4th of July...We met out of town friends for dinner, then prayed away the rain for our excited three year old, who was looking forward to watching fireworks! We were so relieved that the rain did go away so that we could share in this tradition with our daughter. Sean had his hands over Gracie's ears as they watched together, just like last year. :) Ethan and I hung out in the car, where we were still able to watch the fireworks. He was a hungry boy, plus I wanted to protect his little ears! Little Miss Priss! She loved her dress and got so excited whenever we drove past an American flag! Happy First 4th of July, Ethan! He is most definitely #1 with his mommy and sister!

I've been typing the details of Ethan's birth into my phone over the past two weeks. Actual computer time is becoming obsolete, but I do want to write and post about the first weeks/months with our boy. I do not want to forget how precious this time is! So, this long  post of details is mainly for me, so that I can look back and remember this incredible day. :) June 16th, 3:06am First Contraction My night had been restless, like most had been that week. I had been tossing and turning for many nights with cramps and body aches, but when that first contraction happened, I knew something was different. I spent those first few early hours dosing off in between well spaced contractions. My hopes did go up a little when they began to come consistently every 6-8 minutes, beginning around 4am. They weren't exactly painful at this point, but I was uncomfortable, so I took a nice warm shower to help relax my body and ease my discomfort. I continued to try to sle...

...completely in love with these sweet faces...