Random updates

Here are a few random pictures and updates...

Preston had been sleeping pretty well up until a few weeks ago.  I swear he was sleeping through the night but Matt says that only happened a few nights in a row.  At any rate, he's been digressing as far as sleeping at night goes.  Apparently this is pretty common at this age (3 months).  Basically he's been wiggling his little arms out of the swaddle.  And not just a swaddle blanket, but the Miracle blanket that has about 4 flaps that wrapped him up like a straight jacket.  I looked at the video monitor one night and he'd managed to wiggle BOTH arms completely out of all 4 flaps.  So he'd get his arms out and then wake himself up.  So the next night I tried just putting him in a sleep sack with his arms free.  That didn't work because he needed the swaddle to fall asleep.  So I talked to a friend of mine who'd used something called the 'Baby Merlin's Magic Sleepsuit'.  I was a little apprehensive about the whole 'magic' part of this since the last 'magic' sleep thing wasn't so magical for us.  So Kristin sent me hers to borrow to see if it worked for Preston.  It actually works pretty well because it keeps him feeling cozy like the swaddle but keeps the reflexes from waking him up.  This is what he looks like at night in his bed:

Since we started using it a few nights ago, the sleep has been getting progressively better.  Last night I fed him at 11 and he didn't wake up until 7.  Let's hope it continues...

Chase is still really sweet with his little brother.  He talks in this cute, high-pitched voice when he leans down to talk to him and kiss him and I love it.

This little guy is still such a happy baby.  Although he will definitely let you know when he's not happy.

This picture above was one morning before we left for Leslie's.  I think it's cute that Chase doesn't mind when I lay Preston down beside him.

Here's a fuzzy picture of tummy time.  He's getting so strong and has even rolled over a few times (from his tummy to his back).

4 years and 2 months

I still can't believe that we have 2 kids.  Sometimes I'll be driving down the road, bobbing my head to Jay-Z and then I realize that I have 2 car seats in the back.  oh and I'm over 30 years old.  Times flies, right?  :)

Chase's birthday is tomorrow and he'll be 4.  Preston is now 2 months (or 2 1/2 months).  I had every intention to use those cool little monthly stickers to compare Preston's growth each month.  Well, in true 2nd child fashion, time is getting away from me and now it's 2 weeks later with no 2 month sticker.  But I am taking pictures, so I get points for that, right???

First, I want to talk about how much Preston looks like Chase.  Here's a picture of Chase that was taken when he was around 2 months old:

 

It's crazy to see the similarities. (For the record, the rest of these baby pictures are Preston...)

 

 

Chase continues to be such a sweet, sweet big brother.

 

  

Preston continues to get happier and happier.  This little smile makes my heart melt.

 

His little personality is coming out more and more.  He's been cooing and smiling since around 3 weeks and laughed for the first time this past weekend.

 So far, he's sleeping MUCH better than Chase was at this same age.  We put him down around 8 or 9pm and he'll pretty much sleep until about 6am.  Chase didn't sleep through the night until he was 6 months old.

Here are just a few random but funny pictures that capture life at our house.  Last Saturday, we were having a lazy morning.  I looked over from where I was sitting and this is what I saw:

Here is Preston laying beside Chase's baby that he got when Preston was born.  While I was on maternity leave I started getting pretty frustrated because Chase kept asking me to help him take care of his baby.  There were a few times I felt like I had twins.  Not cool.

In other updates, this is my third week back at work.  Things are going well and everyone seems to be adjusting well.  I'll keep y'all posted.  :)

Real pictures

Our friend Lynette Mittendof came over to take some newborn pictures of Preston a few weeks ago.  She also took some great ones with Preston and his proud big brother.  She did and always does amazing work.  We met her and her husband at our child birth class when we were pregnant with Chase and she was pregnant with Ada.  Doesn't seem that long ago...

At any rate, here are the sweet, sweet pictures of my sweet, sweet boys.

 

Chase is still so tender and gentle with his little brother.

 

It just melts my heart. 

 

He asks such cute questions as he watches me breast feed Preston.  And when Preston cries, Chase always asks, "What's he saying, Mama?" because we've told him that it's a baby's way of telling us that they need something.

 

Thanks, again, Lynette!!  Thank you for capturing on film the beauty that we see in this tiny boy and the love that this almost-4-year-old has for this tiny boy.

Life.

I haven't been good about updating the blog.  Sorry about that.  Life is great these days.  Busy, but great.  We have had so much help with Chase that I feel like I should have a 100 hours to do all kinds of things like updating the blog.  But usually I choose to straighten the house, do laundry, or meet friends out.  But here goes the blog update that's been on my to do list for 3 weeks now.

First of all, I cannot thank Betty Ann and Don enough for all the sleep-overs, and special attention they have showered Chase with.  I'm pretty sure that all that attention has and continues to shape him into the little ball of confident personality that he is every day.  He's so much fun and makes us laugh all the time.

 In this picture below, you can see him covering up with his "sur-bible blanket".  Apparently it came with a "sur-bible" kit that he convinced someone (Bebe? Pops?) to buy him.  Matt and I tried to convince him that he didn't need this blanket while in his bed but he insisted.  We gave in (because is it really that big of a deal?) and everytime he moved, we could hear the crinkle of the material.  It was hilarious.

 

And this is what our Friday nights look like these days:

 

 

And here we have Mr. Preston.  I can't believe he's 5 weeks old.  Time is flying.

He started smiling around 3 weeks and I managed to catch one of those precious smiles:

 

I had a hard time geting a good picture of him with his '1 month' sticker on but here are a couple of the better ones.

So there you go.  Life is currently filled with Chase making us laugh and us trying to get that little guy to smile.

PhD at home

I still can't believe that Preston was born at 12:42am on Wednesday 1/9/13 and we went home around 1pm on Thursday 1/10.  They gave me the option of staying until Friday.  I thought about it and initially wanted to stay longer but decided I wanted to get home so we could get things back to normal for us and most importantly, for Chase.

Chase (and we) are so lucky to have such great grandparents who have given him so much love and attention while we were in the hospital and since coming home.  As you can see from his huge smile, he seems pretty well adjusted.  Hopefully that will continue.

 

He has been the absolute sweetest big brother.  All he wants to do is kiss Preston and rub his face against the baby's.  He's so gentle and sweet.

Thank God for family and especially for grandparents.  While Matt's parents were showering Chase with love and attention, my mom was showering me (and Preston) with love and attention.  I do not know what I would have done without her support during labor and during those first few days home from the hospital.  There is nothing like a mother to take care of you.  Even when you're a mother.  In fact, that's when you need it the most.  I'm so very thankful for both my mom and Matt's.

 

Here's a picture of us leaving for Preston's first doctor's appointment.  I have one of us with Chase in the exact same place in our living room from 4 years ago.  (note to self: find that picture and compare).

The first of many of big brother showering little brother with love and kisses.

 This little guy is the sweetest ever.  It's amazing how much he's already changing.

We're still completely in love with him.

 

 

And we still can't get enough of him.

 



Pictures of our PhD (at the hospital)

Here's round 1 of pictures from before and after the arrival of Preston at the hospital.  I figured to keep your interest I'd shorten the length of this blog posting and keep this contained to just pictures from the hospital.  (Since I have about 300 pictures so far from the last 3 weeks).

Here are my 2 favorite boys playing on the ipad while I was in labor with my other favorite boy.  Chase was with Bebe and Pops for the afternoon/night but they brought him by the hospital to visit us.  He ran into the room, quickly looked all around the room and exclaimed, "Where is he?  I want to see what he looks like!"  I hated having to tell him that his little brother hadn't made his way out of my belly quite yet.  Poor thing was tired of waiting.  We all were.

And here's the proud Daddy of our sweet baby just minutes after he was born.  (I got to hold him first this time!)

And here's Mr. P sleeping comfortably in his bed in our hospital room.

Here's Chase meeting Preston for the first time.  I love that facial expression.

And here we have the first time we drove with our 2 (!) children in the backseat.

I still can't believe that he's here and it's almost been 3 weeks.  More pictures to follow...