Life with 2

So, life with 2 children is totally different. In some ways, I think this transition is a lot harder than the transition from being a little married couple and then having a little baby. Sure, I know how to change little boy diapers (really well) without them getting everything wet. I know how to nurse and burp a baby. I am even dealing with the screaming episodes (of the baby, not mine) tons better than the first time around. I'm doing amazingly well for not getting long amounts of sleep at a time. But...how in the world do mothers cope with a 2 year old while nursing and burping a baby? How are you supposed to change a little baby size one diaper while the 2 year old is in the kitchen standing on a stool trying to eat the chocolate cake that someone just dropped off? Or, change a 2 year old size 4 or 5 dipaer while the little 3 1/2 week old baby is screaming for something? How do you deal with a baby crying in the middle of the night while the 2 year old has woken up and is now crying in his room too? What do you do when you finally get the baby down to sleep at 5:30 in the morning, then the little 2 year old decides to rise and shine?
Adjustments. We're trying to adjust. We're slowly coming around. The first week of little Tommy's life, we just had each other. Barrett was off school and we sure tried to make it through. The next week, my mom came. Boy, was that ever helpful!!!
It was so nice to have someone play with Damon while I went back to bed in the mornings. She also took the baby in the middle of the night if he was crying and didn't need to be fed. She also helped me organize my kitchen counters and took me shopping to Costco and WalMart. I love my mom and wish we lived closer. She had a busy December with Christmas, my sister's wedding, 7 children and their families coming home, my grandma's funeral which meant an unexpected trip to Utah, New Year's, and tying up loose ends before she came to help me. What sacrifice! Thanks again mom, you're the best! I've been on my own this last week and realize how many ways I fall short of being a good mom. Adjustments. Why do they have to be so rough? Barrett's mom flies in tonight and I'm feeling grateful. Thank heavens for Southwest deals and parents who love their children and grandchildren. My dad says I'm just dealaying the unevitable (inevitable?)...eventually, it'll just be me, Barrett, and 2 boys. Until then, I'm glad of the slow delay to reality:)

It's a......

BOY!! So, yep, I finally had the baby:) I've been putting off blogging about it in hopes that I'd have some cute baby announcement graphic or something, but I just figured that'd never happen.

Thomas Mark was born on December 28, 2008 at 3:08 in the morning. He was 21 inches and 9 pounds 5 ounces!! I didn't believe the nurse and asked her if she was sure....what a big baby!
Anyway, we had a pretty productive day on the 27th, with making cookies, cleaning the house, going to the library, going to the park, eating ice cream while watching the new Hallmark movie of the night, then off to bed. Shortly after falling asleep, I woke up and realized I was in labor...so I packed my bag, roamed the house, then decided to call the doctor (Barrett had woken up by this point). I was planning on heading into the hospital no matter what he told me anyway. We called a friend and dropped off Damon, then got to the hospital about 2:20. This birth went a lot faster than Damon...and I thought that was fast! We were very excited to finally meet this sweet little one and find out that it was a boy. I'm definitely outnumbered now! The poor little thing was so big, that some of his levels were low, so he had to leave us about an hour after entering the world, to have a slumber party in the NICU. It was strage to be without him after 9 months, but he joined me a few hours later. Then, when he was retested, his levels were low again, so off he went back to his slumber party. The nurses made fun of him there because he was so big...big to begin with, but even bigger compared to all the little premies there:)
He's doing fine now and we're trying to adjust after a week or so. Damon loves him, but sometimes shows a little too much love. While in the hospital, he came to visit baby Tommy and me. He walked right up and said, "a baby, Diggy hold it." A good sign:)
We're so lucky to have another little person in our home. Tommy is such a good baby and so sweet. Barrett keeps reminding me that NOW we're parents and have to be responsible. We hope we can make it through the last few months of school...