Getting Ready for Halloween

As I stand here with Ellie strapped to me in the Bjorn, I figured I should do something useful so I downloaded some new pictures for everyone. Nathan is getting ready for Halloween and telling anyone within earshot that he is going to be a "bee." He is so excited, much to Scott's chagrin. He wanted Nathan to be Dash, the little boy from the movie The Incredibles. Which would have been perfect because Nathan is so fast. But, our son has fixated on being a bee so that is what he'll "be." The talented Grandma Wilson made his costume again this year and it is absolutely adorable (Scott agrees). And Nathan LOVES it. He ripped open the box with glee and immediately put on the costume and ran around the apartment stinging everyone. He refused to take it off for bedtime and this morning brought it out when he woke up to "put on." He is so proud and so cute and I am excited for trick or treating with our little bee this weekend.

This past weekend we went to the Hoboken Harvest Festival with Patrick, Virginia, and Evelyn and Nathan rode a tractor, a "choo choo," a pony, jumped in a big inflatable jumping room and picked out yet another pumpkin. He had a blast and we owe big thanks to Patrick who chased after both Nathan and Evelyn since Scott was at work and I was taking care of Ellie (and am allergic to hay and horses which makes tractor and pony rides a bit challenging). Nate just loves Patrick and was happy to hang with another male since he was otherwise surrounded by females. It was a really fun and beautiful day.

Nathan also started speech therapy last week and is doing well. This week was his second lesson and we are getting a glimpse at just how smart and attentive he is. He has an excellent memory and knows exactly what to do before the therapist asks (and it is just his second lesson). We are hoping to see some progress with his vowel pronunciation so we'll see how it goes. He seems to like the instructor and looks forward to her visits. I am relieved to know that he can sit still for longer than 2 minutes and follow instructions and listen to another adult (since listening to me and Scott seems to be optional these days).

Ellie had a particularly bad evening last night. Her stomach is obviously bothering her again so we were up trying to figure out the magic potion to get her to rest easy. I contributed to the multi-million dollar baby industry this morning by ordering yet another swing that "everyone says will help her sleep" so we'll see how this one works. Have to read the return policy carefully as what always works for other kids doesn't ever work for ours, in my experience. We'll keep you posted.

Happy Halloween! Nathan Evans, our little bee.

Surroundede by all his pumpkins

Picking out a pumpkin in Hoboken

Riding a pony in Hoboken (with Daddy before he left for work)

Our fearless little boy riding a pony in Hoboken

Ellie's Belly (and other tales of woe...)

So here we are....5 weeks into new baby and doing well overall. Ellie turns out to have some belly issues as did Nathan, though I can't tell if they are better or worse than his because the blur of crying makes my brain turn to mush. She definitely has gas and reflux so we got a low dose of reflux medicine as we wait to see the gastroenterologist on November 3rd (does the doctor know how hard it is to wait over a month to see her when your baby only sleeps on top of you?!) The other night after a screaming bout at 2am, we resorted to Colic Calm gripe water which knocked her out in minutes. Of course we couldn't tell if she was knocked out because she had been crying for so long, because Daddy was cuddling her, or because she farted and pooped enough to relax....The crying is very inconsistent, however, which is why I think she is better than Nathan. Sleeping is inconsistent too. After initially sleeping most of the day, she is now not sleeping at all during the day (catnaps here and there only when she is held) and sleeping a lot at night. I guess I will take the nighttime sleeping if I have to choose as I feel like a rockstar today - last night was her best night...she only woke up one time to eat - but now today she is sleeping most of the day! I just can't win, and I guess I should remember that you can't control or predict babies and I should just give up trying. Ellie is definitely Daddy's little girl already and melts into his arms whenever he holds her. I can rock and jiggle and cuddle for hours trying to get her to sleep and it takes him only a minute of his warmth and cuddling and she falls fast asleep. I see the preference already!

Nathan is waking up at night as well. We can't tell if his sleep disturbances are a result of the changes in his life or his thumb....Since his thumb injury he has been to see an orthopedic surgeon who indicated that the break was worse than we thought and so he has to wear his splint for a month. He expects a full recovery, however, and says little ones bounce back much faster than adults. We went thursday to have his stitches out, and as always, Nathan impressed the doctors with how good and attentive he was. He is a trooper and the thumb is really not slowing him down at all - he is still riding his scooter and tricycle all over the place and jumping and running as usual. The other day he had a big achievement of putting his shoes and socks on all by himself (one handed practically no less). He is going through a phase of "me too" and "me do" with everything, to push his independence and the fact that he is a "big boy." Now if we could only get him potty trained. There is something seriously wrong with changing a teeny poopy diaper and then moving on to man-sized poops with your 37 pound 2 and 1/2 year old. Potty training is my goal before returning to work (among other things). Could be problematic considering most days I barely am able to cross one thing off of my "to do" list.

So all is well in the Evans household. Still crazy busy, still not a moment when we are not holding or tending to at least one kid but I wouldn't have it any other way. Scott and I marvel at our blessings every day and how lucky we are to have a great family and two wonderful kids. Now we are preparing for Halloween - Nathan is going to be a bee. We spend our evenings "pumpkin hunting" and I think he is really going to enjoy trick or treating. He is really enjoying opening all of Ellie's baby presents so Christmas is going to be a riot. We'll have to wrangle our presents out of his hands! Nathan and Ellie - all the pictures have him in them because he never leaves her side...still a great big brother! Though Ellie is not so sure about this sitting up stuff.

Chubby cheeks (over 12 pounds at her last checkup two weeks ago)

In repose on Mommy and Daddy's bed (or should we call it Ellie's bed since that is the only place she sleeps)

Ellie and Big Brother Nate (say Cheese)

Knocked out on Daddy's pillow. If she can't have Daddy, at least she can have his smell.....

What Have We Gotten Ourselves Into?

Chubby cheek lady
Snuggling with Daddy
Check out the bandaged thumb
Cheese!

Well, this was the first official weekend when Scott and I looked at each other and said "what have we gotten ourselves into?!" After fighting a cold for several days, Nathan finally succumbed and though we tried to fight him off of Ellie, kissing her was too much to resist so of course Ellie got sick too. So, with two sick kids, Scott and I spent the weekend playing tag team tending to each of our kids and alternating "sleeping" sitting up with Ellie on our chest. We literally only saw each other in passing going from one child to the next. Our weekend of no sleep culminated in a trip to the ER for Nathan after he slammed his right thumb in a gate on a walk in our neighborhood. We had gone out (finally) for some fresh air and a walk to look at the pumpkins in the neighborhood and Nathan was doing his neighborly duty of shutting everyone's gates on the walk when he encountered one that was obviously a little heavier than he expected and it slammed right on his thumb. In true Nathan fashion, when I said we needed to go home and tend to his boo boo, he said "no mommy go walk pumpkins." He was more devastated about having to end our walk early than he was about nearly chopping his thumb off.

So Scott and Nate took a trip to the ER while I spent the evening trying to get Ellie to sleep. The good news is that Nate is ok - he ripped his thumbnail off, cut open his thumb and had a couple of stitches, and also has a slight fracture, but will recover fine according to the doctors. Everyone at the hospital was charmed by our dear son who quickly forgot about his injury and set about exploring the hospital and getting into everything. Thank goodness it was a slow night and he and his daddy were home after only two and a half hours. He was very excited to tell me about the picture they took of his hand and how his hand had to say "cheese."

Today, I thought for sure Nathan would be affected by his injury but other than pointing out his "boo boo" to anyone he encounters, he seems to think it is business as usual and is still riding his scooter and as active as ever. So all three of us will be traipsing to the doctor tomorrow for stuffy noses and stitches. Oh what an adventure this is!

Other than that, all is well. Ellie is growing fast and already doesn't fit into her newborn or 0-3 month clothes....check out the chubby cheeks in the photo above. She has a definite pattern of eat, stay awake for about 45 minutes, and then she wants to go back to sleep. Cuddling on Daddy is her favorite way to sleep and I dare say she already has Scott wrapped around her teeny finger.

So, as with everything, we will get through this...I dare say it won't be the last trip to the ER knowing Nathan, nor our last bout with sick kids. I am just glad I don't have to have a functional brain at this point and go to work like Scott...he is the real trooper.

Off to more adventure!

Pumpkin Picking...Getting Ready for Fall

Patrick showing us the pumpkin that Nathan picked
Nathan and Gabriela examining a bug on the pumpkin
Nathan showing us his pumpkin
Nathan and Gabriela helping Scott pull the wagon
Gabriela holding her pumpkin

As promised, here are the photos from pumpkin picking in Princeton, NJ with Isabella, Gabriela and Lisa and Patrick and Evelyn. We had intended to go apple and pumpkin picking but coordinating the logistics of 5 kids and 4 adults proved to be a little more complicated than we thought. Everything certainly took a lot longer....The farm (Terhune Farm) was so neat...tucked in the middle of Princeton, NJ, and with pumpkin picking, raspberry picking, folk music, a petting farm, and lots of other food and festivities. We spent the bulk of our time (when I wasn't breastfeeding) "picking" pumpkins and raspberries. The raspberries were a little disappointing and the kids quickly lost interest. It was definitely like finding a needle in a haystack to find a ripe raspberry amongst very well picked over raspberry bushes. Nathan enjoyed running up and down the aisles finding his friends, Gabriela, Isabella, and Evelyn. Evelyn and Patrick win the prize for picking the most. After at least an hour, Scott and Nathan and I had maybe 15 raspberries in our bucket. By this time the farm had gotten crowded and all of the kids had low blood sugar so we headed to town to have a Mexican lunch and create some havoc at a local restaurant. It was a beautiful day, however, and another fun adventure. It definitely feels and looks like fall.

Week 2

Grandma Wilson with her grandbabies
Family field trip to Museum of Natural History
Grandma Geri (GG) meets Ellie
Nathan helps give her a bath
Ok...not the most flattering picture but aren't you impressed with how high she can lift her head?!

Well, we have had visits from both Grandmas and Grandpa Wilson, gone on some field trips to the doctor, Natural History Museum, and pumpkin picking (today...pictures to be uploaded later) so Ellie has already been very well socialized. I am always amazed at people who are mortified that our baby is outside. Fresh air must be toxic in their opinion. Or they haven't been trapped in an apartment with Nathan for a few hours.

We are enjoying the adjustment to being a foursome. Everything takes much longer than it did before, and it already took us a while to get organized. Now I have to make sure that all THREE of my "kids" are organized before we go anywhere. But I am really enjoying being a mommy of two kids. I had my first full day with both of them on Friday when I took Nathan for his 2 1/2 year checkup and Ellie for a weight check. Nathan was SO GOOD at the doctor...I was in shock. We had talked about the doctor looking at his ears, eyes, belly, etc. to prepare him but he is such a good patient. He listens and watches what the doctor is doing and cooperates with it all. This appointment we found out that Nathan is a giant. Well, ok, he is only 39 inches tall but for his age he is above 95th percentile for height and weight. Scott is excited that he can live vicariously through his son and resolve his height complex since Nathan is very much on his way to being over 6 feet tall when he is "all grown up." The doctor was impressed with his motor skills, as are we, and supported our decision to get him some help with his pronunciation and speech. They took blood to check his iron and also gave him a flu shot. While Ellie did not cooperate one bit, Nathan sat in my lap in front of a screaming Ellie and watched the nurse take his blood and give him a shot. This in the midst of a waiting room full of screaming children who were also getting shots. I couldn't have been more proud of my little boy.

Now on to Ellie. She was 9 pounds 10 ounces!! 21 inches and her head had grown (thank goodness). Breast milk apparently does a body good and I produce a lot of it. The doctor asked twice if she was just breast fed. Look, buddy, some of us are milk factories over here. This surprised everyone with Nathan too (flashback to the fact that he was 12 pounds after one month), so I think Ellie is well on her way. And our arms are feeling it.

So far we are in a nice pattern of eating about every 3 hours and sleeping. Yes, Ellie does end up sleeping in the bed with Scott and I most of the time, but I will do anything to prolong my sleep and I like a good cuddle just like anyone else.

Things are going well overall. Yes we are tired, but we feel like Ellie has been a part of our lives forever and forget she is only 16 days old. I am so happy to not be pregnant anymore and able to move about and do stuff easily, though I do have a baby attached to me most of the time. We can't believe it is already October and are looking forward to Halloween with Nathan. It is so far a beautiful fall.