First Photo Shoot

We are taking a lot less pictures of Wes than we did of Owen. It's probably not the worst thing that ever happened because we have an insane amount of pictures of that child. This time I am focusing on quality over quantity. I took these when Weston was just a few days old. Such a sweet little face.

Owen and Wes

Owen coming to the hospital and meeting Wes for the first time was a beautiful moment. It was almost as magical as when Weston was born. Owen was so, so sweet with the baby and I cried tears of joy as both my boys snuggled on my lap. I felt more complete than I ever have with my whole family together for the first time.

A friend gave me the advice that you shouldn't be holding the baby when his sibling comes to visit, which was a wonderful tip. We had it set up so that my mom was holding Wes and I was sitting in the bed. Owen came in and jumped on my lap and then my mom handed the baby over to both of us. It worked perfectly and Owen was super excited. I wasn't sure how much Owen conceptualized me being pregnant and the fact that he was going to have sibling but I was pretty sure he understood. He clearly did and is already a loving and protective big brother. 

Weston's Birth Story

My labor the second time around was much less chaotic than the first and equally beautiful. The story starts on Wednesday. I worked a 12 hour shift and starting having a fair amount of contractions late in the day. I got home from work and let Ty know that things were starting to happen, but also knew that it could be Braxton hicks from a long day on my feet. I went to bed that evening and the contractions stopped enough that I was able to sleep through the night. Thursday morning I wasn't having a lot of contractions, just a few here and there but I started passing my mucous plug, a sure sign of labor, so I knew that the contractions were doing something. One tricky thing about the second labor is that we had to have someone at home with Owen when it was time to go to the hospital. And after how quickly things progressed with my first labor I wanted to have a good plan in place. I called my mom Thursday evening and filled her in. I wasn't sure if I was actually going into labor so I was hesitant to ask her to drive up. Luckily, she made the decision that she was just going to come. She drove up after work and arrived around midnight. It was such a relief having her here. I knew that she would be able to stay with Owen at any given moment and it's always a comfort having my mom close.

Friday morning Ty and I went for a 3 mile walk and nothing was really changing. I was still having irregular contractions but able to go about my normal routine. Since my mom was here I grocery shopped, ran errands and cleaned the house. I felt the nesting urge and burst of energy that comes with it. I went to bed around 10 pm Friday night and as soon as I laid down my contractions started to pick up. By 11 pm I was sure it was go time. I got up, took a shower and made sure everything was ready for the hospital. My mom was sleeping in the living room so Ty and I were quietly hanging out in our bedroom as I labored. It was actually kind of fun and the 5 hours passed rather quickly, we took some selfies and decided for sure that we would name the baby Weston (not Wesley). We called the midwife around 2 and decided that we would head to the hospital around 3. Arriving at the hospital was much more peaceful this time, we parked and strolled on in. My midwife checked me as soon as we were admitted and I was dilated to 8 cm. I was surprised that I was that far along because the labor thus far hadn't been nearly as painful as the first time. Once we got settled in the hospital I was surprisingly comfortable sitting in the bed and we just kind of sat there for the next hour while the nurses got everything ready and I continued to labor. My water didn't break on it's own which I think may be the reason I wasn't as uncomfortable this time.

Around 5:30 am I was ready to push. My water still hadn't broken so the midwife broke it and that's when the contractions became incredibly intense. Thankfully the pushing was much shorter this time. It was pretty much a de ja vu of my first labor in that Weston's head was stuck, his cord was wrapped around his neck so his heart rate was dropping and I wouldn't tear. I had to have another episotomy thanks to my "perineum of steel." I was happy that we had learned from my first labor and I didn't push for two hours before they decided to do the episotomy, Wes was out within 30 minutes.

There is nothing more magical than holding your baby for the first time. The contractions, the pushing and the pain are a small price to pay for the incredible gift of your beautiful newborn baby on your chest. As I held Wes, I cried, kissed his head and told him what a special part of our family he is. I am incredibly thankful for an easy and positive labor story and couldn't be happier to be a family of four.

2 Year Old Love Letter

My sweet Owen,

You are two years old. You have developed into such a lovely little person and make my heart happier than I ever thought possible. In the last few months you've grown into a little boy who loves playing with his trucks and blocks. You get really into the toys you are playing with, your checks get red and you breath a little heavier as you concentrate. You have a giant box that has provided countless hours of entertainment. You love play dough and have the best laugh in the entire world. You decided that you were ready to potty train around 22 months and pretty much taught yourself to pee in the potty.  We're still working on popping.

You are kind, helpful and incredibly sweet.  You'll always help pick up your toys when asked and like to do things to help other people out. The mini Dyson vacuum cleaner is your new favorite toy. You love babies and are always giving them kisses, covering them up with blankets and giving them their binkies. You love your little blue bear and take him with you wherever you go. You are an amazing little sunggler and love to cuddle. You are very methodical and like to sort, clean and organize.  

You are warming up to the idea of preschool and starting to get much more comfortable exploring and playing on your own while we are there. You still get overwhelmed in big groups but that is totally normal at this age. You are super observant and remember what seems like everything. You love singing songs, dancing and clapping. You have great manners and always say please and thank you. You still don't talk a ton but are adding new words to your vocabulary every day. 

I am so proud of who you've become and love watching your personality and preferences grow. Your smile and laugh light up my days and warm my heart. I can't imagine a more wonderful little person, you really are a dream come true and continue to be every single day.

xoxo,
Your loving mama

Pregnancy 2.0

One of the most surprising things about being pregnant for a second time is how much I forgot about the whole experience.  It's similar to childbirth in the evolutionary sense that your body blocks it out so you'll have more kids. Once the baby is here you're left with the nostalgia of strangers being kind to you in public and the pregnancy glow. I remember being tired but forgot how much work it is to carry around an extra 30 pounds. I remember loving being pregnant and don't feel quite as special this time around. I also forgot what a magical feeling it is to have a baby flip flipping around inside of me.  2.0 is sure a mover and I love the special bond that I feel for him.

I am tired. Not necessarily tired because I want to sleep but physically exhausted.  Being pregnant is hard work and with a toddler there is no taking it easy. I'm out of energy by the time I've showered and dried my hair most days. With Owen it was all about me and I took naps and got massages when I felt exhausted. Though I sometimes try to sneak those things in, they are pretty few and far between. I'm down to the final month and it's getting tough.

I've gone back and forth being disappointed about having another boy. I think I had to go through the stages of grief and mourn the loss of what I had always imagined. I am now in the acceptance stage and feel super excited about the fact that I'm having another little man.  I read this psalm and with it came an overwhelming sense of peace. Psalm 139 "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Around the same time I read that by the 20th week of gestation, a female fetus has developed a reproductive system, including 6 to7 million eggs in her ovaries.  Meaning that even though I always imagined myself having girls, my two sweet boys have been with me my entire life and thus this is the way it was always supposed to be.

Kari hosted a small shower for me and it was lovely.  It was nice to take an afternoon to think about this baby and get excited. There have been so many other things going on I honestly haven't had a ton of time to think about having a newborn again. I love seeing the tiny clothes and am thankful this little one will have a few things of his own. Hand me downs are great but I'm glad not everything he has was once Owen's :)

As the holidays and my due date approach I am getting increasingly excited.  Winter babies are snuggly and sweet and I love this time of year.  The last few weeks have been crisp, cold, dry and beautiful. I'm looking forward to seeing Owen's excitement on his birthday and Christmas and can hardly wait to meet the newest member of our family.

23 weeks

30 weeks

36 weeks 

Family/Maternity Photos 2014

I am so thankful that the talented Krisi Waite offered to take some family photos for us this year.  Despite Owen running around like a wild man and refusing to cooperate she did a great job.