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 cheeks get red and you breathe a little heavier as you concentrate. You have a giant box that has provided countless hours of entertainment. You love Play-Doh 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 pooping. 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 snuggler 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