Happy 3 Months Goose!

The months are just flying by with you! You are getting taller and slightly leaner. You are officially in 6 month clothes, although I am still able to squeeze you into your 3 month summer dresses and shirts.
With your vast amount of headbands you inspired Mommy to open up her own online boutique selling children's accessories. I am starting out small, with just headbands, but I am eager to see what else I can dream up!
Van is warming up to more and more everyday. At the beginning he just ignored you, then he tried to swat at you, then he tried to put toys on you. Now he offers you his special blanket, forces tuckies into your mouth and he will only give you kisses, no one else.
Joey couldn't be more thrilled to be your brother. He loves you so! Yesterday he said that you would never have to have a boyfriend because he would always be your brother and friend. So sweet!
You are still so mellow. Mommy feels extra blessed to have it this way since the boys can be a tad crazy at times. You just go with the flow, aren't bothered by the loud noise and you sleep well!
You visited Seattle for the first time this month; Grandma Candy even got you a pin! What a good traveler you are!

2 months!

This month you went to your very first wedding (Uncle Cody and Aunt Ashley's), you enjoyed some Lakefair action, and a lot of family got to meet you for the very first time.

One notable funny story. Aunt Holly was over for a barbeque and she picked you up out of your bouncy chair. Little did she know but you just had a massive blowout and it got all over her brand new shirt. It was so bad it required her to take a shower at our house and her shirt being washed!

This month you also had your first set of vaccines. Of course you cried, but your brother, Joey cried even more for you. He was so upset that you had to get shots!

We are working on your sleeping. You do sleep well (like a baby) and in your own crib but I am trying to get you to fall asleep on your own, instead of being nursed to sleep. Last night you slept from 8pm till 2am. I think the only reason you woke up is because I kind of freaked out and wondered why you hadn't woken up yet, so I went in to check on you. =)

We love you so much. Daddy loves oogling over you. He always say you give the pirate eye because one of you tear ducts is clogged and the discharge makes your eye "glued" shut.

The story of Lucy

Lucy's birth story begins on May 20th, 2013.

We woke up early to arrive at Tacoma General Hospital at 6am for an 8am scheduled c-section. The boys stayed behind at the house with "Uncle Craig" to wait until they could meet their little sister at the hospital. Being our third child we were pretty nonchalant about the whole "business" of delivery. We didn't even have a name for her at this point! After being checked in and given a pre-op room my vitals and blood work were taken plus my IV was inserted. We met our surgical nurses who came in to ask me what kind of music I wanted to listen to in the operating room since they have Pandora. Boy times have changed! We also got to meet our very lovely post-op nurses Joanne and Beth.

At about 7:15 I walked into the operating room and was given a spinal block. Once I was all ready to go the doctors came in and so did Josh to get the c-section underway. Aside from getting sick from low blood pressure and slight discomfort and pressure the c-section went well. Josh and I both made the decision beforehand that this would be our last child so while in there the doctors performed a tubal ligation.

At 8:23 am we heard our baby girl cry for the first time. While I was being "put back together" and she was being cleaned off Josh and I just fell in love with her from afar. Josh asked me about the name and I said that she looks l
ike a Lucy and he agreed. Throw in two middle names for good measure and we were proud to be blessed with Lucy Elizabeth Lynn Callon. The Elizabeth comes from Josh's Grandma's name and Lynn pays homage to my middle name, which also happens to be the middle name of my Mom and Josh's Mom as well.

After being cleaned off, the nurses let Josh hold Lucy for a bit and took some pictures of the three of us. The nurses were also nice enough to take lots of foot prints and even printed her foot into her baby book. The nurse taking care of Lucy made a comment in the operating room about Lucy needing to "cough something up" but both Josh and I thought nothing of it. After I was all stitched up we were taken to the recovery room to monitor both mine and Lucy's vitals. Once there I nursed Lucy right away and she latched on wonderfully (which is something I am hugely thankful for later on). Once again both nurses made note of Lucy's grunting and breathing. For good measure they called down to the NICU to have one of the nurses come up to take a look at her breathing. One of the nurses assured me it was nothing, but she wanted to be on the safe side. Once the NICU nurse came and took a look at her they started measuring her oxygen levels and percentages. She opted to take Lucy down to the NICU for a couple of hours to monitor her levels while I stayed in recovery. Josh joined Lucy down in the NICU.

After about an hour or so I was ready to be taken to my own room for recovery. The nurses were nice enough to take me down to the NICU first where reality set in real fast. They wheeled my bed right up to Lucy, who was receiving oxygen from a nasal cannula. The head nurse in the NICU gave me a run down of Lucy's situation. I didn't really understand what she was saying to me. Once she left Lucy's own nurse was able to break it down to me in laymen terms. Lucy was in respiratory distress and would need to be in the NICU for atleast two days to monitor her and to figure out why she was in distress. They also were going to give her an IV to keep her hydrated and blood sugars normal. At this point I just broke down and started crying. Even one of my post-op nurses was crying. After regaining some composure I was wheeled to my room, without Lucy in tow. The nurse who was crying apologized profusely for leading me to believe that Lucy was just fine. She was so sweet and I wasn't even angry at her to begin with. The next several hours were agonizing for me. While I had support from my family and Josh, I felt so alone. This was supposed to be the time where Lucy was to room in with me and I would get to nurse her and Josh and I would get to enjoy our baby. Nurse Shirley was kind enough to bring me a breast pump and was very attentive to my emotions at the time. At one point I broke down crying and she decided right there to wheel me down to the NICU to see Lucy. I am not sure if I got to hold her at that point as my memory was kind of fuzzy from the anesthesia and pain meds but I do know it made a world of difference. Seeing her there, being well taken care of was very reassuring.

Once 8pm rolled around during our first day in the hospital I was ready to get up and itching to get down to the NICU. Once my catheter was removed and I took those first brutal steps I hopped into the wheel chair and was wheeled right down to the NICU. There I got to see my precious daughter and the lovely nurses taking care of her. They gave me the opportunity to nurse Lucy again and set up a little station for me to do so. Having her latch on again gave us both a glow. It was at that point and through that first night that I came down to the NICU every 2 hours to feed her that I realized how grateful I was that she latched on in the first hour of her life!

Through Lucy's first day in the NICU she had several test done to see what could have caused the respiratory distress. The doctors wanted to rule out infection, but the results took upwards of 24 hours so she was given premptive does of antibiotics. Her original platelet count came back incredibly low but the nurses assured Josh and I that the test could be incorrect and that they were retesting. Of course the nurses were right and her platelet levels were fine.

On Tuesday morning Lucy was take off oxygen and transitioned fr
om the NICU to the Intermediate Care Nursery. Her lab results came back with no infections and her breathing seemed to be fine. She spent that day and night in the ICN having her oxygen saturation levels monitored without breathing assistants. While she was still a patient of the ICN, she was cleared to room in with me on Wednesday afternoon with a projected discharge date for the next day. She received her first bath in front of me and we spent most of the day nursing and visiting with family and friends.

On Wednesday evening I had Lucy sent back down to the ICN to have her breathing checked out again, since it looked like she was having difficulties. After a quick oxygen saturation check she was deemed fine and returned to me. During the early hours of the morning she had her bilirubin levels taken as she was looking a bit jaundiced. That morning her results came in and her levels were high. She was immediately given a "bili blanket" and her discharge date was pushed back even more. I was discharged early Thursday afternoon. The hospital was nice enough to give me a complimentary room while Lucy was still a patient of the ICN. Thursday evening was rough. I was not fully informed of Lucy's bilirubin levels and was exhausted, couple that with the fact that I couldn't take Lucy home, I broke down several times. Josh and I decided it would be best for me to come home for awhile while Lucy received double light therapy.

On Friday morning I came home empty handed but eager to see the boys. Joey was not happy that I didn't bring Lucy home with me and Van wouldn't even look at me, let alone engage me. It took a couple of hours for him to warm up to me again. I think he was mad because I was gone for so long. I spent the day with the boys and Andrea was nice enough to brave Memorial Day traffic to take me back to the hospital for the evening to visit Lucy. It was good to see her and reassuring that while under the lights she was warm and sound asleep almost 24/7. We stayed long enough for me to nurse her and hold her briefly.

On Saturday I got up early to cook the boys a pancake breakfast and we opted to do a "picnic" on the living room floor. It was nice to be able to spend that time with the boys before I headed back to the hospital for the night. Holly picked me up and drove me to the hospital and spent most of the afternoon with me. Lucy's bilirubin levels came down enough to completely remove her from the lights.  I received another complimentary room and was grateful that Lucy got to room in with me. There was talk about discharging her in the morning, but it was more likely going to be the late afternoon as long as the bilirubin levels stayed down.

On Sunday morning Lucy's nurse informed me that she would be discharged in the afternoon. A short while later she called our room with even better news. The doctors saw no reason to keep her as an ICN patient and wanted to discharge her immediately as long as I got her bilirubin levels checked in a couple of days. Making that phone call to Josh was bittersweet. "Would you like to come pick us up and take us home?"

The official diagnosis of Lucy's extended NICU stay was Tachypnea. Essentially, since she was not squeezed out of the birth canal not all the fluids in her lungs came out which caused her not to transition to regular breathing once born. After that cleared up, her later stay was a result of  hyperbilirubinemia or Jaundice. Josh and I are so grateful for the care and love Lucy received while in the NICU and ICN. The nurses she had were amazing and they helped us to get through the tough parts and joined us in the exciting parts. We definitely felt the love.

Welcome Lucy!

The Callon Family is proud to announce the birth of 

Lucy Elizabeth Lynn Callon

May 20, 2013

8 pounds 3 ounces

19.5 inches long

39 weeks

Today marks 39 weeks of the fastest/slowest pregnancy ever! Anytime pregnancy falls into two different calendar years it seems to go on forever. Not to mention I found out I was pregnant at the very end of summer when it was still warm and it is starting to get warmer again here.
We are using this weekend to get some last minute things done and spend some time as a family before we go in on Monday for the delivery of Baby Girl.

We still don't have a name for her. It's hard because all the names we like individually don't really settle well with the other. I am adamant that we both have to love the name and I feel like we are getting so close. I think when we see her we will know.

At 39 weeks, I am definitely feeling the urge to be done and delivered! Baby Girl, you move around so much and love hearing your brother's voices. You put on quite the show for them. They watch my stomach move up and down and all around. Joey is so excited to meet you. He confessed the other day he was nervous because he didn't know how to take care of a girl. It made him feel better to know that I had never taken care of one either and that we would learn together. Van is still blissfully unaware of the big change that is about to happen. He knows my tummy is big and when you ask him to "show me your baby" he will lift his shirt up and proudly pat his own stomach. It is adorable! Daddy is eager for your arrival. He is so nonchalant about it all. I ask him if he is nervous and he just gets a big grin on his face and says, "I can't wait!" For me it has been an utter joy carrying you for these 39 weeks. I have amnesia about the first 23 being rough and so sick, but the last 16 weeks have been so blissful. I cannot wait to meet you and to have a daughter. I say it all the time, but I am still shocked to be getting a girl! It is a dream come true!

I just put the finishing touches on the nursery today. I got a special delivery in the mail yesterday from Auntie Kara that pretty much finished the room for me. I was dreading having to sew another blanket for the end of the bed (I am burnt out from sewing), but when I opened the package and and saw the beautiful quilt she made I knew it completed the room! Thanks Kara!

Without further ado, here is the reveal!

The color inspiration came from the fabric I purchased for the curtains. I admit it was a bit difficult finding patterns and colors to go with it but I kind of let the eclectic look take over. I suppose I also unintentionally made the nursery a flower theme, although it wasn't the original plan. At the end of the bed you can see the quilt Kara made. The pink blanket on the crib was a registry gift, but the crib skirt was a huge sewing triumph for me. I never knew you could sew ruffles on your sewing machine. This tutorial was majorly helpful in the process. It took me longer to cut, iron and hem then to do the actual ruffles.

The goal was to do as much DIY as possible when it came to the room. The flower poms over the crib were a new craft for me. I am not sure I love them completely but they help to bring the focal point up in the room and take over the white wall space. I followed this tutorial here for the poms. The pinwheel garland over the closet doors actually came from Joey's 6th birthday banner. The colors didn't quite match, but there is red in the curtains so it did coordinate.

I went way overboard on hair bows and I am not even sorry for it. Not gonna lie, I will make more! I made sure to attach the clips to only the flower pieces so that I could switch out the assorted elastics with coordinating pieces. There are so many options to try out! The headband frame came from Pinterest, and I just used coordinating colors to make it my own. The original source can be found here.
Beneath the recycled changing table (was an Ikea hutch/desk) that used to be Van's is an assortment of burp clothes and nursing pads I made out of flannel and chenille cloth. Technically I could have reused the clothes I made for Van, but we still do use those on him for meal time messies and I couldn't pass up the really awesome sale Joann's seemed to have forever on flannel.

I have to laugh at the full size bed in the room. It was so close to being trashed on the last move, but Josh really nailed it together this time. It's not going anywhere unless you take an ax to it. I slabbed a coat of mistinted painted from Lowes on it. DEAL! The headboard used to be open with metal bars going through the four open slots. No joke, I upholstered cardboard with a little bit of batting and some leftover Chevron Premier Prints fabric and hot glue gunned it into the openings. It cost me nothing since everything was either in the recycling or left over from a previous project. The two bright coral tables came with the bed. It used to belong to my sister and all pieces were unfinished wood. Valspar had samples of their spring paints on sale at Lowes for $3. I saw it as a great excuse to pick up a color and try it out, not to mention who doesn't love a little bit of pink furniture? The pillowcases were sewn by me using some of Joann's calico prints and quilters cotton. The lamp base used to be black and the shade was a clearance find at Target.

The flower art pieces were made using canvas and assorted flower making tutorials a lot similar to headbands.  The left flower (pink canvas) was a basic ruffle attached with hot glue in a flower shape. This tutorial was really helpful. The middle canvas was a completely though of on my own. Using different hair flower techniques I simply attached them to a painted canvas and painted on stems. The last canvas was crafted using felt to make a 3d flower. The original tutorial can be found here.

Thanks to my basic photoshop skills, some canvas, Office Depot copy center and some modge podge and paint, these little art pieces filled in an otherwise blank corner. If you are looking for digital chevron paper, this blog has tons to offer.

I really didn't have a huge vision for this room. Individual projects kind of came together to complete the room. In hindsight I would have chosen a different curtain fabric. It really restricted the design, but it also opened up the color palette to choose from a wide array of colors. If I had more time and energy I would sew some ruffled toss pillows, but for now this is the final project. I do like that these curtains can grow with Baby Girl, and can also be reused for different projects down the road.

33 weeks

I was looking back on old post of my pregnancy with Van and felt a little ashamed that I had done such a good job at tracking and writing about his and I haven't really done that this time around. I can't say that this pregnancy has been "non-chalant" but it sure seems that way after I got over being constantly sick and having the "plague". Ok, really it was just a really bad cold and sinus infection that lasted a month, but still; it knocked me on my butt. Since about the 23/24 week mark things have been smooth sailing. Being my third, I opted in for online virtual visits instead of going to the doctors office every 2-4 weeks. Since they mainly want vitals, they sent me home with a blood pressure monitor, a Doppler, and pee sticks (to test for protein). I essentially Skype/webcam with a practitioner and the appointment is over with in 10 minutes. No muss, no fuss.

Surprisingly I have only gained 25 pounds so far. February was a brutal month though. Too many temptations! Girl Scout cookies, Subway $5 foot-longs and Valentines Day were my downfall! Drool! So good! On the odder side of things I still fit into my regular pants, albeit they are super snug though. Since I am having a girl, I am carrying her a little higher and clothes have been a little more forgiving this time around. But let's be real here, maternity pants are way more comfortable and sweats are even more comfortable. Unless I am out and about, sweats and yoga pants are this pregnant girl's best friend!

Since this pregnancy is winding down I am starting to tire often and lose steam frequently. Most people, who don't know me, don't think I look pregnant. I joke around and say that with my height and build, I am a very roomy and hospitable uterus hotel. That being said, I feel like I am running out of "room" for her. She reminds me constantly with sharp jabs and kicks in every direction. The reminders are especially apparent at night.


As far as prep work goes I "set-up" the nursery today. I use that term loosely since there is still a lot of work that needs to be put in to it. I have a ton of sewing to still do. Nursing pads, burp clothes, skirts, and headbands are all on my to do list. I made a nursing shawl and boppy cover about a month ago from some Amy Butler fabric that I am in love with and cannot wait to put those to good use. No more flashing innocent eyes while breastfeeding! I also completed the curtains for the nursery that are the main inspiration for the room. The hard part now is to find coordinating fabrics and colors so that the nursery doesn't look too busy.

Do you see what I mean about "a lot of work"? I also think I need to rearrange more. But do you see that beauty of a crib? That was my $44 clearance find at Target back in January. It was the exact crib I wanted, but in the wrong color. Beggars can't be choosers though. I couldn't pass up that great deal. I even put it together myself! Let's not mention the fact that I will have two children in cribs. Shhhh!!!

Baby Shower

My Mother in Law, Becky and my Sister, Holly were kind enough to throw me a wonderful baby shower for Baby Girl. Naturally, the color pink was incorporated big time. Sharing this special time with my family and friends is so important to me and I am so glad that they can all be apart of this wonderful blessing of having a little baby girl!

I received so many clothes. This girl is going to be well dressed for sure!
Special thanks to all that came and an uber special thanks to Holly and Becky for taking the time out of their busy schedules to throw me a wonderful shower!

11 months

It's hard to believe that 1 year ago we were getting ready for you to arrive. Fast forward almost a year and you have turned our world around. You are just so loving and so precious. I am amazed everyday how best of friends you and Joey are.

You have become your own little man in the past few weeks. I keep thinking you are going to walk anytime, but for now you are content with cruising the furniture and climbing up the ottoman.

You are springing teeth left and right and I am just glad you have stopped your little biting phase. For awhile I thought I was going to have to stop nursing you!

It is officially one month until you turn 1. Where has the year gone?

I better start planning your birthday party!

Van's Baptism

On Sunday we witnessed our second son receive the Sacrament of Baptism at our church, All Saint's Parish. In every way imaginable the service was perfect. Father Woody performed the baptism while the congregation looked on. To say we could feel the love is an understatement. Everyone there was truly thrilled to witness the entrance of Van into the Church. Father Woody, emitted this awe about him that genuinely said, "I care and love for all the Children of God."

We chose Uncle Robb and Aunt Andrea as Godparents for Van and believe they are the perfect fit to guide him in the Faith. I love that they have truly taken the Godparent role seriously and even wrote him a letter that he can keep forever.

Joining us at the service was Grandma and Grandpa Airplane, Grandma Candy, Uncle Zack, Jessica, Anika, Aunt Ashley (thanks for the great pictures!) and Robb and Andrea.

After the service we headed back to our house for a brunch complete with bacon, eggs, hash browns and a new recipe I tried called French Toast Casserole. It was a success and the whole 13x9 pan was demolished in a manner of minutes. Thank you Pinterest for another great idea!

10 months

My little baby is growing up so fast!

Photos are starting to get harder to take of you. You prefer to move around than be still. No surprise there.

The big milestone this month is you can pull yourself up and you are quite good at it. Dare I say your balance is impeccable; could walking be coming up faster then expected?

You have the cutest toothy grin. Daddy and I both agree that you are getting my teeth. Your two front teeth have the same gap that I sport. You are able to use those chompers to eat just about anything within reason. Blueberries and veggie puffs seem to be your favorite though. You are still nursing, but we affectionately call it "topping off your goozle." Your dad asked me the other day what was going to happen when I have to "degoozle" (wean) you. Who knows?

We recently moved you into Joey's room. I'd say you share a room with your brother now, but for some reason Joey has taken issue with sleeping in a room with you and refuses to do it. Apparently you move around too much for his liking. I think a tent bed is in order for your big brother.

Van, months like these make me realize that time is too fast. Before I know it you will be one years old. It seems like we waited for you to come into our lives for so long and now that you are here time seems to speed by.

I love how smiley and tender you are. You adore Joey and I think most days you prefer his company over Mommy and Daddy's. What will we do when he starts school in the fall?

This photo makes me laugh because you look huge in it! It is strange, some days you seem so scrawny and lanky and other days you look like a chubby cheekster!

9 months

Holy smokes 3/4 of a year have flashed before our eyes!

You are developing quite the personality. I have to admit that you are a lot more chill and even keeled than I expected, but you do have your moments of grumpiness(dinner thrown all over the dining room floor), wakefulness(party in your crib, 2am?) or pure energy (Joey's specialty).
Personality wise you stay, for the most part, constantly happy or amused. You take in your surroundings and tend to observe first, react second.
Physically you are a bean pole. Not surprisingly so, you are 93rd percentile for height measuring in at 2'5.75 inches, but you are a lean 19lbs 7.5 oz, which is only 47th percentile. You also have "ginger days." Sometimes I swear your hair is turning red! But you have the brightest baby blues I have ever seen. Swoon worthy of course!

Most days are spent around the house. You take two solid naps a day and usually escort me to the grocery store and errand running when Joey is in preschool.
We recently started trying more texture in the food department, but each day is hit or miss for you. I am so thankful that I still nurse you. It's one of the only times in the day where you let me hold you and I get to gaze into your eyes and relax. Of course, you get distracted easily, so those moments are rare as well.

One of my favorite things you do is take advantage of fallen gates and open areas. The moment Joey moves a gate to get by you make a move for his room. You are predictable in that you go for the Hot Wheels bin in his room and typically grab the same car each time. Luckily, Joey is such a good sharer. His favorite thing to do is show you all his toys in his room and ask if we can all play in there so you can be monitored, while playing with his toys. In a million years I never expected that Joey would be the ultimate big brother to you. I thought for sure he would have typical resentment or non-sharing issues, but he never does. You are so lucky to have the best big brother ever!

8 months

8 months has arrived and this is the month that you pretty much decided "I'm gonna sit-up, crawl, and pull up on things in the span of 3 weeks."
Fabulous!

This is a very exciting time in your development and I am pleased about the progress you have made. I felt like I had been saying for months that you would crawl any day, so much in fact...I stopped saying it. So to my pleasant surprise, exactly a week after you started sitting up on your own, you took your official "first crawl."

And now? You haven't looked back?

You haven't figured out that the fence (for now) only leans to keep you in the family room. During the times I expand your discovering ground you go directly to Joey's Lego table (moved that real quick) or to loudly play with the door stopper in the kitchen.

In other areas, you are growing too quickly. You say "mama" and "dada" indiscriminately and you manage to down 3 jars of baby food a day! I am also proud to say that you are still 100% formula free. Now, can we make it to a year?

MMMmmmm.....Food!

Daddy!

Born natural self sensor kind of kid.

7 months

7 months and you are getting so big.

This month there were no well child check-up but I did take you in to the doctors because you decided to throw up nightly for about a week. Naturally as soon as I took you in and the doctor couldn't find anything wrong with you you stopped throwing up. That week you started sleeping better though and the transition from our bed to your crib was nearly effortless. Crib sleeping meant no more swing (which you loved) and a major cut down of at least 5 times I would feed you nightly laying right next to me.

You are still are on the "verge" of crawling and I keep thinking "any day now" but I have been saying that for awhile! =)Your preferred method of transportation is scooting across the living room floor with a little added rolling for flare.

Naturally you are a smiley baby and you seem to have shaken off the "grumpiness" you exhibited for the last month or so. Yay for us all! =)

6 months

This month marks a half a year since you've joined the family and made us the happiest people ever!
At your 6 month appointment you weighed in at 17lb 13oz and you are 28 inches tall!
In comparison to Joey at the same age you are just as tall but about 3 pounds less then him.

This month your milestones have included your first tooth and you are on the verge of crawling. You also took your first airplane ride to Las Vegas and you did wonderfully!
You still don't sleep through the night, but I don't really mind sleeping with you either. Although you are kind of a bed hog. =)

1 month

I cannot believe a full month has gone by already!

In some ways it seems like Van has been around forever; evidenced by the late nights, numerous diaper changes, and the ease of raising a second child when you are not frantic new parents. However, in these few short weeks Van has solidified a place in our hearts we never knew existed.
It has not been an easy road. Seasoned parents? Yeah, maybe. But skilled in raising an energetic 4 year old and meeting the high demands of a newborn? Nope. Nope. Nope. It is a learning journey that at times has been tiring and frustrating, but has also been rewarding and fulfilling. It is an experience that Josh and I are so grateful for and wouldn't trade for nothing.

This post wouldn't be complete without a few observations of our new life. We have all changed...for the better.

Josh: He is the champion swaddler and burper. His instincts are sharp and can usually figure out what Van needs before I do. He literally acts like a newborn pro. Josh has become an amazing cook; and dare I say better than me. Food Network and him are tight. Sunday and Monday dinners are usually his responsibility (that he is not willing to give up) and are typically very involved cooking sessions that result in a tasty dinner we have not tried before.

Keana: I surprised myself this time around. I thought that I would be laid up and only newborn baby functional for the first weeks. But I have been able to keep up with the housework and two little boys. Breastfeeding is going swimmingly. We have not had to supplement Van's feedings at all and I am so proud that I was able to stick with it this time around. I am not going to lie, it is very involved and time consuming but it has given me the chance to watch a ton of TV.
Of course the "Mom Guilt" is unbearable most of the time, I have found ways to involve Joey more in a way that does not involve him having to grow up too fast. When Van sleeps we do preschool workbooks and color. I have not found the perfect time management skills yet, but hopefully we can work into a routine here shortly. I struggle with the thought of leaving the house most of the time. The work that is involved in getting everyone ready to go is stressful, but once we are out the stress level lowers.

Joey: He is an amazing Big Brother. He is so caring and concerned about Van. I know he has struggled with the lessened attention, but he seems to be persevering through that. He offers to help me with Van, even when I don't ask. He sings to his brother, throws his diapers away and is constantly reminding me to make sure I "feed him on the other side." A majority of the Mom Guilt I feel is towards Joey. For over 4 years he was the only one. He got all the attention and never had to fight for it. I see him fight for it on a daily basis now. Of course it is natural to act out and push buttons, but I know that while he loves his little brother so much, he strives to get the amount of attention I have to give to Van at this age. I hope Joey knows that I love him so much and that this is not permanent. We currently are getting him enrolled in preschool so that he can have a little bit more time for him to be him and to get out of the house more often.

Van: In comparison, you are the easy baby. You are relaxed, a decent sleeper and only cry if you are hungry or wet. You are easy to please. However, you are the most gassy farter I know! The sounds that come out of your bottom are gross and impressive. It makes me laugh and really entertains us when you go on a 20 minute fart session at 3am. I love that your personality is starting to emerge little by little. You seem happy and I love the smiles I get from you.

40 weeks

* How Far Along: 40 weeks exactly.
* Size of baby: Babycenter.com says about 7.5 pounds and 20 inches long. I am guessing this baby is taller than 20 inches though.
* Total Weight Gain/Loss: I am so not giving exact numbers here. For one I don't know that answer and two....because I have at least gained as much weight as I did with Joey.
* Maternity Clothes: Yah...still in those. But the selection is small. Thank goodness the weather has been amazing, I don't have to cram myself into jeans! However, I am thinking a mumu would be perfect attire right about now...Josh would disagree though.
* Gender: A boy. And judging by the intense heartburn I get...a very hairy one.
* Movement: He doesn't move around quite as much, but when he does it is almost painful. There is no room in there for him, so he pokes and prods until he is comfortable. It's been difficult deciphering his regular movement from Braxton Hicks contractions, but I do know that my stomach has never looked more funny then when he stretches out in such a way that my stomach is high peaked on one side and flat on the other.
* Sleep: I dread going to bed at night. Getting to sleep is the hardest part. I sleep best from about 2am on. I can't get into a comfortable position to fall asleep and my new addiction to Words with Friends probably doesn't help either.
* What I miss: I miss feeling healthy and energetic. Not that I am not healthy, but when I get up in the middle of night there are times where I can hardly walk and my knees hurt from the weight gain.
* Cravings: Desserts! I probably have eaten more dessert in the past two months then I have in the past 3 years. Let's just say that Josh makes this delicious Peach Blueberry crumble that I affectionately call the "Gobble Cobbler."
* Symptoms: Heartburn, back pain, Braxton Hicks, swollen feet, ridiculously long and healthy hair.
* Best moment this week: Making it to 40 weeks and not really fussing about today being the due date. I wanted to bake this one as long as possible. With the whole 2 vessel thing it was important for me to make full term with this baby. And with the way things look, perhaps an overdue baby. No big deal though. I am excited to meet him, but am glad to have him develop a little longer.
* What Joey thinks: Sweet Joey is just so eager to meet him. We rented a couple of books from the library about being an older sibling and what happens when a baby comes into the house. His only suggestion is that he doesn't want the baby to cry because that will scare him. Poor Joey, looks like I will be double comforting in a short while.

Nursery/Craftroom reveal

It's here. It's here. It's finally here.
After several months of prepping, planning, and actually doing, I have finally finished the room that mixes two of my favorite things: babies and crafts.

Seeing that this is our second child we were both more realistic about how much the nursery would be used and had no qualms sharing a space that engulfs our office and craft room and the babies room, when he is sleeping.

Aside from the shelving unit on the wall and next to the desk every other furniture piece was either up-cycled or reused for this room. The idea was to be a frugal as possible and Ikea was my choice for the shelving that would house my scrapbooking and other craft items.

Here is a before picture....




My "blue print" (I can't find what I did with the nursery side blue print)



After....





The color scheme inspiration was courtesy of this Alexander Henry fabric that I used to make a chair pillow and the 4 fabric covered cork boards housed on the walls that double as functionality and decor. Every other color element in the room somehow "matched" the colors on the fabric. Thankfully this really allowed to go ahead with primary colors for baby boys nursery.



A couple of the rooms elements that I am really pleased with are ones I created or re-did my self.

The desk is still that ugly industrial desk from the before picture, but a coat of white spray paint on the legs and contact paper on the top transformed it into something that I could deal with. It's big enough to sew on and do scrapbooking, but not to big that it takes over the entire room.



This beastly $5 garage sale lamp went from this...



to this...



The changing table actually used to be a desk/hutch from Ikea. My mom was selling it, so I convinced her to give it to me as my birthday present. This is my first real attempt at a painted piece of furniture and I am super happy with the finished product.





All the nursery art/decor comes courtesy of my freehand or from my beloved Silhouette. Pinterest really helped to inspire me to find decor that I deemed cute, boyish, and meshed well in the room. I am in love with the C.S. Lewis quote and knew I had to incorporate it into the room somehow.





The mobile over the crib was inspiration from SewSheSew's blog. Her's was made out of fabric, but I went for the good ol scrapbook paper and modge podge approach.



You like that curtain? Little secret...it's actually a shower curtain that I bought for the boy's bathroom, but it ended up matching so well in here that I went with it.

I was amazed to find that I had so many craft items and projects at my disposal. When I started unpacking those boxes and putting things away I opted to keep like items grouped together and for the most part visual so that I wouldn't forget what I had. I am so notorious for buying a craft medium that I already have.




I've linked up to these fabulous blog parties!