It's Madness!!

Its March Madness and everyone has their brackets filled out and at this point and time, I'm losing bad. Blake started baseball up again, so life now revolves around that. It will keep us busy all summer long. I have a feeling that its going to be a long and hot summer. Here we are mid March and today it was 80 degrees today and no snow in sight. Baseball will be hot this summer! Carter start soccer soon. He will be on a 3 vs. 3 developmental league. Hopefully he likes it. With all this March Madness watching, he's been more into basketball and wants to play another season.
I worked my first graveyard shift at North Suburban the other night and it made me realize that I don't want to work there full time. I've been pretty spoiled at Avista, the patient population is healthy and clean and I don't want to go back to the sick and poor. I know that sounds bad, but I just like easy breezy exams now. I don't miss getting down and dirty.
Mike is suppose to close on his second house later this week. We are excited about that! Our goal is year is 6 houses. I believe he can do it.

Funny Things the Kids Have Said Recently
- For lent I gave up dairy. Carter and I were having lunch outside and I told him I put fake cheese on my sandwich since I couldn't eat real cheese. He looked concerned and as I took a bite he said "Mom, don't eat that!" and I asked "why?" and he said "what if the plastic cuts up your insides". The cheese was made of soy, not plastic.
- Blake and Carter were discussing St. Patricks day. Usually they build a leprechaun trap in pre-school and this year Carter didn't. I asked Blake if the schools' trap caught one and he said "no". Carter said their class trap didn't catch one either. (I don't think they built one, he remembers other peoples stories and re-tells them as his own). Blake said "Carter when you get to 1st grade, its serious. You, don't build traps, you work".

Happy 5th Birthday Carter!

Today is a special day. My baby Lee Lee is 5 years old. I can not believe how fast time has passed. If you were to ask me 5 or 6 months ago (which someone has actually), which time period was the hardest as a mom, I would've told you when the boys were 1 and 3 years old. But tonight, while watching home videos (in particular Carter at age 1), I bawled my eyes out thinking of how great that time was in my life. I can now say that, although there were a lot of great years, my kids at 1 and 3 years old was probably the cutest and most fun year. I'm not denying that the was also probably the hardest time as a mom. In fact, it was so hard that I hardly remember it. I was busy and tired most of the time, but watching that video made me realized how adorable, cute, innocent, and snugly they were. I saw a lot of the same attributes and characteristics C had at 1 that he still has today and it warms my heart to know that that is just who he is going to be. He is a loving, funny, smart and kind person. I love him so much.

On another note, Mike sold his first house! I'm so proud and relieved. Money was getting tight and we needed his paycheck. I hope this is the beginning of a long, lucrative, and fulfilling career for him. He's such a hard worker and he definitely has it in him to be very successful.

I am so grateful and blessed to have two beautiful baby boys, a husband that loves me and a dog that doesn't pee or chew up stuff in the house. haha. Loving life.

It Looks Like A Barn In Here.

It really does look like a barn in here. I got a lovely sliding barn door that is our new pantry door. I got so tired of the kids leaving the large pantry door open and it constantly being in the main walk way from living from to kitchen. Now, when it gets left open, it'll just slide along the side of the wall. I think it looks great and it made me re-organize the pantry which needed to be done for a while now. Plus, it goes with the decor of my house. I live in a pigpen with these boys. It blows my mind the things I find in the areas that I find them.

Tomorrow is Presidents Day and the boys are super excited not to have school. B would be even more excited had he not bruised his heel. Like mother like son. I was 12 weeks pregnant when I bruised my heel and I could've sworn to you that it was broken. So now B is limping around with a cane and missing baseball practice because he decided to jump off the fence, barefoot, on concrete.  I don't believe it's broken but I know it probably feels like it. Lessoned learned for him, poor baby.

Sometimes the kids say the funniest things or do things that I say to myself "I'll always remember this moment". Reality says otherwise. That is the main reason I wanted to start blogging again. C is our little cookie monster. He has a really bad sweet tooth and if we aren't careful, I'm afraid he'll end up diabetic. After dinner one night, I decided that I would take the boys to get a Dairy Queen blizzard. The kids and I jumped in the car and drove to Walmart. They were wondering why and I told them that we could buy more cookies and ice cream for the same amount of money (Mike really wanted warm chocolate chip cookies). C was a bit upset about it because he was looking forward to having a Blizzard and proceeded to tell me "Mom, I'm just not a huge fan of cookies." I just about choked on my spit because that was a total lie and the way he phrased it was so funny!

Long TIme No See

Ok, so it only took me four years to get back to writing. That's not too bad hahaha. So let me catch you up as briefly as I possibly can .

Mike- He is now 36 years old and after running his own design and marketing business for the last 10 years (roughly and successfully I might add), he felt it was time for a change. After much contemplation   he decided to get into real estate. So last summer, Mike studied hard and received his real estate license.   Currently we are still waiting for his first closing. Hopefully that will be really soon. Mike is still involved in softball and has completed a few races with me including a half marathon. He's been coaching B and C in their sports and seems to enjoy it, for the most part. He still likes to go snowboarding,  although that sport is getting pretty pricey for us at the moment. For our 10th wedding anniversary we took a cruise to Alaska and it was breath taking. A must-do for everyone. We had a really good time and much needed R&R.

Me- I am 35 years old and am feeling every bit of it. I am still a Sonographer and for the most part enjoy it, but there have been times (more and more lately) that I think about what else I could be. I kinda want to help Mike out in real estate once business picks up. I don't think I could ever leave ultrasound permanently so who knows what I'll do. I enjoy going snowboarding with Mike (and B now too).  I am still running, but after many 5k, a few 10K,  a 15K and 2 half marathons, the desire to race isn't there at the moment. I've been more interested in body building/fitness competitions lately, but would probably never really do one. After 5 years of working and St. Joseph Hospital, I left and went to an OB/Gyn clinic. I quickly became bored after 4 months and decided to pick up on-call hours at an ER across the street from my house. There was enough variety of exams between the two places that I was able to last for 3 years before I started having problems with my shoulder. My right shoulder was constantly hurting and I was beginning to lose feeling in my fingers and strength in my hand. I had to quit the clinic and cut back to part time. I am currently working and Avista Adventist hospital in Louisville, CO. This is where I've learned echocardiography (which uses my left arm). I am pretty happy where I am at for now, it's been 1.5 years and I don't plan on leaving unless its for a career change.

B- He is now 7 years old and I feel like he looks and acts much older than that. Some words that describe him would be:
-Aggressive
-Passionate
-Smart
-Athletic
-Leader
-Competitive
-Funny
-Confident
B is great at sports and loves playing them. He excels at football and baseball and gives everything he has on the field. He is reading above his grade level and seems to be really good at math as well. He is taller than most of his classmates and hates changing his smelly socks. (barf). Girls seem to crush on him, but he doesn't reciprocate it. His focus is sports and winning. B says he wants to be professional baseball player and looks up to Derek Jeter and Bryce Harper. He just learned to snowboard this year and is picking it up pretty fast, but that's B, he's athletic. I'm not shocked by this. He's currently in first grade and doesn't care for his teacher so much. He loved his kindergarten teacher though. We took the boys to Disneyland in 2015 and it has been, by far, our favorite vacation. B spent some time at Children's Hospital with a bout of pneumonia. Whenever he gets a little sick, for some reason it always affects his lungs more than any of us. We sense he has a little asthma that is triggered with allergies and illness.

C- He is almost 5 (13 more days, but who's counting, oh he is because now he'll be allowed to chew gum). Some words that describe C would be:
-Sensitive
-Empathetic
-Analytical
-Curious
-Motor head
-Shy
-Funny
-Loving/caring
-Girl-crazy
-Tough
C is finishing up his second year of pre-school and we just got report today that he is doing excellent and is a joy to have in the class room. C likes to play sports, but he LOVES to play video games. He is pretty good at them too. If we're not careful, C will play for hours. I'm not gonna lie or deny it, but C is the classic "baby of the family" My schoompie gets away with things he probably shouldn't. Our fault I know. In school he seems pretty average compared to others in his class and he says he enjoys science (I don't know what kind of science they do in pre-school or if he is just copying B). C loves trucks, cars, and motorcycles. He is always running around pretending he is a race car or monster truck. C never really stops running, in fact, he can run a mile without stopping! Pretty impressive for a 4 year old if you ask me. After B was in the hospital, C thought he should be next and crashed his bike (of course not on purpose). He ended up knocking out his two front teeth, getting stitches in his chin, and lots of scrapes and bruises. He was so brave and tough at the hospital. I can't help but think, all the years B has messed with him made him really brave and tough. C seems a little afraid of heights, I've noticed. I'm curious to see how this plays out as he gets older.

Breck- she is an Australian Shepherd we got last year as a puppy. No one, but Mike wanted a dog, but she has turned out to be a really good dog. Super smart (potty trained really fast), loves people, and very trainable. At first the kids didn't really like her (they were a bit scared of dogs), but now they love her. C even calls her his best friend.

That's about it in a nut shell. I'm sad I let this go for so long and I'm sure there are so many memories I wish I would've wrote down. I think Facebook took that away and I hope there is a way to print out all my posts so I can have them to fill in the gasps. My purpose for doing this is so when I am old and can look back at these times reminiscence, then when I am dead and gone, my boys and read about their lives as kids and share with their families.

1 and 3

I am a mother to a 3 yr. old AND a 1 yr. old! C celebrated his birthday a week late due to illness. We have been sick since the beginning of February into March, and I am sick of it. C has had ear infection after ear infection. B has had sinus infection and pink eye (both eyes), I have had a respiratory infection and head colds, and Mike has had his fair share of colds too. So for is party we just had a small gathering of family, nothing big as it was a last minute get together. It was nice. C loved his cake er....I mean frosting. At first he didn't want anything to do with his cake and started crying until I stuck my finger into the frosting then shoved it into his mouth. Then he realized that it was sugar and he loves sugar. That's the only thing he really eats and if he sees any of us with something sweet, he will throw the biggest tantrum until we either give in or distract him. Sometimes when he does this, B will say "crying about is not going to make it any better." Sometimes B will just give him a cookie without us knowing it just to shut him up.

Today C took some balanced and calculated steps! He was just falling with style before, but now he is actually taking 3-4 balanced and controlled steps. So exciting to see him develop and learn. He is looking too big to me now. He is also waving good-bye and hello, he can follow some commands (i.e. Where's your belly? Touch the button.  Put it in? Get another one?), and he is trying to make us laugh all the time. Looks like we will have two "class clowns".  His personality is so big as well. I think he could be more strong willed than B was/is. Time will tell.

B wrote his name and my name for the first time on his dry erase board yesterday! I was so proud! Granted I had to tell him how to spell it (although he can spell his name to the tune of B-I-N-G-O), but he wrote it all by himself. He is such a little comedian. He thinks it is so funny to put his underwear in my work bag so that I find them when I am at work. Actually, it is kind of funny. He is still having issues with staying in his room all night and frequently sleeps in "his corner" in our room. I don't mind too much because I know it won't last forever. He is very loving when he wants to be and very demanding at other times. I suppose this is typical for a 3 year old. It is getting so much more fun to do things with, just him and I. For instance, he went to see an IMAXX movie for the first time. It was in 3D and he did so good and loved it. I love taking him to experience things. Oh, and he also refuses to wear anything but sweat pants. Nothing matches sweat pants! Now add the pair of plastic neon green shoes that Mike bought him, and the fact that he never wants to come his hair, and we got a pretty interesting looking kid. Aye! It's so fraustrating trying to teach him to take pride in the way he looks. Oh well. I am sure this will pass to.

 At the Zoo (notice the outfit hahaha)

 At IMAX

 C's favorite ride.

 B's first snowman

 Acting goofy

I decided to do another 5k race and possibly a 10K later this year. Other than that my life if pretty much wrapped up in my boys. That is whats going on in my life (in a nut shell) right now. I feel totally exhausted and my house is always a mess, but thats the season of life I am and I do love it. I love all three of my boys .

Wait! What just happened? It's 2013!

So the holidays have come and gone and celebrating C's first Christmas was so much fun. He really enjoyed hanging out with everyone until he puked. Yeah, I forgot to mention that Christmas was almost ruined thanks to the parents of a little girl at Daycare. They thought it would be a good idea to watch their older son in the Christmas play do his thing while his poor little sister vomited on everyone else, ruining Christmas for a lot of other families. (I have to blame someone). So B got the stomach bug and was over it by mid day Christmas Eve and then on schedule, C vomited Christmas Eve. I am just thankful that both kids only puked once and felt fine after that.

C had fun trying to open gifts, but really just loved the wrapping paper. B was so excited to see that Santa brought him an indoor trampoline and a dinosaur. He is finally realizing the magic of Christmas and it is so much fun to watch his imagination just take off. This year was our first year doing Elf on the shelf and we had a lot of fun with that as well.

C has had an exponential growth spurt lately, not only physically but intelluctually as well. He can now walk with a walker and climb over just about everything. He constantly babbles, he got two new teeth (left bottom and left top), and he is into everything! He is such a little explorer. C is perfectly contant being alone and exploring his world (the opposite  of B). B always wanted to play with us at that age. Unfortunately, with all this brain growth, he is having a hard time "shutting it down" at night and is waking up for hours in the middle of the night, ready to play.

B is really starting to show his protectiveness over his baby brother. The other day C fell over and the walker fell on top of him, hurting him. B got up  and said "poor baby" and grabbed the walker and through it across the room. Then went over and hit it while saying "bad walker, you don't hurt my baby brother". While initially Mike and I were stunned disturbed over such violent behavior we also thought it was quite sweet.

Christmas Time again

I distinctly remember saying last year to Mike, "just think, this time next year we will have two kids here for Christmas." And now we are here. I can't believe how fast this last year flew by. I realize every year goes by faster and faster and it makes me a little sad. C is about to celebrate his first Christmas and I think all he will care about is the wrapping paper. B has been so good about not opening his presents until Christmas and he makes sure everyone that comes over knows that too.

This year we decided to try out "Elf on the Shelf" which, if you haven't heard about it, is a fun new tradition we decided to start. It involves a small elf that B has named Norman (he got the name off a show Fireman Sam), that flies in everynight and props himself up somewhere in the house and watches over the childrens' behavior then reports it back to Santa. The kids can not touch him because he'll lose his magic and will be unable to fly back to Santa. The elf can not speak either per request from Santa, but he can hear and will tell Santa whatever the kids want to say to him. It's cute and we are having fun with it. Its fun to watch B try and find him every morning. As far as behavior goes, well it sure doesn't prevent him or alter his naughty behavior.

Tonigh his B's first school play of the first Chirstmas and he plays a wiseman. He has 3 lines and he already has it memorized. I am so excited for this play that I might cry watching him up there. I know I am that mom.

looking like Papa Lyle

C is pulling himself up now in his crib and the bathtub. I think it is time to drop the mattress. Just another reminder of how big he is getting. He is just so darn cute I could eat him up. I think he is looking more and more like my dad, especially now that the bags under the eyes (classic Penner eyes) are becoming more prominent. He is such a good baby and so chill. Love. And to think I was afraid I would not love him as much as B, ha!

Long Time No Write

Just when I thought I would give up on writing a blog because I am too busy or because I thought no one was reading them, Gene comes through and demands  a post with pictures.  I am glad he did because one day I will look back on these and be glad that I did it even though I felt like it was a waste of time ...at the time.

So, where do I start as far as updates go? Well, B is a full on 3 year old with back talking and everything. His favorite thing to say to us when he is mad at us is " I don't like you, you're not coming to my birthday party!" When we would say "Ok, I guess I will return your present and cancel the party", he started to get a little more smart. He changed his tune and starting saying " I don't like you, you're not coming to C's birthday party!" Once the party was over we were looking forward to not hearing that phrase for a long time, but that was short lived. His favorite movie now is The Sandlot, and he will watch it everyday and act out every scene.  He loves playing baseball and is actually really good, better than most 5-6 year olds. He can slam a ball pitched to him, he just recently started catching balls with his glove and his favorite move is sliding into home (or any base for that matter). My favorite words that he says, that still remind me of how young he is, are; bana (banana), hairy dogs (prairie dogs), hosbibal (hospital), almons (almonds), and instead of saying "I" he says "me". For instance "me don't know", and "me want it". Right now B is either the sweetest angel child or he is the devil and it can switch within seconds of each other. He is all about his independence and wanting to help out. For example, he tried to wash my iPad for me in the sink, he wants to cut his own food and dress himself. It is a lot of fun watching B grow up, he is such a funny kid. Oh and he can draw the best robots. His pictures have gone from scribbles to actual things now.

C lee is now crawling all around and making all kinds of new sounds,  He can clap and loves his jumperoo. All around C is a very observant  child and is already showing signs of independence. He already is better playing by himself then B was at this age. The one thing C can't do as well a B at this age is eat solid food. He seems to have a very sensitive gag reflex, so I have a feeling I will be pureeing his food for a long time. His hair is just as out-of-control as ever, but as with B, we are not cutting his hair until his first birthday. C is sleeping well through the night, 8pm- 630 am and I hope that doesn't change although once his first tooth gets ready to cut I am sure it will.

New Beginnings

I have officially switched jobs. I now work in an OB/Gyn office, but I can't say I love it yet. I have been there for 2 weeks and feel like an idiot. For those of you who know me, I hate feeling like an idiot. They do things so differently and it makes me second guess everything that I do. Their paranoia has now become my paranoia. The nice thing about working in an office is that I get all weekends and holidays off, the bad thing is that I can't work a 12 hour shifts which I enjoyed because I got to get four days off a week. I guess its give a little take a little kind of situation.

The boys are getting so big. B is in the terrible two's and is approaching the horrible 3's. He is still not potty trained and at this point I am so tired that I don't even feel like training him. This kid is so hard headed that if anyone suggests to him going in the potty he won't do it. If it is his idea then he will, and he will do both poop and pee. He's know how he just won't. I sort of gave up, but the daycare lady is also frustrated and is dropping hints that it is time and she is sick of changing his diaper.

B will often say he his your "best friend" one minute and then the very next he will tell you that you are mean and that he doesn't like you. He hits, pinches, kicks, and screams at us. We try to discipline him, but he just doesn't care. He could care less if you spank him, put him in time out, take toys away, or yell at him. Some days I want to rip my hair out. Unfortunately we are at the point where there are more bad days than good. I just want my sweet B man back already! Who stole him?

At least I got one kid who likes me or at least my boobs. Yes, I am still nursing, but not for anything more than comfort. C lee just loves the boob. He could sit there for hours with it if I'd let him (ok sometimes I do, especially if B is throwing a temper tantrum and I tell mike I am busy and he has to deal with it). B was just too interested in the world around him to stare at my chest, C is still ok with it. He is rolling all around and now he just starting eating cereal. He is sleeping through the night better now with the cereal and really enjoys it. He get pretty excited when he sees me preparing it. My biggest fear if that we will have constipation issues like we did for B, so far so good.

Life is getting more challenging now with too boys. C needs to be entertained and B is being 3, so it is so tiring. I wouldn't trade it for any thing though. I love them so much.

Mike has really stepped  up his father roll and with me working 4 days a week, he has taken another step deeper into being a stay- at- a- home -dad. He mostly enjoys it and I know the kids love it too. I am glad that at least one parent can be home with them for most of the week.

Adios

Ramblings

So C has an official diagnosis of Sandifer Syndrome cause by gastroesophogeal reflux (GERD). This is something bengin and something he will grow out of. The sensation of the reflux messes with his immature central nervous system causing him to have these "shudders". Weird, I know, but I don't care as long as he is fine! The nuerologist says he looks great and is developing on schedule if not ahead of schedule so praise the Lord for that.

We had our garge sale over the weekend and sold about $180 worth of stuff. I still have a lot of baby clothes that I don't know what to do with. I might save them for when my sister has a baby, no pressure or anything ;-).

B is still not potty trained and Mike is a little worried about it, but I reassured him that there are a lot of boys who aren't potty trained by 3 (hopefully we are not one of them). B is repeating everything we say now and I realize there are a lot of phrases that I say which I didn't realize. Since he communicates as we do I notice him saying "Oh my God/goodness" , "cool", "awsome", "come on", "please and thank you" (this one I like), "hi my baby", "babe", and many others. He is really turning into a little man and its excited yet sad. I miss my baby.
Speaking of, I can't decide if I am done having babies. Mike is done for sure so I guess I have to be. Since I am most likely switching jobs we are thinking he needs to get "the big V" while I am still on Kaiser insurance since it will be cheaper. The thought of making it permanent is so sad. When I see brand new babies it makes me miss it (even though mine is 4 months old). I really thought I was done while I was pregnant, but for some reason I just don't know.

C has followed in B's foot steps yet again and has started developing dread locks. I saw his first one this weekend. My kids have freakishly long and wispy hair that tangles up into dread locks that I have to try and comb out or cut out. We won"t be cutting his hair until his first birthday, so I have a long journey ahead of me.

Seems like both kids have been sick a lot. C has been sick 3 times in his four months of life and B seems to have been sick off and on the entire summer. I really hope this gets better and I am sure they do to. C can't eat very well because he can't breath out of his nose, so he get really fraustrated. Loving being a mom though.

5 Months Old!

I can't believe my baby, my last baby, is 5 months old today. He is such a good baby. He only cries when he needs something and is always observing his world around him. He loves watching his brother and, believe it or not, wrestling. Yes, wrestling. He likes to roll around and run into you. He'll even try to crawl over and on you. I can barely believe it myself. He also gets the concept of Peek-a-boo. He will put his toy or stuff animal over his eyes and then pull it down real fast, then will laugh when you say "peek-a-boo". He is darling. I love him so much and I am already wrapped around his little finger, hence why I still get up with him at 4 am to nurse and let him nurse/snack all day long on me. I love it and he loves it too. The only real milstone he hasn't quit grasp yet is name recongnition, but its not his fault. He has a lot of names. Here they are and I am sure I am missing some; Carter Lee, C-lee, C- lo- green, Cartier, Lee, Lee Lee, Baby Carter, Leo, Leopold, My Baby and as the years go on I am sure there will be more.

B and C's interactions are so adorable. While I hold the baby and tell B what toys to pick up, after every toy he turns and looks at me (and the baby). C just finds this so funny and will do an all out belly laugh after every toy. Of course, B lives for this kind of attention so he is so happy that he can make brother laugh. Also, at the store I will wear C and B wants to sit in the front of the cart while I push it. Since they are face to face now, it is all out giggles the whole shopping trip, and I LOVE IT!!! Their relationship has really made a 180. I will catch B randomly reaching for C's hand in the stroller, B will randomly walk up to C and give him a hug and kiss. He is always asking if C can come with us on our B and mommy day. C is always looking for B and lights up when he sees him. I hope this lasts forever. This is the best part about having two kids. It really melts my heart, like literally melt my heart, I can feel it, I swear.

My Shudder Bug

So of course C Lee found out that B man gave us a scare as a baby when we found that hemangioma on his liver so he decided to give a little scare of his own with shudder attacks.  We didn't know thats what it was because they look very similar to seizures. Two emergency room visits and new underwear later we are convinced that C lee is having benign shudder attacks. What are these that you speak of? Well, sometimes when we start to fall asleep or we are asleep and we jolt ourselves awake once, imagine doing that over and over for a few seconds and you got a shudder. We noticed that when C lee was tired (around his morning nap) we would feed him and as he difted off to sleep he would start shaking (seizure like) for a few seconds and then stop. All the while still eating. It really scared us, especiall since he fell off the couch two days prior. We didn't know if the fall damaged his brain or not ( we were reassured by docotrs that it did not). So basically, he does this as a result of an immature central nervous system and he will eventually grow out of it within the year. To make sure, we still want to consult the neurologist and show him the video Mike was able to capture. If she agrees we will probably not do the EEG and just watch him and make sure it doesn't get worse.

On another note, I am probably going to take on a new job that is closer to home and I will get to do more OB work. I am exicted not to drive down to Denver and am looking for to the change in scenery and new challenges. I will update you on more when I know more.

B man and C lee are getting along so good right now. C lee loves watching B jump around and is always smiling at him. B likes that he can make his brother smile. He is a natural comic.

Once Upon a Potty

So we are in full potty training mode at our house. I am beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I have to see the light because I have decided that I just bought my last box of diapers for him come hell or high water. He is actually doing pretty good. We are using the reward system (jelly beans and M&M's) and it seems to be working for now. I assuming this with be a "two steps forward, one step back" process and I ok with that. The other day he told me twice that he need to go pee and he did both times in the big potty! He is getting pretty good and is getting to the point where he doesn't want to wear a diaper. He says "I'm a big boy mommy, no change me". That's fine as long as we are in the house, but he doesn't want to wear one outside or when we go out which is a problem. I finally had to tell him that if he didn't cover up the police was going to put him in jail for indescent exposure. Yes, sometimes I parent with fear... no judging.

He is a lot better with C lee. Now, he trys to comfort him when he cries and the other day I caught him actually trying to play with him. Of course this melted my heart. C lee loves just watching B and will track him with his eyes and then kick around when he gets closer. So cute.

C is the most adorable boy. How did I make such cute kids? He is such a snuggle bug. Every morning when I am not working I bring him into bed with me to nurse and I swear the two of us would stay asleep until 8 am. Too bad Mike has to get up with B man at 6:30 in the morning. Not my fault I have the boobs, I am "nursing" from 630-8. He has laughed for Mike now a few times. I can't seem to get him to go there with me. At least I saw one of his first laughs. He does smile an awful lot. He plays by himself in his crib the mornings I go to work and when Mike walks him to get him he just starts smiling and gets all excited to start the day. For the most part he is sleeping through the night. I nurse him at about 4 am and then we "nurse" from 630 to 8 am. He is also cooing and making this gurgling noise a lot too. Sometimes he gets really loud as if to say "Guys, I am over here. Don't forget about me!".  I just love him so much! I want another one. I went back and read what B man was up to at this same stage and I said the same thing about wanting another one. I think B had better head control at this stage but I am not going to compare. lol.

Brothers!

Big gummy smile!

 I found my feet

So tired!

Back to work already!

I can't believe I am already back to work. So many things in my life has changed, including this web lay out for my blog. It took me awhile to figure out how to post this. Anyways, we all knew this day would come and boy, did it come fast. Everything seems to be on fast forward. I feel like my baby is so big already, expecially when I see all these other brand new ones around (I don't know if you noticed, but everyone and their mom is either pregnant or just had a new baby). Although I am glad to be back at work (sort of a nice break), I just wish it wasn't for 12 hours. Why can't I work three 8 hour shifts but still earn the same salary as before?
Being a mom the second time around is so different then the first. Instead of worrying if my baby is eating, pooping, and peeing enough, I now worry about location. Location of my two year old vs. my baby. I can not leave the two of them alone together. If I shower, B man has to shower with me or else he might try and "care" for the baby. Getting them in and out of the car (who comes first) and who is getting or not getting adequate attention are also new worries. I do feel less anxiety this go 'round which has really helped with my postpartum recovery, but I am a lot more tired. These boys do not sleep at the same time. Which is good and bad. Good because I can give individual attention and focus to one of them, bad because it makes it hard to get stuff done and nap myself.

B man on becoming a big brother- At first he was really excited and interested in C lee and that lasted about 4 days. Then it was like he realized C lee was staying and thats when the "abuse" started. He would bite him (nose, fingers, and toes) and push his head really hard against C lee's head. He would pull arms and legs and act like he was going to do something nice and then last minute hit him. It's been hard but they say this is normal behavior. Now, (3 months later) it is better. He will tell me when he starts crying and tell him "its ok baby". If he cries he will say that he needs a booboo or a paci. When other kids come up the C lee to see him (for instance, at the park) he'll come running over and stand right next to him like he is his protector. That kind of stuff melts my heart.

B man as a 2 1/2 year old- He is talking up a storm (oh I can't say "storm" because he is frightened of thunder and lightening), I'll just say he is a talker. Sometimes he says things and I am like "where did he get that?" or "how does he know that?". Now he asks "why" for everthing. At first it was cute, now it gets a little annoying. He also repeats everything I say, so I have to be very careful. He is do amazing in daycare and has really made a 180. His "teacher" says he is such a pleasure. He always says he had fun, asked when he is going back, and does not cry at drop off or pick up. I think since C lee has been born that has been his personal refuge. Whatever it is, I am just glad he likes going and likes his teacher. He just started potty training and has gone both pee and poop in the potty, although its not consistent, there is light at then end of this diaper tunnel. He is so fun to watch/observe because he really is becoming a little man with his own ideas and imagination. He is so funny too. He dances all the time and loves playing instruments and being a "rock star". One time when I was breastfeeding C lee, he grabed his stuffed animal and put him to his breast, then proceeded to make a painful facial expression and say "ouch ouch ouch, oooohhhh, ouch". It must of been right when C lee was born and it was still painful to nurse. hahaha.

Baby C lee- He has the cutest smile (he started smiling at 5 weeks and is so close to laughing). He loves sucking on his hands and arms. He will root so hard that he almosts flips himself out of his swing. For the most part he is a really good baby. He is calm and really only cries when he needs something (now that we got the whole lactose thing figured out, it was bothering me there for bothering him). He does fight sleep though, but once he is down for the night he has gone 6-9 hours straight! I love his little voice when he coos and of course, his feet. God how I love my babies feet. When he was first born he had quite an old man hair line, now the front part is coming in (looks like I buzzed it). Hey, business in the front, party in the back, hahaha.
Mike and I are also smarter and not so regimentd this time. He go out to eat a lot now (without B man, but with C lee) because we know that C lee won't be sleeping through dinner much longer and our "date nights" will come to an end.
All and all I love being a mom. I love my boys so much. I always said "two and through", but now I don't know. I sort of want another one. Mike on the other hand is D-O-N-E done done done. Maybe he will change his mind. Maybe I will change my mind as C lee gets older and Mike and I start getting our lives back. Who knows. Lets just say the vasectomy is on hold....for now.

C-lee

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Carter Lee's Birth Story

I had been having contractions for weeks now, and by this point (2 days before my due date), I was sure I would have a March baby. Monday started out as usual. I didn't work on Sunday and decided half days were good for me until this baby came. I dropped B man off with his Nana around 1030 am and decided to just go ahead and go to work even though I wasn't expected until 2 pm. I figured since I slept the best I had slept in a long time the night before, no use in hanging around the house when I could go make money. I clocked in at noon and by 3 pm the contractions started up again. They weren't painful but noticeable. I thought I was doing the same thing I did a week before and was having false labor. By 8pm, I was scanning my patient who was also pregnant (1st trimester) that was having pelvic pain. I noticed our expressions and grimaces were the same. By the end of the exam I looked at my co-worker and said " I need to lay down".

I laid in one of our exam rooms for two hours, texting my mom and Mike. Trying to convince myself that this wasn't real. Going back and forth with the decision to call people down to the hospital this late at night. Finally, I made the decision that no matter what they said I wasn't able to drive home and needed either a pain killer or an sleep aide. So I walked down to L&D triage where the same nurse who saw me last week was there again. Now I really felt stupid for not knowing whether this was real or not. She said I was 3.5 cm dilated and could stretch me to 4 cm so that I could stay. I agreed and it really hurt. The contractions after that really started to hurt worse. Convinced this still wasn't it or that I had a long way to go, I told the nurse that I could walk the halls until my family showed up. Now, I said this because I thought I still needed to show progression before they would send me up to L&D. She looked at me and said "are you sure you just don't want your epidural?" I really was confused now and declined. She came back into the room about 8 min later and I said " I would take the epidural if it was still offered". So glad I did because the pain got really intense.

I made it up to my delivery room, the same room B was born in. At this point I am in a lot of pain and wondering where the hell my family was. I am sitting there on the side of the bed prepping for my epidural thinking, where is Mike? He is suppose to help hold me down for my epidural because I don't know if I can stay still for it. And just like that, God heard my cries and I didn't have a single contraction for 15 minutes. They were right on top of each other before. Just as the catheter went into my back my mom showed up and not long after that Mike came in. I joked and said they must of planned waiting to come until after the epidural, but maybe that wasn't a joke??.

Labor after that was pretty uneventful, except for me dropping my blood pressure a couple of times causing me to vomit and the window in my right hip that the epidural did not seem to get. That was a weird feeling because even though I could not feel my hip when I touched it, it was like the pain was deep in my bone coming out. The only time it felt better was when I was pushing and after delivery.

By 5 am my hip pain was horrendous and they checked me at 5:15 and said "time to push". The first push hurt my hip, but after that it felt better and 13 minutes later (not 4 hours this time), my precious, no name little boy was born. He looked nothing like B did (I don't even think he had a cone head) and I knew he weighed less then B too. When they pulled him out before Mike could say what it was, I looked down and thought for a split second I saw swollen labia, but it turned out to be scrotum. I always had a feeling this was going to be a little boy. He looked so perfect and I cried. I couldn't believe he was here already. This pregnancy went so fast (even though it always seems that way when you area pregnant) and I thought, I will never feel like this again and I was sad. The thought of a third baby crossed my mind and I still sometimes think I want another. Mike is for sure a no go on that idea.

I was exhausted after delivery and the last thing I wanted to do was nurse. I even thought that I wouldn't nurse at all this time, but once he was latched, something in me said "oh this feels so right, I do remember how much I enjoyed nursing".

Later that night the birth certificate lady came in to collect and we still had no name. It took us another 24 hours to figure it out. We were going back and forth between Carter, Levi, and Eli. I wanted to call the baby Leelee so I thought Levi would be good. Mike had always liked Carter or Eli. I didn't really like Eli and Mike had vetoed Levi so we went with Carter. Middle name came as a compromise because with Lee as a middle name (Mike's middle name as well) I could still call him Leelee if I wanted.

So there it is. The story of Carter Lee weighing in at 7 lbs 5 ounces and 20 inches long. Born on February 28th 2012, one day early and not a leap day baby. I am so blessed to have such a beautiful family. I feel so lucky to have a healthy baby boy. I am trying to soak up all his "newbornness" because I know how fast it goes.

Tick Tock Tick Tock

This waiting game is killing me. I am trying to just except the fact that I have no control over when this little one arrives, and am trying to enjoy what little time we have left as a family of three. I am just really uncomfortable.

Anyways, I wanted to brag about how many songs B man know now. Its so awsome to hear him sing. His voice is like a cross between Fergie and Jesus (haha). Seriously though, it is so darn cute and sweet. He knows Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Baa Baa Black Sheep, ABC's, Skip to my Lou, and Happy Birthday. He is also able to count to ten. He is so smart that it just amazes me the stuff/stories he tells (when I can translate them). Another funny thing he does is, he'll ask about something, for instance, an airplane. We'll say, "Yes, B that is an airplane and it flies high in the sky". Then he'll say to the other parent the same thing one of us just told him, like it was his orginal thought. Its funny because both of us are sitting right there. Its almost like he is playing the game telephone. When he gets really excited to tell us something he always goes into this frantic state. For example, he'll say "mommy mommy mommy mommy mommy mommy mom the sky blue". He says our name like one hundred times before he can spit out his thought. And if you ever had to watch your mouth before, its ten fold now. He has repeated damn and a few other words now. Yikes.

One of my favorite things he says and does is "hold hand" and then he grabs my hand. It pretty much melts my heart although I a pretty sure he does it when he knows I am about to leave him so that I feel extra guilty. I am sure going to miss these precious moments. Never knew one could love someone so deeply.

I hope I don't rush by these moments with him or the new baby for that matter.

Oh and before I forget, at my 38 week appointment I am a tight 3 cm dilated and still 50% effaced, my fundal height is 36cm and I gained 3 pounds. That is a total of 17 pounds this pregnancy. At this point I would be surprised if this baby weighs more than B did. But I'm still not done cooking it yet so we'll see.

Ding the fries are done!

I mean I am done! But I am not, but I am, but not right now, but may in a little bit. That is how confused I am. One part of me wants this baby out because I am so tired and just done. Another part of me is trying to enjoy this time because I won't be doing this again (at least we are 90% sure of that) plus, now I know how much more tired I will be when the baby gets here. Why isn't there something out there that allows us to not be pregnant for the last two weeks, our baby is put into an artificial womb, then us parents get to go on a good relaxing vacation, and when we come home he take the baby out and enjoy?!?! I would be the richest woman in the world if I could invent that, (oh and it would be covered by insurance). I think our population would triple if that came true.

So, I go back to the doctor on wednesday and maybe some more progress will be made. I am hoping for 3 cm dilated and 90% effaced, then deliver on the 19th just like B. Oh the wishful thinking.

Everything right now is "oh, could this be it?" AND IT IS DRIVING ME NUTS!

36 week appointment

2 cm dilated and 50% effaced. These contractions that I have been feeling are doing something. Oh and baby has dropped too.

One more post for this month

I want first start off by saying B has some new phrases he likes to say now:

1. "Night dude".
2. " No..right now".
3. "Give it to me".
4. "Mama, come right back?"
He can count to 10 and say the Abc's (obviously some stuff is skipped over like 5 6 7 and l m n o p sounds like " yellow yellow P".)
5. "sun sleep moon out " and vice versa
6. He always wants "cereal and jews " for breakfast (thats juice in case you don't translate to well)
7. He thinks its so funny to put a "U" at the end of names. For example "mamu, papu, nanu, babu"
8. He loves when Mike or I come home. His favorite thing to do is surprise you. He'll hide and then jump out and say "prize mama" or "Mommy home".

Now that he sleeps in his big boy bed and refuses to let up put the gate up in his door way (its now at the stairs) he comes right into our room and up to me. I work up to him once caressing my face (I do this to him to get him to sleep) and also breathing on me. I thought it was Mike's breath for awhile til I opened my eyes and he was starring at me smiling. I couldn't resist laughing, and now my baby has normal big boy stinky morning breath.

I had my maternity photo session done a couple of days ago and they turned out really well. Thank God my sister is good at what she does because I feel and look like I haven't slept in a year. We really wanted to do something very different this time around and I like we accomplished it. I am excited to post some pictures here soon. We even went outside and although I froze my tail off, I trusted my sister's vision and am so glad I did because with some editing they look great!

She also mentioned that she may be seeing me in a couple of weeks for newborn pictures and I just about fell over. I mean technically I could. Lots of women have their babies 2-3 weeks early. This made me realized that I need to really try and enjoy these last few week, as hard as it may be, since I most likely won't be experiencing this again.

I looked back at my pregnancy blog with B and it appears I am par for the coarse. When it comes to contractions, size, weight, sleep deprivation, cravings and so on... I am right on target as before.

Now the mind game begins. Tick tock tick tock.