I've Got 2 Kids

It seems pretty strange to say "kids."  Since I was pretty sure we were having a girl (and since I've always had sisters), I catch myself saying "the girls" sometimes.  But Cruz is ALL boy.  And he's getting big, fast. And Isla's getting bigger, faster.  Its all a bit much for me to see my babies grow up so fast.  I'd like them to stay babies and not be big kids.  Mostly because I never want them to leave me, but also because I kind of want to avoid the whole sassy phase.  I mean, I personally never put my parents through that phase.  I was a perfect child ;)

I'd like to use the "I've got 2 kids" line as an excuse as to why I haven't blogged in so long.  But I  know it will sound pretty pathetic because most of you reading this blog have AT LEAST that many kids.  

Below are pictures from a 4 day time period over Easter Weekend.

It started with Isla's 2nd Birthday Party on Thursday

Lots of people came, ate food and gave her beautiful presents.
The kids had an Easter Egg game.

Grandma Jan manned the infants.

This was the only picture I managed to get with Isla and her cake.

But I'm sure there's video.

 The next day, Good Friday, we dyed Easter Eggs.

I told my mom we shouldn't do as many as we did last year, but she didn't listen

Brookie and Isla decided to go skins

After we dyed Easter Eggs, we went to my cousin Jeff's house for another Easter Egg Hunt and lovely Good Friday family fellowship with family and the Schoenherrs.

The following day, we went to another Easter Egg hunt at The Club.*

*NOTE: we are not Country Club people.  Not to hate on anyone who is.  

My mom just has a social membership so we can go to cute stuff there twice a year.

Why are his glasses so big?

I may have overdone it on the Shimmer Brick, 

but most of the time its magical.

"I found it"

These two peas in a pod are so darling.

They really do love each other as much as it looks like in the pictures.

Jenna's sitting position kills me.

Reminds me of my Sitto.

Checking out the spoils.

A partial family picture

Oh, are you wondering what's on Isla's face?

Her dad thought it'd be cute to put one of those temporary tatoos on her cheek.

Real cute.

An attempted shot with Bebe and Poppy

Two of the sweetest ladies you will ever meet

with two of the cutest babies around.

The following day was Easter Sunday.

I'm ashamed to admit that we didn't even make it to church because both of the kids had colds and couldn't go into nursery.

This was the only picture I got of Isla in her Easter dress, but its a cute one.

Grandma Jan made baskets for the kids. Yippee!

Is this a cute pic or what

Sweet babies. One month apart.

She's older.

In case you are confused, the one on the right is mine.

But doesn't the one on the left (sweet Mary Helen) look like she should be mine?

So that was one fun-filled, exhausting, but fabulous long weekend with family...and my 2 kids.

Desperate Housewives: Grand Rapids, Less than a week post-partum

So, 6 days after Cruz was born, I did what any post-partum woman would do when her husband was going out of town...I went to my sister's house.  That's right folks, another edition of Desperate Housewives: Grand Rapids.  Dana & Matt graciously hosted us for nearly a week while Dave was out of town with a client for 4 days.  It was supposed to be a glorious stay-cation so that I could recover from my C-section and have someone to help me (and play with Isla).  Well, it wasn't exactly what I had thought, but we had a great time anyway.

The first night we thought we might try to have Brooke and Isla sleep in the same room.  BAD IDEA.  Brooke and Isla ended up screaming and crying and I had a small breakdown myself.  After moving Isla to Dana and Matt's closet all seemed to calm down.  At about 1:00 a.m. Dana came into my quarters holding a crying little girl.  Once I came to my senses, I realized it was Isla and not one of her girls.  So I had Isla lay on my chest while I was holding Cruz in my other arm (let me tell you how good that felt on the incision.)  After about a half hour, she calmed down and I tried to go put her back in the crib in the closet.  BAD IDEA.  She was running around the crib like a caged animal screaming "Dis is mine!" and throwing her binky and blanket.  Uncle Matt tried to talk some sense into her ("isla, this is Unlce Matt, and you are being very naughty") to no avail.  After over an hour of this nonsense, I took the inconsolable child back into bed with me.  She did not fall asleep until about 7:00 a.m. the next morning.  At 7:30 a.m., she fell out of bed, ran around the room once screaming "Dis is my Binky! Dis is my Banky!" she got back into bed with me and passed out until around 9:30 a.m.  She woke up because she fell out of bed, again.  I don't know who cried more that night, me or her.  

The next day we moved her to the closet in my room and the nap and bedtime seemed much better.  At 6:30 the next morning she woke up crying.  I retrieved her from the closet to find her burning up.  While I took her temperature, she threw up.  I started crying while watching the thermometer climb to 103.  Not exactly ideal to have with a 7 day old newborn :(  We headed to the hospital just to make sure all was well.  I cried pretty much the whole time while all the doctors and nurses reminded me that Cruz would have to be hospitalized if he got a fever.  Sick child + sleep deprivation + newborn + hormones = a real emotional mama.  After 2 popsicles and a double dose of Tylenol and Motrin, Isla was feeling just fine.  The Doctor gave me a hug and a pep talk and sent us on our way.  Dana and I sanitized the entire house, every toy, every surface, every piece of laundry to ensure minimal germ spread.  Call me neurotic, you wouldn't be the first.  The fever came and went over the next several days which really put a knot in my social calendar.  We didn't get to see many of our friends we came to see and those we did see were certainly brief visits.  

Uncle Matt with his little nephew

 This was their first bath of the day after Isla got home from the ER.

 Cruz won the award for best behaved.

 First runner up was this little butterball of sunshine.

Jenna couldn't stay out of all the baby stuff

(which led to lots more sanitizing, but totally worth it to see this little face)

 Our gracious hostess

 My dear friend Heidi got to meet Cruz for the first time.

She flew up to Michigan alone with her 3 girls ages 3 and under just to see us ;)

We got to see the sweet Reibel family.

Cruz and Joey share a birthday!

Big cousin Brooke taking care of the baby as usual

Reunited with her buddy

All in all we had a great time!  Sorry to our friends and family we didn't get to see.  I promise we will be back soon.  Thanks to the VanderLaan's for hosting us!  Next time, I'll  wait until the second week of my maternity leave to come over.

From the Hospital

He's here!  Well, he's been here for about three weeks now, but you know that I'm slow to blog.  I wish I could be like some of my friends who update from the delivery room, but I'm just not there yet.  Maybe with my third kid.  

So my due date came and went, but the Lord was totally faithful and brought the baby in His way and perfect timing.  After 2 nights of contractions, but nothing enough to send me into labor, we arrived bright and early at the hospital at 6:00 a.m. (ish) on Tuesday morning for my C-section.  The only other person in the waiting room was my sweet mom.  She beat us there.  Can you tell where we get the big eyes from?

After being "under the knife" and lots of anesthetic for about 20 minutes, Dave and I rendered our final guess as to the sex of our second little miracle...we both guessed girl.  After all, I have three sisters and boys are kind of rare in my family.  We were both wrong.  And so were a lot of other people (some who even had to return things.)  

I'll never forget his face when Dave looked at the baby then looked back at me and said,

Its a boy!

Cruz Joseph

Our first family picture

Family and friends gathered from near and far to see the new coconut...

From the Center of Byron

From the Shores of St. Clair

More from the Shores of the East Side

(I might also add that my Aunt Linda's record remained in tact as she accurately 

guessed boy at the 4:00 a.m. final call)

and one from the Royal Oak

 From the Hills of Bloomfield

 and from the most Grand of Rapids.

And that was just in the first wave of visitors.  The doctor and hospital staff had never seen a family with so many visitors (except for when Isla was born.)

 The World's Greatest Sorority (plus my cousin Michelle) held a special meeting to take notice of the new little miracle.

We had some evening visitors too 

from the Lake of Sylvan

 a celebrity guest appearance straight from the Courtroom that all the nurses were buzzing about

 and out-of-state visitors from Ohio, including

Great Grandpa John.

It was a spectacular sight to all who came.

including the proud big sister.

We are totally in love with our new little dude.

Don't worry, if you didn't make it to the hospital.  We love you anyway.

At last...

My love has come along...

(and I'm blogging about it 3 weeks later)

Cruz Joseph 

born March 8, 2011

8:44 a.m.

We still can't believe its a boy!

I'm too lazy to go upstairs to upload pictures

Was that too honest of a title?

Well, thanks to all those who prayed for a good February for us.  We were ALL healthy and had a great month.  Dave has Isla's new bedroom almost done and she seems excited to move in.  We won't be moving her immediately, but her enthusiasm is encouraging.  Isla's most cute things as of late, "I got it! I did it!" in this really cute sing songy voice.  She loves to count and she constantly points out letters and says "ABC's."  We went to see Sesame Street Live with a bunch of Isla's cousins and she LOVED it!  I've always kind of been a hater of taking kids to things when they are too young to remember, but I will never forget the look on her face when Elmo walked on to that stage.  It was like a Jimmy Buffett concert for kids (and of course minus the inappropriate outfits and beverages.)  She is also really in to taking care of her baby and Buckle Bear.  She feeds them, watches shows with them and even changes their diapers every once in a while.  She does not allow them in her crib...she has her standards.

Dave is the healthiest person I know.  My sweet (and sweet lookin') dude makes us new flavors of smoothies and we are loving it.  Going to the grocery store and looking for leafy greens just makes my heart melt.  He just started back with P90X.  By the time summer comes, I'll have to beat the ladies off of him.

I'm still pregnant.  I was due yesterday, but our newest little coconut seems pretty comfortable inside.  I had a rough day today with being sick.  The doc thinks its probably a touch of the flu (apparently the flu shot I got doesn't apply to the stomach flu.)  I had an ultrasound today and the baby looks great with a heart rate around 140.  They estimate the baby's current weight at 7 lbs., 10 oz., but who really knows.  Because I've previously had a C-Section, I can't be induced.  My docs don't want me to go past 41 weeks, so if I don't have the baby by Monday, I'll have a C-Section bright and early on Tuesday morning.  We feel totally blessed to have a healthy looking baby and pregnancy.  Thanks for all of your prayers and support.  When I'm feeling less lazy, I'll post some pictures....but not of me. :)

Sick and Tired

Its been a while since I've blogged, which I guess is really nothing new.  I think the two words which would encompass our January would be "sick" and "tired," and, frankly, I'm sick and tired of both.  It started on December 30th.  We had both worked a long couple of weeks right around the Holidays, and we were ready for our little escape up north with the Fezzeys to celebrate the New Year.  This was also our last opportunity to get away before the new baby came.  I got home from work and put the final touches on all the food I had prepared to go up north (cookie dough, pizza dough, hummus...the essentials).  Dave packed the car to the brim including strapping things on the roof.  We were finally ready to hit the road, so we went to get Isla up from her nap.  She was covered in puke and burning up.  Needless to say, we didn't go up North.

About a week later, Dave got some nasty upper respiratory virus which we all passed around for a few weeks.  Our heat was on the fritz during that time too.  Fortunately, we have the GREATEST neighbors in the whole world who also happen to be in the heating and cooling business.  It was chilly for a few days, but about 48 hours later, we were up and running, free of charge.  Thank you Jesus (and Lynn)!  I've got 4 weeks to go until this new little bundle comes to join our family.  How do I feel?  Chubby, tired, and swollen.  Other than that, top of the world :)

Right about the time we were all fighting the respiratory virus, Isla started climbing out of her crib.  Not ideal timing.  Thank goodness we know someone in the mattress biz who got us some twin mattresses on the fly.  After hurting herself a few times, Isla resigned to staying in the crib (for now).  We were pretty happy about that because neither of us has felt up to preparing her new room.  So what happened to the mattresses?  Dave put them on the stairway and Isla used them as a slide...isn't that what everybody does?  They are now in her play room.   But, if you are in the area and need a place to sleep we have 4 unutilized (but awesome) mattresses at any given time.  Also available, the flu.

This past Wednesday, Dave started feeling crumby again.  I had an extremely long day at work and by the time I got home my feet looked like sausages.  I was so looking forward to a really relaxing, yet productive weekend.  2 days later, Dave was feeling no better and Isla woke up coughing with a fever.  So we took a family trip to Urgent Care this morning.

Our two patients reading together in the waiting room

 Dave was a bit dehydrated and Isla's fever was up to 102 by the time we got there.

They put us in the "procedure room" and did a bunch of tests.

Isla was a champ through a throat swab, toe prick and chest X-ray and even earned herself a ball.  They both have the flu and Isla has a touch of bronchitis (nothing a little bubble gum medicine won't fix).  I got a flu shot at the insistence of my OB.  Wahoo for me!  I just get to be the one doing endless loads of laundry and disinfecting the house in preparation for a newborn (but I'd rather do that than have no appetite and a fever.)  We promise not to come visit anyone for at least 3 days.  Next year, EVERYONE IS GETTING A FLU SHOT, and we urge you to do the same.  Happy Saturday!

A few December Highlights

 The 1st finding of the pickle hidden in the tree.

Well done Mark.  The girls will appreciate it more next year I'm sure.

 Timmy's 2nd Birthday.

A great time at the Goldfish Swim Club.

 I think we've sang him the Happy Happy Birthday song 200 times.

 A rip-roarin good time with great friends.

Talking and laughing...

hysterically.  

 Baking cookies with Grandma Jan.

 She might have licked her fingers after each cookie she helped with.

Can you blame her?  They had peanut butter cups in them.

Dave has been on a smoothie kick lately.  One of my dad's friends is letting us borrow their awesome blender.  Dave, who previously was known for only eating a limited amount of items and no vegetables, now daily consumes 2 smoothies complete with veggies like spinach and kale, all sorts of fruit, sprouted flax seed and aloe vera oil.  Miracles do happen.