1 month

Isaac was one month old last Saturday! Obviously, our hands and hearts are very full right now!

Here are a few pictures from his first month :)

Isaac is a very alert baby. He is generally quiet when he is awake, but he is always looking around to see what is going on and he loves staring at big bro and sis. He has just started smiling and "cooing" to try to be involved in all of the action.

He definitely has the Arceo cheeks and he is currently working on his third chin!

Isaac had his one month appointment earlier this week. He currently weighs 10 lbs .5 oz and is 21.5 inches long. He has continued to be a very easy baby and is eating and sleeping well. That is all you can ask for at a month!

Our Cubbie

Nathan started AWANA in September and has really been enjoying it. They play games, hear Bible stories, sing songs, do a craft and they work with their parents to memorize a verse each week. Thankfully, Nathan has a really good memory and usually learns the verse quicker than I do! This is a good thing as I'm teaching him in a sleep deprived state these days.

He has a wonderful teacher named Mrs. C who does such a great job with him. She told me that she raised a "spirited" little boy as well and Nathan reminds her a lot of her son at that age. She assures me that God will specially use his spirit, determination and strong will. We are very thankful for Mrs. C!

Nathan really loves to sing and the Cubbies song is one of the house favorites these days. Here is a little video of the Cubbie in action.

Emie is looking forward to next year so she can be a Cubbie too. But she is rather insistent that she will have a pink Cubbie vest, so we'll have to see about that!

Livin' it up!

Our mission in early September was to pack in as much family time as we could before Isaac's arrival. We spent a ton of time outdoors, skipped naps in the name of fun, and laughed until we cried on many occasions. Here are a few pictures of some of the things we found to do.

We went to a fall festival at the county nursing home (where Gus and I met!) and went to a wild petting zoo. There were WAY too many animals in this small area, but the kids still had fun.

Our neighbors gave us their old wagon. Gotta love freebies! The kids like their new ride.

We dressed up in random costumes just for fun!

And after realizing that the zoo closes at 6, we spent an evening at the mall. We played in their arboretum themed play area and got some frozen yogurt!

We also met some friends at Enchanted Castle and the kids got to experience some arcade games, a huge climbing structure, and go-karts.

There was plenty of other fun, but we are pretty bad about taking pictures. We were so glad to have had a lot of fun adventures as a family of four and we know it will be more fun with five!

A visit from Tita Grace

Backtracking a bit . . . We had a wonderful visit from Gus' sister Grace over labor day weekend. Our kids love Tita Grace and always have a ton of fun with her! She wanted to take us to Cracker Barrel for breakfast on Saturday morning and we gladly obliged :) It was a beautiful weekend and the kids enjoyed the big rocking chairs and store quite a bit.

Gotta love this pose from Nathan! What a ham :)

Grace bought the kids some really adorable sock monkey costumes that they like wearing around the house.

Emie is always thrilled to find anything she determines to be "Emie sized".

After that, we headed to Ikea to get some bookshelves for Grace. We had a great time! They had a balloon maker who made the kids swords and pirate hats so they could sail around in our pirate ship (a.k.a. cart). And then we ate our fill of Swedish meatballs :)

We were all sad to see Tita Grace head back to Iowa! But we did get to see her again after Isaac was born, which was another special treat. Emie asks regularly if we can drive to Iowa to see Tita. Hopefully sometime soon!

Our newest little blessing!

We welcomed our newest little blessing, Isaac James on 9/22/11 at 5:34 a.m. One of my prayer requests during this pregnancy was to go into labor on my own, avoiding another induction. While my inductions had been very smooth, I just wanted to experience labor without pitocin. I had been having pre-labor for 2 1/2 weeks before my due date and it was getting a little old. Every night, I'd have contractions 5 mins apart for an hour or two and then they would stop. The night of the 21st they were much more painful and got to 2-4 mins apart. I could still talk through them and do housework, so I told Gus to take Nathan to AWANA as I was sure it would stall out. While he was on his way, they got more intense and I knew it was the real deal. So I called my parents to come over and my Dad would pick up Nathan. Gus and I headed to the hospital and I was admitted around 8:30 p.m. Contractions were still very tolerable and I was 4-5 cms. I probably could have been at home a little longer, but my inductions had been 4-5 hours start to finish, so we didn't know how fast things could go.

Contractions gradually became more painful, but I managed them well sitting in a ring position, walking around and listening to K Love. Gus was able to sleep a little bit during that part! Around 3 in the morning, the nurse wanted to check my progress as the contractions were intense, but still spaced out. I was 7 c.m.. She mentioned pitocin, but felt I was progressing well enough without it. I continued what I had been doing and it was getting really intense. I needed to go to the bathroom and on the way there, the contractions really intensified. I decided I wanted an epidural. During the 15 min wait for it, I started feeling the urge to push. The anesthesiologist was there, so he got started, but while I was sitting on the edge of the bed, I really couldn't stop pushing. So the nurse had me lay down and got the doctor to check me. I was complete, but my water still hadn't broken and he was concerned about a risk of prolapsed cord if I pushed with the water intact as there was a bulging pocket of fluid. I agreed to have my water broken and then the pushing became very intense. The doctor told our nurse to have me start pushing and he'd come in when we were ready. I told him that I am a fast deliverer and he might want to stick around, but he didn't. On the first real push, Isaac crowned, so the nurse had me stop and called the doctor and the NICU team (had meconium in the fluid). Not pushing is not an easy thing to do! As the doctor was walking in, Isaac was coming out and there wasn't much I could do to stop that. Everyone started yelling at me to stop pushing, but I really couldn't. The doctor lunged across the room, not even having time to put his gloves on and caught him. Apparently the cord was around his neck twice, so the doctor had to hold him in while unwrapping it quickly. Thankfully, it didn't cause any problems at all and Isaac scored a full 10 on his Apgar. Gus was so excited to announce that it was a boy and we were so in love at first sight. We had two names picked out for a boy and we both easily agreed that he looks like an Isaac. His name means "laughing one" and it is our prayer that he is always filled with joy and laughter and is as trusting as the Isaac of the Bible. I have two uncles named James, but really it is just a name that we both liked and it is a book of the Bible which we love as well.

I was really happy to have my prayer answered about my body starting labor on its own this time. It was much more tolerable pain wise and I was happy to have gone without pain medication, even though I obviously wanted it at the end!! But I was also happy because the cord could have been an issue if my water had broken earlier, so we could clearly see God's hand over the whole process.

Here are a few pictures of our little guy and his siblings meeting him for the first time.

We came home from the hospital on Saturday and are adjusting well. A lot of that is due to the fact that Isaac is such an easy baby right now. He nurses well, sleeps well, and just quietly looks around when he's awake. At his 4 day old appointment with the pediatrician, he had already gained weight from his birth weight of 7 lbs 2 oz. Always a blessing! I'm sure we'll have some interesting days ahead as we transition to being outnumbered by our children, but so far, so good!

Morton Arboretum

Another place we have spent a few summer days is the Morton Arboretum. They have a wonderful children's garden that is guaranteed fun. Emie loves tossing rocks in this fountain.

A brother and sister working well together :)

Emie really likes tunnels of all kinds.

Nathan prefers higher ground.

We always spend quite a lot of time at the log slide.

Snack time!

Emie is not always the most adventurous of girls, so I was surprised how much she liked this rope bridge.

Hopefully we'll make it back sometime this fall to enjoy the changing leaves and scarecrow exhibit!

Cosley Zoo Days

We have spent many of our summer days at a small farm zoo just a mile or so from our house. Every day at 10:00, the kids can feed the ducks. So whenever we aren't busy at 10, we'll mosey on over to feed our feathered friends.

They also have sheep, goats, cows, horses, llamas, chickens, bunnies and a variety of birds as well. Emie really likes to watch the horses and Nathan always wants to visit the Night Heron. He has decided that the Night Heron is the "scariest bird ever!" because of it's red eyes. But he must not really be that scared, because we never leave without saying "hi" to him :)

A Day Out with Thomas

Last weekend, we decided to venture out to Union, IL to the Illinois Railway Museum for "A Day Out with Thomas". It poured rain all morning, but luckily our tickets were for the afternoon and it was sunny, clear skies. Both of our kids are pretty into trains right now and are quite the Thomas fans.

This is a steam engine that will be up and running in September at the museum.

Both kids are pretty fascinated by electric train sets and they had a huge one!

There was a cute Thomas story time that Nathan really liked because the Thomas story involved a jet plane.

This was our first view of Thomas coming down the tracks! I wish I'd gotten Emie's response on tape. Nathan knew we were here to ride Thomas, but I don't think Emie really understood until we saw him. She just kept saying "I'm so excited!".

Both kids got Thomas tattoos that have held up to several baths and swimming trips since.

They were both excited to meet Sir Topham Hatt as well.

It was a fun family day, but as you can probably tell from the red cheeks, it was hot!! Especially when we actually went on our Thomas ride. Quite the sweltering ride!

One more month!

Today is officially one month until my due date with peapod! While it is likely I'll have a longer wait than that, seeing the date today still got me pretty excited! We still have a lot we'd like to get done before his/her arrival, but we're eager to meet our newest little blessing anytime.

This time around has been a little different as I have a very curious 3.5 year old who is full of questions about the whole pregnancy concept, and more recently, the birthing process. I thought I'd share a few recent conversations I've had with my deep thinking first born.

Nathan: Mommy, why does baby_____ sleep so much?

Me: Well, small babies get tired frequently and need to take a lot of naps.

Nathan: (while staring at my belly) I think peapod will be REALLY tired because it sure looks like A LOT of work to get out of there!

Nathan: Mommy, where will peapod sleep?

Me: Well, peapod will sleep in the small white cradle in Mommy and Daddy's room until he or she is older. Then peapod will sleep in the room next to yours.

Nathan: I think peapod would be happier in my bed. I'll go make room!

Me: I think peapod might roll out of your bed, a crib might be safer.

Nathan: Oh, you're right. Okay, I will go ask Emie if she can make room in her crib instead. (off he trots to discuss the proposal with his sister)

One day, I was helping Nathan get into his swim suit to head to the pool and I was sitting on the ground in front of him. He looked down and said "Mommy, (pointing to my cleavage) that would be a great place for peapod to come out! He could just stick his hand out when he is ready and I will grab it and pull him right out!".

Nathan: Mommy, I don't think you need to go to the hospital when peapod comes.

Me: I think it would be best if I go to the hospital. We will need the doctor to help when peapod is coming. Don't worry, you will have a lot of fun with Grandma and Grandpa and you can come visit after peapod is born.

Nathan: Superman helps people right?

Me: Sure he does.

Nathan: Well, I can put on my superman costume and then I can help you instead of the doctor!

He certainly keeps us on our toes! Emie just wants to know when she can have her own peapod in her belly. I'll let Daddy handle that one!

The soon-to-be big sister :)

Here is a video of Emie blowing out her candles at her birthday party two weeks ago. We all start out laughing at the beginning because as soon as I put the cupcake in front of her she said "Mommy, I need fire" and then started singing the Happy Birthday song to herself :)

A few fun updates about our very sweet and very loved little girl:

Emie talks non-stop! She is very similar to her brother in that she just loves to chatter constantly. We love hearing what she has to say!

She can play rough with her brother when she wants to and doesn't mind getting dirty, but she is definitely all girl. She loves all things pink, pretty dresses, mothering her dollies and she can definitely bring out the little girl drama when she wants to!

She loves to sing! Her favorite songs right now are ABCs, Itsy Bitsy Spider, I'm a little Teapot, and Arky Arky.

Her favorite foods right now are pancakes, blueberries and mashed potatoes. She made me mashed potatoes in the sand box today and while I was pretending to take a big yummy bite, she shoved a lovely shovel full of sand in my mouth. Interesting new experience for me!

In the last 6 months, she has become very cautious about new things. She needs a little coaxing to try out new playgrounds and stays pretty close to Mommy and Daddy in crowded or new situations. It takes her a little time to warm up and then her personality comes out. This is quite a change for us as her brother is 100% extrovert, but we sure love the snuggles!

Her favorite toys right now are her dolls, mega blocks, the train set and her play tea set.

Her current favorite book is "If you give a Pig a Pancake".

She hasn't really had a lovey to this point, but in the last 3 weeks has taken a particular liking to a green swaddling blanket that I pulled out to wash for peapod. She named it her "crocodile blanket".

She absolutely loves our neighbor and watches for him to come home so she can run out and give him a hug! He is the same age as my Dad and I think he really reminds her of her Grandpa (whom she is pretty crazy about too!).

She gave her Mommy the very special treat of potty training easily at 19ish months. I'll be forever thankful for the 6 month diaper break!

She is still a peanut, weighing in at a whopping 21 lbs at 2 years old. She is pretty average height though at 33.5 inches. She is currently eating like a horse though, so I'm sure a growth spurt can't be far away.

We think that Emie will love becoming a big sister in the next month. We are certainly expecting some jealousy as she is pretty into Mommy these days, but we can't wait to see her grow up into her new role. We certainly appreciate your continued prayers for our little Emie over the next year! We can't wait to see what God will do in her life :)

Baby Pool!

We've set up a baby pool for people to take some guesses on Peapod's gender, arrival time and birth stats. Click on the link and take your best guesses! There might just be a prize for the winner :)

Emie is two!

Emie turned two on August 8th and we threw her a little party on the 6th. Since our sweet little girl also has quite a sweet tooth, the theme was lollipops and sweets. Here is one of the cupcakes I made. Emie was insistent on having strawberry cupcakes, but when it came time at the party to choose her cupcake, she couldn't resist the chwocwate :)

Here is the house set up for the party, before the guests arrived. I had fun making this banner and Emie was pretty excited to see her name hung in the living room.

Here is the big birthday girl enjoying her cupcake!

And her goofball big brother who didn't want to smile for the camera.

Emie adores her Grandma and Grandpa and loves to just sit on the steps with someone she loves.

She had to take a turn with Grandpa too!

Emie received lots of wonderful gifts at her party, one of them being a pink tricycle. She can't quite reach the peddles yet, but loves to sit on it and pretend to ride. Another inch or so and she'll be ready to chase down Nathan!

The party favors were giant lollipops and our kids certainly enjoyed theirs. Nathan figured out how to bite it into pieces and was able to take it down over a few days. Emie has barely made a dent over the past week, but she enjoys a few licks each night.