Gabe is 2 and Lincoln is 3 months!

My OH My... has it really been that long since I've blogged? I always tell myself that I really need to blog- but then I get tired and let's be honest...there really aren't enough hours in the day? Why didn't ya'll warn me that having 2 kids would keep be super- SUPER busy!? 

Well, it's been 3 months since I've updated on here. Lincoln Alexander is growing so SO SO fast. I seriously can't believe it. My little man is holding his head up and he LOVES standing up. He's trying to "talk" a lot more and he absolutely loves watching his big brother. I even got a video of Lincoln saying "HI!" Ok, maybe it was a complete accident- but he still said it. 

Life with 2 little boys has been quite busy. You'd think I would have lost at least 50 pounds by now! haha. But seriously, those first few weeks- I wasn't sure I was going to make it. The lack of sleep alone could make a person lose her mind. haha. Gabe was getting up early and Lincoln was staying up all night long. Eating constantly. And yes, I mean CONSTANTLY. I was exhausted. I think I slept with my little man on the couch for the first 2-3 weeks. I did everything I could think of... I kept the room quiet and dark, I laid him down with his head elevated, I played music... i did everything!! What did I find that finally worked? The Fisher Price Deluxe Rock and Play Sleeper. Yes, I'll give this sleeper 10 stars all day long. It literally took about 2 nights for Lincoln to get used to it- and then after that he was sleeping all night long in that thing. It was a dream come true. And this Mommy was very happy to finally get some sleep- in her bed!! haha. 

I must admit though, Lincoln is a pretty easy-going boy. Those first few weeks it seemed like he just slept, pooped, cried, and ate. But now, he's up a lot more during the day. He has a smile that can melt your heart. He's just beautiful. 

Gabe LOVES his little brother too. For the first week or so, he wasn't quite sure what to think. But now, he loves him. He hugs Lincoln all the time, gives him kisses, and he even tries to help Mommy get Lincoln to stop crying. A few weeks ago I was in the kitchen. I had gotten Lincoln settled into his swing and Gabe was watching Mickey Mouse. I finally had some time to do a little cleaning. And of course, Lincoln started crying. By the time I walked into the living room, Gabe was holding Lincoln's pacifier in his mouth saying "shhhh- baby." haha. Granted, Lincoln was still crying, but it was priceless- and actually, quite hilarious too. Gabe is always trying to help... the other night Lincoln was napping and Gabe, Jesse, and I were watching a movie on the couch. All of the sudden, Lincoln woke up and started crying and Gabe said- "Uh OH- Baby Cry." It was soooo cute. I love those boys. 

Gabriel is getting to be such a big boy. He's so funny, smart, handsome, loving... the list goes on. I've been letting him sleep in our room since Lincoln got here. I know, I know... I always said I'd never let me boys sleep in our bed but here's my thinking. 1) I like to have my boys close to me- just in case anything were to happen. 2) If I were 2 years old and upstairs by myself, I'd be scared to death. lol. 3) It makes my boy happy. Turns out, our little 2 year old boy is a bed HOG! yep, that's right... he takes up as much room as a grown man. haha. So, we moved his Mickey couch into our room, folded it down, and now that's where our little man sleeps... most of the time anyways. 

Oh yeah, our big boy is 2 years old... can you believe it!? We celebrated his birthday on the 22nd of June. Of course, we had a Mickey Mouse swimming party at Mama and Papa's. My boy is so blessed to have so many people that love him in his life. He definitely got spoiled on his birthday! And what might my 2 year old be up to these days!? Well...

- He LOVES Mickey Mouse and the Chuck the Truck show on Netflix. 
- He loves mowing with Papa
- He loves his vroom-vrooms or car cars... 
- Cows are his favorite animal... 
- then again, frogs and ducks are up there too. 
- Birds are called "P's" - he got that from Papa's Pigeons. 
- He loves playing outside, getting dirty, and playing with rocks
- He likes bananas, pancakes, spaghetti, macaroni, animal crackers, cheetoh's, and oreos. 
- He has a smile that can melt your heart. 
- He loves to laugh.
- He can count to six. 
- He loves playing with cars and anything that makes noise. 
- He's a climber. 
- He enjoys bath time
- He loves his brother
- He can operate an iPad better than anyone I know
- He loves it when he hears the "Choo-choo's" going by
- He has to sleep with his cars and Hippo
- He likes it when we say... 1, 2, 3 GO! 
- Weighs a little more than 20 pounds

Lincoln, my big 3 month old, well here's what he's been up to:: 

- Sleeping through the night... actually longer than Gabe! haha 
- Poops likes it going out of style
- Enjoys having exploding diapers on daddy
- Still breastfeeding
- Loves watching his brother play
- Loves bathtime too! 
- wearing 3 months clothes
- weighs over 11 pounds
- Has a ton of hair
- Likes to play with his monkey on his play mat
- Loves to stand up
- Enjoys moving- and not sitting
- sleeps in the car
- Staying awake more during the day
- Smiles at Mommy all the time
- Enjoys hugs from his brother
- Cries when no one is paying attention to him 
- Sleeps in his rock and play sleeper
- Not a huge fan of his swing or bouncer
- Loves being outside...just like his brother

Anyway folks, that's about all the updating I'm doing tonight. I promise I'll do more soon.. along with more pics! Have a good one!!

Welcome to Seussville!

Well Friends, it's been awhile. There's no good excuse- except that we've just been busy. This past week has been crazy but fun. Jesse's best friend (and Best Man) came up for a visit from Florida...just in time for Gabriel's First birthday party! Adam, is Gabe's godfather- so it was wonderful that he got to come and celebrate with us. This was his first time meeting Gabe as well- and boy, does Gabe love his "Uncle" Adam!  


We celebrated our little man's birthday this past Saturday at Mama and Papa's for a swimming party! And since Southern Illinois is apparently experiencing some record high heat... let's just say his birthday party was HOT! Very HOT! But it turned out awesome and I couldn't be happier! 


Our little man is so blessed to have such good family and friends that came out to celebrate with us. I'm so happy that he got to celebrate with the people that mean the most to him. We had aunts, uncles, grandma's, grandpas, neighbors, friends, and of course, his cousin...and favorite cousin, Emeri (THING 2). It was a fabulous day and fun was had by all. 


I must admit, I've been planning this birthday party almost since the day that we brought Gabe home. I knew that it had to be special. After all, it is his very FIRST birthday... and after all that we went through in the beginning, it seemed only appropriate to celebrate his first year of life in a BIG way. Our boy is so, so special to us... and even though he won't remember this party, I still wanted to go all out for him. (and yes, I've already started the planning for Birthday party #2). The only problem with planning big parties... you have to outdo yourself every year after. And I must say, this one will be tough to beat... even Jesse complimented on how well it turned out and how much he really did like the Dr. Seuss theme. 


So, dear friends....I invite you to enter the World of SEUSSVILLE where we have "lots of good fun that is funny!" 

I made the signs with my friend, Rachel's, Cricut. 

This was hanging at the end of the driveway pointing to the house! 

The food table... 

Gabe I Am! 

This sign was a last minute decision...but I'm so happy with the way it turned out!

Love this quote from the Dr. Seuss Happy Birthday Book! 

"Today you are you- that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you!"

Decor. 

Dr. Seuss decor is so hard to find... so i improvised. 

Gabe had multiples of The Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham... 

So I used some of the pages out of those books for decoration! 

Cupcakes! (thanks Gma Kim and Papaw Gary!)

They turned out so well... 

I love the red and white that is supposed to be the Cat's Hat! :)

Gabe's smash cake! 

Thing 1 of course...

since our Big Boy is 1 year old!

Happy Birthday table! 

We had each guest sign the Happy Birthday book! 

A special keepsake for my little man. 

I also set out his album with all of his pictures.

We had several permanent markers in different colors for each guest to write with!

Birthday BOY!

He's so cute!

Thing 1 & Thing 2!

I had these shirts made fairly cheap for Gabe and Emeri!

I'm so happy that I did too! They were so cute!

Yertle's Caramel Turtles!

Our food all had something to do with Dr. Seuss... Of Course! :)

Poodles with Noodles!

1 Fish, 2 Fish, Red Fish....GOLDFISH! :)

Green Eggs! 

I LOVE how well these turned out. I made them the night before and was a little nervous. 

But they turned out wonderful... and I think they added a little something to the party! 

Gabe was SO not into eating his cake... 

I was really hoping he'd just dig right in but he was more interested in playing with the icing than eating!

Love his bib!

I actually received that as a gift at my baby shower... 

It came in handy during the cake because it covered all of Gabe... 

So we didn't make to much of a mess! :)

Even Daddy got some on his face!

Present time!!

My Family! 

(Yes, I have a Cat in the Hat shirt! Found it at Wal-Mart... 

and of course had to get it for the party!)

This is the message that was by the Happy Birthday Book! 

Thanks to my BFF Rachel who printed it out for me moments before the party started! :)

(The Hats I used for decoration. I also put them on pictures of Gabe around the party as well)

Balloons! 

I had found one place here in town that carried Dr. Seuss balloons... 

and of course, Saturday was the only day they were totally out of them! 

Oh well, I think these worked nicely for the day! :)

Welcome sign! 

Again, Dr. Seuss decor is so hard to find. 

I got lucky when I went into Michael's on Wednesday. 

They had several Dr. Seuss things for classrooms... 

So I snagged this banner and the Dr. Seuss Hats for the party! 

The only thing I don't have a picture of is his invitation. I will post a picture of it within the next few days! I am absolutely thrilled with this party. There were so many other blogs and websites that had such great ideas for Dr. Seuss themed parties... I was blessed to have had so much time to research and plan every single detail of this party. I loved it and Gabe had a great time too! A big thank you to my parents and my in-laws for helping us out with the party! It turned out great...and even though Gabe won't actually remember the day... he'll be able to look back at pictures and videos and see how fabulous it was! So now, it's back to reality... Seussville was a fun time though! 

Have a good one friends!! 

Happy 1st Birthday, Gabriel Lee!!

Today is Gabriel's FIRST BIRTHDAY! Can you believe it? Time sure does fly! This year has been the most incredible year... that boy sure does know how to put a smile on my face. 

It's hard to believe that a year ago we were in the hospital waiting for Gabe to arrive. All of the things we went through... bedrest, hospital stays, surgery... it all led us to where we are today. So, you can imagine why this birthday is so special for us. I want it to be the best birthday ever for my little boy. There was a time when we weren't so sure about his future... so having him here and celebrating his FIRST birthday is so, so special for us. Yes, I know that he won't remember everything about his birthday, but he will always have pictures to look back on to see how special this day is. 

Gabriel Lee, 

Today you are 1 year old! I can't believe it. You are growing up way too fast. You learn something new everyday and you can put a smile on my face no matter what. I don't mind the early mornings or the (sometimes) late nights... because I know that these are the moments and the memories that I will never forget. 

I didn't know how much life would change a year ago when you came into our lives. You've made Mommy and Daddy's life so much better. You brighten every day with your smile. Even though you are constantly learning something new... you even manage to teach us something new every day too. I'm so proud of you. I'm proud that you proved the doctor's wrong. I'm proud that you have surpassed so many expectations and that you are strong and healthy. I'm amazed when I look back on where you started and where we are now. Looking at you now, no one would ever know that you're life began 10 weeks too early. 

Some of your favorite things to do now is: crawl all over the place. Pull yourself up and walk around while holding on. Clearing the coffee table off for Mommy. Open and shut doors. Crawl out of the room when you know you're not supposed to. Watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. and of course, play with your all your toys. 

I can't believe how you are growing so fast. I wish I could freeze time. I love how Mommy is your best friend. I love walking into your room in the morning and seeing that BIG smile on your face. I love your laugh. I like how you love to explore everything... and I mean EVERYTHING! haha. Most of all, I love the person that you are and I look forward to seeing the young man that you will become. You've made our lives so much better, Gabriel Lee. We love you so much and we want you to have a very, very special birthday! I can't wait until your birthday party. We're going to celebrate with everyone that means the most to you and we're going to have so much fun! 

Happy Birthday Baby Boy! We love you so much! 

Love, 

Mommy and Daddy

One more week!

Can you believe it!? My little boy will be ONE year old in exactly one week! Where did the time go? Seriously!? 


I was looking through some old pictures tonight and it is so crazy to think of everything we went through. All of those days and nights in the hospital, the sleepless nights at home, the dirty diapers, the bottle cleaning, the smiles, and the laughs... all of those things got us to where we are today. Yes, it's been one crazy year... But we've loved EVERY SINGLE MINUTE of it! 


During the next week, I'm going to be posting about Gabriel Lee's first year of life. With plenty of pictures along the way. So tonight, we will start with the first couple of months of Gabe's life. 


Well, it all began on June 20, 2011 at 12:35 p.m. Yes, that's when Gabriel Lee Schiff made his entrance into the world. At just 2 pounds 3.6 ounces he made sure that we all knew he had a great set of lungs! That was the day it all started; that was the day that both my life and Jesse's changed forever. 


Why is it so hard to choose a name for your child? Jesse and I could not agree on a name for the longest time. It wasn't until I was admitted into the hospital that we finally agreed on a name. Now, the middle name was a given. And before anyone goes and gets any kind of ideas... Gabriel's middle name is after Jesse and I. Both of our middle names are Lee... so of course, our child's middle name had to be the same. I don't remember how we exactly came up with the name Gabriel...I'm sure it's in a previous post. But I do remember Jesse saying that name and having that "Ahhh, yes!" moment. You can't go wrong with Biblical names. You just can't! 


If you remember, we spent the first 2 months or so of Gabe's life in hospitals. About 4 weeks in Carbondale and 5 weeks in St. Louis. Looking back now, Cardinal Glennon Hospital was the best thing that could have ever happened to us. Don't get me wrong, Carbondale is a great hospital, but for preemies like Gabe, I'm still not convinced they are the best for him. Had he not been transported to StL, we could have faced a very different life. So, I am grateful to the doctor at Carbondale who had the good sense to admit she wasn't equipped to handle our situation and sent us to a better place. Though we were mad in the beginning, it was the best thing that could have happened. 


Let's not forget that Cardinal Glennon was very good to us. Of course, Gabe got to ride in style to the hospital in a helicopter. Probably the most expensive helicopter ride, EVER! haha. Anyway, we were very blessed at the hospital. I received free meals all day and we could stay with Gabe all the time. The hospital was literally 5 minutes from my brother's house, which made it very convenient for us as well. I won't lie though, we were happy when the hospital told us we could take Gabe home. We were grateful for what they did, but ready to get the heck out of there! 


Gabe came home and adjusted as if he had not just spent 2 months in a hospital. It took us awhile to get used to not hearing the beeps of a machine or the nurses coming in every 3 hours. Who am I kidding... it didn't take us long at all! haha. I remember just wanting to sit and stare at him. For the longest time I was so worried that he would forget to breathe and I wouldn't be there to stimulate him to remind him. When you are used to hearing a beep everytime the heart rate changes or the oxygen level changes, it's hard to not wonder if something is happening that you're not aware of. So I had to keep reminding myself that he had not had an episode the entire week before we came home. I had to tell myself that he was stronger & bigger and that there was no need to worry. But honestly, what mom doesn't worry? I think every mom has sat and stared at their child at least once. 


Once Gabe came home, he did better than anyone ever expected him to do. He was gaining weight better than he was in the hospital and he was changing and learning something new every single day. I can remember thinking... Man, is he really going to wake me up every 3 hours to eat? Am I ever going to know what it feels like to sleep in again? And let's face it, I hadn't really slept well since I had gotten pregnant. My pregnancy was pretty bad and sleep during my pregnancy wasn't the easiest by any means. I think we all remember my post on my sleep while I was pregnant. If not, let me give you a refresher! It went something like this: Can't sleep on my left side. Must sleep on right side. Body pillow must be between legs and up between my arms. Adjust. Get comfy. Have Jesse cover me up. Finally, RELAXATION. OH NO, have to pee. Get up. Walk to bathroom. Start over. 


Yep, so it's safe to say that sleep was pretty non-existant during the entire pregnancy. And no, it didn't get much easier while in the hospital either. While I was in the hospital, it wasn't easy sleeping when nurses are coming in to check on you every 3 hours. Or when your oxygen level goes down and the baby stops moving like before, and you get put on oxygen for 3 hours. No, sleep was not happening. But hey, looking back now... From the pregnancy, to the hospital stays, to bringing Gabe home... I wouldn't trade any of it for sleep. Maybe I've been a bit sleep deprived on some days...but that boy sure does know how to make Mommy smile.

Pregnancy

4d Ultrasound

Right before labor... so swollen!!

Welcome to the World, Gabriel Lee!!

First time holding him. 

Micro preemie and preemie diapers. Gabe wore the smallest 

ones for a while. 

Bilirubin lights... He's tanning! :) 

Birthday Countdown!

Can you all believe that my baby boy will be ONE YEAR OLD in just 8 days!? Where did the time go? And can we make it slow down? He's just getting too big and too independent! :) 

It's hard to believe that at this time last year I was in a hospital bed, trying to make it to the next day without delivering. A lot happened back then and it's crazy to think back and then to see where we are now. Today, we have a beautiful baby boy that is so full of energy and life. To look back and see how tiny he was when he was born, to where he is today... you'd never know he had to fight so hard those first few months of his life. 

I am getting very excited about Gabriel's birthday party. As you all know, it's a Dr. Seuss party... and it's going to be AWESOME! I'm working on the invitations this week... my goal is to have them in the mail by Wednesday. oh & just wait until you see his invitations... they are soooooo cute! Everything is starting to come together. Tonight, I'm ordering his decorations and banner. Later this week, I'm going to order his cake, which will be super adorable. And then, we still have to get all of the little things done as well. Oh my goodness... i just can't wait. It's going to be SO. MUCH. FUN! I'm so happy that Gabriel is going to get to spend his special day with all of the people that mean the most to him! Jesse's good friend Adam, Gabe's Godfather, is also making the trip up from Florida to come to his party. This will be the first time that he gets to meet Gabe... I'm so excited about this as well. 

Since Gabe's party isn't until the 30th... we've got BIG plans for his actual birthday. Of course, my little man will wake up the only way a birthday boy should (can't ruin the surprise just yet) and then we're going to head to his favorite park in Carbondale and play. Since the park is right next to Larry's House of Cakes, we of course are going to go get him a cupcake to celebrate the special day as well. We're going to end the day with a little cake/ice cream celebration... as long as Mommy doesn't have to work! :)

Alright, that's all friends! Here's some pictures of my favorite little man! Have a good one! :) 

New glow in the dark pj's

"Mean Face" 

And this is how he helps me fold laundry! 

First time on the boat!

Trying Dimaggio's for the 1st time... Loved it!

At Rachel and Bryan's wedding... Yes, that's a sweater vest! Too cute!

He got stuck!

Playing, of course!

Eating chicken!

Pool Time with Daddy!

He's just so cute!