2 posts in one night... I know, something MUST be wrong with me. But, my previous post was all about my boys... this one is more about everything else! :)
I recently read this article from the Huffington Post titled "To the Parents of Small Children- Let me be the one to say it out Loud" If you have the chance to read it, I strongly encourage you to do so. It was so accurate and just makes you feel better about parenthood. In the article, he states everything that we as parents don't want to say out loud. Like, how sometimes, it's okay to just go totally crazy! It's okay to want to be at work on those difficult days! And how it's okay to look forward to bathtime... The author states that you're not a terrible parent if you thing about these things. And it is SO true! I mean, how many of us parents can honestly say that we've never thought about wanting to be at work instead of home? I know I have! I'm not afraid to admit it. There's been those days where I have thought, "Man, I would be LESS busy if I was working full time." haha. Seriously, being a stay-at-home mother is a full time job. It's no joke! I've also had those days where bed time just couldn't come soon enough. You know, those days where your children are bouncing off the walls and just driving you crazy in general. I think goodness, bed time needs to get here. We all feel that way at times. And it's good to remember that feelings like that are normal. They don't make you a bad parent. It makes you human. All it takes is for my 2 year old to say "Momma" or my 4 month old to smile and it makes all that crazy, busy life fade away. Those boys know how to drive me crazy- but they also know how to melt my heart. I wouldn't trade a single day at home with them for a day at work. You can read the article HERE!
Last week was the annual Kidsignment Sale at the Marion Pavilion. Seriously, if you're from So. Ill and you've never gone- YOU NEED TO GO!! Let me tell ya- this sale has EVERYTHING for kids... clothes, toys, baby gear, more clothes... haha. And get this, everything is at GREAT prices. I won't lie- I got almost ALL of my Christmas shopping done at the sale. I know, I know... you may be thinking... "you bought used things for Christmas gifts?" The answer is, Yes- Yes I did! Let me explain... if your a parent then you are aware that toys these days are beyond expensive! It's ridiculous! Especially when we all know that children play with toys for a few days until they lose interest! I know that Jesse and I certainly don't enjoy paying full price for a toy that Gabe will lose interest in so soon. I honestly try not to spend full price on toys... because well, you know me- I like to shop and I like my boys to have everything... so full price would literally put us in the poor house! haha. So, back on topic, luckily both of our families understand this and are practical thinkers in terms of used toys so they were all on board with this idea. We have 6 nieces and nephews plus our 2 boys- so you can imagine that Christmas time can get expensive. I Literally got all our Christmas shopping done at this sale for $80! SCORE! The best thing is- all of the toys that I got look brand new! Who can beat that!? :) I also picked up a walker for Lincoln and Gabe got several new pairs of Crocs! That boy does love his Crocs! He's got a new sandal pair and a new pair for the winter! He's been wearing the sandals everyday since! So cute! OH & I got the boys' Halloween costumes! So SO cute!! :)
Speaking of Christmas time... Who's excited!? This Girl is! I can not wait for Christmas this year. Gabe is at the age that he understands and somewhat enjoys opening gifts. So far, we've gotten him a lot of fun toys! I can't wait to see his face on Christmas morning when he opens his gifts. Granted, we do have a few more things that we'd like to get the boys but most of our shopping is done.
OK, that's all for tonight friends! This Mama has been exhausted all week- so it's tonight it's an early bedtime! Have a good one!
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
4 months and Holiday World
I really need to update more! I'm so sorry- I'm just so busy and tired all of the time. Anyway, on the 2nd of this month Lincoln was 4 months old! Can you believe it? He's growing up so fast. He weighs a whopping 13 pounds 4 ounces. He is literally 7 pounds lighter than Gabe. Whew! No wonder that carseat is getting heavier everyday! He's going to be bigger than Gabe in no time... which is why we have got to get my big boy to start eating more! haha.
Anyway, Lincoln rolled over for the first time a few weeks ago! It was so exciting. He's starting to "Talk" a lot more and we have began the teething phase. Oh, how I despise the teething phase. Not only is Lincoln beginning to teeth, but Gabe's molars are coming in now too. Fun!? Uh, NO! Gabe's were hurting him so bad that he was scraping at his mouth and filling it up with blood! Terrible! He was in so much pain. He had a couple of these episodes until I finally figured out what was hurting him. Thankfully a little Motrin did the trick and he was better. Did I mention how much I hate teething? haha. Right Now, Lincoln is just in the drooling and wanting to chew on his hands phase. There's been a few times when he's been really grouchy and irritable. We gave him a little tylenol and he that did the trick. Oh yes, what fun we have ahead of us.
A few weekends ago, we took our big boy to Holiday World for the first time. The company that Jess works for took all of their employees for free. So, we took Jesse's little sister and Gabe with us. We had a blast! Gabe absolutely LOVED the water park. They have a little mini park inside the water park just for kids- complete with little slides and the fountains that shoot up from the ground. He LOVED it. We also took him to the wave pool and let him swim his little heart out. He had so much fun in that too. He rode a couple of rides and by the end of the day he was EXHAUSTED! We rented a wagon and my little man was actually sitting up asleep- that's how tired he was!
Some Milestones & Favorites for my boys:
First time rolling over: August 24, 2013
First time standing in his walker: September 11, 2013
Favorite Song: Pat-A-Cake
Favorite activity: Playing in his exersaucer and walker
Favorite toy: Sophie the Giraffe & Cocoa the Monkey (Teething toys)
Car rides: LOVE! Sleeps most of the time!
Other Favorites: Being Outside, Being Held, Bathtime!
First trip to Holiday World: September 7, 2013
Favorite Song: Jesus is My Rock
Favorite toys: His Cars
Favorite activities: Playing with his cars, playing outside, mowing with Papa, swimming
Favorite foods: Macaroni, pizza, spaghetti, bananas, animal crackers, cheerios, goldfish
Favorite drinks: Milk and Apple Juice
Favorite Shows: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, The Adventures of Chuck the Truck, and his newest favorite, Daniel the Tiger
Favorite time of day: Bath time!
Favorite Movies: Cars, Cars 2, and Horton Hears A Who (he loves that silly elephant!)
Things he is saying now: "I Wanna go to papa's and mow"
"awwww...baby!" (while giving Lincoln Hugs)
"See the P's" (P's = birds)
"Bye-Bye Goat" Or "Hi Goat" (Goats= deer)
"Hear the choo-choo!?"
"Go-Go-GO!"
"See my Car cars?"
"I brush my teeth"
Some Milestones & Favorites for my boys:
Lincoln::
First time rolling over: August 24, 2013
First time standing in his walker: September 11, 2013
Favorite Song: Pat-A-Cake
Favorite activity: Playing in his exersaucer and walker
Favorite toy: Sophie the Giraffe & Cocoa the Monkey (Teething toys)
Car rides: LOVE! Sleeps most of the time!
Other Favorites: Being Outside, Being Held, Bathtime!
Gabriel::
First trip to Holiday World: September 7, 2013
Favorite Song: Jesus is My Rock
Favorite toys: His Cars
Favorite activities: Playing with his cars, playing outside, mowing with Papa, swimming
Favorite foods: Macaroni, pizza, spaghetti, bananas, animal crackers, cheerios, goldfish
Favorite drinks: Milk and Apple Juice
Favorite Shows: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, The Adventures of Chuck the Truck, and his newest favorite, Daniel the Tiger
Favorite time of day: Bath time!
Favorite Movies: Cars, Cars 2, and Horton Hears A Who (he loves that silly elephant!)
Things he is saying now: "I Wanna go to papa's and mow"
"awwww...baby!" (while giving Lincoln Hugs)
"See the P's" (P's = birds)
"Bye-Bye Goat" Or "Hi Goat" (Goats= deer)
"Hear the choo-choo!?"
"Go-Go-GO!"
"See my Car cars?"
"I brush my teeth"
Monday, September 2, 2013
The Blunt, Honest, Kinda Hilarious Truth about Motherhood...with 2!
A while back I did a post on the things I've learned since being a mother. I've learned A LOT since having Gabriel and I'm still learning more everyday. I've also found that life with 2 boys is quite different than life with 1. So here's the blunt, honest, kinda hilarious truth about motherhood with 2 boys::
1) If one is crying- the other one will most likely start to cry as well. I mean, really? This usually happens to me on car rides when Gabe is really tired. He'll start crying uncontrollably, wake Lincoln up, and then Lincoln starts crying as well. It's usually one of those moments where I just take a deep breath and deal until we can stop or we get home.
2) Your oldest will take interest in the youngest one's toys. Yes, this is a fact... at least in this house it is. Gabe LOVES playing with all of Lincoln's things. His walker, rock n play sleeper, teethers, swing, bouncy seat... you name it, he loves it. Thank Goodness that boy doesn't weigh to much- so I don't have to worry about him breaking them! haha.
3) God does have a sense of humor! :) I'm a firm believer that God does a sense of humor... I mean, he gave me 2 boys! haha. If you know me, you know I love ALL things girly... but God gave me these 2 boys and now I'm learning to love Cars, dirt, and playing outside. It's definitely interesting and there is never a dull moment. But I love every second of it.
4) The youngest child will learn so much quicker than the first. I'm a firm believer that children learn by observing other children. Lincoln is already catching on to things so quickly- and I believe it is because he has his older bro to look up to.
5) Diaper changing will become more of a hobby-you'll just do it without thinking. Seriously, I probably change at least 10 diapers a day...probably more than that. Perhaps I should count how many I change in 1 day. It's crazy! And the craziest thing of it all?? My boys will always, always poop as soon as I change them. It NEVER fails!
6) You will freak out anytime they are near any thing that could possibly hurt them. I'm on edge every time that Gabe takes off running on our concrete playing. It freaks me out. I know it's inevitable for him to get a scraped knee or need stitches, Again, but I REALLY want to avoid that. Oh boy, what am I going to do when they are BOTH running!?
7) You will do more laundry for these small people than you ever have before! haha. I feel like I do laundry every single day... and on those days that I don't feel like folding- I just hit start on the dryer again! shhh... don't tell!
8) Night Terrors. They're terrible! Gabe recently started having night terrors and I absolutely hate it. He is still asleep and he starts crying out loud or whining- and he's inconsolable during these times. I've read about them and most say to just block them from anything that can injure them. That most likely they won't remember any of it in the morning. And yes, that's true. I'm usually more traumatized than Gabe is the following morning... not to mention more tired!
9) Toddlers are like little tornadoes. My house constantly looks like a tornado went through and just threw our toys everywhere...and yes, I mean EVERYWHERE! Granted, it's partially my fault for buying the kid so many toys.. but seriously, how does one little boy make such a mess? Can you imagine life when they're both running and playing? Whew! I'm tired just thinking about it.
10) Your body won't be the same after birth. Don't we all know this already? Boy, what I'd do to have that old body back. But, these boys are worth every bit of it!
11) You will be exhausted and yes I mean EXHAUSTED!!!! Keeping up with these 2 boys has me more tired than I have ever been. I was just telling Jesse how I wish I could just have one day to catch up on my sleep.
12) Again, people will always comment and give their own parenting advice. Just take it in stride- that's all I can say. I remember taking Gabe to the grocery store when he was still a baby... I had him in his carrier and thought that he'd be just fine. We weren't in the store more than 5 minutes and he started screaming. I had just fed and changed him so I knew that wasn't it. Well, this older lady came up to me and said- "Oh, I think he's hungry... is he on the breast?" I simply replied, no he's not hungry- he's just mad." Again, she said, "I think he's hungry." What can ya do? Just smile and move on! haha.
13) Following the previous post...shopping in general will be hard with 2 if you are alone. I usually try to only take 1 of the boys with me when I do my grocery shopping OR I go with my mom so she can help too. I must say that the last few times I've gone grocery shopping with just Lincoln (he's always in his carrier) I've had people offer to unload my cart for me. This always restores my faith in humanity.
1) If one is crying- the other one will most likely start to cry as well. I mean, really? This usually happens to me on car rides when Gabe is really tired. He'll start crying uncontrollably, wake Lincoln up, and then Lincoln starts crying as well. It's usually one of those moments where I just take a deep breath and deal until we can stop or we get home.
2) Your oldest will take interest in the youngest one's toys. Yes, this is a fact... at least in this house it is. Gabe LOVES playing with all of Lincoln's things. His walker, rock n play sleeper, teethers, swing, bouncy seat... you name it, he loves it. Thank Goodness that boy doesn't weigh to much- so I don't have to worry about him breaking them! haha.
3) God does have a sense of humor! :) I'm a firm believer that God does a sense of humor... I mean, he gave me 2 boys! haha. If you know me, you know I love ALL things girly... but God gave me these 2 boys and now I'm learning to love Cars, dirt, and playing outside. It's definitely interesting and there is never a dull moment. But I love every second of it.
4) The youngest child will learn so much quicker than the first. I'm a firm believer that children learn by observing other children. Lincoln is already catching on to things so quickly- and I believe it is because he has his older bro to look up to.
5) Diaper changing will become more of a hobby-you'll just do it without thinking. Seriously, I probably change at least 10 diapers a day...probably more than that. Perhaps I should count how many I change in 1 day. It's crazy! And the craziest thing of it all?? My boys will always, always poop as soon as I change them. It NEVER fails!
6) You will freak out anytime they are near any thing that could possibly hurt them. I'm on edge every time that Gabe takes off running on our concrete playing. It freaks me out. I know it's inevitable for him to get a scraped knee or need stitches, Again, but I REALLY want to avoid that. Oh boy, what am I going to do when they are BOTH running!?
7) You will do more laundry for these small people than you ever have before! haha. I feel like I do laundry every single day... and on those days that I don't feel like folding- I just hit start on the dryer again! shhh... don't tell!
8) Night Terrors. They're terrible! Gabe recently started having night terrors and I absolutely hate it. He is still asleep and he starts crying out loud or whining- and he's inconsolable during these times. I've read about them and most say to just block them from anything that can injure them. That most likely they won't remember any of it in the morning. And yes, that's true. I'm usually more traumatized than Gabe is the following morning... not to mention more tired!
9) Toddlers are like little tornadoes. My house constantly looks like a tornado went through and just threw our toys everywhere...and yes, I mean EVERYWHERE! Granted, it's partially my fault for buying the kid so many toys.. but seriously, how does one little boy make such a mess? Can you imagine life when they're both running and playing? Whew! I'm tired just thinking about it.
10) Your body won't be the same after birth. Don't we all know this already? Boy, what I'd do to have that old body back. But, these boys are worth every bit of it!
11) You will be exhausted and yes I mean EXHAUSTED!!!! Keeping up with these 2 boys has me more tired than I have ever been. I was just telling Jesse how I wish I could just have one day to catch up on my sleep.
12) Again, people will always comment and give their own parenting advice. Just take it in stride- that's all I can say. I remember taking Gabe to the grocery store when he was still a baby... I had him in his carrier and thought that he'd be just fine. We weren't in the store more than 5 minutes and he started screaming. I had just fed and changed him so I knew that wasn't it. Well, this older lady came up to me and said- "Oh, I think he's hungry... is he on the breast?" I simply replied, no he's not hungry- he's just mad." Again, she said, "I think he's hungry." What can ya do? Just smile and move on! haha.
13) Following the previous post...shopping in general will be hard with 2 if you are alone. I usually try to only take 1 of the boys with me when I do my grocery shopping OR I go with my mom so she can help too. I must say that the last few times I've gone grocery shopping with just Lincoln (he's always in his carrier) I've had people offer to unload my cart for me. This always restores my faith in humanity.
Monday, August 5, 2013
Saying's, Weightloss Journey and PICS!
Ok- so here's the deal on why I haven't gotten any pictures up yet. My laptop is currently broken- so I'm using Jesse's. For some reason- his files don't show the picture when I'm trying to upload them and so I have no idea which one I'm choosing. However, I'm going to get some pics up on here soon- it's just going to take me some time.
Anywho, Last weekend Jesse and I went out for the night- kind of the first LONG night out we've had in quite some time. We got a babysitter for the boys and headed to the winery. It was fabulous. The weather was perfect, the cheese dish was delicious, and the Sangria was WONDERFUL! :) haha.
My 2 baby boys are growing up sooooo fast. Seriously! I hate it. Lincoln is getting so, so big. He's definitely my laid-back child. He just loves watching his brother play and jump and run. haha. He sleeps in and goes to bed early (most nights). It's perfection. Gabriel on the other hand- he's my high maintenance child. He's always playing, running, screaming, laughing, and talking. He gets up super early and stays up super late. haha. But man, I do love those boys. In the mornings, Lincoln and I move to the couch, turn Mickey on for Gabe, and take small naps between shows while Gabe drinks his morning milk and watches Mickey.
Can you believe that my little baby boy, who was born so early, is talking up a storm now? What is he saying? Well, let me tell you some of his favorite sayings...
"Goooiiinnnn' to Papa's" (on our way to Mama and Papa's house)
"Mommy, Papa's mowin'. Papa's mowin' Mommy" (As he's running to the door to go outside to mow with Papa)
"Cow- MOOOOOO see the cow?"
"See the P's?(P's = Birds)
"See baby- see my baby Momma" (talking about Lincoln)
"Baby cryin'" (talking about Lincoln)
"Mickey Momma- Bubble" (talking about the Mickey episode "Pluto's bath"
"Car-Car!!" (talking about his cars
"Momma- I poop" (Self- explanatory)
"Here we go"
"1-2-3 GO!"
"See Bebe- goin to see Bebe?" (Bebe= his cousin, Emeri!) :)
He's saying so much more- I could probably write out 2 pages of my little man's sayings. He's so darn cute. He's starting to love his stuffed animals more these days. When we took him to the zoo one of his favorite animals was a Hippo. About a week later, I found him a stuffed Hippo at Goodwill for $1.00. (It was one of the ones that Kohl's had some time ago- so a buck was a score! haha). He also got a stuffed Leopard at a yard sale with Mama this past week (Which was from Build a Bear) that he also loves. He has to sleep with them every night. It's adorable.
Speaking of sleeping...My little man is having night terrors. I hate it. He screams out in his sleep and tosses around for about 5-10 minutes at a time. It doesn't happen every night but on the nights that it does it goes on for about 3 hours. They say not to wake your child up- just to hold him and block him from anything that might hurt him. I sure do wish that these terrors would stop. I hate seeing my little boy having a bad night. :( Good thing he's been sleeping in Mommy and Daddy's room- that way he's close.
Have I told you all about Jesse's new job yet? I know I should know this- but let me tell you- sometimes I can't even remember what I did yesterday! hahaha. Anyway, Jesse got a new job at the coal mines. And let me tell you- this changes everything for us! We're finally on the road to getting completely out of debt. YAY! My new goal is to have us debt free in one year. I know we can do it with some discipline and determination! Some prayers for this would be appreciated too! :)
Well, it's that time again- you know, DIET time. I've been so sick and tired of being fat. I thought for sure that breastfeeding and keeping up with 2 boys would make all this weight just fall off. Boy, was I WRONG! So, starting this week I've become determined to start this weight loss journey. I've done a lot of researching on the best and most natural ways to lose weight. Obviously, it's no shocker that eating clean and exercising is the way to go. So, I'm going to start eating a more clean diet and exercising. I started walking today- my goal is to walk 2 miles at least 3-4 times a week. I'd like to lose 10 pounds this month and a total of at least 40 by December. I know I can do it as long as I stay on track and stay determined. I want to be healthier. I want to be healthy for my kids so I can run and play with them without getting tired. I'm refusing to buy clothes- i'm determined to fit into my pre-pre pregnancy clothes. :) Stay tuned as I'll be updating every few weeks on my weightloss journey! :)
That's it for tonight folks. I got Jesse's bucket packed for work, the kitchen clean, and both boys to bed. So, it's time for this tired Momma to get some sleep too! I have several crafty ideas and recipes to try - so check back soon for some updates on those as well! Have a good one!
Anywho, Last weekend Jesse and I went out for the night- kind of the first LONG night out we've had in quite some time. We got a babysitter for the boys and headed to the winery. It was fabulous. The weather was perfect, the cheese dish was delicious, and the Sangria was WONDERFUL! :) haha.
My 2 baby boys are growing up sooooo fast. Seriously! I hate it. Lincoln is getting so, so big. He's definitely my laid-back child. He just loves watching his brother play and jump and run. haha. He sleeps in and goes to bed early (most nights). It's perfection. Gabriel on the other hand- he's my high maintenance child. He's always playing, running, screaming, laughing, and talking. He gets up super early and stays up super late. haha. But man, I do love those boys. In the mornings, Lincoln and I move to the couch, turn Mickey on for Gabe, and take small naps between shows while Gabe drinks his morning milk and watches Mickey.
Can you believe that my little baby boy, who was born so early, is talking up a storm now? What is he saying? Well, let me tell you some of his favorite sayings...
"Goooiiinnnn' to Papa's" (on our way to Mama and Papa's house)
"Mommy, Papa's mowin'. Papa's mowin' Mommy" (As he's running to the door to go outside to mow with Papa)
"Cow- MOOOOOO see the cow?"
"See the P's?(P's = Birds)
"See baby- see my baby Momma" (talking about Lincoln)
"Baby cryin'" (talking about Lincoln)
"Mickey Momma- Bubble" (talking about the Mickey episode "Pluto's bath"
"Car-Car!!" (talking about his cars
"Momma- I poop" (Self- explanatory)
"Here we go"
"1-2-3 GO!"
"See Bebe- goin to see Bebe?" (Bebe= his cousin, Emeri!) :)
He's saying so much more- I could probably write out 2 pages of my little man's sayings. He's so darn cute. He's starting to love his stuffed animals more these days. When we took him to the zoo one of his favorite animals was a Hippo. About a week later, I found him a stuffed Hippo at Goodwill for $1.00. (It was one of the ones that Kohl's had some time ago- so a buck was a score! haha). He also got a stuffed Leopard at a yard sale with Mama this past week (Which was from Build a Bear) that he also loves. He has to sleep with them every night. It's adorable.
Speaking of sleeping...My little man is having night terrors. I hate it. He screams out in his sleep and tosses around for about 5-10 minutes at a time. It doesn't happen every night but on the nights that it does it goes on for about 3 hours. They say not to wake your child up- just to hold him and block him from anything that might hurt him. I sure do wish that these terrors would stop. I hate seeing my little boy having a bad night. :( Good thing he's been sleeping in Mommy and Daddy's room- that way he's close.
Have I told you all about Jesse's new job yet? I know I should know this- but let me tell you- sometimes I can't even remember what I did yesterday! hahaha. Anyway, Jesse got a new job at the coal mines. And let me tell you- this changes everything for us! We're finally on the road to getting completely out of debt. YAY! My new goal is to have us debt free in one year. I know we can do it with some discipline and determination! Some prayers for this would be appreciated too! :)
Well, it's that time again- you know, DIET time. I've been so sick and tired of being fat. I thought for sure that breastfeeding and keeping up with 2 boys would make all this weight just fall off. Boy, was I WRONG! So, starting this week I've become determined to start this weight loss journey. I've done a lot of researching on the best and most natural ways to lose weight. Obviously, it's no shocker that eating clean and exercising is the way to go. So, I'm going to start eating a more clean diet and exercising. I started walking today- my goal is to walk 2 miles at least 3-4 times a week. I'd like to lose 10 pounds this month and a total of at least 40 by December. I know I can do it as long as I stay on track and stay determined. I want to be healthier. I want to be healthy for my kids so I can run and play with them without getting tired. I'm refusing to buy clothes- i'm determined to fit into my pre-pre pregnancy clothes. :) Stay tuned as I'll be updating every few weeks on my weightloss journey! :)
That's it for tonight folks. I got Jesse's bucket packed for work, the kitchen clean, and both boys to bed. So, it's time for this tired Momma to get some sleep too! I have several crafty ideas and recipes to try - so check back soon for some updates on those as well! Have a good one!
Lincoln Alexander Schiff
Gabe meeting his brother for the 1st time
Amber & Lincoln
Time to go home!
I LOVE this picture that my Brother Josh took!
Gabe loved his brother's swing!
He was sooooo hairy! haha
Smiling in his sleep
1st bath- he wasn't a fan.
Luckily, he loves bathtime now!
Date night with Mommy & Daddy
1st trip to the zoo!
Watching the HIPPO'S
<3 Brothers & Best Friends!
Photo courtesy of You-nique Capture Photography.
Do NOT copy.
silly boy.
Waiting for Emeri to come down the slide!
Cape that Mommy made him1
Photo courtesy of You-nique Capture Photography.
Do NOT copy.
Friday, July 26, 2013
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!!
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!!
Thursday, June 13, 2013
He's Here! Lincoln Alexander Schiff
Well, He's Here! Finally! Lincoln Alexander Schiff made his debut into this world on Thursday, May 2, 2013 at 7:13 p.m. He weighed 6 pounds 13.7 ounces- 19.5 inches long. He came out crying. He was perfect. Although, he did give Mommy a run for my money. And here's how Lincoln made his appearance...
It all started on Tuesday, April 30. It started out as a normal day. Gabe spent some time at Mama and Papa's while I worked on catching up on laundry, cleaning, and finishing our hospital bags. My goal was to have all of the laundry and cleaning done before Baby. I hadn't been feeling Lincoln move quite as much the day before that and on this day he wasn't moving much at all. I decided to wait the rest of the day to see if he would start moving more at night. Nighttime seemed to be his most active part of the day. When it hit around 7:00 p.m. and I still hadn't felt him move as much- I decided it might be time to give the doctor a call. I called my mom and Jesse to get their opinions on what I should do. At my doctor visit the past Thursday and the one before that they told me that my fluid level was low. If it got any lower by the coming Thursday the doctor said he would more than likely induce me. He also told me to call if I did not feel Baby move more than 10 times in 2 hours. On this day, I maybe felt him move about 6 times total. So, given all this information that we were told, I decided to call the hospital. I spoke to the doctor on call and she advised me to come in and get checked out. I called Jesse at work and he immediately left to come home. I called my Mom to come get Gabe. I took one last bath at home, got our stuff together, got some last minute things for Gabe together, and painted my nails (You know, it's important to feel good about yourself while in the hospital. haha)
Jesse got home, changed clothes, and packed our stuff into the car. We were off to the hospital! I was almost positive that they would send me home. I was having contractions but they weren't consistent at all. In fact, they were few and far between. We got to the hospital, got registered in the ER, and then headed up to the Baby floor. The nurse hooked me up to the monitor and got some info. We told her about the amniotic fluid and my past experience with Gabe. She informed the doctor on call and they sent me down to ultrasound to have a Biophysical Profile done on Baby. We were used to these actually... if you remember, we had these done at least once a day with Gabe- sometimes twice. Anyway, Lincoln scored a 4 out of 8 on the BPP. The ultrasound tech used stimulation to try to get him to move and he just wasn't having it. SO, the doctor decided to keep us overnight and repeat the BPP the following morning. My nurse moved us into a private room with an extra bed for Jesse. We got settled in, Jesse went home to grab our laptops so we'd have something to do and to feed Rylee. He then came back to the hospital with Steak-N-Shake in hand (I knew I married that man for a reason!) I was hooked up to the monitor all night- I could hear Lincoln's heartbeat so I knew everything was fine for the time being. The next morning they sent us down for the BPP again bright and early. Lincoln passed with flying colors this time. I was positive they would send me home this time... secretly hoping that maybe he'd decide to make his appearance anyway that day!
We got back up to our room and my nurse informed us that our doctor, Dr. Bishop, was taking over and that he'd be in shortly to talk to us! We were relieved! We love Dr. Bishop and were so glad to hear that he was coming in to talk to us. In fact, we probably would have requested for them to call him if he hadn't already been there! :) When Dr. B came in he said that he was not comfortable sending us home. My Blood pressure had been borderline and the fact that Lincoln failed the BPP the night before gave him reason to be concerned. Also, given my history with Gabe and the fact that fetal movement had decreased gave him reason to be concerned. He said that in some cases this could cause still birth and of course, we all wanted to avoid this. Very scary to think about!! He then said that medically he could not induce before 39 weeks without a medical reason. And at this time, there was no "medical" reason but we would wait until later in the day and assess from there.
The day went on as normal. They had been in bed the whole time. My mom brought Gabe down to see us. My poor little boy was so confused as to what was going on. Anyway, when Dr. B came back in he said that since my BP was borderline he wanted to try to get it up a little- that way there was a medical reason to induce. The Solution? Walking! He said there was no reason for me to have to stay in bed the whole time... he said we needed to go on some walks for 15 minutes and come back and check my BP. The goal was to get it up to 140/90. Well Guess WHAT!? Jesse took me on walks... made me walk up and down 3 flights of stairs and everytime my BP was right below the goal. Once it was 139/89. Of course that would happen. We gave up and waited for Dr. B to come back and talk to us that night.
When Dr. B came back in that night he said that he was going to induce me the following morning. He did not want to take any chances. Neither did we. So he said that we'd start at 7:00 a.m. and that we'd have a baby Boy by that evening. We were excited and ready to get started. Jesse went out and got us Little Caesar's pizza. The last meal before delivery. I got up and took a shower and got our things organized. Earlier that day, Dr. B sent us down for another ultrasound to get an estimated weight of Lincoln. You know what the lady got? 7 pounds 13 ounces. Now, imagine my fear when I hear this. Gabe was 2 pounds 3.6 ounces when he was born. One push and he was out. I was scared when she told me how big Lincoln was... scared because I knew this delivery would more than likely be significant longer. And BOY, was I right!
Jesse and I both got about 6 hours of sleep that night so we'd be refreshed and ready to go in the morning. My nurse came in at 6:30 to have us move to a Labor and Delivery room. She got my IV's going and we got situated in our new room. Dr. B came in shortly to and broke my water. I was dilated to a 4- positive that this baby was going to come soon. The day seemed long! Mom and Dad brought Gabriel down to the hospital and we all waited and waited and waited. Around 11 I was dilated to a 6... it wasn't until about 3:00 that I finally dilated to a 9 1/2. My contractions were 2 minutes apart... though I didn't feel them at all. Let me just say, once again- that epidural was amazing. FINALLY around 5:00 p.m. we started pushing. It was just Me, Jesse, and our nurse in the room. We pushed. And pushed. And pushed. Yes, I pushed for over 2 hours. And with each push Lincoln would crown a little and then head straight back in. I was SO tired. Dr. B came in around 7:00 to check on us. He could clearly tell that I was exhausted and ready to be done. He watched as we pushed a few times and then decided that it was time for him to help. I was so tired by this time that I was crying and positive that I couldn't push anymore. Dr. B said one more- so that's exactly what I did. And with his help, Lincoln FINALLY made his debut at 7:13 p.m. He came out kicking and crying. They immediately handed him to me to hold. He was 6 pounds 13.6 ounces and perfect. Jesse got to cut the cord and we both just stared at our new little baby boy.
Of course, you know us... we like to have complicated pregnancies. Turns out, my uterus inverted when Dr. B was delivering the placenta. My uterus was actually around the placenta when he delivered it. Luckily, both he and Jesse immediately saw this and Dr. B began putting the uterus back in. Let me just say- that epidural was AMAZING at this time! What were the chances for this happening... like really? It affects 1 out of 3,000 births and it just so happens that I was that lucky 1. However, since Dr. B immediately caught it we don't have to worry about any further complications. Thank God!
We spent another 2 nights in the hospital after Lincoln was born. He stayed in the room with us the whole time except for a few hours when they took him to the nursery for the normal tests and a bath. We were ready to get home by Saturday. Ready to see our big boy who was waiting for us at home!
Anyway, this post is long overdue- but things have been quite hectic in the Schiff household. My baby boy is growing so fast and my big boy is turning 2 in 6 days! Can you believe it? Lincoln is 6 weeks old and he weighs 9 pounds. He's 21 1/4 inches long already! Life is crazy these days. Lincoln had his days and nights mixed up for the longest time- which means this Momma didn't get much sleep at all. We camped out on the couch for several weeks. Thank God he is finally sleeping most of the night in his rock n play sleeper! He's the sweetest baby boy- just like his brother. And Gabe? Well Gabe loves his baby brother. He gives him kisses and hugs alllll of the time. Such a good big brother! He wasn't quite sure what to think of him when we first brought Lincoln home- but now, he loves him!
It all started on Tuesday, April 30. It started out as a normal day. Gabe spent some time at Mama and Papa's while I worked on catching up on laundry, cleaning, and finishing our hospital bags. My goal was to have all of the laundry and cleaning done before Baby. I hadn't been feeling Lincoln move quite as much the day before that and on this day he wasn't moving much at all. I decided to wait the rest of the day to see if he would start moving more at night. Nighttime seemed to be his most active part of the day. When it hit around 7:00 p.m. and I still hadn't felt him move as much- I decided it might be time to give the doctor a call. I called my mom and Jesse to get their opinions on what I should do. At my doctor visit the past Thursday and the one before that they told me that my fluid level was low. If it got any lower by the coming Thursday the doctor said he would more than likely induce me. He also told me to call if I did not feel Baby move more than 10 times in 2 hours. On this day, I maybe felt him move about 6 times total. So, given all this information that we were told, I decided to call the hospital. I spoke to the doctor on call and she advised me to come in and get checked out. I called Jesse at work and he immediately left to come home. I called my Mom to come get Gabe. I took one last bath at home, got our stuff together, got some last minute things for Gabe together, and painted my nails (You know, it's important to feel good about yourself while in the hospital. haha)
Jesse got home, changed clothes, and packed our stuff into the car. We were off to the hospital! I was almost positive that they would send me home. I was having contractions but they weren't consistent at all. In fact, they were few and far between. We got to the hospital, got registered in the ER, and then headed up to the Baby floor. The nurse hooked me up to the monitor and got some info. We told her about the amniotic fluid and my past experience with Gabe. She informed the doctor on call and they sent me down to ultrasound to have a Biophysical Profile done on Baby. We were used to these actually... if you remember, we had these done at least once a day with Gabe- sometimes twice. Anyway, Lincoln scored a 4 out of 8 on the BPP. The ultrasound tech used stimulation to try to get him to move and he just wasn't having it. SO, the doctor decided to keep us overnight and repeat the BPP the following morning. My nurse moved us into a private room with an extra bed for Jesse. We got settled in, Jesse went home to grab our laptops so we'd have something to do and to feed Rylee. He then came back to the hospital with Steak-N-Shake in hand (I knew I married that man for a reason!) I was hooked up to the monitor all night- I could hear Lincoln's heartbeat so I knew everything was fine for the time being. The next morning they sent us down for the BPP again bright and early. Lincoln passed with flying colors this time. I was positive they would send me home this time... secretly hoping that maybe he'd decide to make his appearance anyway that day!
We got back up to our room and my nurse informed us that our doctor, Dr. Bishop, was taking over and that he'd be in shortly to talk to us! We were relieved! We love Dr. Bishop and were so glad to hear that he was coming in to talk to us. In fact, we probably would have requested for them to call him if he hadn't already been there! :) When Dr. B came in he said that he was not comfortable sending us home. My Blood pressure had been borderline and the fact that Lincoln failed the BPP the night before gave him reason to be concerned. Also, given my history with Gabe and the fact that fetal movement had decreased gave him reason to be concerned. He said that in some cases this could cause still birth and of course, we all wanted to avoid this. Very scary to think about!! He then said that medically he could not induce before 39 weeks without a medical reason. And at this time, there was no "medical" reason but we would wait until later in the day and assess from there.
The day went on as normal. They had been in bed the whole time. My mom brought Gabe down to see us. My poor little boy was so confused as to what was going on. Anyway, when Dr. B came back in he said that since my BP was borderline he wanted to try to get it up a little- that way there was a medical reason to induce. The Solution? Walking! He said there was no reason for me to have to stay in bed the whole time... he said we needed to go on some walks for 15 minutes and come back and check my BP. The goal was to get it up to 140/90. Well Guess WHAT!? Jesse took me on walks... made me walk up and down 3 flights of stairs and everytime my BP was right below the goal. Once it was 139/89. Of course that would happen. We gave up and waited for Dr. B to come back and talk to us that night.
When Dr. B came back in that night he said that he was going to induce me the following morning. He did not want to take any chances. Neither did we. So he said that we'd start at 7:00 a.m. and that we'd have a baby Boy by that evening. We were excited and ready to get started. Jesse went out and got us Little Caesar's pizza. The last meal before delivery. I got up and took a shower and got our things organized. Earlier that day, Dr. B sent us down for another ultrasound to get an estimated weight of Lincoln. You know what the lady got? 7 pounds 13 ounces. Now, imagine my fear when I hear this. Gabe was 2 pounds 3.6 ounces when he was born. One push and he was out. I was scared when she told me how big Lincoln was... scared because I knew this delivery would more than likely be significant longer. And BOY, was I right!
Jesse and I both got about 6 hours of sleep that night so we'd be refreshed and ready to go in the morning. My nurse came in at 6:30 to have us move to a Labor and Delivery room. She got my IV's going and we got situated in our new room. Dr. B came in shortly to and broke my water. I was dilated to a 4- positive that this baby was going to come soon. The day seemed long! Mom and Dad brought Gabriel down to the hospital and we all waited and waited and waited. Around 11 I was dilated to a 6... it wasn't until about 3:00 that I finally dilated to a 9 1/2. My contractions were 2 minutes apart... though I didn't feel them at all. Let me just say, once again- that epidural was amazing. FINALLY around 5:00 p.m. we started pushing. It was just Me, Jesse, and our nurse in the room. We pushed. And pushed. And pushed. Yes, I pushed for over 2 hours. And with each push Lincoln would crown a little and then head straight back in. I was SO tired. Dr. B came in around 7:00 to check on us. He could clearly tell that I was exhausted and ready to be done. He watched as we pushed a few times and then decided that it was time for him to help. I was so tired by this time that I was crying and positive that I couldn't push anymore. Dr. B said one more- so that's exactly what I did. And with his help, Lincoln FINALLY made his debut at 7:13 p.m. He came out kicking and crying. They immediately handed him to me to hold. He was 6 pounds 13.6 ounces and perfect. Jesse got to cut the cord and we both just stared at our new little baby boy.
Of course, you know us... we like to have complicated pregnancies. Turns out, my uterus inverted when Dr. B was delivering the placenta. My uterus was actually around the placenta when he delivered it. Luckily, both he and Jesse immediately saw this and Dr. B began putting the uterus back in. Let me just say- that epidural was AMAZING at this time! What were the chances for this happening... like really? It affects 1 out of 3,000 births and it just so happens that I was that lucky 1. However, since Dr. B immediately caught it we don't have to worry about any further complications. Thank God!
We spent another 2 nights in the hospital after Lincoln was born. He stayed in the room with us the whole time except for a few hours when they took him to the nursery for the normal tests and a bath. We were ready to get home by Saturday. Ready to see our big boy who was waiting for us at home!
Anyway, this post is long overdue- but things have been quite hectic in the Schiff household. My baby boy is growing so fast and my big boy is turning 2 in 6 days! Can you believe it? Lincoln is 6 weeks old and he weighs 9 pounds. He's 21 1/4 inches long already! Life is crazy these days. Lincoln had his days and nights mixed up for the longest time- which means this Momma didn't get much sleep at all. We camped out on the couch for several weeks. Thank God he is finally sleeping most of the night in his rock n play sleeper! He's the sweetest baby boy- just like his brother. And Gabe? Well Gabe loves his baby brother. He gives him kisses and hugs alllll of the time. Such a good big brother! He wasn't quite sure what to think of him when we first brought Lincoln home- but now, he loves him!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)