Easter weekend

Look what the Easter Bunny brought to Summer...preschool scissors!  So exciting.

 We went to church for the first time as a family of four!  I would consider it a successful outing. Summer was happy but she just decided not to smile for the camera.

 Summer and the Easter Bunny at the park for the egg hunt on Saturday.

 Summer and her girlfriends waiting patiently for the horn to pick up eggs.  Once it blew, Summer picked up an egg and tried to open it...not a strategic plan because meanwhile a million other kids are picking up the eggs.  I encouraged her to wait to open and focus on picking them up first.  Hundreds of eggs were gone in one minute.

 Zane slept through the entire experience.  I love the baby bjorn-hands free and safe.

 Each parent carried a child

 Summer played doctor with Zane...he was actually happy and yawning in this picture but it is funny as it looks like he is screaming bloody murder.

 Here he is moments later-see he is calm.

Sleep is still very hard to come by. Zane is actually a little lamb and makes lamb noises ALOT!  That makes it very hard for Mommy to sleep.  I feel like I complain about lack of sleep alot-I really hope I can stop that soon.  Gotta run... 

Family Update

Big Sis loves to hold her brother

However that only lasts for 30 seconds then it is on to more fun...she and Mimi made a bunny rabbit cake and Summer decorated it herself!

Mimi left on Saturday and to our surprise Summer stayed in her playroom by herself for 3.5 hours playing with play-doh, coloring, and painting with a full bottle of hand sanitizer (didn't mean for that to happen...realized something was wrong when I looked in and she had her pants off, using them to wipe up her "big mess.") 

All the while, Zane was catching rays trying to rid his skin of jaundice.  The doctors have checked it twice and will again next week however they don't think it is a problem just monitoring it.

Daddy and Zane working on the computer 

Here are some pics from the hospital.  Summer is beaming with love and happiness!  Grandad (aka "da") is holding Zane for the first time.

Nana, Summer and Zane

Mimi meets Zane for the first time

Papa and Grammy (aka "Mammy") came to the hospital to greet the newest grandchild however I don't seem to have any pics.  Mammy will be returning in a couple of weeks to love on us when Daddy goes out of town.
I love this picture of Summer and Zane.

Summer Update: I am glad that I realized the lack of attention I was giving Summer so early because I feel that I have been able to resolve that situation and both she and I are spending quality time together.  Chad and I have noticed how Summer has grown up in the past week.  Her vocabulary has exploded and her independent play has really grown.  Her playroom full of toys hasn't seen this much action ever!

My recovery from the c-section is going really well.  I have weaned myself off the pain medication and I have been able to move around pretty well.  Yesterday we even ventured out for our first family of four+dog walk in the neighborhood.

1 WEEK UPDATE

1 Week Update

We had 3 days at home prior to big sister coming back home from her special stay at Nana and Grandads (We are so thankful to have a loving Nana and Grandad here in town).  Summer is VERY into Zane but as you can see her cartoon (what she is looking at) still takes priority.  She will be a great paci holder, making sure that paci doesn't come out!

Our little guy getting a little sunshine to make sure he doesn't get jaundice (still ok levels but doctor is watching it). 

 Our friends came by to see him, Tiffany and Addisyn.

 Summer's friends, Levi, Addie and their mom Abigail came over too

 Summer loves to hold Zane

 And I thought that little girls could be the only angels...I was wrong!

 Zane's first doctor appointment at 1 week.  He gained 4 ounces from what he left the hospital at.  Birth weight, 7lb5oz, left the hospital at 6lb14 oz and at 1 week he came in at 7lb2oz.  Little boy has been eating well at home-what an answered prayer.

Ok, confession time...Summer had a meltdown last night as it was past her bedtime and her routine has been off track for the past week, in many ways.  It was a side of her that I haven't seen and it made me think that she was acting out for my attention.  I felt guilty that I haven't been able to give her any of me since Zane has been born and it made me sad.  I can see all the reasons why I haven't been available (breastfeeding, recovering from c-section, sleep off track, etc) but the last thing I want is for her to feel like Mommy doesn't have time for her.  Today is a new day.  We have been playing with things that don't require me to be very physical.  We have had quality time with puzzles, reading books and painting with watercolors.  To my relief, Summer woke up and first thing told Mimi, "I happy Mimi."  What a sweet angel.

Mimi has been invaluable to us this week!  I am so blessed to have a loving mother available to help us out!

Meet Baby Zane

Sweet Sweet Zane

 Thank you God for these little hands. 

We are doing well.  Zane and I are adjusting well.  Big Sister comes home today from her weekend at Nana and Grandad's house.  I can't wait to have her assistance:)  Details about the birth and updates to come...just getting on the computer is a big step.

Easter Eggs

We are keeping it simple with our Easter decorations.  Growing up I can remember hanging plastic eggs on the trees in my front yard and as far as I know they never seemed to blow away.  So today, on yet another gorgeous March day, Summer and I decorated our rose trees.  I figured that this would keep me from wanting to put plants in there too early anyways (just in case winter decides to make an appearance this year).

37 weeks and holding

37 weeks and we have a scheduled arrival date!  Zane will arrive on Friday March 30 at 7:30am via c-section unless he decides to make an early appearance.  It just seems logistically that he will wait since his rear end is down and there just isn't enough pressure to make labor happen naturally, but anything is possible.  In the meantime, I am wearing white capris because they are the largest pants I have.  I know it is early and I have thought twice about it but in the end comfort wins.  Oh and the weather is in the 70's so it isn't that outrageous.

At this stage in my pregnancy, I have gotten everything ready so my days are mostly enjoyable as Summer and I have just been hanging outside in the beautiful sunshine.  I go to bed between 8-9pm as I am tired from getting up in the night...only for my brain to not fall back to sleep.  This morning I started my day at 3:30am, unintentionally of course.

I really haven't been that hungry as I have run out of space to expand, however I do find my sweet tooth has kicked it into high gear (although I am trying to ignore it).  I have had a baby shower to attend every weekend this month so at least I get a slice of cake per week. 

Will I make it until next week's update?

36 Weeks and Ready

Yay, I am 36 weeks!  I am currently 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced.  It is exciting that we are even talking that verbiage.  Zane is holding tight to his breech position and I have had a change of heart on the turning possibility.  My doctor showed me how the proceedure was done, by pressing down on me somewhat, and that small amount of pressure was all I needed to decide we would go the c-section route.  I mean, it was painful and she said that what she was doing wasn't even close to the pressure she would be using in an actual turning proceedure.  Worst case, Zane will be born in 3 weeks!

I am so relieved to have gotten some major responsibilities off my shoulders, taxes and the spring JLA magazine, so that I can get do the little things to be prepared for the big day.  Car vacuumed (seemed like I sucked up a whole box of cereal from between the seats) and car seat installed! 

Summer brought her baby and carrier out for the installation too (clinging them together, saying "cheers").

Big sister will be keeping a watchful eye on baby's every move! 

Baby lodge is done. 

Mom made Zane this awesome elephant shelf (exact replica from Pottery Barn Kids) which fits in nicely. 

Thanks to my baby shower and diaper shower (thrown by my church friends last weekend) our closet is packed full with boxes of diapers and wipes-so grateful! 

And now we WAIT!

Summer is so excited about "Z-A" (pronounced ZZZZ-A) coming and holding him.  She will be such a helper if not too much of a helper. 

As I type this I can hear lots of toys falling on the ground and she is saying, "BIG MESS."  The other day I looked around the living room and told her that it was a big mess...and I guess that has stuck. 

She has really become a daddy's girl recently, loving for daddy to hold her, hug her, find her under the covers etc.  Perfect timing!