Family Time

Took some fun pictures today while we played at the park.  I love Sundays!

I know it's not Thanksgiving just yet, but I know what I'm thankful for ;)

Lately

Around here lately these are the things I know...


*Finn is a giant!  14 lbs 3 oz and 24 1/2 inches at his two month appointment.  Whatever he is getting to eat is NOT what Tommy got.  They will be wearing the same size in about a year!  He gained about 5 1/2 lbs in two months!  He is so happy, eating, sleeping, smiling, and cooing.  He loves to hear stories, watch baseball, and look at himself.  He can roll from his tummy to his back, and holds himself up on his tummy really well.  He tries so hard to sit up, that sometimes when I set him down it looks like he is doing stomach exercises! 

*Tommy is basically potty trained.  (Please note, now that I have typed this it will probably be completely undone.)  He hasn't had an accident in about two weeks.  He goes both #1 and #2 on the potty, I haven't changed a dirty diaper (of his) in about two weeks, either.  He wears a diaper at nap and and night, but usually wakes up dry from both!  Most importantly, he is starting to be able to tell us that he has to go, and not have to hold it until I take him or tell him it's time to go try.  I honestly, don't really know how it happened, but I am so happy.  I just saw the light click on for him in terms of controlling it and we were rolling.  Also, the funniest part is, after he goes #2, I generally say something like, "oh, good job," etc.  He replies every time, "Oh, you're welcome, Mom!"  It's super funny!

*We went trick-or-treating with our good friends and the boys had a great time.  Tommy got the hang of it and they took turns ringing doorbells, and his friend Gavin said, "Trick-or-treat!  And also, Happy Halloween!"  at every house.  It was so funny!  He had several costume options including, a baseball player, a lion, or a cowboy.  They were all costumes that we either had or could easily put together.  I was surprised that he chose the baseball player, and more specifically to be Joe Mauer.  He has a special love affair with that guy.  I use it to my advantage though, ("Oh Tommy, Joe Mauer always listens to his mommy in the store!") Anyways, Greg said that the most important part would be the sideburns.  He wore the lion trick-or-treating because it was the warmest costume, but he was Joe at storytime and also Halloween morning at the grocery store.  He made lots of friends!  Finn was a sushi roll.  (I got the idea from a parenting magazine.)

*So, this year has been kind of a...how do you say?  Character building year for us, I guess.  We made a lot of changes, resulting in some growing pains, but ultimately we are starting to feel so comfortable and happy with our choices.  I am loving my time with the boys, and we are really happy to be so close to friends and family. 

Pumpkin picking

Cutest pumpkin in the patch!

Presenting, Mr. Joe Mauer!  Also, my friend asked him, "Do you want me to call you Tommy, or Joe Mauer?"

His reply was very serious.  "You can call me Joe."  The even after the costume, he wanted me to call him Joe!!!

Tommy and Gavin, trick-or-treating buddies!

Happy Halloween!

Love it

* The first sip of coffee in the morning
* Finn's smile and coos
* Tommy being a big brother
* That smile song
* Greg and Finn always asleep together
* Scrubs, especially the musical episode
* Glee, my new favorite show
* Tommy's manners and the charm, when he chooses to turn them on
* Driving the red car
* Hanging out with my big brother
* Fall (also winter since that's pretty much where we're at)
* Singing in the car
* A minute to myself, when I can get it
* lower case letters
* When Tommy dances with his head
* The dream of my jeans someday
* Pesto (and some good gnocchi) especially from Valentini's in Duluth
* Spending a random weekday afternoon with good friends
* Being able to stay in my jammies all day if I say so
* Being present for the little moments with my kids
* Cider, pumpkin seeds, sweaters and hats
*Cloudy days with a little bit of wind (no rain though!)
* My cd's from Sheila
* A good book
*Snuggling my boys on a Sunday afternoon
*Having Greg for one whole day on Sundays
*Good coffee and a walk around Target
*When the first thing out of Tommy's mouth in the morning is, "Tag, mom! You're it!"
*Finn flapping his arms and legs while he listens to a story
*These pics...

My favorite little sushi roll

Gimme, Gimme, Gimme!

Tommy just can't resist lovin' on his baby Finn

Also, can't resist his best girl, Ella.

Ahh!  The good things in life...

Things that actually happened

In the same day...

* Tommy is getting in trouble with me and crosses himself and says, "Father, soup, and something spit."  Not sure if he should still get in trouble and also a little bit unsure of my parenting skills if my son has to call on the holy trinity to save himself.

* Tommy blows kisses to the T.V. (Twins are on) and proclaims to the world his love of Joe Mauer.  Might I also add, that he regularly asks me if Joe Mauer likes to go potty.  (I told him this to encourage the potty training process)

* Tommy carried two gallons of milk from the door of the apartment to the kitchen.

Regular occurances...

* At nap and bedtime Tommy uses the fact that I will let him sit on the potty anytime he asks in order to delay having to lie down.  He never asks, except when it's time to do something else he doesn't want to do i.e. sleep.  Then he proclaims his undying love for me several times and requests hugs and kisses further delaying the impending bedtime because, lets face it folks, I am a sucker for affection.

* Tommy asks, "So...How was you day?"  Sometimes at 6 a.m., when he wakes up.  Or twice at lunch.

*  When he wants a story read he always requests that we, "talk about it" as in, we can't just sit there and look at the pictures with him or ask him to tell us what happens, this mean we have to read the book and he knows the difference.

* I give Tommy two options, the one I want and an undesirable one (for example, a penalty) 75% of the time the kid chooses the undesirable option and I know it's just to spite me.  God help us when he's a teenager.

* Finn is starting to smile and babble a little bit.  He mostly prefers to babble and smile at inanimate objects but we'll take it.

A few pics...

  Watching the planes, eating a muffin, waiting for Cara!  Nice outfit T!

For comparison...

Finners                         &                                Tommy           

They look really different to me.  Do you know which one is which? Sometimes I see similarities, but here they seem so different.

Things I love today

* the way tommy puts on a ball cap.  He's all boy ready to run off and be all rough and tumble...then he chooses footwear, his rubber frog galoshes of course...then he wants to wear my "beaufital neck-a-lis." (his pronunciation is hilarious).

*Greg, just Greg.  Especially doing anything dad related. 

*Finn.  Not much happens yet, but his hobbies include napping with dad and staring at his big brother.

* when Tommy says, "Oh Finners is crying, he wants his big brother!"  Then he runs over and hugs and kisses him.  Or when I walk by and find a little car or truck tucked in with Finn, because Tommy wanted to share.

* fighting with Tommy over cleaning up his blocks.  He has some funny tactics, I'll admit.  One of my favorites is when he has alligator arms and says, "uh, uh I can't reach them!" 

* they way Tommy pretends.  He likes to make pizza pie and drink coffee.  He asks me to cheer for him when he participates in a variety of sporting activities.  He says things like, "Hey you tree, you're gonna go in a penalty for being naughty!"

* when T "reads" his books to himself.

* the questions, including:
       What are you doing?
        What am I doing?
        What?  (this one is best if you can hear the inflection)
        Can I have some?
        What's that noise?

* that Tommy thinks there is a train and a conductor involved when his dad "trains people" at the gym.

that's all I can think of for right now...but this was refreshing, maybe I'll do it again sometime.
       

Baby Finn

So the big news...the newest member of our family is finally here. I say finally, but he was two days early so I should be less dramatic. However, I have been pregnant since right around the time we moved back to MN, so at my work I've been pg for as long as they've known me which = forever.

Finnegan John Young was born Tuesday, August 11, 2009

9:40 a.m. 8 lbs 9 oz 21 inches

WARNING!

If you are not interested in any details no matter how mild, skip this section!

My last day of work was Monday, August 10th. As we got closer to the end I was getting more nervous about our decision to try and labor after ending up with a c-section last time. (Tommy = 36 hours of labor including approx. 4 hours of pushing and forceps then a c-section) The recovery was not good so I was nervous in general for any way that this baby wanted to enter the world. Monday a.m. we had an ultrasound to gestimate the size of baby. The reasoning being Tommy was 7 lbs and 19 1/2 inches (average to small), so if this baby seemed like it was going to be bigger, we'd just schedule a c-section. The results didn't really help. They said the baby was approx. 7 lbs 12 oz, BUT that could be + or - a pound. So basically this baby could be anywhere from about 7 lbs up to almost 9 lbs. We had to wait for the "official" results at our next appointment anyways, so we decided it didn't really offer us an easier way to make or change our decision.

Off to work for my last day which was going along fine, until the kids woke from nap. Someone wet their cot, another kid had a bloody nose and then I was pretty sure... then yep totally sure my water broke. At first just a little, then huge! (like my shoes were wet) A few details in between Greg takes me to the hospital. I was having contractions but nothing major. We gave it through the night but by morning less than nothing was happening. Our basic wants for trying to labor again were:

1) didn't want to pick baby's b-day

2) wanted to try because after the 2nd c-section, I won't have a choice

3) it's nice to avoid major surgery and the recovery

Basically I wanted to give my body a chance to have this baby and it wasn't doing anything and I wasn't so gung-ho about labor thing that I was willing to move into pitocin etc., so we decided to just move on and have the c-section.

Having made that decision, this time the surgery experience was really different. Last time it was a relief and I felt like everything happened so fast. This time I was very aware of everything getting numb, how heavy it felt to breathe, that Greg couldn't be with me until they were ready to start. Plus, I was freaking out about if we made the right decision. But once he cried, it was all right. I also got to see him coming into the world (or at least his butt being born).

Excuse my nose, they told me that the numbing stuff would make me itchy. They did not mention that it would be my nose itching and I would be able to stop. So it's swollen and itchy, and I itched it so much that I had to grow some new skin. ouch!

The recovery part has been way, way easier this time and Tommy has been an amazing big brother. So helpful, compassionate, loving, and patient. I keep waiting for that to change. Finn has been awesome! Super laid back, a fairly decent sleeper, hardly fussy and has gained 1 lb 1 oz in a week. (The opposite of my first experience)

getting ready to go home, practicing his future profession, hog calling champion

The thing that strikes me the most is the first time you do certain things or go certain places after a baby is born into your life. It always feels so strange to stand in a place you've been many times without a child, or being the parent of only one. It is really weird to hardly be able to remember the experience as it was before...

Before we had kids, plural. Before it was "our boys."

Back from a hormone-induced hiatus

It's been a while. It seemed like the longer I waited and the more I made the statement, "I should really put something up on the blog," the less I felt motivated to do it. Now it's just plain awkward. No time like the present I guess. Here is the quick version of all that has happened during July and August.

Me = Big, hot, swollen, and irritable. Then I had a baby, more on that later.

Greg = Working hard and definitely fulfilling the role as the fantastic guy I married.

Tommy = Awesome! He has been growing so fast. Only complete sentences for this guy, followed by tons of questions. (Most popular question: "What are you doing?") My favorite thing lately is to watch him eat raisins out of those little tiny boxes. He concentrates so hard on shoving those pudgy fingers in that little box and he is so joyful about eating them. Funny guy!

Some pictures of what we've missed.

Fourth of July parade in Forest Lake. I got hot, Tommy had a tantrum and a subsequent 2 minute minor for unsportsmanlike conduct, I fell grabbing him as he darted for the street, got a grass stain on my pants, If I remember correctly there may have been a messy diaper involving some time spent walking around with no pants. (Tommy, of course) ;) Later for fireworks he freaked. Happy Fourth of July.

Tommy showing off his fire fighter hat from The Taste of Shorview. He got to man the fire hose and go inside a real fire truck. A very popular activity.

Also a very popular activity, getting some loving from Ella!

Also shameful from these past few months...the picture taking of thing happening in our lives. Oh well, maybe next time.

Down at the Station

So we went for a train ride a few weekends ago with Nanny, Bonka, Uncle Mo-Mo, Lyssa, and Great Grandma and Grandpa. I was a little nervous about how it all would go since Tommy loves the idea of trains, but his in person reaction is funny. It's kind of like dogs...he likes them until they make noise and then he chickens out. I worried needlessly, because it was a huge hit and now everytime he sees a train he yells, "Hey, come back here! Hey, mom! I want to ride it, that train." Also interesting about this train ride, the conductor guy. Everytime Tommy sees him he wants to give him his ticket, and for a guy who volunteers/works (i'm not sure which) for a pretty family friendly gig, he was ridiculous. He kept trying to tell the 2 year-old, "no, no you keep it. I already did that." Seriously guy, just take the freakin' ticket from the kid and then hand it back to me. He might ask you to do it 1000 times, but he was saying please! Tommy was so confused. I'm sure he was thinking, "I know this hat guy takes the ticket...why won't he take mine?"

Looking for boats, another a Duluth obsession

This fella was interesting, but Tommy loved the hat

How could you not take this kid's ticket?

Cricket taking Tommy for a walk

This is my parent's dog, Cricket. She's a total diva and my mom is trying to teach Tommy how to manage her on a walk. I like the part where Crick starts to jog a little and Tommy's going, "uh,uh,uh,uh!" and running after her.

The latest of the belly

If you think this looks like a magic eye photo, you might be correct...our camera is messed. It has taken plenty of decent photos lately but every belly photo is just enough out of focus to mess with your head...maybe it's a sign the camera doesn't want to take any more photos of me. I wouldn't put it up except it takes me so long to coordinate Greg and I to be together to take a pic ;) so this is 29 or 30 weeks. I should have had an appointment this past friday, but we were down to one car so I had to reschedule. It takes me longer to get there than to have the appointment, so I don't mind too much. I am definitely huge these days. By the end of the 10 hour work day, it takes a concerted effort not to waddle. Tommy is doing well and growing so fast. I pretty much can't keep up with him right now. So I know this is short but I'll write more when I can get a decent photo. ;)

Play Ball

Daddy said there had to be a bat picture :)

One of my favorites

thowing from the stretch

throwing lefty

now we're righty?

don't let your daddy catch you kicking it ;)

We made a trip up to Duluth to watch our favorite team, play a few. Tommy mostly chased his pal Max around and decided to get in some bp (but he was scared of the netting around the batting cage) and pitch a few from the mound in the bullpen. I was quite angry at my camera when all was said and done, the light was great and I got some cool shots that I can't use because I can't even tell where the camera was focusing, if at all. I'm mostly an idiot that's why I have a point and shoot, but I was still bummed. I have a few good ones, but I know there were two for sure I was really bummed not to be able to use :( Also since he moves around so fast, I'm mostly behind him trying to catch up. Not too many face pictures. Plus the camera is so slow to take the picture, even it he is looking/smiling ever, I miss it.

A Thing or Two

Since, sleeping at 2:30 in the a.m. is not happening right now, and I already cleaned the bathroom and I can't get my hair trimmed at this hour, I'll share a few things.



Baby #2 update: 25 or 26 weeks, not sure...they told me both due dates at different points during my last appointment and I know around mid-July I'll be hoping for an early arrival so maybe next time I'll ask which one is "the one." No big issues to report, besides the obvious, I'm NOT sleeping right now. This baby moves around way more than Tommy did, and other than that, we're just trucking along. I'll add a picture sometimes soon...Greg and I might need to be in the same room in order for that to happen, but I have hope that eventually that's going to happen :)


Tommy is as busy as ever. The pictures below are of Tommy, "helping it" in my parents yard, (I tried not to panic that he grabbed Cricket's pooper scooper for a shovel) and also his new haircut (courtesy of mom) that is a LITTLE too short. I know it will grow back but it makes me sad he looks so old. I wanted it a bit shorter to save myself that it needs to be cut like every other week, but I guess my depth perception is not very good and once I buzzed one strip, I had to do the rest. I'll include a better pic, but he was so proud of his haircut being like his dad's I had to include it. I almost forgot about the last little pic. Mr. T put himself in a 2 minute penalty. He was having a moment and Greg asked him if he "needed a 2 minute penalty" (it's what we call it) and Tommy, fussing in very flamboyant style, walked himself over and sat down next to the half wall in the kitchen to pout. We wanted to go and talk with him, but we were trying too hard not to laugh out loud or be seen laughing at him. I crawled over and peeked the camera around the corner to get that photo. Notice the t-shirt (I Blame My Parents). Hil-a-rious!!

"I'm helping it mom!"

more helping

Like father, like son (still looks Hennessy to me)

2 minutes for unsportsman-like conduct

Conversations with T

So my child is a chatty little thing and I want to share some of the many funny things I hear on a regular basis. Keep in mind some of the words only come out as versions of this as opposed to the actually way the words should sound but, I'll only substitute his true pronunciation when I can figure out how to type it. ;)

"Mom, I'm funny."

"No, I'm serious."

"Mom, coffee please." (one morning, his first words...he has never had coffee)

"No lelling (yelling), Mom." (on our commute, I may have said something unkind but I kept it clean)

"Bluebellies, mom please, please, please." (he really likes blueberries, he could eat a gallon for sure)

"Hey, girl, hey!" (a favorite greeting he learned in Omaha)

"Cute, oh cute shoes." (he likes to wear my shoes, and he always says this when he has them on)

"Oh good job guys, good singing!" (he said that after I stopped on American Idol to listen to someone)

"Good job guys, good driving, see ya 'morrow!" (he said this one day to the other cars on our drive home)

"My sad" (he always says this when he's sad, instead of saying, "I'm sad." I know someday he has to say it correctly but I hope this one lasts for a while)

That's all I can think of for now, but if I come up with some good ones, I'll post them.

20 weeks baby #2

As far as baby #2 goes...not much to report. The big ultrasound in on Friday, but we don't find out what we are having so it's a little anti-climatic compared to most. This pregnancy has been similar to my first in some ways and so different in others. Luckily both times I was never throw up sick, although this time the second trimester has been a little bit more "blech" for me than any of my last pregnancy. I'm either starving, but don't want anything to eat or I crave something so specific and it is the only thing that I want. Last time I didn't really have any cravings. The weird one for me was biscuits and gravy. I had to have it and once I did it was over. It was just weird and something I would never eat under any normal circumstances. I think I am more tired but don't really have time to think about that I am feeling more tired. ;) I have been able to feel the baby moving since about 15 weeks, so that's cool. It took me forever to figure out which abdominal feelings were baby moving last time. I am also quite proud of the fact that I have not gained a pound yet, however, considering how far behind I started, I probably still have a ways to go yet before that fact translates to less weight to lose after baby is born. Plus, as evidence by the picture above, you can't really tell my belly is there too much, but my backside is definitely representing. My friend Kim, is also expecting her second and it has been fun to talk about the difference etc. between the first and second times around. I also look forward to commiserating with her during the scalding hot months of summer when we are large and swollen. :(

Tommy's 2 (and we have a new family member)

So T turned the big 2 on Sunday, March 8th. We didn't really do much, my brother and his family and Alis came over, and brought "bluebellies," so pretty much we were set! Tommy could eat a gallon of blueberries, easily. So not much else to report. Baby Lucas, my nephew and T's new cousin, was born on Monday, February 23, so he's the beautiful baby. Tommy talks about, "Baby Lucas cly (cry), he sad, he bonked." I'm not sure how this story came to be, but anytime we mention a baby, this is the line we hear.

I think this pic is funny, because he looks so disgruntled!

Now he's happy!

Baby Lucas' feet are so cool!

Kisses!!!

I love to giggle at Baby Lucas!

I remember when Tommy turned one, I spent the 36 hours previous to his birth time, remembering, and realizing exactly how many things happen in life during that amount of time. Sleeping, eating, working, cooking, watching tv, sleeping some more, waking, eating, working almost another full day and the whole time saying, yep, last year at this time I was still in labor.

Now to the current time, at 2 Tommy loves running, yelling, cars, trucks, trains, bluebellies, hockey, and is a great mimic, unless your request is good behavior. He seems all boy but can walk amazingly well in high heels and also tells me "cute" everytime he wears them. He is adjusting well to "school" but still fusses at drop off and also gets sad at the end of the day, when he watches others get picked up and still has to wait an hour or so for me. I think he will be a great big brother because he loves to help, and wants to be a "big" boy more than anything. I had a conference with his teachers yesterday, and they reassure me that he's doing great and he's cute and fun, but I worry, does he hit, throw fits, is he a poor listener? So far no, or so they say. I can't believe how fast it has gone, or how much I love this little person. The best thing is a big smile and a request for hugs and kisses. Anytime, pal.

Weekend @ Nana & Bonka's

Since we moved here...

Tommy doesn't say "Home," all the time and doesn't talk non-stop about hockey. Maybe it really was a sign. Ultrasound tomorrow!!

Appointment Update

So my friends, we learned absolutely nothing at the appointment, except that I think going with a midwife is the right decision. I'm not talking at home in the bathtub kind of midwife, but in a hospital setting, with a midwife.

The reason that we learned nothing at the appointment is because a very little someone vomited everywhere right when we got to the clinic. AWESOME! Did I mention that I also lost my wallet (thank god someone turned it in) and we needed to go to Omaha to pick up the rest of out things this past weekend. Boo sickness! So since vomits Mcsickpants showed up I cleaned him off and hoped it was a fluke, but when he vomited the second time (into a trash can this time) we decided that we wouldn't accomplish very much at this appointment, so I'll try again on February 6th. It was the first time my day off coordinated with the schedule :( I am a little sad to wait, but I have an ultrasound a week from tomorrow so at least we'll learn something then. Plus when we got to Omaha I had an extra pregnancy test so I took it just to be sure and it was positive, again! Lately I've been wondering if some of my prenancy symptoms like tiredness and crying about EVERYTHING are just in my head or not. I don't really get that sick so I could in theory just be mental. But the test held me off for a while at least. Then maybe next Tuesday it will seem real. The sick boy spent the weekend with Nanny and Grampa and is recovering well, even though we had to stay home today from problems with his other end. AH, the joys of children! At least he was cute and cuddly today ;)

Hello Again

I know, I know. I take too long. And since I don't really have much to say, I thought I might post some pictures to take us back in time a while. Not like the juicy, embarassing eighth grade haircut photos, but pictures of little T. Since I have a new little one on the brain these days...first appointment tomorrow. So here's a few.

leaving the hospital, he's so little!

This is one of my favorites! He's about 6 months or so.

Last but not least...

I am actually going to do this again?

Maybe after my appointment I'll have something more interesting to say. I suppose when it comes to all things medical, less is more as far as interesting goes. Interesting probably means trouble, hey?