First Bath

Today little Maxwell had his first bath at home. The majority of the time he was screaming his head off and wasn't so happy about the whole bathing thing. He eventually calmed down for a few minutes but then the screaming resumed.  Carmen was the same way and it gradually got better, so we'll keep our fingers crossed there is a little less fussing next time. But for today, mission accomplished.  We now have a squeaky clean little boy.

Light the Night

Tonight Jimmy and Carmen participated in Light the Night in support of cousin Katie and other blood cancer survivors and fighters. Carmen had a great time, which was evident from all of the glow sticks and necklaces she came home with and the big chocolate bar daddy let her munch on.  It was a fun evening for the two of them to spend together along with family and friends while Max and I like to think we were there in spirit.

One Week

One week old already...time is flying.  While it seemed like we waited for eternity for you to finally arrive, now that you are here it seems like you have been part of the family forever.  You are an absolute dream...a good eater and sleeper and such a happy boy.  You touch our hearts and makes us laugh with your funny faces and noises.  You still enjoy being scrunched up like a little ball and like to lay on my or daddy's chest and will sleep and sleep. It's hard to want to put you down; I'm cherishing every moment as I know these times won't last forever.  You are starting to keep your eyes open a little more each day and you have recently found your thumb. I love seeing Carmen interact with you and how loving and gentle she is.  This phase will no doubt not last long and before you know it the two of you will be bickering like siblings do, but for now she continues to shower you with kisses, puts stickers on your bouncy seat, runs over to you whenever you make a noise, likes to helps change your diaper and has even brought you Lamby to 'cuddle' with for a few minutes. 

One week down, and so many, many more fun times and memories ahead.  Thank you Max for completing our family.

Fall

Goodbye capri pants, open-toed shoes and shovel and pail.  Hello football, walks in the falling leaves with jeans and sweatshirts with hoodies.  Welcome back Fall, our favorite season.

Worth the Wait

It was a long few days, but our little gummy is finally here and he was certainly worth the wait.  It took a lot of patience and persistence but he eventually cooperated and decided he was ready to enter the world on 9/19 at 12:32 PM. He just needed a little bit of assistance. Despite his bruised little ears and elongated head, he is absolute perfection and weighed in at 7lbs  6.6oz and was 21 inches.

He has a full head of hair and long graceful fingers which already need trimming. He is peaceful and content and already smiled for the first time.  He does have a good set of lungs but hasn't exercised them too much yet.  His eyes and nose look a lot like his big sister's when she was born. He has big, full lips and is full of strength, kicking his legs and busting his hands out of his swaddle. 

Carmen has been an amazing big sister so far and has had nothing but love for her little brother.  She likes to look at him and wave and gently kiss his head.  Then, she gets disinterested and is perfectly happy doing her own thing.  Hopefully this pattern continues.  And, not to jinx things, but she slept through the night for the first time in a long time the first night we were back from the hospital...she must have known mommy and daddy needed a good rest.

We are truly in love with our son and our daughter and couldn't be a happier family of four.

 

 

 

Bath Time Fun

Tonight bath time was a little more fun courtesy of Grandma and Grandpa SON.  They had a special Elmo-themed gift for Carmen who was smiling from ear to ear.  She can't seem to get enough of the little red monster.

Ready

We are ready and waiting for you.  Your room is finished, the hospital bag is packed and now we wait.  While time has flown by, this last week I have been feeling very anxious.  Anxious to know when you will arrive, anxious to meet you and hold you, anxious to know what you will look like, anxious to see what your big sister will think, and on and on.  We are ready for you whenever you decide it's time for you to come into this world.  It could be today, tomorrow on your own terms...or, it could be on the 21st, when we have an appointment for your arrival. Only you know and we wait in anticipation for the day our family will grow to four. 

Cookies

Nothing like a homemade batch of chocolate chip cookies.  Carmen was excited to help and liked pouring the ingredients into the bowl.  That is until she slipped on the step stool and hit her chin on the counter which equaled bloody lip and lots of tears. If you look closely, you can see her cookie-making injury.  Luckily Lamby and a few extra chocolate chips made it all better. 

Thai Food Picnic

What better way to celebrate the last long summer weekend than with a Thai food picnic.  Carmen worked up an appetite playing in the sand, climbing up and going down the slide over and over, collecting sticks, lots of them, and of course, going on the swings--her favorite.  She gobbled up 2 star chicken pad thai with a smile on her face.  She ended the evening with a popcicle treat.

She's got spirit

There is no doubt that our little girl is independent, has a fiery personality and is spirited.  She at times can be quite a handful and there have been some days over the last few weeks that make me wonder where her behavior is coming from.  Here new favorite phrase is, "No. Me." because she wants to do everything herself.  Just when I think I'm losing my mind and can't take anymore of the whining and fussing for no reason, the switch flips and she is back to be being the sweet, but still sassy Carmen J that we know and love so much.  There are kisses for mom and dad, please and thank yous, bringing plates into the kitchen and putting the food in the 'yuck' when meal time is over without a fuss, actually cleaning up toys without being asked, no complaints about going into the car seat or stroller.  I'm often left scratching my head about the sudden changes in behavior and mood but have been trying not to question it and just accept it for what it is.  Our girl is fearless, head strong and pretty darn smart.  She knows how to get her way and how to manipulate and we are usually willing participants as she wins us over with her smile, persistence, and determination.  We have lots to learn on this parenting journey and are works in progress but promise we will always do the best we can to guide our spirited little one while continuing to let her be who she is becoming. So far we like what we see.