As of Saturday Mr. Gabe was 6 weeks old! It is crazy how much he has changed in the past few weeks. Even family who FaceTime have noticed the change, he has filled out and isn't so "newborn" looking anymore. We love the chubby cheeks! He continues to be such a good baby who is so laid back. The only time he doesn't mess around is when the boy wants some milk, you don't get to 11 lbs at your 5 week appt without being a milk drinker, lol! The poor baby also has had thrush and had to go on a compound paste for a bad diaper and yeast rash. Anyone who knows everything we have been through with Madelyn with her sensitive skin knows how much we are praying he isn't going to follow the same path! One of the best things though is he has been an EXCELLENT sleeper! Most nights he goes to sleep around 9:00pm and sleeps at least until 2:00am and even as much as 5:00am a few nights! He as become very alert and really likes when we lay with him so he can stare at you. We couldn't be more in love with his little boy!
Everyone keeps asking how Madelyn is doing. Knock on wood she continues to surprise us. She has been wonderful and a big helper. Of course her "help" isn't usually help but she sure tries. She loves to hold him, feed him, put his pacie in (even if he doesn't want it she will keep trying, ha) and when in his swing and he cries she always runs to tun on his music and put a blanket on him! Nothing warms your heart more than seeing the two of them interacting together:)
Madelyn, Gabe and I have been staying busy during the week. We are so lucky to have a neighborhood family our age who have a 3 year old and 15 month old. It has been great to have the play buddies to hang out with often. Through them we have meet a few other families for play dates for Mads. We also have been going to story time at the Library each week. Last week we signed Madelyn up for Preschool in the fall, where she will go two mornings a week. When we went to register, she went right in to the classroom pulled out a chair and sat down. I guess she is ready lol! She keeps saying "go back to school!"
This week we are so excited that Aunt Sue, Elly and Kerra are coming! Then next Wednesday, Madelyn, Gabriel and I will fly back to Iowa with them to spend almost 2 weeks there!! We can't wait! Of course an even bigger date is tomorrow.... Miss Madelyn will be TWO! How can that be, where has time gone? Hard to believe two years ago I was past my due date and miserable wondering when our baby girl was going to come! Two years later I feel so blessed to have this amazing family!
Of Course Madelyn wanted in on the fun:)
Gabe was not very cooperative for his one month pictures!
It's hard to believe Gabriel is already almost 4 weeks old. We thought time went fast with Madelyn but I think it goes even faster with number two! The days are crazy and of course the work load has certainly increased, however, we were very lucky to have some great guests that have joined us to offer a helping hand. My dad came out to visit a few days before Gabriel. The best part of dad being here was the fact that Madelyn was able to spend some great one on one time with him. The weather was gorgeous so they spent a lot of time playing outside which was heaven for Madelyn! Madelyn also helped Grandpa plant some flowers, and leave it to our diva to find the only pink think at Lowes and get Grandpa to get her a pink Minnie watering can, haha! Dad was so helpful and not sure what we would have done without him!
After dad left my mom flew in for 10 days. Anybody who knows mom knows how awesome and efficient she is at getting things done. She helped get caught up on all the house chores, did lots of cooking and we even ventured out on a few outings with two kids (which was no easy task, ha) Not sure how I would have gotten anything done without her here. Madelyn and her Nana are two peas in a pod and I love seeing them spend time together. The best was we got to spend not only mom's birthday but Mother's Day together with her! It wasn't the most exciting birthday for mom but meant the world to us to celebrate with her!
Next, Derek's parents came in for 5 days! We had a great week and lots of fun memories. While they were here we had lots of pool time (Madelyn playing in her outdoor inflatable pool), a picnic at the park, Madelyn got to go strawberry picking with Nanny and Poppy and of course more great cooking! We loved having them here and it's hard knowing they aren't just 2 hours away anymore! We are very thankful for everything they did for us! The last two days of the week our good friends Dana, Dan and their son Grady came for memorial weekend. It meant a lot to us they drove the long drive and we loved catching up. Madelyn LOVED having a buddy to play with for a few days. Thanks to Derek's parents we also got a night out with Dana and Dan while they babysat.
Many people have said you have to be so sick of company after 3 1/2 weeks of straight company but Derek and I loved nothing more than filling our house with friends and family! After everyone left the quietness of the house made us both sad. We are so thankful for all the helping hands and memories! Gabriel and Madelyn both hope all their grandparents will be back soon! Now that everyone is gone we are excited to start getting adjusted to being a family of 4:)
Updates on the kids:
Gabriel is doing wonderful! He had a check up last week and was already up to 10lbs. We are so blessed to have another great baby. He rarely fusses or cries unless he is hungry or you are changing his diaper. As for sleeping he is till sleeping a lot and most nights goes about 3-4 hours between feedings. We definitely have noticed when he is awake he is starting to enjoy looking around at things especially lights.
Madelyn has surprised us on how well she has done with the addition of Gabe. She of course has had a few jealous moments when she wants to be held if we're holding the baby but for the most part has done really well. Just the other day Gabe was crying while in his swing. Without knowing I was watching, Madelyn walked over and turned on the music on his swing and said "there you go Gabriel" to make him better. She also has impressed us with her talking the past two weeks. She is using 4-5 word sentences all the time now.
We started her in swim lessons a few weeks ago and this past Saturday she swam by herself for the first time (with her back floaty on of course)! We also started back with the potty training again today! We will see how it goes!
We were so excited on May 3rd to finally meet Gabriel Joseph. He was born on 3:44 pm, weighing 8 pounds 10 ounces and was 22 inches long. On Monday, April 28th I went for my weekly appointment and I was 4 cm dilated and 80% effaced. I of course knew from Madelyn that while in most people this usually meant labor around the corner my body liked to sit like this for awhile and my babies liked to stay put! My doctor decided that if he hadn't come by Saturday, May 3rd they would schedule an induction.
All week, we anxiously did last minute things to get ready for Gabriel's arrival. On Thursday my dad flew in and would stay with Madelyn while we were in the hospital. Saturday morning we woke up early and had to be at the hospital at 8am. By the time we got there, checked in, me all set up, iv's going, etc. my doctor came in around 9:30 and broke my water. The hope was since I was so far dilated she would break my water and that would send my body naturally into labor. So the waiting game began. I started having contractions but they were not regular at all to signal labor beginning. Therefore, after 2 hours my doctor started a small dose of pitocin to help regulate the contractions. Soon after that I received the epidural which of course made everything much easier. The doctor came back in around 12:30 and I had dilated to 5 cm. At first it seemed this labor was taking more time than Madelyn's and we started to wonder if he was going to come on Saturday. About this time the contractions started to really pick up but I still didn't have a lot of pressure or pain. When my doctor came back in at 3:15 she said she was hoping I was at least 7-8 cm but to our surprise she said "Oh my you are fully dilated and he is right there, we need to start pushing!"
After only about 3 pushes they said he was almost out and then the nurse put oxygen on me. I didn't know why but she said breathe to help the baby get air. The doctor had me pushing on each contraction and finally after 10 minutes said "Rachel he is almost out and I just need you to push really hard because his heart rate is dropping." I of course started to panic and a push later he was out. Apparently as I started pushing the cord got wrapped around his neck. Derek said he watched the monitor and his heart rate went from around 120 down to 60. I had no idea and the doctor and Derek stayed so calm to not to freak me out. I realized after this is why they put the oxygen on. Luckily it was such a quick labor and he was out in 12 mins total so they were able to immediately cut the cord and he was fine. He gave us a nice little scare for a minute.
We of course were in love with him and so happy to finally be able to hold him. Madelyn came to the hospital a couple hours later and was very excited to meet him. She wanted to hug and kiss him like crazy. She hasn't shown jealousy towards him but of course we have to watch her like crazy as she is to young to understand things like we can't put the blanket over his face :) I also have tried to give her some Mommy and Madelyn time each day to help.
We came home Monday morning and have been getting adjusted to having two! It was much easier to adjust to the little sleep this round and are very lucky to have a lot of family visiting to help. Last Thursday my dad left and my mom flew in and next week Derek's parents will be coming!
Here are pictures of our adorable Gabriel and his bis sister!!!
Dinner out with Grandpa, the night before Gabe was born!
Here we go!
LOVE this little boy!
One happy Daddy!
First time meeting her brother!
Love this family:)
Uncle Carter came to visit!
Madelyn loves holding her baby brother!
Lots of kisses
Grandpa with Madelyn and Gabe before leaving
Such a cutie!
It's tough being a couple days old!
First outing out as a family of 4, only took about an hour to get packed up! Mads was to excited to look at the camera!
Mother's Day!! So happy we got to have Nana here for it!
If you know me at all you know how much I love holidays. Though I have reached the point of this pregnancy that I have little energy and am miserable I still was so excited to do all the Easter festivities with Madelyn. It started off last weekend by taking her to Easton's Eggstravagansia,
an Easter event filled with food, rides, games and best of all Easter egg hunts for each age. We went with friends who have two girls that helped Madelyn with her first Easter egg hunt. She was a little overwhelmed until she realized the eggs had chocolate in them. She was NOT a fan of the Easter bunny who was there to take pictures, she was so scared even a crying picture wasn't an option. On Friday we had friends over for the kids to dye eggs or as Madelyn calls it "paint eggs" and though she didn't have patience to let the eggs sit very long in the dye she had a really good time. Today, after Mads woke up she headed outside and find the eggs the Easter bunny left along with her Easter basket and then we headed off to an Easter brunch. Derek and I cooked our first Easter dinner tonight. Though we missed family this was the first holiday that we didn't travel so it was fun for us to enjoy time just as a family at home and start traditions with Madelyn.
This past Monday we went to the doctor for our weekly appointment as well as an ultra sound. Everything looked great and based on the ultra sound the baby weighed 7.9 lbs. That means that if he goes to 40 weeks he would be around 9 lbs (yikes). During the ultra sound he was very active and sucking away on his thumb which we loved :) He has definitely dropped and is head down ready to go so just the waiting game of when he is ready. We go again this Tuesday for our 38 week appointment.
Baby W's adorable footprint on Monday's ultra sound!
Checking out her eggs at the Easter egg hunt!
Madelyn, Campbell and Anderson ready to find eggs!
Dying eggs with Mama!
Easter Morning!
Easter baskets (one from Easter Bunny, one from Nana and Papa)
Being silly with Daddy Easter Morning
Headed to brunch, way to cover the BIG belly Mads :)
Daddy and Mads:)
Family picture
Our Easter cutie!
There is always time to stop and smell the flowers!
All ready in our new double stroller thanks to Grandpa!
Filling our piggy bank (and giving our brother a head start in his), don't show your change when you come to our house and Madelyn will rob you!
I know it has been a long awaited post with an update of our move but to say the last 2 1/2 weeks have been crazy and exhausting is an understatement. I have the personality type to take on more than I can and never admit I can't do something and the weekend of the move in Charlotte I was fully aware this was going to be way to hard for Derek and I to handle alone with a toddler and being 34 weeks pregnant. We could never be more thankful for my Mom and Richard who I called that Sunday morning and told them how much we need help and by that afternoon they had tickets booked to come help!
Sunday the movers showed up and what a day it was. The weather couldn't have been more beautiful, pouring rain and cold, lol and about half way through the day it was clear all our stuff was not going to fit on the large moving truck. We ended up renting a u-haul that Derek would then drive and Bo, Madelyn and I would drive the car. The movers headed out around 3pm and after cleaning the house and getting our final things packed we headed out of Charlotte at 7pm. The drive was a little harder since Derek and I weren't in the same car to keep each other awake but we finally pulled into our new driveway at 3:15am and got to bed at 4:00am. Three hours later our alarm went off because the movers would be showing up anytime. Luckily everything went smooth that day and Derek's brother, Carter came to help us for 2 days get furniture put together and moved once the movers left.
On Wednesday, Mom and Richard showed up and for the next week we all literally worked from 7am until midnight at least. One night even mom had swollen ankles. I am not sure how I didn't go into labor other than this little boy was to scared to come out and be put to work, lol! We can say by the time they left our house was "a home" and almost all boxes were unpacked, pictures hung, rooms painted and cleaned! We honestly never would have been able to do it without their help and Madelyn was on cloud 9 having Nana and Papa here. For the next couple days after they left Madelyn would grab her toy suitcase and purse, head to the door and say "see you" and when we asked where she was going she would respond "Iowa, to Nana and Papas" We even got out to two nice meals to enjoy a little break from all our work:)
Since they have left Derek and I have been trying to finish things around the house, get everything ready for the baby and all the fun things that come with a move (DMV, finding new doctors, learning our way around, etc)
I have found a new OB here and we really like her thankfully. I am now on weekly appointments and have gone twice. As I feared the doctor thinks this is going to be a big baby boy, considering Madelyn was 8lbs 11oz as a girl I thought this might happen. Next Monday I am getting an ultra sound to see what he weighs but the doctor says she probably wouldn't let me go past my due date because at that point he is adding weight fast. Hard to believe in three weeks he will be here! Though this has been another easy pregnancy, you can ask Derek that I have become miserable. I think between the stress of the move and chasing a toddler I am ready to meet our little boy. I am having a lot of braxton hicks contractions so hopefully he will come on his own soon.
As for Miss Madelyn, she is adjusting really well. She not only has a new home but a new bed:) We switched her to a big girl bed and moved the crib into the babies room. It has gone really well and most nights she sleeps through the night just fine. We have a had a few nights that she wakes up and comes in our room. She LOVES her new room though and has come to terms that the crib is for the baby (we will see about that once he is actually here, lol). It is amazing how her speech has really taken off and she is trying to use sentences for everything. She can count to 14, recognize the colors; blue, green, red, black and orange, and can identify a rectangle, square, oval, circle, triangle and heart. Of course she is still sassy as no other and has a personality of a 5 year old:)
Will update more often now that we are settled, here are a few pictures from the past 2 weeks! I will post house pics this week, need to take them still!!
First night in "Big Girl Bed"
Madelyn's new room:
Nana got her a cute new chair to read in since her rocker was moved to the babies room:)
Quick dinner out, pretty sure we hadn't even stopped to shower this day but we did get dinner :)
Kissing "baby brother"
Loving having Uncle Carter so close, we meet him in Annapolis this past weekend :)
Madelyn's favorite thing to do, color (especially Minnie)
Who needs Starbucks... lol!! Apparently we have drank to much coffee in this house!
