Funny Things From Today...

• While at Target today I was looking for my favorite lotion and Owen kept saying, "Mommy, mommy, mommy" - I looked over and saw that he was pointing to the ladies on the hair coloring boxes while he was saying "mommy" ...  I'll take the compliment that he thought I was a model;)

• Owen was eating lunch and I was cleaning out the refrigerator and talking to Sean on the phone.  I heard Owen laughing so I turned to see what he thought was so funny... I found him throwing his rice all over and Josie eagerly eating the pieces that were falling on the floor.  It literally looked like it snowed rice all over the place!  I admit - it was funny - and even though I shouldn't have, I did laugh out loud!  (Unfortunately I didn't take a picture of it because Owen then stood up in his high chair and I didn't want him to fall out)

• I was nursing Ben on the couch and heard Owen laughing so I turned around to see what he was doing and saw him sitting on Josie like she was a horse (she was laying down).  Yup, Josie just laid there... she is so so good with the boys!  

Oh, what a day!!! (and what a silly little boy Owen is!!)  :D

Ben is Two Months Old!!

It is hard to believe that Ben is already two months old!  He is just as sweet as can be:)  Here are some things that he is up to these days:

•  loves to smile at you
• absolutely LOVES to be held
• hates being strapped in his car seat (and lets everyone know it!)
• outgrew newborn clothes at 7 weeks

And here is a picture of the sweet boy himself on his two month birthday:

Also, here is a list of his stats:

Birth weight:  7 pounds 1 oz.

Weight at discharge from hospital:  6 pounds 12 oz.

12/7/12:  6 pounds 8.5 oz.

12/18/12 (2 weeks old):  7 pounds 1 oz; 20.25 inches long; head circumference: 35 cm.

2/6/13 (2 months old):  9 pounds 11 oz (5-10%); 22.5 inches long (25/50%); head: 38 cm (10-25%)

Our Life in January 2013... In Pictures

All About the Little Things - Random Thoughts

A couple of weeks ago I realized that most of the things that I miss about Virginia are the little things (here are just some)...

• Dave watching the Redskins game in his notorious 'stance'
• Sitting at the kitchen table talking to my mom while she made dinner
• being able to take Owen for a walk around the neighborhood

I then started thinking about the little things that I know I will miss once the boys are older...

• Ben's newborn cry and when he smiles at me
• Owen running around in circles in our room before bed each night
• Ethan trying to sing along with the songs on the radio but not really knowing any of the words

The other day Sean and I were talking about careers and jobs and I had to stop and really think about what I would want to do if I had to go back to work (and had the opportunity to do whatever I wanted to).  And I can honestly say I couldn't really think of anything!  I LOVE  my job as a stay-at-home-mom.  I love being home when Ethan gets home from school and helping him with his homework and I love spending my days with Ben and Owen and not sending them off to daycare for someone else to raise them and teach them things.  I love teaching Owen new things and being the one that comforts Ben when he is sad.   Even when Owen and Ben are crying and Ethan is trying to talk over them - I smile to myself because I know that before I know it, they will be grown and the house will be too quiet and I will miss these crazy, chaotic, fun days:)

2012 Christmas

  Since Ben was born so close to Christmas we decided to stay in Connecticut for the holiday.  We started on Christmas Eve by having pizza for dinner and then drove around looking at Christmas lights while singing Christmas carols together.  It was definitely a wonderful car ride singing along with my family - all laughing and having fun (well, except for Ben...)!!!  When we got home the kids changed into their pajamas and then opened the gifts that they got for each other.  Ethan picked out a toy ambulance and dump truck that makes noises for Owen, and Owen (with Ethan's help) picked out a hodge-podge of things from Dick's Sporting Goods.  

The next morning the kids woke up early with excitement!  We managed to keep them upstairs until 6AM - then Sean came down to make sure Santa came...  Ethan and Owen then came anxiously downstairs and the chaotic fun began!!!  Ethan had to be kindly reminded a few times to slow down; whereas Owen needed to be nudged along.  Owen really got the concept of opening gifts this year!  He would open it and then want to play with that toy:)

Unlike all of my other Christmas's where we would go from house to house of family members, this year was very low key.  We played with our new gifts and then went to some friends' house for dinner.

Ben's First Sun Tan

On Monday (December 10) we took Ben to the doctors to check his weight and make sure he was gaining enough.  The doctor suggested that we take him to the lab to get his bilirubin levels checked.  A couple of hours later, the doctor called back with the results and said that his bilirubin levels were 20.4! (it should have been in the single digits).  He told us to take him back to the hospital and that the NICU doctors knew that we would be arriving soon.  After throwing some things in a bag we headed back to Danbury Hospital.

It was so sad seeing him all hooked up to the machines and with his little sunglasses on!  He would get really sad whenever he was done eating and we put him back in the incubator and put the sunglasses on.  Thankfully I could open the little portals and rub his sweet head and talk to him until he calmed down.  I stayed with Ben for his entire stay in the NICU and got to know the routine quickly.  After the first night the nurses let me take him in and out of the incubator myself so I didn't have to ring for them each time he wanted to eat/get his diaper changed.  Our friend from church, Robbie Parker, was also Ben's Physician's Assistant, so it was nice personally knowing one of the members on the medical staff, and he came and kept me company after Sean had to leave.  He really made me feel better about the situation and it was nice having someone to talk to, aside from quick conversations with the nurses as they made their rounds.

My parents came up on Tuesday and so they watched Owen for Sean and I so Sean could go back to work on Wednesday.  We were also able to bring Ben home on Wednesday afternoon!!



The NICU at Danbury has recently been renovated and is absolutely amazing.  Each baby has a private room and there is a separate room for the parent to stay that is attached.  I'm so grateful that I was able to spend each minute with Ben while he was in the NICU - I couldn't imagine having to leave him there all by himself!

I love this quote that is at the NICU entrance:

"When God wants an important thing done in this world or a wrong righted, He goes about it in a very singular way. He doesn't release thunderbolts or stir up earthquakes. God simply has a tiny baby born, perhaps of a very humble home, perhaps of a very humble mother. And God puts the idea or purpose into the mother's heart. And she puts it in the baby's mind, and then-God waits. The great events of this world are not battles and elections and earthquakes and thunderbolts. The great events are babies, for each child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged with humanity but is still expecting good-will to become incarnate in each human life." -Marian Wright Engleton

Our private room in the NICU.  

Newborn Pictures of Benjamin Gabriel!!

I love these pictures that my friend, Alissa, took!!!