The gift of brotherhood.

B and I can't wait to see these two grow up together!  I hope they are the best buds to one another.  At this point R is totally smitten with our lil boo boo.

Brothers

Loving big bro

"Ah baby, so cute baby".

First meeting.

Kisses.

My boys

Family of 4.

Welcome to the world B.E.S!!!

It has been quite a year.  Christmas is around the corner which marks a year when I announced to B in a late night Christmas card that we were expecting.  Yes; I realize the math does not match up because about 5 weeks later at my first appointment I would find out that pregnancy was not viable.  It was extremely shocking and unexpected.  As sad as it was I am of the full belief these things happen for a reason and my intended earthly angel was still out there for me to love and raise.  I was a lucky woman who knew I could get pregnant and had a sweet boy to come home to and snuggle at night.  It gave me a new understanding of the brave mamas out there who try for years and go through expensive procedures to have a baby.  They are truly warrior mamas!

  Then a mere 5 weeks later the little angel I knew was out there intended for us came.  I told Brian on Easter enclosed in a plastic egg the good news.  The first weeks of this pregnancy were almost harder in a way than losing the previous pregnancy.  Even a early ultrasound did not take the edge off but it sure was the sweetest sound to hear the beating of this lil peanut's heart.  Going through that experience really made me cherish this pregnancy a lot more than my first with R.  I embraced the beauty in my changing body and knew all the aches/annoyances of pregnancy were worth the gift I would receive in the end.  

Flash forward.  

I worked until 39 weeks despite B's requests I stay home and take it easy weeks prior.  For me, it helps the anticipation of waiting to be at work.  I also enjoy my job so as long as my body says to go, I go.  Finally at 39 weeks and the end of the trimester I could feel it was time.  It felt like I was living in the bathroom and the horrible cold that was hanging on since Thanksgiving was not making matters any easier.

So on the Wednesday of my first week off I was home alone.  My mom always watches R on Wednesdays.  It was a day where I could just rest and really shake this cold.  I napped, did some chores around the house, talked to some friends on the phone and grabbed a couple more Christmas gifts.  Around 4 pm I went to pick up R.  I hung out at my mom's for a little bit and then was home around 5 pm.  

R and I had dinner; some yummy cheese ravioli then took him up to bed early.  He hadn't been napping well the last couple weeks so I started putting him to bed at 6 pm on those days.  When we were walking up the stairs I had my first contraction but didn't think anything of it.  I got him down and came back downstairs.  Then I started noticing a pattern to my contractions.  About every ten minutes.  B texted he was on his way home from work and I called him to tell him what was going on.  We decided I should call my mom and have her come over.  Both B & my mom showed up about 20 minutes later.  B showered and by 7:30 pm we were out the door and the contractions were coming about 6-7 minutes apart.

We were quickly taken into triage and they said I was between 6-7 cm dilated so it was truly go time!

By the time I walked to my room the anesthesiologist was already on his way and the midwife was driving from the other local hospital.  I think bets were down that I was going to go quickly.  The thing with labor and delivery I have learned is expect the unexpected.  

Everything about this labor and delivery was different than R's.  I am so glad the chaos of his labor happened first so I didn't know what a smooth delivery is like!

The mid-wife on duty for deliveries showed up and I instantly liked her.  She was right away supportive and soothing.  She asked if I wanted my water broke but at that moment I just wanted to see what my body wanted to do.  B and I took that time to hang out.  We watched a couple of movies and just enjoyed one another's company.

Around 1:45 am we all decided to break my water because I was still holding at 8 cm.  Around 3:45 am I was fully dilated and then they let me labor down until around 5:15 am.  At that time my nurse did a practice push with me and then called the mid-wife to say it was a go!

It was so weird to be so present during this L & D.  With R's I had so much adrenaline because of his fetal distress I do not remember the details.  Instead of 25 people in a brightly lit, cold operating room we were in our hospital room with only B, my nurse Sarah, my mid-wife Samantha, a baby nurse and me.  It was dimly lit, we had music on and the feeling of excitement was in the air.  If all went as planned I was going to be given the baby to announce to the room if they were a boy or girl and B was given the duty of cutting the umbilical cord.  

About 15 minutes later all went as planned.  When Brennie was half way out I was able to grab him and put him on my chest to announce it was another BOY!!!  A beautiful, perfect, blonde haired boy with 10 fingers and 10 toes.  What a wonderful moment.  Worth the 9 plus months of waiting to have the secret revealed.  

Brennan Edward
12-6-12 @ 5:53 am
8 lbs 1 oz
20 inches

My labor and delivery nurse Sarah

Chillin'

First family photo with all four of us.  Even if one was still in utero and the other in a picture=).

Self portrait time with my bff!

He is here!  I think I am tired at this point!

Awwing at his beauty.

B's baby nurse checking his breathing.  He did go to the NICU for about 6 hours after his delivery due to some wheezy breathing.

My awesome L & D team!  My nurse Sarah, mid-wife Samantha, and B!

It also was special to me that he was being born on the day it became legal in our state for anyone to marry the person they loved.  A day of acceptance.

39 weeks...

...and waiting.  Last day of work was friday and now I'm home with the lil man.  We will see when # 2 decides to reveal themselves to us.  

39 weeks:  Mama, very silly big brother & # 2

38 weeks

We tried; lil man wasn't having it tonight.

38 weeks today!

37 weeks

Thankful on this November day that I am at 37 weeks.  When I found out last monday I was already 3 cm & 40 % effaced I worried that the lil bean (well not so little anymore); might decide to come early.  I was like this with R for 2 weeks but I was further along so we see when # 2 decides to reveal themselves to us!  I am also thankful that we had a very restful weekend but got a lot accomplished that needed to be done around the house.  

6 years ago on this same day the 18th of November; B asked me to marry him.  Who would of thought this is where we would be; a lovely home, a beautiful child and another one coming any day!  Life is a blessing.

37 weeks

For you Auntie Jenny!

Here are some pics through the weeks.  As you can see once I went back to work in the fall I kinda forgot to do this for quite a few weeks=).  

20 weeks

21 weeks

24 weeks

25 weeks

26 weeks

27 weeks

36 weeks

RARRRRRRRR!

This lil lion sure LOVED Halloween!!!  He would of kept going all night if we hadn't of come to a house that looked like a cemetery & had a "monster with big teeth".  At that point his bag was already full so it was a good stopping point anyways.  After R said he wanted to go home; luckily he had just enough fun handing out candy.  So much so we had to stand there with the door open.  Luckily it has been unusually warm lately!!!

Hope you all had a fun night too!

"It's Pots when he sleeps".

R stayed with B's parents this last saturday night when we were out of town.  This is what he was doing tonight during dinner....I guess he knows what snoring is now!

Making his "Pood"

Our lil chef wants to be apart of any cooking that goes on in the kitchen.

Introducing...

baby # 2!

I can't believe how cool this photo is of him or her.  This was a good visit at 31 weeks to see if my placenta previa had corrected itself.  Thankfully it did!!!  It was also way cooler to see the baby in 3D versus at 20 weeks when he/she looked like a scary skeleton.  This lil one is showing us they are a little stubborn just like R.  It took a lot of work from our obsessive maternal fetal medicine specialist to get this shot.  The babes did not want to show their face!

8 more weeks plus or minus!

Future builder???

Likes to have pictures with his "masterpieces" and the pirate smile pictures continue....

Future terrain racer???

Ever since B did the Spartan race in June he has been hooked on terrain races.  A couple of saturdays ago he did another 12 mile terrain race called the Tough Mudder in Tacoma.  I do not have pictures since he went alone with a friend and boys don't really take pictures to remember events like those.

R likes to talk about daddy's "mud wace".  This weekend he tried on the head band B got and showed us his big muscles.

Still can't escape the pirate/cheesy face that is the new photo look.  I still think he looks pretty cute though.

Happy Birthday DADA!!!

It was B's birthday on Monday.  R has discovered a birthday party means he gets cake.  So for the last week if I mention dada's birthday is coming up he wants to talk about cake.  He was so excited to say "Happy Birthday" to daddy and help him blow out his candles.

He also has a thing lately with seeing pictures or videos of himself.  At least once a day he will tell B or me, "I wanna see me"!  So we will have to show him photos of himself on our phone or the computer.  He also like to get his picture taken and take pictures of others.  As you can see below he really likes to ham it up for the photos and usually looks like a one eyed pirate.  A pretty cute one eyed pirate if I do say so myself.  I just realized I should of had him be a pirate this Halloween and the pictures would of been classic....Looks like he will just have to settle being a one eyed robot.

This kid did his biz...

... in his POTTY!!!

This is not the very first time but the first that we gave him an incentive and it worked.  This kid doesn't care for candy; he wants to play in mama or dada's car!

Since R was moved into the toddler room at school at around 22 months they have worked on him on sitting on the potty after every diaper change.  Since that time he has probably gone about 10 times.  3 times at our house but two of those times were with Grandma.  The first time he did it at our house I screamed in excitement so loud accidently that I think he has been reluctant=0.

At school last week his teacher Jodi expressed how much she could tell R was truly ready to really be worked with more on his potty skills.  All of his friends at school who are about 3 months older are already in underwear and she sensed R really was ready too.  B & I had been really good in recent months about setting him on the potty after each diaper change but now that I have been back to work and my tummy has grown bigger this has changed.  After she talked to us last week we promised we would try harder.  So since them as tired as I may be; after each diaper change I have set him on his potty.  Tonight he wanted to play in my car.  B & I are both pretty tired after a busy weekend so B said if he went pee in his potty he could play in my car.  

The pics below show the results of this conversation!  Way to go Lil Man!!!

Can you tell....

.... these two are related???

LIL MAN is TWO!!!

So two years has come and gone.  At some points; during the constant colds, teething and sleepless nights the first year really seemed to go by slowly.  This year was a different story.    Every month seemed to go by quicker than the previous.  With each new month brought a new milestone and more uncovering of Lil man's blooming personality.  

Here are some things about Lil Man at age 2!

-Weight:  27 lbs (37 percentile)

-Height:  35 inches (67 percentile)

-Favorite foods:  Any type of meat, cheese, Cheerios, fishy crackers.

-Favorite fruit:  strawberries, bananas, and apples.

-Favorite veggies:  peas, sugar snap peas off the vine, green beans and lettuce with dressing.

-Favorite cartoons:  Mickey Mouse and Elmo

-Loves cars and can tell the difference between a car, truck, jeep, bus, dump truck, and boat.

-Loves to be read to at night.

-Sleeps from around 7pm to 7am and naps about 2 hours.

-Is up to 6 word sentences ( "I wanna shower with Daddy"!...mommy!).  Telling me in the morning he wants to shower with Bri before he goes to work. Some other common things out of his mouth these days are; "me do it", "I go", "more milk please", "mama's house".  

-His own language:  Nah (crackers), Milt (milk), Wah (water), Pots (grandpa).

-Favorite mode of getting from point A to B is running.  

-Has started to through some tantrums but is pretty even tempered for the most part.  

-Loves to smile but it is hard to catch on camera sometimes.

-Loves animals.

-Can identify and say the colors black, grey, blue, yellow and green.

-Loves shoes but always takes off his right shoe and throws it on the ground as soon as he gets in his car seat.  

-Will do his "touncey trick" for you if you ask (his double jointed big toe).

-Took his first swim lessons this summer and enjoyed them.

*I could go on & on but these are some things that come to mind of R at 2!