Thanksgiving

The coolest guy Leo knows....Uncle Aaron!

I had to get the diapered baby shot...she is too cute!!!

This could be the best Thanksgiving ever and that's because I have so much to be thankful for! What a year. We added Somerset to the family and got a new house. It's crazy to think that 1 year ago we were in a rental and I wasn't even pregnant with Summie (we are trying different spellings for her nickname). What a difference a year makes. We're so blessed!

This Thanksgiving was pretty low-key. We had Uncle Aaron and his roommate from college come down for the holiday weekend. We hosted the dinner and went to my parents for dessert. I must day that Joe and I did a pretty darn good job at preparing a delicious Thanksgiving feast!

Leo is absolutely in LOVE with his uncle and Joey. He played endlessly with the college boys and had so much fun. Hopefully Aaron and Joey weren't too annoyed. They were great sports!

2 Month Visit

Somerset had her big 2 month visit, and I can happily say, she's growing like a weed:

weight: 11.3 pounds (71-72%)
height: 23.3 inches (88%)
head circumference: 15.4 in. (70%)

I am truly shocked by these results! Although she is getting quite pudgy, I never thought she would rank above avg. on weight and height. The weight issue is very relieving after having Leo so low on the growth chart. Go Summy!

She has been sleeping in 4 hour stretches at night and seems to be less fussy with each passing day. She also initiates a game where she pokes at her tongue at us and wants us to do the same. It brings her such delight!

Juggling both kids alone is quite the challenge, but with each passing day, I gain a new set of tricks to add to my collection. I am usually able to get them both to nap together around noon, which takes a lot of orchestrating, but I feel like super mom when it happens!

Leo's First trip to Urgent Care/ 8 weeks old

Leo had a little mishap at church on Sunday and got a small, but deep gash in his forehead as a result of running, tripping and falling head first onto a door's hinge. Ouch! A doctor from church assessed the wound and said we should take him in. Leo was very brave and the doctor said that Leo would only need glue to keep the cut closed as opposed to stitches. Yeah!!!

Somerset is now 8 weeks old and is getting easier to manage. She has learned to entertain herself more and has discovered that she can use her hand to self soothe. She also loves staring at her baby swing in motion while she lies on her playmat. I know this is strange, but it works. Also, she loves watching Leo and he loves entertaining her. I am so lucky!

She still sleeps in bed with us, but this has to stop soon. I love cuddling my baby, but this leads to unsettled sleep for me. Also, Leo has gotten in the bad habit of getting out of his bed in the middle of the night to join us. Yes, that means there are often 4 of us in the bed and we only have a queen sized bed!

I am getting more and more comfortable handling both kids at once, but some days can be a very hectic and exhausting. When they both are crying at the same time, it can really be a test of my patience. I have started working out again though, so I know I will always get at least an hour to myself per day. Thank you Joe!!!

7 weeks old

I am thrilled to finally have a photo with somerset! I hardly ever have time to put myself together in any manner at all, so this morning after getting ready for church, I asked Joe to take our photo. Summy's hair is wild, but that is usually the case. We always joke that her crazy hair makes her resemble a baby chimpanzee from the back. She couldn't be cuter!

Smiles!

Somerset is almost 7 weeks old! Although I haven't gotten any official smiling photos, she is definitely a smiler! I have been enjoying the smiles too much to rush off and get the camera, so this photo of her dressed in her cute outfit, compliments of Grandma Naomi, will have to suffice.

Joe, Leo and I have really enjoyed our week with Summy. She likes to interact with us by sticking out her tongue when we stick out our tongue. She also greets us with smiles when she first wakes up. She seems to be transforming from a newborn into an adorable baby and is giving us glimpses of hope as to what life with her will be like once we are past this difficult stage. Summy is a good baby, but the acid reflux makes her cranky. She fusses a lot after feedings because she is experiencing discomfort (poor pickle).

Grandma Laurel went home to Pittsburgh this week, which made this the first full week I was alone. It was quite exhausting, but I did it! I also started going back to the gym. When Joe returns from work, I take Leo. I have never loved working out so much! This new schedule also requires a lot of slow cook meals.

Leo is thrilled to get out of the house after being cooped up most of the day. I have introduced new activities such as baking cookies, play dough and we always have a letter of the day to keep his alphabet skills sharp. Leo has been talking like a little adult. He makes up stories now too. The other day, he lifted up his shirt when I was breastfeeding Somerset. I asked him why and proudly declared, "I have milk in my nickels." Oh boy!

Halloween and 6 Weeks Old

We celebrated Leo's 3rd Halloween and he had a blast dressed up as a Jedi Knight. He has been eagerly anticipating Halloween's return after last year and I am pretty sure he wasn't disappointed. We were able to take him trick or treating in our new neighborhood, which added to the excitement. As always, Leo was super confident and knocked eagerly at each door saying, "Happy Halloween", and "trick or treat!" He would say thank you when prompted and then tell the candy givers, "I am going to go to the next house." He kept telling Joe that he was "getting so many treats!" He was in heaven!!!

Somerset is 6 weeks old today. She is manageable, but not an easy baby. I still believe that she is easier than Leo, but she has a pretty bad case of acid reflux. Poor little pickle! She has given us a few smiles, but it is not consistent enough to call her a full fledged smile. Oh, I so look forward to the day!

Grandma Laurel has been here for 3 weeks now and she leaves tomorrow. She has been a tremendous help with Leo and I will really miss her assistance. Leo loves her so much and is going to be a sad little guy when she leaves. We will just have to see how I handle a newborn and a toddler on minimal sleep. Lord, please be with me!!