Liam is here!

 

 Liam is here!

Our family has grown by one more sweet boy and we are so excited to have him. It was a more physically taxing pregnancy on me. But I feel amazing now that Liam is out in the world 

and being loved on by everyone!

Big brother Nate- you surprise me, son, by how well you are adjusting to this huge change in your life. You are still wary of your baby brother and aren't quite sure what to do with him, but that will change soon. While we were in the hospital you got to stay at home with your Gigi and Grandpa. They remarked at how well you did and how loving you are. That's my sweet boy! Gigi bought you new Lightning McQueen  sandals and your very own monkey backpack! Now you can carry your own things around and help us out. I love that I have my lap back and I think you do too. It feels wonderful to have you lay across my torso as we read and read and read.

Liam- you are already doing a ton and are sooo strong. Tummy time is frustrating to you but you can lift and turn your head side to side as well as lift your feet and legs off the floor! You took to feeding like a champ, all the nurses were impressed by how well you latched and how long you fed right off the bat. Hungry little buddy! Sleeping is evening out I think and you are staying more awake during the day. It was all mixed up at first, but I think you are getting the hang of it. You sleep the longest if you are in our arms, but we are putting you more and more down in your pack & play or bassinet. Soon, I think, your crib mattress will arrive and we can transition you to the bedroom. You have already stretched the bounds of newborn footed pjs and are growing and working up to 0-3month size. Your dad and I look at you and can't help feeling a sense of déjà vu. You look so much like your brother did when he was an infant- aside from different color hair and eyes. You could be twins!  

So your birth was quite an event!
There was a baby boom at the hospital right when we arrived and we had a hard time getting a room to start your induction. After a couple hours of waiting we had a room and I got started on all the fluids and drugs to start labor. Contractions were already doing their job and my body was readying itself for your arrival. Shortly afterwards we were visited by the doctor and she broke my bag of water. We requested the epideral at this point and waited for the anesthesiologist to arrive.

Now it gets interesting! Your dad was doing great helping me through the tough contractions & the uncomfortable feeling of the epideral needle insertion. Reminding me to breathe and stay slumped, head down and still while the doc did the work behind me. All of a sudden, WHAM! I heard a crash and the doc and nurse assisting us start calling people into the room. They were talking about your dad, lying unconscious on the floor and checking his head! Oh my goodness, I couldn't do anything or even move.  I was so worried as they got him onto a gurney and went to the ER. The doc had to redo the epideral and pump me with antibiotics since, in all the commotion, sterility of the site was broken. Now I was left in bed wondering what to do, should I call anyone, I was by myself. Meanwhile, your poor dad was having a cat scan, IV and waking up somewhere not sure what was real or if he was in a dream. Once I figured out after a confusing phone conversation that he didn't know we were at the hospital to have you I called my mom, your Gigi and your dad's mom, Mimi. I told them what happened and everyone got there as soon as they could. Your Uncle Robbie came to the ER and brought him back up to the room. Still disoriented, he started to realize what was going on shortly before your birth.

It was so special to be surrounded by family during this time. Your Aunt Shannon brought your Mimi and Aunt J dropped everything to make it there. Your Gigi took pictures for us and a little video beforehand just in case for your Dad. At 3:05 we all welcomed you to this family and you were perfect! 10 fingers, 10 toes, weighing a whopping 8 lbs 1 oz and 19-1/2" long. Dark brown hair and deep blue eyes, you were quite handsome! More family including your Grandpa, Bum, Uncle Scott and Aunt Erin, Aunt Jen-Tulip, cousins Hayden & Harper and your big brother Nate were all waiting outside the window to see you. What a welcome you received! We are so glad you are here!

Last few months as a family of 3!

Nathan, you have grown up sooo much in the past few months! You are getting smarter and learning so many new things everyday! We are about to have our lives change in just a few short days when your baby brother Liam gets here. Your dad and I are anticipating with excitement your reaction to meeting him in the hospital. We know through watching you with other kids and your stuffed animals you are going to be such a loving big brother. You have a sweet nurturing side and its adorable to watch. You are also such a conscientious helper. I love that you help me around the house pick things up or dust or sweep. You run and retrieve things for me and know where most stuff goes. I can see you being a big helper with your little brother. Even though its been rough since I got bigger and had to be more careful not to lift or move things, you've shown a more understanding grown up side. It's been hard to stop myself from picking you up especially when you've been craving being held. We sit on the couch together and that's how we can snuggle or I can hold you. You are getting much more independent through this whole experience as well. You have learned to climb into your car seat, high hair and stand on a stool to wash your hands and face or brush your teeth. You also help me by climbing on the couch onto a changing mat for our diaper changes.
You are learning your abc's and can count mostly without help to 12. You love your alphabet blocks and astonish me and your dad by knowing the pictures on the blocks just by seeing the letter on the other side. Not even we have memorized that! You still love cars, helicopters, planes, construction trucks and play with them constantly. You either visit the places on your car mat (mmmm ice cream) or drive them over my legs or belly. We make vroom vroom noises and beeping and of course crash when they fall off.

If you aren't watching tv (Super Why is your favorite show and Thomas the Tank Engine is your favorite type of movie) or playing then you have a stack of books ready for us to read to you. I hear "mama, read! daily if not hourly. We slowed down our visits to the library since things became too physically demanding for me. But you love getting books and movies whenever we go. You can tell us the title of the books you want to read after just a few days of borrowing the books. Your favorites right now are the Biscuit the dog books or anything by Dr Seuss and comparable authors. I am so glad you love to read!

Well a lot has been going on since we sat in the bluebonnets on the last post. Just a quick summary of  all the events.
We got your big boy bed and room all fixed up. You are going to share a room with your brother and the theme is a combo of monkeys, cars and other transportation decor. We have moved you into the bigger guest bedroom and the office is now where your nursery was. It looks so great!

We acquired from some friends a new outdoor play structure with a big slide, small slide and a pipe to crawl through. We also have fun tools to dig in the sandy dirt by the patio and your water table. You love playing back there and get filthy dirty, just like little boys should!

Mother's Day was so much fun! You made me a beautiful bud vase with a single pink rose inside. We also made your Mimi and Gigi and Gigi Cates cards. We got to treat Mimi and Gigi to a yummy dinner at cotton patch. You loved having all your family at the table and everyone knew our names throughout the restaurant by the time we left.

We celebrated a fun day with Uncle Scott and Aunt Erin swimming and eating by the pool for Father's Day. You still talk about Grandpa splashing in the blue water! You made a wonderful gift for your dada at church.

We went to your Uncle Mark and aunt Shannon's house to welcome home your cousin Courtney from her year abroad in Russia. There was lots of family, kite flying, s'mores and fireworks!

Fourth of July you had a ball playing in the garage and helping Dada wash and vacuum out the cars. We went to a party later that day where you got to play with your friends Annalise and Kepler and see your first Independence Day firework show! You were a little unsure at first but then you enjoyed  the bright colors and loud booms the fireworks made.