Thankful for Just One.

So since we found out we were expecting again, Logan has been telling everyone that we are "Having deuces.  There is one baby for Mommy and one baby for Daddy."  HOLY HELL, LORD PLEASE HELP ME!  That's what I was thinking!!!

Today I had an OB appt and my doctor did a quick sono just to make sure everything looked on track.  I am happy to report, there is exactly ONE baby, that measures right on for dates(7wks, 1 day) and had a nice happy heart rate of 129 beats per minute.  Apparently, God does only give us what we can handle.  If I had found out we were expecting more than one, I would have surely stroked out on the table.  LOL!

I was supposed to have allergy testing on Thursday.  I didn't know I was pregnant when I had the severe reaction on Christmas Day.  Interestingly, the only two major reactions I have ever had that required emergency medical treatment due to facial swelling and difficulty breathing, were during pregnancy(the current one and Gavin's).  I called my allergist to reschedule testing for late in March after I see the high risk perinatologist(just a precaution after my last pregnancy with preterm labor).  The allergy center informed me that since I am pregnant, I am not eligible for testing, or shots!

Plan B...I will start on daily Allergra and the Epipen will be my best friend for the rest of this pregnancy.  I will have the testing ASAP after delivery.  Honestly, I am just praying for a complication free pregnancy, without bedrest and a healthy term baby.  I am hoping this time we can avoid being induced and see how I do with laboring, no epidural, without pitocin running.  Don't get me wrong though...if  need pain relief, I will get it!

Holding My Boys

Sometimes I think boys just can't enough of their Mommas.  When I got home from work today, it was one of those times.  I don't mean that they took turns sitting on my lap and giving me love...there was no peaceful supper around the kitchen table(like that ever really occurs but the meal does usually take place without children sitting my life even if loud as heck!).  Both of these boys wanted me and neither was ready to give up their spot on my lap.

So I held them both...eventually Daddy had to take Logan long enough for me to shovel in a bite.  Then it was baths and back to Mommy's lap for bedtime books.  I am so proud of these two and their progress with sleeping.  Gavin has been laying down between 7:30-8 and sleeps til about 5-6 waking only 2-3 times to fuss for a few minutes then goes back to sleep on his own.

Since Logan has been over being sick, he has been sleeping through the night.  I have been having to wake him up for daycare and he has not been happy.  He keep asking me when he gets to stay home a day with me.  We will be home Saturday together and who knows, maybe they will both sleep in!  The funniest thing about the new transition is that I really though Gavin would wake Logan up at night with his crying but so far, Logan hasn't flinched!  So we are fully transitioned to two boys sleeping in their beds, in their room together. It makes my heart happy to look in and see them both cuddled up in their beds peacefully snoring in their sleep!

Rock On.

I love that my boys love music as much as I do.  We can be having a horrible meltdown and you turn on some youtube videos and have an immediate change of attitude!  Nothing can warm the heart and soothe the soul like the Sweetest 3 year old I know playing me a song and singing at the top of his lungs while his adorable 1 year old brother dances around and claps for him!

Sleep Update

So as always, when one thing gets better, another getsworse! LOL. Gavin did great on Night#1 of sleep training.  He cried for 16min when I put him down at 7:40.  He woke at 10:45, cried for maybe 2 min then slept until I woke him to get up for work at 5:50.  OMG!! Through the night???  Really on night one we sleep through the night?  Amazing!  Nana had Logan on this first night so we could work with Gavin.  ANd since Gavin just got over high fevers and cold sores, of course Logan would come down with it!

Night #2
I put Gavin down at 7:20 because he kept getting more and more fussy.  He cried for maybe 45 seconds and that was it!  He did wake up about 4 times during the night, cried for less than one minute and right back to sleep until 7:00 this a.m.  Success!!!  Logan however did not sleep at all.  His fever was still around 103 when we laid down and he was up about every 45 min telling me, "Mommy, my sick..."  Poor guy.  I am hoping the fever passes today.  I am ready for my happy boys back!

Truth & Sleep Deprivation...a nasty combo

I am sure you have noticed you haven't seen many posts here lately...no new pictures or bright funny stories to share.  I figured it was about time Mommy sat down and spilled the truth, I can maybe catch up the rest of our blogs on my next day off.  SO here it is, brace yourself.

I am exhausted.  I don't mean "Newly Pregnant,"  "Worn Out Mom of 2 Toddlers," or "Can't Stop My Brain When I Lay Down At Night" tired...I mean EXHAUSTED.  Gavin has never once slept through the night, not once in his 16months of life.  He has been sick the past week and our getting up every 1-2 hrs has turned into getting up every 30-45min.  Logan was sleeping through the night for the most part(maybe getting up 2-3 times per week at night) but has regressed also. Rightnow I am hating the idea of nighttime and everything it stands for.  It's like a cruel joke, I thinkmight catch a nap and WHAMMO!  Time to deal with one or the other again.  I hate saying that, makes me feel so ungrateful to have 2 beautiful, healthy children who want no more than for me to get up 8-16 times a night with them while others face horrible struggles, medical issues or worse yet not having their babies here on earth.  But, I have always been a fan of keeping it real and this is just about as real as I can get.

At 5months old, I started bringing Gavin to bed with me when he would wake.  OH, GASP! A nurse,with a family bed!!! I know, and he is still alive...it's a miracle. I enjoyed him much more at night, didn't mind his nighttime nursings but they have gotten progressively more often and his quality of sleep inbetween more and more poor.  Aside from being sick, he has now turned into a hateful temper tantrum throwing little brat who resembles nothing of the sweet little boy I used to      know when he would sleep at least 3-4 hours in a row, at least once each night. 

Now with a history of bleeding with my last pregnancy and preterm labor, I am ready to wean and he is nursing more than ever.  Daddy tries to help but he screams and screams until he gets what he wants.  When he wakes at night he has been kicking me in the gut, and I don't mean in a sweet tender way.  I am also worried that as pregnancy bladder begins to take over and I have to get up more at night, even if he is asleep he could wake and roll out of bed and hurt himself.  He has done this twice when I have left him in bed with Daddy, makes me feel like a horrid Mom.

Logan, never spent one night in our room, let alone our bed.  I would get up every hour to go to his room and cuddle/rock/nurse him.  I didn't enjoy him at all during this phase and was actually on antidepressants to help me cope when we got pregnant with Gavin.  Let's just say the past 3 years are starting to wear on me.

While I feel mostly at fault for their poor sleep habits, I also think I have tried to mother them how I felt was truly the best.  Tonight, Logan is with Nana and it's operation bed time for Gavin.  I moved his crib into Logan's room last weekend but he has spent maybe 3 cumulative night hours there.  So as I type this he is screaming his lungs out...I can hear the snot rattling in the back of the throat and hear him head banging the bed rail...what a peaceful evening.

I am also trying to justify to my husband that we have tried everything else, I am out of ideas except "CRY IT OUT" and threatening that unless he wants to get up with him the whole night he better not dare open that door.  I am sure as tired as I am I look like a 3 headed monster, breathing fire with lightening flying out of my finger tips...maybe not, but nevertheless he didn't offer to get up with him and he didn't open the door.

So 16min in, he has given up and laid down to sleep.  I am sure it won't be our only screaming fit for the night.  I would actually venture to say he will probably be up in 45 min to do it all over again.  God bless my strong willed children and their perseverance...I've no idea where they get their stubborn streaks. I'm gonna roll into bed and enjoy even 45min of quiet sleep.  Here's to hoping Gavin is a quick learner...this never worked with Logan.

Valentines Love pics at 15 and 40months

We had a little photo shoot to try and catch a couple cute pics of the boys for Valentines Day.  These two crack me up!

Coming...September 2013!

Elmo Party!

One of gals I work with has a little one that had a 2 yr bday and was sweet enough to invite his to his Elmo themed party!  She had some adorable ideas including a "Monster Cookie Bar" and "Ernie's Duck Pond."  I was so proud of my boys.  They may act like hellions at home but they were absolutely sweet and well mannered at the party.  There were other kids up in Gabe's face while he tried to open gifts that did not listen when parents asked them to back off and others that ran/jumped around, completely wired.  My boys were somewhat distracted by all the chaos and perfectly content to sit back, munch of snacks and take it all in.

After a few public outings that are anything but perfect, it's nice to have a one where things go just right and I can be so proud of my precious babes.

Peaceful Play

The boys are finally getting to where they can play on their own which means Mommy can actually fix a meal or fold some laundry without screaming children hanging off my legs.  While I adore that they love/need me so much, I have been waiting for this next stage of development to start...especially for Gavin.  At 16 months, his rear was getting a little hefty to carry around in the sling for the sake of saving my ear drums while trying to get chores done!  They are changing so fast...such a fun thing to watch.

Homebodies

Today we have been homebodies...the boys even stayed in the jammies(or lack there of with my kids).  We played trains, watched movies, sang songs and loved on each other.  I can really tell Logan is starting to grow up.  His attention span in more than 30 sec at a time.  Gav is working really hard on his first molars.  The upper left is through but the other three are so swollen and he is just not himself.  It makes me realize how much of a truly easy baby he really is!

Winter Fun

After we got back from Haven today Logan SOOOO badly wanted to play in the snow.  It was extremely cold but the wind wasn't blowing and Gavin was napping so I agreed.

Poor kiddo tried to hard but we couldn't even build a snowman.  The snow had turned more into ice with the warming from the sun.  He did manage to fill up his dump truck though.  After 15 min in the cold I convinced him to help me salt the sidewalks and stairs to the porch.  He is such a good little helper!

P.S.  Logan has refused to wear a heavy winter coat until today.  Amazing what a kid will do for some time in the snow.

Christmas 2012 {Grandma Jean's}

I was kind of a slacker today and didn't take too many pics.  Mostly because the kids were running around so fast I couldn't catch them all!  The big girls just adored Gavin and Logan spend a good 2.5 hours being chased by the little girls.

For the infamous women's gift exchange I had 4 gifts taken from me.  I really didn't care what I got, as watching these ladies all steal from each other is beyond entertainment.  But, I ended up coming home with a 20 piece pyrex set, Oh yeah!