A Different World

Wow!  We have been so busy the last few days.  We did get to come home Thanksgiving night and we celebrated Thanksgiving the next day.  And by we, I mean our moms made dinner while the boys watched TV and I propped my feet up in bed with little bit.  Just like last time, I am carrying so much fluid in my ankles and feet...it looks awful!  I hope it goes away soon.

I still can't believe we have two little ones and I am keeping my fingers crossed that Matthew stays a pleasant, easy going little guy.  I'm not even joking when I say that I've been having to wake him up at night to feed him!  This is so different from last time.  There's lot of things that are very different from last time but this is possibly the best!  We are getting good sleep during the night and he's positively happy and content during the day. 

Although I KNEW John Michael and Matthew were different just from the way they acted in the womb, I now know that they are truly two different people with different personalities.  Life is amazing!

Here are some random pictures from the last few days.  I haven't been very good about taking many pictures because even though Matthew is a good baby, there's just always something to do and I stay busy doing little things that take up my time!

Here's Papa holding our big boy.  It looks like he's checking him out pretty good.

Close up.

This is what happened when we put him in his car seat to come home.  Now THIS is more like his big brother!  I'm going to do a totally separate post with pictures on his coming home outfit.  It's hilarious.

Dada getting Matthew all buckled in

Me sitting in the back with Matthew on our way home!

We let JM stay up late to see his new brother.  He's interested sort of, mainly he's ignoring him.

He just looks like, what is this?!

Saturday afternoon Papa, Uncle Judd, and Dada took John Michael to the park because it was going to be a warm day.  We've been blessed with good weather right up to December!  All those men got kudos from the moms at the parks because they weren't at home watching football like their husbands were!

JM loves this steering wheel at the park!

Matthew is (safely) snoozing in between Mama and Dada in bed.

Our newest Alabama fan

We went for our newborn check up yesterday and everything checked out fine!  He slept the whole time.

Snoozing away in the swing.  We were idiots to not have one of these with John Michael.

John Michael doesn't quite know what to think of all of this.  He's pretty needy right now and I cannot pick him up and he's quite frustrated with that. 

I feel a whole different set of mom guilt that is all new to me.  It's been really, really hard to feel like I'm giving him my time and attention.  I feel like it's going to take weeks and weeks for me to get the hang of everything.  Luckily, my mom is still here so I have help, but I have NO idea how I'm going to do this by myself.  I WILL learn!

And last, but not least, poor little Jackson.  I think he knows he's been bumped down to #3 now.  He's also been acting up and misbehaving lately!  He'll also adjust!  At least he's not licking the baby as much as he did last time.

Thanksgiving and Waiting

 1 Thesselonians 5:18

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

What a wonderful verse for us to be reminded of today!  Give thanks in everything...not when things are only going great but sometimes when they're not so great too.  Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!  Although we are a little sad that we are still in the hospital (especially on Thanksgiving) we are so happy, thankful, and blessed that Baby Matthew's problems are not too big of a deal. 

So, for now we are waiting around to see what the next blood draw will be.

Because Matthew was such a big baby, he has had a hard time regulating his blood sugars.  Today has been much better, but we've got one really big, hungry baby on our hands...and as you moms know, my milk is not entirely in yet so it's posing some problems for him as we try to get him full, keep his sugars at a good level, and keep him happy.  We're supposed to have one more blood sugar reading this afternoon before we decide if we're to stay another night or if we will go home. 

We have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.  A healthy, happy baby is just on the top of our list!  We have been blessed beyond belief.  Here are just a few random pictures from the last few days!

This is what an 11 pound baby looks like on the outside!

Here's the new big brother!

We were so glad John Michael visited us last night.  We miss him so much, but he's being smothered with love from our family!

Here's everybody looking through the windows while Matthew got his assessment and got weighed!

Grams and Matthew

Papa and Matthew

Uncle Ray holding Matthew for the first time!

Uncle Judd holding Matthew

Meme holding Matthew

Looking extra dapper this morning!

Mr. Serious

Proud Dada and Matthew

None of our newborn outfits fit except this one because it can be made into a gown!

 

Will You?

UPDATE 9:00pm:

Just a quick update.  We will be posing pictures later tonight, but I thought I'd go ahead and post some stats!

IT'S A .......................

BOY!

And Heaven help me he weighs almost 11 pounds...yes, you heard me...11 pounds.  He is 10 pounds 14 ounces and 22 1/4 inches long.  Wow.

I'm super tired, exhausted, and hurting.  I pray the next few days of healing go well!  I'm so scared to get up and move around.

His name is Matthew James and he is very calm and quiet!  Such a difference from our little John Michael!  We'll be posting more later.  Thanks for keeping up with us!

 

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UPDATE 4:15pm:

There's still no baby yet... but the epidural is in!!!!  Praise the Lord!!

I'm resting and sleeping well, and feel really great... we're progressing right along.  I'm sure we'll be checked again in the next hour or so for progress.  Thanks for all the comments and prayers!

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We awoke early this morning with butterflies in our stomaches.  We are checked into the hospital, hooked up, and on our way to a hopefully healthy birth of our long-awaited baby boy or girl!  Obviously things are going well because I am on the computer right now!  I'm watching Law & Order: SVU and we're just chilling out...how different this is from last time!

John Michael is happy and playing at home, so I feel better knowing that...even though it was the hardest thing ever putting him down to sleep last time for the last time as an only child.

If you happen by the blog today or you happen to think of us today, WILL YOU say a little prayer for us?!

WILL YOU pray for a healthy baby, delivery, and that God would surround and protect us today?  We would whole-heartedly appreciate it.  Seeing how things go, we might be able to update some here and there today!

Verse O' the Day:

For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Hebrews 12:11

A Day Out

Last week we had some really icky, dark weather, so when the sun come out on Thursday we headed out to get some sunshine!  John Michael, Grams, and myself went to an outside mall to play in the outdoor playplace!

It was still a little chilly, so John Michael had his little trapper hat on to keep his ears warm!

He loves this little crawl through tent!

Next, we went inside the food court to eat lunch!  John Michael ate some pizza...

and he was in prime position to watch the carousel while he ate!

Of course we let him "drive" the dumptruck and littel trucks at the food court!

Oh, he loves to drive! 

JM and very pregnant Mama!

Then, JM and Grams decided to ride the carousel.  We tried the horse and it did not go well...

So they decided to just ride on the carousel instead!  They had a good time and we got some smiles!

Our family is all in town now and we are doing our last loads of baby laundry and setting up our pack'n play and all the rest of the little things to get done before baby comes!  This is going to be an exciting week for everyone!

Verse O' the Day:

Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for You are my praise.

Jeremiah 17:14

Baby's Got A Brand New 'Do!

So John Michael finally got his first official "big boy" haircut.  I'm too hormonal right now to get the big haircut that chops off all those curls, so we went in for a mini trim!  He did GREAT!  As long as he had his sucker he was fine!

He shocked us by sitting in his own booster seat nearly the whole time.  There was a lot of hair on the floor for an 18 month old.  The great part is that there are still curls on his little head, so I was super happy!

It looks like he's thoughtfully considering his sucker!

Half the time he kept looking like "Why did you bring me to this girly place?!" 

A work in progress!

The new and improved John Michael!

On with baby news:  It looks like I might be on my way for an induction next week if nothing happens between now and then.  We shall see.  I'm not super-thrilled about it, but it might save me from delivering a "very large" baby.  Yikes!

Verse O' the Day:

For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?...And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?

Matthew 6:25, 6:27

Lazy Saturday

I am so tired this morning I can hardly stand it.  Luckily, JM has his Gran and Gamps here to play with him so I don't feel like too terrible of a mom today.  I slept really well from about 6:30 am to 7:45am, at which time when I went to get out of bed I had a terrible calf cramp that sent me back to bed for another hour.  Yawn!

I am so uncomfortable and I am ready.  I'm not sure we'll ever be 100% ready for this baby to come, but if I didn't have to give birth, it would be great!  Ready or not, this baby will (eventually) come!

Enough about me!  These pictures from last weekend crack me up!  We found John Michael all sprawled out in his bean bag chair.  As you can see, he looks pretty darn happy and content watching cartoons!

 And just so you don't think we were too lazy all day...we also played outside in the sunshine later in the day!

JM loves to help Jordan throw the ball for Jack. 

Fun Times!

I'm happy to report that we had a successful haircut today!  I didn't cry and John Michael still has curls!  I'll post pictures tomorrow!