FOUR MONTHS!

Dear Colin,

You are now 4 months old.  I had a very hard time figuring out when to take your picture because this year there were only 28 days in February and since you were born on the 31st it didn't seem right to do it earlier so I waited until March started and we had a day with some sun in the morning to get good pictures.

Onesies were made by our friend Sharon! 

Of course, I also did photos in an outfit that your brother wore for his 4 month photos.  The shirt must have been discarded because I couldn't find it so I found something similar for you to wear.

And this Colin, is what it looks like when you don't want to get dressed or get your diaper change, or are cold, or mad that you are being put down so I can tend to your brother, Hunter or some other matter.  I still love you but no more ugly face!

SLEEP:
I have started having you sleep in your bedroom at night and you seem to be doing ok with this but you still wake up every 2-3 hours (sometimes less).  You are still swaddled but if I unswaddle you then you are awake even more.  I have a week off of work coming up so I might start unswaddling you then since I won't be so busy and we don't get a lot of sleep it will be ok.  You go to sleep around 7pm.  Are up at least once before 9 (if not twice), then up again around 11pm.  Last month I used to then bring you into my room but now I leave you in your room until your 1:30am wake-up.  Once in bed with me you tend to wake at 3 or 4, 6am and then if I am able to get you back down at 6am you are awake for the day at 7am.  Napping is hit or miss.  Sometimes you will nap at home up in your room if I am able to swaddle you and set you down almost asleep.  Sometimes I will nurse you to sleep and bring you upstairs to your swing to sleep.  During these times you will sleep for about an hour.  If you and I are home alone and I am wearing you - you will sleep for an hour or a little bit more.  You are not a great car sleeper but sometimes you will nap in the car too.  Overall, I would say you are getting 2-3 hours of sleep during the day when Mommy is home.

Sleeping in Mommy's bed - 2.20.2014

FOOD:
You are still a piglet and you are eating every 2-3 hours during the day and night.  You are on strictly breastmilk for now but you love to sit on the table at dinner and breakfast and be apart of the meal (unless you are napping).  Only two more months before I let you have food in your little hands!

CLOTHES:
You are currently in 6 month clothes from major "name brand" retailers and size 6-9month in most others "store brands or specially made for box stores".  It appears that despite seemingly to be growing at the same rate as your brother we will be buying you a lot of clothes because the seasons just aren't lining up correctly.  It seems the 1.5 months difference in birthdates is making a HUGE difference in clothing.

PERSONALITY:
You are such a happy baby when you are happy.  You smile from the tips of your very toes.  Your whole body is used to make the smile and it is infectious.  You smile at old people, young people, babies, toddlers, your Daddy, Me - just about anyone (but it doesn't make it any less special).  You are hysterical with Conor.  He can make you laugh at the drop of a hat and he loves to do it.  You have an adorable belly laugh and its fun to see you enjoy life so much. 

Your not all smiles though Mister.  You are also very demanding!  You do not like to be put down.  You require entertainment (you are not self-soothing just yet and you still get overstimulated too easily) from Daddy Conor or I unless its really short bursts of time.

 

DEVELOPMENT:
You are such a strong little boy!  You have been able to stand since shortly after birth but now you have some core strength and can sit (though you are bent at the waist quite a bit).  You are able to use those muscles to pull yourself into a standing position when holding my hands.  You hold your head up really high when on your tummy and you are starting to do so when sitting.  You do not love reclining anymore and are always trying to pull yourself into a sitting position if leaned against a pillow or blanket while on your back.  You are able to hold toys now and guide them into your mouth fairly nicely (though you do get very upset when you can't figure out how to let go of said toy)!  You also reach for things if they are placed just outside your reach span. 

You track people as they walk about a room and you turn your head when your name is called.  You also recognize voices and faces and produce smiles without prompting for certain people (Conor being #1). 

EXPERIENCES:
This past month you enjoyed your first true fun in the snow.  It was finally warm enough to play outside in the snow.  You watched the neighborhood kids sled and it was fun seeing Conor try to keep up with them.  You went for a ride in the sled and sat up on the big snowpile with Mommy and Conor (2.20.14).

We also went to a play place in Dover NH with Auntie Ana and this was your first time there.  You had a lot of fun watching the kids play but you were a bit too little for everything there so its a good thing you were content just to watch!  We also went out to lunch at a restaurant.  You did okay but it had been a long day and you were tired by the end of it (so were the boys!).

First Holidays: Valentine's Day and you attended your first Valentine's Day Party Playdate a few days later at Carter's house.  There you hung out with the Mommies and played with your friend Link.

Such a size difference in boys born 2 weeks or so apart!

GODPARENTS:
In the last month we also asked two very special people to be your Godparents.  Who?  We asked Chris and Auntie Cathlin.  They are also Conor's godparents but they are very special people in our lives and we felt they were the perfect choice the first time and therefore when it came time to pick again it only made sense that you deserved the best as well!  We were elated when they each said "YES" again.  Now, to make plans!

Colin, you are a wonderful little baby and I can't wait to keep watching you grow.  Until next month little man.

xoxo
Mommy

PS.  4 month comparison photo - Conor Above and Colin Below.

Three Months Old!

Dear Colin,

In January 31, 2014 you turned three months old.  Our 4th trimester is nearing completion and I have been back at work for a month.  You are a beautiful BIG baby!  You only look 3 months old when you are tucked up against me in one of our wraps.  If you are on the floor or in the swing you look much older.  Your physical attributes aren't the only thing that contribute to the general public thinking you are older than you are - your muscle tone is amazing!  You are holding your head up, you can stand on your legs, your abdominal muscles are hard at work as you try to pull your shoulders off the floor or hold yourself in a sitting position.  You are also incredibly alert and will track people and things around the house with both your ears and your eyes.  Such a smart boy!

You are wearing size 3-6 month clothes and, just like Conor, your feet are such that socks are a huge issue because they are all too tight!  You are in cloth diapers the majority of the time now, including at night, but because I cannot change your diaper during the evening you have many inserts stuffed in!  Despite this we are still dealing with a leaking issue but I am hoping that this may resolve itself when you are nursing a bit less at night.  So, for now you sleep on a blanket with a towel underneath so I don't have to worry about mattresses and sheets.

You still have reflux and you spit up quite a bit.  Because of this you really don't like to lay on your back and while you seem to like your play mat a lot - you do not like being there for more than a few minutes.  You are also very easily overstimulated (likely a product of Conor being around all the time and being a crazy 2 year old!) so Daddy and I work hard to ensure you don't get too worked up when things are a bit hectic around here.

You smile so much - you are a very happy baby (when you are not crying).  You do tend to cry more than I remember Conor crying but this is also a much busier house than the one he came home to.  But, you hold your own little man and your BIG personality is starting to emerge.

You are able to roll over!  If I place you on your tummy you will roll to your back.  You are also working on rolling from back to tummy but I think that will be a while still.  Your hair is starting to grow in and your favorite thing to do is munch on your hands so I can only imagine what's going on in that mouth of yours.

Sleep.  Colin you are a terrible sleeper.  I'm really sorry to have to say that but its 100% true!  You don't sleep well because you are always wanting to eat.  Right now you are eating every 2 hours around the clock.  CRAZY!  I have decided that for my own sanity and yours that you will only be fed at night every other wake-up.  I am determined to have you only eating every 4 hours at night by the time you are 5 months old because your Mom needs sleep!  Right now you are sleeping in your co-sleeper for the first part of the evening and then after 11pm you are moving into the bed with us.  Its not ideal but its how we are all managing the 2 hour feeds.

 

You and your brother are still a wonderful pair and it has been a lot of fun watching you respond to him.  I can only imagine how much trouble to two of you are going to get into in the future!  In this series of photos I was giving you a massage and he wanted one too.  He loves to be helpful and get diapers and wipes, put dirty diapers in the trash or the wetbag.  He also likes to try to hand you toys and is very good at helping you with tummy time.

The month has been a slow one.  You haven't had any visitors other than Grandma and Grandpa Jakan and the playgroup ladies.  But you did go bowling with Mommy and the Moms for Mother's Night Out.  It was fun to have you there and we did pretty good too!

You love the bath and while I don't give them to you too often because they really dry out your skin (which is already dry and seemingly sensitive), when you do get one you go to town splashing and kicking and trying to drink the water as I let it run down your face.  After each bath you get a full coconut oil massage to help rehydrate your skin.  You LOVE it!

 

Overall, we couldn't ask for a better baby!

xoxo
Mommy

PS.  Here is the comparison photo of you and Conor

Conor on top, Colin below

Happy Birthday Colin!

Dear Colin,

You came into this world in your own special way.  At 4:15am on October 31, 2013 you woke me up by creating a hole in the bag of waters.  I honestly thought it was urine leaking so I got up and went to the bathroom.  There, I peed, and then went back to bed only to have more liquid exit my body.  At that point I woke your Dad up by saying "I think my water broke."  He was very calm (actually - overtired as he had only come to bed an hour earlier as he was working so he would be free to trick or treat) and said to me "don't over-react you could be like those ladies that don't go into labor for days after their water breaks" and then he rolled over and went back to bed.  More water came out and so I called your Grandma Mary to let her know what was going on.  Then I woke your Daddy up and told him that I was sure my water broke and why didn't we just start getting things ready.

Your Daddy got up and started to get his things together and I jumped in the shower.  While in the shower my contractions started getting closer together and within minutes I heard your brother waking up (it was about 5am at this point) and so when I got out of the shower he was in my bed playing on the ipad while Daddy was downstairs putting food together for Conor.  The contractions were getting really strong at this point so the midwives were called and I was told to head to the hospital.  While waiting for Daddy to make sure Big Brother's things were packed (we had just unpacked all his snacks the night before in order to replace the things we felt should be eaten or switched up) Big Brother was helping Mommy to stay calm.  He touched my hand and said "Mamma" a few times.  He also kept talking about "baby heartbeat" because we had told him the night before that we would be hearing your heartbeat the next day at the doctor's office - and Conor does not forget things!

Daddy finally got everything loaded into the car and got Hunter settled and we drove up to the hospital.  Daddy took care of Conor while Mommy focused on getting into the hospital and up to the correct floor.  I was admitted immediately (it was once again shift change - both you boys liked to start things at shift change) and we spoke with the midwife who was just getting ready to come off her shift (Jerri).  Unfortunately, we had some bad news for her - the midwife who was coming on was one that we had said we did not want to work with and she checked out a few things and ended up staying with us.  I felt terrible because I didn't want to be a pain but I could not deliver you with that other woman.

The first thing Jerri did was make sure we were settled and then she checked me.  I was 6-7cm dilated which was far more progress on my own than I had ever made with your brother and I was not in pain so I was very hopeful that maybe I wouldn't need any medications and/or wouldn't need them until the end.  Grandma was on her way and called because she had gotten lost in town and needed help getting back to the hospital.  She finally arrived around 9:30am and was very thankful that she hadn't missed anything!

Before Grandma got there Daddy was focused on caring for Conor but since nothing was really going on with you this was perfectly fine.  But, then Grandma got there and it was her job to focus on Conor so Daddy could focus on you and me!  Around 10:30am I was checked again and had dilated further (7-8) without the need for medications but the pain in my hip was getting a lot worse.  I had been working with a chiropractor  issue in my hip that I first discovered when in labor with your brother.  I had seen the chiropractor after his birth and things improved but as the time came to deliver you the pain reappeared if I walked too far or was on my feet too much.  It was believed that I have a nerve/tendon issue and that is also why the epidurals all fail (more on that in a minute).  So, back to the story. 

As I was continuing to labor the pain was getting so intense that I was unable to feel you descending and when instructed to give little pushes was not able to isolate the muscles needed to complete this task because the pain in my hip was overpowering.  At some point I threw up - just once though - like I did with your brother.  I attempted to push on the area where the pain was but, in the end, I had to request the epidural.  After an hour we realized that it had not worked.  My RIGHT hip was still incredibly painful and I could not focus.  At this point I was 10cm dilated but needed to thin out and therefore needed to push a little to help you drop but still couldn't push.  A new doctor was called in and a booster of some sort was given and my left leg went completely numb and the pain in my right hip was dulled enough that I could focus on the task at hand - getting you out so that we could meet you! 

I was instructed to rest and Daddy went to take Conor for a car ride to give him the chance to nap.  Grandma offered to take you but we didn't think he would sleep for her and Daddy knew the area better and so could get back faster.  He wasn't gone more than 20 minutes when Jerri came back in and said if I felt ready to push I could.  So, Grandma texted Daddy and made him come back.  Poor Conor had only just fallen asleep and so Daddy got him all the way into the elevator before he woke up.  He was handed to Grandma and Daddy came to my bedside and held my hand while we started pushing. 

You were a great partner in this delivery - you let me know when you were ready for the push and when it was time to stop.  Once again, I felt that the actual pushing went very quickly.  There was a moment when you were crowning that I felt like I was too small for your big head and Jerri wanted me to pause but I simply couldn't because I felt like I was tearing in two.  So, two more pushes and your nose was out and then came the rest of you!  (Mommy didn't tear in two - she didn't even tear!).  You didn't cry right away but you were immediately laid on my chest and the nurse rubbed and rubbed you until you let out a big cry. 

You were just perfect and neither Daddy, Grandma or I could get over how much you looked like your brother when he was born.  Despite looking like Conor you clearly are a little boy with your own personality.  You did not want to nurse right away but you wanted to be held.  We waited for the cord to turn white before Daddy was asked to cut the cord.  As with your brother he did not want to and so I asked Grandma if she wanted to.  Once she was given the scissors Conor wanted to help and so he did.  Seeing you there on my chest was just as surreal as it was the first time I laid eyes on your brother.  There was an instant bond and a desire to protect you and not let you go - not even to Daddy.  It was also very special to me to have your brother there.  He was one of the first people to see you and to hold you and I hope that is a bond that the two of you never lose.

Conor cutting the cord

Cutting Colin's Cord (Conor and Grandma Mary)

Baby Colin is his own person.

Colin, you were born at 1:24pm on Halloween Day; my little pumpkin baby.  You weighed 9.25 oz and were 20.5inches long (just as long as Conor but 8oz more).  While you were bigger than your brother you looked so much smaller.  You had a blood sugar imbalance so you were subjected to pricks every few hours so that your blood could be tested.  Finally you got 2 tests that were in the appropriate span of time with the appropriate numbers so you could stop being tested.  This was a little stressful because Daddy wasn't here when I learned what was going on but we (you and I) made sure that we took care of things!

Why was Daddy not there?  Because he took Conor home for dinner and bed while Grandma stayed with us until it was time for her to leave and be with Daddy and Conor.  That left just you and I at the hospital (well, until your first visitors arrived).  Daddy also didn't stay when Conor was born so it wasn't your brother's fault that he left.  I encouraged Daddy to go both times because he's bigger than the couch/bed he would have had to sleep on and I knew you and I would get more sleep without Daddy in the room (which we did!).

Your birthday is a holiday and one that kids love.  I made a promise to you before we went to sleep for the night that no matter what your Daddy and I would make the day special for YOU and not just the night we trick-or-treat.

We love you very much little man and your birth has completed our family.  Happy Birthday Colin!

xoxo
Mommy

Nineteen Months

Dear Conor,

You continue to be the focus of every minute of every day in our lives.  We have tried in the last month to give you as much of us as we could because of all the changes that were coming your way.  Since I last wrote about your progress we have moved out of the house that truly became a home the day we brought you home to stay.  It was a difficult day because that little house was the place where you took your first steps, said your first words, and where we learned to be parents.  We left our driveway for the last time on July 19, 2013 at 8:45am....it was bittersweet because the new owners were already there so there was no last photo of us in front of the house and our last image of the home had their car in the driveway - in a way it already felt like it was long gone.

Goodbye Home

The week prior was incredibly busy for us and, of course, it was a week that you started saying even more new words and I found it challenging to keep up with you.  Ice, bowl, cup, bear, box, okay, pee, elbow, and knee I think were the new words for you in just a few days.  You have such wonderful friends - they came over to play with you on both Monday and Tuesday so that Mommy could focus on packing.  Monday night was your last night in your room because Tuesday morning Mommy drove your crib to Grandpa's house and that night you slept in Uncle Justin's room.  I know this transition time will be a challenge for you but just know that Mommy and Daddy are here for you and we are doing everything we can to help ease the stress and strain on you.

So, before the big move we spent the weekend on the Cape because Auntie Cathlin was getting married!  You attended the rehearsal but we made the decision that you would skip dinner because you were getting tired after the long drive down and we didn't want to start you off the next day with a bad attitude.  SAturday you spent the day with Daddy while Mommy got ready with the girls.  You came to the wedding (and you were pretty good too) before getting dropped off with Auntie Ana for your first babysitting at night.  You have been watched for short periods of time during the day by a few people but this was going to be a lot different and Mommy was nervous!  But Auntie sent Mommy these pictures to show what a good boy you were being!

Eating Dinner for Ana

Playing before bed

Auntie Ana did a great job with you and I am so thankful that we had her because I couldn't imagine having left you for the first time at night with anyone else.  You even went to bed for the first time without any milk and you did great!

This month you have also sprouted lots of new teeth!  You now have 4 bottom fronts, two top fronts, and one chewing tooth on each side both top and bottom coming through. You have been such a champ through all this and I'm hoping that with these new teeth you will start to expand your food interests!

You are now able to blow on hot foods, you picked blueberries for the first time, you identify secondary body parts (chin, neck, chest, elbow, leg), you know which grandparents we are talking to you about and you confirm this by talking about things related to them (boat, bobo, dog), time-outs are effective with you now and you sit for them 99% of the time, you still struggle with teeth brushing but we are working on that.  Lastly, you are able to express choices and wants with words and gestures.

We are constantly surprised by you little man and I can't wait to see what the next month brings (and its time for some new professional pictures!).

xoxo
Mommy

PS.  new words this month are: Pee, ice, rug, Carter, Braden, train, blueberry, rice, bike, stroller, bus, bag, alligator, step, jump, bowl, plate. 

Breast Feeding is NOT easy!

I repeat - breast feeding is NOT easy!

When we found out we were pregnant I began researching the benefits and disadvantages of both breast feeding and formula feeding.  I read countless articles and skimmed what felt like hundreds of websites.  They all said the same thing (even the formula company websites) Breast milk is Best.  So, I decided that I would select a formula to be my back-up and I would give breast feeding my best effort but would take it one day at a time and not be upset with myself if it simply wasn't an option.

Well, I am proud to say that I have made it 3.5 months and things continue to go well despite my being back at work full time.

Breastfeeding is not easy.  It it physically and emotionally demanding.  Conor likes to nurse to sleep which means I have to be home every night to put him to bed (not that I mind too much but it means I am currently the only one who can put him to sleep which means Dad misses out on that time with him).  Conor is still so young that he likes to comfort nurse when he is scared, not feeling well, growing, or overwhelmed by his surroundings (this is all normal behavior for a baby of his age that is breastfed) so that once again leaves things up to me.  He will take a binkie for a little bit of that time so Dad does get to participate in the soothing but in the end Conor wants his mom. 

Also, while Conor is taking a bottle each bottle requires pumping.  I dislike pumping with a passion but I am willing to do it for Conor.  I have managed to replace every bottle that Conor has taken while I have been working despite my unpredictable schedule and the lack of a specific place to pump or allocated break times.  This makes me so proud of myself and I am even more hopeful that I can continue to provide Conor with milk until his first birthday.  If you are out and about and offer a bottle - you have to be prepared to pump either shortly before going out, while you are out (so you might as well just nurse to save the time), or right when you get home so that you don't overflow or - if done too often - damage your supply.  Breastfeeding is not easy.

Remembering to drink enough water and eat the extra 300 calories a day is not always easy!  Having breasts that change sizes throughout the day and therefore need extra support at different times is not easy and can be frustrating.  Breast feeding isn't always easy.

Currently our freezer is full of frozen milk to be used when I am not home and can be used when he turns 6 months old to make baby food.  As so many ladies in my support group (mommy class) have milk supply issues (for a variety of reasons) I am very thankful for the abundant supply that I have and my ability to maintain this supply even with the stress of working, running the business, and keeping up with Conor/Hunter and Josh!

Breastfeeding is not easy but it has been made easier for me by having a large group of women, whom I now call friends, who support my decision and offer great advice.  Access to a lactation consultant on a weekly basis has also made the transition to work much easier and helped to ease the pain of feeding Conor by identifying his tongue-tie and recommending an ENT to snip it.

Breastfeeding is not easy - we have had some stumbles along the way but, for me, it was worth sticking it out.  When I look at my little 14.5lb 3.5 month old baby and I know I provided him the nutrients to grow him that big it makes me proud.

I would never shame a woman for choosing not to breast feed her baby (many people who I call friends have not) I would encourage every woman I know to at least try.  But remember, it's not easy so expect there to be struggles because, according to the lactation consultant, many women give up or fail because they expected it to be easy and were too easily frustrated when it was challenging.

Why did I write this post?  Because everything else I read seemed to send me the message that breastfeeding was natural and easy.  The writing seemed to want to shame women that didn't breastfeed or make them feel guilty and that is not ok.  So - my lady friends out there reading this know this:  breastfeeding is natural and it is rewarding and does create an amazing bond between you and your child but IT IS NOT EASY.  This, of course, does not mean it is the most difficult thing in the world to do but just expect there to be bumps in the road or to have to put a bit more effort into it in the beginning than you expected. 

But, it does get easier with time and I am proud to say I think Conor and I have reached that point where it is easy and natural and entirely rewarding!

Growth Spurt & Baby Class

Dear Conor,

Wow!  And we thought Friday and Saturday were tough.  Sunday (01/08/2012) and Monday (01/09/2012) were your worst days yet.  You spent the majority of the day screaming and fussing and doing everything but being quite.  Because of this you spent the majority of these days in my arms - the only place you seemed to be content and nursing.  You went from eating every 2-2.5 hours on Saturday to eating every 30 to 60 minutes.  It felt like you and I did nothing for that 48 hours stretch other than feed and change diapers. 

On Sunday your Dad took care of you for a little bit so that I could get a little break from you (and your BAD attitude).  What did Mom do?  She took a nice long HOT shower and I cut my finger and toe nails - nothing spectacular I promise!  I guess this is my official "welcome to mom-hood". 

You might look like a sleeping angel in the above photo but I assure you - you really did spent the majority of the two days screaming your little head off.  Of course, what kind of a mom would I be if I didn't carefully document this growth milestone!

The face of a growing boy!

Your Dad and I also found you to be suffering from extreme gas which only added to your pains and troubles this past weekend.  We ended up having to purchase you some tummy medicine (Little Tummies) which we give to you a few times a day after you eat.  After talking with some of the other mommies from the baby class we go to and reading online and watching you eat I believe that I have an overactive milk supply and a forceful let-down which means you have to work twice as hard to keep up and therefore you gulp a lot and air gets into your little digestive system.

To help with the gas you and I are feeding in particular positions, I am giving you the tummy medicine, we are rubbing your belly after feedings in a clockwise motion and exercising your legs in a bicycle motion.  All of this is to help the gas make its way out of your system - one way or another.  And come out of you it does!  Your burps and toots rival your Dad's!

My nautical boy!

 On Tuesday we took a risk and went to baby class despite your behavior over the previous few days.  Of course, you were as good as gold there!  Of course, I put you on the scale - you weighed 9lbs. 14oz.  This as an increase of 10 oz. from last week!  You are my growing boy!

Because you were SO good at class I thought we both deserved a little shopping trip.  I needed to purchase some pants (your mom is officially out of maternity clothes but not quite into her pre-pregnancy size) and while we were at the mall I noted that The Children's Place was having a sale and they had a preppy nautical line.  Of course, that meant that I needed to purchase something for you so I did!  I bought you the outfit above (in 6m-9m size) as well as a navy blue polo shirt and Nantucket red pants.  I can't wait for you to wear them this spring/summer!

Hopefully we are over this growth spurt and you will go back to my wonderful and good natured little boy :)

xoxo

Mom

PS.  After we got home from shopping we moved you up to a SIZE 1 diaper!

Week 36 & Grandma Mary's visit

Dear Conor,

This week marks our 36th week together and I couldn't be more excited because it means that you are only 4 weeks from making your debut. 

In preparation of your arrival I attended a Breast Feeding class on Monday night.  I learned quite a bit about the benefits of breast milk and it reaffirmed my commitment to provide you with breast milk as long as I possibly can.  I have been doing a lot of research regarding breast pumps and bottles and your Aunt Ana is going to let me borrow her pump for a few weeks until we determine whether or not breast feeding is best for you. 

You have been doing a lot of moving this week - its mostly in the morning and late at night. Your movements are a lot stronger which makes me think that you are getting stronger!  At our last doctor's appointment they said your heartbeat was very strong and that you were head down.  This was confirmed by an ultrasound.  Grandma Mary came to this doctor's appointment and was very excited to see you moving on the little screen.  You look so much more like a person than you did several weeks ago and you have grown so much!  Our next appointment is next Friday and then there will be weekly appointments to ensure that things don't change in the last few weeks.

We are still working at home to get ready for your arrival.  My hospital bag is packed and waiting by the door.  We have strung the Christmas lights outside and hung the wreaths and put up the tree here in the house.  The bathroom shelves are almost done being stained and poly-ed and the linen closet has been cleaned out and reorganized.  We have a few things left to do but we are getting there and every step we take brings us one step closer to your arrival!

Now - if only I could get work to slow down a bit so that I could wrap all those duties up :)

xoxo
Mom