What a good big brother!

We all know that Kyle loves books. Today he decided to instill that love of books in Kaleb by reading him "The Monster at the End of This Book". It was precious. He even took the time to explain what was in the pictures. How sweet.

I love having boys. If I were to ever have a girl I would love that too, but boys just weasel their way into Mama's heart to the point of being sickeningly adorable. Good thing I like sickeningly adorable!

Recovering from a c-section

If nobody has said it before, I will go ahead and be the first. C-sections are absolutely the best way to have a baby. Seriously, think about it. I got to pick my day, had it all planned out, walked calmly into the hospital that morning, and simply went through the motions of preparing for major surgery. There was no pushing, no screaming, no tearing, no baby getting stuck, no yelling at my husband, no sweating, no messed up hair. All very orderly and calm.
Recovery is what likely scares most people. I think I am one of the few people in this world that has a screwed up pain sensory system in my body. So far I have had an easy recovery, much like I did with Kyle, but this time easier in many ways. For instance, I had a belly wrap. It is a big elastic band that you wrap tightly around your mid-section for support. My abs got a few extra days of rest because of that baby. I was not afraid to sneeze or cough and I really did not have any pain at all because of moving the 'wrong' way. I was able to stop taking my pain medication after only 9 days, which is amazing in my opinion.
At this point, much of my swelling is gone and I can feel where they stitched me up on the inside. It is strange, but I am OK with that. Today I went for a walk around the park with my boys and I jogged just a bit to see if I could. Well, I could, but I should not. I will try to stick to doctor's orders and wait until I am 6 weeks pp, but to actually feel like I want to run is a big deal. I know I am done having kids and I want to try to get my old body back.
All I can say is wish me luck.

Diapers

I just wanted to say that I REFUSE to count how many diapers I change per day now. Totally and completely refuse. It would be really sad if I knew that off the top of my head. I remind myself that I was totally OK with two in diapers, and I still am, but I will still not count how many I changed, say, today. Not going to happen. Simply not an important piece of information. Nobody needs to know- I dont even need to know.




14



*sigh*

My life as a Mommy of two...

You never do know how capable you are of loving, how much your heart can really stretch and grow, until you add another child to your life.
When you only have one child your heart is full of, well, them. My heart was full of Kyle- full of his smiles, his laughter, his boo-boos, his triumphs, his aggravations, his entire world. Of course my heart also holds love for Larabee and other members of my family, but Kyle truly was my world. His well-being, his education, and his daily care was in my hands much of the time, so his little life encompassed mine.
When I found out I was pregnant last spring I never went through the worry or concern that I would not have room in my heart for another child. I know that everyone says your heart grows and your capacity for love grows, and I just believed in that.
Now that Kaleb is here I can say with all honesty that 'they' were right. There is always room in your heart for more love. I cherish the memories I have with Kyle, especially since was our first and our only for nearly two years. I love that I have gotten to watch him grow and learn and become the awesome little man he is today, but I am also very much looking forward to watching my two boys grow and learn and become awesome young men. I search every day for Kaleb's first smile, I wait every day for Kyle to say "Kaleb" with greater clarity. Every night Kyle kisses Kaleb on the head before he goes to bed, and I love seeing that. It is almost as if the love is built in from the beginning, which it perhaps is. God has granted Larabee and I with two little boys and has entrusted us with their care. That is not a job I take lightly, and while I know it will be a challenge I also know it will hold the greatest rewards.
My boys, Kyle and Kaleb, as one of your favorite books says, "I love you as much as a mother can love."

Kaleb Joseph Willey is here!

I am a bit late posting this, but that is OK, right? LOL

Kaleb Joseph Willey graced us with his presence Saturday the 21st at 8:20 am. He weighed in at 8 lbs 11 oz and was 21 inches long, so bigger than his big brother was! He has black hair and looks an awful lot like Kyle did at that age. He is a big fan of sleeping in the daytime and not so much at night, but we are working on it. He is mellow and only cries if there is a reason (so far). We are proud!

My Sweet, Darling Boy

My darling son, how on Earth do I explain to you how much your life is going to change in just a few short days? How do I prepare you for the biggest change you have ever had in your short life? We talk about the baby, we define certain things in the house as the baby's things, we talk about you becoming a big brother, but how much do you understand?

I know that we are giving you a wonderful gift, the gift of a sibling and a lifelong friend. I also know that we are taking you out of the spotlight, which you adore. Life is about changing and adapting though, and I know that you are really excellent at both, so my worries are few.

I sit here and reflect on what an amazing child you are and simply cannot believe that less than 2 years ago you were a newborn who mystified and terrified me. How did you go from goo-goos and ga-gas to running like the wind, talking up a storm, and being a caring little man? A few weeks ago you asked me if it hurt leaves when they fall off the trees! That amazed me! You are beyond polite, which makes me look good, but to tell you the truth that is just how you are. You are fantastic at pointing out your feelings and you get over things very easily. You are so laid back most of the time, which is strange because you are also as busy as can be! Most people cannot believe that you are not even 2 yet because you carry yourself so well and just act mature. You listen most of the time too, which is quite astonishing. I could go on and on about the things that you do every day that amaze me. I am so looking forward to watching you grow and blossom even more.

In a few short days you will go from being an only child to being a big brother. I know you will be great at your new role in life and that you will be a wonderful helper to your Mama. I love you more than words can ever express, with a love that you will only be able to understand when you become a father someday. It is endless and bottomless and can never founder. And you, my son, are amazing.

A Bittersweet Goodbye

Sometimes in life we take on more than we can handle. Sometimes, no matter how hard we try, we cannot make things work out. That is how I feel about Summer. She is a great dog in many ways; she loves babies and kids, she is friendly, and she is sweet. On the other hand, she is not 100% potty trained, gets into the garbage every chance she gets, and often does not come when I call her. But I tell you what, she loves her boy and her boy loves her. Larabee and I made the hard decision that she was out of chances after yesterday. She is simply not going to change and we were simply not going to deal with it anymore. The last thing I need is to get up in the middle of the night to a crying baby to find a surprise left by the dog. I guess it is especially difficult dealing with Summer's bad habits when we consider how good Sadie is. Sadie is annoying, has separation anxiety, whines a lot, but we can trust her just about as much as you can trust a dog. Summer never got to that point, and that is sad. She could be such a good dog if she made the choice to be, but we cannot make that choice for her. Because of that, we had to make the choice that was best for our family and our sanity. Summer will find another home and hopefully that one will work out for her. We will miss her.