{SHC} Just a Little Something

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Coming Home

We are home from the hospital and settling in at home. At some point, I will catch up on blogging, but for now, here are a few pictures of the first meeting between brother and sister.

Running out to the car to meet us. Noah covered his eyes as we lead him to the car. Not sure he really knew what to expect.

So far, he's pretty indifferent to the added little person in our house. He does let me know when she is crying. He runs over to her and says, "Baby Emma's crying." And, he is a little intrigued by her umbilical stump which made for quite a bit of a hairy moment just after this picture was taken. And, he is very interested in her sleeping arrangements (the pack-n-play in our bedroom), and has tried to climb into it several times.

Friday, June 10, 2011

She's Here

10 days early. Emma Elizabeth has arrived. Weighing in at 7 pounds, 11 ounces and measuring 20-1/4 inches. She is beautiful and sweet with a head full of dark hair. We are so blessed to have her in our family.

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Monday, June 6, 2011

Photo of the Day - 06.06.11

Good night! It's hot here. This afternoon my car read 105 on the thermostat. Ouch! And, it's only June. Thanks Aunt Mo for convincing me to squeeze into the garage. What a difference it makes!

To beat the heat today, we spent a few hours early this morning at a local splash park. We met up with some friends. I snapped this shot of Henry and Noah with my phone. Henry had just arrived, and Noah walked over and grabbed his hand to come play. I love seeing my little guy starting to take notice of his buddies.

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Saturday, June 4, 2011

Waiting for Baby

If anyone is keeping count, I am about two weeks away from baby's arrival. And, just like it was for Noah around this time, this baby girl is not showing any signs that she is ready to be born. This time is different because despite two growth ultrasounds, my OB is content to not rush into scheduling an induction. Can you hear my sigh of relief through your computer? I think when I was induced for my "huge" 7 pound, 15 ounce son at 39 weeks, I walked into the hospital with some slight effacement and no dilation. By the time they started the Pitocin, I think I was barely two cm dilated. Let's just say it was a hard fought battle for both of us. And, as labor day approaches, I can't help, but feel a little anxious about the whole delivery process. I mean, does anyone really have a good labor story? I can remember immediately after having Noah I looked over to Dean and said with complete serious, "I'm sorry, but I can't have anymore children." And, now here we are four years later at 38 weeks gestation, and I guess what we've all heard woman say countless times is true. You really do forget... at least until the time comes again, because now all I can think is what was I thinking and how am I going to get this thing out of my body.

On a happier note, the nursery is complete. And, I figured it's about time for the big reveal.

Bedding: Serena and Lily Punch Basics. Paint: Serena and Lily, Punch. Chair: Best Chair. (I'm reusing from Noah's nursery, and it is seriously the BEST chair!) Stencil: Etsy, Royal Design Stencils. Puff: Homegoods.

Artwork: Etsy, The Wheatfield. (I love this picture!)

Dresser: IKEA, Hemnes. Knobs: Hobby Lobby. Mirrors: Donated by Grammy

Curtains: Land of Nod. Decorative Accents: Homegoods

Artwork: Etsy, rkdsign88. Elephant: Homegoods

Thanks to Grammy who helped make it so with lots of washing, ironing, and organizing and who has instilled in me a true love and appreciation for TJ Maxx, Marshalls and Homegoods. Thanks to my husband who hung all artwork and the curtains and who was smart enough to say yes to hiring a faux painter instead of tackling the stenciled wall himself.

I've spent a bit of time stalking some nursery design blogs, and I found tons of great ideas that I borrowed. So, if you are decorating a nursery soon (which I know some of you are), you should definitely check out some of these sites. It will totally encourage all nesting. Your husband will be super excited.

Chic and Cheap Nursery

Project Nursery

Ohdeedoh

Nursery Notations

Friday, June 3, 2011

Hello. My Name Is...

This morning we met up with a few friends at a local splash pad. There were several others kids besides ours there, and Noah was having a blast running around all the spray and kids. At one point, he was kneeling near one of the spouts watching and narrating the water coming out. A little boy came up to Noah. I was sitting a bit away, so I couldn't quite understand what the boy was saying to Noah. He seemed friendly enough, but then he started tapping Noah on the head, repeatedly. One of my friends I was with got up to intervene for me (so nice), but I told her to wait. I finally understand that the little boy was just asking Noah his name... repeatedly. Finally, Noah looked up at him, and with a hand to his chest said, "My name is Noah. What's your name?" The little boy answered, and Noah went about his business again. The boy tried a bit more to talk to Noah, but finally moved on. I was so glad I decided not to step in, and Noah got a chance to try out a little social interaction. Great job, sweet boy! Momma is so proud!

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Birthday Treat

After therapy this afternoon, Noah, Blake and I headed out for some icy treats. Blake and I opted for sno-balls, and Noah chose a chocolate ice cream cone. Noah immediately noticed my tongue had turned red from my yummy strawberry with condensed milk sno-ball. He wanted to know what color Blake's tongue was, and then his own. Thus, the tongue comparisons began.

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Happy 4th Birthday Noah!

Four. Where has the time gone? Well, sweet boy this is your last birthday as the only child. In less than three weeks, baby sister should arrive, and not only will you have to share your home, you will have to share your birthday month. The fun factor for the month of June is going to double from here on out.

What a great year you have had! You finished up your first year at a new school, and it was such a great experience for you. You've become more social, and I've loved watching you form relationships with the teachers and friends in your class. Your teacher, Mrs. F, told me that the kids see you as a leader and love to follow you around. It made me so proud to hear that. Your other teacher, Mrs. I ended the year by telling me how smart and happy you are and that she sees so much potential in you. She also complimented your direction following skills.

You continue to have such a happy and easy-going temperament, although there are times when you want what you want when you want it, but I guess that's every kid. You are really good at compromising. We spend a lot of time saying, "first this, then this." And, also a lot of, "if you want 'x,' you must do 'y.'" We are both pretty good at holding up our end of these bargains, and this usually keeps things running smoothly at home.

The days of wondering when you would talk are finally over, and your functional language is constantly improving. You have mastered receptive language, and I often have to remind myself that little ears are listening. You talk non-stop, and "quiet mouth" is used quite a bit in our house. Echolalia is still a large part of your language, and you pick up phrases from everywhere. You speak with a lot of inflection, and Daddy and I giggle at some of the things that comes out of your mouth. Just this morning you told us, "I'm thirsty... in my tummy. In the past week, you've started adding "Mommy" to the end of phrases, and it melts my heart every time.

Your favorite color remains pink. You love chocolate ice cream. You love Cheese-It's. I mean really love Cheese-It's, and you could probably eat a box a day, if I'd let you. You always request them the same way, "cheese-its for a cup." Same thing goes for water and chocolate milk. "Water for a cup with a straw." Chocolate milk in a sippy cup." We're still working on prepositions. Pencils are still your favorite thing to carry around, and Momma is especially thankful to the Target Dollar Spot for keeping some fresh ones in the rotation. Your memory continues to amaze us. You can count by 2's, 5's, and 10's, you know all the words to your favorite Dr Seuss books, and any electronic toy that says ANYTHING has been committed to memory. You have a bit of a sensitive side, and strong emotions usually make you upset. You don't like sad.

You are such a big boy and are moving into age four weighing about 45 pounds and measuring 43.5 inches with a size 12 shoe. You are at least a head taller than most of your friends, and I am sad to report you will soon be in big kid clothing. And, speaking of friends, you still give the best hugs, and I sometimes have to cut them short before you knock over your buddies. You love hard, little man.

Some of my earliest memories come from around the age of four, and I think of that sometimes as we go about the routines of our day. I wonder if you'll remember us lying in bed at night while I sing you "Same Voice" as you fall asleep. Or us making muffins together in the early mornings. Or you and Daddy hitting the cupcake house on Saturdays. Both Daddy and I are looking forward to making tons more memories in year number four. Happy birthday sweet boy! Daddy and I love you so very much, and we are so proud of all your hard work this year.

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from year number three.