My Two Boys

Having two children is a lot harder than having one. With Ethan, I still had free time. If I wanted to go do something it was easy to find someone to watch him. If I needed to go somewhere, I got him ready and we hoped in the car. With two children, there is constantly something to do. I feel this weird guilt asking someone to watch a baby and a two year old at the same time. Getting them both ready to go somewhere can take longer than it is worth. But even with all the craziness that having two children causes, I am in love with being a mom of two.

When I gave birth to Ethan I knew that my love for him would be something I had never experienced before. I had no clue that, for me, it would be so instantaneous. From the first second I saw his little face I was completely in love.

Again, I had no clue what to expect when Evan arrived in May this year. I was worried that my love wouldn't be enough for two. I was worried that my sweet love for Ethan would overwhelm what I was able to give Evan. It didn't happen that way at all. My heart opened even further and made just the right amount of room for our new addition.

Evan began his life with a week long stay in the NICU. It was scary and sad but he was nowhere near as sick as many of the other babies there. When we brought Ethan to meet him at the hospital, he showed very little interest in the baby. I guess the big hospital ands all the new things he had never seen were more important to check out.

Ethan was being difficult to deal with at home for Daddy. I stayed at the hospital most of the week but did have to come home and help calm Ethan down at one point. I had never seen him throw a full-out tantrum and I was getting worried that he would act this way forever because of the new baby. Yikes! Thankfully, we figured out that he wasn't feeling well and once we got him some medication he was back to his usual self.

From the first day we brought Evan home, Ethan has LOVED that baby. He would kiss his head, want to pick him up when he was crying, and even tried to make him a bottle one time. Even now, Ethan asks about Evan every day when I pick him up from daycare. One of the first things he does in the morning is look for the baby, get close to his face and say, "Awwww, baby!"

Evan adores Ethan as well. Some of his biggest smiles come when Ethan is talking to him or playing in front of him. I pray every day that their relationship continues on this path and that they can be there for each other for anything and everything through the rest of their lives.

Having two children is a lot harder than having one but it is so worth it!

Ethan - Two years, 3 months,

A post I wrote for Ethan back in April 2013.

I know as the months go by and we welcome our new baby boy into the world I will wish that I took more time to document all the wonderful things Ethan is doing and learning. A friend of mine made a similar post about her little girl and I should send her a special thank you for reminding me that taking time for making notes about these things is important. We will never get this time back and often the best stories to rub in their faces when they're older can be forgotten. :) So, here's a post just for you, Ethan.

A few of your favorite things:

Building and stacking with blocks - You love to build things really tall and then completely destroy them. But if someone destroys your tower before you have deemed it tall enough stand back and beware of Ethan's wrath. Ha!

Cars with your orange car track, trains with your plastic and wood tracks and planes flying through the sky. When we are out in public you love to point out the buses and when we see one bus you often say "More bus, momma?" Sometimes I drive you through the school bus barn close by our house just to see how excited you get about all the yellow buses. You also get really excited when a plane flys overhead while we are playing outside. You stop everything you're doing to look up and try and find it. You are always talking about the cars driving down the road and in the parking lots we pass while we are driving.

Your favorite shows to watch in the morning are Super Why (you love the letters) and Dinosaur Train (of course, a train show). When we watch TV in the afternoon you often ask for "Bob" (Bob the Builder), "Horse" (Horton Hears a Who) or "Buzz" (Toy Story).

We often watch "Wheel of Fortune" as a family and you love to call out letters and clap with the audience after each round. You get very excited when your letters come up but sometimes get upset when the contestants don't call your letters, even when they have already been called.

You know many of your letters and love to talk about letters. You have started to associate some letters with names - D for Daddy, B for Baby, M for Momma, etc. You haven't started counting on your own but you like counting along with Momma when we read books or count objects. You also know a few colors - your favorite colors are orange "orsh", blue "bu" and yellow "wellow".

You love Daddy's tools and often sneak into his boxes or open tool sets to work on your toys. You love to work along side Daddy when he is working around the house. You have hammered, shimmed doors, screwed in screws and much more. I know you will be a big helper for Daddy as you get older.

Of course, you love to play "owsigh" - outside - and go "dowstay" - downstairs

You enjoy eating on your own. You love to use your own utensils and have even started learning to drink from an open cup (only in the kitchen).

Your favorite things to say:

"Dan du" - Thank you

"Awie" - Sorry

"Es" - Yes

"No" - there is no mistaking when you say no :)

"Twint" - Drink

"Cracker"

"Eat"

"Bye, bye"

You are adding words to your vocabulary daily and I love hearing you try to say new things. I still haven't gotten you to say I love you. One time, and one time only, you have said "wub". In time, I guess.

You say "Hannah" for Grandma when talking about Nathan's mom. We aren't sure where you got that from but at least we know who you are talking about.

You are stubborn - Wonder where you got that from?

Although you like to get your way, you are good listener and most of time I don't have to tell you something more than twice. You understand the consequence of time out and will often change your mind about minding Mommy and Daddy if we talk about time out. If you do go to time out, you sit in your chair and always say you are sorry and give hugs when time out is over.

Bedtime used to go smoothly until about a month ago. Now that you are able to communicate better you are often not interested in going to bed. Instead you say things like, "Eat, momma. Drink, momma. Bus. Book. No, night, night." You love to read the "mice book" - Lullaby Moon and the "bus book" - Wheels on the Bus along with many others. Sometimes in the morning if you haven't tried to call out for us or knock on your door to get our attention, I will check on you and you will be reading to yourself in bed quietly.

A few more fun things about you:

You love your sitter, Mrs. Bobbi and you love all your friends there. You often talk about them by name. In the morning, I only have to ask one time if you are ready to go to see Mrs. Bobbi and you are at the door waiting to leave the house.

When I pick you up from Mrs. Bobbi's you often say "want home." You are a homebody and love to be cuddled up on your couch in our living room or play with your toys. You don't mind going out to eat dinner but you would rather spend your time playing at home.

Since Momma is pregnant and we talk about the baby in her belly a lot, you have decided that every belly button contains a baby. Daddy has a baby, Momma has a baby and Ethan has a baby. I am sure that if anyone else showed you their belly button they would definitely have a baby also.

You are fascinated with "ow, ows". Any scratch, scrap or freckle is an "ow" and needs to be taken care of. You even use "ow" as an excuse to not do things. If it is time to get off the couch, you will sometimes act like you got your foot stuck and then pull it out saying "Ow, Momma." or if you are getting in trouble for something you might hold out your hands and say "ow" several times.

We haven't started seriously potty training yet. We aren't stressing about it since we have the new baby on the way. I figure you will pick it up when you are ready.

My favorite recent story:

The other day you tried to step on a picture frame that was on the floor. I told you not to and you tried it again. I said, "Ethan, look at me." This is my go to phrase lately when I want you to know I am serious. You turned to me and gave me a weird look, then you took a couple steps and stood right in front of me. You put your little hands on my cheeks, puckered up and leaned in to kiss me.

I instantly started laughing and apparently a kiss isn't a kiss unless it is returned so you continued to rub your slobbery lips all over me until I got my laughing under control and kissed you back. Gross!

Your personality:

You are always so concerned about others and your sweet spirit makes me teary eyed sometimes. You often say "oh, no" when watching TV shows and it is normally because someone is hurt or in trouble. You love to give hugs and kisses, especially when you can tell Momma or Daddy don't feel good or they are tired. I don't know how we are so blessed with such a caring and loving child but it is one of the best feelings in the world. Holding your hand as we walk together is one of my favorite things.

You are precious and perfect in so many ways. You make us happy and frustrated and proud all the time. I never knew I could love someone so much.

Remembering to Play

This week has been a week of playing. We have played the front yard, backyard, living room, basement...really, anywhere. The weather was so beautiful, I just couldn't say no to letting Ethan enjoy the outdoors when we got home each day. Nathan was able to be home in the afternoons/evenings this week as well so we all had a great time. From bubbles to slides, from cardboard houses to tricycles - I don't think we could have had more fun. Of course, Ethan wouldn't agree with that last sentence. He would have stayed outside long into the night. :)

I feel so blessed to have such a loving, sweet 2 year old. The other day I was getting onto him for stepping on a picture frame on the floor. I said to him, "Ethan, look at me." When those words come out of my mouth, he knows I mean business. He looked at me with a strange look then took two big steps to stand right in front of me. He took my face in his little hands, puckered up and then leaned in to kiss me. All seriousness was gone. I was cracking up. But since I was laughing, I wasn't kissing him back which apparently is no good. So, he slobbered all over my face until I finally got myself together enough to kiss him back. He knows how to sweeten up Mommy.

Today marks the 34 weeks of pregnancy with baby boy #2. I am sure everyone who has been pregnant feels this way but I can't believe I'm this far along already and yet the remaining weeks seem like they will drag on for years. I have been pretty sick, with non-baby illness, during this entire pregnancy. I'm thankful that I didn't deal with a lot of morning sickness and overall my body isn't hating me yet. But all this respiratory illness and the stomach bugs can hit the road. I am praying that after the baby is born my immune system will return to full function.

We are scheduled for a c-section on June 7th at 7:30 in the morning. Since my mom has booked flights, I am really hoping the baby holds out until that date. It is going to a be really neat time! I am so curious about how Ethan will take to the new baby and what he will think when we bring him home. He has always enjoyed babies and been very sweet to the little ones at the sitter's house but this one won't ever leave. Ha!

We are still working out a name for the baby. Nathan has promised we can narrow it down and make a decision by the weekend. Naming a second child has proven to be quite a challenge. Hope to have some news on that front by Saturday. :)

I will leave you with a picture of Ethan, playing in his cardboard house.

Hope you all enjoy a fun rest of the week - with lots of playing outside, inside or wherever suits your fancy. :)