About time for an update...

Well, Iverly is here!

After a ROUGH couple months of sleeping for Iverly, both babies sleep! They go down around 6/6:30 and wake up about 8/8:30! It feels SO good to sleep again :)

We are still waiting for Caelum to fill our house with all of the ideas in his head. He babbles constantly but only says: hi, bye, mama, dada, uh-oh, and yea. He signs all done, food/water, milk and sleepy (sometimes). And he knows a cow says "moo" and will tell us that. He does repeat what we say sometimes, but we are patiently (sort of) waiting for this "language" explosion we hear about.  He is SUCH a joy in our house! He laughs and plays and hugs and kisses and is just such a sweet boy. He climbs and falls and just keeps on going- it seems like he is constantly going. He is so sweet to his little sister- he will bring her toys and pat her head and say "Hi" to her. He calls her "Iey," so we will see if that evolves into her actual name at some point. He is 26 lb and 33 inches tall, so he is long and lean.  He helps me clean up (sometimes he will even pour his milk on the floor so he can grab a towel and wipe it up...) and get himself dressed  (he can put his arms through his shirt) and LOVES new toys and games. His favorite toys are balls (especially his basketball), cars, a play purse, books and his digger truck. His favorite foods are waffles with peanut butter, yogurt, cheerios, chicken nuggets and ketchup/mustard, and eggs with salsa.  He is just such a little boy, and I cannot believe how fast him feeling like a baby went by.

It seems like Iverly just got here and that she has been here forever. She seemed to just slip into our family. She is such a pleasant baby- she likes to play with her toys, laugh and giggle, when we read her book and to sit up and watch her brother. She LOVES to be held and LOVES when Caelum talks to her- she laughs so hard she can hardly breathe!  Her favorite toy is the laugh and learn table, the zany zoo, her magical wand and rattles. She likes "tummy time" but doesn't move at all yet. Her favorite foods are: broccoli, pears and peas (all mixed together)- it sounds gross, but she LOVES it. She also enjoyed eating a banana and a piece of peach.  She is 18lb and 24 inches tall. She's over 100% for both as these were her 4 month stats :)

They are both in big kid carseats:

Eric is finishing up his last week at the Red Elephant restaurant and will start working for our family propane business in early September :) We are very excited about this- he will have more normal hours and will be a huge contribution to the company.

We have had a great summer- we were able to go to the beach for the 4th of July, a wine festival/tour for Father's day, watch the ducks at the Peabody for Mother's Day and just enjoy our time as a family of 4!

Here's to being in the moment, because it all seems to be going too fast...

He's going to be 1!

I really can't believe Caelum is going to be 1 in a week. I also can't believe how many emotions this stirs up.

This time last year we were 9 days from his "due date." We were living in Winter Haven and relocated to my parents' house in Orlando, "just in case." We were waiting, quite impatiently. We were absolutely giddy- the excitement of first time parents who have no idea what is about to happen. We were going about twice a week to the dr. and we couldn't wait to meet our little boy- so when he offered an induction a week later, we went for it.

And I was not prepared.

I was not prepared for how our lives were about to change- for all the love, for all the lack of sleep, for the vast array of emotions that would happen in the next couple of weeks (and, I'm sure, years).

To say those first few weeks were hard for me would be an und

erstatement. I wrote out Caelum's birth story and about the first couple of weeks home with him- and then I put it away. I couldn't go back there, not yet. Now that he is going to be one, I have gone back there. I have read it again. And I am, once again, utterly shocked. Post Partum depression is so hard to revisit, because it is not a general feeling- it is happening because of a momentous, wonderful life change- and that doesn't seem to make sense. It is so consuming, I felt like I was drowning. Someone asked me recently what helped me during that time- and it was Eric. We had so much support, so much love and help from those around us- but, he held me above the water for as long as he needed to. He had patience and love in such abundance that it actually hurts to think about- it was that great.

I love these two pictures:

The first one, my sister took of us when Caelum was about a week old. I know I probably just look exhausted, but this picture represents so much of how intensely I felt for my son and yet how hard it was. It brings back so much of those first few weeks- sometimes I forget, both the good and the bad (but mostly the good), of bringing him home- and this was a moment of both. Of cuddles and contentment and quiet panic.

The second one is such an answer to prayer. Watching him grow and change- seeing myself do the same. Laughing with my son, even in the freezing cold- we have a long long life of being a family ahead of us, but in this picture, I feel like I made it. I made it through the fog, I am a mother.

I remember the distinct feeling of love for him building, I remember being so proud of us, of myself- we can do this, we are going to make it.

And not only have we made it, we have fun- we laugh and we play and, even when it's frustrating, I know we are going to be just fine.

I know this is a bit more personal than alot of the posts on here. I might try to update soon (hopefully before Iverly gets here) about the day to day life here in our home- but, I needed to get this out. I needed to reflect and let you know that I appreciate your support and love. With a first birthday and a second baby approaching, it has been on my heart and mind lately, and I wanted to share.

"Come unto me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest." - Matthew 11:28

Here's to recognizing our many blessings, even if we don't in the moment.