The Last Day of April

Today is the first day since Henry came home that felt somewhat normal and familiar. We are on our second day of sleep scheduling, there are no plans on the calendar for the weekend, and even the weather seems laid back and slow. We all stayed in our pajamas until after 10am, then went out side to enjoy the break in the intense wind with a little running in the grass and digging in the sandbox. Not a bad way to wish April adieu.

Henry joins us on the porch in his screened-in baby thingie

Audrey in the sandbox

Making cookies

Stirring all the "ingreee-dents"

Here's hoping the rest of the weekend will keep the same pace... for us and everyone else! Happy weekending!

Regrouping

We started Henry on a schedule today. We are a loosly-followed BabyWise family, and we sleep-trained Audrey based on (most of) the BabyWise principles. The method can be compared to a staircase, where you start at the bottom and slowly step up, one step at a time, until you arrive at the top, which is a sleep-trained baby or toddler. We took the first step today, which the book calls "stabilization." We are basically just getting Henry used to the daily rhythm of sleeping, eating, being awake, then sleeping, eating, and being awake, etc.

It is so easy to get in to the rhythm of feeding a baby to make them sleepy, then putting them down while holding your breath, tip-toeing out of the room, and inevitably rushing to their aid 30 minutes later when they wake back up crying, again, for yet another feeding to quiet them down and put them back to sleep. We were sliding down that slippery slope ourselves, which was getting to be a real pill since I'm the only one who can feed him right now. Well, enough is enough. The hardest part is the first couple steps, and we're standing on the first one.

He seems perfectly capable of a 3-hour schedule right now, and we've actually had to work the hardest to wake him up on time to feed when he's supposed to today. His first two naps of the morning were really easy, and we're on to the third and the first session of 'CIO,' or crying it out. Even though we've gone through this process with one kiddo already, it still sucks to sit there and listen to your baby cry and cry. The important thing I keep reminding myself of is this: all his needs are met. He's clean. He's better than fed. He's not too hot or too cold, and he got all his air bubbles out before he went down. He's tired, and he's used to falling asleep while eating, so he needs some time to learn how to soothe himself. That's all. We'll get past this first step, and he'll be so much better for it.

In the meantime, the predictability of a new schedule blooming has afforded me some quality time with the sweet big sister that's been so often left to herself since Baby Brother joined the family. We dabbled in the stabilization process yesterday afternoon, and during that first nap, we got to go outside, just the two of us, and play in the garden for almost an hour. It is such a joy to reframe and get a breath of fresh air and a new perspective of the world from the eyes of such a curious, innocent toddler. Among other things, we found wonder and amazement in the many spring butterflies floating in the breeze, the weeds that managed to grow up between the rocks in the pathways of the garden, and the freshly-filled bird bath. We ended our garden reprieve picking green beans and lettuce for dinner. It was a great afternoon... for both of us.

Easter Weekend

This years' Easter was a bit unconventional for us... Because Baby Henry was only 2 weeks old by the time the holiday rolled around, we opted out of the traditional trip down to C-town for church and supper with family. Instead, we had a potluck lunch at our place on Saturday, followed by a small Easter egg hunt, to supplement and allow for photo ops. Audrey got to wear a big, fancy dress (which she thoroughly enjoyed, saying "I look like a big girl!"), and a good time was had by all.

Evening snack, and the only pic I took of her in Easter dress #1

(I must have been distracted by something or something...)

On Easter proper, Mama got up and hid a second round of Easter eggs, and an antsy little girl rushed through her breakfast as fast as she could so she could get down and gather them up! After donning fancy Easter dress #2, she grabbed her felt Easter bucket, and away she went!

Ready for the hunt

Tossing in a plastic, rattly treasure

Happy egg hunter

First sib holiday pic

Opening eggs with Daddy

Chubby toddler feet

Getting some assistance while opening them "By-ya self"

Easter prizes

Wishing Baby Brother a Happy Easter

Satisfied Audrey-Bunny

Our quiet, slow, 4-person Easter was a sweet success. Wishing all a Happy Easter, too!

Getting to Know You

Our family of four is slowly feeling comfortable and natural... well, for the most part, anyway... at 3am it's not so comfortable, but this too shall pass! Henry is turning out to be a laid back, sweet, and mild-tempered little guy, and we are savoring these early days of getting to know him.

Playing with big sister

Doing what he does best

BEETS!

An upside to Henry being so late was all the time I was afforded to get my garden going. Granted, there was a significant obstacle in my way every time I bent over to pull a weed or plant a seed, but it's paying off now! Sunday evening, we went out to inspect the green and leafy tangles and rows, and discovered many of our beets were ready to come up! There was a little girl amongst the greens that was all too eager to help, and by the time we were heading back to the house, her little garden basket was so full she could barely carry it! Oh, the bounty of spring!

Peach tree, garden, and Leeloo

Beans, beets, onions, lettuce... oh my!

Beautiful leaves in the evening sun

Leaves

The sweetest gardener there ever was

Ready for some pickin'

Gathering beets

Lugging in the harvest

Here's to time outside, growing things, bugs and sun and the tasty fruits of labor! Oh, happy spring!

Welcome, Henry!

After 42 weeks and 2 days, our little Henry Warden Ware finally joined our family. Granted, he had to be kicked out, but he was well past ready, and we were too!

On Monday the 4th, after over an hour of tests and assessments, it was decided that Henry's cozy little environment had a looming expiration date. We started looking at the calendar, and Thursday the 7th was decided on (based on the test results). He had 3 days to come out on his own, or he was being evicted. We all know how that went... this little laid-back guy wasn't in any hurry, and when Thursday morning rolled around, we were loading up and heading to the hospital, bright and early.

Grammy and Gramps had come up the night before to start the Audrey-sitting marathon, and we pulled in to the hospital parking lot at 7am. After checking in and settling, the induction commenced around 8am.

Waiting on the doc's OK to start the pitosin drip

We gradually ramped up through the morning, and just after lunch my water broke all by itself (not counting the pitosin). At 3:07pm, Henry joined us, at a healthy 8 pounds 8 ounces and 20 1/2 inches long. How validating- a nice big boy for our trouble. I was able to labor without meds again, but wow, was this labor different from last time! I've said it once and I'll say it again: I'll never judge someone for doing the epidural thing. Ever. Whew.

Henry Warden Ware, 8lbs 8oz, 20.5 inches long

Proud Daddy

Tired Mama

My parents had met us at the hospital, and had waited through the afternoon to be the first to meet Baby Henry. Once everyone was cleared for visitors, Henry got to check out his Mimmy and Pappy. 

First meeting

Henry meets his great-grandparents shortly after

 

We settled in to our hospital room for the mandatory 2-night stay, and occupied ourselves with getting to know our little man. We received many a beautiful bouquet, and even one of those 'edible arrangements' that I so often make fun of for their terrible commercials (though the fruit was awesome and quite unexpected and great!). 

Thanks to my dad's coworkers, an Edible Arrangement delivered to our room!

Henry's stats

Our Sweet Little Guy

 

Finally, our two nights were up and we were cleared to head home. Daddy strapped Henry in to his car seat (it's easy to forget how squishy they start out!), and we happily rode the 16-minute trip back home with Little Brother in tow.

Daddy buckles Henry in for his first ride

So small

Squishy little guy

 

Waiting for us at home were both our parents, a clean house, and a homemade lunch. Audrey was napping when we arrived, so we were able to settle in, eat, and relax a little before introductions were to be made.

Pappy holds Henry while lunch is getting ready

Our welcome home lunch

Henry naps while we settle in

It was a tearful reunion when Audrey woke up from her nap (we really missed her!), then it was time to introduce her to her Little Brother "Henny". She was really, really happy to meet him, and I think it was mutual, Henry was just very stoic...

 

By the end of the day, we were all happy and tired and happy, and we watched Finding Nemo (aka "Mee-Mo Fish") as a family of four, put Audrey to bed, and concluded phase one of Getting Used to Things. We are still adjusting, finding rhythm and balance, and learning, but we wouldn't have it any other way. We are so blessed.