Uncle Jamey Visits!

Our family of four arrived at Whitney's birthday party and many of our guests were already at the park.  (Hey, what can I say? Its now almost three weeks later and I have a 50% on-time rate going with two kids in tow.  Sometimes we are early, sometimes we are late. It evens out, and people understand that we are just getting used to this whole "getting two small children ready and out the door" concept.)  My dad was there already, but my mom was no where to be found.  Turns out she had taken a stealth mission to the airport to pick up....MY BROTHER!!

Uncle Jamey flew in from Boston for a short visit to meet his nephew and celebrate Whitney's 3rd birthday! Isnt he the BEST!?

Whitney absolutely adores her Uncle Jamey, and ropes him into singing, dancing, and general rough-housing every chance she gets! (Although Im not sure he has to be "roped in", as much as HE is the one encouraging HER to be silly and fun!)

Uncle Jamey is an Emmy-Award-Winning news producer who taught me a love for current events and the news, as well as an appreciation for microphones and entertainment. Thus, the first gift they couldnt wait to get out of the packaging: the microphone and (loud!) speaker from Whitney's Bestie, Faith!

Our Lil Liza Minelli was singing, dancing, and putting on her own concert on the steps at my parents' house. Uncle Jay applauded and encouraged our rising star...not that she needed much encouragement.  

My brother also got the chance to meet her only nephew, who happens to look just like him :) (EVERY time I look at Grady I see glimpses of my brother's baby pictures and facial expressions!)

The "can I hode Gwady" requests have not died down in the past three weeks. Big Sister still ADORES her brother, shows no signs of jealousy or envy, and only wants to help. She talks so sweetly to Grady, copying things I say in the same tones. Too cute!

She snapped at Eric right after he took this pic, "Daddy! No! Gwady doesnt wike the FWASH!!" She must remember all the picture-taking we did when she was Grady's age, and empathize :) 

Another awesome birthday gift from Whitney's friend, Connor: her very own Princess scooter!! She was very excited to show Uncle Jay and practice everything her friend, Avery taught her!

Who is having more fun here!?

Uncle Jay said Whitney has one of the best imaginations he's ever encountered :) They were outside playing and Whitney was telling him, "Uncle Jay! Wook! I found a CWUE! (clue!)" She likes to talk about her wedding dress a lot lately, and apparently told her teachers she would be marrying Saxman, a little boy in her class.  She also received a Barbie house from her Aunt Summer and we used a gift card from my Aunt Gerry to get her some new Barbies. Whitney plays with them often, pretending to get them ready for work and cooking "pasghetti" in the kitchen.  She also loves the Ariel pool/bath toys from Natalia, and pretends they are sailing away to Neverland Island. She hardly ever stops pretending and still LOVES to dress-up (mostly Snow White still).  This is a tough age, but watching her draw from her own little life experiences and putting those details in her pretend play makes it worth the struggles :)

I wonder who's idea this was?!

Uncle Jamey's turn!!!!!

While Eric was home on paternity leave, he and Whitney spent some time figuring out a plan for the Summer.  They checked out swim lessons at the YMCA and took a trail class at My Gym, where she took classes as a toddler.  Since she only has two and a half weeks of school left, we wanted to get her enrolled in at least one weekly activity for the Summer.  After watching her in the gym class, Eric and I enrolled her in the weekly class for three-and-a-half to four-and-a-half year olds.  The My Gym staff remembered Whitney despite not having been there in over a year, and immediately suggested she attend the class that is slightly above her age group.  She did GREAT and I really think its going to be awesome for her! The class is once a week and, unlike previous gym classes she has taken, it is independent. So Grady and I can hang out and watch big sister participate with the class, taking turns and following directions.  

Since that class is only one hour a week, we added a "Pre-Ballet" class at My Gym, too.  Whitney is soooo excited for her gym class and ballet class, and I cant wait to see her in a little leotard and ballet slippers! :) 

Grady was four days old:

Our little peanut: 

Yesterday, at 18 days old, I think we started getting legitimate smiles in response to our voices and faces (and the ceiling fan), but for a while we got small glimpses of what Grady's smiles would look like:

I could just stare at him allllllll day :) 

Rock on!

His face changes all the time.  He doesnt even look anything like this pic anymore:

And of course, big sister likes to get right in his face and stare at little brother, too:

One of my favorite pics so far:

We had a great, but too-short visit with my brother, and we are REALLY looking forward to him coming back to join us for a week at the beach in July!  We are slooooooowly but surely trying our best to get into a new groove.  Whitney has been a champ, barely missing a beat and hardly noticing that her mommy is strugggggggggglin' to get her act together lately. :) Grady is a typical newborn.  He sleeps a LOT. I mean, a LOT. Probably 22.5 hours a day.  And when he is awake, he is eating.  He has taken several baths...some planned and others impromptu after an especially wet spit-up event.  He falls asleep every time and really seems to enjoy the warm water a lot.  He likes to be swaddled, but still hasnt decided which binky he loves the most, so we are working on that small issue.  He LOVES to stare at the walls his Daddy painstakingly painted in his bedroom. If he is upset, we can walk him in his room and turn on the white noise and he just stares at the walls (that sounds pathetic, but the paint job is pleasing to babies!) and calms right down.  He is a snuggler! LOVES to be held and snuggles in close.  With Whitney, I was able to sit and hold her alllllll day.  I sooooo want to do that with Grady, but its difficult with Whitney still needing so much help, so we are going to bust out the sling and wrap this week to help me free up my hands more often while still being able to hold him close.  

I followed my mommy instincts yesterday and switched Grady to gentlease formula.  He was constipated and his pediatrician said it could take up to five days for his little belly to feel better since we have (pretty much) stopped nursing (sad face) and switched to 100% formula.  Well there was NO WAY I was going to watch my little dude turn red and grunt and cry for three more days, so after some sips of water and a strategically placed q-tip with vaseline, Dude is back in action and happy again.  I switched his formula and he has been regular ever since and his awake time, while short, is much happier than the last two days.  

I am still healing...sigh.....stitches are no fun and I will never take toilet paper or a "quick trip to the bathroom" for granted ever again.  In time, it will heal completely and I will find yet another new normal for myself.  

In the mean time, I have to once again since the praises of my husband.  He hasnt complained once, has stepped in where I am slacking, and seems to have endless energy (although that could be attributed to his solid 8 hours of sleep each night...hmmm) to deal with the things that I just cant juggle right now.  I will get there.  I will go back to being "super mom" once Grady decides to get on some sort of routine type schedule, but while I am operating at 75%, it is so nice to know our kids have a hands-on Daddy who wouldnt miss this madness for the world :)