One More Picture

I know I have lots more pictures to post, and updates about how life is going with a newborn AND a toddler (in a few words, sleepy, a bit moody, but wonderful), but I need to find a time when my hands aren't full with one of my boys or the other. To tide you over until a time like that happens, though, here is one more good picture I got of Nathan the other day.

Nathan Pictures

I apologize for my blogging absence. As you might imagine, things have been somewhat crazy around here. I'll do a good post later, but here are a few pictures to tide you over until I have time to type up more about life as a mother of two.

Me and Nathan about four hours old

The family of four

Nathan at four days old

A peaceful baby

Welcoming Nathan Robert to the Family.

A quick update:

Kathy and Nathan are at the hospital, so I (Matt) am making a quick update post to fill you all in. Nathan was born this morning at 10:43AM. He is a big boy, 8lbs 2oz and 19".

He is healthy and was resting in the nursery when I left to come get Patrick from the sitter.
Kathy was anxiously awaiting lunch and some well deserved rest. She officially went into labor early this morning at 12:30AM and we left for the hospital at 2:30AM.

I am a VERY proud husband and father. One of us will post pictures ASAP.

I See the Light

...even if Nathan obviously doesn't yet.

I had what will most likely be my last check-up yesterday. We found out that both Nathan and I are still healthy as horses, but Nathan is showing no signs of being ready to come out. Since Monday is my due date and a late one at that (all ultrasounds have set it considerably earlier), the doctor was willing to discuss induction with me.

The problem is that my own doctor is out of town and has been for my last two appointments. She won't be back until late next week, when it's definitely too late to start setting up an induction. Fortunately the other doctor in the office, who is on call for my doctor, is quite willing to deliver Nathan. She agreed that induction was a good idea, and within minutes I was set up to go into the hospital this Sunday night.

Because of the way the induction typically works, I probably won't have Nathan until Monday, but almost certainly that will be his birthday. It will be if he doesn't decide to come sometime before then, that is. That's still a possibility and one that would make the labor a little easier on me probably. But if Nathan is too content in there, at least we have a latest possible date for him to be born. Who would have guessed with all the worries about another premature birth that we'd end up needing to be induced?

39 Weeks

I'm officially 39 weeks today, and even my ticker is telling Nathan to come out already. It's hard to believe I'm still pregnant, isn't it? I'm trying to keep my sense of humor about all of this, but the hormones and discomfort are making that hard. I am definitely frustrated and tired of feeling uncomfortable.

On the bright side, with each day that goes by that I'm still pregnant, Patrick gets sweeter and cuddlier. This weekend, he shared the love equally with his daddy as me. I wonder if he suspects his life is about to change drastically, and he's clinging to us even more as he realizes this change grows more imminent. Either way, I hope it's not just a phase; I love getting to cuddle with my sweet firstborn son. I know his daddy is the same way, too. Maybe Patrick is reminding us of all the good things about having a baby again, to help us wait until Nathan finally shows up.

The First That Brought Tears to My Eyes

Matt went outside to mow the lawn this morning. As usual, Patrick rotated between watching him through the front and back windows. He loves getting to see Daddy through the windows. I thought it was cute enough when Patrick clearly said, "Hi, Da-ee," the first time he saw him. I thought it was cuter when later he followed the "Hi, Da-ee" with "See ya la-er."

But neither even compared to the last time he saw him in the backyard and followed the "hi" and "see you later" with "I luh oo." This is the first time he's said it ever, and he said it unprompted and clearly from the heart. I love this kid so much.

The Sweetest Manipulation

Patrick has become adamant about sharing lately. When he wants to share a Cheerio or goldfish with us, he doesn't want to take no as an answer. He will keep trying to shove it into our mouths, even prying our lips apart, until we finally eat it.

Recently he's found a new way to manipulate us to open our mouths so that he doesn't have to fight us so much. When the recent fascination with his tongue began, he noticed that we would stick out our tongues in imitation of him. I thought it was a good way to teach him another body part. Patrick, however, took that a step further.

Now when I won't eat that Cheerio, he gives up on shoving it in my mouth pretty fast. Instead, he will open his mouth wide, sticking his tongue out as far as it will go. He knows I won't be able to resist imitating him--"Open wide!"--and slip the Cheerio in when I'm not expecting it. It never fails to make me laugh. I love that he's so eager to share that he will go to great lengths to make sure his sharing is appreciated.

Patrick and his Multiple Personalities

I guess this must be true toddlerhood. I never know what to expect from Patrick from day to day. I love him all the same, no matter which personality shows up each day, but some days are just much easier than others.

For example, yesterday Patrick was a sweet cuddlebug all day long. He woke up at 6:30-ish from what I suspect was a nightmare. A few minutes cuddling with me was all it took to calm him and make him happy again. Then every chance he got all day long, he wanted me nearby for a quick hug or snuggle or even a quick reading of a favorite book. The few tantrums I saw were short-lived. I actually wondered more than once why I was so anxious to have Nathan when that would only mean less time spent with Patrick.

If only Patrick could have stayed that sweet boy a little longer... Today he woke me up with practicing his outside voice as loudly as possible in his room. He didn't seem to care that Mommy also woke up with a headache (I wonder if the two are related). He's been much faster to throw tantrums, and over even more ridiculous things than usual--like not giving him more Cheerios when he has a pile of them sitting in front of him. He has also been doing everything at top volume, as though he is testing how bad my headache really is and at what point I will break. I'd have to say that mischievous Patrick showed up today.

It's days like today that make me a bit more anxious to spend a night or two in the hospital, away from toddler tantrums and endless whiny requests to go "bye."

38 Weeks

I used to wonder what I would look like when I was huge pregnant. Mystery solved:

If you look closely, you may be able to see some of the stretch marks on my belly. It's kind of sad really; I didn't have even one after Patrick.

I am officially 38 weeks today. Anybody else guess I'd make it this far? I certainly didn't! There's very little else to update about. I'm huge and uncomfortable, and as far as I can tell, nowhere near actually getting this kid out. Nathan, on the other hand, seems to be thriving. If you notice my ticker, it is likely he is over seven pounds already. That's well over twice Patrick's birth weight, if anyone is keeping track.

I have another doctor's appointment tomorrow (it's early, I know), so maybe I'll hear some good news then. I'll either keep everyone updated through the blog or get the phone chains started if that isn't possible.

Twenty-Three Months

Dear Patrick,

I'm sorry. That's what is most important to me right now, apologizing to you. These last few weeks haven't really been fair to you, even though you haven't seemed to notice. Mommy has been struggling more and more to find the energy to play with you the way you want, and I regret that missed time. Daddy has stepped right up and played with you to the point that I've never heard such giggles, so you don't seem to be suffering. But I still wish I had been the one to draw giggles like that from you.

I'm also sorry that my temper is so short. I find myself regretting daily something I've said to you that was perhaps more forceful than the situation required. Yes, you are hitting those terrible two's awfully soon, and you are testing your limits in a way I've never seen before, but that doesn't mean I need to lose my patience with you the first time you disobey. With any luck, this should change at least somewhat after Nathan comes. Of course, between the lack of sleep and the post-partum hormone changes I go through, things might only get worse for a while. I hope you can be more patient with Mommy during those weeks than Mommy has been with you.
One of the happier changes that has happened this last month is that we have found new foods you will eat. In fact, I think you actually prefer this new food to most of the other foods we've tried. And oddly enough, it is fruit. You turned up your nose at anything fruit-like ages ago, and I gave up pushing them on you. But now you'll pick a strawberry over a French fry in a second. The only one I've tried that you've turned down is banana, and I agree the squishy texture takes some getting used to. Otherwise, though, your diet is getting healthier than mine (I blame Nathan, who apparently craves chocolate all the time).

You've also finally started the typical transformation into a monkey. You want to climb on anything and everything. We've been very lucky that you're on the short side, though, because much of what you want to climb on is too tall for you. It's cute watching you swing a leg up to try to pull yourself onto the couch or one of the recliners, but I've been glad you haven't made it yet. I'm not looking forward to the bumped heads from when you dive back off of whatever you've just climbed onto. Daddy and I do let you climb on smaller things, though, which usually don't get you more than a couple of inches off the floor. For now, that seems to satisfy you, and I'm glad we've delayed the more serious climbing for a bit longer.

You are definitely taller, though. We found this out by accident the other day when you suddenly opened your door by using the doorknob. Since then, it's become an obsession for you. You can abandon whatever other activity you are doing at any time to run for your room to play "door," which really means you're just practicing with that doorknob until it becomes second nature. Daddy and I have had to rush to take alternate precautions to keep you safe, like changing the lever handles to regular doorknobs anywhere we can't put a normal lever lock. The child-safe doorknob locks don't prevent the door from opening from the other side the way the lever locks do. Of course, this only works until you figure out the lever locks. I'm hoping that's a long ways off, but I'm learning not to underestimate you.

Your language development still hasn't taken off the way I keep hoping it will. You only have two new words this month: "dishes" and "shoes," two words that you associate with things that are absolutely thrilling. Despite the lack of new words, though, you are learning new and better ways to communicate. You still let us know what it is you want by moving our hands in the direction of the desired object--usually food. You've figured out as well that you can direct us where to go by gently pushing or pulling us in the desired direction. The cutest was last night when Daddy was holding you to put you into bed, and you reached over to grab my sleeve and pull me close as well. I don't mind this gentle bossiness when it means you just want us close.

I can also tell you're growing because more and more of your twelve month outfits are getting tight on you. I have to give you a lot of credit for hitting this growth spurt right as the change of seasons begins. You were going to need cool-weather clothes soon anyway, so now we can buy all in one size, instead of having to replace a 12m wardrobe with an 18m one halfway through the season. I just hope we can find enough in that odd 18m size to last you through the winter; while you are definitely outgrowing the smaller 12m size, you also definitely aren't going to fit into 2T clothes yet either.

I always get a little sad when I write these monthly letters and get to the last picture, when I really need to start wrapping things up. I always wish I'd gotten more good pictures of you to include so I could just keep writing forever, telling every little cute story from the whole month, but then I realize that nobody, not even you or I, will really want to go back and read all of that years from now. But when I do read these updates about what you've been doing, I know I'll remember the sweet and cantankerous little boy you are now and get that bittersweet feeling of nostalgia. I already remember the little baby you were and wonder how that tiny, fragile thing ever turned into this rough-and-tumble tough boy you are now.

I can't imagine how on earth you can already be turning two in only a month. Plans for a party are in the works, but it all feels unreal. It feels like only yesterday when I was pregnant with you. How can my baby boy be staring at that big two already? I'm hoping your baby brother helps ease me into your twos a bit more easily, but I fear it's much more likely holding a baby in my arms again will only make me miss the you from the past two years that much more. The only thing that really seems to help is that the you from right now is often such a joy to be around. Please don't lose that sweetness when you realize just how much your life will change with Nathan around.

Love,

Mommy

Too Many Pictures

Well, I found some motivation to get these pictures posted, but I've lost the motivation for organizing them. I think these are mostly in the order they were taken, oldest first.

Patrick was playing in his room, showing off how he now gets in and out of his bed the right way, instead of catapulting himself off headfirst. Not sure what the goofy face was about.

Patrick using his outdoor voice...should be self-explanatory.

He finally learned to clap, and why. I clapped because I was proud of him for getting out of bed the right way, and he clapped to congratulate himself too.

I think I've mentioned before that Patrick makes a fort out of his fire truck and car and hides in a corner behind them. Here he is in his fort with his cache of loot surrounding him.

While my mom was here, we drove across town to visit my friend Cathy. She has a cat--"kitty!"--and Patrick played with the cat some. I really think he was as fascinated with the cat toy as the cat herself, though.

He also liked that Cathy's tv was lower than ours, and he could reach the buttons. He figured out how to change the channel and volume. We all got a good laugh when he changed to a Rachael Ray cooking show and then proceeded to mute her. Sounds like typical boy to me!

And a good picture of Cathy and Patrick together

Patrick needed a good Tech outfit to support our team during football season. We forgot to have him wear it yesterday, but our Red Raiders seemed to do fine without it.

This one cracked me up, watching him run around palming that orange ball in his jersey-like Tech outfit. Should I warn him that he's probably not exactly going to get a full basketball scholarship to Tech?

We now love dressing him in two-piece outfits so that he can pull up his shirt and show us his belly button. It's the one body part that he's ever identified on command.

And here he is trying to see his own belly button. It's not that different from Mommy trying to see her own belly button these days!

For the Curious

I haven't been blogging out of laziness, not anything exciting. I still have pictures to show off, more to download, and probably some stories about Patrick. I just can't find the motivation to write something or find the pictures I want to post. Keep checking, though; I'll either find that motivation, or I'll have exciting news on here about Nathan. Personally, I'm hoping for the second!