Settling In

These are all from our first week home. We're settling in and adjusting:) Unfortunately, Jacob and Aaron seem to have some kind of stomach bug. Jacob has thrown up three times in the last week-no other symptoms, no fever, and just one time throwing up and then he's fine. Thankfully, he knows what's going on now and asks for a bowl before he throws up! Now Aaron has it, except his seems to be worse. Please pray for them to get better and for the rest of us not to get it...especially Isaac and me. I do not need to be throwing up two weeks after a c-section! Ouch.

Anna was having a hard time going to sleep one night. She was feeling out of sorts and just needed some one-on-one attention. And of course wanted to hold Isaac! :) I took this picture of the two of them so she could take it to school and show her class. She was excited about that.

Jacob seems like a giant now! I remember the first time I held him after Isaac was born, thinking "holy cow, this kid is huge!" haha He's so gentle with Isaac, though. And he tries to play with Isaac's hair when he's tired! It's really funny. The other night Aaron was working and Jacob had woken up (or hadn't been to sleep yet, I can't remember) and of course, before I could get Jacob to go back to sleep, Isaac woke up ready to eat. So I sat on the floor next to Jacob's bed nursing Isaac. Jacob couldn't reach my hair, so he settled for Isaac's hair! It was precious.

He's becoming more alert and has more awake times. I love watching him look around and check things out.

I think this is probably Anna's favorite picture :)

He is such a proud big brother!

Movie night on Binga's bed!!

Papa spent the week helping Jamie & Cassie. The kids missed him but he made up for it when he came back on Saturday! They can't get enough play time with Papa!!

My sweet baby. He gets bundled up good at night. He's my little burrito. It's no wonder he screams when I change his diaper...pulling him out of that warm cocoon! :)

Dad's Surprise

I mentioned in my Thanksgiving post that Dad surprised me and remodeled our bathroom. Aaron & I had talked about doing it before Isaac was born but things came up (like Aaron getting seriously sick on his last recruiting trip and making 2 trips to the hospital!) and we weren't going to be able to swing it yet. We figured to just take the door to our bedroom out and then next year at some point do the rest. The day after Isaac was born (I think), Dad had to "go to the farm" to take care of something that came up. Mom said "something about the land". I didn't think anything of it, other than thinking it was bad timing for Dad to miss out on the new babies' first couple days. There were a couple things that should've tipped me off, but I didn't have a clue. The first being when Mom said "Dad says it's snowing in Sterling...and at the farm." I just figured she meant he'd seen the weather and the storm was over Sterling. The second being when Kim called to ask about dropping off a gift for Anna and Jacob before we got home. She texted and asked if my Dad was at our house. I told her he could be-he'd been at the farm but was planning on being back in Sterling when we got home. Then she called when she got here and said "I think your dad is here...there's a pair of feet sticking out from the bathroom sink!" I didn't really think twice about why he would've been under the sink. DUH! The crazy man didn't sleep for two days so he could get it finished before we came home from the hospital!!! I love it and can't wait for it to be completely finished. THANK YOU DADDY!!! (and Mom for picking out the sink & faucet...perfect! and Aaron for keeping the secret!)

I LOVE the sink. It's nice & deep (actually perfect for Isaac's baths right now!), has a much bigger surface than my old one, and I really like the material and color. The faucet is awesome-it moves so I can swing it out of the way when I'm giving Isaac a bath! Mom said she debated getting one like that with kids, but figured they didn't have to be shown that it could move! :)

The vanity was one that Aaron got when he worked at the wood supply company-for whatever reason it was going to be thrown away! So it's been sitting in our shed for a couple of years. We're going to have a friend build a floor-to-ceiling cabinet next to the vanity for extra storage (and a hamper in the bottom!). We kept the same mirror and light fixture since they match the new vanity. Dad also moved the toilet over (not an easy task when you have to crawl under the house!!).

I think my favorite part is the tile!!! It's heated! We'll also paint the walls...I'm thinking a sage green (or along those lines).

Last of the Hospital

My computer is working again! I'll try to get caught up on pictures before it "breaks" again! :)
A few more pictures from the hospital. Big sister and big brother are totally smitten...

I'm just still so surprised at Jacob's reaction to Isaac. I didn't really think he would have issues with a new baby, but I definitely didn't think he would be so enamored with Isaac! He still (2 weeks later) loves to hold him and especially begs to feed him! I can't wait to see them bond when Isaac is older. The only time Jacob doesn't like Isaac is when he really gets to crying. Then Jacob covers his ears and runs from the room! haha

Oh my stars...look at that smile!!! I love it.

This big sister could sit and hold Isaac all day long. She doesn't even mind if he's crying! Today, she was holding him and he was hungry (shocker!) so he started wailing. I went to take him and she said "I don't mind. It's okay!"

This Little Piggy...

Eats and eats and eats! He routinely nurses for about an hour every feeding. He eats every three hours during the day and, now that his bilirubin is okay, every 4+ hours at night. BUT...the last few days, he's been wanting to eat every hour! You do the math...that's basically back to back eating! Luckily I have an abundance and have quite a bit pumped and in the freezer. I get a break now and then and the kids, especially Jacob, love to feed Isaac. Last night, he nursed his usual hour, finishing around 10pm and by 11pm, he acted liked it had been 6 hours since he ate! He was trying to latch on to anything that was close to his face. So I thawed out some milk and he sucked down 4 oz. in no time. Then he proceeded to sleep until a little after 5am!!! I felt like I got 10 hours of sleep. I'm really hoping that he isn't becoming a lazy sucker like his brother was. I don't think he is-he nurses pretty good, just slow (or else has a huge stomach!). We can't afford formula!! If all else fails, I'm prepared to simply pump what he needs and bottle feed it to him. Anna and Jacob both only nursed 3 months-Anna was impossible to keep awake. We did everything from ice cubes to waiting til she was super hungry, but it seemed after 5 minutes of eating, she just couldn't stay awake. Plus she had stomach issues for several months. And Jacob, he was just a lazy sucker so I ended up nursing him, pumping, then bottle feeding him. It got to the point that all I was doing was feeding him. He had a huge appetite! I never used the small 4 oz bottles with that boy! I'm determined, one way or another, not to do formula this time. Simply for the money factor. Yes, breastmilk is best for the baby, but obviously my other two kids weren't harmed by being on formula! But I think this time around I've got a better "grip" on nursing and pumping and Isaac really seems to be a better nurser than the other two-an answer to prayer! My $50 pump I found at a consignment sale has already paid for itself :)
Okay, enough on that topic. Isn't he a doll?! :) He's still a very good baby-rarely cries. Unless he's getting his diaper changed (usually), doesn't get fed quickly enough, or is getting a bath! I can't keep things warm enough! My new bathroom sink is perfect for him, but until his cord falls off, I can't get him all the way in the water. So even with the heater on in the bathroom, it's pretty chilly! Aaron got to hear him really holler tonight!
Anna and Jacob are still adjusting (we all are!). They love Isaac but are acting out toward each other and Mom & Dad. Anna has become an expert antagonizer and Jacob fights back now! Staying consistent with first-time obedience is a challenge, but one that I know will pay off. Not 5 minutes after Papa & Binga left today, they started in!!! Bedtime was a drawn out affair. Aaron finally realized (I never caught on) that Anna just needed some attention and she was to the point that she didn't care if it was positive or negative. So he spent a while rocking her and she finally settled down. It's been hard (and will only be harder now that we're "on our own") juggling the needs of all three kids!! But we'll get it figured out...hopefully sooner than later!
Speaking of juggling and balancing, I better get to bed since Isaac is asleep! Thank you for all the encouragement and prayers. Keep up the prayers!!! :)

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Blessed

I have much to be thankful for this year.
Isaac's safe arrival, even after a stay in NICU. His bilirubin is all good now (which means I'm getting a bit more sleep at night, not having to wake him up at night to eat!). The only unanswered is the follow up echo on his heart, which I'm not worried about at all. I love snuggling up with this precious baby boy. And I think I'll finally have my brown-eyed baby! :)
Jacob continues to make me laugh (and scream!) every day. He is such a wonderful big brother. He absolutely adores his baby brother. I'm so thankful God has given us this child.
Anna is once again a fantastic big sister. She loves holding Isaac and is such a big helper. Her tender heart blesses me over and over.
Aaron is an amazing husband and father. He has really stepped up and has been a huge help with the house and Anna & Jacob. He wanted a turkey dinner today (family gatherings aren't until tomorrow and Saturday) so he took Anna to the store this morning and got everything and is cooking the whole meal!!! All this on top of trying to catch up on work for his 2nd job-we weren't expecting to be in the hospital until Thursday. Oh yes, and having Jacob sick from too much chocolate the other night.
Mom has been such a help. Even though her health isn't back to normal, just having her here has been a help. Plus she's been my chauffeur since I can't drive for 2 weeks (even though she's a crazy driver, right kids?!)! :) She's kept me sane the last couple days when Anna & Jacob have been acting up. She keeps her cool & disciplines them when I just want to pull my hair out!
Dad is a crazy man. He didn't sleep for 2 days because he snuck back to Sterling to redo my bathroom as a surprise! He put a heated tile floor in, took out a door, put in a new sink and vanity, and moved the toilet. All in 48 hours! He loves surprising people and he is incredibly talented in so many things. Plus the kids just adore Papa.
My in-laws made the trip out to be here when Isaac was born. Anna & Jacob had a great day with them. They are generous and giving. All that and they didn't even get to hold Isaac before they went home since he was still in NICU!
Our extended family and friends...we had so many people holding us and Isaac up in prayer. And our church family has blessed us with meals. The Ladies Aid made Isaac a beautiful quilt and blanket.
Our nephew Tate, born at 31 weeks, continues to surprise everyone with his continued progress and improvement. God's miracle, for sure!!! That little guy is a feisty fighter!
God's blessings have poured over us. His hand has been evident in the lives of these little ones (Isaac and Tate).
What a list to be thankful for!
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Meet Your Brother

They finally get to see and hold Isaac!!! Anna was beside herself waiting.

Cuddle Bug

He's a cuddler! Waiting to hear about his bilirubin levels-had to get blood drawn again today for a 48 hour test. He's still pretty yellow but it's getting better. Hopefully it's improving enough to stay home.
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