Party time

And, don't worry... I haven't forgotten to post about the most important thing this weekend. Jake's birthday party. It was wonderful... stress-free, fun, happy, all the good stuff. Pictures coming. :)

And... our Big Birthday Boy!

It seems like I keep putting it "on my to-do list" to post pictures from Bailey's birthday. And, I've yet to do it. And... it is now Jake's birthday! Tomorrow (Friday) is the day that my baby boy turns three. So, I suppose you should expect to see pictures of his birthday by Christmas. :) Teasing... my plan is to create a Flickr account this week so that I can just link you to the pictures that relate to my posts. That seems to make more sense, I think, and will likely make it easier for me to just post them all instead of spending minutes (or hours) going through them to pick the "right" ones. Cilla - I will never understand how you can pick and choose when your photos are SOOOO good. lol.

So... about my big boy.

In similar fashion to my post about Bailey's birthday, I can tell you what I was doing three years ago right now (remember that it's nearly midnight on April 8th as I write this). Most of you probably think that I was sleeping soundly, since I knew that I was being induced the next morning (at like 6 a.m.). However, I was not asleep. I was probably in the bed by now, but I remember being so nervous about having my second child that it was in the wee hours of the morning before I actually rested. I knew what to expect in the ways of labor and the lack of food for an entire day. I also knew that I couldn't wait to meet my little man. I had dreamed of having a little boy for years... before I even met Brad. Then, when I did meet Brad, I wanted to have a little boy even more. I dreamed of having a little boy with long eyelashes around his big round eyes, an adorable smile, and skinny mini legs that were as fast as lightning. I wanted a sweet little boy who adored his mommy, but loved all things boy - dirt, sports, guns, etc. But on this night three years ago, I was worried... anxious. I was used to pink things and girl toys, ribbons and bows, Dora and princesses. I was used to adoring one little girl who had completely stolen my heart and I was terrified that I could never love another child as much as I did her. I knew it was ridiculous, but it scared me to think that I would have this perfect little boy and I would look into his eyes and feel nothing.

Well, as you know from reading my prior posts, that was indeed very ridiculous. My little dream of a son came into this world at 4:25 on April 9 and made everything in our family complete. That's not to say it wasn't rough for the first few hours. Jake didn't make the easiest entrance into the world. He decided, much like he does now, that he was going to do things his way. He wasn't going to be forced and he wasn't going to move to make it easier for anyone. So, he kept his arm where it was most comfortable (and based on the way he slept for many months as an infant, probably in the same position he had kept his arm for several weeks in the womb)... positioned closely around his neck - his hand reaching almost completely over his shoulder to his back. So, naturally, as he was born, he was choking himself. Fortunately, it only caused a few minor "glitches" in delivery, but they wanted to monitor him closely to make sure he was OK. So, my desire to hold my son for more than a couple of seconds just had to wait. It was nearly midnight before I actually held him for more than a moment. Needless to say, I knew I loved him the first time I held him. However, between the hours of say 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. that evening, I was worrying that the bond with my son might not be the same as that with my daughter. I wasn't getting to nurture him the way I had her and I was scared.

Then... my mom, mother-in-law, and hubby, decided that it was due time for me to get my boy in the room and they put their foot down. They had told me hours before that it would only be a few more minutes and I was very frustrated. All was fine with the world when I held him and looked at his little face. Bailey was thrilled to be a big sister and seeing them together melted my heart. As we prepared to go to sleep that night, I placed him in his little bed beside mine and watched him. I knew I loved him as much as I had ever loved Bailey and I knew I had been crazy for being so silly. That night, he began to cry and I simply placed him on my chest and talked to him for a moment. He was content and went back to sleep. I realized that the bond wasn't from getting to hold him first or feed him first, but from nurturing him the whole 9+ months I had carried him.

Much like his sister, Jake's personality came out immediately. He was quieter, more relaxed. He enjoyed eating and sleeping, like most babies, but something about the way he did both of these things was notable (perhaps it was significant that he drank a 4 ounce bottle the first time he was given it or that he slept like 6 hours at night from the very beginning). For some reason, everyone knew that he really enjoyed sleeping and eating... more than most babies. As he grew, we could see that he was going to be the complete opposite of his sister. He excelled at large motor skills - walking at about 10 months, climbing on top of things before he hit the year mark. Speech was and is still developing. By now, Bailey was telling us full stories and even jokes. Jake tells us things, but most of the time, only his immediate family members can translate the stories he tells if they involve much detail. He is shy and acts insecure around new people and situations, whereas Bailey never meets a stranger. He takes a few minutes to warm up to people and he likes to observe before joining in on things and Bailey forces herself on people. Once he "figures" everything out and knows what's going on, he jumps in and has a great time. Unfortunately, I think that comes from me (but I'm hoping Brad is telling the truth when he says he remembers feeling insecure like that too!).

Jake most certainly loves his sister, despite their differences. Every time we go to pick Bailey up at preschool, or to drop her off in the morning, he hugs and kisses her, and tells her he loves her. If we are leaving her, he tells me he misses her when we get in the car. If we are picking her up, he asks about her day and then proceeds to tell her about Spiderman or Batman or whatever his chosen obsession has been for the day. Despite their completely different personalities, they really seem to understand and love each other. They baby each other, too, kissing each other's boo boos, or helping each other when they don't feel well. They push each other on the swings (sometimes), they play tag in the yard, and they really love to cuddle up in our recliner together with a blanket, popcorn, and orange juice to watch a good movie. It's so fascinating to watch them grow and to see that they truly do love each other. Yes, they do fight. Quite a bit, actually, but even then, they love each other. I will be disciplining Jake for hurting Bailey and she will be whispering to him to say he's sorry so that he won't lose his toys. This, coming after she's screamed like he has torn her head off. And it works the other way, too. If I start to get onto Bailey about something, Jake will step up and defend her. He's even gone so far as to try to physically make me leave the room (saying, "Mommy... just go" and pointing to the other room). :) WHAT? Who does that?

Ah... all part of growing up, I guess. A five-year old and a three-year old... I have to say these are awesome years. No bottles, diapers, or bags filled with extra clothes. They incredible fun and active. And, perhaps the best part, they also sleep past 7 on the weekends. FINALLY. :) Happy birthday to my perfect little boy.

Big Birthday Girl

Yesterday was a very important day. Bailey turned five. It is amazing to think that it has already been five years since the first time I saw her beautiful little face, all puckered up and tiny. She was only 6 pounds and 9 ounces and 18.5 inches long. She was born about an hour before the Mountaineers played in the Sweet 16 to go on to the Elite 8. We actually reached our recovery room minutes before the game came on. We laughed that she was going to be awesome because she was already planning her arrival around our basketball schedule. Well, she hasn't changed much... she is always planning. She just isn't planning around us.

There are so many things that went through my mind on that day five years ago. Mainly, it was, "Please bring the epidural faster," but there was also this fear of the unknown. I was terrified that I wouldn't love her enough or that I wouldn't be able to raise a little girl the "right" way. I was really terrified that she would come out a boy and we'd have to return a lot of pink things. :) I had heard horror stories from friends that told me about their relationships with their husbands making a terrible turn for the worst... their husbands never understanding how they felt about the child and never forming that incredible bond. That was probably the scariest thing about it all for me. I wanted this little girl to grow up in a home filled with love and knowing how much her parents loved each other. I wanted to make sure that Bailey wouldn't somehow replace Brad in my life, but be an extension of our love, making us a little more complete. It was all so scary... so surreal. And, then, she entered the world and everything that I had worried about went out the window. Brad was as in love with this little girl as I was. And, it was immediate. Neither of us could find the words to express how we felt... it was overwhelming.

Not much has changed... parenting is overwhelming, especially when it comes to Bailey. She was the baby that moved constantly, even in her sleep her little legs and arms moved, just like a puppy does when he's dreaming about chasing rabbits. When awake, she'd sit in her bouncy chair and I wouldn't bother turning it on most of the time because she kicked so much that the chair would be bouncing away without the need for the small vibrating motor. As she grew, we could see that her energy wasn't only physical, but social, too. We couldn't go to a store without stopping 100 times to say hello to people. Everyone wanted to touch her and squeeze her little hands as she reached out to wave at them. She was demanding from the beginning... commanding anyone in sight to give her attention, carry her wherever she wanted to go, and show her everything she wanted to see. She talked at 9 months, walked at 15. Most kids would probably be opposite, but Bailey was too eager to communicate with everyone to wait any longer to speak and thought it was just plain silly to try and walk when she could just demand someone carry her where she wanted to go. She hasn't changed.

We walk into swimming classes these days, and Bailey talks to everyone she sees. Most of the adults and all of the kids know her name. She's not necessarily popular (although I have to admit that I think most people find her incredibly charming)... she just makes a point to meet everyone so that they know her. She is so sweet when she meets someone. She always compliments adults and children on their hair, their clothes, their nails, whatever she can find that she might like. It is like she was born to be in fundraising, which terrifies me. lol. She is still as demanding as she was when she was a baby. She wants us to plan everything for every day and when we don't have something planned and she makes a choice for us, she expects us to deliver immediately. For instance, she is right now sitting beside me on the couch, asking for popcorn. If I don't get up and get it soon, she will be on top of me, in my face, saying, "Mom... I SAID I wanted popcorn." An optional eye roll or hands on her hips will follow. :)

As if you can't tell, I am awfully proud of her. She is truly a good little girl. She has a wonderful personality, a sweet disposition (most of the time), and really works hard to do the "right" thing. She wants to follow the rules and to be the best at most things. She has issues with paying attention sometimes, but she is only five years old. We can be hard on her sometimes, because we often forget that she is only 5. She is intelligent... sometimes too intelligent for us. She reminds me to lock the door, get the groceries out of the car, buckle my seatbelt, etc. Sometimes she drives me crazy with these "helpful" reminders. Her ability to understand things that we don't think she is even aware of makes us treat her like she's 10 instead of 5. She doesn't mind being treated older though. She loves to tell me about how she knows so much and can do so many things on her own. She is incredibly independent. And she is still planning... her whole life, in fact. I hear about how I am going to come to her house when she marries Austin and I can babysit their kids. She even goes so far as to tell me that she's going to have a cat and she'll put it up in the garage when I come over since I don't particularly like cats. lol. Yes, we have our hands full. But they are full with a little girl who is fun, creative, and a little mature for her age. She's going to be a fun teenager... until she hates me. lol.

So, life goes on. She will start kindergarten in the fall. We have her enrolled at the private Christian school she attends preschool at. We're a little nervous about it all, especially because we hate to pay all that money when we could send her to public school. However, she is incredibly happy there and we just aren't sure that we want to start her out in the school in our district. So, $$$$$ get spent on something that we could get for free. It's a tough call, but I guess you can't put a price tag on happiness and security. My security mostly... Bailey makes friends everywhere. I just love knowing that she's some place where she's already comfy and secure. It's a little sad for me to see her growing up so fast. I remember Colt starting his first day of school and it seems like it was just yesterday. I know it's going to fly by, but I am looking forward to all the fun that comes with it. Nothing is ever easy with Bailey... so it's going to be a great ride!