Adjusting

Well, our Little Man is now 9 weeks old and our Princess is 2 1/2 years old and it has been one hectic ride so far to say the least!!

We are slowly but surely adjusting to life as 4...things were a bit overwhelming at first but we are getting into our groove as John gets older and establishes an eating schedule as well as a sleeping schedule.

Alexis took some time to adjust, nothing major really. She took her break in potty training(which we expected) but now we are back on track. She figured out that she wasn't the baby anymore and went through a whiney phase and put that together with the terrible 2's and you have one unpredictable little girl! You never know what will set her off!!

But as time goes by, she is realizing it's great to be the older sister and she is becoming our little helper when she can. Since "Baby John" as she calls him doesn't do much right now, she interacts with him a little at a time but will help us if we need it. She is ready for him to be walking so they can play. But she is always wondering what he is doing and where he is. She is really good about not trying to pick him up or touching him since Toddlers are one big GERM and she is very gentle with him so we are very pleased. School has also noticed a change in her demeaner and her happy go lucky attitude has finally come back.

I had to take a picture since I wasn't sure how long she would keep her hair up!! She likes to be a princess and dress up in skirts but rarely does she like her hair up.

Alexis still amazes us with her vocabulary!! It's so incredible we just can't even describe it! She knows all her shapes, colors. She can count to 20 and can recognize those numbers on a page if you ask her to find the number. She is starting to recognize which letters make which sounds! All you have to do is read her a book a few times and she has it memorized!! Especially if it's a princess one. We are noticing that she is shy at first when put into a new situation(which we thought was odd with her being in daycare) but have really witnessed this, this summer with her being in Little Gym every Saturday for 10 weeks. She's really clingy at first and then comes out of her shell but still is cautious about what she tries. She is definitely not a daredevil and we realized that she does not like being rushed into anything. And she is very particular in what and how she wants things, especially when we read books, play sticker book, or games we play before bed. Everything has to be just right!

Stealing Daddy's cap!

She loves games that involve pushing her around on things. Here daddy made up a game of pushing a couch pillow on the floor! And of course she wanted to do it over and over. We are realizing the games that take the most out of us are the ones she loves the most!

For Father's Day Lexi helped Daddy open his gifts before we headed over to my sister's house for some BBQ and swimming. We took everything over there but the kitchen sink having 2 small children but it was nice! And nice to get in the pool since it is just plain hot.  

Lexi and her crown she made at school!

John James is doing wonderful!!! We had his 2 month check up on July 13th and he weighed in at 12 pounds and measured in at 22.5 inches. Even the DR couldn't believe how much he had grown since she saw him on his 2 week check up.

We ended up putting Little Man in his room in his crib right around 5 weeks because he is a really loud sleeper and very antsy in his sleep. Joe and I were ready for him to move so we gave it a shot and we have had no problems what-so-ever! We thought why not give it a try since he really wasn't fond of his pack n play..

At first we were worried about him having a touch of acid reflux with him spitting up at random times after his feedings so the DR said to give him some Rice Cereal in his bottle after we saw her for his 2 month check up. BUT, we tried the rice cereal for 2 days in his bottles and he pretty much stopped eating, gagged on what he ate and his sleep schedule was all sorts of off. So, we were quick to take the rice out of his bottle and now our on schedule eater and sleeper is back. He's eating every 3-4 hours starting at 4am/7:30/10:30/1:30/5ish and drinking 4-6 ounces each time. If we can get some fluids in him before he goes to bed which is between 8:30-9pm, we are lucky! But he has some awake time in the evenings and then he is DONE!! At first we were a little worried about this long span of time of him not eating..he ate last at 5ish and then barely ate before bed but he will sleep a solid 9pm-4am! We have tried to get him to eat around 10pm so he would sleep longer into the morning but for some reason he likes this schedule. And a tired baby won't do anything, especially eat!

Passed out on Daddy!

But lately he has started to really "talk", coo, giggle and interact when we are talking and he can get loud! Wonder where he gets that from!

Crazy Mowhawk sleeper!!

I thought I would get more done on maternity leave but he was a little more demanding of my time than I thought. He likes to be rocked in his chair and if I would walk away from him for even a moment if he was awake, he would let me know he didn't like that at all. I returned to work on Monday, July 18th and am glad to be back. His Doctor gave him the green light to start school after his 2 month check up and Alexis was so very excited that Momma was taking her to school again(since that was our routine in the mornings before John) and also that Baby John is coming with us to school. I told the Pediatrician that I was ready to go back to work if Little man could go to school so now we have 2 in daycare! Crazy!! But so far so good with him doing OK in a new environment at school and he's still eating like a champ and taking naps so nothing has been disturbed this first week.  His teachers still can't get over how much he looks like Alexis as a baby and they claim he even has the same mannerism as her. We will see as he grows.

Life is way more crazy with two but we are so fortunate to have them and to be able to raise one of each!



And now we are 4!!

Well, John James Sheehan decided to become part of the family on Wednesday, May 18th at 7:12pm weighing in at 7 pounds and measuring 19 inches. We pretty much had to evict him and induce labor since I was past my due date(May 13th)

Here I am 40 weeks and 5 days pregnant! Very miserable. But after being in labor for 9 hours(on drugs of course), we met our son. Mommy had a few complications but everything turned out fine and everyone is healthy.

The morning after he was born, snuggling in the early morning. Daddy has not come back to the hospital yet. (Yes, I LET him go home and sleep)

Getting ready to go home

We have made it through the first two weeks and I know that I have somewhat adjusted to being sleep deprived I guess since a good portion of the second week, Daddy was out of town on business so I was around the clock with John and eating every 2-3 hours. Whew! But we made it.

We did have a newborn DR appointment on Tuesday, May 30th before Daddy left the country and our little man is doing fine. We had a few concerns but the DR addressed them and said they were normal for a newborn and not to worry. We couldn't remember what Lexi did or did not do 2 years ago.  He gained almost another pound and grew an inch in 2 weeks. HE LOVES TO EAT!!! We don't go back to the DR until he is 2 months old so I am sure we will see a TON of changes in the next 6 weeks. The big one we are waiting for is for him to establish an eating schedule and sleep through the night and give up those 1am feedings!

In the second week, we have noticed he will sleep in his bassinet more, instead of wanting to be held, he's less congested as all newborns are but he can snore!! And his alert time or awake time is getting longer which we hope will lead to him figuring out his days and nights sooner rather than later. John definitely recognizes my voice and he smiles a lot at me when I am talking to him or holding him. He does sigh, coo and is starting to do raspberries..if that is correct...making noises with his mouth thing. I need to brush up on my newborn lingo!

He's definitely gaining weight since I can feel it when I am holding him!! So, we have to try different locations like the mat and swing so my arm gets a break. :-)

So, how is big sister doing? Well, she definitely understands that she is not the baby anymore!! But we have had a few setbacks, especially with potty training, which I have heard is normal as well as some events that have happened at school. We also experienced more tantrums in the beginning, more whining and defnitely clingy to the parent that wasn't holding the baby. But, after 2 weeks, the clouds are starting to clear and she slowly but surely is coming back to her independent self and is starting to take interest in what she used to like to do as well as potty training. Even school said they have had some difficulty with her when John first arrived but things are definitely getting better. Don't we know it! Adjusting to a family of 4 is a bit overwhelming the first few weeks with no sleep, getting used to the numerous feedings, Daddy going back to work, Alexis in school, and making sure our princess gets SOME attention at night when we are so very tired.

We wanted to expose her to John right when we got out of the hospital so we went to go and see her at my parents house where she was staying.

Watching Gigi feed Baby John

She can be a little protective of him at times..

Daddy and his kiddos!!!

We have definitely tried to keep all her routines the same since you never know when she might act up. She recently has decided she wants to take a bath in cold water and no bubbles! She has to feel the water and make sure it's ok so bathtime is whole other experience now!

Getting ready to go swimming with Papa and Daddy

Helping Daddy dunk the ball

She's into girly and frilly things these days!

Getting ready to go to church!! She's SO GOOD in church!!

Telling us a story as we wait for JCPenny to open and get started with John's newborn picture appointment. We were hoping to get a picture with the both of them but she was only in the mood for about 5 minutes to listen to the photographer. However, the newborn pictures of John came out wonderful!! We get those back in a week or so and I will be sure to post.

We are so grateful that John is finally here. Life is definitly more hectic with a newborn and a 29th month old but we are having fun!! I'm on maternity leave until July 25th!! I have no idea what I am going to do with all this time off but surely I can find something.

Can't wait to show the pictures of Mr. John James!!



Time to play catch up!!

Well, still no Little man so I thought I would take this opportunity to hopefully catch up because who knows when we will be posting next with adjusting to having 2 kids. We honestly thought we would be +1 by now but he seems to be just fine where he is at. I MUST be treating him right with all the good foods! HA!!! Some people might think I am crazy since I am still working!! Yep...still putting in hours at work, moving much slower but still getting up and going. I would be so bored at home since all of John's clothes are washed, his bottles are washed, the nursery is ready, we are stocked and ready to go(for now) on diapers and wipes. All bags are packed for me, John and Lexi while I am in the hospital and a picture project I started intended for maternity leave is almost complete!! I guess I will be catching up on all my DVR'd shows while off work then and finding other "projects" to start.

Sooooooo, what in the world is going on with Little J?!! That is such a good question! I go back to the DR on Wednesday, the 11th, for one final visit pending no water breaking(since my official due date is May 13th) to talk about induction with my DR. All in all, I don't feel too terribly bad for as HUGE as I am. My aches and pains are getting more intense, especially in my hips!! They are really hurting this last month! I am having more contractions but they are still very far apart. I am getting a decent amount of sleep each time but I do know that I am ready to NOT be pregnant. Even Joe is ready to stop playing the waiting game. We got spoiled with Lexi in regards to knowing when she would be here but JJ will be much bigger than Lexi since he is full term and my ever growing belly is clear that he is bigger. He is very active but does let Mommy sleep from 11-5 and then starts up again. But his movements definitely pack more of a punch or stab now that he is bigger!! I will keep you posted or the next time I post, I will have pictures of our little man! :-) We are anxiously awaiting his arrival and can't wait to meet him.

Mother's Day

Again, we thought we would be +1 for Mother's Day so my family was kind enough to plan the menu and my sister and husband hosted us at their place so Joe and I didn't have to do anything and I'm so HUGE, that it's hard to move anywhere! However, my day was wonderful. Joe let me sleep in and then cooked me French Toast for breakfast. I received some flowers on the doorstep the day before. Lexi came home from school on Friday for a gift for me that specifically instructed me NOT to open until Sunday.

It has a wonderful mother poem on the inside when you open the ladybug wings. Melted my  heart!! So of course it made the fridge.

We headed to my sister's house for some awesome home cooking by her and our brother-in-law. And of course the family tradition of dominoes was played while Miss Alexis took her 2 hour nap. We travel a lot lighter now that she sleeps in a big girl bed. :-)

She was so tired after all the running around she did with Uncle/Auntie/Papa that she halfway made it up the couch. She's watching Dora here. But she LOVES to wear skirts on the weekends so she can shake her hips in, so shopping for mommy has become superfun!! Her vocabulary is still EXPLODING and school can't believe how many words she knows and says she talks like a 3 year old. Um, her daddy and I certainly know that!! But it's amazing how all of a sudden she will pair the right words with verbs and her storytelling is becoming much more detailed! She is still not a fan of wearing her hair up so we will maybe get an hour of her hair off her face just to make her cooler and then she takes it out. However, her teachers at school and babysitters are able to put her hair up with no problem...hmmmmmm.....

Just a few random  pics to catch up between Easter and Mother's Day. I haven't taken that many since she is so quick with some of her moments and sometimes she chooses to pose and sometimes not so much.

Getting ready to go bye bye with her Kai Lan backpack. 

Helping Daddy put together her Anchor's Away table

Playing and loves getting wet!

I don't think she has enough toys. :-)

Serving Daddy some pancakes from her "restaurant".

Our Dancing Queen

Hands on the hips...definitely my child!

And Lexi in concert

This song is from the Backyardigans...Daddy loves to prompt her!

Cooling off from being outside with some milk and grapes

Chilling on her chair

We are still VERY fortunate with Alexis's health! Our little munchin that started out at 5 pounds 7 ounces and didn't want to breastfeed really has done well. No more ear infections after her 1st year so no tubes, or allergies, no acid reflux or not lactose tolerant, etc... and now that her 2nd year molars are ALL in, she is sleeping like a champ in her big girl bed. She goes through her phases of being a bottomless pit with drinking a TON of milk and then not eating so much and wanting to play more than eat but we are definitely noticing she is getting taller quickly!! Her growth spurts have been close together and she can get into more things since she is bringing us things from shelves we "thought were safe". Potty training is on hold for now because she finally gets what the baby is all about which means we have had some acting up with her and not wanting to cooperate on issues she normally doesn't have a problem with. And so the fun begins!! The hardest part of parenting is not giving in!!!

Easter

We had a wonderful and very hectic Easter but it was still great. Miss Alexis was a trooper with the schedule we were on and loved her 3 Easter baskets!! One from mommy and daddy, one from Papa and Gigi and one from Auntie and Uncle. And the great thing was, they were all so very different! We started out with one dress on Easter Sunday but discovered very quickly that it was too short so we had to get her into another more appropriate dress since Daddy didn't like how short the first one is. That is why you will see her in 2 different dresses. Our hectic schedule was church, hanging out Papa and Gigi's house(since our brunch didn't start until noon), brunch, and then back to Papa and Gigi's house. Needless to say, she was ready for a nap!

Her Easter egg hunt before church...can you tell Daddy hid them well? HAHA

Daddy and his princess

Mommy and her princess

OK, dress #2!! Good Gigi with the back-up dresses!

Playing in her tent

This is at Easter brunch...she is hamming it up for Uncle, our little cheeseball

Mommy and Daddy gave her a princess basket for Easter

Look what Uncle taught her to do...imagine that! She was pretending she was the "Bruha" which is Spanish for witch. Gotta love Dora!

We had a nice Day with the family with hanging out at mom and dad's after brunch and playing a little dominoes while Alexis took her 2 hour nap. We also got to spend some time outside since the weather was so nice.

APRIL 9TH BABY SHOWER

My amazing friend Kim hosted a wonderful Baby Shower for Little J and I on Saturday April 9th. We were so overwhelmed by all the gifts we received as well those ladies that could make it!!!

Kim and I at her beautifully decorated home

We decided to go with a jungle theme for the nursery so it was easy for Kim to decorate!!!

Yummy Cake!!!

Both of my diaper cakes that were made for me. Kim made the one on the left and my really good friend Erin, from Highschool made the one on the right!!! AWESOME!

Erin also made these washcloth cupcakes!! I absolutely LOVED it!

Michelle, Erika, Kim, Me and my sister at the shower

Family pic!! My mom, Me, my aunt Kayla and my sister Meredith

Me and my girls from highschool!! Erin and Brandy(who drove in from Dallas!!). Don't they look awesome!! Can't wait to get my body back.

Ok..so the fun really begins when you get home and have to sort through everything and figure out what you have and don't have!!! We discovered very quickly, there wasn't much we didn't have, except our little man in regards to being ready for him.

Here's what we unloaded from my Dad's Forerunner

And this is still not everything after I dug into everything and sorted!!!



We are SO VERY fortunate that John James has so much family that loves him as well as his DZ Aunties!!

He's SOOOOO spoiled!!! But we needed clothes really bad since we went from pink to blue. :-)