It's been a long time...

since I've updated this blog. I started it as a way to keep family and friends updated on our lives, but Facebook is proving to handle that just fine.

A few updates, just in case anyone still reads this blog:

Victoria just turned 4 on the 31st of March. We had just a small family party because everyone else is nearly 4 hours away, or farther. We had a nice day, and Victoria got some nice presents she was wanting and the kind of cake she wanted (strawberry with vanilla frosting and her name written in blue!). I still can't believe my daughter is 4 years old!! The time has flown. Victoria is a very loving, empathetic, strong willed, persistent, funny, beautiful little girl and the most amazing big sister ever!

Victoria, as a newborn:

















Big 1 year old:

















2 years old!













3 years old:















4 years old!!



















Adam turned a year old on March 13th! This has by far been the fastest year of my life! Adam is an incredible boy. He went from being a whiny, needy baby to a cuddly, fun toddler. He took a few steps a week ago but has yet to take off walking. He gets around fast by crawling and cruising and is forever standing up in the middle of the floor to balance. So much like his sister, neither of them needed to pull up on furniture, they just stand up wherever they are (just like me when I was a baby). Adam has made a wonderful addition to our family and I can't imagine life without my sweet boy!


Adam as a newborn:
















Big 1 year old!
















We found out in December, that we are expecting another baby in August! This was a complete shock because we thought we were done after Adam, although we did toss around the idea of possibly having a third child together. I always wanted 3 children growing up, and so despite the initial shock, I am very happy that not only am I getting my third child, but we are having another BOY! I always wanted 2 boys and a girl (although I wanted 2 boys first and a girl last!) and although I thought I wanted another girl this time around, finding out it is a boy is so great! Adam will have a little playmate, as they will just be 17 months apart! I still can't get over saying my "boys"! This pregnancy, just like the last 2, is going great! This boy is super active like his brother, but aside from feeling him move, I wouldn't even know I was pregnant. I am very lucky with my pregnancies! This will definitely be our last baby. I will be getting my tubes tied this time around. Although a part of me wants more, this will be my 3rd c-section and I don't want to push it and also, we don't really have room for more kids! In our apartment or our car! So we will be moving from the "creating" life to the "raising" life of the 3 (well 4 with Maddy here part time) amazing kids we have!

Madelynn is doing great as well. I can't believe she will be 11 in June! I came into her life when she was 13 months old and Andrew and I will be together 10 years in July! I have watched her grow from a small baby who couldn't walk, to a beautiful toddler, to a dramatic preschooler to this amazing preteen I have living here! She is beautiful, smart, talented, artistic, funny and dramatic. And she is a great big sister as well. Victoria adores her. And her 3 brothers are going to grow up looking up to her as well! She went from being an only child for nearly 7 years to having 4 siblings in 4 years! Crazy, but she's taking it in stride!

Madelynn, age 10 1/2:




























So, that's our life lately! Growing and growing so fast and the time is just flying by and I am trying to enjoy every minute of it! I couldn't love my life more!!!!

4 months...

Yes, its been 4 months since I have blogged. Summer always keeps me busy.

Adam is 5 months old today. At age 5 weeks, he was diagnosed with Reflux and has been on Zantac since. It does stop the pain, although it doesn't stop the amount of spit up and man, does that boy spit up all the time! At 3 months, he was diagnosed with Tortcollis and Plagiocephaly. Torticollis is tightening of the neck muscles and Plagiocephaly is a flat spot resulting from only being able to turn the neck one way. He was fitted with a helmet on July 20th, and although he hated it at first, he seems to be just fine in it now...and it's super cute on him as well!






































He should only have to wear it another 3 months, hopefully less! He started out with one helmet guy, but while he was on vacation, we had an unplanned visit in due to Adam's eczema and really liked the new guy, Ethan, so we switched to him! Here he is with Adam:

















Aside from the helmet, Adam is doing well. Teething at the moment, as all 4 bottom teeth are trying to come thru, but he is doing really well. Not rolling over yet, not even showing and interest, but he is a happy baby most of the time and loves his big sisters to bits! Now if only I could get him over the suck to sleep association and realize that he doesn't need to eat 2 times in the middle of the night anymore....


Victoria is doing well! Nearly 3 1/2 now. Growing like a weed! Wearing size 5/6 clothing and is so super tall. She has such an imagination and talks nonstop. She is the bright spot in any day for me and I just love this child to bits! Her hair is growing long again, but no talk of cutting it yet. Too cute, right?




































Maddy is looking forward to seeing her friends when school starts back up in 4 weeks (where did the summer go?!?!?!) and got 12 inches chopped off her hair earlier this summer. It's adorable and alot easier for her to manage!

Before:



















After:



























Andrew had his first dentist visit last week, when he had a wisdom tooth extracted. It had a hole in it and has been bothering him on and off for 2 years so he finally had it removed! And no more pain YAY!




Aside from all of that, not much going on! Enjoying the last few weeks of summer!

One whole month...

Already! Adam is a month old today! Things are going pretty good. He has some gas issues and some formula tolerance issues (or so they think, they switched him twice) but other than that, he is starting to stay awake for longer periods of time, and has finally started making alot of eye contact and looking around at things. Waiting for that first real smile....

My MIL will be here from Ireland in 2 short weeks. She will be staying a month. We are looking forward to it. I will finally have another adult to have conversations with during the day...when I am not sleeping that is. I will be taking advantage of another adult in the house to watch the children so I can finally get some rest!

Victoria is doing well too. She is getting better about sharing attention with Adam now and is the biggest helper ever.

My Beautiful children:

Happy 3rd Birthday to my baby girl!

I can't believe Victoria turned 3 years old today! The time has flown by so fast and I wish it would just slow down. She is growing up before my very eyes and it's hurting, but leaving me smiling at the same time.

The day she was born:
















1st birthday:




















2nd birthday:

















3rd birthday:

Precious!

That's what he is!

Adam's 2 week well check

Adam had his 2 week well check with his new pediatrician on Friday, March 27th. The doctors were amazed that he is growing so well! They wanted him to be back to his birth weight (7lbs 15.4oz) by the 2 week mark, and he was down to 7lbs 9oz when we were discharged.

Well, Adam is now a healthy 8lbs 11 oz!! And he went from 19 inches long to 20 3/4 inches long (although I am certain they didn't measure him properly in the hospital). He is doing fantastic! The ped also mentioned how great it was that he holds his head up well already!

He gets vaccines at his next well check, which is in 6 weeks.

Keep growing, little man!

A few more pics...

For those of you that follow my blog...here are a few more pics:

Adam has arrived!

Adam Christopher arrived via c-section on Friday, March 13th 2009 at 8:57am. He weighed in at 7lbs 15.4 ounces and was 19 inches long. He has a head full of dark hair and is the spitting image of his daddy, aside from having my mouth. Victoria took right to him. I came home today, and its nice to be home. I am having very little pain, and am only on Motrin. Here is a shot of my little guy!

One week

One week from today and we will be welcoming our little boy!!!!

I seriously CANNOT believe how fast this pregnancy has flown. It seems like yesterday that I was just 6 weeks pregnant!

Had my 38 week check up on Tuesday. Everything looks great! Tested negative for group b strep this time (tested positive with Victoria), have only gained 27 pounds total (gained 55 with Victoria! EEK!) and my blood pressure is great! The baby's heart rate was 141. He is head down, not that it matters much, as I am having a c-section.

I am nervous as heck about the surgery for some reason. And I am nervous yet excited about Victoria's reaction to her brother. She asks to kiss him everyday, and we watch the baby story together, so she gets that babies are in mommy's tummy and then they come out. She talks about Adam and what we will do with him once he is here and she brings it up all on her own. It's really sweet. I think she will be in love instantly and everything will be great, but this is Victoria we are talking about, and obviously I won't really know until he is actually here and we bring him home. I do worry greatly about her reaction to me in the hospital bed. She gets really upset when I just go to the doctor and anyone else touches me. She starts crying, asking "Is momma gonna be okay?"...she is such a little worrier when it comes to mommy. She wouldn't let go of me during my ultrasounds. She kept making sure that her finger was at least on me, asking time and again if I was okay. I feel bad. I really hope that she will be okay when Andrew tries to take her and leave me at the hospital. Victoria has never been away from me for more than an hour or two at a time, and never at night. I have put her to bed, and laid beside her until she falls asleep since the day she was born. I have never missed it, not once. And she has never woken up to anyone but me before either. I do hope she will do okay, but this has me worried too. She is really in a daddy phase right now, and her sister will be here too, so I do hope that helps, but I know when she gets tired or upset or hurt, I am the one she wants.

I think that this pregnancy has flown because of all the worries I have. I wanted it to slow down, but that didn't happen. This last week could drag and I will be absolutely okay with that. In fact, I hope it does. I hope time stands still for a bit, but I have a feeling it won't.

I am excited to meet my son, to see what he looks like, to see Andrew's reaction to a son! And I am excited to give Victoria a full sibling who will be here all the time. BUT, at the same time, I am nervous about having 2 small children to care for, to make sure they get the proper amount of attention, and to make sure I am still able to make time for my husband.

Either way, one week to go!

36 weeks

Everything is going good! I had a prenatal appt Tuesday, so I heard Adam's heartbeat again. They do an internal exam next week to see if anything is going on. Only 3 weeks from tomorrow before I meet my little man! I can't wait!!