Weston's Newborn Pictures

Happy one month birthday to Weston! Strange how fast a month can go by. Travis and Collin are at church so I have some time alone with Weston and while I was uploading these pictures I couldn't help but cry. I'm just so overwhelmed with gratitude for all of my blessings. Really, how did I get so lucky? I glance around my living room at all the pictures of our family and I'm amazed at God's love. I could have been born into any family, into any country, and at any time in history, but I was born a Lindblom, in America at a time when the church is restored to the earth, and had the privilege of marrying an Evans. I'm humbled at all the sacrifices my parents and in-laws have made for their families and the church. I think about the Founding Fathers... what amazing men... and the early pioneers... what faith. And I'm the beneficiary of all their hard work, prayers, courage and sacrifices. It really makes you think. And rededicate yourself to doing better. I'm so grateful for my two beautiful sons! And for the incredible man that is raising them with me. I don't think Trav gets enough credit. He is everything to me. He is such a loving father and husband. I sure am grateful to his parents for raising a son who respects me, is always concerned with my feelings, and is so dedicated to the church. I'd truly be lost without him. (How do single parents do it?! I ask myself this often. It would be crazy hard.) So, sorry for getting all sentimental, but emotions are one thing I'm not good at hiding. :) And these pictures sure bring out the emotion in me! Thank you again, Megan. She is an artist! And she put so much time into these.. not only taking them, but editing as well. We are SO grateful. Pass her name along and check out her website- www.shaheenphotography.com We will treasure these forever.  

Here is the announcement that Megan designed...

 Of course, poor Collin was sick, and not getting much sympathy from me at this point. I love Trav's {kill me now} face (can you see it behind the smile?) A moment where you want to cry, but now we can laugh. I will be hanging this in our home. It captures reality too well. :)

Crescent crocheted this sweet little hat for him and I just died when I saw it. It was a little big on him, so she went and made another one just so I could use it in these pictures. It is my favorite thing he owns!

 I am nothing short of obsessed with this picture!

What day is it?

Because the days just all blur together. I've been a negligent blogger and I'd say it's because I'm really busy, but actually, I don't feel like I do much. Except for change diapers. And nurse. And tell Collin, "Can you wait? Just wait one minute until brother is done eating. Ok?" or "Please don't throw your toys. What did Mommy just say? Don't throw your toys, they might hit someone."

If I've learned one thing since having a second baby, it's I can't overbook myself. My "to do" lists are now about 4 items long, and one of them is always {take a shower}. If I can do one load of laundry and clean one thing AND make dinner... well, I'm on a roll. 

We still aren't leaving the house, but I haven't really gone stir crazy yet. I went to church on Sunday because I needed to teach Sunday School, so I took Collin with me and we were there for the second two hours. It was the first time I had really gotten ready in over a week and it was surprising to see my face with make up on. Last night was Bunco and I thought it was funny when about 3 of us had to leave right when it was over to go home and nurse. Super cool.

Still not sleeping much, but I know that is to be expected. I pulled out "Babywise" on Monday and started getting all excited about putting Weston on a schedule. Then I remembered how hard it is to get a newborn to fall asleep right when you want him to, and even harder to get him to wake up when you want him to. So I'm a little disheartened, but will continue my efforts. He's really such a good baby, so it's hard to complain. I remember with Collin I couldn't even finish a shower without him crying. When he'd fall asleep for a few minutes, I run downstairs to exercise until he started to cry, and continue that throughout the day, sneaking in about 3 or 4, 15 min. exercise sessions. He was just so fussy and always wanted to be held.

I'm trying to soak in all the wonderfulness of {newborn time} while it lasts. Like the adorable stretching after being unswaddled. Where they crane their neck back and pop their arms up, arching their back and grunting. I love his smell. I love snarfing on him (yes, just as it sounds) and kissing all over his head and neck. Sleep deprivation aside, there is nothing sweeter than a newborn.

Here he is getting his first real bath. His cord fell off after 5 days, but there was just a bit of a remnant that lasted almost 3 weeks. I got smart with this kid and had a space heater going in the bathroom to keep it toasty.

 Collin hasn't been completely forgotten. I thought this was cute walking past his room one night and had to steal a pic.

 So we got hit with the winter sickness, just like everyone else. Collin was so sick while my mom was in town and I kept thinking how lucky it was that Weston hadn't caught it. Well I spoke too soon. The next week, Weston was full of mucus and coughing. I took him to the doctor, but they said there wasn't anything they could do about it, and I should just use a humidifier at night and keep his head elevated. I suctioned out his nose regularly and panicked every time it seemed he couldn't get a breath. Two friends out here had to take their kids to the hospital for RSV, so I thought we were in for it. Well, Saturday morning I wake up and his eye that had been goopy for a while, had gotten much worse. He couldn't even open it. It was basically swollen shut. So my peds office sent me to urgent care. Ok, for those of you living in Buffalo, I have to tell you about this place. It's called Maple at Ayer and it's on Maple road, just east of the hospital. It is the Hilton of urgent care facilities. It was just built in December and has that {new building} smell you NEVER get to smell out here. It reminded me of Mesa actually. There was no one in the waiting room and they even tried to call me back before I was done registering. I felt like Weston got really good care... even better than when he sees his normal pediatrician, like when they took his oxygen level. I don't think my doctor's office even has the ability to do that. And then the kicker... this is what a patient room looks like:

You know how normally they examine you on a table covered with that nasty paper that doesn't even cover the whole surface? Well here they examine you on a bed... and yes they change the sheets between every patient. They had a full on crib and a flat screen TV on the other wall as well as a rocking chair. While I was waiting they kept asking me if I'd like a bottled water, juice, snack, or blanket. There was space heater in the room that was so fancy it looked like a decoration. I had gone to the place all scrubby looking, thinking I was going to be slumming it with the other germ covered people, but when I got here I felt underdressed. Am I really in Buffalo?!

Ok, so the appointment. They swabbed his eye and also swabbed in his nose to test for RSV and influenza. The doctor asked me a huge list of questions and examined him and then admitted that she was debating on whether to send him to Children's Hospital. That's when I felt myself start to come unglued. If he was sent to the hospital they were going to have to do a urine and blood work up as well as a spinal tap. When the doctor left the room, I text Trav and started to tear up. I didn't want my baby in the hospital! Luckily, when the results of the first culture came back it, it was negative for both viruses. I was so relieved, but she acted like it wasn't a good thing, because now she was worried he could have a bacterial infection. We just wouldn't know for 48 hours. But she had called my pediatrician and she said she was fine for me to take him home and keep a close eye on him. Hooray! I just had to keep checking his temperature and if it went over 100.4, I had to take him to the ER. Well, that night it got to 100.0 but not over it. To think I was less that 1/2 a degree away from having to take him to the hospital is ridiculous. I'm SOO grateful that we were able to keep him home. And since then he's only gotten better. They prescribed drops for his eye so within a couple days it cleared up and I haven't had to suction out his nose since earlier this week. So as of now we are sick free! Next goal: get some sleep!

(Next post will be newborn pictures!

And here is a sneak peek.... Collin was just a peach.)

Mom Saves the Day... make that Week

About a week after I had Weston, my mom flew out to help for a week and boy was I grateful! Travis, of course, didn't have the luxury of taking time off school so me and my paranoid self were full of anxiety about being home with two kids. Literally, the night she came, Collin started up with a cough and progressed into one the worse sickness he's ever had. He was a cranky monster all week long. Everything was the end of the world and he let you know it... with the most demonic, animal screaming you can imagine. It grates on your nerves. I felt bad because I knew he was sick, but I have no patience for that scream. Thankfully, Grandma did. When I would have strangled him, she talked to him soothingly and offered him another toy/surprise from her {Mary Poppins} bag. He was just spoiled rotten with lots of fun goodies that she brought and all her adoring attention. I'm sure she would have rather spent more time with the sleeping baby, but I would say most of it was taken up with Collin. Three of the mornings, I didn't even leave my room until after 11am. She got up with him, got him breakfast, dressed him and played with him until I was ready. And even after I was up, she basically took care of him for me. It might have been the end of my first born if she hadn't. (And the sad part is, she caught his cold and spent her first 5 days back in AZ sick.)

Here she is with Weston after just walking in the door.

She posed for her first picture with Collin two years ago in the same spot.

 Now, I'm sure you know I'm a "documenter", but my mom puts whole new meaning to the term. So most of these pictures are from her camera.

Here are the boys the day after she got here in the church parking lot.

 And she was very eager to show what our snow covered house looked like. I'm actually grateful for this one because I kept meaning to get a picture of our ginormous icicle hanging in front of the window, but never got around to it. You can see it here, nearly reaching the ground. By the end of the week our weather was a different story. The snow all melted and we even went for a walk outside. Trav didn't wear a coat, but I think that was a little excessive. 

 Ok, let me explain. I was sitting in the chair, as you can see. Weston was swaddled and laying on the ottoman, directly in front of me. Collin must not have been paid enough attention, or perhaps he was tired of being scolded to be more careful around the baby. Maybe a combination of both. But the next thing we know he took that coffee filter flower he was holding and with everything he had, smacked that baby across the face, faster than you can say time out. Poor Weston screamed, Grandma and I gasped, and Travis probably laughed. No, I don't know. Once it was determined that the baby was ok, we all were able to chuckle. And be grateful he wasn't holding a shoe or something. Watch out, Weston, brother is quick.

Another plus to having Grandma around, was I was able to take Collin to the Family Room twice that week. It's a place at the Amherst Community Center that I signed up for earlier this month where you can take your toddler and play with the array of toys, books, paints, playdough, etc. It was good for Collin and me to have some alone time.

 So most times I think there is nothing cuter than my widdle baby. Then every once in a while, he looks a bit {old manish}. Kinda crusty. This picture captures one of those moments. (I'm still a good mom after admitting that, right? You know you've thought it of other babies after their mom has gone on and on about how cute their kid is.)

 I wasted 4 bucks on a package of NUK pacifiers, assuming new bebe would like them as much as Collin. Not so. He prefers the Soothie. The dumb pacifier that rolls when it falls, messes up your front teeth, and doesn't attach to a normal pacifier holder. Sigh. At least I think it's kind of cute/funny when it's half the size of his head. 

 Weston getting a sponge bath. Big brother eager to help/hinder.

 We attempted Family Home Evening Monday night. Our first one with two kids. My mom videotaped the opening prayer since Collin gave it. Don't know if that was kosher, but oh well. :) He basically just jabbers along while Trav gives him words to say. FHE is hard with a toddler. But then, I hear it's hard with teenagers. You just can't win. 

 She got to be here for the newborn pictures that Megan took. All of those will be posted soon!

 I think it was Thursday morning when I came downstairs around 11am to total silence. I wondered what was going on.....

Collin was sitting on my mom's lap watching t.v. when she said he got really still. She thought we was really enraptured with the show, but then realized he had conked out- at 10:15am. A sure sign of being sick. So she let him sleep on her for an hour and a half in the most uncomfortable positions imaginable. Again... a Grandma's love.

 On her last day, she still didn't have any pics with her and the snow in the background, so we had to fix that.

(Notice video camera in hand. She took LOTS of video. In fact, yesterday I saw our neighbor, Celeste, when going out to the garage and started chatting... it had been several weeks since I'd seen her.... and I told her my mom had been in town and was sad she didn't get to meet her. Well Celeste said she thought she had seen her outside... and identified her as the lady taking pictures. Yup! That was her. :)

 She's jumping for joy because she lives where it doesn't snow.

 Here's Collin getting a fudgesicle for lunch. He also got cookies for breakfast one morning. The screamer gets what the screamer wants.

The first few days after Grandma left he asked for chocolate constantly. 

Another sponge bath.

Collin was king of funny faces, but I think this one is pretty good too. Love his forehead wrinkles.

 Grandma makes sure her grandbabies get plenty of sun. They also get EVOO on their bums instead of ButtPaste.

 This was right before I took her to the airport when we realized we didn't have any pictures of the two of us. I cried and cried on the way home after dropping her off. I guess my pregnancy hormones aren't completely gone yet. Collin was with me and seemed concerned over my sobbing. When I got him out of his carseat, he pulled my face toward his with both hands, then wiped away one of my tears. So sweet. I guess I'll keep him after all.

It was just so nice having her here. So comforting to know your mom is nearby. Completly worth pushing a baby out. :) Thank you so much, mom!

  A couple of days after she left, we gathered up all of Collin's loot and took a picture. He seems rather pleased, don't you think? 

(And Mom, he LOVES the fireman video. Trav likes to mockingly imitate their Irish/homosexual accents. I'm just grateful he'll watch something other than Curious George occasionally.)