Just kidding

In my previous post I said that Dylan sleeps through the night, but that he wakes up early. Scratch that...I was lying! We have been struggling with his sleep habits since he was born, but they have gotten really bad since we moved to Virginia Beach. When I last posted, he was on a several day streak of actually sleeping through the night. It ended as abruptly as it began.

I think, on average, Dylan gets about 7, maybe 8 hours of sleep in a 24 hour period. Ummm, 3 year olds are supposed to get at least 10. He will typically go to bed just fine, but it's all downhill from there. He is usually up 2-3 times a night and then up for the day no later than 5:30am. Mike and I got so tired of getting up with him at 5:30, that we finally taught him how to use the remote to turn on the tv. Before we go to bed at night, we just set the cable box to Nick Jr so all Dylan has to do is hit the Power button. I also put a cup of his juice in the refrigerator. He now knows to just chill on the couch when he first gets up. It allows us about 45 minutes of extra sleep time in the morning. Although, I can't really sleep because it makes me all anxious to know that my 3 1/2 year old is up roaming freely around the house. It makes me especially anxious now that he is potty trained and immediately takes off his pull-ups when he wakes up.

As a result of us allowing him the freedom to turn on the tv and get his juice in the mornings, he no longer stays in his room or comes to us when he wakes up in the middle of the night. Every night when he gets up at 12, 2, 3:30 or whatever times it is he decides it's time to be up for the day and goes about his morning routine...removing pull-up and all. I know he's up because I can hear his door fly open and then he starts flipping on all the lights downstairs. Now, I get the occasional bout of insomnia, but something tells me this is not typical 3 year old behavior. Last night, for instance, I heard Dylan go out of his room, saw the lights flip on. I waited about 5 minutes before going downstairs to walk him back to his room. Before I could make it to the living room, he had removed his pull-up, drank his cup of juice and was singing along to Wow Wow Wubzy. I turned off the tube and marched his little hiney back to his room (this has been going on for so long that I am usually furious during our interaction...I don't do well with no sleep). I went to search for a new Pull-Up (he is not night potty trained yet and is no where close to being ready for that), but to my dismay there were none in the house. So, at 12am, I throw a hospital pad (one of those water resistant ones) on his bed, put some undies on him and tell him to come get me if he needs to pee. Fast forward to 2am and I'm rudely awakened by Dylan sobbing and shouting that he peed in his bed and on the floor. I bolt out of bed and find that, sure enough, he started peeing in his bed (probably while sleeping), realized what he was doing and hopped out of bed only to continue peeing on his carpet. AWESOME! Just what I want to deal with at 2am. *Reminder* I have an 8 week old baby! I pull Dylan to the bathroom, wipe down his legs and bottom with a wet rag (no way am I giving him a bath while half asleep), throw on a new pair of undies, fold the hospital in half and throw him back in his bed. All the while, praying in my head that he doesn't pee again. By the time I finally got back in bed, oh, around 3am, Lena started her nightly fussing routine and I got to listen to her fuss and grunt and wiggle until 5:30am when Dylan woke up for the day.

That's just a sampling of what my nights have been like...for the past FOUR months! FOUR MONTHS people! Needless to say, I am exhausted and hanging on by a thread. Gonna get the pediatrician to refer us for a sleep study. Someone needs to fix this for me or I just might die of sleep deprivation. Gram and Pa...I hope you're ready for us at the end of June...I'll probably be passed out in your guest room for two weeks.

What Day Is It?

Wow...time is a flyin' and I'm doing horrible with taking pictures these days. Photography is one of things that certainly interests me, but I'm too lazy to actually set aside some time to learn and practice. Hopefully I will get my act together one of these days.

Like I said in my last post, May turned into quite a busy month. Last weekend Grandpa and Grandma Elkington drove down to visit from Delaware. They still hadn't met Lena, so it was a fun weekend showing off our princess. Dylan, of course, loved having them here. He absolutely loves his Grandparents. Grandma K will play with him for hours on end and this kid never tires of the attention. Not sure where she gets the energy to run around with him all day...oh wait, she doesn't have to do it every day! Both Grandparents enjoyed time snuggling Lena and giving Dylan the attention he seems to be so starved for. Mike and I enjoyed the extra hands to give us a little break.

Lena continues to be a little angel. This girl has captured my heart and I find myself just wanting to sit in the rocker, snuggle up and stare at her cute face. She is slowly gaining back some weight, but she is still kind of miniature. Dylan was never this small so I'm kind of enjoying having a little baby. I think I'm also taking advantage of her because unless I get blindsided, she will be my last baby and I want to make sure I cherish every moment.

Dylan was a crappy crappy sleeper. Oh, did I mention what a bad sleeper he was? So, imagine my surprise, when at merely 5 weeks old, Lena slept through the night. I thought for sure it was just a fluke, but then she did it again. And again. And again. She has consistently slept through the night for 9 days. Some people consider a baby sleeping through the night if they sleep 5-6 hours straight. Well, when I say sleeping through the night*, I'm talking 8-9 hours straight. And, well, this girl is sleeping from 10pm until 6:30am. By my calculations that is 8 1/2 hours. Ahhh, I am a happy Mom. Well, except for the fact that my 3 1/2 year old still sleeps like crap. *For anyone wondering how this happened, I follow the Babywise method. I don't follow every single aspect of it, but I do like the schedule they encourage and it has worked for both my kids. (Yes, Dylan sleeps through the night. He just likes to wake up before the roosters.)

Seriously...don't you just want to snuggle her?! I've had a few people ask, so I'm just going to answer for any inquiring minds. NO...Lena does not have birthmarks all over her face! On her forehead, it's called a stork bite. She also has some on the back of her neck. Dylan had stork bites when he was born and they faded away by the time he was 6 months old. Although, when he gets really upset/angry they resurface...it's kind of cute and that's how I can tell if he's truly upset. The marks on Lena's eyelids are called 'angel kisses'. I have been told by a few pediatricians and parents of other children with them that they too will fade in a few months time. For now, I like to kiss her on her eyelids to remind her that she's extra watched over.

I am the first to admit that these two try my patience like nothing I've ever experienced before. BUT, I would not trade being their mother for anything in the world. They light up my life and I feel more complete than I ever have in the past. I struggle daily with the fact that I cannot be a perfect Mother to them. I feel bad that they are exposed to so many of my weaknesses. They deserve someone to treat them perfectly. I do, however, know that no person on this Earth could love them more than I do. I am so lucky.

Road Tripping

May is turning out to be a busy month for us. I thought I'd just be relaxing at home the first month or two after having Lena. And, we have done some of that but we've had lots going on, too. Mother's Day weekend my sister Kathleen came to town with my nephew Noah. Noah is going to visit his Dad in NJ for a couple months and Virginia Beach just happened to be the half way point between SC and NJ. Lucky for us because we got to spend a couple days with Kathleen and Noah!
Dylan and Noah don't get to see each other very often, but they sure do love playing together! Mike and I caught a glimpse of what having three kids would be like. Ummm, I think we're good with our two. Sure was nice for Dylan to have a playmate for a little while though.

Dylan loves his Aunt Kathleen (as I'm sure Lena will, too...I mean, she did get her middle name from my sister). Gotta say, I love my sister too.

Kathleen returned to Charleston on Mother's Day. Then we had a couple days to relax and get ready for our next exciting visit. Dylan's best friend David turned 3 last week and we decided it would be fun to return to Raleigh for the fun festivities. My first road trip by myself with two kids went pretty well. There were a couple bouts of screaming from Lena and lots of backseat driving from Dylan, but all in, I shouldn't complain. Could've been much much worse! Luckily it's only a 3 hour drive.

We stayed with the Fox family again. Renee decided to invite everyone over for a playdate one morning. Dylan sure does have a fun little group of friends...not to mention the cuteness.

I mentioned to Renee that I don't have too many pictures of me with Lena yet. So, she took a couple opportunities to snap some shots of me with my little princess. I love a few of them.

Our friend Noelle and her daughter Riley also stayed at Hotel Fox. So, it was a big slumber party. 'Uncle' David is such a good sport to let all the estrogen and toddlers invade his home. He even seems to have a good time when we're all there. We even caught him snuggling Lena and singing to her...guess he's just preparing for his #2 to arrive in August.

Since Renee is due in August, we have already decided that Daniel and Lena need to get married one day. So, we took the opportunity to get the first 'Mother in Law' shot.

Me and my little bug at the birthday party. We both had a great time and are so sad that we had to return to Virginia Beach. We miss our friends so much!

On a side note...Dylan has decided he is finally ready to be potty trained!!!! Yay!

Dealing and Surviving

I have to say, I love when Gram comes to help out. My mom was in town for 3 weeks to help out with cleaning and taking care of the kids while I recovered from my C-section. But, as it goes in life, good things must come to an end and Gram had to return home this past Sunday leaving me to adjust to life with two kiddos.

I did what any good parent would...set my expectations really low. That seems to have worked in my favor. I figured if I expect the worst, there is no place to go but up. The first night, the kids decided to tag team me and alternated waking up every two hours. Not cool! Luckily, it was a one night thing and Lena went back to waking up only two times and Dylan went back to sleeping through the night. Unfortunately, Dylan is still insisting that 5:30/6am is an appropriate time to start the day. Ah well, I'll take what I can get. We have succesfully made it to CostCo, two playgroup outings, the grocery store and a couple pediatrician appointments...just the three of us. High fives for me!

Dylan has just been an awesome big brother so far. He is so concerned with all things Lena. He doesn't like it when she cries and tries to solve what ails her. He is also continuing with his comedic performances. When asked what Gram's name is, his response was "Mommy's Mom Elkington." We are also still working on potty training...this kid is just stubborn (oh, and a little scared of pooping in the potty). Whenever I tell him he's such a big boy, he replies "No Mom, not until I poop in the potty. Then I'll be a big boy."

We are still loving life with Lena. I can't believe she is already 3 weeks old! Last week we were thinking she is a bit colicky. This week I learned that the poor girl was just hungry all the time. She has lost quite a bit of weight since her birth. We thought we had the problem corrected until I took her for her 2 week check-up earlier this week. At that visit I found out she has actually lost more weight and now weighs less than ever. Makes me so sad! So, we're now supplementing her with formula and it has made for a much more content baby. I have to take her back to the Dr every 2 days until she starts showing some weight gain...next appointment is today, so hopefully there will be some improvement. She is also staying awake for longer periods of time...which is nice now that she doesn't scream the entire time she's awake. My prayers have also been answered because this girl is an awesome sleeper! I can put her down awake and she will soothe herself to sleep. She is starting to crack a little smile, focus on objects and faces, follows my voice, and loves to wiggle all over the place. All in, she is a much easier baby than Dylan was and that has made the adjustment to two kids more pleasant.

Completion

Wow...April has been a busy month. I cannot believe that it's practically over, but I think it's safe to say that when I look back at the end of 2010 April will be the most memorable month.

Lena Kathleen Elkington arrived Thursday April 15th at 9:10am. She weighed just one ounce less than her big brother - 8 lbs 5 oz. She is also our resident shorty as she measured in at 19 inches (Dylan was 21 inches).

Words cannot possibly describe how much this little girl has already changed our world. I know she's only a week old, but I firmly believe that you can tell a child's demeanor/personality from the day they are born. Lena is proving to be a sweetheart. She is quiet, sleepy, and loves to be snuggled. Complete opposite of Dylan when he was a newborn. It took me several months to feel bonded to Dylan. I feel very greatful to have felt the bond with Lena throughout my pregnancy and it just grew stronger once she entered the world.

I am so in love with this little snuggly thing and I very rarely put her down. I will probably regret that in a few months when she's attached to my hip 24/7, but for now I just don't care. People have told me that you just 'know' when you are done having kids. I didn't really believe that, but hoped it was true because of how fickle I have always been in the children department. I can now attest that it's true...you just 'know.' Within hours of my surgery, I just had the overwhelming feeling that our family is complete. I have my two perfect children and I honestly feel they are the two who needed to come to us.

Mom and daughter meet for the first time. This C-section was so much better than my surgery with Dylan. I was completely aware of everything going on this time and felt like I was able to take it all in and enjoy what was happening. I cried as soon as I heard her cry and didn't stop until they wheeled her to the nursery. It was also nice that Mike was coherent this time around...he was super sick when we had Dylan and neither of us really remember much about his actual birth.

Getting checked out...she's perfect.

Lena is already a Daddy's girl. She loves to snuggle up with Mike. Can't say I blame her, he is pretty comfy to lean on. We both knew long ago that Mike would be mush if we ever had a little girl. We were so right. His entire demeanor changes when he so much as looks at her. It is the most amazing thing to see.

Seriously...how can you resist that sweet face...angel kisses and all?!

Love me some baby footsies.

Lena loves her little vibrating chair. I have to admit, it looks pretty comfy and I wouldn't mind being able to take a nap in it myself.

The very very proud big brother. Dylan was so hesitant when we were in the hospital. I think it kind of scared him. But, he has been awesome since we have been home. He asks to hold 'baby sissy' several times a day and will hold her as long as she isn't crying. He even tells me to go away so they can have some privacy. He is going to be an awesome big brother!

It's safe to say that we are loving our newly expanded family. I've already forgotten how life was before Lena arrived. She was totally worth the wait.

The Big 3-0 (again)

I say 'again' in the title because I know I used the same title back in February for Mike's 30th. I have to admit that despite being miserably fat and uncomfortable, this has actually been a pretty enjoyable Birthday for me. I know most people freak out about turning 30, but I couldn't care less. Perhaps because I've got bigger things on my mind.

The gifts started rolling in last week. First I got a 2 lb box of See's full of only my favorites. Let's just say, the box did not last very long. And I'm embarrassed to admit that I ate almost the entire box all by myself. Shoot, I didn't even tell Mike about the candy for several days.

To counteract the See's, I also received the P90X workout system and a check to buy some new running shoes. All courtesy of my parents. I'm so ready to lose this baby weight and am determined to not have it take 2 years like it did after I had Dylan. I can't believe that I am actually excited about working out again. It's a great stress relief for me and my workouts went to zero after we moved.

Today (my actual Birthday), turned out to be pretty nice. The weather here has been WAY warmer than is normal for this time of year. The past three days it has been in the mid-90's. Playgroup decided to meet at the locals beach this morning and even though I have no summer maternity clothes, I improvised and made the 20 minute trek. Gee, it's rough living so close to the awesomeness of the beach. I have learned (from visiting my parents in Charleston) that Dylan is a total beach bum. The child loves the water and sand and sun. So, I knew this would make for a fun morning for us. The playgroup mommas even sang Happy Birthday to me and one of them brought brownies as a special treat to share with everyone.

The water was SO FREEZING COLD! But, none of the kids seemed to care...including Dylan. He really has no fear of the water, which is incredibly scary for me. There were several times I thought I'd have to jump in the ice water with my clothes on to grab him. Luckily, threats to leave and go home worked to keep him somewhat in check.

(Seriously, I just love this kid's feet. They are so chubby and adorable).

When we got home from the beach, I was greeted with a beautiful bouquet of flowers from my Mom and Dad. Mike was able to come home from work really early today and he arrived with an Edible Arrangement of chocolate covered strawberries. YUM! Those are my absolute favorite treat...my two guys did a good job. I'm pretty sure they will all be gone by the end of tomorrow. Apparently everyone was out to make me gain a ton of weight during my last two weeks of pregnancy. Oh well, I'm enjoying it while I don't have to feel guilty.

I was really hoping for a Birthday surprise baby, but it's not looking like that will happen. So, I'm hanging in for another 7 days. Thanks to all who made this a wonderful 30th. I am so lucky to have the family and friends that I do.

Easter

Easter kind of came and went in a blur this year. I felt like a really lame mom because I didn't do a whole lot for Dylan, but we did manage to slip in a couple fun things. For play group last week, we had an Easter Egg Hunt at the church. Dylan walked away with only 3 eggs because he was a little hesitant to run off on his own, but once he saw they all had candy inside he didn't seem to care about the amount. I just didn't let him see the baskets of 20 eggs that the other kids were carrying around.

Easter Sunday was a little different this year because we didn't actually go to church. Instead, we were able to sleep in a bit and enjoy General Conference via the Internet. I made this awesome French Toast Casserole for breakfast. Got the recipe from my friend Christine, who made it for my baby shower brunch. SO yummy!

Dylan spent the morning playing CandyLand a gazillion times. Mike and I can stand to play 2 or 3 games a day with him, but that is never enough. So, Dylan will often play by himself. He just loves to play board games.

Mike and I wanted to catch a few extra minutes of sleep Sunday morning, so Mike came up with a brilliant idea to keep Dylan occupied for a while. He built him a 'clubhouse' in the living room. Dylan sat in his 'private clubhouse' for about an hour! It was awesome!

I really felt like I gave Dylan the lamest Easter basket this year. A couple books, some Starbursts and Cadbury mini-eggs (his favorite, which also happens to be MY favorite). Lucky for me, he's still too young to care about quantity and he was perfectly content with his treats.

Easter is honestly my favorite holiday. I love having this special time of year to remember that the Savior LIVES. Not to mention that the candy is awesome!