The Great Escape...

As I sit here typing, it is another gorgeous day. This weekend has been perfect; blue skies, warm but not hot 70's-80's, big billowy white clouds and a gentle breeze. We have had all the windows open and let the breeze blow through the house. It reminds me so much of true RI mid summer weather that I have to be reminded that it is only May. The pool in our complex opened this weekend. We are hoping to give it a try this week (we are waiting on our 'secret code') in order to get in. :)They have a big pool and a kiddie pool, lots of tables with umbrellas and a covered patio area too. It is right next to the playground-another bonus! The best part, we can walk there. I will be sure to pack up the stroller and head over as soon as we know the access code (secret code to Jack). In the meantime, we have been filling up the kiddie pool or playing in the wacky sprinkler or using the splash mat to keep cool. We usually set up after 3pm each day because it is still really hot then and the backyard has a little more shade. It is so crazy how long the sun stays up here. It really doesn't get dark until 9pm. Thankfully, Jack has been so tired out at the end of everyday from running around outside that he doesn't put up too much of a fight about "going to bed when the sun is up." We are trying to take full advantage of the current weather (warm to hot with little humidity) knowing that the humidity is coming soon and we won't be able to be outside as much as we are now. I have put off my daily chores to spend more time outside and just play catch up on the weekends. It drives me crazy somedays to see the extra crumbs on the floor, but I just can't pull Jack and Will in for me to vacuum. :) They both truly love being outside and free to run around. Will is walking and running so well now, that he can toddle around the backyard, play in the sandbox, push the play lawnmower and have a great time!

SPLASH MAT!

We were playing "swords" with sticks for these shots.

Wacky Sprinkler

I'm ready for the pool!

Telling Jack what to do...

This one is from my phone using Instagram

Popsicle time!

Our week, as usual, was full of adventure.

Bunnies!

We have a family of bunnies that live in the bushes at the back of our yard. We first saw them when they were little, tiny babies (about the size of an orange) as they lay in a little nest huddled together at the side of our house. They moved (on Easter weekend) to the bushes and we hadn't seen much of them until recently. Every morning and evening we have spotted, up to 4 at a time (there are 5 total), coming out of their nest and eating the numerous clovers that grow as our 'grass'. They hop through the sandbox, they chase each other, they eat, they watch, they scurry away as soon as I grab my camera. They are getting bigger and bigger each week and we love getting to watch them. Will calls "Hi!" (sounds like this: Hiii-EEe) enthusiastically to them from the playroom windows. Jack named three of them one night and knowingly points out who is who each time he seems them. They are-Booney, Piranha, & Inker. Where he got those names, I have no idea. I definitely thought it was going to be "bunny, bunny and bunny". Piranha is his "favorite" and always seems to be getting into trouble by Jack's accounts. It is hysterical-"Oh there is that Piranha again, in the sandbox," he will tell me. "He can run SO fast, Mommy." "Booney isn't a very fast runner." Booney is supposedly mine for some reason. "There is Booney, he is YOUR bunny, Mommy." We talk about their nest, what they eat, why they run away when we go out to see them, how we should be quiet in the morning and dinner time, so they can eat too. It is a fun little project.

Radish-Eezs

Jack and I have been honing our green thumbs as well. We bought some radish seeds (pronounced "Radish-eezs" by Jack) and planted them in a big pot on our deck. Our neighbor had told me that they sprout really fast, so they are kind of fun for kids to grow because there is little down time waiting to see something happen. She was right on. In 2 days we had a little sprout that has grown and grown. We now have a pot full of sprouts, but no radish-eezs yet to pick. We are wondering if the bunnies will be adventurous enough to come up on the deck to eat them.  We also bought some more pots and made some arrangements for the front steps and planted the extra flowers in the front garden. Hopefully they will give us a nice pop of color to see each day as we pull into the driveway. Jack picked up 2 American flags at Lowe's and we added those to the potted flowers too.

The first radish-eez sprouts!

And a few days later....

And on to the great escape....

Mr. Will, aka Mr. Mischief, is getting to be quite a handful. He is so mischievous and has this devilish little look that he gives when he knows he is doing something he shouldn't. It is usually followed with lots of giggles too. He is into EVERYTHING. I know he and Jack are 2 different kids, but I do still compare them. Jack was never "into stuff" like Will. We had the cabinet under the sink locked and gates at the stairs and a few outlets plugged. He never touched any of that stuff really. He never went near the toilet or tried to open things he shouldn't. Will is another story. He loves playing in the toilet. If he sees the bathroom door has been left open, he looks to me and then literally makes a run for it. As soon as I see him heading there and call "No", he runs faster and laughs. We have lost a few toys already to the deep waters of the toilet. He unrolled half a roll of toilet paper while I was helping Jack wash his hands the other day. He escapes up the stairs anytime the gate is down. HE IS CRAZY. So the other day Jack was playing outside with the kids next door. They usually play in the back where I can see him from the playroom. He disappeared around the front of the house (I don't like him in the front alone) so I opened the garage door to tell him to go back to the backyard. I talked to him for about a minute, MAX. I turned around and Will was missing. I started calling his name. I couldn't see him, I couldn't hear him. Where was he hiding? I noticed the screen slider was wide open. My heart jumped. I ran to the deck and there he was, one foot hanging out over the top step, ready to take the plunge down to the ground (it is 3 wooden steps down to the ground). He saw me, I reached out to grab him and he started wiggling and giggling, knowing he had been caught. It took me a while to get my heart to stop racing. I can't believe he opened the screen, step out and made it to the stairs. That little bugger. About 15 minutes later, Jack was at one of the playroom windows talking to Will through the screen. The window is very low to the ground on the inside of the house, but almost 3 feet off the ground on the outside. Jack was on his tippy toes and his little eyes were just seeing in the house. I was watching them "chat" as I made dinner. Next thing I knew, I saw that chubby little leg get a knee up on the window sill. I dropped what I was doing, hurdled the tornado path of toys while calling "NO" to Will. He turned to me, and quickly scooted himself up on the window sill and sat with his back LEANING on the screen-LAUGHING! This kid is going to give me a heart attack. When he is quiet, there is no doubt it is because he is getting into something he shouldn't. His most frequent offense is pulling all of the diapers out of the changing table, wearing them on his head and throwing them like confetti up into the air and all corners of the downstairs. He next attacks the wipes. If the box has been left open it is all over, he empties that thing in seconds. As soon as he is caught he takes the wipe in his hand and SHOVES it into his mouth as he starts laughing! NUTS!

Let me just move this screen out of the way.

I'm OUT!

Lastly, Tom has joined a softball team with a few guys from work. They have one game a week on Tuesday nights. Most of the games have been after 8pm, so too late to bring the boys to. This past week, the game was at 6:30. Tom met us at the house and after a quick dinner we headed to the field. There is a big playground (actually 2, but we only made it to the first one) right next to the fields. There is also a big tank that you can look at and get up close too. Jack thought that was really cool. The playground was perfect for both boys with enough for each of them to do. Plenty for Will to climb on and enjoy and even more for Jack too. Will loved going up and down the slide and even tried climbing up it just like his big brother. Once the game started we headed over to the field. There was a small paved area that separated the 2 fields. We set up a picnic blanket and the stroller and watched. Actually, Jack and Will ran and walked back and forth, back and forth and up and down the paved and grass area between the fields. We watched little of the actual game, but were sure to cheer Daddy on as he played out in the outfield. It was a fun night. The boys were sweaty and tired when we settled them into the car-jammies on and ready for bed. Tom's team won 27-6 and deemed us good luck. We are hoping to get to another game soon. Jack asks everyday if it is Tuesday yet so we can go back.

Have a great week! 

Mother's Day

I became a Mama on November 23rd, 2008. It was the greatest and scariest day of my life. I never knew how much love my heart could hold, until I looked at little Jack. I was hooked. I was also terrified that I was responsible for this little one. I was the one everyone would look to for decisions. I was the one that would start him on the path to who he would grow to be. That is a lot of pressure. I also knew that I was not alone. I had Tom by my side. I was surrounded by Mamas that had done this before and were able to pass on their wisdom.

I always knew I wanted to be a Mama. I loved baby dolls and babysitting and there wasn't a baby I met, that I didn't want to hold and snuggle. The road to becoming a Mama was a little bumpy, but here I am. I have been blessed with 2 wonderful, happy, healthy baby boys. They challenge me everyday. They make me smile. They make me laugh. They make me crazy. They are amazing. They have changed me into the Mama that I am today. They have shown me that the Mama I thought I was going to be and the one I am are 2 different people, but that is ok. They love me-all of me, everyday. There is nothing better than the smile Will gives me when I walk into his room in the morning to rescue him from his crib. His arms reached up high to grab me, he nuzzles his head into my shoulder and gives me one of those big smiles that makes his eyes scrunch up, binky obscuring the view of his 2 crooked little teeth. And Jack...my little love bug. Does he LOVE his Mama? He finds me every morning in our bed, crawls up and under the covers and is practically on top of me he is snuggled so close. He quickly echoes 'I love you's' to me and tells me he loves me "to the moon and back." I think he really means it too. ;).

So what kind of Mama have I become over the past 3 1/2 years....

One who:
-gives and receives hugs no matter what else I'm doing.
-instantly becomes a jungle gym as soon as my body hits the floor.
-is frequently covered in drool, graham cracker spittle or smushed food of some sort.
-drives a pirate ship to the Y every morning and never forgets to yell "Land Ho" when we see the sign.
-goes by "Captain Mama" when driving the pirate ship.
-never wears 'dry clean only' anymore-unless on a special occasion.
-has changed her stance on the appropriate length of time one uses a Binky.
-sticks to what she says. No means No.
-is a firm believer in "crying it out," but can't take more than an hour of it at 4am.
-lets little night crawlers into our bed because I am just too tired to bring them back to their own.
-learned that time for yourself, even just a little bit, recharges your batteries and makes you a better Mama.
-is patient most of the time.
-CAN'T STAND WHINING.
-has magic kisses for boo-boo's.
-starts thinking about bedtime at breakfast on some days.
-wishes the time would SLOW DOWN so they could stay little just a little longer.
-wants her boys to be the best they can be, but more importantly she wants them to be HAPPY.
-is working on perfecting her gun shooting sounds and her car racing sounds. Both of which get critiqued  
  often.
-loves listening to Jack's imagination run wild.
-likes to pass on tips and tricks to other Mamas.
-has learned to not judge others on how they are raising their kids. To each their own.
-has adopted the motto: "Do what works for YOU and YOUR family."
-IS still a nurse, but wishes she could just stay home.
-is lonely sometimes and longs for adult conversation.
-has learned to go on her instincts-they are ACTUALLY right.
-has days that have meltdowns and screaming and crying and too many time outs to count.
-believes in discipline and following rules, but having fun and making a mess too.
-loves the sound of giggles.
-does the best SHE can everyday.

A special thank you to my Mom for helping to shape me into the Mama I have become. I hope that I can run a house as well as you, have HALF the energy you have and raise my boys to be successful, wonderful people like you have done. You truly amaze me. I am so lucky to have you a phone call away. I fully appreciate all your advice on parenting and take it deeply to heart.

Happy Mother's Day to all the amazing Mamas I know out there. Keep up the good work. 

The Saturday Market

When we lived in RI, Jack would get to go on special adventures with Poppa to the Farmer's Market. He could say "Farmer's Market" with a nice thick RI accent. It was such a special treat for him (and for Poppa too). We found "The Saturday Market" here in Greenville. Last weekend was the first one of the season and it runs every Saturday until October. They close off Main Street in downtown Greenville, one of our favorite spots, and multiple vendors set up. There is food, coffee, baked goods, arts and crafts type wares. Some of the local restaurants have "booths" with a sampling from their menus. There is tons of locally grown produce as well as meats and fish too. We couldn't go last week, but we were determined to make it this week. Jack has his swim lessons on Saturday morning at 10:30, so we made a plan the night before to be out of the house by 8am to head to the market and make it back to the Y for 10:15. Worked like a charm. Will had a quick breakfast and Jack enjoyed a little breakfast on the go in the car.

Trying out Photoshop Elements 9. :)

The Saturday Market was so fun. It was a chilly 60 degrees, so we pulled out our sweatshirts and packed Will into the stroller. First stop-COFFEE. We tried out "Jamacian me crazy" brew from West End Coffee. Delicious. We found some perfect looking peaches, a juicy peck of strawberries and after a few "tastes" we chose 2 different types of freshly made banana and pumpkin bread. The basket under the stroller was filling up fast. After a stroll up and down to see all the booths, we stopped for Tom and I to grab a quick bite of breakfast, a breakfast burrito-from Soby's on the Side. Along the farther end of Main Street the set up for Artisphere was beginning. It is a large art/craft fair. We were able to see a few of the vendors as they set up, but mostly Jack enjoyed walking running down "the middle of the street" since it was closed off to traffic. 

We took in a little of the local history as we walked up and down Main Street and realized that Greenville has roots that are close to our own.

Aaahh...everything comes back to those RI roots! LOVE IT!!


Jack made a wish at a fountain and Will even got out of the stroller for a quick walk as we headed back to the car. Toddling along Main Street, he looked so small. It was a great morning. We are looking forward to making it a weekly tradition and getting to enjoy some of the locally grown produce.

Happy Weekend!!

Sew Obsessed....

As I mentioned in a previous post, I was given an amazing sewing machine for my birthday. I have always enjoyed being crafty and creative but never excelled at anything in particular. I like to think I got a tiny, tiny drop of the creativity/artsy gene from my grandmother who is an extremely talented artist. I can't really draw or paint very well. I am a perfectionist, so I get frustrated easily when things don't work out EXACTLY how I envisioned them. I have truly enjoyed learning more about my camera and taking the time to explore that side of creativity. Sewing has just lighted a little spark in me that I didn't know I had. I love it. I love that I can pick out just a big block of fabric and turn it into something else. I have truly become obsessed. I put my pictures up in the last blog of the Minnie Mouse dresses I made.

Happy Birthday to Avery, who debuted one of these dresses this weekend as she turned 2!!

With matching diaper cover.

2 dresses for 2 cute girls! 

I sent those out last week and I anxiously waited for them to make their arrivals. I received 2 phone calls last week, one each from the recipients. I picked up hoping to hear the same level of excitement that I felt as I packed them up and sent them on their way. I was rewarded. Both ladies were so excited about what they had received. My heart swelled a little. I told them both how much I had just LOVED being able to create something for each of their daughters. I told them all about the way the diaper cover came together. How I was in a fit of laughter when I first cut the fabric for a size 12 month diaper cover and after sewing one seamed looked down to realize the pieces were as big as a pair of my own underwear. How at 10:30pm, when I finished the last seam on the diaper cover and looked down I realized I had in fact made a pair of little girls bikini cut undies-too small on the sides to full cover a diaper, Tom shaking his head wondering what I was doing. A few quick corrections the next day and the problem was solved.

 I laughed a little at my mom and her speedy work with my machine when she was visiting. She in turn probably laughed at how slow and meticulous I was at the machine. Jack now comes running when he hears me revving up my machine and quickly taking over a seam. He loves to have a roll in what I am making. He is a self appointed "pin holder." He likes to take the pins from me as I work and place them on the magnetic pin holder I have. Will loves playing at my feet, picking up the scraps and putting them in trucks or cars and pushing them around, trying to step on the pedal with his own little foot. His little chubby hands grabbing the edge of the table so he can pull those big round eyes up and over the edge to see what is making all the noise. I have been a sewing maniac lately. One part I love, like with the diaper cover, the first one took me 2 hours to make and the second took only 30 minutes at most. I knew what to do, what to change and it came so easily. I took on a new challenge this past week. I put the dress making on hold and tried something new. I bought some duck canvas and made a "diaper wallet."




 It is a little pouch that holds a travel wipes case and 2 diapers. I needed something for my gym bag that kept the diapers together and that I could use to tell me when I needed to add more, at a quick glance. I found a tutorial for one online and set to work to make it. It came out great! So I made four more and sent them to some of my girl friends with new babies and old babies and kids ;).




 The part I am not that great at is figuring out how much fabric I need for when I go to the store. For the diaper wallet, I forgot my piece of paper at home that told me how much I needed and I overestimated/guessed when I got to the Hobby Lobby. Needless to say, I had oodles of fabric left over. Enough, in fact, to make the total 5 diaper wallets and still have oodles left over. During an unusually long nap from Mr. Will the other day, I decided to try to put the remaining fabric to use and make a cover for one of my throw pillows. I modeled it after a typical bed sham with an over-under kind of flap. It came out great-exactly how I had envisioned and I was so proud of myself for going outside the box, coming up with the pattern on my own and figuring out how to execute it well. Later that night, I wiped another one up in about 20 minutes. My mom is probably so sick of getting text messages with pictures of my newest creation.Tom is probably getting pretty sick of THIS fabric!

 The colors match our bright red couch perfectly and give a new fresh look to the living room. A nice pop of color and floral for spring! 

I have started on a new project-but it is a big surprise. I will post pictures about it once I have put all the finishing touches together. I really am loving all the different things that I can make. I have started putting together some ideas for the look of a label. I am hoping to have some made, not necessarily because I want to sell anything I make, but just so that I can put my little stamp on the creations I do come up with. There are a bunch of great people on Etsy that will create the labels, so I am hoping to get my graphic design skills (which are none) together so I can come up with a cute logo.

On a family note, we have been having some amazing weather here. Last week was in the 90's almost everyday. Jack is slowly getting some serious tan lines!! We broke out the kiddie pool and play mat and did a lot of splishing and splashing. Jack and I had a water fight today with these sponge balls. He was laughing and squealing with delight. Some of my very favorite sounds. The AC has been blasting to keep us cool when we come in, but we try to get out each night for a walk through the neighborhood. We have gotten into a routine, and boy does our Jack like routine. No step can be missed.

Blanket in the wagon (soft and fluffy side UP, even though it is 85 degrees out).
Jammies ON.
Will and Jack face one another each with a drink of water and a small bowl with a treat in it (either Nilla wafers or teddy grahams).
Jack rides for the first half and walks runs for the second half.
It is a perfect end to the day.

Jack has had some really funny stuff come out of his mouth lately too....stuff I say-I HAVE TO WRITE DOWN. Here is what I can remember:

Jack: "Mom, are you wearing your bossy pants?"

Jack: "Mom, you are the do-er and Daddy is the watcher"-couldn't have said it better myself. HAHAHA

Jack: "Why don't you just start getting my milk ready, while my lunch is cooking."

and now my mind has gone blank......

Hope you got a little chuckle out of that...he is quite the character!!


Have a great week!

The very hungry cater-Will-ar

“One Sunday morning the warm sun came up and - pop! - out of the egg came a tiny and very hungry caterpillar.” 

                                       Eric Carle, The Very Hungry Caterpillar





And so our party planning began. We love this book. I could tell the whole story without even opening the first page, I have read it so many times. I love the colors. I love the little tiny caterpillar and then how fat he gets. I love how our copy is so worn and softened (even though it is a board book), that you can "flap" the butterfly's wings on the last page. That is Jack's favorite part too. That and the word pickle, that always makes him giggle. So I started on a Hungry Caterpillar Party mission. I thought it was fitting since our little Will seems to have the appetite of the caterpillar in the story too. The part that made me sad-I found so many great party ideas, but we had no one to invite. We chose a few things and went with those. Jack and I made a banner to hang up. I tried and perfected the cake. I made the outfit. DONE. In the end, I invited the kids that Jack plays with next door over just for cake and ice cream to  beef up the celebration. SUCCESS!

Jack and I painted this using paper plates. 

I made him his little outfit as one of my sewing projects when my mom was here at the beginning of the month. It has been hanging in the closet and I have been so anxious to get it on him. The weather cooperated and it was a warm and sunny day with temperatures reaching into the high 80's. We had our well visit in the morning which included 3 shots and made poor Will kind of cranky. He took a 3 1/2hour nap when we got home! When he woke up there was a surprise waiting-Uncle Brendan had arrived. He drove from Hilton Head that morning (part of a journey that is helping friends of our family to get their car from Hilton Head back to RI). We played in the kiddie pool. There were golf lessons on the lawn. There were sticky, drippy Popsicles. 

Playing with the new "activity garden"

Present time-As Will intently listens to the card, Jack is ready to pounce!

Quick side note: That present has been sitting on the hutch for a week waiting to be opened. Every morning Jack asks if it is Will's birthday "so we can open the present." The kid could hardly contain himself at this point.

"Let me just have that envelope to chew on"

Jack-"I'll help!" Will-"Give me the ribbon"

Just checking my email.

Business meeting

The boys and Uncle B

Classic "Jack Face"

My masterpiece!

After dinner, the kids from next door came over and helped us to sing Happy Birthday to Will and enjoyed some cake and ice cream. It was small. I know Tom and I were both missing our families. Wishing for Will the big celebration that Jack has gotten. We hope he felt the love anyway. We know he loved the cake. We watched the photo montage video that Tom put together. We watched the video montage video that Brendan put together. We skyped with Gramma and Poppa, who also had a cake for Will. It was such a wonderful celebration. 

"I'm Ready"

All the kids!

Jack and Bella are on a date. 

Please note the "play ice cream scoop" that he ate with. 

YUUUUMMMM!!

Happy Birthday Will!'

All last week, I kept thinking about and reliving the events leading up to Will's birth. It is so crazy to think that it was a YEAR ago!!

Here is a little stream of consciousness of those moments:

I worked my last shift that week on Wednesday. Part of me was surprised that I made it to my last day (even though it was a week and a half before my due date). We had been very busy at work, there was a lot of time spent on my feet and probably more lifting and boosting of patients than I should have been doing. Will was sitting INSIDE my bladder making it impossible to be comfortable.

Friday morning I had my last OB GYN appointment with my "favorite" doctor in the practice. He assured me that he would be assisting MY doctor on Monday for my C-Section-GREEEEAT I thought. That is exactly what I was hoping for. Everything looked great on Friday. I figured I was home free. See you on Monday morning Dr. M.  I then enjoyed a manicure and pedicure at Magnolia. I even got a surprise and spent most of the time chatting with Allie (Tom's cousin) who was in the salon to get her hair done. I raced from Magnolia to get Jack from school. Friday night we had our usual "Friday Night Dinner" at the Meehan's. We ate on the deck, but I don't remember what. I remember Mary and I sharing birth stories and how I still felt like if I went into labor, I just wouldn't know it was happening. This was a reoccurring theme throughout the last weeks of my pregnancy. Everyone assured me I WOULD KNOW.


Friday night I went to bed and a stomach ache woke me up at about 2 in the morning. I couldn't get back to sleep. It would come and then it would go and it would come and it would go. I laid on the couch. I tried watching Mad Men (my obsession at the time), but I couldn't concentrate on the episodes. The time slipped by-yet my "stomach ache" kept coming back every 10 minutes. Every 10 minutes. Every 10 minutes. Oh my god, am I in labor? At 4am, I woke Tom up and told him I might be in labor as I rummaged through some papers the doctors office had given me with the "tell tale signs of labor" and "when to call the doctor." The contractions I had were not bad, just annoying. They were regular and they stopped if I moved around. Probably false labor I kept telling myself. By 5am, they were getting closer and stronger. I told Tom he better get in the shower, I was calling the doctor and my mom. I called the doctor and waited patiently for her return call. I called my mom next-trying to wait as long as possible, but not waiting her to have to drive like a nut to get to us. She arrived just after I spoke with the doctor. The practice I was using is pretty big and they share weekend and holiday call with another practice. OF COURSE it was my practice's weekend OFF. I got a doctor I had never talked to or met before. I tried to explain that I was in labor and that I was scheduled for a C section on Monday. She told me to wait until my contractions were less than 5 minutes apart for an hour before going to the hospital. I hung up, sort of confused. I thought I wasn't supposed to go into labor. That was why my C-Section was scheduled a week before my due date. Shouldn't I just go to the hospital? Tom kept saying the same thing. Meanwhile, the contractions got stronger, more uncomfortable and 4-5 minutes apart. We decided we were just going. By the time we actually left, drove to the hospital, parked and got inside, it would have been about an hour, right? Jack woke up just as we were getting ready to leave. I gave him an extra big hug and kiss. He was confused. Where were we going? Kay-Kay was here, so that was OK, but "I want to go too" he kept saying. I started to cry. My boy. What was going to happen to him? His whole life was going to change? Would he be OK? I was so worried about him.

The triage went smoothly. My blood pressure was up-I was a LITTLE BIT ANXIOUS and I was in a LOT of PAIN. I held tight to the plan-WE WERE HAVING A C SECTION. This was the moment I was so worried about. Would I change my mind at the last minute? would I decide i wanted to have a natural delivery instead? I stuck to the plan. Tom told everyone who came into the room that we were having a C-Section. My first check and I was 5 cm dilated. GO ME! The contractions were like clock work every 3 minutes. With each one, Will's heart rate would drop. I would get anxious. Tom would stare at the monitor and get more anxious. They put an oxygen mask on me. They took blood to run for the high blood pressure. I was in more pain. I wanted to have my C-Section, or get some pain meds. SOME ONE MAKE A DECISION! A student nurse joined us. Who was I to say no? I really didn't want her there, but it didn't matter anyway. She stood in the corner, silent. FINE.  I convinced the nurse that the half of a graham cracker I had at home a few hours earlier (and then threw up) was completely out of my system. I didn't want that holding things up. Finally, the doctor that was going to do my C-Section arrived. She was wonderful. A stranger, but wonderful. She seemed old enough to have had a lot of experience. She was confident with a great bedside manner. She put me at ease. At 9am, just 2 hours after arriving at the hospital, I was being wheeled into the OR. I got hit with a wall of emotions. I was so scared I told my nurse. I wanted to make sure Will was going to be alright. The dropping heart rate was weighing on me (even though it would come back up and they assured me it was OK). I wanted to see him and know he was going to be OK. It's the nurse in me.  They sat me up for the spinal-explaining everything as we went. I started to have another contraction and I swore I was going to pee all over the floor. The nurse hugged me and told me it was all going to better in a just a minute. She was MORE than right. As soon as the spinal was placed, I was numb from the chest down. It was amazing. I felt 1000 pounds being lifted off my shoulders. This was going to be OK. I didn't have to pee anymore. I didn't feel anymore contractions.

At 9:26 our second boy was brought into the world. He was 8lbs even, 21 inches long. He was perfect. He is perfect. The rest is sort of a blur. The recovery room with the most amazing nurse ever. That student still silent in the corner. Sharing our news. Going to our room. Jack coming to meet his little brother. He was so excited, so proud. He was great and instantly I knew we were all going to be OK. Jack was going to be OK.

Here we are a year later. Jack is an amazing big brother. He loves Will to pieces. Sometimes, he "loves" him too much. They are buddies. I can start to see their friendship growing. I love it.

Will-
At one, he is a walking machine. I love seeing his little drunken steps that have started getting faster and faster. I love watching him maneuver over tricky terrain. He is a pro on the grass now, in and out of the sandbox. He navigates the playroom floor and all it's 'booby traps' like a pro. His forehead is still littered with bruised of different stages. He and Jack chase each other. He says "Hi Dad", "Daddy," "Momma,"
"JAH(Jack)," "Hi"(with a wave), "Bye" (also with a wave). I swear he said "Cheese" the other day, as he held up a slice of cheese. He is always smiling. He loves to eat. He is a pro at drinking with a straw. Jack didn't master this until he was like 2. He claps, he dances, he 'snaps', he mimics everything we do. He loves to stand at the windowsill and yell hi to Jack and "the kids" from next door when they are playing in the yard.

We had his one year well visit Monday. He weighed in at 23 pounds and is 29 1/2 inches tall. He and Jack have almost identical stats. So crazy, because I have consistently seen Will as bigger (Jack was 23lbs and 29 1/4inches tall).

Will-1 year old

We are so happy to have been blessed with these two wonderful boys. We can't wait to see what the next year brings us. I am still amazed everyday at what Will does and is learning. It is truly amazing to see so many changes that occur in a year.

There is a photo montage of his first year that is supposed to go here. I am having some technical difficulties. I will try to repost it soon.