22 Months!

Today Cohen is 22 months old. Hard to believe in 2 months we will have a 2 year old!!!
Here are some things to remember about Cohen at 22 months.

• He can tell us when he needs to potty, and will do it. Only when he wants though.
• Can say over 20 words.
• Sleeps in a twin bed, usually stays in there all night.
• Weighs 27 lbs.
• Size 24 clothing
• Size 7 shoe
• Can dribble a soccer ball with his feet through the yard.
• Climbs everything.
• Hates to be restrained. Grocery shopping and car rides are the worse.
• Loves Dora the Explorer and Blues Clues
• Doesn't care too much for his baby brother at this point.
• Duke is his best friend.
• Deliberately throws his food on the floor so he can lick it up. Gross.
• Can drink out of a cup. Sometimes he decides to spill it on purpose just so he can get a paper towel and clean it up.
  
• Favorite thing to do is line up all his cars in a row or put together blocks.
• Loves to wear his green rain boots, all the time.
  
• Loves his mommy and daddy : )
  

13 lbs gone!!!

No, not from me. (I've lost 25lbs yay). But a thirteen pound turkey! The day after Thanksgiving Zach deep fried a turkey for us to have for sandwiches, soups, etc. It was a fun thing that he and his family did and it will continue to be something they do after thanksgiving. They deep fry it outside and it is DELISH.

Zach brought it home and we had turkey sandwiches...........Zach went to get a Christmas tree and I went upstairs to put the boys down.

When Zach returned this is all that was left.....

Thanks to Duke.
Needless to say he spent over 5 hours outside afterwards

1st doctor appointment!

We were discharged from the hospital on Monday November 22nd. We (Grammy and I) took Caleb to his first pediatrician appointment on Tuesday. Dr. Meyer was VERY impressed :) Zach went back to work Tuesday. So my mom has been here helping me! Thank God for her.

Caleb lost some weight, normal, actually expected. Now weighing 7 lbs 14 oz.
He was impressed with his head going down, so perfectly.
Some bruising on head due to package of blood on the back, said it was normal
Everything about Caleb was on track and normal.
Now we return in 1 month :)

I am mainly breastfeeding Caleb at this point now that my milk is fully in. He eats every 2-3 hours. Nights aren't too bad. First night home only woke to eat. that's it. So much better then big brother Cohen did. Last night, woke up several times due to losing his passi, or getting his hands stuck in his shirt, or becoming "unswaddled". It was rough but totally worth it for our little boy.

I am trying to keep Cohen on as normal schedule as possible! Tuesday he returned to preschool and today he attended Melody Makers. I want him to have no resentment towards his little bro :) Plus I love taking/going to these activities with Cohen myself. Thank goodness for such a great Grammy to assist us in doing these things.

Now off to decorate for Christmas...... Happy Thanksgiving!

Caleb Alexander Harris

November 20, 2010

(11 days before due date)
(4 days before scheduled C section)

Saturday morning (3am) contractions were starting to wake me up. They were coming every 8 minutes or so, I wasn't too concerned b/c they were so far apart but knowing that they were consistent was telling me something :) They continued until Zach woke up for work. They were still 7-8 minutes apart so I told Zach to go to work, and to keep his phone on him.

Luckily my mother came over as soon as Zach left to help me with Cohen b/c they were getting stronger and I couldn't function and take care of Cohen. I went into cleaning mode just in case I was going to be gone for days! I was washing sheets, windexing, washing floors, etc. Well correction, my mom did many of these things for me! I spoke to Zach around 11am and told him he could come home since my contractions were now 5 minutes apart and I didn't know when the doctor would want me to come into the hospital since I was having a C section. I didn't know if the timing of the contractions mattered to them.. I finally broke down and called Dr. on call and he recommended I come in and get checked.

Still waiting on Zach....... no word. His phone was dead. My contractions were so strong and every 3 minutes. I called Zachs gma to come watch Cohen while my mom took me to the hospital, when and if we got a hold a Zach he could meet us there. As we were going down the driveway, Zach was coming up! PRAISE GOD! We rushed to the hospital. I was checked and I was 7-8cm dilated, full bag of water about to burst and 100% effaced. I was admitted.

I got up into my L & D room, my mom and Zachs mom met us there and Cohen had plans to stay with Momaw. Around 2pm I was 10cm. Dr. suggested we wait and let Caleb drop a little more before I started pushing. I knew I wanted a VBAC as soon as I knew I had no temperature, and that I was already over half way there dilating. Around 3pm I started to push. (WITH EPIDURAL). And at 6:34pm Caleb joined us, weighing in at 8 lbs 7oz!!!!! and 22 in long!!! :) Caleb was facing downward and during delivery he tried to turn himself around. This is what he got for doing that.....


A CONEHEAD! Poor baby. It was so pathetic.


Look how far out it stuck.
Yes, Zach and I felt shallow but we asked the dr's
"um, is this gonna go down"
they assured us it would :)



1st picture. POOR POOR HEAD



So precious! Love this one!



Me holding my baby boy.



Cohen came to meet Caleb. Hmmm. He didn't know
what to think.
First family photo :)


Doctors were right! His conehead went
away and he is healthy as ever.

So blessed for such a wonderful delivery, and such a beautiful and healthy baby boy. We can't wait to get to know Caleb and his personality.

Lemon Crunch and Apple Pies = delish

This is the BEST ice cream in the whollleee wideee world!
Yes, its $4.99 a quart, but totally worth it. Zach and I have eaten 3 quarts in two days. Yep, we are lashing out and eating whatever before Caleb gets here and I get into strict diet mode.
Best flavor: Lemon Crunch :)
Zachs favorite: Apple Pie.

Lead Me

He once looked like this...

I can't believe in just 2 weeks (at the MOST) that we will meet Cale....who once looked like this......



Can't wait to see his 1o toes, his 10 fingers (hopefully), his ears, mouth, eyes, fingernails, legs, feet, etc. Only by God's grace could something like this be created!

2010 Preschool Pic

Cohens 2010 Fall Preschool Picture :) He sure was happy that day.....

Toys for Tots!

If you visit Barnes and Noble this holiday season, make sure to purchase a book from behind the counter to donate to Toys for Tots! They are nice books for only $3.99!!! You purchase it there and they put it in the bin to deliver to the children this holiday season, and you get to fill out a card for them!

and it worked....

Many "older" people have all these remedies from 'back in the day'. Some are old wives tales and some actually work!! Cohen has been battling his sickness for weeks now. Between a nose that is rubbed raw daily to the point that it has bled due to sooo much snot, to continuous coughing at night I couldn't stand it anymore! Poor baby.

I was explaining his sickness to Zach's grandmother the other day and she say "well why dont you rub Vicks on his feet at night and cover with socks...
I decided there was no hurt in trying, it could actually benefit letting my child having feet smelling like mint as opposed to sweat. LOL.





That night, he NEVER coughed. He has been on antibiotics, cough suppressants, honey, you name it, we tried it. NOTHING WORKED. Except this. Shortly after Cohen was so sick, I began coughing all night and I even tried it on myself. It worked. And my feet felt smooth the next day (no dont use it for that purpose, I'm just saying) :)

Hope no one has to ever use this but wanted to share!!!

Traditions

Growing up we always had our "traditions" I loved it that way. Did I always appreciate them at the time, NOOO. However, I appreciated them at some point in my life and now I know that I want it to be the same way for Cohen and Cale growing up.

A thanksgiving tradition that I would like to start, well we started this year was an "I am thankful.... board." Everyday during the month of November we update it with a new thanks. They are not allowed to be generic things such a family, health, etc. We of course are thankful for these things but we are trying to put more thought into these and not just writing something to write something.

For example, Saturday was we are thankful for clean water, which I know that Brett, Jonathan and Scottie will not have easy access too while in Uganda later this month, and other places of course whom do not have clean water. Yesterday was "we are thankful for heat in our home ,it was soo chilly!" And then today, since Zach left for Maine, Cohen and I put that we were thankful for daddys job. So many are still without work. So we are beyond thankful for this job regardless of its "inconveniences."

Cohen does not understand the "giving thanks" board by any means. But every morning during breakfast I write on it and "discuss" it with Cohen, even if he isn't listening. One day maybe.... :)

Now regarding Christmas, thats another post within itself, I'll post that one later. Zach and I have been discussing this for some time so I will post when it gets closer!

20 days until sweet Caleb will be in my arms
:)

How Cohen Reacts to "Brother"

AT THIS POINT.... Cohen is very sweet regarding "brother". This will all probably change when he sees how much time and energy Cale is going to require, but what people dont alwatys see in the midst of Cohen trying to be "center of attention" or buckwild, is a sweet little boy.

If I ask Cohen "where is brother?" he will come and lift up my shirt, yes he has to lift it up and see bare belly. Somtimes that requires lifting up my shirt, and then pulling down the stretch material on my pants, which he does. We have been checking out many many books from the library about being a "big brother" and Cohen seems to understand as much as he can. So proud of him!

Then, I will say "Can you kiss him"? And Cohen always does. The other day he tried to feed my belly his milk from his sippy. Lets hope he doesn't attempt to drown Caleb when hes here with his attempts at feedings! I had an experience of keeping my nephew the other day. He and Cohen ran in circles, forever just chasing each other and laughing, there was also an instance where Cohen pulled Colts hair, and then Colt bit Cohen. So just in this 2 hours of watching this interaction, I got a "sneak peek" at life with two boys. They love each other but will fight like crazy and I will lose my patience, thankfully I can seek God when this happens and hopefully maintain myself :)

As much as it saddens me to see Cohen no longer be my only child, it makes me so happy to know that he will have a sibling, so close in age, that he can play with, entertain, love, yell at, and hopefully be best friends with. I worry about how Zach and I will share our love "evenly" between the two but I know that God has graced us with enough love to go around.
I already love the thought of being a mother of two..... boys : )

Pregnancy is such a humbling experience :) Especially with these items!

You got it, maternity underwear became a necessity I tried to avoid this point as longggg as I could....





Tums, a must. Only worked for awhile though.


TMI, sorry.



My poor skin.....



Fiber anything, much needed

Can't wait to meet you Caleb! T minus 25 days!

Wordless Wednesday