Reese at TWO.

*Talks ALL of the time.

*Has a personality that I ADORE. She is the perfect combination of independent and cautious. She will play by herself incredibly well for good periods of time, but she needs to know where Momma is and wants to be held A LOT. 

*Loves to laugh, read, "love" on Brother, eat snacks, and say "OK."

*Weighs 30 pounds.

*Has a passion for jewelry and accessories. 

*ADORES her Daddy. This relationship has been so fun to watch since Graham has entered the picture. She absolutely lights up when Daddy walks in the door, and she prefers him over me when we are both available. Most of the time. They have special things they do together such as dance in the front room with blankets over her head, sing songs together, play ball outside, make bubbles, and practice her cheer moves as the "flyer."

*Sleeps from 7pm to 7:45ish in the morning. Naps from 1-3ish in the afternoon.

*Goes to Mothers Day Out each Monday and is doing so, so well. However, she's only fallen asleep once at nap time. Normally she just quietly reads books on her nap mat.

*Asks to pray for different buddies during the day. Yesterday it was Leah and Campbell. The day before was Timmy. She even asked me to pray some more once we finished yesterday morning on our way to Bible study. 

*Recognizes the letters of the alphabet, colors, several shapes, and way more objects and living things than I thought she knew.

*Counts from 1-14. (She gets hung up on a few.)

*Has definite favorite TV shows, and most are on PBS Kids. Super Why, Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood,  Sesame Street, Curious George, and Clifford. She also loves Mickey Mouse, Little Einsteins, and the occasional Dora. 

*Speaks in 3-4 word phrases/sentences. Repeats pretty much everything I say.

*Says Please-Okay and Thank You-You're Welcome. A LOT.

*Loves playing with her kitchen and play food. 

*Pushes her baby dolls in strollers all over the house.

*Prefers waffles or toast for breakfast, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with fruit and veggie chips for lunch, and grilled chicken with ketchup for dinner. LOTS of organic fruit/veggie pouches are consumed around here, too. And lots of other typical toddler food. 

*Drinks at least 8 ounces of Organic 2% milk in the morning followed by another cup at nap time and bed time. She doesn't usually drink all of the last two cups.

*Loves Veggie Tales and her Veggie Tales Stacking Blocks.

*Enjoys play-doh and coloring with crayons and markers.

*Can sing several songs...cutest thing ever.

*I'm sure I'm leaving out so many things about my daughter that I want to record, but my free time is almost up, and I want to go eat one of the cookies Reese and I made before nap time is over for the day. And my brain is still kind of mushy.

 A look back at the 2nd Birthday celebrations and a few of Reese since she's turned the big TWO.

 Family picture at her party on September 1st. (Didn't turn two until the 18th, but we knew the actual day would be a bit too crazy to have a party.)

 The 18th. Woke up in a GOOD mood. "Mornin', Momma," she said.

 We took a birthday stroll to the playground. She loves to swing.

 Bestie Campbell brought over cupcakes on the big day.

 And she spent the afternoon reading books in her rocking chair.

 Cousins came over at night for pizza and cupcakes.

 And she got a special birthday smoothie, too.

 My sweet-natured two year old.

 Farmers Market with Mopsy.

 NICU Reunion. Year two.

 Pumpkin Patch Fun.

 I wasn't kidding about the jewelry and accessories comment.

 Practicing her cheerleading skills and calling the Hogs.

Yep, she loves her Daddy.

ONE Month Old.

Graham is ONE month old today. I feel like he's been here forever, and I feel like it was yesterday that we headed to the hospital to welcome him to the world. It's been a crazy month, and that's pretty evident by my lack of blogging. I've thought about it often, but I either clean, sleep, read, or just sit when I have free moments instead. I have started a TWO year old post for Reese that I should have published soon. However, I told myself that I wouldn't let October 10th go by without sharing some pictures of my sweet little guy and recording what he's up to right now. 

Like I said, it's been a crazy month. I just don't know how great of a new newborn mom I am. I mean, I take care of this guy like nobody's business, but my mental state has been in constant anxiety, analysis, stress, and need for control. Those things don't really mesh well with an unpredictable newborn. However, by the grace of God, He is mellowing out my anxiousness and stress and gently revealing how much more freeing and relaxing it is to rely on Him and not worry about every little detail of Graham's behavior and what that may mean for his sleep routines, etc. down the road. My stress level has consistently gone down every day this past week, and my enjoyment of my little boy has increased each day. I'm a huge fan of my son. (I wanted to make sure I wrote the not so positive emotions down because of how helpful they have been to me when I read other friends' blogs.) I still have high hopes of sleep training early and getting into a good routine, but I'm not overanalyzing every time Graham wakes up early, cries inconsolably, or fusses after eating. I know he will nap and sleep at night on his own in the future. I know he will play and not fuss the majority of the time when he's awake. He's still extra sleepy right now. These things just take time, and I guess it has taken me some time to remember and recognize that. 

Okay, so here is what he's up to at ONE month...

*GCW eats about every 3 hours. Just in the past two days has he really made it to 3 hours all day long. Before, he would nurse anywhere from every 2-3 hours during the day.

*Graham usually has a 4ish hour stretch at night. He's done 5 1/2 hours, and some nights he only makes it 3. 

*G-Man hates the adorning of the swaddle but loves it once he's in.

*I think he has smiled a couple of times at me. Oh My Goodness. 

*He makes a few "Ah" sounds, and they are fabulous.

*He weighed 10 pounds at his 2 week appointment, and I would expect him to be around 11 or a little over at this point. 

*He nurses in about 10-15 minutes.

*He likes to be held upright and has a few other reflux symptoms.

*GCW goes to the chiropractor twice a week.

*Graham sleeps in his Rock n Play sleeper.

*Umbilical cord fell off at church a day before he turned 3 weeks old. 

*He seems to be sensitive and possibly easily overstimulated.

*His inconsolable periods of crying have decreased in the past few days, but we still aren't to the 6 week crying peak, so I'm not celebrating yet.

*He looks like his sister's newborn pictures, but many say they see lots of Wes in him, too. I can't wait to watch him grow.

*Two dimples just like Daddy!

*Some of his dark hair is starting to fall out which is totally expected. Reese lost lots of her hair as well before getting a full head of curly hair a year and a half later!

*I've cut out dairy and most caffeine to see if any improvements in the gassy/congestion area are made. 

*He wakes himself up with gas pains and grunting most mornings between 3 and 6am. Reese grunted a lot but was able to sleep through it. Little Graham cries.

Graham, You really have stolen my heart. I feel like I learn to love you better every day, and my love for you is so, so strong. I already can't imagine what our family would be like without you. You are such an incredible blessing and miracle, and I'm so honored to be your Momma.

Graham at ONE month.

And for comparison...here is Reese at ONE month.

Glory

I want to record that the haze begins to lift in days 10-12. I'll revert back to it I'm sure during the week when I'm alone with the two kids, but I am constantly being shown images of beauty, peace, love, mercy, and the incredible sweetness that is being a mother of two. I get glimpses of what life will be like in the near future when Graham's little body figures out even more how to regulate this new life outside of the womb, and I catch myself staring at him and reveling in how absolutely precious he is. Yes, my two kids are napping at the same time right now. It's a wonderful thing. The house is clean, laundry is not too piled up, and we are getting ready to head to a tailgate once everyone is up from naps. Oh, and I'm showered. Yeah, the haze is lifting, and I told myself to be more real this time around for my own sake. I'm still analyzing sleep habits, pacifiers, etc., but I know I will figure it all out in due time.
Go Hogs.

Quite Eventful

The past two weeks have been quite eventful around here. I have SO much I want to record before I forget it all in the blur and haziness of this season I've just entered. I'm not sure the documenting will happen though because I really am trying to rest when possible instead of write and blog and catch up on anything going on in the blogosphere, and that's not very often. I'm in SHOCK right now that both kids are asleep, Wes is out on a jog, and I'm on the couch in pajamas with my eyes open. The shocking part comes from the both kids asleep thing though. Whew! So instead of trying to write out a formal run down of the past two weeks, I'm going to bullet point tonight, and then if I have the energy and mental capacity, I'll go into more detail on specific events for myself and for anyone interested later.
*Wednesday, September 5th: Doctor's appointment. I tell Dr. Hargus that I think this baby is big, and she says I may be right. I don't like the idea of inducement, but when she says she's on call Monday the 10th, I say sign me up and get me on the schedule. (She later said she was very glad we had decided to induce. You will see why in a few more bullet points. Basically, my hunch was right.)
*Thursday, September 6th: Ultrasound. Baby is measuring 8 pounds 14 ounces...give or take 21 ounces. Hmmm.
*Sunday, September 9th: Mom and Dad come up, and reality begins to hit. I shower, dry, straighten my hair and finish packing my bags along with Reese's backpack for her first day of school.
*Monday, September 10th: 6am check in at the hospital. IV successful on first try unlike the 8 attempts it took during Reese's labor, Penicillin for GBS begins, and Pitocin begins at a very low dosage. Two rounds of antibiotics in by noon, and I'm feeling good. Still only at a 2. Mopsy and Leah have dropped Reese off at her first day of MDO, and I get a most adorable picture text of my sweet girl. 12:15--Hargus breaks my water. Contractions immediately pick up pace and intensity. I ask for the epidural because I want a different experience than with Reese. Her labor was AWFUL, and I just imagine a happy experience this time. Epidural in, but it only numbed my right leg from thigh to foot (they tried to pull it out some, but my scoliosis is probably what got in the way.) So basically, I am on board for another natural labor. Here we go. I tell myself not to freak out, I remember breathing techniques from two years ago, and Wes' skills come back automatically as well. He breathed aloud right next to me so I could mimic him. I drop my shoulders, moan if necessary, and try to relax as much as possible. I pray and I talk as often as I can. Nurse Gina tells me I'm making progress fairly quickly, and long story short, transition lasts 45 minutes instead of 4 1/2 hours. Or at least it was WAAAY shorter than Reese's. I can't remember if it was 45 minutes, an hour or what. It's all a blur now, but I just remember having my eyes closed for the majority of the second half of labor. At 5:30, I'm told I'm there and am ready to have this baby. I'm exhausted, but we go forward. At 5:59, Graham Cleveland Walker arrives. I get to hold him. He cries. They take him to weigh him, and I hear giggles. I can't see the scale for the nurses in front of it, but I hear someone say, "Who is going to tell her?" GCW weighs in at 9 pounds 8 ounces. I laugh. I'm more relieved that labor is over and Graham is here than anything in my entire life. I'm so glad that the 9 pounds and 8 ounces is in my arms and not in my belly. I nurse him for almost an hour. Family comes in a few at a time. I get moved to a postpartum room. More family. More friends. More sweet time holding my son. This is the picture I had prayed for, and I'm so thankful for a healthy baby. Apgar score 9.9.
*tuesday, September 11th: Mopsy and Popsy bring Reese to meet baby brother. Alison takes pictures and captures all of the sweet moments. Visitors throughout the day and evening. Naps here and there. We decide to stay until Wednesday morning and let the nursery keep Graham in between feedings that night so we can sleep. Super smart decision.
*Wednesday, September 12th: Home by noon. Greeted by Reese and Mopsy at the door. Welcome to our new normal.
*In the following few days, we get out a few times to Chick-fil-a and to Gap. I take Reese on a mommy-daughter date. I figure out how to change a boy diaper--Wes is the go-to diaper changer in the hospital.
*Sunday, September 16th: Church as a family of four. Mopsy leaves. Gran arrives for the week.
*Monday, September 17th: MDO Week 2. Reese is a wreck at drop-off, and let's face it, so is mom. We have to pick her up early. her world has been ROCKED, she's having a tough transition, and school is new. Could use some prayers in this department.
*Tuesday, September 18th: REESE TURNS TWO!!! Cousins and aunts come to celebrate with pizza and cupcakes. We jump, play, and eat outside all while Graham sleeps. Ahhh.
*Thursday, september 20th: Graham forgets how to sleep soundly.
*Friday, September 21st: Graham remembers, or at least God blesses us with a beautiful, glorious morning of naps and happy hearts. I clean, Wes gets off work at noon, I take Graham to the Rogers Homecoming Pep Rally, and we get out as a family to Pottery Barn.
*Here we are. I know I have left out a TON of sweet and hard details I will want to remember, but this will have to do. I'm definitely in the hormonal bubble and haze, and life is hard right now. To me. I question a lot. I overanalyze. I overthink. I get anxious about handling Reese and a newborn on my own. I wonder why Graham has gas issues and why he can't get to sleep easily at times or stay asleep. I wonder how I can help, or if this is all just normal newborn stuff. I remember that God has me here, and this is my role. I breathe, and I sleep when I can. I remember that my two children are the most incredible blessings and gifts. I cry at the drop of a hat. I cry at any worship song because it brings to surface the goodness and mercy of our Father. But again, I breathe and remember to thank God constantly. He really is too good to us.

On to the pictures that don't really even begin to document these past two weeks.

Off to have a baby!

Oh, things are looking so rosy here. Obviously this is still the morning hours. 

Leah popped by for a visit. I'm still feeling great. 

I get this text around 10 of Reese going into school. Can you get any sweeter?

Fast forward to 5:59 pm. He's here! Hallelujah, praise the Lord!

Our children are going to look alike. I will make sure to post some side-by-sides soon. Graham has more dark hair and, different ears, and smaller eyes, but that's all I can see at this point in terms of differences. I like that they will hopefully look like siblings.

Just a few of my incredible friends who came by to visit.

Night 1. I was so giddy that I got to have my baby in the room with me that I took a few middle of the night self portraits. 

Reese meeting Baby Brother Graham.

Mwah. Kisses for Graham.

Home Sweet Home.

Shopping with three of his favorite ladies. Momma, Sister, and Mopsy. (By the way, I totally missed getting pictures of Mopsy and Gran these past few weeks. They spoiled me rotten, cooked, cleaned, rocked, played hard with Reese, and much, much more. I couldn't ask for more. Seriously.)

"Hold it."

Painting with Mopsy.

When I get sappy and emotional, I look at a picture like this. INCREDIBLE blessings.

Happy Birthday, Reese!!!

Another outing for Brother.

After getting a birthday smoothie and filling up balloons, we celebrated with cupcakes!

Cabela's aquarium. BIG fish.

I love how we capture the sleepy times and not the crying ones. Thankfully, the sleepy time is still going strong right now. 

Quite possibly by new favorite picture.