Lately...

We've been really busy. 
Soccer is finished. I can't say that Sam really got the knack of it, but he's not an overly aggressive kid, and he was one of the few who still wasn't quite four.  We're hoping that he'll understand the game a little more in the fall.  We shall see. 

Favorite part of the day--victory tunnel.

Trophy presentation.  I still don't really get the whole, "Every kid gets a trophy" mentality, but whatevever.  He would sleep with it if you let him. 

He's started t-ball practice, so that ought to be a hilarious comedy of errors.  I can't wait to watch him run from first to third. Anthony is helping "coach," which is code for "attempting to rein in a bunch of hyperactive 4 and 5 year-olds."  I imagine he's going to need a beer or two after every game.  I would. 

And Alex.  Alex is now 12, almost 13 wks. old.  Of course, I'm having a harder time keeping up with posting pictures of him.  No surprise there.  He's smiling & cooing, and he is a sweet, sweet, baby.  He's finally beginning to work into his own little routine, which is nice.  I am a little thrown off because he doesn't really like to take long naps--just lots of little cat naps.  That makes getting things done around the house a little more complicated, but I keep reminding myself that he's a only a baby for a little while, and I need to enjoy it.  Some days are easier to remember that than others. 

C'est la vie.  

We went for his 2 month check-up a few weeks ago, and he's a big boy.  At 2 months he's in the 90th percentile for weight, 75th for length, and 95th for head circumference.  (We have big noggins.) 

I know the next month or so will be nuts between t-ball, birthdays, crawfish boils, etc., but I sure do love springtime in the South.

Getting back in business...

Can I just say how much I'd forgotten that sleep is a wonderful thing?  We're currently out of town at a friend's wedding.  The weather is beautiful, we're seeing longtime friends, and I'm getting 3 nights of uninterrupted sleep.  I feel like I can do anything. 

On another note, I'm starting back with my monogramming, sewing, and applique.  I'm slowly but surely updating my http://www.threadserious.blogspot.com/ site with new patterns, new font choices, and new appliques for spring.  If you're like me, you want to get the most wear as possible out of your child's clothing, so my suggestion is to order warm weather things as early as you can.  Of course, I'm forever in search of cute boy things, so my investment in my machine has been well worth it.  I have plenty of things for boys and girls, so take a look.

And enjoy this fab weather.  It's one of the perks of living in Mississippi. 

Soccer...

My husband is not a soccer fan.  He has long said (jokingly?) that soccer is a communist sport, and that his children wouldn't play the game.  Ha.  He's now eating his words, that's for sure.

Sam started playing about a week ago, and we have enjoyed watching him run aimlessly down the field.  He actually made a goal his first game.  Given, the other team broke out in a game of chase, so he was able to head towards the goal uncontested.  His coach also held his teammates back so that Sam could have a shot at the goal, and we had to shout at him to kick it in.  It was hilarious to say the least. He's also pretty good at sharing, so we've had to explain that in soccer, you don't necessarily share because everyone is trying to get the ball.  Still working on that concept. 

Since he can be tentative when in groups, he also has a tendency to just lag behind everyone else and let them go at it.  I'll be interested to see if Alex has the same demeanor or if he's a little more aggressive.  If I had to guess, it will be the latter. 

At his last game, 3 of the players (including Sam) stopped midfield to point and scream at a low-flying airplane. 

Yep, we lost that game.

First practice.  I'll admit it...I just wanted him to play because I thought he'd be cute in knee socks. 

Mid-game.  Notice how he's taking time to look at the camera while all the other kids are going after the ball. 

Again, all the other kids are scrambling for the ball.  Sam just wanted to watch the big boys play. 

Alex--7 & 8 wks.

We're still not sleeping through the night, but neither did Sam...I should have known that I wasn't going to get lucky in that respect.  Alex is really starting to smile at us, and it's ridiculously cute.  Of course, I think everything my children do is cute...but I'm their mom. What do you expect?

Alex--3 wks...

So it's taken a little longer to adjust to two kids, but I feel like slowly, but surely, we are getting into a routine.  Alex usually wakes up about twice a night.  I want to meet you people who have children that miraculously sleep through the night at 6 wks.  Consider yourself lucky.  He's also a huge cuddler, but I can't complain about that too much.

Since I completely neglected to post these pics at the 3 wk. mark, I'm making up for lost time.

RSV...

Anthony and I have decided to buy a hospital room at this point. We think it's more cost efficient to have a permanent residence. 2012 was supposed to be kinder to us, but it hasn't impressed me yet. I have high hopes that things will improve in the next few months.

So about RSV...it sucks.  Apparently, it's highly contagious, and even if your child doesn't go to daycare he can still catch it.  Alex started sounding congested late Sunday, but it didn't sound like much.  By Tuesday, we were headed to the pediatrician.  We got our diagnosis, but we were told that you can't do anything about RSV--you just have to ride it out.  We ended up having to go back to the doctor on Wednesday.  Thursday we were told to go to the hospital. 

I slept in a hospital crib with my child for two nights.  I know I looked like an idiot, but seeing a 5 wk. old hooked up to an IV is not cool.  If I had to look like a fool to be close to my baby, I was fine with it.  Anyway, they watched his vitals for a few days, and thankfully everything looked good.  We were discharged on Saturday.  Now we're at home and we hope that Alex will continue to improve over the next week or two. 

Because I want my baby to be well...

And I don't want to sleep in a crib again.

Alexander Porter Sherman...

Alex was born at 7:33 a.m., on December 29, 2011.  He weighed 9 lbs. 8 oz. and was 21 1/4 " long.  He's a little smaller than Sam was, but not too much.  Apparently, I'm incapable of having "normal" sized children. 

Since I'm a repeat c-section, we checked in at 6:00 that morning.  I actually slept okay that night, which is a miracle since I haven't slept the last 3 months of this pregnancy.  I just kept having dreams that I overslept, or that I couldn't get to the hospital.  Weird, I know. 

We got there, went through all of my medical information with the doctors and anaesthesiologists, and pretty soon I was walking into the OR.  It was a little surreal to say the least.  Last time everything moved so fast.  This time, I chatted with the nurses and doctors while we were getting ready.

In what seemed like no time at all, they had started.  With Sam, I was so overwhelmed by the fact that we were about to actually have a child that I don't think I truly understood what was happening.  This time I heard Alex cry for the first time, and I cried like, well, a baby.

We headed to the recovery room, and we got to love on Alex.  I was able to nurse him, and it seems that he's going to be much better at that than his brother was. Our parents and Sam came in to see him, and I think it finally hit Sam that "baby Alex" was not a figment of his imagination.  So far, Sam has been very sweet, and it doesn't seem that he's had any major jealousy issues.  Fingers crossed that this will continue. 

Overall recovery was a little harder this time, but the past few days I've truly felt like myself.  I've got to say that there is a special place for labor & delivery nurses and mother/child care nurses.  I had some seriously sweet and caring people who worked with us while we were in the hospital.  As Anthony put it, "If I ever have to be in the hospital, I'm requesting to be put on the L & D floor."

And now, the obnoxious amount of pictures...

Getting checked out by the nurses

Sam checking out his brother

Sam brought his new camera to the hospital so he could snap some photos.

Proud dad and big brother

The grandparents checking out their new grandson

Snuggling with Alex

Up close and personal with Alex

So far, so good...

First pic as a family of four

As a friend put it, "Sam is so over it."

Sam, Alex, and Papa-Sissy

(Sam refers to his daddy's parents as one hyphenated person.  It's like their rap star name.)

Daddy with both of his boys

And another family pic--pardon the puffiness

Meeting his great-grandmother and great-aunt

Sound asleep

Leaving the hospital

Big brother "helping" feed his little brother

It's amazing how much Sam and Alex look alike--not that I'm surprised...

Sam

Sam

Sam

Alex

Alex

As much as I absolutely loathe being pregnant, I am so glad that I'm able to do it and have healthy babies.  This 2nd pregnancy has certainly not been easy--9 months of nausea and vomiting, horrible indigestion & acid reflux, back pain, and 3 trips to the hospital (4 if you count delivery.)  In the end, it's worth it.  I have 2 sweet baby boys.