Monday, July 22, 2019

2 kids, 2 months, 2 fast

Phew! It has been a while. I'm pretty sure I start every blog post that way, but this time, I feel as though life changed completely and I'm just now processing it all. In the last couple of months our family has (in order):
  • Sold our house.
  • Selena earned her Master's degree.
  • Scott interviewed and accepted a job after training.
  • Had a baby (Welcome Isaac!... more to come later).
  • Packed all of our belongings.
  • Nolan finished 3-year-old preschool.
  • Finished Residency. 
  • Moved to another state. 
Moving with cats deserved its own photo... promise.

To say it's been a whirlwind seems like an understatement. I don't think I've ever felt so stressed or have juggled so many things while being completely exhausted with pregnancy/new baby. As with the last 3 moves, I want to publicly state how thankful I am for family and friends and their willingness to move our junk. I will also state that moving at 2 weeks postpartum is probably not on the top of my recommendations list. 

Switching gears, I'm a bit behind on family updates. 

This guy is 4 and a half. I distinctly remember a conversation with a colleague at work, and she mentioned that 4 was a hard year. While the child goes through a lot of changes, the mom feels like she has lost her "little boy" and that 4 feels so much older. Wow, those words were so true. I love his curiosity, wit, and spacial reasoning skills (i.e. Lego building). He's had a tough time with the move and all of the changes that come with a big brother, but we couldn't be happier/more proud of this kiddo. He's enjoying designing his own room (we're really into maps, and a large one was just hung in his room last night), and he likes rearranging all of his belongings into places that mom finds annoying. But, I'm trying to let things go. He's so proud of "his" baby. He is still learning how to be gentle, but he is so excited to share with him and watch each tiny milestone. 

In other news, we had baby Isaac. Isaac was born this spring, weighing a little over 8 lbs.


And, while he's your pretty typical second child with mom and dad forgetting to post professional newborn photos and a delayed announcement, we decided to keep our monthly animal tradition alive, despite their lack of timeliness. 

His first month was so, so busy. I felt as though I missed it, but luckily he's still young enough to enjoy some mommy snuggles whenever she makes time for it. His circadian rhythm was off, and he could be pretty mixed up with days and nights.  I would turn off the lights and his personality would come alive. He eats well and is pretty flexible with our constant movement (thank goodness!). 

Of course, I feel like this is a better graphic for how I remember his first month.
But, because mom is just now settling in, we are already to month 2.  

His 1 month picture was fairly delayed, so these aren't exactly a month apart.  But, he seems to be growing rapidly. We are filling out 3 month outfits quite completely, so he's going to be sizing up quickly. And, yes, he is our little ginger baby for the time being.  I'm still wondering if it will go darker, but it is definitely red in the sunlight.  He's a sweetheart. He enjoys cuddles, eating, and taking in the environment. He especially likes bath time and sitting in his bathtub (without water) while we shower. I think he thinks he's big when he gets to sit upright. He's slowly realizing that darkness is for sleeping, but mom would still like to be up less. He does not like car rides, sitting still, and being cut off from his nursing buffet. I predict he will keep me busy plenty early, as he is already scooting across the floor. 

In more life news, we just wrapped up our annual vacation with Scott's family. It was nice to have them come to our new home to provide company as we explored the new state.  It's certainly a special treat to watch cousins interact and grow up together.  And, more so, see their parents' personality shine through. :) 



Nolan adored having family here for the week and exploring together. 

Isaac also got to sneak in a quick visit with the other side of the family as we celebrated a first birthday! I was so grateful for Isaac to have a quick meeting with Great-Grandpa, as we do not get to see him as often as we would like. We were also bummed we had to miss the reunion back home, so seeing my aunt and grandpa was extra special.  Even more exciting, we now get to see this new one year old frequently, as we live closer than we ever have. 




Well, folks, this completes my update. If you've made it this far, here's a few videos made by the talented Scott.

First, Nolan's goodbye party. Thank you to everyone who came out.  He loved having people over, but misses everyone dearly.
And, a few glimpses into Nolan's week of family vacation. 

And, for the final "ta-da", note the new signature.
Lots of love,