Easton Has Tubes!

He's a messy eater!

Who knew tape could be so much fun!

Who would have thought when I was meeting with the ENT doctor on Monday that we would be making the appointment for Easton to get his tubes on Thursday. Since the start of the year Easton has been on antibiotics for his ears. The infections just never seem to heal. First he had a hearing test and she confirmed there was no vibration to his ear drums from the fluid. The doctor came in and looked at Easton's ears and confirmed there was fluid still left in his ears and if he has been on 4 different antibiotics back to back that tubes would be our best option. I know it's such a simple process that I wasn't going to wait this time. So Thursday morning we checked in at 7:00 am and we were gone by 9:30 am. His doctor told me the fluid in his ears had been there for awhile and one ear was still infected. He said he flushed both ears out 3 times and put antibiotic drops in them. By the time Easton was back in my arms the poor little boy was so thirsty. The hardest part of the whole process is the not eating or drinking before the procedure. I've never seen him drink a glass of milk that fast. Since we couldn't go home right away and he seemed to be feeling ok we decided to walk around the mall and play on the toys. He was so excited to crawl around with Finley and LOVED going down the tree slide. He still is fighting a cold but doing great!

He looks really tired but this is what he did to get down the slide.

Spencer is full blown into hockey these days. He loves to play in the basement with anyone willing to watch. He amazes me in what he knows. He was teaching me the other day how to hold my stick and when sitting on the bench for a "rest" how you hold your stick with the blade up. He takes this game very serious. He realized the other day that the gloves Grandpa John and Grandma Julie gave him fit. He's been wearing them non stop!

Grandma Nancy came to visit this weekend. Ryan's birhday is on Monday and Spencer's is at the end of the month. Spencer was excited to see her and waited by the window for her to come. The boys and Grandma all went to dinner on Friday. Ryan said it was busy!

Ryan brought Spencer to Grandma Nancy's hotel Saturday morning. I think he is spoiled with the kid's pool at the Y because Ryan said he was more into just playing around the edge but didn't really want to get in.

Saturday evening we joined my family for a birthday dinner. Aunie's birthday is the 6th and Ryan's is the 7th. To make it easier on everyone, instead of going out to dinner we just went to Grandma and Grandpa's.

Happy Birthday Daddy and Auntie!

The boys pretending to sleep at Grandma's in their new bedroom!

Baby Update!

I'm currently 20 weeks! That means I'm half way there. If this baby is like it's brothers I'm more then half way there. The baby is about the length of a banana and weighs 10 1/2 ounces. It's hard to believe 20 weeks have gone bye. It seems like just last month we found out we were expecting again.

So what's new this week? Well I have strep! I have never been so sick as I have been these last 20 weeks. I have had an on going cold, the flu, hives, headaches and then the normal discomforts of being pregnant. Thankfully with strep its something we can treat and I'm already starting to feel a little bit better. If you saw a glimpse into our house this past week you might find me in an emotional break down. I'm just feeling a little overwhelmed these days.

The thought of needing to pack up our house, getting it listed and the fact that we need to be ready to show at a moment's notice is stressful. Now we are getting down to the final planning of the new house and I'm getting overwhelmed with the decisions that need to be made. Overall though I feel like I'm not being a very good mom to Spencer and Easton. No matter how stressed I get though or how tired I am, I really try to make it a point to cuddle and give lots of hugs and kisses to each of those little boys every day. So hopefully in these next few weeks I will start feeling more like my normal self again and the illnesses are behind us. We could really use some warmer weather around here!

This week we have our ultrasound. The big question is if we will find out this time. I'm about 50/50 on what I want to do. There are reasons for wanting to find out and reasons to keep it a surprise. So I guess you will just have to wait and see next week what we decided to do!

I'm not super excited about posting belly shots but here's the first....

House Update!

Well the camera was lost for a better part of the week. That means I have zero pictures! Let me quickly update you on the boys.

Easton got sent home from school after only a few hours for a fever on Monday. Grandma watched him on Tuesday and took him to the clinic. They started him on the antibiotic shot for a fuzzy patch over his lungs that could be the start of pneumonia. My clinic wanted him to be seen by his doctor before they would continue the shot. She didn't think it was his lungs but instead she thought it continued to be his ear. So needless to say we are counting down the days until our ENT appointment to talk about tubes.

Overall he continues to be a good boy. I'm thinking about entering him into a baby eating contest if there is such a thing. Not only for the amount he eats but how fast he can eat. Someday I will get it on video and share it with you. He still prefers to crawl over walk but he's getting better at taking steps. He just knows he will get there faster if he crawls. He's really been mimicking people's behaviors and sounds that they make. His biggest influence is Spencer. He wants to say and do all of the things he does.

Spencer continues to be a great big brother. He's become more and more curious about baby "Karen" that's in my belly. Wanting to see her all the time. We've decided to bring him with when we go for my 20 week ultrasound in a couple of weeks.

He loves to play pretend. We are always going somewhere and doing something. We go for many plane and train rides to the zoo to look at different animals. We play house and pretend he is the mommy taking care of me. He also likes to pretend he is a waiter at a restaurant. Today he asked Ryan what he wanted to eat. Ryan asked for pizza and Spencer told him, "no, we only have pears and peaches." I guess you can tell what fruits he likes the best!

He keeps us busy by wanting to help with EVERYTHING! He also wants to do everything himself. Potty training is going great. He's now pull up free at nap time. He still wears one at bed time but we need to be better about cutting off what he has to drink before he goes to bed. He's still all about sports. He goes back and forth between basketball and hockey mostly. Today I took him to the Y and we had the whole pool to ourselves. After we were done swimming we went into the gym to play basketball. He still continues to talk circles around us and amazes me with the things he knows. His memory is like no other, he never forgets anything!

Baby Update:
I'm currently 19 weeks. A few people at work have pointed out my stomach and then some will tell me they don't think I'm showing at all. I think it depends on my scrub top! I think it's starting to pop out. My headaches still seem to be on and off. I can't wait to have an appointment to ask about them. I'm feeling the baby move more and more in the evening and once in awhile if I'm just sitting during the day.

I still get sick to my stomach and often find myself looking for the nearest sink, bathroom or even garbage can. I continue to be stuck on one boy name and haven't even thought about girl names. I'm anxious to have my ultrasound in a few weeks. I can't wait to see this little peanut that's growing inside of me.

I have to say a big Thank You to Ryan. He's really been helping out around the house. He's been doing most of the cleaning and picking up around here. I find that I have no energy left in the evening and will often be in bed right after Easton and before Spencer. If it wasn't for him the house would be a crazy mess and we wouldn't have any clean clothes to wear. I can't wait to have my energy back!

The biggest update is about the house.....

So after going through all of our options of staying in our current house, building or buying an already built home.. we've come to our final decision. Were going to build a new home! We are both overwhelmed but very excited for the process to begin.

We are thankful that my dad has helped us out with every step of the process. Neither Ryan nor I really know anything about where to begin when it comes to building a house. We've been working with a sales manager for the development that is actually across the street from us for a couple months now. We've made many changes to the floor plan and even changed lots at one point. We pretty much have all of the major things taken care of so this weekend Ryan and I signed on the final purchase agreement. Now all that is left is finalizing the blue print and the things we want for inside the house. Hopefully we will have it all done by the middle to end of this month and they will be able to break ground starting in April.

So, if having three kids three and under isn't enough for us, our potential closing date is right around when baby #3 will be here. This should make for an interesting maternity leave. I did get the chance to meet our neighbors though and they seem just as crazy as we are. They have a 7 year old daughter, 3 year old son, 1 year old daughter and are due at the end of March with their 4th. It will be great for the boys to have friends so close to be able to play with.

Happy Valentine's Day!

The boys and I were home together on Monday. Grandma came up in the morning as I needed her help (I'll explain in the baby update). and we went out for lunch. I'm not sure when I will learn but Easton is at the point where he's becoming a challenge at restaurants. In the afternoon we joined Spencer's class for a special Valentine's Day treat. They got to watch a movie and have popcorn in their classroom. All of Spencer's friends were excited to see him and he enjoyed the special treat. Thanks to everyone who sent and gave the boys special gifts and cards. Spencer is convinced that every day something in the mail is his.

I made two attempts to buy boxes one day as I was feeling somewhat motivated to start getting organized around here. But after both attempts failed and I had a sleeping Easton in the car and I decided to make a trip to Eau Claire instead. Verizon just came out with the iPhones and both Ryan and I have been waiting to join the 2000's and get a smart phone. After we got home to burn off some energy and enjoy the nice day we went for a walk and looked for puddles to jump in. It's amazing how warm 50 degrees feels!

Every year daycare puts on a family dinner. It gives the parents a chance to join their kids for dinner at daycare and eat in their rooms so you can meet their friends and other parents. I'm part of the parent group at their school so I volunteered to help out. Then we all joined Spencer in his room. Even Easton sat like a big boy and ate tacos.

I also try to make it to at least one Chippewa vs Hudson boys basketball game. Gabe my godson is always at the games as his dad is the coach for Chippewa. So it gives me a chance to see him. Grandma, Auntie and Finley also came up for the game. Once the game was over Spencer and Finley hit the floor. They were chasing a tiny pink bouncy ball around and probably would have all night had we let them. Who knew it would be such a hit!

We had a busy yet low key weekend. Ryan and Easton joined Spencer and I for our weekend trip to the grocery store. Spencer got to have his own little cart. He saw a little girl with it the last time we were at the store and was sad when there were no more carts left for him. This will be a pain if he insists on bringing it around every time we go. He's very specific about what goes in his cart.

Uncle JB babysat for us for the first time on Saturday! I think it was his first real time babysitting for anyone. Luckily it was only for two hours and after nap time. I'm pretty sure Spencer had a blast playing with him!

Here is a sneak peek at Easton's one year pictures. I thought they turned out great!

Baby Update!

This baby is driving me CRAZY! It's not because I'm getting so big I can hardly move, and not because it's kicking and moving all over the place, but because for the last week I've been breaking out in hives. It all started Sunday night during the night. I knew I was itching in my sleep. When I woke up Monday morning I was covered in them. The only thing I know to cure them quick, fast and safe for the baby is to take benadryl. Grandma came up to keep an eye on the boys knowing that benadryl would knock me out cold for at least an hour. The hives were gone by late afternoon but only to return that evening. This pattern has continued for the last week. I break out in the evenings and they go away by mid-morning. I called the clinic on Tuesday and they said I could take zyrtec during the day and benadryl at night if needed. I am beyond tired of itching and it's keeping me up at night. The research I've done says it's annoying to me but safe for the baby. The only place I don't get them is on my stomach. It also said this is common among 1st pregnancies and with multiples. Well this isn't my first and I'm not having twins so who knows! I just hope they go away for good soon!

Other things I've noticed is I'm beyond tired. On the days that I work I've been known to lay down for a few minutes and then end up falling asleep for the night at 6:30 pm. I've been waiting for the 2nd trimester energy to return but it seems to be gone forever. My sense of smell has increased also. Normally I can handle all smells at my job (remember I'm a GI nurse and we perform mostly colonoscopies) but this week I found myself running to the bathroom throwing up over different smells at work. I've also become very clumsy and forgetful.

Overall things have been ok. I'm still not sure about the movement. Sometimes I thinkI feel he or she but it's hard to tell (this concerns me a little as I was feeling Easton at this point and in maternity clothes). This weekend was the first time Spencer talked about the baby in my stomach without getting upset. Normally he tells me he doesn't want me to have a baby. First he thought there was an Easton in my belly and I said "no I think it's someone else in there." Then he thought baby Maddie (or Addie as he calls her, it's Gavins little sister) in there. He said he thinks it's a girl and her name is Karen. When he put his ear up to my stomach he thought he could hear her crying so he gave her a nuk threw my belly button. Poor Easton, he has no idea what changes are coming his way!

1 Year Check Up

Make sure you check out the post after this one. Sorry for the late posting!

It was a much quieter week and weekend for us this week. Grandpa came up on Tuesday so Ryan and him could work on more house stuff. I know I mentioned before we are looking into the option of moving and potentially building. Nothing really has changed with that. We are still trying to figure it all out. We want a house that is going to fit our needs for a LONG time and we also can't go broke doing it. So we are taking our time and really trying to figure it all out. It's still just a possibility and who knows, maybe now isn't our time and we will just finish space in our current house for the new baby. Hopefully we will get it all figured out soon so I can start a little preparing one way or another.

On Friday Jill and Kristi helped me out and brought Spencer to and from their play date with everyone in Eau Claire. It was a Grandma, mom and child play date and the Children's Museum. I heard that Kristi had someone to keep her company on the drive down as Spencer talked her ear off but for Jill he was so worn out that he just passed out. Thanks for your help!

While they were all at their play date I brought Easton in for his one year check up. I was anxious because I had to pick him up early from day care on Thursday for a fever.

Easton is officially our peanut. He was bigger then Spencer at birth but is taking his time growing. In the last 3 months he's only gained a pound (not from his lack of eating) and only grew an inch. He weighs 21 pounds 25% and is 30 inches long 50%. His head is also in the 50%.

We went over all the things he can do and should be working on. He's taking more and more steps and even walked from one part of his room to the other on Friday. He's a big eater! I seriously can't keep up sometimes. He's a great sleeper and he can go up and down stairs by himself, waves and he no longer gets a bottle or formula. His newest trick is blowing you a kiss, it is so cute. We started working on eating with a spoon this weekend. Overall he's our VERY happy little boy.

This must be Easton's favorite place to play at Grandma and Grandpa's...

He doesn't say much for words but even the doctor got to hear him babble. I have a feeling Spencer is going to do all the talking for Easton so we need to watch for that. She said it's very common. I told her how with Spencer I was so focused on all of the milestones and now I just know Easton will eventually figure it all out. I'm less worried about that kind of stuff this time around. Easton played with her, laughed a lot and even showed her that he's getting a new tooth. She thought he looked great... well all but 2 things!

His ears are infected again. I wasn't surprised and have since set up an appointment with ENT. I feel I waited too long to do tubes with Spencer so this time I will be more proactive. We have an appointment at the end of the month but for now we are back on antibiotics.

This weekend Spencer and daddy had some a lone time. This is much needed! Spencer has becoming quite the momma's boy or as he would say "your my mommy, mommy!" There are times he won't let Ryan do anything for him. He would rather sit in the tub after bath with no water and freeze before letting Ryan dry him off. It's cute that he loves me that much but it gets old as I'm trying to spend time with Easton or do other things. Ryan said they went to walk around a sporting goods store and played outside since the weather was so nice.

Easton had his one year pictures taken on Saturday. I can't wait to see how they turned out and hopefully I will be able to post some soon.

Sunday was family fun day. Spencer and I started out the morning going to the Y for swimming. It's become a fun Sunday morning routine. Gavin, Liam, Tate, and Samma who are all Spencer's friends are usually there swimming also. Afterwards Spencer and I go to the grocery store. This time also allows Ryan and Eason to spend some one on one time.

Today both boys decided not to take much of a nap (Spencer not at all) so we kept them busy by going to the park for sledding and playing on the toys.

The hills are hard for Spencer to walk up

After sledding it was time for some hot chocolate

We also made cookies and Spencer thought he should wear his protective eye wear... or his goggles

Baby Update!

There are 2 things that have made this baby more real to me this week.

1st: I was laying on the floor with the boys and realized I can feel my stomach is changing because I couldn't quite lay flat on my stomach. There isn't much of a bump I could just feel it more.
2nd: I'm now driving a minivan! I have officially become that mom who is going to have a van load of kids! I know people who drive them swear they are the best things ever but it might take me some time to get to that point. It has a lot of nice features but to me it's still a minivan. I'm already counting down the years until I can go back to an SUV.