The not-so-santa and other nice pictures....

Here are som pics Alex has drawn recently. The top one was for my birthday. See me on the left with Sam in belly and the right is my GIANT birthday cake. ;)
I sort of forget what this picture is but I wanted to point out that in all the pictures she draws of me (still) show Sam still in my belly.
Pic of Mom and Dad. Looks quite like us, I think.
Awe....so sweet....


Alex took this pic of Sam and I. She did a pretty good job. She is really into taking pictures these days.

Freaky looking Santa--tthe pic doesn't really do it justice...but trust me. I tried to tell Alex that it was one of Santa's helpers. That left her very confused. His voice was raspy, he acted totally confused when I spoke about the naughty and nice list, he barely spoke at all, and was out of breathe the entire time, and popped a cough drop in his mouth before Alex even got off his lap. She wouldn't look at him when she spoke...I can't say I blame her. And the best part is I spent nearly 20 bucks to get a pic with the not-so-Santa. Alex later asked me why Santa has such a big 'tum-tum'. I told her the helper we saw had an even bigger belly than the real Santa. I didn't want her to picture Santa SOOO big that he couldn't perform his xmas duties. This was a B-I-G Santa, people. I was glad when the whole thing was over. I opted not to have him hold Sam. I was afraid he'd never held a baby before. He clearly was uncomfortable being Santaand I'm not even sure he spoke English, come to think of it as he looked at me with such a blank look while I lead the entire conversation---even telling her to tell him what she wanted for Christmas [He never asked]. While there was no line for us to wait in, I clearly should have gone when more people go. They probably save the 'more-like-santa' for those times?

The set up was sure pretty, though.

Sassy pants with conductor hat on. Oh and I bribed her with fruit snacks to get her to wear a pair of jeans (as she has many cute pairs she is about to grow out of) and with great hesitance she did put them on. Cried. Then came out of her room with a skirt on over the jeans. Ok. It was a compromise, I suppose.

I've been trying to get Sam use to using the baby bjorn. He's hot and cold with it. But it at least allows me to get dinner cooked on some nights when he ONLY wants to be held, so that is something.

Merry Christmas!!!

Let's just say I'm no Betty Crocker...

Alex and I made cut out sugar cookies. I envisioned quite the merry time with glorious looking cookies to take pictures of in the end. My first tray all melted together and ended up one big blob and there were no definate shapes to anything. I ate those. Hide the evidence. We continued to try to use the cookie cutters. They clearly should have come with instructions for people like me because they just weren't working with the dough I was using. As Tim was working in another room he kept hearing me say some choice words (no cursing but evidence of sheer frustrations and the realizations that I will never be that mom who brings desserts and gorgeous treats to kid functions or to make with the kids). So, I had to think fast and change my attitude. Afterall, it was the time we were spending together. So we made cookie houses (easy enough to cut out with a knife) and a cookie cake. The results were not so beautiful but we did have fun and Alex had a SERIOUS sugar high. Another note to self: make cookies in the morning next time...not right before bed. The cookie above is Al's house. It's hard to see but she seriously layered about six layers of sprinkles and candies. Note the empty sprinkle jar next to it. It was full when she started.

What a bean. I weighed him today.... 11 POUNDS!!!! They are supposed to double their birth weight by like six months or something? Uh, I think he'll reach it alright.

Alex is still insane over Sam; And he is for her as well. She does a great job entertaining him and hollering to me whenever he has spit up...though I usually know before she hollers because I hear her gagging.

He has lost nearly all his hair except for a very attractive ring around the back of his head, it keeps growing. I'll have to get a picture of it. It's too funny. He is also plagued by the horrible baby acne. Both my babes were in the lucky 20% of babies who get this awful afliction with no reason. Boo. And it's clearly not bothering him...just his mom. At least it goes away. But they are still stink'n cute!!!

catch up with pictures....

Once again, I've neglected to blog lately. Here are some recent pics over the last few weeks. Some of the pics look weird (the setting on my camera got all funky and I didn't know how to change it?!). Things are good, enjoying the holidays!Happy holidays to all of you (the two readers of my blog?! ha!)

Alex and her friend Lilly (Brie's daughter) who were fast friends in the first five minutes they met!

The bean pies

T multi-tasking

Christian and Alex having some quality reading time

Alex drew this sweet little pic last night in bed. I had to share. You'll see Tim in the bottom left corner, then me holding Sam and Alex at the top going down a slide at the top. The heart, she said, is so that I know that she loves me :) Sigh....they just get cuter and cuter!

Speaking of cute here is the hubby after baking his famous apple pies (strictly because I called him up at work and instructed him to buy stuff to make his pies because I was hungry for his apple pie and wanted a piece that night (wow! was that a run-on sentance or what! The brain cells have not all yet returned)...he always aims to please his sweet wife :)

There's that sweet Sam...this was taken a few weeks ago. I swear he looks different already! He doesn't even fit into that shirt anymore. Note the picture at the top right...Tim draws such drawings for Sam to look at to stimulate his brain--I wonder what he thinks when he sees such masterpieces!?

Proud big sister. She enjoys holding Sam but only for a few seconds at a time.

The sweet fam...awe

Alex on Halloween with her sassy-pants 'tude!

After the 'tude

Again with the 'tude! what else is there to do when you don't get your way but to climb into your toy box to pout! That's what I do, too, when I'm upset.

a few more pics...

I had planned to put even more recent pics up but I can't find where Tim stored them on the computer....so, they will follow soon. Here are some pics of Alex pumpkin carving. Note the tears on the first pic due to her total disgust of the inside of the pumpkin on her hands. I love the pic she drew for her pumpkin. Tim was able to carve it to keep it pretty true to her drawing. [Those pics to come as well...can't find them]

Alex excited to spell her baby brother's name!

Front view of the sun bathing little one. We did have a heater on him so he didnt freeze [in case you were wondering].

Sam's first minutes of life!!!!

a little catch up.........

Sam is getting big. He's gained about two pounds already...I didn't figure it would take him long to catch up. We are all just enjoying time with family and getting to know the new little guy in the family. I will post new pics soon. I know there's no excuse for not blogging when I'm off work, but I had no idea the 'busy' days that have come my way just entertaining two babes and trying to recoup as well as stay on top of everything else that isn't 'baby' related.

I'll leave you with this funny alex quote:

Alex: Can I marry baby Sam when I grow up?
Me: Well, we aren't supposed to marry our brothers and sisters..."
Alex: Why not?
Me: Well, it's just against the rules I guess.
Alex: Well, then who will I marry? Daddy?
Me: No, we can't marry daddies either.
Alex: .....quiet for a moment..."well, whoever I marry I don't want to live at their house...[quiet again, thinking] hey! I know! I will stay there (the husband's house) during the day and then come home to your house before it gets dark for bedtime!?
Me: I think that sounds like a great idea!!!
Alex: I will want to live with you for 300 years!
Me: Absolutely! That sounds great! :)

Samuel Paul Receveur

Sam was born 10/23/09 at 10:53 a.m. Everything went pretty smoothly and I was ever so grateful for my epidural at 7 a.m. We had anticipated waiting for Sam until the late afternoon but he decided he'd finally had enough and came on his own time without any help to speed the labor along. I only stayed at the hospital 24 hours as I could not sleep there and with everything looking ok, they agreed to let me go a day early.

What I've learned so far:
1.) If you say anything along the lines of, "He's a great sleeper at night!" or "He's really never fussy" you are bound to experience the exact opposite within a few hours
2.)He's better than fruit snacks (according to Alex, as is being a big sister)
3.)Alex is a wonderful big sister already! She takes her job very seriously and is full of great questions such as: regarding breastfeeding--> "When does he get to eat something good?!" "who is inside there making the milk?"
4.) 3 1/2 year olds do not know the meaning of 'gentle'
5.) Moms are a GOD SEND after having a baby and energetic toddler (thanks, mom! for the dinners and the laundry doing, and the cleaning, and the cookie bars, and the entertaining Alex, and the cleaning, and the CLEANING, and the LAUNDRY, and the nurturing, and the fun, and the yummy leftover foods, and the wine, and the groceries!!!! and everything else!~!!!!! We will miss you very much, in fact, we already do!)
6.) Sam is the cutest little peanut ever (tied with Alex, of course...and with all my friends and family's babes)
7.) having a second babe, I'm much more relaxed but MUCH more tired!
8.) Life doesn't get much sweeter than this
9.) Breastfeeding is a full time job in the beginning! (but so worth it!)
10.) I've fallen in love with a little tiny 6.5 lb stinker named Sam
oh, and and naptimes are not to be wasted!

I'll post more pics later...tried doing several more but they were sideways so I have to fix them. This computer takes forever so this is all for today!

And waiting...

Just thought I'd update again as there has been still NO progress. Perhaps my body jumped the gun and pulled the false labor trick on me? Tricky body.
We'll see. I'm going to climb into my bed now, pretend I can sleep, pretend not to notice every random contraction, and pretend that I'm ok with having to wait even longer to meet this little stinker...and to have my other sweet bean pie home. sigh.....
oh the trials and tribulations of motherhood :) But I do know I can not complain. My family is safe, healthy, as am I, and so all is good.

Tonight I will pray for patience. Serious, serious patience.

Still no baby....

Alex had to try out her multiple old baby beds. I can't believe she still even fits in them!

So, I figured since I will be having this baby any day now I should have at least ONE pic of me with belly...and even though in the last two weeks I have absorbed and 'held on to' every drop of water I have taken in (hence the UBER swollen face/hands) I should share it on my blog. Tim is working today so I had to resort to taking them myself. I know they aren't the best, but you see the belly and that was the point. I'm sure we'll get some in the hospital, too. And those are usually very GLAM!

A couple pics from my sister taken this summer.

We are still awaiting the arrival of this sweet little human currently taking up food and air space in my bod. Had Dr visit today, no new action to report. I have been having contractions since 2 a.m. so we'll see if they take us anywhere?! My sweet bean pie is still with her grandparents and I'm missing her desperately! I literally don't know what I did with my time before being 'Mom'. I've done all the cleaning I can do, been taking walks, nested [aka 'organized'] my entire house (with help from the hubby, of course), shaved my legs!, etc, etc.

The hospital is not allowing children under 14 years old in AT ALL [due to flue season/H1N1] so Alex will miss out on coming to see me and her new little brother (which is a total bummer) but she will be here when we come home, so I guess I'll have to wait until then to see her! She is very excited for me to go to the hospital and asked if things would go in this order, "will you stand up after baby Sam is out, then eat dinner and come home?" I love how my daughter really knows what is important...dinner--for her mama. She asks all kinds of really fun questions and is really puzzled on exactly how the baby will get out. She thinks the dr will remove my belly and then glue or tape it back on. I have told her only that God gives mommies 'special parts' that let the baby come out and she will find out when she gets to be as old as mommy. She seemed content with that answer and it keeps it simple and not horrifying for her WILD imagination (which grows wilder every day, i swear! her dreams/nightmares are fascinating!).

Well, we may or may not have a new baby tomorrow..or the next day, or the next. Patience. Patience. And, oh, did I mention my serious lack of PATIENCE!!!!

She grows and she grows....