Out Of the Mouth of Babes...

One of the things that I really love most about our sweet JK is his chattiness. He is such an outgoing, gregarious little guy and when his comfort level is high enough, is very chatty!

We noticed when he moved from the baby room at school to the toddler room, his vocabulary exploded. By 18 months he had well over 130 words. They weren't always understood to everyone, but Momma understood most of them. This past month, he has moved from the toddler room into the 2 year old room. Not only have we noticed another vocabulary growth spurt, but his comprehension has been nothing short of awesome to us. Some of the things we've heard around the W Mansion lately...



*****

Driving home from somewhere a few weeks ago, he sees a new Smart Car in the lane next to us and screams, "Baby car!"

***

JK has a large brown birthmark on his right knee, courtesy of the M genes on my side of the family. He always calls it his "owie". I tried to explain that it's not an owie, but a birthmark. That he was born with it and that it will never go away. He listens and says, "Burt Mark" and immediately runs into the living room and points to a picture of Daddy standing next to his Uncle Matt and Uncle Mark.

Um...not quite.

***

Most of you know that JK's very best sidekick is a stuffed monkey that a friend of ours gave him. He takes that thing EVERYWHERE and naptimes/bedtimes/fearful times are a disaster if we don't have "Momo" to comfort him.

Which is also why we have four of them in rotation. God help us if anything were to happen to them!

One morning, as N buckles JK into his carseat, JK takes Momo and puts him into the attached cupholder. Very proudly announcing, "Momo chair!"

***

The routine in the evening is for me to pick JK up from school and we go home to either play or start dinner. He's usually in the middle of eating dinner when Daddy comes home. One night, he was asking for Daddy from the moment we left school. I had to explain over and over, "Daddy's at work." Finally, either tired of asking or distracted with dinner, he stops asking me where Daddy is. But halfway through his food, we hear the Eclipse alarm beep and the front door open. JK's face lights up and he screams, "Daddy work all done!"

***

Watching the Mickey Mouse show on the Disney channel one morning, JK says, "Moush!", with an "sh" sound at the end. I said, "That's right, that's a mouse." When the part of the introduction, where Mickey's house springs alive, JK says, "Moush Housh".

Okay, so the vocabulary's big, but we're still working on enunciation.

***

The other day N walks JK down the street to see the new fire department that lives a block from us. When he points out the ambulance, JK says, "Owie". Yep, the ambulance is for people with owies!

We're still not sure how he knew that.

***

A few months ago, N's parents lost their beautiful collie, Barker. He was old and in ill health and had to be put down. We explained to JK that Barker was gone and that he had gone to heaven to be with Jesus. Just recently at bedtime, as we were saying our prayers, I asked JK, "Where is Jesus?" He points to the ceiling and says, "Heaven. Wif Barker."

***

At the beach a month ago he drops his pancake snack in the sand. His bottom lip immediately quivers and he starts crying. We soothe and explain that it's okay. We have more pancakes and the birds can eat what he's dropped. He sniffles and happily eats the new pancakes we put in his hand. About an hour later, he tries a crispy cold fresh carrot for the first time. Being the expressive tot that he is, he immediately scrunches his face up and spits the chewed carrot bits on the sand. Obviously fresh carrots are not a favorite. Both N and I said, "JK! Don't spit your food on the ground." He very casually shrugs and says, "Bird eat it."

***

It was early morning and I'm on the living room sofa nursing EK. JK wakes up and joins me. His hair a wild mess of curls and his puffy little face is so cute when he wakes up. He stands silently watching me nurse and says, "Baby milk". I said, "Yes, the baby's drinking milk." After another moment he says, "Boobies!" I'm caught a little off guard, but confirm to him, "Yes, baby's milk comes from Mommy's boobies." But I'm thinking to myself, OMG, this kid is too much! He contemplates this a moment longer and lifts his shirt to look at his torso. He then looks up with his eyes wide and says excitedly, "I have boobies too!"

*****



I'm sure there'll be more situations like these crop up, but I wanted to record them here, so I don't forget his sweet innocence. I know someday, probably too soon, he'll be screaming at me how I've ruined his life and how humiliating I am to him so I want to remember these sweet funny times to help balance those out! LOL!

Because I'm in Love

EK has just started smiling this week. I just can't get enough of this little man. He was officially 9 weeks old yesterday and I'm just shaking my head over how time is flying AND how adorable this boy is! The older he gets, the more we realize he is really his own little person. He doesn't look like JK at all, nor does he seem to have the outgoing personality. While JK is always blowin' and goin' 0 to 90 in .05 seconds, Bubba reminds us of a lazy Sunday afternoon on a front porch swing.


Hello Mello!






Not much Mello here...




Does any other momma feel like the love they feel with their children is really a love affair? That they take your breath away? That you can't wait to see them when you've been apart? That leaving them leaves you in a wake of a strange loneliness?

I honestly wouldn't have it any other way...

Bubba Phat

When we got pregnant with JK, somehow the nick-name "Monkey" entered the picture. When he was born, it just stuck. What's funny is that we call him Monkey so much that he answers to it like his own name. It's also pretty cute that he LOVES monkeys. He's got several stuffed ones that he's attached to, but in general a monkey-anything makes him happy.

When we got pregnant with EK, we just called him M2 for Monkey Two. I still call him that occasionally, but it's kinda gone by the wayside as time goes on. At some point in the last few weeks, the nickname "Chubba-chubba" came up, inspired by his little chub rolls and my friend Wendi that called her son that. Chubba-chubba morphed to Bubba, which morphed to our latest version by Daddy...Bubba Phat. Some pictures that might show WHY the name is appropriate.


Chunky cheeks...



A big round belly...



And my personal favorite...the roly-poly thighs...



And baby toes just because...



On Thursday, we had our two month well-check with Dr. N. We knew our sweet boy was a chunk, but had no idea his stats would look like this!

Weight - 13 lbs 7 oz (95th percentile)
Height - 22 1/2 in (75th percentile)

Sheesh! JK was always (and is still!) such a petite child that we were a bit taken aback by the numbers. (JK wasn't 15 lbs until close to 5 months.) Anyways, EK's been given a perfect bill of health even though he'd love nothing more than to nurse every hour every day. (Maybe he'll slim down once I go to work on Monday?) He's really starting to smile and coo and we're seeing his little laid back personality come out, which is really a lot of fun!

N and I feel so very, very blessed to have this adorable new little boy in our lives and really look forward to seeing our family adapt to being a family of four.

Our Big Boy

Two years ago, this little man entered our lives...



...and things haven't been the same since. And we're so glad!

*******

Our sweet JK,

You have no idea how fast your life is flying before us. You are growing way too quickly! On the day we met you, I think more than anything, we were in awe. I was stunned. And I've never seen your Daddy so proud! Such a long hard road to have a baby and then to have one as beautiful and sweet as you. God was so good and showed us how wonderful He is by letting us have you. Another W male to continue the family name. It might sound silly, but the day you were born, I felt so honored to be a part of that. I still do!

We have watched you move from a tiny helpless baby, to an independent and opinionated toddler. While we miss your sweet baby-ness, we are constantly amazed at how much you've grown. You are adamant about your likes and dislikes and when you can't verbalize it, you are creative enough to find ways to communicate your wishes. Wishes that we try to honor, unless it's something harmful or teaching you something that God doesn't want for you. We pray all the time that He give us the wisdom to make good choices in raising you. You are so precious and we don't want to mess it up!

You are still officially a toddler, but lately we are noticing a new maturity about you. You just seem so big!



You are such a sweet big brother to little Baby EK. You are learning to share things, even though he's too little to understand what you're doing.



You don't even mind sharing Momma on occasion.



You are very strong in your verbal skills and you love chatting with people. You make friends quickly because you're funny and silly and people are attracted to your sweet demeanor. We see signs everywhere that you are becoming a big boy.

You love books. Even the boring ones.



You love to go for walks. You will often grab our hand and say, "Walk-a-ning? Momma go walk-a-ning?"



But you're a guys guy. 150 percent boy! You love trains and any other transportation toys.



You love any sports that involves a ball you can kick or throw.



You love contact sports.



It warms Momma's heart to see you have a creative streak. You love to use crayons and paint and know all of your colors so well. It makes Daddy so very proud when you hear a song and immediately stop whatever you're doing to dance and sing. You don't even care that you have an audience watching you. In fact, that makes it more fun!

You have your Momma's sweet tooth. You love all things "chockit"...



We are so very proud of your growth and accomplishments. We so look forward to watching you turn from a toddler into a big boy and then into an independent young man. Just remember that your Momma will forever look at you as her first baby...



...I can't help it. It's just what Momma's do.

Little Monkey, there is only one other being in this world that loves you more than Mommy and Daddy and that's Jesus. It's hard for me to imagine, but our love for you pales in comparison to His love for you.

HE IS THE REASON YOU ARE ALIVE AND HAVE A HOPE FOR YOUR FUTURE!!!

Please look to Him for the purest love one can receive. Mommy and Daddy will do their very best, but He will never ever fail you. You are a daily reminder that He has not failed us. We have no doubt that if we feel this proud and in love with you, that He feels that times a hundred. We can't wait for you to grow up and learn how He's shown that love to all of us.

The last two years have been the happiest two years of our lives and we attribute that to your presence! Happy Two Year Birthday Little Monkey! We love you so much.

Love,
Momma and Daddy

Getting Creative

Because the batteries on the baby swing went out...



...so we're using Daddy's rocker-recliner. Don't worry. I'm sitting right next to him watching that he doesn't roll over. :-)

Coming Up For Air...

I just cannot believe it's been almost two months since EK was born. Everyone says that when you have a child, that life flies at warp speed. And that once you have more than one child, it goes even faster. The speed at which time is going right now is positively taking my breath away. And not in the happy way either. :-(

A few things that are going on...

EK: Wow. This kid is so doggone cute! I still can't believe we're going through infancy with another child. I've forgotten how much fun this stage is. Funny little noises, precious baby snores, curled toes, and super soft skin. I love it all! He is growing leaps and bounds, which makes me sad, yet I love watching at the same time. He LOVES to eat and would do it around the clock if I let him! He has rolls that JK never had, so having a little chubba-chubba on our hands has been fun! We are looking forward to seeing his little personality come out more.

JK: This kid amazes me with his sense of humor and intelligence. We've struggled with a little extra whiney-ness, but otherwise, he's adjusting to being a big brother very well. He finds all of EK's funny baby noises funny and is quick to give his baby brother kisses and pats on the head. Recently, he's been going to the pool a lot with Daddy and has quickly gained confidence in the big pool. If Daddy doesn't watch him closely, he'll jump into the deep end without floaties and without a shred of fear. This kiddo has so much confidence! I pray all the time that God give us the wisdom to steer this child's independence and strong will into a healthy direction.

Daddy: I can't say enough about my sweet husband. He is so patient and helpful, both with the state of the house and the needs of the baby. He understands my love languages so well: quality time and acts of service. While we don't really have the opportunity at this point to spend much quality time together, he totally gets that helping around the house really makes me fall in love with him so much more.

Me: I'm tired. And happy. :-) I've chosen to nurse EK, which is a new experience for me. It's been a tough road, as there was a very steep learning curve for both EK and I. I was not prepared for how exhausting and WONDERFUL this experience would be. I was also not prepared how hungry this would make me. My daily schedule right now consists of eating, nursing, pumping, eating, sleeping, eating...you get the picture. I've always been a bit of a grazer, but now I'm grazing and eating a solid 5 or 6 meals a day. And we aren't talking the little meals, we're talking normal full-sized meals. I hope I can stop this rollercoaster once Evan decides to wean. I'll be big as a house otherwise. Ha!

Work: I go back in less than 10 days. I'm REALLY not looking forward to it. But I know that until N or I win the Lotto (which we don't play, so the likelihood of that is low) me being a FT working mom is just part of the picture. I'm trying to be okay with it, but still praying that the Lord provide an alternative so I can spend more time with the boys.

Housework: Hmm. This is a bit on the backburner right now. We're doing good to keep toilet paper in the bathroom at this point. But my husband really helps me keep perspective when I fret over the fact the house hasn't been dusted since before Evan was born. Today he said, "Perhaps. In a few years, I’d think you’d rather say: “Wow, I spent some great quality time w/ Evan during my maternity leave", than: “Wow, I got a lot done around the house on my maternity leave.” I love this guy. Keeps me focused in the right direction so many times.

Pictures: Yeah...when folks say you don't get as many of the second kid as the first, they're right. I love bragging about how cute the little turkey is, so I'll prove it by posting some shots soon.

Anyways, the little guy is hollering at me, so time to run. Will try to be back in less than a month. Ha!

Brotherly Love

On Sunday, Momma got a deeply needed nap and Daddy Monkey flew solo with both boys for a few hours. I think it went better than if it were Momma flying solo. LOL!


So the only way we can get Monkey to smile is say, "Show us your teeth." Yeah. LOL!




There we go. Much better!




You want me to hold him? Isn't sitting next to him enough?




I guess this isn't too bad.




This baby brother doesn't do much. Guess I'll watch some Wonder Pets instead.




Commercials are boring. Hey wanna play with my monkey?




Hey...not so friendly...




...that's MY monkey!

M2 Has Arrived!

Evan Kamuela
7lb 11oz
20in
Born 7/13/09, 12:34 pm


A beautiful, beautiful boy...










Our immediate reaction was that he looked like JK at birth and in comparing pictures he really does. (So again, another boy that looks like his Daddy!)


JK a few hours old...




EK a few hours old...




But as the days pass, we see that he has his own unique little look and his own personality. Which we look forward to seeing more and more of his personality come out as time goes on. The big similarity to big brother is that he is VERY alert and loves listening and looking around at everyone. The big main differences is that as of right now, we don't seem to have any feeding (allergy-related) issues and EK is a fabulous sleeper. Both of which were a challenge with JK. So we're feeling very blessed in that aspect!

The birth experience was exactly as I wanted it to be. After 9 hours of labor and a sedated C-section, I don't remember much about JK's birth or the several days after that. So this time with a planned C-section, I requested no sedation after the epidural so I could be aware during the surgery. I was a little sleepy, like I'd had one too many margaritas, but I was awake and aware during the entire surgery and remember all the details, which was really wonderful!


In the recovery room I felt great in my Bear Hugger. A special hospital gown they pump with hot air to keep you warm. That was WONDERFUL! Wanted to take it home...




On the second day in the hospital, we had a birthday party for the family. JK LOVES the birthday song and of course, loves presents too, so we decided to make their introductions to each other a fun and special event.

Gluten-free cupcakes, that were very well received...




...as long as he didn't have to share with the new little brother...




...and presents for the new big brother.




After a 4-day hospital stay, they finally let us go home...




...and this is how we celebrated once we got there. Chillin' in the swing...




Right now, our lives consist of diapers, nursing, eating, occasionally showering and sleeping. And...


...baby socks that never stay on...




...precious little newborn stretches (Mandi, this one's for you!)...




...this angelic face that I never tire of just staring at. Even when he's got adorable little baby snores...




It is not lost on us how many others are still waiting and working hard to start or expand their families. There is nothing in our lives that has tested our faith quite like waiting for our family come together over the years. This outcome is nothing like we planned. Nothing. But this difficult journey, through the disappointments and losses, our hearts have softened towards His will, whatever that might be, even in other areas of our lives.

All in all, we are overwhelmed with thankfulness to be this sleep deprived and worn out. EK has finally arrived and while the journey here was a challenge for him and Momma, we know that the journey from here on out is really the hard part. Raising two children as God would have us do, is the ultimate challenge in life. It is easily failed, but with a lot of support from family and our church, we believe we are on the right track.

As we move through raising these boys, we ask that you please pray for us to make good decisions, to have a God-given patience, and maintain a wonderful marriage in the midst of it. And we thank you for all the hundreds of prayers that have already been lifted on our behalf and on behalf of our children. We know you have sacrificed much of yourselves for us and for that we are very, very grateful!

Exhiliration

I remember when I was a little girl, that if I had just the right type of dress or skirt, it was always fun to twirl around in it. The bigger the skirt, the more fun to twirl, and the prettier I felt. Like a princess!

The last two weeks or so, I've felt that same exhiliration. I've felt the world spinning around me, the excitement of our coming child, the winds of change blowing my hair into my face and mouth. I've felt very pretty. Silly I know. I was huge, swollen, uncomfortable, hot and sweaty most of the time. But in the midst of that, I've had this sweet sense of my womanliness. My swollen belly, my pink painted toes, my bright skin and strong nails and hair. I had made a choice lately to wear the cutest clothes I could fit and to always have my makeup and hair done. Usually when I do this, it's an attempt to achieve a "fake-it-till-you-make-it" mentality. Look pretty = feeling pretty. But the last several weeks I've actually felt it and decided to just look it. Like a blue moon, this doesn't happen often. Knowing this, I thought I'd just run with it. I'm still in the cloud of that sensation, in spite of all the chaos and hormones. I'm attempting to relish in that feeling, as I know they don't always stay long. So...

Please pardon our blog-land absence this past week. We are working on a detailed post about the latest change in our lives...but we haven't gathered and downloaded all the pictures yet. So thank you for your patience!!!

But right now, we are enjoying Life and will update everyone very soon.

It's Not a Wives' Tale

This past Monday night, I started contracting pretty hard around 9:30 or so. I've had serious Braxton Hicks with both pregnancies, but if you've had BH, you know the difference between that and real labor contractions. These weren't BH! The discomfort was more painful and lower. At first they were around 15 or so minutes apart, but after about an hour, they were closer to 9 minutes apart and pretty intense. We called my OB, who said if they got down to 5 minutes apart for an hour, to give her a call and head into Labor and Delivery. So we stayed at home and continued to monitor. Over the next several hours, the contractions continued to be intense and started getting closer. We got down to 6 minutes apart, but not under 5.

I was so ready to go to the hospital!

Finally around 2 am, they got less intense and finally abated completely. They picked up again with some full intensity around 4 am and continued for another couple hours, but never less than 9 minutes apart. Again, around 6 am, they abated completely.

Big fat false alarm. Grrrr!

The next day, a coworker mentioned to me that it was a full moon and that her grandmother said more women go into false labor on full moon nights. I laughed it off, but the thought nagged at me the rest of the day. The moon controls the tides of the oceans. Could it have some kind of effect on the tides within my womb?

So I asked my OB on Tuesday about it. She laughed with me over it, but nodded the whole time.

"There are many crazy wives' tales and myths about women and labor, but the full moon is not one of them. Hospitals are known to staff up higher on full moon nights because there is something to them that we can't explain. There are more women that go into false labor and even labor on full moon nights. It's the real thing."

So there you have it. If I'd known it was a full moon that night, I might have been able to contain some of my excitement about M2's possible early arrival. As it stands, unless he really decides to make an earlier appearance, this coming Monday at high noon, M2 will be introduced to the world via C-section.

We're excited.

We're nervous.

We're overwhelmed.

We're ready.

And we're not.

But more than anything we praise our amazing Heavenly Father for the miracle He has created within me. This child is not of our doing, but His. Even though we find it crazy that we have yet another unexpected biological child on the way, it's not a surprise to Him. And somehow in that craziness, we find comfort in the fact that this huge change in our lives has already been sifted through His fingers.

13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

Psalm 139:13-16

This not only means the days ordained outside of the womb, but within. Monday night might have been a disappointment or surprise to us, but it wasn't to God. He knows the exact moment and time that little M2 will join this world.

So with that thought, we are enjoying our last weekend as a family of three. The nursery is not finished, nor do we know how things will go with Monkey and M2. But we have the essentials that will fulfill our son's needs once he's arrived. We don't plan on doing much other than enjoying each other and our only child Monkey for the next few days. In the meantime, we covet your prayers for a smooth delivery, the health of our child, and a smooth transition for our firstborn.

Our next post will most likely reflect details of the newest person in the W clan.

Blessings!
A & N