Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Growing, Growing Up, Leaving and Spreading Wings

It's amazing the twists and turns that life has for you. This last week or so I have been thinking about growing, growing up, leaving and spreading wings. That's because this week has been full of the realization that all of this starts at a very young age. As my previous post stated, Liam started first grade last week. That first day, SO much happened to keep pegging me with the thought that he is really growing up. He started full day school, started riding the bus and on top of that, he lost is first tooth on his first day of first grade!

Then my littlest, who isn't really little anymore even though he is only 7 1/2 weeks old, graduated from 0-3 month clothing to 3-6 month clothing and started smiling more than usual! So this one has been growing! We have a doctors appointment for his 8 week check up on Friday morning and I am anxious to find out just how big he is now. I just can't imagine how much he is going to weigh or how long he is.

After those two things, I started to get out of my denial stage about two of my brothers. My baby brother just left Monday for Japan. He will be there for a year. Yes, I know he will be coming home, but he's grown, growing up, leaving and spreading his wings. I am not his mother, but he has been my baby brother and I have not imagined him as anything other than that - even though he has been in college for 4 years and experienced so much. He wasn't a grown up to me and here he is packing his things and leaving the states to go live in another country by himself.

On to the second brother, my oldest. Him, his wife and their 4 kiddos are in the process of packing, selling and preparing to leave for Africa for an indeterminate amount of time to witness to the people over there about God and his amazing love! I can't imagine another family that would be better to do that then them; however, this means again that they are growing, growing up, leaving and spreading wings! Even more than that, my niece and nephews are still growing and growing up. I am SO going to miss them and interacting with them. Things won't really change between my brother, sister-in-law and I because we can talk and interact in other adult ways. But these are kids and I don't want to lose the relationship with them that I have. I don't want to stop being Auntie K to them. I love all of my nieces and nephews!

Josh, Liam, Austin and I spent the whole weekend at my parents house in order to enjoy as much time with Jimbo (only I am allowed to call him that!) as we could before he left Monday morning for a year. The whole day on Sunday was spent jumping on the trampoline, running around the yard, throwing balls around, riding the lawn mower, playing on skateboards and other outside riding toys, playing old videos on computers, reminiscing about old times and just enjoying the family. Several times I took my camera out to get pictures of the kids with Uncle Jimmy. I was hoping to get some pretty neat shots, especially when people were on the trampoline - smiles are always on faces when an adult is jumping on the trampoline with the kids.

We prepared to leave because Liam had school the next morning and Austin was going to get hungry. I told Liam he needed to give Uncle Jimmy a hug because he wasn't going to see him for a very long time. As I gave my baby brother a hug, the realization of just how long he was going to be gone and how much I love him really hit me. I grabbed the Austin and the diaper bag and said I needed to leave before I started crying. My mom looked at me and said she thinks I already was....it's true...I was. I waved goodbye and headed out the door.

I got on my computer a day or so later and started to move the pictures from my camera to my external harddrive and saw a pretty neat photo that describes exactly what each one of the people mentioned in this blog is doing, will be doing or has done. Going through the process of growing so they can grow up to leave and spread their wings to fly.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

I'm Not Ready



Oh...I'm not ready! My little man started first grade today...and mommy isn't ready. He is TOTALLY ready! There are just so many factors in this event that have all come to my realization and I have decided I'm not ready. I know he needs to grow up and this is all part of it, but that means he's growing up...does that make sense?

And then these pictures... it seems like he is just all grown up - standing against the car with the keys in his hand! What is he going off to college already?! Oh dear!



One of the biggest things for me with his being in first grade is that he is riding the bus! Oh my...this is all too much for me. I have been on the verge of tears today because of how much is so new for him - and me. The bus is HUGE for me...I am not driving him to school every day, which I did for Kindergarten. I won't be walking him to his classroom and getting him ready for the day. All of this he will be responsible for and do on his own. I'm sure there will be days when he misses the bus, which he almost did today, but it's still the idea that I am no longer needed for that and he is taking responsibility for things himself.

The bus showed up early this morning, which made us rush out of the car to the bus. I didn't get a picture of him getting on the bus or even get a hug from him before he ran for the bus, said hi to the bus driver and hopped on. Oh how big he is getting! As a mom, I about lost it when I didn't get to take a picture or give him a hug. However, I had to remind myself that today I was going to meet him at the school so I could get pictures of him getting off the bus and in his classroom.





As the bus driver stopped the bus and I was standing on the sidewalk waiting...I heard the most wonderful voice say "Mom!" and a little hand peek out from the window on the bus and wave! Oh, it made my heart melt :o) You might be wondering where my littlest was during this whole time. I was wearing him actually. I grabbed my moby wrap and threw it on before we walked out the door. I snuggled him down in the fabric and he just layed his head against my chest and fell right to sleep!

After he got off the bus, we walked inside the school and went to his classroom, which happens to be the first room on the left! He has Mrs. Bryan, who was my first grade teacher 22 years ago. I am so happy he was able to have her! His classroom was all put together and organized for the first day of class. He easily found his desk and sat down to put all of his supplies in the brown paper bag. Mrs. Bryan was going to help all of the children put their supplies away in an organized manner instead of just shoving them all in their desks...yes, I said desks. He has a desk! Not just a table he sits at like Kindergarten...an actual desk that opens and holds all of his things! Oh my...I really am not ready for this!





After he finished doing the little sheet of work at his table, we took his backpack out to the hall to hang at his spot. He found his number and hung it up. For some reason, I had to get a picture of the little area that will be where my boy hangs his backpack every day. So here it is ...



While I was taking this picture, Liam turned around and walked back to the classroom. I put my camera away and turned to walk back in the room and my little boy peeked out of the classroom door with a very worried look on his face. My heart warmed. He still needs me :o) I think I am a little more ready for this now.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Where Does The Time Go?

A month...I can't believe it has already been a month! Amid the sleepless nights, constant feedings and changings, split attention and adjustment period, there are those moments that you cherish and that make all the other stuff worth it!

As I learn more and more about my youngest little man, the one thing I love to see are his smiles! Of course, that would be the true smiles :o) Not just the gas ones! His eyes just light up when he has a true smile - and it takes up his entire face! His eye color is so dark - and has been since birth - but it seems as though when he truly smiles they have a sparkle to them.

We know what his cries mean, usually! We can tell when he just wants to be close. And we are also speculating on what things he may or may not like as he grows up. Like his nose - I have a feeling he is going to be a child that puts up a holy fit when he has to have his nose wiped. He already can't stand just to have it wiped even the slightest bit.

I have found the best times for the boys and I to venture out and have a routine for when we do it. I never was a morning person, but having a second child has made me more of one even more than the first one did. I get a lot of my things done first thing in the morning - whether it be errands that take us out of the house or getting some things done around the house. It seems to happen earlier in the day rather than later, which seems to work out better because then we have all day to do whatever else we want or can.

This morning was one of those times that we ventured out for a bit in the morning because I had to register the oldest little one for school. I have a first grader...yes, a first grader! Where did the time go and when did he grow up? It seems like overnight he has gone from being the first little one growing in my belly to being halfway to a teenager! He is so excited for school to start - he's been asking me since June when school starts again. That is fine with mommy because I loved being in school too! He learns so much so quickly! We ride in the car and he starts reading signs and words that I didn't even know he could pronounce! A few weeks ago, we checked out a book from the library and one of the words in the title was "universe". I thought for sure that was going to be one of the words I had to help him sound out, but he said it without any trouble right off the bat. He blows me away sometimes! And I know it won't be long before the littlest one starts blowing me away with the things that he learns and does!

Time just goes by way to quickly! They grow up and get smart before your eyes. They are babies - blink once and they are in elementary school, blink again - high school, again - graduating college, once more and they are getting married and having babies of their own!

Speaking of babies, my littlest one beckons! Time to get back :o)

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Our Blessing!



Introducing our little bundle - who is now not so little anymore :o)
Austin James Thompson was born on July 9, 2011 at 1:18 in the afternoon. He weighed 8 lbs 10 oz and was 20.5 inches long. He was born the day after his daddy's birthday!

At 4:30 in the morning on July 9, I woke up to what I thought was me having gone to the bathroom in the bed. I had not done this at all throughout the entire pregnancy or through Liam's pregnancy, but I had heard that it happens. So I got up and went to the bathroom and quickly realized that I hadn't peed - my water had broken! So I calmly, but excitedly went back to the bedroom and over to Josh.

"Honey, my water broke." Josh's eyes popped open so wide and quick! :o) "Ok, let's get going!" was his response. He immediately got up and we started getting things together. I started laughing because the situation was just so cute! We got the last few things put into our suitcase and Liam ready to go. After loading the car, we got in and headed to Grandma's to drop Liam off. My contractions had started by then and were coming every 5 minutes.

By 6:30am, we were walking into the ER and letting them know I was in labor. We walked down to the Labor and Delivery section of the hospital and got things started. To keep things shorter here, I will just skip through the next few hours of contractions and pain! However, through the entire labor process, I was telling my nurses that I had a history of fast labors - once I get to a certain point, everything goes quickly! No one really believed me, so when I went from a 2 to a 7 in about an hour to an hour and a half, they were rather surprised. Finally, I got to a 10 and said I needed to push. No one could find my doctor, so I was told to breath through the urge.

My nurse checked me and said something to the effect "oh, we need to get the doctor in here now or I am going to have to deliver this baby. It's literally going to be one push and he will be here." Another doctor was brought in because they still couldn't locate my doctor. As he was introducing himself, my doctor walked in. They told me to breath through another contraction or two because he didn't have scrubs or gloves on. I said I needed to push and he nodded his head as he got his gloves on. I pushed twice and the doctor had time to put his gloves on, turn around and catch Austin as he was coming out. I wasn't joking when I said I had to push! :o)

Needless to say, he is perfect and things are going very smoothly. We have had our moments and yes, I am sleep deprived, but it could be worse, so I can't complain! Josh was SO lucky to be able to take the first 2 weeks off to be with us and it was amazing! When he went back to work, we quickly realized how much we had all been spoiled by him being home for those two weeks! I wouldn't have traded it for the world though. He is such an amazing father and fantastic supporter for me.

At Austin's, two week well-check appointment, he weighed 10 pounds! ...yes, I said 10pounds!! And he was 21 1/4 inches long! In less than 2 weeks, he had gained almost a pound and a half and grown 3/4 of an inch! He has his 4 week appointment tomorrow and I am curious to see how much bigger he is. The weight gain and growth was a reassurance for me as a breastfeeding mama. I have been so determined to breastfeed and have it work this time that I did so much reading and gone to classes. I wanted to prepare myself as best I could, so his gaining has been a weight off my shoulders! Obviously I am doing something right if he is gaining that much! :o)

Josh introduced a bottle for the first time yesterday evening when he got home from work and it was amazing! It went so well for the two of them! I was not in the room as I wanted to make sure that my little one didn't hear, see or smell me. My sister-in-law, Natalie, had given me that advice and it went so well! It was such a neat experience for my husband to be able to feed his boy since that is what I had been doing from the beginning.

Well before this gets even longer, I will save more little updates for another time. This is the first time I have been able to take a break and write (my head needed to catch up with my body - lack of sleep will do that sometimes!). All I know, is this little guy is truly a blessing from God. He is amazing and perfect! We have loved watching him grow and develop over the last (almost) 4 weeks and can't wait to see the rest!