Favorite Things: Baby Edition

Here are a few things I could not live without as I navigate this new world with a newborn and a toddler!

1. The Itzbeen timer!

I ADORE this piece of equipment. I can't believe I didn't have one with Lauren. This helps me keep track of how long between feedings, diaper changes, sleep, etc! I love that it is small enough to stick in my purse or diaper bag when we go places so that I can keep track. Honestly, my brain is so thankful for this guy. :)

2. Aden + Anais swaddle blanket.

My darling (and super stylish) friend Cami got us our first Aden + Anais blanket and it was evident right from the start that we would need an extra to have on hand. My mom got Easton the adorable monkey one in the picture above. Best swaddle blanket ever! It is SO soft and BIG and BREATHABLE! I use this to swaddle at night as well as a light blanket to take with us on outings. Easton loves them and so do I. I think this will be my go to gift for baby showers from now on!

3. Jesus Calling by Sara Young.

I have LOVED reading this short little daily devotional as it has been harder for me to find a ton of extra time for in depth Bible study. This devotional is set up as though Jesus is speaking directly to you. Scriptures are used and referenced and it has just been a breath of fresh air for this tired mama.

4. Don't Make Me Come Up There by Kristen Welch.

This is another sweet book I've been reading in the wee hours of the night. Cute little stories from a real mom with a biblical perspective. 

5. Tervis Tumbler.

I have been living on water and I LOVE putting it in my Tervis Tumbler. It doesn't sweat and it keeps my water nice and cold...even at 4 a.m. :)

6. My iPhone

I have been so thankful for my phone this time around. I don't have a lot of time to blog, but I love to check up on my favorite blogs in the middle of the night or during feedings during the day. It is much easier than pulling the computer out!

7. Words with Friends

 This is another thing I use when I'm nursing in the middle of the night to keep me awake! Play me!!!

I'm sure there are a few other things I am forgetting, but these are the things that stick out to me tonight. :) 

Happy Easter!

We had a great time celebrating Easter this weekend at my parent's house. Easton did surprisingly well sleeping away from home the first night and not so great the second night. We had a lot of fun but now we're tired and stuffed from all the amazing food we consumed. :)

One Day At A Time

This being a mommy to two kids thing is hard work. It's tiring and exhilarating, scary and beautiful. The love I have for both of my kids far exceeds anything I could have anticipated or tried to prepare my heart for. The sleep deprivation and lack of regular showers have made me appreciate the little moments I get to refresh. My night-time nursing sprees have given me ample opportunities to pray and seek communion with God. They have also allowed me to play more Words With Friends games than ever before. :-)

I think I am figuring some things out. But, *gasp* I haven't been on my own for a whole day yet. Nope. Shawn has been here or my mom or his mom. I have been so thankful for their help and support and I wouldn't trade it for anything, but I am starting to get a little nervous about actually doing this whole parenting of two children on little to no sleep thing. Some of the silly questions and fears running through my brain:

- What do I do about our morning wake up time? Lauren hangs out in her bed until I get her in the mornings. She knows not to get out on her own. So, what do I do if I am nursing Easton when Lauren wakes up? How do I juggle getting her up and getting him fed?

- How will I be able to tuck Lauren in for her nap? Usually we read books and pray and such before nap time (just like before bedtime) but what if Easton is screaming? Or what if I am feeding him when she needs to go down for her nap?

- Will I ever want to get out of the house with two kids? Would I be able to do it on my own?

Okay, so those are just a few...and while I have been trying desperately to remind myself that God tells me not to worry about tomorrow, these fears have still been creeping up. I think mainly it is because I just haven't done it yet. I'm sure that I will be able to handle the hiccups that come in a day, but right now it feels a little overwhelming.

I need to get my focus back on today. On the very moment I am living in. I believe that God will sustain me and equip me and strengthen me. But, my fear challenges that and says that I don't believe. I want to believe! I want to take it one day at a time. I want to believe that even if we have a messy morning, my kids will not be scarred for life. :-)

Easton's First Girlfriend :-)

So, my very best friend from high school just recently moved back to where I live and I could not be more excited!!! We went to college in different places and then got married and found jobs in cities too far away from each other. It was really hard to stay in touch but we managed to do alright. :) Even though we were so far away and did not in any way plan it, we still ended up having our first children within two weeks of each other. Then, surprise surprise...we realized we were both expecting again. This time our due dates were two days apart!

I was so excited to find out that Amber and her husband were moving back "home" and to know that our newest babies would be able to grow up together. I am looking forward to many play dates and fun times ahead for us. It has already been such a blessing to be able to compare our newborn experiences (and toddler moments) with each other. 

Amber brought her littlest love, Madelyn, and dinner to our family last week and I wanted to make sure I got some pictures of our two darling babies.

(Just a side note here, but you can really tell how yellow Easton was last week...this was before we realized about his jaundice)

Lately

So many of you have asked how our Mr. Easton is doing and we are SO happy to report that his jaundice is almost completely gone. So, the bed works, people! The first night he did absolutely great. The second night, not so much...in fact it was horrible. Easton was SO over the bed. He was used to being swaddled and clothed and in the light bed he could only wear a diaper. Poor guy. Shawn and I finally just took him out at 5 am and swaddled him and put him in bed with us. The little sweetie slept until 9! We were so thankful when we got word that his levels were down and that we could stop using the bed. I've still been nursing him like crazy to help flush out his system and it really seems to be working. He no longer looks yellow!!!

I have so many posts floating around in my head and pictures to upload but I will have to wait until I have more than just a second. :)

Jaundice

We found out today that Easton's biliruben levels were extremely high and that he was suffering from Jaundice. The doctor ordered us a biliruben light bed and he has to stay in it all the time unless I am nursing him. We have to take him in first thing in the morning to get him tested again and we are praying so hard that the light bed and extra nursing will flush out all that bad biliruben from his system. Would you pray with us?

Easton has to be in this bed all night tonight and Shawn and I will have to take shifts being awake with him...we can't (obviously) let him be alone or unattended while in the bed. 

My mom was here today (thankfully!) and Shawn's mom had already planned on coming down tonight to stay with us for a few days, so we are very blessed to have help from the grandmas.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 

Philippians 4:6

Daddy's Hands

These hands will guide Easton and teach him and mold him into a man. 

Is there anything more precious than that?

"Other things may change us, but we start and end with family." ~ Anthony Brandt

My heart is so full. I cannot believe how Easton's arrival has changed our sweet little family for the better. He is a darling child and I catch myself staring at him and just wondering what he will be like in a week, a month, a year. There is absolutely no doubt about the fact that he has stolen all of our hearts.

The most tender and precious thing to me has been watching the relationship form between him and Lauren. Theirs is a bond that will remain throughout their lives and I feel so privileged to be here witnessing the start of it. I worried for so long about what adding a new little love to our family would do to Lauren. I shouldn't have. I have realized in this last week that we have truly given her the best gift...a sibling. A brother to have adventures with, get into mischief with, and love with all of her heart. She melts my heart with her tender care of him. Running at the first cry he makes and saying, "No worry, brubber, my right here." She has been the biggest help in some of the most expected and unexpected ways. She loves to get his binkie or blanket and wants to be right there helping change diapers. But, he is also the first one she asks about when she wakes from a nap or for the day. She cuddles close to me when I feed him and aside from some funny comments (which may or may not be blog appropriate, haha *email me if you want to know!) she hasn't seemed phased at all about me holding him. In fact, if I am busy feeding him and she needs something she either waits or just asks her daddy to help her with it. If it is even possible, my love for her has grown this week as I've watched her sweet heart at work.

This is Lauren's first real close up glimpse of Easton in the hospital. She was the first one in the room to see him and I was so glad she was. It was exactly what I wanted.

We tried out Easton's travel swing and he likes it for just a little while. 

Peeking in at baby brother fast asleep. 

I love these kids more than I ever thought could be possible. I feel so blessed and honored that God called me to be their mother. It is a daunting task, but I am finding that if I take it day by day He gives me the strength and courage to do this thing.

Loving This New LIfe

We are still SO in love with our newest little guy. He is just the sweetest thing and we feel so blessed to have him in our lives! Today Lauren came back to the hospital and she was so sweet and precious to her little brother. She brought her Boots doll and made sure Easton got to see him and play with him. It was really so adorable and we got such a kick out of her.

I'm not sure Easton was entirely sold on the Boots idea, but he was a good sport for Lauren. 

 Our family of four. FOUR!!!

Could you not eat this little face up? I just stare at him in awe of what God created. I am so thankful for my two kiddos. 

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made:

your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 

Psalm 139:14

Our Little Man

Easton Shawn Barry

April 4, 2011

3:10 pm

8 lbs 10 oz

21 inches long

We are SO in love and doing great!!!

Easton Update #3

11:45:  Feeling really tired from all the medicine.
Easton's heartrate keeps acting funny so they are constantly moving me from side to side.  Lauren is here and enjoying time with her grandparents.
Thankfully I am feeling little to no pain at all after the epidural and my sweet nurses are taking awesome care of me. Shawn is SO wonderful and has been my rock so far!

We gave Lauren her Big Sister bag full of goodies and her favorite thing has been her baby Boots from Dora. :)

Easton Update #2

9:00 Dr. Stamps broke my water, Pitocin started, contractions starting to come stronger
9:20 Stadol given (good stuff)
9:30 Epidural started
10:00 Epidural in place
10:30 Lauren came by and the family started showing up!!!

Easton Update #1

7:15: Checked into hospital, changed into cute hospital gown, met my sweet nurses
8:00: IV started, a million questions answered, checked and I am dilated to a 4!!!
8:30: My nurse left to call Dr. Stamps about starting pitocin and breaking my water

The Day Before Easton

It has been really strange knowing the date of our induction this time around. I've had more than enough time to worry and fret and not sleep. ;) But, I've also been really thankful because I am a big planner and I've been able to "try" to put together some sort of game plan for Monday.

Shawn and I decided that we'd take Lauren to the zoo for a little family of 3 date before Mr. Easton arrives. It was the most beautiful day and we really had a fantastic time. I tried to soak it all up and not get too emotional about it.

I was so proud of Lauren wanting to feed the animals at the petting zoo! She has usually been to scared to even go near them, but with her Daddy nearby she was fearless!

I love this picture because we were waiting for Shawn to finish using the restroom and she was SO ready to get a move on and see the rest of the animals so as soon as he came out she went running!!!

She is WAY into jumping off of things right now. 

One day before the induction....

Lauren was our tour guide. She checked the map and told us which direction we should head. I loved it!!!

Shawn helped her roll it up and store it in her pocket for easy access. :)

We had to stop for an ice cream and she chose the ice cream sandwich. She ate almost all of it too!!!

Okay, the next few pics have a VERY special place in my heart. When Shawn and I were dating we went to the zoo and I have a picture of him (just a little younger) in this exact same pose. Of course, he had to re-enact it...but the best part was.....

...Lauren got in on the action. Is this not the MOST precious picture you've ever seen?  I smile every single time I see it. :)

We had a great time and really enjoyed ourselves as we get ready for our newest little love to get here. I cannot believe that tomorrow we will have two sweet darlings to love on and take on adventures in the coming years.