Why is it always Josh? Poor thing-- this time it was the stairs vs. his nose. And yes, the stairs won. The good news ? It's not broken; just really mashed and super sore.
What do you do with a baby that is just this happy and this cute at 2:30am when he won't go to sleep? Seriously. How many nights in a row can a three month old go on 3 hours of disjointed sleep? Or maybe the question is how long can the parents go?
Yikes! Where has the time gone?
Suddenly Sonic (aka Brandon Baby) is nearly a month old. Many people have asked for a an update so here is a quick one. He's eating and sleeping like a champ-- he'd nurse all day if I let him and he usually gets up only once at night (between 3 and 4). I think we have another brown eyed boy on our hands and he has the deepest set of dimples when he grins.
Parents are making do; maybe even enjoying ourselves! Serisouly having one baby after having 2 babies is a dream! I don't mind the 4 am feedings at all because once he's back asleep, I don't have another one to which I must attend. We're still tired and haven't got much done around here (like regular blog posts...) but all in all we are enjoying our little man.
Siblings are adjusting well though Josh is still letting us know that he's not entirely 100% on board (He has stopped asking people if they want to keep the baby.) Calvin LOVES his baby brother and wants to kiss him all the time. Gabe, well, he takes his responsibility as a big brother very seriously.
The days are really flying by. True, I spend them mostly feeding a little guy, being thrown up on by the little guy, holding the little guy, and (I have to be honest with you..) staring at the sweet little guy. It's been great and I wouldn't have it any other way!
I'm very, very happy to report that Sonic Doom Lindsay arrived on Sunday afternoon much to the delight of his parents and brothers. "About time!" Gabe exclaimed. "I hold it? asked Calvin. "It can stay at Bailey's house." suggested Josh.
It's been a whirlwind since then so I'll recount the gory details in my next entry (maybe sometime in August??) but in the meantime, here are the highlights:
Name: Brandon Arnold Lindsay
Birthday: Sunday, May 31st
Time of Birth: 2:44 pm
Weight: 8lbs 8oz
Height: 20.5 inches
Hair: A little and it's reddish!
Location of mom's ankles:
Still unkown.
"I can not believe it!!" This was the reaction from my sweet 2-year, Josh, when informed that he was going to spend the day with his Aunt Silba/Uncle Jones and they were taking him to see Thomas the Train. There was no apprehension, no tearful goodbyes. The twins barely waved and ran out the door.
Anyone who has a two year boy knows that there are few celebrities that can outshine Thomas (maybe Elmo...). Josh and Calvin where absolutely beside themselves that they had the honor of meeting Thomas and riding on a train. It was a day of fun: Thomas tattoos, petting zoos, train rides and they got to do it with everyone's favorite Uncle-- Uncle Jones (seriously cool- he can toss a 2 year old 10 feet in the air, easy.)
The twins had a great time-- no tantrums were reported, they didn't panic when they saw the GIANT Thomas train, and there was only one barfing episode. A successful day all around, I'd say!!
On Easter day I wanted to get a picture of the boys together in their nifty Easter outfits. However, I chose the wrong moment to execute that plan. For any who care to learn from my error in judgment:
1. DO NOT take your kids out to the front yard on a sunny, beautiful day, one of the first really nice days in weeks, and try to arrange them nicely in front of your spring daffodils.
2. DO NOT expect them to be happy about sitting still right after a very exciting and stimulating easter egg hunt.
3. DO NOT ask them to smile at the camera in unison 15 minutes after consuming 1 giant chocolate easter bunny, 2 plastic eggs full of jellybeans, a handful or M&M's, and various other miniature candy-bars.
4. DO NOT get frustrated when one 2 year old picks up a stick and whacks the other 2 year old in the head because, in fact, its kind of your fault for creating the situation.
5. DO laugh if off. The shots of all 3 of them, in retrospect, are kind of funny.
6. DO get some great candid one-on-one shots that reflect their awesome little personalities.
7. DO give them each a kiss, put your camera away, and let the boys play with their cousins on the beautiful Easter afternoon.
Like every other two year old in the universe, the twins LOVE to go to the park. Rain, snow, or shine- they ask everyday if they can go. Calvin could swing for hours and Josh, well, he likes the idea of swinging. They both love the slide and climbing all over "the big toy". Luckily we live within a very short walk to the park. It's been wonderful this spring for Pat to be able to take a quick break when the boys need to get out and expend some energy. A few weeks ago, Pat took the camera along and I still can't believe he got both of them to sit still long enough for this shot!
My boys have a serious crush. All three of them are completely devoted to our neighbor, Ashley. (Gabe wrote a paper at school about how he is going to marry her...). They run to the window several times a day to see if they can catch a glimpse of her, they sit with her at church every Sunday, and each night before bedtime, they open the window and say, "Good night Ashee!"
From the twins I hear daily:
At least weekly I hear:
Their love and adoration is awfully sweet. She thinks they are funny all the time; they believe she is the most beautiful creature on earth; she never says no to their crazy requests; they know that she can do no wrong; and to top it off, she always has a bag of M&M's for them. In short, according to my toddlers, their's is the perfect relationship!
Gabe started piano lessons this past fall and has just loved it. I was worried that the allure would wear off and that practice time would become a battle but so far so good. It's been fun watching him learn and grow and be excited about mastering songs and techniques. My only complaint- I've heard "Follow the Prophet" at least 5000 times in the past 30 days. To Gabe's credit though, he's shaking things up a little by playing it in organ, harpsichord, and trumpet mode (usually back-to-back-to-back).
Since the twins were born, I have fielded many a question but none as often as "how do you tell them apart?" I always rolled my eyes a little at that one because they obviously looked (and acted) so very different. I'd always smile and say something like..."well they look very different to me." As they got older, their looks have only diverged more. However I had to pause the other day when I came across these photos. I must admit there is a slight resemblance. Can you tell who is who?
Ah to be 2 years old again!
Last week we had some beautiful weather along the Wasatch Front. Several days reached near seventy and my boys were in heaven! If they were awake, they were outside or trying to get there.
Last Friday they were full of it and I needed to just rest. Ashley to the rescue! She came and got the twins and took them for a walk with Buster the dog. When they returned, they "helped" Ash give the dog a bath. Within minutes they decided that they too, needed a scrubbin' so off came the clothes and into the tub they went. As it was kind of an impromptu thing, Ash had no change of clothes. No problem! It was 70 degrees that day-- who needs jammies, especially when home is just across the street.
And so I hear a little knock on the door and open it to this:
Shoes are all you really need on a nice day right? And the Crocs are perfect because they are water proof. Why does this matter, you ask? Well- when you gotta go you gotta go, even if your knocking on your front door. Luckily I had not yet opened the door so Josh only christened the door and the door jam:
Getting them in the door was a special challenge. I think they quite liked running around being one with nature, the wind blowing gently through all their parts. And now that they have a taste, I think they may just go the nudist route for the rest of the summer. So don't be surprised if you see them running down the sidewalk sans clothes this summer. As long as we've broken the habit by the time they're 9 or 10, we should be OK, right?
It's been a bit dicey at our house this week and we thought we might have to call in the professionals, but we did it. After a few long nights and non-existent nap times, the twins have officially given up their binkies.
It was quite sad as Josh and Cal LOVED to have their binkies at night. Cal asked for his "bink" for a solid week at bedtime. And I have to admit, my heart hurt a little saying they were "all gone". It is for the best though. We just couldn't have a new baby with his binky coming home. I can only imagine the pacifer wars that would ensue!
As you can see we had quite a pile of them- 5 or 6 per 2 year old actually. We'd just sprinkle them in their cribs at night so one was always within easy reach if they woke up. Those 2 are just so different and their choice of binkies reflected that as well. Josh preferred the rounded one and only wanted one at a time. Cal, however, liked the heart shaped and had one in his mouth and at least one in each hand.
And so we pass another milestone. What's next? The move from cribs to big boy beds! (That makes me tired just thinking about it....)
Why, you may be asking, is Josh running around sans pants?
Aside from the fact that 2 years shed their clothes at odd times for odd reasons, he simply had SOmuch energy this day that he had to channel it somewhere. Earlier in the morning, Josh had received his second dose of steroid medication for croup. The Dr. warned us that he may have more energy and be a bit more aggressive than usual. Really? A bit more? That's like saying Death Valley is kinda warm in July. Those meds kicked into gear and so did Josh. He had to dart everywhere and there was no speaking, only YELLING. Everything was communicated at the top of his lungs (and with urgency). He didn't want" Cheerios, please", he wanted "CHEERIOS RIGHT NOW!!" Sometimes he had so much wattage that I thought he was going to blow a fuse. At these moments he would clench his fists and jaw and burst into a full out run.
At this particular moment, Grandma and I had our back turned (seriously, for like 30 seconds). I had just finished taking pictures of Calvin (with the oxygen tube) so luckily I had the camera in hand. We walked out of the bedroom and was greeted by a dancing, naked toddler who was terribly pleased with himself.
Luckily, he only had to take the steriods for one day. If it had been any longer, I don't know who would have been more exhausted, him or me!
So Calvin is feeling much, much better. In fact, he is completely back to normal (except perhaps a few bad habits. 1- He thinks he needs to be held all the time and 2) He thinks he can eat whatever he wants.) Would that we all could bounce back as quickly as a 2 year old!
I had some good news as well. My last Dr. appointment went well. Baby Sonic is 3lbs! The tech kept saying, "This is such a big baby!" We still have two and half months to go so if he keeps growing like this and he stays put, I'm going to have another 10 pounder. The contractions have slowed considerably and the whole "pre-term" laber thing seems under control. The doc even told me I could be up a little bit more and maybe ease back into life a little bit.
Best yet though, the tech got a great picture of Sonic. So who do you think he looks like?
My poor boys came home from Idaho sick, sick, sick. They walked in the door and they had the "sick" eyes and "sick" cheeks (you know the ones- glazed, dull eyes and bright pink cheeks). Josh sounded like a seal and Calvin just kind of sat around staring at things. Pat (with the help of our great neighbor [thanks Ash!]) took the boys into the pediatrician who in turn sent Calvin up to Primary Children's hospital for further tests. (Josh did have the croup and has been running around on a steroid high for 24 hours, but that's another post....)
Pat and Cal got to the hospital at 9 pm and there they sat for the next 7 and a half hours. At the end of it all Calvin tested positive for RSV, an ear infection, and they confirmed pneumonia. The Dr. did want to admit Cal but Pat felt some rest at home was a better option especially considering my situation. So the Dr. sent Pat home with an oxygen tank and said we could try it but only if we could keep the oxygen on him and his levels high enough. Sounds easy enough but I think keeping an oxygen tube up a 2-year old's nose is almost as easy as shoving a wet cat inside of a small bag-- it is darn near impossible. However- as Calvin becomes more tired and we become more sneaky and creative, we've been a little more successful.
Let's just say it was a long night and a long day and will most likely be another long night.
Oh my gosh-- I need some help. I have fallen off the healthy eating wagon and hard. All I want is anything sweet, preferably with chocolate and peanut peanut. Seriously- I have two kinds of chocolate/peanut ice-cream in the freezer (oh- and a gallon of thin mint...), I want Whatchamacallits and Reeses all the time, and today, well today I ate 4 chocolate chip cookies (and a chocolate/carmel shake from Artic Circle.) Last week I told Pat to bring home a bag of Laffy Taffy's. Not only did he obey- he brought home 2 bags! I am in so much trouble!! So am I eating like an Oompa Loompa and I am lying in bed all day...not a good combination. Seriously, if I don't die of boredom, the sugar shock will get me.
Goodness...any advice on how to overcome some very powerful sweet tooth cravings and make it through this pregnancy without weighing a couple of tons?
So the most difficult thing about this best-rest edict has been the time away from my children, especially the twins. Gabe is pretty self reliant but the babies still need so much attention, care, and lifting. When they are home, I end up having lots of contractions. Because of my temporary inability to care for them they way they need, they have been spending quite a bit of time (4-5 days a week) with their Grandma and Grandpa in Idaho.
It is really comforting to know they are someplace where they are very comfortable and loved (OK spoiled). Every week they are so excited to go in "Gampa's BIG truck" and I'm glad they are happy to be with their grand-parents. However, every time they leave, I am miserable and feel soooo guilty. I just tell myself over and over, "it's only for a few months...there is nothing to be done for it...we are so blessed to have such wonderful family." Still-- I miss my boys!
The bright side though is that the homecomings are great! They always knock on the door, I open it and sit on the floor, and we have a great big, happy family hug complete with lots of laughs and kisses. I captured this photo as they walked in the door yesterday. Seeing them so happy to see me made my heart full (and yes my eyes were full as well.) And in a few months, this period of our lives will just be filed away as another adventure and lesson learned.
I wish I could tell you we spent an exciting, luxurious day at a warm beach location or that my sweetie sprung for a romantic dinner for 2 on the town. We didn't.
That's perfectly alright however. Instead, we found ourselves with no children in the house (my in-laws have been watching the twins at their house in Idaho and Gabe's with cousins in Heber). Pat promptly declared that it would be a good day for him to get lots done in the basement. Before that, the sweet man picked up dinner and cheesecake for a dinner in. Instead of starting in the basement (like I'm sure he wanted), he sat with me and watched Definitely, Maybe. Truly, it's a perfect movie for Valentines day (and the leading man and Pat do resemble each other...) as it was sweet, and funny, and in the end he gets the right girl. As we watched the show and polished off the chocolate cake cheesecake, I realized there is nothing I'd rather be doing or no place I'd rather be than snuggled up next to my guy,in my jammies, with my hideous bed hair. True- not our most thrilling V-day ever, but it's one I'll not soon forget.
I surely do love my husband.
Calvin loves to be grown-up, especially if it's like his dad. (Cal does a great "No-no-no" impression of Pat.) So he was really pleased when Pat put his coat on him one chilly night in Arizonia. I don't think he stopped beaming until we made him take it off for bath. And then we got the opposite reaction....
Utah is great. However, it does tend to get a little chilly and dreary mid-January. This year we decided to head down to sunny Arizona with the boys to visit the Grandparents and I tell you, we sure chose the right week to go! We left the 25 degree weather and flew straight into 5 days of 80 degrees, blue skies, and sunshine. Ahhhh... so nice!
We stayed in a very little town called Ajo, about 30 miles from the Mexico border. It's a great little retirement community and apparently the perfect place to take 3 boys on vacation. Yep, more dirt and rocks than the Lindsays boys could throw or pile up in a year!
We took some fabulous hikes...
The twins spent every second they could on Grandpa's "mokobikes"....
We saw HUGE cacti...
Found some really cool Native American artifacts...
Visited 2 of our favorite people...
Oh- and peed on a cactus (well only some of us did that...)
I love my boys hair. Each of them has been blessed with quite the head of hair. Gabe's is thick with a ton of body and not a cowlic in sight. Cal's reaches his shoulders, is a beautiful strawberry blonde, and has the cutest ringlets. And Josh has this halo of blonde curls that most girls would kill for.
Many of you have commented on the twins hair-- you've either loved the long or not. But I- I have loved it! Where they past due for a haircut? Yes. Could I bring myself to do it? No.
But poor Cal has been struggling the past few weeks. His hair is always in his eyes, it gets wrapped around his neck when he naps, and he has sighed in exasperation as he has tried to keep it off his face. So I broke down and this weekend, I did it. I took 2 two-year olds to get their haircut.
What an adventure! We went to one of those kid salons with movies and cars for seats. Josh wanted to sit in every care regardless of whether it was being used at the time. And the fire-engine sink was just to much. He had to check it out! But when they got in their chairs, he was the nervous one! How funny is that? Cal, who is just more reserved and shy didn't care a bit. He watched Elmo and didn't even notice the pounds of hair falling away from his head. Josh, however did care and wanted her to stop. Stop with the stupid cape- stop with the scissors/shaver- stop the Elmo show- and stop dropping itchy hair down his shirt. We got through it though and they both look great!
I tell you something though! I walked in with 2 cute babies and walked out with 2 handsome little boys.
These pictures are long overdue. They are so late, in fact, that I debated not posting them. However, they are simply too cute to not put them up. Aren't the twin's expressions priceless? And Gabe's just beaming like nothings wrong at all! Yep. Nothing says Merry Christmas like a terrified toddler on Santa's lap!
Boy! Yep that makes FOUR boys. Now it's my turn to rock back and forth in the corner! I have to admit I was kind of hoping to add another female to our household. However, he is healthy, has all his arms and legs, and looks just great. Really, in the end, that's whats important.
Funny little thing was camped out on my bladder (the tech actually gasped when she saw where he was at and asked, "So do you always have to pee?") He was being very shy though and was lying face down. She tried everything to get him to turn over but he wouldn't budge. The tech was lucky to get the gender view!
The placenta has moved and is no longer covering the cervix but is still too close to the opening so I'm still on restrictions (shoot!). If it doesn't move more, a C-section is in my future. So....my homework is the get the placenta to move over a bit more! (Can you study for that??)
Gabe was a little disappointed as he really wanted a sister. However, he quickly decided on a middle name- Doom. Yes, the seven-year old wants to name the baby Sonic Doom Lindsay. It does have a certain flow to it and I am having a hard time with boy names.....
I love having 3 boys! As the twins get older, they play more and more with Gabe. Josh and Cal have always adored Gabe, but it's only been recently that they've been able to relate with him. It's so fun to watch them all run around laughing and squealing. It's definitely not a quiet activity, but it warms my heart to see them enjoying one another.
Eventually one of them gets bonked or shoved or falls down and inevitably there are tears, but it's sweet while it lasts!
(P.S. Do you like the ponytails? Pat doesn't but I think they are adorable!)
