Christmas babies!

William is growing and changing SO quickly. He started crawling about 10 days ago and yesterday he cut his third tooth. Tonight he pulled up to standing for the first time. He is ALL OVER THE PLACE these days. He moves FAST when he crawls. He is also self feeding cheerios and small pieces of food. He'll eat anything and everything we put in front of him and never turns his face away to any food.

Hannah is very excited about Christmas this year. She still refuses to go anywhere near Santa, but she has asked him for "a batman toy and a princess toy." I'm sure Santa can come through on that :) Here is a picture of the kids in their coordinating Christmas jammies:

Tonight Hannah and I were talking about Thanksgiving and what the celebration is all about. I was trying to explain to her in terms that a 3 year old can understand. I told her that it's important to think about and be thankful for the important things in our life and the things that make us happy. When I asked her what makes her happy she said, "My Daddy." She clearly understands the concept I was explaining, right?!?! So then I said, "Hannah, what do you think makes Mommy happy?" She replied, "Work!" Hmmmm...not exactly what I hoped she would say. I hope that I'll be able to show her that my first and most important job is being mommy. Nothing is more important than my family. But it does make me wonder why she responded the way she did. Sigh...such is the life of a working mom, I guess.

Passed Out

William's latest accomplishment is pushing himself up to a sitting position. We put him down for a nap today and this is how we found him sleeping...

This new skill has made diaper changes and clothing changes quite a challenge. He does NOT want to lay flat on his back. I think we better lower his crib a notch since it probably won't be long before he tries to pull up. Oh boy!

Family Photos

On Friday we had a fabulous outdoor photo session with Stylized Portraiture. It was a beautiful day to take pictures at the botanical gardens in Athens. Our photographer, Heather, was wonderful with the kids and did a great job getting Hannah to smile. What 3 year old wouldn't bust out laughing when someone yells "booger waffles!!" Both kids were in a great mood (thank goodness!) and Heather did a fantastic job of capturing their personalities (Hannah's spunkiness and William's seriousness).

I could not be more thrilled with the preview pictures our photgrapher posted on her blog. You can check it out at the link here:

http://www.stylizedportraiture.com/a-little-bit-of-an-awesome-family/

Spooktacular!

BOO! It's Batman and Ghostgirl in their Halloween pajamas!

Bathing Beauty x 2

Burt's Farm

We made the annual visit to Burt's Farm this weekend with Mark's family. It sure didn't feel like fall with high temps in the upper 80's, but Hannah had a great time hanging out with her cousins and William seemed to enjoy the extra attention and being outside.

Bathing Beauty

Now that William is sitting up really well, he has graduated to bathing in the kitchen sink!!! He seems to really enjoy splashing in the water.

Yes, he is playing with princess cups :)

Must try Mac-n-Cheese

I found the BEST mac-n-cheese recipe this week! IT IS SOOOO GOOD! I'll warn you that this is probably best as a treat since it is not low-fat/low-cal.

16oz cooked elbow macaroni (I used Barilla brand)
8oz Velveeta, cubed (don't scoff...this is necessary for creaminess)
3 rounds Babybel cheese, chopped (the kind in the red wrapper; if you can't find Babybel, you can use 1/3 block cream cheese)
8oz shredded cheddar jack
heaping 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese (do not use the stuff in the green shaker, splurge on the read deal!)
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 cup full fat sour cream
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 sleeve Ritz crackers made into crumbs
2 T melted butter
4 slices bacon cooked and chopped (optional; I did not try it with bacon)

To make the sauce, add cubed Velveeta to pan on low. Add cream immediately. Keep stirring so cheese sauce does not burn. Once it's mostly melted, whisk in the Babybel, 1/2 of the cheddar jack, and parmesan. Once everything is melted, whisk in sour cream, salt, and pepper. Stir in the cooked macaroni. Pour into a rectangular cake pan, or other baking dish that can hold it all. Sprinkle the rest of the cheddar jack on top. Mix the Ritz crumbs and butter together (I used a mini food processor to mix together) and sprinkle on top of macaroni mixture. Finally, sprinkle bacon over the top. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. ENJOY!!

A girl after my own heart...

Every night when I put Hannah to bed I ask her what she is going to dream about. Normally she'll say one of her grandparents or aunts names, but last night she said "I'm going to dream about the winter clothes in my closet!" That's my girl!

A few six month pics...

William wasn't quite sure what to think about sitting in the grass. Honestly though, I don't blame him...

William sprouted his first tooth today. I figure I have a couple weeks left to capture the toothless grin, so I'll be taking LOTS of pictures. There is something about teeth that just makes a baby look so much older. And I'm in denial about the fact that my baby is growing up.

And I think this shirt speaks for itself :)

Six month stats

William had his 6 month well-baby appointment this morning. He is starting to taper off a bit in length/weight, but I'm not surprised as he is starting to become mobile and more active. He is still a BIG boy though. And of course, I think he is just perfect!

length - 27.5 inches (85th percentile)
weight - 20.5 pounds (90th percentile)
head circumference - 43.5cm (50th percentile)

One day before his 6 month birthday, he officially started sitting up. He is able to roll, but generally chooses not to. He prefers to lay on his back or bounce in his jumperoo. He has been eating solids for about a week and has taken to it really well. He loves avocado and oatmeal cereal. He has tried pears and apples, but was not overly excited about them. Sweet potatoes are another favorite. Tonight he is going to try carrots. I have been making all of his baby food in hopes that I won't end up with another picky eater.

Another huge accomplishment for William...he no longer needs to be swaddled at night. I'm glad he was able to wean himself from the swaddle, but it's just another sign that he is growing up. While I'm glad that it was an easy transition for him, I'm a little sad about it, too. There was something so sweet about him needing that comfort. And I guess I'm not ready to not have a little baby in the house anymore...

Six month pictures to come soon!

Five month picture share

Now that William is almost 6 months old, I thought it would be appropriate to share his 5 month pictures, lol! Blogging has been at the bottom of my priority list (sorry Daddy!).

As of 9/15, William weighed 20 pounds!

I finally decided to start William on some solids a couple days ago. He took to it like he'd been eating solids for months! He knew EXACTLY what to do and how to open his mouth for the spoon. What a huge difference from Hannah, who didn't "get it" for several months! His first food was avocado. He ate half of one tonight! I have no doubt in my mind that this boy will eat me out of house and home soon enough :)

"I have a surprise for you Mommy!"

Oh boy! Lucky me! Hannah came home from preschool today with a surprise for me in her pocket...a dried crumbled leaf, 3 rocks, and a black pom-pom. An interesting assortment of items...but somehow I'm still having difficulty throwing it away.

It's Preschool Time

Hannah is so excited that preschool has started! I hope that her enthusiasm to learn sticks with her for many more years. Part of the lessons for the week included learning the Pledge of Allegiance (which she can say about half of on her own) and learning about "germy-germs," as she calls it. This year she'll be able to bring in something for show-and-tell on Fridays. I'm interested to see how that goes, as Hannah tends to be a shrinking violet in front of others (gee, I can't imagine where she got that from). I'm excited to see what she learns this year!

Here is her first day of school picture from this year and the picture below is from the first day of 2-year old preschool in 2009. She looks SO grown up!

Watermelon anyone?!?!

For my facebook friends, this is old news...

One of my friends shared a video of a baby in a watermelon and it was the cutest thing. So I thought to myself, let's put William in a watermelon. What I failed to consider was how BIG the watermelon needed to be to fit my extra-large baby in. On our way down to visit my sister and brother-in-law, we stopped at a roadside produce stand and bought the biggest watermelon we could find. Mark scooped all the watermelon out and cleaned it up inside and we attempted to stand William up inside it. It was Mark's idea to do the fancy cuts at the top of the watermelon...it really isn't sharp, so don't go call CPS on me :)

That didn't go so well, so we attempted the "Watermelon Diaper." That was also a big fail, but his face is absolutely priceless!

Poor little guy! Don't tell him what I have planned for Halloween ;)

Four month stats!

I took William to the pediatrician today and he continues to maintain his growth curve!

length - 26.5 inches (90th percentile)

weight - 18.4 pounds (above the 95th percentile)

head circumference - 42cm (50th percentile)

He was such a champ with his vaccinations and the doctor was very pleased with his development. He's doing many things that 6 month old babies are doing, which is a good thing because he's bigger than most 6 month olds!

FOUR months old!

William is FOUR months old! Boy has he changed!

I'm back!

What a month it has been! Let's just say blogging has not been a priority.

Here it is in a nutshell:

• Hannah started out the month with the hands-down nastiest case of diarrhea I've ever seen in my entire life. It last ten L-O-N-G days.
• Mark spent two weeks away from home for work and is now a certified firearms instructor! During those two weeks I came to realize just how much my husband helps me with the kids. I honestly don't know how single working moms of more than one kid get through the day!
• Because of the above, I received a great lesson in patience :)
• Hannah went on two "vacations." One trip to the lake to spend time with Nana and Granddaddy and a camping trip with Grammy, Pappy, and Brice.
• This month Hannah must have come to realize that her little brother is here to stay for good and she will have to share our attention from here on out. Give me the terrible twos any day...the threes are BY FAR the most challenging so far. Ummm...how much longer until 4/4/11?!?!

But on a serious note, my heart, thoughts, and prayers have been with the Trainer and Upham families. My Aunt Gail and my Granddaddy were called to their heavenly home to begin their eternal life. Neither is suffering any more and we have to find peace and comfort in that. They both fought long battles with cancer but are now whole and healthy once again. I'm sure both of them are catching up with those that have gone before them. We will meet again one day!

In case you thought I was exaggerating...

...about how big William is, take a look at this picture! This was taken on his 3 month birthday. When seeing him next to Hannah you really get an idea of his enormity :)

And I think I need to work on Hannah's "holding" skills...although it's got to be hard to hold something that is more than half your weight!

Backseat Driver!!

Guess who the backseat driver is in our house? HANNAH

The other day I picked the kids up from daycare and on the way home I went through a yellow light. Hannah said, "Mommy, don't do that again!" in a very concerned voice. "That light is not green. DON'T GO!" She then proceeded to explain to me that I can only "go" when the light is green. I had no idea that she actually understood traffic signals. She is such a little rule-follower...I have no idea where she gets that from :)

I'm a lion, hear me ROAR!

Are you ready for this...check out our cat Della with her new "lion cut!" Okay, so she doesn't really look like a lion (because she's a short-haired cat), but I think that she thinks she looks pretty fierce!

I feel bad that I have been calling her fat for all these years. She's really not as big as I thought she was under all the fur. I actually think she looks kinda cute! It took Mark a few hours to trim her and surprisingly, she loved it! I guess it felt like a kitty massage. She seems to be quite comfortable with her new 'do.

The best part about this:

LESS HAIR AROUND THE HOUSE = LESS CLEANING FOR ME!!!

(and that's exactly what this working mom needs these days!)

Back to the real world

Today marks the end of my 12 week maternity leave. What an incredible 12 weeks it has been. I never would have dreamed that I could love another baby as much as I love Hannah. But it's true...your heart does grow when you bring another child into the world. And William has me wrapped around his finger! I'm so thankful that I have had this time to bond with my little boy. I will never forget the time we spent together...often times just looking at each other and "talking", or taking naps together, or playing on the floor together and my silly attempts to make him smile. So many wonderful memories! It just tears my heart apart that I won't be able to do those things with him all day, every day. I'll be living for the weekends. I just don't want to miss anything. I remember feeling the exact same way with Hannah when I went back to work. Those first couple months were very hard for me. Being a working mom is tough and I often find myself questioning whether I've made the right decision. I pray that my children won't hold that against me when they are older.

I have so much more I want to say but I just can't type anymore...the tears are flowing again. I can't wait until 4pm tomorrow when I can get in my car and drive home to my beautiful children.

Best Zucchini Bread Recipe EVER!!

Thanks to my mother-in-law for sharing her recipe for zucchini bread. Hopefully it's not a secret recipe! I could eat this stuff for every meal of the day! I mean, look at these ingredients...how could you go wrong :)

3 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 T baking soda

2 cups grated zucchini

3 eggs beaten

1 cup oil

1/2 T salt

1 T cinnamon

Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour. Makes two loaves. {Hint: use an electric mixer. I learned this the hard way, but got a great arm workout trying to "stir" the dough! Eventually, I gave up and just mashed it all together with my (clean) hands}

Anyone up for a challenge?

About 3 weeks ago I learned about the 100 push up challenge (see the website here: 100 Push Up Challenge). I'm the first to admit that I don't have a whole lot of upper body strength. This program will (supposedly) prepare you to complete 100 consecutive push ups in just 6 weeks. I'm now in the middle of week 3 and honestly don't think I'll be able to do it in just 3.5 more weeks. I can tell though that I am stronger. Picking up my 30 lb daughter and hefty 16 lb son isn't nearly so bad. Although, carrying William in his carseat is still a strenuous feat for me! Last night I completed 57 pushups; however, not consecutively.

I really want to get back to working out/running but am afraid to do too much while I'm nursing William. Too much exercise can reduce my milk supply and I really want to breastfeed him until 12 months, like I did with Hannah. I'm a big advocate for the benefits of breastfeeding, and while it is a challenge for me at times, I honestly think it is one of the best things I can do for him. It will be especially challenging when I return to work next week. So, all of that to say, I need to do some type of exercise over the next 9 months, which is why I'm doing the push up challenge. I've also started the 200 Sit Up Challenge. I don't think that will be near as hard to complete as the pushups...but then again, it may be harder than I think following my c-section.

Kids say the darndest things...

Hannah has really been cracking me up lately with all the funny things she says. Yesterday she came in our bedroom and we had the following conversation:

Hannah: You took all the covers off your bed!

Me: Yes, I'm washing the sheets.

Hannah: Mommy, did you tee-tee in bed?

Me: No honey, I did not tee-tee in bed.

Hannah: Did Daddy tee-tee in bed?

I had tears in my eyes from laughing so hard. It's so neat to be able to have a glimpse into the mind of a child. I guess she thinks sheets only need to be washed when they are peed in. Then I explained to her that Mommy and Daddy don't tee-tee in bed and that sometimes we just want clean sheets to sleep on. I came to the conclusion that I must not wash the sheets enough...

Today at lunch, I asked Hannah what "centers" she was enjoying at school. Usually she tells me that she likes the Science Center, but today she said she liked the "Fine Motor Center." Really? Did my 3 year old just say "Fine Motor?" Does she even know what that means? I love that girl :)

TWO months old!

Just a brief update on William...he's now 2 months old and continues to grow like a weed!

Here are his stats:

length - 24 inches (90th percentile)

weight - 16 lbs (above the 95th percentile)

head circumference - 50th percentile

William has grown a tremendous amount in the past month! Eventually he'll have to slow down. He has already more than doubled his birth weight! He grew 3 inches in length and 5.5 pounds since his one month checkup (no wonder I had to buy him a new wardrobe!). He is smiling more and more and is cooing every now and then. He continues to sleep like a champ at night, often sleeping 11 hours straight before I have (need!) to wake him to nurse. He likes to fight naps during the day, but I think that is pretty normal. He is still a very happy and laid-back baby. I'm just trying to soak up as much one-on-one time with him as possible since I'll be returning to work in a couple weeks :(

Here are a few pictures I took on his official birthday:

Photo Wall

I've wanted to do a photo wall for a long time...and we FINALLY did it! The wall behind the sofa in the living room now showcases some of our favorite family pictures! I'm really happy with how it turned out.

My smiley boy!

William, I love your silly faces!

William's first swim

Here are a few pictures of William's first swim. He did not like the initial shock of the water since it was a bit chilly, but after a minute he was fine.

And here are a couple pictures of Hannah strutting her stuff!

Maybe there's a chance...

...that Hannah will play in the sand at the beach after all!!! Those that witnessed Hannah's fear of the sand last year will be able to appreciate this video. Thank you Mandy for capturing this moment when Mark and I weren't there to see it for ourselves. I never would have believed it!

Enjoy :)

My current favorite picture!

I'm so grateful that William had the opportunity to meet his Great Granddaddy and Great Grandmother last week. I just love this picture of Granddaddy and William. Granddaddy is very sick and we are lucky that he is still with us. It's too hard for me to go into much more detail than that, but he has an aggressive form of lung cancer and Alzheimer's. So if you are a prayerful person, please keep him in your prayers.

6 weeks old!

William is now 6 weeks old! I think time is going by even faster with him than it did with Hannah. He is growing VERY fast...gaining 1 1/2 to 2 ounces a day! He is now over 12 pounds. Babies are supposed to double their birth weight by 6 months, but I won't be surprised if he does it by his 2 month appointment. He is quite the opposite of his sister!

William has been sleeping extremely well at night! He's been "sleeping through the night" for about 2 weeks now. He goes to bed between 8pm and 9pm and sleeps 8-10 hours straight. There were a couple mornings where I even had to wake him up to eat at 7am (I was dying from the engorgement)! I pray that he continues to be a good sleeper -- because when mama gets a good night sleep, everyone is happier :) He also started smiling at the beginning of the month. While they are pretty infrequent right now, I just can't get enough of them and spend much of my day trying to make him smile.

Sweet baby feet

I think the sweetness of this picture speaks for itself.

ONE month old!

Dear William,

I knew time would pass by quickly after you were born, but I had forgotten just how fast those early newborn weeks pass. I can't believe you are a month old already! It's bittersweet. On one hand I absolutely adore your sweet innocence and having a tiny baby to hold, yet I can't wait to see who you will look like and what personality will develop over the coming months. You have brought an indescribable joy to my life in just four short weeks. You are absolutely perfect in every way and I am blessed beyond belief to have you in my life to be my SON forever!

I love you.

-Mommy

Every good and perfect gift is from above. -James 1:17

Almost 1 month checkup

William had his one month checkup at the pediatrician today. I can't stand the fact that he is growing up so fast, so in my mind he is still 3 weeks old since he won't be officially one month old until Tuesday.

Here are his stats:

length - 21 inches (5th percentile)

weight - 10lbs 9oz (25th percentile)

head circumference - 5th percentile

So basically, we have a chunky baby with a small head :) I can't believe he has gained THREE pounds since birth! The pediatrician joked with us saying my milk must be 'jet fuel' with the rate that William has gained weight. He continues to be a GREAT baby. He is a wonderful sleeper (for now at least!), voracious eater, and just seems to have an overall laid back demeanor. I'm so in love!

A barn in the making

Here is a little video of the barn Mark is building in the backyard. His dad was kind enough to spend ALL DAY helping him put it up. Another solid day of work and it should be all done. It will be SO nice to move everything from the garage to the barn and actually have space in our garage!

Oh, and Hannah was quite the helper, too!

Meow!

Check out Hannah's drawing of a kitty cat! I'm really impressed...I think that is pretty good for a 3 year old!

Lots of changes at the Malueg house!

Besides the obvious changes that go with having a newborn at home, we (okay, Mark is doing all of the work) are in the process of making some physical changes to our house and property. We had our house on the market for 18 months in hopes that we would move into a bigger house before a second child arrived. It turns out that that just wasn't meant to be. (As a side note, if anyone in the area needs a referral for an AWESOME realtor, please let me know!)

Mark has designed and is in the process of building a 10x12 foot storage barn for the backyard. Our garage is loaded down with lumber and Mark has already built three walls and all 7 rafters for the roof. Pictures to come soon!

Our next project is installing hardwood floors throughout the house, except for the bedrooms. I'm REALLY excited about this! I know it is sad, but now I won't have to worry about spills and stains and obsess about every little speck on the carpet.

Lastly, budget and logistics permitting, we may add a screened porch and new patio area to the existing patio area. This would by far be the most expensive project since we would have to hire a contractor. However, we may run into some issues with the location of our septic tank overlapping with the extended patio and that could prevent us from doing the project all together.

Since we weren't able to sell our house we just want to make our house into what WE want because we'll probably be here for a while...unless we have another baby :)

Please pray for this family!

If you have a chance, I would highly encourage you to read this blog about a sweet little boy born with Trisomy 18. While I do not know this family personally, their story has touched me in many ways. Their little boy was born just 6 days after William and at the same hospital we delivered at. Their story will remind you just how precious EVERY life is and that every child is a miracle. Please keep this family and baby Hogan in your prayers.

http://www.hogandominy.blogspot.com/

The many faces of Hannah

Hannah is such a goof! I love her silly personality!

Can you tell they are related?!?!

Most of you have probably seen these pictures that Mark posted on Facebook, but for those that have not seen it, I thought I would share it here too. There are times when I'm looking at William and it takes me back to three years ago when I was holding Hannah. They look so much alike to me. I love my beautiful babies!