Welcome, Sweet Corbin - Part 3

Corbin was beautifully perfect.

The moment I heard his first cries, I was struck at how different he already was from his brother. They sounded nothing alike, and how interesting it was that I recognized and remembered immediately.

He had dark hair, a dimpled chin, and a cry that reminded me of a little cat (not so much the pterodactyl of brother).

He was born at 8:22 p.m. He weighed 8 pounds, 3.4 oz, and 20 inches long...so a little bigger than the 7 pounds the doctor told us at our last appointment.

I was able to feed him right after they cleaned him all up, which was a great feeling. I was also doing sooooo much better than after I delivered Owen. It was so sweet to be able to enjoy my son right after birth, along with our excited family.

Corbin, Joe and I got to great our family, and I got to love on my first born while Mr. C was in the nursery getting checked out and scrubbed over. Owen was pretty excited to get to see me and Daddy again. And Daddy was pretty excited to get to show off Baby to Brother in the nursery too.

We had a pretty long first night in the hospital with waking up baby, getting woken up for medicine and vitals for me and baby, and noise in the hallway. The zombie phase had begun.

All went well health-wise for us both, and we were able to go home Thursday morning. My mom and dad stayed with us through the weekend, then my mom stayed for the next week and help us adjust as a family of four. THANKS MOM and DAD!

Owen has been great. We've had a few bumps with attitude issues and wanting me to hold him and sit in my lap, when there was no way I could. That has been hard for me as a mom to know I can't do everything for my son, whom I have tried to do everything for the last 3 years.

Corbin has proven to be his own person too. He, sadly, is not quite the easy-going baby I had asked for, but I wouldn't return him for the world. He wants to be held most of the day. When he is held, he bucks back and kicks his head out, making it difficult to hold him. And he throws his little head every which way...making it difficult to hold him. See an interesting trend? Wants to be held, but not??? Yeah, it's neat. The kid can pass gas with the best of them too! He nurses pretty well, but falls asleep very easily -- making him want to eat more often because he keeps falling asleep! ARG! Then, on the other hand, he goes on marathon bouts where he wants to eat for like an hour straight. Ahhh, babies....why can't you just have a display screen of what you need?

Corbin Jack, we are so excited to have you in our family. You have blessed us already, and you've only been here for a short time. Welcome, Sweet Corbin, let's do life together. What do you say?

A Labor of Love - Part 2

Well, those nurses were sweet. They said, why yes, we always have room. So around 10 am, they took us down the hall, not to far from where we had the O'Bear, and started to monitor us. Yep, we were in labor.

One of the first things they did was put my IV in to see if my platelets were high enough to get an epidural. This had been a concern the last few weeks, so I was praying we were good to go. If this kid was anything like O, I might be needing that epi sooner than later. My tiny veins struck again. Two nurses couldn't get a vein. UGH. So, they called in the ringer. If she couldn't do it, no one could...um, ok. This sweet nurse was able to do it lickity split, and mentioned "don't be surprised when you see an extra charge on the bill, that's me." Joe and I were not shocked by this pulling from our last experience; we were more shocked that she was joking! Ha!

I was monitored and checked a few times. After telling the nurses that O'Bear was 9.4 lb at birth, they said, "Oh, this kid will just drop right out." They also said he'll be here shortly. Lying liars! Don't believe your nurses on time tables, it's ALL up the the kiddo! It was also confirmed somewhere in there that our sweet second boy was sunny side up like his brother, creating horrible bone on bone back contractions, like his brother. So, I did not dilly dally. When my platelet count was OK'd, I signed right up for an epi.

Then the real fun began. Contractions were hard. The nurses also began the fun of trying to rotate the baby by having me flip from side to side every 30 minutes or so. I also found out that my doctor was not in town, which I didn't know before hand, and was waiting for a visit from one of her partners, and it seems we labored so long, I got passed off to the on-call doctor who I'd never even heard his name before.

It seems though, God knows what we need. Our doctor was calm, irreverent, and had a dry sense of humor. It took our minds off the not so fun stuff going on. Right before the doctor came to see us, the baby's heartbeat dropped very low, very rapidly, so I was also placed on oxygen for the last bit of labor. The doctor suggested a bit of pitocin to get us over the last hump (as I seemed to have stalled out about the same with Owen). Shortly after the pitocin was started, I was ready to start pushing.

As the nurses started to get everything in place, our doctor kept us occupied by showing us pictures of his kids and other patients, telling us odd family stories and filling us in on what he was texting his wife on why he wasn't home yet! Ha!

About four good rounds of pushing, and our sweet boy was here!! And the most amazing thing -- his full head of dark hair! Where did that come from.

Joe and I worked on names when we got to the hospital (again, seems to be our thing). We had it whittled down to Corbin Jack or Jack Alan. Joe wasn't quite sold on Corbin, but I asked to keep it in the running. I had a dream about it, and it just seemed like we needed to keep it. Corbin is Latin for dark or raven. And corban (found in Mark) is a Hebrew word for "a gift devoted to God."

When I saw his dark head of hair, I knew that his name was Corbin.

Welcome Corbin Jack!! Part I

I can't believe it's already been three weeks since we welcomed our sweet new baby boy, Corbin Jack.

This summer was a bear. It was hot. Heck, it was a Texas summer, with more heat in the last month than almost all summer. I was a boring, non-fun, stay-in-the-air conditioning kind of mom to a certain 3 year old. And he still loves me. Pregnancy was starting to become a drag the last few weeks, and as much as I wanted my baby boy to be healthy and well at birth, I also welcomed his arrival ANY TIME HE WANTED TO SHOW UP!

The last few check-ups we had showed O'Baby 2 to only be around 7 pounds. I found this a bit odd, as second babies tend to be bigger, and honestly, it had be worried. I chose to give my worries to God, and let him take care of my fears...He's really good at that sort of thing.

We still had no name. Our house was still a mess from construction in the back room to move big brother. Big brother's school year was about to start. We DID buy a new vehicle that would safely carry our whole family...that also cost a chunk of change. Needless to say, it was a time of unrest for me.

So, on Tuesday the 17th when I woke up at 1am not feeling well, I chalked it up to nighttime prego discomfort. When I woke up at 3am, I thought this is for the birds. When I woke up at 5am, I decided that this discomfort I was feeling MIGHT ACTUALLY BE contractions. I never had any Braxton Hicks with either, and didn't have any contractions til at the hospital with Owen since we were induced, so I was a little slow in the uptake. I decided to go ahead and get up, take a shower and start making Owen's lunch for school. At 6am when Joe got up, I told him, hmmmm, we might need to go to the hospital shortly. I still wasn't convinced this kiddo was coming today and started to worry something was wrong. I know...lots of worry.

Joe's mom was called and was ready to take O to school. My parents were called and were packing to come shortly. Well, after waiting and timing contractions, I called my doctor's office and they said to wait til they were 5 minutes apart before coming in. Ummm, ok. So, Joe and I took O to school, as I started feeling guilty about what was coming for my first born.

We dropped Owen off at school, and he was a basket case. He did not want to be left. So, while Joe comforted, I stood out in the hall willing the contractions to not hurt and my first born to not feel sad. Neither worked, so we left O in the capable hands of his teachers.

When we got back in the car, I had a message from my doctor's office asking to wait til contractions were at most 5 minutes apart and PAINFUL before coming in because L&D was quite busy today. Painful??? Are there nonpainful contractions?

As I was still not quite at 5 minutes apart, Joe asked if we could run down to his work in Grand Prairie to get his computer. Why not, what's a 40 minute trip on a bumpy road in a pick-up when you're in labor. This still makes me laugh. Joe did do a good job of getting in and getting out in just a few minutes. I just had it in my mind he was going to get stopped, pulled into some project and I'd be left out in the truck. 

After the computer was retrieved, on we went to the hospital. It was painful, and well, those nurses were just going to have to deal with us! ;)

(Also, wahoo for my 101st post! Fitting to be for our sweet new baby!)

An All Star Addition

O'Baby! We're expecting.

We found out a few weeks ago that O'Baby 2.0 will be joining us around September 24, 2013.

We are excited. We apprehensive. We've been a little bit reserved.

It was a hard road to get to this sweet baby. It has not been an easy season for us and so many of our friends. Babies are amazing, fragile gifts that, only through God's mercy and love, turn into the bundles of joy we get to hold 9+ months later. And sometimes, we mere men don't know God's timing.

So, that's why there have not been the shouts of Surprise! The banners blazing. Till now... We've just been waiting. We've just been loving, and we've just been praying for a healthy baby to join our family.

Our families are so excited for us. My mom of course thought I was daft when I showed her a onesie for my soon-to-be-here niece that read, "I'm the Big Cousin!" "Ummm, no, Owen is the big cousin, Leanna." I then showed her and my dad O's accompanying shirt, "Big Bro." Slowly, slowly, the meaning became clear. My dad is pretty excited that he'll get to have two new grandbabies in the same year. I'm pretty excited too.

Joe's mom and dad were equally happy with tears and hugs after they read O's shirt.

Big Brother. Owen. Ha! How great! If you ask him if he wants a brother or a sister, he has said without fail that he wants both. BUT to his credit, and his mama's glad heart (and ultra sound), he said they don't have to come together.

O'Baby we are glad you are here. We are praying daily for your growth and health. We love you already.

-- Mommy and Daddy

Swimmin', Sharks, and Turning Two!

We had a wonderful weekend celebrating the O'Bear (and Father's Day!)

I had the idea to start his real birthday, Friday, off right with a breakfast of champions including donuts and chocolate milk. I'm pretty sure it was a hit.

Our friends, Asher and Kathleen, then came over to help bake the birthday cake. It was a pretty involved recipe for a giant cake in the end. So Kat helped me in the kitchen and Asher helped entertain Owen. I think it worked out well for all involved. The cake was awesome!


Next, we headed over to Garland to meet up with my parents and Jenni and Jamie for some Flying Fish food. I think O might have had 3 bites of fish and 30 bites of french fries. What are you going to do...

The party went perfectly! O got dropped off at Nana's and slept til 4:30, while my mom, sister and I did some last minute things and set up the party downstairs at Nana's.

We swam, we ate, we laughed.

We got attacked by bubble guns, splashing babies, and splashing adults.


 We opened, we played, we crashed.

I'd have to say it was a wonderful day. I can't believe how much O has changed over the last year.

At our doctor's appointment yesterday, his stats were:
Height: 36" - 88%
Weight: 31 lb - 83%
Head: Good ol' 93%

Still growing and growing. Talking up a storm. Taking risks. And being his awesome self!

Happy Birthday, O'Bear!

Tangled.

Remember that story of Rapunzel with the long flowing gold hair.

Well, we weren't that bad. But we were getting there. 

See, Mr O turned 20 months yesterday, and his poor, beautiful, gold hair kept getting tangled and matted when he slept. So Joe and I decided to put our big parent pants on and get our baby boy a haircut.

We loaded up and headed to Joe's local hair cutters and asked them to please take care of our baby boy.

See...we're all smiles here. Poor kid doesn't know what's about to happen.

We decided to take the easier approach and let Owen sit on Daddy's lap. Daddy got a spiffy leopard cape and Owen got his very own. Cue the 'less-than-thrilled' emotions. Our hairdresser told O she was going to just spray down his hair a bit, and the boy froze, turned into Daddy and started to tear up.

A lolly pop!!! Get this kid a lolly pop stat!!!!!

Whehehww!

Still uncertain what was happening to his sad little self, Owen did quite good and set mostly still for the lady with just a few tears still in his eyes.

Then. The. Clippers.

You know that slow-motion in horror films where the poor sap knows he's going down and cries and screams in agony. It was kinda like that. It was the saddest, biggest pout-laden, tear-jerking reaction you could have gotten from a little guy.  He burrowed into Joe as much as he could.

All in all, I'd have to call him a champ. He did good for not really knowing what was happening. And gosh, as if it was possible, he got even more handsome!

(Please note the snot and tears and mess we've created.)

Happy Birthday, Owen. We are glad we can always provide you with trauma and a lolly pop. -- Your parents.

Chatterbox

Owen is a talker.

He is not shy. Okay, he is shy...but not with his posse around.

I love hearing him talk and all the new words he's learning.

The thing I hear most from the back seat these days is "Drive. Drive. Drive. Drive" You get the idea. The kid is not telling me to drive. The kid is saying HE WANTS TO DRIVE. O knows how to stick the right key (no matter the car) in the ignition and turn it at least enough to get the radio going.

Anywho...here's a little bit of Conversations with Owen taken on our way to small group last week. Makes me smile.

18 months...at 19 months

My baby boy is officially 1.5 years old! He is a spitfire. There really isn't any other way of describing him.

He really only has one speed - full tilt. He runs, everywhere. He tinkers. He builds. He stacks. He sorts. He screams. He laughs. He hugs. He kisses.

At his 18 mo check-up, O was:
94% for height
76% or so for weight
90% for head.

He's a big kid, but doesn't really have an ounce of chub on him, unless you check out his belly after eating noodles. He wears a size 4 diaper still. He's in 18mo pants and some 24mo, but some of those are either too long or too wide around for his skinny waist. He's in 18, 24 or 2yr shirts....whatever will fit over his giant noggin! He's got so much hair - it looks like spun gold when he wakes up from his nap.

His favorite hobbies are still playing outside and stealing daddy's tools. With our bathroom remodel going on, the child has been in hog heaven. Drills, screwdrivers, paint brushes, screws, nail gun (not a fan of this one, but always unplugged). He's playing more with Ryker, much to puppy's chagrin; he can say and touch Ryk's tail and paws! Owen can talk up a storm now. He's got so many words and if he doesn't know the words, don't worry, that won't slow this boy down. He can have long, thought-out conversations...only you have no idea what's said. Joe and I have decided it's a mix between Navajo, Mandarin and French. He can say Ryker, Ursa (gparents' dog), cake, cook, cracker, 'side (outside), down, up, milk, Jenni, Jamie, Holly, Carol, Sassy, A, Pappap (Jim). I know there are so many others too. He's just amazing.

And along with being amazing, comes the trials. We've had quite the battles at bed time, waking up, rocking and throwing a fit if placed back down. This has gone on for hours, so we've just started crying it out. Hard for all of us. O has also decided to start the Terrible Two's early - he says it's his way or the highway. His way consists of never getting new diapers. Wanting more and more and more raisins till he'll turn into one. Going outside with no clothes on the actual cold days of winter. And a H**L to the No on getting into his car seat nicely.

We are all learning. O is growing and becoming more and more our pride and joy. Prayers are extremely appreciated during these trying times. One and a half years...I am blown away.

Time Flies When You're Growing Up

Seems like so long ago now when Owen learned to stand up in his crib. I loved walking into his room to find him hanging on the rails waiting for me to pick him up in this morning.

Now, he's huge! We have the bed at the lowest setting, and he's just as tall. How is this possible. Now, when I walk in to his room in the mornings, I'm usually greeted with some sort of fun chatter, then I am handed each blanket and animal that has slept with him that night. I then say, "Thank you so much, but where do I put Owen?" He of course gets a little worried, so we tuck his animals in for later and I pick him up as we bounce on "One. Two. THREEEEE!!!"

Oh, O'Bear! How you grow! I love you buddy...but you can slow down just a bit, okay?

15 Months of Fun

Owen is going and growing these days. Sometimes it takes my breath away seeing what a little boy, not a little baby, he is!

At his 15-month check-up he was: (can't find my paper right now with exact numbers)
60% in weight
75% in height
90% in head (shocker)

He's still eating like a champ. He LOVES fruit like his daddy and could eat it all day if he could. He also likes pizza and will try a bite of most anything. He's still in size 3 diapers because of his trim little waist, but he's in 18mo clothes for the most part with some 12mo pants (but they're getting a wee bit too short). He also wears a size 6 shoe now!

Owen still goes and goes and goes and goes. But very rarely, he'll actually lay down and enjoy the view for a while. He loves chasing Ryker and thinks they are the best of friends (too bad Ryker hasn't gotten the message! He's terrified!) We're down to one nap a day in the afternoon after lunch, and most of the time it works out pretty well. We're outside multiple times a day, playing in the sand box or with the water hose or whatever tool he finds. It is so hard to keep this guy entertained without fear of death too!

He's talking all the time, a few words are:
Mama
Da
GoGo
Bye (with the cutest little waive now!)
Ball
Hot
That
And I'm sure many others I just dont' know the meaning of.

We've also started taking O to Sunday School while we go to church. This had been hard on all with major crocodile tears coming and going (once even called out of service). However, last Sunday, we made it all the way through with no tears on both ends. Joe and I couldn't have been happier.

Way to go, O! Can't wait to see what we'll get to do together this fall!

(Have you seen a cuter blond baby boy in overalls??? I die!)

No Need for Mama

You see this boy?

Don't let the diaper fool you. He's not a baby anymore. He doesn't need his mama anymore. That's right, at 14.5 months old, he finally kicked the need for me to the curb. He is officially weaned.

I am saddened and excited at this new juncture in babyhood. It's just weird to so vividly remember nursing ALL THE TIME, to cutting back to three times to cutting back to one, then poof, Holly kept him Saturday night when we had a birthday party, and we just never started back up.

Well, I do think he still has a need for me, just not the same, right?

And now, I guess this means I get to go on my Anniversary trip and any girls' vacation I plan in the future. Right? ::Sniff::

Great Book Finds

Owen received a giftcard to Barnes and Noble from his GreatGrandma O for his birthday!! We used it two times to get some special fun books.

The first was, But Not the Hippopotamus, a fun little book about rhyming and feeling left out. I love pretty much Sandra Boynton does, her drawings and her humor. This one is right up there with Moo, Baa, LaLaLa!

The next two Joe and I found on our recent date night (thank the LORD, it was wonderful to get away and have fun just the two of us again!!) They were found in the "Christian" section of the kids' books...who knew...but I have a feeling these will become special books for a long time when Owen gets a little better understanding.

The Tale of the Three Trees is a traditional folktale about three trees who had dreams and aspirations of being something grand. Yet, when their time came to be used, it was not what they had hoped to be used for. However, through Christ's touch, they became something more important and cherished than they could ever dream on their own, much like ourselves. What a great lesson to teach our kids - Dream big, but do not be discouraged if God has something else in mind, because, being God...it will be blessings 10,000-fold!

The last book by Max Lucado is You are Special. It's a neat and odd little book about Wemmicks, a group of wooden puppets made by Eli. The Wemmicks give each other stars or grey dots depending on whether they think they are special or good or ugly or stupid or chipped. One little guy only has grey dots and doesn't feel very good about himself til he meets a girl that neither stars nor dots stick to -- because she talks to Eli. So this little guy goes to talk to Eli who loves him for who he is because HE made him and he is indeed special just the way he is. The more one is around Eli, the less the 'things' stick, because they are no longer important. It teaches, that you are indeed special just the way you are. That there will always be good and bad things, but what really matters is your relationship with the one who made you. It's sweet, and a good reminder to us big people, that we are special and our actions do affect others and that we need to spend time with our maker too!

These are some nifty books, I think. I look forward to reading them with Owen and finding more along our journey together!

12-Month Stats

We were a little late in going to his 1-year check-up at the end of last month, so here's the low-down.

Owen is wearing 12-mo and 18-mo clothes. He's pretty tall, and there's the head issue, so a lot of 12-mo clothes are getting harder to fit. He's still in size 3 diapers for now, but can wear size 4 fine too...just have to cinch a bit more!

At his check-up, he was:

Weight: 22 lbs 14 oz - 50%
Height: 31 in - 80%
Head: 80%

He is so active and loves life right now. Being one certainly agrees with this little guy! He has recently fallen in love with playing ball. He has small, medium and large rubber balls that he will pick up and walk around the house with. He can get get them when asked and even throws them to you as well. He is also saying, Mamma, Dadda and now BALL! He's a genius. He chatters all the time now too!

He has started playing chase with me too. It is SOOOO much fun! I'll say, "I'm going to get you...," and he takes off! He has the funniest laugh lately that sounds like a little Tarzan. Silly boy. He still stalks Ryker and tackles him often. Poor dog. He loves hanging with his dad outside and taking bubble baths together. We have pretty well child-proofed the house, because this kid gets into everything! The cabinets, the toilet, climbing the fire place, climbing stairs at others' houses, climbing the wall (ok, maybe not)...This kid will not let life pass him idly by! No, sir!! 

So far, Owen is still a pretty good napper with two naps most days. He's eating table foods and whole milk like a champ, and down to two nursings a day. The END IS IN SIGHT!! We have quite enjoyed having afternoon snacks together and we do pretty good at restaurants if we don't stay too long!

I have to say, I love this new stage in Owen's life. He's learning every day. He is funny and clever. He is strong-willed (not so fun all the time) and determined. He can figure out things very quick (again, hard for mom and dad to stay on top of some days!). Here's to a great 2nd year. You're amazing kiddo!

Thanks, Lydia @ LMNovations for the great photos!