Meet Bailey

 Our sweet baby girl joined our family Dec. 17th, at 8:21 p.m. She weighed 7 lbs. 10 oz, and was 20 inches long. Making her my shortest baby, and 2nd heaviest. She has been such a pleasant and welcomed addition! I really worried about Autumn and Weston and how they would transition with a new little one, but they have adjusted well and it's been smoother than I anticipated. Weston just loves Bailey and wants to hold and kiss her all the time and is very concerned when she cries, saying over and over again, "Bailey sad, Bailey sad." Autumn is always quick to offer a blanket, hat, or pacifier even when it's not needed. Her motherly instincts have really started to show and she is going to be a great big sister. Here are a couple of pictures, she is already 2 weeks old- and these are from the first few days. We love her so much and can't believe we now have 3 kids (in such a short amount of time), and can't imagine it any other way. :) More pics to come later.

We're Transitioning

Weston to a "big boy bed" that is. The road was rough when we transitioned Autumn to her twin bed, and she still has rough patches where almost every night for a week she makes her way into our room several times a night and has to be walked back to her bed. But we have had Weston napping and sleeping at night in his twin bed for a week now, and it's been smooth sailing (knock on wood).

We knew that with Westons soft, sweet, sensitive nature he might have had a harder time transitioning from the crib to a bed after the baby came, than before. We worried he would feel like everything was changing, or that he was being "put out" of his crib because of the baby. So we took the crib out of his room, and we excitedly tell him all the time about how he is a "big boy" in a "big boy bed." For not being 2 years old yet, he has done fantastic!

The only time he gets out of his bed is when I lay him down for his nap (and even then it hasn't been everyday). But I figure, it's brighter in his room during the day than at night, so he can see everything and get out, but I have never had to put him back in bed more than twice, and then he stays put until he wakes up. But evenings are blissful, we close the door and don't see or hear a peep from him till morning. It still cracks me up every morning when he walks in our room and says, "Hi dad." He just seems so grown up, to see him walk in and out of his room and get in and out of his bed. We are so proud of him, and grateful we made the move when we did. It's one less thing to worry about when this baby comes. Now we just need new bedding for it, it was just an extra bed we had in his room for the last 6 months, so the bedding isn't what I would like. Also- you notice the sippy cup he has craddled in 2 of the pics, those are days I don't pay attention well enough and his cup was already in his room when I layed him down. It cracks me up when I check on him, to make sure he is asleep in his bed, and his cup is mysteriously with him.

Terrible Two's

Weston has hit the "terrible two's" and it couldn't have come at a better time (said in the most sarcastic way possible). I am 9 months pregnant, only have 3 weeks left and my son decides now he wants to be grumpy and say no to everything. He definitely has a mind of his own, but I was usually able to pursuade him another way when he wasn't happy before, but now its turned into he wants what he wants and he isn't happy unless he gets his way (or forgets what he was upset about) and he pesters his sister like crazy. I don't remember this stage with Autumn, which may be because Weston was a newborn and I was preoccupied or maybe just that she has always been on the more difficult end of the spectrum it was nothing new when the 2's hit. While Weston is still happy, funny, and easy going it has become very clear that there are more fits being thrown and more attention being demanded. I guess it could be related to the fact that a baby is coming and he is more sensitive to the situation than I realized.

He has become increasingly close to Drew, so much so that when I get him out of bed in the morning, or after his naps he cries and whines on the floor for dad for a good 1/2 hour to an hour. He has never shown a preference before, but when Drew had 5 days off the week of Thanksgiving and he took Weston where ever he went (and got him out of bed in the mornings and after naps) I guess that's all it took. The boy just wants his dad, especially after sleeping. I just sit near him and watch him throw his fit, hoping he will realize that crying and acting like that won't make his dad appear while he is at work and that it really doesn't do any good. But it is exhausting! Especially for me- I am ready for him to get over his issues- and be my sweet happy loving boy ALL the time.