Aaron's Day

Prepare for major Picture Overload as we follow the Birthday Boy through his Big Day!

First picture of the Day! I am sure he'll thank me for this some day! Notes: Aaron unzips his PJs when he gets in the bed. I think it's part of his wind down routine. He seems to really enjoy it from what we see on the video monitor. And, yes, he is in a Pack N Play in Abby's room. We were doing some room shuffling. He is back in his bed tonight. Combing our hair just right for the Big Day

SOOO happy to have the Cupcake Picture made. I swear this is the exact same expression he had last year. See the last picture on this post.

I told him I'd give him a cupcake for breakfast if he'd smile. Just kidding. I told him I would stop taking pictures if he would smile for one.

What he actually had for breakfast.

A little outdoor play on the way to the car. We had a 9am doctor's appointment to get to.

Aaron's Big Treat! Bagels are maybe his favorite thing in the whole world. He doesn't get them very often and they are very special treats. Today we stopped at Einstein Bros on the way to the doctor and got him a blueberry bagel. He talked about it all day.

Waiting for the doctor. The appointment went great. Aaron is 33 pounds and 37 inches. He is in the 97th percentile for height and the doctor projected that he will be 6'2" as an adult. That will put him 3 inches taller than his daddy and 7 inches taller than his mama!

He is healthy and got one shot and he didn't even flinch. Clearly not related to either Jory or I!

We went to Walmart to get a couple of last minute things for his party. The Party Hostess suggested I bring a DVD so I bought one. I chose Elmo because Aaron LOVES Elmo. But, ummm, Aaron's never seen a DVD so he thought this was a book. He kept saying, "Read Elmo". I kept telling him it wasn't a book and he kept saying, "Read Elmo" and trying to open the book. He thought it just wouldn't open because of the plastic and he was asking me to take that off so that he could open his book and read it. I have no idea how many times I heard "Read Elmo" on the way home. I'm not sure who was more frustrated.

We stopped at Old Navy where Aaron kissed the Dog Mannequin

We finally got home and Aaron resigned himself to the fact that I would not "Read Elmo". He then proceeded to use the DVD as a shovel for dirt. It had to be good for something, I guess.

Aaron got to choose his lunch and he chose a messy one, so we had to get naked afterwards.

After nap we brushed up on our Ansel Adams. We also got a phone call from Kimmie who sung to Aaron. Grandma Beth had called Aaron earlier from school to wish him Happy Birthday and Grandad and Mimi called in the evening. Aaron had good conversations with all of them. He also talked to his daddy on the phone and when I asked him what Daddy had told him he said, "Happy Birthday!". All day he told everyone he was two!

We had a little more outdoor time which resulted in a fall that should make all his Party Pictures tomorrow quite something.

Then we had dinner and a bath and daddy came home and had some One-on-one time with Aaron. It was a super sweet day and I think Aaron enjoyed every minute of it!

The Day You Were Born

I have very few memories from the day Aaron was born. The anesthesia made me very sick and groggy and the day is a blur. Most of the few 'memories' I have came from the videos Jory made and the stories he told me. I was so blessed with Abby to not have any grogginess and to have a clear mind all day. I am so thankful to have memories so I want to record those before they fade. This post will be my longest ever and will serve to preserve a precious day for me. You are free to skip it. And I will also warn you that the first picture of Abby as she came into the world is on this post and most people would not find it pretty. I was so nervous the day your were born! I was anxious to have you here and healthy. We had to leave for the hospital at 9:45am and I thought that would seem late and that the morning would drag on, but it was just the opposite. I was so scattered that it took me a long time to get ready. I also started two tasks that I completely forgot to finish and didn't think about again for 12 hours. That's not like me at all!

I wanted to take one last picture of you inside of me, but that task got dropped as well (though your daddy took some video as we walked into the hospital). The day you were born I was exactly nine months pregnant. It was a beautiful day and before we left for the hospital I was sitting outside with your grandparents watching Aaron play. I was thankful to have your grandparents in town. They came in the night before and stayed with us. It was a blessing to have them here for your birth and that meant so much to me, but it was also so nice to leave your brother in their care. It was obvious that he was one thing I would not have to worry about.

We got to the hospital and had the most pleasant admission experience. This had been a process when your brother was born and I was braced for that, but this was smooth and efficient and the nurse, Kim, who prepared me for the Operating Room was wonderful. We were done by 11am and I told your daddy that it was going to be a long hour waiting to go into the OR at noon. My surgery was scheduled for 12pm, but our doctor had told us it could be later depending on what was going on at the hospital that day. Your daddy had been praying for weeks that we would not be delayed in meeting you and right after I said that we would be waiting for a long hour a nurse came in and told us that our doctor was ahead of schedule and would be ready to go at 11:30! So they went ahead and got me into the OR to get things ready. We didn't have any waiting time at all!

Your daddy had to wait for a while to come into the Operating Room. This is the last picture he took before they called him back.

I missed him so much while I was in the OR by myself. I finally said, 'I'm ready for my husband to be in here' and I didn't even realize I said it out loud, but I heard my doctor tell a nurse to go get him and the next thing I knew he was standing by my side. He is such a calming force in my life and I needed him.

Your surgery went so quickly! Well, at least compared to the one other one I have had. There were no complications, no strained voices, no yanking trying to get you free. They just went in and lifted you out and at 11:55 you were here! Daddy got to take this picture of you. You were awful mad when you came out and that cry was one of the greatest sounds I have ever heard. When the doctor told me you were okay I cried.

You had dark hair and you looked just like your brother to me. You were smaller, but just beautiful. Right after you were born I got very sick. It was scary for me, but the anesthesiologist had been prepared and was there to help me. So I told your daddy to go be with you while the nurses weighed you, checked you and cleaned you. He took this picture and then came back super quick to tell me you were doing great.

My doctor was surprised by how big you were. At four days early, over eight pounds is a pretty big girl. Most of your weight was in your length, though. You were a long baby!

They took me into the recovery room and you and Daddy came too. No one else was allowed to come in there. We were in there for an hour or so and I made your daddy leave super quick to tell your grandparents (Papa and Kimmie and Papa Tom and Grandma Sheri) that you were here. He came back with Grandma Sheri's phone and took some pictures for them to send to everyone they knew.

Once I was feeling better the nurse helped me sit up and I got to nurse you. You did everything all by yourself! Your daddy and I and the nurse were all so impressed. You just latched on and ate. You even tried to use your hand to help you latch on. You knew exactly what you were doing. That was a huge blessing and having such a good eater is something we are thankful for.

After you ate the nurse wheeled us to a regular room. We went past the waiting room where your grandparents were and they took this picture.

Back in our room we had a lot of nurses checking you out and you had your first bath. So the grandparents had to wait some more before they got to come in. Here is your Grandma Sheri holding you finally.

I was doing really well and so were you, so Grandma and Papa went to get your brother so he could meet you. He stayed at home with his babysitter Brooke while you were being born so that I could have your grandparents at the hospital with me.

I was so excited to see your brother! Brooke said the entire time she was with him he kept saying 'Abby born. Abby born.' He had such an excited look on his face when he walked into the room. He had flowers for us and he had signed the card himself. It was a special moment for me.

Aaron couldn't wait to hold you and he was so sweet with you.
He was a little confused, but he sure loved you.

After that it was dinner time, so all of the grandparents took Aaron to Souper Salad where he proceeded to show them how to tear up a salad bar. This left Daddy and I alone with you and we had some very precious time.

I loved watching your daddy hold you. He is such a good daddy and he loves you so much. You are blessed that God gave you him as your father on earth.

Our hospital experience was so wonderful. It was very peaceful compared to where we were when your brother was born. At that hospital there was always someone coming in to check on something and here we had a lot of alone time. It was very calm and peaceful.

Grandad and Mimi came up as soon as Grandad got home from work. They brought you a teddy bear and took lots of pictures.

This was one of the greatest days ever. Everything worked together perfectly and we were so blessed with our beautiful, wonderful gift from God.

Getting Bigger

Yesterday Aaron had his last cup of whole milk. As I threw the carton away I got a little misty eyed. I can't believe this week will end the second year of Aaron's life. He is becoming such a big boy and I love it, but it does all go by so fast!

Someone else is getting bigger, too.

As of yesterday Abby has a belly button! And in continuing with the tradition of having little in common with her brother, she has an Outie Belly Button!

And as of today, Little Miss is three weeks old. We tried a bottle for the first time today and it was rejected. We'll try again tomorrow or the next day.

Things are going well in the Allen Household. We are getting into a bit of a routine and are starting to get things done. We also still have meals coming from our church which has been WONDERFUL.

And just a few more...

I have thought of a few more similarities and differences between Abby and Aaron and I wanted to record those then I should be done for a while.

Abby rides much better in the car than Aaron did. This is certainly due to all the praying I did about it while she was in the womb.

They were both big babies. Abby was four days early and weighed in at over 8 pounds. Aaron came along 2 weeks later at 9 1/2 pounds. But they were both also 99th percentile for length. So even with the extra weight they both seemed like all scrawny legs at this point to me. Abby has a much smaller head than Aaron, though. :) When she was born she seemed so much smaller to me than Aaron did when he was born. I thought she looked JUST like her brother only smaller.

They must be proportioned differently. Aaron never wore newborn clothes. When he was two weeks old I tried to put him in a newborn outfit and it was like a wetsuit. Abby is still wearing newborn clothes even though she is above both the weight and height listed on the newborn tags. According to the tags, she should fit into three month clothes, but they are too big for her. She has a lot of really cute three month clothes so I am anxious for her to be able to wear them.

This outfit is my favorite newborn outfit she has. Her Aunt Mindy and Uncle Doug got it for her. The blanket is from her Kimmie. It is a very nice blanket.

More Observations

A continuation of what our children do (and don't) have in common. Similarity: Abby hates to be naked, she hates sponge baths and she hates to have her diaper changed. The 'I am being tortured' cry is very similar.

Once Aaron was asleep for the night we were good to go. He would let us know when he needed fed, but he would quickly eat and fall back to sleep. It was very efficient and non-disruptive. Abby takes a long time to feed in the night and then she takes a long time to wind back down and she doesn't do it all that sweetly.

Abby doesn't spit up much. Aaron spit up a lot more.

Abby likes to be on her stomach. Tummy Time was a Nightmare with Aaron. Jory made me promise to never do Tummy Time when he was in the house because it was unbearable and our doctor forced me to fight through it.

Similarity: Both are such sweet babies. We can not believe how God has blessed us!

Differences (and a few similarities)

I have said that Aaron and Abby are so different in SO many ways...and right from the start! I want to record this stuff so that I remember it, so here are the differences I can think of right now (I know I'll forget some).

Abby poops A LOT. A whole lot. I really thought it wasn't normal, but apparently it's fine. I remember being concerned that Aaron didn't poop enough. This time I was concerned about the opposite.

Abby likes to sleep on an incline. Aaron was fine flat on his back.

Abby sucks on everything. Any chance she gets. It doesn't have to have anything to do with hunger, she's just got a good suck reflex. Aaron would not suck on anything! He actually wouldn't put anything in his mouth which was a good thing until it was time for him to eat on his own! Aaron refused a pacifier and it was a time getting him to take a bottle and he never took a sippy cup. This difference has made Abby a better eater from the start. She latched on immediately and hasn't looked back. She regained all of her birth weigh plus some during the first two weeks and Aaron didn't come close. She also gets much better feedings so goes a lot longer in between them than Aaron did at this point.

Aaron didn't rest much during the day but slept for long stretches at night right from the beginning. Abby would LOVE to sleep all day and eat all night. We're working on that and most days we are doing pretty well, but we have to wake her up during the day.

Similarity: Both love to be swaddled tightly. Both would wake up screaming if they got an arm out of their swaddle during their sleep.

Abby doesn't care much for the bouncer. Aaron LOVED it.

Abby likes to be held a lot more than her brother did. This is unfortunate for her since we've got the distraction of a toddler that keeps our arms busier than they were when Aaron was a baby.

Abby doesn't care if you mess with her eyes. You can use a wet wash cloth to clean her eyes - even if she's sleeping. You can actually just use your fingernail to scrape off mattering around her eye. She doesn't care At All. Oh my word. I can not tell you what Aaron would have done if someone put a fingernail anywhere near his eye. Some of his most memorable fits occurred when someone tried to clean his eyes. He had a blocked tear duct, so for months there was always mattering around his eye. For some reason that I still can not fathom, people felt like it would be appropriate to take a dry burp cloth and try to clean this tiny baby's eyes. If Jory or I didn't catch them fast enough these well meaning people would quickly regret this move. Aaron would scream for 20 minutes if someone tried to clean his eyes. So they just looked gross for about six months and we spent a lot of time slapping people's arms away. Fond memories there.

Similarity: I think Abby has a blocked tear duct, too.

Two Week Appointments

Today we had Abby's PKU Screening at the hospital, my 2 Week Follow Up and Abby's 2 Week Appointment. I took both kids with me for the back-to-back appointments. It's pretty ambitious since I have never even taken Aaron with me to an appointment. Thankfully, God blessed me with two extraordinary children. Abby slept until we were walking out of the last appointment (when she made her presence quite known) and even slept through the blood draw at the hospital! Aaron did a lot of magazine reading and was continually told how good he is and how old he seems! I was proud.

Here is Little Miss sleeping amidst the puzzle pieces Aaron provided her. Her appointment went GREAT. She has regained her birth weight plus some...she weighs 8 pounds, 7 ounces. At two weeks that puts her well above average in weight and we are so pleased. But here's the kicker: She's grown over an inch in two weeks and has hit the 99th percentile in height. She is 21 and 3/4 inches long! A nurse saw her feet and commented that she would be very tall before she was even measured. Will we have two tall kids?

My appointment also went well. My incision is finally healing and I don't have to go back to the doctor for two weeks. That will just be to confirm that it is completely closed, but the doctor doesn't anticipate any problems. She said it looks great!