6 Doctor Trips in one week!

As you know from my last post, we have been a pretty sick household over the past couple weeks.  After my doctor appointment on Saturday, Ben decided he should go on Monday to rule out strep, and then poor Cole was running a fever on Friday, so we took him to see the doctor.  Fortunately, it appears that everyone is healthy, for now, and Luke is no longer on his anti-biotic.  I am definitely a germ a phobe right now, and no one is allowed to kiss on the mouth or share food or drinks, and everyone's hands are dry and cracked from washing so much.  I'm praying we stay healthy!

Cole will be 8 weeks old tomorrow!  He is doing great!  He is smiling, and exploring with his hands.  I think he might be a thumb sucker because he will spit his binky out and try so hard to get his thumb in his mouth.  He does this all the time, and it sometimes frustrates him when he can't get it.  Luke has made of the observation that Cole "dances" a lot, because he is constantly kicking his legs.  I think he is trying to keep up with Luke and Daddy!  Cole is establishing a pretty good routine for himself, and I am greatful for that!  He goes to bed around 10:00pm, wakes up around 3:30am to eat, and goes back to sleep until 6:00-7:00.  He'll then take about an hour nap in the morning, and then a 3-4 hour nap between 1:30-5:00.  He dozes off downstairs with us during the evening.  He is truly an awesome baby, and Ben and I both know how blessed we are!

Luke is doing well!  Everyday he adjusts more and more to Cole and we are having less and less "issues".  He loves to kiss Cole, put his binky back in his mouth, and wipe up his "spit up".  He told me that he is going to "teach Cole how to shoot" (baskets) when Cole "gets tall" like him.  He is a great big brother and makes me very proud!  We started learning the alphabet and are learning one letter a week!  He could probably learn one a day, but I want it to be fun and relaxing for him.  We are on letter C this week.  The potty training is not going well.  Luke knows when he has to go, but does not want to go on the potty.  I'm not going to push it, but Ben and I both are encouraging him.  Hopefully over the next month or so he will see how cool it is to pee pee on the potty!

Ben started his Masters program last week.  He is trying to find a good balance between family, work, and now school.  I know he will figure out a schedule that works for everyone! 

Now that I am feeling well, and have a little more energy, I am planning on starting my journey to get back in to shape, or at least get back to the weight that I was before Cole :0)  I gained 45 pounds with Cole, and I still need to lose 15-20 pounds to get back to my fighting weight!  Wish me luck :0) 

We have lots of visitors coming the next couple weekends.  My dad and Marla came this past weekend, and we had a very nice time!  Luke made sure to tell Mar Mar, several times, that "Beamie at my binky", haha!  This coming weekend Ben's parents are coming, the following my mom and Edgy (and maybe my Aunt and Uncle), the weekend after that Ben's brother and his girlfriend, and the weekend after that my dad and Marla are coming back down for Bryanna's play.  We love the company and the help!  But if you'd like to come visit, you better call waaay ahead, haha, j/k!

I have my camera sitting her to upload pictures, but now I just need to find the cord to connect it... I'll try to put some pictures up tonight!

Doctor Doctor Doctor

We had kind of a crazy week with doctor appointments.  First I had my 6 week check up, post baby on Monday.  All was good, and the doctor was already asking when we are having another.  He had four kids in five years!  I assured him we would not be following in his foot steps.  Next up was a dentist apptointment for me, I needed a sealent.  Then Luke had a funny rash, so he went to see his pediatrician, he has strep and had to miss his friend Riley's birthday party today.  Lastly, this morning I went to the family doctor to see if I have strep, fortunately I do not, but unfortunately I am not feeling well.  Ben too is under the weather.  Hopefully we'll all start feeling better and Cole will not get sick.  I feel like I've been sick so much lately, I guess my immune system is down, although I thought it was supposed to be up considering I'm nursing... 

I need to start taking more pictures, I haven't been very good about it.  So my next post will have some new pictures of Luke and Cole and hopefully good news that everyone in our household is sickness free!

Christmas 2010

First Month Check Up

Cole will be 5 weeks old tomorrow.  It's so hard to believe.  He is doing great, and is healthy and strong.  At his one month check up he was 11lbs 6oz and in the 90th percentile for his weight.  He is now 22 1/4 inches, in the 75th percentile for his height.  He has gained 3lbs and grown 1 inch since he was born.  He is really starting to take in the world around him and is right now enjoying the lights and sounds of his play yard.  He is sleeping well during the night, he typically wakes up twice to eat and goes right back to sleep. 

Luke is continuing to adjust to being a big brother and I think he is doing a pretty good job.  He has his moments when he doesn't know how to channel his feelings and will act out, but they are becoming less and less.  Luke is talking up a storm and now speaks in complete sentences.  He continues to amaze us.  He knows his shapes, colors, and can now count objects.  We are starting to learn the alphabet and he got a lot of tools and games to help him for Christmas.  Luke is very active and loves almost every sport.  Golf, football, baseball and basketball are his favorites and he plays daily (yes in the house).  He just started using the Wii Sports and tennis is his favorite on there.  This winter is going to be tough not going outside, but I'm planning on getting him enrolled in some classes so he can get out his energy.  He is all boy!  He also loves to read, and we typically will spend about two hours reading during the course of the day, an hour during the morning, and again in the evening. 

We had a wonderful Christmas, and I will post pictures soon.  Every day is a blessing and I am adjusting well to being a stay at home mom.  I have my moments of insanity, especially being that it has been so cold outside, but overall I am really enjoying being able to stay home with my boys!  Ben is going to be starting grad school in a few weeks, and I am very proud of him.  He is pursuing a Masters of Science in Healthcare Management.

I will do better to post each week, so please keep checking :0)

Short Update

Cole will be three weeks old onTuesday and all of our help has gone... Ben, Luke, Cole and I are officially on our own!  Fortunately, Cole is a great baby and Luke is a good big brother!  I've been sick with a terrible cold for the past 6 days and am just now starting to feel better.  Thank goodness my mom and Edgy were here to take care of Luke and Cole, I don't know what I would have done.

Cole had his check up last week and grew half an inch and gained almost a pound since he left the hospital.  He eats quite a bit, and gets up about every 2.5 hours to eat.  He is staying awake during the day more and more, and we all love watching him look around.  Luke likes to mimick Cole's sounds, and his hand motions and is constantly asking "what is he doing?"

Luke had a great time with all of his grandparents and was completely spoiled by all.  It is going to take a couple days for us to get back on "our" schedule, and for Luke to get used to the fact that he doesn't have someone's attention 100% of the time.  We all miss our family already and are looking forward to their return visits... Nanny and Pop are due back in less than two weeks for Christmas :0)

Daddy and Luke putting up lights

Christmas Lights!  They did a great job :0)

Daddy, Luke, and Cole pretending to sleep (Cole really was)

Luke putting Cole's hat back on...

What Cole looked like after Luke put on his hat

Cole is such a good baby, we are extremely blessed!

Grandma and Luke baking cookies!  Luke was a big help!

Cole William Conroy

Cole was born at 8:26am on Tuesday, November 23, 2010.  He weighed in at 8lbs 6.7oz and is 21.25 inches long.  The c-section, which I fretted over for months, went surprisingly smooth!  My doctors and nurses were amazing, and Ben was the perfect partner through everything.  Cole went to the room with daddy and Pop (Dan- Ben's dad) after being delivered, and I went to recovery until 10:00am.  Cole is amazing and we had no problems with getting him to breast feed.

We wish everyone lived closer so Cole could meet all his relatives.  Ben's parent's, my dad, Marla, Bryanna, and Matt all came to visit Cole in the hospital.  Dr. Solomon poked his head in, but was sick, so didn't get too close :0)  My mom and Edgy will arrive this Saturday for a week.

Tuesday and Wednesday we spent recovering, Luke came to the hospital to meet his baby brother on Wednesday and both boys exchanged their gifts for each other.  Luke picked out the cutest bear for Cole, and Cole got Luke a cool racetrack.  Luke, so far, has adjusted beautifully!  He loves Cole and is constantly asking to hold him and giving him kisses.  He has tried to crawl into the pack n play with him, he doesn't really like it when Cole "eats" (I think it just weirds him out), and he likes to pull the blanket off Cole, because "he not cold"...  haha, but so far so good!

We came home on Thursday at 12:00noon, and Ben and I took a 4 hour nap, thanks to my family, who watched Luke and Cole (Mar Mar brought Cole in to eat half way through the nap).  Thanksgiving dinner was delicious and relaxing!  My family (Dad, Marla, Bry and Matt) stayed to help us until Sunday afternoon and we feel very blessed!  Thank you guys so much! 

Today has been great, and I am feeling great!  I'm still taking some pain meds, but have cut them in half.  By Friday I hope to just be on Motrin.  Ben's mom, Linda, is coming down to help on Wednesday and we are all looking forward to it.  We are so blessed that our families are amazing and although don't live near by, are always willing to drop everything to come help us!  Ben is off all this week except Tuesday and then he is going to take a few more days off after my mom and Edgy leave!  Again, truly a blessing and we are greatful to his boss!

Stay tuned for the adventures of the Conroy boys!

First few days off!

I am really enjoying being a stay at home mom!  Luke and I have had a fun filled week, and I'm looking forward to all the fun activities we can do together after the baby gets here as well.  Monday we went to the mall, and then down to my friends house to play for a bit.  Tuesday we went swimming all morning.  Yesterday we spent time at home, and Luke helped me cook lunch, I have to say that his mac n cheese was the best.  Today we had MOPS all morning and then lunch with Aunt B and Uncle Matt, and then we both took a three hour nap together!  Tomorrow we will hopefully get some cleaning done, and then Luke is having a "big brother" party with his friends and Ben and I are having a date night, thanks Liz :0)

I definitely feel like I have a lot more patience, even being 9 months pregnant.  I am now able to let Luke do a lot more things on his own, because we are never in a hurry for mommy to get back to work.  I find I have more energy, even being 9 months pregnant, because I am not constantly thinking about what I need to get done for work.  I am so greatful for all of my blessings and for my husbands support of me staying home with our kids.  Ben is so supportive and I truly think he wanted this more than I did, if that's possible.  Thank you Ben, and thank you for "putting up" with me these last few months, I know I have been a bear but I plan to be a bunny from now on :0), haha, ok let's not push it! 

I think we are ready for Cole William to arrive, or I guess as ready as we can be!  With less than 5 days left we better be :0)