1 Month Old

Cole will be 1 month old in 4 days! Where did our tiny newborn go?!

10 days old


A sorry attempt at a photo shoot


Our little man is doing fantastic. He's getting BIG, which might have something to do with the fact that eating is his favorite past time. He's sort of our chubby baby. I would love to have the 3-hour schedule Caden adhered to but Cole seems to think that every 1 1/2 to 2 hours is more appropriate during the day. He's getting this roll of baby fat around his neck and is sporting a double chin!

I'm pleased that he doesn't spit up much (definitely NOT projectile like Caden), but he does seem kind of gassy and grunts a lot though. I hope the general public does not think those grunts are coming from me.

He tends to be awake for a few hours in the morning and again during supper time at night. He likes to sleep in his swing and hates the pack and play. He loves his bassinet upstairs and always rolls to his right. He also enjoys the bouncer on occasion. I like to take him and Caden on walks together (the BOB Revolution Duallie Stroller was worth every penny) and he usually sleeps through it. He doesn't sleep much in the car much but I suspect that's because his feeding device (ME) is not readily available. Overall, when it comes down to it, he loves to be held the most. And he takes full advantage of our weakness.

Probably dreaming about food


Now he's thinking about food


He had a first today...a REAL smile! I was talking to him at library story time and he smiled at me 3 times. He's almost always awake to join us for supper and Brian got more smiles out of him then.

What a smile


Still thinking about food


That big brother is NUTS


His eyes still seem to be blue so I guess we'll have one brown-eyed boy and one blue. Brian is pumped about that. His eyes are so bright and he really studies you when you talk to him.



One more note...he doesn't cry much during baths or doctor appointments. This confuses me, because big brother never cooperated for such activities. Maybe little brother will teach big brother a thing or two.

So that's the update on our little man. He's truly a sweet baby, and a bit of a Momma's boy.



As for our BIG man, I cannot believe how well Caden has taken to being a big brother. Yeah, he's not perfect. I mean, he's 2 after all. So occasionally he gets frustrated when I can't get him snacks, put in a DVD, or go outside on a dime. And when I say frustrated, he glares at me and tries to pull me off the couch, or tells me that Cole needs to go night night.

BUT, for the most part, he doesn't mind. Throughout the day, he approaches Cole to check how he's doing. He asks me if he can give Baby "Colt" pats and softly strokes his hair. If he's in the swing, he'll push it higher. If he's in the bouncer, he makes sure it's turned on and rocks it a little more. He likes to pull his blanket up and tuck him in. He also notifies me when baby Cole is crying (as if I didn't notice).

He looks so proud here


Fat head (my genes) with pea head (Brian's genes)


Does that shirt say "I'm the Big Brother," or, "I've got Big Boots"?!?


I think the best advantage is that Cade is old enough to be helpful but not old enough to mind. It seems I often forget something when I sit down to feed Cole. Even if Caden is in the middle of playing, all I have to do is say, "Cade, can you grab me my water bottle on the desk?" And he more than willingly obliges with a big smile. "There you go!" he says proudly and says "Your welcome" as he trots off. It's times like those that I really admire Caden and feel pretty good about how he's turned out.

The only true tantrums we've had involved Caden's blankies. He has these lightweight big cotton blankets that my Grandma Klindt made him when he was a baby. Two of them are very special to him and he still sleeps with them. Well, these blankets are the absolute best for swaddling and we made the mistake of grabbing them out of the laundry and using them for Cole on occasion. BAD IDEA. Caden went ballistic. He even goes as far as to seek out a replacement blanket and bring it to Cole and then try to rip his blanket off him. This problem was easily fixed with the purchase of some new blankets. That didn't seem like a fair argument anyway.

Caden even did well adjusting despite the constant stream of guests we had. My parents arrived one week after Cole was born and stayed 9 days. We didn't do much since I was still recovering, but their main purpose was just to spend time with the boys anyway. Wow...what a big help. My Mom was absolutely a workhorse. Every second, she was playing with Caden, cleaning up the house, holding Cole, etc. You name it, she did it. She even managed to finish a beautiful quilt for Cole while she was here. I was sad to see them go. I usually don't cry upon goodbyes, but with both kids, I cried when they left. I think it's because it's such a special time and A.) I don't want it to end, and B.) I'm a bit intimidated to be on my own! They both had supportive words though and I knew I would be okay. Just an adjustment. Caden was sad to see them go too. He has soooooo much fun with Grandma and Papa. I think the adjustment was easy on him because he never felt neglected with them there. CONSTANT playmates!

Grandma and Papa let him throw rocks in the creek at Prince William Park (and also walk in the water)


Bonding with his new grandson


And more bonding with his other grandson

That is one PROUD Grandma


Family pic at Lunga Park...Cade enjoyed checking out the turtles


Pat and Pam arrived a few days later. More grandparents?! Cade was in heaven. They planned the trip so they could join Brian for a trip to Luray and watch him race. I'll skip over the results because it was Brian's worst race of the year and he doesn't really want to talk about it. But it was still a good time with his parents. They were absolutely enthralled with how good their son is. I can understand their pride...he is amazing to watch.

Brian's race in Luray


Proud Dad with his Marine triathlete


I was sad to miss out, but they brought me home a unique piece of pottery as a reward. After all, I was home with the boys for the first time and deserved a treat! Cole did the whole bedtime routine with us and Caden absolutely loved having Baby Cole lay next to him in bed. He requests that I let him stay.

CLICK HERE to see a short video of bed time


Caden's temporary campsite on the nursery room floor

Bear hug


Caden and Mini Me (look at their arms)


The visit was short with Pat and Pam but we kept busy and had a great time. Pam took on the cooking role and I certainly didn't mind. Pat helped Brian fix his X-Box. My advice, chuck it in the trash. But unfortunately, they were successful. I even got in a haircut and a little shopping ALONE. YAY!



Celebratory dinner at Mateo's Sante Fe Cafe

Family pic


Now that we have the house back to ourselves, we're settling into life with 2 kids and also still preparing for the move. We close on the house at the end of this month. Brian is going to stay some additional days to do some improvements while we stay here in Virginia. TMO is set to pick up our belongings the 28th and 29th of September. I will move with the boys right away and Brian will have to come back to Virginia until October 13th. I've been selling things on Craigslist and also preparing for a garage sale!

I guess you're probably wondering if with all this uproar, if we have any time to sleep?! Well, SOME. Cole goes 2 or 3-hour stretches at night. Usually he eats around 11, is up again around 2, and again around 5. It usually takes an hour to feed him (SLOW EATER) and I tend to fall asleep too. Brian has been tired too and I tried to remind him of that when he was lamenting about his horrible triathlon performance. I think the presence of a brand new infant probably had something to do with it!

Overall, having 2 kids is definitely more time-consuming but worth it. Both our boys are amazing and we wouldn't trade them for anything...not for more sleep, not for more freedom, not for more time together alone. Okay, I would like a little more time with just Brian, but that will return with time.

Lie to me and tell me I don't look tired


Cole picked out his own shirt


Thank you everyone for your sweet well wishes and all the gifts, cards, and meals that we have received. Caden thinks getting the mail is Christmas. And for a while, we felt like we had live-in chefs. We are very blessed. Have a great weekend! Here's a few more shots (as if I have not included ENOUGH photos. Sorry. I'm hopeless.) To all my AHST classmates in Avoca, have fun at the reunion this weekend. I wish I could be there. Has it really been TEN years?!

Thanks to all of you, Caden now associates the mailbox with presents

"Auntie Em" gave big brother markers, and suddenly he decided he's Van Gogh. (Em, you'll be happy to hear that he's drawn on the door, his clothes, and his face.)


More gifts...yeah, that's a skull shirt. Proud Dad bought it for him. Sweet.


And MORE gifts...Papa Bob made sure to bring him his first John Deere


My 3 boys

As long as there's no swim instructor or lesson, the pool rocks

It's a boy!

Photography by Nicole Benitez, Perfectly Posh Photography
http://perfectlyposhphotography.blogspot.com/

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I gathered the courage to take maternity photos when I hit 38 weeks, and I guess it's a good thing I did because I wasn't pregnant much longer...

We are proud to announce that Cole Isaiah Geraghty joined our family at 2:10 a.m. on Saturday, July 25th. He weighed in at a 7 lb 8 oz and was 20" long. He's completely healthy and such a good baby!!!!!

What a miracle


Our beautiful boy


Look at that tiny butt...he's keeping up the family tradition


My labor began around 4:30 Friday morning, but I wasn't exactly sure what to make of it. The contractions were weak to moderate, short, and very far apart. This went on all day. How irritating. So I went about things as usual. Caden and I watched Brian compete in an intramural track meet, ran some errands, and I did a little work in the afternoon. All the while, I had these strange half contractions. When Brian got home, we talked about his day and then I threw in there, by the way, I'm having contractions. Real ones, he asked. Hmmm...I think so...?!

But things continued to go slowly. The hospital encouraged me to just stay home, so that's what we did. The neighbor girls kept me company watching TV. Well, I watched TV. They watched ME, with huge smiles, almost like they were waiting for me to give them a present. After they left, Brian and I settled in on the couch, ready for a long night. We went for the spontaneous TV movie again (with Cade, it was Young Guns...this time, Con Air). As the hours passed, I got tired and frustrated. What am I doing wrong?! Brian held my hand and provided encouragement. You're getting closer, he said. But I'm not sure if he was convinced since he started playing X-Box.

Yep, I'm in labor. See my card that I kept track on?


Around 1:00 a.m., I finally progressed. And when I say progressed, I mean REALLY progressed. My contractions jumped to 6-minute intervals and by the time we called the hospital, summoned our babysitter Brandee, gathered our stuff, and got on the road, they were 3 minutes apart, and dropping. Holy crap...we're in fast forward now. We had a 45-minute drive ahead of us so Brian picked up speed and got pulled over leaving base. Luckily, the MPs didn’t want to deliver the kid themselves and they sent us on our way without hesitation.

The drive took forever even though Brian made it in under 40 minutes. He drove like he was trying out for Nascar. On a few turns, I thought the baby might fall out. We got into some heavy rain. Apparently we don’t drive to the hospital unless it’s bad weather. Then we got to the gate to get on base and it was locked. You have GOT to be kidding me. (Brian had some choice words at that point.) He pulled over a cab driver, got directions, and whipped a U-turn around him. We finally found the front gate and the hospital and an Army EMT helped get me upstairs. I'm relieved the pre-admission paperwork was done because it was hard enough signing the one form they gave me.

Check-in time...1:50 a.m.

Delivery…2:10 a.m.

Do the math. Yeah, 20 minutes. Brian’s Nascar skills were an undiscovered, NECESSARY talent. So all of you that told me, "Get to the hospital earlier this time!" I failed miserably.

The delivery went well. I was dilated 7 cm when we arrived and at 10 within no time. No time for an epidural. Heck, my doctor barely had a time to get on a gown and gloves. She told me I couldn't push quite yet. Who cares about the gown...let's GO!

I was soooo incredibly elated to see that I had another little boy. He is so beautiful and perfect and I just know I was meant to have 2 boys. They'll be buddies. Brian had a smug grin on his face too. He said, "So it's true...I DO only sire males." Now the difficult part...a name. The poor little guy was Infant Geraghty for half a day. Good thing we brought the baby books. His name is perfect for him though. Isaiah means "God is Salvation."

Trying to name Infant Geraghty (obviously he's trying really hard)


Nobody can deny that Cole is so incredibly cute. He has Brian’s nose for sure, but I think my chin. Mom says his mouth looks just like mine in my baby pictures. His hair color is fair just like Caden’s. He has a round little face and the baby frog legs that Caden had. The neighbor girls could not believe how big his feet are.

Hey bright eyes!


Check out the sideburns


Little frog legs


Very proud Daddy


Tiny hands


Cole was tolerant of all the uproar the first day but the second day was rough. We had some complications with the circumcision. He bled a lot and they had to cauterize around it. They say it will heal fine. Brian and I were both exceedingly upset but there can be complications with any procedure and there’s nothing we can do now. We just pray it heals fine and our little man isn’t in too much pain. We have an appointment tomorrow so I hope we get good feedback.

We got home from the hospital yesterday and I was beyond relieved. We stayed 2 1/2 days and that old army hospital was not a luxury hotel. They eventually switched us to a private C-section room, which was a huge plus. But when we initially got here, we shared a stuffy room with another family and I had to walk down the hall to use the restroom. The supplies were bottom of the line. We got good care in Labor and Delivery but in the Mother Baby Unit, we didn't get any extra attention. The circumcision issues didn't help our level of satisfaction either. I think Caden sensed our discomfort. He went into meltdown every time the nurses so much as touched "his baby."

Time to take Cole home!


Little helper


We're settling into life with 2 kids pretty well, although the house is trashed and I feel like I'm behind on everything (like blogging). I'm feeling really well and am recovering fast. Cole is such a good baby too, so that helps. He eats beautifully and sleeps a ton. I actually got more sleep last night than I have in months.

Our friends here also have helped make the transition so easy on us. They took care of Caden and maintained his normal routines (Brandee and Caryn even spent the night). They decorated the house for our return home and they brought us meals for every night this week. What a blessing.

I'm sure you're wondering what big brother thinks of all this. In short, he absolutely adores Cole. He took to him immediately, patting his soft hair and giving hugs and kisses. He picked out a "trucks" sleeper for him and even drew him some pictures. He's legitimately helpful, especially when I'm feeding Cole. He brings me things when I ask. We did have one incident of jealousy today where he tried to shove Cole away and wanted me to hold him instead, but I'd say we're doing pretty well so far. I think it helped that we talked about the baby in a positive way for so long, and encouraged Caden to pat and love my baby belly. The only problem is he seems to think there's a baby still in there and wants to talk to it. Oh my. I've apparently created some confusion.

He loves to pet Cole

First time holding little brother (and I do NOT need your help, Dad)


I love you so much Baby Cole, I'll share Froggy (for 5 seconds)

I made you a picture


Both my boys in bed


Did Caden grow overnight? He looks like a giant.


My parents arrive Friday and cannot wait to meet him. Mom was especially disappointed that they missed the actual arrival but we've been on the phone and Webcam constantly. Pat and Pam arrive mid August as well. Yay!

Thanks to all of you for the well wishes. I apologize that it's taken me so much time to get to this. Life is busier now! To really impress you, I'm feeding Cole while I write this. Yeah, I rock.

Can't kiss him enough

We're Moving!

Every blog I write lately has "big" news and this one is going to be no different. So hang on.

A few of you know this, but I think it's time to share with everyone that we're moving to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, in Sept/Oct. We have been here about 2 years and Brian is ready to get back to his Recon roots. He'll work for MARSOC (Marine Corps Special Operations Command) and yes, he'll deploy. It's been over 3 years since his last deployment an it's just part of being in the military. He's excited and we'll be just fine, so don't worry! The kids will keep me busy, and also taking care of the house...

And on that note, we have a house under contract. We're going to be homeowners again!

The house is north of base and Brian will work south, at Stone Bay

We had a choice between California and North Carolina, and overall, NC seemed like the best option for our family. More rural, more space, and maybe an opportunity to get a house. So, thus commenced the hunt. Last weekend, Caden and I drove the 5-hour trip to Camp Lejeune to meet up with Brian and find the perfect place. Nobody was particularly thrilled about me driving alone 8 months pregnant (myself included) but the drive actually went flawlessly. A good start to the weekend! I had high hopes of finding a house, however unrealistic that might seem for a 2-day trip.

Unfortunately, it didn't happen immediately. After 6 long hours of driving and looking on Friday, I was disheartened. The ones I thought I would love, I did not. (Unless it's cool to have a cemetery in your yard?!) The location we needed just didn't seem to have what we wanted in our price range. Not the scenario I had hoped for. Brian had a terrible time at work also, so I guess it just wasn't our day.

Saturday seemed brighter with beautiful weather and a happy toddler (usually he's grumpy in the a.m.). The 2nd house we looked at was the one. It's about .4 acres, including a huge fenced yard and large trees. Caden claimed the wood swingset immediately and Brian was happy about the shed. The house has 4 bedrooms and 2.5 baths with vaulted ceilings. The kitchen isn't perfect but has lots of storage space. I adore the screened and tiled porch. The 2-door garage has built built-in shelves and an attic. It's a nice neighborhood with lots of kids, and the elementary school is only half a mile away.

The house!


Vaulted ceiling over family room


Dining and screened porch


Might need to repaint the kitchen

Master bedroom and wood fireplace

Backs to woods (note Cade's toy!)

The back


So what's wrong with it? We wish it was a bit larger, but mostly the downfall is the commute. Brian will have a 30-minute drive to work minimum, depending on traffic. At least it's an easy drive mostly through base. He mentioned an awesome coffee/ice cream shop right on the route. Great. (Not.) When it came down to it, Brian said he wants me happy there and he's willing to drive a litte if it means we can be more satisfied with the house.

Of course, lots still needs to happen before closing on Aug 31, so we hope all goes smoothly and it works out.

I was also satisfied with the trip because I got to see the area. We will be close to the beach and it's beautiful scenery...rural countryside with a mix of trees, fields of corn and tobacco, and even some palm trees. There's also mosquitos, humidity, and the occasional tropical storm, but no place is perfect! I liked the base too. It's absolutely enormous with a lot of stores and shops. We won't be very far from the commissary, the Exchange, or the library.

So that's the big news. No baby news yet! Looks like I'll go early, especially since I'm measuring big for 37 weeks and am dialated 1 cm. I'm completely uncomfortable and sleep is rare. This wild child still moves a lot! Caden has started asking to talk to the baby again when he goes to sleep. I'm glad, because he became disinterested for a while. We've made headway on final prep. I bought adorable going home outfits last week, boy and girl (and it needs to be a girl because I am not returning the ridiculously cute dress). We've made progress on getting the house ready by digging out the baby items from the basement. Brian has to put the final touches on Cade's new dresser. Now we need to nail down some names and then I'll really feel ready. (I think? Can you ever REALLY be ready for another child?!?!)

Just a couple other things have happened the past few weeks. Fourth of July was phenomenal. We celebrated with Zach and Heather Reeves, some of our friends that live up at Fort Meade. After a BBQ and some afternoon lounging on the couch, we went to a spectacular celebration at Lunga Park, including some rides for the kids, bands, and lots of food. Caden sat in his own little folding chair while he watched the fireworks and was absolutely enthralled.

I'm ill just thinking about it. Caden loved it. I think Brian was ill.


Just chilling with Heather and Zach


What a beautiful site over the water


Every 5 seconds, he said, "Daddy, that's awesome!"


Caden has so much personality now. His language has absolutely taken off over the past month. Almost everything he says is in the form of a sentence and it's fun to have conversations with him. He's taking more interest in his bike, mostly due to the neighborhood kids. They were all taking jumps off a ramp last week and he was trying to do so with a tricycle. Funny stuff. He enjoys the water, as long as it's not a swim lesson. We tried lessons and to put it bluntly, it was a nightmare. I guess if it's not on his terms, it's not fun. He's definitely a 2-year-old at times, but is so sweet and polite too. One of his favorite things to do now is pretend his hand and arm is a snake and make it attack me. Um, guess who taught him that? (Thanks, Brian. I'm glad you capitolize on my phobia of snakes.)

Hanging out in a helo


Why? Because why not.


We took a trip to Philadelphia 2 weeks ago to watch Brian race. Race weekends can be hectic, but it ended up being a good time, although Caden did have a flip-out session similar to his Iowa meltdowns when we arrived at the hotel. He begged us to go home. He calmed down though and had fun otherwise. He found some boys his age at the race to play with, which was to my advantage so I could actually watch.

Brian placed 31st out of 1,924 participants and 4th in his age group. He had a new Olympic distance personal best of 2:02:30. I could not believe how quickly he got out of the water, but he insists the current helped with that. (I guess they deserve some sort of perk swimming in that nasty smelly river.) He was positively livid and embarassed about his bike time and was okay with his run. I thought he did amazing, as usual, and was very proud. He would have felt better if he had placed in his age group, but he missed 3rd by 8 seconds. What a bummer. His time was 4 minutes better than last year but his placings were about the same. Stiff competition this year.

He has high hopes of hitting under 2 hours by the end of the season so the training continues. His next race is not until after the baby arrives. He did a workout today that consisted of 20 repeat 400's, in humid hot weather. Um, sounds like fun. (NOT.)

Coming out of the water strong


Nice helmet


Done


Family pic


Cheering for Dad


Afterwards, we met Todd (my good friend from KU) and his wife Malin for lunch. She's from Sweden and is so incredibly sweet. It was my first time meeting her. Good job Todd...she's awesome!



My Grandma Klindt is doing okay. The results from her CAT scan showed that the cancer is stable and some of the spots are smaller. She's lost some weight though and her cell counts are down, so she's got to work on her rest and nutrition. So proud of you Grandma...you're doing great.

One last thing and then I promise I'll be done! I wanted to share some good news about Brian's parents. Their apartments that were flooded in Cedar Rapids last summer qualify for the city buy-out. It may take another year and a few more headaches, but it's a huge relief, both for their sanity and their finances! They will be paid a lump sum and get rid of the loan and the land for good.

Bye for now...and perhaps my next blog will include some BABY news.