Homeowners

We're homeowners again! Brian drove to North Carolina last week and closed on our new house. YAY!

See, even Cole is pumped about the prospect of a new house


Needless to say, life has sped up a little bit. We're 3 weeks away from the big move. The military arranges for our belongings to be packed and moved, but we elected to move some of our own things as well. Brian's friend Nathan kindly lent us his trailer and since Brian has to make 2 trips there and back over the next month, we figured, why not. This way, we have some of our stuff waiting for us and we won't be quite as dependent on TMO to deliver our things promptly.

This was also an excuse for Brian to purchase and install a hitch on his truck. He procrastinated and the night before he planned to leave, he was STILL installing that stupid hitch. It took a lot of trial and error and about 18 trips to Walmart and AutoZone trying to find parts, but they finally got the wiring to work. On the plus side, now we've got all kinds of shiny new tools that he can hang on his workbench and probably never use again. Wait...is that a plus?!

11:00 at night and they still look happy


Also in preparation for the move, I threw a garage sale with my friend Lisa 2 weeks ago and got rid of some more stuff. It's nice to weed down the clutter and moves are good incentive. I will also readily admit that I'm addicted to selling our stuff. I get some sort of high off getting money for....well....crap. "You mean, you want to pay me money for this Marine Corps themed grenade ice cube tray we've never used?!" Rock on.

Brian tackled some huge projects immediately, including putting an epoxy on the garage floor, sealing the driveway, steamcleaning the carpets, taking care of the yard, and digging out Caden's sandbox. Early to rise and late to bed, he worked his butt off...and loved every minute of it. I talked to him every day and anxiously listened to everything he had to say about it. By Tuesday, he was urging me to pack up the kids and come join him for Labor Day weekend. It sounded like a good idea, but I also knew just how much works that entailed. So I refrained from giving a solid answer.

His masterpieces, the driveway and the new garage floor


If you had asked me Wednesday, I would have said very politely, H*LL NO. Caden was the absolute naughtiest he has EVER been. Every time I turned around, he was doing super cool things like unrolling the toilet paper or running with a scissors (true story). I thought going outside might help but he argued with the other kids and wouldn't share his toys. And he didn't take kindly to my reprimands. He glared and yelled back and even hit.

WHO IS THIS KID?! Surely he's not mine?! He's also anti-nap but this is one day he needed one. I tried to lay with him and all he did was play. This just further aggrivated me. It was one of those days where you remind yourself that you LOVE being a Mom! Cole was not particularly in a great mood either. Needy and fussy. Double whammy.

BUT...the day from h*ll finally ended and I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. I was shocked to wake up to Cole's fussing around 4:30. A 5-HOUR STRETCH! What a surprise. Then Cade woke up happy and NORMAL. That sealed the deal; I decided we were going.

Cole's first road trip


It took me ALL morning but Cole napped for 3 hours and Cade was an angel, watching SpongeBob and playing on his own.

Mom, that bouncer is still a gift from heaven (Check out his blue camo "fatigued" shirt from Great Grandma Klindt...too cute! Thanks GGK!)


We finally got on the road by 1. The boys behaved beautifully. Cole slept and Caden quietly read books and played with his trucks. Apparently I'm entirely GPS dependent because without it, I got ridiculously lost. Some things never change. It was dark by the time we arrived. But how exciting to pull in my driveway and know I was HOME!!!

Brian continued to work on projects here and there and I organized the garage with 8 billion plastic gray totes. Caden got acquainted with the new space. It didn't take him long to get comfortable with zipping in and out of the backyard...maybe TOO comfortable. We caught him out in the front yard at one point. Whoops...we kept the front door locked from them on.

We got Cade his own tools and he had fun helping Dad


Free reign in the back, and he loves it


Apparently we have a friend also. It's a lovely garter snake named Toby. I told Brian we most certainly are NOT naming the snake and that it must be removed from the backyard pronto. I also met an assortment of friendly spiders, frogs, lizards, and cockroaches. Sooooo...I guess that's something about the warmer climate that I will have to get used to. Not ideal for a squeamish gal like myself. I hesitated to cross the backyard knowing Toby was lurking.

Our little man Cole is growing like crazy. He's almost 7 weeks old. I still have his birth announcement on the fridge and I don't even think it looks like him anymore. He has really filled out...I mean, REALLY filled out. Brian was a chubby baby and apparently Cole is following suit! He's started cooing and smiling which is pretty awesome. He still loves to sleep in my arms which causes problems with me ever getting anything done. He's a cat napper so he's in and out of naps frequently. If I try to lay him down he's usually awake within 10 minutes. He's sleeping well at night though...goes to bed around 10:30 or 11, up around 3, and again around 6 or 7. I love to look at him and kiss him. He's so darn cute.

Those are some defensive fists...apparently the ducks ticked him off.


Hey bright eyes, it's 11...go to bed.


Nicole took his 1-month photos and they turned out really good (as usual...she's amazing). Here's a preview:









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

Caden's growth surprises me every day. He chatted with Brian on the phone today and answered all Brian's questions. "Hi Caden!" HI DAD! "How are you today?" GOOD. "What have you been doing?" PLAYING WITH LANDEN. My smile just kept getting bigger as I listened. He's growing up! Brian noticed the other day that I told the restaurant hostess that we needed a table for "3, with a baby." We used to say 2 with a highchair or booster, but he prefers the adult chairs now. I'm not sure when it happened, but he's officially a rough, tough, dirty, and loud TYPICAL little boy. I get a lot of "Watch this Mommy" and he'll do something awesome like jump over a truck. He likes to pretend too. He cooks meals at his play kitchen and serves me pizza and pancakes. He makes pictures with his stickers and builds towers with his legos. He plays football and his tackles pack more punch all the time. Such a busy kid! And man, he's such a good big brother.

Sharing his "sammich" with little bro


"It's okay pumpkin"


Cole started crying and Cade was sympathetic...what a look


Brayden and Caden, partners in crime...Cade is really going to miss you in NC Brayd :(


Brian's solution for a rainy day? A cardboard fort that consumes the entire house.


Despite all the fun, being a Mom of two little ones can be challenging...I won't lie. Some days I feel like I don't get much of anything done except feeding and holding Cole. And while I feed and hold Cole, Caden efficiently and methodically trashes the house. Brian probably wonders what the heck I've done all day when he gets home from work and it looks like a tornado hit and I haven't even thought about supper! Hmm, I wonder too?!

But, I feel such overwhelming love for them that of course it's worth it. I'm soooooo glad I'm home with them. I just wish I had a clone. Too bad the Catholic church denounces cloning...I'd take one in a heartbeat.

Brian's life has been a whirlwind between having Cole, preparing for the move, the end of the fiscal year at work, turnover with his replacement, and the end of his race season. His last event is this coming Sunday. It's his "big" race and he was excited, but then he had a significant setback. He had an accident on his tri bike a couple weeks ago. He was flying down a hill on base at 30 mph and his bike hit some unexpected gravel. He managed to lay the bike down to save both his bones and the bike, but it was at the expense of his skin. He's healing up pretty well now but it took a good week and half before he could get back into a normal workout routine. We're just glad he's okay...it could have been MUCH worse. I'll let you know how the race goes.

DANG.


I'd like to get biking again soon myself. I have been on a couple runs and even took the boys out for a 2-miler with the jogging stroller earlier this week. It's definitely heavier and I got a good workout in, that's for sure. Caden fell asleep and Cole stared at me with wide eyes. I think he dug it.

Hope you all had a nice Labor Day weekend. Here's a couple "bonus" photos of my fam.

Kyle and my sis at Jen's 5-year class reunion


Jeff has taken up a new hobby...tractor pulls! He placed 1st with his 720.

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