Birthday Party Fun!

Saturday was Hayden's birthday party at Pump It Up - an indoor bounce facility. The party was 2 hours long and you spent time in two separate bounce rooms. Each room had a couple of gigantic bounce house/slides that the kids loved. Hayden was in HEAVEN. I think the above picture really sums up his feelings on the day.

Guess the theme ...

Hayden getting his first look at his cake

Hayden thinks safety videos are for chumps.

Zoe loved going down the big slide with Mommy and Daddy!

The birthday "throne" Hayden got to sit on!

I love this picture. Hayden looks so genuinely happy and touched that everyone is singing happy birthday to him. When we got in the car to head home Hayden said, "That was a great party!" I just love him. I also loved that this party was a huge work out for the Daddys (and the mommys, just not me). Every man was sweating bullets after chasing their toddlers through bounce houses and climbing up huge slides. Everyone could skip their cardio after that work out!

Zoe approves of the cake

Don't worry, Harper was not left out of Hayden's birthday party festivities. Harper made her presence known early that morning as this is how I found Hayden when I went to wake him up:

"Harper cries a lot!"

Harper wore her first smocked outfit for the party. I'm so proud.

Sleeping beauty

Of course Harper wakes up just in time for the party to end.

Happy 3rd Birthday, Big Boy!

At Hayden's 3 year well child check, we received a "milestone" packet. The headline of the packet was "Goodbye babyhood, hello childhood." Truth. Hayden is such a big boy now, I'm having a hard time dealing with it. Of course, every "he's not a baby anymore" difference is highlighted when compared to little sis, but I find myself looking at his hands and thinking, "those aren't baby hands anymore!" Pathetic, right?

Recently, Hayden's been suffering from every sickness you can imagine. This kid goes an entire year without a trip to the doctor, and since Harper's been born he's been 3 times. Ridiculous. He started losing his voice the weekend after she was born (URI). Then when that got better, he got pink eye. Also ridiculous. I had pink eye for an entire month two summers ago, and he never got it. Now there's no one with pink eye in a five mile radius of this kid, and he gets it? So random. Next up, another URI, which required antibiotics. Boo. We finished antibiotics on Monday. On Monday afternoon (not an exaggeration) he develops a new virus. This is accompanied by night terrors. If your child has never had night terrors, you are lucky. They are the most horrifying thing I have ever watched. Hayden sits up in bed, seemingly awake, screaming "no, no! Please don't! Please stop!" He cannot be consoled. Holding him or hugging him makes it worse. This happened periodically for 3 hours. Luckily we had our well child check the following day. Diagnosis? Random virus. However, he's wheezing so we left with a steroid and breathing treatments.

Let me tell you about breathing treatments. Number 1, he hates them. Number 2, he essentially inhales speed, oh I'm sorry, albuterol. This medicine helps open up your airway, but it also makes Hayden run around like a mad man. You can tell he's exhausted, but he can't. stop. talking. Last night he told me no less than 50 times that Elmo cupcakes go "round and round the potty." I have no idea what that even means, but he kept saying it, with a look on his face like he wanted to stop talking but couldn't. And we're supposed to do these treatments every 3-4 hours until his wheezing stops. No way I'm doing those before bed again. Good God.

Enough about the downside of 3...what about the upside?

Hayden is really into sports. He asked for a soccer ball and a "net" for his birthday. He also wants a bike. Since we're potty training, his potty prize (when we throw away all the pull ups is a Lightening McQueen bike). To tide him over we got him a bike helmet...

That way, Daddy!

Hayden still loves to read and loves to play cars. He is learning Spanish at school. He knows most of his colors in Spanish, "blue, azul!" He counts consistently to 14, but gets derailed after that. He's not quite to counting objects. He has a ridiculous memory. He remembers everything. His favorite color is red. Everything must be red. He sits in his red chair at his table, insists on wearing red shirts, wants red hats...you get the idea. Woe be to you if you give him something that is not red: "Green is not my favorite color!"

He still loves Cars. He is good at sharing and likes to "take turns." He will only eat chicken if it's in the form of a nugget.

Saturday is his birthday party at Pump it Up. Should be entertaining. Of course he insisted on a red, Lightening McQueen cake.

And for your Harper fix:

Boppys make excellent pillows.

One Month Old!

It's hard to believe that a month has already gone by! Harper is such a sweet baby and I've loved watching Hayden around her. He loves his little sister so much.

Like I've said before, while there have been many challenges with a newborn, I think it is somewhat easier just having lived through this one time before. I've also found my old blog posts helpful. When I'm worried about Harper's sleeping, I go back and read about what Hayden was doing at this age. Again, this makes it sound like I'm painting Hayden as a demon baby, but that's not really the point. The point is that Harper is doing a lot of the same things that Hayden was doing (the witching hour, for example) but at different times. Hayden's witching hour came between 4 and 6 am. Harper's is more like, 7-9 pm. Both present their own unique challenges. With Hayden,I missed sleep. With Harper, I miss out on precious time with Hayden, because she refuses to be put down. Or, when I do put her down she spits up like a freaking maniac ... through her nose. How gross is that? So, sure I'm sleeping a bit more with Harper, but I'm being challenged by other things.

Breast feeding is still a mystery to me, and I have no idea if she's getting enough or what. She's gaining weight, so that's obviously good. According to the highly scientific method of Clark weighing himself and then holding Harper and weighing himself again, she weighs a little under 9 lbs. She's still kind of skinny, but I think I just make skinny kids. I'll be honest and say I don't love breast feeding. It's hard, it makes me feel like I can never leave the house because I refuse to be one of those women who just whips it out in Target to take care of business, and I hate pumping. I can't make myself quit though. Part of me thinks, "Oh only a month and you're wimping out?" while the other half screams, "You only did two weeks with Hayden a month is miraculous!" So, I keep going. I can say this, I don't think I'll be doing this when I go to work. The thought of pumping enough for daycare consumption exhausts me.

Hayden insists that Harper participate in circle time. She loves it.

Harper is slowly transitioning out of her newborn clothes. She's in the awkward in between phase of newborn is a little too tight and 3 mos is a little too loose. She's officially ditched her newborn diapers and wears size ones now. It makes me a little sad, but glad to see her growing.

In Hayden news, we're back to potty training after our unsuccessful attempt this summer. We are trying the thicker training pants before diving into full on big kid undies. This is seeming to help because if a little squirts out before he catches it, it does not require a full wardrobe change. He seems to be doing better, and I'm hoping we'll be out of day time pull ups soon. I'm trying not put a timetable on anything and to not get my hopes up. The most important thing is that Hayden is making a connection between "that potty feeling" and going to the potty.

Hayden turns 3 on Wednesday. I can't believe it. The big Lightening McQueen party will be a Pump It Up, an indoor bounce house, this year. More pics to come, for sure! In the meantime, keep your fingers crossed on the potty training front!

Our first two weeks...

Our first two weeks at home with this little nugget has been very different from our first two weeks at home with this nugget:

And yes, that's Hayden...not Harper

Before I start, I should offer this disclaimer. I had no idea what I was doing with Hayden. NONE. AT. ALL. I'm still not sure I know what I'm doing with Harper, but at least I know I've kept one child alive...a second shouldn't be so hard. So, while the rest of this post will sound like I'm ragging on sweet little Hayden, know that I am not. I have been very vocal with friends (and on this blog) about how difficult the first two weeks of Hayden's life were for me. My foray into breastfeeding and Hayden's subsequent weight loss is well documented. I felt like a complete failure and it wasn't until I embraced the formula and knowing Hayden would be okay that things began to turn around.

Harper is a completely different story. I will spare everyone the nitty-gritty details of breastfeeding, but I went into the whole process knowing I would supplement with formula. I think knowing that and watching as Harper just took over and OWNED breastfeeding made things much easier. She was actually eating which Hayden didn't (or couldn't) do for his first two weeks. This made for a much happier baby and a much, much happier mommy. Sure, we're not getting tons of sleep, but I know that's to be expected. Better yet, I know that it will get better, which is helping keep me sane. We have bad days and good days, but I think my perspective this time around is much better as well. I'm also happy to report that at her two week appointment -- she had gained her birth weight back. Go Harper (and go me!).

Of course, look at her! She's so perfect, it's hard to stress...

Harper is so over the flash

The one-eyed stare down.

Hayden is loving his little sister, which I'm thrilled about. He always asked to hold her and he asks to "pet" her and then sweetly rubs her head. Of course, we're not encouraging the use of the word "pet" as his sister is not a dog. Baby steps, you know? Having 2 kids brings its own brand of challenges -- how can I bathe Hayden if Harper refuses to stop eating during the evening hours (and daddy isn't home to help)? Will I ever be able to go anywhere, in public, with the two of them...at the same time? Will we ever eat in a restaurant again? While I'm still searching for answers to the first two questions, I can proudly report that we ate out, in a restaurant as a family of 4 tonight...with no problems.

Welcome Harper Katherine!

We are now officially a family of 4! Harper Katherine Meador arrived on January 17 at 9:13 am, weighing 7 lbs 4oz and measuring 20" long. Harper wanted to come a little early, as I started contracting Monday night. She got her wish and forced her arrival a whole 3 hours early.

Harper getting her first bath

We sent Hayden to school on Tuesday b/c we wanted his day to be as normal as possible and also because I don't think he would have enjoyed waiting around at the hospital.

Grammy, Pop and Nan were all on hand to meet Harper right away.

I think Harper looks exactly like Hayden. Of course, everyone in my family thinks Harper looks like Clark. Everyone in Clark's family thinks Harper looks like me. Honestly, I don't know how you can tell when she's this little, but I stand by the fact that she looks just like Hayden.

I think Hayden wants a new sister every year, because the kid got TONS of toys. In all honesty, Hayden seemed happy, if not a little overwhelmed with meeting Harper. We truly appreciate everyone who thought about Hayden during this week and helped him feel special during this big transition in his little life. When Hayden met Harper, he pointed out how small she was ("Look at her little chin" "Look at her little fingers" ...this game went on for a while) and that Harper is "out" now.

"Harper, this my Kachow, alright?"

Finally warming up enough for a hug

Holding Harper on Day 2

We were discharged from the hospital on Thursday afternoon. It is so great to be home. Harper is a sweet baby. While it can be difficult dealing with a toddler and a newborn, having been through the newborn phase before helps alleviate some of the anxiety I experienced when Hayden was brand new. Sure, I still cry at a drop of a hat (stupid hormones) and I'm definitely not loving being completely sleep deprived, but I also know that this phase will end. I'll regain some form of sanity and Harper will eventually sleep for longer that 2 hour stretches. Right now, I'm just glad I have a healthy, sweet baby and a healthy sweet toddler.

Of course, all that being said, I had forgotten a lot about the newborn phase. How often they eat, how little they are actually awake, even the funny coo sounds they make. I also forgot how difficult the c-section recovery can be. However, I think I'm doing okay with that aspect too. I haven't been so great with the picture taking, but I promise to get better! More pics of Hayden and Harper to come!

Christmas and 2012 ...

So, I've been a pretty terrible blogger. I admit it. Things have been so busy around here and I have been a terrible picture taker. Hopefully the new year will bring more pics and more blogging.

This is the first year Hayden has "gotten" Christmas. We talked a lot about the "nice list" and the "naughty list." He definitely knew which one he didn't want to end up on. He also had a very specific list for Santa: an easel, a cowboy hat, Handy Manny tools, Yo Gabba Gabba jammies and Chuggington books. Of course, Grammy, Pop, Auntie Katy and Nan all went above and beyond and Hayden had a GREAT Christmas.

With each toy he opened Hayden yelled, "Oh no...Handy Manny tools!"

Maybe the camera flash is a little bright...

Thanks to Pop for pulling out the eBay stops to locate a pair of 3T jammies that H had to have.

Ready to go to Grammy's to see if Santa left his easel there (spoiler alert: He did). The other big gift Hayden received was a trampoline from Nan. He loves it, and demands to jump on it every day, regardless of the weather or the time of day.

On a developmental front, we are just amazed at how much Hayden talks and his level of comprehension. Hayden talks in (mostly) complete sentences. He carries on conversations with us and tells us if he's hurt, hungry, mad or sad. He loves to draw and "read" books. I will find him in his room, intently looking over a book and telling himself a story. He counts to 14 with consistency, but kind of derails after that ("13, 14, 17, 19 ... yay!"). His imagination is taking off. He plays pretend with toys. He'll push his fire truck around and yell, "Firemans, to the rescue!" We're still struggling with potty training (as in, Hayden has little to no interest in it). Any tips would be appreciated.

The most exciting part of 2012 will be the addition of Harper Katherine, scheduled to make her debut on January 17 (via scheduled c-section) at 12:30. We're SO excited to meet her. Hayden is too. He loves to point out that he is the big boy and Harper is the baby. He also says he wants to share his toys with her (so long as she isn't interested in anything that is red that belongs to him. He can't part with anything red). He told me last night that Harper will cry a lot, but that she would like a pink fire truck. The first two weeks of this month will be full of last minute preparations as we prepare to become a family of 4.

2011 was a pretty great year for us. We are one step closer to finishing residency (yay!), the Rangers were in the World Series (again), Baylor won 10 football games, RG3 won the Heisman trophy and our men's basketball team is ranked in the top 10, and the women's basketball team is ranked #1. We're so excited to see what 2012 brings us!

Long time, no Blog

Truly, we have not dropped off the face of the Earth. We've just been a little busy. For everyone who still reads this blog and has been living under a rock... Hayden is going to have a little SISTER! We are so excited about the new addition. Her name is Harper Katherine and she will be arriving, via C-Section on January 17. This pregnancy has just been so different than last time. However, I can't complain too much. After the nausea passed around 14 or 15 weeks, I've been feeling okay. I haven't been able to breathe through my nose. Apparently this is fairly common, but it's annoying. Also annoying, my raging addiction to Afrin. I'm sure an intervention will be scheduled after Harper's arrival.

The fall has been full of football games, the fair, and trips!

At the Baylor/TCU game I got a chance to hang out with my good friends, Baylor Basketball players, Perry Jones III and Quincy Miller. I'm sure they'll remember me when they're huge NBA stars. Oh, and go Bears on the big win over the Horned Frogs. We're pumped that TCU is joining the Big XII and looking forward to a fun rivalry!

The Texas Rangers made another spectacular run to the World Series (my blood pressure still hasn't recovered from Game 6). Clark and I attended Game 5. Hayden and Daddy had a lot of fun discussing baseball during the play offs. Hayden still proclaims that David Murphy is his favorite player...but he also loves to chant, "Nap Oh Lee!"

When we weren't attending games...we were watching games at home, with our sweet friends, Maggie and Hudson!

I also had a chance to take a girls' trip to San Francisco at the end of September. Hayley has relocated to this beautiful city. I had such a blast hanging out with my oldest friends. Lots of laughter and shopping on this trip. Can't wait for our next girls' trip to a city with two names (Santa Fe). And next time, Momma will be able to drink!

Next up? The Texas State Fair. This was only my second time to attend -- Hayden's first. We decided to throw good parenting out the window and allowed Hayden to ride a number of questionable rides...

Motorcycle...only held in by a shady carny rope? Sure!

A car...which looked safer...somewhat.

And a faux Dumbo ride with Daddy. Mommy was excluded from all rides as an expectant mother (oh, dang!).

For Halloween, Hayden chose to be a wolf. We went to Grammy and Pop's to trick or treat...

In full wolf regalia.

Hayden much preferred passing OUT candy. Best part of the night. Hayden standing on the porch yelling, "Hey! We have M&Ms!" Quite the sales pitch.

Next up is Baylor Homecoming, but that will have to wait for another blog post. I promise it won't take 4 months to post the pics!