Three weeks, Almost Three and Thirty

If life was flying by before, it feels like it's on warp speed now . . .

Shannon is already three weeks old. I still feel like we are only just getting to know each other and yet I can't remember life without her. It really does seem like she was the missing piece to our family puzzle and she fits perfectly. In just three weeks we are all over the moon in love with her and our new family. Oh there have been tough days and moments that we have had to struggle through. And I have gotten emotional about how tough it can be to be a Mama to two little ones . . . BUT (and it's a big but) it's so worth it. So so so worth it.

Nothing like a nap!



Hanging out on the changing table



In the bounce seat


Lounging on Mama's lap





Shannon is still in the eat, poop, and sleep stage of life and is slowly moving towards being awake for more than just a meal or a diaper change. When she is awake she studies the world around her with lots of intensity. She looks around with this almost shocked type look on her face and seems to really take it all in. Her mouth, which anyone will tell you is 100% just like her Mama's, drops open as her eyes dart around as if she is searching for something. She is a fiesty little one too!  When she is hungry, she wants a bottle immediately and can get very upset, very quickly. Her cry goes from the "Can I have a bottle please" to the "GOOD GOD WOMAN, hurry up with the bottle" cry in much less time than I can make a bottle sometimes. And while she can cry with some desperation she is quick to calm down for Mama and that makes my heart swell. Really from day one she seemed to know who Mama was and while I could see where this could be an issue down the line, it's amazing to know that all she wants is me. Overall, Shannon is a great baby! She is a noisy little eater, sleeps well, doesn't mind having her diaper changed and if she has a full belly, is content to just go with the flow.

Mommy and me time


Daddy and Shannon


Hanging out on the play mat


Shannon's first bath at home!



Another little one who always seems to want only me too is my big boy John. Oh what a huge transition all of this has been for my almost three year old. In less than one month we moved him into a new house, with a new bed, stopped going to school and brought home a baby sister. We certainly have had our moments, oh have we had some testing times, but overall, John has done really well with all of this.  I honestly think the hardest thing for him to get used to is not going to school, which I wish we could have continued, but it just didn't work out. John has done really well with Shannon. At first he didn't seem very interested in her. He knew Shannon was here, but the best way to describe John's reaction was indifference, he wasn't jealous or angry about her being here at all but he also wasn't overly interested or in love with her either. Slowly and on his own terms he has gotten more and more interested in his baby sister. At first he wanted to see her when she would open her eyes, then he wanted to hold her hand, next he asked to hold her and now he likes to kiss her cheek and talk to her. I felt it was very important to let him meet her in his own way. I didn't want to push Shannon on John or force anything, I wanted it to happen naturally.  I'm not the least bit surprised to see that John is turning into a great big brother.

Look Mommy her eyes are open!


Can I hold her hand?



Just hanging out


John's first time holding Shannon


How we spend most of our days . . .


John has also seemed to grow by leaps, bounds and years in the past three weeks. I was always amazed at how much John understood and how smart I thought he was and now I really think he's pure genius (no bias at all right?!)! John's vocabulary improves on a daily basis, I find myself thinking "how does he know that" all the time. If we are in the car driving by something he recognizes he will point out the park or Publix or our new home or any number of other places we go on a regular basis. His memory is also getting incredible. He remembers things from day to day and week to week which I don't remember him doing as much before. We have also had some tough times when he uses his "angry voice" and acts out. We get through them as best and quickly as we can. The hardest thing that we have had to overcome is all of the energy he has as a little boy and trying to find ways to work some of it out. It's just too hot to spend any length of time outside with a newborn so I've been trying my best to come up with fun things to do at home. We watch tv (probably too much), we color and play with stickers, we play on the phone, we make crafts, we race cars, we laugh, we nap and we start each day trying to make it the best.

Making a necklace for Shannon


Playing on Mommy's phone


Arts & Crafts time


Fun afternoon at Grandma Betty's


Look Mommy! Snails!!


Then there was this . . . one morning this past week I woke up a year older, I'm thirty now. The big 3 0. It's funny, I look in the mirror and I can't imagine the girl woman looking back is 30. I guess there's a part of me lthat feels like 30 is someone older than me and I don't want to be considered old, but looking at some of the details of my life might beg to differ. We eat dinner by 5:30 on a daily basis, I'm usually in bed by 9, okay 8:30, I'm married and I have two kids. And while I still feel like a teenager from time to time, I have to say that there are times where I do feel like a mature adult who knows who she is and is very happy with her life. That's one thing that is 100%, I love my life. It might have taken 30 years filled with amazing, thrilling, exciting and scary, sad, or rough times along the way, but here I am.  I'm happy, healthy and amazed with all that I have in my life. To celebrate we had a simple birthday dinner at home and it was perfect.

Happy Birthday Mommy!


And now for more photos . . .

I love this little girl so so much!








Shannon                                                       John
 




Our happy family!