This time of year...

Is my favorite!! I guess it's the time with family, the old traditions and the new traditions that we're starting with our little ones that makes me love this time of year. One of those new traditions we've started, and have been doing every year since Bella's first Christmas, is visiting Santa at Airlie Gardens here in Wilmington. It also seems that my brother and sister-in-law are starting that as a tradition for their family as well! They joined us last year for Layla's first Christmas, and were here this weekend to join us for our trip.

Airlie Gardens is a lovely place to visit if you're ever in Wilmington, but during the Christmas season they open up at night for Enchanted Airlie. The gardens are all decked out with Christmas lights. There are two massive train displays for the kids to enjoy. And of course, there's Santa. This is the most "authentic" looking Santa I've seen. No fake beard or stuffed belly on this guy, so he must be the real deal!! Bella and I talked about visiting Santa a bunch before we actually went. We went over what she was going to tell him she wanted (Snow White and Legos). I also told her he would ask if she had been a good girl... She was so excited to see him and got so excited when our spot in line moved so we could actually see him. And then it was our turn... Bella decided that she was willing to sacrifice getting toys on Christmas morning, because there was no way she was sitting in that scary man's lap! She was willing to get relatively close if I promised not to let her go. After much coaxing she finally told him that she wanted Snow White, although I seriously doubt he heard her because it was barely and audible whisper when she said it. Hopefully, he'll still remember Bella on Christmas! I'm sure Santa understands :)

Hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas season! Here are a few pics from our night...

Here's my sweet neice, Layla. The girl can't help but dance whenever she hears any music. They were playing Christmas music while we waited in line to see Santa and she just danced and twirled until she was dizzy!

Bella and I waiting in line. She loves her popcorn, and I guess getting a bag of popcorn while we wait for Santa has become a little tradition as well!

This was the best picture we got. Austin was fine at first, but Bella was freaked out. By the time I convinced Bella to just get a little close to Santa, Austin started crying. Oh well! We tried, but getting two kids to cooperate for a picture is darn near impossible.

Bella strolling through the gardens with her Daddy.

"Fine take my picture, but I'm not going to stop eating popcorn."

Poor excuse for a family picture I know, but it was cold so I didn't feel like getting Austin out of his warm stroller. Then, of course, Bella turns her head as soon as the camera flashes.

After seeing Santa, we went to get dinner at Two Guys Grille- yum!! Nothing beats their sweet potato fries with cinnamon butter dipping sauce!

I just love Austin's sheepish expression in this picture. Maybe he was plotting his monumental meltdown that took place mere moments after this picture was taken.

I just wanted to throw in a picture from last year. Doesn't seem like it's already been a year. A lot changes in one year!

Family pic from last year- just goes to show the weather can be crazy here. Short sleeves last year, freezing and bundled up this year! Austin is actually in this picture :) We had just found out that I was pregnant :)

Touch a Truck

Yesterday was the Junior League of Wilmington's first annual Touch a Truck fundraiser. It was a fun way to raise money for the many causes that JL supports. I opted out of volunteering to work and just enjoyed the event with Scott, Bella and Austin. I guess to say Austin enjoyed himself might be a stretch. He stayed in the stroller the whole time. Maybe he can actually enjoy it next year.


Touch a Truck allowed kids to sit in, run sirens and blow horns of various vehicles that work within the community. Bella had a blast. Although, of all the vehicles, when I asked her what her favorite part was, her answer was the bouncy house.

Here are a few pictures from our day...

Bella and her Daddy going down the slide.

Bella enjoyed sitting on the school bus. She just kept sitting and sitting and sitting.

Bella on a tractor. She moved and messed with just about every button and gear on the thing.

Bella on a firetruck. She chose to sit in the back seat instead of up front and run the sirens.

On an ambulance

Air Medic helicopter

Garbage truck. Good thing it was clean!

Mini race car- just her size!

A full-size race car.

It was a good day and the weather was perfect!! Next year, we'll have 2 little ones to chase around. I can only imagine how fun this event will be for a little boy!

Battleship Half Marathon

Based on the shape I'm in now, it's hard to believe I ran a half marathon this time last year! But, our family did have a representative at the race this year- Scott! He's been training for a few months, and did great! It was a really hot day, but he made it.

I loaded up Bella and Austin to cheer Scott on and hopefully see him cross the finish line. There are over 1000 runners each year, so between them and people there to cheer them on, the finish line area was kind of crowded, but I managed to keep up with Bella. They had some music playing at the finish line, so of course, Bella danced. At least that kept her amused while we waited to see Scott. Who know, maybe next year Scott and I can run it together!

Bella busting a move...

And she keeps on dancing...

Okay, so this is my only picture of him crossing the finish line... It's a horrible one, but he's the guy in the white t-shirt in the background...

Trick or Treat!

I hope everyone had a very happy Halloween! We sure did! We went to some friend's house for pizza and trick or treating. Bella had a blast. I think Austin did too, but he didn't say much :) As I mentioned in a previous post Bella was supposed to be a princess, but decided last minute the dress "hurt". So we ended up with a Scooby Doo costume, which she decided to wear trick or treating.

Our friends have a little boy a few months younger than Bella, and there was another couple there with another little boy that is also a little younger. Bella enjoyed playing with them and they all had a lot of fun getting candy. I'm still not sure how we made it through the night without Bella getting sick, she ate SO much candy. It took me a little while to figure out her trick- instead of asking me or Scott to open her candy, she would go to the other adults at the party. I finally caught on, but not before Bella had many, many pieces of candy.

Me and Scooby before heading out for trick or treating.

Here is Bella, Miles and Brady in the wagon ready to trick or treat...

Bella was a trick or treating pro before long.

Me and my little man. If that belly is any indication, he'll give Bella a run for her money on who can eat the most candy next year!

Last Minute Wardrobe Changes and Dancing Dogs

As I'm sure I've mentioned before, Bella is enjoying her first year of dance. She goes once a week, but would go every day if she could. The place where she takes dance has opportunities to perform at various events around town, which is perfect for Bella. She loves to put on a "show". This past Tuesday night, her class had a chance to dance on the battleship during their Halloween carnival.

The kids were supposed to be there by 5:45 dressed in their costumes and ready to perform. Bella had a princess dress that she had picked out as her Halloween costume. At 4pm, as I was trying to start getting Bella ready, she informed me that her dress hurt her belly. Once Bella has made up her mind, there is no convincing her otherwise. So, there was no convincing her to wear the princess dress. She wanted another costume. So, I threw both kids in the car and drove to the first store I could find, which ended up being Walgreens. Surprisingly, they actually had a decent costume selection. I had to keep reminding Bella that we were in a hurry (she got distracted by the Halloween candy). She finally made her costume selection.... She is now Scooby Doo.

We made it home in time to throw on her costume and jump in the car and head to the battleship. We got there in time, and it was insanely crowded. The kids barely had enough room to dance. Bella had a blast. Her dance class performed third, and Scott had to restrain Bella to keep her from rushing on stage during the first two performances. She did great and had to be physically removed from the stage once her class was finished. I think she will definitely enjoy dance for many years to come!

Here is a picture of her original costume. At least she wore it once to a Halloween party last Sunday!

There's my little Scooby Doo on stage! Unfortunately, she kept her back to the camera the whole time, but we managed to get some pictures and video.

First Day of School

I went back to work today after what seemed like an all to brief 8 week maternity leave. It was much easier to return to work this time around though. I only work 2 days a week, and those 2 days almost seem like a vacation after keeping up with 2 kids- especially when one of them is Bella.

Anyway, today was Austin's first day of school. He didn't say much, but I knew he was excited :) Getting 2 kids ready for school is definitely more of a challenge, but somehow I made it out the door with both of them. And I was on time! I met 3 of Austin's teachers today, and they were really nice. Defintely makes a mommy feel at ease when you like who will be taking care of your babies! I had to take a picture of my kiddos on his first day of school. Check out his cheeks!! They are huge, which makes them all the more yummy to kiss!

Pumpkins

Each year, I look forward to going to find a pumpkin. I have especially enjoyed doing this since having children. I pick out a cute fall outfit, and try to get that perfect picture while picking out the pumpkins for our front porch. This year, my sister-in-law found Bella's outfit- a jumper with a pumpkin on the pocket! I told Bella that today after her nap, we would change clothes and go pick out our pumpkin. She was excited! I was excited too- especially since I knew the place we were going had homemade pumpkin ice cream! Austin doesn't really have an especially fall looking outfit, so I opted for some jeans and a white shirt- that's fall enough :) His jeans were a little big...

Unfortunately, Bella woke up grumpy and when we walked outside it was a mere 48 degrees! Brrr.

We had the best time that we could given the cold weather and a bad attitude. The staff at Lewis Farms even recognized us from strawberry picking time back in the spring! We didn't get too many pictures because poor Bella was shivering. Even though I had dressed Austin up, he slept through the whole trip, so no pictures of the two of them at the pumpkin farm. But here are a few of Bella...

Bella humored me and smiled for one picture, but this is how she really felt...

Once we got home and Austin woke up, I was determined to at least get a picture of the two of them in their "fall" outfits. It didn't work out so well, here are two of the better ones...

Bell decided that the photo session was over and bailed out. Poor Austin was just tossed to the side...

Life with 2...

I have been asked several times since Austin's birth the question "how are you adjusting to life with 2 children?" The truth is, the transition has been a lot easier than I thought it would be. During my pregnancy, I heard so many times that life with 2 is such a difficult adjustment. I also heard that the work more than doubles. While both of these statements are true, I have been pleasantly surprised at how well I have adjusted. Don't get me wrong, there have definitely been moments where I have felt completely overwhelmed and could do nothing but cry, but these moments have been fewer than I had initially anticipated. The hardest adjustment for me has been accepting that the house can't be as clean as it was before. I had a good cleaning schedule when it was just Bella, but throwing a new baby in the mix has made things a little messy! I feel like I've accomplished enough housework each day when the dishes and laundry get done. So needless to say, things like vacuuming get put on the back-burner. But I'd much rather giggle with Bella or talk to Austin and see him smile than worry about a dirty floor!

One of the things that I have enjoyed most about becoming a mother of 2 is watching Bella become a big sister. She loves her little brother. And when I say love, I actually mean she's obsessed with him. She wants to "pet" him all the time. I think if I let her, she would rub his head all day. Bella is usually the first one awake in our house. She used to come to my side of the bed first, but now it's Austin's cradle that she visits when she first wakes up. I know there will come a day where Austin will start to get into her things and she'll become annoyed with him, but for now, she can't get enough of her little brother. Of course, this means that we have to watch her closely. She has been known to try and pick him up or almost completely lie on top of him- neither of which are good for poor Austin!

I'll close with a few recent pictures of my little munchkins. Life is good!!

Here they are after I walked in the kitchen to see that Bella had put a bowl on Austin's head. He's such a trooper when it comes to receiving all of Bella's "love"!

My little man at 7 weeks.

Bella has started taking dance once a week. She loves it, and I think she looks so stinkin' cute in her leotard!

Austin has just started batting at things. He's enjoyed playing on this mat a few times.

Bella enjoying a few moments with her baby brother before she heads to school. We are truly blessed to have 2 healthy and happy children!

Austin Harper Lindsay

I'm a little late- but my excuse is I am now a mother of 2! Life is crazy these days around our house, but I love it.

Austin's birthday turned out to be a completely different day than we had planned, but the outcome is what's important: we now have a healthy, happy baby boy at home.

We headed to the hospital a little after 9am on August 21st. We got all checked into our room to start the waiting game.

There was a slight delay on my bloodwork, so I didn't get taken back to the OR until noon. I wasn't nervous until I got in there. Things got moving quickly. They placed my spinal quickly and before I knew it, I was lying on that table about to meet my baby boy. Here is a picture of Scott in his OR attire....

Once they made the first incision, they asked Scott if he wanted to stand up and watch. He did. I thought he looked like he was going to pass out, but he assured me he was fine. I have to say that I was a little jealous that he was getting to see Austin before I did. It seemed like it was a lot less work for them to get him out than it was to get Bella out. Within 5 minutes of starting, I heard Austin's robust cry. Austin Harper Lindsay was born at 12:43 pm. Scott and I joked at how much deeper and louder his first cries were than Bella's. He sounded like a little man already.

They took him over to the warmer to clean him up and check him out, and Scott joined him. I heard them ask Scott if he wanted to cut the cord, and he said yes, even though he had told me he wouldn't do that. I'm glad he did :) Austin weighed in at 9 pounds and was 22 inches long. A big boy!

At some point during his exam, they noticed he was struggling to breathe a little. Which completely surprised me, given the volume of his cries. Luckily, it was still okay for Scott to hold him and bring him to me. I was so glad that a nurse took the camera from Scott- we ended up with much better pictures this time than with Bella's birth. Of course, I fell totally in love the first moment I saw my little boy.

They told me they thought he had fluid in his lungs and had to take him on to the nursery, so he couldn't stay with me in recovery. I was concerned, but not too much. Since I work at the hospital, I decided that it couldn't be that bad- he was still going to the well-baby nursery and not the NICU.

I went to recovery, and Scott went back and forth between me and Austin. He took pictures of Austin each time he went, since that was the only way I could see him. They put Austin under an oxygen hood with hopes that would be all he needed to clear the extra fluid from his lungs. Here are a few pics of him in the well-baby nursery.

After about an hour in recovery, they took me to my room where I would stay until I went home. I was still certain that Austin's lungs would clear up and he would join us in a few hours. I was getting antsy to nurse him for the first time. Scott and I called our family to tell them about his birth, and his issues. Both mine and Scott's parents were waiting at our house. We told them to sit tight and we would call them as soon as Austin was moved to my room, and they could come visit. Scott continued to go between my room and the nursery to check on Austin. I couldn't get up to a wheelchair yet, so I had to rely on Scott's reports. It was a strange feeling to have just had a baby and be in a room completely alone.

After being in my room for about an hour, they finally brought Austin. Unfortunately it was a very brief visit, as they had decided to take him to the NICU. Now I was worried. And I wanted to see him, but they wouldn't let me up yet. Scott went with him to the NICU. A little while later, a nurse practitioner came to my room to explain what was going on. Austin didn't respond to the oxygen like they had hoped and they wanted to monitor him closely. Luckily, a friend from our Sunday School class is a NICU nurse, and happened to be working that day. She came to my room with further updates and brought me a picture of Austin.

We realized that he would not be joining us in our room that day. We called our parents to tell them the news, but hoped they would finally get to visit him the following day. I was so disappointed that Bella wouldn't be meeting her little brother that day.

Finally, about 8 hours after his birth, I was cleared to get in a wheelchair and go to the NICU. Let me tell you, it completely sucked seeing my brand new baby hooked up to all those machines and monitors. But, for some reason, I knew it would all be okay. We visited for a while, then went back to my room for some much needed rest.

First thing the next morning, we called down to the NICU to see how Austin was doing. Unfortunately during the night they got a chest x-ray that showed a pneumothorax. We got down there as soon as we could and spoke with a neonatologist. He explained what was going on and that they were going to try and manage it with the least invasive method possible first. He also explained that there was a chance he would need a chest tube. I have dealt with patients who had chest tubes, and I know they are excruciatingly painful. I didn't want Austin to have to deal with that, obviously. Later that day, they NICU staff decided that the air around Austin's lungs needed to be relieved. They sedated him, and put a small needle in his chest and removed 43 milliliters of air. He had almost instant relief. Several chest x-rays later showed that the pneumothorax had sealed itself off, and he was finally on the mend.

Sunday, my parents were finally able to bring Bella to the hospital to meet her new brother. She did great. She had been told that she had to be really quiet because he was sick and she was wonderful. A 2 year old isn't always very predictable, but I couldn't have asked her to be better! She said so many times during her brief visit "He's sooo cute". She also asked me if he had feet :) Here are a few pictures of Bella meeting her brother for the first time. They are a little blury, because my Dad couldn't use the flash in the NICU.

Each day Austin continued to improve, and each day there were less and less tubes and monitors. Scott and I completed our "NICU discharge checklist" and on August 26 Austin was finally cleared to go home!! My Mom picked Bella up from school and when she got home, she was so excited that her baby brother was finally at home. She finally got to hold him, with some assistance of course, but was thrilled.

Austin's birth may not have gone exactly as we planned, but the important thing is that he is at home now. We feel so blessed to have 2 happy and healthy children. Life may be a little crazy right now, but I've never been happier.