life as a family of four

On January 25th our family grew, we changed, and our hearts expanded. We met our #littleray at 11:39am. Our not-so-little guy is a joy and we are so thankful for him. His arrival via c-section is not what we hoped for but knowing that the Lord is completely in control gave us peace no matter the method of our son's arrival. 

The most wonderful sight so far has been seeing Hunter be a big brother to Jax. He was so excited when he met his little brother at the hospital and now, a month later, he is so sweet and helpful! As a mom, I wondered how he would react, I cried about him not being my little boy anymore and worried that splitting the time between them would be so hard. I wish I had known that all of that would fade almost immediately. My joy as a mom has never been greater and though our time together has changed, it hasn't lessened or been diminished at all. 

Our dynamic as a whole family hasn't changed as much as we anticipated. We have heard so many versions of the story that starts "the hardest transition is..." with people varying between first child, second, etc. Mostly, people agreed that the transition to two was the hardest but Rob and I have to (kindly) disagree. Switching from life as a couple to life with a baby was startling, wonderful in many many ways, but certainly a change from the life we were used to. We went from living life with very little schedule or second thought of starting a DIY project or going to dinner, to living between naps and playtime and enjoying life as a family! When we brought Jax home, we were already totally adjusted to life with a kiddo but we proceeded warily for the first couple days with the thought on our minds, "remember what everyone said." Other than the discomfort of recovery paired with an on-the-run two-year-old, life didn't veer too far off course. Thankfully. Within a week it felt like Jax had always been here with us. Yes, we are sleeping less and changing more diapers but we weren't startled this time around; our norm isn't so glaringly different. 

One of the most interesting things we've discovered about having two kids is how completely different they can be. It seems almost impossible at times that these boys are both ours and I'm sure we will be surprised more and more as they grow up. We feel blessed that both our boys were super laid back in this infant stage but Jax is a whole different kind of chill. While he likes to be held (what baby doesn't) he's really cool with everything - he sleeps through Hunter's playful banter and dinosaur stomps, he eats more easily than Hunter ever did at this age and he lives life with eyes wide open - seriously, the kid naps far less than most infants. We also don't think they look alike. We saw ourselves in Hunter from the beginning but are just starting to see glimpses here and there with Jax. Overall, the resemblance is slight. Hunter never sported the grumpy old man baby face but Jax wore it often in the first couple weeks which honestly charmed us to no end. Their habits are different, their personalities are different, their faces are different but they are brothers through and through and we can't wait to see them grow together! 

This life is a blessing. Everyday is a gift and we are so thankful for this family of ours.

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We love to hear what others have to say about their experiences!

What would you say your hardest transition was?

Any parenthood pointers you'd like to share?

#littleray has a nursery

Our Christmas break was full of fun and family and productivity this year! It was so nice to have a whole week home with Rob and our little guy. Although we took turns being sick throughout the week we still enjoyed plenty of time with our families celebrating Christ's birth, a wedding, and the new year! 

Last night we finished littleray's nursery. It's a great feeling to walk by and see it completed. We are ready for him any time now! We can't believe that the time has come so quickly and we are in the final weeks of eagerly awaiting his arrival. 

This space came together just as we had imagined it would and we love it! 

We talked in a previous post about our ideas and color scheme but we still weren't sure where everything would end up and how it would come together. We changed a couple of our original ideas, but that's par for the course whenever we decorate a room!

First of all, let me say that painting with such a dark color of green is a bit scary! It ended up looking lush and lovely but it required two (thick) coats and after the first coat I was, admittedly, shaking in my slippers. It's weird to see that intense color rolled onto a white wall! I almost shied away but I'm glad I rolled with it (pun intended!)

The dark green adds a nice intensity to the room that is otherwise pretty light and bright. I decided to keep the branch hanging lighter so that it would pop off the wall. By using a yarn with variation in color I was able to keep it looking a little more "natural"; I chose to leave the bottom uneven for the same reason. We know that it might not be able to live above the crib forever - once littleray has grabby hands - but for now it creates a pretty and rustic picture! 

  

Opposite the crib are littleray's cabinet and changing table. We are thankful that we can use these pieces for little clothes and baby items and keep the small closet for toys and older boy clothing storage. It's nice to have all the little clothes kept behind closed doors and in drawers because even though they are caaaaaute, they can tend to look a bit messy. 

   

We wanted the room to holler 'boy' while still holding to our neutral tone from our first son's room. By mixing hard and soft patterns with warm and cool tones, I think we accomplished our goal. This fun yellow/lime chair adds brightness to this windowed cubby along the same wall as the crib and it's oh-so-comfy! We opted for soft watercolors paired with a heavy metallic arrow so neither would feel too prominent. The top watercolor will have littleray's name once he is born, but for now it will be blank until we make our announcement! 

   

On the other side of the crib, across the room from the comfy chair, there are cute little stuffed animal mounts alongside our favorite saying. Our first son has this saying in his room too and we thought it was perfect to have both our boys know that we love them to the moon and back! The wall mounted animals are from target's fall collection, I think I ended up grabbing them for less than $5 each on sale which is always a perk when decorating a room! You can see above that there is also a mounted stuffed bear near the comfy chair in the picture above, I thought they were too sweet to pass up!

We decided to skip the mountain shelf that we mentioned in our ideas post. It would have lived where the watercolors are now so we thought it would get a little crowded and displace already existing items. Didn't seem worth it to make something from scratch when we already had the goods to fill the space. We are also waiting on the crib skirt to be delivered (thank you amazon!) and then we will be 100% done with this room. We are so thankful for the generosity and love people have shown for this baby boy already, we all can't wait to meet him!! 

SHOP THIS ROOM:

{Paint} Glidden Universal Grey and Hunter Green

{Crib Sheets} Target

{Crib Skirt} Dwell Studio

{Pillows} Tootie and Tallulah's

{Rug} Home Goods

{Grey Handled Baskets} Home Goods

{Grey Geometric Baskets} Target

{Watercolor Prints} Home Goods

{Metallic Arrow} Home Goods

{Bear Head Mount} Target Similar Product 

{Love You To Moon and Back} Tootie and Tallulah's

{Crib/Changing Table/Dresser/Shelving} Bellini (Ours are secondhand but the company makes other beautiful pieces!)

*This post includes affiliate links. We were not paid to say anything nice about these products we just like these things and want you to know where you can get them too! 

Expanding

Apologies for our delay in posting. Since our last post on Mother's Day we took a little break from house projects (after a whirlwind weekend of work on the Dining Room) and then found out that we were going to be parents AGAIN.

We made our official announcement on the Fourth of July which was pretty fun! Good timing and a clever announcement by Rob!

From the time we found out in late May until about a week ago, I wasn't feeling so hot. Nothing as severe as some women have had (thank God and bless those sweet mommas) but definitely enough ookiness to not want to tackle DIY projects.

Now that I'm over the first trimester hurdle and regaining some energy for more than everyday stuff, we are making lists again. Oh, how I love lists!! (where's the heart eye emoji when you need it!)

Here's what we have up our sleeves and what we hope to accomplish before this baby comes in January!!

• install new kitchen cabinets and countertops
• new flooring in kitchen
• shiplap in kitchen
• paint den/desk area
• paint "round room"
• paint foyer and stairwell
• replace staircase runner (if time allows)
• paint playroom attached to Big Brother's room
• paint new nursery

We will be busy but it will be nice to get a lot of this done before there is also a big baby belly in the game as well! 

a community of moms

I have recently realized that having a community of moms to learn from and share with is the most helpful resource when it comes to baby rearing. I am so thankful for the moms that I can call on with questions and concerns; moms with older children and those with babes the same age as our boy.

Everyone gets through trials and manages the hard days differently and every mom has her tricks of the trade. Hearing alternatives from other moms on those hard days makes life a little smoother.

The best part about learning from other moms is that not one mom is better than another and we all seem to know that. It's all about encouragement and suggestion, listening to each others problems carefully before giving any response. Even from afar moms can be a blessing to one another - a word of kindness goes a long way.

To my wonderful community of Moms,
Thank you for your encouragement, prayer, genuine enthusiasm and love throughout these first six months of motherhood. You have been more helpful than you will ever know!

I get by with a little help

Friday was not a great day for me and baby. The day seemed to go on and on and our precious boy would not nap. Our boy is as sweet as they come but even he reached his limit around 12pm and the rest of the day was a disaster. I don't know if it was a lack of patience on my part but for some reason I was easily frustrated and brought to tears. In my mind I knew that tears were useless and that bad days happen, but in the middle of it I couldn't hold them back. These are the days I am glad our son will never remember!

When Rob came home that night I was more relieved than ever before. He took our son from my arms and let me gather myself, shower and hit refresh on a rough day.

Saturday and Sunday were wonderful days, completely opposite from Friday. Though we did nothing out of the ordinary, Rob gave me a ton of help (he's always super helpful but he was more amazing than ever this weekend) and I was even able to be out and about for almost three hours alone. I laughed whenever our son would fall asleep with ease as Rob put him down and I jokingly deemed that he had "the touch"! Even though I was kidding I realized that I had something to learn from my wonderful husband.

Rob rarely gets truly overwhelmed. It's such a gift for someone like me who can sometimes feel like I'm teetering on the edge of an emotional cliff. He keeps me sound.

When Monday came and Rob went back to work I decided that in his absence I would "channel him!"  I rocked our son, breathing evenly and calmly, thinking "What would Rob do?" (Maybe I should get bracelets made! HA) That night when I told him about my successful day he laughed. He thought it was a funny way to help me but he was happy that he did; I was too!!

I'm so thankful for my husband. He helps me in ways that he doesn't even know and boy is it nice to have him in this parenting adventure with me!

Mommy Moments: Jabbering in Public

At first glance, you'd think I'm just an ordinary lady shopping in Target at 11am on a weekday. I walk down all the aisles I won't make a purchase from but browse anyway just for fun. If you got closer you would hear one side of a pretty simple conversation - maybe it's just a best friend on the line listening to me talk about Target's many wonders. When you got close enough to get a good look, you'd realize that there isn't a phone in my hand (or a blue tooth in my ear)... would you think that I was crazy? If you looked a bit closer you would see that in my basket my little four month old boy is hanging on my every word while I jabber on about nothing. 

The other day, as I was walking through Target I found myself talking to our son about the colors on the items I was putting in our basket, all the "pretty lights," and all the fun items that he would enjoy when as he gets older (ie Legos with his daddy). Though I might have seemed like a crazy lady from afar, I was in fact experiencing such joy seeing my boy smile as I showed him the striped onesies I was buying him for summer! 

I love that our outings now include interaction instead of being a nap time for baby boy. I love seeing his smiles, watching him react to ladies that want to say hi, and hearing the jingle of his giraffe as I pick items off the shelf. 

Each stage of Motherhood has been awesome so far and boy, do these boys change fast!

Mommy Moments: Turn my way

Baby R is four months old now! Four joyous months have passed since this girl became a momma and it has been wonderful!

Our sweet boy changes on a daily basis! He is in a new size of clothing, he reaches for things, he plays with toys, he's found and chews on his feet, and he smiles incessantly!

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In the past couple weeks Baby R has started to really recognize his daddy and me. When we walk into a room, he turns his head toward us and lights up with a sweet smile! When I get home from work I love seeing his face crinkle up as I say hello to him! There is such pure joy in that smile and when it is directed solely at me, there in lies a Mommy Moment. I am treated by the joys of these Moments that even on those hard days (yes, they do happen) I can rest in the knowledge that I am the only momma Baby R is looking for and I am completely capable of taking care of his needs.

Parenting Favorites!

1. Fisher-Price Newborn Rock 'n Play:

We received this portable bassinet as a gift from Rob's Aunt and Oma. We hadn't registered for it but it ended up being our most used item in the first 6 weeks of Baby Rebhan's life! It's so light weight, folds down to almost nothing so it's easy to store when not in use and it was perfect to keep our new baby propped up while he slept. Ours didn't have any noise or vibration but some do. This is a new baby MUST HAVE in our book! 

   

2. Fisher-Price Infant to Toddler Rocker:

This transition rocker was another gift that we did not register for but are so happy that we received (thanks Meaghan and Abby)! The base can either be stationary or a rocker, the back adjusts to become a seat for toddlers and the entertainment bar is removable. Our son enjoyed the seat when it was just a rocker but now that he can pay attention to and marvel at the swinging objects, he finds this seat to be a blast! It's perfect for the kitchen when I'm cooking because it keeps him entertained for quite some time! It's also a really nice size for our small home! 

   

3. Carter's Sherpa Hooded Jacket and Baby Gap Bike Onesie:

These gifts aren't necessarily must-haves, but they both made Rob and I melt the first time Baby Rebhan wore them! The Carter's bear hoodie is so soft and cuddly and the ears are so precious. Baby R wore this for the first time on our way home from the hospital (thank you Hawkins)!

   

The Baby Gap Bike onesie is my favorite full outfit on our boy. It's made of such cozy soft cotton and it's a perfect fit on our little man. Every time he wears it I text our neighbors a picture of him in it (they bought it for him); i'm so smitten with him in these duds! 

   

4. Summer Infant Swaddle Me:

Rob calls these the auto-swaddle! When Baby R was very little I would swaddle him with his Aden and Anais swaddling blankets, but as he got stronger he was able to break free almost every time we wrapped him up. Rob never really got the hang of the blanket swaddle so he would always use the Summer Infant swaddles. Once we realized he wasn't able to escape from the velcro swaddles we switched over full time. They are such a help for a squirmy baby; he sleeps so well in them! Plus look at that cute little tooshie while he cuddles with his Grandma!! 

   

5. Aden and Anais Burpy Bibs:

I can't remember if we registered for these but if we didn't, I'm sure happy we got a couple! These are burp cloth/bib combos. The cloth is shaped kind of like a kidney bean so it fits perfectly over our shoulders for burping and it also has a snap on it for use as a bib! They are cute, offer full coverage, and are super absorbent.

   

+ 1. Little Remedies Little Noses Saline Drops/Spray:

This is an extra item on our favorites list today! Our neighbors had a little boy three months before our son was born! He is such a cutie, isn't he!? I asked her what their most surprising favorite baby item has been and she told me about these Saline Nose Drops. She said that they are a perfect replacement for the snot bulbs (they creep us out) and seem to be more effective anyway! We are so grateful to have neighbors going through first time parenthood with us, we can't wait until our boys are friends!! 

   

bittersweet feelings

Yesterday, while cleaning around the house, I looked into our son's closet and realized that he has grown out of all his newborn clothes. Some he grew out of quickly, others he was still able to wear around his skinny waist but now he looks like he's waiting for a flood! Seeing as though he's almost 3 months, I decided that it was time to retire all the itty bitty clothes and move fully into 0-3 months. Yes, our baby is a long skinny dude!! 

Packing up his coming home outfit, his first Christmas onesie and many other outfits he wore to experience "firsts" had me feeling some seriously bittersweet feelings. As his mom, I burst with pride with every ounce he gains and every developmental milestone he hits or surpasses, but every day that he grows and learns something new is a day closer to exiting babyhood.

I know we still have a long ways to go before it is over but every single day with our boy is a beginning and an end; there in lies the bittersweet feeling. Thankfully the beginnings are so exciting and breathtaking, yet another great design in God's plan of motherhood!!

Many experienced moms have told me that even though some days can be bittersweet, the best is yet to come. Even after just 12 weeks, I completely believe them! 

   

my opinion on opinions

Over these past eleven weeks I have come to one conclusion: There are way too many opinions on how to raise children. People are so opinionated and even the published "professionals" differ so greatly, how are we supposed to know what's right?

The internet gives countless options for sleep patterns. One pediatrician says that swaddling is no longer "allowed", while another encourages it. Strangers scold you for taking your baby out of the house too soon. Pacifiers are evil to some and life savers to others.

With all these opinions how are confused new parents supposed to make decisions?

I was guilty of doing countless google searches on whether or not things are "normal" about our boy, which of course they were and continue to be. Rob encouraged me to stop the searching altogether. Admittedly, I just minimized the frequency and am more cautious about what sources I read from but I guess that's better than nothing!

After the first two weeks of being home with our boy, we decided that we would just do what felt right and natural for us as a family. We knew the big "no-no's" and we had been to birthing class with a bringing the baby home section. We knew that even if we had a bad day here and there in the beginning, a schedule would emerge that worked best for our family. Well, thankfully we were right and it has!

Personally, I am so glad we went that route! Now, eleven weeks later we have a loose but stable schedule and a happy, easy-going baby that can sleep in a noisy room, doesn't fuss on outings, loves to be swaddled and can take or leave a pacifier.

This is not to say that people haven't had great success with the methods on the internet. All I am saying is that if there seem to be too many opinions to sort through, maybe it's best to set them aside and see what feels natural for a while. Sometimes the research will end up being best or maybe you'll end up with a nice mix of research and natural timing. Just feel it out and please don't ever think you can't do it! YOU CAN!!

The other day, I was visiting with a friend who just gave birth to her second daughter. She told me that when she doesn't quite know what to do she just asks herself, "How would the pioneer women have done it?" As we laughed it dawned on me: although I am SO thankful for modern medicine and all the advancements that have been made since the pioneer days, I know that if they could do this so can I!

For all you moms feeling like the first weeks are "the worst," I promise that they go fast! We are almost to the three month mark (which I can't believe!) and while I'm no professional, I feel confident in saying that things "normalize" more quickly that it seems they would!

But hey, don't take it from me, this is just another opinion after all!

Mommy moments: One Long Hour

This past Sunday was the first time that we had a truly inconsolable baby on our hands. Usually when our son is cranky it's for a normal baby reason: he's hungry, he's tired, he's got a dirty diaper or he's uncomfortable. Normally it's a quick fix to get a smile back on his face, all we have to do is directly address the problem and it's solved.

Sunday was not a normal day. Baby Rebhan, having not slept well on Saturday night, just barely made it through his Great Grandma's 92nd birthday party on Sunday afternoon. By the time we got home our boy was not a happy camper. We tried all the "tricks" we have learned in the last two months but nothing was working. 

It was the first time that Rob and I looked at each other and actually said "what do we do now?" For a moment it felt we would never be able to satisfy our boy and that not knowing how to help him right away made us less capable as parents. One long hour later, I was cuddled with our sleeping son on the glider in his nursery feeling like the most capable mommy in the world. 

This mommy moment came when I felt the least like one. Even when I was feeling incapable and none of my tricks were working, I was able to calm my son. It took an hour of singing, rocking and cuddles that, looking back, I wouldn't exchange for anything.

It seems crazy to be thankful for the rough parenting moments but they put the rest of our days into perspective. We live a life with the sweetest, happiest baby and I couldn't be a happier mommy. 

Mommy moments

Feeling like a Mother happened immediately. The day our son was born I knew I would love him forever. These first eight and a half weeks have been increasingly amazing and the love I feel for this boy is deeper and stronger than I ever felt possible: I could burst! Motherhood was a natural transition, definitely one that came with new responsibilities including diaper changes, nap schedules and feedings, but it was natural. Being a Mommy is different though, it’s a whole new level of love that I didn't think possible. 

God had a grand plan when he orchestrated the change a woman feels when she becomes a mother and I am so thankful for that. I think he gave us the ability to respond to our baby’s needs without batting an eye and at the perfect moments He rewards us with the "Mommy moments." Those moments, the few I’ve had so far, are the most precious gifts I’ve ever received.

The sweetness of having our son look me in the eyes for the first time, really noticing and reacting to me (for more than two seconds), with a smile across his perfect mouth made me feel like a Mommy through and through. I was communicating with my son and he was understanding. The first time he turned his head towards the sound of my voice I was amazed. I thank God every day for each little “Mommy moment!” 

I fall asleep every night looking forward to the next day with my boy. Each day is better than the last.

changing as a family of three

Our son, was born in late November and we have had such a joyful 7.5 weeks with our sweet boy!

It is an amazing thing to be a new mom. I learn things about our new family, my sweet son and myself every single day. I have learned what grace and patience feel like when there is no forethought behind giving or receiving either one. I have realized that I am now filled with such pride and joy when someone shows love to my son and coos over him. Becoming a mom is immediate: physically our son came into the world at 5:03am and at the same moment he leaped into my heart.

My days are now filled with cuddles, feedings, diaper changes, laundry and gazing at our baby's sweet expressions. Eventually I will get back to days that don't include hours of Netflix, late night feedings and "first time" outings as a mommy/baby duo; but for now I am happily settled in these early days of scrambling for the camera every time a smile crosses my son's face and waiting for his first giggle and not wanting to miss any of it.

We are exceptionally happy as a family of three.

Previously, this blog was all about the DIY projects that Rob and I have taken on in our new home. We have enjoyed all the projects that we have done so far and documenting them has been a great way for us to share some tips while having a place to keep memories of our first house! Now we have new memories to add, to remember, and some that we will want to share with those of you that want to know what's happening in our little family. So this blog is changing, we are no longer just renovating our home but our whole life and we are learning fun tidbits and sharing along the way.