Balance...finally

I finally feel like we've found some sort of balance.  Needless to say, our life is chaotic with two dogs and two kids, but somehow, in the midst of the craziness I feel like we're starting to figuring things out.  We've been down here for 10 weeks now (who's counting?), have a handful of "mommy" friends and have spent our weekends together, as a family, exploring our new city.  It feels good.  Things are starting to come together.  My previous post (entitled "personal") was not only emotional, but also truthful.  It felt good to get those thoughts out, but they also stirred up some concern from friends and family.  In the three weeks since I made that post, I really feel like things have changed.  Harper has been a much happier baby since starting her reflux meds and is sleeping through the night (woo hoo!).  I've also started her on a regimented nap schedule, which happens to be at the same time E sleeps in the afternoon, so I have some much needed time to myself.   The three of us are getting out of the house more during the day (as my confidence builds) and I've been going to the gym everyday (at 6am, but, hey, at least I'm going).  I've also hit the three month mark post-pregnancy/nursing which means my hormones have leveled out (and I've started losing my hair).  I realized, however, that I was missing my creative side that so badly needed to exercised.   So, I've been inspired to start a sort of "craft" blog!  It contains recipes, craft projects and my thoughts (not so baby centered).  I'm excited to share it with you all soon, but am still in the process of getting it started.  E starts preschool on Monday, which will give little Harper and I more one on-one-time, provide all of us with a weekly schedule/routine and give me time to work on crafty goodness!  Overall, I feel content and balanced and loving this beautiful fall weather (my favorite time of year)!

Bath time at the Moen home!

Tailgate!

We had a great family weekend!  Grandma K arrived on Friday (our second visitor since we moved here - Aunt Sarah came in August).  She hadn't seen any of us since helping with the move in July.  It was a much needed and welcomed visit.  It was nice to see a familiar face.

We had a weekend full of plans that started on Friday when Dr. M and I went to a dinner sponsored by the Dean and Grandma K stayed to babysit (woo hoo!).  This was the first time we've left Harper with a sitter (poor Grandma K - H was a bear!).  It was nice, however, for the two of us to get out, have adult conversation and couple drinks together.  

Saturday started with french toast at home, Bama t-shirt shopping and then we all piled into the car and headed to campus for the Alabama vs. Arkansas game!  Parking was free but it was at least a mile from the Quad.  I wore Harper in the ring-sling and we loaded E into the stroller.  Campus was crazy!  I've never seen so much red and so many tailgating tents in one spot before...and these people know how to tailgate!  They all had tents, defining their space and keeping them out of the sun, tons food and beer.  Some even had portable satellite dishes with flat screen TV's running on generators so they could catch the pre-game shows. 

  The Quad was FULL of tents and people, every where you looked all you could see was red and tents.  We made our way through (barely) stopping to let E play in one of many giant bounce-house play-things set up for families.  

Decked out in our Bama red, we finally made it to our tailgate.  It was also sponsored by the Dean, so we enjoyed a catered lunch, indoor bathrooms, large fans and even a small jazz band.  After eating we hoofed it back to the car with two tired and hot kids.  We watched the game when we got home and then all of us took a nap.  Needless to say, we took it easy that night, put everyone to bed early and relaxed.  

Sunday we went down to the River Walk and enjoyed the beautiful weather.  E played in the splash fountain and we strolled around before going to Dreamland BBQ for lunch (Dr. M's fave - and a first for the rest of us)!  

That night we put the little ones to bed early and enjoyed a movie together (we hadn't seen a movie together since before H was born).  Grandma K left this morning, but plans to be back in November.  We're looking forward to our next big game day adventure with some good friends for the big LSU game.  Roll Tide!!

Personal

So much has happened in our lives in just a matter of a few months.  In the almost 10 years that Dr. M and I have been together, a lot has happened.  It's been a roller coaster of emotions recently.  A surprise pregnancy almost a year ago was the beginning of the crazy ride (little did we know).  Just 9 months later we found ourselves as a family of four and moving cross-country.  What is it about me being pregnant and us moving?!  So, here we are.  In Alabama. We said good-bye to our friends and family and are living in a city where we literally know no one.  Dr. M was fortunate to receive an offer from what he says is  his "dream job," and I'm still staying home with the babies.  It's been about 2 months now and can't tell you how much I miss my family and friends right now.  I've never lived this far from home and I miss my mom, who I haven't spent much time with in the past 6 months.  I just don't feel like we've found our "groove" down here yet.  I still get lost in this city, don't know where anything is or the best way to get there and having two kids just makes everything harder.  I also forgot how hard it is to have a newborn.  The crying, sleeplessness and guessing games are starting to wear on me and Dr. M.  A friend said that moving made her and her husband's relationship stronger, but I'm not sure that's the case for us.  We have very little time for just the two of us.  Financially, this move has almost cost us our entire savings and we're left living pay-check to pay-check.  I feel helpless not working and so wish I could do something to help, but Dr. M assures me that staying home and taking care of the kids is the best job for me right now.  I miss working so much.  I miss the social outlet, the adult conversation and the feeling of importance and accomplishment.  Can't believe it's been 2 and half years since I've worked.  I've either been pregnant or nursing for the past three years (and I plan to continue nursing for at least anther year).  I recently (yesterday) started running at a local park and enjoy the time to myself in the morning, but feel exhausted the rest of the day and my legs feel like jello.  I've met some other moms, who are great women, but can't help thinking that the only thing we really have in common is the fact that we're mothers.  To make matters worse, several weeks ago we found out that a dear family member is very ill which was an emotional shock to all of us.  Despite the way this all sounds, I'm optimistic that this city will be great for us in the long run...I'm just anxious to get to that point.  Right now, I'm trying to live my life one day at a time, tell my family how much I love them, be the best mother and wife that I can and stay as positive as possible.  I started this blog as a way for family to keep up with our lives but I'm not sure who actually reads it.  I like to think of it as an online journal and baby book.  A place to record our milestones.  I love looking back at past entries about the babies and our lives and see what I was thinking and feeling.  That's why I'm adding this post.  Not for sympathy, but so I can look back years from now and see how far we've come!     

3 Months!

Our little girl will be three months in just 4 days.  Our pediatrician doesn't typically schedule three month well-check visits, but she wanted to do a follow-up on Miss H to check her weight and ear.  About two weeks ago I noticed yellow drainage and a foul smell coming from H's ear (poor little thing), so we saw the doc who confirmed (what I had already diagnosed on Google) that she had an ear infection, so we were sent home with some ear drops.  At her two-month well-check, the doc expressed concern about H's slow weight gain.  Though she was hovering around the 25th percentile, she had dropped from the 50th in just a few weeks.  This was a hard thing for a nursing mother to hear about her baby girl, but in the back of my head I knew she was going to be fine.  My mother always told me that I was a long and skinny baby and it turns out that's exactly how Miss H is growing.  Her weight at this appointment was acceptable (she gained 11 oz and grew half an inch in three weeks) so her pediatrician didn't seem concerned anymore.  Overall, the percentile doesn't matter, it's the growth that matters to me.  Harper looks bigger, more alert and cuter every day!  She smiles all the time, swings at her toys and has been discovering (staring) at her hands.  She's been eating well and is sleeping in her own bed, waking just once at night to eat.  Her eyes are still beautiful blue and her hair is starting to grow (kinda).  She's a content baby.  Happiest when in my ring-sling or my arms, a mama's girl. We've also been using cloth diapers full-time, which I'm also really excited about! I love watching her grow and develop.  Can't believe it's been three months already!

3 Month Stats:

Weight - 10 lbs 11 oz (25%)

Length - 23 1/4 in (50%)

Hair cut

Well, I did it.  I cut E's hair myself.  He was way overdue for a haircut.  Though the curls were adorable, his bangs were almost in his eyes and the back kept getting tangled.  He put up a little fight, but we strapped him in his booster chair in front of the TV and bribed him with animal crackers.  He did great and I have to admit, so did I!  It's shorter than his first hair cut, but he looks so cute and grown-up.  Well, guess I'm officially the family barber...Dr. M, the dogs and now E.  

2 year check-up

Last week we took E to meet his new doctor and see how he's measuring up.  All 4 of us made the trip, which was crazy with a 12 week-old and a 2 year-old.  Thank goodness there are even numbers of adults and children, because we both had our hands full, between filling out new insurance forms, H fussing/eating/sleeping and E tearing everything off the shelves and out of the drawer in the exam room (why they're not baby-proofed, we have no idea).  He threw a fit when the nurse tried to measure his head, but didn't shed a single tear when she pricked his finger for blood-work.  He wouldn't open his mouth for the doc to see his teeth, but was and angel while she listened to his heart.  He didn't want to be weighted or measured, but loved the sticker they gave him.  Overall, the doc said he's a "typical" toddler and looks great.  He's tall and thin just like his parents.  She was also very impressed by his verbal skills.  The greatest concern that we addressed were his food allergies (which are still all dairy and nuts).  We plan to start a relationship with a local allergist, but aren't too concerned at this point because we're able to manage them well on our own.  In fact, he's now drinking soy milk instead of rice milk.  He was given a seasonal flu shot, but isn't required to receive any other vaccinations until he's 4.  I don't think we see the doc again until he's 3 for a well-check. Our next big adventure will be another haircut, but I'm going to try this time.  Don't worry, we'll post pics.

2 year stats:

Weight  - 27 lbs, 50%

Height - 36 in, 90%