The Transition to Two

So I've been doing this whole Mom of two gig for three months now and I totally have it down. Haha. That's a lie. I do occasionally have my days that I fist pump the air and tell myself I'm super mom, like the day I took both kids to the park and no one cried, the entire week where both boys took naps at the same time (how in the world did I manage that one?!) or the day we were all bathed, dressed and fed and Aiden didn't watch any tv. But those days are usually followed by a day where I am sneaking spoonfuls of Nutella and telling myself I'll do better at this whole mom thing tomorrow.

The first few weeks, I was basically terrified. I was afraid that I wasn't doing a good enough job, afraid that Aiden was feeling left out, afraid that I would fail one or both of my boys and very afraid to leave the house with two kids. Well guess what? My first outing with two kids was a big fat fail. We all 3 left the park in tears that day, but looking back on it, it was my first step. Like the Little Blue Engine I had to tell myself, "I think I can, I think I can" over and over until I convinced myself to just go for it regardless of how it'd go. When you are faced with a new challenge, don't shrink back from it in fear, face it head on. You have to start by taking a small step and slowly your steps will become leaps.

Being a Mom of two is hard, but it is also sprinkled with hilarious moments and incredibly sweet ones. Watching the brotherly bond begin to form between my boys has been the sweetest thing I've ever had the privilege of watching. I have also loved seeing Aiden as a big brother. He is (most days) incredibly sweet and protective of his little brother and the way he says his name melts my heart. Then he has his days where he tells me to put Alder downstairs, but we won't go there today.

While it's hard to always be needed, I have learned quickly to not feel defeated if every day is not Pinterest perfect, which it is NOT. If we stay in our pajamas all day, that's ok. If my baby cries for a few minutes while I hold my toddler, that's ok. If my toddler watches movies so I can breastfeed and play with my baby for a few uninterrupted hours, that's ok. If I have to bribe my toddler with jelly beans to get in his car seat, that's ok. I am not super mom and I am not ever going to do this whole parenting thing perfectly. It's better to just accept that and choose to accept God's grace when I mess things up.

Three months in and I'm starting to get in a groove. Instead of saying "I think I can," I'm getting out more and saying "I thought I could." I'm not scared to leave the house with two kids by myself anymore, but it has taken time, preparation and practice (and Jesus and Starbucks.) I am more confident now in myself and in my mom game. These days are crazy hard and crazy good.

Someone pinch me, I'm a mom of TWO!

Alder Jacob {Two Months}

It's been two plus months with Alder as part of our family and we are loving all the joy he has brought us so far. He is such a happy guy even though he shares his brothers love of furrowing his brow. He loves to smile and coo at people. I swear it's like he is already trying to talk to us. I think he might be an early talker like his brother. 

This month Alder took his first big road trip to Nashville to meet his new baby cousin, Archer. (Apparently we like the "A" names in our family) He was a great little traveler and we only stopped once both ways of our 4 and a half hour drive! Woo!

This month I've been working hard to get Alder on a Feed, Wake, Sleep schedule (Baby Wise) like I did with Aiden. He wasn't as easy as his brother to convince to get on this schedule as he would rather his schedule went something like this, Feed, Wake, Feed, Sleep and repeat. Baby boy loves to eat as evidenced in his 2 month stats. And the face below is the one he gives me when I try to deny him more milk. Haha. 

We also celebrated our first Easter as a family of four. It was a sweet day on my Aunt and Uncle's farm and he was so good. He really only cries when he is hungry or tired...or when his brother accidentally head butts him. Oh the joys of being the younger sibling.

A few stats about Alder at two months: (Appt. 4/12)

Weight: 13.5 pounds (71st %)

Height: 24 inches (72nd%)

Size clothes: 3 month clothes and some 6 month clothes (He wore the same bunny pjs Easter morning that Aiden wore at 6 months!)

Sleeping: He is sleeping 5-6 hours at night then he wakes up to eat and goes back to sleep for another few hours. He is also a great napper!

Random stuff only parents want to know:

Nicknames: Bubba, Buster, Sweet honey, Sunshine

Likes: Milk (duh), Listening to Daddy's voice, kicking his feet in the bath, Smiling, collecting things in his neck rolls, sleeping in his swing, staring at the curtains, ceiling fans, having his toes tickled, his Mama.

Dislikes: Being interrupted when he's eating, waiting to be fed, getting head butted by his brother

Here are a few of my favorite pictures of Alder from this month...

We love our little sunshine boy and look forward to all the spring things with him this month!

See Aiden at TWO MONTHS here

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Easter on the Farm 2017

Easter is one of my favorite holidays for many reasons. I love the reason why we celebrate it, the weather is almost always beautiful, the flowers are blooming, the grass is green, there is always chocolate involved and we get to act like kids on my Aunt and Uncle's farm.

This year was especially memorable because Aiden actually understood the concept of hunting for eggs and loved it. It was also Alder's first Easter with us meaning we had to take lots of family pictures to document. Duh.

We had such a good day with family. I hope your Easter was memorable too!

Toddler Friendly Easter Activities (using household items)

As a former teacher, I love a good themed activity, especially when it promotes learning. With a new baby in the house, I've been slacking. I haven't been out much and when I am out, I really don't want to spend time scouring shelves for educational supplies. Let's be honest, I only leave the house for Starbucks and Groceries these days. So I've been scouring Pinterest for a few easy and fun Easter themed activities that I can do with my toddler that involve items I already have around the house. (I'm counting plastic eggs as something you might have around the house if you are a parent since Easter is right around the corner, if not, you can find them everywhere this time of year.)

Here are a few activities I have tried or plan on trying soon with my toddler...

Plastic Egg Scoop

Materials: Plastic Eggs, Clear container, Spoons/Ladle, Strainer

Count the Cottontails (This one I made up myself, pretty self-explanatory, right?)

Materials: Plastic Eggs, Mini Marshmallows, Optional: Bunny book

Potato Stamping

Materials: Potatoes, Paint, Paper, Knife

Plastic Egg Painting

Materials: Plastic Eggs, Paint, Paper plates

Easter Story Snack Mix 

Materials: Pretzels, Craisins, Round cracker, Goldfish, marshmallow, M&M's (or other small treat) 

This activity is adorable and I love the idea behind it as it puts the focus of Easter on Jesus and not eggs and bunnies, but you might have to buy a few of these snack items if you don't have them.