Daddy's Blog News!!

We are happy to share with everyone that we've made some changes to Charlie and Will's! We've decided to incorporate Daddy's Blog into the home page at www.CharlieandWill.com.

We've done this because using that particular platform makes it MUCH easier for more frequent updates, AND also allows for MOMMY to post as well.

So keep an eye on www.CharlieandWill.com. We've already posted the new site, although it is still under construction. We'll continue to update the look and feel of the site as we go, but we thought it was important to get the site up and running again, even though we haven't had a chance to import ALL of the archived Videos and Pictures. They will be added soon!!

Thanks for following us!

Can of Worms

Funny how things are seen through the eyes of a child. I don't know. It's just amazing to me how Charlie links things together in her mind and connects the dots. Some of the stuff she figures out on her own just blows my mind.

There are things we let her do when she was a baby, and now she does them all the time. These are things that we hesitated to let her do before, but now, we really can't say "no" to them. Otherwise the tantrums start. It's about consistency after all.

You see, we are discovering as parents that toddlers aren't sophisticated enough to understand WHY they can do something one day, but the next day, it's against the rules. So Daddy can't really refuse to let Charlie help me wash dishes today, if she has helped Mommy the last two days in a row.

Just consistency... that's it. We've always kept her away from the stove, so she doesn't even try. We don't let her in the cupboards under the kitchen sink, so to her, it's like they don't even exist. It's just difficult to always stay on the same page and make sure she gets a consistent message all the time. Or, what's more difficult, is thinking ahead. If I let her do something that seem harmless today, what will it lead to in a few weeks?

We've always let Charlie hold the A&D ointment tube while we changed her diaper, ever since she was a little baby. Then she learned to open the top, so we let her rub oinment on her lips (like Mommy does) and rub it on her belly (like her lotion after baths). Now, it is not uncommon to walk into the bedroom and see fingerpainting streaks of A&D ointment all over the full length mirror in our bedroom. Just small things like that... that grow.

So everyday, we're on the lookout so that we hopefully can avoid opening that "can of worms" that will lead to a tantrum down the road if we have to pull back a little.

All of this without trying to reign in her curiousity and sense of discovery!!

Oh yeah... all of this AND trying to make sure she sets a good example for her baby brother.

The Best Gifts

So Christmas has come and gone again this year, and things are always exciting in our house these days. This year, I received the best gift EVER for Christmas from my daughter. It didn't come in a box, wasn't wrapped up, and couldn't fit under the tree.

Christmas morning, I slowly carried Charlie down the stairs until we came to the bottom where she caught a glimpse of all the presents under the tree. I wish I had thought to set up the video camera to capture the look on her face when she saw those presents.

It was probably one of the warmest feelings I've ever had in my heart. To see that look on her face was incredible.

For two weeks leading up to Christmas, we have been working on Charlie, teaching her about Santa Claus. Any time you talked about Christmas, she said "Santa, Santa... Ho, Ho,Ho." We really felt like she was getting it this year. If there was any doubt, yesterday morning was the answer!

She pulled out present after present and show me. It was everything I could do to keep her patient enough to wait for her brother and Mommy... but she had to eat breakfast, so that's what we did. Even though she didn't eat very much.

Over the years, I've become a little bit of a humbug through the holidays. The last few years have reminded me what the holidays are all about: The Kids!

What a great time to watch Charlie swimming in wrapping paper.

Milestones

It has been a big couple weeks at our house. Will turned 4-months old, and had his first few spoonfuls of both Rice Cereal and Gerber Green Beans. He seemed to enjoy both very much. He is now weighing in at 16 lbs, 5 ozs. Both his height and weight are in the mid-90% for boys his age. He really does look more like a 6-month old then a 4-month old.

This guy is still all smiles, and his temperment is so easy-going. He is just simply a super little kid. And we really thought Charlie was easy.

Speaking of Charlie...

My baby girl has just turned two. She is cuter and sweeter than ever now and what makes things even more fun is that she continues to develop the best little sense of humor. She loves to play jokes, and rough-house with her Daddy. She is my little princess, and that's why the last couple of days have been some of the most difficult I've had since becoming a Daddy two short years ago.

I think I mentioned in a previous post that Beck and I decided to enroll Charlie in a pre-school 2-days a week. Well, that started today. I haven't slept well for the last few days just thinking about it, and today was about as tough as I thought it would be.

It is the most heartwrenching feeling in the world to leave your baby girl alone in a school where she doesn't know anyone. Don't get me wrong here. We didn't just drive up, meet the teacher for 5 minutes and leave Charlie. We've been to the school several times with Charlie, and both Beck and I have sat through hours of "routine" at the school with Charlie over the last few weeks just to try to ease the transition for her. But it certainly didn't make it easy this morning.

Charlie clutched at both of us when we tried to leave. Beck and I both broke down in tears when we closed the door to her classroom behind us, and I actually had to go directly to the van with Will because I couldn't stay composed enough to speak with the Director of the school before we left.

Now, as I write this post, I am swimming in guilt, feeling as if we should never have considered enrolling her in the school. Thinking, "how in the world is my 2-year old peanut going to make it all by herself." Everyone says it gets easier, and that Charlie will be fine after a few days of school. I do believe that, but right now, I just can't imagine it.

For all of those who keep telling us to "enjoy it". We're trying. :)

Transitions

Life just keeps on changing...

We have decided that Charlie would benefit from spending a couple days a week around other kids. It's taken us a lot of time, and heartache to come to this decision. We've been very fortunate to have Charlie and Will at home with us; alternating days with them so both Beck and I can get our work done. It's been great. We've had fantastic experiences and feel as though Charlie has developed into a perfectly happy, well rounded, almost two-year old. The rub here is just that she has shown a little hesitancy around other kids that she doesn't know.

This has resulted in us worrying about her "social" development. Not to mention that we've discovered the competition level for entrance into preschool around here is cut-throat, and we found an opportunity to enroll her in a very good school.

So we found a new little place near us that seems like a great spot for Charlie to go and play with other kids, and mybe learn a little something too.

Maybe it's just that with Will around the house, it's harder to focus with Charlie, keeping her advancing with her skills. I don't really know... but I do know that I am having a difficult time dealing with the prospect of sending Charlie to school in a few weeks.

I'm not ready for her to grow up. Although she is only two (almost), it seems like the time is just slipping away from us. The other thing is, I worry about her being on her own at school, without Mommy or Daddy around to help her up when she falls down, or hug her when she's tired. I'm worried that the staff at the school won't know what her gestures mean, or her words. She's working really hard on talking, but some of her words only Mommy and Daddy understand.

It all keeps coming back to this thought: At some point, Charlie is going to go to school. We may as well break her in slow, or break ourselves in slow (probably more accurate). I don't know what makes this easier other than just doing it!

Keep your fingers crossed for Mommy and me. I'm sure Charlie will be fine!

Been a while

So my blogging has slowed recently and I apologize to those of you who check back regularly. For some who have that nifty little "reader" deal that tells you when I've updated, well, you can now exhale...

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind. Beck is back to work now, and our "new" schedule has been challenging to get used to. At least for me. It's just amazing how even when you have a real solid routine, your day is just swallowed up in no time. Maybe it's just me having so many things going on these days, but I feel like when the kids go down at night, it's only THEN that my day starts, and of course, that's the exact time when I need a nap! :-)

It's been a month. I remember when Charlie and I began our "Daddy/Daughter Days" after Mommy went back to work almost two years ago. I was sooo afraid to go out of the house, AT ALL. Things are much different now for me, but it's still all about the routine: Feedings, Meals, Naps, and of course Activity Time.

Charlie is into her Play-Do now. She loves it, and always pats the bench seat next to her at the table and says, "Daddy". I think I've made about 1,000 Play-Do snakes in the last two weeks.

I have to say, we are SOOOO lucky to have such a great friend in "Auntie Ann". She has really helped us out incredibly. You probably are aware how skittish we are about having ANYONE watch our kids. Yes, even people we love and trust, we just have a hard time leaving the kids. Period. But Anne's visits have become such a great time for Charlie, that she will dance around the kitchen on the mornings that she comes saying, "Ya-Ya, Ya-Ya" (that what she calls Anne).

Charlie has had a great time with her on Tuesdays the last few weeks, and while Beck and I are always anxious when we leave, knowing Charlie is in such great care is comforting. Will of course, doesn't really have a care in the world yet, as long as he's fed on time!! I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Will has really taken to Anne as well.

The point is, that Beck and I have made certain sacrifices to try and keep our kids home during the first few years. We would never be able to do it without Anne's help right now and we are sooo lucky and appreciative!

Okay... What's wrong with people?

So last week Beck and I took the kids to some place called "My Kids 1st Swim" or something like that. We walk in the place, and the 4 people at the counter don't acknowledge us. When we're finally asked if we needed help, we were basically just blown off. Now this place wants people to bring their YOUNG children in for swimming lessons. Are you serious? You want me to feel comfortable letting you teach my child when you can't even welcome someone politely? Oh yeah, when they sent us into the "observation room", the first thing we noticed was FILTHY carpet, and plastic chairs that were as cheap as can get. Not a very smart business plan if you ask me... If can't spend more than $2 for a chair for prospective customers to be comfortable, how much are you paying your "instructors" to teach my child?

To add salt to my wound, we then went to Damon's to grab a quick bite before Charlie's nap. We walk to the front door, with me carrying Will in his car seat, Beck carrying Charlie, and a bag of assorted stuff (coloring books, cleaning wipes, etc.). There are TWO sets of doors, and as we struggle to get all of us through into the waiting area, the 3 people at the hostess stand doing nothing say, "Can we help you?" Of course, you know after our previous stop, I wanted to lecture them about their service, but I've heard too many stories about what happens to the food of customers who complain at restaurants.

You know, I realize that this rant strays just a little from most posts on this blog. But the point in telling these stories is that I really worry about what kind of world Charlie and Will are growing up in. Is it really a place in which people are only worried about themselves? Has courtesy just gone the way of the VCR? Really?

I talk a lot about how much Charlie is watching EVERYTHING we do these days. About how she mimics everything. And I know it will continue at least until she's a teen. It makes me wonder though: How do some of these kids' parents behave in front of them that they can't even be bothered to budge to open a door for a family with 2 young children that are both being carried into their place? I wonder if there was even an inkling of a thought inside theirs heads that they should open the door?

What a huge responsibility it is, right?

Pathetic?

So I am DJ'ing a wedding last night and during cocktails I have a conversation with the Bride's father. He wants to take a couple of minutes during the reception to thank everyone for coming to the wedding and tell a short story. We run through my agenda, and mutually decide that the most appropriate time for this is after dinner, immediately before the Father/Daughter dance. It just seems to flow well that way. He then tells me about the song they're going to dance to, and how much his daughter means to him, she will always be his baby girl, etc. etc.

So picture it: Here we are, the DJ and the father of the bride, a Naval Commander (in uniform), both with tears welling up in their eyes as we decide the updated agenda. I told him as he was leaving that I know the song they're dancing to, and if I had trouble holding it together, he'd have to change the music for the Mother/Son dance which immediately followed. He agreed... but of course he thought I was kidding.

So the time comes, and the Commander is telling a story about having to leave his baby girl when she was little to go on tours with the Navy. He can't hold it together, everyone at the reception is crying, but I was strong. Then I start the music for their dance. The song is "I Loved Her First," by Heartland. If you know the song, you know I didn't stand a chance. For 2 minutes the tears were building and building, but I could hold them back. All until the Commander glanced over at me and I could see him crying as he danced with his daughter. I lost it. Tears poured down my cheeks and I choked up. I know Charlie is not even 2 yet, but just the thought of giving her away someday, and all the "stuff" that we'll go through between now and then. Those thoughts never fail to break me.

So as the song ended, I was able to compose myself (barely) enough to introduce the Groom and his Mom for their dance, but not without my voice crackling in the middle of it, which got me another look and a smile from the Commander.

All the other typical father/daughter songs don't affect me at all. Just those country ballads about a Daddy and his little girl. Beck laughed at me when I told her about it. I really don't know why I'm helpless against the tears when I think about Charlie growing up. It's not something I care to try and stop though. It just goes all the way back to one of my first posts on this blog about how you just can't describe the feeling of holding your baby, or being a parent. It's impossible to find any words sufficient enough to capture the feelings.

So that was my night last night. I haven't yet completely broken down!

So far, so good.

So we're having good luck so far with the Super Nanny technique for putting the kids down to bed. The last 5 nights, Charlie has been in bed and sleeping peacefully by 8:00pm, and Will has generally been down shirtly thereafter (by 10:00pm) and sleeping through big chunks of the night. Anywhere from 3 to 5 hours at night.

Like I mentioned before here, Charlie's little personality has been PERFECT with her baby brother. She really protects him and watches out for him. It's amazing and quite frankly, I don't understand how she "gets it", but I'm certain I underestimate a toddler's ever evolving brain. She surprises me everyday by doing something she sees us do, that we never thought she understood or was paying attention to.

Example: The other day, I mentioned to Beck that everytime Charlie "uses" the baby potty before a bath, she'll get up, close the lid, and walk over to the side and put her foot up on the green button on the side. Beck informed me that when she takes her into a public restroom, she always flushes the toilet with her foot, so she doesn't have to touch anything. I suppose we'll have to let Charlie see us clean HER bathroom so she's not afraid to touch things with her hands!! It is real funny to see.

I will say that (in my opinion) Beck and I are adjusting slowly to having two kids in the house. We are very fortunate to be able to help each other so much, but there is going to be a day soon that we're going to have to suck it up and get comfortable taking care of both of them by ourselves. It's a pretty scary thought to me, but then again, I was fearful for my first "Daddy/Daughter Days" with Charlie. You just don't have any choice but to figure it out.

The bedtime routines was (and is) a big deal though. It's the basis for keeping a structured schedule for the kids and absolutely keeps them rested and gives us a chance to unwind at the end of the day. We're hoping that Will continues his excellent sleeping right into a standard bedtime and sleeping ALL the way through the night soon.

The Bedtime Routine

So you've read here that my daughter Charlie has had some difficulty with her normal bedtime routine since welcoming her baby brother home from the hospital. Well, I had a theory, and it seems that Super Nanny concurs.

About 4 nights into sharing her home with a new baby, Charlie began refusing to go down quietly after her bedtime routine. No less than 5 minutes after we would put her down, she would begin screaming at the top of her lungs, hysterical. Completely not like her at all. She has been an incredible sleeper since she was 1-month old.

We spent 4 or 5 days laying with her in her bed to get her calmed down, thinking she was sick, spooked, hot, whatever. Finally, we decided that laying in bed with her to get her to go to sleep was a terrible habit to start, so we started thinking about WHY she was doing this.

My theory almost immediately was that she was trying to stay awake because she felt she was missing out on something. You see, her little brother was always AWAKE when we put Charlie down for bed, and even though she is only 20-months old, I just felt like somehow, she knew exactly what was going on.

So we did some research and found in Super Nanny's book, the EXACT scenario we were experiencing. She suggested that we allow Charlie to participate in WILL'S bedtime ritual, and help us put him down to bed BEFORE we do her routine. All well and good, but Will is only 16 days old, so we're just building his routines and often, he's not ready for bed by Charlie's bedtime.

What we decided to do is just before we begin Charlie's routine, we make a big deal out of Will going to bed. We let Charlie say goodnight to him, and kiss him, and then either Beck or I will take Will from the room (out of Charlie's sight) and close Will's bedroom door before taking Will downstairs to the basement... out of view and earshot.

The other one of us continues Charlie's normal routine and puts her down. This HAS WORKED the past two nights like a charm, so once again we're knocking on wood here.

That Super Nanny sure is pretty sharp!

Weekend Visits

I've now decided that weekend visits with far away Grandparents should officially be 4 days long instead of 2 days. Grandma and Grandpa "D" came into town on Saturday morning to meet their newest grandson Will and spent two great days with us. Charlie was not herself Saturday, possibly from a teething fever, and finally started coming around late Sunday morning. Mommy and Daddy were a little disappointed because Charlie is becoming so much fun, and we wanted Grandma and Grandpa D to see that side of her. They got a little of it.

These visits are difficult with kids Charlie's age, because she's so attached to Mommy and Daddy right now that it takes a little while for her to warm up to people she's not entirely familiar with. It seemed just as Charlie was coming around, the visit was over! :-(

I've blogged before about having my parents and brothers so spread out across the country. It never affected me quite so much years go. Just a few short years ago, everyone lived within 5-7 hours of one another and a quick drive was all it took to spend some time together. Now my own family is starting and finding the time (and the guts) to make cross-country flights or 10+ hour drives with two children under 2 is pretty a daunting thought.

I'm really thankful that I've seen my parents pretty much every 3-4 months over the past 2 years. I really am happy my kids get to spend time as much time with them as they do. There's something about seeing the glow in their face when they look at MY children. Its very satisfying for me for some reason. I really appreciate the effort they make to stay connected with us and their two newest grand babies.

I do wish that my brothers were nearer. I remember seeing my nieces Kate and Emma pretty regularly when they were young. I pull out the pictures all the time, and can't believe how quickly they've grown. My favorite right now is a picture of me (at 22) holding my niece Kate when she was right about Charlie's age now. I think Charlie bears a resemblance to lots of her cousins, but that picture really looks like her... and Kate's expression could easily be one of Charlie's. My Mom thinks Charlie resembles her cousin Maddie a lot too. I see a little bit everywhere I look, even a certain expression I see in cousin Hope's pictures. I have a picture of Charlie when she was around a year old that looks like her cousin Micah too. Lots of people say Charlie looks like Rebecca... and I think so. But I really do see a lot of me in her. Especially after my Mom brought a book of old pictures up with her this weekend.

Maybe I see the resemblance to my brothers kids so often because I miss my brothers and their families. I just miss being able to drive up the road 15 minutes to hang out and play Techmo Bowl with my brother Jim, or sing Karaoke with my brother Ray. I often think about how great it would be to just have a couple of family gatherings a year... I'd settle for just one really. Maybe even every other year. I'm not that picky anymore.

For a guy who never was that affected by his family moving all over the country, I sure can reminisce with the best of them, huh?

Still Holding Our Breath

So Charlie woke up this morning still with a fever, and very sluggish. She slept through the night for the most part, only needing her Daddy a couple of times. Just to rub her head and tuck her back in.

We're hoping the fever breaks quickly. It's been a reasonably low-grade deal so far, and Charlie hasn't been terribly uncomfortable (as far as I can tell). She is just very clingy and sluggish.

Maybe seeing her Grandma and Grandpa from North Carolina today will brighten her mood. We haven't seen them since February!

So the changes aren't always easy...

Knocking on wood doesn't always work, just so you know. It seems our brief baby nirvana has begun to lose a little of it's peace and serenity. Not too much. But a little.

For the last 5 nights, Charlie has gone down for bed at her usual time, between 7:30 and 8:00pm. But she has been waking up about 20-30 minutes later, screaming and crying. Each time, one of us has had to lay with her for a few minutes to calm her and get back off to sleep. We didn't think it was going to become a pattern.

Now to some of you reading this, that scenario may seem like it's really nothing to be concerned with, but Charlie has been a great sleeper since she was a month old. This just isn't like her. We are hoping this is just a phase she's going through in the process of having a new baby brother in the house. Her days have been fine, her naps have been fine, she's been behaving perfectly normally, with this one exception.

Tonight, at about 7:00pm she went from playing with Mommy outside, to all the sudden just acting very tired and clingy. After a very short bath, and abbreviated bedtime ruotine, now Beck tells me she is in her bed burning up. Apparently she has gotten sick somehow. Tonight will likely be a long night, and if she wakes up with it in the morning, we'll have to make sure to keep Will far away from her. A newborn can get very sick from even the most harmless cold. All this with Grandma and Grandpa D visiting from North Carolina starting tomorrow morning. We're keeping our fingers crossed.

This is the fun of being a parent though, right?

Lots of wood knocking

Everyone knows that saying, right? "Knock on wood?" Well, Beck and I find ourselves reminding each other all the time right now to be careful of what we say, and make sure to knock on wood if we slip.

The reason is that so far Will has been unbelievably great. By that I mean, he rarely cries, sleeps on a pretty regular schedule, and has been eating (and pooping) like a champ. We've had about the most perfect first week at home with our baby boy as we could have imagined.

Now, I do realize that having superstitions like this can go a little overboard, but we really are trying to be careful of what we say (at least out loud). Beck and I have certainly learned at least some of that silent parenting language that only requires timely looks and "eye inflection". I made that up. :)

So listen, I realize that sleeping through the night, eating, and crying really aren't things we should be hung up on. We truly are grateful that Will is a healthy little boy and believe me, that is the ONLY thing we hoped for over the last few months of his life.

I'm just saying that our home may soon develop lots of knuckle dents. Between Charlie's sweet sisterly admiration for her baby brother, and Will's easy going demeanor, we've have really been spoiled. And of course, I have to add, SO FAR. (Did you hear the knock?)

Anyway, it's late and I need to get some sleep too. Beck has already come to get me twice tonight (this morning), but for some reason the creative side of my brain works best after midnight. Not sure why, but at least the new video is finally posted on the kid's site.

That's another thing... "Kids". It's so funny to hear myself say that these days. Getting ready to leave the house saying, "okay kids, lets get ready to go," or "alright kids, it's time for dinner."

I know. Bedtime. Gotta be ready to go when the kids wake up.

5 Days

We've been home now from the hospital for 5 days. Everyone we talk to asks, "are you guys settling in," or "how are you doing settling in?" Or any variation of that phrase. The truth is, I'm not sure once you start a family that you're ever settled. At least that's the way I feel. Now, don't misinterpret what I'm saying. We're certainly well versed by now with leaky diapers, being up in the middle of the night, being thrown up on, etc, etc. But I'm refering to the day to day process of raising a family.

Okay, okay. I realize we're only 20 months into this thing, and lots of you reading this blog have been parents for a long, long time. You probably laugh when I give my opinions on some things and think I'm very niave. But I can only relate my own personal experience.

But here's the deal for me: We are now responsible for 2 precious little people who mean the entire world to us. A ridiculously silly 20-month old girl who still causes tears to well up in my eyes when she jumps in my lap to snuggle before bedtime. And now this tiny little guy who is the best sleeper, and smells so perfect when you kiss his head. Do you know that smell? The combo of baby shampoo, A&D ointment, and the "scentless" baby detergent for the clothes and blanket you have him wrapped in?

To me, being settled means you're finished and can relax for a minute. I feel like Beck and I are just at the start of a parenting adventure, not getting ready to rest or relax.

I will say that one of the first hurdles we've cleared is Charlie being comfortable having another baby in the house. (that is funny because we really need to stop referring to Charlie as a baby now). She's been about as perfect as you could expect. She really adores baby Will, and is very helpful with everything about having him in the house.

So, so far so good, 5 days in. I'd almost forgotten how good Beck is with a newborn.

Welcome Little Will

So we're just a little over 24 hours since my baby boy came to town. What a day! All the nurses here at the hospital keep telling us it was a "quick" delivery. Compared to Charlie's birth though, it seemed to me like it dragged on and on all day. Looking back, I suppose we could have just slept through the night Sunday in to Monday morning, and then leisurely made our way to the hospital around 10:00am. Then it wouldn't have seemed so long.

The problem was, Beck and I just had dinner Sunday evening with some friends of ours and I think I was a little scared to push it. You see, my buddy Brian is a paramedic. Beck had been having pretty regular conractions since Friday, and when we told he and his wife Andrea that we may need to leave the restaurant early, he began telling paramedic stories. On the way home from dinner, all I kept thinking was that I was going to have to deliver Will myself on the side of the road. In fact, I kept repeating to Beck all night Sunday, "I am NOT going to deliver this baby on the way to the hospital!"

Did I mention that earlier in the day, I encouraged Beck to eat some tacos with hot sauce and at dinner, I slide a plate of hot wings to her? I suppose this is all my fault.

Our friend Anne arrived at our house at about 4:30am, to look after Charlie. She has been an unbelievable help to us. And the best part about Anne is that Charlie absolutely LOVES her. They play and play.

So we left the house at about 4:30am, and arrived at the hospital near 5:00am. The nurses did a quick check and decided to see if we could move things along a little before our doctor arrived at 7:00am. Beck and I became power walkers! We walked the maternity halls from 5:30am to 6:30am, and then got a bed for Beck to relax.

From there, the waiting began! Our doctor had surgery to do at 8:00am, and we wanted to wait for him, so they slowed things down a little with fluids. By 10:30am, we were ready, but the contractions had slowed so much that they had to begin using Pitocin to get back into gear.

So by 1:30pm, we were ready to go. The pushing started at 1:40pm, and we had our big boy an hour and 23 minutes later.

I have to say; my wife was INCREDIBLE. She worked really hard. Our doctor (who we really like and trust) pointed out about a quarter of the way into pushing that the reason things were moving so slowly was because the epidural was too strong, and Beck couldn't feel anything. He said to our nurse, "turn it off". We all looked at each other as he laughed and said to Beck, "in a few minutes, you'll definitely have a reason to push."

Sure enough, the contractions soon became more and more painful for Beck, and she pushed harder and harder. Several times, she even did a 4th set of pushing when the nurses were only asking for 3 sets per contraction. She was literally pushing for at least 40 minutes without any anesthesia pumping in. She was awesome!

In the end, Will came out with the cord wrapped all around him. Our Doc just calmly said to Beck, "just relax and don't push for a minute." He slowly unwrapped the cord (which was around his neck, under his arm, and around his waist) and plopped little Will on Beck's belly. It is very reassuring to have a doctor that you trust. I never worried.

Now, little Will is feeding like an old pro, and pooping up a storm (like his sister did). He even got to meet his big sister for the first time today. Such a fun time! Charlie was very playful and excited to meet her baby brother.

We can't wait to bring him home. Beck is feeling great, just very sore, and we can't wait to all be in the same place so Mommy and Daddy can help each other out instead of being 30 miles apart with 2 kids (in between hospital visits). We are so thankful for Anne's help. She has made it very easy for us to juggle everything and keep Charlie's schedule uninterupted as we welcome our new baby boy.

Tomorrow is the big homecoming. We can't wait!!!

It's all a different deal!!!

Charlie's actual "in hospital" labor was about 5 hours total. So far, Will has been playing with us now since 4:45am, and as of 12:45pm, it seems as though we're no closer. I'm certain we'll get there, it just seems to be so different. Hopefully this isn't a harbinger of things to come relating to the differences between Charlie and Will!

Tired of Perspective Posts?

I know, I know. I gets sickening reading about seeing the world from a different point of view, right? Well, now all I can say is that our family is really on the brink of a whole new day!

Beck is in the middle of all the "false" labor pains that begin in earnest in the last month of pregnancy. There have been several times in the last two weeks that she was unable to stand, needed to lay down, or just plain needed some sleep. With Charlie, we had already been to the doctor twice for these "false" pains, but with Will we feel like we're more experienced to handle it. Ha. I say "we". All I do is run for water, run Charlie out for a ride to the park, or bring home a Chocolate Cream Pie for my suffering wife. I swear, it's her favorite, not mine!

So here we are. Probably less than 3 weeks away from Little Will coming home to meet his big sister. It's an exciting time, even if every stranger we see with two kids when we're out and about tells us how hard it is with two babies. Why do people do that? They have to know how anxious parents are when they're about to add to their family? That's a whole other post in itself.

Anyway. Stay tuned. We're coming down the stretch run here, and it certainly appears as if Will is intent on being a 4th of July baby (just like his cousin Hope)!

Tick, Tick, Tick

Time is ticking away. Beck is 35 weeks along now with Baby Will, and Charlie is becoming more and more a "big girl" with each week that passes.

It seems like we've been so busy balancing our life over the last 19 months that we've lost complete control over time. Beck came home last night and was in real discomfort. Lots of Braxton-Hicks going on. I mean LOTS. She stayed at work too long. Even on a "shortened" day of 6 hours. Beck, my super tough wife, just said "I just need to lay down for a while." Then Charlie woke up at 9:30, throwing up. She's had a stomach flu that she's struggling with.

I ran in to her room to help her, took the majority of her vomit all over my shoulders and chest, and walked into our bedroom. There was Beck, Braxton-Hicks and everything, reaching to take Charlie from me to help clean her up. You see, I can't keep her instincts from kicking in and taking over, even though she probably felt just as bad as Charlie.

So now this morning, as the 36th week of Beck's pregnancy begins, we realized this could now happen at any moment. What was a frightening thought 19 months ago, is now just an ordinary planning realization. It's amazing how time (and experience) changes your perspective.

My wife is doing a little better today, after some rest and relaxation this morning. Charlie also seems to be doing much better. She's eating normally again, and has been playing all day.

Stay tuned... It's about to get exciting this month!

The difference time can make

We went to see Jennifer from "That's My Baby" last Thursday. If you followed Charlie's story to her birth, you'll remember how thrilling the experience was for me. The 3-D sonogram really gives an unbelievable view into the womb, and for me it was a real bonding moment for me with my unborn daughter. You know, Mommy gets to feel all the kicks and elbows and hiccups, while Daddy just sits on the outside.

The funny thing about Beck's pregnancy with Will is that things are just flying by. As I write this, Beck is 32 weeks pregnant and it seems like it's only been a couple of months. Instead, it will only BE a couple of months before Will arrives.

Our sonogram was good, although it was a microcosm of the entire pregnancy: Charlie took center stage the whole time; snuggling with Mommy on the bed most of the time. She even helped the nurse to wipe away the jelly from her belly with the towel.

It seems we've been so busy watching Charlie grow up, that we've nearly missed Beck's entire pregnancy with little Will. I really can't believe that in just another few weeks, we're going to have another tiny little one around.

My worries have changed too. No longer do I lose sleep wondering if I'll be a good father. Now it's worry over making sure I can be enough of a good Dad for BOTH of them. I mean, I have this unbelievable love for Charlie. Something I can't put into words, but I'm certain everyone with children understands. My "fear" I guess is being able to give the same amount of affection to Will without giving less to Charlie.

I just can't imagine being able to love another baby as much I as do Charlie. People have told numerous things on that front, but one in particular sticks in my mind most. My buddy said, "listen, it's not like you just have one bank account and you have to spread the money around to everyone. You just open ANOTHER account, and the balance is unlimited in both." I'm not sure if it makes sense to anyone else, but it sure comforts me when I freak out every once in a while wondering how in the world I'll do it.

Things are just moving along so fast. Charlie is on her 4th day sleeping in her big-girl bed, with ZERO problem, and the nursery is now officially Will's room.

It's amazing how the pace of time seems to quicken with each year that passes!