The third time is a charm

...or so they say. We didn't try for a third picture...after getting the kids all dressed up and two attempts at getting them to smile, they were in tears and Mommy was on the verge! Ryan didn't want anything to do with having his picture taken and Ella was hungry (WRONG time of day to be taking pictures!!) But, once I uploaded the pictures to the camera, I realized how priceless they were...even without smiles on their faces! Why do we torture them so?


Ryan is thinking "What do you mean I have to sit still?"




He wanted nothing to do with holding Ella (hence my hand in the picture holding her up!)

Thanksgiving Turkey

A few years ago, when James and I were living in North Carolina, our parents came down to celebrate Thanksgiving with us (as well as James' graduation from the police academy). Our Moms thought it would be funny to buy us this ginormous stuffed turkey. Oh, didn't they think they were hilarious! I think they stopped somewhere in Virginia to buy the thing, and then the rest of the way to NC they sat in the back seat with the turkey...making it wave out the window at people and just acting silly with it. I am thinking they must have been a bit punchy from riding in the car so long! Anyway, it has become a tradition in our family that whoever hosts Thanksgiving dinner has to have the turkey. Somehow we have ended up with it at our house for the past several years. At any rate, both of my kids have celebrated their first Thankgiving with this silly turkey. Aren't they lucky?

Ryan's first Thanksgiving-November 2005

Ella's first Thanksgiving-November 2008

Girly Things

Ella received the sweetest package in the mail yesterday! It came from my friend Lindy in Utah. Lindy and I became friends when we were in high school. Somehow time and distance caused us to lose touch with one another. Thanks to blogger, and facebook, we were able to reconnect! The package Lindy sent contained the cutest little tutu (made by Lindy herself) and little ballerina slipper socks, as well as some very cute hair accessories! All things every little girl should have!! Thanks, Lindy, for being so thoughtful, and I'm so glad we are in touch again!! I miss you!

The things toddlers say...

I just love the innocent honesty of toddlers...well, sometimes!! Here are a few funny conversations that I have had with Ryan recently:



While tucking Ryan into bed one night this past week we were talking about Christmas and I asked him what he would like for a gift this year. He thought for a minute and said, "Who's that red and white guy?" I laughed and said, "Do you mean Santa Claus?". "Yeah", he said. "What does he do?" I proceeded to explain that Santa brings presents to good little boys and girls all over the world on Christmas Eve. I then explained that the real reason we celebrate Christmas is because it is the day that Jesus was born. I asked Ryan if he would like to make a birthday cake for Jesus. He thought he might like to do that. I asked him what kind of cake he thought we should make. He replied "Chocolate." So, I reiterated that we would make a chocolate birthday cake to celebrate Jesus' birth. It was quiet for a minute, and then...very condescendingly...Ryan said "No, Mommy. Santa will make a birthday cake for Jesus." Hmm...it appears that we have some additional explaining to do on that one!

My Mom, James' Mom, and the kids and I went out shopping this past week. James' Mom recently had a hair cut and a perm. I could tell that Ryan was looking with question at his Grandma, but he didn't say anything. He just kept staring at her. When we went out to the car to get a snack, Ryan asked me "Mom, what is wrong with Grandma's head?" HA! I said "Ryan, there is nothing wrong with Grandma's head...she got her hair cut and had some curl put into her hair." "Don't you like it?" He responded quite matter of fact saying "No, I don't." Oh dear.

One night, during dinner, while James was at work, Ryan was having a very hard time sitting in his chair and eating his dinner. He was, in fact, being pretty rotten. I told him that he needed to eat a couple of bites or there would be no snack after dinner. He flat out told me "NO!" so I told him if he wasn't going to sit at the table and be the good boy that I knew he could be then he would have to go upstairs and go to bed. He started crying and talking back, so I showed him the way to the stairs. I told Ryan he was not to come down stairs until he was ready to behave at the table and eat his dinner. I finished my meal and after a few minutes, Ryan decided he was ready to come downstairs and finish his. Ella was sitting next to us in her bouncy seat...happy as could be. Ryan looked at me and asked, "Mommy, are you happy?" (This is Ryan's way of making sure I am not mad at him anymore.) I said "Ryan, it makes Mommy happy when you are a good listener." He looked at Ella and said "Is Ella happy?" I said "Yes, she is." He looked at Ella again and said "Mommy, look, she's smiling at you." "Yes, she is, Ryan." "Mommy, I think she is telling you not to be mad anymore." Oh, how my heart melted!

I love my kids :)!

A Fall Update in Pictures

I have been meaning to update our blog for weeks, but I haven't felt like there has been anything blogworthy to write about. I do, however, have some cute pictures. So, I will let these serve as an update!!


Raking the leaves (or shoveling them...whatever works!)

Running through the leaves

Daddy's helper


Cutest pumpkin in the patch

Ella-3 months

God has blessed us with these two children. It is so easy to let the days go by, to let little frustrations get the best of us, and just to take it all for granted...but we are truly blessed. I love these little munchkins so much and I am so thankful for the joy that they bring to our lives. James is alright, too ;)!

Birthday Weekend

We had a fun weekend celebrating James' and Ryan's birthdays. Ryan turned 3 on the 14th...and I will let you guess James' age. Let's just say there were a lot of 3s celebrated!! We had a family party on Saturday and enjoyed having James' Mom and Dad, his sister and her kids, and his brother and his family for a visit. Ryan enjoyed having his cousins to play with and, of course, he enjoyed opening his presents. I just can't believe he is 3 years old. Seriously--where does the time go?


This year he could actually blow out his own candles!


Ryan loves Handy Manny and his tools!


Oooh...a Mini Cooper!


Gordon...a new addition to his "Thomas" collection


Birthday Exhaustion!

This picture just shows how tired Ryan was (and that he's REALLY not ready to give up that afternoon nap!). I was in the kitchen and James left the living room to talk to me for a minute...when we went back into the living room (at 6:30 pm) this is how we found Ryan. Asleep...sitting up! We put him to bed and he slept until 6:30 this morning.

In addition to celebrating James' and Ryan's birthdays...we gave a little shout out to Ella as well. She turned 2 months on James' birthday...the 12th. We went to her 2 month appointment last week. She weighed 10 lbs, 6 oz (50%), and was 23 1/4 inches (80%). Long and lean and doing well!

Grampie Bean: 11/9/1919 - 9/3/2008

My grandfather went to be with the Lord on Wednesday, September 3rd. He was a very strong and brave man, who taught me the value of faith, family and friends (in that order). Grampie would have been 89 in November. He lived a very full life, but not without it's share of ups and downs. It's through the ups and downs that I have seen him live out his faith, keep his chin up, and keep on moving...a testament to the man that he was.

One thing that always amazed me about my grandfather was his incredible memory. His body began to fail him several years ago, but his mind was still sharp. He loved to recite poetry and could often be found doing so with a smile on his face and a sparkle in his eye. This was his favorite:

A Psalm of Life

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Tell me not, in mournful numbers,

Life is but an empty dream!

For the soul is dead that slumbers,

And things are not what they seem.

Life is real! Life is earnest!

And the grave is not its goal;

Dust thou art, to dust returnest,

Was not spoken of the soul.

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,

Is our destined end or way;

But to act, that each tomorrow

Find us farther than today.

Art is long, and Time is fleeting,

And our hearts, though stout and brave,

Still, like muffled drums, are beating

Funeral marches to the grave.

In the world's broad field of battle,

In the bivouac of Life,

Be not like dumb, driven cattle!

Be a hero in the strife!

Trust no Future, howe'er pleasant!

Let the dead Past bury its dead!

Act, act in the living Present!

Heart within, and God o'erhead!

Lives of great men all remind us

We can make our lives sublime,

And, departing, leave behind us

Footprints on the sands of time;

Footprints, that perhaps another,

Sailing o'er life's solemn main,

A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,

Seeing, shall take heart again.

Let us, then, be up and doing,

With a heart for any fate;

Still achieving, still pursuing,

Learn to labor and to wait.

My grandfather left footprints in the sands of time...and on the hearts of many. He will surely be missed.

First Smiles

Ella has started smiling in the past week. I finally managed to capture a couple on camera...Enjoy!






In other Ella news, we went back to the GI Specialist a week ago. Ella still had blood in her stool. The doctor recommended that I cut wheat out of my diet, in addition to the dairy, soy and nuts. I just didn't think I could do that, and maintain a healthy lifestyle...or the energy I need to chase after Ryan! S0--he sent us home with some samples of formula (Enfamil's Nutramigen). I struggled a bit that night with whether or not to make the transition to formula. I wondered if I should just give it a go with the dietary restrictions. But, after another LONG bout of Ella's crying that night (mind you, she is crying in pain because it hurts her to poop), I decided to make the switch. I felt my reasons for wanting to continue with breastfeeding were selfish and that I needed to do what was best for Ella...in this case, the formula. The results have been promising, so far! She is a completely different baby this week (in a good way!). Her crying has SIGNIFICANTLY decreased and she doesn't appear to be in pain anymore when she has a bowel movement. I have seen minimal blood in her stool this past week (it has lessened throughout the week) and she just seems much more content. We take her back to the specialist tomorrow and are praying for good news!

I can't believe she will be 7 weeks on Saturday!!

Enjoying an End of Summer Treat

Yum Yum!

How quickly they grow...

I was taking some pictures of Ryan playing football the other day, and I remembered a picture we had taken of Ryan at 2 months of age. We had put James' football beside him to show his size in relation to an object (for family members that were far away at the time and didn't get to see how he was growing). I just can't believe Ryan is going to be 3 years old in less than a month. In some ways it seems like just yesterday that he was as big as the football, and in others it seems like forever ago. It's fun to see him now, actually playing with the football, and I realize how blessed we are to have two healthy children.


Ryan at 2 months old



Ryan--one month shy of 3 years old (not the size of a football anymore!)


Speaking of growing...Ella is just over a month old now. If I am being honest, I have to say it has been an exhausting month! While I said in an earlier post that I am trying not to wish away these newborn days just for an extra wink of sleep...perhaps wishing away one day...for just one extra wink...would be ok!? Whew!


A couple of weeks ago I noticed some blood in Ella's stool. In addition, her fussiness took on a whole new level...crying for hours at a time. I took her to the pediatrician and he thought that perhaps she had a food allergy (after ruling out that it was a possible bacterial infection). So...he set us up with a Gastroenterologist. At our visit with him last Monday, he evaluated her stool and confirmed that it was testing positive for blood (thank goodness for people that WANT that job...but who in their right mind would think of that as their ideal profession?). He told us that it appears that Ella is allergic to something in my diet. As a result, he told me to give up dairy (including beef), soy and nuts for a week and then bring her back to re-evaluate and to be sure the blood has left her stool. We go back to him on Wednesday of this week. The dairy hasn't been as much of an issue for me (as they make a dairy free substitute for just about everything that I would normally eat/drink) but the soy has been the biggest issue. Soy is in just about EVERYTHING!! If it wasn't for Wegman's and their natural/organic food aisle...I'm not really sure what I would eat! I've become quite the label reader in the past week! Ella seems to be doing a little bit better, so hopefully we will go back to the doctor on Wednesday and get a good report. It has been stressful, to say the least.


The good news about Ella is that she has gained well in the past month. When they weighed her at the specialist's office the other day, she was up to 8lbs, 7 oz, and she measured at 22 inches. I am hoping we can get past this food allergy stuff and that we can begin enjoying life with 2. Ryan has been a trooper and has been hanging in there with us...he unfortunately has to take a back seat to Ella's fussiness sometimes.



Ella posing in her pretty dress



Ella-one month old


She's lucky she's cute and that she has paused from a few crying spells in the last couple of days to give me a smile or two (real ones, I believe!).

A Conversation with Ryan...

First, let me set up the scenario for you. It was bedtime for the kiddos at the Carlson house. James was working nights (his first weekend back to work since we brought Ella home) and had already gone off to work. I was trying to figure out exactly how I was going to get both kids ready for bed without him. I fed Ella and put her down in her crib. Feeling somewhat successful, I went into Ryan's room to get his jammies on and get him ready for bed. Ella started to cry (as a side note, she seems to be suffering from a bit of colic...although on this particular day/night it sure seemed like more than just a "bit"). Thinking to myself that she had already been changed and fed, I decided to let her cry for a bit while I took care of Ryan's needs and got him somewhat settled for the night. With Ella screaming in the background, here is how the conversation in Ryan's room played out:

Ryan: "Mommy, why is the baby here?"

Mommy: "Well, Ryan, she is part of our family, so she belongs here with us."

Ryan: "Well, why did we bring her home?" (did I mention we have hit the "why" stage?)

Mommy: "We brought her home because she is your baby sister and we love her."

Ryan: "My ears hurt."

Mommy: "You know what, Ryan? Mommy's ears hurt too!"

Ryan: "Do Daddy's ears hurt?"

Mommy: "No, Daddy's ears don't hurt because he is at work."

Ryan: "Oh."

You have to love toddlers...they are so honest! At least I could empathize with him...my ears had had enough, too!

MiMi's Visit

My Mom (aka MiMi) came for a visit this past week to meet Ella. We hadn't seen her for 7 whole months (WAY too long!). Mom takes care of my 88 year old grandfather in her home in Maine and isn't able to get out much. He requires full time care these days. Hospice has come in to help, which made it possible for my Mom to get away for 5 days. We are thankful she was able to visit and we enjoyed our time with her. Here are some new pictures...some random, some from my Mom's visit. Enjoy!


Ella relaxing on a quilt made by one of my Mom's friends


Mom holding Ella


Proud Mom and Grandmother


Yet another shot of Ryan holding his sister (I just can't resist getting the camera out...he's so darn cute with her!)

Ella's First Week at Home

Ella will be one week old tomorrow. So far her days consist of sleeping (A LOT) and eating (A LOT MORE!). If she is not napping, she is eating. We need to fatten her up a bit...she's just a little peanut! Hopefully she will soon be able to fill out all of the adorable baby outfits we have for her!

Ryan is quite enamored with his little sister. His reaction to her is much different than I thought it would be. I haven't seen too much of the jealousy that I expected. He just loves to kiss her and cover her up (yikes!) and he can't wait to hold her in the morning when he gets up. He is such a great big brother...and has been a pretty big helper for Mommy and Daddy!

James and I are adjusting to the newborn phase again. It's funny how much you forget from the first time around. While I do feel a little more relaxed about what to do when such and such happens...each baby is so different and there are things that pop up that make me wonder...am I doing this right!? All in all we are adjusting pretty well. I know the newborn phase doesn't last forever. I am trying not to wish it away just for a few extra winks of sleep. When they turn 3 they don't like to cuddle as much!!

Here is a peek at some photos from Ella's first week at home. Enjoy!


Sweet little Ella


Grandma and Grandpa come for a visit (and Ryan is saying cheese)


Mommy trying to catch a few Zzzzzzs


Our little lady in her first summer dress


Proud Big Brother Ryan

Introducing...

Ella Naomi Carlson
Saturday, July 12th, 6:51 pm
7 lbs, 4 oz, 21 inches



We are praising God for another healthy baby. Labor and delivery went well (much faster than the 21 hours I was in labor with Ryan!). In fact, James almost missed the delivery because he was in the hallway calling my Mom and his parents to let them know that it would probably be a few more hours, as I was only 5 cm dilated when the doctor checked me at around 6pm. After he hung up the phone, he stopped off in the restroom. When he came out...the nurse was calling for him from down the hall saying "Hurry up, Dad...this baby is coming sooner than we thought!". By some gracious miracle I dilated 5 cm in 20 minutes and began pushing at 6:30. Ella made her grand appearance at 6:51 pm. Whew!

Baby Update

Why is it that you prepare for 9 months+ for a baby...and you wait and you wait in that last month for labor to begin...but when the doctor actually TELLS you when labor is going to start...you feel like you are not ready!? AHHHHH! I went to my 38 week appointment yesterday and the doctor told me he would like to induce me on Saturday!! Due to this antibody that is in my blood, he feels there is no benefit to waiting until 40 weeks, and the risk of the antibody crossing the placenta only increases as time goes on. I was a little worried, at first, when he started talking about inducing...wondering if there was something he was concerned about, but not telling me. He put my fears at rest though and told me that he was still reassured that everything looks good. He then said that SELFISHLY he wants to be there for the delivery and that he is on-call all weekend so he wants me there first thing Saturday morning (like 7am, first thing!!).

For those not familiar with what I am talking about with the whole antibody thing...I found out mid-way through my pregnancy that the Antibody Screening that they do as part of the normal prenatal blood work came back positive. They had a hard time determining what the antibody was, but after sending the blood work away to the Red Cross, they determined that it is something called anti-lutheran b. At some point during my delivery with Ryan, his blood mixed with mine and basically my immune system took over and said "Hey--this doesn't belong here" so it created an antibody to fight it off. Yay to my immune system for working correctly! I guess Ryan and James both have the lutheran b antigen in their blood (which is "normal" for them and their blood make-up). The antibody has no real affect on me (other than if I were to need a blood transfusion, it would mean I would need to draw from a rare pool of blood donors with the same antibody). The only time it is an issue is during pregnancy. The greatest risk is to the baby, and in some cases could cause severe anemia in the baby. They have done several tests on the baby to see how her blood flow is and to try and determine whether or not there is cause for concern. My doctor told me that he is reassured that everything looks good and that she has been growing as she should be. But--to be safe--or selfish--he wants to induce at 39 weeks (normally they would induce at 37 weeks if they thought there was a problem). So--there it is--my long explanation. I can honestly say that I don't enjoy being a medical mystery!! As far as I know, mine is the only case of this that my doctor has ever dealt with!!

At any rate, I am going to be induced on Saturday. Please pray for us, for a safe and uncomplicated delivery of Baby Girl Carlson! Oh, and if you could throw in there for my labor not to last 21 hours...ya, that would be great, too! :)

Summer Happenings...so far

We have been pretty busy these last few weeks.

James was on vacation for a week in the beginning of June. Our biggest project was taking down an above ground pool and ripping out the deck that surrounded it (it was all rotted). I shouldn't say "our" biggest project...it was all James. Preggers over here couldn't really help much. At any rate, we are now left with a big sand and gravel pit in our back yard. We have plans to build a screened in porch off the back of our house and to build a patio off of that. Of course all of this takes time and money...so it may be awhile before I have pictures of the completed project!!

"Before"

"During"

You will have to wait for the "After" photo...a work in progress!

We spent most of James' vacation at home working on house projects, but we were able to take a lunch break at Chuckee Cheese one day. I was deprived as a child and had never been to one. I'm not sure who enjoyed it more, James or Ryan!? I'm thinking James...but that's just speculation.

In other news...Ryan has been using the potty. I have always heard that with boys they do it when THEY are ready...and not a moment before. I tried getting him to go a few times soon after we bought the potty (several months ago) but he would have nothing of it. The other night he was getting ready for bed and told me he needed to use the potty. I keep his potty downstairs, so I thought for sure it was another stall tactic. Not so! He actually peed in the potty (A LOT!). Since that night he has used the potty on a daily basis...if only I could get him to poop in it!!

Baby Girl Carlson is due to join us on the 19th. I am hoping for a little sooner than that...but we shall see. I went to the doctor last week and was only a "fingertip" dilated...whatever that means! I am thinking about a 1/2 cm...which is good, considering that is what I was when I went into LABOR with Ryan!!

At any rate...we will keep you posted!

Bedtime Blues

Lately we have had a difficult time getting Ryan to stay in bed at night. He goes upstairs willingly...we go through our bedtime routine of brushing teeth, putting his jammies on, reading books, and praying. After that, it's lights out. Before our feet hit the bottom step, he is out of bed. Here is a list of his latest excuses:

• I have an itch
• I bumped my head
• I need to be covered up (um, if he stayed in bed...this wouldn't be a problem)
• I need my noise machine on (also wouldn't be a problem if he didn't know where the on/off switch was)
• I'm not sleepy

And my personal favorite...

I have a booger!

Father's Day

This Father's Day is bittersweet for me.

The sweet part...I have a husband who is an amazing father to our son . I love to watch James play with Ryan, and to see his loving patience, even in times of discipline. I look forward to seeing him interact with our daughter as well...in just about another month!! I am so thankful for James. God has truly blessed me with a wonderful husband!

Fun with Dad

The bitter part, of course, is that this is the first Father's Day without my own Dad. It has been almost a year since his unexpected death, and I still miss him every day (I don't think that feeling will ever go away). However, I am able to reflect fondly on the memories that I do have with him, and for that I am grateful. I had a great relationship with my Dad, and he got to see me through many important stages in my life (high school graduation, college graduation, he walked me down the aisle at my wedding, and he got to meet his first grandchild...just to name a few). While my heart aches that I cannot physically wish him a "Happy Father's Day" this year, I do thank God for my Dad's example in my life...and for giving me the peace to know that my Dad is safe in the arms of our Heavenly Father.

I miss you, Dad!

Summer Fun

Here are a few updated pictures of Ryan. He is enjoying our new house and our backyard where he can run and play and do boy things! We have had fun getting to know the area where we now live. Last week we had a picnic in the local park, and played on the playground there. Also, we visited the Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park and the Discovery Center, a local children's museum. We had lots of fun.

James is on vacation this week, so our plan is to get some things done around the house. The new baby's room is on the agenda...so we shall see what we can accomplish! Speaking of the new baby...I had my 34 week appointment today. They did an ultrasound to check on the baby and she is looking good. I am getting anxious at this point to meet her!! Only 6 weeks to go!!

Soccer anyone?

Do I look like my MiMi in this picture, or what!?

The next Monet

Ringing up the groceries

Finally...

I know, I know...I'm way behind on getting this blog thing started! But...here it is!! I hope you enjoy the updates!