Mother of Two

Everyone who told me that the change from one child to two was going to be difficult... was right! 

However, the first few weeks weren't difficult at all. That is because Cason had 4 weeks off of work and mostly online classes. We spent a lot of time together as a family and if we took the kids anywhere we were always together. It was so nice to always have an extra pair of hands and 2 kids seemed not a lot different than one...

 Oh boy. When daddy went back to work we (me and occasionally a child) had a few meltdowns. Cason has started 12 hour shifts at the prison, 10 am-10 pm, and it is sometimes rough for this mommy of two. One day I texted my cousin whose husband was across the country in Louisiana working. He only comes home once a month for a few days. I said, "How do you do this by yourself? I feel like I am turning into a crazy woman!!" (she has three kids) She assured me she definitely has had her crazy moments. But I guess you also do what you have to do to take care of and provide for your family. Even if sometimes it is overwhelming, exhausting, frustrating and sometimes just no fun. But who am I to complain? It's only 4 days a week for me...

One day I think that I really scared Cason. I called up to the prison just sobbing. He was very concerned. I just needed to cry and have him listen and complain about what a rough day it had been. Then I felt much better.
Another day I called my mom and said, "Anyone who has more than two children must be insane and should be committed to the crazy hospital!"

I didn't go anywhere with both kids for several weeks except for to my mom's house. But the last few weeks we have been extremely adventurous and made several errands around town at once and even with a potty-training boy in tow! In fact just the other day we braved a snow storm to run to the grocery store for non-essentials. This momma is feeling extremely proud of herself. 

There were some difficult days with two kids. I won't share too many of my meltdowns, I get embarrassed easily... But I feel like I am now "getting the hang of it".

I am so blessed to have a great husband who does take a very active role when he is home. He always gets up at night-time with Macey Jo when I have to go to work the next day. (But she doesn't get up much at night anymore... hooray!!) He loves his baby girl and goes running when he hears her fuss. He loves to talk to her and try to make her giggle.

He also likes it very much when she makes funny faces!

Our little lady had her 2 month checkup yesterday and she is growing great! We feel so blessed to have a healthy little girl.

 She weighs just a bit over 11 lbs and is 23 1/2 inches. She wears mostly 3 month clothes and looks beautiful in everything! She doesn't like the bows mommy puts on her very much, she is always pulling them down over her eyes! But that doesn't stop mommy. Her hair is growing fast and is getting so thick in the back you can hardly see her scalp. I know ponytails are in our future soon!! She also has the most beautiful, thick, long eyelashes. I love to adore them as she sleeps. I have some eyelash-envy.

 She is starting to coo and smile and giggle. It doesn't take much for a smile to appear on her face. She loves to be talked to and loves to talk back. She loves to sit upright and observe what is going on. Her favorite place is still the fish swing. When in doubt what to do for a fussy Macey Jo... put her in the swing! But she hardly ever fusses. Unfortunately she did go through "night-time fussiness" for a few weeks in that transition time when daddy went back to work. But now she is over it. Yay! Listening to too much crying is exhausting and frustrating.

 Miss Jo LOVES to take a bath. She didn't like riding in the car for a long time. But we found that if we don't put the carrier cover on and bring back the canopy she really enjoys it. She just likes to watch her brother while we are driving. Today she went swimming for the first time. Unfortunately I couldn't be there, but I hear she really enjoyed it!

Even though the transition has had its hard times, of course I wouldn't change it for anything. Having these two kiddos is so much fun! When you have just one, it is hard to imagine loving another as much as you do the first. But the heart has an amazing capacity for love!!

 Mr. Creighton also had a 3 year checkup yesterday and is doing as well as his sister. Unfortunately he wasn't too happy to be there because just the night before he had been in the ER. So he didn't want to be "poked" again. He keeps saying, "Doctor poked me!" He bonked his head at church, then threw up, and didn't stop... He was getting dehydrated and had a high fever. So Cason took him in Sunday night around midnight and they fixed him up good and the next day he was doing very well.

Creighton has been begging for a picnic so we did have one in the living room the other day. He wanted "a picnic with hot dogs". Creighton just can't wait for the nice weather. He always wants to go outside for walks, to blow bubbles, to play with Callie (our dog), to jump on Grandma and Grandpa's trampoline and to play baseball. Soon enough though! 

I wanted to start a tradition where every year on Creighton's birthday I ask him the same questions and see how the answers change. Like a birthday interview. Well, I think 3 years old was too young to start with Creighton. Perhaps I will try again next year. He's not big into being "formal" and being calm enough for a few minutes to answer my questions is too much to ask of him. Here is a little bit of what I was able to get out of him...

Me: Creighton, what is your favorite food?

Him: Chips! Please can I have some chips? A cookie? Some candy? Puh-lease!!!

Me: Creighton, where is your favorite place to go?

Him: Can I go to Grandma and Grandpa's?

Me: No.

Him: To the park?

Me: No.

Him: Play with Papa and Sam?

Me: No.

Him: Puh-lease go to Grandma and Grandpa's?

His daddy has been teaching Creighton to say his name with his middle name included. Tonight Cason said, "Why do you have to be so destructive? Is your name Creighton Destruct-o?" Creighton, "No!! I am Creighton Eli!!" We were also making cookies tonight and Creighton was being very bossy to me. Cason said to him, "Can you say, I'm a back seat driver?" Creighton said, "I'm a back-seat driver named Creighton Eli!"

He is learning so much and recently discovered puzzles. He is so great at doing the 24 piece puzzles. His favorite ones are Doc McStuffins! He has also discovered signs. As we drive he says, "There is a sign! There is a sign! A sign in the grass!  A sign in the road! There is a sign!" Oh boy... I have discovered with Creighton in the car that there are signs everywhere!!

 As I mentioned earlier, Creighton is potty-training. This is like round 9. So far though things are really going great with #1 in the potty. Not with #2 unfortunately...

I sometimes still can't believe I am a mother of two! And to say "the kids" still feels a little strange. We have a lot of fun with these two... and a lot of crazy times... But boy is it great!