Fun on Our Walks

we wish we lived in an area that had a lot less cement, cars, traffic, etc. and a lot more trees, grass and nature but we are trying to enjoy nature wherever we can find it. each day i am trying to get out with the kids and get some exercise and one of my favorite places is a park not too far from where we live, though i wish we didn't have to drive there.
while walking, malachi in the stroller and zoe in the bjorn, we like to look at the birds and squirrels. this is one bird we find interesting, i think it's a blue heron. the best part is that we have gotten to see one of these birds catch a gopher three different times. i wish i had a picture of that but i was not quick enough.

A Little Update

many have asked how things are going so here's a little update...

malachi is still loving being a big brother. he is very interested in being close by any time i am holding, nursing, or changing zoe. he can't seem to stay away from her when she is in the swing either, meaning he feels the need to get right up close to her so that he ends up stopping/bumping the swing (which actually drives me a bit crazy but zoe seems not to mind a bit)

he continues to amaze us with the vocabulary that he has learned. yesterday i asked him what he was doing with something he had and he said so matter of factly "I'm deciding." or one of his favorite phrases now when asked if he wants to do something, he will respond, "I'm too busy."

although we were most surprised by his 'genious' the other night. a few nights ago kurtis and i were spelling out the word 'cookie' while trying to decide if we should have some for dessert. we did end up getting the cookies out and we all enjoyed one. well, then last night after dinner malachi blurts out that he wanted a "C-O-K" it took us a minute but we soon figured out what he was asking for. he was missing a few letters but of course he was asking to have a cookie! :)

now let's see...zoe, our beautiful girl...she is doing well. nursing is going the way it ought - pain free! it only took us 3 weeks to get into a groove (much improved from nursing my first time around which took about 8 weeks to get comfortable). it does seem as though she is getting enough milk and is gaining weight, she is have plenty of wet and dirty diapers throughout the day...speaking of...thank you to all who gave me diapers at my shower!

and oh how it is true that each child is different! first off, zoe is doing a wonderful job of sleeping at night. (very unlike her brother :) ) she will sleep for 3 or 4 hour chunks, praise God! that is totally doable my hope is that this continues but since nothing is for sure i am doing my best to appreciate it while it lasts. but on the other hand, while malachi loved his carseat and being in the car zoe is NOT fond of either! this is quite an adjustment for me. i have always used my driving time as my time to catch up on calling family and friends, that's a little difficult when you have a VERY unhappy baby. hopefully this is just a phase that she will grow out of very quickly! :)

and kurtis...he's loving his job and can't wait to be finished with the side work he has had to do to supplement our income. our hope is that he will be finished with this last bathroom remodel in the next month or two.

and me...taking care of two little ones is definitely more challenging than just the one but i wouldn't want to be doing anything else (read - i am so grateful to be a stay at home mom!)

there is so much more i could write about but i have hit a wall and think it best to just end the post and go to bed.

No Longer "Almost 2"

for the last 2 or 3 months when asked how old he was malachi would reply "almost 2." as of two days ago we are now trying to retrain him to say "2!" we can't believe he is already two years old.

he loves to...
play in the sand and dirt, jump over or off most things, kiss and hold his little sister, read books, hum in the car, help in the kitchen and around the house and, like most 2 year olds, test most any boundary that is set for him. :)

yesterday i took zoe in to get her frenulum cut. that is the piece of skin that attaches the tongue to the bottom of the mouth. we had been told she was tongue tied and clipping that could possibly help the nursing to be less painful.

it was a horrible thing to watch. she was not happy about it at all but latched on right after and was able to nurse. it seems as though it did help, though it is hard to tell since i am still very sore. my prayer is that it solves our problem, otherwise that will feel pretty awful to know we put her through that for nothing.

here are a couple more photos...

just relaxing on the floor and getting ready for her first sponge bath at home.

Zoe Esther...

...our little girl has arrived!!
Born March 31 at 9:28pm 8 lbs 10 oz 21 3/4 inches

I started contractions around 5:30. They were not very strong but they were coming regularly. The contractions were 2-4 minutes apart but I was still able to talk through them and they weren't stopping me in my tracks. Good thing my mom was with me and encouraged me to call Kurtis at work and have him come home. He got home at 6:30, we got in the car right away and headed to the hospital.
When they checked me in triage I was 5 cm, that was at 7 or 7:30. We got into the Labor and Delivery Room at 8 and the nurse told us she'd check on us at 9. At that point the contractions kicked into high gear. A little before 9 Kurtis asked the nurse to come and check me, when she did I was 9 cm and almost no cervix left so she got the midwife. We had the same midwife that delivered malachi which was great. I pushed for 5 or 10 minutes and Zoe was born!

We praise God for our healthy baby, a quick delivery without any complications. We are all doing well. Thank you for all of your prayers!!