My little boy at SIX months

Will is half a year old and we fall more in love with him every day.  He is rolling over now, he is finding his voice and squealing with delight and we started feeding him cereal.  He is happy, happy, happy.  He wants to move so bad, he watches his big sister like a hawk and kicks his legs like crazy as if he wants to run around with her.  I might have an early crawler on my hands.  Everything goes in his mouth.  His favorite snack are his socks.  There is always one missing and the other one is wet from drool.  He lets all of us kiss and cuddle with him and doesn't mind when his sister gives him one of her big wet ones.  When he sleeps he loves having something next to his face and can snore incredibly loud for someone so small.  We love our little boy so much and love watching him grow.  May the next six months not go as fast as the first.

Thankful for Will at 5 Months

My happy baby boy turned five months old on Thanksgiving Day.  We are so very thankful he joined our family this year.  He is an absolute joy to have around.  At five months he giggles and laughs and smiles constantly.  Even last night as he was falling asleep next to me he was chuckling in his sleep.  He has long, long eyelashes, which I adore.  When Belle is in the room, he watches her every move and you can just tell he cannot wait until he can run around with her.  He squeals with delight watching her and reaches out to touch her whenever she is in arm's reach.  Will loves to suck on either his hand, foot, Sophie the giraffe, someone else's hand, a blanket, but he refuses to suck on a binky, go figure.  He went on his first plane ride last week and was an absolute champ!  I could not have been more proud.  He deserved the wings the flight attendant gave him, now I just need to steal them back from his sister.  We are working on having him gain weight since he is a bit lean for his length and I do believe he is filling out a bit more recently.  He is getting stronger each day and will probably be sitting up before I know it.  My wish for Will is to always find a reason to smile and show off those precious dimples!

Home Improvement Reality

While others are remodeling kitchens, updating paint colors or replacing carpet, we at the Bulloch household had a major home improvement over the weekend.  It was the kind that only a parent of a toddler that they are potty training can appreciate.  Yes, the photo below is of our brand new toilet seat that will hopefully be changing our lives in a few short days.  This my friends is Belle's seat or as she refers to it as "ME, ME, ME!"  May our daily diaper count start to dwindle!

Giggles

Music to my ears

Then and Now

THEN - October 2012:  Anchorage, AK Belle gets her first ride with Wes

NOW - October 2013: Rockaway Beach, OR Belle repeats

Will at 4 Months

Will you are four months old and still extremely sweet.  At four months you are laughing and smiling your way through the day and showing off your two deep dimples.  You have this really big open mouth grin that is infectious and makes everyone else smile in return.  Your laugh is adorable and so fun to hear too.  You also like blowing bubbles now, which your sister loves to watch.  You didn't skip a beat when I started back at work again and I am so thankful that you made the transition that much easier.  The other night you were laying on our bed and suddenly you grabbed your feet and had this look of pride on your face.  You have been enjoying grabbing your feet ever since.  We have a nightly routine with you where you get up only two to three times and usually end up in bed with us by 5am.  You seem to love sleeping in our bed and will have your arms fully extended snoring away.  The biggest love of your life right now is your hands though.  You won't suck on a binkie, but boy oh boy do you love to suck on your hands.  I think your Mama comes in as your second love or maybe your sister.  We love you William Walker, may you never stop smiling.

Making Memories with Forever Friends

The crew

This past weekend we switched up our normal weekend routine of cleaning house, watching college football, running errands and taking naps and rented a house at the beach with friends.  Saturday still included watching plenty of football though, especially those OSU Beavs.  Here's the deal, these people are our forever friends and I hope they feel the same about us.  My wish is for our kids to always know each other and that we continue to make memories through the years together.  We love them.  I also secretly wish for Belle to marry Ty and Will to marry Brynn so then we can all be family!

Back to Work

At Sherwood Orchards picking apples

Life changed again for us this week with me returning to work, however, I am only working three days a week for the next year, so today is my "Friday."  What a blessing too because I feel like we have been running a marathon for the past three days.  I am up bright and early to get ready before the rest of the house rises, home just in time to get dinner on the table and pretty much in bed shortly after we get the kids down. It will all get easier with each passing week and I am so lucky to have a husband who is my true partner in raising our children and balancing our household.  Week one is done and we all survived!  

Will at 3 Months

Our little boy is three months old!  Where has the time gone?  The first month of your life is a complete blur to me.  You have the absolute best smile that shows off your two dimples.  You are even laughing already!  You like to talk to us too, especially while having your diaper changed.  You are still our little pug that makes all sorts of snorts and snuffs in your sleep.  Man do you love to eat.  We have yet to have a four hour stretch of you sleeping at night, but I have faith it has to come soon!  You like to sleep for three hours, then two and then every hour and a half you like to snack until it is time to get up in the morning.  You are patient.  Today you watched me drill away as I put up more storage in my closet and seemed to enjoy watching me measure, drill, cuss, re-measure, drill and maybe cuss some more.  You sat in your bouncer and sucked on your hand and just smiled and cooed at me.  You also love to watch your big sister and even manage to nap through some of her shrills and shrieks she lets out at home and in the car.  You make us very happy Will and are just sweet as can be.  We love you to pieces and are so happy to have you as our son.

Cheering on the OSU Beavers this past weekend

Bath time, you always love to splash around

Belle at TWO

She's TWO and simply amazing.  Life before her was not complete for us or as full of unconditional love.  She challenges us, brightens each morning, makes us laugh, be more patient and better people with each day.  Cheers to you at two Belle, we love, love, love YOU.

At two you are becoming very independent.  You like to walk up and down stairs now all by yourself.  You like to lead the way as well when we are out and about and tend to refuse to hold my hand.  You brush your teeth and hair by yourself.  You like for me to let you pick out what you are going to wear each day and your brother's outfit as well.

You are a helper.  You like to stand on your stool at the sink and wash your brother's bottles, you pick things up off the floor for me, you love when I let you "fold" laundry fresh out of the dryer, you rock your brother in his swing and you enjoy pushing buttons on elevators for me.

You are an eater.  We are still working on introducing green things into your diet, but eating seems to be a highlight for you three times a day plus snacks.  Cookies are your new favorite, especially Grandma's hot out of the oven.

You are social.  This summer we have had lots of play dates and you enjoy playing with your friends.  At school you smile at all of your classmates and play and play and play.  You love it so much, I literally have to drag you out of there, which is tricky while holding your brother.

Your smile and laugh is contagious.  

You give the best hugs to me and remind me to stop and snuggle with you.  

You are becoming quite the talker.  I think you say a new word daily right now.  Some words are extremely clear and others take me a few moments to figure out.  I love that you are becoming better at communicating to us.

You can mimic a tornado through our home in a matter of minutes.  I was once a very tidy person that loved having a spotless house, but you have taught me to let go on some of that.  

You are a wonderful big sister.  You say hi and bye to your brother when you walk in and out of the room.  You haven't missed a beat since he was born.  Of course, you demand much of our attention, but once I explain to you that I need to do something for your brother, you seem to accept it and move on.  You love giving him kisses and that always makes my heart melt.

Belle, all in all you are becoming a wonderful little girl and we could not be more proud of you.  I look forward to seeing what this next year brings you and how you continue to grow and amaze us.  As always, thank you for being our daughter, we are beyond blessed to have YOU.

First Day of Preschool

Yesterday Belle had her first day of preschool and it was a success!  She will be going two days a week for full days and she must have had a great time because she did NOT want to leave yesterday.  We were very lucky to find a school that is just blocks from our house and came highly recommended.  I was so proud of our little girl, she gave me a kiss and waved good bye when I told her Will and I were going to go.  I will admit I teared up a bit as I walked to the car, but that quickly passed once I realized I had a bit of freedom.  I promptly drove to Target and just walked around while Will slept, it was pure bliss.  The teacher did mention that Belle does not like to clean up her messes, which I have been battling my entire maternity leave, and that they will work on that bad habit.  I am so on board for that!

Besties

We love our play dates with Emerson and Belle is developing a great friendship with her.  We are so thankful she and her family moved to Portland this summer.

Lessons I have learned as a Mom of 2 under the age of 2

I am just over eight weeks as a Mama to two adorable babies and I have learned a lot about myself and my new life along the way.  Some days are tough, hands down.  Other days are a lot easier.  I could not have gotten through the first few weeks without the support of my husband, our families and close friends.  Pretty soon we will be adjusting to another new routine since I will be returning to work part time in October.  I am comfortable in saying that I am a better Mom when I live a balanced life of career and being home with my kiddos.  Here is a short summary of what I have learned most in the past eight weeks and counting as Mother to two:

• You change a lot of diapers
• You receive twice as many smiles with dimples throughout your day
• You can be cleaning spit up from one babe only to turn around and have your other babe hand you something gooey from her nose and she follows it up with "icky."  Yes, my dear, icky.
• You find yourself laughing at the silliest moments.  Whether it is when one passes gas and scares himself or watching your daughter make a hilarious face after eating dirt.
• You give a lot of baths
• You master the art of the 60 second shower and usually only wash a tenth of your body because you ran out of time.
• You can carry two children at once, especially when a toddler is trying to run around in a parking lot
• Your hobby becomes doing laundry and trying to keep your house semi-clean
• You get to have play dates with friends.  This is a double bonus because you get to see your friends and it wears your toddler out before nap time.
• You consider joining Costco for the first time in your life.  See bullet point one as to why.
• You have dance parties to the Mickey Mouse Club Hot Diggity Dog song for what feels like hours, but this also doubles as your exercise.
• You can never give or receive enough kisses and hugs
• You dream of just one night away with your husband and not having to think about getting up at the crack of dawn
• You talk about family vacations to far off destinations so you can show your children the world
• Your patience grows by leaps and bounds
• You appreciate your Mom more, especially if she had four kids and those four were all teenagers at the same time
• You realize at 2pm that you haven't brushed your teeth yet for the day
• You talk about blow outs with your friends and I am not talking the hair kind
• You can never be too organized
• You are never alone, not even in the bathroom
• You learn that some days just aren't that exciting and you are simply proud you made it through another day
• You can spend countless hours watching your children sleep and never get tired of their innocent faces
• Your big weekend outings always include going to the park and the grocery store
• You make immediate necessary Craigslist purchases for your sanity, for example a baby swing and a slide for your backyard to entertain your toddler
• Your lunch may consist of your toddlers leftovers on the extra chaotic days
• And the best lesson I have learned thus far is that you have the opportunity to give endless love to two blessings that will grow up way too fast and you will actually miss them being the age they are right now.

Life with a Toddler

Belle is showing me that my child proofing skills need serious improvement and that even though she has had a temperature and been under the weather, she is still very mischievous.  I seem to bounce from one mess to the next these days.

Going through the entertainment center and pushing all of the buttons, which means I have to wait for Scott to get home to fix the settings back.

Taking all of the tupperware out while I was pumping and the silverware was next on her list.

A yogurt facial.  This photo was taken at the beginning of the facial and rubbing it all over the table.  Total clean up time for Mama, easily 20 minutes.  That outfit lasted 10 minutes tops.

Will handles all of it in stride and just chills in his swing.

Will at 7 Weeks

We have a son and he is very sweet.  I can't believe he is seven weeks old already.  The night he was born almost feels like a lifetime ago.  We are so blessed with how smooth things have gone with him so far.  I am very thankful he has been patient with me and his sister.  I tell people I don't know if it is because he is my second and I feel more relaxed and confident or if he is just that good of a kid already.  Of course he cries and fusses and fills his diaper often, but all newborns do that.  He might be a mama's boy already because he is on a nightly routine of getting up at midnight, three and then again at six and I do love routines.  He smiles often now and shows off his cute dimples.  He is a champion eater and is growing like crazy.  I do call him my little pug because he snorts and grunts and makes all sorts of sweet sounds in his sleep.  It also looks like his eyes are going to be bright blue like his Dad and sister, which makes me the solo brown eyed person of the household.  My favorite part of the day with Will is when Belle is napping and I cuddle up with him on our couch and he sleeps on my chest.  It is so peaceful and relaxing and I feel like in that moment you have me all to yourself, which does not happen often.

Will made us a family of four and we are so very grateful.  We look forward to seeing more of your personality and watching you grow in the coming weeks.  Thank you for being our sweet son.

Family Photos - 22 Months & 5 Weeks

Just a quick post with some family photos my Dad took of us while my brother Walker was in town visiting to meet Will.  I can't believe we are parents to a 22 month old and a 5 week old!  Life is full right now, but for good reason.  I am learning a lot about my children and myself, which can be refreshing and frustrating.

She loves her Dada and I do too

William Walker Bulloch Has Arrived

On June 28th at 9:11 pm, William Walker Bulloch was born via c-section weighing in at 8 pounds 12 ounces and 21.75 inches long.  Will was coming that day no matter what since he had me up at 3:00 am with contractions and by the time we checked in for our inducement at 7:00 am, I was well on my way with labor.  My OB broke my water and told me, "you are going to have this baby by lunch time."  Hurray I thought!  If only.  After a very long and painful process, I was able to receive an epidural and my labor slowed.  By 6:00 pm that evening I was pushing, but Will's head was simply too large for my pelvis and I made little progress in getting him turned from being face up or into the birth canal.  We were ecstatic to hear his cries when Will was born and could not believe how big he was when they showed him to us around the curtain.  The rest of our time in the hospital sped by for me as I started to recover from surgery and begin to remember life with a newborn baby.

Will is just over two weeks old now and he is a good baby.  He is a very, very big eater and is already well above his birth weight.  He is very patient with his sister and lets her give him kisses at her choosing.  We are in the eat, sleep, poop, repeat phase and I am already counting down the weeks until he sleeps more than two hours at a time for my sanity and for the bags under my eyes to lessen.

All in all we are a happy family of four.  I hope to blog more soon.  I am still getting my feet wet here on balancing being a Mama to a 21 month old and a newborn.

Ready to baby number two!

Proud father Scott and his son

I was freezing in this photo and so exhausted and deliriously happy

This is after I took my first shower since having Will.  I felt like a million bucks.

Waiting to head home

She may have her moments where she doesn't understand why this little man is still at our house, but sweet Belle is very giving with her kisses.

37 Weeks or 38 Weeks - I don't really care, just come already!

Is this a belly shot at 37 weeks or 38?

I knew very early on that I was pregnant with this baby and I knew exactly when we conceived, so it was surprising to hear at my first ultrasound that they believed our due date was July 7th, not June 28th.  Hello?  I am an accountant, being precise is one of the skill sets required with my job.  I never believed their ultrasound and firmly told myself, I am having this baby in June and that is final.  Thankfully, I am blessed to have an amazing OB who booked an inducement date of June 28th, so my wish may just come true.  Still, I am not satisfied, now I want him to come sooner.  I had Belle at 38 weeks and didn't need to go through the last few weeks of pregnancy where everything hurts and you just feel like a whale.  It is time, we are ready, let's do this.  Come baby, come!

Tunnel

While baby boy and I were being spoiled at a baby shower this weekend, Scott and Belle visited Baggenstos Farm Store to pick strawberries and visit the goats and chickens.  Here she comes!  Side note, the snack pack is a common accessory.

Mother's Day Dinner

We were lucky enough to spend Mother's Day with both of our Mothers and spoil them with a nice meal.  You never know being a Mother is the best job in the world until you become one.  You also don't know that it is the hardest job in the world until your little one arrives, but so worth it.  The love I have for Belle is beyond words and I appreciate that she has made me a better person.  I can't imagine what her little brother is going to add to the mix, but I imagine it will just get better and better.  With less sleep of course too.

Hitting 20 Months with a Personality

Today Belle you are 20 months old and showing more personality with each passing day.  You can be very clear with what you want by pointing at me and saying "Mama" and then pointing to where you want me to sit or go or do for you.  There are moments of fits when you do not get what you want and then within seconds the red face of anger is gone and a smile appears.  You are very sweet still and share with your parents and when you see little friends.  I love your confidence.  I love that you love dirt and sand and can be covered in it within a few minutes of going outside.  We were at the grocery store this past Sunday and you were walking beside me over to the produce section and I looked down and for a second I saw a little girl, not my baby and it shocked me.  You play pretend with objects and I am mesmerized watching you babble to yourself and act things out.  Every day you make us laugh at least five times with some funny face you make or thing you do.  Thank you PBS for having the TV show Curious George because you absolutely adore it and it buys me some down time when I get home from work and I can just lay on the couch for a few minutes with you.  You ask to watch it by making your monkey sound and wiggling your arms, it is so cute.  You do have a new habit that I am not the biggest fan of and that is when you want to eat my food!  I can put all of your favorite things on your own plate, but for whatever reason my food looks better.  Just this morning you took my bowl or cereal, pushed your own bowl aside and proceeded to eat all of it.  Mommy needs energy too little lady!  Thank you for being our little Miss Sunshine, we love you Belle and we love your personality!

Done and Done!

It came to my attention a few months ago that I needed to take twenty-four hours of continuing education classes by June 30th for my CPA license renewal, which is also right around the time our baby boy is due.  I momentarily freaked out and then immediately got to work signing up for self study classes, webinars and classroom classes.  Yesterday I attended an eight hour class for my license and I am now done with all of my credits seven weeks before the deadline!  Phew.  One more item crossed off the to-do list.

No... we want it to still be the weekend!

Three cheers for the sunny weekend! ~ Belle enjoying a grilled cheese at the food carts on Sandy and NE 52nd

We are coming off a glorious weekend.  It was sunny and warm here in Portland, which is so rare this time of year.  Scott got to feed his soul with some camping and fishing on the Deschutes River.  Belle and I had a Mama and daughter weekend where we went to the farmer's market, went on lots of walks, ate a lot of ice cream, saw family, saw friends and attended a birthday party.  Oh yes and we cuddled on the couch too.  I wish it wasn't Monday already!

Ooh la la... concrete!

Who knew I could get so excited over concrete being demo'd and poured?  It has been the big home improvement project of 2013 thus far.  My superman husband, father in law and brother in law demo'd our old driveway in a weekend.  I just think they were really all curious to see what it felt like to run a jack hammer.  After phase one was done, then the hauling of the concrete into our dumpster began for a few days.  Scott would come home from work and haul all of the pieces by hand down the driveway until darkness fell.  Belle helped a bit too.  Our contractor arrived and phase three was excavating the driveway so we had less of a steep pitch and pouring brand new concrete!  It has made such an improvement to our curb appeal.  In less than one week we can finally park on it since it will be completely cured by then.  Three cheers for concrete!

Here we go!

Ready for concrete

Ta-Da!

Belle broke the driveway in this past weekend with sidewalk chalk

Here is our little helper picking up rocks