First Week As A Party of Four

I could be wrong, but I feel like this will be my view most mornings for the foreseeable future. I'm not mad about it.

Jace has been pretty indifferent towards the baby. It's not a bad or negative thing, he's just not super interested. But there have been occasional tender moments here and there, and I was able to catch this one on camera. Jace and I were watching a movie this morning while I nursed Luke. I just happened to look down and see Jace very softly holding the baby's foot. I think we will be okay. ;)

Successful infiltration of  a Boys' Club

Well, Week 1 is in the books, ladies and gentleman! My mom left yesterday in the late morning, and the boys and I embarked on our first family outing together (to Costco, of course). It went surprisingly well! It just took a bit longer to get out the door, and then out of the parking lot, since I had to nurse and change Mr. Cool-Hand Luke before we drove anywhere. But I consider any trip to Costco a success, because it's amazing and I love it there. Also, Jace ate an entire piece of food court pizza all by himself, minus a couple of bites. Good job, buddy! You're a true Plessman/Christensen. Now I just need Costco to start carrying the peaches and nectarines...come on, spring and summer!

I think it was great for Jace to have my mom here all week. Mimi was so helpful. She kept JJ occupied and happy, and was able to take him outside a lot to help him burn off some of that toddler steam. I think it helped having someone here this first week to shower him with lots of one-on-one attention after we brought Luke home. Mimi did all of that and more...after she got better, that is. Yup, both Colt and my mom caught the same bug I had during labor and that JJ had last week. They got sick the same day, and I felt so bad. Also, I was a little intimidated about handling the two kiddos by myself for the rest of the day, but both boys were so great. I think Heavenly Father was watching out for us, whispering instructions to Jace and Luke pertaining to angelic behavior while this virus ripped through every person in the house. Luckily, after about 12 hours everyone was feeling much better. My mom and Colt spent the next morning scrubbing everything with bleach and doing load after load of laundry while I rested and hung out with the baby, like a lazy bum. We are pretty sure it was the norovirus; at least one other family at church has it currently (unfortunately, it's the family of the lady who was supposed to take Luke's newborn photos), and the nurse I spoke with from the pediatrician's office told me it's been going around. We were so scared Luke was going to get it too, and he still could, so we are watching him and keeping our fingers crossed that breast-feeding will work it's powerful magic and keep him healthy.

A little Jace update: He continues to acquire more and more words everyday, producing 2-3 word utterances like it's nobody's business! However,I don't always understand him right away and some interpretation work is required. For instance, he was walking around the living room asking everyone for "a shanny wok? A shanny wok?" I was racking my brain trying to figure out what he was trying to communicate..."A shiny rock? Where did he pick that up?" Eventually, it dawned on me: we have been going on family walks almost every night after dinner for the last few weeks. He was asking for a family walk...my heart melted. I love him and our family walks, and I'm excited to get back to them ASAP. My mom also sang him the "Boom Chicka Boom" song while she was here, and now he walks around saying "Chicka Boom, Chicka Boom." He loves Buzz ("Buss!") Lightyear and Piglet's Big Movie with his whole heart (and still loves Lightning McQueen ("Keen!") from Cars). As I noted above, Jace hasn't shown much in the baby. He hasn't asked to hold him or snuggle him, but he does say "Baby?" when he sees him in the morning, and occasionally he'll walk over and touch Luke's head or toes and say "Awww!" He also likes to point to Luke's eyes, nose, ears, and head while labeling each one: "Baby eyes, baby nose, baby head..." I think we will be alright. It will be so great to watch them become little friends, but for now, everyone is still adjusting. And that's great! We have a few weeks yet to find our rhythym as a family. 
JJ is also the king of mysterious bumps, bruises, and scratches. They're all over his legs, and his daddy couldn't be more pleased. Haha! He's a boy through and through. Jace is still pretty picky, but his favorite foods are the funniest things. He loves traditional "kid food," like treats and pizza (obviously), yogurt and applesauce, toast, etc...but he also LOVES straight up tomato sauce (eats it like soup), and he consumes salsa with a spoon, with or without chips. Such a funny little bunny. Addtionally, whenever he does something exasperating or silly I have always said "Oh, honey!" I've never noticed how often I say it, but it must be pretty regularly, because now JJ says it as well, about himself and when addressing me or my mom. He likes to point out "workers" and any train tracks that we come across, and he has started to say "chop chop!" when it's time to go upstairs for bed, and "scooch!" when he wants me to move over on the couch...come to think of it, he can be a bit bossy. I have to remind him who the head honcho is (and I don't always scooch when he asks, I'm not that patient). He is so much fun. This is the age of highs and lows, I think. He can try my patience in a way that scares me one minute, and have me belly laughing and so glad he's mine the next. His personality is so exuberant and so joyful (most of the time), and I love him so much.

Sidenote: Jace looks so big and feels incredibly heavy ever since we brought Luke home. He barely fits in my lap, and I have no idea how I was able to carry him while pregnant. It's true what they say: when you bring home a newborn, your toddler's butt suddenly looks ginormous and you find yourself wondering "Why the heck am I still wiping this huge hiney?!"

Luke has been such a sweet little addition to our family. I look at him and can't comprehend how new he still is-he was inside my belly just a week ago! And yet it seems like he's always been here. He's so beautiful, you guys. I'm probably a little biased, but it's also the truth. We love his dark, dark blue eyes, his soft blond hair that seems to get lighter every day (I'm wondering/hoping for a little tow-head), his wrinkly little feet and hands, and the soft peach fuzz on his back.  He is starting to fill out and he doesn't feel quite so fragile. I don't know if he will be quite the chunky monkey that his brother was, but he's definitely more squeezeable these days. ;)

I have to admit, I am scared for C to go back to work. Sometimes, when both the kids are crying, or JJ throws a tantrum while I'm nursing, or the baby is fussy and I can't get him to stop and I've been up all night, I realize I'm going to have to deal with it all by myself during the day. I hope I can handle it...and not just handle it, but handle it with patience and love. It's so easy for me to stress out, and those flashes of frustration rise up so suddenly. I just need to remember to pray for help, and accept this is just the season of life we are in right now. Tantrums, whiny voices, all-nighters...it just comes with the territory! We will experience some curveballs and hard moments for sure-like just now, JJ woke up early from his nap, just as I finally got Lukey to sleep, and then immediately a picture randomly fell off the wall and woke up the baby. What the?! Haha! But that's just life, right? I can't force circumstances to be what I think they should be. I need to accept circumstances for what they are, ask God for guidance and direction, worry less, and find the joy that transcends any and every experience, positive or negative. Because having a toddler and a newborn is filled with positives and negatives, but also, always, transcendent joy.

 I need to remind myself that it's ok for the next little while if things are a somewhat chaotic and sleepless, if chores and errands don't get done, and if we have the TV on all day...I'm learning how to care for two children at once (at times on very little sleep), and all of us are still adjusting to the new family dynamic. And that's ok! It won't always be like this, and the dishes will get done eventually. ;) Things will constantly evolve and change. And in the meantime, there is so much joy to be found right now, no matter how hard it is or how tired I might be. There's a newborn to snuggle and hold in the middle of the night, there's "shanny woks" to take with my chatty toddler, chubby cheeks to kiss and stories to read. How blessed am I to have these guys? It's my goal this time around to savor the sweet moments and focus less on the hard ones.

I know if I maintain eternal perspective, am forgiving of others and myself, and when I ask for help, I can have joy in every moment, and the tough stuff will help me stretch, grow, and improve as a wife and mother. I'm so happy I get to be a wife and a mom, especially to these particular guys. I can't wait to get to know little Cool-Hand better and better, spend time with my husband and kiddos, see my boys interact...there's so much to look forward to, and so much to enjoy right now.