Easter!

We had a wonderful Easter weekend at Grandma and Grandpa Hauner's house, along with Mary, Randy, and Everett.  This year was especially fun since this is the first year that Lincoln really hunted for eggs.  He started the morning following a trail of jelly beans left by the Easter bunny, which led to the living room where he found the hidden eggs and candy.  Here he is sorting through all of his loot after the big hunt.

Guy is still too little to hunt for eggs, but he still got to be in the middle of all of the action.  He even got his very own Easter basket!

We also managed to get a picture of the boys with their grandparents before we left.  The weekend ended on a very good note, too - both of the boys slept for the entire 3-hour trip home!

Teeth?

Guy's been pretty drooly lately (we've taken to having him wear a bib), and he's been chewing on his hands a lot.  We're interpreting this as a sign that our little baby may be getting teeth soon.  There's no pearly whites to show yet, though, so I'm posting a random photo of guy posing in the overall/pants I made for him.  He says they're great for those unseasonably cold spring days, but they make diaper changes difficult.

Is it Spring yet?

Today is March 28, and Scott was scheduled to play in an Ultimate Tournament this weekend.  Instead, we woke up to a house that looked like this today:

Yesterday was cold and blustery and it snowed most of the afternoon.  Last fall we planted a new red maple in our front yard, and it had just started to bud a couple of weeks ago.  We're hoping that the late freeze won't hurt the tree - we've already lost one tree this year and we'd rather not lose another!

Lincoln and Scott are busy working in the cold to get our driveway shoveled (even though they're predicting that it will be 60 degrees tomorrow!), and Guy and I are also working hard playing and typing, as you can see.

Hope you all are staying warm, too!!

Taking a quick break from work

I'm working from home today because we are getting new windows installed at our house.  We're taking advantage of the Government's stimulus package that included a 30% tax credit for energy efficient windows (and we had wanted/needed new windows since we bought the house).

It's cold and dreary here today, and they are predicting snow tomorrow.  I was planning to play in the annual Fool's Fest ultimate tournament tomorrow in  Lawrence, but that may not happen because of the snow.  I guess I have to stay home and spend time with my family.

Anyway, to take us to a warmer place, here is a picture of Lincoln bathing Guy (think nice warm water).  It's not the most efficient way to bath an infant, but they both seem to enjoy it.

We didn't fool anyone

Congratulations. You're all great students and got A's on your quiz. Lincoln is Kid 1 and Guy is Kid 2. Next time, we'll have to think of something more challenging.

Here's your reward. A short video of Guy's tummy time practice in action. You'll notice a little head wobble going on, but he's getting pretty good. Next step, rolling over.

We're back...and a Quiz

We've been a little absent lately because we've been busy. Linda went back to work last week, and we're still working the kinks out of our new routine. It's a hectic at this point, but it's getting better.

So Guy is almost 3 months old now, and he's been practicing tummy time. Lincoln was doing the same almost 2.5 years ago, and our challenge to you is to identify each of the boys from the pictures below. It shouldn't be too difficult...we'll see if we stump anyone. We'll post the answer shortly.

Kid 1

Kid 2

What a Week (Part 3) - And a doctor visit

Guy and I are recovering today from his 2-month doctor appointment where he got three shots and an oral vaccine yesterday.  He's still a bruiser - he now weighs an impressive 12 pounds 10 ounces, which puts him in the 75th percentile for weight. His head and length are both in the 90th percentile.

While we recover, here are the last set of photos from our vacation.  After two days in Loup City we went on to Colorado - usually an 8-hour trip from Scott's parents' house.  Lincoln was spoiled and got to spend the trip in Grandma and Grandpa's new truck (with Grandma and Joni !), and Scott and I had room in the backseat of our car to sit and feed Guy on the road.

Once at Copper Mountain in Colorado, the adults skied and Lincoln got to try a bit of sledding.  (The goggles are Scott's).

Guy even got into the action and came outside for this family portrait.   It snowed the first day we arrived, and then we had two beautiful days of sun for skiing.

Of course, it wouldn't be a ski post without an action shot.  Since no one got a picture of my slo-mo fall (I was standing still and tipped right over), here's a more impressive photo of Tracy catching some air at the terrain park.

What a Week (Part 2)

After spending Saturday morning with Everett and my parents, we started off towards Loup City.  It's about a 5 1/2 hour drive with no stops, so with a 2-year-old and 8-week-old we managed it in about eight hours.

Along the way we saw Scott's grandfather and met up with some of Scott's family.  Here's Lincoln with his cousin Austyn - she's 2 weeks younger than Lincoln!

And here is Grandpa Bob with both Grandsons.

Once in Loup City, the boys explored Jenner's Park.  At one time it was the local zoo - now it has a frisbee-golf course and a playground.  Some of the cage remnants remain - although the bear cage now only houses Lincoln and Grandpa King.

Our next post will have some Colorado photos!

What a Week (Part 1)

We just returned from a wild and crazy week that included more than 24 hours in the car and stops in 4 states. This post covers the first part of the trip...there are more to come.

The weekend started with a Friday-night, slumber party at our house with Everett. Mary and Randy were vacationing in sunny Mexico, so Everett stayed with us Friday night while Grandma and Grandpa Hauner stayed with him the rest of the weekend.

The weather was nice, so we took the opportunity to let the boys burn off some steam outside.

Gym Time

Guy understands the importance of regular exercise.  He therefore puts in plenty of time each day in his baby gym.  In the morning he does five reps of the "fist bump".

Later in the afternoon (after a bath and a clothing change) he does five reps of "grab the toy".  It's an exhausting workout, but it will make him big and strong one day!

I promised a smiling baby photo but...

My friend Terri from my knitting group made this beautiful sweater for Guy.  It's gorgeous, so you'd think that Guy would be smiling in the photo.  You can blame my styling - at 7 weeks Guy already knows that a lovely hand-made sweater should not be modelled over pjs.  But he still looks cute, right?  

Places you probably shouldn't put your baby...

Okay, so maybe you shouldn't put your baby in a trash can...but if they're similar size and the baby looks sooooo cute in the trash can, can you really resist?  Me neither.  Besides, Guy doesn't seem to mind.

Guy's started to smile now, so I hope to have a photo of that soon - it's adorable!

Lil' Bruiser

On Tuesday Guy had his 1-month doctor's appointment, and weighed in at an impressive 10 pounds 14 ounces. That puts him in the 75th percentile for weight. Scott's been doing some historical comparisons, and Guy gained the same weight percentage - 32% - as Lincoln during his first month. Of course, Guy started out a whole pound heavier...

In other news. we got to spend a relaxing dinner at Mary and Randy's house last Sunday. Lincoln loves going there and playing with Everett's toys (that's actually all he talked about once we told him we were going), and Scott and I like having a night out with family.

We forgot to take our camera Sunday night, but we did take a few photos before we left. Since it was cold outside, we dressed Guy in his wool pants and jacket that I knitted for him. He looks pretty handsome in his duds, if I do say so myself! The pants are actually overalls that go up to his armpits (very warm and cute!), and as can see in the photo is that the jacket (which I knitted in 0-3 mo size) is actually almost too small to go around his growing belly.

A Visit from the Grandparents

Last weekend (actually, it's now been two weeks - time flies!) Scott's parents visited and the boys got to be spoiled by their grandparents.  Here's some highlights:

Here, you can see Shirley's amazing ability to read stories to *both* boys at once.  We were very impressed with this skill.

We had a bit of snow, so Lincoln got to break out his heavy winter coat and made a snowman.

Even Grandpa Mike got in on the action and spent some quality time with Guy.  All in all, a very nice weekend!

Takin' A Break

The votes are in, and many of you were very close in your guesses! As your reward, I have some pictures of Guy hangin' out during his first "real" bath in the baby bathtub.  

Here's the actual totals - (note: there were also some labs costs but I don't have those handy):

• Hospital: $6,500
• Doctor (Linda): $3,100
• Doctor (Guy): $1,600
• Total: $10,200

The bills do not indicate if the chicken fried steak dinners (or the extra pieces of carrot cake) impacted the cost. Here's your reward!  Note his calm, cool expression.  He is *way* too tough to be excited about a silly bath.

A Model Baby - and a contest!

Yesterday Guy and I braved the cold to get Guy's first official portraits taken.  Our friend Stacey Schmitz is an awesome photographer, and believe it or not Guy was actually awake for the entire session -  I can't wait to see how they turn out!  The event was preceded by a bit of stress, however, when I realized my "little" guy was growing fast and the newborn outfit I had picked out didn't really fit anymore - we made a quick change and he was presentable in some 0-3 month digs

Now for the contest!  The prize, as usual, is that everyone gets treated to even more cute photos of Guy.  Scott and I are fortunate to have excellent health insurance, and as a result our out-of-pocket cost for Guy's birth was very small.  We're now getting our "explanation of benefits" statements from our insurance company that show the actual charges for Guy's arrival.  Can anyone guess how much it costs to have a hospital birth?  Keep in mind that we stayed two nights in the hospital (in which I ate 2! chicken-fried-steak dinners) and had no anesthesiologist  charges.  The answer will be next time!

For now, here's a photo of the brothers hanging out together.

Guy in action

Since Guy was sleeping in yesterday's post, I think it's time to show this video of him awake and in action.  Lincoln is providing the commentary - his Thomas trains had derailed and he had just managed to get them all back safely on the track when Scott started filming.

Home Alone - Part Duo

Scott went back to work this week so I am officially "home alone" with Guy this week.  I wanted to take a photo to show some of the fun activities we've been up to so far, but usually when he's not sleeping we're usually too busy feeding, changing diapers, or cuddling to take a picture - plus he's awfully cute when he sleeps! 

...and here's the "duo" part of this post - a picture of Guy's big brother sleeping in the same Boppy.   Lincoln was about two months old in this photo, but I think you can still see the family resemblance.

Our First Field Trip

Today we took our first field trip as a family of four.  On the advice of one of Scott's coworkers we checked out Science City at Union Station.  You can get an annual pass at a reasonable price, and it includes unlimited visits to Science City and the Planetarium.

We started getting ready for our big outing at 9:00 am, but didn't actually make it out the door until 10:00.  Once at the museum, Lincoln had a lot of fun checking out the "toys".  Here Scott is showing him how one of the exhibits works - this one involves rolling balls down different tracks.

Of course, Lincoln decided that it would be much more fun just to carry the balls around the museum.

As for Guy, he spent the entire trip asleep in his cozy bear outfit.  It may be a while before he can truly appreciate these family outings.

Overall, Science City turned out to be a great way for the entire family to spend a cold January morning together.

Taking Care of Guy

Taking care of Guy is really hard work, as you can see in these photos:

This morning I had to spend a couple of grueling hours watching Guy as he napped.  It required all of my concentration.

Guy likes to be held, so as you can see Scott spent a lot of time yesterday keeping him happy. It is difficult, all-consuming work.

Of course, it would be nice if all of this napping would translate into a lot of sleep at night, but so far Guy is turning out to be a regular newborn and waking up every 2-3 hours.  

Guy's 1 week checkup

Guy had his one-week checkup on Friday, and he is doing great.  He's an eater and a grower - he gained a couple of ounces over his birth weight.

He also measured in at 21 inches, which is nearly 3 inches more than when he was born.  We're assuming that he not growing insanely fast but in the craziness of his birth he was mis-measured at 18.5 inches.  I guess only time will tell.

The last couple of days have been uneventful.  We're all just getting used to each other and getting into our new routine. We're very thankful to everyone for the cards and help recently. Mary made us dinner a few nights ago, we got a Cookie Monster fruit basket from our friends Jon and Heather, and Joni has changed a few dirty diapers.

We did have our first parental test recently when we tried to give boys baths at the same time.  Guy was screaming because he was cold, and Lincoln was crying because he had shampoo in his eyes.  It wasn't pretty.  The only picture we got was a pre-bath test of Guy's baby bathtub.

Here's a picture of Lincoln playing with a new marble game he got for Christmas (with Guy watching in the background) and Lincoln and Guy posing for a picture. We're not sure why Lincoln pulls his shirt up now when he poses for pictures, but he says he learned it from Aunt Joni (Hmmm...Not sure what she's teaching him :) ).

Home Alone

Yesterday was our first day at home with no help from grandparents, brothers, or sisters (although Mary brought us dinner, and it was very nice).  The day went very well.  

Linda did all the work, Guy slept when he wasn't eating, and I cleaned the house.  Lincoln went back to school and got to share photos of his baby brother with his friends.  He is the third kid in his class of seven to be a big brother!

In other news, the night Guy was born the big maple tree in our front yard was blown over by the crazy winds.  Luckily (for us) the tree fell into our neighbors' yard and driveway and not towards the house.  It was completely blocking the street, but there was no damage to anyone's property.

We found a tree service that would clean it up quickly, and they spent most of the day yesterday sawing, hauling, and grinding.  Lincoln had fun watching them put the big pieces into their massive grinder, and we were impressed that they removed every speck of the tree - not a single twig was left in our yard. 

Photos from Guy's First Days

As promised, here are some photos from Guy's first few days:

Here's his first "official" picture.

This is the photo I took of Scott shortly after Guy was born.  Aren't they cute?

This shows his weight. (8 lbs. 4 oz.)

And here's the whole family!  Lincoln was very excited about meeting his little brother, and enjoyed spending a couple of days being spoiled at home by both sets of grandparents (more pictures of that coming shortly).

Guy's Story

Well, Scott and I are home from the hospital so I thought I would share some more details about Guy's birth.  First, the stats:

Name:  Guy Phillip

Born:  December 26, 2008 at 10:29 pm

Weight:  8 pounds 4 ounces

Length:  18.5 inches

The Details:

I had my first contractions on Friday morning (December 26) around 10 am.  They were very irregular and not very intense, so we just continued on with our day's activities.  My parents were in town for Christmas so we had breakfast and lunch together.  I also took a trip to Target with my mom to get some last-minute Christmas gifts.  I was still able to walk and talk through contractions so I assumed we had lots of time.  My sister and her family came over for dinner that night.

After dinner that night Scott and I took a couple of walks around the block to enjoy the unseasonably warm weather.  My contractions were still irregular and spaced around 8-15 minutes apart, so again we assumed that we had a lot of time.  At around 8:00 pm Scott called my doctor and the on-call doctor advised us to go to the hospital.  Scott put Lincoln to bed and we headed to the hospital around 9:00 - still assuming we'd be in for a long night at the hospital.

We arrived at the hospital at 9:30.  I had a few intense contractions on the walk from the emergency room (after hours) entrance to the birthing center, and I took a brief pit-stop at the bathroom on the way.  When we arrived at the birthing unit we discovered that the doctor we talked to had not informed the hospital that we were on our way, but luckily my doctor was already there with another patient.

We arrived at the room a little after 10 pm.  The nurse hooked me up to the fetal monitor and said that she would remove the monitors after 20 minutes so I could walk around.  I was measuring around 6 centimeters.  Since we were planning an unmedicated birth she brought a birthing ball and went to have my doctor sign the papers authorizing that I would not receive an IV.  I then proceeded to have the most intense contraction I have ever experienced (very unpleasant - I do not recommend it!) and felt the urge to push! 

Scott rushed out to find a nurse, and when she came in she confirmed that the baby was about to arrive.  She told me not to push - which was pretty much impossible, and Scott had to help by opening the packet of "delivery" instruments as she found the doctor and some other nurses.  They didn't have time to set up the bed for delivery - as my doctor sat down I had two big pushes and Guy was born!  It was all very intense and definitely not the delivery I expected - we weren't even checked into the hospital until Guy was over four hours old - but I got to spend the night with my baby instead of in labor.

The family's all at home now, and we're all having fun getting to know each other.  The next post will have more photos!

Well, that was fast

We have a new baby. Here's how it went.

8:00 pm - Call doctor
9:30 pm - Arrive at hospital
10:30 pm - Guy Phillip enters the world

Linda did a great job. This time instead of pushing for 2 hours, she
had to hold the pushing back until the doctor arrived.

The full details will be coming later.