A Not So Big "Easter Extravaganza!"

This year, Easter completely snuck up on me. With Easter Sunday being in March and a brand new baby occupying all of my time, the celebrations were quick and to the point. The day before, Claire spent about 10 minutes decorating eggs while her brother took a nap. She loved dropping the eggs into each container and would only wait a few seconds before wanting to take them out. All but the pink eggs were barely even colored (though she didn't mind) and the so-called "mess free" dying kit I purchased was almost entirely correct, which made me pleased. Claire even succumbed to my picture taking demands and gave me some smiles. Don't you love the photo on the right? Boy, does she take after her father.
 

 
On Sunday, after church and naps, we had an Easter Egg Hunt in our front lawn, which literally lasted two minutes. As always, we were rushing out the door, but just like I expected, Claire didn't mind. She hurried as fast as she could, picking up eggs (that were laying on the grass) and placing them in her basket. She loved it! Ethan, who was placed on the floor inside, was unable to join in on the excitement.
 

 
We rushed inside where Claire and Ethan opened their one Easter gift, a pop up tunnel. Claire was very excited and couldn't wait to play in it. (*The tunnel stayed up for only one day. I couldn't stand having the giant thing take up half of my living room so I told Claire that it broke and the Easter Bunny would bring her something else. A couple of days later, the Easter Bunny brought home a play tunnel that collapses very easily and can be placed behind the couch. Mommy was much happier.)
  

 

Next, it was off to Erik's parent's house where sadly, Claire only got to play with one of her three cousins. Erik's oldest sister had a baby boy only a few days prior, so they stayed home.

 
As usual, we had a delicious dinner and then headed outside for another egg hunt. Claire ran around the backyard finding egg after egg.
 
To my surprise, she did pretty well at locating the plastic eggs and gathered as many a she could get to before Emma. According to Claire, they were all "her" eggs.
  
 
 
Claire (and I) ate so much chocolate that day. I wasn't too concerned about her sugar intake and figured if she ended up feeling sick, then she wouldn't want to eat any more. :)

Even though our Easter celebrations were small, the excitement was big, and we all enjoyed the holiday. I am looking forward to next year when Ethan can join in on the fun. He'll probably be walking by then. Wow!

Our Little Guy - Month 2

Ethan, aka "Little Guy", as I like to call him, turned two months old on April 3rd. At his two month check up, he was a little over 11 pounds (40%), was around 21 inches (30%) and was only in the 4th percentile for head size. He has also finally made it out newborn clothes (I was surprised how long they lasted). In general, he is a very good baby. Most of that is probably due in part to him being the second child and his mother being more experienced at the guessing game. I can usually figure out exactly what he needs so he doesn't cry much. One exception to the rule is when he wakes up; screaming. Our typically very easy going son is quite demanding when it comes to his food. He wants it immediately and prefers a fresh diaper change to wait until after.

My favorite thing about him is his smile. Whenever he first gets a glimpse of someone a smile usually follows. It's hard to catch it on camera, but I was lucky to get it one evening while looking at each other in bed. It melts my heart. My other favorite thing about him is watching him sneeze. It is seriously the cutest thing. He puts both hands up by his ears and then when he sneezes they move abruptly from the noise.

A few of my other favorite things about Ethan are:

• how much he loves getting kisses - after I kiss him on the lips he almost always gives me a big smile
• when he stretches his arms and legs after immediately waking up
• how he sleeps with his hands underneath his chin
• his cry face - before the cry comes, he pouts his lower lip and looks so sad and so freakin' cute at the same time
• when he coo's
• how he holds his head up and wants to stand on his legs
• he also burps and toots a lot (he takes after his father and since it comes from my little baby I of course think it is cute)

Below are some of my favorite images from the past month:

his favorite sleeping position

 

 

Claire, my little helper, giving Ethan a bottle

 

a few of his other sleeping positions

 

 

my three favorite people

(photo taken on Erik's birthday)

 

 

me and my little guy

 

Ethan's 2 Month Bear Picture

Erik took the photo (that's why his feet are cut off) so I could coerce a smile

Happy Easter

Our Little Guy - Month 1

It's hard to believe our little guy is already a month old. It sure goes by fast. I've been trying to think of what he was up to during the first month and the only thing that comes to mind is sleeping. It seemed that he was barely ever awake and that his eyes were never open for more than a few seconds. Of course, he still managed to make me go a little insane with all of the eating and crying that happened in between.

This picture of Claire gives you the perfect visualization of what our life has been like lately. Our adorable neighbors brought by a "big sister" gift and this is what they saw: the house is a mess behind her, she doesn't have any clothes on, and I never got around to doing her hair. Absolutely hilarious!

Despite the whirlwind Ethan put us through the first few weeks, we have thoroughly enjoyed having him around and I wish there was more time in the day so I could actually sit and snuggle with him. These are some of my favorite moments from Ethan's first few weeks of life:

watching Claire hug and kiss her brother - she is infatuated with him



 

 

sneaking in a little family bonding time in between all of the madness

 

catching one of Ethan's first smiles on camera - it melts my heart

observing his favorite sleep position - his arms raised and/or underneath his chin

 

seeing Claire catch a glimpse of Ethan in his bed - which is stuffed into our bedroom closet

looking over and seeing that she put her "Baby O'Murriah" (the box said her name was Olivia but she couldn't pronounce it) to sleep on the couch next to her brother

 

looking over and seeing him pout his lower lip - it's so cute when he does this

seeing him asleep with his arms up - yet again

 

 

falling asleep with my little guy - a very rare occurrence

looking at my three favorite people

 

 

bath time with the kiddos - Claire was an excellent washer and

Ethan hated it after a few moments

 

Ethan meeting his Oldemore (great grandmother in Norwegian), which a

few weeks prior didn't seem like it would happen

 

bundling him up and visiting Hogle Zoo

seeing the little guy go cross-eyed

finally going on a walk in the not so freezing weather

taking a photo with Ethan and documenting that I actually

put makeup on and sort of did my hair that day

 

Bear Photo - Month 1

(I actually caught him with his eyes open - sort of)

Sledding Smiles

Just days before Ethan was born, we ventured out to Murray Park to go sledding. I had been wanting to take Claire all winter and every time it snowed I would come up with excuses not to go; it'd be too much work, it was too windy, I hadn't picked up the sleds from my parents house, or it was way too cold. And since I was extremely pregnant, I knew I couldn't take her by myself (plus who would take pictures?). It was the end of January and I thought the sledding season was over, but it snowed yet again. Thankfully, one not so cold Saturday afternoon we finally had the opportunity.

The first run down the hill Claire was a little hesitant, but that was to be expected. I told Erik to take it easy on her initially so that she would be more apt to enjoy the afternoon and thankfully he listened. Despite getting splashed with snow in the face a couple of times, she held on tight and began to understand what all the hype was about.
 

For a few moments, Claire decided it would be more fun to just slide down the hill on her bum. Thankfully, that didn't last long and she got back on the sled with Erik.

 

 
Khloe was having a blast as well. She'd stand next to Erik and Claire at the top of the hill, Erik would throw the ball, and Khloe would run as fast as she could to catch it at the bottom. She definitely got her workout in that day.

 

 

I love Claire's facial expressions in these pictures. She was genuinely excited and that was exactly what we wanted. All of the work getting her clothes on, taking her to the park, and pulling her up the hill over and over (all Erik's doing) was worth it.

 
We all had a wonderful afternoon and I am happy to announce that the snow has FINALLY melted in front of our house and that spring is less than a week away. Thank heavens winter is almost over.

Ethan's Arrival

It has been almost five weeks since Ethan was born and my life seems like it has finally begun to settle. The first few days after Ethan arrived, the lack of sleep didn't really phase me. My body was on a "new baby energy high"; but then it hit me. I was was so exhausted and sleep deprived that my eyes felt like they were constantly burning. Taking care of a brand new baby, a toddler who wants constant attention, and a neglected husband and dog, all while getting three or four hours of interrupted sleep, was rough. Thanks to receiving a ton of help from family and friends, I made it through.

 

Now that Ethan is a month old, I feel like I can finally take a deep breath and carry on with my life. The piles of office work and post-it notes lying around the house with my name on them are slowly getting accomplished and the frequency at which my toddler declares "Mommy (or Daddy) you're cranky!" has diminished immensely. At last, I can sit down at the computer and reflect upon my thoughts in peace and quiet (for a few minutes at least). So for keepsake purposes, I figured I needed to due a proper post on Ethan's arrival. Here it goes:

The night of Saturday, February 2nd, Erik and I both had fun engagements to attend. He had a guys night with his friends that kept him out until three in the morning and I had a very rare girls night that ended up being a surprise baby shower. So exciting! I got home around midnight and thought the next day was going to be completely normal. However, about 5:15am, my water broke. I could not believe it. Ethan wasn't supposed to arrive for 12 more days. The coming week I was going to tie up all of my loose ends. Getting my hair done, finishing office work, putting together my hospital bag, a fun mommy-daughter play date, etc. were all scheduled on my 'to do' list. I planned all of it two weeks before his due date so that the week prior I was completely free. That didn't work out as planned.

 

Erik and I gathered all of our things and woke up Claire just before 7am. She normally wakes up around 9am so this was unusual for her. We told her we were going to the hospital and that later in the day she would get to meet her new brother. She was extremely tired (as were we), but I think she was a little excited. I, on the other hand, was terrified of going through labor again.

 

By the time I was settled in my hospital bed, it was around 8:30am and labor was starting to progress. Receiving the epidural was a piece of cake (with Claire it hurt really bad), but the labor pains never seemed to go away. At one point in time, they put me on oxygen because Ethan's heart rate was a little low, but they told us it was nothing to worry about. Around 12:30pm I started pushing. In the middle of labor, the on-call doctor (my doctor was still in Africa) left the room to attend to a phone call. It seemed like she was gone forever so I asked another nurse to go get her. There I was in active labor with a 'student' nurse trying to get me through the contractions while Erik was huddled in the corner covering his eyes and plugging his ears. I was so annoyed the doctor left me to basically fend for myself.

The doctor (and nurse) eventually came back and after an hour and a half of pushing I was completely worn out. I asked the doctor to use the vacuum (which I used when delivering Claire as well) to help speed the process along. She wanted me to be aware that he would have a bruise to which I replied "I don't care about a bruise, it'll go away... just get him out of here!". At 2:04pm our little guy arrived. Of course, he was perfect! They put him on my chest for a moment and then took him off to do all of the routine checks. I was so glad it (pregnancy and labor) was finally over. Hallelujah! Our nameless baby was here.

Later that evening we had our first visitors. Erik's parents had taken Claire to church with them earlier that day and were now bringing her to the hospital to meet her little brother. She was very excited. I think she gave him about fifty kisses. It was so cute!

As the time passed, I thoroughly enjoyed being waited on at the hospital. However, every time I would push the button for my nurse, I had to wait forever. So annoying! Even though I was tired, the luxury of having Claire taken care of by someone other than me, was wonderful. I also enjoyed giving our little guy away to the nursery at night so I could get some much needed sleep. My sister said she has never had that indulgence (at any of the 5 different hospitals she's delivered in) so I felt even more blessed. One of my favorite things from my hospital stay was the yummy drink my nurse constantly made for me. A little cranberry juice and Sprite was all it was, but it was delicious. I've tried to replicate it at home, but it has never tasted the same.

Throughout my stay, many friends and family came to visit. My favorite, of course, were Erik and Claire. Claire really enjoyed seeing her baby brother. She gave him kisses, colored him pictures, put stickers on him, and smiled for tons of pictures. She was also excited to give him his new bear and to her surprise, he gave one to her as well. Another exciting moment was Skyping with my parents in Norway. I was so grateful to have my in-laws iPad so that I could talk to my parents and show them their new grandson.




(This picture is deceiving. Ethan's legs don't actually go to the end of his jammies.)

Only moments before our departure did we eventually decide on a name for our little guy. We couldn't decide between Ethan and Owen. Ethan was always our number one choice, but the fact that it is so popular made us waiver. After all the other names failed to deliver in our minds, we settled on Ethan Victor. Victor is my father's name. There were no boys in my family so we wanted Ethan's name to honor my Johansen side in some fashion. Erik had the brilliant idea of giving him my Dad's name. It was so sweet of him to think of that and I know my Dad feels especially honored.

 

After two days in the hospital, it was time to leave. I was very anxious to get home and see my baby Khloe. Our new life of 4 1/2 had finally begun.

 

Slowly but Surely

This past month has been a whirlwind. With our little guy's arrival earlier this month, our world has been shaken up quite a bit to say the least. Adding a newborn into our house has made the past four weeks a definite adjustment period and poor Claire (and Khloe and Erik and myself) have all gotten the short end of the stick while we try to figure out how to navigate through our new life as a family of four and a half.

Before Ethan arrived, I was scared to death. I had no idea what to expect, so I expected the worst. Thankfully, life is far from being "the worst", but it has definitely been trying for me and the rest of us. A crying newborn, a tearful toddler, a cranky Mommy, a bored Khloe, and a stressed out Daddy all make up our new home. Sounds wonderful right?

I've told my family multiple times that "I just want my old life back". Of course, I am completely in love with my new son and love having him around, but having my life thrown up in the air like it has been is rough. Because of the terrible RSV season we have had this year as well as the horrendous smog, Ethan's pediatrician told me I shouldn't take him anywhere for the first month. Ugh! When I had Claire, we were taking walks and enjoying the warm, summer air just a mere days after her birth. This time around we were subjected to lock down and this is why I never want to have a child in the middle of winter again.

Since Ethan's one month birthday is approaching on Sunday, we are finally starting to get out and about and it feels great! The warmer weather, turning the page on our calendar to March, seeing that daylight savings is only two weeks away, and Easter is quickly approaching as well, have all added to my new found excitement. I feel like I can finally see the light and the end of this dreary, dark tunnel that comes with having a newborn. Today, I ventured out to the mall for a few hours and despite lugging Claire, Ethan, Khloe, and all of the junk that goes with them, it was a little slice of heaven. We walked around for a few hours, picked out a pretty balloon and treated ourselves to a yummy milkshake. I was loving being out of the house so much that I decided to feed Ethan in the Nordstrom bathroom so we could stay out longer and I even let Claire miss her afternoon nap. We had a blast.

It seems that we have finally entered a time where Ethan is on more of a schedule, winter is almost behind us, and our life is ALMOST back to normal. Slowly but surely, we are making the transition.

Introducing...

Ethan Victor Olafsson

 

february 3rd

2:04pm

7 lbs. 1oz.

19.5 inches

 

 

super bowl sunday

12 days before his expected due date

 

water broke at 5am

arrived at hospital around 7am

doctor was in africa

had to use on-call o.b.

pushed for about 1.5 hours

nameless baby born with help from vacuum

myself and baby boy completely healthy

 

didn't decide on name until minutes before departure

ethan has been a favorite name of ours for many years

victor is both my father's and grandfather's name

 

myself, erik, claire, and khloe are all delighted

to have our new little guy join the family

 

 

 

 

Love and Kisses

 

Claire and our newest addition, Ethan Victor,

would like to wish you a...

 

Am I Ready?

That is the question I ask myself everyday. Am I ready to have another child? Well, the answer better be yes, because our son could come any day now. Currently, I have 17 days to go, however, I have been begging this little guy to come late. I was five days late with Claire so I figure it is a possibility. My preferred day for him to arrive is February 20th. It's a nice round, easy number to remember. I'm hoping he'll be about 20 inches plus and weigh at least 7 pounds. I say that because he feels extremely big inside my belly and I'm hoping the couple of extra pounds I have put on are because of his eating habits and not mine.

My pregnancy symptoms have changed slightly these past few weeks. Breathing has become a lot easier and the heartburn that comes every now and then I can live with. The most uncomfortable part at the moment is sleeping. My body has already put itself on the "nursing clock". I wake up every two to three hours either because my back is killing me or to use the restroom. I would have thought I could take naps to help myself feel better, but with another child and too much to do, that is pretty much impossible.

Lately, I have feverishly been making 'to do' lists and am slowly but surely crossing things off. I think the nesting has begun because I find myself organizing drawers left and right. I think I am accomplishing more than what is necessary, but it feels great to have everything in the correct place. I cannot stand clutter.

It's hard to believe I only have one more "belly" picture to take. I would say it has gone by really fast, but that isn't true. When I think back to the time when I found out I was pregnant it seems so long ago.

So, I guess the answer to my initial question is 'yes' and 'no'. I am definitely ready to not be pregnant anymore, but I'm not so sure I'm ready to handle labor (strangely I am terrified again) or raising another child with a toddler already by my side. You just take one day at a time, right?