Mommy and son

I just wanted to post a quick update about Caleb. He's over two months old, and almost 12 pounds! (I don't think Sammy hit 12 pounds until she was almost 6 months old!) He's sleeping pretty well through the night (from 9:30 to around 7:30) and is slowly adjusting to a normal daytime routine. He smiles A TON and is a pretty happy baby...except some nights when he's fussy after Sammy goes to bed. Some nights I wonder if he knows that I would like to use some of that time to clean the house and do scrapbooking and that's why he cries! He loves being read to and also watching his sister play and dance around the room. He just lights up my day, and makes me really want to have more children. (Am I crazy or what!) I just love my little man!

My Mom-in-Law

It has been over a month since I last blogged. There are a lot of reasons why I haven't found the time to blog...such as the extra hours (and 7 extra meetings) Brad has put in this past month or the fact that we had guests at our house 20 DAYS out of the last 6 weeks or because life with a newborn and a toddler is good, but still a big adjustment. And there's always laundry to do and dishes to clean and toys to put away.

But the number 1 reason is actually a really good one...it's because of naps! No, not Sammy's or Caleb's naps...but my naps! I have tried REALLY hard to get the kids down for their afternoon nap at the same time so that I can get at least an hour of shut-eye. And 80% of the time, it's actually happened. (And, I've realized that I really should have taken a lot more of them when I just had ONE child!) Naps have saved me. I'm a much nicer person to my husband when he gets home from work, and I enjoy my kids a lot more. And I know that once Caleb is successfully sleeping through the night (and he's SOOOOOOOO close), naps won't be as important and I can get back to the laundry and the dishes.

But I don't want to blog about sleeping! I want to talk about my mom-in-law. Brad's mom and grandma (from N.C.) spent a week with us right before Labor Day. I was SO NERVOUS about having both of them in my house for a whole week! I had to prepare special meals because of their diet, and Brad wasn't able to take any vacation days, and I just didn't know how helpful they would be...you know how sometimes company is more work than help. Anyway, Brad's mom was a WONDERFUL HELP! Anything I asked her to do, she lovingly did. She had a blast with Sammy, and took the kids for long walks so I could get my "scheduled" naps. Grandma even got to hold Caleb and read to Sammy. All my fears melted away, and I really enjoyed my time with them. It was such a special time for all of us.

I really love my mom-in-law, but I have been hard on her and had my moments when I've struggled with her. Life has been a lot harder for her since Brad's dad died over 7 years ago, and having her sons and her four grandchildren living so far from her is rough too. But she really is a wonderful lady. She's thoughtful and kind and wants to be a help to her daughters-in-law.

And after spending a week with her and watching her play and sing with Sammy, I am so glad God gave me her as my mom-in-law.