JLB {five months}

This picture cracks me up.

Jack is literally the most pleasant baby I've ever encountered.. except the moment I took this picture. Such is life, though.

Month five included much of the same for our sweet babe.  Eating and sleeping like babies do :)

This month brought more mobility which did interrupt his sleep briefly, but we are back on track now.  He likes to scoot all over his crib and would then get frustrated when he couldn't get back to his sleeping spot.  We finally just stopped playing his game {seriously I would go in and he'd be laying on his back back smiling in the middle of the night} and he seems to have worked out his issues.

He can now roll not just from his front to his back, but also from back to front.  The first few times he rolled it was in an attempt to get closer to Reese, his favorite person, but now he does it regularly.

Reese makes this kid laugh like no other.  Jack is the happiest when Reese is right next to him.  This works out well as our oldest is a born entertainer.  Jack doesn't find me nearly as amusing, but continues to be his most content when perched on my hip.

Our daily schedule has stayed pretty much the same.  He wakes up around six and goes to bed around seven.  His naps aren't super predictable but he's generally so happy that it doesn't matter.  And if being a non-predictable napper is a trade off for good nighttime sleep, I'm fine with that.

We tried introducing rice cereal and that was a bust.  I don't have strong feelings about him eating it so we just moved on.

Knock on wood, we haven't been to the doctor {at least for this child} since his four month shots so I don't have an updated weight.  He's wearing primarily nine month clothes, with a few twelve month longalls to accommodate his stride length.  Still in size three diapers :)

thankful

It's hard to believe that this time last year I was violently ill and wishing away the days until June.  Five months in to parenting two I can say that our days and hearts are much fuller, the bags under my eyes are vast, and I usually need an extra kick of caffeine at some point during my waking hours.  But these watching these kiddos love on each other is worth every single minute.  

My heart is full of gratitude for the people I get to do everyday life alongside.

Happy Thanksgiving, friends.  

Rosemary Beach

This summer I had a great idea to take a family beach trip for Fall Break.  Reese loves the beach and was admittedly disappointed that we didn't get to go this summer.  October at the beach is my absolute favorite so I booked a place in Rosemary Beach without a second thought.

 And I'm so glad I did.

It was the perfect trip and at just the right time.  The weather was amazing-- hot enough for Reese to swim but not so hot that Jack couldn't be on the beach.  We rented an umbrella both days and doll baby napped like a champ.  We stayed in a one bedroom carriage house that was maybe a 1/4 mile from the beach.  It was a great set-up for us as we don't need a lot of room.  The living room had a pull out couch but Reese preferred sleeping in the king size bed with us.  Of course.

We made one quick grocery trip for necessities and then didn't need the car again.  We were able to walk everywhere-- the beach, dinner, the pool-- pushing Jack in the bob stroller.  It really was such a relaxing and enjoyable vacation.  Lofton and I were a little unsure of what to expect with an almost four month old, but he did great.  Reese is always a champ about rolling with Jack's schedule, but he really got ample time playing in the sand and had no complaints when it was time to head back to the house for lunch or a nap.

Lofton and I are already thinking of a time we can go back.

JLB {four months}

A little late... 

Just like that another month zoomed by.  The gap between our children has made me to forget how rapidly the milestones and days fly past.

Jack is becoming sweeter and more laid back.  Is that possible?  He's developing his laugh and loves to use it.  He primarily laughs at Reese and Lofton, but I'm trying to up my game.  His voice doesn't seem to surprise him anymore and he squeals when he wants us to pay attention to him.  It's his "hey second child over here being neglected" squeal.

Our daily routine has stayed pretty consistent.  Both of my children do best on a schedule.  Wonder who they get that from?   I feed him at 6:00am, then he eats at school between 9:30-10:30 and again around 2:00.  We have a bottle around 5:00pm {although he doesn't always finish it} and then our bedtime bottle around 7:15.  He sleeps through the night most nights. We are going to introduce some rice cereal soon.  I'm hoping the introduction of solid food helps with the reflux.  It's still raging.

We had our first cold this month and it threw a wrench in our sleep.  Jack was so congested at night we were having to hold him upright to sleep.  It's taken a a week or so to get him back to his all night snooze routine but we are almost there.  We don't let him cry at night, but have let him fussed it out some.  He usually soothes himself back to sleep without needing us.

Jack discovered his hands this month.  More specifically, sucking on his fingers.  He has a tepid relationship with the pacifier.  If someone holds it in his mouth for him he likes it,  but the kid isn't holding it in on his own.  That's where the fingers have come into play. We can hear him on the monitor at night sucking on them.  He also does it in the car.  Unfortunately he gags himself more often than not.

His head control has improved and if we would practice tummy time more he'd probably be rolling all over.  The benefit for me of him being able to hold his head up is I can change the position I carry him in.  I love a hip baby and I swear the child would be perfectly content to perch there all day.  I'm enjoying these days of semi-imobility.  Jack tracks Reese's every move around the room and as soon as he can roll/crawl/move to follow him, I know he will.

A few notable events this month:  Jack was christened on October 5th by our friend, and pastor, Scott Bowen.   It was Scott's last service before leaving to lead a church in Tennessee.  Jack was under the weather but it was a special day nonetheless.  Additionally, we took a family trip to Rosemary Beach for Fall break.  It was amazing.

Stats:

Weight-- 17 pounds, six ounces {on Nov. 5}
Length-- 26 and 1/2 inches long

Wearing-- primarily 9 month clothes, he can still wear a few six month things depending on the stride // 6-12 month onesies//size 3 diapers

catching up

Life is busy and there are days we have a hard time catching our breath.  I don't foresee the pace slowing down anytime soon, though, so we're doing our best to enjoy this season we're in.

Lofton and I hit the ground running at five each morning.  There's dressing for work, bottles to make, lunches to pack, and children to wake and feed.  It's a carefully choreographed dance that we've perfected over the last month.  Lofton drops the boys at school and I'm responsible for pick up.

I make my race across town as soon as I can each afternoon.  I've become even more efficient in my classroom than before.  I will not take work home-- time with my kiddos is too precious-- and so I jam every bit of planning and paper grading into my mornings before the bell rings.  Jack is first on the pick up list and Reese is second.  It takes me about an hour to get from work to both kiddos schools and home.

Afternoons are a blur of homework, snacks, bottles, an occasional baby that needs to be rocked, and preparation for soccer practice.  Lofton swoops in for Reese when he gets off work and they are out the door.  Jack has held firm to his sevenish bedtime so I'm usually rocking him to sleep when the big boys return.  Lofton takes care of feeding Reese and getting him to bed.  Then we try to have an adult conversation before we go to bed and start anew.

It's rough and we're tired.  But we know it's a season.  And we wouldn't trade these hard days for anything.

Fall break starts Friday and we are headed to the beach.  A short vacation for just the four of us.  It's much needed time away to catch our breath.  The days are long, but these moments are short.  When Reese turned six a few weeks ago I found myself constantly thinking "did we do enough to enjoy the time we've had with him as our little boy?"  I know we did.  It was a silly question, but the sentiment remains.  Even in the busyness I want to enjoy this time.

JRB {six}

Reese,

You are my first born, the baby who made me a Mama. And today you are six.  If I really think hard about it, I fear I'll start crying and never stop.  We've officially turned the corner to little boy land. It's exhausting and amazing all at once.

You are such a boy these days.  Our lives are consumed with Legos and Ninja Turtles and soccer and football.  You come home from school sweaty and dirty.  Full of silly stories about lunch and friends and recess.  You're chatty-- maybe too chatty-- at school, but I'm learning to let go and not worry about it.  If talking is the worst of your problems, we'll be okay.

This year has brought with it homework and learning to read.  You continue to love books and are picking up more and more words you can read independently.  We still read Jack and Annie {Magic Tree House} books daily.

Each afternoon we race home to watch WildKrats on PBS.  It's about two brothers whom are scientists.  You have become a walking encyclopedia of information on habitats and exotic animals.  Currently you want to be a football playing scientist when you grow up.

In addition to reading, you have developed a love for writing.  I bought you a few notepads at Target and we now find notes all over the house.  After one particularly sassy evening, I went to bed and found a love note from you on my bedside table.  That's so you, though.  Strong willed and full of sass, but with such a heart of gold.  You love so deeply and always have.

In the last month your love for Jack has exploded.  You ask to hold him all the time. Watching you with your brother melts my heart.

God knew what he was doing when he gave me you.  You are my best little friend, my favorite errand runner, my heart.  You challenge me, but it's because we are so similar.  I have prayed this verse over you since you were born and now more than ever it rings true-- Luke 2:40 And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.

I pray for you.  I pray you stay the same funny, kind hearted, science loving kiddo you are right now.  You are a good friend, a great brother, and the most amazing son.  Your daddy and I are so incredibly proud of you.

JLB {three months}

Three months old.  I wrote tonight on Instagram that I was going to stop blinking because the months keep flying by.  It's oh so true.  I have a three month old.  

This little boy has captured our hearts.  He has the sweetest disposition--  just so relaxed and calm.  I never felt like anything was absent from our lives, but somehow he fills in all the missing pieces.

Month three has brought changes.  Foremost my return to work and Jack's start at school.  He's handled it well considering. Naps at school are hit or miss.  There are days he takes a few good naps, and then days he hardly naps at all.  He's content, though, and has fallen madly in love with Ms. Traycee.  She is beloved by Reese, as well, and we are so thankful to have her loving on our Jack.

The benefit of daytime exhaustion is nighttime sleep.  Our babe is sleeping a good ten hours at night.  We take a bath around 6:50 then it's right to the rocking chair for a bottle and snuggles.  He remains the slowest eater ever, but is usually fast asleep in his crib by 7:45.  I take care of the bedtime feeding while Lofton handles bedtime for number one.  It's the perfect chance for me to recharge my mama batteries.  I miss my flock so much during the day.  We wake him most mornings between 5:45-6:00 to eat and get ready for the morning hustle.

Jack takes five six ounce bottles per day.  We still follow the Mom's on Call schedule, although with the hit or miss napping I have to be a bit more flexible.  We always have a 5:00 pm bottle, though, and then bedtime is firm.  Again, this sweet kiddo just rolls with it. He still takes medication for reflux and struggled this month with a nasty flare up.  We added a bit of rice cereal to a few of his bottles and things seem to have leveled out.  I'm not rushing to start solids, but also hope when we start those the reflux will hit the road.

This month has also brought with it newly acquired skills.  Jack is blowing bubbles, smiling unprompted {my favorite time being when I walk into his classroom}, grabbing for objects {although it is still hit or miss}, and on Wednesday {September 24} he rolled over from his tummy to his back.  It surprised us both.  I had just been telling someone at school that the second child syndrome had struck.  With your first you devote so much time to practicing every trick and encouraging every milestone.  With number two you're just content to ride the wave.  While Jack sleeps on his tummy we have been neglectful in practicing tummy time.  Between soccer and kindergarten homework, he's lucky to get a bath.

I'm still struggling to adequately express my feelings for this little guy.  Admittedly, my obsession with my children runs deep.  As with Reese my love for Jack grows with each day.

Stats:

Weight-- guessing between 15-16 pounds

Wearing-- 6 month clothes //plus a few 6-9 or 6-12 month onsies, size 2 diapers {barely} 

working mama

Four months.  That's how long I've been home.  It has been such a hard and special time.  The weeks leading up to Jack's birth were tough.  I felt awful and was so emotional about Reese's end as an only child.  It was sweet, sweet time with him, although our activities were limited.  This last month with only Jack at home has been equally as sweet.  Getting to know this baby of mine without anyone else here has been precious time well spent.

It's a month I chose to take, knowing someone else would be starting the school year in my place.  I've worked from home, an hour here and there, to write lesson plans and enter grades.  Tasks that don't go away even when you're on leave.  That's the job of a teacher, especially an elementary school teacher.  It doesn't stop and it's often exhausting.  But it's a job I love.  It's been strange to imagine someone else getting to know my kids and living in my second home, but so worth it to be with Jack.

Lofton and I talk often about God's calling in our lives.  Without a doubt he has called me to a wife to Lofton and a mama to our babies, but I know for certain that he's also called me to be a teacher.  What a blessing it is to be a part of these extra kiddo's lives.

Monday, I return to work.  I'm sad that our time at home is ending, but really my thankfulness that I've had these weeks outweighs anything else.  Am I going to cry?  Absolutely {a lot and often}.  But Jack is going to be loved on everyday by the sweet ladies who loved on Reese.  I have no doubts that he will be well taken care of. And we will all settle into a new routine.  The mornings will be hectic, as will the nights, and our weekend time as a family will become even more precious and protected.  I'll again be rushing from work at 3:30 to pick up my favorite five year old and then he'll travel with me to Auburn to scoop up our favorite baby.  And then I'll take a big, deep sigh of happiness because my chickadees are once again under my wing.

JLB {two months}

Our Jack is two months old.  The days fly by and life with him as a piece of our puzzle just keeps getting better.  We all agree he is the sweetest addition to our family.

Month two has brought lots of changes and adventures.

We have continued to try and follow a daily schedule.  I've found that it helps Jack sleep more consistently at night-- always a plus.  I use Mom's on Call {with the exception of the swaddling component} and if I follow the schedule they've laid out he does wonderfully.  Currently we are using the 8-16 week schedule. Our days begin with a 6:30 feeding.  He then eats 5-6 ounces every three hours or so with two good naps thrown in.  There's usually a cat nap or two in there as well, but they aren't nearly as consistent.  In the afternoon, he gets a bottle around 4:00, a snack at 6:00, and then bath and a bedtime bottle around 7:30.  We've followed this schedule for three days now with relative success.  Friday night he slept from 8:00-6:20, Saturday night he woke up at 4:00 for a snack but then easily went back to sleep, and Sunday night he slept from 8:00- 6:30.  He woke up fussy around 2:00 but a little patting {and reinserting the pacifier} and we were good to go.  Lofton would say I'm obsessive about the following the schedule, but as I tell him the schedule works.

Emo came at the beginning of August to keep the boys so I could work in my classroom.  It was the first time I left Jack for any length of time.  He did great, I cried on the way to work.  We also had a visit this month from Aunt Linda and then an overnight visit with Cassie and Penelope.  Before Reese started school, he worked as my assistant and we practiced getting out a few times without Lofton.  I try to work our errands around Jack's feeding and nap times so no outing lasts too long.  We've been to Target, Publix, and the post office.  I wear him in the baby wrap every time.  My cuddly baby loves to snuggle up and more often than not snoozes.  Our favorite errand to run is a daily one; picking up big brother from school.  We've also been out to eat a few times this month.  Jack either sleeps or just contently looks around.

Jack also went to church for the first time this month.  He stays with me, not in the nursery, but basically just sleeps like a champ right on through service.  Dream baby.  Jack also took two car trips this month.  One to Buck and Emo's house and the other to Atlanta.  Both trips he slept almost the entire time.  Reese was a horrible car rider, so I was prepared for the worst, but aside from a few fussy moments right around nap time Jack was perfect.

Our reflux is improving and with the combination of Similac Sensitive for Spit Up and Zantac we seem to have it under control. I'm hoping sometime between twelve and sixteen weeks he'll outgrow it, but with the stomach issues both my other boys have I'm not holding my breath.

My favorite part of month two has been Jack cooing and talking.  His voice still surprises him sometimes, but it is sweet music to this mama's ears.  Big brother likes to chat with him, too.  In addition to the baby coos, Jack has started smiling.  He smiles out of the side of his mouth like a certain five year old used to do.  I melt. He's started kicking his legs and waving his arms around when he gets excited, can hold his head up for extended periods of time, and has really started focusing on objects and people.  I call him my deep thinker because when he's really staring at someone his brow furrows.  He continues to be such a laid back baby and a complete mama's boy.

I would say with confidence that month two is where we hit our stride.  I know there is lots of change coming our way {hello going back to work in two weeks}, but for now we've hit a sweet spot.

Stats:
Weight-- 13 lbs, 8 ozs. {94%}
Height-- 23 and 3/4 inches {85%}
Head Circumference: 16 and 1/2 inches {95%}
Wearing-- 3 to 6 month clothes //plus a few 6 month onsies, size 2 diapers 

kindergarten {reese}

Reese started Kindergarten yesterday.

There is so much weight and emotion wrapped up in that one little sentence that I truly don't know where to begin.

How did we get here?  Did I blink and miss the last five years flying by?  He's really old enough for real school? Mandatory, required school.  It feels heavy to me.  Like this a huge, huge deal.  And it is.

We met his teacher on Tuesday afternoon.  She is wonderful.  Sweet and bubbly and crafty and all the good things you think about when you think about a kindergarten teacher.  We've heard nothing but amazing things about her so I'm excited to see what the year holds for him.  I've wanted so badly for this experience to be a positive one for Reese.

He bound out of bed yesterday morning and jumped into my arms while exclaiming "Today is the day I get to go to Kindergarten!"  I would have cried if he wasn't so darn happy.  We loaded up to go, all of us, which in itself was a big deal.  You see I've lamented for YEARS that I wouldn't get to walk him in on the first day of kindergarten, I'd always be at my own school greeting my own new kiddos.  But God winked at us and gave this family a baby a few months later than we planned resulting in a well timed maternity leave :)  Funny how that happens.

So in we walked, our family of four, to take a picture with his teacher and see him line up with his new classmates.  I held it together surprisingly well.  In fact, I didn't cry at all until I went into his room to gather his dirty clothes to wash.  Then I lost it.  Luckily there was no one to witness the ridiculousness of me crying into Reese's dirty clothes.  I fully realize if I was at work I wouldn't be feeling this way, but being home affords me the opportunity to experience the stillness of the house without my favorite companion.  It's quiet and I'm missing him.

But he had an AMAZING day.  He loved every minute of being there and was excited to go back this morning.  It's also Friday so DUH Chick Fil A breakfast with Daddy is back. What did Jack and I do this morning?  We went to Target, of course. I was the third grade teacher on maternity leave wearing my baby while buying wine and laundry detergent at eight in the morning.

JLB {one month}

Our favorite baby turned one month old yesterday.  Just like with Reese, the time flies by in a blink.  It's like Jack has always been with us even though it never felt like anything was missing before.  Does that make sense?

We are settling in to as much of a routine as we can.  Jack sleeps at night but it's fairly unpredictable.  We feed him around 9:00 and then he usually wakes up between 12:30-1:30 to eat again.  He then wakes up between 3:30 and 5:30 for another feeding.  That's a pretty wide window :)  Lofton takes them middle of the night feeding and I take the early morning one.  I don't go back to sleep after my shift which is a problem when Jack gets up at 3:30am.  I'm also not a great napper.  This has made for some long days.  

He naps well, though.  We usually try for at least two naps in his crib and then another few on me.  Because he won't be a baby forever.  He's a belly sleeper like his brother but the pediatrician assures us it's okay.  I wouldn't have told the doctor we were sleeping on our belly, but Lofton has a big mouth.

Just last week we moved Jack back into his room at night.  Back into his room because initially he was in our room, then we moved him into his only to move him back to ours when his reflux got really bad.  Yep, another Beasley boy with belly issues.  Jack was diagnosed with silent reflux about two weeks ago.  It basically means that sometimes he spits up, but primarily the food comes back up into his throat just enough to cause him pain and make his choke.  He does best in an upright position because his choking episodes occur about an hour or so after he eats.  That means he's spent a WHOLE lot of his nights sleeping on me while I'm propped up in the bed.  We've tried a few different formulas and a week on Zantac.  The Zantac didn't really work for him and so just last Friday we switched to hypoallergenic formula.  It's expensive, but if it works I'm willing to sell a kidney on the black market.  Just kidding... sort of.  

Jack came into this world weighing 8 pounds, 13 ounces.  At our one week weight check he weighed 9 pounds, 6 ounces and at two weeks was up to 10 pounds, 2 ounces.  Last Friday he was a whopping 11 pounds, 6 ounces.  Basically demonstrating that for whatever reason Lofton and I have giant kids.  He takes seven 4 ounce bottles per day and the doctor said we could feed him more if he's hungry.  

Other highlights this month include:  tons of visitors {BB, Hannah & Justin, friends from school and church}, two lunch dates with Daddy {Tropical Smoothie and Newks}, and a trip to the mecca that is Target.  

Jack is finding his voice, staying awake for longer periods of time, figuring out how to keep his pacifier in his mouth, tracking objects and people with his eyes, and learning to sleep through the noisiness of two crazy dogs and a rowdy five year old.  He loves to snuggle, particularly with me, and slips his hand just inside the neck of my shirt once he settles down.  He seems much more laid back than his brother, which I'll attribute to Lofton because no one has ever described me as laid back.  The pediatrician had to removal his umbilical cord on July 25th so we are still waiting for the remaining portion to dry before we can take our first tub bath. 

I am doing my best to soak up every second of each day because I know this time is fleeting.  

Stats:

Weight -- 11 pounds, 6 ounces

Wearing -- 3 to 6 month clothes and size 1 diapers

Jack's Birth Day

I sing for joy at the works of your hands. 

Psalm 92:4

Lofton and I wondered frequently in the weeks and days leading up to Jack's birth about the difference between knowing the day your baby is going to be born and just going into labor.  Neither of our children's birth dates were surprises, which is both a good and bad thing.  Obviously the benefit is having time to plan, but the negative side is the agony of the waiting.  It gives an anxious person like myself lots of time to get worked up.

 When I was pregnant with Reese I cried A LOT toward the end.  I was tired, teaching full time at the beginning of a school year, and it was hot.  There was also so much uncertainty with a having a baby.  How would our life be?  What would change?  What if we failed totally as parents?  With Jack there wasn't as much of that.  We felt pretty confident in our ability to parent.  The only uncertainty was adjusting to being a family of four, not three.  In the days leading up to Thursday, June 26th, I cried anytime Reese and I went somewhere.  The doughnut place, Target, Chick Fil A.... Lofton thought I was a nut.  But I knew at every place it would be the last time we'd go as the three of us.  Monday was particularly bad.  I was so thankful Reese had VBS that week so I could get myself together before he came home each day.

My parents got here on Wednesday around lunch and Lofton came home early from work.  We packed {or in my case repacked} our bags and Jack's bag, I went over the three pages worth of notes I had typed for my mom regarding Reese's schedule, and Lofton zipped around finishing up last minute house projects.  That afternoon the hospital called.  The plan had been to get to the hospital at six on Thursday morning.  My parents would come a little later, once Haley got to our house to keep Reese. Sally was going to meet my parents at the hospital. The nurse on the phone asked if we would mind coming earlier.  "How early," I asked? Five.  No problem for early risers like us and who were we kidding-- sleep was going to be minimal anyway.  We began texting and calling people to let them know the schedule had been moved up.

Sleep was elusive Wednesday night.  Even Lofton-- who sleeps through anything-- was restless.  At 3:00 I got up and got in the shower.  We went in to say goodbye to Reese around 4:30 and he was awake.  A little disoriented and weepy, too.  Of course I got teary telling him we'd see him in a few hours.  We arrived at the hospital shortly before five and they took me, alone, to a room.  I HATE being by myself in hospitals and had reminded my doctor that when my tonsils were removed a few years ago I had a massive panic attack when they wouldn't let Lofton be with me.  True to his word, Dr. Alverson had noted that in my file and Lofton came back to be with me quickly.

We then waited and waited.  The nurses hooked up my IV {busting two veins in my right hand} and all the other necessary tubes and such.  At 6:45 they told us it was time.  I walked to the OR and was greeted by what seemed like fifty people.  In actuality it was probably ten.  Dr. Alverson gave me a hug and I sat down on the table to have my spinal put in.  They got me situated and I remember someone asking why we were operating so early.  Dr Alverson laughed and said that Lofton had made him promise we'd be in a room by the time USA played soccer that morning.  Apparently it's out of the norm to have a scheduled cesarean so early in the morning.

Lofton was brought in and surgery started.  I don't remember much from my surgery with Reese, but I was very alert this time.  The spinal was strange and at times it felt like the numbness was rising in my chest and keeping me from being able to breathe.  Lofton said he could see my blood pressure start to rise every time I thought I was starting to suffocate.  They put an alcohol pad on my nose to keep me from getting sick.

After what seemed like an eternity, Dr. Alverson told me I was going to feel a lot of pressure and with that our sweet boy entered the world.  He started screaming immediately and Dr. Alverson held him up for us to see.  He said then that he thought Jack was going to be bigger than Reese, and by just three ounces he was.

The rest is a blur.  Lofton went to be with the baby and then brought him over to see me.  They let me touch him {which did not happen with Reese} and after surgery wrapped up Lofton carried him to recovery so we could all be together.  The nurses let me hold him, which would have been great if I didn't have the worst chills and shakes from the anesthesia. After an hour we were taken to a room.

The remainder of the day zoomed by with family in and out, nurses in and out, and us trying to rest and catch our breath.  The hospital has mandatory quiet hours from 2:00-4:00pm so that was really the first time Lofton and I got to be alone with our new addition.  We looked him over and said probably fifteen times how amazing and perfect and wonderful it was to be parents again.  We agreed our hearts felt like they could burst.  All the worry of would we love him as much as Reese, or how was it going to feel to have two babies instead of one, went out the window.

At 7:08AM, on June 26th, our family became complete.

Jack Lofton

On June 26th, at 7:08 in the morning, we welcomed our precious Jack Lofton.

Weighing eight pounds and thirteen ounces {slightly larger than big brother, Reese} he has stolen our hearts. Even our favorite five year old is enamored.

I'll be back soon with more details from Jack's birthday and an update on our first few days and weeks at home.

For now we are counting our blessings {and some really adorable fingers and toes!}.

summer thus far

Reese and I usually fill our summer days with errand running and leisurely Target trips.  This summer is shaping up a little differently.  Although, we did brave Target after my doctor's appointment Friday morning.  I needed to pick up a prescription {sinus infection-- my 5th this pregnancy... i am not at all joking when I say all I want is wine and Allegra D post-surgery} and Reese had earned some Lego's for being super awesome.

Here's a peak into our days...

Breakfast and cartoons in bed.  I cook a roll of cinnamon rolls once a week and leave them un-iced.  He eats them throughout the week with fruit and yogurt.  Lofton and I struggle with finding things this kiddo will eat at breakfast time-- especially things that would hold him until his lunchtime at school.  This works so we are still rolling with it.

Lego building for hours every day.  The obsession is real.  They are covering my table {and ugh the floor}, but it's preferable to TV watching or computer playing.  We are getting a healthy dose of Wild Krats everyday.  He learns some serious science/animal info from that show. Thanks, PBS.

I think pregnancy has worn this guy out.  House projects and work, plus doing most of the things I usually do.  That and he, like our child, enjoy being as close as possible to me.  I promise, personal space is non existent in my life.

Snapped this Saturday morning before I walked around Home Depot and almost died.  Thirty seven weeks measuring forty looks big, friends.  It just does.  That belly is no joke.  I've given up on worrying about my shirts being long enough. #overthis 

And the result of no nap weekends.  And yes, he STILL naps.  Almost everyday.  Can he roll without one?  Sure. But we are all much happier come dinnertime if he's slept for an hour {or two and a half} in the afternoon.  And no, going to bed later doesn't make him sleep longer in the morning which in turn would mean he wouldn't need a nap.  The later he goes to bed the EARLIER he gets up.  It's the craziest thing.  We are sticking with our 7:30 bedtime because that means he sleeps until almost 6:00.  Except we are scheduled for a few 7:00 baseball games this summer.  I guess it won't matter because I'll be up with a baby anyway?!?!

reese's room

One night in the Spring we were all in the nursery watching Lofton work.  Reese mentioned he might like a new room, too.  Lofton and I are NOT all about giving Reese a big present because he's becoming a big brother, but a new room seemed like a reasonable request given his room at that time was decorated entirely by me.  {I looked for a picture but couldn't find one.}

When we moved into this house three years ago I had Lofton paint the walls BRIGHT pool blue.  Super bright.  I bought matching twin duvet covers from Land of Nod that had orange {Reese's favorite color}, lime green, blue, and gray guitars on them.  We never really moved beyond that.  The beds had mismatched sheets, a few inexpensive throw pillows, and some gray fleece blankets I picked up from Target.  Not bad by any means, but not great.

Reese's room is really big and faces the front of the house.  It was originally 2 rooms that at some point were combined into one.  There are four giant windows that let in a lot of light.  He has two closets-- one for clothes and one for toys.  He also has his own full bathroom that will eventually be shared with his little brother.

I knew with some bedding changes, a paint color change, and a little reorganization I could make his room more "him" and also make it fit more with our house.  The bright blue had to go!

First up was choosing bedding.  I wanted new duvet covers, but something more neutral than what we had currently.  My preference was a gray buffalo check duvet from Ikea, but when we went in March Reese saw a gray and white stripe he liked more.  Done. The duvets aren't actually used by my little hotbox unless it's the dead of winter so I found two white coverlets at Target on super clearance.  Like $12 a piece.  Then it came time for sheets.  Oh the sheets. While he lacked a preference in most areas, he REALLY cared about his sheets.  We finally settled on some from Pottery Barn Kids.  Expensive?  Yes.  But the duvet covers were cheap, the coverlets were on clearance, and I really wanted him to have what he wanted.  So there's that :)

The only other hurdle was the paint color.  Obviously his first choice was orange.  I shot that down quickly and he moved on to green.  I stupidly thought I could steer his green choice in a neutral green direction.  Maybe a toned down olive green?  Or a green-gray?  We went to Benjamin Moore and got four samples, all of which Reese will tell you looked like baby poop.  He hated all of them and I did, too.  {Lofton doesn't get a vote because he's color blind.}  Reese kept insisting he wanted "a green that was in the crayon box."  I looked through my paint deck, tried briefly to reconcile another bright wall color in my mind, and then just told him we couldn't do it.  I offered up the laundry room color-- quietude by Sherwin Williams.  He, surprisingly, said okay.  We actually went one shade darker on that paint strip-- halcyon green.  It's more green than blue, but balanced by a hefty dose of gray.

Now that it's done-- painted and put back together-- we love it.  Reese is pumped to have a "big boy"room, I love that it turned out so closely to how I envisioned it, and Lofton is just happy to have it done. One more project off the list!

A couple of final notes:  

• The wall color probably photographed the truest in the last photo.
• The bulletin board was made by Lofton and is a totally brilliant use of dead space.  He used a piece of sound board {which is basically compressed paper and really lightweight} covered in a drop cloth {cheap and looks like linen!}.  I wanted a bulletin board above Reese's dresser but Lofton pointed out that he wouldn't be able to reach it and suggested this plan instead.  
• Ideally we would have blinds on the windows to match the rest of the blinds in the house but Reese LOVES his blackout shades.  Seeing as how he barely sleeps as it is, I'm willing to compromise.

preK graduation

Reese graduated from Pre-K last Thursday.  Technically for the second time.

If you'll remember, we did the whole shebang {cap, gown, grandparents, etc..} last year, too.  With an October birthday he wasn't quite old enough to start kindergarten, thus our excitement over getting into the public school PreK program.  We kept graduation simple this year.  No grandparents, just Lofton and I, enjoying the moment with our most favorite person.  There were no gowns--only caps-- and a few quick songs followed by cookies.  Short and sweet.

This year has had high points and lows.  We've been blessed to be in a great school a year prior to most other kiddos.  It does my Mama heart good to know that when Kindergarten begins in August Reese will already be acclimated to the building, the people, and the routines.  He's also in my school system which means we follow the same calendar.  Amen to that. 

There have been lows, too.  I'm not sad to see this particular teacher go.  While I've been pleased at what Reese has learned, I've been less than happy with other aspects of her classroom.  I'd like to think there is something positive to be said about ALL children, especially my own.  I say that with many, many years of teaching experience and MANY very challenging children having graced my room.  At graduation her exact words were, 'Well, I guess he's come a long way." Moving on...

For his part Reese is simply thrilled to be finally headed to kindergarten.  It's been a long buildup for my little buddy!

The face of pure joy.

nursery complete

The nursery is complete.

It's been fun to create another little boy nursery.  As I said previously, Reese's nursery had a definite nursery theme.  I added some baby elements to this room, but primarily just kept it simple and classic.  I wanted it to fit in with the rest of our house.

The paint color was a doozy.  I had an idea for what I wanted but once we tried it on the walls I hated it.  Eight samples later we landed in the perfect color.  It's Black Pepper by Benjamin Moore.  Neither black, nor super gray... it's more of a grayed out navy.  I love it. The chair is from Reese's nursery.  It was green chenille and is now an ivory Matisse.  Practical?  Maybe not.  But it's what I wanted.  So much so that I tracked it down after my order was cancelled by three different places for lack of inventory.  My MIL had it recovered for me and the arm slips were made from the extra fabric.  We also scotch guarded it a zillion times. I decided to forgo an ottoman this time and grabbed a pouf from Target.  The lamp is also from Target {thanks to my Mama!}.  The garden stool was a last minute purchase so we have a spot to set a drink or a bottle.

I may have mentioned before but aside from the chair we had no nursery furniture.  All of what we used for Reese was borrowed --and then returned-- many years ago.  For a changing table this go round I knew I wanted something more furniture like.  We lucked out finding this piece at a consignment store in Auburn.  The mirror was living in the hall closet and the plates were a Pottery barn find.  They have the sweetest bunnies on them, but are super simple and don't scream baby.

This tray corrals some diapering gear.  I saw the dog on One King's Lane and knew it had to be mine.  Reminds me so much of Raleigh.  There are diapers in the top drawers of the dresser along with nail clippers and all those other fun things that babies need. In the top photo you can see the changing pad peaking out.  I love the star print Aden and Anais cover.

The crib came from Amazon {thanks again Mama} and currently has no sheet on it.  But we have one!  It's white. Just waiting on Lofton to bring a piece of plywood home for under the mattress before I make the bed.  The bumper is from restoration hardware {which probably explains why 13 catalogs weighing a total of 17 pounds were delivered to my house by UPS yesterday}.  Lofton and I made the skirt from fabric I ordered.  Don't get him started on the amount of fabric samples I went through.  He says we could make a quilt.  All the extra diapers we were gifted at my school baby shower hide perfectly under the crib. 

You've seen the bookshelves before.  Lofton made them to cover the fireplace.  Yes, there's a fireplace back there. The bookshelves are kind of amazing.  He made a pair for our old house and leaving them was sad.  I'm so glad to have something similar here.  They aren't super full right now.  Some books {most shared by big brother}, a few toys, a rabbit from Peter's Pottery {i collect it}, and two baskets.  The baskets hold blankets, swaddles {that I don't know how to use}, and extra crib sheets/changing pad covers.  We left a right shelf empty to hold the monitor parts and maybe a humidifier.  

So that's it.  A nursery complete. Sans the baby who will be here sometime in the next 35 days!

Just to keep it real, Reese's room currently looks like this:

The painters came yesterday and I'm not tackling rearranging furniture solo.  Project get Reese's room and the dining room {which looks similar to this} done are on the agenda for this weekend.

maternity leave

Yesterday was day one of my maternity leave.  Day one came about two weeks sooner than I planned, but then again, I've learned a lot on the last year about "my plans.'

This baby has not made pregnancy easy on me.  The sickness was quickly replaced by sharp pains that ran through my pelvis down my left leg and braxton hicks contractions.  At first, the doctor said the leg pains were from my ligaments stretching-- they aren't as strong due to this being my second pregnancy.  I carried Reese to almost 40 weeks and he weighed eight pounds ten ounces.  Not a giant baby for most people, but I'm really short and fairly small framed.

I did all the things he told me to do.  Tons and tons of water to help the contractions, resting more when I was home and trying to put my feet up at school to help the pain.  The bigger the baby got, though, the more my pain increased.  The last month has been awful.  It hurts to walk, to roll over in the bed, to step in the car or shower-- all the necessary parts of my day.  Stress at work has also ramped up with it being testing time and the end of the year.

All that to say, I had a not so ideal doctor's appointment about two weeks ago.  Picture lots of tears after a day spent prepping my kids for state testing in a room with no air conditioning.  As I laid on the table my sweet doctor patted my arm and we talked EXTENSIVELY about priorities-- what comes first right now and what SHOULD come first.  He sent me home with a prescription for some pain medicine he knew I wouldn't take and instructions to talk to Lofton about what we want the next month or so to look like.  I would go back in a week for an ultrasound and appointment.

The answer for Lofton was easy.  He wanted me home, resting during the day and crying less at night :)  We both want me to be able to enjoy this fleeting time with Reese as our only child.  Leaving my school kiddos early was not something I had planned on, though.  I'm tougher than I look and I felt certain I could make it.

Flash forward to last Wednesday.  Lofton met me at the doctor for my scan and appointment.  The good news is that the baby sounded much better than he had the week before.  He's really big.  Measuring three weeks ahead in almost all areas except his head.  His head measures four weeks ahead.  Ultrasound weight estimates are just that-- estimates-- but they estimate him to weigh almost six pounds.  And I have five weeks left :)  We met with my doctor after the scan and he talked about a few things.  The first being the need for the baby to grow a lot more despite his giant size.  We are going to have to have another ultrasound, maybe two, to keep an eye on him.  He's crowded and they want to make sure he isn't too crowded, or running out of fluid, or getting tangled in the cord.  The second being that because of his location and size he is putting a lot of pressure on my left pelvic joint, possibly causing it to become disjointed.  He referred me for physical therapy and signed me out of work, starting immediately.  He wants me off my feet more than I'm on.

I was impressed by how well I took the news.  I was glad to have had a week to prepare myself for what I knew was probably inevitable.  Lofton begrudgingly allowed me to work Thursday and Friday so I could get plans in place and say goodbye to my kiddos.  It is certainly bittersweet, but made a little easier by knowing it's the end of the year anyway.  It's only two weeks early.

And so I'm at home.  Yesterday I watched a ridiculous amount of television and surfed the internet.  Rest is boring, but productive I presume.  I was so happy to see the clock turn 3:30 so I could go pick up my favorite kid!  

this season

Home with a sick kiddo today-- the pollen finally got to him.  Love Spring, hate pollen! Luckily, after four years of breathing treatments we pretty much rock it.  A comfy seat, holding Mama's hand, with the television on full blast.  I just wish he didn't feel so yuck.  We have a doctor's appointment this afternoon to see if we need oral steroids in addition to the albuterol. Ugh.

Our allergist won't give him an inhaler or do specific allergy testing {he had a small panel which basically showed his allergies are outdoor related} until he's six.  An inhaler would make breathing treatments at school MUCH simpler, but for now I'm going to enjoy this day at home.

I overheard Lofton tell someone he was on the phone with that nesting should be a legit diagnosis.  What can I say, I love a to-do list. Lofton and I have, though, been soaking up this time.  Slowing down and trying to enjoy these last few months.  Sometimes we look at each other like, "Oh snap, are we really about to have another baby?!?"

So with that I'm back to resting with my favorite kiddo. If you can call rest watching four episodes of The Power Rangers back to back.

various things

We are officially a few days away from the third trimester.  Twenty seven weeks has snuck up on me.  Not because this pregnancy is super easy and flying by, alas it's not, merely because life is just full.

I passed my glucose screen yesterday {by the skin of my teeth} and Dr. Alverson said he'd start seeing me every two weeks from now on.  I laughed --a little-- because he's basically been seeing me every two weeks since 20 weeks anyway due to these silly Braxton Hicks.

Reese went with me to my appointment yesterday and he was pretty much a dream.  It was the last day of our Spring Break so we rewarded ourselves with prizes when we were done.  Spring Break has been especially bittersweet this year.  I think it's knowing that this is my last real break with Reese before the babe arrives. In theory I should have three weeks at home between the last day of school and the baby's arrival, but I'm certain 37 week pregnant me is going to be a mess.  100% certain.

At the beginning of the week we took our favorite five year old on a mini vacation to ATL.  There is nothing Reese loves more than staying in a hotel.  Seriously.  There's a Fairfield Inn less than five minutes from our house that he asks to spend the night in at least once a week.  I found a room at the Omni for a steal a few months ago, and other than that we didn't really have a plan for Sunday/Monday.  We wanted to go to Ikea and I really wanted to avoid the aquarium, but otherwise we let Reese take the lead on what he wanted to do.

We started with lunch at the Varsity on Sunday and then headed to the ATL Children's Museum.  To be completely honest, the museum wasn't our favorite.  Reese and I experienced the McWane Center in Birmingham with Cassie and Penel this summer and comparatively this was a letdown.

It wasn't very expensive {I think  $11 per person} so the fact that we were only there an hour or so wasn't that big of a deal.  We headed to our hotel next.  The Omni is directly across the street from Centennial Park and connected to the CNN center-- a prime location.

This pretty much sums up my hotel loving baby.  He ate a snack and rested from that position {and later returned to that chair to watch the lights come on in the city- priceless} before we headed to Centennial Park to walk around.  There had been a marathon earlier in the day so the park was mostly clear of homeless people, a rarity in ATL.

Monday morning Lofton went down to the CNN center to grab coffee, yogurt, and Chick Fil A -- i.e, the breakfast of champions for our crew.  We got dressed, checked out, and hit Ikea right when it opened.  I, impressively, had a list and even more impressively pretty much stuck to it.  We got a bookcase for the babe's closet, a few curtain panels for our back bedroom, new duvet covers for a "big boy room" upgrade, and a couple other odds and ends {umm, $2 wine glasses?  I'll take six more, please}.  Then we zipped over to the zoo.

Reese has a love/hate relationship with the zoo.  As in he loves it "in theory" but when he gets there he's kind of "meh" about it.  Such was the case again.

There were some high points-- seeing the baby pandas and baby lions.  But also some lows "Mama, why does it always have to smell like.... the zoo?!?" Luckily Lofton and I were fully aware of this pre-trip.  We went in knowing our tour would be quick.  The Beasley's can see an entire zoo in an hour and a half-- tops.

Before getting back on the road, we hit one more place-- Flip Burger.  It was yummy and Reese's krispy kreme milkshake was amazing.  And it was at this point that I started to get a little sad our trip was over.  Lofton felt the same.  Lots of changes on the horizon for these musketeers!

The rest of Spring Break passed with cold weather, rain, and chores-- and on our one clear day a picnic! Monday we are back to the grind.  Nine more Monday's to go until summer....

nursery plans

The boys are at small group tonight {and I'm stuck at home with my "germs" as Reese kindly told me} so I thought we'd do a little nursery update.

Reese's nursery was bright.  Very bright-- with lime green walls, traditional crib bedding from Pottery Barn, and a green chenille rocker.  At the time it was just what I wanted.  My tastes have evolved a bit in six years, though, so we're moving in a less baby more classic direction.

The first step in creating the nursery, however, involved creating a room.  Our house is a very long ranch style with 3 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms.  Plenty of space for us and we easily could have used one of the existing bedrooms for the babe.  For various reasons, including we like having a room with a bathroom for my parents AND the room's location at the very end of the house, we opted for a different plan.

For the three years we've lived here we have brainstormed how to better utilize the long space at the front of our house.  In 1958 it was used as a formal living room and dining room.  There was an addition to our house in 2005, though, that added a giant family room {open to the kitchen} and a huge master bedroom.  We used the front space as a dining room, alternating our table from one side of the room to the other.  It just never felt right.  And we'd eat dinner at night and talk about what we could do to change it.

One night, before the babe was a blink, Lofton jumped up with an idea to divide the space into a bedroom and reconfigure the other side into a dining room/foyer.  The plan for the dining room/foyer is currently on hold, but the bedroom idea has worked out perfectly.  The only obstacle was the fireplace which you can see in the photo above.

That took some pondering, as well, but I couldn't be happier {or more impressed} with Lofton's plan.  Bookshelves.

Really fantastic bookshelves. He built those! The detail is seriously amazing.

And while he's been constructing, I've been doing what I do best-- planning.  I've picked out a wall color, fabrics, and some accessories.  The wall color was a struggle.  Originally I wanted a light, blue gray {SW quietude, the color of our dining room}.  We painted some on the wall and I was kind of blah about it.  Then we tried lighter shades which I just hated.  So on a whim I had Lofton pick up some darker test pots and just like that we had a winner.

Benjamin Moore Black Pepper.  I love dark paint in a bedroom.  Our bedroom is really dark {Martha Stewart Plumage} and it's one of my favorite rooms in the house.  Plus, the nursery has so many light elements: the white bookshelves, a white crib, and an ivory upholstered chair.  I think that the dark will be balanced perfectly.

Lofton painted the first coat today and I'm smitten. I tried to snap a picture with my phone, but there is currently a teeny light source in the room.  Finding a replacement is on the to-do list.  As is crib bedding, art, a lamp, and all those other things babies really need like clothes and diapers.  At least we have a plan, right?