What Paul's been up to

At Paul's two year appointment today, he was 27 lbs. and 35 inches tall. This is almost exactly the same as Stephen was. Stephen was 3/4" taller at his 2 year appointment. Paul is a very busy little boy. Here's a bit of what he's been up to...

Putting his bib on his head

Feeding the baby a hot dog (this was just hours before Theresa was born)

Riding bikes outside

Having a picnic with Stephen

Building with Duplos - he's getting pretty good at this.

1 month old

Theresa is 1 month old! She has been such a blessing. I love watching her brothers shower love on her. She's a good little sleeper, waking up every 2-3 hours. I love watching her look around when she's awake. She's definitely not a fan of tummy time but we keep trying. She's pretty laid back but she lets us know when she needs attention with her loud cry. We look forward to watching her grow!

Theresa Rose - 1 month old

Let me see how your ear tastes. 

Theresa's first three weeks

Theresa is a good baby. She only cries when she needs attention for some reason. We're adjusting to life with another little one around. She has been a busy little girl...

The boys had fun helping with her first bath on May 10.

Fluffy after-bath hair

Saying her prayers

Deep in thought

First trip to the park - May 11

Playing the guitar

Theresa and her brothers

 Theresa is very loved by her big brothers. Stephen is always eager to hold her and likes helping her when she's crying. He puts his hands on her, and she'll usually stop crying. I can tell that she recognizes Stephen's voice because she always looks at him when he's near her. Stephen likes being my helper when I'm changing her diaper. The cutest thing is when he holds her hand in the car.

Paul likes sticking her pacifier in her mouth. He insists on calling her "Rose." He's not as interested in holding her, but he does like knowing where she is. We're working on gentle touches. His favorite is rubbing her head. I know he will be a great big brother.

2 years old!

Happy 2nd birthday, Paul! He is such a happy little boy and brings joy to everyone around him. We had a train party the day before his birthday. He always gets very excited when a "choo-choo" goes by on the tracks behind our house or when we see a train anywhere. Here are some things I want to remember about Paul as a 2-year-old.

*Paul LOVES his big brother and little sister. He can usually be found doing whatever Stephen is doing. As much as he likes playing with him, Paul is also very good at pushing Stephen's buttons. He will take toys away, push or bite him, or even tackle him if he is upset. Paul calls Theresa "Rose" and just points at Stephen.

*He enjoys looking at pictures of his family members and will point and name everyone.

*His imagination is really developing. He has fun pretending to play basketball and baseball. He will also pretend to be a puppy or a tiger.

*Paul is a big fan of reading books, by himself or with mommy or daddy. His favorites include any books about trucks, "Slam Dunk," and animal books.

*He has a stuffed tiger that always goes to bed with him. He holds onto it by the tag around its neck. Paul is also still attached to his pacifier. He asks for it by pointing his finger in his mouth.

*His vocabulary is building everyday. I can usually understand what he is talking about. His favorite word is definitely "why."

*Stephen and Paul both like to be "Father." They are frequently seen holding books up and walking around like a priest does at Mass. Paul likes pointing out crosses and Jesus. He has started repeating random words he hears during Mass. This morning he heard the priest mention St. Paul. Paul looked at me and said, "Paul!"

"Paul loves playing outside. He likes riding bikes, playing baseball, and digging in the dirt.

We love you, Paul!

"Happy birthday, dear Paul!"

Blowing out his candles

Yay for grandparents!

I'm so grateful for my parents. They came the day after Theresa was born and stayed for a week. Stephen and Paul loved having them here. I did too! They were a huge help as we began our adjustments to a family of 5.

Napping with Grandpa

Playing baseball

Stephen takes his turn as catcher.

Our best effort at a picture with all 3 kids

It's a girl!

After having two babies during the 37th week of pregnancy, I was definitely anticipating another early birth. I started having what I thought might be contractions on the morning of Monday, April 28, so I started keeping track of them. By lunchtime, they were about 4-6 minutes apart. After I got the boys down for their naps, I called the doctor's office. The nurse said I should head to the hospital so they could check things out. Unfortunately, Dr. W was out that day. I called Steve and Grandma Rose. Then I finished packing and cleaned up around the house a bit. Steve got home around 2:00 and Grandma Rose got here around 2:30. We arrived at the hospital at about 3:00 and got checked in. Finally, after all the usual pre-delivery questions and checks, at 5:00 Dr. L said we would be having a baby that evening. I walked into the operating room at 5:20. Steve had the privilege of standing up and announcing, "It's a girl!" Theresa Rose was born at 5:51 pm. I got to see her before she was cleaned up.

Our first look at our baby girl

Steve went over with her to watch her get cleaned up and weighed. He also got to finish cutting the umbilical cord. Then he brought her over to me before heading to the recovery room.

Daddy cuts the umbilical cord.

I joined them at 6:27 pm. After getting situated, I was able to nurse her right away, and she ate like a champ. We started making our phone calls to announce her birth. Steve headed out to pick up the boys and Grandma Rose. I was wheeled to my room around 8:00 and the boys got there shortly after that. Stephen and Paul were both a little confused by Mommy being in bed and weren't too sure what to think of their baby sister.

Grandma and Grandpa G arrived Tuesday afternoon and were very eager to meet their new granddaughter.

Steve brought the boys over after naptime. They were much more excited to see their little sister.

We also did FaceTime with Megan and her kids. They were very excited to see their new cousin. I used some of the down time in the hospital to take some pictures.

We were able to leave Wednesday afternoon. Theresa wasn't overly thrilled about her car seat. We are ready to begin our transition to a family of 5.