1 Month, 27 Months and Back Together Again

One month with our sweet Cope. At 1 month old, Cope has brought into our lives- extreme happiness, full hearts, more love than we ever thought possible, sleepless nights, sweet baby sounds, sweet baby smells, precious baby feet, thankfulness for our son, a deeper love for each other and Simms, a few tears, teamwork, lots of diapers, special times between a mother and a son during those late night feedings, gratefulness that we were chosen to do this again!

At 27 months, Simms has brought us- pure joy, more love than we've ever imagined, lots of laughs, tons of tea parties, a few tears, late nights waiting for this little girl to go to sleep, a new appreciation and thankfulness for the daughter she is becoming- even when she is frustrating us, happiness as we watch her being a sister to her brother, gratefulness for the 27 months she has been in our lives.

We are all together again! Dru has been in Houston for work, Simms went to McShan with Gigi to stay at Becca's for a few nights, and Cope and I were home. I was very nervous when Dru first told me he would be gone for 4 nights. How was I going to manage without him? But thanks to Mrs. Lil and my mom, I had plenty of help! I am so glad Dru is back. I am happiest when our family of 4 is all together under one roof-preferably our roof!

Sorry for the quality of the pictures. Sissy took her camera back home (darn). For good reason though- Mary Margaret Kirk is scheduled to arrive Tuesday morning! We can't wait!

Simms' First Haircut

Simms got her first haircut Thursday and loved every minute of it! We only had about 2 inches cut off, since this haircut was just to appease her daddy. Of course I saved her curls, but thank goodness she still has some! She is so proud of her haircut! She loved showing it off to all of Dru's family in Auburn last night. And of course I couldn't post without a couple of pictures of our sweet little boy. By the way, there was no change in his kidney, so it looks like we will be going to Atlanta to see the pediatric urologist. There is a praise though, it hasn't gotten any worse!







And now some of Cope this morning on Simms' bed:

3 Weeks Old

Cope is 3 weeks old today! It doesn't seem like it was 3 weeks ago that I was awaiting my c-section to meet our sweet little boy. But 3 weeks it has been! We are finally in a routine, which I am so thankful for. I need a routine/schedule in my life! Those first few days with a newborn are rough, especially with a 2 year old running around. But we are now enjoying our days together (and Cope and I are enjoying our nights).

Yes, he is waking up lots now. We don't know where our good sleeper went. We will be trying something new tonight, because we need our 3-4 hour stretches he was giving us. We love him so much, and are so thankful he is a part of this family. He is such a sweet baby, and so pleasant to be around. If you think about it, say a prayer for him today.

When I was around 31 weeks pregnant with him, he was diagnosed via ultrasound with Pyelectisis/Hydronephrosis(bilateral-both kidneys). That changed the whole course of my pregnancy, and I began seeing a Perinatologist 2 times a week for non-stress tests for Cope to be monitored. I was also told of the risks Cope faced since he had this condition, which scared me to death. I prayed for him to be born healthy more than I have ever prayed for anything in my life. And on Dec. 30, he was born healthy (except for this mild issue). I immediately thanked the Lord for this miracle. Cope had an ultrasound the day after he was born, and the right kidney was perfectly healthy, and the left only had mild pyelectisis.


So that brings us to today. Cope will have another ultrasound at 2:00 today to check on the left kidney. We pray it is healthy now too, but if it isn't, we will be sent to Atlanta to a pediatric urologist, where more than likely, Cope will be put on medicine for a year to prevent UTIs. So please say a prayer for him.


Simms is doing so much better. The fits are becoming less and less, thank goodness! She is enjoying school 2 mornings a week too! I still love my time with just her, and try to soak in as much as I can. I just love her so, so much! Here are some pictures from this morning. Do not worry, her first haircut is tomorrow. Pictures to come!

Sunday

We finally made it back to church today, and I was so glad! I've hated having to stay home while Dru and Simms went. We went for the first time as a family of four. Cope was so good! We took him into Sunday school with us wide awake so I held him until he fell asleep. We put him back in his car seat for church and he slept almost the whole time! I can't believe it either, because so many people came up to see him. Simms was very proud of her baby brother (but for some reason she says baby sister) when I took him into the nursery to change his diaper. I am very tired today, however. Cope gave me my first loooong night since he came home. We were up off and on from 1 until 6. Let's just say I will not be eating pizza again as long as I am nursing!

Dru told me we already had our girl, to take the bonnett off. But I didn't.

I did indulge him and take a picture without it though.

And what a help she is becoming! She loved playschool Friday by the way! She will be going on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from now on.

First Day

Well, I did it! Sent my sweet little girl to our church school this morning. Her sweet Daddy wanted to take her, so he came home from work, picked her up, walked her in, and helped me avoid tears! I have been praying for her all morning (and night too) that she will absolutely love it, and that this will be just what she needs! It feels so weird not having her in the house right now. I can't wait to go and pick her up. She will be going 2 days a week, from 9-1, but today I think I'll pick her up early. Dru said she did well when he walked her in. Of course, when he was walking away, she started saying, "Daddy, Daddy." I think this is just what we need though, and that way sweet Cope will get some one on one time too. Speaking of one on one time, Dru and I are taking Simms to Chuckee Cheese tomorrow. My mom is going to keep Cope, and Simms will have us all to herself! Here are some pictures of Simms this morning. She still doesn't love the camera. And a quick update from Cope's 2 week checkup- his weight was 7lbs. 9oz, so even though he isn't back up to his birth weight, he has put on 9oz since his last appointment. He was 20.5in long. Poor baby has thrush, so we got some medicine to treat that, and other than that, his doctor said he is a perfect baby!




Still waking up.

Getting annoyed with me.

Looks like Cope is going to be really fond of the camera too. Ha!

Same exact positions!

Cope fell asleep in the sling while I was vaccuming, and stayed asleep when I took the sling off!

2 Weeks Old

Cope is 2 weeks old today! I can't believe it's been 2 weeks. He is such a good baby. Very laid back, quite unless he is getting changed, dressed or bathed. He nurses great, and drinks his supplement very well. He is starting to wake up more, and I love seeing those big eyes open! And I have to say I probably would be struggling if I didn't have a sling. It has been a lifesaver, and he relaxes immediatley after he gets in. This was our first week with no help. First week with me at home by myself with 2. How has it been you are probably wondering? It's been an adjustment, that's for sure. My sweet Simms is having a hard time adjusting. This has made things tough for me, because I hate seeing her like this. She has shown us a personality we've never seen before, and we are hoping is only temporary. She is so sweet to Cope, it is us that she seems to be bothered by. She is going to start our church school 2 mornings a week, from 9-1 next week. I really think she needs something to do, and some other children to play with, and she hates being stuck in the house, which we've been alot! Just say a prayer for her, that things get easier. That's all I know to do about it!

Here are some pictures of Cope from this week. He really enjoys Simms' old pink Boppy seat!



And our sweet girl: