Easter Weekend

My parents got to come meet Grant over Easter weekend! Dan was also supposed to come, but came down with the flu and had to cancel his trip at the last minute. We definitely missed him and Carly! My Dad went back to Ohio today, and my mom is spending the rest of the week with us. Here are some pictures from our weekend.

Having fun dying Easter eggs (or "eggies" as Nolan calls them).

Nolan checking out his Easter basket.

Grant's first Easter!

Due to a fussy toddler, we failed pretty miserably at getting a family picture. This is the best we got for now!

Brotherly love.

Happy grandparents with their newest grandson.

Nolan and his Pap.

Go Duke!

Here's Nolan cheering on Duke to the Final Four. He knows the right team, but is apparently confused about which sport we're watching!

Grant's appointment went well today! He's 7 lbs 13oz, which means he's gained 4 ounces since we left the hospital. The nurse said this was great, and we won't have to go in for a follow up weight check. She also said we have no need to worry about him being jaundiced, which was good to hear! Here he is at one week old.

Easter Egg Hunt!

Yesterday I was feeling well enough that we were able to take the boys to their first Easter Egg Hunt! Grant slept the whole time, but Nolan enjoyed running around finding candy with his Daddy.

Tomorrow is Grant's first checkup at the doctor. We're worried that he's a little jaundiced, but he's eating, peeing, and pooping like a champ, so we'll see what they say.

Grant is Here!

Grant Daniel has arrived! On Monday, March 22, I went to see my doctor for my weekly checkup. When he did my exam he said the baby was very, very low and I was 5 cm dilated. He recommended that I go straight to the hospital to have my water broken, in order to avoid a mad rush later. So, I headed to the hospital and called Mike to meet me there. By the time he got Nolan to our friends' house and got to the hospital, I was getting my epidural and some pitocin to start contractions. The doctor broke my water around 1pm, and then we waited for things to get going. At 5pm, the doctor came to check my progress, and Grant's head was right there! I pushed through 2 contractions (less than 5 minutes), and he was born at 5:24, weighing in at 8lbs. 1oz, and 20.75 inches. We feel so blessed to have had not one, but two very easy labor and delivery experiences resulting in perfect, healthy, beautiful little boys!

While we were in the hospital with Grant, our friends Nicole and Clint took great care of Nolan. He had so much fun with them and their son Walker, and we are extremely thankful for their help!! Nolan met Grant yesterday, and he seems to like him so far. He's trying to give him lots of hugs, and enjoys pointing out his eyes, hair, and nose. It's clearly a little difficult for him at times when he doesn't have all of our attention like he used to, but that's to be expected. Now our goal is to get into some sort of routine before Mike has to start traveling again!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Nolan turned 22 months old on Monday, and I'm 38 weeks pregnant today! I was hoping Grant might be a St. Patrick's Day baby, but it didn't turn out to be our lucky day. Mike is officially done traveling for work until Grant gets here, so we all feel better knowing he'll be here for the birth. We're just taking it day by day now waiting for the little guy to make his entrance!

Day at the Zoo

We finally had a nice weekend here, so we took advantage of the weather and brought Nolan to the zoo. It was very possibly our last fun outing as a family of three! Nolan was way more excited about seeing the animals this year, but it was a good thing Mike was there because there was no way I could keep up with him on my own. His favorite part was definitely the petting zoo!

Don't Bide Your Time

My parents had their "make-up" visit this past weekend, since they were snowed out a couple weeks ago. I thought they might just wait until their visit in April, but they insisted they couldn't go that long without seeing Nolan! He was so excited to see them- it's nice he finally remembers them between visits. I definitely think that being able to webcam on Skype helps! We had a pretty uneventful weekend, but a nice visit anyway.

Sunday also marked the 4 year anniversary of my brother Jason's death, so it was extra nice to spend it with my parents. It's never an easy day for any of us. It's so hard to believe he's been gone 4 years, but at the same time it feels like he's been gone so long. One of Jason's tattoos that has always inspired me said "Don't Bide Your Time" (a line from a Blink 182 song). Going through my day to day life sometimes it's hard to remember to this, but I try to remind myself often to never take what I have for granted. Anything can happen at any time, and you or the people you love can be taken away in an instant. Two weeks before Jason passed away, Mike and I visited my parents from North Carolina. We had planned on driving out to Kent State to have dinner with Jason (45 minutes away), but decided not to go because it was snowing. I hate having regrets, but that is one decision I will regret forever. You never know when you might have that last opportunity to spend time with someone you love. I have no doubt this is why my parents came here this weekend, even though they'll be back in a few weeks. Jason, I know you're out there watching over our family and my little boys. You are loved and missed forever!

Portrait of Jason painted for me by my very talented cousin, Craig.

On a final note, I went to the doctor for my 36 week checkup yesterday. I'm 2 cm dilated, which apparently is pretty normal for a second pregnancy. He warned me that labor will go much quicker this time, which is a big fear of mine. I'm praying that Mike will be here, and we'll have time to get Nolan to a babysitter, and still get to the hospital with time for me to get an epidural!