Well, week 5 has passed and the thought of returning to work is terrifying. I am going back to work the week of Saint Patty’s day and cannot tell you how much I am not looking forward to this. Peyton is growing so fast. He is out of newborn diapers and almost out of newborn sized clothes. It took Paigie until 12 weeks to manage that feat. He really is much longer than she was and seems to be gaining weight rapidly as well. I have a feeling he is going to be tall like I am. He seems to take after me in so many ways. He has olive skin, medium brown hair and a lot of features similar to mine. He spends much more time awake like he is supposed to. He smiles so pretty and makes cute cooing noises to test his vocal cords. He likes the lights of the monitors of the computer and likes to be sung to. He also likes to be swaddled. Paigie wanted nothing to do with swaddling. I decided one fussy night after talking with Angela, another new mom and friend from work, to swaddle him. He loved it! Out like a light. So content he slept for several hours in the swing. Mommy has been experimenting in the kitchen while post partum. I have come up with a few more simple meals to make Monday through Friday for the family.

On the contractor front, we are waiting for our septic permit to have a new tank put in and work on replacing the retaining wall has begun. The old retaining wall was apparently a habitat to snakes and palmetto bugs. As the men were working the roaches were crawling everywhere and they killed three snakes! Paige was very interested in their work. Peyton didn’t seem to care one way or another.

Paigie was registered for her new preschool. We decided she needs more attention during the day to ABC’s and 123′s. Mommy cannot do it all; mommy is lucky to get most stuff done. I am hoping she likes her new school. It is bilingual just like her current daycare and hopefully she will continue to be bilingual. The facility is very clean and the children seem pretty happy. Only time will tell.

Daddy is actually going back from paternity leave after I go back form maternity leave….explain that one! He scheduled classes and clinical on his shift days so he won’t go back to work until March 21st. I think he has enjoyed not having to go to work too. He has been busy with classes and clinical on his paternity leave.

Peyton continues to be a great baby. He is having similar problems like Paige did with gas causing discomfort. This can be trying for baby and mommy to say the least. Even though it doesn’t seem like he is growing, the change in the way his diapers and clothes fit tell a different story. Glad to report no major drama this week. Nobody hit us with a car, no major contractor issues to deal with, overall a boring week. Mommy did have to deal with the pest control people this week. The first tenant we had last year left us a gift that keeps giving….fleas. We thought we had fixed the problem by replacing the carpet several months ago. To treat for fleas, I had to get everything off the floor (as much as possible) and then wipe everything down and put everything back. Then we had to disappear for the day with the dog while everything dried. Paige has been trying to drop her afternoon nap…mommy is discouraging this. I have been working on getting the announcements labeled because they should be ready any day now. Well, I don’t have anything else to blog about for now…drop a blog in less than a week!

Well, another week has flown by…I’ll have to go back to work very soon. Peyton is spending more time awake everyday and seems to be developing a personality as he spends more awake time with us. Paige has blossomed as a big sister. She wants to hold the baby frequently and loves to kiss the baby and hug the baby. We continue to work on consistent disciple so she can be a good girl. Peyton had his two week check up on Friday. He was 8 lbs 2oz and 20.75inches long. He seems to be doing very well overall. I had some concerns with his latch that the doctor was able to help me understand and we have been feeding better than before.

So far he seems to be more me than Chris. He has and olive skin tone and brown hair (my roots basically). It’s amazing how much pigment he has! To see Paige and Peyton side by side they are very different. The house has calmed down overall. Little projects remain for Mommy and other contractors. The biggest project is the retaining wall out back needs to be rebuilt. Otherwise simple things remain for Mommy to do at nap times. Time is moving so fast… Mommy misses her cuddle time with daddy. Nothing like a new baby to interrupt the sleeping arrangement.

I have come up with many additional nicknames for Peyton. Mr. Man, Mr. Peyton and of course he still has daddy’s nickname bubby. We have started showering Peyton. He seems to enjoy the warm water on his head. He has fallen asleep at least twice in the shower (sounds like his Daddy).

Talk to you next week.

Well…it has been a busy first week. Christopher Peyton is doing well. He is gaining weight like he is supposed to and just an overall joy. Chris is an excellent father. He loves having his ‘bubby’ and holds him frequently. Even with school keeping him busy, he makes lots of time to bond with Peyton.

Peyton had his first bath last night. He did not enjoy it at all. Near the end he decided to show us how to make a urine fountain. We were all impressed. He is the typical happy healthy newborn. Eats often…really often. Loves to be held and the warmth of other people. As you can see from his pictures he has lots of hair.

While Paige looks a lot like Chris, Peyton seems to have more Zachman in him. Brown hair, no dimples…but he definitely has daddy’s toes! He is already changing so much! His face has fattened up a bit and he doesn’t make the adorable noises he made at birth. He still has cute noises but they are different now.

Peyton has had many visitors. Both sets of grandparents have visited as well as many family friends.

Mommy is feeling better overall. Nothing like dropping 20 pounds in a week to improve your self esteem. I am very tearful as the excess hormones leave my body. Nana is here helping mommy with Paige, Peyton, and Chloe and making sure everybody gets fed. She makes me feel like a superstar. The house still has some contractors coming and going but that should get a lot better this week. The Ford Edge is in the shop now to have the bumper fixed from the car wreck. Mommy isn’t too sore any more, but the abdominal hernia hurts by the end of the day.

Paige has been attention seeking a bit since Peyton’s arrival but loves holding and kissing the baby. She even tried to help mommy by breast feeding Peyton. So sweet and observant!

Well, that’s about all the fun this week..I’ll keep you updated.

Sorry for the lack of updates, but things have been quite hectic for us. Last Tuesday Hope was involved in another auto accident.. #2 this pregnancy. After being transported to the hospital with neck and back pain, as well as having contractions, she had all sorts of tests run, and both she and Peyton were doing well. The only injury Hope seems to have gotten was an umbilical hernia. We finally got released from the hospital at about 10 PM.

Wednesday we were able to move, even after the events from the previous evening. The move went well enough. We are of course still trying to finish unpacking.. Since we moved we haven’t had a single day, except for the weekend in which we haven’t had contractors of some sort working on the house… As of this afternoon, we have all of the interior work done that we wanted to get done. We still have work to do on the outside.. The pool pump needs to be rebuilt, and we still need to get the retaining wall in the back yard fixed. Those will come in time though.

I’m sitting in class right now while Hope and Paige are at home trying to get as much work done as they can before Peyton is born. Hope has to be at the hospital at 8 PM tonight to begin the induction and I will join her as soon as I get out of class. Tomorrow is my parents anniversary, and from what I have heard Nana is going around telling everyone that she is getting a grandson for her anniversary. Paige gets to spend the next couple of nights with Nana and Grandpa while Mommy, Daddy, and Peyton are all in the hospital.

Today is Paige’s Aunt Sarah’s birthday. Happy birthday Aunt Sarah!

Packing has begun, and we are actually about half way done with it. We are hoping to be out of the house by the end of next week. The closing for the house is currently scheduled for the 22nd.

 Paige seems to be doing well with the move so far, she thinks that packing is a game, but can be helpfull at times.

All is going well with the pregnancy. We have another OB appointment tomorrow. Less than two weeks until Peyton will be around.

Mommy and Daddy decided on Saturday that Mommy needed a new truck since she was still having so many problems with her F-150 and the warranty was about to run out. So, Mommy, Daddy and Paige loaded up and drove down the road and got Mommy a 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid.

For weeks Paige had been talking about “Elmo Party.” Well, the day finally came, and Paige got her Elmo Party, full of an Elmo balloon, an Elmo cake, and Elmo presents. What more could a two year old ask for? The Elmo party went off without a hitch. Paige loved it. I added pictures to the gallery of the Elmo Party.

Well, this last two weeks have been very busy around our house.

Paige was diagnosed with pnemonia two weeks ago, however last Monday, Dec. 3, she had an allergic reaction to the antibiotic that she was given. We ended up spending the night at Arnold Palmer Hospital in the ER. Tuesday, Hope’s truck broke again. The truck would not turn off, again. Even with the key out of the ignition, you could still put the truck in reverse and start driving. One problem though, the steering wheel was locked because the key was out of the ignition. Hope took the truck to the dealership, and got yet another rental car.

The tenant at the rental house decided that December would be a good month to not pay rent since they somehow had a $600 water bill and a $580 power bill. The water last month was $37, and there are no leaks in the system. They seem to think that this is my problem. So, on Monday we decided to begin the eviction process with them. They have one month to be out of th house. This Wednesday, Dec. 12 we went for an OB appointment. Our appointment was at 9am. At almost 10am, the Doctor had just gotten to the office and started seeing patients, we were the third in line. We had to leave because Hope had to go to work. As of today, we have 39 days until Peyton is expected.

While all of this was going on, I was studying for my final exams for the first semester of Paramedic school, as well as A&P.

Last night we went to get family pictures done, and we should have them before Christmas, so I will try to post them on the website as soon as possible.

Today is Paige’s 2nd Birthday Party. It is “Elmo Party” as she refers to it, complete with an Elmo cake.

Daddy had to call out from work today to stay home with Miss Paige. Paige hasn’t been feeling well for a few days, and she started spiking a fever of greater than 103 degrees so we decided it was time to take Paige to see the Doctor. Paige ended up getting two X-Rays, and we found out that she has pneumonia. The nice Doctor gave her some medicine that will hopefully get her back up and running in no time.

While at the Doctor’s office, we found out that Paige weighs 28 pounds..