His forte...

It turns out that sleeping is Isaac's forte. Last night he ate at 10 pm, was asleep by 10:30, and then didn't wake up to eat again until 5:30 am! Here's hoping this new trend sticks.

September storms...

What do you do when the biggest storm of the year rolls through town? Serious puddle jumping, of course. 

His busy life...

I do believe that Little Brother has been fully indoctrinated into our normal life. This week he has experienced 2 soccer games, church, a gathering with friends, doctors offices, daddy's office, Grace's school, BSF, visits with friends, and just a little time at home to rest. No wonder this is what he does all day long.

Little brother {one week old}...

Isaac is one week old today. I think this has been one of the busiest, craziest, most stressful weeks ever... and very little of that has to do with having a new baby. We came home from the hospital last Friday and hit the ground running - Saturday was soccer, Sunday was church and a school BBQ, Monday was back to school for Grace (aka early mornings, rushing out the door, lots of time in the car, etc), Tuesday was grocery shopping, paper signing and a quick visit with his doctor. We've had very few visitors, but that is mostly because we aren't home to see people. This boy has been super. So far he is flexible and easy going. He can sleep just about anywhere - car seat, swing, the floor. He eats when I feed him. He isn't too fussy (unless he has a bubble). 

This transition to three has been a little harder than I anticipated. I think it is mostly due to the fact that there are no such things as "lay around the house in your pj's days." We are up and out of the house every single morning of the week. (Monday through Friday for school, Saturday for soccer at 9 am and Sunday for church at 8:30 am). Don't get me wrong, we are doing okay, we are just a lot more tired than I think any of us expected to be. 

There isn't much to record at this age, but a few things I'd like to keep track of...

• Isaac is on a pretty regular schedule. He eats every three hours during the day with one bonus feeding right before bed. For the last three nights he has given me a six hour stretch between meals (yeah!). 
• He is still really sleepy all of the time, but is starting to wake up more and stay awake after eating. 
• He loves snuggling, but he doesn't "need" to be held. We can put him down in the swing, bassinet  or on a blanket and he will happily lay where we leave him.
• He really likes to suck -  he is a good eater, he likes his fingers and he loves his binky. 
• After losing a little weight in the hospital (totally normal), we went in to his doctor for a few weight checks. Thankfully he is right on track and seems to be gaining just about an ounce each day. He isn't back up to his birth weight, but the doctor is happy with his steady growth. He was 7 pounds, 7 ounces today. 

I know it goes without saying, but we are loving this little guy so much (Claire maybe TOO much). But really, can you blame us? 

Quick pics...

I've been taking pictures of Isaac, but uploading, writing, and posting seems to be a lot of effort. So, today I'll leave you with just a few pics we've captured with our phones... Enjoy.

Our little man...

Isaac James Brownlee
September 19, 2013 at 1:06 am
7 pounds, 15 ounces
19 1/2 inches long

It's a...

BOY! On September 19, at 1:06 am this sweet guy joined our family. Arriving unexpectedly three weeks early he weighed 7 pounds, 15 ounces and was 19.5 inches long. We are still deciding on a name, but are loving every minute with this sweet boy. He is calm, quiet and very alert. He loves to eat and sleep and is a really big fan of his sisters. He is the perfect addition to or family, and we can't wait to take him home later today.

An update...

My current stats on 9/10
Gestational age: 36 weeks, 1 day
Weight: 38 pounds
BP: 110/64
Fetal heart rate: 140's to 150's
Measuring: 39+ weeks
Fetal movement: Yep... still the same. 
Cervix: 1 cm dilated

Oh, what to write. I'm still gaining weight. Baby is still big. I'm still having contractions - though some that actually have been "hurting" now. Everything is totally normal and usual. I refuse to complain about the aches and pains of this part of pregnancy because, well, that just annoys me. I will now see my midwife once a week until baby comes. That, with the other doctors I have to see (endocrinologist, OBGYN, eye doctor, etc) means that in the next 25 days until my due date, I have 9 appointments scheduled. Good thing Claire is such a trooper. 

Maybe it is the heat, maybe just general exhaustion, but I'm not really in the mood to write. I have another appointment next week so I'm sure there will be another update soon. 

First of first...

Today was Grace's first day of first grade! She was nothing but smiles from the moment she woke up.

We all got out of the car for drop-off. We didn't need to, but it did allow us to snap a few pictures of our happy girl, visit with friends we haven't seen all summer, and spend a few extra minutes with Grace before she happily took off in to the building.

 

 

I don't know how long this whole sign making business will last (it will get trickier once Claire is in school too), but it is fun to have comparison pictures year after year. Sometimes it seems that not much has changed in the course of a year, but then you look at these pictures and can see how much bigger she is and older she looks.  

 

We are excited for this school year... and we can already tell it is going to be great. Grace was a little apprehensive about being a full-day student, but today when I picked her up she bounded in to the car (still all smiles) and said, "That felt just like half day!" I'm going to miss her (seven hours is a long time for her to be gone every day), but I know without a doubt that she is in the right place and is going to have a fantastic year.