Stomach Bug

Trust me, you don't want pictures to accomodate this post! This week the stomach bug got the best of all of us but Gabe (and we're not convinced that he didn't have it to a lesser degree). Luke fell victim Tuesday night and Matt was up multiple times with him. I am so grateful that he's willing to handle all of that yucky stuff. We thought maybe it was just drainage from his ear infection since no one else was sick. We had just begun thinking we were all in the clear when I was became ill Friday afternoon. Matt followed several hours later. Let me say that taking care of two healthy, energetic boys while both parents are ill is not a fun job. Luke actually ended up taking care of us and watching a lot of movies. Gabe, thankfully, cooperated and went to sleep pretty easily. He's making up for that today by being very loud. Luckily, we all recuperated within several hours so today we're back to normal - just a little tired. Luke bounced back much quicker than we did and was running around the house by Wednesday morning! Matt and I needed rest to fully recuperate.

Luke Turns 3

Luke officially turned 3 yesterday, but we celebrated Sunday with family at the lake. I'm not sure what his deal was, but he threw the worst tantrum of his life prior to the party (and slightly into the beginning of it)! I guess turning 3 was an emotional event for him. That was the worst tantrum we'd seen until after the party when Matt and I tried to take him for a boat ride. Those minor disturbances aside, he seemed to enjoy opening all of his presents and eating his slightly lopsided cake :) I make his cake each year, but this was not my best work...o well it tasted yummy. We've now taken almost every gift out of the box to try it out. He's loving all the new items! He spells some interesting words on his Fridge Words kit, constantly asks to play his new kid video game, builds marble towers, constructs new train tracks, loses his Buzz spaceship under the couch and makes us retrieve it, and takes his talking Buzz and Woody everywhere! He hasn't opened up the water guns yet because mommy's afraid of getting wet...I know he'll think of it soon...

Poo Explosion # ?? I Lost Track

I heard the first rumble and quickly moved Gabe off my lap just in time to see the diaper actually vibrate as it filled! Unfortunately, I moved him by lifting him straight up so the leakage burst through and landed on my lap in a puddle! I guess that's what I get for only dressing him in a onsie...

Parade Loot

Luke has been asking to see a parade for awhile now so he jumped at the chance to go with papaw to the 4-H parade while Sarah, mom and I went to Angie's bridal shower. I have NEVER been to a parade and come back with as much loot as Luke had! He was covered in stickers, had a green necklace, a keychain, and TONS of candy! Needless to say, he had a blast and will want to go to every parade possible!

A Very Long Night

So we've been spoiled and both boys have been sleeping through the night pretty well recently...until last night that is. Luke has an ear/sinus infection which prompted his 2 middle of the night wake ups. This was combined with what I can only assume is Gabe's growth spurt. This led to Gabe waking up at 2, 4, 5, and 6 am. I think I fed him at two of those wake-ups (though the details are a little blury). Of course none of their wake ups occured at the same same time, in fact, they alternated quite nicely with each waiting until I had just climbed back into bed before the next would start crying! I am really hoping that things will be back to normal tonight...

Train Ride

We took Luke on his first train ride on Saturday! After barely making it there on time, we enjoyed a ride through several small towns. Luke just liked watching out the window. The train traveled from Noblesville to Atlanta, IN. Why did it travel there? We are still asking that question. There was not much to see. We did buy some ice cream drumsticks from the people selling them on the sidewalk, but the cones were chewy. The train ride was a neat experience because Luke really likes trains. He even got to climb up in the engine.

We also visited a new park which may have been just as exciting for Luke. That part would have been much more enjoyable if it hadn't been 90 degrees outside!

Here Comes the...shhh Luke We Have to Be Quiet

We attended our first wedding with both kids a week ago for my friend Shayna. It was quite the experience. I think it was probably a good thing that my boys wound up missing most of the ceremony due to Gabe's explosive poo and the extensive clean-up that my husband had to perform in the car (no changing table in the church). Seeing Gabe leave right at the start made Luke remember that he needed to go too so they all left and didn't return until the end. Even so, there was still enough time for Luke to shout, "Mommy, I'm hungry!" and "What's that lady doing up there?"

Blowing bubbles at the bride was a hit with Luke - not getting to ride in the limo with the wedding party resulted in the major break down. The crying lasted halfway to the reception at which point the lace on the bubbles caught Luke's eye and he thought it was a pretty dress. This apparently dissolvled his bad mood and we were refocused on what was important - getting cake! Gabe just took everything in and made silly faces at the people around him. Luke started out shy, but warmed up enough to break loose on the dance floor. He dances like daddy ;)

The First 3 Months

Gabe will be three months old on Sunday. I can't believe how quickly the time is going by! He is such a different baby than he was even a month ago. He's discovered his voice and can use it to express his like or dislike of a situation. On one hand, he smiles sweetly and makes his babbling noises so you know he's happy. On the other hand, he screams VERY loudly to make it known that he needs something NOW! He is a huge fan of his swing and his playmat. The musical star on the playmat is just as big of a hit with Gabe as it was with Luke. He has recently discovered that he can kick the side and cause the music to start. His brother likes to "help" him learn how to roll. When he's not being helped, he does try hard to move from side to side, but has yet to turn all the way over. The next three months I am sure will reveal even more of his personality.

Preschool Friendship

I'm listening to Luke explain the mechanics of preschooler friendships. He and Lauryn aren't best friends anymore he tells me. I asked him why and he said because they "fighted." He then reenacted the arguement they had about going outside. Afterward he determined that he needs to get his best friend back and asked to have her over!

Poo Story

This happened several weeks ago but was such a stand out moment that I needed to include it in the blog.

Reach into carseat to pick up baby while at the mall...feel something wet. Go ahead and pick him up anyway. Hold him on my chest. Feel something gooey on my arm. Finally realize that the substance is poo! Call sis on cell phone for back up after wiping off hand. Mom, aunt, sister, and Luke arrive to assist only to inform me that the poo is also all over my cream colored shirt and my skirt! Further inspection leads us to discover poo in the carseat, all over baby, and soaking his blanket. Stomache ache relieved. Clean-up commences.

How to make two boys laugh at the same time.

Luke and Gabe were both swinging. I got Luke laughing by occasionally pushing his heels instead of his back while on his swing. He found this so hysterical that he fell off the swing a couple times. Gabe also enjoys swinging, but I got him laughing by making the swing wiggle a little bit while pushing (just push offcenter).

Gabe had his first round of vaccinations last week. He has since been very fussy, so we've been using pain meds on him. He has been sleeping through the night. That is, until last night, when we didn't give him pain meds... He woke up several times. Our theory is his stomach still can't handle the formula, so he often has a stomachache. He will develop out of this problem, but in the meantime we fear a lot of sleepless nights.

Luke's getting excited for his third birthday. He wants a violin. He got a harmonica as an early present, and he loves it. He's definitely into music. Luke's starting to be proficient in sports. He can toss a tennis ball up and hit it ten feet or so. He can react fast enough when I toss a ball to him to catch or hit it. Now if I could only teach him to swing himself...

What I Should Be Doing...

Dishes, laundry, sweeping, mopping, cleaning walls, planning dinner...

What I am doing - none of the above :) Better go get started!

Brothers

Luke came to the hospital the next day to meet his brother. He was soo sweet with him. The first thing he asked, however, was "Can we go to the lake now?" We had told him that we couldn't go to the lake unti after the baby was born...smart little guy :)

They Love the Lake

After spending a long weekend at the lake, we were reluctant to leave.

Gabe and Luke are right at home at the lake. Gabe could sit outside all day long and enjoy the breeze, water splashing, and boats humming by. He was calm when outside; he only cried when he was hungry.

Luke enjoyed it just as much. He would pass the time by walking out on the pier, sitting in a chair, walking back to the deck, sitting on the deck, repeat. He'd check out the jetski, the boat, the boats out on the water. He kept looking for turtles and fish. Then of course some of the time his cousin was there, so they kept themselves plenty busy.

Luke's finally getting over his fear of water. A few weeks ago, he was sure that going under the water was certain death. While not a bad instinct for him to have, it does get old to hear screams of fear everytime someone gets their hair wet.

Once we explained to him that swimmers aren't suicidal, Luke started to test his limits in the water. He got a few scares whenever he lost his balance, usually on a raft, and fell in over his head, but he was making a sincere effort at swimming by the end of the weekend. He's a lot more comfortable when he can touch bottom. No matter how many times I reassure him that his life vest will keep him floating, he still has a near heart attack if we let him go.

Melissa is getting close to solving the baby sleep puzzle again. Gabe's been sleeping long stretches at night, including a couple full nights over the weekend. She's narrowed the issue to milk vs formula. Now we have to try to find a way to get Gabe to eat some semblance of breast milk, but it's going to be tricky. He's very picky.

The lake trip was a roaring success all in all. It makes us seriously consider trying to get some lakefront property. Gabe and Luke aren't the only ones who could spend hours in the breeze.

Gabe's Birth

Everything about Gabe's birth was different from Luke's. To begin with he was 3 days early! Since I had been dilated to 3cm for several weeks, I was expecting him anytime. I even had MANY days with false labor contractions that would be consistent and last for hours, but never get strong enough. By the day came for actual labor, I was so tired of thinking I "might" be in labor, I took the contractions in stride and went out to dinner with friends. Up until this point, I had eaten very lightly when I was feeling contractions...just in case. I love food so this trend was just not going to work for me anymore. In hindsight, maybe I shouldn't have ordered fettuccine alfredo... After dinner and a walk, we had friends over to play games. At this point my contractions were still going and seemed stronger. Halfway through a game, I opted out and waddled my way upstairs to make sure I had everything packed that I needed. Since my water broke with Luke, I kept postponing the call to the doctor. Once I realized that the contractions were only 2 minutes apart, I thought I should go ahead and give the doctor a call. He told me to come in, but I could tell that he didn't believe I was very far along. Matt thought he should finish playing the game before even starting to pack his bag!!! We headed down the road about 15 minutes later in quite a bit of pain. I gave my boss a call on the way to let her know I wouldn't be in Monday and then called both our parents to let them know. At the hospital, the nurses got me all set up in a room. Once she checked me and let me know that I was already 9cm and that there probably wasn't going to be time for an epidural the reality of natural childbirth set in. I was still feeling pretty good at the time (around 10:00). There were nurses quickly getting everything ready for delivery. The doctor arrived to break my water and this intensified the pain to levels that I prefer to forget. Luckily, the labor was fast at this point. I quickly dilated to 10. Okay I was 9 with a small rim, but I wanted to push so they let me. Okay so my body wanted to push, but I wasn't mentally ready. I think I panicked. Luckily one of the nurses was able to calm me down enough to push. The fact that I was also fighting to keep that fettuccine down while simultaneously push made it even more difficult. I am glad to say that I won that battle. Gabe was born at 11:13 after a few HARD pushes and a blood curdling scream that terrified Matt. Gabe was so alert and quiet after his initial cries. He just wanted to look at everything. Unfortunately, my enjoyment of holding him was put on hold while the doctor tried to stitch up my tears. It took several tries to get me fully numb - not a pleasant experience! It was all over so quickly though and I had a beautiful baby boy to show for it all. Grandma and Grandpa Aldridge had just arrived in town so they stopped by the hospital on their way to our house to watch Luke. They tell you to rest after birth...I think I was awake for the next 48 hours because I was so excited about everything :)

Luke's Birth

I can't very well write about Gabe's birth without first telling the story of Luke's birth. Luke Matthew Miller took his time making an entrance into the world. He was four days late, born July 26. I awaited his arrival anxiously all summer as I was on summer break with nothing else to do. I tried it all to coax him out, but he was stubborn (a trait that has persisted). He arrived the day before we were scheduled for a nonstress test. I was bound and determined to have this baby without being induced. Labor with Luke began at about 4 a.m. on the 25th with fairly mild contractions. You know the ones where you hope that this is it, but you can't be sure yet. I couldn't go walking outside in the dark so I walked laps around our house to keep them going. I finally relaxed part of the day just waiting to see if I should call Matt home from work. The contractions were getting more consistent by the time Matt arrived home at his normal time, but still weren't too strong. Since they hadn't stopped, we decided to cancel plans with friends and hang close to home. Sure enough around 8:00 p.m. my water broke. Only it didn't gush out. There was a slow leak, but enough that I knew it had happened. My doctor evidently didn't think I was in enough pain when I called him at that time and told me I might be fine until morning and to call back when it hurt worse. I waited until about midnight when my husband finally told me I needed to call - they hurt at that point (A LOT)! We headed to the hospital, calling family on the way. Luke was the first grandchild on my side so when they found out that I was already 7cm, my parents and sister headed down that night even though it was a 2 hour drive. Matt's parents wisely chose to wait until morning to drive down. I really wanted to try this whole natural child birth thing. The contractions at 7 cm weren't unbearable, but I am a wuss and the thought of those contractions right on top of one another was just a little too daunting so I opted for the epidural. After that, things slowed down - way down. I was at 9.5 cm for hours waiting on the last bit of "rim" to give way so that I could push. Finally, close to 10 a.m. the doctor said I could start pushing. I think he just wanted to get sleep :) Epidurals are a wonderful thing - I didn't feel a thing and Luke was born after about 30 minutes of pushing. He weighed in at 8lb 6oz and 22in long. He was observant from the very beginning, checking out the world around him. I apparently have babies with freakishly strong necks because both Luke and Gabe were born holding up their heads. I think he was born at 10:26 a.m. but now I'm thinking I better go double check. This is why I need to write it all down, so I don't forget! Gabe's story to come later...I learn why women choose epidurals!

Too Many Thoughts

I think maybe I need to blog because I'm used to talking all day when I teach, and now being at home with the baby there is no one to listen to all my thoughts. The trouble is where to begin. My birthday is tomorrow so I'm inching my way closer to 30 (28). My life has changed many times over the past 5 years since marrying my husband, Matt. I left a kindergarten teaching job to follow him to his new job. This led to a year of teaching a 2/3 split class and now my current job looping between 1st and 2nd grade. Although I love teaching, it's getting pushed further and further back on the priority list. My first son Luke was born almost 3 years ago and was an easy going baby. His baby memories have been captured on a blog written mostly by my husband with some input from me: lukematthewmiller@blogspot.com. Eleven weeks ago, we welcomed our second boy, Gabriel James Miller, into the world on April 18. We didn't find out the gender this time mostly because my husband really wanted it to be a surprise. It drove me crazy not knowing! Of course, I guessed a girl - boy was I surprised! More on his birth later (we were too late for an epidural). We are all settling into somewhat of a routine for the summer. Six more weeks and I head back to school - I'm so not ready for that so I'm going to ignore that fact for now.