We Made It!

Monday morning we were up, dressed, fed and out of the house just after 11 am.  I know this doesn't seem like much of an accomplishment but seeing as Logan isn't even three weeks old yet and therefore not sleeping through the night, I felt like this was pretty good.  The plan was to go to the playground and then grocery shopping.  However, when we arrived at the playground both boys were sound asleep!  I tried a few times to wake up Evan but he was out cold!  So I turned around and went back home.  After carrying Evan upstairs to continue his nap, he woke up wondering when we were going to go to the playground and the store.  Needless to say he was not happy when I told him we went and he fell asleep in the car.  Thankfully though he did fall back asleep for a while.
Today I decided to try it again.  We were once again up, dressed, fed and out of the house right around 11.  The outcome was much different this time though.  When we arrived, Logan was fast asleep which actually made things much easier and Evan was ready to play.  We had the playground to ourselves and played for about an hour.  Take two was a success...including the grocery shopping...but mommy was beat when we got back home!

First Bath

It seemed to take a long time for Logan's umbilical cord to fall off.  When I went back to check to see when Evan's first bath was I found out both boys had their first bath at 3 weeks and 1 day old...funny!  I wonder how many other firsts will match up like this.  And so it begins...comparing the boys.  Don't worry though, we will be sure to let each develop his own personality.
I learned two things today.  1. Logan is a firehose!  He peed on the bathroom floor not once, not twice but three times! And 2. Evan is huge!  I put him on the changing table to get him dressed right after Logan and the difference in their size was amazing.  Hard to believe that Evan was as small as Logan just 27 months ago!

Logan Meets Danny, Sean and Grammy

Today we had a cookout/pool party/birthday party/nice to meet you party at Uncle Dan and Auntie Karin's. The cookout and pool party were just because Uncle Dan and Auntie Karin have been so busy this summer that they hadn't yet had people over.  Good thing they did it today because summer is almost over!  The birthday party was a little celebration for Papa who turned 64 on Thursday.  And the nice to meet you party was for Logan, who slept through most of the party, to meet his Kavanagh cousins and Grammy.  There was a little bit of everything at this little bit of everything party.  The boys rode bikes, drew a rocket ship with chalk, opened presents, played on the swing set, went swimming, decorated cupcakes, sang "Happy birthday" (twice!  Evan didn't get to help Papa blow out the candles the first time so we had to do it all again.), played catch, Aquadoodle, bubbles and most of all just had a wonderful time together!!

Papa's Birthday and the Beach House

After two weeks of not being able to drive, I was again feeling a bit house bound.  So even though Papa and Gramma offered to come to our house to help out today, we decided to go to their house.  After packing up and getting everyone loaded into the car, I was beginning to think I was crazy and that it would have been much easier for them to come to us than for us to go to them!  Oh well!  We spent a nice afternoon by the pool and playing in the yard.  It was Logan's first trip to the pool house.  I think he may have opened his eyes to see the water for a few seconds even though he was sleeping much of the day!  Happy birthday, Papa!  Thanks for letting us (once again) invade your house today!

Finger Painting

Evan was given fingerpaints for his birthday.  As I mentioned in my latest play-doh post, I don't like toys/activities that make a mess (although I'm getting better about it...good thing to because I have a feeling I have lots of mess making in my future with two sons).  I put the paints in Evan's closet after his birthday and sort of forgot that we had them.  I saw them a few days ago and thought it would be a fun activity to do (outside!) and make cards for Papa and Uncle Ty's birthday.  Evan had fun and I was actually pleasantly surprised at how clean Evan stayed.  Oh and washable truly does mean washable...I have to say, I was skeptical!

You Know Everyone Is Bored When...

...Mommy suggests that we do Play-Doh!

I think we were all feeling a little house bound on this rainy Saturday.  We had a fun family day yesterday at West End Creamery but this morning everyone, kids and parents included, was a little cranky.  Daddy decided to take a nap at the same time as Logan and I asked Evan if he wanted to do Play-Doh.  You know times are tough when I willingly ask my child to play something where I know he will make a mess to clean up later...but we had lots of fun and all felt better afterwards!  I think having a few "emergency" toys that don't get used all the time is key to beating the rainy day blues!

But Mommy, you never suggest playing Play-Doh!

Concentrating while using the cutter

Some times you just need to let your hair down!

West End Creamery

After 5 days at the hospital and 6 more being at home, I needed to get out of the house!  I think knowing that Bruce was only going to be home for two more days and then I would be on my own with the boys and still not cleared to drive only made this desire worse.  For the last week and a half, Evan has been so patient and relatively understanding that Mommy needs to rest and that caring for Logan takes a lot of Mommy and Daddy's time.  While Daddy and Evan have had lots of fun time playing in the yard, I thought it was important for all of us to get out for a while and have some fun.  We decided to go to West End Creamery for some ice cream, mini golf and burn some energy at the Barnyard Jump.  Boy was this a hit with Evan...and Daddy too!!  After an ice cream lunch, we took a quick walk through the barn to look at the animals.  Then, Evan and Daddy jumped on the Barnyard Jump pillow for about 30 minutes. Just long enough to take 116...yes, 116 photos!  We decided we should play mini-golf before Logan woke up ready to eat and before Evan crashed.  We started on the course and it was not pretty!  Bruce and I are generally pretty good mini-golfers but running interference with a two-year old, making sure that Logan wasn't in the sun and me being just 10 days post-surgery had both of us off our game.  We decided to throw away the score card and just have fun!  After about 6 holes, Logan needed to eat.  This worked out perfectly as we found a nice shady spot in the grass under a tree to give us all a break from the hot sun.  Evan had a snack, Logan had a bottle and tired Mommy was able to sit and rest for a few minutes.  When Logan finished eating, we play another 3 holes of mini-golf before returning to the Barnyard Jump for a few more jumps...almost another 30 minutes...before heading home...tired!  Today was the first of many adventures we will have with our two boys!

Passed Out

I just can't take anymore...I'm done!  I'm throwing in the towel!

In life, position is everything!

Evan's Photography

Well he's no Ansel Adams but Evan has been on a photography kick lately, taking pictures of all sorts of things.  Most pictures look like they were taking by a two year old but he is so proud when he is done that I didn't have the heart to delete them.

The Hospital Stay

One of the reasons why we chose August 7th for Logan's birthday was because it was the last date we were offered when scheduling a c-section.  We were hoping that by waiting a little longer, 5 days past my due date, that we were increasing our chances that Logan would just arrive on his own.  If you read Welcome, Logan, you know that didn't happen.  As a result we were at the hospital from Tuesday morning until Saturday morning.
A long hospital stay when you have your first child is fine.  It gives you time to recover and have a bit of extra help from the nurses.  But when it is your second child, it gets a bit more complicated.  Who will stay with Evan? Where will they stay, our hour or theirs?  Will Bruce leave the hospital to come home and be with Evan?  Will Evan feel left out?  Will I be able to handle Logan by myself if Bruce does leave to be with Evan? All of these questions and more went through my head before Logan was born.
On the Sunday before Logan was born, Bruce and my dad worked it all out while I was trying to put Evan down for a nap.  Evan would stay with Papa & Gramma at their house at least Tuesday and Wednesday nights and they would bring him to the hospital as often as we wanted them to.  It ended up that Evan was with them Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights and they visited us on Tuesday and Wednesday but not Thursday.
This was a big change for our big boy and as much as we tried to prepare him for what was going to happen, none of us really understood how much things would change.  Evan handled being separated from us as well as any 27 month old can but still had times where he just didn't understand why he couldn't be with  us.  Gramma said that Thursday, the day they didn't visit, was his best day with them, probably because he didn't see us...until we decided to video conference at night.  During the chat, everything was fine but then when we started to say good night, Evan just lost it.  It broke my heart to see him so upset and missing us.  I wanted to be able to reach through the computer and just hold him.  My baby needed a hug from his mommy...and truth be told, Mommy needed one too!
Friday afternoon Papa, Gramma & Evan came to visit again.  The only difference this time was that Evan stayed with us when Papa and Gramma went home.  We were finally a family of four, alone for the first time to begin getting used to what that meant.  Evan was an absolute angel that afternoon and evening at the hospital, so much so that we didn't even have to break out the new toys that we had in case we needed to occupy him for a while.  Friday night, Bruce and Evan went back home while I stayed at the hospital with Logan.  Then they came back on Saturday morning to pick us up and bring Logan home for the first time!
Aside from all of the logistics concerning Evan's care for a few days, my hospital stay was relatively uneventful.  We had some wonderful nurses who were quite helpful and nice.  I was able to get up and out of bed for the first time on Tuesday night, just about 8 hours after Logan was born.  I was up and about some on Wednesday when Uncle Dan, Auntie Karin and Bumpa came to meet Logan.  Wednesday night was a tough one for me because my pain meds had lapsed.  When Evan was born, the nurses brought me Rx strength Motrin every 6 hours and Percocet every 4 hours.  This time around, however, I needed to ask for what I needed and when.  As a result, overnight on Wednesday, when the nurses didn't wake me up for my medicine, I was in a tremendous amount of pain when I woke up.  From then on, I was a bit more assertive and made sure the nurses knew that I wanted them to wake me for my meds when I was due for them.  By Friday afternoon I as feeling antsy and ready to go home but I was also glad to have one more night to send Logan to the nursery and get some rest.  After Bruce and Evan went home, I enjoyed some quiet time with Logan for a while and then turned in early.  Saturday we had a slow morning with very few interruptions.  By around 1 o'clock we were wondering if the doctors were going to come in to evaluate Logan and me one last time.  They finally did and we began packing up and heading home.  We were loaded into the car and on our way home at 2:50 pm...ready to begin our journey as the Skarin's, family of four!

Welcome, Logan!

Welcome, Logan Richard Skarin!  Welcome to the blog!  Welcome to our family!  Welcome to the world!
Today at 12:39 pm we welcomed our newest little guy into our family and the world.  He weighed 10 pounds, 2 ounces and was 22.25 inches long.  As my OB told me last week, he is a big, stubborn baby!  He was born via c-section, which was a much less traumatic experience the second time around.
I have to admit that it was a bit strange to leave for the hospital knowing that shortly after noon time we would be the parents of two little boys.  It was all so...planned!  I had been worried and anxious about how things would go for quite a few weeks leading up to today.  How would Evan handle it?  How would the surgery and recovery be?  How would we adjust to being a family of four?  How would we make sure Evan felt included but also be at the hospital with the new baby?  So many things to think about when you already have one child.
But today came (with no previous signs of going into labor) and shortly after Gramma and Papa arrived at our house, Bruce and I said goodbye to Evan and left for the hospital to go have a baby and meet our new son.  The nursing staff got me settled and prepped for surgery and just a few minutes after 12 o'clock, I walked myself into the OR.  See what I mean...very surreal!  More preparations were made including a spinal, which is not a pleasant experience, and about 30 minutes later, Logan was born! Amazing!
I didn't get to hold him right away (it actually seemed like a really long time but was probably only a few minutes) but I could see him and I could tell he was a big boy...and absolutely perfect!  After a few minutes, the nursing staff weighed him...10 pounds, 2 ounces!  No wonder he wasn't going anywhere on his own! I was able to hold our new (big) little guy while the doctors and nurses finished up what they needed to for my surgery.
As was the case with Evan, Bruce and I hadn't decided on a name before Logan was born.  It actually wasn't until we were back in the labor and delivery room that we named him.  The first time I held Evan, his name just came to me...Evan Robert.  It wasn't quite the same for Logan but after a few minutes we decided on Logan Richard.  Logan was a name that Bruce really liked and suggested before we had Evan.  At that time, I wasn't too excited about it.  But throughout this pregnancy it grew on me and I ended up liking it and eventually suggesting it for Logan.  Richard is after my Uncle Rick who is also my Godfather.  Logan was born on his 62 birthday and we thought Richard was quite fitting for a middle name.
Once we had decided on a name, we called our parents and siblings to let them know that we had a new, healthy baby boy.  We let Papa & Gramma know that they were able to come visit with Evan so that he could meet his new little brother.  They arrived after a little while and we could hear Evan bouncing down the hallway.  He was as excited about his big brother stickers as he was to meet his little brother...maybe even more so.  He came with two friends...Barky and  Curious George.  Barky is a small stuffed puppy that Evan picked out to give to his baby brother when he was born.  We are hoping that Barky will be Logan's special pal, just like George is Evan's.
After a bit of a visit filled with lots of pictures and even a few unsolicited kisses for Logan from his big brother, it was time for Logan to go to the nursery for a bit and time for me to move to my new room and to rest for a while.  Evan, who especially now looked like such a big boy, headed home with Papa & Gramma to spend the night at their house, while we settled in and got to know our new son, Logan Richard.

A Day with My #1 Little Guy

I have been blessed to have the opportunity to spend the last 27 months at home with Evan.  Today, however, was our last day together, just the two of us.  It was a beautiful day, much cooler and less humid than the weekend, so I decided it would be fun to go to the zoo.  We had an absolutely wonderful day, exploring Southwick's Zoo and just enjoying our time together.  I know that we will still have many spectacular moments together but it will be different...we will be sharing many of these moments with another special little guy.  Thanks for a wonderful day, Evan!  And thank you for the most amazing 27 months!

Water Fun

This summer has been a great one for spending lots of time playing in the water.  Evan loves playing, splashing and having fun in the water.