Tuesday

Welcome to our family, sweet boy

Considering Leo is two months old, I thought it about time to introduce him on the blog. 

Leo Maxwell Brown
August 26, 2013 3:13pm
6lbs.4oz. 19.5 inches

Leo's birth was almost identical to his predecessor's. I guess I am fairly predictable when it comes to labor and delivery. I told my midwives early on in my pregnancy that they could plan for me having this baby at 37 weeks and that I will probably come to the office dilated pretty significantly at my appointment. The general response I received was "rrrrright, right okay {eye roll}." I don't think they believed me. So I wasn't surprised, but she was, when she checked me at my 37 week appointment and I was dilated to a 7. You see, I'm kind of a freak. I have really irregular contractions that aren't painful for about two weeks preceding the "big event." Even while sitting in the hospital bed, dilated to a 7/8, I was still having non-painful, mostly irregular contractions. See, freak I tell you! It was only after my water broke that this baby decided to get serious and get down to business, if you know what I mean. Insert epidural somewhere in there that decided to work only in my right leg. Why I have been stuck on getting an epidural is beyond me. It only worked 1 out of the 3 times for me so if there is a next time, I'm saving myself the giant needle to the spinal fluid and going au naturale anyway. So maybe forty-five minutes of intense contractions, one "I absolutely CANNOT do another contraction!" and BAM, he's out. I figure it's a trade off for the 7 months of puking I have to endure to get them here? Fair enough.

She laid his teeny tiny body on my chest and we stared at each other for a good long half hour, at least. He was so alert and calm and I remember telling him how cute he was and not that I was expecting him not to be cute but dang, he was cute. I remember watching him blink his eyes over and over as he tried to focus on me and thinking he was going to have brown eyes like his Daddy (so far they are still blue). I remember counting his tiny fingers and toes and breathing a sigh of relief that he was finally here and he was perfect. He was so prayed for and so wanted and so anticipated and he was ours. Ah, that moment. I would relive that moment a million times over if it didn't require, well you know, a million children.

I love all my children the same (but different, because they're different), but I've never been one to bask in the newborn stage. I mean come on, let's get growing so we can have some fun and maybe be a little more independent? Not so with this babe. For some reason I feel like I truly appreciate all of it, all of him, this time around. Pregnancy hormones did some pretty crazy things to me emotionally this time and once he was born I felt totally relaxed. There have definitely been some moments of total craziness with three littles, but Leo has brought such a special, needed peace to our home. We are so grateful to our Heavenly Father for blessing us with his sweet spirit.

 Right before my midwife checked me. Thumbs up for swollen summer pregnancies!
 My nails matched the hospital gown perfectly but was completely coincidental.
 When I was finally having contractions I had to breathe through.
 Sweet little man fresh from the womb.
 One of the best moments.
We have three children. 
!!!

Saturday

Ivan Turned 3!

 Er, I mean Captain America turned 3!
I kind of felt the need to go all out this time. This was his first official birthday party and I wanted to help him feel special before the impending arrival of his baby brother.
The superhero theme was so fun. I heart boys.
Thank you Target, for somehow always knowing what I {don't} need.
 My sweet, sensitive boy. Stay soft, buddy.
Ivan's "best fwend," Samuel.
Black widow was there, too.
Leave it to me to find the biggest tunnel available!
Obstacle courses for all.

  
Every ounce of work was worth it for this boy's smile. He melts my heart.

We threw together these "faux" weights last minute and they were so funny.

And one superdog for good measure.

Monday

New (to us) Camera

So you'll be seeing a lot of these while I figure this thing out..


Wednesday

Gift Guide for a Three Year-Old Little Man

It was 90 degrees today people! We spent the day staying as wet as possible with little friends and I'm not complaining about it. Let it be known, I love the heat (I still think I'm destined for Arizona). Ivan's birthday is coming up really quick (June 14!) and I've been scouring the internets for some quality gift ideas. I'm a fan of gifting a few (three) quality gifts that encourage imagination and creativity and have the staying power to grow with a child. I love to gather gift ideas from other people so I thought I'd share just a few of my favorites for a three year-old. Of course any of these would work equally as great for a girl. Actually, Norah would take any of these over a princess dress-up any day! Some of these we have and love and some are on our wishlist. 


1. Wooden Slingshot - classic boy toy. although not really a toy, so supervise your little one accordingly. I'm picturing pom-poms and/or marshmallows and only used when mom or dad is around.
2. Wooden Voice Recorder - handmade and durable, you can record up to 30 seconds then use the dial to speed up or slow down the sound. hours and hours and hours of fun.
3. Radio Flyer Wheelbarrow - pint sized and perfect for the little working man.
4. Doctor Role Play Set - you can't go wrong with any of Melissa and Doug's role play sets. we have this one and it gets used all the time. the fireman is next on our list.
5. Teepee - another classic boy toy that is all the rage right now. we have this one (I love that it's neutral) and love it.
6. Ukulele - we brought one home for ivan from our trip to hawaii last summer and he's always looking for his "violin." another toy that gets used almost daily.
7. Binoculars - nature walks, car rides, spying on "bad guys," etc, etc.
8. Lion Felt Mask - ivan's one request for his birthday was a lion mask this year. this etsy shop is chocked full of the most detailed masks i've ever seen. bonus: she makes matching tails too!


Do you have any go-to gifts for a three year old?

Thursday

A little something I've been working on...

I guess some people are grossed out by ultrasound pictures but I'm not one of them so HERE you go!

Or I should say a little something that has wiped me out lately. 
Brown baby #3!
Expected to make his or her appearance late August 2013.
We are allllll really excited.

Best of 2012 (in no particular order)


2012 was good. It was really good. Lots of family, friends and fun.
We're excited to see what growth 2013 brings each of us and our family.