Growing Pains!

We have been telling Jack for months about how he is such a big boy and how cool it is to be a big boy. We've preached about how lucky he is and how much more a big boy can do than a little baby. Of course, we said all of this to help prepare him for Hayes' arrival and didn't actually believe that he was really all that big of a boy. Maybe a large baby, but definitely not a big boy. However, we've realized that something has happened over the last few weeks...Jack has become a BIG BOY! All of a sudden his little baby hands and feet seem gigantic to us! He might as well be as tall as a five year old when he stretches out beside Hayes. He doesn't need a booster seat when he sits at the table and he can have conversations with the best of them. He constantly surprises us with all that he knows and to be honest it has been freaking us out a bit. However, after careful consideration, we decided that instead of sitting around wondering how our baby could have gotten so big so fast that it would be much more beneficial to just embrace our little pre-teen and teach him how to shave!

Bumps and Bruises...

Jack, Hayes, and I went to a playdate at the park this afternoon. I have to admit I was feeling a bit frazzled while I packed up and tried to get out the door, but it was a perfect afternoon for the park so I decided to persevere and make it work. Of course, I was so glad we came once I saw how much fun Jack was having jumping around with Charlee and cracking up with Chase on the swings. I even began to relax a little as my sweet friends gave me a hand with whichever little guy needed it at the time. Of course they also had their own kiddos there and obviously not even mom of the year could prevent every little bump and bruise, right? Right. These are the words of a rational, non-hormonal, guilt free mom talking though and I was far from a rational, non-hormonal, guilt free mom this afternoon. When I first heard Jack's cry as I sat on the bench absorbed with my new baby, I could not race to his side fast enough. My friends have no idea how close I was to having a complete hysterical meltdown as I cradled my barely bleeding, but bleeding nonetheless, first born little monkey. I wanted to scream that I don't know if I can do this, this never would have happened if I was on my game, I am in way over my head, etc. Thankfully, I was able to hold it together and only teared up briefly as we showed Jason the brand new boo-boo. Of course, Jack hasn't given his wipeout on the playground a second thought except when he decided that a Nascar band-aid would look pretty cool on his chin at school tomorrow. And in case you are worried, I have also recovered quite nicely and learned that I really need to cut myself some slack. I need to remember all the things that I did right today... like when I saved Hayes from a head on collision with the matchbox car lovingly thrown his way by his older brother. Now that was some mom of the year reflexes I can promise you!

A Visit From the Athertons!

Today was a big day for Baby Hayes! He finally met his future best buds Will and Andy Atherton. Mary and I had already decided that we weren't above forcing them to at least pretend to like each other, but it doesn't seem like we will have to because their first meeting went off without a hitch. That is as long as all pacifiers were correctly in place! Mary and I also had a great time catching up and discussing how you really don't need as much sleep as you think. : ) I think Jack might be bordering on baby overload, but I was happy to see him show some family loyalty when Mary asked him which baby he liked best...he very confidently pointed at his brother and said "that one". Thanks for making the trip out to see us, Atherton clan! And for the delicious banana bread! Yep, mother of twins and banana bread maker...what a stud!

Sarah and Roanin Meet Baby Hayes

Sarah and Roanin made the trek down from Waco to meet baby Hayes this week. It was great to introduce Hayes to them and a lot of fun to see how Jack and Roanin had grown and changed since we had last seen each other. The boys had a great time together and Sarah and I were quite impressed by how sweet they were and how well they both shared their toys. After much discussion, we decided it must be due to our excellent parenting skills! Things are almost always a little chaotic when we get together and this time proved no different. We spend most of the time laughing at the madness or having these extremely important conversations while we juggle a million and one interruptions. The great part is that somehow we still manage to feel heard and supported no matter how long it takes us to actually finish the story. : ) As usual the trip was way too short, but it was so much fun and definitely good for my soul!

Grandad's Birthday!!

It was Grandad's birthday earlier this week! We decided to celebrate by sticking close to home due to the boys and the fact that Jason can cook a mean steak. Uncle Adam also happened to be in town which made it a full family affair so Grandad's birthday was already off to a good start. We spent the afternoon playing with play-doh, swinging on the playground, and racing cars. I'm sure you can guess who was in charge of the itinerary. Jack has also recently added a new game to his list of favorite things to do. He likes to say "be lion" or "be monkey" or "be horse" and then watch the adults in his life make fools of themselves (as you can imagine, I was just oh so happy to "be pirate" at the doctors office the other day). But on this festive afternoon, Grandad was definitely in the impersonation zone and we were very impressed...especially by his very energetic and somewhat scary "be hippo" routine. After a fun and relaxing afternoon, we sat down to a wonderful meal that left even Uncle Adam and Jason stuffed. Jack had been looking forward to the birthday cake all day and Gigi definitely did not disappoint him with the chocolate cake with chocolate icing! Thanks for sharing your big day with us, Grandad!

Two Little Pumpkins!

We ventured out of the house to take our two little pumpkins to a pumpkin patch on Sunday afternoon. It was just too pretty of a day to pass up and I'm so glad we went when we did because the patch was already starting to look a bit scarce. Unfortunately, Jack was being very two once again and did not feel much like being photographed. Hayes, on the other hand, had a great time and was so excited to be there that he peed all over himself and his car seat. Of course, I am not in full newborn mode yet and forgot an extra outfit. We ended up having to just strip him down and wrap him up in a blanket for his first trip to Target. Once we actually made it to Target, Jack began running around the store with almost an entire smashed banana stuck to his pants. Jason and I just kept looking at each other like yeah, no problem...we totally have this under control. I'm not sure if the looks we received from others were expressing the same sentiment, but what can you do?

Adjust, Adjust, and Adjust Some More!

Life is in transition at the Fisher household! We have been at home for a little over a week now and although things are going much better than we expected...we are definitely making our way through some uncharted territory. Talk about a juggling act! Luckily, my recovery has been much smoother than last time. I am pretty much at 100 % now and thankfully able to pick Jack up again with no problems. My hormones have also leveled out a bit which is a very good thing considering last week I was crying over spilled milk. Literally! Jack has been so loving towards Hayes and even says "momma hold baby" which is something we never expected. He loves to hold his hand and tell him "it's okay baby, it's okay" in this high pitched voice. Not sure where he picked it up, but it's one of the cutest things we've ever heard. So far, Hayes is such a sweet and relaxed baby who hardly makes a peep unless he is hungry. Jason and I are cautiously optimistic that this will continue and hoping it will balance out Jack's increasingly frequent two year old behavior. : ) One can always hope!