First family pic

I realized at church this morning we all matched in our blue, green and white clothes.  So this meant one thing: we had to take a family picture.  I wasn't going to stress out trying to get the perfect picture.  So I set up the self-timer on the camera and took one picture.  I didn't even look at it to see if it turned out.  I just turned the camera off and ate lunch with my boys.

It may not be the most artsy or beautiful photograph ever, but that's okay.  I love it because it's our first picture as a family of 4.

He's really growing up

Everyone says it: Enjoy the time you have with your kids because before you know it they'll be grown.  Well, Sam isn't grown yet but he's getting there.  In the past week, I have noticed a huge change in his level of independence.  It's sobering.  He's really growing up...and I'm crying a tear now just thinking about it.

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad he can crush and peel his own peanuts at our favorite family restaurant "Five Guys...".  But this is not something he was doing a couple of months ago.
He also would have nothing to do with wearing a backpack a few months ago.  This morning before heading to MDO he asked if he could take his backpack.  He also asked if he could wear it and walk in by himself without holding my hand.  And to top that off, he carried in the plate of cookies we decorated last night to share with his friends and didn't spill them!  What?  He's growing up for sure.

I'll always think of him as my baby...

Luke Ronald Philley...3 1/2 weeks old, 9 pounds, and 6 hours of sleep last night.  Priceless!  I fed him at 9:15 and enjoyed a long period of sleep until he awoke me at 3:15 this morning.  It was wonderful.  But now the opposite is in effect.  He's not in the mood to sleep, so I need to get going. 

the past few days...

Aunt Bekah came to visit us this week.  She stayed 3 nights and 4 days with us and we had a BLAST!  Sam loved it, of course.  But I loved having her even more.  Other than the fact that I just love her like she was my own sister, she helped out tons!  It is great to have an extra set of hands.  She headed back to Montgomery Friday morning; we were both a little emotional about it.
Sam got some toys from a dear family friend in Birmingham.  Thanks, Paula, for thinking of Sam.  He enjoyed playing with his sports balls in the bathtub...he was especially good at squirting us with water!  You've created a monster...
Tonight, I had the pleasure of enjoying a "girls night" with a few friends from church.  Amy hosted us at her house.  It was just four of us: me, Amy, Ashley and Leslie.  We really had a good time visiting.  We enjoyed a yummy appetizer, dinner and wine.  It was so good.  While Luke and I were at Amy's house with the girls, Sam was at home with his Daddy.  They enjoyed catching fireflies.  Here is Sam holding his jar of fireflies .  What fun!!!

Luke had his first bath Friday and seemed unbothered by the whole ordeal.  No fussing, no crying.  Sam was right there on the counter helping me out.  He thinks Luke's little toes and fingers are funny, so he enjoyed looking at them.

The joys of living on Governors Drive...  We had a crew from the city in our driveway and in front of our house for a couple of hours repairing a water line.  Sam was at MDO and missed out on the fun so I took pictures for him...he would have loved it.

Tummy Time

I found out yesterday at the doctor's office that I was supposed to be having tummy time already.  Whoops!  Who knew?  The kid is only 2 weeks old and we're already trying to get him to hit milestones like hold his head up and make noises other than crying? I forgot about all the questions they ask you at each doctor's visit to make sure your child is advancing appropriately.  

So we had tummy time today for the first time.  Sam was eager to show his little brother how it's done.  Not only did Luke hold his head up like he was supposed to, but he also dug his right foot in the floor and pushed off a little.  Two weeks old and he already wants to crawl.  How about that, Mr. Pediatrician?  :)

My boys make me smile

Luke in Ron's lap...it makes me smile.  It seems like such a short time ago that Sam fit in our lap like that.  Luke's doing good these days.  He eats good and sleeps good.  He only wakes up once in the middle of the night, so I'm actually getting more sleep now than when I was pregnant.  (I slept horribly the last month or two of my pregnancy.)  Luke had his 2-week checkup today and weighs 8 lbs 6oz; he's gained a pound since last Tuesday.  We're thrilled that he's so healthy!
We enjoyed some time at the pool today with Pierson and Amanda.  Shout out to the Moyers; thanks for letting us come to your pool.  This was Sam's first time at the pool so he was a little scared at first.  But it didn't take long until he was jumping in the water and climbing up and down the stairs. 
Another thing that makes me smile: Sam's eagerness to have his picture taken and his blue eyes.  He was playing on the couch and saw me with the camera...so he leaned in close and yelled "Cheese!!".  

Our week in review

We've been home with Luke for a week now and have definitely faced some new challenges and joys. Although Sam welcomed Luke with open arms he's not so fond of me and Ron. He has definitely been pushing our buttons. We've probably had to discipline more this week than the past 2 1/2 years combined. But things will turn around...we're sure of that. He's got a lot to adjust to.

Below are the proud grandparents: Freddie and Christine then Dave and Glenda.

This picture was taken after Sam played outside with Ron for a few minutes. His cheeks were so red, although the picture doesn't really show it.
He was excited to get to hold Luke for the first time. He just kept staring at him.
Monday morning it was time for gymnastics.  I mistakenly drove my mom and Sam to gymnastics thinking Luke and I could go to Target for a minute.  This resulted with a screaming 3 day old until I could get to the van for a quick feeding.  He was hungry so I obliged.  I didn't get my list done at Target and quickly realized that doing things my way may not work out for quite some time.  I'll have to adapt.

Tuesday was Luke's 4-day checkup.  The doctor was surprised to learn he was back to his birth weight.  May 30 he weighed 7.6, June 1 he weighed 7 lbs, and by Tuesday the 3rd he was 7.6 again.  It normally takes 1-2 weeks for a baby to gain their birth weight back, so I was happy to know he was getting his nourishment.  Tuesday night Ron and I got to go on a date to P F Changs.  My family kept the boys which resulted in Luke's first bottle feeding.  Bad idea...bottles make nursing babies lazy.  But Ron and I had fun and enjoyed spending time together.  Thanks B and Pops!

Wednesday...Let's see, I don't remember what happened Wednesday.  My days are a blur.  All I remember is that I started noticing Sam's defiance a little more.  "What are we in for?" I thought to myself.

Thursday...more defiance and disobedience from Sam.  He's had my attention all day every day for 2 1/2 years, so he's got a lot to deal with now that he has a baby brother.  

I was faced with a huge challenge Friday: a boy who didn't want to nap. This was more than the typical nap avoidance. He threw the biggest temper tantrum I've ever seen. Kicking, screaming, throwing toys at his door, etc. 45 minutes and almost a dozen spankings later he finally went to sleep.

I got a maid too.  Housekeepers is sending Yolanda every two weeks to clean during the summer, just so I don't have to hassle with it.  My mom warned me I may find myself going back over her cleaning.  Well, she was right.  I remade the bed the way I would do it and found myself wiping the kitchen backsplash because the cleanser she used left some residue.  (Stacey, I know you're getting a laugh out of this right now.  I'm so predictable, huh?)

Friday night was movie night for Sam and Ron. They rented The Bee Movie and ate popcorn. They had lots of fun until the movie was over and it was bedtime. He threw the same tantrum, but this time I snuck off to bed and let Ron handle it.
Saturday and Sunday were good days.  We were visited by our awesome friends, Adam and Ashley on Saturday bearing the gift of yummy chocolate cake.  Then we made our way to Little Rosie's and I had my first Margarita in 9 months.  Yum! It was so good.  

Ron took Sam to the park Sunday to feed the ducks and fish.  Sam came home with stories to tell about how a duck ate from his hand...  We did have a small accident Sunday.  Sam slipped and fell on the sunroom floor and chipped another tooth.  So now he has two teeth right next to each other that are chipped.  Fortunately this one isn't as noticeable as the first.  Aside from a bit of a swollen lip, it didn't seem to bother him; he only cried a minute.  A fun Sam moment was when he played with the dishwasher. While I was at the kitchen sink cleaning up, Sam was sliding the dishwasher drawer back and forth staring at the wheel. You could tell he was trying to figure it all out.  He's got some engineer in him, that's for sure.

Today Luke had his first bath.  I'm horrible!  I can't believe I let a whole week go by without bathing him.  Baths and brushing teeth are at the bottom of my list of parental duties...they're just not fun!  So here's Luke getting a spongebath.

What a beautiful new life!  We're so blessed.

Sam and Luke

Sam's hospital picture...

Luke's hospital picture...
I'd say they definitely pass as brothers!

We're home

We got home yesterday with our new bundle of joy.  Sam was excited to see us.  The first thing he said when we walked in the door was "Can Luke come play trains in my room?".  So we introduced Luke to all of Sam's trains.  Then Sam took Luke to see his new room.  He's already a wonderful big brother.

Our first picture with Luke somewhere around 2:15 in the morning on May 30.  What an ordeal of a labor; but I guess that's why they call it labor.  And the result is a healthy boy, praise the Lord!  
This was our nurse, Sarah.  She was great.  She had a good sense of humor to help with the stressful situation...and she was SO encouraging.
This is when Sam met Luke for the first time.  He was a little tentative.
Maria escorted me out Sunday around lunch.  She was my day nurse on Saturday and Sunday.  Very sweet....
Our first afternoon home and Sam couldn't stop loving on Luke.  We're adjusting to the new member of the family with help from my family.  My mom's taking care of us with meals and helping tons with Sam.  She even took him to gymnastics this morning.  Then Pops swoops in at night after work and wears Sam out until bedtime.  Ron and I have it pretty easy for now; the adjustment will be Friday when everyone's gone and it's just us.