Long overdue update - Introducing Baby J!

 Life lately.. wow, where do I begin? Since the last post, the world has gone through an incredibly trying and (for many) life altering pandemic. Cue Covid-19 talk. In March 2020, the world went on pause- schools were closed, quarantine bubbles were formed, plans were cancelled, masks and lysol wipes were bought, and we all braced ourselves for two weeks of, basically, home confinement to "flatten the curve" and "stop the spread" of Covid-19/coronavirus. Two weeks turned in to one month, which turned in to two, which turned in to one year, etc. But that is news for another time because the biggest and best news of all since my last update is that we welcomed a new little love to our world on March 6, 2022: Juliette Diana Layden after a largely uneventful (although very exhausting) pregnancy. Juliette's due date was March 10th, but I was induced on March 6th because of excess amniotic fluid and a "failed" nonstress test.  We showed up to the hospital at 5 a.m. after very little sleep (I had a ton of anxiety the night before about something going wrong for me or Baby J) and pitocin was started around 11 a.m. (had to wait for a bed- they set us up in the ICU ward to wait and that put things in to perspective for me). I labored for a while and then got an epidural in the early evening and labored for a few more hours. Baby J was "sunnyside up" and had the cord wrapped around her neck so that was worrisome for a moment but everything went pretty well over all. Although I pushed longer with Baby J than Adeline, the experience felt well-managed and safe and calm. I almost tried childbirth sans an epidural but changed my mind after talking to Doctor Nguyen, Andy, and my mom (my support team) and realizing that an epidural may help speed things along (everything seemed to be stalled). Since Juliette was "sunnyside up," I would have gone through extremely painful back labor if I did not get the epidural. I did get the chance to experience some very painful contractions before going through with the epidural. Anyway, our beautiful brown-eyed, dark haired Juliette was born at 8:10 p.m., weighed 7 lbs, 14 oz, and measured 19 inches long. She cried a bunch when first born and latched on to nurse immediately. Two days later, after much debate and looking at a ton of names, we decided to name her Juliette Diana Layden. Then, on Tuesday afternoon (after a quick stop at the birth certificate office on the way home to declare her name and order her birth certificate because we waited so long to decide), our babiest girl was introduced to our two other babies. Andy arranged for a big "Welcome Baby Layden" sign in our front yard,  Nee Nee and Apa left us balloons and an orchid, Grandpa visited during his lunch break earlier in the day, and the big kids excitedly ran around the house with their new cameras (a gift from baby) snapping pics of the newest addition (and other random things). Juliette "Jules" Layden has been such a wonderful addition to our family. She seems to sit back and take the craziness in that surrounds her with a calm, happy demeanor. Although the sleepless nights were difficult to adjust to, as well as breastfeeding again and being on the baby's schedule, the adjustment to a family of 5 (+1 with Finn) has felt pretty natural and wonderful overall. Jules is now seven months old, scream laughs (and gives typical giggles but loves to flap her arms and legs and scream with delight when really happy), eats solid foods (avocado was the first and then banana and sweet potato- the last being a favorite), drinks water from a sippy cup or miracle munchkin cup, rolls over both ways, sits up very well, and is on the brink of crawling (rocks back and forth and moves her hands forwards and sometimes a leg or two before going back to her stomach). She is obsessed with Reid and Adeline, has started showing a preference to being held by mom and dad over other adults, has had two bottom teeth for maybe two months, sleeps mostly through the night with a bed time around 730 and a wake up time between 6-7, sleeps with a pacifier, enjoys watching Finn, relishes being outside, tries to chew almost any thing that comes her way, isn't a huge fan of eating beans, and has the sweetest spirit (and cutest cheeks and chunky thighs). Oh, how we love our Baby Jules!

Life lately

In an effort to remember these days that are flying by, here is what a typical week day looks like for our family:

1. Around 5:45, either Andy or I wake up to exercise. If it is my turn, I go on a walk around the neighborhood with Jenn. If it is Andy's turn, he goes to Eat the Frog with Graham. Sometimes (like this morning), one or both of the kids wakes up early and will come lay in bed with whoever is left behind (why does this seem to happen to me more often than Andy!?). Then, we all go have breakfast - Addie asks for a "nana" and will occasionally even sit in her highchair to eat said "nana." Reid is becoming more interested in cereal (specifically the confetti-os we get at Whole Foods) and will sometimes put milk with is and sometimes not. They will both eat as many berries or other fruit that they can get their little hands on and will sometimes asks for "milky" or water. Reid will sometimes asks to watch a show like Puppydog Pals, Ninjago, Power Rangers, Jake and the Neverland Pirates, or the like, and Addie will occasionally asks for "Mee Mo" (Mickey Mouse). Usually, we do not watch TV in the mornings but on some mornings, like this morning with the maid coming, we give in. The show they both agree on watching right now is Mickey and the Roadster Racers, and I try to put on Sesame Street on Saturday mornings ("Sesame Street Saturdays"). More often, our mornings involve music and, sometimes, a dance party. Reid also likes to play with his legos in the mornings (Adeline likes to get involved, also, which doesn't always go over well..). If he is feeling particularly energetic, Reid wants to sword fight or wrestle or practice his karate moves (he just started karate class but has been practicing "ninja moves" for months) and sometimes Andy (primarily)  will give in. Occasionally, Adeline gets in on the action but she mostly watches and will play with her dolls or just insist on being held. Once we get them both dressed (Reid prefers fast clothes and Adeline prefers clothes with Minnie Mouse on them), we will hustle them in to the cars with a car snack. Favorite car snacks include strawberry crepes (taking a break from them at the moment because I was worried about sugar intake) and pirate booty (we only allow pirate booty on "pirate booty Mondays"). Then it is off they go to Trinity Lutheran. If we are lucky, we will get pictures or videos of them throughout the day - they usually seem to be engaging in fun activities and overall content. On a rare occasion (although needs to happen more often), I pick up Reid to go to lunch (his favorite remains sub-a-way) but now that I work 3 days/week and spend more time with the kids, I have been less prone to lunch breaks with Reid. Then, around 5:15/5:30 (me) or 5:45/6:00 (Andy), we pick the kids up from school. Adeline is so excited to see us every afternoon and often insists on walking in the hallway, drinking from the water fountain, and drinking from Reid's cup. She will also run away from us with a mischievous grin and get upset if we try to carry her out, so pickup can be a bit trying in that way. Reid is also excited to see us and he usually has a piece of artwork (he is in to coloring in designs and drawing rainbows and writing his name right now) to show off. We then load both kids in the car and brace ourselves for I-4/17-92 traffic! Reid does pretty well in the car (although he typically insists on either turning the radio off or turning on one of his favorite songs, which include the Cheers theme song, the Puppy Dog Pals them song, Rock and Roll all Night, and Old Town Road). Adeline, on the other hand, has become increasingly upset about our long car rides (I can't blame you, girl!). Often a car snack will help both kids settle down, but somewhere along the ride, Adeline will typically fuss and say she has poopy (she usually doesn't) or reach out her hand for us to awkwardly hold from the front seat. Once we get home, Adeline likes to play a game where she wants her seat belt unbuckled but then wants to crawl around car. After getting her out of the car int he midst of her protests, we all walk inside and Reid lets Finn outside (his first real chore) to go to the bathroom. Then, it is scramble time! I try to put together whatever I can for dinner or, if I beat Andy home and he has the kids, we all wash up and sit down to dinner. After dinner, we play for a little bit before bath time. Next up - bath time. The kids typically bathe together and, after brushing teeth (which Adeline loves to try to do on her own), one of us takes Adeline in to her room for book time (currently favorites include the potty book and a book on opposites and the dinosaur dance book and brown bear brown bear) while the other plays with Reid for a bit. If Andy isn't home, I sometimes let Reid watch a show while I put Adeline to bed. Then, once Adeline goes to sleep (she goes to sleep pretty easily after book time, rocking, and turning off light and on moon and stars), it is time for Reid's best time routine. Admittedly, we struggle a bit with Reid's routine. Lately, we play with magna tiles or legos in his room for  a bit and then read a few books and either fall asleep with him or leave him in the room while we shower in the hopes he will fall asleep. After that, it is our turn for bed-time, which we often postpone by watching tv for far longer than we should. And that, my friends, is a typical day in the life of the Laydens. <3 <3

My Little Loves are Growing Up!

There are a lot of things I miss about the newborn and infant stage (definitely not including sleeplessness and worries), but I am pretty in love with the little beings my kids are these days. Reid says the wittiest and funniest things (story below) and has the best imagination, while Adeline is a little mama with a cute sense of humor, enviable dance moves, artistic interests, and she gives the best hugs and kisses around. Andy and I are heading to DC tomorrow to a new partner conference his law firm set up and, while looking forward to some quality time with Andy, I already miss my littles. At time, they drive me crazy sometimes and ramp up my stress level, but I feel most complete when my whole family is intact and together.  Now for the fun Reid story:

Last week, right after I loaded the kids in to the car to head to school, I asked Reid whether he needed to go pee. After he replied with a very clear "no," we were on our way. About five or ten minutes in to our drive, Reid alerts me that he needs to pee and he needs to pee right now. I am super frustrated, partially because my co-worker just alerted me she is staying home sick and I am already running behind getting to work, but I pull over at WaWa and take Reid (with Adeline in tow) to the bathroom. As we walk from the bathroom to the car, I notice rows and rows of snacks and brace myself for the snack requests. Luckily, I did not get the barrage of snack requests I envisioned so it was time to move to the next challenge- getting the kids back in the car. In order to get Reid back into the car as quickly as possible, I challenge him to race Adeline and see who can get buckled in first. Reid, never backing down from a challenge, gets in his car seat and hurriedly buckles himself in. I then buckle Adeline in (after proclaiming Reid the champ) and walk over to Reid to check his buckle job. I notice his buckles are all twisted and tell him, "You are all tangled up," to which he replied, "You want me to get a snack?" I said, "No. I said you are all tangled up." Reid then responded with, "Ohhhhhh, I thought you were saying you wanted me to get a snack... in spanish."  :) :) :)

So much to share!

I have found that, during this particular period in my life and even in the midst of a seemingly monotonous life, so much growth and excitement abounds within the ordinary grind. For me, it takes a moment of quiet reflection to really notice and appreciate the changes that have been happening in our household lately but, when I do take that time, it is amazing to think about. Mostly, I am talking about the ways both kids have changed developmentally over the past few months. Adeline's vocabulary has blossomed and she is now stringing multiple words together in to sentences. Of course, some of her words are largely unintelligible to the untrained ear, but I am particularly adept and understanding words like "mee-ow" (for "milk") and "Ree" (for "Reid") and "err are ew" (where are you") and "pee bow" ("for "peek a boo"). She is funny, sassy, strong-willed, loving and, especially in the late afternoons and early mornings, a stage 5 clinger. Meanwhile, Reid's imagination has been going stronger and you can often find him fully entrenched in some sort of physical game where he is a ninja or Sonic the Hedgehog or some sort of superhero. He keeps us on our toes with his physical hi-jinks and fierce independent streak, but he is also incredibly loving and kind (especially to his baby sister). With the holidays fast approaching, both kids have been floating on a whole new level of excitement (Cloud 9 times 100). While the copious amounts of sugar that surround us at all times during the holiday season certain help trigger some excitement, the joy and love (yay family time) surrounding the season are palpable and I am certain the kids feel it all. Yay for holidays!

Disney Very Merry Christmas

Reid, Andy, and I recently visited a very magical place during a very special time of the year: Disney World! I can't recall if I went to Disney's Very Merry Christmas Party when I was a child (I recall going to some type of holiday lantern event with Nell and Dee Dee), but I am hoping Reid always remember his special visit. We met up with Sara, Sean, Savannah, and Sammy Seifried and enjoyed a lot of cookies, hot chocolate, cooler weather, Christmas lights, Christmas book, Elsa lighting up Cinderella's castle, snow on Mainstreet, many of our favorite Disney characters dancing together in front of Cinderella's castle, and a happy and playful holiday parade. Although it took us 1 million years to get out of the park and maneuver our way down I-4 to get home and despite the fact that Reid did not go to sleep until, probably, 11:30 or 12 a.m., the night was well worth the money and effort. Unfortunately, baby A did not join us this year, but I am certain she will be at our next hurrah. You did it again, Disney!

18 months of sweet A

When I think about adjectives to describe Ms. Adeline, the first one that frequently comes to mind is "sweet." I often feel odd about this because I want to be very careful about stereotyping my children and know that "sweet" is more often used to describe girls than boys. But honestly, Adeline is sweet. She is many other things (sassy, funny, curious, smart, etc.), but she is also very sweet. She is super cuddly and loves to give kisses, hugs, and high fives. She also loves to princess wave and smile at random strangers and is sure to elicit smiles from said strangers when you take her to the grocery store or the mall or anywhere really. She is saying so many words, some that she definitely knows the meaning of (family names, more, up, walk, outside, milk, wawa, etc.) and some that she copies. She loves to climb, copy her brother, color, eat (especially fruit), dance, suck her thumb, sit in Reid's blue jeep, try to use Reid's mini scooter, listen to books, play with her babies, lightboxes (phones), and cuddle, cuddle, cuddle. I am so excited to watch her continue to grow! 

Happy 4th birthday to Reid!

Happy 4th birthday to Reid - my kind, smart, funny, athletic, and stubborn (etc.) little guy who is currently in love with his sister, superheros, ninjas, dragons, knights, board games, wrestling, swimming, reading, popsicles, donuts, fruit, and his cousins (in no particular order).

Before the sun came up this morning, Reid crawled into bed with Andy and me. I quickly told him, "Happy Birthday," to which he responded, "Happy Birthday to you, Mommy." Although I responded that it isn't my birthday, I later realized that, in a big way, Reid's birthday is my birth day. On October 16, 2015, a new life began for me as well. Prior to Reid's birth, I was used to living a different sort of life - one filled with work stress and high-achieving ambitions and learning how to navigate married life, home ownership, and puppy training. My life was filled with late-night dinners, occasional boozy brunches, quick and easy errands, a clean and organized house and car, long walks and runs with Andy and Finn, and hours of uninterrupted sleep. Now, without a doubt, life is messier, busier, more chaotic, and much more expensive. Most days, I am shockingly tired - running on adrenaline (and hello, cortisol) and unnecessary kid snacks. Still, when people tell me I will miss these crazy days, I believe them. I love my children beyond comprehension and the fullness of my life has increased exponentially since their births, despite the fatigue, frayed nerves, and trashed car that has come with this new journey. I am acutely aware of the monumental role I was given four years ago, and I am so proud of Reid and incredibly fortunate and grateful to be his mother. Happy Birthday to both of us!