Just the Three Of Us

The little guy still managed to have a smile

He spent a lot of time in the floor

New means of transportation....

So, today was interesting.  Since Luke was not able to walk we were all three at home alone.  Both my mom and Paula offered to help.  Since they both called in the morning and the morning was going great, I declined.  Most of the morning was spent with Katherine sleeping, eating and Luke playing in the floor with trains and puzzles.  I made grilled cheeses for Luke and I along with chips and pears (one of his favorites) for lunch.  Katherine had a full tummy and was blissfully sleeping in the bouncey seat.  I was mentally planning the rest of the afternoon.  Luke and I would lay down for a nap. When Katherine woke up I would feed her while Luke continued to sleep and so forth.  Well....

As soon as Luke and I laid our heads on the pillow Katherine started to stir. I just listened to her for awhile, but she finally reached a high pitched squeal. So, I went to get her.  Luke asked a million questions, what was I doing, why was the baby crying, can we put the baby in bed with us (NO), can I get up, etc, etc.  During all this Katherine continued to cry.  After about 45 minutes Katherine was back asleep and Luke was still awake!  He had to have time out a couple of times, which today consisted of him staying in his bed and me leaving the room and shutting the door. All I could hear was a consistent "mommy, mommy, mommy".  After the last time out which lasted considerably longer than normal I returned to his room.  He apologized and asked me to lay down with him.  After I laid down he was asleep in about 2 minutes - he was worn out!

The rest of our afternoon was much smoother.  I resorted to Luke watching Cars while I did laundry and tended to Katherine.  Paul and I had talked about going out to eat, but I did not feel much like dragging both kids in a restaurant.  Paul brought Chinese home instead which we have not had in over a year.  After supper Paul insisted I get out of the house.  I agreed and headed to Target for a little retail therapy.  It is so nice just to wonder aimlessly up and down the aisles. I did manage to pick up some things we needed and some picture frames for Katherine's room and long sleeved onesies.  She has had several gift cards given to her so it was nice to use those. 

One day home with both kids reiterated my respect for all of my stay-at-home mom friends.  I will say, it was not too bad and if we did it every day we would get in to a normal routine which would help.  Now, on to a relaxing weekend!

Back to Vandy and Other News

Train Time

This girlie is growing fast!

After the Thursday we had I can say I was extremely glad Paul was off work!  Luke still would not bear weight on his foot this morning when he got up.  We decided we would make an earlier trip to the pediatrician's office than first planned. We did treat ourselves to Shoney's for breakfast.  We had a buy one get one free which was nice.  We also did not know that kids eat free there.  It was obvious there is a "regular" crowd at our local Shoney's.  Everyone knew each others names and the waitresses knew what everyone liked to drink.

When we got to the doctor we decided to divide and conquer.  Paul took Luke to the fast track clinic while I checked Katherine in to get her weight checked.  The good news is Katherine weighed 9# 2 oz!  I guessed she would be over 9# while Paul thought she would weigh around 8 1/2#.  I was not supposed to see Dr. Patterson but she came in anyway.  She was very pleased with Katherine's weight gain.  I asked her if she was possibly gaining too fast.  She reassured me you can not overfeed a breastfed baby since they regulate their intake.  She did give us a prescription for Zantac to see if it will help with Katherine's spitting up. We go back for her 2 month check up soon so I will report in then.

We all went home so Katherine and I could stay there.  It was better for Paul to take Luke to Vandy so we would not all four be stuck down there for most of the morning.  It seemed like forever before I heard anything from Paul. Of course, I imagined the worst.  I was so relieved when he called to say Luke just had a lot of inflammation in his ankle area, no fractures.  They gave him instructions to keep it wrapped in an Ace bandage and to take Motrin every 6 hours.  We are to call back in a week with a progress report.  If he is not markedly improved he will have another x-ray.  Hopefully he will be back to running around in no time.

Today definitely turned out to be a lot busier than either of us could have imagined.  Luke will not be going back to school until he can walk again.  Being at home alone with both kids will be very interesting for me...

The Misadventures of Luke

Getting some TLC

This morning I received a call from Luke's daycare.  He had hurt his leg on the playground going down the slide.  The teachers were icing it down and told me he was not crying.  We decided I would call back in an hour or so to see how he was doing.  When I called the teacher said he would not bear weight on it and he said it hurt.  Katherine and I left pretty quickly to go pick him up. Luke teared up when he saw me but never really did cry.  I never could get a clear cut answer from him as to where exactly it hurt.  His ankle was a little swollen so I put some more ice on it when we got home.

Paul thought it looked ok when he got home.  Since we already had plans to make a trip to the doctor tomorrow for Luke's flu shot and Katherine's weight check we did not worry with calling the pediatrician's office.  We will see how he is in the morning. 

Labor Day

 

Andrew and Mandi left to go back to Florida today.  We all went over to Mom's for breakfast so we could visit with them one last time.  It is always so nice when they are here and makes me wish they lived closer. I hate that there is an 8-hour drive between us.  Oh well, we should be used to it by now.  When we came home everyone took naps, including Paul and I. 

Bill and Paula stopped by this afternoon to see the kids.  Nene and Luke played on his playground which he loved.  They could not believe how big Katherine has gotten.  Speaking of getting big Paul and I realized that Katherine has outgrown the newborn diapers.  After several leaks and seeing how snug they were we decided to graduate to size 1 diapers!  Even though the packaging says newborn diapers are supposed to fit until 10# we know that does not apply to K.  

We were sorry to see the great weekend come to an end.  It just makes me wish for fall even more!

Too Much Love?

The kids enjoyed the meal, too!

Brady and Luke playing together

Ready to go after a long nap!

Sunday afternoon we went to have dinner at the Louw's new house.  There were 4 couples and 6 kids.  It was wild!  We had a great time visiting with everyone and enjoyed a wonderful Mexican meal.  Their house is beautiful and is perfect for entertaining. The evening was great until toward to the end.  Luke gets so excited around Emma!  He almost shows too much love.  He gets right up in her face, jumping up and down, trying to hug her and so forth.  And you know a girl can only take so much! Emma started telling Luke to leave her alone which Luke really did not want to do.  Emma did give him a kiss on the lips (after Rico told her to)!  It was getting close to time for Katherine to eat again so I knew it was time to leave.  Emma was standing on a bar stool in the kitchen.  Luke kept grabbing her foot and tickling it after I repeatedly told him not to.  I was somewhat limited in my disciplining abilities since I was holding the baby.  Well, Luke pulled Emma's foot again and she fell on the floor even though I tried to catch her.  Needless to say, I drug Luke by the arm to the foyer to give him a "talking to".  We left shortly after that.  I hated to leave so abruptly but I was about at my wits end.  During all this Katherine had also started crying as loud as she possibly could.  We definitely have some work to do on Luke doing what we ask him to.  I know everything is in phases, but I want our kids to mind when we ask them to do something.  Oh well, something else to work on!

It's Football Time In Tennessee!

Luke had to have a nap before the game

Sportin' their new Auburn attire

Little cheerleader!

Puzzles on Andrew's phone

Saturday was gorgeous as well.  We woke up to temperatures in the 50's!  We celebrated by opening all the windows and doing some work outside.  I even got out all of my fall decorations!  Luke and I decorated while Paul mowed the lawn. It was a perfect day.  Andrew and Mandi had plans to take Luke on an outing that afternoon.  Luke fell asleep around 3 o'clock and did not wake up until after 6 that night.  It was the first time he has fallen asleep on the couch like that.  Needless to say he did not go on a fun outing.  Mom, Andrew and Mandi came over for supper and to watch the Auburn game.  Paul smoked a Boston butt and made great BBQ.  We all watched the game.  Well, I actually did not finish it since Katherine was ready to eat and go to bed around 9.  I think we have all enjoyed our weekend so far.

More Friday Happenings

Opening gifts from Andrew and Mandi

Katherine will have to grow in to these sweet shoes

Aunt Mandi with her sweet niece

Katherine had to have some AU gear, too!

Mandi asked if the chalk was for Andrew or Luke?!?!

Andrew and Katherine

We ended the time at the park by opening gifts Andrew and Mandi brought the kids.  Luke loves to get presents!  He got a Disney coloring book and activity book, an Auburn Jersey and shirt and a new pair of shoes.  Katherine got a sweet AU onesie and bloomers and some cute shoes!  Do you think they are spoiled?!?! By the time we left the park we were all worn out.  We decided to go to Nonna's to hang out for awhile and eat supper.  Paul got off a little early and beat us there.  Nashville traffic on a Friday afternoon of a holiday weekend is no fun!  We had the perfect start to our holiday weekend with family...

Beautiful Friday

Posing with the choo-choo

Group Shot

Ready, Set, Go!!!

Riding a fish?!?!

Friday was absolutely beautiful!  The weather was unseasonably cool in Nashville.  Andrew and Mandi made it to Mom's very late Thursday night.  We all went to Dalt's for lunch which was great!  I had not been there in years.  Paul was even able to join us since it was so close to his work.  We had plans to go to Cheekwood but there were some pretty ominous clouds during lunch so we decided for plan B.  We all (minus Paul) headed down to Centennial Park.  It turned out to be gorgeous!  We really could not have planned for nicer weather in early September.  Luke had so much fun playing with Andrew and Mandi.  We inspected the big train and airplane and took a stroll around the duck pond.  Katherine did great as well.  She slept most of the time with the exception of waking up to take a bottle at the park. 

Daddy and Daughter

Daddy sharing a moment with his little girl

Today was another busy day!  Nonna took today and tomorrow off.  I asked her if she would mind to watch Katherine while I had some appointments.  Of course she was happy to.  I scheduled my annual eye exam and got my hair trimmed.  I was in and out of the eye doctor in an hour.  That never happens. It normally takes close to 2 hours.  That gave me time to do a couple of returns which was nice.  I also found out that I can keep my contacts in for up to a week at a time.  I am super excited!  Getting up in the middle of the night fumbling for my glasses is no fun. I have worn hard contacts since I was 10 years old and have never been able to sleep in them.  Apparently the technology has advanced so that they are safe and comfortable to wear for extended periods of time, yay! 

Katherine did great for Mom.  She took her bottles well and slept a lot of the time.  When I got home we enjoyed leftovers from the night before for lunch.  Katherine and I took a quick power nap before we went to get brother from school.  Our afternoon ritual followed which consists of me feeding Katherine while we all watch a movie of Luke's choosing in the bonus room.  Paul was home a little early and changed the oil in my vehicle.  It was way over due.  We capped off the evening by flipping between the Titans game and COLLEGE FOOTBALL!  The Troutt household is super excited that football season is here!  The weather for the Labor Day weekend is supposed to be fabulous - cooler temps and sunny skies.  We are looking forward to our weekend visit from Uncle Andrew and Aunt Mandi!

Busy Day

Luke showing Emma his tool bench

Wednesday was a busy day.  Katherine and I went to Nonna's so her new carpet could be installed.  The crew was supposed to be there at 8:30 so we got to Mom's by 8:15.  The workers did not get there until close to 10:30.  Katherine did great.  She just played and slept.  I did some things around Mom's house.  I never realized how much noise is made laying carpet!  It did not seem to bother Katherine at all.  She slept through most of it! We did not leave there until 1:30 or so.

After we got home from picking Luke up from school the Louw girls came and brought supper.  Luke was in rare form, running around, jumping, yelling, etc.  He loves Emma!  We enjoyed the yummy supper that Katherine made - pork tenderloin, hashbrown casserole, salad and Mississippi Mud Bars. It is such a blessing to have good friends!

Laundry, Cleaning and Dishes, Oh My!

It never ceases to amaze me how much laundry we accumulate around here or how often run the dishwasher.  I can pretty much guarantee we do 1-2 loads of laundry per day and the dishwasher is run daily unless we happen to have a meal out then it is run every 36 hours.  How can Katherine and I being at home during the day generate so much more?  I don't even want to mention the housework.  Paul and I both voiced our frustration over the fact we can not keep the house picked up for more than a couple of hours before it is destroyed again.  After this conversation Tuesday night Paul went in on a Mr. Clean frenzy.  He scrubbed the kitchen and bathrooms while I tried to tend to the kids and pick up toys left in Luke's path.  Luke is good about cleaning up most of the time.  He does his best work when we sing the "clean up" song.  So, I guess we are fighting a losing battle.  One day my goal is to have someone come in and clean the house a couple of times a month but that time is not right now.  So for right now we will just deal with it and do the best we can!

I did manage to take this cute pic of baby K before the cleaning frenzy ensued!

The Weekend in Review

Hmmm...no words for this one!

Luke still loves to eat!

The weekend went by in a blur, as most weekends do.  Friday night was pretty rough as neither kids slept well.  Luke was up numerous times because he was scared.  When I asked him what he was scared of he pointed to the foot board.  We think it casts a weird shadow that is scary to him when he wakes up.  Katherine was up more than normal to eat.  She seems to be going through another growth spurt!

Saturday morning Paul took Luke to the walk-in clinic at the pediatrician's office.  He has had a little rash around his mouth off and on for several weeks.  It does not bother him so we really did not think much of it.  We finally decided it should be looked at.  I was fairly certain it was not contagious since no one else had gotten it.  Turns out it is a form of eczema.  Luke has had problems with mild eczema since he was younger.  The doctor said it is not contagious and really nothing to worry about.  She did say it could be triggered from a new food in his diet.  She gave us some sample prescription ointment for it as well as his arms.  It seems to be improving already.

Around lunch we went to the Troutts.  Paul wanted to help his dad with some of the demo on the kitchen.  Paul loves to do things like that. While he and Pop were doing that Paula and the kids and I played.  Katherine slept a lot of the time and Luke kept us busy running around.  He loves to be at the farm!  We also happened to be the beneficiary of the kitchen reno again.  We brought the built in work space/ cabinets home with us.  We hope we are able to use them in our bonus room to make an office area.  They just need a fresh coat of paint and they will be great!  Saturday night we enjoyed steaks on the grill.

Sunday, Paul and Luke went to church.  Katherine and I have not yet made it to church.  Our church recently went to a new schedule.  The 9:45 service is the traditional one which we prefer.  Paul said it is absolutely packed.  He has to park very far away and has ended up sitting near the top of the balcony.  Since we will be taking Katherine in to worship with us when we do go I am kind of leary of that.  Attendance may slow a little once the new schedule wears off.  That afternoon we went to Mom's.  She is having new carpet put down in the den.  It has been close to 20 years so I think it is time!  Paul pulled up the old carpet and pad.  Katherine, Luke and I stayed out of the way of all the work.

One Month...

Love those cheeks!

Ready to go

It is hard to believe Katherine is one month old!  In a way it seems like she has been with us forever and it is already hard to remember what life was like before she came a long.  At one month old Katherine is a pretty happy baby except when she is hungry.  This girl is serious about meal time!  She is nursing every 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 hours during the day and has gone 4 1/2 hours at night.  Hopefully this will start to get better in the coming weeks.  Although I know they are not "real" smiles Katherine has the cutest facial expressions.  She grins, smiles and coos usually right before she is getting ready to fall asleep. She also is a noisy sleeper!  She groans, grunts, sighs and so forth.  Paul and I have said we need to get it on video because it is so loud!  Bath time is becoming tolerable for her now and she also does well with tummy time.

She is a very strong little girl and is not fond of laying on your chest.  She usually thrusts herself to either side to lay in the cradle of your arm.  Diaper changes are still not fun for her as she usually starts crying as soon as the diaper comes off.  Gone are the days of worrying if she was going to gain weight...she is becoming our little chunk!  She has rolls on her arms and thighs now and numerous chins!  We are so delighted sweet Katherine is a part of our family and are blessed to get to see her grow and change every day. 

Due Date

Katherine's photo shoot

Outfit # 2...

Our family!

Friday, August 27th -- Katherine's due date!  It is hard to believe she has been with us just shy of a month now.  We all knew she would more than likely come early since Luke came almost 3 weeks early.  I do not think any of us dreamed she would come a month early.  We are so thankful for little Katherine and what she has brought to our family in these few short weeks.  God is so good to us!

Katherine and I had a little photo shoot this morning.  I realized she is filling out quite a bit now and wondered if some of her cute outfits that have been given to her would fit.  We tried on a couple and they were great!  She has plenty of room to grow in them.  As hot as Nashville has been the last few weeks she will probably be able to wear these well in to September. 

Paul surprised us by calling to see if we wanted to meet for lunch.  He was going to be in the area.  Of course, we said yes!  We joined him at Subway which is a family favorite.  Paul has not been feeling good for a couple of days.  We think it all started when he helped with a house that had some water damage and quite a bit of mold.  He is pretty sensitive to certain things including cat hair.  He did not feel like doing much tonight which was fine.  Supper consisted of leftovers which was wonderful.  We watched some "shows" with Luke and entertained Katherine.  It was a good day!

Fun Night

GiGi is excited to see Katherine!

Mrs. Reynolds was so sweet to cook our supper

Miss Katherine doing her favorite thing!

We have been fortunate to have several people bring us meals since Katherine was born.  It is so nice to not have to worry about supper. In fact Paul was standing in front of the freezer tonight asking what we should cook.  I quickly reminded him that Mrs Reynolds and Virginia were bringing supper.  His face lit up with relief!  We had a great visit with the Reynolds.  They brought a yummy chicken casserole, squash, fresh fruit and Rice Krispie treats!  We all know that Luke loves his Gigi.  He was so excited that she was coming to visit.  I had been telling him about it for a few days.  Of course, when they got there he was shy at first.  It took just a little bit of encouragement from Virginia and he was wired again! 

Mrs Reynolds held Katherine while we ate which was nice.  We didn't have to worry about her.  Afterward Virginia entertained Luke for quite a while which he loved!  They played outside, upstairs and in his room.  They left no stone unturned.  Luke did not want them to leave.  We had to head off a tantrum as they were saying their good-byes by telling him he could watch them drive away in the dining room window. 

On another note when Paul picked Luke up from school today his teacher told him Luke could officially be in "big boy" underwear at school now!  Yay!  He does so well with the potty at school and he is doing better at home.  If there are no distractions at home then he will go to the bathroom without any trouble. If we have company or if he is playing something he does not want to stop what he is doing to go.  So, we shall see how it goes.  I sent a few outfit changes to school.  I know Paul and I will both be excited when we are not having to buy pull-ups anymore!   Katherine also has done better the past couple of nights with stretching out her feeding times.  She had two 4-hour stretches last night which was wonderful! 

Four Weeks!

Getting so big!

Can't believe four weeks have come and gone since little Katherine was born.  As always, another week has flown by.  We had an appointment with a pediatric orthopedic doctor today.  When Katherine was born her right foot was flexed toward her leg, for lack of proper terminology.  Both the pediatrician as well as my OB felt it was positional meaning she had kept it that way in the womb .  It has improved greatly since she was born but at her 3-week check up Dr. Patterson thought it would be a good idea to have it looked at.  This made Paul and I feel better.  We saw a specialist with Tennessee Orthopedic Alliance.  Paul met us at the appointment.  The doctor was so nice!  It kind of made up for the hour long wait we endured in the waiting room with lots of other people. 

He also feels it is positional and stated he sees it all the time and it always corrects itself.  One of her tendons is "tight" as he put it so he instructed us to stretch it several times a day. If we do not continue to see improvement in the next 6-8 weeks we can go back and see him.  He said that the treatment would be to put a cast on that foot and to check it weekly to monitor its progress.  Lets hope and pray it continues to improve on its own and we will not have to do that.

Katherine was great at the appointment.  She slept most of the time until we got in the exam room. He looked at her hips, legs, feet, etc. It was very interesting.  Everyone in the waiting room was curious as to why such a small child was there.  One lady even asked if she had a broken bone!  That would be awful!

Working on a Routine

Looking a little mischievous

I am trying to get in some sort of routine around here.  Katherine is still eating every 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 hours including during the night.  I am hoping this will be stretching out soon!  Paul takes Luke to school in the mornings which is a big help.  Katherine and I usually do an errand or chores around the house in the morning. We go pick Luke up in the afternoon.  When we get home it is usually time for Katherine to eat.  I get Luke situated with a snack and he usually wants to watch one his movies or shows which is a good distraction while I tend to Katherine.  After that we typically start something for supper and Paul is home quickly thereafter.  I know this "routine" will change a lot over the next few weeks and months as Katherine's schedule changes. 

It Takes Two

Future boxer???

Luke used to strike this same pose!

Paul had the opportunity to go to the Titans pre-season Monday Night Football game tonight.  Of course, I told him he should go with one stipulation...if my mom could come and help with the kids.  Still not sure how I would do with both kiddos for an extended period of time that would include bath and bed time for Luke as well as supper and at least 2 feedings for baby girl.  Mom was happy to come and it was a big help!  She played with Luke while I fed Katherine and took care of his bath time.  He announced at 8 o'clock that he wanted Nonna to take him to bed.  I was thrilled. Forty-five minutes later they both reappeared and Luke was wired. I had to fight to take him to bed.  He fell asleep pretty quickly as did I!  I woke up close to 10 o'clock just as Paul was getting home.  Mom was rocking Katherine and she was sleeping peacefully. 

Paul enjoyed the game but left shortly after half time.  The Titans looked good and we are hopeful for a winning season around here!

A Day with Family

Nanny meets Miss Katherine

Cynthia describing the pizza with vegetables!

Super excited to be playing in the dirt!

Thomas entertaining Katherine

Today we had a visit from my family from Tullahoma.  None of them had met Katherine yet.  Paul and Luke did not go to church this morning.  Luke ended up falling asleep in our bed at 10:15 and did not wake up until after everyone got here. It is very rare for him to take a nap in the morning but we were very glad he did. 

We got pizzas from Papa John's and Nanny brought chocolate and apple cobblers, yummy.  Everyone thought Katherine was a cutie.  Of course, she slept off and on most of the visit. We mainly let Luke entertain us.  His highlight was a talking Thomas the train that LeeEllen brought him.

No Picture Saturday

Somehow I managed to not take a picture all day long. How did that happen?  Luke had a great time with Nene and Pop last night.  Paul, Katherine and I were up early this morning and decided we should make the most of having one less child and be productive.  We got out early and did errands - took the recyling, grabbed breakfast, went to the hardware and automotive store and Paul even had time for a hair cut before Luke got home around 9:00!  Since the Troutts are renovating their kitchen area they offered us their mudroom cabinets.  Of course I was super excited to get them.  Bill and Paul unloaded and installed them in our garage while Luke ran through the sprinkler and Katherine napped on Paula.

That afternoon we all four had naps!  It was great.  Luke and I napped together in Paul and my room while Katherine and Paul napped upstairs.  We had a great super of steaks on the grill, salad, baked potato and I even enjoyed a glass of wine, yahoo!  All in all it was a perfect Saturday...