Baby Michael

It feels strange to be writing a post again. But it's been weighing on my mind since this is basically my journal and I haven't written in almost a year. Mainly because my computer is wack.

I'm a mother of two now. So insanely crazy at times but insanely joyful as well. I have really grown to appreciate Sam more since baby Michael has joined our family. I notice even more his sweetness and his crazy, fun personality. He makes me laugh all the time. I have to remind myself that he is still so young when he does things that hurt Michael. He is learning and getting better. We tried potty training him a month before Michael was born. He did really great for about 3 weeks and then he hated it. Fail. So he was in pampers for a month and now he's back to diapers. Esta bien. We'll try again in a few months or when he seems interested. He will still go poo in the toilet which is great. . . when he can make it.

He turned two this year. Bryce and I decorated the front room with balloons and streamers the night before so when he woke up and came downstairs we thought he would be so excited. But instead he was scared of the decorations for awhile. He got a tricycle, clothes, toy broom, golf clubs and had an awesome basketball cake that dad pretty much decorated all by himself.

I found out I was pregnant with Michael last summer when we were visiting family in UT. I had been at Young Women's Camp the week before I left for UT and it completely wiped me out. I was so tired and ready to be with family and relax. We were at Uncle Steve's cabin in Fairview with my family and I was loving it, but I was also still so exhausted. I kept telling Bryce that it must be taking awhile to catch up on my sleep and get adjusted to the time zone difference. He told me to buy a pregnancy test asap. After taking the test I was in shock a little but so excited! We had been trying for a few months. We told my family that night at dinner. Being pregnant again was the same as the first time. No morning sickness and a little achy towards the end. I never get tired of feeling that little baby move around inside my belly. Such a special time for me. The only thing different was that I didn't gain nearly as much weight as I did with Sam, and I really think that helped me recover faster, physically and emotionally.

My mom came out a week before Michael was due. We thought I'd for sure go a few days before my due date. Lucky me, I went five days over instead. Amanda and Ava came to visit as well and I felt so sad since I thought by the time she arrived I would've had the baby, but it was Sunday night and Amanda was leaving Monday morning. I finally went into labor that evening around 11:00. My contractions started out 4 minutes apart right away and continued that way for an hour. When my Mom, Bryce and I arrived at the hospital I thought I would go straight into a room but instead they put me in triage for three hours which was very discouraging. My contractions completely stopped and I was frustrated that they were making me stay in that little room hooked to a contraction monitor. They were waiting to see if I would dilate more than a six since that's what I had been for two weeks. I thought having contractions at two or three minutes apart every four minutes was good enough but apparently the nurses didn't. Finally a midwife checked me for the third time and I was barely dilated to a seven. She didn't feel comfortable sending me home and even though I wasn't having contractions anymore she put me in a room. Bryce and I fell asleep the rest of the night and my contractions didn't start again until 3:00 pm on Monday. After going through several nurses and three midwives, Michael was born on March 18, 2013 at 8:59 pm. He was 7 lbs 10 oz 21 inches and perfection.

He has been such a blessing and a sweet baby. He is more cuddly and even-tempered than Sam was. He really only cries when he is tired. As a newborn Michael was always sleeping. I could hardly get him to eat for more than ten minutes. I called mom to ask we if she thought something might be wrong but she told me it was normal for a baby to sleep that much. He just loved to sleep.

Michael will be three months old next week. I feel like this precious time of him being a baby is going by more quickly than it did with Sam because I have my attention on two children now. Bryce and I think that Michael looks just like me, probably because we have compared him to my baby pictures. I've only had a few people tell me the same thing. Most people think he looks just like Sam, who is Bryce's clone. They do look alike, but Michael has more of my features.

Michael loves to smile. He started smiling around three weeks old and is close to letting out a laugh any day now. He loves when we whistle at him. He doesn't like riding in the car unless we are on the freeway. He will take a binky but can't keep it in his mouth very long so I have to help him. He is always looking up at me while I am feeding him to give me a quick grin. He loves to baby talk to Bryce. He already loves bath time. I am working with him to get him on a routine so he will sleep better for naps and during the night. He likes to be held facing forward. He is getting used to Sam always trying to kiss, hit, poke and lay on him. He is such a good baby. We love having him in our home and feel so blessed knowing he is ours forever.