Owen rolled over!!

So last night, Owen was laying on his back on the couch next to big sister Isabella. Jamie left the room for a second to grab something out of the kitchen, and when he returned VOILA, Owen had rolled over and was on his tummy! Perhaps it was easier for him to roll over on the couch, since it is a little softer than the floor, but I was excited to record this milestone nonetheless. We will have to see if he does it again today at school or at home. Good job Owen! I will add another post over the weekend with pictures from this week.

Gymnastics, cookies, and princesses!

Once you have kids, your weekends usually revolve around their activities. So this Saturday, we went to watch Isabella at gymnastics, and then her BFF Nina came over. We started out making cookies, but Nina lost interest after dumping in the flour. She said "I'm gonna play, so you guys finish and you can let me know when they are done," so Isabella and I continued on without her. I guess the draw of other people's toys got the best of her :) The rest of the afternoon was spent watching half of Sleeping Beauty and half of Pocohontas, princess dress up, and role playing. The two of them are hysterical to listen to. At one point, they were pretending to go play hockey and then go to Wegmans. Another time they were handing out tickets for the ferris wheel, and of course they played several rounds of house. There were no major fights, and they seemed to have a good time. Enjoy some photos from our Saturday.

Bumbo fever

Owen has been itching to sit up for awhile, so we decided to get him a Bumbo. He seems to really enjoy the seat, and it's a fabulous way to exercise those neck muscles. We also got the Bumbo tray, so we can put his toys on it, and it will come in handy in less than a month when we hopefully can start feeding him rice cereal. The little guy has a really strong neck, and looks like such a big boy in his Bumbo. Here are also a few other cute photos from the week. By the way, week 2 at daycare went just as well as the first, and he is continuing to take bottles and enjoy his time at school. The second week went equally as well for mommy back at work, and I couldn't be happier that he's doing so well in his new environment. His teachers send home daily notes, and they always mention what a great day he had and how well he did. He experienced his first fire drill at school, and fell asleep bundled up in a blanket when the class went outside. Isabella found his class, but because he was asleep, she didn't get to talk to him. Fingers crossed for a great third week!

Proud moment of the week....

When I was picking up Isabella from school the other day, one of her teachers came up to me and said "I just wanted to tell you that Isabella is so supportive of her classmates, and it was really great to witness it today." Apparently, Isabella had created her own game to play with her friends, and whenever someone would win, she would say "Good Job!" and make sure they received prizes each time. That's my girl :)

Owen turns 3 months!!!!

Can you believe Owen is already 3 months old?? He has changed so much since the day he was born. It's exciting to think that in another few months, he will be 1/2 a year old! He is becoming such a sweet, peaceful little boy, and Jamie, Isabella, and I are enjoying watching him grow every single day. Here are some pictures of Owen on Thursday, November 6th, his official 3 month birthday (complete with Jamie's chocolate cupcakes made from scratch). Of course he didn't actually eat a cupcake, we just used them for the pose. Note the 2 different outfits--the overalls are from the morning, and the white onesie is from the evening, post-diaper explosion that occurred at school :) They really mean it when they say that your kids grow up so quickly, right before your eyes. When I look at Owen, I think of Isabella as a baby and I can't believe my first baby is nearly 4 years old. Time really flies!
Happy 3 months Owen!!

A week of firsts....

This week marked several firsts in the life of the Coffeys:

Mommy's first day back at work
I must admit--the first day back wasn't nearly as bad as I had anticipated. The morning was a bit rushed to get out the door, so I didn't have a lot of time to really feel sad. Jamie and I teamed up to drop the kiddos off for Owen's first day (Isabella and Owen luckily go to the same school). I teared up while I was there, but Owen seemed happy and I knew I'd see him in a few short hours to nurse him, so that made it easier. I spent the previous week very upset and had gotten most of my crying out then. His teacher's are fabulous and very loving, so I knew he was in capable, caring hands. When I arrived at my office, I was greeted by several "Welcome Back" signs, including a print out of Dwight from my favorite show "The Office" saying "Welcome back Lauren" which made me laugh. My co-workers also brought me beautiful flowers, and my boss brought me brownies, which were irresistible. Later another co-worker brought me in 2 beautiful plants, because she feels responsible for 2 of mine dying while I was on maternity leave. My loving pod decided to go easy on me my first day, so I didn't have a lot of work to do. I spent the day catching up with people, sorting through mail and emails, and visiting Owen at school. The day flew by and before I knew it, it was time to pick up the kids, who I missed so much! The next two days also went pretty well, and it was nice to be back amongst my colleagues. As much as I missed being home with Owen, I knew that if he was happy, I could also be happy. 3 cheers for working moms!!


Owen's first day at daycare AND HIS FIRST SUCCESSFUL BOTTLE FEEDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As for little Owen, he did incredibly well at daycare....I was so proud! The most exciting news from the whole week was that he decided he would take a bottle of breastmilk!! I brought a bottle for him to school, not ever anticipating that he would actually take it. When I arrived on the first day at 11 am to nurse him, his teachers shared with me the fabulous news that he did take the bottle with no problems whatsoever! No hysterical crying, no tears, and he didn't even put up a fight. I thought they were kidding--I totally couldn't believe it. After trying to give him a bottle for 6 weeks, after having 5 people attempt to feed him a bottle, after trying 12 different kinds of bottles/nipples, and after trying both formula and breastmilk, ALL of which he rejected, I thought I might never see the day that he took a bottle. I couldn't have been prouder to hear that he finally did it!! Way to go Owen! At first, I was afraid it was just a random fluke, but he continued to take a bottle a day for the next 2 days, and even took 2 bottles on Friday. This means that during the work-week, I can continue to nurse him one time over my lunch hour, rather than twice a day. While I absolutely loved being able to go visit him twice in one day, it was a lot of running around, and I was never relaxed because I was rushing as fast as I could so that I didn't take too much time. Now I can bring him 2 bottles of breastmilk a day, and spend my full lunch hour nursing him and being with him. Yipee! On the mornings, evenings, and weekends (basically anytime I am with Owen), the plan is to continue to nurse him and not bottle-feed him--and then while he is at school, he will get a combination of nursing and bottles. So far, Owen has been really happy at daycare and seems to be enjoying his time there. I'm so glad that my worst fears weren't realized--I was afraid he would be so upset and would cry and be starving all day long, but so far, the opposite has been true. It really makes this whole going back to work thing so much better. And to top it off, my friend Mag's son Sebastian is doing equally as well in his new environment, which makes me really happy. We were both so worried initially, and now we can rest easy (at least for now!) What good boys we have :)

Owen's first introduction to Grandpa David, Loretta, and Connor
This past weekend, Owen met Jamie's father David, step-mother Loretta, and 2nd cousin Connor for the first time. Because of certain circumstances and conflicting schedules, we hadn't had a chance to get together yet. They came down for the afternoon and got to meet the little bugger. Owen was a good boy for their visit, and Isabella spent the day playing with Connor, who recently turned 4. Everyone had a good time, and it was nice to be able to finally introduce them to Owen.

Owen's first time in his Exersaucer
Jamie put together Owen's Exersaucer and we let him play in it for the first time. The package recommends 4 months as the age to start, but Owen is really trying to sit up these days, and seems to get frustrated if he's not upright, so we thought it would be a good toy to put him in for practice. He's still a little small, but he seemed to enjoy playing in it for a bit.

Love at First Sight

I was never a big believer in the notion of love at first sight. Lust at first sight, yes....but love at first sight, no way. That all changed on March 15, 2005 when I first laid eyes on Isabella Grace, and again on August 6, 2008 when I first saw James Owen Russell. I had always heard that the love you feel for your children is unlike anything else in this world, and nothing could be closer to the truth. Isabella and Owen are, without a doubt, the most incredible part of our lives, and this blog is a way to update our friends and family with pictures, stories, milestones, and our latest adventures. Never a dull day at the Coffey house! This blog is also a gift to Isabella and Owen, so that someday they can look back and read about their early years and how much their parents loved them. This is my first attempt at blogging, so I'm keeping it simple, and I apologize in advance for the lack of chronological order. I have no idea how to fix it!
Hope you enjoy!

The simple things

So, I'm an addict of Extreme Home Makeover. I think it's one of the few remaining quality "family" shows on tv. Without fail, I end up in tears every episode. Last week featured a family whose 10 year old son, Job, had bravely fought Leukemia and a host of other illnesses. He was such an inspirational little guy, and when they asked his mom what lessons Job had taught them, she replied "to cherish the simple things in life that other people take for granted." I've been thinking about that a lot lately, and here are a few of the simple things that I cherish:

--Owen's face as he's sleeping. One of the most beautiful things I have ever seen, I find myself staring at him over and over again. Sometimes I think I could watch him sleep forever.
--His smile and the overwhelming feeling I get when I realize he knows who I am and is smiling at me because he is happy to see me. What else could be better?
--When he holds my hands. Enough said.
--The sound of Isabella's footsteps at 3 AM in the morning when she wakes up and wants to come in our room. Even in the middle of the night, I love that she comes to us for comfort.
--The "secrets" she tells Jamie and I...for instance, when she whispers to me "tell daddy he's handsome" or this morning when she said "I have a secret for you mommy, you're beautiful." Just precious!
--Her awesome dance moves. Where does she get her rhythm from because it's certainly not from her parents!
--When Jamie does something sweet for no reason. Like last Sunday, when he let me sleep in and then came to wake me up with a sense of urgency. Thinking something was wrong, I came downstairs to find a yummy breakfast and coffee waiting for me.
--Just snuggling on the couch, all 4 of us. Simple, but wonderful.

2 kids, 10 times the work?

I had heard from other people that having 2 kids didn't just mean twice the work, it meant 10 times the work. I have to be honest--it doesn't feel that way at all yet (knock on wood!) Yes, it's harder to get out the door, and I probably will never be on time again. But Owen just hasn't seemed to add that much more work (which is great news for people considering having a second). I know that when I go back to work this week, it will be more challenging in the mornings and at pick-up time. We will have to make slight adjustments, like getting their clothes and items for daycare together for the week on Sundays, and enjoying less home-cooked meals, and rushing more. But in general, having Owen just feels like life as usual. Isabella has been such a huge help, and again Jamie has been such a fabulous, hands on father that having a newborn/infant in the house again hasn't been such a challenge. When Isabella was a baby, I was more hesitant to take her out to places, like restaurants, the mall, etc. With the birth of your first child, your life just changes so drastically that it's a harder adjustment. This time around we decided we would just bring Owen with us wherever we go. We have been able to enjoy eating out, grocery shopping, gymnastics, swimming, parties, and a lot more with no problem. If he's hungry, I just whip out my handy nursing cover and feed him, no big deal. I think that incorporating him into our regular lives, without making a lot of changes, has made this time around seem easier. It feels like we have always been a family of 4 and that this is the way life has always been.

Owen arrives!

I was due on August 5th, and starting having contractions around 3 AM on August 6th. We went to the hospital around 7 AM or so, and had Owen later that afternoon after 2 PM. I received an epidural fairly early on, and didn't really experience much pain at all. I look back on the day as relaxing and enjoyable. One of our nurses spent much of the morning asking Jamie for financial advice which made me laugh. I don't think Jamie or I were that nervous since we had done this before. We were just excited to meet the little guy, and so curious about what he would look like. You spend over 9 months imagining this little person in your head, and when they finally arrive, it's just amazing. We had a wonderful midwife and nurse, and the birth was great experience. I really can't complain. Both of my labors were fairly easy, and I consider myself very lucky. We stayed in the hospital for 2 nights, while Isabella was being watched by Grandma Patty and Aunt Megan. One of my favorite moments was when Isabella first met Owen at the hospital. Witnessing their instant love and instant bond was what I had been looking forward to most. Once we went home, a little bit of chaos set in. For the first 4 weeks, Owen wanted to nurse constantly, and he wasn't a fan of his swing, bouncer, or being put down in general. He always wanted me to hold him, and if I even tried to put him down for a minute, he would wake up and cry. It was hard to get much done around the house! He also wouldn't sleep in his bassinet, and spent the first few weeks sleeping on my lap in bed. It wasn't exactly comfortable, and didn't allow for me to get any good sleep. Sleep deprivation can do crazy things to a person! Eventually as time went on, he began sleeping in his bassinet and cradle swing at night, and started to enjoy his bouncer which was a lifesaver. Now he's a great sleeper, a perfectly content baby, and not really fussy at all---thank goodness! I can't believe he will be 3 months already on November 6th. When I think about the day we brought him home from the hospital, it feels like years ago. Having him has made me think that I could easily do this again....but I'm not sure 3 kids are in the cards for us! To see the full album of Owen's arrival, click the link below:
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AaNnLJo1ZOGG9

The dreaded day

I return to work this week on Wednesday, and I am not looking forward to it. Don't get me wrong--I love my job and my co-workers dearly, but I am just not ready to give up my days with Owen. The 3 months have flown by, and the thought of not being with him just breaks my heart. I was home for 9 months with Isabella, and it was hard enough going back to work at that point. But 3 months?? That's just too early. I wish our maternity leave policies were on par with countries like Switzerland where they get something like 1 year paid leave. Maternity leave in this country is one of the worst in the world. Reality is setting in that I only have a few days left, and as much as I am trying to cherish the remaining time, I am experiencing a deep sadness too. My team at work is very supportive and I know that eventually, I will be glad to be back since it's just not an option to stay home. Owen will be receiving excellent care, and I'm sure he will thrive in the new atmosphere with new children, new experiences, etc. As any mom who has been through it before will tell you, it's just so hard. And the fact that Owen still won't take a bottle makes things even harder. The plan as of now is that I will need to nurse him twice during the workday, at least until he starts eating baby cereal at 4-6 months to help fill his belly. I'm carefully planning it out so that I can do 2 feedings, including travel time, in an hour or so.... basically I will forego my lunch hour in order to nurse him, so I won't really have to disrupt my workday or productivity. I will have to do my best to work around meetings, etc. It's not ideal, but sometimes life throws you a few curve balls and you just have to figure something out. My hope is that eventually he will learn to take a bottle while at school, so fingers crossed please! Luckily he has patient and kind teachers who are willing to work with him. He had a trial day at daycare last week, and he did fairly well (better than mommy). I nursed him at lunch and picked him up early, and he was generally happy. My friend Mag also had a trial day with her son Seb, who is 3 weeks older than Owen, and we both helped each other through the day. Owen is sleeping on my lap as I write this, and when I look at his precious little face, I just wonder how I am supposed to turn him over to someone else to care for him every day. I feel guilty for having to leave him when I still feel that he needs me so much. The good thing is that I got permission to work from home one day a week to give me a little more time with him. Thank you Alison and Amanda--you guys rock! I just keep telling myself that it will get easier with time, and that I've been through this before and I can do it again. I am thankful that I had a wonderful 3 months with him, and from here on out, we will just have to make the best of the mornings, evenings, and weekends.

Halloween '08

This year marks Isabella's 4th Halloween, which amazes me, and Owen's first. Isabella wanted to be a horse, and then changed her mind and chose to go as a butterfly. She was a pumpkin, lion, and kangaroo in previous years. She helped me pick out Owen's monkey costume. We started the Halloween season off with a Fall Festival at their school last week. Both kiddos sported their costumes, and Isabella enjoyed face painting and snacks. Owen saw his friend Sebastian, who was the most adorable little giraffe. The night before Halloween we dressed them up again for Wegman's annual trick-or-treating, where they set up candy stations throughout the store. They were joined by Nina, who dressed as a beautiful witch, and a boy named Patrick who was a police officer. For the actual Halloween, Grandma Patty came with us and we made our way around our neighborhood. Similar to last year, Isabella ran full steam ahead from house to house and barely slowed down until the end. She was such a little riot! I have told her that she can only have 2 pieces of candy a day, but apparently the message isn't getting through to her. I caught her indulging in a pack of M&Ms and I told her to put them back. Her response--"I can't mommy, they are just so delicious." I tried to be firm, but I couldn't help laughing. Her mom and dad are both addicted to sweets, so who can really blame her?! And to complete Halloween '08, she also received yet another goodie bag from gymnastics today. I don't think there is an end to candy in sight!
To view our full Halloween album, click the link below: http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AaNnLJo1ZOGGs