2 Months

Tucker turned 2 months on May 3rd! Time is really flying...I'm already having a hard time remembering him as a not-so-tiny newborn and this makes me very sad :( BUT, we are trying to soak up every moment with our little guy. He is truly a bundle of joy and a gift from God!

A few things about Tucker @ 2 months:

*He weighs 13lbs. 13ozs and is 23.5 inches long (90th percentile for both)

*He smiles all the time

*He's starting to "talk" to us

*He still loves to be held and lets us know that when he is in his swing, bouncy seat, etc. :)

*He prefers to sit up straight or stand when someone is holding him--he doesn't like to be "cradled" unless he is sleepy.

*He can hold his head up like a pro--and has been able to do so since shortly after he was born!

*He would sleep all day in mommy's arms on the couch if he could...and mommy would love to be able to do that one day ;)

*He usually sleeps 4+ hours between feedings at nights. I can usually feed him around 10pm and only have to get up once in the middle of the night with him.

*He enjoys going to the chiropractor! He is all smiles when Dr. Aplin adjusts him--and for that I am so thankful!

*He looks so much like Arden when she was an infant, but it's sometimes hard to see that because she had so much hair and, well.....he doesn't have much at all!

*He is loved so much by Arden, Mommy, and Daddy!

Adjusted

Everyone has to adjust when you welcome a new baby into the family. One of the adjustments I've had to make is figuring out how to deal with spit-up. Arden NEVER spit up; Tucker does it all the time. That is until we took him to the chiropractor!

A few years ago, I would have thought you were crazy if you suggested I take my newborn to the chiropractor. But, desperate times call for desperate measures, and I have recently heard from several people that chiropractors can help with so many issues so I thought we would give it a try.

I am so glad we took that chance! Tucker has had two appointments and I can already see such a difference with him. He doesn't mind getting adjusted and he rests SO well on the days we go! I look forward to our appointment each week, and can't wait to see even more improvement.

Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep...

Right in my own bed!

Tucker has been sleeping in his own bed for the past 2 weeks which has meant a better night's sleep for everyone!

He still gets up every 3-4 hours (sometimes sooner) but I don't wake at the first sound he makes like I did when he slept in our room.

Sweet dreams, Tucker! Now, if we could just get you to sleep through the night.... ;)

Real

I'm having a hard time photographing Arden's real smile.

Instead, I get these faces...

The last one is the closest I could get, but it just doesn't do her beautiful smile justice.

I guess I will keep trying...I'm sure she won't mind posing for me :)

Mommy's Little Helper

No matter what I'm doing around the house, Arden always wants to help--sweeping, unloading the dishwasher, you name it--she is right on my heels asking to do her part :)

Doing laundry is no different. If she finds me loading/unloading the washer and dryer she runs in and begins helping.

And she always helps fold the clothes. But most of the time the clothes end up here:

Apparently, helping Mommy fold clothes actually means it's time to play dress-up :)

I love my little helper...let's just hope she has this same desire when she's older!

So In Love

Five weeks ago, Tucker graced us with his presence.

I've never questioned whether or not I would be able to love another child as much as I love Arden, but the reality of our ability to love didn't set in until the day he was born. What a reminder of God's great love for each and every one of us!

We are all SO in love with our precious little boy!

It is already so hard for me to remember life without him. Five weeks seems like such a short period of time, but to me it seems like Tucker has always been a part of our lives.

Tucker is such a sweet baby! He is a good eater, starting to sleep 3-4 hours between nightly feedings, and is awake more and more each day. He is starting to coo and smile---both of which I love :) He also LOVES to be held, and I love that too, but it does make it difficult to get anything done!

Tucker @ 1 month

This is where you can find Arden most of the time:

She is still head-over-heels in love with him--which is such a blessing! Her first words each morning are "Where is Tucker?" and "Hugs and kisses--Tucker!". Her tantrums are few and far between now--and we are so thankful for that. We pray that we don't have to deal with those again (or at least for awhile)!

We've been terrible at taking pictures this time around--I guess we are too busy with a newborn and 2 yr. old! But I was able to snap a few shots of Tucker the other day while Arden was napping. Here are a few faces we are beginning to see each day :)

We love you sweet Tucker!

And so it begins...

Arden has loved Tucker since before he was born.

Her reaction to meeting him for the first time was priceless (I'm still trying to get the video to upload...if you have any suggestions, please let me know!)

When she wakes each morning, the first thing she wants to do is see Tucker and give him hugs and kisses.

Her love and affection for him completely melts my heart.

BUT...

Our usually well-behaved little girl is acting out--A LOT.

She is defiant---telling us "no" all the time and refusing to listen/obey.

She is extremely emotional---bursts into tears when we tell her she can't do something.

Biting episodes are becoming more frequent...

She no longer wants to be the "big girl", but wants to be the "baby".

We knew this was coming, but it's still so difficult for us. We are struggling with knowing how to handle this behavior. We've tried to spend some one-on-one time with Arden to remind her that she is still so very important to us and her behavior definitely improves during those times.

Please just pray for our family during this time of transition--and if you have any suggestions, we would be so glad to hear them!