18 month update

Somehow my newborn baby is 18 months old.

Don’t ask me when my teensy little baby turned into a walking, talking, crazy little boy, because I just don’t know. Levi is entertaining, exhausting, adorable, hilarious, frustrating, sweet, fun, cheerful, cuddly, and energetic. He loves people but has a streak of shyness. He is quick to laugh, slow to sleep, and lives up to his name, meaning "attached," exceedingly well. I love being his mama, and cannot describe the joy of watching him grow up. He is changing so fast, and it seems like every day I find myself thinking, When did he learn that? Or, I didn’t know he could do that! And sometimes, I really wish he hadn’t figured out how to do that. Life is always interesting when you have a toddler around.

Levi’s favorite activities include: Emptying and/or rearranging every drawer and cabinet he can reach in the kitchen. Feeding Beau whenever he notices his food bowl is empty (which it often is, since Levi also enjoys dumping Beau’s food into his water bowl). Watering the grass. Watering the sidewalk. Watering Beau. (You get the idea.)  He adores water, balls, airplanes, being outside, bubbles, swinging, and books. Levi is quite the little helper and  is constantly following his mama and dada around offering his assistance. This leads to me saying things like "Please don't climb in the dishwasher" and "Let's not put the keys in the trash" about 400 times a day.

Levi has made a new addition to his list of favorites in the last month or so: Music. And when you’re Levi, music means dancing. His favorite song? Taylor Swift’s new single. Obviously. When the song ends – no, when the song is about to end – Levi frantically demands “More! Dance! Dance! More Dance! More!” I couldn’t, okay I wouldn’t, make this stuff up. I’m hoping Bing Crosby returns to the top of the list soon, because I don’t know how much longer I can Shake it Off.

We had Levi’s 18 month appointment last week. You may recall from his 12 month update that we were a little worried about our baby boy. Well, not anymore. Levi grew from a 16 pound, not on the charts 12 month old to a 24 pound, 50^th percentile toddler in the last few months! I’m not really sure what to think of him being considered simply “average”, but we are certainly thankful for a healthy little boy.

We have had a great summer. Countless trips to the neighborhood splash park, LOTS of time outside, a trip to Florida with Justin’s company, Levi’s first trip to Michigan, and welcoming a new nephew/cousin were definitely highlights. We have much to be thankful for. The weather is beginning to cool off (it was only 90 degrees today) and we are so eager to welcome fall. We have some fun things coming up and are excited to see how Levi changes and grows during the new season!

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

I’m going to be honest. March has not really been our month. We are fine and we have so much to be thankful for, but this month has just been one of those physically and emotionally exhausting times in life. We were so looking forward to it. Family visits, Levi’s birthday, a precious friend’s wedding, beautiful spring weather – it was going to be delightful. It started off well enough with a few friends and family members coming over to celebrate Levi’s first birthday with us. Justin’s parents even flew down all the way from Michigan for the big event. They sure do love this little guy. We scheduled his party a week early because I was in a wedding in Houston the weekend of his birthday. Boy did that turn out to be a good thing! The party was fun and we were so thankful to celebrate a year of survival our precious boy.

I noticed that next week that Levi wasn’t really acting like himself. And by that I mean, he napped. Every day leading up to his birthday, he napped, in his crib, for at least an hour. You may not think this is a big deal, but you also may not be the sleep deprived mother of a child who gave up naps at birth, give or take a few months. It was a very big deal. And then I realized that he was sick.

We had been planning a fun family day to celebrate our little boy’s birthday. Justin was taking Friday afternoon off and we were going to take Levi on his first trip to the zoo. The forecast was beautiful. Levi was having a great week (remember all the naps?!). I was so on board with having a one year old if this was going to be our new normal. And then Thursday, Levi got sick. And by Thursday night, I was sick. And Levi and I got to spend his birthday-eve throwing up and feeling like death. All. night. long. Friday was miserable and we didn’t make it out of the house, let alone to the zoo. Happy birthday, baby!

Saturday morning we left early in the morning to head to Houston. The wedding was wonderful and we were overjoyed to see our friend so happy. I was so thankful to be a part of such a beautiful weekend. Our behind-the-scenes moments, however, were not so pretty. The logistics of having a sick baby who was refusing to eat and a sick husband (oh yes, did I mention that by this point Justin had caught it too?) made for an interesting couple of days. I needed, and wanted, to be involved in all of the wedding festivities, but also needed, and wanted, to take care of my boys. Since my little one was feeling lousy and was refusing to eat or drink anything except to nurse, he had to stay nearby. But we also didn’t want to get everyone around us sick, especially the happy couple. Considering that I was in the wedding, keeping our distance wasn’t all that easy, but we did out best.

Thankfully, Justin bounced back pretty quickly and was feeling fine by Sunday, the day of the wedding. Overall the weekend went something like this: I would go to brunch, then go and walk circles with an inconsolable baby. We would go to the rehearsal dinner, then head back and clean up a car seat poo-splosion. I would go help decorate and Justin would stay back and clean up baby vomit. Parenthood is glamorous, isn’t it?

Levi being sick, being out of our routine, daylight savings, and goodness knows what else seemed to create the perfect storm to reset our young one to newborn mode. We found ourselves dealing with the same issues that characterized his newborn days. Weight concerns. Refusal to be put down without a meltdown. Crazy clinginess. And sleeping became non-existent. We’re talking up from 11pm-4am kind of nights. Night after night after night.  Did I mention that a couple of new teeth also decided that this would be an ideal time to appear? Yep.

All of this was the week leading up to Levi’s 12 month doctor’s appointment, where we learned that he had not gained any weight since his 9 month appointment, or at least had lost any weight he had gained to the stomach bug. He actually weighed in less than he had 3 months prior. Now I’m no doctor, but I’m pretty sure they are supposed to gain weight at this age. And just when he had finally made it onto the charts, too. Levi now weighs less than my 5 month old nephew and my 7 month old niece. At this rate, his newest cousin is going to catch up to him. What am I doing wrong here, folks?

Alas, our little boy is slowly getting back to normal. Finally. Boy did I miss that smile! He is playing again and acting more and more like himself, he is no longer throwing up every time he tries to eat solid foods, and he is beginning to remember that nights are for sleeping. Kind of…

Our biggest concern right now is that he is still not back to eating as well as we would like. Considering that he has had trouble gaining weight for, well, his entire life and in light of his recent weight check, I’m really not thrilled that he has started refusing at least half of his previously enjoyed foods. We have had enough of a struggle getting him to put on the pounds without the help of this stomach bug and subsequent food pickiness. If this illness has made a permanently picky eater out of my child I’m going to be seriously bummed. We are seeing some progress though, and we are thankful for that.

Yesterday, when we had finally gotten the afternoon’s teething pain under control, I was tickling Levi and made him lose his balance. He fell flat on his face on the hard kitchen floor. Blood. Everywhere. I’m really feeling good about my parenting skills right about now. 

At least he didn’t knock out any of those pearly whites. We’ve worked hard for those things.

Here’s to hoping for a cheerier April!

A Year to Remember

You know those people who find out they have a baby on the way so they start a blog so that they can share their adorable pictures and funny anecdotes about their little bundle with the world? And then you read posts throughout the pregnancy about the impending arrival of the newest little love of their life? You see pictures of the perfect little nursery, gender reveals, and eventually, maybe even a birth story. And then... nothing.

I totally understand these people.

2013 has been the best year. It hasn't been perfect or without it stressors and challenges, but it is the year I became a mama to the sweetest little boy ever to exist and I have loved it. 

I make no promises about doing a better job blogging in the new year, but I can do my best to catch you up on this last one...

January/February
These months were spent primarily preparing for our little arrival with baby showers, nesting, and getting bigger by the minute.

You can try all you'd like, but you just aren't going to convince me that this wasn't a lifetime ago.




March

In March, we met our precious boy. I'll try to spare you the gushing and let you read all about that here.  This little man stole my heart even faster then his daddy did, and that's saying something.

April

In April, we celebrated Justin's birthday, got to introduce Levi to his Michigan grandparents, and enjoyed lots of snuggle time. We also took Levi to Belton for the first time, where we traumatized him took lots of pictures in the bluebonnets.

May
In May I got to celebrate my first mother's day. Levi did a great job making it a special day. I think his daddy may have helped a little.

We also had the pleasure of taking pictures with our friend Hannah over at The Freckled Key Photography. She captured some moments that I will cherish. (You can look here for more of the pics.) If you are in the market for a photographer who is fun to work with and incredibly talented, she's your girl. :)

The Freckled Key Photography

Summer

In June, Grandma Cindy flew down to visit her favorite grandson again and watched him for us while I went back to work for a couple of days to finish up the school year. A few days later Justin's grandma also came for a visit to meet her newest great-grandson. I think she likes him.

Levi and GG

We also got to finally introduce Levi to his Aunt Jamie and Uncle Geoff, who were in Israel when he was born. FaceTime is a wonderful thing, but it's just not as sweet as the real deal. 

Aunt Jamie and Uncle Geoff meeting Levi in person for the first time.

The summer was full of visits from family, a trip to Belton for the 4th of July weekend with all the siblings, trips to the library, Justin's first father's day, early morning walks, and generally trying to stay cool.  

Levi snuggling with his grandma 

Splashing outside in the summer sun

In August, Levi welcomed a new cousin, Reagan Jo. He's pretty fond of her. David and Cindy (Justin's parents) came down for a couple of weeks and were able to be here when she was born. Grandparenthood suits them. :)

Levi and Reagan

At the end of August/beginning of September, Levi got to fly on an airplane for the first time as we headed up to Pennsylvania to bring five generations together. We had the joy of introducing Levi to his great-great grandma, who let us borrow her name for Levi's middle. It was such a precious time to see those two together. 

Levi Shafer with his great-great-grandma Shafer

September was filled with more grandparent visits, which included Levi's first baseball game and a trip to the state fair. 

"I'm just petting her, mom!"

October

In October, Justin qualified for a trip to Couer d'Alene, Idaho with work. It was beautiful and we loved the opportunity to be outside, hike, spend time together as a family, and get better acquainted with some of Justin's co-workers. When we got home, Justin's grandparents were able to come to Texas to visit Levi and his new cousin. During October, we took many trips to the arboretum to enjoy the beautiful fall weather and their amazing pumpkin patch. 

Couer d'Alene, Idaho

Couer d'Alene, Idaho

Later in the month, Levi got to welcome another little cousin to the world! My brother, his wife, and their four year old girls were so excited to welcome Cade Randal to their family. So happy that Levi has a little buddy so close in age! Both of Levi's new cousins were born right on their due dates. :)

Levi meeting Cade for the first time

November/December

Levi got to celebrate his first Thanksgiving in Oklahoma with my extended family. It was so fun to see grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins who I haven't seen in much too long, and to meet so many new little ones who have been added to the family's always growing youngest generation.

Christmas this year was extra fun with a new baby to enjoy!  We had so much fun getting ready for Christmas, visiting Santa, and spending time with family.  

A few days before Christmas we headed down to Belton for our Pittenger family Christmas celebration. If you have ever met my family, you know that Christmas is a main event during the year. Elaborate decorations, minute-to-win-it style family games, traditions, and lots of laughter characterize our family Christmas. I love it. It was so fun to have the family all together to celebrate this year. 

We headed home on Christmas Eve to greet Justin's parents, who had just flown in. We enjoyed spending Christmas Eve and Day with them before they had to head back to Michigan. Justin's grandmother passed away during the holidays and they were unexpectedly not able to stay as long as they had planned. We were thankful for the time they were here and glad that they were able to go and be with Justin's grandpa. Aside from this sad news, we very much enjoyed the Christmas season, and especially loved getting to experience our baby's first Christmas.

One of the best things we discovered during Christmastime was that Levi has a great affection for Bing Crosby. When he is having a sad day, sometimes Bing is the only person who can make him happy again. Seriously. We are listening to Christmas music well into January and just might have it on year round. Thankfully, I'm a fan of Bing Crosby, and even more thankfully, we have a generally happy baby. :)

Of course, as long as it is, this post barely scratches the surface of our last year.  The hours spent attempting to get a baby to sleep, learning a new balance and routine, the hundreds of walks we have taken whenever the weather is not torrential rain or below 60 degrees freezing, watching Levi learn one new thing after another, Justin continuing to grow in his career, and Jana learning how to be a stay-at-home mom just don't always photograph well!

We have met some challenges (from getting our tiny boy to put on weight, to getting him to sleep for more than a couple of hours at a time, to figuring out how to adjust our budget to one income so that I don't have to share my precious boy) and so many joys (like introducing Levi to family and friends, hearing his perfect laugh, and experiencing the excitement a new baby brings). It has been an incredible year. We thank God for the opportunities and blessings we experienced throughout all of 2013 and look forward to what is ahead of us during this new year!

3 months later

My sweet baby is 3 months old. He is interacting more and more every day, smiling, laughing, batting at toys, reaching for things, and can roll in both directions. He loves baths, tummy time, cuddling, and being outside. He is tiny for his age but super strong. I just adore him! Justin and I are loving getting to know little Levi. Of course, about the time we think we have him figured out he has a growth spurt and changes the game on us. He is a super sweet and generally happy baby - as long as he is being held. :)  He will stare at the pictures when we read him stories and will grin and kick his little feet when smiled at and talked to.  He is growing up so much and it is so much fun to see him learn new things seemingly every day.  

1 month old

2 months old

3 months old

We are so blessed by this precious little boy!

Levi Shafer Schofield

My baby boy is two weeks old today. It seems crazy that it has already been two weeks since we headed to the hospital, and at the same time a part of me thinks, I've only known this little guy for two weeks?? He is such a sweet baby and I feel beyond blessed to be his mama.

The Story
Levi's due date, March 6, came and went uneventfully. After 3 weeks of thinking he may be born any day, this was kind of a bummer. We had been advised that he would likely make an early appearance, and there was even some talk of inducing labor as early as 37 weeks, so when he held out to his due date (and then some), I was getting a little weary of waiting. Don't get me wrong - I am so thankful that this little baby made it to full term and that he was born healthy and strong on his own timeline. But the anticipation was making Justin and me a little crazy!

I worked on Wednesday but wasn't feeling great and decided to take the next day off. I'm glad I did because I started having contractions around 4 in the morning on Thursday, but not wanting to be dramatic about it (and having had them for over a month already!), I ignored them and probably would have headed off to work anyway thinking they would taper off soon enough. Except that this time they didn't taper off. I took my dog on a walk, showered, rested, and for some reason they just kept getting stronger rather than disappearing like they normally did.  Meanwhile, Justin was at work and I encouraged him to go ahead and go to that meeting he had scheduled an hour away, because I was sure I wasn't actually in labor. After all, they say that you'll know when you are in labor. And besides that, they weren't all that regular, and labor contractions are supposed to be regular. Or so I thought. Justin called after his meeting, and when I reported that yes, I was still having contractions, and strangely enough they were beginning to get more intense, he decided he'd better head home. By the time he got home I was pretty miserable and he insisted on calling my doctor just to see what she recommended. (At his request, I had done this already and wisely left a message telling her I thought I might be in labor but that I wasn't sure. Who does that??) We were advised to head over to labor and delivery just to see what was going on, and I dragged my feet to the car just knowing that if they sent me home I was going to lose it.

Thankfully, we were told that not only was I definitely in labor but that things were moving right along very quickly. At this point, I felt a little sheepish for insisting the baby was not coming, completely relieved that he was, and understandably nervous that our world was about to change forever. We got checked into the hospital around 1:30,  called the family to let them know, and just a few hours later, welcomed little Levi into the world at 5:46pm.  He was 7 pounds 12 oz and 20.5 inches of sweetness.

Everything went incredibly smoothly and Justin was exactly who I needed with me. Holding Levi for the first time and getting to know the little face I had been waiting to see for months was surreal. I couldn't believe he was finally here and that this little baby was ours. March 7 will forever be a day to celebrate!

Meeting Levi for the first time

The Name
Levi's middle name, Shafer, is after his great-great grandmother who turned 100 years old exactly one week after he was born. She is an incredibly kind woman who Justin and I admire and enjoy. We hope to make it up to Pennsylvania to introduce her to her namesake soon!

The Last Two Weeks

We are so thankful for this little chubby cheeked baby and for the joy he has already brought to our lives. We have had several doctor's visits, a few walks, and lots of cuddle time. Beau is adjusting well to the new addition! My parents were able to come up when he was born and my mom stayed for his first week home.  We are looking forward to introducing Levi to Justin's parents in a couple of weeks when they make the trip down from Michigan.  In the meantime, we are all very thankful for pictures and facetime!  It has been so much fun getting to know Levi and getting to see Justin as a daddy. He is so in love with this little boy! Levi already seems to have grown up so much since we brought him home - and I know that this is only the beginning! Having a baby is making me a sentimental mess, but I am loving it. I am so thankful for this little miracle!

First day home

Baby Shower!

Justin and I are eagerly counting down the days until our little one makes an appearance! At least we would if we knew how many days we had left... we are so ready to meet the little guy!

We had a wonderful baby shower and enjoyed celebrating our new little one with family and friends. Justin's mom and grandma even made the trip down from Michigan! I have the best in-laws.  My sweet friends did an amazing job on the shower, complete with make-your-own onesies, cake pops, baby blessings, a dress-up photo booth, and fun gifts!

 

 

Hopefully the next time we blog it will be to introduce you to the newest little Schofield!