The One Without a Real Title Because the Kids Woke Up from Their Naps

The last time I blogged, I had one child. Now I have two! Mr. Desmond is already 3 months old. He is an absolute dream baby. He eats well (90th percentile for weight and height...go figure!). He sleeps well at night (as well as can be expected from a breastfed baby). And he is just as sweet as can be. His smile will absolutely melt your heart. I think what amazes me most is that at 3 months, he already adores his sister. He lights up whenever he sees her and smiles at everything she does. Genevieve is so incredibly good with him. She loves her baby brother so much and sweetly tells him, "I love you, Dezi Boy" about 20 times a day. Seeing them together is one of the many joys I get to experience each day. I'm so lucky to be able to stay home with them during these precious first years.

Having two kids is definitely harder than one, though, and it blows my mind how I can be so busy yet get so little accomplished! Hence the reason it took me this long to transform Desmond's bedroom from a storage room into a proper nursery. I'm thrilled with how it turned out, especially considering the tiny budget we had for it. My favorite thing about his room is the old window that G and I decorated using simple wall decals. So easy a 2 year old can (and did!) do it! I know it looks risky to hang it above the crib, but trust me - it's not going anywhere. I have it anchored to the wall in literally 10 different places. My second favorite thing is the hand-painted cloth canvas featuring safari animals that my brother Michael brought back from Tanzania. So cool.

In other news, Genevieve is enjoying her weekly dance class. I've met some nice dance moms and look forward to our Saturday morning talks. Desmond is rolling over and giggling and looking more like his dad every day. Jonathan is delusional though and doesn't think Dez looks anything like him. Jonathan also sleeps face-down in his pillow and brushes his teeth with scalding hot water, so he's far from normal. (Love you, honey!) Jonathan is enjoying his residency and is now a member of the US Navy. He applied back in April and was accepted this fall. It is a wonderful program that helps doctors with their student loan payments while in residency. He will then work a minimum of 3 years as a Naval podiatrist upon his residency completion. We will be relocated but the location is TBD. I'm very proud of him.

We're heading back to Nebraska for Thanksgiving. It will be our first time home since we left in May, so you could say we're a little excited. My parents are hosting my dad's siblings and their children at our house on Thanksgiving day and I cannot wait to see them...all 61 of them!!! It will be legen - wait for it - dary. (Sorry, I couldn't resist, HIMYM fans.)

New City, New Jobs, New Baby on the Way!

Hello from New York! We've been in our new house in Wantagh, NY for a little over a month now, and we're loving it! Wantagh is a hamlet of the town of Hempstead, located on Long Island. As you can tell by the map, we're very close to the ocean -- less than 15 miles. We took Genevieve to the famous Jones Beach for her birthday and had a wonderful time. If you ever come visit us, you're guaranteed a trip to the beach! It takes about an hour to get to Manhattan by train. We've been into the city once since we've lived here and it was quite the adventure. I'm sure it will be easier next time now that we know what we're doing.

It's so good to be living together as a family again. Our house is absolutely perfect for us. It's small enough to keep track of a busy two-year-old, yet it has a huge basement for storage and a nice fenced-in backyard for Snoop and Genevieve to play. G finally has her own room after sharing one with me for the past year. It's perfectly pink in every way and she just loves it. We have great landlords: a young couple with a three-year-old daughter. We've already had a couple play dates and are looking forward to more. We definitely got lucky with this place!

We found a lovely Catholic church 5 minutes from our house. The priests are great, the music is traditional and beautiful, and everyone there is so friendly and makes us feel  right at home. Actually, people in general are super friendly here. From the cable guy to the mail man to strangers at the grocery store, everyone acts like neighbors here...much more so than anywhere else I've lived. It's very refreshing!

Jonathan started orientation at North Shore/Long Island Jewish Medical Center a few weeks ago. His first official money-making day of work (HOORAY!!!) was on Monday and his first day being on-call is today (the 4th of July). Fireworks and feet don't always mix, so I'm sure he'll have a busy, interesting, and patriotic  night...minus the white and blue. He is loving his residency so far. The hours are long since it's mostly surgical cases, but he says that the days fly by and he's learning so much every day. He's always telling me about his cases and I just smile and pretend I understand his doc-talk.

My new job is pretty darn great as well. For the first time, I can officially call myself a stay-at-home mom. This makes me happier than I can put into words. With baby #2 right around the corner, I plan to stay home for at least 3 more months, but hopefully longer. Baby seems to be doing great. He or She is extremely active and kicks really hard - much  more so than Genevieve. Jonathan thinks it's a boy but I have a feeling it's a girl (probably a very feisty one!).

Here's Gigi posing with her little brother or sister at 36 weeks. I apologize for the swimsuits / lack of clothing, but these were just too cute not to share!

Changes Galore!

There's a reason I don't usually do New Year's resolutions...and it's that I don't do New Year's resolutions. In my last post, on January 14, I resolved to start blogging again on a regular basis. Oops. I was 13 weeks pregnant with Sugar Weenie 2.0 then, and now I'm 26 weeks prego! Here's a pic to prove it...

Genevieve and I are loving having our hubby/daddy back. He returned from his year of traveling on March 22 -- exactly 1 year to the day that we moved back to Nebraska. He is currently doing a rotation here in Grand Island, and then he'll head back AZ to finish up school the first three weeks of May. I'm keeping busy with my 5 part-time jobs, chasing around Genevieve, and planning our cross-country move (we still have a storage unit FULL of stuff in AZ). 

It's hard to believe, but just over a month from now we'll be packing our bags and heading to Long Island, New York! We have a house hunting trip planned at the end of April. We're praying we can find a decent, not-too-tiny apartment or house that fits our oh-so-tiny budget. We took the first big step of our transition to New York living this week: we traded in both of our cars for one slightly bigger family car. We were both a little sad to say goodbye to our beloved Kia Soul and Kia Sportage, but the Tahoe suits us well. Now we just need to have a few more kiddos to fill it up! :)

Little Miss Genevieve is as sweet and cute and hilarious as ever. She amazes us each day with her ever-expanding vocabulary. She loves tickling my belly and talking/singing to the baby. She thinks that my protruding belly button IS the baby! Here she is being her usual silly self...

Introducing SW2

Hello Friends!

I'm not usually one to make New Year's resolutions, but I recently decided that I really miss blogging and have therefore resolved to start it back up again if for no other reasons than a) to be able to say that I have at least one hobby (to appease my husband who thinks I desperately need one) and b) to look back on it someday and share it with my family.

But who are we kidding? A new blog post after such a long hiatus can really only mean one thing: Genevieve is going to be a big sister! I'm 13 weeks along, due July 23. Apparently, nothing - not even living halfway across the country from each other for a year - can keep this family from growing! We are slightly surprised, extremely blessed, and beyond excited for our new addition. We can't wait to see G in action as a big sister!

In other news, Jonathan is in the home stretch of his 4th and final year of podiatry school. He has completed month-long rotations in Tampa, Long Island, Newark, D.C., and Brooklyn. G and I visited him while he was in Long Island and had an amazing time. Jonathan barely escaped Superstorm Sandy when he came home to visit us for Halloween (hint: 9 months from July). Hence, some of the nickname ideas for baby #2 have been Sandy, Hurricane baby, and Halloweenie (my favorite). For now, I think we'll go with SW2, short for Sugar Weenie 2.

Jonathan was able to come home for a week over New Year's and is now back in Jacksonville, FL until the end of March. April and May are still TBD for him. Graduation is at the end of May; we'll move in June; and SW2 will grace us with his or her presence in July. In case you're wondering, we're keeping this one a surprise too! And yes, Jonathan is still stuck on Bruce for a boy name. Ug! Will someone please give us a pet named Bruce so we can be done with this nonsense already?! (No offense to all the Bruces out there.)

Genevieve is 19 months old - unbelievable. She LOVES to dance, especially to Usher, Mariah Carey, and Maroon 5. She is working on her ABC's and can get to the letter P with help...I'm a proud mama! She still doesn't sleep through the night, but that's really my only complaint. She's pretty awesome.

Here's G and uncle Dominic practicing the ABC's

As for me, I finished up an internship with the United Way in December and am continuing my other three jobs with Edward Jones, Majestic Treasures, and Kohl's, all of which I enjoy in different ways. We said goodbye to my mom's dad, Poppa Tom, on December 1. He was 74 and ultimately died from pneumonia. He will be greatly missed and I'm sad that G won't remember him, but it gives me comfort knowing he's finally at peace.

Big Changes in the Rouse House

Hello, friends! It has been waaaaay too long since I've posted anything. Genevieve is finally down for a nap but I don't have much time. She's not the best sleeper...she'd much rather play. We've experienced a whole lot of changes in the past couple of months, beginning with Genevieve and I moving back to Nebraska in March. Jonathan started his 4th year of podiatry school which consists of seven different rotations, all on the East coast (see schedule below). For many reasons (financial, logistical, my sanity, etc.), it just made sense for G and I to move back home for the year. We're living with my parents and four of my younger siblings. Needless to say, it's a very busy household! Genevieve is loving all the attention from my family as well as Jonathan's. It's good to be home, but we miss Jonathan like crazy. We make sure to Skype every night. Genevieve still hasn't quite figured it out - she tries to touch his beard on the screen like she does in real life. It's the sweetest thing ever.

G at 11 1/2 months

Since our move on March 22, I've managed to stay busy with various things, but mostly just being a mom. I'm loving every minute I get to spend with my sweet Genevieve. Her favorite activities are babbling, scrunching her nose, shaking her head 'no', and walking! She took her first steps about three weeks ago and is getting more sturdy every day. It's so fun to watch! She is such a joy and I'm savoring this precious time I get to spend with her before I have to start working again. Which brings me to the job update...

I've been given three awesome job opportunities and decided to pursue all three. For the past two months, I've been working a few hours a week at Majestic Treasures Consignment Store & Gift Shoppe in downtown Grand Island. It's super fun and I love it! On May 30, I'll be starting my training for a part-time position with Edward Jones which I'm very excited about. I'm also going to work a few hours a week for a local State Farm agent, Lisa Willman; let me know if you need any insurance...she can hook you up! My hope is that with the amazing flexibility all of these jobs offer, Genevieve and I will be able to visit Jonathan more often and for longer periods of time.

Right now, we're visiting Jonathan in Treasure Island, Florida while he completes his rotation in Tampa. We arrived last Thursday night and leave on Monday, May 28. Jonathan works all day during the week, but we get the weeknights and two full weekends to spend as a family. It's the first time we've been together in seven weeks! So far, our visit has been wonderful. More details to come later.

...And she's awake. Already.

My AZ friends, I miss you all very much!!!

Side note: Don't be fooled. This actually took me 3 days to finish. Babies are great but they make it almost impossible to get anything done!

Here's Jonathan's schedule for the next year:

May - Tampa, FL

June, July, August - Jacksonville, FL

September - Long Island, NY

October - Newark, NJ

November - Washington, D.C.

December - Brooklyn, NY

January, February, March - Jacksonville, FL

April - ???

May - Graduation, moving to TBD residency location, and anniversary trip: 

WE'RE GOING TO VEGAS, BABY!!!

June - 3 year residency begins 

Giggly, Wiggly, Busy Baby G

Where has the time gone?! Last year at this time we had just announced our pregnancy, and now our sweet little Sugar Weenie is 6 months old! And my oh my is she busy! Since my last update, Miss Genevieve has found her voice (she's loud and "talks" non-stop just like her daddy), learned to scoot (on Thanksgiving day), slept through the night 3 times (woot woot!), and learned how to play peek-a-boo (cutest thing ever). She continues to amaze us with how much she develops each day. We are so very thankful for all the joy and wonder she has brought to our lives.

Here's a cute video of Genevieve and Daddy playing with Snoop and Sasha on Thanksgiving. Enjoy!

4 Month Update & Bathtime Fun

Time for an update!

September 1st was a big day for Genevieve. It was her first day at daycare (and Mommy's first day back to work); she had her first giggles for Mommy and Daddy; and she was so tuckered out from the day's activities that she put herself to sleep in her crib for the first time! She loves daycare and is such a happy baby. The whole putting herself to sleep thing was apparently only a one-time deal. But that's ok with me - she's growing up too fast the way it is! She rolled over once by accident a couple weeks ago (her wobbly little head propelled her right over onto her back), but she hasn't done it since. I'm sure she'll be rolling all over the place soon enough.

Genevieve's favorite things to do at 4 months old:

• smiling
• taking baths
• blowing bubbles
• drooling
• riding in the car
• going for walks
• grabbing things, especially Mommy's hair
• interacting with her doggies

Lessons from a New Mom

Now that I've been a mom for almost three months, I feel as though I'm finally getting the hang of it. The first few weeks were a huge transition, but I have loved everything about this new adventure called parenthood.

A few things I've learned:

1. A daily shower is a luxury, not a necessity.

2. Make sure you're fully clothed before leaving the house. (Since I'm nursing, I often have one or both of my tank top straps down past my bra and sometimes I forget to pull it back up. A few weeks ago, I took Genevieve on a walk and realized that one of my tank top straps was still down, thus exposing half of my bra to the whole neighborhood. Luckily they were both white that day, so I don't think it was too noticeable. On the other hand, my neighbors probably think I'm a crazy person for laughing hysterically at myself in the middle of the street.)

3. Gone are the days of wrinkle-free laundry for a while. Good thing Jonathan doesn't mind. He's lucky if he has clean clothes right now, let alone fresh-out-of-the-dryer clothes.

4. Baby poop makes me happy. Not that I like it, but if it means that Genevieve is getting plenty to eat and is not constipated, bring it on!

5. It's possible to fall more in love with your baby every time you look at her.

Happy Girl in the Morning

This is what we get to wake up to each morning. It doesn't get much better than this! If you listen closely, you'll hear a cough-toot, one of Genevieve's many talents. :)

Our Sweet Baby Girl

Sweet baby Genevieve's newborn photos are below for those of you who haven't seen them yet. I love all the different expressions she made...she was really working the camera! These pictures were taken at 17 days old. It's crazy to think that she's already 9 weeks old! Each day with her is truly a gift from God.



Jonathan and Genevieve

Genevieve is a spitting image of her daddy. Check out these pictures! Crazy!

Baby Jonathan

 

Baby Genevieve

G's Shabby Chic Butterfly Bedroom

Due to popular demand, I give you pictures of Genevieve's nursery.

My favorite parts of the room are the butterfly mobile and the super cool wooden Genevieve letters from Uncle James and Aunt Carolyn.

Still searching for a pretty white crib skirt. Then the room will be complete.



Many hours have already been spent in this glider. So glad it's comfy (thanks again, Carrie!!!).



What a Difference a Month Makes

I'm sitting here with my baby GIRL on my chest as she sleeps away the evening (there's nothing better than a newborn baby sleeping peacefully on your chest). I've been meaning to update my blog but my days (and nights) have been filled with feeding Genevieve, feeding Genevieve, and feeding Genevieve. Seriously, this girl can eat! G will be 4 weeks old tomorrow - hard to believe, I know. Here's a look back at how little Miss G came to be...

Tuesday, June 7
7:30 am - start noticing contractions as I'm getting ready for work
8:30 am - arrive at work, contractions varying from 5 minutes apart to 15 minutes apart
Contractions continue throughout the morning
1:30 pm - go to my weekly checkup. The doctor says I'm most likely experiencing early labor...yahoo!
Contractions continue to get stronger forcing me to leave work an hour early. I would not recommend driving home in rush-hour traffic in Phoenix while in labor...probably not the smartest decision.
9:30 pm - contractions are strong enough to where they HURT now. Oh Lordy, here we go!
11:30 pm - Jonathan and I take the dogs for one last pre-baby walk around the neighborhood to help speed things along with my contractions.

Wednesday, June 8 - my due date
Midnight - contractions are consistently 5 minutes apart. Time to call the doctor! So excited - this is it!!!
1:00 am - arrive at the hospital after the longest 20 minute car ride of my life. Contractions are really close together and painful now.
7:30 am - we move to the labor and delivery room and I finally get my epidural after laboring for 6 1/2 hours in the triage room.
THANK GOD FOR EPIDURALS.
12:20 pm - time to push!
12:51 pm - it's a girl!?!?! We were surprised but overjoyed to meet our beautiful, healthy baby girl, Genevieve Leona Rouse. Giving birth to her was the most incredible experience of our lives, and we are beyond blessed to be parents to this sweet, sweet baby girl.  

[Turns out the deli man was wrong.]

About G's name: Genevieve was chosen by Jonathan and eventually grew on me until I too loved it. Leona is my great grandmother's name. We usually call her Genevieve or G for short. We'll be traveling to Nebraska for Genevieve's baptism the weekend of July 16-17 and hope to see as many of our family and friends as possible.



Genevieve Leona, a few minutes old

 


Our new family




Daddy loving on his new baby girl




Sweet Baby G, a few hours old



All Quiet on the Baby Front

Sugar Weenie is taking his or her sweet time, showing no signs of greeting us anytime soon. Daddy-to-be is pretty disappointed given that he's been on break for the past two weeks and has to return to school tomorrow with a daunting 6-week schedule ahead of him. He tried his best to get me to go into labor...cooking me lots of spicy foods and urging me to go on more walks, all to no avail. Trying to pass the time yesterday, we reorganized the entire kitchen and almost strangled each other in the process. I think he was purposely trying to get under my skin in hopes that it would make me start having contractions. But no such luck. Apparently this baby isn't done cookin' just yet.

As promised, I shall now provide an update on my pathetic attempt to complete my "Pre-Baby Bucket List." I had given myself a deadline of May 31. Let's see how I did...

• Have read at least 5 new novels (I'm starting the first one tonight...the new Nicholas Sparks book, of course!)   I'm slightly embarrassed to say that Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks was the only novel I completed. I attempted to read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, but even after 100 pages I still couldn't get into it.  I decided it would be a better use of my time to read up on things like pregnancy, labor and delivery, breastfeeding, caring for a newborn, etc. So that's what I did.
• Have eaten my first, and probably last, KFC Double Down Sandwich (you only live once, right?) I did indeed complete this task about two months ago. It was absolutely delicious, but I felt like crap afterwards and won't be eating one again. Jonathan took a picture of me eating it, but it might be THE most unattractive picture ever taken, so I won't be sharing it.
• Have sewn, with my own sewing machine that I've owned for over a year and still barely know how to use, at least one thing for the baby and one thing for myself. MAJOR FAIL. I'm hoping my mom can help me with this project while she's here next week.
• Have gone to Vegas for a weekend with my hubby (I've never been there and think it would be classic to go as a pregnant lady). Yeah...didn't happen. Bummer.
• Have taken a beginner's photography class to learn how to use our new camera. Didn't do this either. However, my friend Nikki said she'd give me a mini class if I want. Hopefully I'll have some time this summer to take her up on her offer.
• Have gained a sister-in-law (this one should be easy). Success! Last weekend, my brother James got married in Charleston, SC. I "attended" as many of the festivities as I could via Skype. This is how crazy-cool technology is: Here's a picture that I took with my phone of the computer screen while virtually attending the wedding. Congrats, James and Carolyn!

 

Saturday Evening Photo Shoot - Part 2

When I asked my friend and college roommate Nikki Zamora to take some pregnancy pictures of us, she jumped at the opportunity to start building her photography business. I knew she was talented, but these pictures far exceeded our expectations (you would never guess this was her first maternity shoot). She brought along her boyfriend AJ for assistance and her friend Zach Davis, also an up-and-coming photographer. The three of them were so much fun to work with - they made us feel like super models! The pictures they captured are absolutely amazing, and we can't wait to invite them into our home for newborn pictures in just a few short weeks.

Pictures taken by

Nikki Zamora, NSZ Photography