Huis-mini-men newborn facts

Grady had an appointment last week for his 2 week checkup (2 weeks and 2 days), and he weighed in at 9 lbs 8 oz. This means he's had great growth (8 lbs leaving the hospital and 8 lbs 6 oz at birth)! Our doctor recommended that we still wake him up every 3 hrs at night (not sure why?), but we have chosen to ignore this advice in lieu of getting everyone much better rest especially since Grady eats much better when he wakes us up on his own (otherwise it's just a struggle). So currently he wakes up 2xs per night which is just perfect for us right now. Here's a couple newborn shots of Grady from the hospital photographer.

Newborn photos at the hospital. Isn't he darling :).

Love. Love. Love.

I'm often left alone to my thoughts when I'm nursing Grady (especially when Andy is home!) and it lets me think about both of my boys as newborns. So I'd like to record some of these thoughts while they are still fresh and especially because I didn't start blogging until Carsten was 4 months so I didn't write about him as a newborn. Please excuse the random nature of this post - I'm perpetually tired these days :).

During pregnancy:

-Carsten punched my bladder like nobody's business and that's actually how he broke my water the day he was born. 

-Grady turned and rotated SO much during the entire pregnancy and it made me feel pretty ill when he was doing it. During the last trimester Grady's knees and elbows were often in really uncomfortable positions so I spent a lot of time poking at him trying to get him to move them.

-Grady often reacted very strongly to Carsten when he was having fun rough-housing with Andy and I; he basically started having dance parties in my belly.

-My water ending up breaking for both boys before going to the hospital although with Carsten it was much more dramatic. I'll try to post more on this later.

-I didn't feel sick with either pregnancy and was able to pretty much continue as normal throughout both pregnancies. Hey, I even did an international move during Grady's :).

As newborns:

-Grady burps ALL the time. Basically he swallows air while nursing and is often in need of burping. We spend a lot of time burping Grady because the gas actually does bother him a lot. Carsten on the other hand rarely burped and actually after about the couple of months we stopped burping him and it never seemed to bother him.

-I love baby smiles when they are sleeping and I can't wait for the real thing!

-Both boys are unusually strong and gain head control pretty early. This makes it difficult to nurse on occasion. Also, both boys don't seem to mind tummy time as newborns.

-They look so similar! Sometimes I find myself calling Grady Carsten just because they look so much alike to me as newborns. I'm sure more differences will appear as Grady grows older, but for now they really do look a lot alike.

-I think Grady wins the loudest baby contest. As of late, he's either sleeping, eating, or screaming and there are very few happy moments and I know this will get better. He tends to scream when he's cold, hungry, or tired. I don't remember Carsten doing this quite as much; Carsten just didn't sleep - EVER.

-Both boys have cool birthdates, but they are even cooler in Europe because they switch the month and day there. So, 8/9/10 for Carsten and 31/3/13 for Grady. Awesome, right?! :)

-Grady wins the sleeping contest. He is a much better sleeper at night and was already doing longer stretches in the first week than we got from Carsten by his 1st month. Also, Grady will take naps during the day and although sometimes I get frustrated because I cannot lay him down on occasion (typically I can), I could NEVER lay Carsten down and still expect him to stay sleeping. Carsten was and is still an extremely light sleeper. Grady so far seems to be a better sleeper and we are very grateful. Both boys generally refuse to sleep in the swing, bouncer, rock n play, and car seat (unless we're in the car/stroller); this begs the question of why do I have all this baby stuff that doesn't work for getting them to sleep?! I will say that with Grady once you lose a nap cycle with him during the day the rest of the day is very difficult, so I'm trying really hard to make sure we're getting into a good routine so we can all have a happy day. Also, I can honestly say that I never expected both boys to be napping at the same time, which does happen about every 2 out of 3 days, and I'm very grateful for this time that I get to spend napping, relaxing, or cleaning. Carsten took a really long time to get to sleep at night and for the first month I don't think we ever got him to sleep before 10 pm and it routinely took until 11 pm - 12 am to get him down for the night; Grady is typically asleep somewhere around 7:30 pm (+/- 30 min) and this has been such a blessing for us. This generally allows us to get both boys to bed at the same time and then we can get chores done and still go to bed early. Again, we didn't think this would happen, but we feel so blessed that it happens on most nights (and we try not to get frustrated when it doesn't happen!). Also, we are currently sleeping on an air mattress in Grady's room so that way it's easier to care for Grady at night and hopefully we won't wake Carsten that way. All I can say is that my husband loves me :). 

-Both boys on general principles object to the bottle. We will win this battle with Grady as I do not want another infant who refuses the bottle. Thank goodness for Andy who will help me with this!

That's all I can think of for now! We love being a family of four and Carsten is adjusting beautifully to being a loving older brother.

Grady's newborn photos

Mom Huisman helped me take Grady to get his photos taken by iSmile photography as a 9 day old newborn. They are simply adorable! Thanks to Dad Huisman for watching Carsten while we got the photos for Grady!

My sweet Grady.

Furrowed eyebrows in response to the camera flashes.

Long Huisman toes.

We love Hope College!

Simply adorable :). The studio actually asked to use this one as advertising for their store. Yep, he's that cute :).

Love this baby. :)

Brothers

In case you're wondering, our two boys look quite a bit alike and this includes the 'furrowed eyebrows' that characterized Carsten and now Grady. Both of them look like they spend a lot of time studying the world which doesn't necessarily make sense :). I happen to love this about both of them.

They look pretty similar right now!

My cuties :)

Grady Henry Huisman

One week ago, we welcomed Grady Henry Huisman into our arms at 6:25 am on Easter morning. His arrival was much anticipated and it makes Easter even more special for us. We thank the Lord that he is healthy and we have had a wonderful week getting to know our newest boy.

Grady weighed in at 8 lbs 6 oz and was 19.5 inches long. We had a good stay in the hospital and went home in the afternoon on April 2 (his due date). He's been an amazing baby so far and it's hard not to make comparisons to Carsten in this respect. Andy and I do not remember Carsten sleeping so long and so well, and honestly Grady is quite a bit more relaxed in personality so far. He rarely cries; the only time he consistently cries is when he screams during diaper changes. Nursing him has gone much smoother than it did with Carsten, but this is probably because I'm more experienced. Grady has been a champion sleeper every night (typically sleeping ~11 hrs with a 4-5 hr stretch and two 2-3 hr stretches. He's also been typically taking an amazing nap in the afternoon (4-5 hrs) which has allowed me to get some good rest in the afternoon. I'm hoping this will continue since Carsten also takes a nap during that time. We have been extremely blessed to have Mom and Dad Huisman to take care of us during this last week; they have been cooking, cleaning, and caring for all of us, especially Carsten, as needed. Carsten has had a bit of adjusting to do, and we've noticed that his behavior is not quite as good as normal - we think he's been missing his 'mommy time' since he now has to share me quite a bit now. Luckily, Grandma and Grandpa have been keeping him very occupied with playing outside, making cookies, and other fun activities (thanks Mom and Dad!). I'm honestly not sure how we would have survived the week without Mom and Dad since Andy needed to be back teaching on April 3. Here's photos from Grady's first week:

First family photo a couple of hours after Grady's birth.

1 day old.

Grandma, Grandpa, and Grady!

Aunt Ashley and Grady!

Headed home!

Relaxing at home on Daddy's knees.

Making cookies!

Carsten is a good helper!

Sidewalk chalk!

Reading a new book with Grandma!

Grady smiles in his sleep :)

Carsten is a good older brother :).

First family walk!

 Since we missed Easter, we dressed up and had our Easter photos today. We're a good looking group!

Family photo!

Everyone!

Lovely :)

Two of my handsome boys.

In case you're wondering, Carsten is wearing a size 4 suit. How did he get SO big?!

We've had an amazing first week and our hearts are bursting with joy and love. We look forward to every day we get to share with our handsome boys.

Last week before baby

Our last week of March was spent with Mom and Dad Huisman patiently (or not so patiently as the week went on) waiting for our new arrival. We had a lot of fun playing with Carsten and taking a lot of walks to encourage labor. The only blemish on the week was a stomach bug that got passed from Carsten to Andy to me. Luckily, Andy and I recovered after about 24 hours and more importantly, I didn't go into labor on that day which I was praying for. Carsten took about 3 days to get over it, but for once, he actually took long naps when sick (usually his naps get shorter). Carsten was fairly sad over those few days and laid on the floor to play diggers which is extremely unusual for him. Somehow, Mom and Dad managed to miss the stomach bug that the rest of us had, so we were very thankful for that. With Mom and Dad here we managed to get a few 'last minute' things done like assembling the baby glider, organizing a few things in the house, and running errands. We really enjoyed our time with Mom and Dad and while we would have liked to see the arrival of our new baby a bit earlier, God's timing is always perfect. Here's some photos from our week:

Poor sick Carsten. First time I've seen him lay on the floor.

Race time!

Playing diggers with the last of the snow.

Yay for Grandma and Grandpa being here!

Many, many walks :).

Shenanigans :)

It's amazing how fun paper and boxes can be :).

Reading books.

Swings!

Gears!

Last day before Grady was born! Carsten simply loves the swings!

Carsten's 30 month stats

We had Carsten's 30 month check up today and everything looks great for our buddy. Here are his stats:

Weight: 37 lbs (96th percentile)
Height: 39.75 in (99th percentile)
Head: 51 cm
BMI: 57%

He's extremely tall and well-proportioned for his age. Guess that's why he's already wearing 4t clothes.... The sliver lining is this: the clothes he's passing on to his baby brother are hardly used by normal standards! :)

Carsten is 2.5 years old!

On March 8, Carsten turned 2.5 years old and he's certainly had his fair share of adventure thus far: moving internationally twice, living in a foreign country for 2 years, visiting many different countries, and getting his fair share of jet-lag. He's extremely active and happy almost all the time. We love our little boy and it's hard to believe that he's already 2.5 years old.

2 year old Carsten

2.5 year old Carsten

Sleeping: We've had our fair share of sleep issues the last 6 months, but in all fairness, we've made him do jet-lag 3 times, vacationed for a month in the US, and turned his world upside down several times during moving. We finally have our European kinderbed which is the best crib/bed for Carsten since it's actually quiet when he bounces periodically at night (he's done this every since he was little). This allows everyone to sleep better (not so noisy and he goes back to sleep after only a minute). He still doesn't sleep well like I would expect an active little boy to, but I'm beginning to think that this will never happen for him for whatever reason. He is still napping (1-2.5 hr) on a regular basis which I'm very thankful for and hope will continue for quite a while yet. We still have him sleeping in his crib because a) he hasn't climbed out yet and b) it makes for better sleep for everyone at this point.

Eating: Carsten's tastes seem to change continually and things that were hits two months ago (i.e., grilled cheese and tomato soup) are no longer favorites. In fact, the foods he'll voluntarily eat are quite a bit less varied and we usually have to meter them to get in other nutritious foods (like veggies and meats). His current favorites are: Daddy granola (Oatmeal Squares) and peanut butter bread. He also loves a small piece of chocolate after supper on occasion and I'm sure he'd eat it all the time if we'd let him :). We're still using the sippy cup on a regular basis, but we have tried mixing it up with regular cups occasionally. He still wears bibs and I honestly think he'll need bibs for a LONG time as he's just not a neat eater (see photographic evidence).

He'll definitely need bibs until he's 18.

Playing: He LOVES anything to do with construction, trains, trucks, tractors, and airplanes. You'll often find him playing with his Switzerland diggers, outside diggers, or his train set at home. He definitely loves to have playmates and if we won't play with him because we're doing house tasks he'll come and ask for other favorites: aunts, uncles, grandparents, and babysitters. He loves to play active games with both Daddy and Mommy around the house such as hide and go seek (we call it 'sneaky Daddy' because it usually involves Carsten getting chased back to Mommy) and 'the rescue game' which is essentially a daddy-chases-Carsten-back-to-Mommy game. He also loves to play puzzles and he often reads with Daddy for 45+ min in the morning after he wakes up (while I usually sleep!). Carsten also really likes drawing and craft-time and he often asks for it.

Scholarship: Carsten really enjoys learning and at this point he knows almost all his capital letters by sight so you'll often hear him say: M for Mama and D for digger (at which point Daddy says: D is also for Daddy!). We frequently do number and alphabet flashcards, puzzles, and draw them on the doodler which he really seems to enjoy. He also has an amazing vocabulary (what 2.5 year old knows what 'articulated' means?) and he is often talking in many sentences at once. Now we have to start thinking about whether or not we will send him to 3 year old preschool in the fall (how is he that age already?!).

Media time: Lately I usually cuddle Carsten and watch a tv show with him in the morning (Sesame Street, Bob the Builder, or Thomas the Tank Engine). It's one of the only times he sits still, and I value this snuggly time with him since soon those moments will be harder to come by with a newborn around. I like to think Carsten likes it too :).

Temperament: Carsten is almost always happy which I'm very grateful for. He is rarely whiney and has never thrown what I would call a full-on temper tantrum - I'm sure this is yet to come but it is nice not to have those now. Carsten is often very rational and he usually is very happy to listen. On the occasional instance that he is not listening, we have implemented the 'loss of a priveledge' or 'you have a choice' philosophy which we have found works really well with him (timeouts are rare now). We'll see what happens as he keeps growing up.

Clothes: Carsten is currently in 4t pjs and 3t clothes, but he is transitioning into 4t shirts at the moment. Ever since he was little he has grown out of his pjs first, then shirts, and his pants last. I think this means he has a longer torso section than the average child. This 3t set of clothes is his new current record for longest set that he's been in (about 7-8 months now (hooray!)). He's wearing size 9 shoes (so big!) and I've already bought all his size 10 shoes in preparation for the next growth spurt. We have a 30 month appointment for him next week, so we'll find out how he's stacking up in the percentiles but my feeling is that he's still quite big. Most people who meet him for the first time think he's 3.5 - 4 years old. Carsten is also starting to express preferences in what he wears, and he's started to catch on to how stores work. I took him shopping to a Carter's outlet store last week and while I shopped, he would run around the store and find a digger shirt which he would then bring back to me and say 'want this one.' I usually say things like 'that's not ours, please put it back', so he by the end of our store visit (all of 20 min) he was then bringing shirts and saying 'want to buy it'. In the end, I caved and let him pick out a set of digger jammies (he was VERY excited that he got to choose his very own digger jammies). He spent the rest of the day just waiting for after bathtime so he could put them on. And the next day he did NOT want to take them off during the day. :)

How could I not buy these?! ;)

Some major changes we have to look forward to for Carsten in the next 6 months are potty training and transitioning to a big boy bed. We love our big boy and I'm so glad I've gotten to spend these 2.5 years with him. It's sometimes hard to imagine what changes our next little boy will bring to our everyday life, but I'm looking forward to seeing what life will look like as a family of 4!