Bugs

Yes, I know Halloween was almost a month ago but nonetheless, I finally have some hands free to type and so I thought I'd post some pics of our cute lil' BUGS!

We had a great night attending the Harvest Festival at our church and then going to a local nursing home to visit the residents there. It was a nice alternative to being out in the cold with two little ones and it was fun to see the spirits of the residents lifted by all of the kids who came to visit them. Teagan had a really fun time this year and learned to say "trick or treat" (and of course, "thank you!") although she was a little timid at times. Wyatt basically snoozed the whole time. :)


Our lil' ladybug and her glow-in-the-dark candy bag (thanks, Oma!). Teagan LOVED her costume and had to wear the jacket around the house for several days after Halloween. :)

I made my Baby Bjorn carrier into a bumble bee costume for Wyatt. He was pretty adorable. :)





A whole new world opened up to Teagan when she discovered "TREATS!" :) Of course, in the tradition of Halloween night, we allowed her to dive into her loot and experience the bliss of a late night sugar high...complete with a laughing, bouncing, screaming, and running in circles around the living room. Oh, sweet times. :)

Our Sweet Boy

Finally, a long overdue post about our sweet baby boy! Can you believe that Wyatt is 7 weeks old already? It's been amazing how quickly the past (almost) two months have gone and yet it's getting more and more difficult to even remember our family without him! The past weeks have been an adjustment for sure. The 'ole saying is so true that "having a baby changes everything!" Just at a time where we were feeling pretty comfortable and settled into life with a toddler, we're thrown back into that hard place of unpredictable schedules, no time for yourself, little sleep, LOTS of pacing and bouncing, cold meals, considering it a major accomplishment to leave the house for anything, constant diaper changes, re-learning how to communicate in marriage, :) and little ability to give attention to much else than this tiny life that needs you 100% of the time. Fortunately, because we've just recently been through this season of parenting, we knew what was coming (and we know the great stages ahead!). Unfortunately, that hasn't necessarily made it any easier.... even harder in a lot of ways because we have an active toddler to also care for! Learning the balance of caring for two young children has been challenging for sure but we're learning to take one day at a time and be content with what our day brings....the good and the bad. We've been SO blessed by you, our family and friends, over the past several weeks! Your generosity with things like making meals and offering another set of hands has meant more to us than you will ever know! THANK YOU!!

In many ways, this first month and a half has been more difficult than expected, mostly due to the fact that Wyatt has been a bit colicky. This term is kind of a catch all for many things but he basically fits the definition in every way possible. This has mainly been due to his GERD/reflux which has been really bad. For so long, anytime he was awake, he was miserable....screaming, crying, and always seemed to be in pain. He needed (and often still does) to be held 24/7 and it feels like he is constantly spitting up. Poor baby. We've also been debating about whether or not he has a dairy allergy. Long story short, we're still not sure but are praying that it's not since giving up dairy (b/c of nursing) is overwhelming and nearly impossible and I really don't want to stop nursing. As much as our patience was tested, our hearts hurt for him more. After trying one medication and it not helping, he is on another and it seems to be working for the most part. Within the last week has finally been acting more "normal" - meaning he still has his fussy moments but he actually has times where he is awake and content...and sometimes even happy! This has been such a blessing, especially for him. We know deep down he wanted to be a happy baby but was in so much misery that he never enjoyed being awake. Overall, I am determined to bask more in the emotions of contentment and love of holding and cuddling my sweet boy than in the emotion of frustration as I am finding it nearly impossible to get anything else done! Prayers for our lil' guy and some of these issues would be so appreciated!

Despite the fact that we're being thrown back into some of the hardships of having a newborn, we're also experiencing all of the JOY that comes with this stage as well. First coos, first smiles (his smile is absolutely adorable!), seeing Wyatt recognize our voices and our faces, watching as he discovers the world around him, seeing the way he and Teagan interact (she loves him so much!) and having our hearts be full as we look at him, embrace him, and know that he was created just for us is something that brings us a joy that is hard to put into words!


Wyatt loves his Mama!

(No, this is not a picture of me nursing....just cuddling with my lil' man). :)

A favorite (but rare) moment for Daddy!

What a strong boy! He's becoming really good at holding his head up!

First bottle feeding...he did great although we haven't kept up on it very well. I feel like I don't have a spare minute to find time to pump but it would be nice to be able to leave at some point. We tried formula once but he refused it.

Teagan loves Wyatt so much. Unfortunately, he doesn't always respond very favorably and Teagan gets a little confused. :)
Showing Wyatt all the animals in her new animal book (thanks Stacey!).

Wyatt in his "Miracle Blanket." This is one of a few different things we've used to help manage some of his fussiness. It really does help calm him and he sleeps much better in it! We've also used Gripe Water occasionally, an all-natural remedy. This helps calm him as well. Though not a "cure-all," these are lil' Godsends for any parent who feels they are reaching the end of THEIR calmness! :)

Our cutie patootie!

His smile melts our hearts!

Jammies!

He LOVES his bath!!
Don't you just want to eat him up?! :)

my husband

As you read in the last post, Tim just celebrated his 30th birthday! I thought it would be nice to dedicate an entire post to him and show all the wonderful things we love about him. So, here goes...

He's a loving husband and my best friend!


He's an incredible Daddy to our two precious gifts.


He's extremely talented and built me this BEAUTIFUL console table. I absolutely love it!!


Words cannot express how grateful I am for how hard Tim works to provide for our family. Here he is moving into his new storage unit a couple of months ago.


Stacking wood and getting us ready for a cold winter!


He's very handy! We finished our basement....over a YEAR ago...and I meant to put pictures up then...but such is life. Tim finished off his office on his own before Teagan was born and then we had the guy who built our house do most of the work on the other parts but Tim did a few things as well like the tile in the bathroom and the stone around the fireplace. We love having our basement finished....it's our little retreat each night after Teagan is sleeping.

30

HAPPY 30th BIRTHDAY TO A MAN WHO IS MY BEST FRIEND, AN INCREDIBLE FATHER, AND THE LOVE OF MY LIFE!!

I love you, Timothy Alan Keeler!!

Five Things

The other day I had "one of those days" and learned that there are certain things that can make all the difference as I adjust to life as a mommy of two:

= my mom. Showing up at just the right time to lend an extra hand and provide warm company. Love you!








= Panera bread. Spinach artichoke sandwhich and cheese broccoli soup satisfy the soul. :) (again, thanks mom!).




= Baby Bjorn carrier. Pulled it out of the closet and was reminded of how this is one of the best inventions of baby gear ever created! Perfect for those days where life doesn't stop but Wyatt just wants to be held and constantly moving.





= Keys. Specifically, keys to our bathroom and our bedroom (where Wyatt sleeps in his bassinet). Resorting to locking these doors has come after multiple attempts at things like trying to stop a busy toddler (aka Teagan) from climbing in Wyatt's bed, opening bottles of gas drops, diaper cream, and lotion, and pouring water from the toilet onto the living room floor. :)

= my friend, Colleen. God woke her up to send me a note of encouragement and wisdom about this whole adjustment exactly when I needed to read it. Reminded me that these first few months are like a fourth trimester of pregnancy as Wyatt adjusts to life outside of the womb and as I adjust and heal, physically, hormonally etc. from pregnancy and delivery and with very little sleep. I can't expect to be Supermom right now and that's okay (but maybe soon?). :)

I sure am exhausted but I'm loving every minute...both the peace and the chaos. I know one day I'll look back and miss these days because they go by so fast! (PS. Gotta go....Wyatt's crying, Teagan's suppose to be napping but is calling my name, and Bailey just threw up on the carpet. Lovely!).

First Week

We've officially survived our first week home as a family of four! :) In spite of a full week of work for Tim, a busy wedding weekend (congrats Sara and Scott!), saying "good-bye" to uninterrupted sleep, a few moments of craziness, and the typical emotional ups and downs that life (and hormonal) changes can bring, we've had a good "first week" and have been so grateful for your prayers!

Wyatt is doing so well and is such a sweetie pateetie! Our hearts are overflowing with love...that scary, really vulnerable kind of love like a piece of your heart is walking outside of your body...for our lil' boy. He has blessed us with his snuggles and his content temperament and is getting better at getting his days and nights straight although he seems to prefer being held my Mommy over sleeping in his bassinet. I'm not complaining too much but am looking forward to a time when getting a full night of sleep is attainable. :)

Cuddle time with Mommy and Daddy at the hospital.


Teagan's first time holding her baby brother.

Wyatt in his "take home" outfit. :)

Leaving the hospital.

Thanks to Mike and Jess for making our homecoming memorable! :)

First bath at home.

First "tummy time" on the mat.

First family walk! :)

I've been so blessed with the support from my wonderful mom while Tim is at work each day. This has been great not only from an emotional standpoint but a physical one as well since I'm on a lifting and holding restriction (nothing heavier than Wyatt) for 4- 6 weeks. The most difficult part of this is not being able to lift Teagan and relying on help for things that were a part of our normal routine before. I wish I didn't have to deal with this, especially b/c it adds more confusion to Teagan along with everything else that has changed, but I am reminded that "this too shall pass" and she won't even remember these days. Nonetheless, it's amazing how helpful an extra set of hands has been this past week as I recover from the surgery and dedicate time to bond with my sweet lil' boy while adjusting to life as a mom of two! On the flipside, I am grateful for a husband who continues to work hard and provide for us each day though ideally he would like to have taken time off and been at home with us during this transition. We've learned that sometimes what is 'ideal" just simply can't be reality and we are making the best of it. We love you Tim/Daddy!

Teagan LOVES her baby brother! She has tried a few times to say his name but prefers to just say "baby." We think she is adjusting well to life with him around although you can tell at times she is a little jealous of the attention and can become a little restless/defiant. She seems to really enjoy climbing in Wyatt's baby swing or his bassinet and putting his pacifier in her mouth. :) She loves to give him kisses and hold him but can be a little too aggressive sometimes...as expected for a 20 month old with a lot of energy. :) Though it seems at times that our interactions with her can easily be overwhelmed by all the "be gentle!" "no touch!" and "that's baby Wyatt's, not yours," etc., we continue to make a conscious effort of praising her and uplifting her as a big girl/sister. We're proud of her for how well she is doing amidst the changes but we're eager for life to settle into a "new normal" for all of us.

Our sweet Wyatt.

Wyatt Alan Keeler

We joyfully announce the arrival of our lil' cowboy, Wyatt Alan Keeler. We welcomed him into our arms on Friday morning at 7:51am. He weighed 7lbs 8oz. 20inches long. We thank you all so much for your prayers and praise God that everything went well for both Wyatt and Brooke. Our hearts are overflowing with love for this gift that God has blessed us with. Here is a little slideshow (with music) of our family that I put together while Brooke and Wyatt were resting. In order to view it properly please use the little "play" button at the bottom of the show instead of the large "play" button off to the side. Enjoy

September 4th, 2009

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