Welcome Alex!

 Alex Joseph Irons

9 lbs 7 oz 20.5 inc

September 27, 2011 12:26 pm

We checked into the hospital at 5:30 am and by 7:30 they had me ready to start the pitocin drip. The doctor came in at 7:45 to break my water. At 10:45 my contractions began to get very uncomfortable so the nurse ordered me an epidural. At 11:15 I got the epidural (hallelujah to thine be the glory) and by 12:00 I was fully dilated and ready to push! 26 minutes later sweet baby Alex easily made his way into the world and we are forever grateful!

Easy. This precious baby is so easy going just like his daddy. So much so that at one week old he ended up at the Troy Hospital for three days for dehydration. Apparently he wasn’t getting enough milk and didn’t fuss to tell me that he was still hungry after each feeding. He is just fine today…better than fine. He is an angel, miracle, and precious gift from our Heavenly Father.
It has taken me 3 weeks to journal this story because I feel as if words do not suffice to describe my great love for this little one and his big brother. I just can not seem to find words to tell just how much I love my 3 boys.

How can I repay the Lord for all his goodness to me? Psalm 116:12

23 Months

Luke will be 23 months on Saturday but I'm posting this early in case baby brother decides to arrive before then.  He is doing so well in his big bed and loves his new room.  He hardly ever goes in the nursery anymore.  Every book is a Bible and he loves to go in his room and sit in his new rocking chair and read his Bible (with the door shut).  He expects a Bible story each time we put him to bed.  I think I have mentioned before that he is very particular about things.  If Derek and I are together he wants my phone ("bone) to be in my hands and Derek's to be in his.  He does not like us using each others phones.  Every thing that is shaped like a stick is automatically a bat. He will get in the hitter's position and once you throw him the ball he does not swing but drops the bat and runs around the house like a mad man.  His favorite foods are gummies (we've had a few fits over these), cheese, milk and pasta.  He is not a big breakfast eater.  When he wakes up he just wants his milk.  Each day he is talking more and more.  He still calls me daddy and no matter how many times a day I correct him he still calls me daddy.  I'm pretty sure this goes along with his strong will.  He can definitely say "mama" but he has chosen my name to be daddy and so that's what it is going to be.  Can I be honest and say that it drives me CRAZY!?!  We have started a new form of discipline this month that has worked wonders.  A spanking from me pretty much meant nothing to Luke and he was a little out of control so we did some research (aka asked our friends) and our new method works wonders.  He has been so well behaved the past few weeks.  Just in time for little brother.

We went to the doctor Tuesday at which I was 38 weeks pregnant to the day.  They did an ultrasound to get an estimated weight on Alex and he was already predicted to weigh 8lbs 12 ozs.  My doctor scheduled us for an induction next Tuesday (27th) so if not before then, we will get to meet our new little bundle of joy Tuesday.  I can not wait!!!!

Play at Home Mom

I found this awesome little blog that posts activities to do with your toddlers. Luke has enjoyed so many of the activities, however, his absolute favorite is dyed shaving cream. He has played with it for at least 2 hours everyday this week. We have gone through 2 dollar store cans of shaving cream. Who knew?

He also enjoys playing with playdough:

Jumping Bean

Luke discovered that the crib mattress was raised and figured out a way to climb in and then began jumping like the wild man that he is.  I probably should have stopped him but that little giggle and grin was too cute and so I just stood beside the crib and allowed it. 

I made a few changes in the nursery and still haven't hung anything on the walls but for the most part it is ready for little Alex's arrival.  I painted the walls the same light gray that I painted Luke's dresser, made new curtains and a few other things to make it different for our new little man.  By the way, he will be here in 11 days or less!!!!  I can't wait to meet him!

We did it!

Luke is sleeping in his big boy bed!  Many thanks to his awesome daddy who spent a night in his room teaching/comforting him to sleep.  The most amazing thing is when we put him in his bed he understands that it is bedtime and not to get out of the bed unless we come in there and get him.  He has actually grown to love his new room and bed.  We ended up putting him in his pack-n-play for a few nights and our little man-child learned in those few nights to climb out so we realized we were going to have to buckle down and teach him to sleep in his bed.  I am shocked that one night was all it took. 



Working out

I took these pictures when we were at Grana and Papa's house for 4th of July but just found them on my camera.  One of Luke's favorite things to do there is play on their Gazelle.  I thought these were just too cute of Derek and Luke working out together. 



Luke's Big Boy Room

After spending the past month painting and sewing we are nearly done with Luke's big boy room.  I just have a few more projects to complete.  This was definitely a "work with what you've got" situation.  I seriously feel like I have spent a couple thousand hours in his room painting.  I painted the walls, the dresser (light gray), the bed (dark gray), the curtain rod (navy), the rocking chair (navy), the gallery wall picture frames(dark gray), and the canvas (dark gray).  I made the curtains, the bedskirt, the lamp and most of the art prints on the gallery wall.  Here it is in its current state:

I need to post a before and after on the dresser.

My handy husband hung the roman shades.

My very homemade curtains. Luke put his Bible in the rocking chair for my pictures ;)

I covered this lamp in twine like I plan to do with some lanterns to hang above the other end of the dresser.

Some of our friends gave Luke this wooden Louisville Slugger with his name, birthdate and birth stats engraved on it. The wood letters are from his nursery.

I have a huge (50x38) world map to hang above the dresser but I'm having trouble finding a poster frame for that size that doesn't break the bank.  I also plan to make a little pillow for the rocker and I have some navy seersucker to make bolster pillows for the bed.  I also want to make a few of these lanterns in a few different sizes to hang above the dresser.

The transition to the big bed is not going so well. He has taken 2 naps in the bed but if he wakes up he is quick to jump out of the bed and come find us. The last few times we have tried to put him asleep in there he freaks out. He has always been a creature of habit and change generally affects him more than your average bear. He has slept in the crib in the nursery for nearly 2 years so that is what is comfortable to him and the way he thinks it should be. We decided we aren't going to make too big of a deal out of it.  If we have to when Alex arrives we will put Luke in the pack-n-play in his room to teach him that he now sleeps in his room.  Maybe he's just not ready.  Since he has always been a great sleeper I am really hesitant to do anything that might change that.

22 Months

loves to wear my "gwasses"

water table at the mcwane center

loves to climb into everything

the splash pad/pool in Troy

watching TV with daddy

start 'em young

serious phone coversation...notice Derek's watch around his elbow

wearing a hat like daddy

new haircut

loves playing with blocks

chef Luke

McWane Center

Last weekend we traveled to Birmingham to spend time with friends before our summer came to a close.  Jessica and Leah were in town visiting Jessica's parents so Luke got a lot of play time with Leah.  We took them to the McWane Center on Saturday morning.  I was concerned it was going to be a little too old for Luke but there was plenty for him to do and he loved it!  At one point he climbed to the 5th story of the playground and this 32 week pregnant momma had to climb in there after him .  I am sure it was a sight to see.  He is quite the little daredevil. 

That evening we met some good friends at Jim n Nicks in Gardendale to celebrate the arrival of little Alex.  We got lots of diapers and wipes and are so grateful for our sweet friends who are so generous. 

Leah and Luke watching TV

Leaving for McWane

The water table...I think we could have spent the whole day here



Digging for dinosaur bones

Celebrating baby Alex with some sweet college friends