Where the WiFi Password is Unplug

Our family cabin is firmly in the Northwoods of Minnesota. It is a rustic cabin where things slow down and it is so relaxing. I joked that the WiFi password is unplug because that is what you do. No one had a cell signal so electronics are of no use. We just spent the weekend in each others company swimming, fishing, taking a sauna or sitting by the campfire. And despite spending 9 hours total in the car the weekend seemed longer than if we had stayed home. 

Fort Smelling For The Win

After traveling to Wisconsin and Hibbing went so well (50 million stops for screaming Isaac) we were firmly in the "staycation" camp for the 4th. It didn't mean I wanted to sit around our house and town because there is no celebrations to be had in our small town. So Dave and I looked for activities nearby and settled on Fort Snelling during the day and the Taste of Minnesota relocated to Waconia only 40 minutes from home for the evening and fireworks. I have wanted to take the boys to Fort Snelling in St. Paul for a while. I have fond memories of  grade school field trips and thought it would be right up the boys alley, especially with the many reenactments going on that day.

We started the morning with blueberry pancakes and red watermelon and then tried desperatly to pack up for the day in a timely fashion. Two hours later than planned we were on the road to Fort Smelling as Eli called it. We ate our picnic lunch in the Fort Snelling parking lot while I nursed Isaac and then we were ready for our adventure.

 There was a battle of 1812 reenactment with cannons that we watched twice and the boys ate it up both times! We also got to watch the soldiers parade around.

 They were incredibly shy when talking to the solider guy by the canon.

The boys got a "special treat" of bottled root beer and cream soda and watching them drink from their bottles was funny. They are getting so big.

Unfortunately I can't say that our experience at the Taste of Minnesota was as good. We found the event crowed, overpriced and the food nothing more special than typical fair food (maybe even worse). We stuck it out for the promised double set of fireworks, but unfortunately neither set was very visible over the trees and you know it's bad when my kids don't even want to stay for the end. But the bonus was we were close to home and didn't get stuck in too much traffic going home as most people were headed east and we went straight west!

Cute as a Button

Isaac's poor little belly button took a while to fall off and when it did it was goopy, green and gross. Our pediatrician said to come back in if it didn't heal up by his one month mark. And then all of a sudden it was healed right before his one month mark and he was left with the cutest swirling belly button!

Smiles for Eli

I swear it was just the other day that I captured a similar picture of Adam holding baby Eli in the same spot in my living room, but I guess it was nearly three years ago and in small child/baby years that is nearly an eternity.

 On Saturday morning Isaac gave us his first smile. Adam, Eli and I were sitting on the couch and Dave was on the love seat across the room. I kept yelling at him to come over, but he claimed he could see the smiles just fine mirrored in our three faces every time Isaac light up with a precious smile.

As predicted by my mother, Isaac's first smile was given to his brothers. And it was while they were laughing about farts, boy humor! He has been pretty difficult to get smiles from but yesterday morning was our first "all brothers stay home day" and from my angle behind the lens it looked like Isaac was smiling at Eli!

There are people who only like the brand new tiny babies and I would have guessed that was me before I had babies. When I was three years old I wanted to switch my adorable six month baby brother and take my brand new baby cousin Travis home. My grandma LaCasse was one of those people I think around newborn to six weeks is her favorite baby stage. I on the other hand almost gleefuly wish away the brand new, crying all the time newborn stage. Give me the smiles which lead to cooing and interacting and all that wonderfulness! So come on Isaac lets smile more for mommy!

Isaac is One Month

It always feels like such a major accomplishment to make it through the first month with a newborn and Isaac we made it. You are one month old and you are loosing that newborn look more and more. I think you will be out of newborn sized diapers in a few days and maybe we won't have the carseat on it's tightest setting soon. 

I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of your smile. Everything seems so much easier when I know that I'm making my babies happy with some feedback. When you smile in your sleep sometime it is a half smile like your daddy and today I saw a beautiful full smile when we were in the park after feeding you.

I hate to admit it, but we've been calling you our fussiest baby.  You absolutely hate having a dirty diaper. Your loudest screams are due to a poopy diaper. For most of your first month it felt like we couldn't put you down because a few seconds later we would hear your shouts of disapproval (especially in the evenings). and sometimes even after picking you up it is hard to get you settled and you would continue fuss in our arms. I think you are finally starting to enjoy time in the swing, on the floor for tummy time or in the baby chair on your own looking around the room.  I've also started wearing you in the Moby wrap when nothing else will calm you down. I've also found that getting in the stroller or car to go sometimes is exactly what you need to settle down. You have literally stopped crying as I pull the van out of the garage. Your crying face is so cute though, you furrow that brow so well!

At Isaac's two week check up we confirmed that we have another peanut on our hands. His weight was 7 pounds 7 ounces 12th percentile, height was still 19.5" 5th percentile and head circumference 14 3/8" 65th percentile. We won't go back to see the pediatrician until Isaac is 2 months old so right now I have no idea what his weight and height are, but I would guess he is still small despite having a growth spurt.

When Isaac is focusing on something with his eyes open he gets completely still.

Isaac is a baby that has a giant man burp and spits up often. Eli was the same way so I was prepared and just use a blanket at all times to clean up the post feeding messes. The whole family knows the wet burp sound that is always followed with spit up and we all go running with a blanket to clean up the mess. The spit up doesn't really seem to bother Isaac though except at night when it sometimes comes out of his nose and then he sounds stuffed up and has a hard time breathing out of his little nostrils. A week ago I was convinced Isaac had infant reflux since he would cry every time we put him down and I spent most days holding him. Well I've changed my mind and a good solid swaddle for naps and getting him on a semi-schedule is helping his mood (plus being a few weeks older).

Happy 1 month Isaac, we are all so happy to have you in our family! 

Adam is Five!

How is he five? Seriously I thought Adam turning four rocked my world, but five is just way to old. He's such a special dude and growing up into such a wonderful caring young man. His interest in things and the conversations that he is able to have with us amaze me. 

Adam is such an amazing big brother. He sits in the middle of Eli and Isaac in the car and yesterday Isaac was crying on our way home, but stopped part way through our drive. Adam told us that he let Isaac suck on his finger so that he would fall asleep. We have asked him to put Isaac's nuk in his mouth during long car rides and he always does such a good job helping distribute food to his brother Eli, too.

For the day of Adam's fifth birthday we decorated the house and made breakfast a special event in our family tradition. Then Eli picked out a special present for Adam before we picked Adam up from daycare. I told Eli it was a surprise and we had to wait for dad to get home to open it. But the boys ran in the house a head of us and Adam was holding his present when we went inside. Hulk Smash gloves for his Avenger themed birthday party which will come sometime in July (June 26th with a new baby would have been too much, especially with grandma's funeral the day before).

Dave has taken Adam golfing to the driving range every birthday since he was three. This year we went as a whole family and invited his Godparents to come give him some private lessons.

After we finished golfing, right before the rain started we went to Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner. We shared a giant piece of chocolate cake and then per Adam's request went back to the Elk's Park to play on the playground. Successful Birth day and now to plan an Avenger themed big boy party.

"Isaac you are almost one month years old"- Adam

This isn't the official Isaac is one month old post, but more of a look back on Isaac's first month. When he was just five days old we took him to the farm for the last goodbye party with my mom's family after the interment of my grandparents. He got to meet his closet cousin in age Elliott (and Adam and Eli finally got to meet Elliott in real life too) and the majority of the extended family. It was probably more than I should have done that soon after my c-section, but looking back I am so glad we made the two hour trip to Hugo Minnesota.

We celebrated Father's Day on Sunday by resting and doing absolutely nothing other than watch the US Open and hold Isaac- which was perfect.

Then on Monday Dave went back to work full time and the big brothers went to daycare so Isaac and I could stay home and rest, recover and figure things out. The first week we both did a lot of napping!

Eli's second weekend in our family was spent in Hutchinson and he got to join us in our first #Hutchparktour2014 at the Elks Park to celebrate the start of summer. Isaac pretty much ate and slept and I kept the mosquitos from carrying him away. Sunday we found out the my grandmother Shan passed away and the funeral would be on Wednesday in Hibbing. We will miss my dad's mom greatly, she was put in Hospice care the day of Isaac's birth. It meant that Isaac at barely over two weeks old had met most of my mom and dad's side of the family! 

 Isaac being held by great grandpa Arne in Hibbing.

We drove up to Hibbing when Dave got off work on Tuesday and came home late on Wednesday. Then Thursday my big boy Adam turned 5! On Friday we took Isaac to Wisconsin for the first time to meet the rest of his cousins and his aunt Annie.

The boys made sure there was plenty of basement play time and swimming in a pool. I made sure the hammock was set up to get a nap in with my Isaac.

Before we left for Coleman Isaac's umbilical cord fell off so on Sunday morning Eli and Isaac took a bath together for the first time. Eli was even able to help me hold Isaac while I washed him. He also got held by everyone besides Nathaniel who got held many times too!

Poor Eli- all the other cousins in Dave's family were born in June and July besides him so we celebrated with a made from scratch banana cake and lots of candles for Nathaniel, Adam and James (we may have sang to Isaac too- I can't remember). Thankfully Elliott was born early in April so Eli and Elliott will share a birthday month on my side of the family.

Grandpa and all five grandsons!

We did learn why most people don't travel with a newborn. We stopped over six times on our 4 hour trip to Hibbing and I completely lost track of the number of stops we made on our way to Coleman Wisconsin. It took us an extra two hours to get to Coleman and we didn't hit any traffic in the cities. Isaac doesn't like having a dirty diaper, being hungry, he needs to be burped many times post eating and doesn't seem to like the dark. We plan to stay in Minnesota for most of July, so hopefully next time we travel it will go better.