Everyday Life

Oh life with  a newborn is so much different the 2nd time around! We hang out at home a lot more then usual... but it's so fun to be together as a little family! I am soaking up every minute before Joel starts school again!
These are just some random pictures of the last few weeks as a family of 4! They are not in any order... we take soooo many pictures! :)

LOTS of cuddling!!

Lots of Baths!

 And lots of picture taking!

 I am totally still in the newborn bubble... we go out and do somethings a few times a week. But for the most part, it's been pretty low key. I hardly wear make-up, my house is usually messy, and I am lucky if the dishes are done. But I love everything about this time in our lives.... messy, low key, sleep deprived and all!! I can't complain... especially when my 3 week old baby is ONLY waking up between 4-5am to eat. And my 3 year old is the sweetest big brother a mom could ask for. His favorite line... "Ohhhh sweetieeeee!" (While stroking his face or head very gently!)

Pictures of my Boys!

I have 2 boys..... whoa!! It's crazy!!! I took them to get pictures done and I love them!!

Carson 

1.5 weeks old

 These little shorts were way too big.... the pictures look so much cuter with out them!

 This cry face.... I love!

 Joel hates this picture, says it looks weird! But I LOVE IT!!!!!! He looks like a little, old wrinkly man! Oh and what newborn lifts up his head and looks around....Carson does.

 I am kinda obsessed with his cuteness!!! He is such a sweet baby!

Jaxon

3 years and 3 months

 I love his hands in his pockets!

 These 2, with the red wall, are my favorites of him!

 So serious.... but I kinda love it.

 Then he got all sorts of silly!

  And finally my 2 sweet boys!

Hands down my favorite picture of the day!!!

 Kisses!

 For some reason this green chair made Jaxon silly!

How much do I love these little guys!? And who told Jaxon he could grow up overnight!?

Brothers

Kinda melts my heart!

- Birth Day -

Here it is... the Birth Story - for those that care! :) It's long, but I promise there are pictures!
Wednesday night, Jaxon and I were sitting on the couch watching Octonauts. I called Joel, who was on his way home, and told him he should take Jaxon swimming! I wasn't feeling too great, so we decided I would hang out in a chair and read while they played in the water for a while. I started getting contractions right before we left for the pool. They were not strong, but noticeable, and were about 15-20 minutes apart.
Nothing really changed, so we went to bed. Lets just say I got very little sleep. They were not as consistent, but they kept waking me up, which made for a long night!
By Thursday morning they had started coming more frequently. About every 5 minutes. And they were stronger. Joel decided to call into work to let them know we were going to the hospital. We got my sister to get Jaxon, and we went into Labor/Delivery. Well after an hour of being monitored I was having consistent contractions, but only dilated to just past a 3. So they sent me home around 11:30. GRRR! So frustrating! I was induced with Jaxon, so this whole thing was kinda new to me. The nurse told us I was soooo close to being ready, but I just wasn't quite there. Biggest problem, baby had not dropped, and was not putting enough pressure on the cervix to dilate with the contractions.  We went and picked up Jaxon, went to lunch, and did some walking around a nearby duck pond. Then we went home, and took naps! MUCH needed for me especially. Sadly, I didn't sleep very well. Contractions kept coming, and coming and coming, and there was not a dang thing to do about it but hope they got worse!
To get some more walking in, we headed to Costco with my mom. Then we came home, ate dinner, and went for another walk around the neighborhood.
We finally decided nothing was changing, so Joel and I went to bed. That lasted about 15 minutes. I tried to roll over, and instantly got some serious pain... which kicked started some brutal contractions!! And they were about 4 minutes apart. After about 15-20 minutes of agony, we called my mom and sister to have them come stay with Jaxon.
Of course, once we got to the hospital, the contractions slowed wayyyyy down. I was still in pain though. Once again, not enough progress to admit me, but they would monitor me for an hour and see if I make any more progress. Here we go again, was all Joel and I were thinking. After about 30 minutes, we were just sitting there talking, and my water broke! I told Joel - Um... I either just peed the bed, or my water just broke!!! He went and got a nurse, and sure enough, at 1:30 am we were admitted  and ready to have this baby!! WAHOO!!!
Joel and my mom spent the night with me in the hospital room. None of us got much sleep, but I was feeling pretty good after the epidural kicked in. Around 8 am, the doctor came in, and said I was pretty dang close to ready! The baby's heart rate was dropping with each contraction, so they had me hooked up to oxygen for the delivery. That seemed to help him. At 9:05 AM, after about 40 minutes of pushing, our little Carson was born! 

My sister was already near by with Jaxon, so he got meet his baby brother within 30 min of him being born. Jaxon was shy, curious, and really careful. He asked Who is that? about 100 times!
Once they moved me into another room, we got lots of visitors! Good thing Carson and Dad were back from the nursery. My Dad, Celeste and Garrett. Garrett was soooo excited to see a baby! He kept "petting" his hair. 

Tia and Abuela with Carson. They had both met him earlier, but didn't get a chance to hold him till later.We had lots more visitors, but they must have escaped my picture taking, crazy self! My family was SOOOOO amazing during all of this to help with Jaxon. Stefanie spent the night with him, and drove him around a lot, my mom also helped with getting him home for naps, and stuff. And of course my dad took our little crazy man to his house to get out some energy!! He got feeling pretty cooped up in the hospital room, so running free at my dads got him all ready for his nap! Thanks again you guys! My mom and sister took Jaxon home and got him in bed. So Joel and I had a little while with just the 3 of us. Just getting to know our new little guy.

He is perfect and ours! We love him so much and already! It is kind of crazy how perfect he "fits" into our little family. I was really hoping for a girl this time around, but now I know why we were sent another little boy! Our family needed him. And Jaxon adores his baby brother "Tarson"!! My life is pretty great!

He is HERE!!!

Carson Ryan Brown

6-1-12  

9:05 AM

6 lbs 13 oz 19.5 inches long

We are home, healthy, and totally in love with our new little guy! Birth story, and lots more pictures coming soon! For now, just know we are feeling pretty blessed. He is perfect!

Air Show

We went to the Air Show at Hill Air Force Base. It was rainy on the way up, but it stopped and warmed up just a bit right when we got there! The dark clouds still hung around some, but they made for some cool pictures! It was a long day, but it was a lot of fun! Jaxon thought he had died and gone to heaven! So did Joel! :) We mostly just walked around and looked at all the planes, walked through the ones that were open, and of course watched the planes fly! They were awesome! Here are some pictures....

Sitting in the big cargo plane! It was seriously MASSIVE!!!!

Going in the "big plane". Joel said as soon as they got inside, he found a seat and sat right down!

This one was probably his favorite! It was soooo loud, and was dropping pretend bombs!

Proof I was there.... :)

The Red Bull plane... he was a maniac in the sky! I thought for sure he was going to crash!

Yep, we suckered for a toy... but he was having it mimic what the real planes were doing in the sky. So cute!

 We had so much fun!

Jaxon....

This little dinosaur is getting all ready to be a big brother! He is about 50% potty trained.... he does really well at home... at least with the peeing. The "other" you really never know. BUT... this is a BIG BUT... he is not good when we are out places. Even at grandparents houses and stuff.  He just forgets to tell me, refuses to tell me, is having to much fun to pay attention, or doesn't realize that pottys do exist outside of our home! I haven't figured out which is the main problem. If I take him, he will usually try to go some, but he rarely stays dry when we are out and about. UGH. Have I mentioned how much I hate potty training? So he wears pull ups. I know.... everyone warned me that they are just expensive diapers.. but he actually has done really well in them at home. But it's because when he has a pull up on, I leave him alone... and he will tell me on his own when he needs to go. If he has undies on, I am a gnat buzzing around him making sure he doesn't pee on my couch, or bed, or floor. It's just the in public thing we need to work on. What do I do? Take him out in undies and let him have a big accident somewhere to get through to him? Put undies on UNDER the pullup... so he has the "uh-oh I'm really not dry anymore" realization? Anyways.... enough about potty training. I am not the first, or that last to struggle with it. One day... one day...
What else is new with our Jaxon... he has been in a big boy bed for a while now. And LOVES LOVES LOVES it!! I gotta get pictures up of his cute room. From day 1, he has not given us one issue about the bed. In fact, (grandparents can't believe this) he NEVER gets out of it. In the morning and after his nap, he waits in his bed until we come in and get him out. He can climb in and out just fine, but doesn't. And I am not complaining. I know he wakes up before 7:30-8-ish in the mornings... but he doesn't come out until we go get him. I kinda love it... :)
His preschool ends in 2 weeks, he is going to miss it so much this summer. He seriously loves it!! As soon as we pull in the parking lot he gets sooooo excited and starts saying "My friends!! I go play with my friends! Bye mama... I go to school." Such a big boy.

 Mothers day kisses!

He has really become a sweetie lately. Lots of hugs, kisses, and cuddles! They make my day! There is not much room left in my lap, but he finds a way to snuggle in, which usually involves using my big ol' belly as a pillow or arm rest.
Literally EVERY DAY he asks to go outside to "play hoops". There is a basketball court just around the corner from where we live that he wants to go to constantly. The funny thing is, he only shoots the ball a handful of times, then he wants us to shoot the ball. He would rather chase it. Then after a few minutes of that... he just wants to run around with the ball, playing his own silly game of some sort. So, being my lazy, super preggo self, I bring a chair and let him play and play. :)

1... or 4...

1 Month.... or 4 weeks.... at the LATEST... We will have 2 little boys in our home! Today is May 6th, my scheduled induction date is June 6th. If I haven't already had him... he will be coming sometime that day!!!! I am still wrapping my mind around the whole "2 kids... 2 boys" thing. But I CAN NOT wait to meet this baby! He is a wiggly little guy! He rolls, and rolls, those little knees and elbows are constantly rolling across my stomach. Such an awesome feeling - but it hurts sometimes. Jaxon never did this much rolling... he kicked and punched... HARD! Especially when Joel pushed back or tried to feel him. This baby seems to hide or stop moving if pushed around too much. I am still feeling good... considering.. :) But I am lacking in the energy department. Nesting, and lack of energy don't go to well together. I walk by the baby's room everyday... and I am DYING for it to be set up and ready. But I never have the energy to tackle more then 1 or 2 things at once. Guess it will happen eventually! I did buy some Dreft this weekend... and all I can think about is folding freshly washed newborn clothes! Mmmmm!
At the Dr office I go to, they do 3D ultrasound pictures  from 28-34 weeks. I told Joel I wanted to get some SOOOO bad! So, a few days before I hit the 34 week mark, I got my early Mothers Day present! AWWW it was so fun, and a perfect gift! Baby was totally hiding behind my placenta, and was facing the wrong way. But after some apple juice, a lot of pushing, prodding, and moving around, we finally got to see what this little guy looks like! He is still hiding a little behind the placenta, so they aren't perfect, but good enough for me! We got about 20... but here are just a few.

 I think this one is my favorite! Those puckering lips... I LOVE!

 Sweet little profile... can you see the scrunched up nose??

 

And of course the leg/toes!

I think he looks like Jaxon!! I compared the ultrasound pictures to pictures of Jaxon a few hours old... and they look a lot a like so far. I am excited to see how accurate these are... and what he really looks like!!! The Dr doing the ultrasound said she saw HAIR!! Oh how I hope she is right! ;)