Fourth of July

Our little Jack is becoming not so little. Today he finally had his one month checkup (he's actually 6 weeks today though). He is a whopping 11lbs 12oz and 22inches long! Such a growing boy! The pediatrician and I both agreed that he may surpass Mr. Joseph at some point. He is in the 95th percentile for weight and 75th for height. It all makes sense to me as he is eating SO much. He takes 7 bottles a day at 4oz...a very hungry fella. Still wakes at 3am but starting to extend his nighttime sleep a teensy tiny bit. Over the past week he had a brutal (B.R.U.T.A.L.) growth spurt. Mommy is still recovering from the lack of sleep...however we muscled through it and today he is back on track. Today was also our very first time out and about just the three of us. On our own. No help. WE SURVIVED! I came home feeling extremely confident with this whole having two kids thing. :) The trip to the doctor was a breeze but I have a feeling all trips won't always be this easy ;) but thankful they were both so good for me.
We recently had my sister and brother-in-law in town for a visit and it was a blast! Unfortunately, the two little girls couldn't make this trip but we enjoyed their visit nonetheless. Jack was super stoked to meet his aunt and uncle. He enjoyed all the extra cuddles and mommy enjoyed all the extra hands to help out! Thanks Taylors!!!
For the Fourth of July, Vince and I were so exhausted from our families visit and all the running around that we stayed in and enjoyed a cozy family weekend just to ourselves. I did try and get pictures of the boys but quickly realized its a little too early for sibling pictures with these two...

Hope everyone had a fantastic Fourth!

I'm HUNGRY!!!

Ok, one picture and then it's mealtime, mom.

Thats as good as it gets with these two...

Showing my guns!

Jack Jack is 1 Month Old!

Our little Jack has just turned one month old. Everyone warned me that the time would fly by having two and they were right. He is doing excellent and a pretty easy baby. I am still breastfeeding and he seems to be gaining enough weight. Once we know his stats I will update everyone but from what we can tell, he's starting to sleep longer at night which means he's getting PLENTY of milk.
Over the past month, our Pascazio family came to visit. It was a packed weekend of lots of activities with 5 boys! 5! We had a blast.

And then there were two...

It's been two weeks now since we welcomed our new little bundle to the family. Jack was born on May 26th at 7:45am weighing in at a whopping 8lbs 6oz and 21inches long. (I now understand why this pregnancy was so miserable however he was worth every pain, jab, and hot flash he gave me for 9 months.) I never thought much of the Apgar score when Joseph was born until we had Jack who scored a perfect 10! The doctors and nurses were impressed to say the least. Acing our first big test makes for a very happy mommy.
Jack is nursing like a champ! It's definitely hard work but I'm happy to be able to have this kind of bond with him. Joseph never let me nurse which lead me to pump. Nursing has been a lot easier, for sure!
I'd like to say that Joseph is adapting perfectly fine with a new baby in the house but I'd be lying. He has started acting out towards mommy which I know is normal but still it breaks my heart. He doesn't pay much attention to Jack but definitely knows he's around. The hardest part during the day is when he wants to sit in my lap and it's already occupied with an infant. It's rough being an older brother. Vince and I have quickly realized how hard it is with two but we really are loving it. We've already ventured out of the house a few times and it's only taken us an hour to pack it all up and be pulling out of the driveway! I'd say that's a win. Still, keep us in your prayers for sanity, peace, and rest. :)

The 19 Month Old

Joseph is now 19 months old! He is 22 pounds, 31 inches long and a healthy little squirt. I wish I could say he was growing like a weed and in some cases he is but poor thing is still in 9 month pants and shorts. The other day we did some swimming in his little pool and the swim suit I put on him were 3-6 months and falling off of him! We apparently have no booty.
He is a little chatter box though we have no idea what he's saying. He can however say 7 words and finally learned how to sign "more." His little personality continues to blossom and in some ways not so cute. He thinks that screaming at us is how he can get his way, but unfortunately that is currently being dealt with. He once was obsessed with closing doors and we think we have nipped that little novelty in the bud. Time-outs happen now, it doesn't seem to be a very sufficient way of handling bad behavior but we are sticking with it. It's a hard life for a toddler. :)
So the weather here has been absolutely beautiful. Not too hot. We are spending a lot of time outside playing in the pool, feeding ducks, and wagon rides around the yard. It feels nice to get out of the house and enjoy the sunshine and fresh air! It puts us all in a better mood when we're out of the house.
We are now 3 weeks away from little Jack's arrival. The house is ready and waiting and this mommy is beyond ready. Little Jack is running out of room and the swift kicks to my ribs are not as amusing as they were in the beginning. It now hurts! My doctor unfortunately had to move my delivery date to the 27th which I have cried about. We wanted the 26th for a very special reason but unfortunately whatever the doctor says, goes. If our guardian angel has anything to do with it, she'll make it happen :) She did grace us with her presence with a tropical storm when Joseph was born :) Either way, I know it will be a special day when this little man finally arrives. I'm excited for Joseph to have a playmate but a little sad that these last three weeks will be his final days of being an only child. I've enjoyed giving him all of my attention over the past year and a half...even when he's throwing those tantrums. I just hope one day he thanks me for giving him a little brother. We might be a long ways off for that to ever happen :)

Big helper washing daddy's truck

Daddy teaching me how to bounce

Splashing is all the entertainment he needs

More splashing

We love bubbles

Feeding the ducks

Ball Party!!!

While daddy was away on a work trip, Mommy had to come up with something new to keep the little guy occupied. After a successful trip to the consignment store, I had just the right entertainment for the busy bee. Our screened in porch has now turned into the second playroom. Luckily, the weather has been tolerable for us both to enjoy it.

An 18 Month Old

Joseph recently turned 18 months old. It's still very hard for me to believe. I am constantly going back and looking at his baby pictures from what seems like only a few weeks ago only to realize that I now have a toddler on my hands. Every day it seems he learns something new. Lately, he is running everywhere, not walking. He loves to torment Berkeley with his ball, teasing him with it by trying to give it to him and then darting the other way with it. And then as soon as Berkeley does get the ball, Joseph throws a fit. It never seems to be quiet in our house now and when it is, it's because he is completely passed out during a nap. He has finally dropped his morning nap and taking a much longer afternoon nap. I never thought this day would come. He has turned into such the little toddler and we are happy to see his little personality transform. We are trying to enjoy the last few weeks with just him.

On the golf course with dad

Taking hubby for a swim

Skinny Dippin

Swinging at the park before we see baby Jack

Practicing our spoon skills

Throwing golf balls

The duck call is our favorite toy at aunt Theresa's house

Catching some Zzzz's during playtime after a long eventful weekend.

What mom? I'm just playing...you can clean up this mess when I'm done.

Easter

Easter this year wasn't as joyous as we thought it would be. Unfortunately, my uncle lost his battle with liver cancer and passed away just a few days before the holiday. Joseph and I traveled to Memphis a few weeks ago to see him in the hospital and I'm so glad we did. My uncle was a typical uncle, always pestering us as kids up until his passing. I will never forget him asking the nurse if my little puppy dog (Joseph) was bothering her as he ran around the hospital room chit-chatting. He was very much apart of all of our lives and he will be deeply missed. His funeral was on Monday and so we decided to drive up early and spend the weekend with my extended family. Being that we were there for a funeral, we all still enjoyed being together. Saturday my cousin organized a picnic at the park with tons of food, games, and an easter egg hunt for the little ones. It was Joseph's first Easter egg hunt and he tackled the concept pretty quickly. 

On Sunday, we headed to church with my aunt and cousins and then drove down to Mississippi to spend the afternoon with my dads side of the family. It was nice Easter being with them. We all realized that we hadn't had an Easter together since my grandparents passed almost 20 years ago. They too had a wonderful dinner planned along with another Easter egg hunt for the kiddos. It was a perfect day. 

A few years ago after singing at my grandmothers funeral, my uncle asked me to sing at his funeral. It was a question he never even had to ask me but even almost 4 years ago, I would never have thought that this day would come so quickly for him. As hard as it's been to do in the past, it's my way of saying goodbye to those that I love so much. I was beyond happy to do it. 

We hope everyone had a blessed Easter! We are now home and counting down to baby Jack's arrival in just a few short weeks.