Black Island Farms

So my sister-in-law Alyssa and I decided to be brave and took the kids to Black Island Farms for a little visit.  We each had a baby strapped to us, which made the process that much more fun (ha!).  However, Makayla and Korbin had a blast, so it was totally worth it.  The farmers teach them about the crops during the day so it is educational--if they even understood what the farmer was saying ;)

 Here we are getting ready to go out on the farm to see all the neat stuff.

 A giant tractor pulled us out into the fields.  Makayla liked the big tractor, and it was fun to be pulled around the farm.

 Here we are passing through the fields of corn.

 We had to go around all the corn to get out to the pumpkin patch.  Here is Alyssa, Korbin, and Aubree.  It was HOT for the end of September!

 Makayla just taking it all in. 

 She liked the carrot patch because we have carrot plants in our garden at home.  I think she recognized them.

 The fun thing about Black Island Farms is that they take the kids out to a giant pumpkin patch and let them pick a pumpkin to take home.  Since I was with her, she got to pick out two whole pumpkins!  Here she is with choice number one.  A fine choice indeed.

(Don't mind this picture.  It was really bright!  Like mother, like daughter!)

Makayla has three big pumpkins growing in our garden at home.  One is orange, and the other two are still changing color.  We are getting excited to pick them so we can carve them soon!

 Korbin picked one out, too.  Cute kids!

 Here they are hanging out on a bale of hay with their prized pumpkins!

 We also got to see goats, llamas, chickens, a goose, and donkeys.  Those animals stunk, but the kiddos didn't seem to mind.  Makayla really enjoyed feeding the goat some grass through the fence.  On a side note, isn't that little bum cute without a diaper on?!  My girl has junk in the trunk for sure, but dang it's cute!  We made it the whole time without any accidents or needing to use the restroom.  I am LOVING the potty trained thing.

 Okay, okay, back to subject.... Here is Alyssa trying to get Makayla close to the llama.  You can see Makayla got a little nervous the closer she got.  That llama was big!

 And what farm would be complete without a giant slide?  Alyssa took the kids up the giant slide while I watched the babies.  Alyssa and Korbin came down together, but Makayla got left up at the top.  She made it down by herself a minute later.

 Fun, fun slides!

They also found a tube slide that plunked them out at the bottom.  Cute kids.

And of course, what day at the farm would be complete without Grandma?  The funny thing is, she didn't come with us!  She just happened to be there on a field trip that day with her second graders.  What are the odds?

They grow too fast...

It has already been over 5 weeks since I had a baby!  The last 5 weeks of pregnancy were

 never-ending, but the last 5 have flown by.  Sad how that works.  I think our little family has adjusted pretty well to having a new man around the house.  I am very much enjoying my sweet snuggles from a tiny baby, and Makayla is loving every minute of being a mommy to her baby brother.  I can't believe I have 2 kids already!  They are growing so fast, and I am trying to enjoy every second of it before they are my age.

 Makayla just loves Daxton.  If he is even slightly fussy, she whips that binky in his mouth in no time.  She likes to sing quietly in his ear to calm him down. 

FUNNY STORY! Makayla likes to copy everything I do.  She sings to her dolls, puts them to bed with the full routine (she even makes them kneel down to say prayers), she gets them food, and changes their diapers.  Well, yesterday I noticed she had her teddy bear with her, and as always she was mothering it.  I took a minute to just watch her to see what she would do, and then just about died of laughter.  She held the bear up to her chest, then covered him with a blanket.  A minute later she burped the bear, and it hit me.  She was breast feeding her baby!  Wow.  She really does watch what I do.  I need to be careful with that.  She is going to be a stellar mom someday!

 I can't believe how big this boy is getting already.  His clothes are getting a little snug, and I am noticing some new chubbies on his legs and tummy.  It makes me so sad to know that my baby is growing so darn fast, but it is calming to know that he is being nourished well!

 BIG NEWS!

Makayla is potty trained!  That's right folks, potty trained!  Last Saturday I took advantage of Devin being home for a weekend to help me, and we took away all the diapers and put on the undies.  The first two days she had accidents without any success in the potty.  She would happily sit on her potty and read books waiting for something to happen, but it never did.  However, on Monday she pooped in the potty (I fully expected the pee to happen first, but we gladly avoided an accident involving poop!) and I was thrilled.  I could see the wheels turning in her head because I was so excited for her.  Yesterday, she had a partial accident while running to the potty, but she held most of it until she got there.  She took herself to the potty 3 different times without any assistance, and I happily didn't have to change any diapers or deal with any wet panties.  SCORE!  So proud of my sweet girl.

Below is Makayla doing the dishes in her undies.  Don't mind the chocolate on her face.  We made cookies earlier that day and she snitched some dough.  I always give her her own little bowl to stir.  That way I don't get any unwanted finger licking in the main bowl of dough, and she can feel involved.

This girl loves doing dishes!  She makes lots of messes though.

Here is sweet baby boy when he turned one month old.  I love my kids to bits!

Daxton

Well, it finally happened.  Sweet baby boy decided to join our little family, and not a day too soon!  Can I just say that I am thrilled to have this cute little stink, and even more thrilled to not be pregnant anymore.  I really, really dislike the end of pregnancy--especially after a summer of record heat.

Sorry about the overload of pictures....I can't help it.

Well, on Friday the 17th Devin and I had some friends over for the evening.  The whole time they were at our house I was having contractions, but they didn't seem to be coming in any sort of pattern, so I just did my best to ignore them.  The minute they left the contractions started getting really strong and super painful.  I complained to Devin, but it was about 10:30 by this point, so he went to sleep and I read a book because sleep wasn't going to happen.  I got out my phone and started timing the contractions, and sure enough they were 5 to 7 minutes apart for almost two hours, and I couldn't even function when they came because they were so intense.  Around 12:30 I woke Devin up, called my mom to take Makayla, and we headed to the hospital.  When we got there I had to be monitored for about an hour to see if I was progressing.  That hour was rough.  I have never felt pain like that in my life (OUCH!).  When the nurse came to check me I hadn't progressed and she was going to send me home (I was about to deck her in the face.  There is no way I would have been able to go home without hurting someone on my way out!)  Luckily, she called my doctor and he wanted me to deliver since I was in such pain--LOVE my doctor.

About an hour and a half later I got that magic needle that provided those lovely little drugs, and from there I was set.  It took me about three hours to go from a 3 to a 4 and I was tired from being awake for about 20 hours. My doctor came in a broke my water, and happily, I went from a 4 to a 7 in less than an hour.  About a minute after the nurse left from confirming I was a seven, I felt the need to push (yikes).  She came running back in and told me not to push until the doctor came, which is harder than you would think.  The doctor was only a few minutes away so it all happened fast.  By 6:55 in the morning we were snuggling our new little baby.  I don't know why my babies insist on putting me through labor in the night so I am dead tired by the time they come, but they do.

Don't mind the pictures.  Being awake for over 24 hours, plus labor, plus delivery 

means a very tired Leslee.

 So thrilled to get him here.

 Proud daddy!  He was so excited to get a boy.

 Makayla was in love with baby brother from the minute she saw him.

 Seriously, love at first sight!

 She wanted to hold him every chance she got.  She has to do everything by herself, so she had a hard time with Mommy and Daddy helping her hold brother.

 Daxton was so little.  He was 1/2 pound smaller and 1 1/2 inches shorter than Makayla was.

 Getting ready to go home.  I don't like the hospital, so we got outta there!

 So tiny.  I forgot how small they start out.

At home in his new bed.

 Makayla helping to change his diaper.  She is a good sister...or should I say mommy?

 Makayla loves to have her picture taken, so we did some with her and Daxton.  She was in heaven.

 First bath!  It sure is easier to stick a two-year-old in the tub and let them play.

 My sweet little guy.  I am absolutely smitten with him.

 The two men in my life.  I could not be happier!

I recovered much quicker this time, and I am feeling really good.  I am tempted to go running, but it hasn't even been three weeks, so I am not sure it is the best idea.  I know I won't make it the full six weeks though.  I can't stand not exercising after the babies come out.  It just feels so nice to have room to move and be myself.  Perhaps I will just stick to walking for another week, but then I can't wait to get back in shape!