Life in the Hapgood House...

Since Tyler has been here (3 weeks!) we've all been adjusting to having our 4th member of the family.  Nana (Sean's stepmom) and Mimi (my mom) have come to visit during these 3 weeks and have been a tremendous help. I'm so glad that they were able to be here and spend time with the two of them.  You kind of don't know where to start because you've been on such a routine with your 2-year old that having a newborn makes it a bit more challenging.  You have one more to watch and check on (not that I didn't know that) and finding ways to make it easier on yourself is the challenging part (aka super multitask) ; plus making time for yourself and getting enough rest comes into play.  I will say this: Tyler is a lot easier than Hunter was. Hunter was definitely not a sleeper like Tyler and he just goes with the flow. Tyler is a sleeper but now that he's 3 weeks old  he is more aware.   About every other night he goes through a fussy period around 8:30 pm for about 2 hours where he is overstimulated and I'm wondering if I just need to keep him up a little bit more during the day but other than that he is great!  

 

Here is Tyler compared to Hunter at this stage (not trying to compare the two of them already but its such a huge difference!):

• Tyler takes a pacifier already- Hunter didn't take one until he was 4 months old
• Tyler takes a bottle - Hunter didn't take one until he was 7 weeks old
• Tyler has been out of the house the first week he was born (he's such a good baby that's why!) - I didn't take Hunter out of the house until he was about a month and a half old
• Tyler sleeps in his crib and loves it - I didn't even attempt this with Hunter until he was about 3 months old
• At 2 weeks old, Tyler weighed almost 9 lbs - Hunter didn't even weigh near that until he was about 2 months old

Such a big difference already!  My pediatrician said that the second born child is 99% easier than the first.  I guess that's because we are so relaxed with the second one.  Haha. 

I was really worried about how Hunter was going to be when Tyler arrived and has completely taken me by surprise.  He is very interested in him and whenever he is awake he likes to be next to him and put his face right up to his which does make me nervous but I guess that's his way of getting to know him.  Then sometimes he will give him a kiss on his cheek.  There's been a few times when he plays with one of his soft balls that he has thrown it to Tyler and we have to remind him that Tyler can't catch and throw yet (haha).  Hunter has his moments of jealousy too but I know it's normal.  For instance, I went to change Tyler on Hunter's changing table in his room and Hunter threw a fit.  I totally didn't see that coming and had to teach him that he has to share that with Tyler every now and then. He does surprise me though.  I have usually been waiting for Hunter to finish up with his bath and then I'll give Tyler a bath in the baby tub in the tub after he is done.  Well, the other night, Hunter grabbed his baby tub and put it in the tub and kept saying, "Ty, Ty, tub" (that's what Hunter calls Tyler..so cute!). So, since then I've been able to give them a bath at the same time and Hunter helps! Which reminds me, I need to take a picture of that!

While Nana and Mimi were here we were able to go to a few places and had a great time with them (Nana came first and then one day later Mimi arrived):

 

We went to an alligator farm with some other animals which was so cool because I've never seen an alligator up close before.  Hunter loved it!



Look at our tour guide so close to the alligator!

Hunter could have held a baby alligator but was scared to much to hold it. Tyler got to see him too =)

Nana!

 

Hunter and Nana playing with one of his birthday gifts.



Here is where we went to a Botanical Wildlife Garden with a bunch of different animals.

Hunter is very interested in ducks these days so we took him to feed them at a nearby park.

A proud Mimi holding her 2nd grandchild.

Mimi swimming with Hunter.

Also, Hunter had his 2nd birthday party!  I chose the theme of Cars. He loves that movie and figured that was perfect.  Plus, Walmart has a big pack of decorations that was perfect because with Tyler being 2 weeks old I knew I would have zero time to make any or do anything creative.  I really wanted to have a party for him and made it a "Hunter 2nd birthday/welcoming Tyler" party.  My mom was in town over that weekend and helped me take care of food and all the party necessities so a huge thanks goes to her for that.  Also, Sean's mom went to a yard sale and they had some leftover decorations from someone else that had a Cars theme birthday party so she picked up all the Cars stuff they had.  They were a hit! I was glad that I had so much help with organizing it because I was still in a little bit of pain and stressed making sure everything was ready in time. Not to mention I just had a baby 2 weeks prior.  I would have never imagined doing this with Hunter and didn't realize that I was having it so quickly after Tyler was here but it all worked out. We had about 8 kids come plus their parents so we had about 18 people over for a pool party.  The party turned out great and all the kids had a great time. I never thought there would be so many kids in the pool!  Sean and a buddy of his sure had a workout that day with being in the pool with all of them! I'm unable to get in because of my C-section, which I'm still so bummed about.  I have to wait a few more weeks until I'm all healed.  I'm hoping the pool is still warm at that time =)

 

All the kids picking up the candy from the piñata.

Thank goodness for Publix cakes!  I love how they can make a cake with cupcakes!

Hunter and his buddies!

Sean with all the kids underwater.  I love my husband...he's such a big kid.

Here were the Cars boxes that Sean's mom was able to get at that yard sale and the kids playing with them....

 

...and the big kids playing with them.=)

 

 

BTW, this post took me about 3 days to write with all the action going on around here!

 

Tyler's birth story...

Tyler made his big arrival on September 5, 2013 at 9:30 am.  He weighed 8 pounds even and was 20 inches long.  At midnight (the night of Sept. 4) I checked into the hospital to start the process of being induced. My doctor decided it was finally time and the fact that Tyler was only getting bigger that if he didn't induce me then,  he would probably end up having to to do a C-section if we waited another week because of the weight he was gaining. Well, the morning of September 5, my doctor came in to check on me and to break my water.  I had so much fluid that I honestly felt like I lost 2 lbs from it all coming out! He checked me and could not feel his head and realized that he must have moved around a lot to where he was breach. He needed to do a C-section very soon and that left Sean in a bind at the house because his parents weren't supposed to come to the house until around 10 or 11 am and my doctor told me that he was going to do the surgery at 9:15 am.  We decided that taking him to day care was best and the quickest sitter for us.  Sean literally walked into the surgery room right before they were going to cut me.  I was very scared and told my doctor that he was to not cut me open until he arrived (haha,  he was waiting on him anyway but Sean really did cut it close though). I was really not a fan of having a C-section and knew that this was the only way for him to come out and plus I was already 6  cm dilated at this point and really starting to feel the contractions and was just ready for him to be here.  After it was all said and done, it wasn't so bad =)  Tyler came out perfect and I was able to see pretty much everything happening to him when he came out. I could see the table that they put him on to clean him up and check all of his vitals.  The hospital where I delivered him stressed the importance of bonding right away with your baby so they verified with me that they do not take him away from me until I recover. Sean actually took him back to my room until they stitched me up but that was a whole 15-20 minutes and then I would be able to have him for the rest of my stay. That was my biggest concern that they would take him away and I would be able to bond/breastfeed with him right away but they assured me. 

Tyler Michael Hapgood

 

 

 

Look at all my blonde hair!

 

 

I was in pain pretty bad for the first 2 days but then on the 3rd day I was walking around and feeling much better (I was in the hospital for 4 days).  Today I hardly take any medication at all and I'm moving around quite a bit.  They take my staples out this Friday and hoping that is painless. 

In the hospital when Hunter came to visit, Tyler gave him some new Cars (from the Cars movie) that went into a Cars case.  He loved it.  Hunter also surprised us and climbed up in the bed with me and held out his arms asking to hold him.  It was so cute and Sean and I felt relieved.  We didn't want to pressure him about meeting his brother but we  introduced them and waited for his reaction because at 2 years old we weren't quite sure up to that point how much he really understood.  Hunter has been so wonderful with him.  He gets excited when I ask him to help me give him a bath or change his clothes.  Even in the mornings when we get up he wants to give him a kiss and give him his blanky and paci. I'm so relieved! Also, I don't want to speak to soon, but Tyler is an amazing baby.  He hardly cries and is an awesome sleeper!  Since we've been home I've been sleeping 7 hours and waking up a couple of times just to feed him and he goes right back to sleep.  He's the complete opposite of how Hunter when he was a baby.  Hopefully, this lasts!

Here's Tylers gift to Hunter of his Cars set.

 

Tyler's first kiss from his big brother.

 

 

Hunter turned 2 years old on the day we brought Tyler home so we just did a little birthday with him.  Sean's stepmom, Lynda (Nana) is here helping so we had her to celebrate with.  Later on this month we are having a birthday party/welcoming Tyler party for them so he will have a formal birthday.  Plus why not start now with the sharing of birthdays for them!?  They have to start getting used to it anyway =)

 



I love my boys!