Trip to Hico

This past weekend we took a trip with my parents to visit my Mee Maw in Hico, TX. Mee Maw's mother's name was Lucy, and that is who our Lucy is named after. It was really cool to introduce Lucy to Mee Maw and hear all of her stories about the original Lucy. She also pulled out some old photos of her mother for us to look at.

Going to Hico is always a such a relaxing time. It is quiet and peaceful, and my grandmother is such an easy going, sweet, and giving person that I always feel refreshed and good after being there. Mom, Mee Maw, Lucy, and I visited and relaxed Saturday while Dad, Ryan, and Aiden took a trip out to the family farm to go fishing. Aiden caught a catfish and had a very good time playing outdoors. We can't wait to go back for another visit!

Halloween!

Halloween was fun this year since Aiden was a little older and understood the concept a bit more! He decided to dress up as a cowboy, and Zachary went as an Indian. I got his costume a couple of weeks before Halloween, and actually had to hide it from him because I was afraid he would wear it out. Unfortunately, his favorite thing was the guns...I really wanted to be one of those parents who didn't let their kids run around pointing guns at people. I just feel like it's tacky and can be dangerous if they're ever around a real gun....hmmmm. Easier said than done! We tried to work on just shooting "bad animals" like bears, tigers, etc., but I will say that the gun was pointed at me more than a few times!

Aiden's school had a Halloween carnival the Friday before Halloween. Ryan and I both wanted to go, but I didn't want to have Lucy up at his school for too long. So, Ryan went for the first part, and I came with Lucy for the last 15 minutes or so. They had to move it into the lobby from outside because of the rain, but it was still a lot of fun for the kids. There were lots of games, treats, and prizes, plus a big "feast" for lunch that the parents pitched in to provide. He seemed to have a great time, and it was cool to see him interact with all of his friends.

Saturday, Halloween, was quite a day. First, it was Ryan's turn to get up with Lucy so I could get a bit of sleep. Of course, he ended up falling asleep in Aiden's room, which meant I couldn't wake him up without waking Aiden up. So, I was really mad Saturday morning as I didn't get to sleep through one of her two feedings like I had wanted to. Then, when Ryan was trying fix our leaky faucet in the kitchen the water valve popped off, and our entire kitchen was soaked with water. Fortunately, a similar thing happened about a year ago in one of the bathrooms, so I was familiar with where the main water shut-off is located outside! Unfortunately, even though we thought we mopped up all hte water, some of it under the counters gradually was pulled into the carpet padding in the living room. By Saturday night the carpet next to the kitchen was soaked and ruined. So now we are going to have to replace flooring in the living room...right in time for the holidays...GREAT! I ended up sending Ryan to buy me a Halloween igloo (for those unfamiliar, a really good alcoholic beverage), which helped with the stress!

Halloween night Michael, Elizabeth, and Zachary came to trick-or-treat and attend our neighborhood carnival. My mom and dad also came in to see Aiden and watch Lucy while we took him out, plus Jesse and Marissa came in for the night to go to a party in town. Aiden was very timid at first, but by the time we trick-or-treated our way home from the carnival, he was a pro! The BEST part of the weekend was that since my mom could sense that I was about to lose my mind with all of the events from the day, she volunteered to sleep in the same room with Lucy and get up with her Saturday night! SO GREAT!!! I got 8 full hours of sleep, which was wonderful! My poor mom was exhausted Sunday, but I felt so refreshed! Moms are the BEST!

Jesse & Marissa with Lucy

Zachary & Aiden ready for trick-or-treating!

Lucy in one of her three Halloween outfits!

Aiden playing a game at the carnival

Trick or Treat!!!

The boys checking out their loot!

Lucy Elaine is Here!!

Now that Lucy is now a month old, I thought I would take some time to blog about how things have gone since October 10. We were lucky to have both of our immediate families here for Lucy's birth. Ryan and I arrived at The Med at about 6am, and since I had a scheduled c-section, Lucy was born soon after at 8:38 am. She weighed a whopping 6 lbs. 15 oz. and was 19 inches long...much smaller than I anticipated! The delivery was easy, and the only uncomfortable parts were having the catheter put in (before the spinal for some reason) and I was nauseaus and got sick from the medication at the beginning of the surgery. Otherwise, it was a piece of cake! The pain after was also not too bad. In fact, on Sunday night when the nurse came to check on me she was concerned because I had not had any pain medication that entire day...I guess I'm tougher than I thought!!

We spent 2 nights in the hospital, and we were very ready to get home by the time we were discharged on Monday afternoon. My parents statyed with Aiden at our house until Monday evening, and then Ryan's parents came over from Michael's house Monday evening through Wednesday morning. My mom then came back Wednesday and stayed through the weekend to help us, which was GREAT!

Aiden adjusted pretty well to his little sister. While he was nothing but sweet to Lucy, giving kisses and hugs frequently, he was very defiant and attention-seeking with Ryan and I. I guess it was better that he took out his confusion, etc. on us rather than the baby, but it made for a couple of long weeks. He has since settled down and is back to his normal self! We kept him at home with us the first week after Lucy was born, and then he headed back to school. Since Lucy has settled in, and I have gotten into an easier routine Aiden has been staying home a couple of days per week, which is nice.

So, we are quickly adjusting to being a family of four. It is defintely tough going from 1 to 2 kids, but Lucy has been a pretty easy baby so far. She is usually easy-going, but does already have a short temper. Whenever she gets mad, she turns bright purple, screams, and doesn't take a breath...I'm afraid she's going to make herself pass out! Her tantrums last about a minute, and then she is calm again... i'm already looking forward to the toddler tantrums!! She is now sleeping 4-5 hour stretches at night, so I typically only have to get up to feed her once per night. We still have her in a bassinett in our room, and will likely transition her to her room after Thanksgiving.

Here are some pictures from Lucy's arrival:



Lucy Elaine Cosser

Beautiful hat!!

Zachary & Aiden playing with Uncle Spoons while waiting to meet Lucy

Aiden is not so sure about this!

Grandmommy, Lucy, & Aiden

Our happy family of four!

Sweet baby girl :)