Disneyland

Delaney's birthday celebrations continued this past week with her first trip to Disneyland. Grammie and Grandpa flew down to make the event even more memorable. Nana also came, but Papa sadly had to work. We tried to keep Papa involved by texting him pictures of our adventures, but I think that might have done more harm than good. We missed you, Papa!

Here are Delaney and Grandpa getting ready to head out. Delaney's sweet friend Emma Quesada let her borrow the Minnie dress for this momentous occasion. Delaney LOVED wearing the dress both because of the Minnie factor and because it belongs to Emma. Delaney wants to be just like Emma when she grows up.

Look, Jude dressed up, too! As you can tell, he's very excited about the big outing.

Delaney loved riding the tram with her Grandmas. She thought it was a train, and trains are a pretty big deal to Delaney these days.

Mama and the kiddos...we're all pretty giddy.

You'll never believe who we spotted right as we walked into the park! Ms. Minnie Mouse herself.

And we also got to meet our favorite princess, Belle. This picture doesn't do the cuteness of the moment justice. Delaney ran to Belle with open arms and danced around a bit with her. So stinkin' cute!

Jude was a trooper a majority of the day and just chilled in the Sleepy Wrap.

But alas, we did have a few of these moments as well...

Overall, though, he did AMAZING. Do you see how cute he is?

The Dumbo ride was a big hit, with both Delaney and her Grandmas.

This was on one of the train rides. Did I mention that Delaney loves trains? She has asked to ride the train at Disneyland every day since.

On the Jungle Cruise with Grandpa. Again, it's hard to tell who's more excited in some of these shots.

Delaney is a pretty lucky granddaughter, don't you think?

The gang at the end of the day (complete with an obnoxiously large balloon purchased by Grammie). Delaney had a blast and we actually had minimal number of melt-downs. It was such a pleasant day!

Kids

We have kids. Plural. As in more than one child. This information still blows my mind. When did we become grown up enough for kids? Who knows when it happened, or even if it ever did happen. Kids are the new normal for the Dunlaps now.

As mentioned previously, Delaney loves her Baby Jude. The bottom photos illustrate the sibling love going on in this house.

Giving Baby Jude a kiss...

Baby Jude's not so sure about the love...

Jude: What just happened???

I know we all enjoy watching Jude grow, so I intend to take a picture of him every month in the wagon. Here are a few first month favorites:

Poor Jude. He can cry all he wants, but this is happening monthly! I was hoping to get a better shot of the handsome guy, but he is still a newborn, so chances are if he isn't sleeping or eating, he's most likely crying. He is such a good sleeper (knock on wood), so I know I shouldn't complain about the few hours of fussiness that are bound to happen. Jude's fussiness doesn't quite rival that of his sister's, and for that I thank the heavens above.

March Happenings

March has been a crazy month! We've kept busy with visitors, art projects, and birthday fun.

Last weekend, both of my brothers came for quick visits. Uncle Redneck (Jimmy) was here on business, and Uncle Jeffy (no witty nickname yet--any ideas?) was on his way out of the country. Jeff and his wife Evie were granted permanent residency in New Zealand and will be living there indefinitely. They both have jobs at wineries and are excited about this adventure. We're excited for them as well, but bummed that it's so far away. I've already put the bug in Steve's ear that I hope to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary (2012) with a trip to New Zealand, so hopefully that pans out.

Here Delaney is enjoying her Uncle's IPhone. She's a pretty tech savvy kid. The other morning I awoke at 5:09am with Delaney standing next to Steve's side of the bed with his Ipod in hand. She was happily watching a U2 video on the Ipod. Neither Steve nor I had given her the Ipod; she took it off the nightstand, turned it on, went to the video section, and picked out her favorite video. At least the kid has good taste, right?

We had a really nice visit with Jeff. He is admittedly not a "kids" kind of person, and doesn't have any desire to have children of his own. And I'm pretty darn certain that we put the nail in that coffin. Something to do with a 2 year old having a potty accident at the church's rummage sale and her uncle having to hover over the puddle of pee while the mama grabs the crying, pee-soaked toddler while wearing a crying newborn smashed in the Sleepy Wrap... that was a really long sentence, but hopefully it painted a lovely picture for you. So yes, I think Uncle Jeffy is quite content being just an uncle.

This past week was my first full week of flying solo without a grandparent or husband to help wrangle two children during the day. We did pretty well, all things considered. In an attempt to get Delaney away from the TV and her BFF Dora, we made some playdough. The girl loved it!

Concentrating so hard on rolling out the dough

And this is what Baby Jude was doing while we were elbow deep in playdough. He's almost smiling, don't you think?

We celebrated Delaney's second birthday a couple times this week, and we have even more birthday plans coming at the end of the month (Disneyland with the Grandparents!). I asked Delaney what kind of cupcakes she'd like to have with her friends during our park play date, and she said "Elmo!" Thank goodness she didn't want Dora...I'm not sure how that would have turned out.

The finished product

We brought our Elmo cupcakes to the park on our weekly play date with our friends and we all sang to the birthday girl.

She loved everything: the attention, the sugar, her friends, playing at the park...it was a good day for Delaney Marie.

The kiddos really enjoyed the cupcakes, but I'm not sure if the mamas were digging the BRIGHT red frosting. I particularly enjoy this picture of her friend Memphis (in the back) covered in frosting. Hopefully the moms have forgiven both Elmo and myself by now...

And in other news, Delaney had her 2 year old doctor's visit today. She's still a shrimp, but a healthy little shrimp, weighing in at 22.8 lbs and 33 inches tall. While that may not sound like much, she is still on the growth chart (yay for the 5th percentile!), and is following her own little growth curve. Her doctor is pleased as punch with her growth and development, so hooray for Laney Cat!

Two Years Old

Photo courtesy of Kari Quesada

The Dunlap kiddos are hitting all sorts of milestones this week...one celebrated month one of being in the world and the other is officially a two year old as of today. I've already had a good cry thinking about how, in 16 years, my little girl will leave me and move out of state to start a life of her own, because that's how karma works, right?

Two years of Delaney Marie Dunlap. Two years of having my Laney Cat to chase around. This girl is a one in a six billion kind of gal. While she tries my patience endlessly, I am so stinkin' proud to be her mom.

Here's what Delaney can do as a 2 year old:
Disclaimer: I'm one of those totally biased kind of parents who believes that their child is above average in most areas.

Delaney is a talented kid. She can sing her ABCs, can identify a few letters (E,O,Z,M), and can count to 12 in English and 10 in Spanish. She knows all of her colors and a few shapes. She also potty trained herself at the age of 22 months. She is incredibly verbal and is always trying to do things to get a laugh. She loves having an audience.

Ick. I hate that I just spent an entire paragraph bragging about my kid. My blog is like a scrapbook for our family, a place where I can look back to remember how things were in the good ol' days. In a few years I'm going to love reading this post and remembering what Delaney was like at this stage, so bear with me.

Things Delaney likes:
Delaney loves music, loves to dance, and loves to "play" her harmonica and her uncle's drums. She loves Dora, Elmo, Thomas the Engine, and Beauty and the Beast. Delaney loves chocolate, Popsicles, and ice cream (she is so my daughter). She likes to collect pennies (not nickles, dimes, or quarters) and I find them everywhere. Delaney also loves stickers, which I'm constantly scraping off our hardwood floors and off of Brundibar. She loves Brundibar and Charlie, and doesn't understand why Imogene won't come out and play. Delaney loves being outside, and constantly begs us to go for a walk. She's a loving friend, and obsesses about the next time she can go to the park to play with her friends. She is an avid reader, and knows how to stall bedtime because Mommy has a hard time saying no to Delaney wanting to read just one more book. She loves to do art, blow bubbles, and loves loves loves to paint. Delaney enjoys "cooking" in her kitchen, and loves to bake cookies and make smoothies with Mommy. And Delaney loves her brother, Baby Jude. I don't know how old Jude will have to be for her to drop the "Baby" part, I think she believes it to be his first name. She wants to hold, kiss, burp, and snuggle with Baby Jude. It makes my heart get all mushy every time.

Things Delaney doesn't like:
Delaney doesn't like to eat. Why waste time eating when you could be playing? She hates most veggies and is not a big fan of meat, which doesn't leave us with a lot of options. Delaney doesn't like to sleep in, she prefers a 5:30am wake up call. Delaney loves the garbage truck from a distance, but gets very nervous when it gets close. She doesn't like being told no. She doesn't like doing things your way, she prefers her way of doing things. Little doggies make her a tad uncomfortable. Delaney hates being cooped up inside, and doesn't like to sit still. She is all energy.

Oh jeez, I think I could go on and on, but this post is already too long and chances are you've probably tuned out unless you're one of Delaney's grandparents. As you can see, we really lucked out with this kid. She brings us so much joy and laughter, I can't imagine life any differently.

Happy birthday, little bug. We thank God for you and pray that we can help you to become the person He created you to be.

One Month

Photo courtesy of Kari Quesada

Today Jude William is one month old.

How did that happen?

We had Jude's first appointment with his pediatrician on Friday, and Jude is thriving away. He has already gained 2 pounds and weighs in at 9 lbs. 3 oz, which puts him in the 40th percentile. As someone who is slightly concerned about weight gain, this gave me great joy. He is now 22 1/4 inches long, which puts him in the 80th percentile for height. So maybe there's hope for a tall Dunlap baby?

Jude is a wonderful baby guy. He definitely has fussy bouts, especially during dinner time (of course!) and when I want to take a shower in the morning. But in general, he's a great sleeper and eater. What a relief!

We love Baby Jude and can't wait to watch him grow into his little self.

Lately

Some images from the Dunlap compound...

Delaney has continued her foray into the art world. Here she's "posing" next to her Valentines that she so lovingly created.

Cousin Katie came over this weekend to play with Delaney while I did some laundry. Delaney painted a birdhouse while Katie supervised.

So much concentration...

Delaney really enjoys pretend playing. Also, she likes to dress herself.

Delaney really likes playing in the sand at the park, much to this mama's dismay.

Jude and Brundibar, meeting one another.

Life is rough when you eat and sleep all day. That's all both of these guys do. And I know this picture is going to freak my Grandma Rasmussen out, but do know that Charlie was under constant supervision.

Jude's Birth Story

Be forewarned: Blood and nether-regions are referenced in this post. Proceed at your own risk.

Jude has been here for a little over two weeks now, so I think it's time to share with you his birth story. That is, if you want to hear it.

Jude's entrance into this world was so completely different from Delaney's. With Delaney, everything was hard and fast. Hard contractions, fast(ish) delivery, two weeks early, etc. And then with Jude...not so much. I mentioned the differences to one of the nurses attending to me and she responded with, "Well, of course it's different, sweetie. Every baby wants their own story." That really resonated with me and was yet another reminder of how different each little human is and desires to be known as their own person, even at such an early age.

At my 39 week appointment my mid-wife declared that I was 4 cm dilated and effaced. I had been having contractions for a few days, but nothing was too regular. My mid-wife told me that as soon as my contractions started to become regular that I should head over to the hospital. Later that day my contractions seemed to increase, and we all thought that Jude was on his way. We made a phone call to my mom, she hopped on a plane, and we waited. Then we waited some more. My mom arrived (thank goodness--she missed Delaney's delivery by an hour and I didn't want that repeated) and we waited some more. In fact, we waited around for a few days. I had contractions every day, but no baby. Meanwhile, my toddler was driving me crazy (I love you, Delaney!) and all I could fixate on was the fact that I was exhausted and I hadn't even gone into labor yet. So on Monday, February 7th, after over a week of contractions with no baby, my mom and husband talked me into going to the hospital to just get "checked out." Normally I wouldn't comply with such an idea; I had no desire to sit around hooked up to an IV just waiting for a baby to come out. I wanted to go into labor at home, ride it out until it got really gnarly, and then show up at the hospital like I did with Delaney. But I was so tired and annoyed at those uneventful contractions that I agreed to go in and get checked.

We arrived at 3:30pm and had to wait around a bit to get situated. They put a monitor on me and when they came to check me I was having a contraction. During the contraction Jude's heart rate decreased, and they informed me that I wasn't going anywhere. I was 5 cm dilated anyway, which is when they usually admit. They threw around the phrase "possible c-section if this continues," which sent me into a tail spin of panic. Thankfully, it was a one time ordeal and Jude's heart rate was fine. My body was set to have a baby, except for the fact that my contractions weren't consistent enough, so they started me on Pitocin and I sat and waited for my baby to come.

I had birthed Delaney naturally and wanted to do the same with Jude. I always feel a little funny talking about this decision with people. Every person's birth experience and pain tolerance is different, and I don't want to sound self-righteous by flaunting my desire to birth my babies without an epidural. Personally, I feel like my body was created to withstand the difficulties of childbirth, and I want to honor that by doing things as naturally as possible. Also, I have a horrible aversion towards needles, and the thought of a huge needle shoved into my back really, really freaks me out.

Steve and I had practiced our breathing techniques, and I'm so thankful for my husband and his great coaching abilities. He really kept me focused, especially during transition. There was one point that I thought, "I've done this once naturally. Why did I think that it would be a good idea to go down that road again?" However, with my mom and Steve keeping me calm, I pushed that little bugger out of my body and into the world. Child birth is miraculous, disgusting, and beautiful all in one breath, and I remember looking down and seeing Jude for the first time as he was entering the world. I hadn't really spoken the whole time I was laboring, because that would require way too much energy. However, when I saw Jude, I said something incredibly silly and obvious along the lines of "Hey guys, look--it's Jude!" I was so glad that he was actually here. Jude, much like his sister, came punching out into the world, so I had to have some fancy stitching done in the nether-regions, which took over an hour to do. Jude was born at 11:48pm, so we were pretty exhausted by the time we were placed in our recovery room, but our hearts were full.

Jude weighed in a 7 lbs. 3 oz and was 20.5 inches long. Delaney was 6 lbs. 10 oz and 19 inches long, so he already has a head start at outweighing his sister. He is such a dream baby, and he looks like a carbon copy of his daddy when he was a newborn. I have been praying for a mini-Steve, and I'm so thankful that we have him here. We all think that Jude is the cat's meow.

First bath from Daddy.

Arriving home...we're all a little bit sleepy.

Meeting Charlie for the first time. I'm sure they'll be BFFs soon enough.

Heart breaker!

The Dunlap men.

The very proud big sister, holding Baby Jude.