Flannel footie pajamas

Yes, it is cold enough here in the north for our warmest jammies!

Happy birthday Grandma Faye! We love you.

Finley at 8 weeks

Finley is getting cuter and cuter! For the last week or so he has been giving some really good smiles, which makes him seem like less of a grumpy old man.

My boys

6 weeks

My littlest guy is almost 6 weeks old already! He is a big boy. At his 2 week appointment he had already surpassed Jamus' 2 week size by 8 ounces (and remember, Finley was 2 weeks early and weighed 9 ounces less than Jamus at birth). We're excited to see what he weighs at his 2 month appointment at the beginning of August. He is already wearing 3-6 month size clothes.

Things are going really well. There are definitely crazy moments when the boys both need something from me at the same time, but those only happen a couple of times a day. Besides, they are learning an important life skill (patience). Just like Jamus was, Finley is very adamant about his nighttime feedings. He never goes any longer than 4 hours between feedings and sometimes only goes 2 1/2. Somehow I feel mostly fine during the day though (might be the coffee).

Jamus is learning new things every day. For a long time he improvised sounds instead of words: clicking his tongue means music, clearing his throat means he's thirsty, general grunting and pointing means he wants something across the room. But now he is starting to try more and more words. Whenever he does something he knows he isn't supposed to he says "No no no no no" under his breath. I try not to laugh.

Here are some recent photos of Finley.

Happy Father's Day

There are so many wonderful fathers in my life (my father, the father of my children, my husband's father, my nephews' father, my heavenly Father).

Here are a few new pics of Jamus in your honor. With your example, I am sure Jamus will be a great father one day himself. Love you guys!

Due date

Today was Finley's official due date and I am so pleased that he is almost 2 weeks old! I see the light at the end of a very long year (see Genesis 3:16).

Finley is such a sweet baby. He rarely cries, except during important photo shoots.

When he is unhappy he usually shows it by grunting. He is immediately soothed when you pick him up. He sleeps best in someone's arms.

He also loves his Bjorn seat and his pacifier. In fact, he seems to like this seat better than his cradle so we've been putting him in it at night! So much for the crib bumper I handmade for his cradle. Maybe he noticed that the elephants are upside down on 2 of the sides (oops).

Jamus is adjusting nicely. As some predicted, he seems to be forgetting life before big brotherhood.

Grandma Faye has been here for 2 weeks helping out. I expect that the reality of 2 kids under 2 is really going to hit tomorrow. But she's left us with a spotless house and some very generous women from church have filled our freezer with meals... Plus we still have an additional Grandma who lives right down the road!

I think we're going to be pretty much mostly ok.

Finally, Finley

Our son has been in the world for more than 48 hours and I haven't posted pictures yet! Sorry about that. I think things are going to be a little different with 2!

Finley Thomas Schraw came into the world at 1:22 am on June 2nd, weighing in at a hearty 8 lbs, 5 oz (not bad for 2 weeks early)! So far he is an incredibly sweet baby. He hardly cries, though he does struggle to sleep peacefully unless he is in someone's arms.

We are home now and thankful to be getting lots of help from grandparents while we settle into a new routine.

Jamus is handling it pretty well. Every time someone walks into the room with Finley, he points and makes a kissing sound (his busy toddler form of affection). We are trying to lavish as much attention on him as possible so he knows that he is as loved as ever.

Here are the long-awaited pictures:

Jamus' first ice cream cone

Pool time

Jamus and "Da" (that is what he calls Joel; I am "Ma") had a very fun time in the pool at the hotel last weekend! You can see that he was quite uncertain about it at first but warmed up to it pretty quickly. By the end he was splashing around like a real pro.

We can't wait to take him swimming in Lake Michigan this summer!

Big boy room

We have been hard at work on Jamus' big boy room for the past month. We painted furniture that we scrounged up from grandparents' basements, I made a quilt and some curtains, and Joel very thoroughly babyproofed everything from the outlets to the bi-fold closet doors. For the next two weeks Jamus and I are going to spend some time exploring and playing in there during the day. Then in May we are going to try to get him to start sleeping in his big boy bed. We'll see!

Here are some pics.

Jamus gets a new uncle

Jamus' Aunt Winnie got married yesterday! Jamus loved the adventure of driving down to Detroit (thank goodness Grandma and Grandpa have a DVD player in their SUV), staying in a hotel, and getting all dressed up.

The ceremony was lovely, as was the bride.

Congratulations Aunt Winnie and Uncle Josh!

First haircut

We've been so busy getting Jamus' big boy room ready that I haven't even posted these great pics from the beginning of March... might also have something to do with the fact that I'm 7 months pregnant and caring for one of the most energetic toddlers this world has ever seen. :)

BEFORE

AFTER

As soon as Jamus' big boy room is ready I will post the pics of that!

Might be able to afford spring break after all