January 21, 2010
Mikayla's first dress and Noah the cheese
Sorry I haven't been keeping up for the past few days. Aunt Sarah has been here visiting and so we've been busy! Here's a couple pictures of Mikayla in her first dress and Noah being his typical cheesy self from this morning, though :) More soon hopefully!
January 15, 2010
Happy Friday
Nothing too exciting to report from here today, but I thought I would take the opportunity to post some pictures anyway. Mikayla and I are currently hanging out watching House, Season 1 on DVD while the boys hang out with some of the Florida Family for the night. Mikayla just had her bath, I'm enjoying a cup of tea and the relative quiet for a few hours. Life is good :)
Alright, back to my show and enjoying the quiet. Enjoy the pictures!
Sleeping princess
Daddy and Noah
Mikayla after bath time
Pretty baby girl
Alright, back to my show and enjoying the quiet. Enjoy the pictures!
Sleeping princess
Daddy and Noah
Mikayla after bath time
Pretty baby girlJanuary 14, 2010
Mikayla at One Month!
Hard to believe one month ago right now I was in the hospital getting ready to deliver Mikayla shortly. The littlest Gatchel celebrates her one month birthday today! Yay for Mikayla!!
We had a good day around here. This morning I successfully had both kids and myself, up dressed, fed and out the door by 9am so we could go run some errands. It was my first time taking both of them out by myself, and I'm glad to say that it went well. We were unsuccessful at Wal-Mart (I explained to Mikayla not to make eye contact with anyone there before we went in the store) so we had to make a quick run up to JoAnn's so I could get the stuff to make the new pillows for the bed.
Since JoAnn's stalks my blog (see early entries from September 2008 about my earlier complaints with JoAnn's and then my amusement that the next day they became a "follower" of this blog...) I have to tell them that they need to rethink their shopping carts. Since I needed to sit Noah up front, I tried to put Mikayla's seat in the back but no such luck... Instead I had to haul out the double stroller. Not really that big of a deal, though it makes actually making any purchases a bit of a challenge since I then have nowhere to put anything. So picture, if you will, me walking through JoAnn's pushing the double stroller with one hand, with four skeins of yarn and 3 1/2 yards of fabric perched precariously on the cup holder part of the top of the stroller and me carrying four huge bags of poly-fil to stuff pillows with in the other hand, all the while trying to maneuver through the store. And of course no one could help me, they all just kind of looked at me like I was nuts. (I'm sure it was quite a funny sight...) But since I was out to prove to myself that I could handle it with both of them, we managed to get everything we needed, get out of the store and get home just in time for Noah to see his favorite part of Sesame Street; Elmo's World. Boy am I good Mom ;-)
So I got the pillows made this afternoon (they look great!) and a few other things taken care of. Heard from Shell who successfully made it back to Ohio (yeah for a safe trip, boo for her being back there) and talked to my mom briefly, too. All in all a good day.
Oh, and the kids got a fabulous package from Colorado! Aunt Diane and Uncle Jack (Molly, too!) sent gorgeous blankets for each of them; Mikayla's as a Welcome to the World present and Noah's as a Congratulations on being a big brother gift. Noah also got a great book about being a big brother which between Grant and myself we have read to him at least a dozen times already today per his request. He's also taking his new "tee-tee" (his word for blanket) with him everywhere. Thanks to the Colorado Kosakowski's for making the kiddos so happy today!
Alright, Mikayla is making noise and I have some other things that I need to get accomplished before food and bath time reign supreme at the Gatchel's house. Until later, enjoy the pictures... :)
Mikayla looking very pretty this morning (thanks Aunt Vickie and Uncle Steve for the cute tops!)
Noah and his new 'tee-tee'
He was very happy to be included
Mikayla's new 'tee-tee'
My pretty little one month old
We had a good day around here. This morning I successfully had both kids and myself, up dressed, fed and out the door by 9am so we could go run some errands. It was my first time taking both of them out by myself, and I'm glad to say that it went well. We were unsuccessful at Wal-Mart (I explained to Mikayla not to make eye contact with anyone there before we went in the store) so we had to make a quick run up to JoAnn's so I could get the stuff to make the new pillows for the bed.
Since JoAnn's stalks my blog (see early entries from September 2008 about my earlier complaints with JoAnn's and then my amusement that the next day they became a "follower" of this blog...) I have to tell them that they need to rethink their shopping carts. Since I needed to sit Noah up front, I tried to put Mikayla's seat in the back but no such luck... Instead I had to haul out the double stroller. Not really that big of a deal, though it makes actually making any purchases a bit of a challenge since I then have nowhere to put anything. So picture, if you will, me walking through JoAnn's pushing the double stroller with one hand, with four skeins of yarn and 3 1/2 yards of fabric perched precariously on the cup holder part of the top of the stroller and me carrying four huge bags of poly-fil to stuff pillows with in the other hand, all the while trying to maneuver through the store. And of course no one could help me, they all just kind of looked at me like I was nuts. (I'm sure it was quite a funny sight...) But since I was out to prove to myself that I could handle it with both of them, we managed to get everything we needed, get out of the store and get home just in time for Noah to see his favorite part of Sesame Street; Elmo's World. Boy am I good Mom ;-)
So I got the pillows made this afternoon (they look great!) and a few other things taken care of. Heard from Shell who successfully made it back to Ohio (yeah for a safe trip, boo for her being back there) and talked to my mom briefly, too. All in all a good day.
Oh, and the kids got a fabulous package from Colorado! Aunt Diane and Uncle Jack (Molly, too!) sent gorgeous blankets for each of them; Mikayla's as a Welcome to the World present and Noah's as a Congratulations on being a big brother gift. Noah also got a great book about being a big brother which between Grant and myself we have read to him at least a dozen times already today per his request. He's also taking his new "tee-tee" (his word for blanket) with him everywhere. Thanks to the Colorado Kosakowski's for making the kiddos so happy today!
Alright, Mikayla is making noise and I have some other things that I need to get accomplished before food and bath time reign supreme at the Gatchel's house. Until later, enjoy the pictures... :)
Mikayla looking very pretty this morning (thanks Aunt Vickie and Uncle Steve for the cute tops!)
Noah and his new 'tee-tee'
He was very happy to be included
Mikayla's new 'tee-tee'
My pretty little one month oldJanuary 13, 2010
One Day Down...
Most unfortunately, Shell headed out this morning. I'm really praying that whatever happens on Friday is in her best interest and she is able to make the best decision possible for her after Friday morning. Anyone out there reading this, if you want to send a couple extra prayers up Shell's way, that'd be wonderful :)
Since Shell left, I had my first official day alone with both of the kiddos. Not to sound over confident (because I know there will be days that I want to absolutely pull my hair out) but I have to say we did really well. No major meltdowns or problems to report. I was even able to keep the house straightened up after many Noah tornadoes, got three loads of laundry done, called and checked in on the office, got a shower, took the kiddos and Bella for a walk and had dinner ready and on the table by the time Grant got home. Like I said, I know every day won't go smoothly, but boy am I am happy that the first one did :)
After dinner we made a quick trip to Kohl's to pick up the new bedding set Grant and I have had our eye on for a couple of weeks. We got our monthly Kohl's coupon and decided to jump on it with some Christmas money we had set aside. Yeah for new bedding! And it gives me a chance to make new pillow cases for the body pillows and some larger pillows for the Euro shams so I can put my cool new sewing machine to use. Granted, I have about three projects going right now anyway, but that's never stopped me before...
Alright, I need to tackle a couple more things before Mikayla is ready to chow down again at 11 and then hopefully we'll all get some sleep. She's wide awake sitting with her Daddy watching House right now, so I'm hoping that means sleep tonight. Until tomorrow, enjoy the pictures...
The kiddos lounging this morning (Mikayla wasn't too happy)
Bella too!
Mikayla's first swing adventure (she loved it)
Riding in the swing (not sure what's up with the face in this picture...)
Our first walk with the new stroller
Noah got juice and cookies
Mikayla got bundled up
New bedding, yay!
Since Shell left, I had my first official day alone with both of the kiddos. Not to sound over confident (because I know there will be days that I want to absolutely pull my hair out) but I have to say we did really well. No major meltdowns or problems to report. I was even able to keep the house straightened up after many Noah tornadoes, got three loads of laundry done, called and checked in on the office, got a shower, took the kiddos and Bella for a walk and had dinner ready and on the table by the time Grant got home. Like I said, I know every day won't go smoothly, but boy am I am happy that the first one did :)
After dinner we made a quick trip to Kohl's to pick up the new bedding set Grant and I have had our eye on for a couple of weeks. We got our monthly Kohl's coupon and decided to jump on it with some Christmas money we had set aside. Yeah for new bedding! And it gives me a chance to make new pillow cases for the body pillows and some larger pillows for the Euro shams so I can put my cool new sewing machine to use. Granted, I have about three projects going right now anyway, but that's never stopped me before...
Alright, I need to tackle a couple more things before Mikayla is ready to chow down again at 11 and then hopefully we'll all get some sleep. She's wide awake sitting with her Daddy watching House right now, so I'm hoping that means sleep tonight. Until tomorrow, enjoy the pictures...
The kiddos lounging this morning (Mikayla wasn't too happy)
Bella too!
Mikayla's first swing adventure (she loved it)
Riding in the swing (not sure what's up with the face in this picture...)
Our first walk with the new stroller
Noah got juice and cookies
Mikayla got bundled up
New bedding, yay!January 12, 2010
The Gatchel's add a Mikayla
It has been quite awhile since I have actually taken the opportunity to blog. I think I have a bit of an excuse ;-) I apologize for the blog being somewhat lacking since October. Once things started getting a little dicey with Mikayla I didn't get on and blog as much as I didn't want to use this as my venue to vent and complain. Now that she's here, been home for awhile and things are 'back to normal' (more on my new opinion of "normal" to follow) as possible at the moment, I feel like I can stop and catch my breath and get back on here. I can't promise that it's going to be every day, but I will try my best to update 4 or 5 times a week at least.
So what can I say about our newest addition? Her birth was almost as much of a huge surprise as her brother's was. I went to the OB for an NST and my regular twice a week appointment, my blood pressure was high and she wasn't moving much so they sent me to the hospital for some monitoring and just over an hour later the nurse at the hospital was asking me when the last time I ate was so they could figure out when was the earliest time possible for me to get into surgery. Mikayla was born on December 14, 2009 at 9:01pm, at 34 weeks 5 days - the same exact day in my pregnancy as Noah was born.
She is a fabulous baby! For the most part (knock wood) she is very easy going and laid back. She doesn't cry that much, except when you try to stick her hands in her blanket so they stay warm. She hates to not have her hands free! She's still sleeping quite a bit during the day, but she's sleeping well at night except for one fluctuating 3 hour period where she seems to think it's the middle of the day. She loves to be cuddled, she could hang out in someone's arms for hours. She looks A LOT like Noah did, but she has quite a bit more hair than Noah. She is very stubborn and I can already tell she is going to do things on her own timeline without a thought for how it will effect anyone else. She was in the NICU for 12 days (11 1/2, really since she was born later at night), and didn't make it home for Christmas, but came home the next day. She gained almost a pound in the first 10 days after she came home, and I'm anxious to see how big she will be when she hits her actual due date next Wednesday. I have completely fallen in love with her - even if she gave me quite a bit of difficultly for nearly eight months ;-) (And I'm sure for the rest of my life.... ;-) )
Noah is a WONDERFUL big brother. He calls Mikayla Kay-Kay or Bay-bee and loves to help take care of her. When she needs to be changed he brings me diapers or wipes, he likes to give her her binky or cover her with a blanket. He's held her (with help!) a couple of times and he loves to give her kisses. We had a couple of rough days when she first came home and of course there are moments every day when I'm with her that he wants my attention that he doesn't quite understand why Mama can't be there 24/7 for him, but he is doing really well for the most part.
Grant is a FABULOUS daddy to both of them. He is of course really great with Noah, but he is much more comfortable with Mikayla than he was when Noah was born. He was off for nearly three weeks straight, which was a HUGE help, especially when Mikayla was still in the NICU. Even though she was early, Mikayla picked kind of a good time to come, since Harris shuts down between Christmas and New Years. It was really nice having Grant home and knowing that he is crazy about both of the kiddos.
Shell has been a HUGE help. I honestly don't know what we would have done without her. She is going home (we're not sure for how long or if it will be permanent) tomorrow, and I am honestly a little terrified about being by myself with both of them. I know that I can do it, that I am perfectly capable of being a great Mom with both of them, but it still scares me a little bit. It's going to take awhile, for sure, but we'll get there :)
Alright, I've rambled enough for tonight. Hope this kind of caught people up a little bit on what we've been going through here. I will do my best to keep every updated from now on. Enjoy the pictures!
The cheese monkey
Mikayla after her bath
My sweet baby girl
Look at all that fuzzy hair!
I decided I'd had enough of the toys taking over my living room. So this is our new organizational toy area! Yay!!
Noah and Daddy
Snoozin'
Pretty pretty princess
Thanks for the PJ's Aunt Sarah!
So what can I say about our newest addition? Her birth was almost as much of a huge surprise as her brother's was. I went to the OB for an NST and my regular twice a week appointment, my blood pressure was high and she wasn't moving much so they sent me to the hospital for some monitoring and just over an hour later the nurse at the hospital was asking me when the last time I ate was so they could figure out when was the earliest time possible for me to get into surgery. Mikayla was born on December 14, 2009 at 9:01pm, at 34 weeks 5 days - the same exact day in my pregnancy as Noah was born.
She is a fabulous baby! For the most part (knock wood) she is very easy going and laid back. She doesn't cry that much, except when you try to stick her hands in her blanket so they stay warm. She hates to not have her hands free! She's still sleeping quite a bit during the day, but she's sleeping well at night except for one fluctuating 3 hour period where she seems to think it's the middle of the day. She loves to be cuddled, she could hang out in someone's arms for hours. She looks A LOT like Noah did, but she has quite a bit more hair than Noah. She is very stubborn and I can already tell she is going to do things on her own timeline without a thought for how it will effect anyone else. She was in the NICU for 12 days (11 1/2, really since she was born later at night), and didn't make it home for Christmas, but came home the next day. She gained almost a pound in the first 10 days after she came home, and I'm anxious to see how big she will be when she hits her actual due date next Wednesday. I have completely fallen in love with her - even if she gave me quite a bit of difficultly for nearly eight months ;-) (And I'm sure for the rest of my life.... ;-) )
Noah is a WONDERFUL big brother. He calls Mikayla Kay-Kay or Bay-bee and loves to help take care of her. When she needs to be changed he brings me diapers or wipes, he likes to give her her binky or cover her with a blanket. He's held her (with help!) a couple of times and he loves to give her kisses. We had a couple of rough days when she first came home and of course there are moments every day when I'm with her that he wants my attention that he doesn't quite understand why Mama can't be there 24/7 for him, but he is doing really well for the most part.
Grant is a FABULOUS daddy to both of them. He is of course really great with Noah, but he is much more comfortable with Mikayla than he was when Noah was born. He was off for nearly three weeks straight, which was a HUGE help, especially when Mikayla was still in the NICU. Even though she was early, Mikayla picked kind of a good time to come, since Harris shuts down between Christmas and New Years. It was really nice having Grant home and knowing that he is crazy about both of the kiddos.
Shell has been a HUGE help. I honestly don't know what we would have done without her. She is going home (we're not sure for how long or if it will be permanent) tomorrow, and I am honestly a little terrified about being by myself with both of them. I know that I can do it, that I am perfectly capable of being a great Mom with both of them, but it still scares me a little bit. It's going to take awhile, for sure, but we'll get there :)
Alright, I've rambled enough for tonight. Hope this kind of caught people up a little bit on what we've been going through here. I will do my best to keep every updated from now on. Enjoy the pictures!
The cheese monkey
Mikayla after her bath
My sweet baby girl
Look at all that fuzzy hair!
I decided I'd had enough of the toys taking over my living room. So this is our new organizational toy area! Yay!!
Noah and Daddy
Snoozin'
Pretty pretty princess
Thanks for the PJ's Aunt Sarah!
January 06, 2010
Sleep, the Zoo and some cuddling!
Snoozing Noah
Snoozing Mikayla
Beautiful little girl
Noah and Aunt Shellie at the zoo
At the zoo with grandma
Checking out the birds
1... 2... 3... Jump!
Still jumping
The big cheese
Hi Kayla!
Sooooo big!
Aunt Shell-Shell and the two little ones
Everyone say cheese!
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