Will dances till his pants drop!

Christmas in the Bayou

This year, we weren't able to travel to see family for Christmas. Jon really didn't have the vacation time, and Brighton is still too young (and constantly hungry) to make a long car trip. We had a relaxing Christmas at home in Louisiana. We have now really started settling into life with a new baby. Will is now sleeping in his big boy bed once again (YES!), and there seems to be some semblance of a daily routine taking shape. Getting Will into his bed took much planning. I gave Will a 10-day countdown for getting out of his "crib," and we promised him he could open one of his big Christmas presents early if he successfully stayed in his bed all night. We even showed him the present each day to remind him of what he was "working" for. Mom and Dad had brought his train table down when they visited, and they even managed to wrap it. It served as the perfect motivation for little Will, and he sleeps beautifully. He is really enjoying the train table too. Unfortunately for Jon, it took 3+ hours to set the whole thing up once Will tore the paper off. (Not exactly just snapping the legs on, Dad!) Both Ed and Dad got a laugh out of Jon's pre-Christmas toy construction this year. Will received a Powerwheels John Deere tractor from Grandma and Granddad (Ed and Caren). He is still a little hesitant about riding it. He has really enjoyed his new Cars, especially since he has so many now. We thought this year we wouldn't have many presents under the tree, but we should've known that the Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles wouldn't let that happen! Thanks to everyone that went to the trouble of mailing gifts down here--Will had a ball tearing into his gifts. Brighton did a great deal of sleeping on Christmas day, which was fine with us. In fact, I got the BEST gift of all--two children taking a nap at the exact same time for over three hours, oh, it was phenomenal! We did get out a little over the holiday. On Christmas Eve, our neighbor, Kathy invited us to her sister's home for their annual family gathering. Her sister has seven children and 18 grandchildren, mostly under the age of five. Kathy only has one daughter and no grandchildren, so she has kind of adopted Will and Brighton as her grandchildren. We had a wonderful time. Will got to play with kids his age and we met several couples our age. Just being able to socialize with other moms was great. We actually met a Hokie there too! The house was an old, enormous Southern home and their were fireworks and lots of yummy food. We really appreciated being included, especially since we couldn't be around our own families this year.
I am looking forward to New Year's day, if for no other reason, than to be able to take down Christmas decorations. For some reason this year, I am chomping at the bit to get going on a new year. I think that I am craving more organization in my life, and I'm ready to establish more of a routine for this little operation I'm running. I've begun planning Will's preschool lesson plans, and I'm anxious to see whether we will be able to function as teacher and student. I think we'll be ok as long as I keep a sense of humor. :) I'm actually looking forward to trying this arrangement because I've been looking for an outlet for my need to teach. I would welcome any advice from homeschool/preschool moms on how to keep things running smoothly. For now, I will keep in mind that I may be overly ambitious, and Will is a smart boy who is already proving to be a quick learner. He is also very very sweet with his new baby sister, and I couldn't ask for better children. They are absolutely the most beautiful things to wake up to each morning, and I'm so thankful for my family (including my very hard-working husband) :)

William the Engineer

The gift of sleep (much appreciated by mommy)

Presents aplenty (Thanks to the Grandparents!)

Our little Christmas Present

Attempting a Christmas card photo

Looking down our street

Will in the Snow

Daddy's Girl

Snow on the orange tree

The Effects of the Snow

Getting out of the house on Saturday in Covington

We have power and cable!!!

I haven't been able to update the blog recently because we did not have power for one day, and our cable just came back on after five days. My visit with Amanda was great. We did a lot of sitting and talking. Of course, we had to watch the Cars movie twice with Will, but we did get out to do some sightseeing. It was so nice to have her here to meet Brighton. We took her back to the airport on Monday, and both Will and I spent the rest of that day a little sad. Amanda had a cold when she left, and I started to get one on that day too. I don't think we had the same germ because we had such different symptoms. I did spend the rest of the week with all of the fun, messy cold symptoms we all love. Thankfully, neither of the kids have shown any symptoms of being sick. On Thursday, I woke up to see snow falling outside. I really couldn't believe my eyes! I never thought I'd see snow falling (and sticking to the ground) while living here! I rushed upstairs to get Will up because I thought if he slept too long he would miss it! Of course, once he was up he wanted to play in it. I had to put his snow clothes on over his pjs! I found out later from my neighbor that he was probably the only kid around who actually had snow clothes! The snow kept falling and falling. It was heavy and wet, and soon our power went out. Jon came home because of the power outage and because there was talk of the causeway being closed. When he got home, part of our live oak tree was sitting on top of two lines (formerly overhead lines) in our driveway. The house started getting very cold, and Will was starting to get ants in his pants because I kept trying to keep him wrapped up in a blanket. Since there was nothing we could do about the power, we got some snacks and drinks and DVDs and went out for a drive. Will was able to watch his movie in the car. I was able to sit in the heat and as long as we were moving, Brighton was asleep. The whole city was a ghost town! We tried everywhere to get lunch, but the snow had scared everyone into staying home-or possibly in caves since I didn't see homes occupied either! We finally found one drive thru open, so we had to eat in the car. We decided to go home before dark and put some of our food in coolers just in case. But shortly after we got home, the power came back on. The lines were still in the driveway, and we soon discovered they were not power lines but cable lines. This morning, Charter finally came to get the lines out of the driveway, and so I can use the computer once again! I will hopefully be getting some Christmas cards out soon, but we have not been able to do that yet because we haven't been able to get a decent picture of both kids at the same time. Maybe today will be the day! I have been a little lonely because my MOPS group was canceled (even though the snow had melted), and I haven't been able to use the phone to call friends and family. I'm hoping that Will and I will be able to get to some kind of playgroup soon! We both could use some local friends! Until then, we will continue to be each others' best friend. Will is really becoming a big helper with Brighton. He helps me bathe her and always lets me know when she is crying-just in case I couldn't hear it myself. :) We are continuing to adjust and look forward to a visit to VA with friends and family in the spring.

Will's Tree Fort

Schu Men

Will's Unique Artstic Style

Daddy's been hit with a spit-up bomb

Mommy and Brighton

Rainy Thursday in Louisiana

We are spending the morning watching the rain fall outside and watching Dora and Boots attempts at stopping that sneaky fox-"Swiper, no swiping!" We have had a bit of a wearisome week. Brighton has not been sleeping well, and Jon even stayed home to work on Tuesday because I did not sleep at all Monday night. Will wakes up at 6:15, so any attempts at sleeping in are always foiled. I was very grateful for Jon on Tuesday. It was really nice that he recognized what a zombie I would have been had he not stayed home. I took the kids out later that afternoon and picked up a "miracle blanket" at a specialty store fore babies in town. This blanket keeps babies super swaddled and has a money-back guarantee to work in 30 days yada yada yada. I must say that I had my doubts, but I am sitting here this morning having slept more than four hours last night! I was able to feed Brighton and put her back in the bassinet where she fell peacefully asleep! I was able to wake up with Will while Brighton stayed asleep long enough for me to read to Will and get his milk.
I have a busy day today preparing for Amanda's arrival tomorrow. I am very excited to have my sister for a visit since we haven't seen each other since August. We have been decorating for Christmas this week, and I can finally say that I'm finished. I made wreaths for the door and enjoyed putting out all of my Christmas dishes. We bought a very "Charlie Brown" tree this year knowing that it may possibly be pulled onto the floor by overly curious hands. We figured that should this happen, it would be better that the tree weigh next to nothing and not be filled with irreplaceable ornaments. Will has pulled a few ornaments off, especially the Cars ornament I picked up for him this year, but he is learning how to be careful with them too. He has also made the Christmas tree corner his little fort for parking cars and eating snacks. Jon and I found him behind the tree last night quietly eating Chex mix.
We are still adjusting to life as a family of four, and I am slowly learning what it takes to be a mother of two. I received a very nice card from a friend from Trinity Church. It couldn't have come at a better time, and I broke down in tears just reading it. I needed to hear some encouraging words from a mother whose "been there." It is wonderful to know people are praying for us. I needed a reminder that the exhaustion will pass, and I need to relish each moment with my two little ones. I love being a mom even for all of the stress and challenges. It is a constant learning experience, but the rewards just keep coming!

Game Day-Go Hokies!

Giving Thanks

We are so excited to celebrate our first Thanksgiving as a family of four! We will be staying in LA, and having a low-key holiday. Jon's mom prepared a Thanksgiving dinner for us to eat on Thursday, so we don't even have to slave away in the kitchen. We are very grateful to our mothers for the help they have given us during their visits. Both moms got down and dirty cleaning the house, washing piles of laundry, and cooking, cooking, cooking. Thank you so much Caren and Donna!!!! Both Dads spent time playing with Will, and he is still asking for them. We look forward to more visits from both sets of grandparents. We are a little sad not to see extended family, but we know that when we finally do get to make a trip back to VA, it will be a very special time. We love you and are thinking of you this week. Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

sleeping baby

Sleepy Schus

We are still struggling with Will. He refuses to stay in his bed and go to sleep at night. We are trying a new method tonight, so we will have to wait and see. It is torture to have to listen to him cry for us at night, but we can't have him back in our room again. I think somehow in his mind, we are staying up late partying with Brighton once he goes to bed. Tonight we made a big charade of putting Brighton to bed first, so that he would think we had all gone to bed. It has been two hours now, and he's still not asleep. We are very very sleepy! Brighton did not sleep well last night either, so we are hoping that she is not getting her days and nights mixed up. Tomorrow Jon's mom and dad arrive from Williamsburg. I know they will be a help in keeping the house up and keeping Will entertained. We are going to try and keep Will on a strict bedtime routine until he finally reverts to his pre-Brighton bedtime bliss :)

Two weeks old!

Adjusting

We are still basking in the newness of being a family of four. Jon has gone back to work this week since Mom and Dad are here to help. Mom has been doing all of the housework while Dad plays with Will. I have been able to get some rest and of course, nurse Brighton constantly. Will is having some adjustment issues. He will not go to sleep without someone in his room with him. I'm hoping this is only a phase. I think he is having a little separation anxiety as a result from my brief hospital visit. Mom and Dad will be leaving tomorrow, and I will be taking Brighton to her first doctor's appointment. I will have a few days on my own before Jon's Mom and Dad arrive from Williamsburg. Thank you to all for the thoughts and prayers--we are very blessed!

Brighton is one week old

Brighton's Birth

Jon and I went to the hospital on Tuesday night. Because I had progressed on my own somewhat, the doctor did not start me on Pitocin until 5 AM the next morning. My contractions started coming faster and harder. I declined the epidural for a while because I was able to breathe through them. By 10:00, I was 6 cm and in too much pain to try and be a hero. I received the epidural an hour later and had progressed to 7 cm. After the pain went away, I was able to visit with Will before his nap. After he went back home with Nana, I started feeling my contractions again. I was almost completely dialated, but the baby had not dropped. My doctor started asking Jon and me questions about Will's birth, and in the course of the conversation, Jon mentioned that there was a moment when Will's shoulder got caught after his head was out. I never mentioned this to my new doctor before because it seemed like the problem was corrected instantly, and the incident did not count as a "birth complication." It is actually a condition during birth called shoulder distotia. I mention this now because my doctor began to think that I could have too narrow of a pelvic bone or an unusually shaped pelvis. If the baby was too large then Brighton could suffer possible nerve damage if born vaginally. (I apologize to the men reading this--feel free to tune out). The doctor ordered an ultrasound to determine the baby's size. In the meantime, Brighton started dropping quickly. The ultrasound didn't really determine an exact size. The doctor gave us the choice to go ahead with the delivery or do a c-section. We were so afraid of making the wrong choice. I could feel that she was ready to be born, but I was nervous to risk any nerve damage. We talked and prayed and decided to go ahead with the vaginal delivery. We then found out that she was coming out with her head facing the wrong way. The doctor was able to turn her head before she started coming out (this was quite painful for me). The delivery room was full of people just in case there was a possible shoulder distotia. I pushed for ten minutes at the most and Brighton was in my arms. I was so so grateful that she was not hurt. I thank God that we made the right decision, and that we had such a knowledgeable doctor.
Brighton Rae was born at 3:00PM on November 5. She weighs 7 lbs., 14 oz. She is 20 1/2 inches long. She has a full head of dark hair (like her mommy) and what looks like brown eyes. She is nursing well already, and we are hoping to leave the hospital possibly tonight. I am anxious to get home and have my ducklings together. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers! Love, Jon, Becky, Will and Brighton

Brighton meets William

Tonight

We will be heading to the hospital shortly. I have been in some pain all day. I'm nervous and anxious but trusting in God. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. I have never left Will overnight, but I know he will be fine in Mom's capable hands. I'm not too excited about getting pitocin, but I'm trusting the doctor's decision. We will be updating the blog (hopefullly) from the hospital. Love to all!

Halloween Greetings

Since I don't really have any news on the baby front, I decided to write about the rest of us. I posted a video of Will's cookie-making aftermath below. Yesterday, I decided to make pumpkin chocolate-chip cookies because I made them last Halloween for a playgroup, and they remind me of fall. I decided to see if Will would like to help with the cookie making. He loves making messes, but he really loves to "help" these days. I let him crack the eggs (he tried to crumble up the shells in the batter), and I let him stir the dry ingredients. He tried to eat a spoonful of flour, but other than that, he seemed to really enjoy himself. He was a little confused why Mommy was using his "paddle" to make cookies! I had so many cookies that I sent some with Jon for the warehouse and sales people, and Will and I are going to pass some out to the neighbors. I have really great neighbors down here who check on me daily and bring special treats to Will. We are planning on going trick-or-treating tomorrow night as long as Brighton has not made her appearance. I have a doctor's appointment this afternoon, so I guess I will know more then. We will be picking Nana up from the airport early Sunday evening. She will be taking her very first plane trip, so keep her in your thoughts and prayers! I don't think she's nervous, at least she's not letting on that she is. :) It will be a relief to have her here in case I go into labor and need someone to watch Will. I'm very excited about Mom coming, and I will have to keep busy on Sunday to not get overly anxious. Church will be a good distraction that day! We have been visiting a few churches down here, and we've found two that we like. One is a large Baptist church and the other is a small Presbyterian church. We haven't decided which one will be best for us to attend, but we are happy to have found two that could be possible church homes. We had a house guest this week. Jon's friend, Tim, came to help out in the warehouse, so we insisted he stay with us. Jon has been keeping very busy at work because of month-end responsibilities. I think he may be trying to tie up loose ends since he will be off starting on Wednesday if not sooner. I will be induced Tuesday evening if I haven't gone into active labor. I have definitely felt the nesting urge this week, and I am scurrying around trying to get last minute things finished that usually pop into my head in the middle of the night. Will has new shoes, the dog has been groomed, and my laundry is done. Now I would like to mop all of the floors, so I will update everyone with some more interesting news (hopefully) soon! For now, I have a two-year-old artist that is ready to work on his masterpiece of the day. :)

Will's Halloween Cookies

Progress?

I spent most of the early morning hours watching the clock and wondering if I was actually headed to the hospital. I have been having some bad cramping, but at about 4 AM, I started having contractions. They went on for about three hours, and now I just feel tired and sore. As soon as I felt that first tinge of pain, it's like I had pain recall. I didn't have actual non-induced contractions with Will, but they felt the same! I have my next appointment on Thursday, but I may not make it that long. Jon asked me to wait until after Saturday since he has planned a work day for his entire branch, but I don't think Brighton will be listening to her Daddy (probably won't be the last time either)! But maybe she will-regardless, I will be posting progress as it happens.

House Tour

Jon took a little video tour of our house yesterday. It was too long, so I had to post it on you tube and then embed it on here. The sound is a little weird, but hopefully you can get a little glimpse of the house now that we are settled.

House Tour

Monster Mash

Today we took Will to Bogue Falaya Park in our neighborhood. There were hundreds of little ghouls running around, and we all had a great time. Will was asleep for the first 45 minutes, so Jon and I got to look around at the vendors. When Will woke up, he got to pet animals (including a snake), ride on a little car, play instruments, and go "trick or treating" through Halloween village. I was hoping that walking around might have helped Brighton along a little bit, but so far it just made me hot and tired. There seems to be a festival or fair every weekend here, and we've really enjoyed getting out and learning about our new hometown. 

Welcome to our Blog!

We've decided to start a blog to keep friends and family as close as possible. We are finally getting completely settled in Covington now. Jon is working very hard to rescue an ailing Ferguson down here that is an operations mess. I am anxiously waiting for Brighton's arrival. The doctor's visit yesterday revealed that I am getting closer than I expected! The house is ready, casseroles are frozen, and we finally have a functioning home phone! I've joined a MOPS group down here,  and we've made some friends. We like the area so far, and we've been able to do some exploring. I have not ventured into New Orleans by myself yet, but I'm hoping to check out the mall there soon! William is excited about his baby sister, and he has been keeping busy on his new easel, tool bench, and tricycle. He has created many masterpieces, made several "repairs" around the house, and rides his "bike" around our new neighborhood several times a week. Will has even made some progress on the potty front. We may have success very soon! I will be posting some pictures in the next day or so.  We miss you all!!!!