Surfaced

I'm happy to report the baby blues are gone, the sun is shining and we are moving onwards and upwards. Sure, there are certain times of the day where things are a complete shit show, but for the most part those can be overlooked when assessing the blessings of my family and life. 

I'm glad to be back. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to keep this short as my son's diarrhea diaper just leaked onto the new couch.

Namaste, bitches. This momma is back!

Make It Work

He's not going to last but this is my comic relief for Project Runway Season 10. I. Love. This. Guy.

Is it sad that a new season of Project Runway is re-energizing me? It always does. For someone who has primarily worn jeans and layered tees throughout the years, it doesn't make sense. But the new season is coming at a good time, even if I have to watch DVR'd episodes in 20 minute chunks here and there!

One Month!

"Mom, will Dad disown me if I become a redhead?"

"Brrgak! I'm one month old already?!"

Chillin' at one month

Poignant at one month

Dreamy and hopeful at one month

Surfacing...

I have a few moments until baby wakes up so I thought I'd surface and tread water to share our thoughts on becoming a family of four over the last month. I'm still in the "Holy crap, what have we done?" phase and I do want to share truthfully about the experience because it isn't really roses and sunshine for me quite yet. I forgot how much hard work a newborn is and that there is really no instant gratification at this stage since there are no smiles or answered hugs. So I keep on keepin' on given that I see how much fun Landon is and I know he started in the same place.

To top it off, my baby blues are persistent, especially after a battle with mastitis in both boobies. The infection was quick and painful and tested my resolve. Tears were shed, stress was had, friends were leaned upon. We have moved on and we don't dare mutter the phrase "clogged ducts" in this house unless you want me to freeze like a deer in headlights.

The hardest part is that my emotions range wildly from feeling like I'm "cheating" on one child when I'm with another to being upset with one child when they don't give me time to be with the other. I'm learning to deal with the sound of one always whining or crying in the background; it's not pleasant but part of survival mode.

Alas, I must say there are moments of joy when the stars align and naps are taken at the same time or when baby plays happily while Landon and I read books. The moments are sparse but do exist and I look forward to more. And in my heart, I do know there will be more so that is what keeps me going on three hours a sleep a night. That, and a supportive hubby and dear friends.

I will surface again soon. Back to the abyss for now...

An Afternoon with Landon

2.5 Weeks

Daddy's Team

Dad, where's your jersey?

Anders unfortunately still grimaces at the sound of L's voice and touch, but it's understandable given his lack of gentleness thus far. We are working on it. Landon loves his little brother big time!

Falling in Love

It takes a while for some of us mothers: There is unconditional love from the start, but some of us have to ease into falling in love with the new little being dependent on us for survival and life. 

The seas of baby blues start to part and you begin to fully realize you have an amazing little human in your arms.

 "...and when each day is the same as the next, it's because people fail to recognize the good things that happen in their lives every day that the sun rises." - Paulo Coehlo

It's 'Ahnders', not 'Annders'

So we knew when reviewing Norwegian names to complement the Halvorson surname, we had a challenge on our hands. There isn't the most poetic combination of syllables in Scandinavian monikers. Erik was happy to fall on the name Anders and seemed to have a penchant for it from the start.

Me: "I do like it but you realize the kid will have to correct people the rest of his life."


E: "I have to do it all the time by saying 'Erik with a K'. He needs something like that, too."


Me: "Hmm."

So that is the origination of the name - no major stories. It's kinda' how we just liked the sound of the name Landon. Everyday we see them both becoming their own beings, adopting their own personalities and growing into their own names. So it's a perfect fit.

Now if I could just break the habit of calling Anders "Piglet"...

Day 10. Dreaming of boobies, if I had to guess.