Twins!

On the left is Max. On the right is Lucas. Both two months old. It amazes me how uncanny the resemblance is! 

Baby Max: Month Two

It's hard to believe that my littlest guy is two months old already. One of the things that you quickly learn as a parent is that time flies quicker than you are ever ready for. It is definitely still the case this time around, and it's weird to be writing this. We've hit the two month mark for little Max!

This second month has not been entirely easy. After our case of RSV, Max was healthy for about a week before he caught another cold (thank you, big brother). Unfortunately, RSV does a number on the system of such a small person, and it makes it very difficult, even after they have recovered from it, to recover from other things. This cold has kicked my poor baby's cute little booty. Just when I think we are turning a corner and finally on the mend, we seem to take a step backwards. While a little congestion and some coughing may not seem like a big deal to an older baby, but for Max it has made things like BREATHING difficult. Even now, we remain on the nebulizer as needed, and risked another hospitalization because of a fever that popped up (and thankfully went away). No matter how much I bulb syringe or nosefrida (which, seriously, once you get over the ick factor of sucking snot out of your kids nose with a tube & your mouth? BEST THING EVER!) I just can't seem to get it all. Whatever is hanging out waaaaay back there is not coming out. During the day, we are fine, and can keep up. But nights are hard, and after all that mucus has had a chance to sit there for a while, it wakes Max up with a coughing fit that often results in him almost choking on said mucus. As a mom, it's hard, and all I can do it keep doing what I am doing and hope that Spring brings us a better, healthier life.

ASIDE FROM THIS, I cannot tell you enough what a joy Max is. We have gotten into a very good routine, and I cannot believe I have been blessed with two incredibly chill & relaxed babies. Max lights up the room, even now, and I cannot believe how vocal he is. It is incredibly easy to get a smile out of him, and the baby coo's that come from his mouth are heart-melting. And if you're not there next to him? He has no problem talking to himself, and often will talk MORE when I have him in the pack & play or down on the play mat while I am getting things done. When the house is quiet and Max is awake, you can hear him babbling away without a care in the world. It warms my heart & is one of my favorite sounds, these early days of him figuring out his voice & seeing what he can do. It's beyond adorable.

This kid also eats like a champ. Lucas ate like a champ as well, but I'm pretty sure this kid is eating more & will weigh more at his two month check up tomorrow. Lucas was 13 pounds, 3 ounces. I guarantee Max will surpass that. Sleep is going well, also. He's not much of a sleeper during the day, as in he likes to take lots of cat naps with maybe one good LONG stretch in the afternoon. But he makes up for this by sleeping 7-9 hours at night. I don't know how long this will last, but it's nice for now.

All in all, things are generally going really well. We had such a rough start to this new life, but I feel like a good groove is finally happening. I am sure there are more hurdles coming our way, especially with our big moving happening in just a couple of months, but for now we are just handling what is thrown to us the best we can. Life with two has definitely been a challenge, but slowly & surely, we are making our way. I continue to sneak in as many baby snuggles as I can during the day, and I don't plan on quitting anytime soon!

Europe Bound!

You may recall last Summer, we had thought that the Army was going to send us down to Georgia. Fort Gordon, to be exact. First it was on. Then it was off. Then it was on. Then it was off for good. A mere two weeks or so before we were supposed to report. Gotta love the military sometimes.

With Gordon being off for good, we were then tasked with finding a new place to go before the Army decided for us. It was a bit of a stressful time, as we fought for duty stations, requesting them only to find out that jobs in places like Alaska and Texas were snatched up quicker than we can blink, and locations that we REALLY wanted to go to never showed up on the radar.

And then a dream duty station opened up. We requested, and then we waited, assuming that it would be like all the others and our chances were slim. But by the end of that week way back in August, and after finally receiving our official orders two weeks ago, I can now share that we are moving, for sure this time.

To Germany.

EUROPE! For a minimum of three years, but hopefully so, so much longer. M has 12 years left until he hits 20, and we are hoping that if things go well, we can extend for another three years, or as close to retirement as possible. Maybe longer. All of this is being said without us even being there yet, but we know what an amazing opportunity this well be, and we cannot wait to live this up to the best of our abilities. Even better? The week we found out we were going to Germany (Stuttgart, to be exact) my mom was hired as a teacher at another military base &  moved out there this past September. Who would have thought that we would have to move halfway around the world to get closer to family? Either way, we are beyond thrilled and cannot wait for our new adventure.

With that said, and with such a big change coming our way, I am thinking of changing some things up around here. Aside from the general parenting things that are discussed here, I cannot wait to share our travel experiences with all of you. And the photos! Oh the glorious photos that my camera will be able to take! It's going to be wonderful. These next couple of months are going to be a whirlwind as we get things in order, and I plan on chronicling all of it here. We have never PCS'ed before as a family, and an international PCS complicates things just a tad more, but I will be happy to share our experiences for inquiring minds. I'm also working on a new design for the blog, to better represent our change into European living while also keeping my honest parenting stories in tact.

Germany, here we come!