We survived the summer! I was so worried about this summer. Kids out of school and a new baby seemed like a recipe for chaos. And I'll be honest, there was A LOT of chaos. I have a hard time staying indoors and those super hot days sometimes forced us in but we got through them. Lots of lazy days were had with Spongebob and Angry Birds playing a key role in our survival especially for those first few weeks!
Luckily grandma has the summers off of work, so she was able to take the boys up to her house for a week, which was so nice -- for them and for me! They're not used to having a backyard so they pretty much spent every waking moment out there. Lots of time in the kiddie pool + an endless supply of popsicles got them through the week. Eden and I joined them for a few days at the end of the week and it was a really nice break from the city. Jon had to go right back to work with a full schedule which was tough on us, so it was really nice to have the family support.
Noah also was able to go to day camp this summer for 2 weeks, which was such a great time for him. He was able to spend time with his friends and be outside swimming and playing sports. I was so glad that he had a little bit of a break from us and was able to have that experience. It was really hard for me to escape feelings of guilt that I had for the boys not being able to enjoy the summer like we have in the past. I realize now that they were TOTALLY fine, but when we were in the thick of the summer, it was really hard.
One thing I will say, however, is that the boys really bonded this summer. It was almost like they were forced to! I was obviously busy with the baby and couldn't give them as much attention, so they really relied on each other for entertainment and for help. Noah really stepped up to his big brother role and it has been so great to see how his personality is so perfect for his place in our family. He pretty much potty trained Gabriel among taking care of other needs like, getting snacks, setting the table, fetching baby supplies for me, holding Eden, etc. I feel really lucky to have him as my firstborn!
Gabriel definitely went through a rough patch with the addition of baby sister. It was so much different that how Noah reacted when he was born though! Noah was super aggressive towards Gabriel right after he was born, and I was so worried about something like that happening. But Gabriel just became incredibly anxious and nervous about everything. He refused to go outside -- even to the playground. He hated play dates, babysitters, and nursery at church. I started to get really nervous about how his transition to preschool would go in the fall, and was even questioning our decision to send him. But he has seemed to come around and actually really has matured quite a bit in the last month. So, we're very pleased about that. He loves Eden and I'm always so happy to see him want to play with her, hold her and give her kisses! He calls her a princess every time she wears a dress or pink :)
We're definitely moving at a slower pace these days, but I think it's been a really good thing for our family!
So here are some random pics (mostly from my iphone) that I feel sum up our summer...
Noah recording baby sister's info in his new big brother book from Aunt Amber and Uncle Mike
Sunday morning nap with daddy
big brother Noah reading to Eden
Both Gabriel and Eden like to sleep in their carseats as newborns!
lots of wrestling time with dad
Jon, Eden and I got to sneak away for some Indian food while Noah and Gabriel were at grandma's
post-bath baby!
marble madness @ grandma's house
scootering around grandma's neighborhood
grandma discovered this bounce house while she had the boys... they LOVED it!
big brother helping out
slip n' slide!
sunbathing
relaxing after a long day's work
big brother Gabriel has a turn holding baby sis
playtime!
Angry Birds!
first bath in her "princess bath" as Gabriel calls it!
this little guy was dangerous with his water squirter...
many hot afternoon water fights were had here!
Noah is so sweet with her!
crazy popsicle boys!
Noah is so sweet with her!
