Smile

Carmen is smiling at Henry!! Seriously could she be any sweeter???

New beginnings

So I started back to work this week!  I have been involved in work affairs on and off during my whole maternity leave, but honestly I do not know where the last 2 months went?!  Carmen seems to be adjusting surprisingly well to the chaos of her room.  She enjoys watching all of the other kids interact.  It keeps her entertained and it makes me so happy to watch her and cuddle her if I need to.  I am nursing her while I am there.  It's truely amazing I must admit to work part-time and be with my kids!!! Henry loves peeking in on her and hasn't had his meltdowns like he used to when he saw me walking around the Center. Life for me couldn't be better!  I would love to see my husband more and have a me day once in a while, but overall my mood is so much better after having Carmen than where I was after I had Henry.  I believe I probably went through some post partum depression as I was working a stressful job full time and was a first time mom.

I also downloaded a new photo editing software to my phone.  What do you think???

Christmas at Thanksgiving

Over Thanksgiving this year, we celebrated Christmas with my side of the family! I did post some pictures on Facebook, but not on my blog. I also took some family pictures for my aunt Pam and Steph and their families. We had a wonderful time. Henry enjoyed participating in all of grandma Kim's craft projects and running around with the Scott boys! Carmen enjoyed sleeping and got a little bit spoiled being held all the time. We are still trying to reason with her that she can't be held all the time!!!

Here is Henry getting ready to open all of his fantastic Christmas presents!
I think aunt Steph and Carmen have the same pout! LOVE IT!
My sister, I mean cousin, Lindsey and her little boy Owen! Carmen now weighs more than he does!!! He was born 5 weeks BEFORE she was!!!! It was pretty awesome to have someone going through the same things as I was. Although she had a pretty easy pregnancy;)! I am so glad our kids will be able to grow up together like we did!
The Scott family Steph, Artie, Gage, and Gavin. Don't they look nice?!
The McClelland Family Jim, Pam, and Carson. They did an amazing job!!! LOVE IT:)

Yes, I know that it's a little late, but better late than never!

Say cheese

Henry wanted to say cheese for my camera. You suppose this kid gets enough camera time?! Today we are nursing a sick carmen back to health and avoiding getting Henry any sicker. I am trying these mucinex mini melts for henrys cough. They seem to be working really well. Not much we can give baby sis, but we are watching her temp. It was 100.5 this am.

Sickies

We have three sickies in our house. Matt, Henry, and baby sis are all under the weather battling coughs and congestion. Mama is fine thankfully! Let's hope we get this over with before the holidays!?

Admirer

Carmen is in love with her brother! She always has to be looking at him or near him. Tonight he was singing her a song about trains! However stressful life is for us. Which believe me, it is! I can always turn to my kids for reassurance as to why I do it!

Chillin

Today we are just chillin watching a bee movie for the millionth time! Carmen is napping on mom, her fab spot! Henry is playing with his guys. A real regular day in the neighborhood. I could get used to this!

Mirror mirror

Carmen loves looking at all of her toys on her play gym. She has recently discovered how to smile and coo and really focus on objects! She's incredible!!! Henry is learning all of his letters and can spell his own name and point out letters of friends names. How blessed we are!!! And I figured out how to blog on my phone, so you will be seeing much more of us!!

Thanksgiving

We had the most amazing thanksgiving this year! We celebrated with all our family and even had Christmas with my side of the family! Carmen had her first holiday experience and did amazing!  I love my family and am feeling so very blessed this holiday season!!!! Even though I am not working right now and money is tight, I couldn't feel any richer!!!

Sleep deprivation

Life with Carmen is so amazing! I am completely infatuated and in love with my sweet angel baby! I am more in love with my Henry boy as I watch him adjust and fall in love with his sister. He is already super protective of her reminding me today as I left him at preschool that I need to remember to carry baby sis. Not sure exactly what this means, but thought it was cute anyway.

I had suffered from pregnancy induced insomnia and a frequent urge to pee while I was pregnant, so my sleeping pattern had already been adjusted before Carmen came along, but since her arrival sleeping as we know it is more like napping. There are nights when I do get 4 hours of sleep in a row, but these are rare. Usually it's 2 1/2 to 3 in between feedings and diaper changes. While I love this special time with my baby girl, I am looking forward to the days when I actually get to sleep most of the night. I know it will come eventually, so I will patiently wait and appreciate the sleep that I do get.

Thanksgiving is tomorrow. I have been noticing many posts on Facebook of what people are thankful for. It's hard to even list all of them here, but as I think more about it, I am so thankful for every hardship I have faced in life. It was those times in my life that I look back on and draw strength from to move forward and ultimately lead me to my life now which is very different from where I started. No one can predict their future and where their life will lead and what hurdles will come their way. What I hope for is facing life with my husband and kids by my side. Providing for them a life that makes each of them happy!

My sweet angel baby enjoying her play gym. She is fascinated with bright colors and pictures of her brother and family on our wall. The other day she had gotten her hand caught in one of her toys that hangs from her play gym, she was stone still not sure how to get out of this predicament!

Happy Halloween plus 1

This year we celebrated Halloween with both of our little goblins. How fulfilling life is when you get to share it with others! If raising kids wasn't so exhausting, I would probably have many many more kids! I just love seeing siblings interact with each other and holidays are better with so many little ones to share it with.

This Halloween we had ourselves a big ol' bowl of Mac n' Cheese and a little ladybug! Henry got rav reviews on his costume! And Carmen managed to spit up on three of her costumes! Henry and dad made their way around town to all of our friends and their neigborhoods. Carmen and I stayed home and handed out candy to all the gouls in the neighborhood!

Henry anxiously waiting to venture out and collect more candy!
What a ham!

Carmen not so excited about her first halloween outfit!
The fam! Henry was over taking pictures!

The beginning of something wonderful

As I am looking through all the pictures that have started trickling in of my sweet angel baby Carmen, I am noticing all the wonderful men that are in her life. As a mother of a baby girl, it's a new arena for me to explore, but I do know the importance that positive male role models play in children's life. I want Carmen to have healthy relationships with men and women as an adult and that begins early on with her mom, dad, and immediate family. Carmen has some amazing men, boys, and little boys in her life that will help guide and shape who she will become!

Cousin Gage and Carmen!
Her big brother Henry and Carmen!
Her great-grandpa and Carmen!
I think I knew that Carmen would complete our family once she arrived. I so enjoyed all my one-on-one time with Henry, but let's face it, there is only so much a mom can do with her son. There is a role that siblings play in each others life, and I am thrilled beyond words to see how that transforms in my kids' life! Being a mom of two is everything I imagined and so much more. It fulfills me and I see my husband in a whole new light. We are really in this together juggling family, work, and each other. It's crazy, scary, wonderful, and tiring all at the same time!

The fam!!!

Sleepy baby...

Carmen had her one week check up today. She is within one once of her birth weight which is wonderful! So far, she is a very laid back baby who sleeps ALOT! She enjoys looking around at her daddy and brother when she is awake. She is not as big as her brother was as far as percentile of height and weight. Maybe she won't be quit as monsterously large as Henry was as fast! I still think she looks just like her daddy and brother!

Mama loves her new baby girl!
Daddy is completely enamered!

Carmen Kimberly

Well, she is here. Her long awaited arrival is finally here and gone....Carmen Kimberly Schulte was born on October 4, 2011 at 5:04pm weighing 8lb 7oz and was 21 inches long. She is healthy and happy and doing great!

She is such a good baby sleeping, eating, and pooping and continuing the cycle throughout the day. I completely understand this can change in a moments notice, so I am enjoying this quiet sleepy stage thoroughly!

Henry is adjusting well. He certainly has his moments of attention seeking which we were prepared for. What I wasn't prepared for was how much he was going to love this little girl right off the bat. When he gets home from preschool he goes to her and kisses her and tells her about his morning. If she's awake, she will peer contently up at him like she's listening to every word he says.

We are so blessed with two beautiful, healthy children!!!!

Dad is quit taken with his little girl!
Mom and her baby girl shortly after delivery.
Carmen napping at the hospital.
Henry cheesing it up for the camera!

Still Alive

Yes, we are still here and kicking! Life has been pretty interesting lately. Between bed rest, stress of work, and taking care of a 3 year old, I haven't had much time/interest in blogging. This week, I have been trying to return to normal life. As normal as you can the week before you are due to give birth!

Last weekend, we took Henry to the duck pond in Yankton. He had a blast even though the ducks got a little too close to Henry for daddy's liking. Henry also played on the play equipment afterwards and proceeded to pull down his pants and pee for all the world to see! It's so funny how uninhibited small children are. It made perfect sense to him that if he had to pee, he needed to pull down his pants! DUH MOM!

Henry has been making the transition to big brother very well. He has his own big boy bed, is fully potty trained, and even got special big brother Phineas and Ferb sheets and blanket for his big boy bed. I am so looking forward to giving Henry a sibling to explore life with. I am just so intrigued that I will ever love another child the way that I love my Henry!

Baby Shower Weekend

Well, this weekend we introduced the family to little Owen William! My cousin Lindsey's baby boy who was born last Saturday! We also had a joint shower for the future ms. schulte and the current mr. owen! Lots of family was in attendance. Henry even got to spend some quality time with his papa Jeff, uncle Nick, great uncle Kerry, and cousin's Gage and Gavin. It was a fun, wonderful, tiring weekend had by all! I am so proud of my cousin Lindsey who is quit the amazing mama!!!!!!!

Cousin Katelyn (aunt to Owen) and Henry checking out the baby during his photo shoot.
Henry was such a good boy with the baby always giving him gentle touches! He's going to make a fantastic big brother!!!!
The 36 week pregnant me...don't I look excited, tired, irritated??!!!!
My mom, Lindsey, and Owen with the quilt my mom made for Owen.
I actually really like this picture. He's got this quizzical look on his face like what exactly are you doing to me with that thing?
Probably also one of my very favorite! He is such a strong boy trying to roll at 7 days old!

Mama and her boy!

Keegan Round 2

So we hit up round number 2 with Mr. Keegan last week here in Vermillion. I have several awesome pictures, but decided to only show mom 2. Keeps the excitement building! HEHEHE...I promise to post pictures of my little man sometime in the near future. He isn't a big fan of the camera lately, and I haven't felt much like taking pictures that I'm not paid to take lately!

Morgan's Senior Pictures

So I have had the fortunate opportunity to work with some wonderful ladies in my work career. I was able to photograph Tena's senior Keegan a couple weeks back, and last night I got to work with Becky's senior Morgan.

To Morgan, you are so beautiful, vibrant, full of energy, and a very sweet young lady! I wish you continued success this year and in your future. I hope you enjoy these few pictures I have for you as a sneak peek. I've got SO many more to edit! Thank you for giving me the opportunity to capture these priceless images for you!