Playtime

Here is little Thomas playing with his big brother's playmat... I sent Colin and Will out to pick up a few items, so I finally have a few moments alone with our newest addition. He truly is a sweet baby and is pretty easy to soothe. His hobbies are eating, pooping, spitting up, and watching late night football with his daddy. We love you, Thomas! (Even Will does, who currently is pretending to ignore you :)

Happy birthday to our new baby boy!

Thomas Ashton Gallahan

Born November 9, 2007 at 6:32 pm

8 pounds, 9 ounces
22 inches

More pictures & updates to come!

Big Belly

Halloween

Since Colin worked late on Halloween, I dressed Will up yesterday for his annual photo op. I don't think he knew the difference. I think he did wonder though why certain neighborhood children were ringing our doorbell and receiving candy while he was in his PJ's being prepped for bed... Maybe next year. This was the costume found in his size at a recent kiddie consignment sale, so Will was a leopard (I think? It does have spots...) this year. He actually loved wearing it-even the headpiece--which surprised me to no end. So here you go...Will's 2nd Halloween:



He LOVES pushing his stroller everywhere--practicing for the baby? Hopefully he won't ram it into trees, fences, and other barriers with such force with baby brother in tow.



Practicing his phone skills with the ladies... Colin also taught him to wink, as to better pick up the chicks, though Will's version is more of a "I've got something in my eyes" blink.


In other news, baby G #2 is due in less than 2 weeks and may even be induced out of his mom earlier than that... We'll keep you updated!

Happy Faces

Still Here

Sorry, no new pictures to share or thrilling news to impart. I keep promising myself that I will snap photos of our little family and my enormous belly, but I'm having some issues with follow-through. Maybe tomorrow...or Tuesday...or when the baby comes :)

We are doing well though. I have 4 weeks left, unless this next one decides to arrive early, though strangers seem to think I'm ready to deliver at any moment. I'm carrying this child directly in front, so I have an oddly gigantic tummy--I can't imagine how it's going to balloon more in the coming days. I must admit, I'm not a fan of the end of pregnancy. I'm really uncomfortable and dealing with all the joys (miseries?) that go with the 9th month, & I'm finding this pregnancy to be a lot harder physically than the first one. Yet I know it'll be over so soon, & then the real craziness starts again. I can't wait to meet this child, though my emotional, hormonal pregnant self is having a hard time with the reality that Will will no longer be our "littlest baby." I can tell already I'm going to have a rough time sending that kid off on a school bus one day :) We haven't done much to prepare for baby 2, besides purchasing another crib, more bedding, & a little diaper bag--I guess I've realized this time around that I can actually make it out to Target post-birth to pick up necessities. With Will, our house was so stocked with everything from diapers to toilet paper to peanut butter that we could've been homebound for months. We do have a name chosen, but we're going to keep it from the public for another few weeks :) And this time around, it should actually be a surprise when the baby makes his entrance...We had an elective induction with Will (so Type-A of us), so I'm curious as to how a "natural" labor goes (as in naturally commencing--NOT as in no drugs! Thank God for epidurals!) OK, that's enough with the pregnancy update...

We're staying really busy & continue to love our new home. Except when he's on call and gets paged nonstop on stupid matters, Colin is enjoying his job. He just got called in to complete some silly task when he'd rather be watching football highlights, so at the moment he might not be so enthusiastic. He's doing great though, and Will & I continue to love seeing so much more of him this year. We are getting involved in a fantastic church in town, and we're feeling very blessed to have already made some friends and begun to feel a part of things there. Will and I take part in some of the hospital spouse playgroup events, and there are some great people there too. And one thing I love about this town is that you tend to run into the same people everywhere (at least mommy people)...I take Will to the park & meet another mom, then chance upon her again at the children's museum, or Chik-fil-a, or the train table at Barnes & Noble...I guess there aren't but so many places to take children on a weekday :) I like that feeling--it's like we've lived here much longer than 4 months.

It's bedtime for me, but I figured I shouldn't give up on the blog just because I'm too forgetful/tired/lazy to take pictures. We're here & we're not going anywhere 'til we meet this other little boy. Happy beginning of your weeks, all!

Boy Stuff

What could be more thrilling than goats & tractors? It's amazing how into animals & modes of transportation a little boy can be...

Visiting a family friend's farm...

Last night at the Dixie Classic Fair in Winston--Much of the evening was quite challenging, as Colin & I struggled to keep our little guy from stealing floating ducks, running off into the crowd, & sneaking into the tiger cages. He did however adore all tractor exhibits & even managed to turn the hazard lights on one of them. The sheep & pigs were big hits as well. I think Will was extremely overstimulated by the whole opening fair night experience (hordes of people, & lights, funnel cake & large stuffed things everywhere can do that to a person), so he got freaked out toward the end and had to be carried out kicking and screaming (literally). Though I'm glad we went--I'm all for family bonding excursions--I think we might stick with the children's museum & local playgrounds for awhile.



Colin didn't want to miss out on anything fun...

Boys on the way...

Finally, a picture of pregnant me. My sister came to visit a few weeks ago, & at this point she was 20 weeks & I 28 weeks along--both with boys! What a difference those 2 months make... Unlike last time, I do not have monthly shots of my growing belly, so this poor second child will have to deal with hand me down everything and less documentation of his growth in mommy's tummy. I'm sure he'll survive :) It's hard to believe that baby G #2 will be here in another 2 months--Now that the time is approaching, I'm getting a little nervous about handling sleep deprivation, a newborn's needs, & an attention-spoiled toddler. I may have babysat 6 children at once for years, grown up with 2 siblings, & taught 35 students at a time, but that doesn't prepare you for parenting your own growing brood. Two little boys under 2. I adore being a mom & can't wait to meet this next one, but I doubt I'm too crazy for wondering how it works when you add another to the mix. And our mix (thanks to our passionate & driven little one, Will) is already pretty wild!

By the way, has anyone seen that show on TLC about the family with 17 or 18? kids? All singleton births. I can't even imagine how those parents do it... (nor can I fathom their ability/desire to generate a "J" name for each one...) And I think my hope for 3 kids is ambitious :)

Nasty New Habit

He thinks he is sooo funny...

No cavities!

Another first for Will--the dentist! I wanted to get him in around his 2nd birthday, but I have a feeling a newborn might make things a little (more like, a ton) more challenging right around that time. I'm weirdly fascinated with dental hygiene & actually look forward to my own dental cleanings (& even went through a very brief spell in college of considering a career in dentistry), so how could I let Will miss out on such a marvelous experience?! Colin disagrees. He thinks the whole field is a crock & will only get his teeth cleaned when forced. I'll laugh when he's wearing dentures at 40 :) Anyhow, while I fight every night to get that little toothbrush in Will's mouth (& often get bitten if my hand is in there), he actually reclined in that kiddie dental chair and permitted the dentist to look around for a minute. All looks good, though he apparently should be weaned from his crib paci habit. Right...

His memento photo-- & Can you see him proudly touching his Thomas sticker?


Living it up at home, after enjoying his sugar-free lollipop, treasure chest car, new toothbrush & of course, sticker. Who needs Disney World?

Weekend Away

I don't think our little family had ever taken a vacation together, just the 3 of us, so we headed to Beech Mountain, NC for the weekend. We stayed in a little ski condo at the Pinnacle Inn, & we took advantage of the on-site mini-golf course, playground, pool, & best of all--temps of 70's & 80's (MUCH better than the 100+ degrees in Winston nowadays). It was a fun adventure spending time in a new place, though not exactly relaxing :) Traveling with kids can never be termed a "vacation" for parents, but it was still a great time.

Our view from the inn-

Sunday morning we spent a couple of hours on Grandfather Mountain, though we were too nervous to let Will run across the mile-high swinging bridge...Colin & I both walked across separately, but we feared what our little guy might do up there...He's not quite old enough for skydiving--especially without equipment!


Of course, we had to visit the bears, cougars & sea otters on Grandfather Mtn--Will's been practicing his "grrr" for the occasion. And yes, his bear "backpack" is actually a leash. It's a wonderful thing.



Playing on a playground Saturday night before dinner out--

New Wheels

I finally found a cozy coupe on craigslist for our future NASCAR driver...

What's New

I've been feeling lazy regarding the blog, so I suppose it's time for another all-important update :) Let's see...

COLIN is still really enjoying work, which is such a pleasant change of pace for all of us. Not that he didn't have a good time during residency (well, parts of it, at least), but I guess it's a whole different thing to be doing cool procedures on a daily basis. This is a great training program too, in that they let the fellows do colonoscopies, endoscopies, & all that other fun stuff from the very start. From what I've heard, that isn't typical. The call is SO much better too, at least from my opinion. It's all "home call," so most of it is done by phone & doesn't involve spending all night at the hospital. I sure like that better than having my husband away every 3rd or 4th night! Though if he starts getting paged all night, he might be sleeping in the guest room on call nights... The fellows are currently all guys, & of course Colin loves the camaraderie of working with 5 other dudes. He is a guy's guy, after all. One is a Skins fan too, so you know he's loving that. He does have his Boards coming up next month, so that's a bit of a stress on him, but I know he'll do great. Anyhow, that's Colin's life from my perspective!

ME--Still loving Winston & continuing to get bigger & bigger by the day. It's amazing how big my belly is already, & I'm only 23?24? weeks. Still dealing with all normal pregnancy complaints, & sleeping is already getting harder & harder--this baby is one active boy! He kicks nonstop--a lot of the day & all night--& this little 1-pound, 1 foot munchkin is strong! His movements are definitely visible to anyone looking at my tummy, & you can sometimes feel body parts pressing to the surface. It may be annoying at night when I'm hoping to sleep, but it's such a cool thing to experience. I'm also having a good time meeting people--church & the hospital spouse's group have been great ways to meet other women, so I haven't really felt isolated or lonely in this new town, which is a huge blessing. And it's amazing how easily one can make a new acquaintance at the museum when a child refuses to leave the Lego area all morning.

WILL for some reason has changed his routine--yippee! The boy is starting to sleep later (no more 6am wakeup!), nap a little longer in the afternoon (no more 1 hour naps!), & go to sleep later at night (so now Colin can actually hang out with him). Maybe this is temporary, but hopefully this is one more way in which he's growing up. I LOVE it, I must say. I've never been a morning person, & it's hard for me to get moving so early. Again, I'm praying this continues... but with kids, who knows?! The boy does throw some impressive tantrums on a daily basis, but he also gets more & more fun to hang out with. He truly is a funny kid--he cracks me up all the time with the goofy stuff he does. He thinks he's a hoot too, which makes it all the more amusing. He's very social & gets bored sitting around the house, so we do go somewhere every morning...playgroups, the park, a morning church Bible study (where I get to interact with adults & Will gets to hang with his toddler buds), the children's museum (awesome! we go there weekly, & he adores it), & the mall on occasion (sadly, no browsing in stores for me though--we do the play area, ride-on vehicles, thomas train table, chik-fi-la thing). After his (& often, my) nap, we play in the yard until dinnertime (ketchup served with something). It's still hot to take walks, so I feel like a slug without exercise...At some point in time, we're going to have to invest in a treadmill or elliptical machine...though I can't imagine finding the time for that in the coming months. Maybe when the kids are in college I can get back in shape :) Back to Will--he's still a huge reader, & we'll find him curled up in a chair reading his books. That, I love to see! Or he'll be off lining his cars & trucks up along a shelf...or putting together puzzles (this amazes me--maybe I'm just an overly proud mom, but he's really talented at this)...or hurling balls all over the house...or hugging his stuffed animals...or banging his fists against the TV screen begging to watch Barney...or closing himself in the bathroom & tearing toilet paper into shreds. One never knows what he'll be doing. One last thing--I've learned that he's easily bribed by a single chocolate chip. Hey Will, wanna take a bath or get your diaper changed...I'll give you a chip... Works like a charm.

Baby #2--Still unnamed, still kicking around in there like a champ. Another natural athlete, according to Colin. We're going to check out cribs & double stroller options at Babies R Us this weekend, just to get a head start. I plan to keep Will in his crib as long as possible, so I think we're looking for a cheap new crib & a nicer double stroller.

Wow--that's quite an update for you all! Maybe more info than you wanted, but there you go :) Happy Wednesdays.

In the Backyard

Lately I never remember to take pictures... Yesterday, we were thrilled for our friends Annie & Neal to visit for the day--of course, no pictures. Recently, Will has been doing all sorts of amusing things--with no photographic documentation. So I break out the camera at the most mundane times, like this afternoon post-nap when we were playing outside. It is still VERY hot here, so the poor child does look red. Rest assured, it's not sunburn. He's just like his dad in that he can't tolerate the high temps at all... though come January, he'll be outdoors without a coat.

Still loving his "castle"


He knows not to scoop dirt out of the planter... hopefully that's a look of guilt on his face?
I heard an airplane somewhere...Where is it??

Little Update

Finally, we're all together again! Colin finished up residency & officially moved here this weekend, & it's SO good to have him back. I of course missed my husband, but I also was grateful to regain my baby's daddy :) I must say, grocery shopping on my own Sunday afternoon was as delightful as can be... Shopping with Will is always an adventure, generally a miserable one. (Today for instance, he knocked over and broke two vases in a store...lovely...) The boy craves being around other kids, the outdoors, a good playground with a twirly slide, fire trucks, sandboxes & bunny rabbits--I guess running errands with mom just isn't as fun. The problem is--I've got to run in stores and go places other than parks & the children's museum at some point. I'm struggling with how to deal with a child who throws a nasty fit every time he's forced in his stroller or shopping cart... Anyhow, that was a long aside. Colin's new job started off wonderfully today, and he's glad to be doing what he actually wants to do. We're still loving our house & trying to meet neighbors when we can, but the 90+ degree weather makes it unbearable (for a pregnant woman, at least) to spend much time outdoors. I think we've found our church, Redeemer Presbyterian, & are excited to get involved in what's going on there. There's also a well-organized group of resident/fellow spouses that get together for playgroups, so that'll be another outlet for friends & socialization. Not sure what we'll do for the 4th (& whether we'll drag a sleepy Will out for fireworks) , but I'm sure we can make our first holiday in this new town fun. Hope you all also enjoy your burgers, watermelon & sparklers!

Jekyll & Hyde

This is Will all right--one minute, as goofy & content as can be...the next, throwing a massive tantrum. I wonder if the reason baby #2 is so active in my belly is that he's reacting to his big bro's screaming...

It's a Boy!

Yes, we just learned that baby #2 is boy #2! We're excited for Will to have a little bro so close in age, & it's certainly handy that we already have a good start on boy clothes & toys. Hopefully Will will wait until this child is a little older before he tackles him or beams trucks at his head. Doubtful. Baby looks nice & healthy too, & the due date of 11/15 still looks right. Meanwhile, I'm feeling huge, though my OB claims that I'm growing right on schedule...I bet these next 4ish months will go by faster than we expect, & then true chaos will erupt once more! We can't wait :)

Any suggestions on double strollers?

Pictures

Will & Granddad
Will & his best bud, Daddy
Enjoying their apples together--this was actually taken in our old house, a few days before we moved...It's still strange for me to think that we actually LIVE in this new home, that it's not just a brief stay. At least I've found the SuperWalmart, Target, & huge mall...I'll survive :)

We're Back!

The past few weeks have been a bit of a blur, but we are moved into our new home in Winston-Salem & are thoroughly enjoying it! At least Will & I are... Colin will be here mainly on weekends while he finishes up the month of June in Durham. Last week, Will & I spent time with my family at the Outer Banks, and it was such a relief to relax, take naps, and read a couple of paperbacks. Colin came down for the weekend, and we were very glad to have Daddy around again :) I'm still not sure where the digital camera cord thing is, but I'll upload some pictures of the beach, our new house, & my ever-growing belly when I can.