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I just couldn't choose! Somehow...the pictures of Warren's little four month photo shoot were all just so good that I couldn't choose. So you get to see them all.

We just can't get enough of this little guy. All three of us are just completely enamored by him. And for good reason, right? ;) As it always goes with a second (or third or fourth) child, Warren does a whole lot of tagging along. He goes to the park, the pool, the doctor's office...wherever the rest of us are going...and just does his laid-back baby thing. Although he has recently decided that he's going to cry in the car. Hopefully it's just a brief phase! Unlike with Henry at this age, the world does not revolve around him, so it's been more challenging to get him into a definite routine. Especially with it being summertime. But, oh well. We roll with it. He continues to be the smiliest and most personable baby in the world. LOVE HIM!
Here are some current Warren stats:

• wears size 3 diapers (just graduated) about half of the time and cloth diapers the other half of the time
• exclusively breastfed
• wears size 6-12 month clothes...but not for much longer
• weighs somewhere around 15 pounds. (will find out for sure on wednesday at his well-check)
• still likes to be swaddled when he sleeps but wants access to his fists so he can work on finding a finger or two
• has gotten through the cradle cap phase and has lots of new hair coming in which seems to be light brown
• has recently started grabbing onto his toes and has rolled over (back to tummy) a few times
• laughs often and smiles constantly
• loves to watch henry and is very entertained by him
• is a daddy's boy. he will grin and babble at dameon from across the room and notices his voice right away. also loves to rock-a-bye with daddy.

Henry wanted to get in some photos too...

Studying big brother:

KISS!

a little summer recap

We have had a super fun and super busy summer thus far and I've been wanting to do a better job (shocking!) of documenting our activities. I think I'm still going to try to start a little journal just to jot down what we do each day but I realize that would be a boring read for anyone else, so I'll just recap the activities that have pictures to go with!

I usually consider the start of summer to be my birthday (June 1). It's a good way to kick things off. This year was my big 3-0. We spent the first part of the day at Blank Park Zoo. It was a Saturday, so typically a busy day, but the weather was pretty overcast, so we didn't have to fight any major crowds. Highlights included the carousel, the train ride, the baby monkey, and the picnic lunch. The low point was when Henry wanted a camel ride and chose the birthday girl to go along. (Or was it Dameon's idea??) Let's just say that paying $10 to ride one lap around is nuts. Especially when you are riding a camel. And did you know they make the grown up sit ON THE HUMP? That's likely the most uncomfortable spot and not nearly close enough to the two-year-old in front of me who is supposed to just hold on tight and remain calm. I'll spare you the camel ride pictures.

 Next up was Father's Day. Dameon did a little canoeing on Saturday and got a decent sunburn. We had planned to stay overnight in Pella, but decided to drive back late Saturday night because Warren was a little under the weather and we thought it would be best to get home. On Sunday, Rick and Joyce came over for a grill-out and then Henry showed off his tee ball skills in the yard. I had taken the boys up to the courthouse a few days prior to take some photos of them and put in a 3-picture frame to spell D-A-D. It turned out really cute and will look good in Dameon's office.

On June 23, we had Warren's baby dedication at my home church in Boone. Pastor Tim (who also gave the message at our wedding) did a great job making it personal and we were glad to have some of our family members and friends with us. Afterward, we all had lunch at Mom and Dad's.

The next major summer event was Dameon's birthday. The lucky guy actually got 4 days of celebrating. We started on Friday (June 28) by going to Junkin' in June which is a junk run in Boone and Story counties. Basically there were several junk stores/vendors set up around the area and you could follow the map to as many places as you could get to. We found some great stuff including a refinished cedar chest and a bench for our entryway which is made with old barn wood. That night my parents kept the boys while we ate at Hickory Park and made a trip to Lowe's (Dameon's birthday, not mine, remember?) The next day we did a little more junkin' and then called it quits around noon because we had spent more than enough $. But we both agreed we would like to do it again. It was a great time! The next day (Sunday), I had set up a golf outing for Dameon and a few friends. They golfed 18 holes at Jester Park and then headed to Zombie Burger for some food. On Monday (his actual birthday) we spent some time outside in the morning and then grilled brats and ate birthday cake for lunch. I had made a strawberry cake that I found a recipe for on Pinterest. It turned out pretty good and wasn't too much work at all! After naps, we headed to Ashby Park in Des Moines. They have a splash pad there. Dameon and Henry had a great time in the fountains, while Warren and I hung out on a blanket in the shade. We ended the day at Sam and Louie's, which is one of our favorite pizza spots. Henry asked several times, "Where's Woo-ee?" He felt pretty strongly that Louie should make an appearance at his own restaurant ;)

The most recent photos I have are from the fourth of July. On the third we went to Yankee Doodle Pops in Des Moines. We ate a picnic supper and then enjoyed the music and fireworks. On the fourth, we headed to Earlham in the morning because they do a big celebration and have a parade with lots of candy! We spent the afternoon indoors and then ate taco pizza before heading back over the Earlham to watch fireworks. We were glad to have Aunt NeNe with us and also ended up running into some friends from church. Henry had success with the little snappers that you throw on the ground, but we decided he was too young for sparklers after he repeatedly wanted to use them like a magnifying glass, nearly burning off his eyelashes and giving me a heart attack.

Another highlight of the summer has been the sweet deal of a backyard swimming pool that Dameon scored for us at Shopko! Henry loves swimming and splashing around in there and we haven't even made an appearance at the public pool yet. Backyard swimming is a double bonus for me because it means I can remain fully clothed. One of these days, I'll be brave enough to wear my suit again. But in case you're wondering, after this little incident:

my mid-section will never...and I mean NEVER...be the same.

three months and a few Henry laughs

I'm really wishing that my blog wasn't so much on the back burner right now because there's is so much happening each day that I want to document but because there's so much happening, I just don't have time! Argh! Cycles!

Warren is three...nearly four...months old now and he is changing so quickly. He has recently entered into that stage of constantly holding onto his toes and drooling, while smiling and cooing. Such a great stage! He is gaining lots of chub on his thighs and his hair (which appears to be lighter than Henry's) is growing back in. Last week I took him to the doctor for ingrown toenails (poor little baby) and he weighed in at 15 pounds. He also hit the big rolling over milestone on the fourth of July. None of us saw it the first time, but Dameon saw him do it again just a few minutes later. This is about two months ahead of Henry so I fear the smaller head will allow him to be mobile much sooner. Eek! He is a pretty laid back guy, which is a good thing since he is subjected to all the goods and bads that the behavior of a two-year-old brings. The poor guy can hardly get a nap in without being jolted awake by a "MOMMY, WARREN'S SLEEPING!!!!!!!!" followed immediately with, "Oh, look! He's awake!" Oh well. As the younger brother, it's probably best that he learn from an early age to sleep with one eye open ;)

Henry is also growing up quickly and keeping us on our toes. Two recent instances where I almost had to gulp back a sob because he seemed so grown up: 1.) I took the boys to the park last week for a picnic. Henry finished eating before me so he walked himself over to the playground. As soon as he arrived, he turned back to smile and wave at me. And then my mind flashed forward to three years from now when he goes to kindergarten and waves goodbye to me. Oh, dear. I hope the next three years go by very slowly! 2.) This morning I went to check on him in his Sunday School class. I had to basically shove my eyeball against the small glass window to be able to see the kids around the corner, so I hope the teacher didn't see me! Anyway, there he was sitting at the table eating snack with all the kids and carrying on conversation. This is the first time he's been in any sort of "class" situation, so it makes him seem very grown up. *sigh*  One of the best parts of Henry's age right now is the things he comes up with that are just hilarious. For one thing, he has a real issue with messy hands and/or a messy face. And, yet, his favorite food group is marshmallows. This poses quite a predicament for the boy. Anyway, he is constantly wanting his hands and face wiped off and can't handle waiting until he's done eating for us to help him out with this. The other day we went out for pizza and after the very first bite, he had sauce on his cheek. He quickly (and semi-frantically) scanned the area for a napkin and when one wasn't readily available he grabbed to nearest and next-best thing: a plastic baggie, and proceeded to wipe his face. I think I laughed for five minutes straight.
And now for one last hilarious moment: Yesterday he said to me, "What's your name again?" I said, "What?" And he goes, "Oh yeah. Lindsay." Ha! Where does he come up with it??

Alright, pictures. After a major period of frustration, Dameon saved the day and figured out why I was having so much trouble getting these pictures to upload. Thus, the "three month posting" being published four days before Warren turns four months. Sheesh.

Here's Henry at three months. Just for comparison's sake. It's funny how some people think the two boys look very similar and others (an hour later) say they look nothing alike.

 Here's Henry wearing the same outfit at six months that Warren is wearing at 3 months. Big boy!

two

Two is a significant number around here these days.

As of Saturday, Warren is two months old. Two means noticing a lot more things around him and studying them quite intently. Two means gazing at his right fist, which he will hold in the air for a good five minutes at a time...just taking it in. Two means still not sleeping very well. Two means smiling easily and starting to really coo. Two means fitting size 3-6 month clothing. Two means losing lots of hair and having a pretty good case of cradle cap. Two means almost outgrowing the "Step 1" phase of his baby bathtub. Two means noticing his big brother for the very first time. Two is oh so special!

Henry is two (almost two and a half!) years old. Two is the age of figuring out those first steps toward independence. Two is testing limits and making Dameon and I question whether we have any clue what we're doing. Two means asking endless questions...some of which have no answer ("Mommy, what's that?" "What's what?" "THAT!" "What?" "That over there!" "What are you looking at?" "THAT!" "I don't know, honey.") Two means climbing up the ladder at the playground without any help at all. Two is still believing that Mommy's kisses actually heal. Two means that sometimes getting a baby brother is hard to understand. Two is tender-hearted in a way I've never seen before. Two is becoming more of you and less of me every day. Two is still drinking from a sippy cup. Two is zero interest in potty-training. Two is saying some words wrong like perftick (perfect), huse (use), and hi-pad (ipad). Two means being old enough to be Daddy's helper in the yard. Two is unwavering self-confidence...walking up to complete strangers and saying "Hi!" Two means finding complete bliss in sitting on a picnic bench at the park eating muffins and talking about trucks. Two is walking up to a bird, trying to hold it, and wondering why it just won't let you. Two is bright blue eyes and fluffy brown hair that will not be tamed. Two is talking to worms. Two is singing when you wake up until someone comes to get you out of your crib. Two is bringing tears to Daddy's eyes when you run to him and say, "Can you hug me?" Two means your very first friendships. Two is still rocking you at bedtime. Two is oh so special!

I am the mother of two boys. Two means a balancing act. Two means it can sometimes take an hour to get out the door to go to the post office. Two is busy. Two means divide and conquer. Two means my heart is more full than it's ever been. Two means my grocery cart is more full than it's ever been. Two is
re-realizing that Dameon and I make an excellent team. Two means sooooo much poop. Two means a stroller that weighs a LOT. Two brings a new kind of love to our family. Two is watching an unbreakable bond form. Two is a huge appreciation for my mom when she comes once a week to play with Henry, rock the baby, do my laundry, wash the dishes, and run my errands. Two is a sense of utmost respect for those who are Mommy to more than two. Two means double the hours spent in the rocking chair. Two means countless strangers saying, "You've sure got your hands full!" Two reminds me of God's grace. Two makes me so incredibly thankful for healthy children. Two is pure gratefulness for my husband...he is my partner. Two is learning a lot about myself...good and bad.

Two means Dameon and I looking at each other across the room, locking eyes, and knowing that we're both wondering how we could be blessed so incredibly much by these two amazing boys. Two is oh so special!

one month

Warren turned one month old last Thursday and I actually managed to snap these pics on the exact day! So far I'm doing a decent job of documenting him as well as I documented for Henry (which was my goal), though I am lacking in the photograph department. I caught a few good ones here...

 And, of course, Big Brother wanted in on the action:

Our newest munchkin is growing and changing so quickly! I don't know his exact weight right now but I would guess it somewhere between 9 and 9.5 pounds. He is WAY long and is almost outgrowing 0-3 month outfits. This is actually super convenient because his seasons might actually match up with Henry's baby clothes. Excellent! He is a pretty good sleeper, giving me 2-3 hour stretches in the night in his bassinet beside our bed. Oh, that reminds me I need to get a picture of him in that thing! It's super cute. Warren is also a great eater and pooper. Man, can he poop! He doesn't like to be put into his carseat but he always falls asleep once we're moving. I will say he is a fussier baby than Henry was, but he isn't a "fussy baby"...if that makes sense. And this kid is a Daddy's boy for sure. He wants me for one thing only and prefers Dameon the rest of the time :) He has started giving us a few smiles and a few coos which is so much fun! We bought him a new playmat so I'm sure this next month he will start to notice things around him more and more. We love our sweet Warren!!

family day

A couple weekends ago, we decided to take the boys on their first trip to Pammel Park. We finally felt like Henry was the perfect age for it and it finally felt like springtime! We had such a great morning enjoying the scenery, throwing rocks in the water, finding spiders, and doing a little wading. We brought a snack along to eat in the little shelter house and decided that next time we'd bring a whole meal and use the little grill.

Warren enjoyed it too...from his comfy sling :)  It was a great day!

the story of warren

March 17 was the big day. Well, the day the ball would start rolling anyway. We wanted to give Henry the proper send off for his week away at Grandpa and Grandma's. Leaving him was the part I was most worried about, leading up to everything. Thankfully, we had taken a little "babymoon" getaway at the beginning of March and left him for the weekend (the longest I'd ever been away from him) and it went so smoothly that my fears were completely relieved. Thank you, Lord!

I had to start fasting at midnight and my doctor had advised me to eat around 10 p.m. so we decided to meet my family at Hickory Park for our last meal at 5 and then I would plan to eat again later. We enjoyed a great meal and then drove on to Boone to help Henry get settled in. He was happy to be there (as always) and didn't really care at all that we were going to leave, so that made it much easier. Before we left, Dameon, my parents, and I gathered together and prayed for what would be taking place in the next 12 hours. Henry joined the prayer circle, too...but only for a minute. We kissed him goodbye and headed back to Winterset around 8:30. We still needed to tie up some loose ends, so when we got home Dameon took the dog over to our friends' house (thanks, Bonhams!!) and I packed a few more things and cleaned up around the house. Trying to keep my mind busy, of course! We finally went to bed around 11, but I was up again and 12:30 and didn't really sleep much the rest of the night. Our alarm was set for 3:30 a.m. because we needed to be out the door by 4:30. I had Dameon snap this picture of me right before we left:

 As we pulled away from the house (at 4:35) it was starting to snow! This had been in the forecast but it seemed iffy, so we didn't really expect it to happen. But, sure enough, all the way to Methodist Hospital it was really coming down. We started to wonder if it would affect the roads for our families who would be heading that way in a couple hours. 

When we arrived at the maternity ward, they led us to our room. The nurse was already in there preparing everything and I remember the first thing she said was, "Are you ready to have a baby today?" And suddenly...nerves!!! This was such a different experience than we had with Henry. It was so planned out this time, which is good but also so strange! We went through the normal routine of changing into a gown, finding a way to cram our suitcases into a small wardrobe and wondering where in the world Dameon was going to live for the next four days (those csection rooms are tiny!) and going to the bathroom about 20 times. The nurse started my IV and then we sat and waited and watched the snow. Our friend and photographer, Missie, arrived sometime after 6:30 and told us the roads were a little treacherous. We were glad she made it! She would be joining us in the operating room and recovery to capture it all in photos. (Check out the slideshow on my facebook page! She did an AMAZING job!) I think it was around 7:00 when the anesthesiologist came in to talk me through everything he would be doing and have me sign several papers. And that's when my nerves hit an all-time high. I could not wait to meet this baby, but that meant going through something that I had been nervous about since the day I found out I was pregnant. It is hard to face knowing how mentally focused I was going to have to be because, while I'm so glad I get to be awake and witness everything, it's really scary to go through surgery awake. It is so crazy how the anesthesiologist talks through everything in such a matter of fact way. Hard to explain unless you've been there! 

Anyway, he and his medical student left and said they'd be back shortly but I still hadn't seen Dr. Lehman (my OB) so I asked to quickly go to the bathroom one more time. Then it was time to go. Dameon hugged me and prayed in the middle of the room and I could feel his nerves, too. Then I we walked to the OR and Dr. Lehman arrived just in time to take the walk with us. I think it was just after 7:30 when I entered the room and they started prepping me and at 7:51...our amazing miracle was born!

Warren Christopher Place

8 pounds 1.5 ounces

20 inches

The first thing I heard was him give a little cry and then Dameon announced that it was a boy! He was so surprised that he said it twice!! That was shock #1 because we were both expecting a girl. Shock #2 was how big he was!!!!! Dr. Lehman said, "Lots of dark hair. Wow, that's a big baby! You poor Mommy!" I couldn't believe he was over 8 pounds. My final prediction was 7 pounds 4 ounces. Dameon's was 8 pounds  6 ounces. :)  I was able to look over my shoulder and catch glimpses of him getting cleaned up, Dameon cutting the cord, and him getting weighed and measured. After that Dameon was able to bring him over and hold him next to me so I could touch him and kiss him. After the took me to recovery, I was able to hold him and feed him almost right away. 

The rest of our hospital stay was filled with lots of snuggle time and visits with our loving family. Of course the best visit was when Henry came the next day!

We love you, Sweet Warren, and can't imagine our family without you!

(Our little boys on Easter Sunday)