Friday, July 29, 2011
7 Weeks old...
Rhowan wanting to help mommy garden...Little does she know mommy hates that and she'll need to go to grandmas house! LOL
Harloe 7 weeks old
Rhowan being her self! :)Wow, time flies. I feel like we are still getting adjusted and its already been 7 weeks. However, I do feel like I am starting to get into a rhythm just not for bed time or nap time...seems during those two times, the most important, both babies want mommy at the same time! TJ has been getting home earlier at night being able to help hold Harloe or put Rhowan down, but there are nights I am alone and it can turn into an hour to three hour process! Yep, one baby cries when the other is just about asleep. Harloe wants to nurse when Rhowan wants mommy to lay with her and sing twinkle, twinkle. I know we'll get there.
Oh and little Miss Rhowan has finally learned to crawl out of her bed and open her bedroom door to find mommy and daddy. Last night I went in the baby's room to turn on the night light before bed and I turn around to see Rhowan staring at me from the doorway. I said, "oh, hi, what are you doing?" I pick her up to take her back to bed and what do you know...Harloe starts crying in her bassinet! So, back to mommy and daddy's bed we go and little Miss Rhowan was a happy camper back to sleep in seconds. hmmmm, what have we created?! LOL...Oh well, can't sweat the small stuff as badly as I want her in her OWN bed and sleeping through the night, right now I just gotta focus on routine and not the details! I knew this day would come and she is now 21 months going on 5 with her chatty self and independence!
I am feeling in the need of an hour in the am or night to have some alone time, so I started setting my alarm and setting up the coffee maker to wake up and have a cup of coffee after I nurse Harloe and then waking Rhowan up at 8 so that she can have an earlier bed time then what we have fallen into (9ish, I want her back to at least 8 o' clock!) So like I said, we are getting there. Things were so crazy and hectic that it's time to start slowing down, staying at home more to prepare for earlier bedtimes and start enjoying my two babies because before I know it they will be in school!
So...Harloe is now 7 weeks old and already so strong. She is wanting to lift her head up for longer periods of time then what she realizes she can, I guess I have another curious one that wants to know and see all that is going on around her. :) She is already kicking those legs like crazy when I am holding her to push herself up when on my chest. She has already transitioned so well to taking a bottle of my milk to nursing and back and forth when mommy needs a mini break! She is just such a good baby. Still sleeping more in the day than night, but that is ok. She has started to sleep from like 11-4:30 am these past few nights (in her bassinet), so that has been amazing!!!! I feel so bad for that typical 2nd baby stuff that everyone comments on: how we let them fuss longer, hold them less, etc. I have so much guilt but can't help it because Rhowan keeps me so busy during the day. When it was just Rhowan I could hold her all day and God forbid I heard a peep I went running. I guess that just means Harloe will be a much better self soother! :)
Sadly, we had to give our dog Jada back to the breeder for a better home. I just couldn't walk her like I used to or give her the attention she needed once Rhowan came. Now with two I needed our backyard back so Rhowan could play with her set up back there and she was deadly scared of Jada and Jada was so hyper she would jump on everyone not being good for having little ones running around out there. It was very difficult (thank you mom and dad for taking her) but I know in the end she will be happier and Rhowan is already loving her backyard: her slide, her fishie pool, her jump house and even wants to help mommy get the back yard in shape with gardening (as you can see in the pictures I've posted!) It has been really nice just sitting out there so Rhowan can play or leaving the door open and being able to see Rhowan out there playing and having fun. Cheap and easy entertainment and Rhowan LOVES to be outside.
I have decided to take the extended 6 week disability for bonding time, being I am still feeling very unsettled and not ready to go back to working. I am not going to stress about anything right now but focusing on my family and being a good mommy and will worry about it when this 6 week is up again! :) TJ is very supportive, having loved that I was working and we had two nice incomes coming in to do all the extras we wanted and never having to worry about money like we used to but just enjoying our time and doing what we wanted when we wanted (to a certain degree of course!), but to me it is more important to raise our children and be here for them than daycare raising them. With TJ gone so much for work, he is a work horse, I feel like I need to be there for them that much more, you know? I can go back to work when they are in school, we can stand to be on a tight budget and one income again for at least another 4 years! That is unless we decide on more kids???? That's for another blog later! LOL.
Well until next time that is about all the updates I can think of for now, so I hope this finds all of you in great health and happiness and keep checking for updates on our growing two little babies! :)
Much love,
The Bruce's
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
6 weeks ago today...
Harloe Grayce Bruce blessed our lives on June 7th, 2011. 6 lbs and 14 oz and 19 inches long at 3:22 am
Rhowan was in love from the beginning...I stressed for so long about her reaction and couldn't be happier with her excitement for her baby sister! 
Daddy's P2 (princess #2)
Daddy with P1 and P2...who would of ever thought that he would be so happy and content with two girls?! Every man wants a boy but not this daddy! :)
Rhowan meeting Harloe for the first time...Are we a complete family yet??? ;) (for now at least!)
Ok, so I took long enough to post pics and updates, but our lives have taken an even busier turn and for the better of course. People tell you how crazy it's going to be for the first year with two so close in age, but you can't really prepare yourself for what you are about to experience. It's been a blessing for sure and we couldn't be happier. It has just been a very BIG adjustment for all of us. Terrible 2's seemed to have ironically (or not) hit the day baby came home, which at 20 months is expected. Daddy has been busier than ever with work, traveling, recruiting, working loooong hours, etc. and Mommy is trying to adjust to no sleep and taking care of two babies under two. Thank goodness for our families being so close and involved in our lives and willing to help at every minute they can. I don't know what I'd do...bed time routines with the new baby haven't been exactly established being Rhowan still loves for us to lay with her to get her to sleep and that's always the time Harloe is ready to nurse! I am trying to tell myself, to adjust and be on survival mode and after 2 months or so start establishing routines. Enjoy your babies Heather because you will never have this time back as stressful as some moments get!!!!My aunt and uncle/God parents came for a week to stay at my parents while they went on their yearly/tradition cruise to help me out with the kiddos and let me tell you, I was in Heaven. I love having them around, visiting, walking the beach, eating their delicious dinners they cook up every night, etc. I just love being with them and couldn't be happier that they came down to stay and keep me comapany and help me with the girls. Thank you Aunt Barbara and Uncle Fred. You guys mean more to me than you'll ever know! I had the best week ever and it was all just in fun and relaxation having you here! xoxoxox
So much to catch you all up on. Rhowan went camping with Grandma and Ampa for 3 nights and 4 days, longest she's been away from home...pictures to come. We spent lots of one on one time before baby came including a trip to Disneyland, trips to the park, etc. I have loved being a stay at home mommy again and pray every night for God to show me my direction next as for where I am meant to be and meant to do.
As for more babies, we are good for right now. This labor was much more intense than Rhowan's...both were induced but not at all what I expected the 2nd time around. I won't bore you with the details but my body doesn't take to an epidural and being induced it was much needed after about the 10th hour of labor. The pushing, well not pushing she pretty much fell out before the dr even got there, was much easier and so was the recovery, but I could've done with a much different labor process! TJ said in the middle of it, "we are done!" Um, are you in pain or labor right now?! LOL...it was a stressful week leading up to it because they were right in the middle of playoffs and we were anticipating him having to leave town on that Wed with our set date of induction being Monday. Anyway, with his career that is the way it is and I wouldn't have it any other way to have him doing what he loves! As tough and emotional as it was, I was so proud of him as a coach that I knew God would take care of it whatever the outcome was.
I am happy to say he is renewing his contract with UCLA for a 2nd year, so we are very happy and blessed for that! He sure as hell has worked for it! His parents understand that he can't be there and have done an amazing job making up for what he can't do right now not physically being available and God I am thankful for that. It has been really nice having so much help right now that if his mom ever goes back to work I am in for it, she has truly spoiled me with how much she does for us. We have been spending a lot of time at my parents too since my mom is off on summers and Rhowan, Lexi and Nate just love to play with each other non stop!
As you can see we have been non stop even with the arrival of Harloe, I think I was out and about just days after she was born...no time to sit around in my rob and relax all day in pjs like I did with Rhowan. It makes me sad, but I just take advantage of the moments nursing and when Rhowan is at daycare twice a week to get our bonding in.
I will post more pics and updates later...I am missing so much before the birth, between and since to catch you all up on. I have pictures, our computer is up and moving now in its new location and I am learning to function again so no excuses! I will do my best! :)
Miss and love you all and forgive me for that typical "2nd child procrastination" everyone speaks of. It is so sadly true but doesn't speak for the amount of love she has from us still! :)
xoxo,
Heather, TJ, Rhowan and Harloe
Monday, March 28, 2011
Baby Lulu Fall 2011
Rhowan and Lexi got asked again to do the Baby Lulu catalog. As you can see Rhowan was very excited to accept! LOL...that is actually the picture that made the back cover and then Rhowan and Lexi made the front cover, Rhowan is 2 for 2 with success on making the clothing lines catalog front and back cover, 2 years in a row. Ok, ok, I am tooting her horn for her, but I am just a proud mommy. I didn't get to take her to any of the photo shoots this time, grandma took over with Auntie and Lexi because I had to work, but I was so happy to see the results and get more cute outfits for Rhowan's hard work! :)They are also online on the catalog at www.babylulu.com. Her clothes are mostly sold in boutique stores, but I've seen them on other websites too! So exciting!!!
I am sure it was a crack up to be there and watch Auntie and Grandma put on a circus show to get the girls to smile, but whatever they did worked! :)
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