The Mommy's Story

Aaron has done a pretty good job letting everyone know about the new addition to our family. I just wanted to put up some pictures we just got with Wesley's eyes open. He's pretty cute. I think I am slowly falling in love--again. Sometimes I think he looks just like Dillon and other times he seems totally unique. I am experiencing such a strange combination of emotions as I love this new little one more and more and yet Dillon is still my little buddy. This is definitely going to be a time of transition for all of us. I'll share some pictures and then give a few details from the birth for those of you that care.
Here's my new little man. I think he's pretty cute. Me, on the other hand--I look like a woman that just went through childbirth and hadn't had the energy to shower yet...sorry.
This isn't a great picture of any of us, but you get the idea...mom trying to handle two boys at the same time!! Ahh! Lots of adventure and fun ahead.
Pretty handsome!
This was the first time Dillon saw Wesley with his eyes open. He was really excited and just wanted to touch him. Dillon was very careful and soft. Hopefully he keeps that up.

So here's the quick version of the story of Wesley's birth for those interested: I had been having contractions on and off for a few days. Saturday morning I knew something was different because Wesley had dropped significantly lower in my tummy/pelvis. I was feeling a lot of "pressure." We went swimming and tried to keep ourselves busy so I didn't drive myself crazy timing contractions. That evening I was still having contractions at irregular increments but suddenly had a few that were much more intense. We put Dillon to bed, called our friend to have him come over and crash on our couch, and headed to the hospital.

We arrived at about 10:00PM and I was dilated to a 4 and 90% effaced. They wanted me to walk a little and make sure I was in "active labor" before they admitted me. After about 20 minutes of walking the contractions started coming much more regularly and were much more intense. I tried to tough it out for a bit, but it was a little rough. I was experiencing a lot of back labor. Aaron was awesome and kept rubbing my lower back to try and relieve some of the pain. As the contractions increased my emotions got the best of me. I was in a lot of pain, and along with that came some tears...it really hurt! We finally convinced the staff that I needed to be checked again. This time I was dilated to a 6 and 100% effaced. The "highlight" of the night, up until Wesley's actual birth of course, happened as they were moving me to another room: I had another terrible contraction and suddenly found myself on all fours in the middle of the hall. I think the nurses realized then how quickly my labor was progressing and that they should get the anesthesiologist.

I labored a while longer until the anesthesiologist finally arrived. I was REALLY happy to see him and happy to sign whatever needed to be signed so he could help me get some relief. After the epidural was administered I felt so much better. Aaron and I were able to relax a little. About the time Aaron finally relaxed enough to fall asleep (3:32AM) I suddenly heard the baby's heart monitor speed up and then slow way down. By 3:34AM a flood of nurses and doctors came running into the room instructing me to push and at 3:37AM our little Wesley was born! He had dropped into the birth canal quicker than expected, causing the irregular heartbeat so they wanted him out in a hurry to make sure he was okay. Fortunately all was well and we now we have a beautiful, healthy boy.

...and more photos...

...as if those few pictures were really going to be enough...

Wesley's First Day of Life

As promised, some pictures of li'l Wesley. At first we thought he didn't look anything like Dillon as a newborn, but as the puffy-newborn-raisin-face (yes, that's a medical term) wears off we're realizing that they probably look more alike than we thought. That said, however, Wesley is definitely his own little man with his own look--and he's handsome!

Wesley Hobbs Chandler!

Is today still June 29th? Well mark it down as Wesley Hobbs Chandler's birthday! Early this morning at about 3:37 little Wesley was born. He weighed 7 lbs. 7 oz. and measured 21.5 inches. He is a beautiful li'l boy. Nan was simply amazing and both she and Wesley are doing well. Pictures and details are forthcoming but I just wanted to spread our happy news!

Fun with the cousins

Dillon finally met his cousins on the Hobbs side. Kamie, Addison, Tyce and Chase came to stay for a couple days. On Monday we picked our own cherries and peaches. It was pretty hot, but the fruit was really yummy. We had fresh peaches and cream on homemade ice cream for dessert that night!
On Tuesday we went to Busch Gardens. Yes, 39 weeks pregnant at an amusement park--it's pretty crazy.
I was surprised that Dillon was allowed on this ride. The more surprising thing is that he wasn't scared at all--he absolutely LOVED it!! If you look at the picture a little closer you can see his arms up in the air and the thrilled look on his face.
We had so much fun with Kam and the kids. They were such fun guests and Dillon loved having other children around. We will miss them. Hopefully it won't be another 3 years before we see them again.

My sweet Dillon

Before this baby comes I wanted to highlight my first child. Dillon is just the best. He has his grumpy moments, but in general is such a great child. He has been so sweet lately. Yesterday morning he crawled into our bed and said," Mommy, I take care of you. I love you so much!" Then he leaned over and kissed me. The other day I was lying on the couch, not feeling very well. He came over, put a pillow under my head and proceeded to "check me" with his doctor tools. Bed time has been really sweet lately. If Aaron and I both go in to sing songs he'll join in and sing every word with us.

Dillon is REALLY into trains these days. He'll play with his train set for hours. And we rented a video on trains from the library that he absolutely loves! He is learning all the train terms (coach, Amtrak, diesel, tender, boxcar, etc.) But don't worry, cars and horses are still favorites. He also loves swimming this year. He's much more adventurous than in past years. He loves swinging right now too. When we go to the park he'll swing the whole time. He'll stay in that swing as long as I'll push. I wear out long before he does. He loves me to scratch his back and is always coming up to me, turning his back to me and saying, "Mommy, will you scratch my itchies?"

Dillon is my sweet little boy and I just think he is dang cute. He has been my little buddy for the past three years and I am going to miss all our one-on-one time. I think he'll be a great older brother and am excited for him to meet his new little friend.

Jason & Diana's Wedding

My little brother, Jason, got married last Saturday in Raleigh, NC. The bride and groom were very happy and it was a wonderful day. It was a miracle that I was able to make it, but I really should not have been allowed to be in pictures in my current state. Sorry these pictures are kind of small. Just click on them to see a larger view.
Check out my sassy mom! She's the best. Notice how all the sisters are coordinated in black. We didn't plan it, so it must be because we're related or maybe it's because we all have the same mother who has taught us that black is the most slenderizing color!
The photographer told us to have some attitude in this sibling picture. What do you think? Check out my awesome husband. How many men are willing to straighten the train? (What can I say, I guess formal wear is just in my blood.)
This family pictures captures us pretty well. Aaron looks HOT (as in shiny forehead and sweaty pits), I look HUGE (at 39 weeks pregnant I think she looks dang good!) and Dillon is sucking his thumb so you can't see how CUTE he really is (hopefully he's still cute after the thumb-sucking gives him buck teeth)!

Sunburn

One of my favorite places to go around here is Chris Greene Lake. It is so great for kids. They have an area roped off that never gets too deep so you can just sit back and relax. This is what Dillon looked like when we went last week (the ball cap came off soon after this picture).
These two pictures are what he looked like when he came home (sorry, I forgot to rotate the bottom picture).
And this is what he looked like the next time we went. Needless to say, I learned my lesson. I applied 45 SPF sunblock the first time around, but apparently that was not enough. My little boy got a terrible sunburn!! As did his mommy. So we are both itching and peeling now. I invested in a swim shirt and bucket hat so hopefully we won't have this problem again. I feel really bad that he had to go through this experience in order for his mom to learn her lesson.

Dillon loved playing with his daddy in the water. Aaron is such an awesome dad!!!

Goodbye Goodes

Our wonderful friends, the Goodes, moved to Buffalo, New York, this week. :( They have been such great friends while we've been in Charlottesville. So many of our friends here have already moved or are moving soon. It actually makes it easier for us to leave. We have loved our time in Charlottesville, mainly because of the wonderful people we've been able to spend time with. We will definitely look back on these three years as some of our favorites. So thank you to all our Charlottesville friends with whom we have made such wonderful memories. Please always stay in touch. This is a picture of Dillon and Megan playing at the park together one last time before they left.

Happy 5th Anniversary to my handsome husband

Today is our 5th wedding anniversary and I love my awesome husband more than ever. He is the greatest husband I could ever ask for. I love him for making me laugh and helping uncover my silly side. I love him for being such a fun father to Dillon. I love him for making me talk (I know, the woman is usually the talker). I love him for working hard so he can support our family. I love him for his love of music. I love him for his flexibility and am grateful he's taught me to be better at that. I love him for being a man of God. Most of all I love him for loving me, despite my many flaws. Thanks for being my husband Aaron. Happy Anniversary! I love you!

Our New Chicago Home!

Okay, so it's not technically "ours," but we've signed a one-year lease and we're pretty excited about it. Here are a few photos of the "Quincy place" ('cause it's on Quincy Street). It's a 3 bed, 3 1/2 bath duplex. Nan's excited about the kitchen, Dillon's pumped to have a house with stairs, and I can hardly wait to do manly stuff in the garage...like...park my car in it...and maybe burp.
We're a li'l worried that our junky Wal-Mart furniture will look a bit out of place--like an Astro Van with a bunch of Corvettes or something. We'll live 0.4 miles from the nearest train station. To give you an idea of my commute, a 6:41 AM express train would get me to my office around 7:12, a 7:31 express train would get me in around 8:05. Of course the trains are running constantly, but not always "express."
Here's the plan: 1) have Baby #2 the first week of July (by the way, we're about 98% sure on his name but Nan has sworn me to secrecy 'cause she doesn't want to jinx it--don't worry, it's a good one); 2) take the bar exam the last week of July; 3) move to the Quincy place in Chicago the first week of August; 4) spend a couple weeks in Idaho/Utah; 5) start work the first week of September. So we figure by about mid-September we'll be ready for visitors! And Quincy has a full finished basement--plenty room for you and your sleeping bags.

Busch Gardens

A couple weeks ago we went to Busch Gardens (amusement park) with the Goodes. The weather was perfect (75 degrees) and we all had a great time. I couldn't believe how many great rides there were for kids. Pregnant ladies, on the other hand, are pretty limited! Dillon and Megan went from ride to ride loving every minute.
There was a little water area and I think this is one of the only pictures we've ever gotten of both of these kids actually looking at the camera.
Yes, I was the only one not allowed on the Tea Cup ride. Pretty sad. Aaron, Roland and Erika were able to ride a lot of the bigger roller coasters too. There were hardly any lines and that allowed time for a lot of fun!
This log ride has a huge drop at the end. I couldn't believe Dillon actually survived it! (Although not without a couple tears)
I think Aaron's favorite part was eating lunch at the "Festhaus." He got to eat a German sausage with sauerkraut and all. Dillon loved the German dancers that we enjoyed while we ate.

36 weeks pregnant!

I couldn't decide whether or not to post this picture, but it's kind of fun to compare it with the picture I posted 10 weeks ago. My belly (and every other part of me) is definitely growing. The other night Dillon had a hard time trying to push me on the swing. As he grunted he said,"Mommy, your belly is too big!" That says it all!

I just can't believe I'm getting so close. I'm getting more and more uncomfortable and have officially starting effacing and dilating so I guess I'm actually going to have this baby! I have mixed feelings--Excited to meet this little one; Scared about having two children; Wanting to cling to every moment with Dillon; Excited to see Dillon as a big brother; Ready to get this baby out; Little worried about labor, etc. etc. Lots of adventure ahead. I hope Dillon survives all the changes in a short amount of time. He's my little buddy and I'm sure he'll be a great helper!

(I never loved our baby ticker, so I finally changed it. Better late than never, right?)

Strawberries and Blueberries

One of the favorite things we've done in Virginia is pick fresh fruit. There is just something about eating fruit right of the vine/branch...YUMMY! In the fall we get to pick apples and pumpkins and in the spring and summer we get all kinds of berries, peaches, and cherries. In the last couple weeks we've been strawberry picking twice and today was the first day for blueberries. The berry patches are just enough outside of town that the view is beautiful and the weather is still pretty pleasant (we're just starting to get a taste of the summer humidity).

Mommy and her messy boy.

I love Megan's arm around Dillon in this picture. And it's pretty amazing how much messier his face is than hers...such a boy.

Ryan and Emma joined us for the strawberry adventure (I was watching them while their mom was out of town).

Dillon just carried around an empty basket while he picked blueberries and ate every single one. I finally convinced him to put some in the basket. He picked 10 or so and then sat down and ate them. At least his basket served as a good "cup holder."