5 Weeks!

Luke had his 1 month checkup yesterday and he's doing great. He's up to 11 lbs 10 oz, so he's gaining well (gained about 2.5 lbs over the last 4 wks). Hopefully this will soon lead to better sleeping at night!

Kyle's 2nd Birthday Party!

Kyle had lots of fun at his birthday party today! But similar to last year, the cake was his least favorite part of the party. Have you ever seen a 2 yr old so devastated by the sight of cake?! Despite Uncle Jon making the coolest "car cake" for him, Kyle wouldn't even take a bite. He did perk up a bit when he discovered that there was a picture of a car on his plate under the cake. Oh well, maybe next year he'll figure out that cake is yummy!

Unlike last year, Kyle now definitely "gets" the concept of presents. When he sees a gift bag or wrapped present, he wants at it IMMEDIATELY! So we hid his presents out on the porch until it was time to open them. And after he opened his first present, he promptly "knocked his knuckles" together signifying that he wanted more, more!

Amazingly, Luke slept for the entire party...I actually had to wake him up at the end so people could meet him! This was wonderfully liberating for me, because I feared that I'd be holed up in my room nursing him the whole time. This was one of his longest naps ever, coming off a night with his longest chunk of sleep ever (4.5 hrs). So hopefully this good sleeping trend continues!

Overall, it was a great day, despite the painful absence of the most important person in my life...these milestones and celebrations are all just so bittersweet without Jared here sharing them with us. But thanks to all of our wonderful friends and family for your important roles in our life and for making today so special.

One Month and Smiling!

Happy 2nd Birthday Kyle!

Welcome Luke!

This is a few weeks overdue, but Luke Jared Berube made a safe and healthy arrival on August 24th, measuring in at 9 lbs 1 oz and 21 inches. My labor and delivery were MUCH easier this time around...had my first contraction around 2am, went to the hospital a little after 10am (even though my contractions weren't that close together or regular, but they were long and intense), was 4cm when I arrived at the hospital, got an epidural around noon (instant relief!), and Luke was born at 2:15pm after less than 5 minutes of pushing! On the other hand, my labor with Kyle was 27 hrs and I pushed for an exhausting 2.5 hrs! My recovery with Luke was also much quicker than with Kyle...I felt almost back to normal physically after just a couple days. I guess Kyle did all the damage the first time around!

We're all doing as well as can be expected at this point. Kyle LOVES Luke and shows no signs of jealousy. He thinks he's funny (especially when he's crying!) and loves snuggling up to him. His gestures of affection can be a little rough though, so I have to watch him pretty closely. Kyle is going to be a great big brother...he already is!

And I'm doing pretty well, despite several weeks of sleep deprivation (Luke would much rather nurse all night than sleep). Needless to say, these last few weeks have been extremely bittersweet. There are just no words to describe how much I miss Jared, and the incredible void and sadness I feel without him here with us. It just feels so wrong and empty to be experiencing all of this without him. But I know he will live on through our boys, and I hope they grow up to be just like him...he's truly the best person I've ever known and I will never stop missing him and the life we had built together. But I am just so thankful that Luke is healthy, despite all the stress he endured in utero these last 6 months. I feel very blessed to have my two precious little boys.