fame

So... we are pretty much famous now. Seriously. Today was the Arizona Midday First Birthday celebration; we had fun at live show at the NBC studio in downtown Phoenix. There were activities, toys, snacks, clowns, and ice cream cake! Joel was EXTREMELY shy at first (like clinging-to-me-for-dear-life shy) but warmed up to people by the time filming began. I'm pretty sure his favorite part was eating ice cream cake. And he managed NOT to get it everywhere... just a little on his face.
Party!Camera!Cake!Clowns!Toys!Destry, Leigh, and Joel (No, my child's head is not larger than mine... just a weird angle)

Today has been busy; Robert and I not only attended the Arizona Midday celebration, we also cleaned our home (no time on Friday, my normal cleaning day) AND cooked an awesome dinner. Omelets. Delish. First time I've made an omelet ever (sad that it hasn't happened sooner in my nearly 24 years of life). My first attempt... not so nice. My second attempt turned out much prettier:

Bacon, ham, cheese, and sour cream omelet. Yum.

And, since I know you only look at this to see pictures of my babies, here is a recent one of Lucas. Gotta love the cheeks!

comparison

All members of this little Root family are doing well. Everyone is adjusting well to the new "wee one". While going through the photos of Lucas's birth, I thought it would be fun to do a photo comparison of his birth to Joel's birth. Joel's pictures will be on the LEFT, Lucas's pictures will be on the RIGHT.

Last picture before baby came (I look drugged in the picture on the right...)
Holding baby for the first time (Didn't get to hold Joel until 30-40 min. after birth...)
Daddy holding baby for the first time (My dad held Lucas before Robert!)
My dad holding baby for the first time (My mom was out-of-state for Lucas's birth...)
Baby's first bath (Yeah, Joel looks like a 2 mo. old...)
Mommy holding baby on day 2 (I look 16 yrs. old in the picture on the left...)
Daddy holding baby (One of those "awww" pictures)
My friend, Gina "Banina" holding baby for the first time (Joel doesn't fit in her arms!)
Baby in car seat, heading for home (Okay, this picture makes Joel look GIANT)
Just a day shy of 2 weeks old (They kinda look alike here... Joel was more alert)

It is fun to compare my boys, both through photo AND through observation. So far, they are fairly different. The most obvious difference: weight. Joel was 9lbs 3oz at birth; Lucas was "only" 7lbs 13oz (still considered on the larger size of average). It seems that whatever facial features one boy has, the other boy has the opposite (you can think they look alike all you want, but I am their mother so I think I would know best... just sayin'). Joel was a relatively demanding baby; he had to be held ALL THE TIME. Lucas is a relatively relaxed baby; he will chill in his car seat on our dinig room table for hours at a time (the safest location AWAY from Joel). The one thing they have in common is sleeping through the night. Until Joel was 6 weeks old, he would only wake once during the night (once he hit 6 weeks, he slept through the ENTIRE night). Lucas only wakes once during the night (in fact, we woke him after 6 hours last night). I love my boys (and they are learning to love each other)!

One of Joel's "kisses" (Lucas actually came out pink and wrinkled, like a baby should!)

hi

Hi. My name is Joel. I am a year old. I like getting into EVERYTHING. Remotes. Phones. Cupboards. Drawers. Purses. Glasses (both types). EVERYTHING. I have a few favorite toys: my dinosaurs, dump truck, boom-box truck (Mommy hates this one), and my new helicopter. Wheels also fascinate me. Wheels on toys, wheels on strollers, wheels on wheelchairs... you name it. I am mischievous and like to put everything into my mouth. String. Paper. Bugs (dead or alive). I "talk" a lot, but you can't understand me. I can say "mama", "dada", "uh oh", "no", "wow", and "gi-gi" (I have said some other words, but not consistently). I like to shake my head "no", especially when you ask me a question (such as: "Can you share?") or when you nod your head "yes". I like to walk around; I spend more time walking than playing with toys. I have made up a new move in honor of Michael Jackson: the moon crawl. I am slightly OCD; I HAVE to touch the little "inspector seal" circle on baby food jars (I can get violent when doing this). I give kisses, but only to my dad, mom, and baby brother. My kisses are more like licks. I am BIG (not fat. Mommy hates when people call me fat). I weigh just over 26lbs and am 32in tall. I wear size 4 diapers (and have since I was about 4 months old) and I wear size 2T clothes. I love food. All food. Except for peas. Most people say I look like Mommy, but I have a lot of Dada's features too. I am a happy go lucky guy!

Hi. My name is Lucas. I am a week old. I am pretty laid back and easy going. For the most part, I just sit back and take everything in. I like to sleep. In fact, I have been sleeping well through the night since day one (I only wake my parents up once in the night to be changed and fed). I even smile in my sleep now. I am small (especially when you compare me to my brother). I weigh just under 8lbs and am 20in long. I wear size Newborn diapers (with the tabs as tight as they can go) and I wear size Newborn clothes (though I do fit in some preemie outfits). I love food. I am a pro at nursing (though it helps that my Mommy knows what she is doing). Most people say I look like my big brother, but we'll have to wait and see. I am an easy peasy baby!

birthday boy!

Today is Joel's first birthday! It is crazy to think that he is a year old. Didn't we just bring him home from the hospital a few days ago? Oh wait, that was Lucas... Since we are still recovering from the birth of the new little one, we aren't doing anything big to celebrate Joel's birthday (he doesn't know the difference). He was able to open a gift this morning from "Aunt" Jodi. He loved the helicopter immediately! He is also famous; his picture was shown on Channel 12's Arizona Midday. Speaking of Arizona Midday, we were entered in an On-Air Birthday Celebration for the show and WON! We (Robert, Leigh, & Joel) will be on tv on Friday, Oct. 16th to celebrate Joel's first birthday (with a couple other first-birthday babies). Yay! We are doubling up Lucas's baby blessing and Joel's first birthday in November. He will get a chance to celebrate, but not for a few weeks. Oh, and there WILL be a theme. And it WILL be freakin' cute. Can't wait! Playing with his new toy! Thanks "Aunt" Jodi!My kid is adorable and you know it (thanks for the amazing pic, Emily)!

simple things

These past few days have been filled with simple things... like trying to teach Joel that hitting his baby brother in the face is a BIG "no-no" (not so easy when he still hasn't fully grasped the concept of "no"). Whenever someone is holding Lucas, Joel decides that he must have that person's attention. OR he decides he must have Lucas's binky...

These past few days have also been filled with the simple task of getting to know our new little one. He is precious; so laid back and content.

(Big streeeeeeetch! and such tiny little toes)

um... hello?!

So, I sneezed (if this doesn't make sense, read the end of my previous post). I will keep this nice and short, since that is how it happened:
I had been having cramps on and off throughout the day on Wednesday, Sept. 30th, but wrote it off as intestinal issues. At about 3:30pm, I decided to sit down and take a break from my last-minute projects and tasks. It was then that I realized my cramps had a pattern. Still thinking it was nothing, I began to time how often my cramps occurred. Every 5 minutes. Hmm. I called Robert, but told him it was probably nothing. I then called my grandma (who would be watching Joel while I was in labor), but also told her it was probably nothing. After I talked to my sis-in-law Christina, I knew Robert needed to come home from work - just in case. I called both him and my grandma and told them to head over. Cramps every 4 minutes. HMM. I frantically ran around the house, grabbing last-minute items for the hospital bag... putting on mascara (foolish, yes... but I don't care)... printing Joel's "daily routine". At 4:30pm, my grandma and Robert both arrive at the house. Cramps every 3 to 4 minutes. Wait. Contractions. NOT cramps. It hits me that I am having contractions, though I try to deny it in-between each one. Robert and I take off for the hospital immediately (I figured I would be turned away because I hadn't dilated far enough OR because I wasn't truly in labor). At 5:30pm, I was admitted into Triage where I was checked. I was 6cm dilated. We are admitted into Labor and Delivery right away. Contractions are finally becoming so intense that I can't walk, move, or talk between each on. Hard Labor has started. I got an epidural started just after 6pm, which was followed by my doc breaking my water. No turning back now. At 7pm, I am at 7cm. At 8pm, I am at 8cm, but am told I could have been further (my catheter is blocking the baby from progressing, so it gets readjusted). The doc comes in at 8:10pm to start pitocen (he told us - somewhat jokingly - that he wanted to eat dinner). I am at 9cm. Ten minutes later, at 8:20pm, I am at 10cm and begin pushing. Push through first contraction. Push through second contraction. Push through third contraction. STOP! Head. Shoulder-body-feet-BABY! Six minutes. Done. WHAT?! Yeah, It still shocks me. I went from seriously not knowing I was in labor one minute, to holding a precious baby boy the next. But before you swear that you hate me, reflect on THIS (trust me, 24 hour labor, a vacuum, and a 9+ lb baby are NO PICNIC). I have now experienced one of the worst and one of the best deliveries I've ever heard of.

We introduce

Lucas Taylor Root

Wed, Sept. 30th 2009 @ 8:26 pm

7lbs 13oz, 21in long

brown hair, steel-grey eyes

View the entire photo album HERE