Family Time

As we did when Ryan was born, we respectfully asked family and friends to allow us a few weeks to bond with our son, adjust to life with a newborn again, and establish a routine for our new family of 4 (5 if you count Guinness). We also wanted to give Ryan an opportunity to spend time and forge a relationship with his new brother, whom he had not met or held prior to his discharge from the NICU. While we recognize that family, particularly the grandparents, were eager (crazed is probably more accurate :-)) to meet Gavin since they were not permitted to hold him while he was in the NICU, we appreciate that everyone honored our request for time and space during those first few weeks. It was an important and special time for us. Plus, it allowed us time to adapt to Gavin's sleep schedule (or lack thereof) and me time to fully recuperate before entertaining guests.


Here are a few photos taken during recent visits with family. We were especially grateful that, despite their enthusiasm about meeting Gavin for the first time, everyone carved out special time for Ryan during their visit. Although Ryan is shamelessly spoiled and has not shown any signs of jealousy so far, I'm sure the special attention, gifts, compliments and words of encouragement went a long way to ward off any potential jealousy or resentment problems.


Nana and PopPop's Visit
Although they would never admit it, I think Nana and PopPop were exhausted after their visit with Ryan and Gavin. Despite her seemingly endless reserves of energy, even Nana showed signs of slowing down by the end of her stay. Ryan kept them busy reading books, blowing bubbles, playing in the pool, drawing chalk cities on the driveway, and making Play Doh creations. Nana and PopPop also graciously volunteered to get up with the two boys in the morning and let Mommy and Daddy catch up on some much needed sleep!


They also agreed to babysit Ryan and Gavin while we attended a friend's wedding - a long overdue date night! We were grateful for the opportunity to share some alone time as a couple, especially since we've only had a few child-free evenings since Ryan was born. The fact that we were comfortable leaving Gavin before he was even one month old shows how much more relaxed we are with the second child. Ryan was well over a year old before we were ready to go out without him. And, once we were ready to venture out alone, we subjected all potential babysitters to a rigorous vetting process similar to that required to obtain a high level security clearance!

Granddaddy and Grami Shar's Visit
Grandaddy and Grami Shar came up to visit a few days later. They were eager to hold Gavin since they hadn't been able to in the hospital. Grami Shar was especially excited since she had never even seen Gavin before (she was understandably uncomfortable going into the NICU and seeing all of the sick babies). Soon after meeting Gavin for the first time, Granddaddy sniffed his feet to check for "stinky feet," a Mann family game that Ryan still enjoys. In the afternoon, Granddaddy relaxed by the poolside with Daddy (by poolside, I really mean the inflatable kiddie pool) while Grami Shar played catch in the backyard and colored a Dora and Diego coloring book with Ryan. Granddaddy and Grami Shar also treated us to cold cut subs for dinner, which was especially nice for me since I was unable to eat sandwiches during pregnancy (deli meat may contain a harmful bacteria called listeria and is therefore not recommended during pregnancy). After dinner, we drove across the street to Baugher's playground for snowcones and to let Ryan burn off some energy. The next morning, Daddy cooked breakfast for everyone while Grandaddy and Ryan wrestled and Grami Shar supervised to make sure no one got hurt. Grandaddy was a good sport about it since he took quite a beating from Ryan, who is known for sneak attacks and below-the-belt shots!

MomMom's Visit
MomMom, who is also a mom to two boys, was excited to spend time with her two grandsons. She affectionately calls them her "sweet boys" and, like a typical grandmother, thinks they do no wrong! Given the years she spent working for the March of Dimes and her familiarity with the risks associated with premature birth, she was particularly anxious to see Gavin's progress for herself. She was relieved to discover that despite his early respiratory problems, Gavin is now doing exceptionally well and definitely has a healthy set of lungs (especially when he's hungry or has gas). And, like all the grandparents, she gushed about how sweet and cute both of the boys are.

During her visit, MomMom put together puzzles with Ryan, accompanied him to the local playground to feed the ducks and watch him play on the playground equipment, and cheered him on as he rode his tricycle up and down the sidewalk in front of our house. She also made us a delicious home-cooked dinner of pot roast, potatoes, and carrots, which was a welcome change from the leftover lasagna we had been eating all week!

Uncle Scott and Aunt Kelsea's Visit
Uncle Scott and Aunt Kelsea came to visit a few days after Mommy's birthday. Uncle Scott visited Mommy in the pre-op room just prior to her C-section, but hadn't seen her since Gavin's delivery. Since he and Mommy are very close, he was eager to see her in person to confirm that she was recovering well physically and emotionally. And, in typical little brother fashion, he came armed with the noisiest toy for Ryan that he could find (a toy guitar)! He and Aunt Kelsea also brought delicious cupcakes and candy for Mommy's birthday and announced that they had signed her up for a 5K run scheduled for the end of September in honor of her birthday (talk about sending mixed signals - junk food and a 5k?!). That should be the motivation I need to lose these last 10 lbs of baby weight, although I am a bit nervous about my ability to complete the race given my current energy and fitness level. To add insult to injury, the race is in College Park and Mike's old fire department is responsible for providing emergency care for participants who fall out during the run! He'd never hear the end of it if his firefighter colleagues have to transport his wife to the hospital!

Ryan met his match in Uncle Scott in terms of energy and maturity! The two of them wore each other out wrestling, making Play Doh food, blowing bubbles, making chalk drawings, and throwing snappers (those white paper things that pop when you throw them against the ground) on the driveway! Aunt Kelsea was more than willing to cuddle Gavin while Uncle Scott and Ryan played! When Uncle Scott finally collapsed exhausted on the couch to hold Gavin, he felt something warm spreading across his stomach - Gavin had peed all over him! He was a good sport about it, especially since he was having dinner with Kelsea's family after leaving our house. I'm sure the pee stains on his shirt made a good impression on them, but then again, he and Kelsea have dated for several years now, so nothing about Scott should surprise them at this point!

Uncle Matty's Visit
Poor Uncle Matty came to meet Gavin and play with Ryan, but Daddy ended up putting him to work! Daddy began "nesting" several months before Gavin was born. During his house cleaning craze, he had accumulated piles of stuff that he wanted to donate or take to the dump. The only problem was that a lot of it wouldn't fit in our SUV; we needed Uncle Matty's truck to transport the larger items. I think Daddy was equally as excited as Ryan and Gavin for Matty's visit so that he could get rid of some of the clutter!

When he wasn't hauling junk from our house, Uncle Matty and Ryan were wrestling, chasing each other around the house, playing with Play Doh, and sharing icepops, snowcones, or cookies. He even let Ryan help drive his new truck up and down the driveway! Uncle Matty enjoyed holding Gavin, but was quick to hand him back over to Mommy or Daddy whenever a diaper change was needed! Although newborn baby poop doesn't smell, apparently the sight of it triggers Uncle Matty's gag reflex; he had to leave the room whenever a diaper change was taking place! Perhaps we should reconsider storing the Diaper Genie (i.e., dirty diaper receptacle) in the guest bathroom - at least when Matty is visiting!