January!

This year is already going by faster than I thought. I have been meaning to update for a week now and I am finally getting the chance to do it!
Everyday is something new and exciting for us. With Matthew, it is speech, using the potty (still hit or miss...literally) and using his imagination. With Jacob, it is teething and tummy time. Both of them are getting better and every day is practice. I still find it hard to believe that Jacob is almost 5 months old and Matthew is almost 3! Where does the time go!
I have already run out of time to do this so it will be short and sweet!

November & December

I haven't had a moment to myself to update in a while so I am just going to combine months.
Christmas has come and gone and I think that is what took up most of my time. Any time I had when the boys were sleeping was used up baking or wrapping or shopping online. The year is almost over and it already looks like next year will be just as busy.
Jacob is sleeping a little better at night. Some nights he will sleep from 9 pm to 5 am and some nights he wakes up at 3 am but it is still better than what it used to be. He is spending more time awake during the day. I have to be honest when I say that I hate the age that he is at now. He wants to be more independent but isn't quite there yet. He hates tummy time. I don't know if it is because his tummy is always bothering him or if he just doesn't like it but he rolls over right away. He still spits up almost every time he eats. We go to the doctor in a couple of weeks and that is one thing I will address. He is a good baby, for the most part, and I'm trying to enjoy every second.
Matthew had a wonderful Christmas and is so spoiled! He is just so thrilled to get a present, unless it is clothes, but he is still young. He received books, games, trains, cars...and he loves it all. He sits down next to me and I read while he turns the pages and sometimes he tries to repeat the word! They are easy reading books so there are not a lot of words on the pages and I go slow. Maybe this will help him with his speech. I don't know if it was mentioned but we have a new speech pathologist. The first one just didn't click with Matthew or myself and it turned into an hour a week of fighting. She wouldn't let him play unless he tried to say a word and he would throw a tantrum. Not Matthew's finest behavior but I was also hovering over the session so maybe he thought I would step in. The new lady has a much more playful and gentle approach. She still has him say words but it is play based and not entirely forced. I have taken a step back and some days I am not even in the room with them. I think that has helped tremendously and I think he is improving. We had a transition meeting for preschool eligibility and while that is so exciting, it is a little sad. I have spent his whole life with him but I know this will be good for him...for us. He will probably qualify for a preschool program for children who are "at risk" and have similar problems. They combine age groups so the ages are 3-5 years and he could start right after he turns 3. We have an evaluation in February and another meeting in March to discuss if this would be the right program for him. It would be five days a week, almost 3 hours a day and from what I have heard, completely free. I am excited for him to be in a classroom setting and with other kids. I think he will benefit from this.
This next year will bring new challenges and new adventures and I cannot wait! It will go by fast!

2 months old

3 months old

October!

Time is just flying by! I still think the best times are to come. I am excited for when Jacob is older and we can do more all together. I don't want to wish this time away though.

Jacob has not been the best sleeper. He is fussy and gassy and would wake up all the time and it would take me forever to get him to go back to sleep. By then, we would be waking up to eat again. He is still very fussy but I have been giving him gas drops after he eats and it seems to be helping but he still spits up every time after he eats. He only wakes up once at night now which is so nice for me. He smiles all the time and it makes me so happy.
Matthew still tests my patience sometimes. I think he does it more when he wants attention. I can't remember if I mentioned it in the last post but we have a speech pathologist coming to our house once a week to work with Matthew. He has a hard time putting all of the sounds together. He says the last syllable of every word. Since she has been coming, we have noticed him trying harder to speak instead of pulling us to what he wants and pointing. I can't wait to hear what he will say.
There are definitely hard times but knowing that I have two handsome, healthy and happy boys makes it all worth it. Robert has been working so much lately and I hope he finds something that he loves to do. I hope he knows how grateful we are to have the things we have and how much I appreciate him working so I can stay home. <3
I have a lot of pictures but I couldn't decide!

 Jacob's first bath

 Ryan, Matthew and Lucas playing on the floor at Grandma and Grandpa's

 playing at the Glen Ellyn fire station 

 LOVE this face!!

One month old!

 Batman

Halloween 2013

 Goebbert's Farm 

SO happy!! 

September!

Jacob Robert Nelson is here! We scheduled our c-section for September 10th. We were told to arrive at the hospital at 5:30 am the day of the surgery. Everything went perfectly! The nurses and doctors at the hospital were amazing and made me so comfortable. Jacob was born at 7:57 am. The nurses cleaned him off and brought him to me and Robert. I was still pretty numb but the nurse was still able to lay him on my chest so I could see him. I remember thinking that he had big lips but it could have been from them cleaning him off and suctioning his mouth. He is so handsome. He has darker hair but other than that, he looks just like Matthew did! He weighed 6lbs14.6oz and was 20 1/2 inches long. I was worried that I could not love anything like I love Matthew but I can!

We have been home a week and it has been okay so far. Jacob likes to eat so he wakes up a lot at night and then looks at me with wide open eyes like he is ready to play. We have to work on getting him on a different schedule. I'm exhausted. 

Matthew is a great big brother. He loves Jacob. He always wants to hold him and hug him. Some days I think he gets a little jealous but it is a huge adjustment for everyone. 

I feel like the luckiest woman in the world. I have an amazing husband and two handsome boys! 

My pictures are a little out of order...

Big Brother shirt

day of fishing with daddy

Last belly shot...39 weeks

playing around 

Jacob Robert 

Matthew was first one in to see us

family of 4

on our way home

first tummy time

first time holding his brother

(Matthew used to sleep just like this)

Great Grandma's 89th birthday!