transitioning to two

The most common question I'm asked these days hands down is "How's it going with two kids?"  And the short answer I give is "Pretty good. We're surviving." But the longer answer is this: it has its ups and downs for sure and I feel like I've leveled up as a mom, but most nights I crawl into bed exhausted and give myself and Heavenly Father a mental fist bump that we made it through the day.

The good: Tessa is the sweetest, so that's awesome. She's put herself on a three hour schedule and is super chill and sleepy when we go out, so Rhett hasn't missed a lot of his outings. I think this is my babies come in the summer so I can get out with them because my being forced to stay inside forever would be good for no one. Rhett loves his sister and gives her hugs and kisses all the time and always wants to read her books. My favorite part of the day is when Tessa wakes up in the morning and we snuggle and play with her on my bed. It's precious to see Rhett in big brother mode.

The bad: big brothers can flip a switch instantly. It doesn't happen much, but Rhett can go from loving on his sister to trying to kick her within 30 seconds. He's getting better around Tessa, but he's still acting out for André and I. But we just started a new discipline/reward plan that will hopefully work (fingers crossed). And when do I get my work done? I forgot how much newborns like to be held, and coordinating naps  with quiet time so I can get some work done is a challenge. It will get better, I know, but for now it means sacrificing some precious sleep to meet those deadlines.

So life as a family of four is mostly great, exhausting, exactly what we needed right now. My heart bursts when I see André and Tessa together or when Rhett gives me a big hug or when we all see a Tessa smile. It's worth the tantrums and late night wakings for sure.

 Tessa's first full day at home--she's already changed so much! We're constantly reminding Rhett to be gentle with her, but he's got a lot of love to give!

 A common sight--Tessa's got the men in her life wrapped around her finger already.

 Rhett insisted we all get on the bed with his stuffed animals to protect Tessa from the crocodiles on the floor. 

 Posted this on Facebook, but it's too cute to not share here. According to Rhett Tessa is "too cute to be honest." Her little legs in her church dress!

 ...and the craziness of having two kids. Trying to rock one and getting jumped on by the other. 

 Serranading sister at bed time--my heart melted

"Mom, I just really want to snuggle Tessa." How can you say no to that?

law school graduation!

We've had May 7, 2016 circled on our calendar for three years. Graduation day! André wouldn't let me make a paper chain, but the excitement was definitely there. The entire weekend was a blur, and it still feels a little surreal that he's really done with school (especially because he's still in the law library every day studying for the Bar). But he did it! André Kaiser, J.D.!

The weather forecast was a little dicey for graduation day, so we snapped some pictures around the law school a few days before. I'm so glad we did! We came out of the ceremony to a huge thunderstorm and torrential downpour, so everyone hid undercover while we waited for busses to take us across campus. It was a little chaotic, so pictures didn't really happen. And the few group pictures we took are lost in the shuffle, but we are still soooo grateful for everyone who came.

On actual graduation day, we managed a few pictures before the ceremony. Rhett was so excited for Daddy to graduate!

I regretted holding Rhett like this as soon as I picked him up, but hey, awkward family pictures happen.

Our traditional graduation jumping picture. It's now on hiatus until Rhett graduates. 

Just a junior weatherman hanging out  from the rain with Nana and Poppy 

We had a fun family BBQ (inside, rain) that night. We loved being around so much family and are so grateful for the Treasures and all the Kaisers making the trip to be there. 

I seriously can't believe we survived law school. I don't think I would recommend starting with a one month-old baby, but we made it! It was hard, it was grueling, it was rewarding (especially for André, but for the whole family too). I'm so proud of André and all the long days and nights he put into class, extracurriculars, internships, etc., while still being a great husband and dad.

the many stages of moving

welp, better get packing.
we can totally do this!
we have so much stuff!
i need to get rid of everything i own (followed by taking 6 bags of stuff to the donation bin)
much better!
we still have too much stuff!
where is this all going to go?
we are drowning in a sea of boxes and packing tape.
whew, we made it. everything is packed!
holy cow, is that everything we own?
this apartment is tiny
the kitchen is literally the size of a small walk-in closet
the couch doesn't fit in the door (followed by removing the door to get the couch in)
pizza for everyone!
where do we start unpacking?
let's put the couch over there
we have our first empty box!
are there seriously no window coverings at all?
no, let's move the couch back over there
we have too much stuff!
where is this all going to go?
let's never move again.
we need to make an emergency trip to target
i found the perfect place for this!
we're making progress!
our stuff will fit!
success!

In the middle of the chaos. Things look better now.

we made it! we're official boulder residents and are loving life in our cozy apartment with the submarine kitchen and sauna heaters. and we have seriously vowed to never move again.

triumphs And tragedies

Triumphs

Rhett is the champ of his swim class! He was floating, stroking, and jumping after just one lesson. 

André killed a fly with his bare hands on the first try. This is a major accomplishment. 

I have exciting new freelance clients! And a fun creative summer project to unveil soon! So much excitement!

We're planning for our anniversary getaway and family reunion to Michigan and just getting so. dang. excited!

André may have saved the government $10 million with a work project. Somebody give that intern a raise!

Cafe Rio opens this weekend down the street! Obviously we will be first in line. 

Rhett and I have been on a serious exploration roll lately. We've discovered some serious Colorado gems. Even lakes! (They're hard to come by around here)

We've been killing it at the library recently. We're almost done reading The Mysterious Benedict Society as a couple and I just started The Happiness Project. Plus, summer reading programs. Woohoo!

And a triumph for technology as I write this on my phone whole holding a sick sleeping baby

Tragedies

Sick, teething baby. Woof. 

André stepped on a bee last week (2 summers in a row) and had a massively swollen foot. Thank goodness for Benadryl and loose shoes. 

Cooking experiments gone wrong lately: pasta salad (don't mess with a classic), teriyaki chicken, and soggy trifle. To say I have to redeem myself may be an understatement. 

Law school. Just so expensive. And figuring out residency petitions and loans and all that jazz just isn't our favorite thing. 

I guess life is pretty good when you run out if room for triumphs and have to stretch to think of tragedies. Yay summer!

a lot of things happened, part 2

What's new with the Kaisers the past month?

We had a baby

Rhett Toby Kaiser
7/25/2013
(and now he is a month old, so it's about time we posted about it)

I went on maternity leave then quit my job

We moved to Colorado

Andre started law school

Would I recommend doing all of these things within two weeks of each other? Probably not. But we are adjusting and surviving and getting into our new routine as a little family of three!