(Our first family photo on Saturday night — Rhett’s one week birthday! My pajamas are from Amazon and available in a bunch of colors. I recommend sizing down if you’re between sizes as they run big.)
Things over here have been an odd blend of normal and completely different. Some moments feel manageable and some feel out of control and sometimes those moments are 2.5 seconds apart! Rhett is just over one week old and we filled his first week with us with lots of cuddles sprinkled in with the usual week-before-school appointments, haircuts and more.
Yep, Ryder finally got a haircut — his first haircut since February! Check out this handsome stud!
Our surfer boy is no more and even though I was tempted to keep his shaggy longer locks, a bigger part of me knew I wouldn’t want to head to Great Clips for another haircut in less than 3 weeks when it grew back out again.
On Thursday morning, Ryan and I took Chase and Ryder to their preschool for Meet the Teacher and both boys were so psyched!
To be honest, I’ve been a little nervous about how Ryder will handle the transition into preschool since we haven’t left him alone without either Mom, Dad or Chase in months thanks to the pandemic. Since he’s used to having his big brother BFF by his side, I am not sure how he’ll handle being alone in a class full of kids he doesn’t know but he’s quite social and a very adventurous little kid so I’m hoping that will work in his favor. I have no doubt he’ll absolutely love preschool (his 2-year-old teacher is the same teacher Chase had and our family adores her) and meet the teacher did a lot to ease my mind because Ryder was all in and loved playing with the toys, giving his teacher high-fives and exploring his new classroom. Fingers crossed for a smooth Tuesday!
Backing up a bit, last Tuesday morning we had our first big three-kid outing which took us to the pediatrician.
We had annual exams for Chase and Ryder on the books for last Tuesday and when I called to ask if I could squeeze Rhett in the mix for his first exam we got the okay, so we all headed in, masked up and exhaled when the appointment went well. Phew! I must admit loading and unloading three kids in three car seats felt like a bit of a circus but we’re slowly getting the hang of it! It helps that Rhett is still very much in the sleepy newborn phase and content to go with the flow at the moment.
A not-so-fun appointment that also popped up last week took me to the doctor to get my foot checked out. The week before Rhett was born, the top of my right foot started to hurt. I honestly thought staying off of it for a few days when I had Rhett would be all it needed to heal but unfortunately it was still very painful and I could not walk without hobbling all over the place so I figured I should get it checked out. Apparently it’s a stress fracture and I’m now sporting a boot for a few weeks. What a lovely thing to add to postpartum recovery, huh? Hopefully it heals fast and I’ll be out of this boot sooner rather than later.
What else? Let’s see… Oh! We made our way to Granddad’s apartment pool for our second big family outing on Saturday morning.
It was slightly overcast and the pool was basically deserted so we found a great spot in the shade to camp out where I could easily nurse Rhett and still be a part of Chase and Ryder’s pool play time with Ryan, my mom and Greg. It was such a nice morning and felt so good to get outside after a lot of inside baby/postpartum recovery time. Fresh air is good for the soul!
We spent more time outside on Saturday night when we took the boys down to the lake for an early evening swim.
They found two huge bamboo shoots that thoroughly entertained them before we headed home to order pizza and watch the Kentucky Derby!
Oh and Creature Man Chase managed to rescue a butterfly that flew directly into the water and appeared to be drowning. He gently scooped up the butterfly and put it on a log where it could recuperate and its tattered wings could dry out.
Sunday looked like a “get our lives together” kind of day where we mostly hung out around the house and tackled some neglected chores and must-dos and got things organized for Chase and Ryder’s first day of school on Tuesday. We made our way to the beach at the lake again late Sunday afternoon and arrived home for a big cookout, complete with steak and lobster that my dad got during a trip to the Keys. It was quite the treat and we rounded out our meal with homemade chocolate chip cookies.
Since today is a holiday, we’re planning to fill our time with more family fun and may be heading back to Greg’s pool later this morning. The weather has been unbelievably gorgeous (I’m trying not to be too bummed that I can’t go for walks right now…) and the more time we spend outside today, the better!
I hope you all have a great Monday and a wonderful week! Thanks for stopping by the blog today and rolling with the punches around here as we adjust to life with a new little one!
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Your boys are so cute with their baby brother! Did you end up buying a bigger car and if so what did you decide on we’re in the market too.
We did! We actually ended up with a used 2018 Lincoln Navigator and I am IN LOVE with it! It’s working well for our family so far and seems like it will be a good fit for us for years and years.
Nice!! I’m really into the minivan sliding doors but still trying to decide what’ll be the best fit for our needs.
You’re doing great! Sounds like a fun couple of days. Sorry to hear about your foot—what a bummer! Hope it heals quickly. Good luck with the back-to-school transition!
Thanks Haley!
Congratulations on Rhett!
I’m just wondering how they diagnosed the stress fracture in your foot? March 20th I developed a pain in the top of my foot and had a phone appointment with a doctor and had an X-ray taken. Nothing showed up on the X-ray, which is typical with stress fractures, so the the doctor diagnosed it as a sprained ankle. She told me to wear a brace to support it and would not get me a boot cast. I hobbled around on that foot in pain for 3 months until if finally healed.
I’m glad that your foot was diagnosed and treated right away.
Oh man!! That’s brutal! I also had an X-ray and it didn’t show anything which, like you said, they said was common (or it won’t show up for 14ish days) but my dr said she’s confident that’s what I have based on my description of the pain, the place where I said pain was the lost intense, etc. and wanted me in a boot. I’m going back in a week to check it again and hoping for some improvement but right now the pain is still very much there. It’s frustrating more than anything!
Umm. Can we say rockstar mom 120%?! Julie, how did you do all of these adventures while caring for a newborn and a boot? You are amazing! Just cooking alone is an accomplishment and you did so much more…including post! When my LO comes, my plans involve the couch 😂 I’m impressed. Hope you’re getting lots of help too! Happy bonding time.
My mom is still here which helps a TON! Definitely grateful for extra help right now — especially with the big boys!
Oh no about the stress fracture! What a hard thing to deal with on top of just having had a baby! Hope you heal super quick, and I hope Rhett stays in that sleepy newborn stage for a couple more weeks so that you can stay off of it <3
Ooo what car did you end up choosing? Minivan or SUV?
We went the SUV route! Loving it so far!
You are such a great mom! I’m always amazed by all of the adventures you take your boys on!
Congratulations on the new baby!! 😊
Loved the recap and congrats on your first week in as a mama of three! That sucks about your foot…I was also in a boot for a stress fracture, but in the winter in Canada so it was pretty brutal in an opposite way (foot would get soaked through with snow and gross slush). How do you think it happened?? Mine was an overuse injury that was made worse by wearing bad shoes. I hope it comes off soon and you can get back to baby stroller walks!
They said it was likely caused from being on my feet all day + extra weight from pregnancy + overuse (the overuse thing blew my mind a bit because I wasn’t walking much more than 2 miles a day) but I think all the time I spend on my feet was probably the biggest issue since sometimes I feel like I don’t sit down all day until Ryder’s nap and even then it would only be for like 60-90 minutes which maybe was too much during pregnancy? I don’t know! Ha! Just hoping it heals fast!
How’s the sleep going?!? That’s one thing I’m nervous about when it comes to having more kids..managing the big kid adventures on zero sleep.
Oh man your comment is catching me after a pretty rough night — haha! Honestly, it seems to ebb and flow. I am really grateful to have my mom in town still to help with the big kids so that’s especially wonderful after a sleepless night but I will also say something kicks in and somehow that mama adrenaline/energy carries me through and I’m sure it will be the same for you!! <3 Also, having the first-hand knowledge that this is just a phase is so helpful because I KNOW these days are fleeting and somehow good sleep will happen again!
What did you end up deciding for a new car? We are in need of a car with easy access to third row seats for nieces and nephews that we have a lot.
Hi! We ended up purchasing a used 2018 Lincoln Navigator and LOVE it!!! It’s working well for our family so far and we hope to have it for years and years.
Ugh a stress fracture! That sucks! I had one 7 years ago when I was living in Charlotte. That boot is a total pain! I’m glad the worst heat is behind you (hopefully?) because the walking boot gets soooo freaking hot in the summer! I hope you don’t have to be in it for long as it’s just so bulky!
I hope the boys’ first day at school went well! Sounds like Ryder is going to do great given how well the ‘meet the teacher’ night went. I am sure it will be an adjustment for him but hopefully he adapts and enjoys his time with other kids and new toys! Our son transitions to a new classroom at school this week so it’s a period of new beginnings for us, too. But I’m hoping it’s an easy transition since he knows so many kids in the room he’s moving into. Fingers crossed.
You are a pro! How wonderful that Baby Rhett’s first week was so awesome and the big bros are doing great. At the risk of sounding old, I started reading your blog in 2012 when I was preparing to take our granddaughter to Europe. Your family had traveled recently and you had great packing tips! I was hooked on your easy breezy style mixed with authenticity. Look what’s happened in 8 short years!
I hope you blog forever. I’ve recommended your blog to many friends .
Rhonda your comment made me smile so big!! I actually remember writing that post years ago and love that you’ve been stopping by PBF ever since. Thank you for your kind words!
Hi Julie!! Congratulations on beautiful Rhett- and AMAZING job with his name!!
I’m about to cross 32 weeks with our first baby, so i’m full of questions and love following your newborn updates.
1. How are you liking the DOONA? I’ve got this on my registry versus a giant stroller, but curious if you like it compared to your prior stroller experiences
2. Did you go the placenta encapsulation route for this pregnancy? I’m considering booking a specialist for post-birth, and I know you’ve raved about this in the past!
Hi!! Congrats to YOU!!! So exciting!
To answer your questions, we LOVE the DOONA! I actually mentioned it to Ryan because I thought the concept was so, so cool and innovative and he surprised me with it and we are obsessed! It makes getting baby in and out of the car so simple and I love not worrying about packing a stroller. Of course it has its cons (no below storage or cup holders) since it’s a fairly bare-bones stroller but if you’re looking for something that will work well for running around town (not big adventures where you want to pack a lot of stuff), it’s fantastic!!
As for placenta encapsulation, I did not do it this time because of the pandemic. I just wasn’t comfortable having someone we didn’t know in our house with a newborn at home and I actually have some of my placenta pills leftover from when I had Ryder that I can still take!
I hope your stress fracture heals quickly!! Is it hard to walk with the boot on? I love how blonde Chase and Ryder are — they are the epitome of summer 🙂
It’s not too hard to walk but just more cumbersome/annoying than anything. I’m hoping for fast healing, too, because I definitely miss being able to go on walks with the family and Sadie right now!
Three boys sounds like a dream!!! What a fun future ahead of you. Do you think little Rhett completes your family or do you have a feeling there are more littles to come?
I honestly have no idea. I’m hoping for a sense of finality, to be honest, because I am very anxious during pregnancy and I’m getting older. I’m thinking 3 will be it but we aren’t making any “permanent” decisions right now. <3
congrats! good luck with boot- mentally prepare for 4-8 weeks of boot and very minimal weight bearing. had mine for 12 weeks for stress fracture in foot. no fun!
Congrats — such a roller coaster of emotions in those first days! Sending you and the boys all the best! Your blogs on miscarriages realllly helped me during a previous loss, so just want to say thank you, and I know just how extra, extra special those newborn moments are when you weren’t really sure if this would be the baby you’d meet <3
Hi- where did you get the masks that your little guys are wearing to the doctor? I’m struggling to find a mask that fits my toddler.
Thanks!
Hi Katie! They were actually provided by our pediatrician. I wish I could be of more help!