Everything After

Nothing makes my heart jump for joy more, than being able to say  "The Holiday's are here"! Our long, hot summer has come to an end and the Ergenekan family is in full holiday mode with the arrival of our very special gift and little boy "Leo Patrick".

Leo arrived (very quickly) on Monday, November 19th, at 9:08am. He weighed 7lbs 8ounces, and was 21 inches long. Erhan and I once again shared the absolute magic of welcoming another beautiful child into our lives. Tears of joy and the relief that Leo is healthy was overwhelming. Leo looks so much like a Gilbreath to me, but at times you can surely see the Ergenekan in him. Erhan and I find ourselves calling Leo "Finn" here and there. We almost feel as if the universe has turned back the clock, when we look at Leo's head of hair and think about how it wasn't that long ago that our Finn was this little.






Our lives have once again been turned upside down. We are back to being awake at odd hours of the night, finding ourselves walking around like zombies during the day and not being able to leave the house without being packed like a traveling circus. The cuddles and first baby smiles from Leo truly make it all worth it though. He is such a good baby. So content (so far) and so easy to please. We are feeling so blessed these days and are looking so much forward to seeing what the future holds for this little guy.

Finn is getting used to having a little brother around. The transition has been a little tough for him. Finn has gone from being our number one boy, to having to share our time......which is understandably hard on him. He is adjusting though, and showing us time and time again how caring and understanding he is for only two and a half years old. He calls Leo "Baby LoLo" and gives him plenty of kisses and hugs. Before he knows it the two of them will be great friends.
How did I forget how much laundry and diapers a newborn goes through? It's amazing how many details of having a new baby slip away as your other children get older.

My mother hosted and catered the most beautiful baby shower for me at the end of September at her home. All of my girlfriends came out to support me and shower Leo and I with lovely presents. The food was fabulous and the company was even better. My mother goes to the ends of the earth to make sure everything in my life is special. She has always been that way and I love her dearly for it. I hope she knows how much I appreciate her in my life. I plan to do the same for my beautiful boys...as much as I can. I wish I could give them everything they have ever wanted. I'm sure all parents feel that way.







My pregnancy with Leo posed to be a tough one this time. I suffered from extremely high high heart rates most of the time, accompanied with tremendous fatigue and nausea throughout all of my three trimesters. I was admitted into the hospital after experiencing a couple of fainting episodes home alone with Finn. Needless to say, times were a little stressful for all of us. I had every test under the sun done on me and not a single doctor could find anything wrong with me.Great news right? Unfortunately, even though that was great news, I still felt terrible. I kept my fingers crossed that all of my illness would disappear after Leo was born. There really wasn't a day that I didn't feel sick. I was so afraid of passing out again, that I had been spending almost entire days being babysat by my folks at Partridge House. Erhan had been taking on A LOT of contract work so we could financially prepare for Leo (and these new hospital and doctor bills). He had been working many late nights down in his office, not getting much sleep and then having to go to his full time job during the day. He was extremely worried about me, I don't know what I would have done without him.

The summer included a few wonderful outings, as many as I could fare pregnant in the heat (wink wink). Finn and I enjoyed the zoo on several occasions with friends and family and had so much fun at the Children's Museum. Erhan took us to the beach one more time before the warm days came to an end. We played in the sand and watched the waves crash at our feet. Finn enjoyed feeding the seagulls french fry's and he could have played for hours with his pail and shovel. I knew deep down that these would be Finn and my last days alone together, before Leo arrived. We filled the days running through fountains, eating chocolate cookies at New Seasons, checking out train books at our library, and spending our mornings at Partridge House.

Finn attended a few Halloween celebrations this year. He dressed up like a pirate and went to this first "Monster Mash" at his local community center. Him and I also took a trip to the pumpkin patch on one of our loveliest fall days and he ran his cute little legs off. The pumpkin patch near my parents house has been a family tradition for years. It makes me feel so good to take Finn and watch his face smile when he takes off through the hay maze and picks out his pumpkin. Just like his older brother Dallas has done for years and years before him. Can't wait to take Leo next year!





After Leo was born, we joined my family for a fantastic Thanksgiving Dinner. Mom and Dad, as always, went all out and each of us unwrapped another very special ornament to add to our tree. This year, above all, we have so much to be thankful for. It was wonderful to see my brother Taylor, my niece Trinity and my Uncle Gian. The table is always buzzing with stories and laughter from everyone. Warm coffee is always brewing and my folks Christmas tree was glowing in the background while we ate.  It felt so good to get dressed up again, after being in maternity clothes for so long. I felt like I had come back to life!

Erhan has had the last two weeks off from work (most of which he had to work from home), but now that his deadlines are met (and I'm feeling better), we have been able to get out a little and do some Christmas stuff. We took Finn downtown to see the big Christmas Tree at Pioneer Square. It was HUGE! When my brother and I were little, my parents used to take us down to the tree lighting. We would get hot chocolate and sing carols....it's a very special memory of mine. Finn got to visit Santa at Macy's where they have a lovely "Santa Land" exhibit on display. We ate lunch on NW 23rd and Finn rode the max train, which I think was the highlight of his afternoon.

We have more fun holiday plans on the schedule coming up. Erhan goes back to work for another week and a half and then he is off again until after the new year. We are taking Finn to Alpenrose Dairy for the first time this year and as always we are hosting Christmas Eve at our home for our family. Leo's first Christmas is going to be a very special one. All of our presents are wrapped and our stockings are filled. I can't wait to see the faces of everyone I bought things for, especially the kids.
Our children are the lights in our lives. Dallas is growing up to be such a beautiful teenager. He started his freshman year in high school this year and Trinity is already in second grade. Their smiles and their stories, their interests and their hobbies are ever changing. Dallas is becoming so much more of a man and when I look into his eyes, I am so proud of the person he is.

2013 has a lot of promise for the Ergenekan family. I'm looking forward to keeping you all in the loop. Thank you for reading.