one month old

Though Joseph doesn't have a nursery yet, I switched out the cushions on the glider in Hannah's room long enough to take his one month picture. {I started this tradition with Hannah, taking her picture in her glider on the 9th of every month the whole first year and then using those pictures at her first birthday party.}

May 18:

{The baby pillow is from Aunt Katie and Uncle Ben. Katie gave Hannah her's, too. On the back is their full names and their birth dates. Love. Love. Love.}

For those that are wondering if he looks like Hannah, here is her one-month picture:

One month old. While time seems to fly by, I feel like I've had him so much longer than that. Some things we have learned about him:

He is my cuddle bunny. He's happiest when I'm holding him or he's up against me. From those first days in the hospital, it has been this way. He and I slept most of his very first night with him on my chest. Since we've been home he's slept in the bassinet by my bedside. Many early mornings I have pulled him into bed next to me for that last hour or two of sleep. I can't get enough of him.

He loves to be swaddled. Swaddled in the swing is better. Swaddled in the swing with the pacifier is best. He barely moves during the night - very unlike "Houdini" - his big sister - who could rotate around the cradle and manage to get out of any swaddle.

He still has blonde fuzz and his eyes have gone from dark blue to a blue-green. I know, I know. It can take a full year for their eye color to be realized. I think he's got my nose.

He likes to eat. And he's a good nurser. {I couldn't be more grateful for this. What a difference this time around.} I am feeding him 7x/day, and he's going 4 and 5 hour stretches (sometimes 6) at night. He weighs over 11 pounds. Or did last week. He probably weighs close to 12 now. I tell you, I think he's gotten bigger in the last 24 hours.

He did great when I introduced the bottle last week. And even better, I'm pumping lots of milk. What a relief!

He has adjusted very well to a feed-wake-sleep cycle. He has been known to fuss for quite a while before going to sleep, and often I have to wake him up to feed him.

He can and will pee during diaper changes. Everywhere.

He survived his first trip to Savannah, as well as this past weekend's trip to Sandersville and Atlanta. {Though we learned that he can cry really hard for quite a while.}

He doesn't like a wet or dirty diaper. And he lets us know it. {See note above.}

He seems to like baths. He hasn't told me for sure though.

He's not a big fan of tummy time, and sometimes tries to sleep. He has had pretty good head control from day 1 though. And really strong legs (that actually started inutero).

He doesn't exactly love the stroller. This bothers me. {Afterall, the BOB duallie wasn't cheap.} Hopefully it passes, and soon.


He does, however, love to be held and carried around...

As for Hannah. She is a very (sometimes too) involved big sister. She climbs onto my lap while I'm nursing him. She tries to sit in the infant seat with him. She brings him toys in his swing. She takes away his pacifier only to go give it back to him. She lays down on the floor next to him when he's doing his tummy and play time. She fetches diapers for me. She steals his burp cloths. She gives him about a hundred kisses a day. And, oh yeah, is suddenly obsessed with taking off his diaper. I know underneath it looks different but still...

Got a couple cute videos of her I'll post. Stay tuned...

happenings

I'm looking at the monitor and Hannah is stretched out on her stomach, wearing her "majshick shoes." Her arm is reaching over the bumper to where she was holding onto Joe. Bedtime has changed for us. We used to be able to put her in her crib and that was that. For the last couple months, it's been reading, and rocking, and singing, and more rocking, and then the crib. Followed by Joe needing to lie down on the floor next to her crib for a while. Lately, he'll stick his foot through the crib slats. She likes to hold onto him as she falls asleep. It is truly the sweetest thing. After she finally fell asleep and Joe got up, her arm stayed like that.

Yes, it has been a while since I've posted. And, while I'm starting this on Sunday night, I guarantee it will be tomorrow - if that - when it's finished. We have a lot going on. We've had special visitors. We had infant recognition and Joseph's first Sunday at church. {He slept through the entire service.} We marked Joseph's one-month-day. {One month post to come.} We traveled to Sandersville to see our new church and home. We drove to Atlanta to meet my mom. And we celebrated our sweet goddaughter's first birthday.

What is more exhausting than going on a trip with a toddler? Going on a trip with a toddler and a newborn. What is more tiring than spending a day taking care of a toddler and a newborn? Taking care of a toddler and a newborn while trying to pack the house!

The POD is being delivered tomorrow. We've got three weeks remaining in the countdown to moving day. That is crazy! If I think about it too much there is an overwhelming feeling of "how am I going to do it all?" Thankfully, I am not doing it all myself. I am so thankful for the babysitting help. When Hannah is off playing, I am able to get a decent amount accomplished. {That is assuming Joseph is happy or sleeping. Other than a couple nightmare-ish days, I've been fortunate.} And I'm thankful that Joe is a very involved daddy (and a huge help to me) as well as my constant cheerleader.

So for some pictures.

Last weekend was full. My best friend Jennifer and her husband, Daniel, made a short trip to Jesup. They went out of their way to meet Joseph and we were so glad to see them. They have a daughter, Leah, who is one special (and adorable) girl.

\

My brother, Will, and his girlfriend, Crystal, came down for a night. Joe and I had plans, so they babysat Hannah. We went to a dinner honoring a former Navy SEAL who is a chiropractor here in Jesup. The event was to benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs. {On a side note, this guy, Howard Wasdin, was an elite sniper on SEAL Team Six. His book was scheduled to be released at the end of this month, but due to recent events, the date was pushed up. Talk about timing... We have a copy and I can't wait to read it.} Hannah prefers to read about ladybugs.

We had fun taking pictures of the kiddos. Joseph wasn't really having fun.

{Joseph's quilt is from Jennifer and Daniel. I love it. I love anything monogrammed, but the blanket is beautiful.}

During the week my dad came to visit as well as my friend, Lauren, and her daughter Riley. The girls are only a few weeks apart. We will miss them when we move, but anticipate them driving through and stopping to visit!

...you can thank Joe for adding the doo-rag.

On Thursday we drove to Sandersville and stayed with our good friends Wade and Anna, and their daughters, Erin and Kristen. We toured our new church and the parsonage and we were very pleased with both. {I am scheming away putting our new home together in my mind.} Our new friends, Jeffery and Kelly, hosted a dinner at their beautiful home introducing us to several church members. We were overwhelmed by the welcome we received, and the excitement of our coming.

Friday and Saturday we were in Atlanta with my mom. I'll tell you this: I do not miss the traffic. Goodness gracious it is horrendous. We had dinner at Flip. Good food and atmosphere - perfect for a toddler that needs to be drowned out. That night however was not good. Hannah woke up an hour after going to sleep crying and would not stop. She was clawing her skin. At about 1:00am, Joe went to the store to buy Benedryl. We took her out of her braces (which had come partway off) and she spent the rest of the night in bed with Grandma. Of course, Joseph woke up a couple hours after we all finally got to bed wanting to eat. But what is a night with a 20 month-old and a one month-old without sleep deprivation? Traveling can be rough. The pack-n-play is no substitute for the crib, and a hotel room no substitute for a child who thrives on routine. But we survived. And it sure was nice to have Grandma there to help. Thanks, Mom.

The trip was completely worth it since we got to be there to celebrate Leah's first birthday. She is precious and really liked her cake.

See? I told you it would be awhile before I finished and posted. And the POD is here. Time to close the laptop and pack some boxes...after I feed Joseph. Never a dull moment.

blooming and growing

Last year, Joe planted all the leftover Easter lilies from the church in our backyard. I was very curious to see how this project of his would go. They were pretty for some time. After a while they turned brown and completely died and withered. As in nothing there at all. This spring, I was simply blown away when all of a sudden they started shooting up from the ground.

This picture was taken April 10. They were growing so fast, we were wondering if there was any way that they would bloom by Easter Sunday.

They did not. Four weeks later, on May 9th, they looked like this:

They were a few weeks late, but it was worth the wait. Today they look like this:

There is something so clean and pure about the lily. It's too bad we can't have them in the house. My allergies just can't take it.

A few other fun things growing in our yard.

Joe bought and planted flowers for me at Easter.

The first fruits making their debut on our 4th anniversary lemon tree.

Hmmmm. We love rosemary.

Our beloved fig tree is growing big - about 3' now, but won't bear fruit for a while. We've nurtured this little guy since Joe's mom brought him to us as a sapling from our big tree at the house we own in Savannah. Joe has made a lot of fig preserves in the 5 1/2 years we've been together. He set aside enough jars to last us over 2 years after we moved. More than the preserves, I miss picking and eating the fresh figs.

We also have basil. Last year we had two plants that grew pretty big. We left them alone through the winter and somehow, after all the freezing nights, a month ago Joe noticed a small sprout of basil at the base of the otherwise dead plant. He re-potted it and now, in just a couple weeks, we have a thriving basil plant. Yay for pesto!

Unfortunately we will not have fresh produce this year as we are moving next month. We will seriously miss our tomatoes. Joe will have to make his tomato pie with the store-bought variety.

So that's that. Not exactly a gardener's dream, but it's fine for us. For now. We are looking forward to planting a garden at our new house in Sandersville.

soooo big!

I just want to say how proud we are of our sweet girl. Last night we put the braces on her for the first time. Joe and I had been dreading this for a week, since the doctor confirmed she had ITT (internal tibial tortion) and the braces were ordered. We did everything to make sure she had a good day yesterday. She spent the morning playing with Mary Lou and Dewitt, a couple at our church who babysit her occasionally and who she loves. They took her to the feed & seed store to see the live animals, and played outside with her. She napped well. After dinner, we played in the backyard for a while.

...there are pants that go with this outfit. They just didn't make it outside.

We read lots of stories, put the braces on and rocked her, and sang every lullaby we could think of, and then when I finally put her in her crib, Joe laid down on the floor next to her until she drifted off to sleep. No tears. Well, no tears from Hannah. This morning Joe was so happy to pick her up from the crib. How big is Mommy's girl? Soooo big!

The braces consist of a special pair of shoes, connected by a bar. The shoes are set at an angle to help correct the in-toeing. She can move her feet back and forth but not from side to side or apart. She can bring up one of her legs while extending the other. {They are a little more friendly than the ones Joe and I had to wear when we were babies.} We are calling them her "magic shoes" - which she pronounces "majshick."

I checked the monitor through the night. She alternated between her front and her back. The bar does not allow her to sleep in her favorite position: child's pose {on her tummy with her legs pulled up underneath her}. She is only wearing them at night, so nap times are normal.

Tonight bedtime went just as smoothly. Hopefully the night will too. I snapped this of their sweet cuddle time. It's a little blurry but it captures the moment.

what we've been up to

Joseph will be three weeks old tomorrow. He's doing great and has pretty much settled into a rhythm. He's eating every three hours, give or take. He's sleeping stretches as long as five and six hours at night. While we have had some fussy periods, so far he's been relatively easy to figure out. The difference between him and newborn-Hannah is drastic. For one, he has got the breastfeeding thing down. He's growing and gaining weight and is a happy baby. Other than the seven or so times a day I spend nursing him and the occasional snuggle when he's fussy, he's pretty low-maintenance. We have come to the conclusion that God gave us Hannah first so that we could appreciate how good we have it with Joseph. We think we are incredibly fortunate.

But still, it has been so hard to find time to blog. I feel like the days fly by and my 24/7 duties as a mom leave me little down time. And while there are plenty of other things I should be doing, I like to make time for this.

So without further ado, this is what we've been up to the past three weeks.   

4 days old. First visit to the doctor. He weighed 8lbs 9oz, up 4oz since leaving the hospital. Here he's about to have his heel stick for the bilirubin check.

First bath at home. It wasn't his favorite.

One week old!

Happiest baby on the block:

Last Friday morning we woke up really really early to watch The Royal Wedding. Of course I could have DVR'd it and watched it at a reasonable hour like my husband wanted me to. But I wasn't missing it...live. {I was hoping Joseph was going to wake up right around 4am to eat. Instead he woke up at 2:30. So I nursed him and put him back in his bassinet. He wanted to stay up. So I did too.} My mom was staying with us and she got up too and watched with me (and Joseph). Today, before we left Savannah, she gave me the new special edition People magazine. Can't wait to curl up and read!

By the way, I think that might be the most beautiful dress I have ever seen. I love everything about it - the lines, the ivory satin, the lace, the pleated skirt, the train. It is timeless, classic and modern. Kate was gorgeous. The Abbey was beautiful. It was a fairy tale. I wish the happy couple a joy-filled marriage.

And speaking of fairy tales. I'm living mine. Just look at this little guy...

...and this princess.

I mean, what could possibly go better with a pink tutu than pink Crocs?

Ma plus belle histoire d'amour...c'est Toi.

Joseph hasn't really decided what he thinks about the stroller. Sometimes he sleeps, other times he screams. I went running the other day for the first time since September. Running while pushing the double stroller takes a tad more effort than running without. It felt so good though. The walking was getting old...

Hannah's not sure what she thinks about the new stroller either. She has to share it. And sometimes she has to listen to Joseph crying. What a drag.

But then she can be so sweet...

This past week was busy. On Monday we headed to Savannah for a whirlwind 24-hour trip. Doctor's appointments for both Hannah and Joseph, as well as Joseph's newborn pictures. We had an orthopedic appointment for Hannah to have her legs/feet checked. As expected, she needs braces. {Joe and I both had to wear them.} We're sad about this. Yes, we want to correct her "in-toeing" but we hate that she'll have to wear the bar...and for six months. :( She's already adjusting to a new baby in the house, and now she has to adjust to this - wearing braces every night to bed. {They had to order her size, so we drove back to Savannah to pick them up on Friday.} Tomorrow night is the night. Please say a prayer - for her and us.

At this point tummy time usually means just lay there and be lazy. It is a very soft and comfy mat, I'll give that to him.

Totally in love.

PS - Go Navy SEALs!


We had a nice weekend - a real weekend, not a 36-hour "dizzying array of visits and activities" as Joe calls it. We got to spend time with our moms. I had sushi for the first time in like a year. My mom and I went and had pedicures. We went out for seafood - my mom, her children, and her grandchildren. We went to church and out to lunch with Joe's parents. {Yes! Joe took a Sunday off!} We actually relaxed a little... It was sooooo nice.

And to wrap it up, here's a picture that just makes me smile: my amazing mom and my sweet babes. Happy Mother's Day Mama. Thank you. For everything. I love you always.

And thanks to the One that made me a mother. The best job in the world.