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28 October, 2013

The jinx

So I jinxed myself. I bragged about what a good sleeper my baby was and how he had gotten himself into a good schedule.

Yeah.

About that. Poor Nolan got that 6 week growth spurt everyone warns you about. Then a few days later we both got a touch of a cold with a lot of congestion. Suddenly my baby that loved to sleep fought it with every cell of his being. We would have one good day and I would think we were back to normal and then it would be followed by 3 bad days. We were both running on E.

Finally yesterday Stephen got up with him and let me get an extra hour of sleep in the morning. Then we went over to my parents' and they insisted we should nap. We gave in and I got a 2 hour nap and Stephen slept for 3 while my Mom somehow got Nolan to take a 2 hour nap.

He did a little better last night and has taken several good naps today. I think we're finally both feeling better, but I don't want to jinx us again. So it may only be 4 in the afternoon and I've poured myself a glass of wine while he naps. Don't judge me.

I may be exhausted. And there may have been moments that I wanted to cry because he wouldn't stop crying but then he would give me one of his little grins and I just melt. I wouldn't trade this sweet baby, his Daddy, and our life for the world!

03 October, 2013

Nolan: 1month

<p>I'm going to attempt to get through this post without crying. I'm having a hard time accepting that my sweet newborn is already a month old! I've enjoyed every minute of the last month, but feel like it's just flying by way too fast. I feel like we were just in the hospital waiting for him to arrive. </p>
<p>Just in the last few days I've noticed how much more grown up he looks. He's changed a lot already. (ok, so I'm probably the only one who would notice.)</p>
<p>Nolan has already gotten really good at holding his own head up. He's smiling all the time and is starting to be awake more often and for longer stretches. </p>
<p>He eats between 3.5 and 4oz every three hours, and never misses a meal! This is a big change from battling to get him to wake up enough eat 1oz while we were in the hospital. He got himself onto a really good schedule and I'm really lucky that he is so easy going. We can take him everywhere with us.</p>
<p>He naps in about 2.5 hour stretches every time he eats. At night he goes from 9pm to 3am then every three hours after that. He's been that way since we brought him home from the hospital. To say we're lucky is an understatement! I'm afraid he's going to pay us back for this later.</p>
<p>We're in a really good routine and I love spending our days together. I've started realizing how hard it will be to go back to work in a few weeks even though it is only part time. </p>
<p>This month he had his first bath at 2 weeks, first doctor's appointment at 2 weeks(85% height and 25% weight- long and skinny like his Daddy!), first real smile at 3 weeks, he had his first trip to church last Sunday(3 weeks), he watches lots of football with daddy, and has started venturing out to eat and to visits with family. He loves to snuggle and loves visiting with all of his family!</u></p>

I can't believe this first month has already flown by! I'm enjoying every minute and can't wait to see how he continues to grow and develop his own little personality.

Motherhood

I have to admit motherhood has been even more than I had expected and I felt pretty prepared. I mean that in every aspect of the word.

I love this baby boy more than I could have imagined. I worry about germs and poop and natural disasters and bad people more than is healthy, I'm sure.

What I didn't count on was all the things that would change. Just eating dinner and watching TV is a production. There is not much alone time for Stephen and I anymore. But it does make us appreciate each other much more. When we can steal 5 minutes to snuggle while watching TV with a sleeping baby or when we both get in to bed at the same time with a baby down for the night is like a vacation! The dynamic of our family has definitely changed. But it's a change for the best!

It's amazing all the things I can do one handed, or how productive I can be during a one hour nap. My heart has definitely doubled in size with the addition of this little miracle. There are hard days and hours along with the good but I wouldn't trade a second of it for the world!