Close Confines vs Wide Open Spaces

This morning was a little rough. My boy decided that screaming at the top of his lungs would be much more fun than a restful nap. I am trying to find a good balance between teaching him to soothe himself and being there when he needs me, so I let him cry as long as I could stand it. After listening to him cry for two hours lightly interspersed with five minute cap naps, I finally picked him up and off to sleep he went.

After lunch he was so tired he could hardly keep his eyes open. Not even the usually bracing feeling of a cold, wet wipe on his nice warm tushy could wake him up. Thinking that he would finally get some sleep, I set him down in his bassinet. The minute his body touched down, he commenced the screaming. So I picked him up and pondered the situation - what could be the matter?

Then it hit me - he looked a little cramped in there. So, just for fun I set him down in his crib. The minute his body touched the sheets... he grinned at me and fell fast asleep.


Does this mean that the age of the bassinet is over? I, for one, hope not. Besides the convenience of having him right beside me for the nighttime feedings, I don't know that I'm ready for him to graduate to his own room.

Maybe its a fluke, maybe he will be happy to sleep in his bassinet for many months to come, maybe he will stay this size for a little while longer until I give him permission to grow and become and big boy. Maybe my laundry will do itself, maybe fresh groceries will appear in my fridge, and while I'm at it maybe we'll will the lottery.

The Momma

Future Boxer??

11 Pounds 15 Ounces of Adorable

Yesterday we went to Noah's two month checkup. I'll tell you about that in a minute, but first I have to take a minor detour:

My son is two months old - how did this happen? I just brought him home from the hospital yesterday. He has officially outgrown all of his newborn clothes and yesterday I put a pair of three months pajamas on him - while he certainly didn't fill it out in the width aspect, they were already too short. He gets those long legs from me - one of the only things he gets from me, but that's beside the point.

OK, so yesterday we went to the pediatrician and all I cared about was how much he weighed. His doctor is a wonderful lady, came to us highly recommended, and is just granola-crunchy enough for me to love her yet not so fruity that I don't respect her. Well, she originally took one look at Josh and I and then and there decided that two giant folk like us were going to have a mongo-hungarian behemouth of a baby. Then Noah came at a very respectable 7lbs 3ozs and it threw her for a loop. Ever since then she keeps saying things like "He's gaining weight just fine, I just think he should be bigger" or "I want him to be in the 90th percentile, by such and such a date or I'll be concerned...". For a while this really worried me. I fed him every three hours (or less) on the dot around the clock whether he was hungry or not. Problem was if he wasn't hungry he simply wouldn't eat. I finally decided to trust my instincts and my baby's belly and let him sleep as long as he would at night. He's hungrier and happier, I'm happier, and we all get more sleep.

So yesterday, all I cared about was his weight gain, not because I was worried but because I wanted his doctor to eat her words. Of course she didn't, instead she says: "His weight gain is good, he's only in the 50th percentile, but his weight is good".

Only in the 50th percentile? Are you kidding me? This kid is off the charts, one in a million, so super-special there is no percentile that can accurately capture his cuteness.
What does she know? She's only a doctor, she doesn't have a mother's perspective on this boy.

The "Mongo-Hungarian Behemouth" Momma

A Whole New World

Yesterday was my very first day in my brand new job. That job? Being a stay-at-home-mom. I willingly left a job I love to minister to a little boy I love more.

What's that, Women's Lib?? What are you saying? You didn't work so hard for years just so I could stay home? Sure you did - you worked hard so I could have a choice. And I choose Noah. And Josh. And my home, and Raleigh dog.

And who could blame me?
So, I gave up a cubicle, incredible co-workers, and a really handy paycheck and while I don't regret it, I will miss it.

What's more is that Josh is sacrificing his free time for a part time job (in addition to the full time and part time jobs he currently has) so we can make this happen. I feel extremely humble that he would do that for me and for his boy. I am so determined to honor him by really, truly taking care of everything that needs to happen here so that when he is home he wont have to worry about anything. In fact, I am so determined that I christened my first day with so much work, errands, and chores that I feel like the walking dead this morning.

Lesson learned: in order to take care of my family I need to take care of myself. But that doesn't give me license to squander my time in frivolous things. No, I just need to learn how to handle this whole household more effectively. But I am getting some primo on the job training.

So here's to staying at home and loving it, and being very sobered by the responsibility.

The Momma
Guardian, Custodian, and Defender of all things Home.

My Silence...it is broken

I have been away on a mental retreat gathering my forces to become the best President I can be for my little group.

I'm now back.....and you should be giddy. (those butterflies in your stomach prove it's true).

Fatherhood is AWESOME! I fall deeper in love with my wife every day as I watch her blossom into the Mother God has called her to be. I fall more in love with my boy everyday that I watch him grow, giggle, squirm, poop, smile (after the poops), grin, chirp, scream....well....everything my mini-me does.

It lays upon my shoulders a completely different set of responsibilities that I am now held accountable for. That can generate immobilizing fear but I have a Father who will provide, a father who is behind me..and men in my life worth emulating to become the man the Father has called me to be.

That is all for now.

Josh
President of goofy grins
Reveler of screaming boy
JandA Corp

Slacking Off

We have been informed that we have been extremely negligent in the picture posting arena, so here are some new photos to appease the masses. However, you don't get a clever story with these - deal with it...

First tub bath - splish splash having a fit

Meeting great-grandma Jo for the first time.

GrandmaJo loving her great grand.

There are no words for this one...

Hanging out on his mat



And this, this little grin melts my heart...

The Momma

Family, Fourth, Fun, and Very Little Sleep

This week my sister Ari, her husband Ashley, and their four little boys came to visit. Hence no posts - who has time to blog about all the fun they are having while they are having it? Not me, I like to soak it all up and then reminisce about it later. Which is why Facebook doesn't really work for me. Its all about updating your current status - no one wants to know that I had Penne Rustica from Macaroni Grill two hours ago, by this time its irrelevant. OK, end of tangent...

My sister and crew came to visit, and while my tiny little house was so chock full of people it bore distinct resemblance to a clown car, it was good to see them - especially Ari. Texas may only be a few states away but it might as well be Botswana. However, my sweet sister braved a thirteen hour car trip with four small boys just to see me and my small boy. She cooked for me, did my laundry, we went out to dinner with some amazing women, she encouraged me in motherhood. We talked, we laughed, I cried - it did my heart good. Do you have anyone in your life that fills up your tank just by being around them? My sister is that for me. She just gets me - maybe it has something to do with being made with the same stuff.

All that to say, the only picture I got of her this whole week was a snapshot of her behind in the background of one of the pictures of her kids. As much as I know you would like to see her hiney, I'm not sure she would appreciate it. So instead here are some other pictures from this week....

London boogeying in the pool.

My man Poindexter.

Ashley delivering a beat down.

Napping on the 4th.
Marshall who's favorite phrase is "What is this?"

Parker on the world's longest slip-n-slide.

My boy chillin' with his Tootsie.

Riggs and Noah who were none too happy that we interrupted their conversation.

Happy Belated 4th of July!

The Momma