Ian's 1 Month Update

Ian!!! You're 1 month old!!!!

For those of you sticklers for dates and things, ok, so technically he was a month old on Saturday. But we had a busy weekend and didn't get his 1 month stats until his appointment yesterday, so today's the day for blogging.

Regardless, you're a month old! I'll never get over how quickly the time flies, which is funny considering you go from spending 1/3 of your day sleeping (which sleeping 8 hours doesn't seem to take nearly as long as say, working 8 hours. amiright?) before baby to oh, maybe 1/8 of your day sleeping after baby arrives. It's a funny thing.

You've changed SO much in this short month!

You went from this little nugget:

Less than 24 hours old

...To this little stud:

1 Month Old

It has been so much fun to learn your little personality over the last month. So far, you are vastly different from your big brother. You almost demand being cuddled, which for the most part has made me all warm & fuzzy inside. You're just as squirmy as you were when I was pregnant, and thus, do not like being swaddled. You'll grunt and squirm and fuss until you finally give up and fall asleep. I'd consider not swaddling you at all, but it does help you sleep better. You are the LOUDEST sleeper I know. There are no cute and sweet noises coming from your body when it's time to rest... it's nothing but grunts and squeaks and all sorts of spits and sputters. It is loud enough to really throw me off when I'm trying to determine at 2am if you're actually hungry or just fussy while transitioning to a different sleep cycle. There have been more than a few instances where I've gotten up, changed your diaper, gone to nurse you and had a sleepy baby who wasn't actually hungry to start with.

But lets face it, you also have been eating around the clock. You get hungry a lot faster than I'm used to, so we still haven't established any normal semblance of a feeding schedule. I'd swear you went through a month long growth spurt...

...and judging by your stats at the doctor yesterday, I'd be dead right!!!!! You weighed in at a whopping TEN POUNDS and FIFTEEN OUNCES. Plus, you grew 2 whole inches (20" to 22"). That's ridiculous, kid. We're talking a 3lb 11oz weight gain in a month. To really put things into perspective, that is exactly what Isaac weighed at his 1 month check up, and let's not forget, he weighed 9lb 6oz at birth (over 2lbs heavier than your 7lb 4oz arrival weight). So good job in catching up with your brother.

Now it's time to give mommy a break. kthanks.

You've done a great job so far in keeping your meals down and rarely spit up. When you do, it's hardly a mouthful of curdled milk, which is a stark contrast to Isaac's large volume spit ups. No wonder you've gained so much so quickly. Your hair has already started to fall out in random places, which is sad and funny looking all at the same time. Your eyes are dark blue currently and I don't anticipate them changing to any other color considering everyone else in the family has blue eyes.

The rest of life has been filled with all the normal 1 month old baby activities: pooping & peeing everywhere, sleeping, eating, and some lengthening awake periods. Hopefully by your 2 month update, I'll be sharing with everyone your purposeful smiles and longer night sleeps. Fingers crossed for the sleep especially.

Ian, you are a sweet and cuddly ball of chub and you melt my heart over and over again. I am so ridiculously head over feet in love with you and am blessed beyond words to be your momma. I cannot wait to see you learn to love your older brother, as he is quickly learning to love you. I look forward to seeing more and more the way you were perfectly made to fit into this family. Furthermore, I look forward to seeing more and more the way you were perfectly made to accomplish great things for God's kingdom. You are such a treasure, Ian Michael.

Isaac's "School" Pictures

Last week at Discovery Days (aka MDO), was the week for spring pictures. Mandi, our preschool director, took the photos and did an amazing job. I couldn't be more happy with them!!!! He looks so grown up and handsome! My big sweet boy.

I told Mandi that it was a small miracle just to get Isaac sitting still long enough to take a picture of him. Then to get him to smile at the same time?! Impossible! During our family pictures last November, he wouldn't cooperate at all- it was a nightmare. And anytime I whip out a camera, he runs in the opposite direction.

Occasionally, I can bribe Isaac into taking A picture. (one) I am not above bribery.

Anyway, you'll have to overlook my proud mommy tendencies... I HAD to share these pictures. They are just TOO cute not to.

Le Sigh

To say that I've mastered the art of juggling a newborn, a two year old, and a blog (or housework, laundry, personal hygiene, cooking...) would be a total lie. This is obvious because it's been almost 2 weeks now since I have posted anything. Thank goodness for Discovery days! With Isaac gone this morning, I've had a few moments to shower, straighten the house, and wash 2 loads of laundry! Unfortunatlely, my brain is particularly mushy, so prepare yourself for lots of rambling and an iPhone photo dump! I've actually already updated this post 3 times since originally publishing it! Ha!

Many apologies!

My life is moving rapidly by despite spending very little of it sleeping. Ian appears to be in a never-ending growth spurt, and regularly eats every 90 minutes to 2 hours. On the rare nights he gives me a little 3.5-4 hour stretch, I'm usually awake anyway, engorged and leaking. His 1 month check up is Monday, and I'm curious to see his updated weight and length. Considering he had gained well over a pound at 2 weeks of life, and has spent the majority of the time since eating, I'm wondering how close he will come to Isaac's 1 month weight (10b 15oz).

Aside from Ian breastfeeding at all times of the day and night, Isaac also seems to be having a rough time with sleep these days. While I was awake at 2am feeding Ian two nights ago, I noticed Isaac on the monitor, bright eyed and throwing toys and pillows off of his bed. Yikes. Mornings are no better: He typically sleeps between 7:30 and 8am, so hearing the familiar "MOM! DAD! Dooooooor...open it!" at 6am has thrown us all off.

Please don't misunderstand me though, these days are full of love and sweet moments. Watching Isaac fall in love with his brother has melted my heart over and over again. Spending my time snuggling and kissing these boys has been so much fun for me. I love them more and more with each passing moment!

Jordan spent a weekend in Houston at the StudentLife conference, so my mom and her new husband came down to visit and help out. It was also the first time she was able to meet Ian. I know my mom enjoys spending time with the boys, and I love when they are able to get some quality time in since we don't see them nearly as often as I'd like. She got in lots of Ian cuddles and many Isaac-induced laughs. Overall, it was a nice weekend for everyone involved.

I'm hoping to be back again soon with photos from the delivery day, a 1 month update, and a photo recap of the sip-n-see shower happening this weekend!

2 weeks & Thankful

We've made it through the first 2 weeks of Ian's extrauterine life and I have a lot to be thankful for.

Thankful for sweet boys.

Thankful for a healthy home after battling the flu this weekend (Isaac).

Thankful for Netflix, SheReadsTruth, clorox wipes, and Tamiflu.

Thankful for pediatric dosing of Zofran to take with Tamiflu.

Thankful for losing umbilical cord stumps and first baths together.

Thankful for a little brother who doesn't spit up nearly as severely as big brother did.

Thankful for how much less laundry I do as a result of the above statement.

Thankful for growing baby eyelashes. And kissable baby lips.


Thankful for an awesomely easy time breastfeeding so far.

Thankful for a growing freezer stash of liquid gold.

Thankful for a sweet visit with Aunt Casey. Not nearly long enough.

Thankful for all the loads of laundry and dishes Aunt Casey did for us while she was here. (Come back!)

Thankful for all the meals that have been provided for us by our church family.

Thankful for the prayers, love, and support pouring in from all angles.




So thankful for sweet boys.