It finally fits!

Giggles

The first weeks of life for a baby are hard, for Mom & baby. You're getting to know each other, learning what each cry means, figuring out what soothes them, not sleeping at all, trying to establish a routine of sorts, but then something awesome happens that makes it all worth it, a big old beautiful SMILE! Reed has been smiling for a couple weeks now. I think he had his first social smile sometime around his 7th or 8th week, since then his smiles have progressed and I can make him smile on demand. Not only that, but he's cooing like it's his job and it gets louder every day. He has turned into one noisy happy little man, and good noises at that. Then just when you think it can't get anymore amazing, they laugh!!! I was giving him a bath last Friday night and he's looking at me in the mirror with his gummy smile and he just starts giggling! My stomach did flips and my heart skipped a beat, and then it happened again! Wow, this is awesome. He hasn't laughed out loud like last Friday again except for in his sleep... It's hilarious, Bryan holds him after his nighttime feedings to help him fall back asleep and twice now during this time he just cracks up and is completely asleep. Bryan and I silently giggle to ourselves so we don't wake him. It's too cute. This is such a fun stage and makes all the sleepless, crying nights and days worth it. Just when you've read every book and everything online about fussy babies, they turn into this awake happy little person. Just this morning Bryan was changing his diaper and in between cries he decides this is fun and starts smiling and cooing, then crying, then cooing again. So much fun!

Hardest day of my life...

I'm back at work and had to drop Reed off at daycare today. Luckily I'm not full time till April 19th, till then I still have to leave him every M, W, & F. I'm missing him like crazy and feel empty handed. Is it 5pm yet? I can't wait to pick him up!!!

Moby me Mom!!

Like most babies, Reed likes to be held...all the time! I honestly was intimidated by the Moby wrap when it was first given to me (thank you Tara!!). It is one super long piece of fabric that you can tie in a bunch of different ways depending on the age and size of your baby. I finally took the plunge and made myself learn how to use it. It has been a life saver, I actually have hands again and I love to take walks with him in it. Whenever Reed is fussy and I know he needs a nap, I just moby him up, rock him, and in about 5 min he's asleep! It's a magic moby. If you plan on having a baby, put this on your list!!

Big boy!

Reed had his 2 month appointment today. He's 8lbs and 6 ounces! We're thrilled that he's finally over 8lbs. He did however receive a few shots while he was there and let's just say that did not make him very happy.

This happy face was a few hours before his appointment. He's delighting me with more and more smiles every day. How lucky am I?!

This photo was taken to give to his Aunt Katie for her birthday. Look at that smile

This cracks me up. He is not ready to use his bumbo yet and I know this, but I just had to try it out. He tolerated it for a minute and then this started....

(Don't worry Katie G., I know he will love it very soon and we will use it all the time! :-) )

This is "after bath" hair. :-)

Already such a comedian. Socking himself in the face.

Hanging out

One of the many reasons why I love the weekends.

"My boy's".

Eyes wide open

Where have I been you wonder? Well, our newborn has finally woken up and he's rather demanding when those eyes are open wide. Those eyes have been open wide a lot latley, and when his eyes are finally closed, I am attempting to close my eyes.

I finally got his attention a few weeks ago, there is someone in there! I think....I got a real smile the other day too. I had curlers in my hair and he looked up at me, studied the curlers then found my face and that's when I think I got his first real smile...apparently I looked funny. I've since then had smirks, I'm hoping it will continue. :-)

We're slowly learning the things he likes and dislikes. We found out he loves music, which is wonderful because we do too. He seems very entertained when I dance right next to our soundock. Like most babies, he also loves the car, but it has to be moving, otherwise he'll let you know. He loves to nurse, this is usually the one and only thing that stops his crying when it's gotten out of control. I need to break this soothing habit, or his daycare provider won't be happy with me! He's in love with the fan in our living room, he stares and stares at it. Wait till it gets hot out and it turns on, it's going to blow his mind.

With the 60 degree weather we had on Friday we decided to take full advantage of this and we went on his first walk, something I've been SO anxious to do. Once we got moving he passed right out!

Let's do this Mom!

Lena enjoyed it too.

All the fresh air knocked him out. Is this what I need to do at 4am?

So Reed weighed 5lbs and 2.4 ounces when he was born on Dec 30th, he dropped down to 4lbs and 11 ounces on Jan 6th, and to our delight, on Feb 15th he weighed 7lbs and 2 ounces!! Yay for Reed! I'm hoping he'll be a whole 8lbs for his two month appointment on March 3rd. Getting to be a big boy. ;)

Don't be fooled by his "calm" pictures, this is a face we see often as well. Poor guy!

My parents brought lunch over one afternoon from Shoreline Seafood, I got a fish sandwich. I couldn't stop laughing when I opened this. The funny part was, there was sauce under the bun too.

Playing on his lamb, love this!

Kisses for my Reedie

I need to be better about this, trying to take a picture at least once a month to compare size, this was a few weeks ago already.

Will post pics of all of Reed's visitors soon!

Rewind

So I realized I didn't have a post with all the "real" hospital pictures. Here is Reed's birthday story in pictures....

We took this picture right before we left for our appointment with the specialist. My intuition was telling me it could be the last, and I was right!

Dec 29th, 37 weeks

I was only allowed ice chips while I was in labor. Thankfully my last meal and Reed's last meal while still inside me was Chick Fila breakfast. It's a good thing I had a "hearty" meal because I didn't eat again until 2:15am. All I could remember Jamie saying was to be sure to eat a big meal, because if you get induced it could last hours and hours and you won't be able to eat! Luckily it only lasted 8 1/2. I think I was too nervous to eat anyhow.

Excited/Nervous!

Hello world! He of course came out screaming!

Phew, that was rough Mom.

Getting to know him for the first time.

Bryan checking out his little man.

I can finally stand! I had also showered and changed into my own clothes at this point. Two things that make you feel like a new woman.

How we celebrated New Year's Eve. :-) We'll never forget this one.

My (our) New Year's Eve meal. :-) The food was actually decent. You're so incredibly thirsty after giving birth and while breastfeeding that I couldn't drink enough. I've never downed so much juice in my life. They'd bring me a pitcher of water and 5 juices all at once.

I'm coming home!

I bought this little t-shirt in Maine this past August. It was the first thing I bought for him and I knew this is what I wanted him to wear coming home. When I bought it I thought it was teeny tiny and even thought it might be too big. Hah, it was huge, but I still wanted him to wear it. :-)

Yay, home with my brand new baby boy.