Weekend Fun

Just a few pics of the weekend...



This boy will sit in my lap and let me read to him for hours! We'd never read this one before. It was called "Mommy's Little Star". It was so cute:) He'd even touch the book like he wanted to help turn the pages! Nick snapped a few pics!



We wanted to see who was longer...Jovie or Lucas??? I guess that didn't take long for him to pass her! And now at over 12 lbs, he weighs more than her too:)



We did an Easter project for the grandparents. I don't want to ruin the surprise, but here's a little sample. We used paint:) I think it got on me more than it did him, although it did get in his hair:) Scary, but oh so fun with a 3 month old! I can't wait to do many more with him and since I'm a preschool teacher, I have many ideas! I'll post the final project after Easter when all the grandparents have their presents:)

Hope you had as great of a weekend as we did!!!

Three Months

Wow! My little man is 13 weeks today! He was three months old yesterday, April 13th! He has grown and developed so much this month. It's so fun to see the new things he's learning. He's learning all about this world and I'm learning right along with him. I see the world in a whole new light now that he's come along:)

Dear Lucas,

What an amazing month it has been?! You have grown and changed before our very eyes and we are so happy to watch it. You have grown into a little baby, no longer an infant. You are developing a little personality and it's amazing.

You had your two-month doctor's appointment a little late, so it was only 2 weeks ago! You weighed 11 lbs 4 oz and were 24 inches long. You are 86% in height and 41% in weight. You are long and skinny! I don't know where you got that, because that's not a trait you would associate with Mommy or Daddy! Daddy weighed you last night and he thinks you weigh about 12 1/2 lbs now! You are still in 0-3 mos clothes, but your 0-3 mos jammies won't last much longer. They are stretched to the limit. You are in size 1 diapers, but we have some size 1-2 diapers when these run out. I think they'll do just fine.

You have started eating 6 oz at a time now and you moved to a Level 2 nipple, so your eatings have been so much faster. What used to take you 40 minutes to eat 5 oz, now takes you 20 minutes to eat 6 oz:) This makes Mommy and Daddy much happier.



You are starting to become so active! You love your bouncer now because you kick your feet to make it bounce. You love to bat at the animals and your favorite is still the giraffe:) You follow us around the room much more now and you're getting much better at holding your head up. You still let it fall once in awhile, but not very often. We still work on tummy time, but you still hate it:( I've heard once you start to roll over, you'll like it much more! You will stare at us for a long time and just talk forever. Daddy thinks he heard you really laugh the other day, but Mommy wasn't there. You haven't done it since, but I know it's coming again soon:)

You had a special visitor this month...Mommy's friend Chandra:) She came all the way from Tennessee to see you! She was so excited and you smiled a lot for her! We all wish she lived closer:(



You still love bathtime and love to dangle your feet out of your tub into the water. Daddy helped you sit down in the water last night (in Mommy's bathtub) and you loved it! I can't wait to get you in the pool this summer!



You have also started to chew on things a lot. You will hold things when we put them in your hand. You like your rattle, your raz-baby and your Cardinals blanket. We've also tried your crinkle book and you even put it in your mouth yesterday while holding it!



You still have thrush, but we think the new medicine we got yesterday will finally clear it up! It doesn't seem to bother you one bit, though. You sleep like a champ! You slept from 9p-6a last night without waking up to fuss at all! You never eat in the middle of the night anymore, but sometimes you fuss for a few minutes and all we have to do is fix your blanket and soothe you a little. You have started kicking off your blanket in the middle of the night and sleeping diagonal. I know very soon you won't need your blankie anymore, but right now I'll let you choose if you want it or not. I'm going to give it to you and let you kick it off when you need to. When it gets too hot and you start to roll over, we won't use it anymore.

Well, little man. It's been an exciting month, yet I know the best is yet to come! Each new thing you learn and accomplish bring Mommy and Daddy so much joy! We just sit and stare at you when we're all together and we talk about you when we're not. Daddy's been gone a lot for baseball, but you've been great for Mommy and very soon, baseball will be over! I know you love having Daddy home and so do I!

We are so proud of the little man you're becoming and we're blessed to be a witness to it all! We love you so much:)



All our love,
Mommy and Daddy

Our Great Physician

Colt made it through surgery and it was a success!! He was on bypass for 2 1/2 hours, which was the scariest part, and came off beautifully. They were able to close him up, which they were worried about as well. They said the first 12-24 hours after surgery are the most critical and he looked just pitiful. Because of parents' request, the picture post-surgery will not be on here. However, today they were able to take the ventilator out (which they never do for a baby one day post-surgery with this kind of defect) and he's doing great!!! Parents are very excited. He still has a rough recovery ahead, but the Lord answers prayers. They have felt prayers from all over this world for their little boy and are over-whelmed by the love and support from friends and strangers alike.

Here are a few pictures of Colt. Here's one when he was just an hour old Wednesday, March 30th!



This we received Thursday, March 31st. He had just been transferred to a different hospital and had been intibated:( So sad!



This is from yesterday morning, April 4th. He was on his way to surgery:( I don't know if you can see him in there on his little cart.



Now, his little cousin Lucas can't wait to see him! Neither can Uncle Nick or Aunt Audra (which is so hard to say...I'd rather go by Auntie A)! Anyway, here's my little man at his own little doctor's appointment to get shots! It was so hard for me, I can't imagine what Josh and Jana have gone through this past week. All you moms out there, give your little ones an extra squeeze today and say a little prayer for Josh and Jana who've only been able to hold him a handful of times since this process started:(



And a little smile because I just can't live without it:)



Thanks for your prayers! Colt will be one week old tomorrow because of them and our Great Physician:)

Quickie

I can't believe it's been so long since I posted last! I know now why I had so much trouble keeping this up last semester. I really need to do better because I want Lucas to have this someday. I also like it for myself so I can remember all that goes on with him and our lives.

Now that school has started, time seems so scarce. Lucas has adapted very well to daycare and I've done okay, too. The Sunday before I went back was definitely the hardest. I guess because of the anticipation of it all. I cried all day. I cried when I would change his diaper, even, because I knew I wouldn't be able to do it all day everyday like I had been. I was just so worried that he wouldn't remember me or I would forget something big. That is still a fear of mine, but I know now he remembers me. The first day that I picked him up, he smiled at me. It was amazing!

It's been a struggle in the evenings too. We have been trying to keep him awake from the time I pick him up (usually about 4p) until 8p when he eats and goes to bed. So in the evenings, all I want to do is play with him! I don't want to do laundry; I don't want to clean; I don't want to cook. I could care less about eating supper, even! I know it's silly, but since I don't get to play during the day, I want to soak up all that time and get all the smiles out of him as possible! I've gotten better this week at just letting him spend time in his bouncer or on his mat. He's perfectly content to do that and I can still watch him and play with him and talk to him while I'm keeping my house taken care of too.

This week has been a little crazy because my new nephew was born Wednesday, March 30th, with a heart defect. When he was born, we didn't realize he had this. They didn't find it until the middle of the night Wednesday night and it's been a roller coaster of emotion and doctors since. He will have to have open-heart surgery on Tuesday at noon. It has been really scary and stressful, but he's stable and his vitals are really good. Now, it's just a waiting game and watching game until Tuesday. Please pray for my brother-in-law Josh, his wife Jana, and their son Colt. We are all very scared, but they're strong and they are already feeling the prayers being lifted on their behalf.

I'll try to post pictures and updates of him and Lucas very soon! Until now, that's our life.