Happy 2 Month Birthday Baby Boy

It is so hard for me to believe that two months ago today I had been contracting for three days already and we were finally about to meet our "mystery" baby.  Everyone tells you that time flies but little do you know that it literally does.  Last night as I was doing laundry at almost ten (yes, on a Saturday night) I was trying to remember what it was like before we had Braxton and I honestly can not remember.  Our new "norm" is everything Braxton.  Bottles, diapers, straightening the house, changing his clothes, baby baths, countless loads of laundry, sanitizing bottles, emptying the diaper champ, etc.  Some days we feel like the chores will never end but we wouldn't trade it for the world.  This month has been GREAT!  He is growing out of the "newborn" baby and developing into a baby (not sure that makes sense).  He is so responsive now.  Smiles at us ALL the time and is talking soo much.  He can hold his head up for a little bit but he is still wobbley.  We are still working on tummy time.  He does not mind it much and will lay there for about five minutes at a time.  He has still not mastered holding his head up during tummy time so half of the time he is licking the mat (not sure why he does this) or rubbing is face on it as he lays there.  He still loves bath time, but has developed a HUGE dislike for when bath time is over.  We are not sure where this came from, he just starts screaming when we would take him out.  This is screaming is like we have never heard before.  Afterwards he even sounds hoarse.  We have a heater in our bathroom and it gets stinking HOT in there so I really do not think that he is cold when he gets out...we don't know what it is.  Friday night when I took him out I swaddled him up in his adorable hooded towel and took him to his changing table and he was perfect!  He sat there and talked to me and smiled at me the whole time, so I think that is what we are going to have to do from now on.  He is still taking five ounces and is still very satisfied.  There have been a couple of times that we thought he still acted hungry but if we give him more than five he spits it up, even after being burped.... so we will stick with five for now.  He is still getting up at least one time during the night, ususally during the 2,3,or 4 o'clock hour.  We have discovered that he is not much of a cuddle bug.  Sometimes we just want to hold him or someone else does, and he will be crying but nothing is wrong.  Well.... we have learned that if you just put him down he is usually just fine.  I started reading to him and it is so cute to watch.  I make sure to read it with the pages facing out so that he can see and he will literally just sit there and scan the pages.  Although I know he has no idea what is going on, it makes me smile to watch him.  It makes me sad that time is flying by so fast but I know that it will just continue to get better and better as he continues to develop into a sweet little boy.  Happy two month birthday baby boy, Daddy and Mommy love you to the moon and back! 

Ok so this picture was not easy to get... he was soo squirmy, haha.  So we might have to try to find a different way to take next months.  

Thought this was cute!  

Three more days...

I can not imagine being away from him all day.  I can not imagine how our routines will ALL change once again. I can not imagine how tired I will be.  I just can not imagine what it is going to be like going back to work.  I know that it will all be ok and we will all "figure it out," but I guess I just don't want to face it.  Am I ready to go back to work, yes... I love my job, I love my kiddos, I love my co-workers, I love the routine, but I just can not imagine not being with our baby boy ALL day long.  I told a co-worker the other day, "If I could come back to work and bring him with me, I would be SOOO happy."  I can not sit and think about it too long because it already makes me cry, I do not even want to imagine what Monday will be like.  I know it will get easier and easier and I know that Braxton will thrive and be just fine at his "school," I know these things but it does not make it any easier.  This week has been about finding ways to make it easier for me and my family since I will not be home all day to do most of the chores.  I have made a menu for two weeks worth of dinners, I have my the list of things that we need to get ready to take to his "school," I have made the grocery list for things that we need from Sam's and Krogers, etc.  SOO hopefully this will make this weekend go smoother.  I know that we will all figure this out and we will all get into a routine but the anticipation is killing me.  I keep thinking about how I will be the one that has to get him up and get him ready for school, as well as, get myself ready.  What if's keep popping into my head....what if he wakes up and I have to feed him while I am supposed to be getting ready and then I am late, what if I have to start getting up at FOUR SOMETHING, what if I do not have enough time, what if, what if , what if.  In three short days we will see how it all goes, but until then I am going to enjoy every cry, every cuddle, every middle of the night feeding, every diaper change, every bath time, etc. 

He loves his new toy, it even says his name!

Just hanging out kicking my legs

Sorry this is sideways I have no idea how to turn it. 

More nursery stuff!!!

New red, white, and blue letters to go in his new nursery!  

A closer look! 

Saturday afternoon snooze....

My boys, yes all three of them, enjoying a nice Saturday afternoon nap

Two weeks....

I can not believe that in two weeks I will be going back to work.  When my maternity leave started I thought that it would surely last forever.  I keep thinking about how things are going to change once again and how the time that we have with Braxton in the mornings, evenings, and weekends is going to be so valuable.  I have enjoyed my time off with him so much but I also miss my kiddos at work and ALL of my co-workers.  I know that this might not be the easiest transition since I have been able to get most of the housework done during the day while I have been off and most of the time I have been able to have a home cooked meal ready for us at night, but we will figure it all out and figure out our new roles!  I know I am going to miss him like crazy as I have seen my husband do since he has been back to work but we have the weekends and evenings to look forward to as a family, which makes me smile just thinking about it!  We have opted for an in home daycare rather than a day care for right now.   We interviewed this couple and we absolutely LOVE them!  They have been doing this for almost 20 years and have had many kids start there at 6 weeks of age and go all the way until kindergarten with them.  We sat in their house the night we interviewed them for over an hour asking ANY question that came to mind and when we left, we felt at such ease.  We got in the car and both looked at each other and knew immediately that this was a place that we could leave our precious little boy and know that he will be properly cared for in every way (and it's like she told us as we sat there, we are the parents and we know what is best for our child).  Although this makes it much easier for me to leave him, I want to next two weeks to crawl by so that I can soak up every last minute that I have with him.

Happy Friday!!

Maya Angelou

I received this email yesterday and I just LOVED reading the thoughts/lessons of Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou said this:

'I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today,
life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.
'I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way
he/she handles these three things:
a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.'

'I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents,
you'll miss them when they're gone from your life.'

'I've learned that making a 'living' is not the same thing as 'making a life.'

'I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.'

'I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands;
you need to be able to throw some things back...'

'I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.'

'I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.'

'I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone.
People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back...'

'I've learned that I still have a lot to learn..'

'I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did,
but people will never forget how you made them feel.'

Texan......

So if you know my husband and myself you know that we LOVE the western home decor and would probably live on a ranch if we could afford it, haha.  ANYWAYS, after Braxton was born my mom decided that we should redo the nursery into a little boys room instead of using the neutral bedding that she made.  WELL.... I thought this was the perfect idea!  My first thought... COWBOY bedding and decor.  I shopped around and looked on the internet and there was some really cute stuff but most of it was more than what I wanted to spend.  So I kept looking..... and found this :



So, it's on it's way!!!!  I am so excited about this and instantly started getting visions as to what I could decorate with!  SO... my mom and I headed to the antique mall where she knew there were a couple of "texas themed" booths.  And, here are the results..... 

Sorry this is sideways. 

Found this little rocking horse at the antique mall for $10 and I could not pass it up!!

Sorry this is sideways... but this star will hang over his bed!!!

Update of cute pictures!

With his great grandma on Christmas Day

I could stare at him ALL day

Just showing his muscles

Stinking cute!

Sorry for the sideways picture but blogger would not rotate it.  Sleeping with daddy. 

Three Years Ago Today I Married My Best Friend

My title says it all.  5 years and 5 months ago today he became my boyfriend, and three years ago today he became my husband.  I can honestly say that besides the birth of our son, this is the next best thing that has ever happened to me.  We were talking the other night about how truly blessed we are.  We both have good health, great families, great jobs, and now have a beautiful healthy little son.  I posted in my "Lessons of 2010" post that I continue to realize day after day that he was placed in my life for so many reasons, big and small and I truly mean this.  He is my calm when I feel like exploding, he is my shoulder when I cry, he is an amazing father to our son, he is my ear when I feel like nobody is listening, he is my reasoning when I have no explanation, he is my teammate in parenthood, he is my life long partner, and he is SO much more.  I am so blessed to have found my best friend and get to spend the rest of my life with him. 

EDIT: Someone just posted this on facebook and it says to repost if you have an amazing husband.  I do not repost things like that but I LOVED what it said. ALL of it is so true for me!  "My husband has made me laugh. Wiped my tears. Hugged me tight. Watched me succeed. Seen me fail. Cheered me on. Kept me going strong. My Husband is a promise from God that I will have a friend as long as we both are on this Earth. "