Wordless Wednesday

(Photography by Mima)

Energy-less Wednesday

I stopped for my first cup of coffee this morning.

If being a mommy is supposed to allow you to thrive on 4-5 hours of sleep, I seem to be an exception.

Also, turns out I still hate coffee.


In other news, both Karson and I seem to be transitioning well.  He has taken to Mima very well, and has shown her lots of smiles.  Aside from being exhausted, I have returned to the working world with relative ease.


There will still be a "wordless" post later today.  Stay tuned!

Skeletons in my Closet

Ok, so there are probably no skeletons in there, but there is certainly some CHAOS GOING ON. 

I like to think that Justin and I keep our house picked up.  Admittedly some things have a strange home...(crock pot in the hallway closet, china in the spare bedroom, Justin's dress shirts in a spare bedroom, luggage crammed behind Karson's dresser, canned green beans in the laundry room.)  But they do in fact HAVE a home, and I can generally tell you where that home is, including which drawer most kitchen gadgets are in. 

But I have a confession...my name is Melody and my closet is a disaster.  I had it nice and organized when we moved in last spring.  Then I went on a diet and a few things got shifted around.  Then I got pregnant and bought a few early maternity clothes.  Then I got largely pregnant, and had to exclusively wear maternity items, but refused to clear a spot for them, so it got ugly fast.  Pants weren't on hangers, but draped over top of my "skinny" pants.  Maternity, large non maternity, and clothes I borrowed from Justin were all mixed in where ever they would fit, and if they didn't fit, I semi folded them and crammed them in the corner. 

Even our dirty laundry, which was usually organized by "load" in one of four white baskets got hectic when I started using two of those for Karson's room without replacing them.  Add in some bathrobes, a vacuum cleaner, and a jewelry cabinet, and I've got a mess on my hands.

Want to see? 

Don't judge.

Better yet, DO judge, that's partially why I'm showing you.

There.  I did it. 

And yes, those neatly organized polos belong to Justin.  Annoying.  :-)

Anyway, my hope is that by showing you a "before", I'll certainly have to be motivated to show you an "after"!

The reason I keep putting it off is aside from straightening it up, I need to completely go through everything in there.  There are maternity clothes, clothes that were too small BEFORE I got pregnant, worn out shoes, and things that may fit but I never where them.  In fact, among this mess is one pair of jeans that fit, a handful of favorite work shirts, and a pile of t-shirts that I wear all the time.  I don't even know what the rest is!

My reward for going through the mess? 

A shopping spree!  I have Christmas money, Birthday money, and gift cards that I've been saving for when I lose the baby weight. 

Which means...there's another "before" shot we need to acknowledge as I take on this journey...

 

Here's hoping I can show you a couple of after photos...sooner rather than later!

Where's the pause button?

It's hard to believe Karson is almost 6 weeks old.  Unfortunately that also means my maternity leave is ending.  :-(

This has been such a special time for me as his mama.  We both grew a lot in many ways!  He went from a flailing, frail, tiny 7.5 lb baby to a cuddly, strong, 10.5 Karson.  His movements have more purpose.  He now enjoys bath time.  He now also gets a little..."opinionated" at times, particularly in the evenings.  His smiles are becoming more frequent, (although nearly impossible to catch on camera). 

I grew too.  I've learned a few tricks for what makes him happy, or to ease his discomfort.  I can operate one handed if needed.  And I feel less like a "new mom", and more just like "Karson's mom". 

I love everything about him.  Even in his stinky moments, or when he seems to cry for no reason, I love that I can fix it. 

Part of me just wants to hit "pause" and linger here a bit longer.  His needs are simple.  His worries are few. 

But every day he shows me a new side of his personality, or physically accomplishes something new.  So the other part of me can't wait to move forward so we can continue to watch him grow and become the man God intends for him to be.

All that said, I'm as ready to go back to work as I'll ever be.  Thanks to family members, he will be in very capable loving hands for a few more weeks before having to venture in to day care.  And it will be nice to return to a routine, and add some adult conversation to my day.   But I know that every day I'll be anxious to return to my blue eyed boy. 

Wordless Wednesday

Checking in, and celebrating firsts!

Karson's one month checkup was today.  As I expected, the doctor said he was doing great!  He has a cold, but is dealing with it better than his mama did.  (Yes, I gave him a cold...I'm a jerk.)

Here are his stats:
10 lb 3 oz (75 percentile)
22.5 inches (90 percentile)
Head (90 percentile)

So he's a healthy growing boy!

Some of you may know, and some of you may not, but Karson does have a heart murmur that we are keeping a closer eye on.  He has a follow up appointment regarding that later in April.  But we are praying for and expecting the best.



We've also celebrated some firsts this week. 

Karson celebrated his first St Patty's day:

All partied out



The three of us enjoyed our first dinner out.  Granted it was Mexican, which is so fast it might not count.  But the outing was a success nonetheless!


And thanks to some warmer weather, Karson and I went for our first stroll around the neighborhood yesterday.  It was good to get out in the sun!  Right Karson?

Karson?

Karson???


"Are we outside yet?"

I guess he can't see the sun.  But he'll have to take my word for it. 

Wordless Wednesday

One Month!

Karson is one month old!

He's growing and changing every day.  Just this morning I watched him on the video monitor as he slowly opened his fingers over and over again, rubbing them against the edge of his bed.   As I type this, he is playing contently on his floor play gym. He bats and kicks the dangling toys and rattles. Likely more on accident than anything, but he's starting to discover the world around him nonetheless.

As of Friday, he weighed 9 lb 5 oz.  He continues to do well with nursing. 

His cries are starting to become more recognizable, and mama can usually figure out whether he's hungry, tired, has a dirty diaper...or is working on dirtying a diaper.  And in exciting news, cries are not his only sound now!  He's started to coo a bit as he finds his voice.

He still likes his swing and bouncy seat for napping, sleeps in his own bed at night, and loves to stretch out on the floor for play time. 

He continues to be a very alert little guy.

Karson is still wearing mostly newborn clothes, but small 0-3 clothes fit as well.  We just bought one more box of newborn diapers.  Same issue as I've mentioned previously....his belly has grown, but his legs and rear end aren't ready for a larger diaper yet.

Our goals for these coming weeks include continuing to pump and store ahead for when I go back to work, increasing his awake play time during the day, and getting on a more consistent schedule for feeding, bath, and bedtime.

Here's the updated shot of our little monkeys.

And here are some photos from his one month "photo shoot":

At first, I was frustrated because I didn't get a "good one".  He's never smiling (obviously) and will not stop staring at the ceiling fan and fidgeting around.  There's even a sneeze in there!  Upon further examination, I love every single one of these!  I literally couldn't choose which ones to include.   These silly faces ARE my baby, and I hope you enjoy some of these facial expressions as much as I did!

 My favorites are "Karson has a question" and his "shocked" face.  :-D We LOVE this little guy so much!

Wordless Wednesday

Three Weeks!

Karson was three weeks old as of yesterday! 

He's had a big few days.  He met his Kentucky cousins over the weekend, and got lots of new hugs and kisses.  It was great to introduce him to more family!

On Friday, he had a newborn checkup.  His circumcision and chord have been healing well, so he got the go ahead for a real bath.  All signs of jaundice are gone.  And he's a healthy GROWING boy as he weighed in at 9 pounds and measured 22.5 inches long.  That's right, I said 9 pounds!  One and a half pounds is a good chunk of weight to gain in two weeks...but as Papaw Cook pointed out...he could afford to gain a little weight to catch up with that long body!  He's filled out nicely and is pretty perfect if I do say so myself.  (And I do...often.)

Karson also went to church for the first time yesterday.  He did great!  And he took his first bottle feeding while we were there!  Here he is waking up from a nap in his Sunday best.

And to top off the weekend, he got his first real bath!  He loved it!  It went much better than his screaming sponge baths.  :-)  Although, as it turns out, he hates getting OUT of the bath, and getting dried off.  But it was progress nonetheless!

Other TIDWTF:
Karson has rolled on to his side on his own.  Already?  Yikes!
He sleeps in his bed, but we are still using the travel bed to help put him at an angle, and we're still swaddling him. 
He is eating more often now, eating every 2.5 to 3 hours during the day, and 3 to 3.5 hours at night. 
He is wearing newborn clothes, but they are starting to get a little snug on his belly and there's no room left for growth lengthwise either.  One piece footed PJ's are too short for his long legs. 
He sleeps in sleep sacks, and while they are some work to get on and they swallow his arms...they certainly make 2 am diaper changes easier! 
He's wearing newborn diapers.  While his belly has grown, he still has a tiny rear end and skinny thighs.
He now makes and maintains eye contact on a regular basis.  Such special moments!
Speaking of those eyes, they are taking on a blue tint.  They seem bluer every day!

Here's his three week pic.  Next time I do one of these updates...he'll be ONE MONTH OLD! 

Wordless Wednesday

Two weeks!

Ok, ok.  Two weeks...and two days.  Mama is still getting the hang of time management with a newborn.

Karson is doing great!  He's filling out and has the cutest belly ever.  We had a fussy Saturday night, followed by a very hungry Sunday, and an even hungrier Monday.  Many websites claim babies have a growth spurt at two weeks...and we are believers!  He has certainly gained weight, and Justin even swears he seems longer!  Maybe it's just that he's finally stretching those long legs out more.

Karson hates being changed, getting dressed, being bathed, or anything other than being warm and snuggled.  He loves eating, napping in his swing and bouncy seat, and of course...being snuggled (which his mama also enjoys.)

He now focuses in on our faces, will look toward overhead lights and ceiling fans, and has taken an interest in his hands.  He eats them more than he looks at them, but it's fun to watch him discover them.

His eyes have lightened, but I still consider them gray.  It does look like they'll turn blue or hazel eventually.

He eats every 2 to 3.5 hours during the day, and is starting to be awake more during the day.  At night he eats every 3 to 4 hours, sleeps well in between, and still lets us put him back in his bed even if he isn't asleep yet.

He goes back to the pediatrician on Friday for his checkup.  He'll also get to meet his remaining cousins this coming weekend.  So he has a big few days ahead of him.

Speaking of "big day".  I was officially allowed to drive, and lift more than the weight of just Karson as of yesterday.  So he and I celebrated by getting out of the house today.  We went to the bank, and of course...Walmart.  He did well!  

He's a good baby, and brings joy in to our lives each and every day! 

Here's his two week pic!

And here are a few other pics:




Doesn't know what's coming...




Bath time is torture!




Seriously mama...enough with the photos...