A week with Daddy!

I'm a little late on getting this one up.  We spent Easter in KY, have adjusted to taking Karson outside of the home for care, and have just been busy! 

Daddy and Karson had a special week together.  They endured a checkup with shots.  They did "man stuff" like get my tires replaced. They also drug out the baby carrier so we could use it over the weekend, tried out the Bumbo chair, and had some PJ parties.  This was a great opportunity for them to bond and get to know each other better.

Here are some pics from their week together.




"Why am I wearing this?"

 

Looking like such a big boy!




Playing is hard work!

 

"Tummy time again?..."




Trying out the Bumbo!



Happy boy!



"Tell me more!"



"Please tell me you'll shower when we actually use this."




"Recovering" the morning after shot day.


Thanks for a great week, Daddy!

Thankful!

Karson had his follow up with the heart specialist today. This was our 3rd look at his heart to see how his pulmonary stenosis was doing. The same? Better? Worse? If it had gotten worse, we would have had to attempt a balloon to go in and tear the valve open a bit at some point.  Perhaps "routine" to some...but scary for this mama!


Good news...it's the same! The doctor feels fairly confident that the likelihood of it worsening at this point is very low.  We will go back in 3 months to look at it again.

Karson was a CHAMP today! Here's a pic of our brave boy getting his ultrasound (watching the Baby Einstein DVD very intently!)

Here's daddy and Karson talking about what a brave boy he was.

And here's Karson showing us how NOT worried about all of this he is.

Thanks to all those who had asked about and prayed for this situation.  We appreciate you!

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless...whatever

So it's not Wednesday, but I am speechless!  Look how big my baby boy is sitting up!

I can't wait to show you the full week of pictures of his week with daddy.  But I'm too proud and too impressed to keep this one to myself!

Notes to Self

Dear Self,

1) If your child sleeps through the night...enjoy it!  Becoming worried and paranoid about the fact that he hasn't woken up by 4:30, and subsequently checking on him 3 times before finally waking him up to eat at 5:45 sort of takes the fun out of it.


2) Next year, order your Easter photos earlier.  It seems one week ahead isn't enough time, and receiving them after Easter...also takes the fun out of it.


3) When your office has a Relay For Life bake sale during your diet...just call in sick.  You do not have the will power to make it through this gracefully!

Until next time,
Self

The Doctor is in!

This is Justin's week at home with Karson.  Lucky him, he got to start the week off right with a Monday morning doctor appointment.  It was Karson's two month check up, so there were shots involved no less!

Both of my boys did great!  Karson was a happy active boy at the doctor's office.  Although he HATED the shots, he calmed down as soon as Daddy held him.

Karson's measurements were:
13 lb 3 oz (75%)
24 1/4 inches (90%)
Head size (90%)

He's a  big healthy growing boy!  They were very pleased with his weight gain.  If you consider he bottomed out around 6 lb 10 oz he's basically doubled in size!   In fact, she was very pleased with Karson in general!  We were told to "keep it up", and we'll see them again in a couple of months.

As for Justin, he handled the shots better than I would have.  The doctor added that it's rare for the fathers to come to those appointments, especially alone.  And the fact that he could answer all of her questions made him even more unique!  Go Justin!

Karson was a little fussy and very tired the rest of the day.  He wasn't as hungry either.  BUT...he ate well before bed, slept great, and at our mid-morning feeding, he was a happy boy again, smiling and kicking when I picked him up.  (Just don't touch his thighs!)

A week with (Great) Grandma and Grandad!

The rotating door of family members continued this past week, as the next in our line of caretakers stepped in.  Karson met, for the first time, his Great Grandma and Grandad Rinker.  It seemed to be love at first sight!  As soon as they came in on Saturday morning, he greeted them with smiles.  They got along great all week.  No surprise to those who have met him, Karson was a great baby.  Such a great baby...that they didn't know what to do with their free time!  As a result, our house is clean, laundry is washed, and our yard has been mowed, (three times.)

Here are some pics from their week together! 



Thanks for a great week!

Two Months!

Karson is two months old today!  It's hard to believe how quickly time is passing.  He is growing and changing so much.  Here are some fun facts about two month old Karson:

• I'll have the real numbers next Monday, but his at home weight was 12 lbs and 6 oz!  He is a GREAT eater.  He eats roughly four 5 oz bottles during the day (sometimes 6 oz) and nurses 3 times in the evening/night.  Switching to pumping at work has made it hard for me to keep up, so one or two of his daytime bottles are formula.
• We've packed up all of his newborn clothes, and a few of his 0-3 month clothes as well! His long legs are outgrowing pants and pajamas in a hurry!  He's in size 1 diapers.
• He has spent the past few weeks getting to know some special family members.  Mima Rinker, Nana Cook, and Grandma and Grandad Rinker have taken turns getting to know Karson.  And so far...he's a hit with everyone he meets!  He's SUCH a good baby!
• He is awake more and more during the day.  We put him to bed between 9:30 and 10:30, he gets up once around 3:00, then he wakes up for his next feeding just before 7:00. 
• Karson has accomplished a few fun things in the past month.  He reaches for toys, will grasp things a little with his hand, is getting better at (accidentally) rolling on to his right side.  And best of all, he has mastered the smile, and blesses us with big smiles often.  He loves looking in to the mirror at his changing table, enjoys bath time, snuggles you when you hold him, and brings unending joy to our lives each and every day.

A memory I don't want to forget: two times during the last month he's NOT been ready to go back to sleep after his middle of the night feeding.  Once when Aunt Brittney was here, and again just last night.  But he wasn't fussy, just awake, and soooo happy.  Instead of trying to force bedtime, he and I had our own quiet, private mini party in the night, playing until he was ready to go back to sleep.  While I might have been a little more tired for the morning afters...there's nothing like watching him smile, kick, and play.  I treasure those moments, no matter when they come. 

Here's our little monkey sitting up so big!

And here are some shots from his two month photo shoot! (If you're wondering where all these smiles I speak of are...I don't know!  He was in a great mood before and after, but chose to mostly stare at me any time the camera was up...  such a stinker!)

   

   

 

Wordless Wednesday

A week with Nana!

Karson enjoyed another great week with family.  He stayed with and got to know his Nana!  They had lots of fun snuggling together, and he was a very good boy!  There were lots of smiles, lots of hugs, and lots of memories.   Nana couldn't believe how much Karson had grown!

Here are some pictures from their week together.

Thanks for a great week, Nana!

Dear Karson - I love you. No, seriously.

This one will be a bit somber. But hang with me.

I read a blog recently that made me cry. .:Don't click that link unless you, too, want to cry:.

I read blogs during lunch. Sometimes I post my own entry, more often I read those of other people. I enjoy reading about growing kiddos, seeing pictures, hearing mothers gush about their babies. I read some that aren't about babies too. Home improvement, crafts, etc.

But Wednesday I stumbled on to a post about trying to understand why bad things happen. And it linked up with several heart wrenching stories about loss, illness, suffering, infertility and heartbreak. I knew I shouldn't keep reading, but I couldn't stop. I was drawn in by the emotions pouring off the screen of these hurting mamas. Soon, I was flat out bawling at my desk. Warm tears literally puddled by my keyboard.

This happened not long after I posted an entry about you sleeping through the night for the first time. Suddenly my post seemed so trivial. Their stories were so raw, so real. I wanted to go home and hold you immediately. They reminded me that I do not want to ever take you for granted. A fact which I already knew.

I realize my updates on here are about things like how long you slept, how you play, or how tired I am. Soon it will morph in to your favorite toys, new physical milestones, or whether or not you like sweet potatoes. But I also realize how absolutely fortunate I am that I can revel in the mundane. I'm eternally grateful that when it comes to you, I have the freedom and the luxury to spend time thinking about what you will wear today, how many diapers you have dirtied, and whether you went 3 or 4 hours in between feedings.

The fact that I babble endlessly about these trivial matters does not for one second mean that I don't fully appreciate what a miracle and a blessing you are, and how fortunate we are to have you in our lives. And I hope that appreciation comes across to the readers.

More importantly, I hope that appreciation and love comes across to YOU. I pray that your not quite two month old heart can already feel the love and devotion felt for you when you are in my arms. I hope that when you're 1, 6, 14, 25, 39, and 55 that you will always be sure of one thing...no matter what else is going on in your life...you are absolutely, endlessly, and unconditionally loved by your mama.

Wordless Wednesday

Ok, these are in fact words...but seriously, how fast is he growing up on me?  Check out little man!

(Photography by Nana!)

Celebrate good times...come on!

This calls for celebration!

Karson officially SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT last night!

I realize it might be a fluke, and it may not repeat until he's like, 12.  But for now, we celebrate!

We bathed him at 9:00 (he's LOVING bath time now by the way), fed him at 9:30, put him to bed around 10:00, and didn't hear a peep until 4:50! 

Since I have to get up around 5:15 anyway in order to nurse and get ready before my long drive to work...this counts!  I used those few extra minutes to eat a banana at the house, and take a longer shower.  :-D  Not a glorious use of my extra time, but a nice bonus nonetheless.

A "wordless" pic will be posted later this evening.  We'll see what photo Nana and I can come up with.  And can you believe that this time next week I'll be putting up his two month post? Yowser!

A week with Mima!

This week was a special one for our household.  I returned to the working world, and Justin had an incredibly busy work week and wasn't around much.  This should have been a hard transition, and I wasn't looking forward to it.  Luckily...Karson's Mima was here to take care of him.  As a result, mama and daddy could rest easy, and Karson was a happy camper.  As much as I missed being around him, it is comforting to know he adjusted well.

He's growing and changing so much!  Just this week we said goodbye to some outfits, and hello to larger ones.  He's more alert and playful all the time.  And smiles are no longer just an elusive surprise.  They are becoming frequent!

We transitioned to daytime bottles and pumping fairly well.  And we started to get a bit of a schedule figured out.  He loves morning play time, and naps and sleeps at night very well.

Here are some pictures from their week together. 

Thanks for a great week, Mima!