Oh My What Cuteness!!

Doug had a photo shoot with the baby boy for a jewelry project mom is working on... Thought I would post them here in case you didn't see them on Facebook! I thought they turned out really well. Johnny has started smiling up a storm - which is just ridiculously cute. He's such a sweet baby!

Johnny @ 6 weeks:

Questions in Which the Answers Elude Me......

* How do you keep little baby socks on little baby feet?
* How do you keep pee out of the bath water?
* How do you keep a little baby hat from sliding down over their eyes while you are driving to your destination? Did you know babies whine when their eyes are covered?
* How do you make a baby bend it's arm when you want it to? Like say, when trying to get a onesie on?
* Why does a recently fed baby with a clean diaper scream his head off the entire time you get your hair cut? And then fall asleep as you are walking out of the salon??
* How did I produce a baby so big?? (He's already in 3-6 month clothes & in the 80th percentile!) Maybe Doug was a big baby? Vicki will have to let us know... :)

* How do you slow down time? I can't believe it's been six weeks already...

xoxo,
Carly

Happy One Month Birthday Baby Johnny! (A few days late)

Wow I can't believe it has taken me a MONTH to write a post on here!! And I can't believe my baby boy is already a month old!!! When I created this blog, I thought I would have SOOO much spare time while my baby was peacefully sleeping....Ha. He peacefully sleeps, however he must be sleeping on my chest! :) Kinda limits what you can do. The past few nights he has gone a few stretches sleeping on his back... we're making progress!

We are definitely getting into the swing of things. I've had what seems like a long recovery after the birth - I'm getting there. Still not 100% but feeling much better. One day I would like to write about my birthing experience, but it all ended a little too traumatically for me to want to revisit it just yet. So maybe later. :) I definitely don't regret having a home birth, but I doubt we will ever do that again. We got to see how scary it was to need the modern conveniences of a birthing center/hospital while being @ home. Not fun.

On the bright side, Johnny is doing great! He is such a little chubby guy. He's been packing on weight like a champ & it's getting harder to lug him around! But he is very healthy & that is all I ask. He has such a sweet temperament... And is a very easy baby. He pretty much just cries when he's hungry, needs a new diaper or wants to be held. I feel pretty lucky the universe took it easy on me this time...

I am so thankful for my family! They have made this sooo much easier than it could have been. Mom & Dad came out here for a few weeks to help out when he first came & to let me heal. And Kristin has been a life saver in helping me figure out what the hell I'm doing & providing some much needed grown up talk throughout the day. I don't understand how people do this without a ton of support from family! I would be lost.

So after my first month of motherhood, here are a few of my favorite things:

* baby snores (especially when they come while they are eating! That must be awesome - semi-napping while getting your belly full!)
* smiles when he's sleeping/eating/and yes, pooping
* a little face buried in my neck
* the noise that he makes while he's asleep that sounds like a goat (we REALLY need to try & get this on video... its super funny)
* a chubby little hand wrapped around my finger
* the 5 minute farting session when you lay him down on the changing table (as my brother-in-law, James, says - "I don't care who you are farts are funny." So true.)

And I could keep going & going.... :) But I'll leave you with some pictures from the last month. And I'll try to post another update before another month goes by!

xoxo,
Carly & Johnny




Days old with Daddy



Pipey & Johnny kicking it in the kitchen (just ignore the vacuum in the background)



Fisher LOVES Baby Johnny. Every time Piper walks up to him she pets his head & says "Pretty! Pretty!"

Nesting!

All of you are aware we are about to add a new little chick to our nest here in the next few days... So I thought a blog would be a cool way to keep everyone from back home updated about life with a new little one!

We have been nesting up a storm (Doug too!) preparing for the little baby to arrive. Doug has repainted several rooms & the house is finally getting seriously decorated after 3 years of living here. :) About time I guess! Below are pics of some of our transformations...

First, for the nursery: Kristin came over & helped me put up these really cute owl decals. The room was already painted blue and since I *abhor* painting, we figured blue would be an excellent color for the nursery! If the baby turns out to have girl parts, then we are going to "chick it up" by adding in a lot of purple on the walls & bedding. Here are a few pics of the nursery:


Entryway


EVERY time I look at these I sing "three little birds, pitch by my doorstep, singing sweet songs, of melodies pure & true..." in my head.


I think we are going to put a bookshelf in the corner & paint grass & flowers & stuff by the bottom of the tree.


Now all we need is a sweet little baby!!!!

Most of you are aware we are having the baby at home. We have set up the spare bedroom as a birthing room. Since relaxing is very important, we've turned it into sort of a meditation room. Thought I would include a few pics of that too!





And what birthing room would be complete without a kiddie pool?!?!



We are just sitting around waiting for the little one to make it's debut! I'll definitely post an entry soon with pics of the baby's arrival!

xoxo,
Carly