Barrett's First Christmas!

I LOOOOVE Christmas Day. And my family celebrates BIG! Well ... we have lots of fun anyway.

This Christmas was special though ~ Barrett's first Christmas ever. He even made it through his first Christmas Eve church service, well kind of. Matt and I had to make a couple of trips to the lobby with him, but he did pretty well! (Evenings are a little rough for us because he is so overstimulated!) We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas morning with the Barrett family in College Station, and ended the Christmas fun with the Wilsons last night.

One thing that made me pause and think while we were opening present was just how much our little boy is loved. He is so lucky to be surrounded by so many aunts, uncles, grandparents, and extended family that love him so much. Both sides of his family adore him, and they ALL love to spoil him. Below are some of my favorites from our first Christmas as a family.

As I was putting him to sleep once we got home from our Christmas adventures, and he was sleeping on my shoulder facing me, I was captured by the peacefulness of his little face. I never want to forget what it feels like to hold my little one in my arms as he's sleeping and snuggling with me. I love him SO MUCH! He is a precious gift that God has chosen me to take care of ~ and I can't imagine my life without him.

2 Months and Christmas

We made it to two months! He's starting taking naps in his crib ... which has completely changed my life!

We met his new friend yesterday, Caroline Besancon, and she is so tiny compared to Barrett! Somebody made the comment about how easy it is to forget how tiny they are when they are born, and I replied "Wow! That was only two months ago!" He has already grown up so much!! A few weeks ago I couldn't wait for time to speed up. And now I really need for it to slow down!

We also had his 2 month check up yesterday. He is a healthy, happy baby boy. We had to wait for a really long time because of a mix up, and he just laid on the table and kicked and cooed until we saw the doctor. He likes the noise the paper on the examination table makes.

The doctor was impressed with how well Barrett can hold his head up when on his tummy. Apparently he can hold his head as steady as a 3-5 month old. (Proud moment for Mommy!) He's 23 inches long (75th %). 11 pounds 9 ounces (60th %).

The worst part of the doctor's visit: The shots! But my little man handled them like a champ! Matt couldn't come with me, so my sweet mother-in-law volunteered to be there for some emotional support. (And I only cried a LITTLE!)

The best part of the doctor's visit: When Barrett smiled at the doctor after examining inside the diaper. Nana and I (as well as the doctor) laughed at his reaction.

At two months I don't want to forget: how exciting it is when Barrett smiles at us, how the buries his head in my shoulder or chest when he gets really tired (like some of my family members do when they don't want to get out of bed), and how when I look in Barrett's eyes I feel like I am looking into myself. I love my little man. So much!

We are filled with the Christmas spirit this season! Barrett loves getting dressed in his Christmas outfits. Ok ~ I love dressing him up in his Christmas outfits. I'm not real sure how he feels about it. But I'm having fun!

Thanksgiving

We have so much to be thankful for this year. We are so thankful for our precious little boy, and even more thankful for the work that God has done in us this past year. During the past calendar year, we have walked through disappointment, hope, and pure joy. And during each step of our journey, God had been with us every step of the way. We've learned how to depend on Him, and how to truly rejoice in Him, and how to trust in His plan for our family.

Below are some pictures from a very special Thanksgiving ~ Barrett's first!

Let the Christmas season begin!

One Month!

We made it to his 1 month birthday! I don't have his one month picture because I still have to download it off my camera. (Ok ~ he's actually 5 weeks, but I've been a little busy!)

This week has been a big week for us! We've been really busy ~ Bible studies, hockey games, and I even snuck away to go to the movies! In preparation for Thanksgiving, I keep seeing and hearing friends talk about (or post!) what they are thankful for this month. Obviously, we are thankful for our little boy that God blessed us with. I am also thankful for my husband who is naturally a hands on dad. He's encouraged me to leave the house by myself to do things that allow me to take care of me and gives me a "mommy break." These are the kinds of pictures I get on my phone while I'm gone. They make me smile and make me want to rush home to my boys:

Barrett's also hit some milestones this week! He's started sucking his hand when he gets hungry. And he started smiling at us! Well sometimes. Sometimes he smiles at the fan. But it's still cute - I'll take it. And sometimes he sticks with his grumpy old man face :o) Sweet baby is so serious ... all the time! I was actually able to capture a smile this morning!

Part of me is really ready for him to be able to respond and interact with us all the time. And the other part of me knows that in order to do that he has to grow up. (That same part of me is sad that he is outgrowing some of his newborn clothes!)

The Many Faces of Barrett

We wish we knew what this little brain was thinking, but his faces tell us he must be having a good time! (Minus the times he's screaming in the middle of the night.) These are just a few of the faces we see everyday ...

Introducing Barrett

He's here! Barrett was born on October 14th at 11:21 a.m. He weighed 8 pounds 3 ounces. We had to do a c-section because his cord was twisted. Every time I had a contraction, it would tighten and affect his blood pressure and heart beat.

As soon as he was born, we couldn't see him, but we could hear him crying. The doctors told Matt to go take pictures while they were washing him off. One of the doctors pulled the blue sheet slightly to the side so I could see my baby's sweet face as they were cleaning him. The first thing that both of us thought was "Look at all that hair!" That was definitely unexpected. Especially since Matt and I were both bald and then blonde. Barrett has thick, dark hair.

I love that Barrett already knows who I am. There are times that the only thing he needs to calm down is just to be held near me. It's hard to not get emotional when you feel needed like that. We're not really sure who he looks like (besides his Aunt Mary!), but he definitely has our blue eyes and Matt's feet. We love looking at his face while he's sleeping because he has the cutest expressions. And when he opens his eyes and looks around, our hearts melt. Needless to say, this little one has stolen our hearts.

These past few days at home have been incredible. We're adjusting to being new parents. And we've had lots of family helping out ... especially my mom. She went home yesterday, and I really can't wait for her and my dad to come back today! She's been an amazing help to me, and we would not have been able to get through the past few days without her help. Especially when she's helping me keep my emotions in check! ;) (Just had to give you a little shout out Mom!) We are really lucky that both of our families are so ready to help us with anything we need!

We even survived our first pediatrician appointment. He's in the 25th percentile in weight and the 85th percentile in height. Our little one is long and lean. And most importantly, he's healthy :o)

The Nursery!

My mom is a SAINT! She came up just for the day to help me hang the finishing touches in Barrett's room. (And by "help," I really mean that she did it all while I sat in the glider and watched her.) We couldn't do a whole lot in the room because Matt and I are planning on putting the house on the market sometime in the near future. But I think it turned out pretty cute! I finally feel ready to meet this little guy!