Cutie Baby

Okay, I know I'm biased- but my Gabriel Clark is too cute!  Check out some of the photographer's favorites from our newest photo shoot with the talented Heather at Shugar-Shots Photography!

P.S.- How can you NOT love his crazy red hair??

Forgotten Birthday

When I am awake in the middle of the night, feeding the babe, I often think about my dear blog.  I think about things to write about (other than that sweet child-o-mine), and get excited to find the time to do just that.

And then I forget.

The days, which are punctuated by many-a-feeding, seem to fly by, without leaving me any time to sit and write, and before you know it, the great idea I had is filed away so deep in my brain that I cannot quite put my fingers on it.

As I was looking around the house for inspiration today, I saw beautiful hyacinth in a vase on the counter.  I saw my (pitiful) basketball tournament bracket on the fridge.  I saw a letter from the school district, informing me of my terminating contract.  And that's when it hit me...I've written about all of these things before...last March!

My blog turned one, and I didn't even recognize it!

I am so sorry, dear blog, for my extended absence, and for forgetting your most momentous birthday.

I hope to make it up to you with numerous posts, very soon!!

Love,
Me

Gabe- Weeks 2 and 3

Poor, poor, neglected blog.  Turns out, being a mommy to a newborn is pretty time consuming!

Here's the low-down on the last couple of weeks.


Q: How are you feeling?
A: Although I know it's not at all about me anymore, I get this question a lot.   I am happy to report that I am feeling great!  About 95% back to normal.  (All of you preggers that read my blog, get ready to hate...)  I am down 20 lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight, and was easily back into my old clothes by week 2.  I have been out and about with Gabe frequently.  It's very hard to believe that a few short weeks ago, I was pregnant and miserable!


Q: How is the boy?
A: Mr. Gabriel is fantastic.  He is feeding very well, and as of this morning, back to his birth weight.  The doctor (whom I adore) has proclaimed perfection all around.  Aside from a little baby acne (my poor little pizza-faced son), Gabe is the picture of health.


Q: How is the sleeping?
A: Not too bad, actually!  Most nights, Gabe wakes up to eat about every three hours.  He eats for about 20 minutes, then is immediately back to sleep (most mornings until after 9:00!).  We have the occasional rough night where he only makes it two hours between feedings, but he makes up for it with the occasional night where four or five hours pass between feedings.  Since the little man refused to sleep in his cradle in our bedroom, he has now been moved into his crib in his very own bedroom.  (This was after sleeping in the bed with me and J for the first three weeks.)  Although I cried and cried the first night, I am now over it.  He seems to actually enjoy being in there, and admittedly, we are all sleeping better this way.


Q: Are you settling into a routine?
A: The short answer is no.  Gabe runs the show these days, and it's a newborn's prerogative to change his mind about everything, every day.  But there are a few things that we can count on.  After waking up, we have a little sponge bath and shampoo in J's sink (since that damn cord refuses to fall off, and we can't do an actual tub bath until it does).  Gabe's full head of hair (which appears to be turning a bit gingery, by the way) necessitates a daily shampoo!  We then get dressed (my favorite part) and play for a few hours in the morning.  I can usually count on a sleepy baby in the afternoon, so this is when I run errands- the car ride (even from here to the grocery store) is SURE to knock him out if he isn't already sleeping- or do housework.  The evenings seem to be Gabe's ravenously hungry time- he wants to eat every hour or so from about 5pm-10pm.  Exhausting, yes.  But this helps him sleep at night, which I am ALL FOR.  Then it's bed time.  This all sounds good, yes.  But any of this could change on a daily basis!  I expect more of a routine to be in place in a few weeks.

Q: What's your favorite thing about parenthood so far?
A: I simply cannot believe the heart's capacity to love this much.  The love I feel for Gabriel is so tremendous that words truly cannot accurately describe it.  And the love I feel for J, which I didn't think could possibly be any greater, has doubled as I watch him interact with his son.  We are a family, and the joy that brings is beyond words.

Now for the pictures...

Tummy Time

In the swing for the first time.

Gabe's favorite way to spend a Saturday morning.

Our first family photo- does it make us bad parents if this was taken at a bar?

My sweet pumpkin pie.

Baby Burrito in bed between Mommy and Daddy.

My two favorite boys.

Mommy and Baby.

Learning about video games.

Trying a bottle for the first time- turns out Gabe will take Mama's milk no matter how he can get it!

   

Gabe- The First Week

At some point, my life will return to "normal."  Or, at least, my new normal.  The blog will most certainly be neglected until that time, but at the very least, since I no longer have updates from the peanut gallery, I'll try and provide a new type of update- about my cutie little baby!

So far, being home with Gabe has been amazing.  I can't believe how much J and I love him already.  It's incredible how this tiny person has been growing inside me for the last nine months, and now he's just here with us, turning our world upside down in the best possible way.

So far, here is what we know about little Mr. Anderson:

He is a cuddler.  See evidence below.

He likes to have his hands by his face.  Especially when he's sleeping.

He loves having his hair washed- which is a good thing, because he has A LOT of it, and it gets very greasy by each day's end.

He enjoys being strapped into the car seat and/or bouncy seat.

He does NOT generally enjoy being naked.

We're still learning every day, and look forward to every minute we get to spend with our little man.