First Month of Life

During the first month of Abigail’s life, there wasn’t a whole lot happening except for lots of outfit changes.  Michael started the month a little more comfortable with our new house guest. Abigail only 9 days old:

2 weeks old, Daddy’s Princess spent most of her time sleeping.

 

Even slept through tummy time:

Michael has still been in day care most days, so he doesn’t get out of his routine.  (He’s very much of a routine child – without it he’s a mess!) This means he only sees baby a few hours each day during the week.  So here is one of our first fun family Saturdays being lazy at home:

I love Daddy:

 

As Michael got more comfortable with baby Abigail, he started trying to pick her up.  Fortunately he was unsuccessful!

Abigail meeting her grandparents for the first time.

Michael has named Grandpa, “Papaw” so we are sticking with it.

3 weeks old, looking like a diva:

 

Awake for a short bit:

 

Then back to sleep:

Spending time with Daddy at 3 weeks:

Michael trying to talk to Abigail:

3.5 weeks and getting a little more alert.

First time to the splash pad at 4 weeks old:

Girls hanging in the shade,

while Michael splashed in the water:

Getting time with Daddy:

1 month old, practicing tummy time:

 

1 month old, eyes wide open:

 

And back asleep

Happy 3rd Birthday JT

It is hard to believe that 3 years ago today, I said “hello” and “goodbye” to my precious son, Jonathan.  So much has happened since then, it sometimes feels like a lifetime ago.  I try to forget the horrors of that night, and one again cherish the 6 hours we had with him.

This year was strange and hard as it was our first year in Texas for Jonathan’s birthday.  None of our co-workers, neighbors, friends from church or anywhere, knew what today was for us.  Everyone that met Jonathan or knew us at the time of his birth, are not here in Austin.  So we had to celebrate it alone.  Not that I expect a party every year, but it makes me sad when on this day I remember my son that no one else remembers.  I guess I still want to believe that his 9 months in my womb and no breath outside is still significant.  That his life was not in vein.

But whether anyone else remembers him or not, I always will on this day.  I will always remember how he changed me.  And I will always fight the tendency to blame myself that he is not with us today.

We continued the tradition that we started at his Memorial Service and got blue and yellow balloons, which were his colors.

Lawrence and I each wrote a message to JT on our balloons.  Michael just scribbled on his, and thankfully didn’t pop it.

Then we went up to Zilker Park, just down the street from our house near downtown with the balloons.

We let Michael play with them a bit, and then released them as though we were sending them to Jonathan in heaven.

At first Michael was a little upset to see the balloons go.  But then he kept repeating over and over, “Bye bye” and then “Bye bye balloons.”

Because we knew that we would not be able to be in Indiana with JT on his birthday most years, we thought the balloon tradition was important to do.  The other thing we do is get cupcakes because in my opinion, you can’t celebrate a birthday without cake.  This year we even got a cupcake for Michael.  Although that might have been a mistake giving it to him after dinner because he was still awake in bed 2 hours after I put him down.  I don’t think his system knew what to do with all that sugar! Oh well – special occasion.

As I’m learning the two very different personalities and behaviors of Michael and Abigail, I am always so curious what Jonathan would have been like? I know I’ll always have to wonder on that.  And while I have two wonderful children, I still miss my firstborn.

Happy Birthday Jonathan.  Momma will never forget you or stop loving you.

The final week

I can hardly believe that 11 weeks have passed and I only have one more week of full time luxury with my sweet little girl.  I feel like I’ve hardly gotten anything done in the last 2 months plus, including posting enough pictures for everyone to see!  So with only 6 days left until I return to work, I am going to try to get as much done as possible.  This includes, finishing my thank you cards!  Yikes – still too many to do.  I’m also trying to restock our freezer with leftover meals and getting in some QT with Michael.  And this week along with celebrating Halloween and all it’s related festivities, we will celebrate Jonathan’s 3rd birthday.  The first one we will celebrate in Texas far from any friends that “knew” him.  But more on that later.

I was hoping Abigail would be in somewhat of a routine by now.  Maybe I was kidding myself?  But she has no routine AT ALL.  Some days it is 40 minute naps all day, and other days it is 2-3 hour naps.  Some days she wakes at 7am and other days 11am.  There is one thing that has been very consistent though. She won’t eat from a bottle.  We’ve tried 4 different brands, different nipple levels, and no dice.  Now if I were going to be staying at home for the next 10 months, I would just deal with it.  But considering I will be away from her for 8-9 hours a day starting next Thursday. . . . I’m a little concerned.  The day care doesn’t seem to be worried.  They have encountered this many times before.  OK, so I shouldn’t worry, right?  I guess the bigger problem is that my in-laws arrive next Wednesday to watch her for 10 days.  Then she’ll be with Daddy for 5 days.  Then she’ll have me all Thanksgiving week.  All this happens before she goes to day care on November 26th.  So, I’m still slightly a little worried.

But in my last 6 days of being away from work, I really don’t want to fill my time with pumping and forcing a bottle.  Is that wrong of me?  I just want to enjoy my time being with my kiddos.  This is the last time in my life I’m going to have this opportunity.  So I’m saying a prayer or two that everything will work itself out and I can just relax a little bit and enjoy these last few mid-day naps with Abigail.

Abigail’s 1st week of life

There wasn’t a whole of activity as typical for a newborn.  Mostly eating (no pictures of this) and sleeping.  Here is our first photo shoot Daddy took once we got settled in at home.  Abigail at 3 days old:

with Daddy in the corner of her purple Winnie the Pooh nursery:

Asleep with Momma and big brother Michael (and Tigger!):

Waking up, brother checking her out:

Michael wasn’t sure what to make of Abigail at first.  I think he was actually kind of scared of her.

Michael has been learning to identify body parts, so we ask where baby’s toes are to get him more comfortable with his new little sister.  He steps in right away to locate those precious little feet and toes.

Still asleep

With Daddy and brother:

That sweet newborn cry as she wakes up to eat again:

And back asleep again, happy with a full belly:

We were hoping she would have a full head of hair like Jonathan had, but instead she got a cue ball head like Michael.  And unfortunately she’s lost some of this little bit of hair she had at birth!

Napping with Daddy at 1 week old:

Unlike brother, she seems to sleep swaddled and unswaddled alike at 1 week old. Although her favorite place to sleep is perched on Momma’s chest after nursing.  (no picture here, you’ll just have to imagine how cute she looks)

Finally awake for a few minutes!

By the end of the first week, Michael was starting to get more comfortable with this new “stranger” in our house:

Daddy did the honors of giving the first bath.  Abigail didn’t like it much, probably because it didn’t involved sleeping or eating.

A big yawn before the next nap!

Newborn photos of Abigail

Has it really been 11 weeks since I’ve posted?  I can’t believe it.  Where has my time gone???!!?  Oh I know, nursing, rocking, changing a few diapers, and nursing some more with naps in between.  The past two months have been a joy to spend with my daughter, even though the days rather blur together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had a photo shoot done in her first week of life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michael getting used to a new little person in HIS house.  He still wasn’t quite sure what to make of her, but he was fascinated!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like most newborns, she slept through most of it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And when she wasn’t sleeping, she wanted to nurse so the photographer took advantage of the time and took a few shots of Michael.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Being coy:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fortunately, he was in a good mood most of time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Still sleeping with Daddy now:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Couldn’t get enough.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Traditional hands shot:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And feet shot:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My favorite first family photo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are truly blessed with this new addition!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And time has gone by.