Oops!

As I was trimming Will's nails two days ago, I accidentally cut into his finger a little bit.  At first it didn't even bleed, and Will hardly seemed to notice.  But I had to do everything I could not to freak out.  When that little thumb started to bleed, I first thought, "Do I need to take him to the Emergency Room?" and then realized that this was a teeny cut and I only had to recall everything I knew about first aid.  Rule #1: Stay calm.  I knew I would upset him if I was upset.  I willed myself to do this.  Rule #2: Wash wound and apply pressure to stop the bleeding.  I took Will to the sink, washed off the finger, and wrapped it in a paper towel.  This seemed to do the trick.  But it kept bleeding!  I applied and band-aid and it bled through it.  Finally (after what seemed like a lot longer than a few minutes), it stopped bleeding and I knew he would be okay.

I felt so horrible through this!  I couldn't believe that I had done something to hurt my son.  I know he will experience pain in life, but at my own hand?  Poor kid.  This did help me grasp the reality that there will be times in life when Will gets hurt and sick--I just pray that it is never anything serious.  But I will have to deal with this.  It is part of raising a boy!  Also, I was reminded that parents will make mistakes.  I know my parents did, and I know I will.  I may have the best of intentions, but sometimes, things just happen beyond my control and outside of my desires.  Thank God for his grace and redemption.

Preparation is the Key

One of the best tips I got from one of my pregnancy books was to have the whole house "staged" before you went to the hospital.  What did this look like for me?

1.  Unwrap and set up baby equipment.  Trust me, you will not want to do this (or have enough hands to do this) after the baby is here!  I just worked on one thing every day until I was all set up.  I stored things in the nursery, so they were out of site, but ready to go.  I did set up a pack-n-play with a changing station on the first floor to save me some stairs!

2. Pack your hospital bag.  You don't need much, but I was glad I had a comfy set of clothes (yoga pants and a T-shirt), a hair dryer, toothbrush, make-up, a notebook and pen, my baby book (for footprints), Gatorade (you can't eat anything in labor, but you can drink this stuff!) flip flops, & slippers.

3. Set up a changing station with all your baby equipment including diapers, wipes, Vaseline, hand sanitizer, baby lotion, baby body wash (use Cetaphil or CeraVe, NOT Johnson and Johnson), rubbing alcohol, cotton balls, Q-tips.  I also set out several burp cloths and blankets on both levels of my house so I didn't have to go up and down the stairs, especially in those first few weeks.  (I would recommend stocking up on wipes--you can't have enough--and then no more than 100 newborn-size diapers, and about 400 size-1 diapers.)

4. Set up the bathroom with all of the accessories you will need in those first few weeks.  The hospital will give you most everything you need, but I did stock up on extra Tuck's and maxi pads.  I also liked having some of the wet Cottonelle flushable wipes on hand.

Tears!

When did my little boy start crying with tears?!  It makes the crying so much worse!

When I would feel bad when I was holding one of my crying cousins, Grandma used to say, "Oh, look Sarah--no tears!" and I would feel better knowing they must not be too upset.  Somehow now Will cries and his face is stained with tears.  So sad.

I Love the Baby Stage

Why do I love babies? Why do I love these moments with Will in these early months? Yes it's difficult. It's a huge transition. My time is not my own. He can only communicate with crying. He has no set schedule. It's really hard to go anywhere. I spend a lot of time on the couch breastfeeding. A lot.

But I love it. Every day is different. Will is growing so quickly that I want to soak up every moment knowing he will never be just like this again. With the physical growth is incredible developmental growth. Every day he does something he couldn't do the day before. To watch this is to truly witness a miracle. To think that a year ago he did not exist...and now he is a complete human being. This is God's handiwork in full display. We are his greatest masterpiece of creation.

And this masterpiece fits perfectly in my arms--and he wants to be cuddled and held and rocked. There's nothing better than the feel of his head heavy on my chest, content, or asleep, peaceful and secure.

I feel privileged to be a part of leading this child on this journey of life. Each day I get to introduce him to some new facet of life. How amazing. Through his eyes I see life completely differently, like everything is new again.

I love knowing that I am responsible and able to meet all of his needs. When he cries, I can fix it (most of the time!) and I'm rewarded each day with smiles and coos that absolutely melt my heart.

Hmm...

Will is afraid of the hairdryer and the coffee grinder, but not the vacuum cleaner or the garbage disposer.  Hmm....

He laughs at the crinkly sound the stuffed lion makes, but frowns at the same sound made by his giraffe.
Hmm....


Just when I think I'm figuring him out....

Reading

Will's new thing is that he loves reading books!  We've trained him well.

Three Months!

At three months my little boy is learning how to interact with the world! He looks around while he should be nursing. He smiles when he sees me or Alex; he watches Bella intently and laughs when she wrestles a toy or lets out a big dog sneeze. Oh yes, I failed to mention that he's laughing! It's adorable. With greater awareness also comes awareness of when he's alone. He will often fuss when he can't see me directly and he' starting to fight going to sleep because he doesn't want to he left out of the party! (and let me tell you--our house on Friday night is some rockin' party!)

He's developing his motor skills and his voice. He talks and coos and squeals and gurgles and laughs. He hits his toys and now grabs them...and grabs my hair and my jewelry! He's strong.  He holds his head up on his own.  He's able to arch his back, fly like "superman" on his stomach on the floor, and push himself up to a standing position when I'm holding him.  His eyes are already definitively brown.

He still loves music...from a toy or a CD or just a simple song sung by his mama. He still hates tummy time but we're working on it. He still holds his hands in a tight fist and moves his arms like he's punching the air. He still kicks often flailing his limbs as I know he did even before he was born. Trust me!

He is a joy to watch and be with. It just keeps getting better and better! I am blessed beyond measure.

Birthday Reflections

As I talked to my parents on my birthday this year, I realized something that I had never understood before: my birthday is not just about me--it's a huge event for them.  It's a day that they fondly (I hope) re-live every year while I'm just worried about cake and presents.  It's an important day for them in a very different way than it is important for me.  Every year on my birthday, they remember the day they became parents--the day their lives changed forever.  Sure they celebrate with me, but they celebrate with each other also, just as Alex and I will every August 16 to come.

So Many Things to Love

I love that baby smell.

I love the hearing his little coos and gurgles.

I love seeing Will smile in response to my goofy faces and exaggerated words that someday will embarrass him!

I love the way he sinks into my chest, his head heavy on my shoulder as I take him up to bed at night.

I love how he grabs my thumb with a death grip while he's nursing.

I love how he falls asleep best while I'm holding him, singing to him.

I love seeing the world new again through his eyes.

I love being able to cradle him in one arm.

I love seeing him smile as I put him to bed...and seeing him smile when he sees me in the morning.

I love washing and folding the little outfits and the smell of the baby detergent.

I love the little hats and socks.


I love knowing that life with Will only gets better and better.

Little People with Big Personalities

Will has some new friends, Lizzie and Micah.  When we had all the kids together last week for a play date, I was struck by how similar...and how different these young children are already.

They are so similar in their development--each gaining neck strength and verbal coos and gurgles.  They are all starting to show signs of being able to roll over.  They are all just mesmerized by the world around them and can look around contentedly for a long time...until they scream because they want to be fed!

But what is interesting is that they are also each so different!  Their little personalities are starting to reveal themselves.  Micah was just content to be left alone for a while.  He smiled a lot but didn't talk much.  He would allow any one of us moms to hold him or replace his pacifier.  He is laid back and interested in observing the world around him.  Lizzie is a people person.  She wanted to be with someone all the time.  She is much more serious, almost skeptical.  She is also quite particular about things.  She knows what she wants!  

I didn't really have a sense of Will's personality until I was able to contrast him with other babies his age.  He smiled and talked more than the others.  He is definitely adjusted to his routine and did best when he stuck to it.  He was content to look around until he got hungry or tired.  He also sat right next to Lizzie and grabbed her hand!  I think he's social...and a ladies man!  What we have to look forward to....

First Halloween!

Will had two costumes for his first halloween.  Frickin' adorable.

First, my sister-in-law gave me her daughter's old cat costume.  Will loved it because it was so warm and cozy! 

Then, I found a cute little doctor onesie at Target that I couldn't resist.  My dad brought up a surgeon's facemask and hair net and little Will was all set!

I wonder what he'll be when he grows up.  Dressing him like a little doctor is fun, but it also makes me think of all the possibilities for his little life.  Only God knows!