First trip to Church & Grandmamma's House

Sunday we took Barrett to church for the first time.  I was so nervous because he didn't really nurse good before we left.  I was hoping he'd go to sleep in the car and we'd just take him in his carrier and he'd sleep the whole time.  No such luck.  He was wide awake when we got there and I knew he wouldn't stay in the carrier if he wasn't asleep so I just carried him in.  He wanted to fuss when we first got there and I was so scared it wasn't going to go well.  I was able to rock and get him to sleep and he slept pretty much the whole time.  He looked so cute in his little outfit and sweater.  I didn't get a picture of him by himself though.  We were able to meet with Fr. Deering about having him baptized, which we've scheduled for March 10th.  After church we went to Nana and Grandaddy's house for lunch.  He was so hungry when we left church that he took almost 7oz in a bottle for Grandaddy while we were there. 

After church and lunch we ran home to change and then headed to Grandmamma and Grandaddy's house for Allison's birthday dinner.  He did so good there.  He got lots of attention from your cousins there too.  It was our first of many trips there as a family of three, well four Patrick insisted on taking Ally. 

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One Month

How is my newborn one month old today?  I know everyone says it but time really flies.  I can't believe how fast these last four weeks have flown by.  I feel like we are finally getting into somewhat of a good routine and feeling more comfortable in our roles as Mommy and Daddy!  It's been an adjustment but I can't imagine life any differently now.  I know you've grown I'm just not sure how much.  We don't have a doctors appointment until your 2 month birthday.  We are so thankful for a healthy, growing boy!

You wanted to cover your shirt with your hands.  It was a bit frustrating.

One Month Stats:

• Based on your gaining average I think you now weigh around 9lbs
• I tried to measure you and you were still 21inches.  When they measured you at your 2 week checkup they said you were 20inches but you were 21inches at birth so who really knows.
• You're wearing mostly still newborn clothes.  You have worn a couple of 3 month outfits, they were a little big but I don't want you to grow to fast and miss getting to wear them. 
• You're wearing size 1 diapers.
• You're eating every 3 hours.  You usually have at least one 4-4.5 hour stretch at night. I'm not complaining. 
• You're "schedule" is kinda weird since Daddy's work schedule is weird now.  He works 2:00pm-10:00pm so we stay up late and sleep late most days so we can spend more time with him. 
• You've been to work 3 days and to Nana and Grandaddy's house several times. We're hoping to take you to church for the first time this Sunday.

 

Yes, I still have my Christmas tree up one month after Christmas.  It will be down before February... hopefully.

 

Barrett,

Your first month has been the fastest month of my life.  You are such a joy to your daddy and me.  We can't imagine life without you.  You are such a good baby and so happy most of the time.  We love you so much. 

Barrett's Nursery

I'm finally getting around to sharing Barrett's nursery.  It's still a work in progress.  Mainly I just need to get a lamp or two. 

When I first found out I was pregnant, I kinda had an idea in my head of what I wanted the nursery to look like.  I wanted the big items to be neutral and the accents to be more gender specific.  I knew I wanted to use my great grandmother's dresser as a changing table and I really wanted an iron crib.  After pricing iron cribs we decided to get hardwood floors put down and go with a much cheaper crib and I love the way it looks.  The neutral theme started with a gorgeous linen crib set I found and fell in love with.  Amy's mom was able to make it for me and she did the curtains too.  I had the hardest time finding a color for the walls.  I wanted a teal/aqua that could go either way.  In my head if the baby was a girl I was going to add coral/ pink accents and for a boy navy/chocolate brown.  I bought 5 different sample colors and painted them all on the wall.   They were all so similar that I just chose one and it was perfect.

The wreath from the hospital door.

View from the door. 

I love the chevron quilt my mom crocheted on the end of the crib.

She also made the quilt on the back of the glider.  This glider may be my favorite seat in the house.  It's  so comfy!

This is my great grandmothers dresser.  The precious flag banner was made by my friend Lorie for the tea and it worked great in here.  

I love this crib.  I think it's classic and works perfect in this space.  I love love love the bedding.  It turned our perfect.  I made the canvas name sign over the crib.  I just love the classic look of the crib and linen with the modern chevron on the sign.

This spot is a work in progress.  The deer hooves were my great grandfathers.  I hung the outfit we brought him home in a beautiful blanket that Patrick's mom gave him.

  

Right now the shelves just hold books and stuffed animals and a few toys in the canvas totes.  I need to get a lamp for this space.

The infamous deer antler chandelier.  Patrick picked this out and at first I wasn't sure how I felt about it.  Now, I love it.  It couldn't be more perfect.  

I love that the nursery is very boyish now!  It turned out perfect for our sweet baby boy.  It's a room that can either grow with him or be used as a nursery again down the road!  It's my favorite room in the house right now.  I need to get a few frames for the wall and I want Patrick to make one of those giant ruler growth charts for the wall when you walk right in the door.

Snow Day

This past Tuesday the weathermen started throwing around the "snow" word for today.  I do the same thing every time they mention snow.  At first I don't believe all the hype, but it never fails by the day of the event I have completely bought into it.  I always get my hopes up and it usually doesn't deliver.  Today was no different. I went to bed last night (well actually around 3:00 this morning, when my baby decided he was ready to sleep) so excited for the snow.  It was supposed to start around here at 8:00am and be over by noon.  I was so happy because Patrick would be home and it should be clear for him to get to work around 2:00.

 

Well 8:00am rolled around and all we were getting was rain.  I was so mad at myself for believing it was going to do anything.  Around 10:00 it started snowing in Tuscaloosa so I thought maybe we'd still get some.  Finally, around noon it started snowing but it wasn't sticking to anything.  Patrick left for work and he called when he got there saying the roads were covered and it was snowing like crazy there.  It starting snowing huge flakes and sticking to everything here.  Our power even blinked a couple times.  I was beginning to think I should have gone to my parents house.  I wanted to take Barrett's picture in the snow but I didn't want to actually put him in the snow.  I thought I would settle for a picture in front of the window with the snow.

Ally loved watching it come down.

This wasn't going to cut it.  You couldn't see the snow outside!

So I went out to take a picture of the house like I always do.

I asked my sweet neighbor if she'd take a picture of us and she happily obliged.  So I ran in and bundled up the baby to see his first snow.

I think he liked it!

 

I was so sad Patrick had to go to work but I'm glad I was able to get a couple pictures of the kiddo. 

Due Date

January 15, 2013.

Today is my due date.

Today my baby is 3 weeks old.

Times flies.  I can't believe how fast the last 9 months have flown by.  I can't believe that my baby is already 3 weeks old.  I want to hold on to this precious baby time.  He's so cuddly and loves to be held.  I also love seeing him smile and do new things.  I've been so bad at taking pictures.  I'm trying not to obsess over capturing every little thing so much that I miss it myself but I'm already kicking myself because he changes so much everyday it seems like.  I finally got around to taking some pictures of him in the stocking they gave us at the hospital today.  I want to use one on his birth announcement but I don't want it to look to much like a Christmas card.
Here are a few shots straight out of the camera.  They need some editing but I don't have the energy tonight.  I can't believe how much he has changed in 3 short weeks.

My sweet Christmas baby. 

 I know he's mine but isn't he beautiful.  Hes so sweet too.  He's sleeping 4 and 5 hour stretches at night. He really only cries when he's hungry and when you change his diaper.  He doesn't really cry when he has a wet or dirty diaper only while you're changing it.

 

We are so blessed.

 

We are (still) the Champions

Monday night we gathered at our usual National Championship watch spot to watch the Tide roll to repeat National Championships.  It was glorious.  We kid that if Matt ever sells his house we'll be like the bud light commercial, showing up to watch the big game just because that is what we've always done.  It was my first outing with Barrett by myself and I arrived about half way through the first quarter.  I missed the first touchdown but made it to see the rest of them.  

I'm so proud of my school and my team.  Do I wish they would have scored one of these titles while I was in school?  Sure.  But does that make me any less happy, no.  Am I jealous that of the 4+ years my little brother has been in school they've won 3 National Championships?  Yes.  But I'm still so happy he got to go  to Miami to see the win live.  

I think Barrett enjoyed his first National Championship.  

Source 

It was a great night spent with some of my favorite people.  It's so much fun being Champions again.  

ROll Tide!

2012 Ornaments

Y'all know I love Christmas ornaments. I love these little reminders of the events of the year.  We received several ornaments this year.  I love to document them here each year.  

I told Patrick for Christmas I wanted an ornament to remember the Christmas I was pregnant.  He bought these two to mark the occasion.  

I bought these reindeer ornaments last year after Christmas to give all my aunts and girl cousins on my mom's side. I thought they were so pretty!

I told mom she didn't have to get the Barbie this year but then we saw that it was the last one in the series so we had to buy it. 

I got this cute Santa in a red truck at the ornament swap with Patrick's aunts.

The rest of the new ornaments are all for Barrett.  We received a lot of  "First Christmas" ornaments and it made my heart happy.  This rocking horse was from the Horton's. 

My mom wanted to buy this so badly all season.  I kept saying no that this wasn't his first Christmas.  Well after Christmas she sent my dad to track it down and he did.  Plus, since it was after Christmas it was half price so he got this cute one (below) that you put a picture in because I have one with my picture in it.  

I guess you can tell we haven't put Barrett's picture in it yet. 

I bought this Mickey Mouse one because it was the first in the series and I wanted to go ahead and start a series.  Plus I love Mickey and I thought it was really cute.

My aunt and uncle gave us these cute ones that say "Dad" and "Mom" 2012. To mark our first Christmas as parents. 

Patrick's parents also gave him this beautiful Lenox "Baby's First Christmas" rattle.  

So that's a run down of all our new ornaments for 2012.  I still have our tree up and all our decorations.  I feel like Christmas never happened.  I'll get it put up eventually.  

Barrett's first week or so...

After we had our picture made by the Christmas tree they wheeled me back to our room.  It wasn't much longer that they let our families come in to see the baby.  He was under the heater so they just got to look at him.  I was so excited my whole family was there.  They just finished up Christmas and headed to the hospital.  When we were back in the room they immediately gave me morphine for pain (although I don't really remember being in any pain) and it almost immediately made me sick.  (I finally told them not to give me anymore pain medication until I was able to eat something.)  So while our families are giddy over the baby I'm hollering for a barf bucket.  I felt bad that they had to witness that, especially the kiddos.  My siblings left not long after I started vomiting (can you blame them) they all had other places to be for the holidays.  So it was just us and our parents.  His temp was finally up enough that the grandparents got to hold him.  I loved getting to see other people love my child.  I'm not sure how to describe the feeling.  You feel loved ten times over when someone loves your child. 

Patrick didn't leave his side all day it seemed like.

Nana & Barrett

Grandmamma & Barrett

I'll be honest the first few days were a bit of a blur.  We had lots of visitors in the hospital and we loved getting to show off our little man.  We had a nice stay, the nurses were great.  I was so thankful for all their help.  It was so nice to have someone to ask when we had stupid questions.  We had some trouble feeding while we were there.  Barrett did not want to nurse.  He'd rather sleep than do anything else.  Which I guess isn't really a bad thing.  His blood sugar kept dropping so they made us give him formula to keep it up.  I was so nervous that he was never going to nurse but so far so good.  We've had a few bad days but overall he seems to be getting it. 

I was going stir crazy in the hospital, I was so ready to get out of there.  They checked him out Friday morning and we found out him bilirubin was a little high so we were sent home on phototherapy.  I was so nervous at first but it wasn't that bad and he actually slept so good on it that I was sad to see it go.  A nurse came to our house Saturday and Sunday morning to check his weight and draw blood to check his bilirubin.  Monday we had to get out and go to the pediatrician's office but it worked out because I had to go to my Dr too.  I was so proud that we were early to our 10:15 appointment.  I felt like I'd run a marathon by the time we got home.  His bili numbers had dropped but they wanted us to keep him on the light until midnight.  Which worked out nicely since it was New Years Eve, we counted down to taking the baby off the light!  He slept pretty good that night, not as good as he did on the light.  The nurse came the next and told us that we didn't have to use the light but it wasn't going to hurt him so use them if we wanted.  We put him on it to sleep and that was pretty much it.  We've stayed in a pretty good eating every three hours.  We have to set an alarm and wake him up to eat, so I guess things could be worse.

Heading home.

Meeting his big sister.

Laying on the bili light.