2 Months

my 2 month baby is...

smiling a lot. especially when you sing ridiculous songs and make weird noises.

sleeping well at night, eight hours this week!

still super fussy in the evenings.

taking Zantac for acid reflux, we think it's helping...

weighing in 11 lbs and 4 ounces. big chubby boy!

has a umbilical hernia that's squishy and weird.

getting a big Morrison head which makes his hair line look like an old man.

better at the pacifer. still likes the soothie more than the mam.

recognizing mom and dad, can follow us around the room.


we love our graham man... he's serious and stubborn and oh so strong.

an over tired boy who won't take a pacifier.

motherhood is one hundred times more difficult than I thought it would be.

maybe it's the hours spent consoling an over tired boy who you love so much it hurts, but that fact alone won't help him sleep. and he just screams and falls asleep, then five minutes later he's screaming again.

maybe it's the husband who serves his country and loves his wife but has to leave her for days and days. how I love him for sitting on the phone with me and listening to me sob for an hour because of the over tired boy.

maybe it's because of Christmas and it's the first one I won't spend with my family. I wish I could just drive to my mom's house when husband's away and let her watch over tired boy so I can take a hot bath. then we could all snuggle and watch Christmas Vacation in front of the tree by the fire.

maybe it's the freezing rain that greeted California hours after husband left. ain't no sunshine when he's gone. the chilled air makes my bones ache.

mothers, i applaud you.

tuesday, come faster.

Redwoods

Nana and Papa Kearns came this week. (I can call them that now that I'm a momma).
We decided to venture up to Muir Woods, something we've been wanting to do for a while.
It was beautiful and so cold. We bundled G up in lots of blankets and he slept the whole time.
(Gotta love the ERGObaby Carrier.)
Although I miss the snow a little tiny bit, it was nice to be out in the cold crisp woods without getting soaking wet. I don't miss that part.

Now the house is quiet, I've been left all alone again. Poor me :)
I have big plans for Christmas crafting and baking, book reading, money budgeting and house cleaning.
Lets just hope fussy fussy baby boy lets me.

Leave your address below if you want a Christmas card/birth announcement!

Pregnancy Journal

Click here to view this photo book larger

week six

week six was tough. 

Daddy left for his first mission, so we spent a lot of time bonding. It wasn't easy to have him gone, but you were a good boy. One night you slept six straight hours! It rained and blew all week long, so we stayed indoors a lot (except for that special trip to Trader Joes). You just get more and more adorable. You're starting to recognize me and your legs are getting so strong! We love you little squishy. Please stop vomiting. 

Mom. 

dance parties

Sometimes when daddy's gone we have dance parties to keep the depression away.

These songs have been on repeat. 

Also, if you're a fan of Vampire Diaries, check out Reign on the CW. 

So juvenile... but deliciously addicting. 

week 5

week five was a busy one.

auntie lauren came to visit from the east coast which never happens! We spent a lot of time catching up on the latest TV shows and showing her the best fast food has to offer. she also got to witness some new mom meltdowns. those are all too common...

my dad and step mom Nicole also came for the weekend and we were able to take another day trip to SF to show lauren the wharf. I miss them all terribly. I hate how empty the house feels now that I'm all alone. Jake went on his first trip for work and after panicking for days beforehand, I'm trying to make the most of it.

Graham and I will be doing some serious bonding this week. He is still colicky in the evenings but I'm learning how to handle it. Thanks so much for your tips and advice, keep them coming! He is finally fitting into his 0-3 month clothing and growing some cute little rolls. He loves bath time, but hates getting out. He's giving me the occasional 4-5 hours periods of sleep at night, thank heavens. His head is getting huge and strong and he likes to roll from side to side. I love him terribly :)

Here's to a new week of Christmas crafting, book reading, and baby snuggling!

One Month/Due Date

week one

week two

 week three

Happy Due Date Graham Man.

Can't believe we've lived to see the one month mark. What a wild ride it's been so far! Can't say it's been easy. You're getting more and more fussy. It's extremely frustrating late at night when we just want to sleep and you just seem to be so unhappy. When we finally get you to sleep, you're the most adorable thing on the planet. You look so peaceful and plump. Then you cry and wake up an hour later.

We noticed that you love car rides and being bounced. You still haven't gotten the hang of your pacifier but we're working on it. You enjoy our evening walks to the park in the Ergo carrier. You prefer to be in the shower with daddy over the bath with mom. Some how you manage to get out of your swaddle wrap every time. I am super paranoid about your stomach issues. Every time I think I have it figured out, you mystify me once again.

Motherhood is hard. Really hard. I just wish you could talk to me and tell me what you need! Here's to hoping we can get through the next month... and the one after that. It'll be a long holiday season :) but I'm glad I get to spend it with you little buddy. Your exhausted mom and dad love you more than sleep. In fact, they love you more than anything.

Mom.

G

One week without posting Graham pictures... whhaat? Well here's the gassy beautiful boy who keeps me up all night! I feel slightly less terrified now and I think my body is adjusting to the exhaustion. However, the dark circles are here to stay.

G is changing every day, he's getting the cutest round cheeks and double chin. We moved him further from our bed because he's constantly grunting all night from all of his bodily functions. Now we're accepting his late night schedule and trying classical music. I dream of the nights where we sleep more than two to three the hours at a time, but somehow after the 3 am zombie feeds, I see his cute round face in the morning and instantly melt.

Here's to almost a month of parenthood!

2 weeks

What I've learned so far...

 - You have the cutest dimple in your right cheek which makes your smile even more adorable.
 - You inherited your daddy's hairline along with his two cowlicks. Poor kid ;)
 - Night time is not your friend. You grunt and squirm all night long and mommy's hoping eliminating dairy will help us sleep!
 - You have pensive eyes and you furrow your brow a lot, like you know way more than us.
 - I think you have a Kearns nose and chin and my lips and skinny long limbs. As for your eyes... time will tell!
 - You have long slender fingers. Mommy is already planning on enrolling you in piano lessons :) Daddy thinks you'll be a great quarterback.
 - Motherhood is exhausting. I thought I knew what being tired was like before... I didn't. The lack of sleep paired with these crazy hormones makes mommy crazy vulnerable.
 - The fact that you depend on me for every thing is terrifying. You are the most perfect and tiny human and I'm constantly overwhelmed that I might screw you up. Luckily I love you more than anything, and that's what keeps us both going every day.

Bathtime

Before grandma left us for the real world we decided to give Graham his first bath (at home).
He wasn't the biggest fan of it, because really what boy likes to be nice and clean?
But he sure smelt wonderful afterwards. And don't worry little man, I blurred out your private parts so you wouldn't be embarrassed down the road ;)

We really miss having grandma here. Things are a little too quiet and dull now, not to mention messy. You'd be proud though mom, We've done a load of laundry AND dishes in your absence. We're almost like grown ups.

Thanks for the Puj Tub Ally and Jaquel! It's pretty awesome.

Graham's Nursery

Graham's nursery is my favorite room in the house.
Probably because it's the only one finished.
Also because it's amazing.

We bought all of the furniture from IKEA, my favorite store, along with the picture ledges that took us way too long to hang. So worth it though! My dear cousin made us the oversized Scrabble letters. To learn how I made the lamp click HERE. If you want to turn that chair you love into a swivel rocker click HERE. I learned how to make the map HERE.The roll up chalkboard was made from two yard sticks, twine, and blackboard fabric (bought at JoAnn's) for a total cost of five dollars. holler. I made the mobile, which was a delicate and frustrating process that I did not document. (I used a embroidery hoop, string, felt, cotton balls, card-stock and black/silver paint.)

A big thank you to my mom who took these pictures of us on Graham's one week birthday! She did an awesome job. I just love my little family.

Graham's Hospital Pictures

Now that the madness is over, I can look back at our time at the hospital with so much gratitude. I gained a lot of respect for the nurses of the world. Especially when they're emptying your pee bag at four in the morning and giving you Morphine. I felt so much peace our last night there. Jake and I got to have some special time as a family and my mom and I bonded as she helped me breastfeed while half asleep. I'm thinking about hiring someone to bring me breakfast in bed. There really isn't anything greater than eating steamy hot oatmeal and chilled apple juice with unlimited crushed ice that I had no part in making. Until next time Mother Baby!

I can't believe how much he's changed in a week. I'm even more surprised about how much I've changed. The love I have for this boy is simply ridiculous. It makes me cry constantly and it makes Jake jump out of bed whenever he hears a cough or a hiccup. Oh how I wish we lived closer to family and friends so we could share with them our little piece of heaven. I miss home and my mom and I'm a little terrified for Jake to go back to work next week. So if anyone wants to come visit me... do not hesitate!