Our first month as a family of four has come and gone and I honestly can't believe it's already over. On one hand, it seems like time is sitting still (especially on frustrating nights like tonight...it's 2:30am mind you and yes I'm up...why...ask little Asher), but on other days, days when both of my babies curl up in my lap for stories or days when Braden flashes his big smile and says "hold Asher," days when I look at Braden and realize that he too used to be as small as Asher...it's in those moments that I realize that life is passing so quickly. To say that I want to freeze time at this exact stage of craziness that we are in would be a lie...Asher had his days and nights confused since day one, so that has meant lots of hours sitting, rocking, bouncing, popping the pacifier back in all in the wee hours of the morning. So...we are tired, my house looks like a wreck and I'm lucky if I get showered or eat lunch myself. Meanwhile, we are operating on a non-stop 3 hour schedule of nursing, playing and napping, nursing, playing and napping...however, if I can step back from the chaos and the exhaustion and realize that this too is but for a moment, I realize that my babies are growing up so fast. All that to say, we survived the first month. I will say, it's funny how quickly you forget how hard the newborn stage is, how exhausting, how demanding, how unpredictable and how frustrating it all is. Let's just be honest, despite my many prayers, Asher has not been a good sleeper from day one. He had his days and nights confused for about the first 10 days he was alive which meant one of us was up with him
every night from midnight to 5am...boo...especially considering little Braden is up at 7:30 the next morning. Thankfully, we for the most part, have come through that, however he is not so great about naps (some days only 30 minute catnaps all day long). Oh and then there are the random nights like tonight where he will just wake at 2:30am needing his pacifier...BUT...if I can look past the frustration of a sleepless baby, little Asher is a very sweet boy. He seems generally very laid back, calm and quiet. He is extremely cuddly and loves being held. My favorite moments with him are after I nurse him, when he lays so quietly on my chest, with his little legs curled up like a frog and his head nestled in my neck. It's in those sweet moments that I love him being a newborn, so small, so needy, so innocent. All that to say, we are surviving and trying to enjoy these first few weeks as a family of four. Asher's stats for this month are: weight-9lb 10 oz, length - 21 inches. Oh and the best news is that he started smiling for us this past week...such a sweet reward to all the labor of caring for this tiny little guy.
Here are Braden and Asher sharing the boppy for tummy time -
There is nothing sweeter than a sleeping baby...
Braden holding Asher -
Asher, wide awake (probably after his 10th catnap of the day) -
Braden, kissing Asher -
My Itsy Bitsy Spider at the Ghouls at Grassmere party at the Nashville Zoo -
In costumer, enjoying dinner at the zoo with his friends, Graham and Mac...each of these boys have younger brothers, so there were actually 4 baby boys in tow in the strollers behind the kids -
Stopping long enough for a picture -
So we decided to start a new Halloween tradition in our house...on the Friday before Halloween, we carve pumpkins, make pumpkin pizzas and then watch the Charley Brown Halloween movie (can't remember what it is called...the Great Pumpkin Swap...maybe). Anyway, here are some pictures from our fun night...
Asher, 5 weeks old and wide awake for all the festivities -
The finished product -
Braden and his pumpkin pizza -
On Halloween night, we went trick or treating with our friends Mac and Devon and Parkes and Rebecca and their kids and ended the night by eating pizza, chocolate and wine for the adults! The countdown is on for Thanksgiving now and then on to Christmas...can't believe how fast time is flying these days!
