Pudger

Our little Pudger is growing so much. He's six weeks and getting heftier by the day... which pleases me greatly. The smiles, coos and personality that is developing is incredible. It's nice to be leaving the "early weeks." Those were very challenging days for myself, but now that I can see more of Lucas' character and personality being developed, it brings a deeper sense of satisfaction. Here are a few traits our boy is beginning to exude:

• He is the happiest baby and will just hang out to stare at the skylights or the ceiling fan. He's very pleasant to be around.
• Lucas loves being smiled at...by anyone. He will smile back, showing us his adorable dimples.
• Lucas LOVES being held and LOVES to snuggle (which warms my heart). He especially likes being in Matt's arms. It's very touching when he snuggles his fuzzy little head under your chin and just relaxes into our embrace.
• Our boy's legs are always kicking and moving... which can get very irritating during a diaper change. Otherwise, it's funny. Maybe he'll be a skilled soccer player, like his dad.
• Our Little Man adores his binky (pacifier). It's like candy to him and he sucks on it with fierce passion.

Kudos to Ashley Sturm

As you may remember, Ashley Sturm took some great photos of Matt & I before Lucas was born. Well, we were graced with her talents after Lucas' arrival... and here are a couple great pics she took. We couldn't be more pleased... To visit Ashley's website: http://www.ashleysturmphotography.com/

One Month!

Lucas is a month old now... and he's as cute as ever! We just love this little guy... Below: Our first self-portrait... much more difficult than one would anticipate.

Three week update

It seems silly, but I cannot believe it's been three weeks since our precious little angel was born. Oh he's adorable! He's smiling at us and recognizing our faces, which just warms our hearts. As you can see, Lucas is battling the infamous baby acne. Our poor boy has it all over his body, which inevitably annoys the crud out of me. It's SO hard not to pick at it (which totally sounds gross, I know!). In addition to his poor skin condition, he has a little bit of heat rash in his leg rolls and armpits. Ack! How do I battle this!? As of right now, I let him air out without a diaper and then I use baby powder. Hmmm, any other suggestions? Lucas takes a bottle now, which is awesome! I am still breastfeeding people, so don't judge me... but it's nice to pump and bottle feed him in public... rather than flash the world my giant milk boobs. This is a major source of anxiety for me, as you can imagine. So, now that he's taking a bottle, Matt feeds him and it's really good for all of us. A little father-son bonding time and a little break for Momma. Perfect. Lucas enjoys hanging out with Aunt Julie. I could not be more blessed to have my sister around as much as I do. When I'm showering, it's inevitable that Lucas will cry uncontrollably five minutes before I finish... and that's just about the time Julie comes in to save me... without a question. What a great sister! As you can see, Brooklynn likes Lucas too. She calls him "Luca" and makes crying noises or snoring noises depending on if he's sleeping or crying. Too bad she can't make pooping noises ... 'cause he does a lot of that too. Brooklynn has nothing but love for Lucas. She kisses him on the forehead quite frequently and even asks to hold him often. It's very endearing to know our babies love each other already.

Two weeks

As of this past Thursday, Lucas was two weeks old. We just can't believe how fast the days fly by as he grows and acquires new characteristics moment by moment. He is nearly ten pounds and is sleeping about five hours a night. Our boy is big! In addition, he's flexing his legs and already holding his own head up. I was not anticipating any of these moves for another couple weeks. I figure this is normal behavior for babies who are born nearly two weeks late and have a large birth-weight. Matt & I are surviving. Matt has been very busy with work and side-jobs. He's home in the mornings, but often has to work on his projects instead of hanging out with Lucas and I. Still, when he comes home late in the evening, he's always ready and willing to take baby boy and offer me a kind break. It touches my heart... Matt will hold Lucas and they just stare at each other for the longest time. I chock it up to early male bonding time. I am doing just fine. I am physically feeling very well and nearly completely healed from giving birth. I was not expecting to bounce back this quickly, but I suppose being in shape during pregnancy, breast feeding and general good health have contributed to nearly all baby weight lost and the ability to jump right back into things without hesitation. I have much to be thankful for. It makes it all the easier to care for Lucas when I feel well physically. Emotionally, I am also doing very well. I feel fragile... like the tears are ready to spring forth should anything sappy, frustrating or touching enter my mind. I get misty when Lucas is inconsolable, Matt tells me he loves me or I think about just how precious our baby boy is... just writing this makes me want to cry. But... I do my best to control it. Other than the tear-jerker moments, I am quite well. I feel very positive and have much to look forward to. So far, no serious postpartum blues. Again, I have much to be thankful for. As Matt and I continue to get the hang of being parents, we continue to reflect about the future and our current status. There is a part of both of us that admits our sadness in willingly giving up the independence and freedom of our life prior to a child. Everything is a bit more complicated now and though I assume it won't always be this challenging... we have knowingly given a part of our own selfishness away in order to experience the gift of a child. We talk about how things will continue to change. For example, no more cursing, radio stations will have to be censored, movies will need to be sifted through and so on. As each day passes, Matt and I evolving mentally and emotionally and having to realize just how much our lives are going to continue to change with the development of this little person.