23 months...

I had written a full, detailed blog post for this month...but I somehow deleted it, so I will just do a quick recap of W this month...

- Tantrums are in FULL SWING.  Goodness gracious.  I've never seen a child go from being so happy to so sad within 0.5 seconds flat.  Everyone assures me it's just a phase...I'm praying that is the case and that this is a SHORT phase at that :)

- We are working so hard with Watson on sharing.  Sweet thing feels that any and every toy he sees belongs to him and him alone.  We are seeing some improvement in this area, so we hope that will continue!

- W is a very protective big brother.  He loves on Emma so much...it is precious.  Every morning he will come snuggle with her and wants to hold her...for about 10 seconds :) ... but it's sweet, nonetheless!

- I love watching W watch older kids...he is mesmerized with them!

- He would live outside 24/7 if he could.  He loves to explore, play, run, climb...anything he can possibly do outside.  With a newborn in the house, our time outside is much less that it used to be, but we always make sure to get out at some point during the day.  Graham always plays outside with him when he gets home, so Watson LOVES when Graham walks in the door after work!

- W is still very affectionate.  He loves giving kisses, hugs, and cuddling.  I love this about our sweet baby! 

Here is another month in pictures for Mister Watson :)

 

This month we also had some of the best visitors I could have asked for...one of my dearest friends, Briana and her little girl, Ella came in town for a few days.  It was a crazy few days with a 23 month old, 16 month old, and 1 month old!  I wouldn't have wanted to do it with anyone else though :)

 Three car seats crammed in the back of my Volvo...somehow we made them all fit! 

And my favorite picture from their visit... :)

1 Month...

Our first month with this sweet girl has been absolutely wonderful.  I cannot get over how sweet and beautiful she is :)

Weight: 9lbs 2oz

Height: 21in

Size Diaper: 1

Eating: Nurses 10-15 mins on each side.  Will sometimes only take one side, but usually takes both.  Nurses anywhere from 7-8 times in a 24 hour period (every 2 to 3 hours during the day, and every 3-4 hours at night). When I pump and give her a bottle (started one bottle every other day at 3 weeks), she will take anywhere from 3.5-4 ounces.

Sleeping: Seems to sleep more during the day than at night :)  It took a while to get her days and nights straightened out, but I think we have finally accomplished this!  Emma naps a lot during the day in her bassinet, and sleeps at night in either the bassinet or rock n' play.  I will say that towards the end of her first month she is sleeping less and less in the bassinet and more in the rock n' play as she seems to have some reflux issues when sleeping on her back.

Size Clothes: Newborn, 0-3 months

Emma's favorite place to be is someone's arms.  Sweet girl LOVES to be held...and we love holding her so that works out nicely :) 

I started the Moms on Call schedule at three weeks, but am also following the Baby Wise principles within that schedule.  She eats, plays for about 45 minutes, then goes back to sleep.  This is the case for the majority of her feedings, but she also has several times when she will fall asleep right after feeding.  I should note here that though I am following this schedule, I am not stressing about it (anymore!).  A dear friend of my sister..and now a dear friend of mine...told me about a book called "Spirit Led Parenting" which has completely encouraged me and helped me feel a sense of freedom from keeping a tight schedule.  We are definitely keeping a routine, but I am really trying not to worry about keeping an hour-to-hour schedule yet.  This is difficult for my type-A personality, but I am working on it and am so thankful for all that the Lord is teaching me through this book. 

Bathtime is a favorite time of day for Emma.  She loves looking at herself in the mirror while she is getting bathed.  There is NOTHING better than a freshly bathed baby :)

We started doing some tummy time around three weeks.  She does not fuss too much but gets quite comfy and falls asleep most of the time :)  Watson loves to help me keep her awake and try to get her to turn her head from side to side.  When she does stay awake during tummy time she tends to scoot all over the place.  I walked out of the room for just a minute the other day to get Watson dressed and when I came back in her room she had scooted all the way to the middle of her room.  She didn't like that too much, but I was pretty impressed!

I'm not sure if we are dealing with actual reflux yet, but we are definitely dealing with lots of spit up and grunting after eating.  I am hoping that this is just her little body growing and adjusting, but our pediatrician said we will reevaluate at her two month appointment. 

The three week growth spurt created one HUNGRY little girl!  I seriously think she nursed every hour one day....I felt like we were literally connected all day long! 

She loves to stretch out on her back and look around.  It is so fun watching her become more and more alert every day.

We are absolutely head over heels in love with our baby girl and feel beyond blessed to have the privilege of being her parents. 

FINALLY!!!!!

If you have talked to me or Graham at any point over the past year it is almost certain that you have heard about "The Academy."  Every other weekend, for thirteen months, Graham has been attending the Jefferson County Law Enforcement Academy...and finally, FINALLY, after 13 months, several tests, firearms certifications, and a broken back...HE HAS GRADUATED!  I think I am more excited than anyone about this...in fact, I know I am :)  This was a huge sacrifice for both of us, but I could not be more proud of all of the hard work and dedication he put in to this time to become an official APOST certified law enforcement officer in Alabama.  He is still working full time at Student Life, but will continue his work with the Jefferson County Sheriffs Department as a Reserve Deputy Sheriff.  This is a huge passion in Graham's life and has been an incredible ministry opportunity for him.  I am so thankful for the many ways we have seen the Lord work through Graham to minister to the men he works with within the Sheriff's department.

If you're in Jefferson County...don't break the law or you might find yourself being picked up by this handsome officer :)

Memorial Day Weekend...

We stayed here in town for Memorial Day weekend rather than going to the lake like we usually do...but we still had a blast spending time together as a family and enjoying being outside!

The kids played at the Andersons one day during the weekend and had a BLAST.  To say that there were three sleepy kiddos that night, would be an understatement! 

On actual Memorial Day we ate lunch at the Andersons and had a combined celebration lunch for my birthday, Graham's graduation from the Academy, and Reynold's graduation from Samford getting his MBA.

Unfortunately, Reynolds was not able to attend his graduation from grad school due to Hampton having to have last-minute surgery that same day.  Dad was not going to let him miss out on the experience of receiving his MBA hood, though...so he came up with a little plan.  He talked with Dr. Westmoreland at Samford and was able to work out a mini-graduation ceremony on this day.  Dad walked in with his Samford trustee garb on and was able to present Reynolds with his cap, gown, and hood.  After a very stressful few months for the Andersons, it really was a special moment!  We are so proud of Reynolds and excited for what is ahead for him!  

Sweet Abigail and Manna

Mom and Mel...love how much they look alike in this picture

Me and Mom...SO incredibly thankful for this woman!!

Me, Graham, and the brace :)

22 Months...

I have been horrible with blogging lately...hence the reason I do two or three posts at a time.  I'm trying to get caught up now so that I can get back on top of things and post on time each month! 

This month was filled with last minute errands and projects to get ready for Emma to arrive...and then she did arrive, which pretty much took up the rest of the month :) 

I will do a more detailed post for W in his 23 month post, but here are some pics from month 22 :)

Cousins at Target...this is not the best picture, but I post it just to document that they can sit by each other and Watson not be hitting Hampton or screaming.  We are working on their relationship - I am positive they will be best friends one day :)

Sweet baby taking a nap.  I always thought he stayed under his blanket because he is usually under it in the morning when I go get him, but apparently that is not the case! At least not during this nap..

Watson LOVES birds and just cannot understand why they run away when he runs towards them...

Catching up on some emails

I'm not sure how he ended up in just a diaper with his socks and shoes still on...but he sure doesn't seem to mind! 

I didn't think this boy could love bath time any more... until he was introduced to bath crayons.  He LOVES them.  I, on the other hand, do not.  Do not be fooled by the "washable" label on the Crayola box of bath crayons...they are near impossible to clean off of the tub!

Watson loves the sidewalk chalk.  ...okay, maybe I love it more than he does, but he plays with it a little as well :)

A little afternoon snack

I love when Watson sits like this in the car.  Such a little old man :)

Taking care of a little yard work

Dinner with Poppa.  I was going in to labor as I took this picture!

Cuddles with Nannie.  W still sleeps in his crib, but we have this bed in his room as well for when he is ready to transition.

Water table fun

What a nut :)

This smile melts my heart :)