His First Month

Congrats Jude, you did it, you're four weeks old (yes, I know, I am one day late). Your life right now is slow and sweet, eating all the time and sleeping a ton during the day even with your loud sisters running around, screaming, poking you and constantly mothering you to death. I am convinced you could sleep though anything, during the day. At night it's a whole different story, sadly enough you have already had a runny nose, probably brought home by you sisters from story time and given to you by the million kisses they shower you with each day. So its no surprise that you prefer sleeping sitting up and thats okay because its also no surprise that I enjoy snuggling with you 'til the break of dawn.


Four weeks ago I was wondering when you were going to join us, wondering what exactly you were waiting for. Your official due date was June 27th but I guess you weren't ready. The doctor measured you via ultrasound the Tuesday before you came and said that you were probably around 9lb 4oz but I convinced him I didn't think you were that big and to give me more time to have you without help from him because I felt so good. You gave me some great power and energy when I was carrying you with me, thank for that by the way. 


You still hadn't made your appearance four days after your due date so at 5 am, Daddy and I headed to the hospital so you could get a little wake up call and be forced to come into the world. We arrived at the hospital and they started giving me the medicine to make you come. 


Time passed and Daddy watched Sports Center and we hung out waiting for the contractions and then the contractions became strong and I had to close my eyes and concentrate to get through each one, but I welcomed the pain knowing that each contraction brought me one step closer to you. 


A few more hours later the contractions became really strong and I needed Daddy to help get through each one. I couldn't sit still, I was hot, sweaty and grumpy. I wanted Daddy to stand in a certain spot and he had to take his sweatshirt off because the fabric hurt my face. I had to have the shades closed on the window, wanted privacy though no one could have seen us with our awesome roof top view. I was ripping all monitors off, wanted my IV out, (though your Dad persuaded me to chill out) wanted nothing on me, nothing touching me. I had the sweetest nurse named Michelle with the calmest voice who also helped though this rough part. 


So I finally felt ready to push, that strong undeniable to urge to push, and the doctor came in and was all, "Lets have a baby!" and I didn't really care if he was ready or not because I was. I was so unbelievably out of my mind ready to meet you. 


So with two big pushes from somewhere deep in my soul, on Friday, July 1st, at 11:43 am, out you came and all I could do was fall back in my bed with relief and from absolute exhaustion. The doctor took one look at you and said, "This is a ten pound baby," and he was right on. He handed you to me with your swollen, sweet face and those juicy lips and that was it, I was a goner. You were pure perfection, the sweetest boy ever.  

You came home from the hospital on a Sunday and you were thrown right into this crazy life. You came home without a hat because your head was a little big for those tiny little hats they give out at the hospital. Don't worry, they weren't cute anyway. Your sisters took to you immediately. I honestly can't believe how much they adore you, it's so beautiful to see. Basically, there is a whole lot of love floating around here right now. 

Notice the doll in his chair.

Nyah can't stop professing just how cute her baby brother is, I don't know how many times I have heard, "He's soooo cute, my baby bruder is sooo cute." She also thanks God for you each evening as she prays before we eat dinner, "Thank you for our food and thank you for my baby bruder, AMEN".

Elsa is precious and the tenderness she treats you with doesn't seem possible for someone her age. She caresses you with the gentlest touches and is never too rough. You are now the only person in the house she will kiss, the rest of us just get her cheek. If you are crying, she announces to the whole house, "Crying!" Lately she has been calling you, "Big boy," which she has shortened to just, "Boy". And just today, she has stopped calling you Boy and now calls you, "Judah". I am not really sure what she will end up calling you in the end, seems she is just testing a few names out for now. 

The first thing everyone notices about you is just how big you are and let me be the first to say, you are huge. You have a healthy appetite, love to nurse, and I just can't believe how wonderfully you are growing. You are heavy and I can't wait to see how much you weigh at your next doctor appointment because you feel like fifteen pounds.


So that's you first four weeks of life little guy, you are the perfect addition to our family and our lives. We are in love George Jude, and we are so glad you've come.

Slowing My Roll

"I really am your gift. I am not just a little person who needs to be "raised" and taught, and taken to activities....I came to the people in my life to bring a message: slow down. Feel. Be. Over and over again. When you do, you will notice immediately, that I am not an obstacle to your work, or inconvenience to your daily life. Instead, you will come to appreciate my honesty, humor, presence and love."-- Bruce Scott


I have seen this quote floating around for some time now but it has never meant so much to me as it has in these last couple of weeks. "Slow down. Feel. Be. Over and over again." Life with three is some serious stuff and it has definitely caused me to slow way down and appreciate and be in tune to each of our little blessings. Since being forced to settle down and settle in with Jude, life is simple and it feels good. Instead of taking things day by day, I now taking things minute by minute,  hour by hour, diaper by diaper, runny nose but, you get it. All revolves around naps, feedings, and his happiness.

My idea of success these past couple of weeks is if we have all bathed and the laundry is done and if I make it out of the house with all three then I feel like superwoman. And I can't even take full credit for this because it is usually my mother, dad, or grandmother who swoops in and helps with the dirty work. But when we are out I now find the my eyes are now like that of a predator, constantly darting to keep track of my three, each movement seen, each always accounted for. No more nice family dinners out. Maybe we will attempt the whole dinner out thing again in a few years.

The luxury of spare time is a thing of the past. I mean, this post has taken me three days to complete, and the majority has been typed one handed. The couple of minutes I have before bed are usually reserved to staring at the wall or some other form of zoning out until little guy wakes again, and all other time is spent strategizing how to sneak in some more sleep. Seems Jude has a bit of a finicky stomach.

Camo! Can't believe I actually went there, but there is something so masculine something so far from the pink princess party I am planning for Nyah's fourth birthday and I love it. Or maybe Indiana is just rubbing off on me, who knows.

And after surviving these first four weeks I can't help but let my mind go there and think of how mothers with more than three do it or ever did it.  Like my grandmother who had six. Six. Seriously, six. I ask her how she did it and I want to know. I want to pull out my note book and take notes. I need all of the tips and pointers I can get because this is no joke.


But as having kids has taught me, "The days are long but the years are short", and before I know it we will be celebrating Jude's first birthday because these moments are precious and are just a small moment in this great life. And there is no place I'd rather be, well, maybe Louisiana.

It's Go Time

The days are getting crazy but wonderful around here. George went on to set up shop in the place we will be living so its go time for me, reality is here. Handling three kids under the age of three is no joke. Well, I am not totally alone, my grandmother has all but moved in to help out and I am not sure what I would do without her, literally. Maybe go crazy. 


Jude is doing amazing, growing exponentially (it seems). He weighed in at 11lb 8oz at his 2 week doctor appointment yesterday. He is sleeping much better at night, only up to nurse every 3 hours and falls right back to sleep after his belly is full. I couldn't ask for more from him. On the other hand, Elsa has recently decided not to go to bed at night. Her timing couldn't be more perfect. We are working with her lovingly knowing this might be her way of showing all of the changes we have thrown on her might not be cool with her. I have found her amazing ability to concentrate carries over to her fits. Putting up a three hour protest for bed is apparently not that big of a deal for her. Great!


Got to run now and take these last few minutes of quite (Jude and Elsa are sleeping, Nyah is at the store with great grandma) and try to make myself look acceptable to society. Jude and I might venture out to the store today. Oooh, exciting, I know. 

A Favorite Baby Item

One of my all time favorite baby items I have discovered with the birth of Jude are these blankets by Luna Lullaby. I wish I had them with each of the girls. I have mentioned before that I am not into all of the crazy contraptions that are invented for babies but these blankets are a must have. 


Oh the softness, the stretchiness, the hugeness makes this the ideal blanket to achieve the perfect tight swaddle resulting in a calm baby. Something I am really into. 


Oh, and the prints are precious. I went with rocket ship bundle well, because I can since we have a boy.

I originally heard about these blankets from blogger, The Pioneer Woman, who I love to check in with periodically for new recipes, photography how to and inspiration. Her beautifully taken photo tutorial of recipes not only make everything look delish but they are super easy and over the top tasty. So she recommended these cotton muslin blankets and I went with it and I am so glad I did. 


These blankets are light weight, perfect for summer (or island living, if you are into that type of thing) and become softer with each washing. Love, love, love. And Jude is pretty into them also. And lets face it, if he's happy, I'm happy.

Guess Who?

Our days our have been passing sweetly, spent giving as much love as possible to all of our babies. A full mutual tag team effort by George, my mom, grandmother and I to make sure all have adequate attention and remain in their routine, not to disrupt lives too much. Its hard with lack of sleep and a new person in the house to get to know but we are loving every minute and falling into our new routine. 


I couldn't ask for more from the sisters, they are adoring their brother more by the minute with no hint of jealously, even from Elsa. Its quite amazing, not sure what I expected but her independence hasn't wavered with the arrival of Jude. They are siblings and their love for each other is something we should all take lessons in, pure love. They express their affection in heart warming ways to little baby bruder Jude constantly. 


As I look at him and get to know him, there is something so familiar about him yet so different. Can you guess which baby is who? 

I see more of them in each other than I recognize George and I in any of them. They are the best of each other.
  
We are so content and happy with the three photos above and perfectly certain that I can confidently say shop closed with no prediction of regrets later down the road. We are a family and we are complete. We have our hands full, literally, (which I have a feeling is pretty obvious by my lack of writing, I have never been good at one handed typing as my other is forever full). In time I hope I will be able to get back to documenting this amazing life but in the mean time I am feeling thankful daily, we have been blessed beyond words.

Photos above:

Nyah

Elsa

Jude

He's Here!

We are happy to announce that George Jude arrived just before noon on Friday, all ten pounds and 23 " of him! We are blessed beyond words to welcome this healthy boy into our family. 


This is the only photo I have of him because I forgot the cord to download pics at home. So more photos and secrets to birthing a ten pound baby with no epidural soon to come.

Oh, and the sisters are smitten with their baby bruder.