Life is better with friends!

Josie, Hendrix & Abigail 

(Picture taken September 2010)

All three babies were born within 12 days of each other.

Josie was born a lil' bit late, and both Hendrix and Abigail were born early.  Funny how that size difference seems so drastic at the very beginning.

We are all in a small group bible study together so we see each other on a weekly basis.  These kids are really going to get the chance to grow up together!

Abigail was born just 12 hours after Hendrix, so they came pretty close to sharing a birthday!

Sleeping babies!

Their mommies want them to be friends, but as you can see, they often don't give each other the slightest time of day.  ;)

Whether this threesome will be more like the 3 Musketeers or the 3 stooges remains unseen; but I hope that they grow up to be close friends. :)

Wordless Wednesday

Go Pack Go!

5 Months

Hendrix is 5 months old today.  

This is one of my favorite faces that he makes, and I think it is because it makes him look like his daddy!

What do you think?  Can you see it?  

I think it's in the forehead, or the eyebrows, not sure.

His new favorite thing is sitting.  He can't do it unassisted yet, but he really prefers it so that he can see what is going on around him.  He gets fussy pretty quickly when he is just laying on his back.

Other favorites include:

• photo shoots with mommy (seriously, he always smiles at my goofy faces!)
• eating cereal in his bumbo seat (he has recently started wanting to hold his own spoon; he is uncoordinated with it though so we have to be careful that he doesn't stab himself in the eye)
• getting his diaper changed, well having his clothes off in general.....he just kicks and laughs!  
• peek-a-boo
• kisses on his cheeks - this usually entices giggles!
• his paci - we can't go anywhere without that!
• his soft fleecy blanket - instant soother when he is tired and cranky
• any toy that vibrates or makes noise.  He is pretty partial to his Eric Carl butterfly and I think it is a combination of the bright colors and the crinkle sounds it makes when you touch it.

He really enjoys spending time in his jumparoo when we are at home.  He can finally touch the ground now and is still figuring out that he can make himself bounce in it!

This weekend Hendrix was dedicated at our church.  We were thrilled to have our entire family there with us (taking up a pew and a half!) to encourage and challenge us in this important step of parenting.  We pray for Hendrix's physical and spiritual wellbeing on a regular basis, and are excited to introduce him to Jesus as he grows older.  

Over the weekend, we watched my cousin-in-law's little girl, Jovie.  She is two months younger than Hendrix, and this was actually our first time to meet her.  She was such a sweetie!  Hendrix enjoyed watching her and cooing at her; but when Mom was holding her and not him, we got a slight taste of what 'baby jealousy' is all about.  I was surprised and kind of amused because I didn't think he was even old enough to really care.  lol  

Our little guy is getting bigger everyday.  

What a blessing he is to our lives!

Wordless Wednesday

Hendrix is eating like a big boy

Hendrix started eating cereal and is now officially a big boy!

That first day that we tried it I really don't think he got it.  He seemed to like the taste of it okay, and even did some grunting in between bites if Daddy wasn't feeding it to him fast enough, but he had no idea what to do with his tongue.  It mostly just dribbled out of his mouth until Daddy realized that if he left the spoon in his mouth a little bit longer, then he could suck it off the spoon.  

He definitely is a messy eater.  He has had to bathe alot more frequently than usual because I don't like him going to bed with 'crusty' hair!

I love this adorable bib that his great aunt Phoebe made for him.....can you see his name being pulled by a dump truck?!?  So cute!

Just a few days into it, and he was already eating more like a pro.  Just a little practice can make a big difference.

Now to start on some veggies.....yum!

Wordless Wednesday

I loved you before I even met you

A year ago today, Bud and I found out we were going to be parents.

We had been trying for several months to get pregnant and were so elated to get the positive test(s)! We loved daydreaming about our little baby baum.  We talked about his or her future, read up on parenting, started financial planning, and pretty much smiled continually because our prayers had been answered!

I loved finding out from the ultrasound that we were going to have a little boy, and watching him do somersaults in my tummy that I couldn't even feel yet.  Pregnancy and birth are such an amazing miracle and I feel so privileged that I got to experience it.  I loved the process of deciding on a name and calling our baby by it throughout the rest of our pregnancy.  This helped us feel more connected to him, like we already knew him before he was even born.

I loved watching my tummy grow and being able to witness kicks and hiccups.  I loved the fact that perfect strangers could tell that I was a momma-to-be.  I even loved buying and wearing maternity clothes!  haha  (Going back to non-stretchy jeans is a rude awakening, let me tell you!)

I loved designing and preparing the nursery.  It was fun to pick out a theme and work on lots of do-it-yourself projects.   I enjoyed being thrifty and making bargain purchases.  I loved that my hubby wanted to be really involved in this whole process and helped me with the color selection and got just as excited about the choices as I did.  

I love the way that having a baby enriched the relationship that Bud and I have with each other in a way that I could never have dreamed of.  

I loved meeting you for the first time; seeing your precious face and touching your smooth little features.  You were so perfect and tiny, and I was so overwhelmed by my first glimpse of what a mother's love is all about.  It is so fierce and yet so gentle.  

I loved becoming a family of three!

I have loved watching you grow and thrive.  I have loved learning your cries; seeing you discover how to make faces, giggle, and laugh; watching you interact with your daddy; and seeing you become more and more curious about the world around you everyday. 

  

I love your sweet baby smell, your slobbery wet kisses, and your precious little snuggles.  I love thinking about you, playing with you, and praying for you.

I love being a mom.