Newnessess

John is growing SO FAST!

His 2 month doctor's appointment is on the 29th, but curiosity got the best of me and the unofficial numbers are 11#4oz (at the office of a friend's midwife...a gain of 4#2oz), 25" (at mom and dad's...he's grown 4"), and his little feet have grown another 1/2 inch! Yowzers! The pediatrician will probably declare other numbers, but his growth is impressive at any rate...at least to me!

Yesterday I put him down on his tummy after changing his diaper and he pushed up on his forearms and lifted his head all the way up. Brilliant! I never thought I would be cheering such a seemingly small achievement, but it feels momentous. When I flipped him over later to show Jason, he didn't repeat the trick...instead he furiously kicked his knees in a pseudocrawl... I groan to think about how quickly he'll be putting the two activities together and off he'll go.

Right now he's passed out across my lap. The little stinker doesn't want to nap anywhere else...but who can blame him, and I really don't mind.

John and I are headed to Portland next week by air (if his birth certificate makes it to me in time), and I'm excited to introduce our little guy to my family down there. I'm bummed that Jason isn't going to be able to go down with us, but it will hopefully be a great time in spite of that fact.

Momminess is still a struggle at times, but largely a joy. The best part is the continuing journey of getting to know Sir John better each day.

Thanks for all of your support.

I've fallen in Love!

It has been a busy but wonderful few weeks since I have last posted. Since then I have become an aunt (http://aclarkfam.blogspot.com/), slept for 6 hours at a time (oh, what a difference!), and the best thing...fallen in love with my son.

I hear that it is supposed to happen at first sight, and am probably a bad mother for admitting it, but it took a while (and a lot of prayer) for my little munchkin to climb into my heart to stay. It surprised me when while holding him late one night I realized that love had snuck up on me and that I would be willing to die for this little guy. It took a month, but it happened and when I finally fell, I fell hard, and it feels wonderful. Yeah, he still deafens with his screams when he's ticked off, and I mourn the loss of freedom and free time, but it doesn't seem to matter so much. I finally understand why women do this motherhood thing.

I'll post some pictures when I get a chance.

"I'm like Pi"

I suspect I've become the most boring person in the universe. John is my favorite new conversation topic.

I pity the person who happens to say, "tell me about your son," only slightly more than the poor soul who asks me about my handsome husband.

This made me laugh:
http://www.savagechickens.com/blog/2008/03/pi.html

Tah Dah (v 2.0)

After an unprecidented marathon computer session (well, unprecidented since a certain someone entered my life), I finally figured out how to create and post a web photo album. Yes, that's right...a simple glance and click to your right will show you highlights of my beautiful son's first 2 weeks.

Enjoy!

Learning Curve

Ahh, new life. He lays passed out in my arms as I've finally figured out how to type and hold him...maybe I'll figure out the blog thing in time, too. I really thought I would have time to do things like make cookies, write thank you notes, and send photos to the end of the world.

The Reality? I've figured out how to go to the bathroom (including buttoning my jeans) with one arm occupied by a screaming little man. I confess to letting him scream his little lungs out while I finish my shower. My daytime meals are rarely anything that can't be held with one hand (did you know you can peel a banana with your teeth?), and even then are frequently interrupted for an "emergency" feeding. And I long for more than a couple of hours of sleep in between waking to change or feed him.

But the reality is also full of the wide-eyed greetings in the morning of my little guy making monkey faces and "talking" to me. The milky grins he makes after falling asleep at my breast. Watching him relax into a float in the kitchen sink full of warm water while I cradle his head, my hand under his bare little buns, his eyes full of a new experience as he takes his first real bath this morning. (Sorry, sis, no pictures...I haven't grown the third hand necessary for the camera). And his soft big little feet...just right for kissing.

Yeah, I would have traded him in for a plant the first week, but I think I'll keep him...he's wrapped those long fingers around my heart and won't let go...and I won't either.

So he lays across my lap and arm as I think about the learning curve that has kept me busy for the last couple of weeks. Its amazing how fast we can adjust.

TahDah!!

After much anticipation (and shattered fantasies about labor not being "that bad") John arrived at 8:39 pm on February 29th (Leap Day!). He had a busy first few moments as the amazing nurses sucked all the poop (his own) out of his lungs and stomach, but he recovered quickly and had a good first meal while his mom was busy getting "repaired." Jason was an amazing partner from the start of the pregnancy (wink, wink) to the very last, and showed his fantastic dadness from the first moments of John's life.

We were still getting used to the camera, so the first few pictures are a little fuzzy, but at least you get an idea of HRH Sir John Allen. We think he's wonderful.

Oh, yeah, the vital statistics: 7#2oz and 21 inches long, (and the one that no one ever mentions, but it seems like the most vital:) Head circumference: 13 inches!