{ alex's newborn photos }

I realized that I never got a chance to share the photos from Alex's newborn photo shoot with Bri of Brilicious photography.  She did an amazing job and was so patient with Alex who was not going to sleep for her for more than 5 minutes without a fight!  Seriously if you live in the Twin Cities area please check her out here.

{ one month :: a day late }

{ fist pump for being a month old! }

 

Weight:  9 pounds 9 ounces

 

Nicknames:  Billy Goat, Youngin', and little boy

 

Life with Alex: 

 

I can't it's already been a month!  It has gone by super fast some days and other days seem to drag on.  But I think we're finally getting into some sort of groove.  Alex has the cutest cry...he sounds like a goat so normally we call him our billy goat...or atleast I do.  You can tell when he's getting upset or excited to eat because he fist pumps, kicks, and pants.

 

We found out his hydronephrosis is still pretty sereve.  In fact every doctor seems a little shocked by it but we still don't have a game plan besides continueing antibiotics and returning for a renograph in a few weeks.  I'm not very excited.  I'm hoping after this test and meeting we will know if we are looking at surgery or not - if our urologist is still clueless we're going to go look for a second opinion.  However, besides being on antibiotics, Alex is on tri-vit (for Vitamin D) and eye drops for super gunky eyes caused by clogged tear ducts (poor kid can't catch a break).  He's also being pretty congested because everyone seems to have the never ending cold in this house. 

 

However, He is quite the cuddle bug and loves to be held.  He's still having some issues nursing...but he's getting better...and it's clear if given a choice between nursing or a bottle, he prefers to nurse.  He doesn't sleep well on his back.  I really hate to put him on his stomach, but he's gotten a bit better at being on his back.  As for sleep...during the day he naps...but nothing quite consistent...but will nap for a couple hours at a time.  At night, he'll sleep for 4 hours from whenever we can finally get him to go to sleep then is up at 230 and then will cat nap until 430 and finally will sleep until sometime after 7.  However, I'm hoping to figure out the best regular schedule for everyone which means I'm hoping to get his sleep pattern down a bit better.

 

Alex's big outtings have included his cousin Max's 4th birthday party, and picking out pumpkins at Pahl's market.  I have successfully taken the boys out together by myself a couple of times.  I desperately want to go to church...but I'm a little nervous...so we're going to try this Sunday.  Wish me luck!  Alex has just started to coo and smile a little.  He is super strong and can hold his head up for a little bit. 

 

And of course...he prefers his momma!  :)

 

Here are some more pictures I took yesterday...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



{ october 15 }

Today is Pregnancy/Infant Loss Awareness day.  Our family has been affected by this twice.  We lost our precious niece October '10, and I miscarried last year in August.

After waiting so long to add to our family, I was devastated at the loss of Charlie (the name we gave the baby we lost).  After going through both the emotional and physical pain of miscarrying, it was hard to watch the miscarriage scene from "What to Expect When You're Expecting"  because I had been there.  Lying on a hospital bed, crossing my fingers that the bleeding I had been experiencing was just a hiccup in a other wise healthy pregnancy, only to be told there was no heartbeat and I was in fact miscarrying.

I wasn't an easy few months while I recovered and while I had gotten pregnant with sweet Alex just a few months later, it still stung to see the babies that were due around the same time that Charlie was.

However, Alex has been my silver lining in all this.  He was the baby I was meant to have.  I will always carry a place in my heart for the baby I never met and hold out hope that we will never have to experience it again.

{ pumpkin patch }

Today I packed up the boys and headed out to Pahl's Market in Apple Valley to pick out pumpkins for Halloween.  We met up with my mother in law, my sister in law, her husband, and kids.  Evan had a blast picking out pumpkins and running around with his cousin, Max.  Alex spent most of the time sleeping in the moby wrap when we were walking around.  But we all had fun, especially in the corn pit.

{ me in the boys ::  Alex is all tucked in }

{ Evan picking out pumpkins }

{ my boys }

{ Alex in the corn pit }

Next year we'll have more chaos...with three babies being over a year (well...just barely in Alex's case) running around when we go.  But hopefully we'll be able to wrangle them all in and get a half decent photo of all 5 of them...

{ instafriday :: catching up }

It's been a while since I've shared all my instagram photos...but we've been a bit busy around here with our newest addition... :)

 

 

 

 

:: MJ playing air hockey :: Evan playing air hockey :: the DS has taken over ::

:: Evan meeting Alex for the first time::  DUDE! Shirt ::  "No Pictures!"  ::

::  My newest cuddle bug ::  Alex's favorite place to sleep ::  Playing with my Nook ::

 

 

:: So sweet ::  afternoon naps ::  swirl in Alex's hair <3  ::

:: the boys holding hands :: the boys taking a nap together ::  me & my boys ::

::  no sleep for mommy ::  cat napping ::  alex ::