HANDS!

This picture might not seem significant... but it shows that Mason actually has HANDS! At 4 weeks old I finally got brave enough to clip his nails... whew. Better late than never :) I can happily say he seems to thoroughly enjoy his new exposed digits!

Tribute to my handyman

You may be asking, 'what is this picture?' It is a robe hook, of course! This isn't just any robe hook... this thing has basically become legendary in our home. I asked for this little item at some point in the early summer... it finally got ordered weeks later... then made it to Matt's desk... then it sat in his truck... then rested on the stairs... then lingered on the bathroom counter... until this past Saturday when it made it on to the wall! So, maybe this item took a while to get... but I wanted to say thanks to my handyman! He rocks :)

Babywearing

Shout out to Vanessa for my awesome ring sling! She makes them - if anyone wants one, let me know and I'll get you her contact info. Although I have my hands on him in the picture... the sweet thing about this is that they don't have to be there! It is really great to tote him around from time to time - getting things done and fulfilling some needs at the same time. Not to mention who doesn't love cuddling?? I look forward to all the variations of holds we have to experiment with as he gets older - so fun!

Life as I now know it

A few things that have changed/occured in the last few weeks:

Sleep comes in periods of naps - a 'nights sleep' currently doesn't exist (I can't quite call 4 hours a nights rest).

I get concerned when I wake up and find I've been asleep for longer than 4 hours.

Mason has become increasingly adorable :)

I feel lucky if I shower before 3 pm... and even luckier if my hair gets dried (not styled, just dried).

Sometimes I realize I have no idea what temperature it is outside (for the past few days) - a sure sign it is time to get out.

I am completely taken by the "I just pooped/released gas and feel so good" grin he gives me when I am changing him - even at 3:30 AM.

I now schedule everything for the later afternoon because it gives me the best chance to be dressed (not necessarily showered, just dressed).

Conversation topics consist mostly of diapers, nursing, napping...

I am completely amazed at how quickly babies grow.

Time flies! Before I know it it is 4 PM and I wonder where the day went.

I laugh hysterically when he poops on the wall while Matt is changing him... or anytime he poops while Matt is changing him.

I smell like baby lotion, and I love it.

When he does decide to go down for a nap, I accomplish more work than imaginable in the shortest period of time - I basically put super heros to shame.

It has been a whirlwind in the Spann home - busy would be an understatement! I try to get the most done I can each day, but often that just boils down to the essentials. On top of that, I got terribly sick this past weekend - not fun! I got some sort of a stomach bug late Saturday night and was up all night with a fever - and with Mason (I think he was affected by me not feeling well) and then ended up with a scary episode of fever Sunday night. SCARY. I started feeling chilled, we checked my temperature - it was normal. I then started shivering... and shivering... and shivering... uncontrollably. We rechecked my temp (3-5 minutes later) and it was up to 101.5! At this point my entire body was locking up and I couldn't stop violently shaking! Matt called the doc and we then rechecked my temp (another 3-5 minutes) and it was up to 102.5! Good grief! Thanks to prayer, a blessing, and iboprofen, I finally stopped shaking and my fever came back down to 100 within 2 hours. An amazing tender mercy: Mason slept through the entire ordeal! Not only did he sleep through it, but he slept long enough for me to rebound and be able to take care of him (he slept from 6-11:30). Glad that is over!

Grannie Kay (Matt's Mom) is in town this week and she is showering Mason with adoration! We also went on a little shop-a-thon the other day and got him a swing and a mobile! My Mom had told me I needed a swing and I was skeptical... but after a week and a half with Mason on my own, I now see the value of a swing and having two free hands for a few minutes! And of course, here are a few pictures :)

Two Week Appt

A quick post while the little guy is napping....

We had our two week appointment yesterday and he did great! He is eating as well as we thought he was -- by the two week appointment they just aim to get them back to their birth weight (they drop up to 10% of their weight in the first few days) -- well, no worries there, we are already up to 8 lbs 3.5 ozs! Woo, what a heavy weight! They also measured him at 21.5 inches... which, I'm finding it hard to believe he has grown 2.5 inches in 2 weeks. Oh well, he is healthy and strong and we're happy!
This picture is a little blurry, but I was pleased to catch one of his smiles on the camera... what can I say, I'm smitten.

The Trifecta

I can proudly announce that Matt and I were officially inducted into parenthood this past week with 'the trifecta'. Thank goodness for wipes, pee pee tee pees, washing machines, highly absorbant burp cloths (cloth diapers), and a good sense of humor! In one hour last week I managed to get spit up on, have him pee during a diaper change and get it on his clothes, and have a major poopie go free flying and 'break in' his pack and play. Matt has also experienced the trifecta - several times over! It seems like Mason knows his Dad is changing him and sees that as cue to let it all fly. ha! The great news: Matt's gag reflex seems to be strengthening with each new episode - there is hope!

It is hard to believe that we've had Mason for 2 weeks already, 2 weeks! My Mom left on Saturday morning - much to our dismay :( - but I guess after three weeks she maybe needed to be home - I am sure Dad was happy to have her back! So, today is actually day one on my own with him, and we're getting along just fine! It is amazing to me how quickly the day seems to pass. I had heard other new mothers say the same thing, but seriously, you think you'd have time - ha! Mason keeps me extraordinarily busy considering he is eating every 2-3 hours during the day (3-4 at night) and tends to have a long stretches of wake time (who said newborns were always sleepy??).

A note on our furry son -- Sammy is handling the transition quite well! He has sniffed Mason maybe 2-3 times and is extremely passive/disinterested. We are happy about this! However, he does manage to still get attention from us (see picture...apparently there is room for two on my lap!) one way or another.

Another positive note: my wedding ring fits again!! Yay!! I had to stop wearing it around 36-37 weeks and had been wondering when it would fit again... alas, today was the day! I am still waiting to weigh myself... I figure I'll put it off a while longer and hopefully be pleasantly surprised. :)

Good night!

VOTE!

Although we planned on early voting and didn't, we did manage to vote today! It feels good to make your voice heard, even if you're in a state that typically has its mind made up long in advance. :) Every vote counts!

The point: if you haven't yet, get your tush to the polls!!

Lots of firsts!

As typical of the first child, our picture pile of Mason grows by the day! Here are a few firsts to be noted....

First "outfit" (heading home from hospital)

First Outing

First Bath (very happy, as you can tell)

First Halloween!

Pretty much, we've just been finding our groove and enjoying ourselves this week! Sleepless nights included! We've graduated from having him in the bassinet in our room - to his crib in his room with a monitor - to his crib in his room without the monitor. It is a learning process :) Although so much has changed in such a short period of time, it still seems unreal that its been about a week already. Crazy!

As for me, my recovery is A-O-K. I felt like I had been in a train wreck for the first 2 or so days -muscles I never knew existed were sore!- but that has recovered now and I'm even able to sit on a hard chair for short periods of time :) My parents deserve a ton of recognition for taking care of everything so we have the time we need to get settled - they've got us spoiled!

Well, Mason calls! Until another time...