Flashback to the Beach!

When it is 30 degrees in Dallas, all I can think about is the beach! My family recently went to the beach (October) and I am just now getting around to posting about it. Yes, my mind has been on the beach when I have chills up my spine from the freezing weather. So, I thought I would warm myself up by sharing with you some wonderful memories from Watercolor, Florida...

Max was in finals when we went, so he is not featured in many of the pictures. But, we had a good time together and missed my sweet hubby. This was the first time Jake got to meet Wells and it was so sweet to see him with Wells.

Dolly showing McCall how to hold Wells' pacifier in his mouth! So precious!
McCall wanted to be everywhere Wells was.

McCall was so playful and so active! Shelby playing with McCall in the living room.

We go every year for Shelby's birthday to the beach so we can all be together for her special day!

Mama was doing this alot! Wells was 6 weeks old in this picture and he loved to snuggle up with his Dolly!

My sweet daddy being goofy!

This was the first time Wells met his Uncle Jake and it was love at first site for both of them!

Hard to believe he was ever that little!

McCall loved the pool and loves her daddy!

Wells was a little too small for his swimsuit that matched McCall's swimsuit. But, he loved to sleep on his Dolly while at the pool.

Sweet little boy enjoying the sun.

Mama looks way too good to be a grandmother!

He loved the water and even fell asleep in this floatie.

After a long day at the pool, both boys crashed.

And, when I arrived home, I found these! My sweet husband could not be with me on our anniversary and he sent me these gorgeous flowers to the beach. The one white rose is for our little Wells.

McCall could not stay away from the shells - she was fascinated. So, we got back from the pool and I found her playing in a big bowl of shells.

The next morning, McCall was learning how to crack eggs when Mama was making breakfast.

You can tell she loved it. She loved trying to figure out how to put the cracked shells back together. If I could just crawl inside her sweet mind sometime!

One night, we got all dressed up and went to our favorite restaurant, the Red Bar. McCall was sporting her new Halloween dress.

And Wells was too! He was our little pumpkin! Wells and Mommy at 6 weeks of age.

The next day we actually made it down to the beach. Wells was not a huge fan of the sand, but sure did love sleeping in his carrier in the sun.

Shelby, Max, Jake and McCall were all playing and the sand and I got to watch, while tending to little bit.

This little girl melts my heart every time I see her.

Max and Jake playing with McCall. Max was such a fun uncle and let McCall bury him in the sand.

Then, she figured out he was wearing her hat and she crawled all over him trying to get her hat back!

Wells and I watched. Well, at least I did. He was pretty happy sleeping on me.

On our way to the beach that evening, McCall made some friends on the boardwalk.

Dolly and Dutch with their grand babies.

Finally, Dolly with McCall. This little girl loves her Dolly and her MommaSissy, Uncle Max and Wells. She has started saying "Welllllls" in this sweet drawn-out way.

3 months!

Wells at 3 months really excited about celebrating his first Christmas!

This was Wells' first day to stay with my parents when I returned to work! He loves to stay with his Dolly and Dutch and his Grandma and Grandpa!

Wells has hit his growth stride at 3 months. Let me tell you, the boy can eat! We jumped from eating 5 ounces a feeding to 7 - 9 ounces a feeding. He is the happiest baby and loves, loves to play. At three months, here are some of Wells' favorite things and statistics:

- Wells jumped from 10 - 13 pounds in one month.
- He loves, loves his play mat - by far his favorite toy
- He discovered his voice (on Christmas day)
- He has learned how to stand with assistance
- He now eats 7 - 9 ounces 5 -6 times a day
- He is now wearing 3 - 6 month clothing
- He has rolled over half way.
- Wells is trying to cut teeth on the bottom
- He is fascinated by his daddy!
- He loves to watch football and loves to be outside.
- He has just started to like the Baby Bjorn
- He still loves to be swaddled
- He has finally mastered sleeping 10 - 12 hours a night!!! Praise Jesus!
- We go through 8 - 12 diapers in a day.
- He and I both are adjusting to me being at work during the days :(

Wells continues to amaze us every day. He is the biggest blessing we could ask for and watching him develop into a little person is such an incredibly humbling experience. What an incredible privilege and responsibility it is to raise a child and point him toward the Lord!

More posts to come soon. With starting back to work, I am having to learn how to manage my time and maximize my time with my little one. Hope to do several posts soon!

2 months!

I am a little late posting our 2 month post. But, here's to catching up...

Our little guy is so happy and so good. At his 2 month appointment he weighed 9 pounds and 4 ounces and was 22 inches long. What is funny is I weighed more than that and as about as long as he is now when I WAS BORN!!! My poor mother!

At 2 months Wells...

- is in the 10th percentile for height and weight

- is in the 50th percentile for head circumference size

- is smiling

- is cooing

- recognizes his mommy, daddy, Dolly, Dutch, Grandma and Grandpa, MommaSissy and Uncle Al

- is very demanding when it comes to his meals (we are working on patience already)

- loves his play mat and his swing

- gave us his first laugh

- loves tummy time and is working hard at rolling over

- enjoys when we put rattles on his arm

- is not a fan of the beach yet

- is a great traveler

- loves, loves, loves being outside

By the way, the beautiful pictures taken above were taken by my friend Lea Popham who has her own photography business! She is great. Thanks, Lea, for photographing our little Wells.

We feel so blessed to have been given this precious gift and can't wait to share more at 3 months.

Ode to my fellow breastfeeding mothers!

My hat goes off to all the women who are reading this blog and breastfed (or are breastfeeding) their babies. It is hard work!

I truly believe breastfeeding is the best for your baby and that is why I continue to stick with it. But let me tell you, it has not been an easy road.

I work in a hospital and I have had several women ask me to write about my experience with breastfeeding and any "pearls of wisdom" along the way, so here you go...

Breastfeeding was a choice and the best choice I feel I have made as a mother yet. Studies show, and I have to agree, that breastfeeding gives your child the healthiest start of life possible. I always knew I wanted to breastfeed my children for as long as I could, but never knew of the dedication and mental toughness this part of motherhood would require. Here is a snippet of my journey...

Breastfeeding is one of the most special bonds a mother and baby can share. You carry this baby for 10 months and bond with it during that time and when he or she is born, breastfeeding is an extension of that bond that you have in utero.

What I was not prepared for is how painful breastfeeding can be and how time consuming it is. The lactation experts at the hospital do a great job of educating you and showing you technique, which is important. The wild card in breastfeeding is how your child will respond and how they will latch.

My baby latched just fine, but has always had poor technique while nursing.

Poor technique=sore nipples!

I was very consistent with my visits with the lactation nurses. You never know the importance or value of the lactation nurses until you have a screaming baby and sore nipples.

After many consultations and working on Baby Wells' technique, I got on the right track. Or so I thought...

This is the part where mental toughness comes into play. After 2.5 months of nursing, I still struggle at times with sore nipples. That is no fault of any ones. I have anatomy that has not complied and a baby who continues to battle poor technique.

I decided long before Wells entered the world that I was going to be successful with breastfeeding. That determination, coupled with a breast shield and lots of nipple cream, has lead to a mental toughness to get through the sore nipples and the occasional discomfort associated with breastfeeding.

On to the issue of time. I am an active person who hates to sit still. Breastfeeding forces you to sit still, enjoy your baby and let them eat - ON THEIR TIME TABLE. This has been a challenge for the "do it" mentality I have. Good news - we live in a world of technology and AWESOME breast pumps. When you need to give your breasts a break and you need to feed your child more efficiently - just pump.

Lactation nurses will tell you that only pumping can lead to a decrease in your milk supply. So, I don't recommend solely pumping. However, I have used pumping as a tool to alternate between breastfeeding and pumping to give my breasts a break and feed more efficiently at times. Just an option!

Bottom line - the benefits of breastfeeding far outweigh the negatives. I have always heard that you lose a lot of weight while breastfeeding. That fact is very true. I also heard that it was more cost-effective to breastfeed. That is also true.

When you go to the grocery store next, price formula. $23 a can for formula that might last a week gets expensive very quickly.

The satisfaction that I know I am giving my baby the very best is mostly what continues to remind me that I CAN do this breastfeeding thing - it is simply a choice.

If you have any tips or stories to share, please leave a comment...

Must run - baby is screaming and ready to eat.

Visit from sweet friends and the best team ever.

These precious girls (the girls that I work with) came to visit one day and it made my entire week. Jeanine (blond on the ground, Lisa in the back and Kimberlee in the blue and white stripe) all came to my house one day to see the baby and Kimberlee (who has a baby 2 weeks older than Wells) brought her baby too! It was so fun to play with the babies and catch up. Let me tell you, these girls will be a big part of making the transition back to work easier. Not saying that transition will be easy, because I think it will be the hardest thing I have ever had to do!!!

(Kimberlee, left, and Lisa in black sweater, holding the babies.)

Busy bees with the babies!

Lisa holding little Miss Aubrey.

Kimberlee with little Aubrey.

Mr. Wells with Jeanine. Funny how much smaller Wells is than Aubrey! :)

Precious Aubrey

Alert, awake and enjoying the spa (I mean bath).

One of my favorite things to do is take pictures of my little one! It is so fun to see him discover, see him grow and change. Below, I have selected some of my recent favorites that show some of the progress our sweet baby is making in his growth and development...

I found Wells like this after he had to "cry it out" one nap time. He cried himself out of his pajamas and it totally cracked me up!
Wells has struggled with tummy troubles and the bath has been our best friend. We tried bathing him in the kitchen sink and you would have thought he was at the spa - HE LOVED IT!!!

Below are a few that show how alert and awake he is. He is smiling, cooing and looks at you with those piercing blue eyes. How can you help but just fall in love with him!

He usually makes this face when he discovers something new. It is usually followed by a squeak or a coo!

This was the first time we captured his smile. You can see he is thinking about it and now we have made it to a full blown smile, which I have yet to capture on camera.

He is also the best snuggler. What a love and what a blessing!

Ok -here is more of a smile. Such a precious little guy! We are so in love with this little one and feel like we have received the biggest blessing on planet earth!