Track and Field

Colin and I went to Bryson's field day this week.  Bryson had a blast at this school event and enjoyed the long jump, the egg on a spoon relay, water games, and various types of races.  He tripped over one of the hurdles (in his defense, the hurdles were almost up to his waist) so that was his least favorite activity, but he just brushed himself off and kept going, which made me proud.  Bryson received all sorts of ribbons (they awarded first, second, third, and fourth place as well as participation) and was very proud of himself.  Colin and I wore our hats and hung out under an umbrella, and I think Colin had as much fun watching Bryson participate in the games as I did. 

 

2 Months

Colin is already two months old, which is just crazy. He's growing so fast. Colin weighed 10 pounds, 11 ounces at his doctor's appointment last Monday and is 22 inches long.  That puts him in the 25th percentile for growth. Bryson was never on the charts, so although Colin is on the smaller side too, we're happy with his weight gain, especially since he's had some issues with his mouth. Colin also got some shots at his appointment and reacted poorly to them as indicated by leg redness and a 100.2 degree fever. Since then, though, Colin has been more himself.  He gets a little fussy in the evenings and still spits up quite frequently, but the reflux medicine seems to help.  We had his lip tie surgically released earlier this month so he can open his mouth wider, and he is now learning some new nursing and sucking techniques so that he'll latch better and I'm not sore. Colin is developing some strong opinions as he prefers to be held to go to and stay asleep, whines and kicks if I try nursing him in the "football" position, and is quite the Mama's Boy (he whines when Daddy is holding him and he sees me).  He loves splashing in the bath, sitting in his bouncy chair, kicking on his play mat, riding in the car, and watching and listening to Bryson.  Colin is starting to communicate a little bit with "ahhs" and he rewards us with lots of smiles, especially when Bryson and I sing to him. I love that Colin is interacting a little more now. Even though life with a newborn is challenging, we love Colin so much. He's so fun! 

  

 

Mother's Day

Bryson treated me like a queen on Mother's Day, with a little help from Daddy and Grandma Jane.  He made me a "Happy Mother's Day" banner and had me open presents while he fed me a breakfast of cold cereal.  Bryson gave me a framed picture and a book he made:  "Sometimes we fight, sometimes we argue, but sometimes we hug and say I love you." He also had Daddy help him with things that he needed "so Mommy didn't have to do it" and wrapped a nursing cover and a baby wipes clutch purse from Colin.   Bryson also let me take a much-needed nap with Colin, and I appreciated that.  He planted a flower for me at school and decorated the bag it came in.  I guess Bryson doesn't think my life amounted to much (see message on photo below), but I loved his gifts and how he really made an effort to make it a nice Mother's Day for me.  You can also enjoy the Mother's Day video we made at the end of this post. 

Mother's Day 2014 from Melissa G on Vimeo.

My Boys

I love all of my boys.

 

 

Happy Easter

We had a good Easter this year and took this photo of our new family of four where I'm not in a hospital gown.  Bryson went on an Easter egg hunt at our apartment complex and then hunted for eggs and prizes at Grandma Jane's with some friends.  Bryson and I also dyed eggs and Colin hung out, did some tummy time, and gave us a few smiles.   Something special happened at Church, and I couldn't help but feel like we're doing something right.  Bryson started crying during a Sacrament meeting talk about Jesus' love for us through the Atonement and Resurrection.  When I leaned over to ask him what was wrong, he said, "I'm just happy.  I know that Jesus loves me."  That alone made Easter Sunday great, and we're so thankful Bryson can feel the Spirit and we have a Savior that loves us and died for us.

Special Delivery Video

Jarom just finished Colin's birth video.  I love Bryson's reaction to finding out "his baby" is here.  For those of you who are worried, the video is very tame because Jarom made sure to edit the footage.  Enjoy the video of our special delivery.

One Month

Colin James, 4 Weeks Old

 

We can hardly believe Colin is a month old already.  We love this little guy, and Bryson especially seems to have a good bond with him.  Bryson loves being a big brother.  Colin is over 8 1/2 pounds now and is 20 inches long.  He is thriving, though he seems to have a little tummy trouble.  He spits up after just about every meal which causes his sinuses to back up, leaving him a little congested.  Poor guy!  He's sleeping like a baby . . .which means he's up every three hours to eat, he's awake at night when we want to be asleep, and he wakes up when we put him down.  But the loss of sleep is worth it to have this little guy in our family.  Here are some pictures of our new addition that we've taken the last few weeks.