White Family Christmas

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Shutterfly baby photo books are the perfect way to preserve your baby's precious moments.

9 months and growing...

9 month wagon photo shoot- such a character

Practicing his pull-up skills wiath the pumpkin patch

at least I can count on one of the two kids to be camera ready (most of the time)

getting so big!

"I want to eat this pumpkin and all the hay I can shovel in my mouth"

shoulder rides are his new "thing"

he got tired of watching tricycles go around in circles

Matthew~
I am amazed when I think back on a year ago when we were on a mad dash to find, purchase, and move into our first home within months before your arrival in January… and now, a year later, we not only settled into this place, but this house has become a home full of life and all the beautiful chaos that comes with having a 3.5 year old and a nine month old! I honestly am in disbelief that you are already nine months… I am desperately trying to savor each and every baby moment as it seems you are growing up and out of the “Chubbabubba baby stage” one quick day at a time. You earned your beloved nickname Chubbabubba courtesy of all your plump little rolls, your round little head and your squishy little cheeks. But as you have become quite the mover, your baby rolls are beginning to thin out and you are becoming all things little boy much too quickly for this mama’s liking.
9 month accomplishments:
*22lbs and 29 inches
*Crawling (you started crawling forward at exactly 9 months- just like your sister!)
*Pulls up to standing (and you prefer to stand)
*4 top teeth and 2 front bottom teeth are fully in- and you are working on the 2 bottom fangs which are causing your grief
*Strawberry blonde hair is finally emerging (can’t wait to see if you’ll have curly hair like your sister or straight like your mama)
*you’ve mastered “dadadada or dada” (still not associating the word with the person, but soon enough) *Eatting big boy food Food you love: meat, sweet potatoes, banana, Nilla wafers (yours and daddy’s favorite bonding time next to the shower), steamed carrots, yogurt
Food you don’t care for: butternut squash (apparently I am the only one in the family who likes it), beans, rice and lentils (the face you make is priceless)

Likes:
 Mommy (still savoring the mama’s boy stage)
 Hugs and kisses (you think it’s hilarious to give big slobbery wet ones)
Daddy time on the swing (one of your most favorite places to be) Shoulder rides with daddy
Playing with your big sister
Laughing and smiling- seriously you are one of the happiest babies we know and your snicker is hilarious Testing everything in your mouth
Mickey Mouse (you hear the song and immediately your attention goes to the tv)
Cords- vacuum, electronics, laptop charger, phone charger… you will crawl and I am pretty sure you will be driven to walk to get your hands on any cord in your line of sight
Tags- blankets, clothes, towels, stuffed animals… another thing you love to chew on
Being entertained- especially when mommy and big sis are in a dancing mood, your laugh is priceless
Wagon rides around the block
Being outside

 Dislikes:
Your baby swing
Being smothered by your sister (who is obsessed with you)
Sleeping in past 6/6:30

There are not that many dislikes which means you are a pretty content and happy little man… I am sure we will have plenty more to add to these lists as you continue to grow in the next month or two. I think this might just be my favorite stage though- just before walking and you are so easily amused and a pretty easy going baby.

Love~ mama

8 months...

"gotta problem? i like sucking on my bug antennae- deal with it."

"check out my newly sprouted bed head!"

Dear Matthew,

I am ashamed to have let 7 (almost 8) months go by and I have yet to do a single post about just you and your countless milestones, quirks, memories, loves, and dislikes... But better now than never! Where to begin... 

We have affectionately named you Chubbabubba and Captain Chunk for the obvious reason... you are a precious plump little butterball, and your rolls are something we adore. Truth be told, I am sad to notice them already thinning out as you become more active (as I write this you are attempting to start crawling)... I am not in any hurry to have you crawling or walking just yet, both for my convenience and to make those rolls and pudge stay on your little bones a little bit longer. But while I'm at it, you have become quite good at rolling over and scootching across the floor to explore your surroundings (your nana has nicknamed you Scootch). This past month you started sitting up on your own for long periods of time -until you get bored and plop over to roll to the next eye catching distraction, or until your sister decides its time to smother you, pick you up, or help you roll over. You just started pushing yourself up to sitting. You prefer to be on your feet- we have a feeling you might be walking shortly after crawling (if even then!) 
August 28, your first bottom tooth finally poked through (you have been teething for weeks!) I am praying the rest of the bottom three come through soon so you (and I) can get a full night's rest again... You started sleeping through the night around 3-4 months, but those teeth have created havoc and many restless nights for us (while I am sleep deprived, I do enjoy middle of the night cuddles with you which I know won't last forever) 

You came out of the womb with strong lungs (enough so that your not-so-little cry could be heard down the hall), and you apparently intended to keep them strong as you started out the first few months colicky (not sure if that was it or if it was my diet- I cut out coffee and chocolate for you- that's how much this momma loves you)... by 6 months your little crying fits lessened in frequency, but rest-assured you still have those strong lungs ;-) 

You are a simple little man... you are pretty much easy to please and one of the happiest and smileyest (its officially a word in my dictionary) babies I have ever known. In the past month you and your sister (who adores you to death- sometimes a little too much and smothers you with her affection) have become fast friends and you love to laugh and play with her... it melts this mommy's heart and I'm not gonna lie- its convenient to have the distraction so I can get my chores done or dinner made. We all LOVE your little laugh and your quirky facial expressions... especially when you quickly go from a very expressive serious look to ear to ear smiles in a second. You are becoming a ham for the camera just like your sister (apparently you and her get it from the Smith side- before long you will understand the cue "normal" :)

You have a way about you that makes each person who holds you feel special and loved... I honestly don't know how to explain it other than- you have this super-power ability to melt hearts already, and as your personality continues to blossom, this power only intensifies. 

You love bath time and water play (much more than your sister)... you especially love the bumbo in the shower with me (super convenient). You love food- just as long as it doesn't involve mommy having coffee or chocolate- and you are ready for bacon, steak, and hamburgers judging by the drool and stare-downs when they are anywhere in your line of sight (or smell).

You are a momma's boy (daddy refers to you as my "prince") and I am savoring every second of your affection because I know that won't last forever (enter sad face)... I have mastered (9/10 times) your cries, your routine, and I admit- you have me wrapped around your little finger (you insist on being hummed and bounced to sleep, you let me know very clearly when you are not happy about being set down in a particular place or with particular toys, and you light up when you hear my voice enter a room- which I know will probably be replaced with groans at some point, but for now I adore the smiles)

I realize there is so much more I am probably leaving out of this long overdue update, but where I lack in updates, I made up for in pictures... Its bitter sweet looking back on these 8 months that have felt more like 8 weeks or less as you have grown from our little 8 lb bundle, to our plump little 21 lb butterball! 

I am savoring every moment, and while it makes me sad to see you grow out of your baby chub, it is such a joy to see your personality blossom.

Love, momma 

January

February 

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

A new chapter begins...

It is bitter sweet to begin this new chapter in our lives. Our little Nugget survived her first day of "pretty school"... this long awaited day that our little girl has been begging for (for over a year she has been pleading to go to school) was not at all how I planned, but memorable  nonetheless! Unlike some parents who dread the potential separation anxiety that typically goes hand-in-hand with sending little ones off to school for the first time, we knew that Jayme was more than ready to go to school- for one, she has been begging for it, and two, this three year old wants nothing to do with mommy, daddy or brother being a part of her school day- "Mommy, I go to pretty school and you stay here with baby Maffew okay?!" 

We set off- complete with her choice of first day frocks,  and a sleepy baby (I tried desperately to time his nap with our "get acquainted day" so I could wear a sleeping baby and focus on Jayme's first experience), and the biggest smile I have ever seen on her face... this is where it all went not-so-according-to-plan...

"Mommy you crashed! You crashed! Oh no!" As I pulled into the street in front of the school, I hit a pedestrian on a bicycle (17 year old running over an hour late to school, not wearing a helmet, not watching where he was going, and apparently without brakes on his bike)- Could have been way worse, but I am thanking the Lord he only walked off with skinned up knees... Also thankful for the other parents who were witness to the accident and helped this shocked mommy keep her sanity. As I attempt to get Jayme (now almost 30 minutes late) to her first day, the secretary notices I am frazzled and as I am apologizing for our late check-in and explaining the situation, we hear sirens. Fantastic.

"Mommy look! A firetruck!" Because he was a minor, one of the dads thought it best to call the authorities... Now this little situation of skinned up knees became a frenzy complete with firetruck and paramedics, ambulance, and two police units dispatched! As I somewhat frazzledly (yup I just invented it, add it to your dictionary- its now a word) walked Jayme to her classroom, Matthew decides he is too excited to sleep now with all the commotion- cue fussy/overtired baby. 

The moment Jayme has been waiting for arrives as we finally make it to her new class and are greeted by her teachers... She identified her name tag and did a practice check-in and then was so proud to put on her red-apron (each class has different colored aprons). Not even five minutes in the classroom and we notice it was cooler outside than in (hard to believe a muggy 85/90 was cooler than the classroom climate!)... Mrs. Macias assures all of us that the air will be fixed by tomorrow, but in the meantime it will be a little uncomfortable (add a 20 lb fussy butterball strapped to my chest, and I am pretty sure I sweated off enough calories to eat an entire cheesecake).

"The police need to speak with you, Mrs. White" Super. As this was supposed to be a "get acquainted with your parents and teachers" day, I felt nervous leaving Jayme in a room with a bunch of moms and dads while I left her to take care of business ... but this was the silver lining of the day- my child had no problem sending me off so she could play in her classroom without me (or her fussy brother). I was escorted to my car in the back lot to retrieve my license and registration and give the officer my account of how I managed to hit a pedestrian... Much to my relief, Officer Phillips was comforting and assured me that according to vehicle code, witness account, my account, and the account of the guy I hit, I am in no way at fault for the accident. Sweet Relief! Then he proceeds to warn me that he sees this often when a minor is involved- the parents believe their child couldn't be to blame and they want to press charges or take the person (me) to court- so in other words I should alert my insurance and have the police report reference ready. At this point I am ready to take my roller coaster of emotion home and drown it in a bubble bath (can't do because we don't have a proper bath tub) or a glass of wine (but 10:30 AM is not 5:00 somewhere).

Back in Room 3, I attempted to get Jayme to go home, only she is having way too much fun meeting friends and playing with everything from play dough, to dollhouses, the kitchen and dress-up area, the baby dolls, and cars... I decided to give it my best effort in mingling with the other new parents (fussy baby is now becoming an overly tired-teething-crying baby). I am pretty sure every parent will remember me from this day forward after the chaos I brought with us to school... Finally, I found an opportunity to convince Jayme to leave with a new friend she made... not before she had her own little meltdown refusing to take off the dress-up clothes so we could go. 

Although the day went nothing like I had planned, and there were some serious moments where I would have rather crawled in a hole to cry... I am thankful for the silver linings we made out with in the end- Jayme still enjoyed her first day and is excited to go back without mommy and brother on Thursday, I didn't kill or seriously injure anyone, and I didn't cry or melt down (although my emotional energy for the week was depleted in the course of one morning). 

the only photo I managed to get because this mamarazi was too frazzled to remember to take any other pics

THREE...

Dear Jayme,

It is no exaggeration when people say childhood goes by in the blink of an eye! I remember the day you were born like it was yesterday. I remember talking to your daddy on our drive home from the hospital (in the slow lane of course because he was nervous going any faster than the speed limit with such precious cargo)- we were both in awe and taking in the surreal realization of the huge responsibility and privilege (raising a precious, innocent little human being) that was now ours to take home from the security of the hospital (where doctors and nurses would know what to do when we didn't) … While there have been countless moments of pure joy and sweet memories made over the course of your first three years, my heart has never experienced such joy as welcoming you into my arms, followed by watching you welcome your “baby Maffew” into your arms for the first time, beaming with big sister pride. It’s true- a mother’s heart grows with each new addition, and my love for you grew and morphed into something unexplainable the day you became a big sister- one day, when you are a mommy you will understand what I mean.

Along with becoming a big sister this year, there have been countless other milestones and achievements as well as memories made… Perhaps the most obvious change has been your vocabulary. I took your Bebba’s advice (three years later- better late than never!) and started a journal of little quotes or memorable moments and tidbits from you. There is never a dull moment with you around! You light up a room with your sweet personality, and just as quickly turn that sweet demeanor into major sass (sometimes we have a hard time not laughing while lecturing you for some of the ‘tude you have become an expert at throwing out!)

You are lil’ miss independent, who is desperately vying for our attention whenever your brother is stealing the show. One moment you are sweet on him, the next moment we are prying you off of him… you officially know what the word “smother” means. You are such a little mommy with your bitty baby doll. You love to mimic how I tend to baby Matthew with your own baby doll- including telling me to be quiet when you put her down for a nap or trying to feed her milk ;-) 

Time outs and spankings are unfortunately something we are all too familiar with, but as the saying goes- “it hurts me (and daddy) more than it hurts you”… Even though three is a tough age (for you and us), I know that your stubborn strong will coupled with your sweet sass, will one day evolve into a beautifully strong girl/lady who will have her voice heard.

I realize every parent is biased, but I am so proud of how you have grown! You are smart- you love to read and have mastered your alphabet (with sounds), you officially know more Spanish than your parents (thanks Bebba), you can spell your name (and in sign language!), memorized your (mommy's) phone number, address, and your birthday.  You are kind- you almost always mind your please and thank you's, it cracks me up when you shout "bless you" to someone an aisle over that sneezed, you have picked up saying "pardon" or "excuse us" as we pass people in narrow aisles, you say "I'm sorry" with the sweetest tone (although sometimes you are working us over). You are a character- always cracking jokes and your laugh is nothing short of contagious and sure to put a smile on the faces of everyone in the room. 

Random things you love ~

Sunday school,

Swing/slide/friends (how you still refer to the park sometimes),

Your best friends Audrey and Riley (and their baby brothers!),

Chocolate,

Baby Doll,

Elephants, monkeys (monos), and giraffes,

Riding in Taycie’s jeep,

Bebba time,

Holding baby Matthew,

Grampa’s weekly visits (and M&M treats),

Phone calls and play dates with Nana

Park dates and the tire swing with daddy,

Working in the garden or yard with your daddy,

Bedtime prayers and stories with daddy,

Rides on daddy's shoulders,

Snuggles in bed with mommy,

Shopping with mommy,

Toy Story and Chick-fil-a Fridays,

Touching the red balls in front of Target,

Riding your bike,

Hopscotch,

Your girls (Hannah and Emma),

Your boys (Connor and Kyle),

Peanut Butter balls,

Peanut butter sandwiches (open face so you can swipe off all the peanut butter first),

Your cardboard box house,

Mickey Mouse,

Doing your own chores (making your bed, putting away your laundry, brushing your teeth- and flossing!),

“Bubbly, bubbly baths”,

Going to the doctor,

Playing doctor,

Playing in the dirt on the side of the house,

Being in your underwear (when we are home you end up in your underwear most days)

Birthday parties,

Singing with any pretend microphone (especially TC and Seany’s song “Ho Hey” and your “Wagon Wheel” song)

Spinning with Tio,

And talking on the phone (real or pretend- such. a. girl.)

I pray that as much as we struggle to find a balance- you with independence and finding your place in this world, and me with patience in guiding you- this phase will only bring us closer. You are my favorite girl and despite the learning process (for us both)- you make me incredibly proud to be your mother (and I am pretty positive daddy feels the same ;-)

Love~ Mama

a year of joy

Taycie

Bebba

Tio Alex

Mama's side-kick sweetie

Nana

Grampa and GG

my girl and her "baby Maffew"

daddy's girl

BFF's

mini milestones...

Amazing how 5 weeks have flown by… and amazing how life with two babies (Jayme is still our baby girl) can create such an incredibly different family dynamic! Over the course of sleepless days and nights, I have realized how grown up our baby girl has become, and while it is bitter-sweet, we are cherishing every day with our two precious babies.

On a side note, this morning I found myself watching a live broadcast of a fallen officer’s funeral…I was brought to tears as I watched his grieving widow stand in front of thousands to talk about how she will deeply miss those “ordinary days” and their weekends that were simply family time and Sunday morning breakfast… I know I couldn’t have been the only mother/wife watching her speak with such strength that only God can give a person in such a tragic situation, as I dared to think about how precious it is that I was able to kiss my hubby good-bye before leaving for work, to be woken by hungry babies who don’t need caffeine to be in a good mood or start their day (I need to work on this and become like them!), to just simply go through the motions of an “ordinary day” as my role of a stay at home mommy and to be so grateful that we are all tucked safe and sound in bed each night as a family of four… with no one missing…. I simply cannot imagine or begin to imagine life being any other way. I realized in that tear-filled moment that I was once again given a reminder of how precious each waking moment is, and how days will quickly turn into weeks, then months, then years… and I want to hold on to the sweet ordinary moments that fill up our time… There have been so many little moments that I have wanted to remember or capture, but courtesy of sleepless nights with a newborn, I have let moments turn into days gone by.

A little note (or not so little) about the past few months:

Dear Jayme,

The words that come out of your little mouth (and the complexity of some of your sentences and vocabulary) blow your daddy’s and my mind every single day! It is as if you went to school overnight and woke up a little girl who is trying to outgrow each stage faster and faster. Some of the memorable quotes I can recall most:

“mommy, go bye-bye, close the door please and feed baby maffew” (you are lil miss independent when it comes to going to the bathroom)

“good night baby maffew, sweet dreams. I’ll be back to check on you. God-bess”

“I took a shower with tacey, I all clean now, I go to bed?”

“mommy, call missy, I play with Audrey and Waylon tomorrow?”

“I call Riley now? Happy birthday Riley? I sing, have cake, and presents, and play?”

“I want peanut butter balls and blueberries please”

“I don’t want pirates, I watch Mickey Mouse clubhouse and have hot oatmeal please?”

My love for you has grown in a way I cannot explain, but maybe one day you will understand when you become a mother. From the moment you came in to meet your baby brother with such pride beaming from your little face, to the first time you held him, and every single morning and night when you beg to hold him and smell him, and when you hear him cry off in the distance and instantly become his second mother who needs to comfort him (no matter who is holding him), and your eagerness to help throw away dirty diapers, fetch clean ones, or “help mommy”- you have a sweetness about your role as big sister that melts my mommy heart. Daddy and I have also noticed with being a big sister comes some jealousy… when your baby Matthew cries and the attention immediately turns to him, you pretend cry and insist one of us hold you also. You still love to be rocked before bed, and you insist that we check in on you… you may not realize it now, but not a single night goes by that I don’t check on you and tuck you in with a kiss and a prayer before I go to bed (and sometimes throughout the night when I am up feeding your brother). You love to sing and talk on the phone and take pictures- when the moment strikes you, you will use your imagination and any readily available toy or remote or object as a pretend microphone, telephone, or camera… and you insist daily that I take your picture with you holding your baby Matthew.  You love to hum the night-night song to your baby brother when you hold him. You love your big backyard and riding your big girl bike, and on several occasions your daddy and I have found you just sitting in your stroller taking in the quiet of the day by yourself (precious!) You love books and reading, and more recently you love to pretend to read to us (you have “Good Night Moon” memorized”). You love to play blocks with daddy or grampa after dinner. You love to be a pretend mommy with your bitty baby doll, and if I am wearing your brother in the carrier, you drop whatever you are doing to find your “backpack” and carry your baby too. You love to help in the kitchen and I let you break eggs and stir ingredients (a little messy, but sweet memories are worth it). You are your mommy’s (and daddy’s) girl when it comes to chocolate… you love it. You love Chick-fil-a and Toy Story picnic dinners. You love coloring and are learning how to use your scissors. You love other kids and beg to go to school nearly every day (soon enough). You are not a fan of having your tangles brushed, nap time, the word “no”, loud noises outside, the dark (since we moved this is a new fear), or mac n’ cheese. I’m sure I could write a novel about how much you have grown in the course of several months, but these are the major highlights. Each day you never cease to amaze me (and your daddy), and we are thoroughly enjoying watching you blossom into a spirited little girl who has a mind of her own and is desperate to find her way into big girl shoes. I pray you stay “little” just a little while longer, as I know that soon you will be 3, and then 4, and then 16… I love you my sweet girl.

My dear sweet Matthew,

From the moment you were laid on my chest after birth, and every day since then, you have been mama’s boy… It didn’t take long before your daddy and I realized that sometimes your cries had nothing to do with being hungry, cold, wet, or tired… you simply just want your mama’s embrace. I’m not sure which one of us loves to snuggle more, but either way, I am soaking it in because its just a matter of time before it becomes “not cool” for your mama to hold or hug you ;-)  You are so mellow and easy going- when your needs are met- but your daddy and I kid that you are our “high maintenance baby”… you love to be held, but sometimes enough is enough and you just want to be left alone to be laid on your side, other times over the shoulder, other times worn in the carrier, and you prefer our bed over any other sleep surface (next to mama’s arms). Turns out you have reflux and after being fed we have to hold you upright for at least 30 minutes or else everything comes right back up (I don’t mind since I love snuggling you anyway ;-) You love to be wrapped up in your soft muslin swaddle blankets as long as hour arms are free (and you love to have your burp cloth or blanket snuggled up to your face). You love your sister and having your feet rubbed (specifically by her or your daddy). You don’t like to be left alone (unless its on your terms), having a wet/soiled diaper, or when I have chocolate (such a bummer when I realized that is likely what makes you throw-up). You have the sweetest little coo’s (I know every baby does it, but something about your constant sounds-like-a-squeaky-door-hinge-coos-when-you-are-sleeping melt my heart). Your little cry is anything but little… for such a sweet quiet boy, you sure let us know when you are anything but happy with this scream-like cry that will get anyone’s attention! I know your little smiles are probably gas related or unintentional at this point, but when you chuckle and smile in your sleep or give us a big grin while awake, I can’t help but think you are the happiest little boy. It’s only been a month since you have been a part of our little world, but we are all excited to watch you and your little personality grow as the days and weeks progress. Your daddy and I are so grateful and blessed to call you our son.

Now for some pictures of our first month as a family of four!

Our girl making friends, celebrating nana's birthday, and loving on her brother

BFF's... I want to take this picture every year!

daddy daughter bonding time, turns out she shares his passion for fishing!

12 days old

 

family and newborn pictures by Christine Collins

New year... new addition...

In April of 2010, we moved from our tiny one bedroom apartment, into a spacious town home in La Verne, to accommodate our growing family... even with the stress of moving the month before my due date, our little girl was comfy cozy in the womb and had to be induced two days after her due date in May. Two-and-a-half years later, we had outgrown our "spacious" two-bedroom house and needed to accommodate our soon-to-be newest addition (and all the new stuff that goes along with having a boy). Apparently God believes we can handle the time crunch pressure, so three weeks before my due date, we closed escrow and moved our growing family into our first home (a four bedroom- just in case we need to grow again ;-) Even with the stress of moving the week before Christmas, with a two year old, and a house guest (Nonnie was staying with us until the Tuesday after the move)- this baby boy was too comfy in the womb to come out on his own, so after being 80% effaced for over a week, and 2 cm dilated for 3 weeks- we elected to get induced again the day after his due date for a couple reasons- a) we didn't want to chance going into labor during rush hour now living almost 45 minutes away, and b) I really wanted one of the three doctors I liked to deliver, and c) we were able to plan out Jayme's overnight @ her "boys' house"...
 After a contraction and anxiety filled sleepless night, we woke up extra early Sunday morning to have our “hot oatmeal” breakfast and Mickey Mouse (Jayme’s favorite morning routine) before we packed the car and headed out one last time as a family of three… By 7:30, we dropped Jayme off at her “boys’” house (Connor and Kyle- “her boys” are basically her big brothers from another mother! They have been a part of her life since before she was born, and she absolutely adores them!)… After a last bitter-sweet good-bye snuggle with our little girl, we were off to St. Jude to turn our family of three into an even four!

8 am-      Check-in at L&D, change, and begin an indefinite diet of ice chips only (seriously  one of   the worst parts of labor is being deprived of food!)

10 am-    Finally hooked to Pitocin- and now the long wait begins… and because there was literally nothing on TV, so does my first ever start to finish viewing of an entire football game (pre-game, commercials, halftime, and post-game) Ravens v Colts… Surprisingly not a bad way to pass a couple hours!

12 pm-    My mom and brother go Ryan lunch and he came back from a full stomach of Farmer Boys to take a nap on the lounger, while I was finally feeling the effects of the Pitocin in the form of back labor (I think my nurse felt my annoyedness- yup, it’s a word- and she gave him a hard time on my behalf ;-) 

3 pm-      Dr. Henderson finally broke my water (I was hungry and cranky at this point and wanted to get the show on the road already)…

3:45pm-  Holy back labor! The good thing (if you can call it that) about not having an epidural during my labor with Jayme, was that I now had a comparison of the pain level I could handle before I wanted to cry… and before my blood pressure got too high that labor became dangerous… after much debate and deciding it was better this time not to let my blood pressure rise from the pain level, I caved and got the epidural (still wish I would have just held out, but in the moment it was the right thing to do for the baby and myself).

4:00pm-  Epidural in, and I get a chance to take a brief nap before the “fun” begins…

4:45pm-  Ryan gets a text from my brother saying his Starbucks was ready for him in the waiting room… I give him “the look” and tell him there is no way he is going to have time to “step out and get it”… Push time! What was awesome this time around was that the doctor and nurses were able to get set up in time for me to push… When we had Jayme, Ryan and one other nurse were the only ones in the room and the doctor barely made it in time to deliver her! Ryan got his wish this time around and was able to be at the cheering section of the table instead of the “nurse end” ;-)

4:53pm-  3 contractions and 5 pushes later, Matthew Ryan arrives and is a healthy crying/screaming 8lbs 7oz, and 20.5in!

4:55ish-   We are still up in the air as to what he looks like- Matthew or Joshua… Because I had the epidural, I was relaxed enough to ponder with Ryan what his name would be-        

               [side note: I wanted Matthew because I love the name meaning “gift of God,” and after our year, I felt blessed to have the chance to have another child almost a year to the day that we lost our second pregnancy… Ryan and Jayme liked Joshua (“God saves”)… and honestly I figured we would just have to see which one he looked more like when he arrived.]  After a vote from the doctor and nurses- Matthew it was! Big sister Jayme STILL refers to him as Joshua every now and then… one day she will get it right ;-)                                                        

Our hearts and lives are forever changed by the newest addition of our little boy, and I cannot be thankful enough that Jayme has adapted so well…minus the to-be-expected 2.5 year old energy spewing out of her little body at all times, she is so in love with her “baby brudder Maffew.” Two weeks later, we have had the time to enjoy a few visitors here and there, but for the most part we have had time to spend quality time bonding as a family of four before Ryan heads back to work next week (super blessed that this time around he has a secure job with a company and boss that are so accommodating with paid time off!)

Moments to cherish:

~Matthew’s sweet demeanor, and coos when he sleeps (which seems like 20 hours a day right now!)

~Jayme asking, “I smell him??!!” every time she wakes up, goes to bed, or sees him and gets the urge to take a big sniff of his head and then smoother him with sweet big sister kisses

~His beautiful blue eyes that are sure to be like his daddy and sister’s

~His sweet little hands that love to be up near his face and not swaddled with the rest of him

~His little feet that he loves to be rubbed by his daddy

~The way his big sister beams with pride when she introduces visitors to her baby brother, and when she holds him

~The way we can already tell he is a momma’s boy because momma has the magic touch and his content face proves it ;-)

~The middle of the night and early morning snuggles and how sound he sleeps in the bed curled up next to his mommy (and daddy sometimes)

~The way he loves the soft swaddle blankets up against his face (aden&anais bamboo swaddles are seriously - Worth. Every. Penny.)

~The way his big sister loves to help turn on his swing or help with fetching or pitching out diapers

~The way Ryan has been so incredible taking over grocery shopping, laundry, meals, Jayme routines, and almost every morning bringing me breakfast in bed so I can nurse while I have breakfast!

We are so excited and blessed to have this sweet baby boy in our lives, and we cannot wait to see what joys this year brings as our family grows in our new home!

On our way to have a baby!

After nearly 2 hours of active labor- he's here! Healthy, beautiful, and a crier (made us nervous at first, but it wore off after a few hours and he is a calm baby two weeks later!)

family shots (including one for bebba)

First time meeting her little brother... it could not have gone any better!

a week later, she is still a proud big sister who is smitten over her "baby Maffew"