One Month Old!

Sweet baby Ryan is one month old today! Where has the time gone??? (It sure didn't go by this quickly when he was inside of me!:)) I love the fact that I can barely even remember what our family was like without him. How lucky are we?!

So, we decided to celebrate this monumental day with a "Happy One-Month-Old Birthday" party. Nathan picked out a carrot cake (?) at the store for him (I think he liked the carrots made of frosting on top...which was pretty much the only part of the cake he ended up eating.) We even had a candle they all took turns blowing out.

Here is our cute little man in his "Sunday Outfit." I love the onesie with the tie sewn onto it. We had to go find some newborn size cords to match!

The other day I read this quote...

"I truly believe that as low as you go, you bounce back up that much higher."

...and I really think it's true. The physical and emotional lows I experience while carrying these sweeties are amazingly low. It's kind of scary. But the high I feel when I hold them in my arms for the first time, and thousands of times after, is the most amazing and wonderful feeling. I am so happy and so grateful to be enjoying this special, unexpected season of my life. I'm soaking it in and loving every minute.

Four Weeks

Our little Ryan is four weeks old today. I'm a little sad to have him "growing up," but it is so fun to watch his sweet personality emerge. He is such a good baby, and loves to be snuggled (good thing, because we all love to snuggle him!) He's starting to get on somewhat of a schedule, but none of our kids have been very good sleepers, so I'm not expecting much sleep for the next several months! And, we are venturing into new territory...Ryan may be the first one of our babies to actually take a binkie. Which is WONDERFUL right now, but then again I've never had to wean one of my kids from a binkie, so I don't know if I should push it. (Any thoughts?) He also seems to enjoy our morning and afternoon walks to school, which is good because we have nine months of them ahead of us! :)

These are a few more of the pictures Christie took. They are so sweet, I just can't stop looking at them! She captured this special time for our family perfectly. Do you think this little guy is loved? I think he's going to be spoiled like no other...

First Day

Our first day of school went off without a hitch. The girls love their teachers, and are excited about their classes. Whew! This was our first "first day" without any tears of anxiety. When we got to school the girls both went off to find their class lines, and that was it! It was too easy...I guess they are getting older and much more independent. We are lucky to be at such a great school with amazing teachers and good friends. The combination made for a smooth transition to 3rd(!) and 5th(!) grade.

Daddy even stayed home long enough to see the girls off for their first day. Here they all are, walking to school (we've got quite the entourage now...)

Anna and Aimee on the blacktop.


My sweet 5th(!) grader...


My cute little 3rd(!) grader.



It really feels good to get back to school this year. Usually I dread the new year...the end of summer, my kids another grade older, etc. But this year I'm loving it. I think it's probably due to the fact that I'm feeling back to my old self (I can actually eat without feeling sick...I'm so happy!!!) I love the structure our family is settling back into, and I love that the girls are at school with their wonderful teachers. Ahhh, back to productivity. It's been a while since things have felt "normal" around here, and it is a good feeling. I'm so excited for everything we have coming up in the next few months. Stay tuned...we'll keep you posted on the fun. :)

Ryan's Newborn Pictures

A couple of days ago we got to have Christie come over for a photoshoot with the kids. She did an amazing job...she is so talented! We all had so much fun watching her little tricks with a tiny newborn. The kids loved her too. In fact, thanks to Christie, Aimee is now an aspiring photographer. She's done two "photoshoots" with Ryan since Christie left! Here is the link if you want to see the rest.

http://christiehobson.blogspot.com/2009/08/ryan.html

I'm in Love...

We all are. Completely smitten by this sweet little baby boy. He completes our family in so many ways, and I can't believe that we are lucky enough to have him.

I was thinking back to last August when I started struggling with feelings of wanting another baby. When I was pregnant and so sick with Nathan I told myself that it was the last time. That I couldn't do that to my body or to my family any more. I treasured each little milestone with him, thinking that it would be my last chance to have a baby at each precious stage. I was so sad the last time I nursed him, even when I changed his last diaper. I thought I was okay with three kids. I didn't really have a choice, I had to be okay with three because how could I go through all that again? But then, the aching started. I told myself that I would just have to get over it because another pregnancy just wasn't possible.

This went on for months, and although I tried to busy myself with other things, reminding myself often of how grateful I was for the three sweeties I had been blessed with, the feeling kept gnawing at me. I wondered why it was so strong, and how long it could go on. I prayed for an answer, but nothing seemed clear.

About a week before Christmas I started feeling so tired. For a few days I figured I had just completely worn myself out with all of the busyness of the holidays. But then I got really tired, and I started to be suspicious. On a trip to Target I grabbed a "test"...actually the 2-pack because it was a better deal. :) I was shaking as I waited for the results, so afraid either way. My mind raced with what one or the other would mean. I could hardly bring myself to look, but when I did I was filled with instant relief. Negative. I wouldn't spend the next several months in bed, excruciatingly sick. Then the sadness...we wouldn't be getting a baby either.

After a few days I forgot about it in all the craziness of getting ready for our big Utah trip. By the time we got up there I was exhausted, I and spent the entire vacation trying to rest and recover from our busy month. Every day I grew more and more tired. We all got a little stomach bug the day after Christmas, and my stomach never quite felt the same after that. By New Year's Eve I was worried. I felt awful. There was really something wrong with me, and I needed to make an appointment with the doctor. The next day the thought occurred to me that I should try the other "test." Again, the shaking, the waiting, but this time the result was different. And then I cried. I cried and cried and cried. I knew what this meant. Months in bed. Months of missing out on life. Months of being horribly sick. But it also meant that we were getting a baby. I knew in my heart that this was the answer I'd been seeking, and that this little baby was meant to come to our family. I was excited and terrified all at the same time.

The last eight months have been very hard. I knew it would be worth it, but I just didn't know how worth it until they laid this baby boy on my tummy just seconds after his birth. I cried again, so grateful for this last chance to have a baby in our home. He is amazingly sweet and so precious...straight from heaven. We are lucky to have you, Ryan. We love you. Thanks for coming to our family!

Baby Ryan

We can't get enough of him!!!

He's Here!!!

Ryan Blain Jones

August 20, 2009

5:11 a.m.

6 lbs. 7 oz.

17-1/2 inches

Super Cute....

Pictures coming soon!