Shepherd :: Seven Months

Dear Shepherd,

Your seventh month was a fun one for us. It started out with our first day in our new home in a new city and state (and time zone) for you to adjust to, and it has been a wonderful transition for all of us to be back in Nebraska.

This month has seen "capital M" Milestones, things like sprouting two new teeth (which actually started last month) and crawling. You are no longer scooting; for about a week, you've been a hands-and-knees mover and shaker. One of the funniest things about you crawling is how determined you are to get to where you want to go, especially if you are upset. This pairs well with something else we've noticed this month: you have become increasingly dependent on and clingy to me. If I leave the room for a second, even to go in to the next room, you will cry as soon as you realize I'm not there, even if someone else is in the room. This is difficult for your dad, because you are often reaching for and looking at me, crying, when he holds you. If you see me, and you want to be held, you will cry and cry unless I pick you up, even if someone else is holding you. If I leave the room, though, you stop crying and seem to "forget." One thing I want to remember is seeing you crawl, tears streaming down your face, from the dining room to the kitchen where I was cleaning dishes. You look so small and helpless there, but as I watched you move yourself, I saw just how independent you are and will continue to become.

You have become much more interested in books, stuffed toys and everything else in your little world. Your favorite book is the animal book from Birdie because it makes crunchy sounds, and your favorite things to play with are your football, Baby Sophie and anything you aren't supposed to have. We have to have eagle eyes when you're on the floor because you like to climb everything. You easily go from kneeling to pulling up on anything; you want to scale the couches and climb to the top of the jumper.

You seem to understand "no" and "baby" and your name. You babble a lot, and you can parrot what I am saying when you want to. You melt my heart when you repeat "mama" to me after I've asked you to say it. You understand gentle words and smile when you hear them, and you are sensitive, too; when you are spoken to sternly you will cry real tears. Sometimes when your dad is joking, he uses loud noises, and it scares you because you think something is wrong, and then both dad and I feel bad for scaring you.

I think you are a strong-willed little guy already. Your temper is a force when you are upset, mostly when you are hungry or aren't being picked up as soon as you like. You seem to get upset when you can't nurse immediately and when food is taken away from you.

One hallmark of this month has been your foray into solid foods. We began at the beginning of the month with baby-led weaning, and we have enjoyed watching you eat real food from the get-go. You began eating dinners, and you now eat solid food at both lunch and dinner. Your first food was avocado, and in the last month, you have had several types of food including apple, pear, squash, zucchini, broccoli, cheese, cottage cheese, beef, mashed potato, sweet potato, greek and regular yogurt, carrots, rice cake, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, bell pepper, tomato, waffle, tortilla, spinach, beans and pasta. The only things you have seemed to truly dislike are pasta and, at first, cottage cheese. You have since taken the cottage cheese, but you will leave pasta on your plate most of the time. We tried raw tomato one time, you may have had a small reaction to it. Your Birdie is allergic to raw tomatoes, so we plan to stay away from tomatoes for a while. I like baby-led weaning because you try a variety of tastes and textures and can self-regulate how you eat. The downside of baby-led weaning has been how messy it is, especially with sauces and yogurts.  I really wish we had a dishwasher most nights! Baby-led weaning has not replaced nursing for you; you still nurse 5-6 times a day despite becoming fussy during your late morning/early afternoon feedings. This is perplexing to me, but we are hopefully figuring it out.

Your sleeping habits continue to amaze me. You sleep from 7 p.m. to 6:30-7 a.m. and take two (occasionally three) naps in the day. Your morning nap is from 9:30 to 11:30 and your afternoon nap is from 1:30 to 3:30. You are a creature of habit and thrive on a predictable schedule. I am thankful for this, as it helps us identify if something isn't going well what needs to happen. We also lowered your crib because you figured out how to pull yourself up.

I think you are so funny, little man. You shake your head like you're saying "no" all of the time, and it just cracks us up. When you're doing it we ask you "yes" or "no" questions to see what you say. You're like our adorable little magic 8 ball. You are learning how to give kisses and love to hold on to people who hold you. You can be such a love, and it makes me so happy when you want to cuddle. The moments are rare, but when you fall asleep in my arms, I treasure it. It's amazing how quickly our time has passed.

Your little birthmark on your stomach has almost completely faded, and your hair is definitely coming in. We thought you would be our bald Benjamin Button forever, but, I guess not! You are still sucking on your fingers a lot and will occasionally switch hands and suck on your thumb. Your fingers will pacify you immediately when you are crying, which is helpful, but I'm worried your teeth are going to be crooked because you suck your fingers so much.

This month was the first month since you were 12 weeks old that I have stayed at home with you. It has been such a privilege to be able to do so, and I've really enjoyed it. I am thankful for that gift!

Neat things this month:

• You went to your Nana and Papa's house for the first time;
• You went to your first two Husker games: the season opener against Southern Miss and the second home game against Arkansas State. We hope you will be a Husker one day, but of course, we will be proud of you no matter what!
• You met some of our friends from childhood and college;
• You met your Great Grandparents on the Pfanstiel side (Grandpa Great and Grandma Great) and your great-aunts Shelley and Alison and cousin Maggie. You are the first great-grandchild for Grandma and Grandpa Great, and they were very excited to meet you.
• Your cousin Kennedy was born today, which means you two are exactly seven months apart. Two little cousins born on the cusp of changing seasons... a spring baby and a fall baby!

We have loved this month and the newness it's brought to our family and the familiarity we find in getting to know you better. I love how you know us and we truly are building a relationship. I look back on pictures of when you were a newborn and just can't believe it. I feel like my heart has always known you. We love you so much, little one, and praise Jesus for the joy of raising you to love him. 

Love, 

Mama and Daddy

At Seven Months:

Height: 28 inches (80th percentile)

Weight: 16 pounds 6 ounces (16th percentile)

Head circumference:

You are wearing size 6, 6, 9 and 6-12 month clothes. Almost all of your jammies need to be replaced because they are too small in the legs and feet.
You are wearing size three diapers; you switched at 6.5 months.
You have brown/green/hazel eyes.

Some nicknames we have for you this month:

Sheppy/Shep

Shepì Pepì

Jacques Pepin
Pepsi (Pepsi Cola, Diet Pepsi, Pepsi Maxx (when you're hyper), Caffeine free Pepsi (when you're tired/asleep)

Prince Caspian 

Chef Pepi

Tiny Chef

Mr. Pepin

Baby love

angel-pange

I am writing letters and taking photos of Shepherd on (or near) the 20th of every month.  

Also, Shepherd :: One Month

Shepherd :: Two Months 

Shepherd :: Five Months

Shepherd :: Six Months

Shepherd :: Six Months

Sweet Shepherd Pie,

We really turned your world upside down this six month. I'm writing you almost three weeks later because some big changes have happened to our family.

First and foremost, let's talk about your development. Baby boy, you have been such a joy to parent. You are still nursing frequently with the plan to begin solid foods when you were six months old. You struggled with sitting up unassisted but progressed as the month did. Despite the fact that you toppled over easily, you wanted to go, and quickly! You scooted and army crawled and tried desperately to get where you wanted to.

You cut your first two teeth this month, too; you have two shiny little bottom nubbies. Your left tooth came first, and then your right one a few days later. They happened to pop out right in the middle of the big event... our move to Nebraska!

In the middle of the month you began sleeping restlessly. You woke up in the middle of the night once or twice, because of the teeth I think, but didn't have any other wake-ups. I think you could also sense that we were on the brink of a big change. My last day of work was August 8, and it ended up being a big relief for me to have time off to be with you and coordinate the logistics of our move. Your last day at Ma's house was August 14; at that point, you were drinking 15-20 ounces of milk at her house and I was really struggling to keep up with your demand. You also hit a big growth spurt and probably grew a foot! Not really, but you did seem to grow tall and you have a lot more hair. Your eyes are brown and bright, but every so often they change to green.

You put everything in your mouth. You love to be held and prefer it to being on the floor, but if we can distract you with a fun toy or book, you will give us a few moments there, too. Your favorite toys have been Baby Sophie, the oBall, diapers; recently, you have taken an interest in your stuffed animals. It is so fun! You have also discovered that the kitties exist, and you think they want to be your playmates. Unfortunately for you, this will be your first lesson in disappointment; Toby is afraid of you and is around you only when he is perched high enough that you can't touch him, and Livy is very sweet and tolerant of you pulling her tail and "petting" her, but she is also afraid of the sounds you make at her. You squeal at both of the cats, talking to them to gain their attention, but they do not make conversation and, more often than not, get scared by your loud noises and run away. I think they are in for a rude awakening when you are mobile!

I am impressed by how you are beginning to show that you are learning things. You are still as happy as can be, but when you get frustrated, you get very frustrated! Sometimes I have to hide my laughter. You are also able to scoot around easily, and we can no longer leave you on the bed; you can push the pillows down and break out of your jail. Not that we learned that the hard way or anything!

Neat things we did this month: (it's long, because we've had a great month!)

• Dad went to Nebraska to interview for a new job, and we decided to move back to The Good Life.
• We went to Tyler to see Birdie and Poppy while Dad met up with all of the Nix men. Maybe one day you can go! You also got to see Aunt Jilly and Hayden because Jilly had the day off at Pine Cove.
• Your Aunt Shannon came to visit one last time before we left Florida.
• You met many of my friends and colleagues from the FSU Foundation (and I left my first real job)!
• We went to Seaside and said "see you soon!" to the beautiful ocean that we enjoyed for almost three years.
• The great migration to the Midwest began! We bid farewell to living in Tallahassee, Florida, and drove to Tyler. We spent a few days with Birdie and Poppy and enjoyed the sunshine and the pool. Then, we drove to Wichita, Kansas, and spent the night with your Uncle TJ and Aunt Tiffany (Bees) and their puppy Mallie. You absoultely adored Mallie, and she was really sweet to you, even though you pulled her fluffy ears. We are working on "gentle," but you are still a little young to understand the concept.
• We moved in to our new house and started our new journey in Nebraska!

We thought the move would be harder on you than it was. With your teeth coming in, we were petrified you would scream the entire journey from Florida to Nebraska. The movers left with our semi-truck on August 15, and we drove to Birdie and Poppy's and spent a few days there. Then we spent the night with Uncle TJ and Aunt Tiffany. The next day we made the last leg to Seward. You did so good, and managed to hardly cry at all. We were so thankful, because we were so tired and stressed!

The next month will bring a lot of change in our lives, and I am so thankful that our family can experience this journey in a place we love so much. I am eager for you to grow up, at least for now, in this place and to see how you blossom. I am nervous about how this change will affect you, but I know that we are in a wonderful community, and I look forward to growing here.

We love you, little man. Your bright eyes bring us so much joy!
Love,
Mama and Daddy

At Six Months:

Height: unknown (we moved on the date of our six-month appointment, so we will be delayed in these stats)

Weight: unknown

Head circumference:unknown

You are wearing size 3-6, 6, 9 and 6-12 month clothes. You have a few size 3 onesies that still fit, too, but just barely. We have packed most of the clothes, and it kind of breaks my heart that we won't need to unpack a lot of baby stuff!
You are wearing size two diapers.
You have brown/green/hazel eyes.

Some nicknames we have for you this month:

Sheppy/Shep

Shepherd Pie

Peppy Pie

Shepì Pepì

Pep

Jacques Pepin
Pepsi

Prince Caspian 

Chef Pepi

Tiny Chef

Baby Guy

Moose (Your Poppy calls you this)

I am writing letters and taking photos of Shepherd on (or near) the 20th of every month.  

Also, Shepherd :: One Month

Shepherd :: Two Months 

Shepherd :: Five Months

Shepherd :: Five Months

Shepherd,

There's evidence everywhere of you growing. The clothes I fold and put away to be used for "another baby," the blankets covering our living room floor, the myriad books I am reading to try to get a glimpse into what these next few months may hold for you... they all show me how time passes swiftly. We can't believe how quickly we've come to this five-month mark, and we are so happy to be here.

These days truly feel like a golden age. You are so sweet, and you are so generous with your smiles. You nuzzle your happy face into my shoulder when someone pays attention to you and makes you smile. You like to pretend you are a shy guy. You love to watch and observe what everyone and everything around you is doing. You love the orange and black kitties that sit in your perimeter while you play, and this month you have started reaching out to them and understanding that they are soft and are interested in you, too. You know so much, and you love being known.

You chatter to yourself every morning when we put you in our bed while we get ready for work. Sometimes you sleep until it's time to change in to "school clothes" and go to Ma's house. If you wake up in the middle of the night, you will nurse for a while and then just start talking to us. It makes us smile, and it makes us thankful you don't wake up too much anymore!

I wrote about how much you want to move. You are an expert at the walker at Ma's house, especially at going backward. You spend a lot of time on your tummy trying to move, and you can orient yourself in the direction you want to go and roll/creep that way. You roll a lot, especially while sleeping.

We are so thankful for your sleeping habits. You go to bed at or around 7 p.m. each night and sleep until between 6 and 7 a.m. You take two naps that vary in length, but usually around two hours each. When we put you to sleep, you always migrate to one corner of your crib. In the last month you've gotten your legs and arms stuck in between the slots—a good case for bumpers, as you cry and cry if you wake up and realize your predicament. You sleep with a swaddle blanket every night, and we recently introduced your Ellie the elephant lovie. You love both.

Your crowning glory, though, is sucking on your pointer and middle fingers. You are an excellent self-soother, and when you have tantrums or get upset, you can always soothe yourself once you pop those fingers in your mouth. For a while you would alternate fingers and thumb, but you seem quite settled on those two fingers now. You almost always fall asleep sucking on your fingers, and spend a considerable amount of waking hours sucking on them, too, unless you're playing and exploring new things. I will consider this a hallmark of your fifth month, along with the drool. Oh my goodness, baby boy... the drool is out of control.

We love seeing you realize you are able to interact with the things around you. Gone is our bobblehead, and we now have a curious guy who loves to watch and be introduced to new things. You are sometimes hesitant to reach for new things, but lately, we've noticed that you love balls, linking toys, baby Sophie, and stuffed animals. Also, naturally, anything that you can stick in your mouth. You love exploring your hands and feet and examining each of your fingers. You grasp your feet and try to eat your toes. You gum everything, and you don't have any teeth yet.

You have continued to eat well and will get to experience solid food next month. At this point, we plan to give you milk exclusively until you're six months old. I am not sure how I feel about the idea of you beginning solid foods and drinking with a cup. I know these things are on the horizon, but they seem like they are coming too soon. I'll probably say that about all of your milestones.

You kick your legs and beat your chest with your hands. You are animated, but if you get too animated, you will get upset. You are getting better about sitting in the Bumbo and watching us eat dinner, but toward the end of our meal you often get upset and have to be held or sit on our laps as we eat. We think you might be jealous that we get to enjoy solid food!

I love that you are often content to explore by yourself. I can set you down for a few minutes on your playground and you will happily keep yourself entertained (for the most part). If you wake up, we might not know for several minutes unless we happen to peek in your room and see you in your crib staring at the pictures on the wall or counting your fingers or something else that fascinates you. You are a content little fellow.

Your bald little head is growing more and more hair. Sometimes we think it's blondish, sometimes we think it's light brown, but it's definitely coming in. You still have very dark tufts of hair on the top, back and halfway down your ears and lower... your pediatrician said you had a mullet and should be a swamp person for Halloween. He's a good guy, so we let it slide...

Your eyes have changed from navy to greenish brown. I think they're different every day. You may have eyes like your dad or Aunt Jilly or Poppy. You might get brown eyes like me. We will just have to wait and see!

You're our long string bean. Your legs are lengthy and your feet are big. Your dad taught you to blow bubbles, and now you two enjoy making noises at each other. You also do it when you're trying to get my attention; the ladies in Target think it's funny. You are laughing more and more, and sometimes even at me. Most laughter is still reserved for your dad and his funny noises. The little red mark on your stomach that we call your raspberry is disappearing, just as the doctor said it eventually would.

This month makes me excited for all of the things you are laying the foundation for. Your dad and I pray that you will always have such a sweet disposition and be so loving. You are sensitive to other babies; when one of the other babies at Ma's house begins crying, you do too. I can't wait to see you each and every morning. You are my little sunshine.

Neat things we did this month:

•  This month you went to New Orleans and saw Birdie, Poppy and Aunt Jilly and experienced a bit of the Big Easy. 
• We went to Orlando and met Tia, my best friend from college, who lives in Minnesota and was vacationing in Florida.
• You went to your first fireworks show and celebrated your first fourth of July. It was rainy, but we had fun anyway. 

We love you so much, sweet boy.
Love,
Mama

 

At Five Months:

Height:unknown (no dr. Appt. this month)

Weight: unknown

Head circumference:unknown

You are wearing size 3-6, 6, 9 and 6-12 month clothes. You have a few size 3 onesies that still fit, too.
You are wearing size two diapers.
You have brown/green/hazel eyes.

Some nicknames we have for you this month:

Sheppy/Shep

Shepì Pepì

Pep

Pepperjack

Jacques Pepin
Pepsi

Prince Caspian 

Chef Pepi

Tiny Chef

Baby Guy

Moose (Your Poppy calls you this)

I am writing letters and taking photos of Shepherd on (or near) the 20th of every month.  

Also, Shepherd :: One Month

Shepherd :: Two Months
Three and Four months coming soon, I promise!

Sweetest Sound

Yesterday, we drove west for some beach time. We trudged through the sugar sand with our hands full and set up camp in a secluded section. It was like our private beach! Aaron was putting sunscreen on while I held Shepherd on my lap in the shade, and Shepherd was staring at Aaron's every move, as he usually does. Out of nowhere, Shepherd burst out laughing!

We have been trying to coax laughter out of Shepherd for several weeks, and so far we have been unlucky, so this was a very happy surprise and completely unprovoked! Aaron and I just sort of stared at each other, wondering "is he really laughing?" Sure enough, he quickly stopped as soon as he caught on to the fact that he had an audience. Still, we were ecstatic to hear those giggles!

As soon as Aaron began applying more sunscreen, Shepherd again started laughing. He sounded a little maniacal, honestly... an adorable, high-pitched maniacal almost four-month-old! I imagine Shepherd wondered what the heck his daddy was doing patting his belly, arms and face. He was completely amused!

This morning, Shep was sitting in our bed as we got ready, and I was doing everything I could to turn his big smiles into laughter. Monkey noises, dancing, clapping, silly faces all got lots of smiles, but no laughs. I love his developing sense of humor and seeing what it is that makes him jubilant. I just can't wait to hear that laugh again!

And how fitting that Shepherd's first fit of laughter was directed at his wonderful daddy on Father's Day!

Fifteen Weeks

Shepherd is drooling and chewing on his hands non-stop. His smile lights up the room, and though we haven't heard a real laugh yet, I am so eager for that moment to come! He gets so tickled sometimes and just squeals and squeals. He's also bashful; if he is smiled at a lot, he will grin and bury his head in the shoulder of whoever is holding him. It's so precious!

Many people say he looks a lot like me right now. His eyes are changing and seem to be a different color every day. His dark hair is being replaced by sandy-colored hair. I see his dad's expressions in him mostly when he is being quiet and contemplative and when he is surprised. He gets these huge eyes that look just like Aaron's.

I need to post his three-month pictures and letter soon! He will be four months in two weeks. There are no words to describe the joy he brings us. I'm smitten.

Shepherd :: Two Months

My sweet smiley boy,


Happy two months! I love counting these milestones with you. In fact, we talk a lot! Since I get to spend all day with you, I try to tell you as much about your world as I possibly can, from the people you meet to the places we go to the things you see, smell, hear, taste and touch. I want you to learn and explore, and I want you to love to the fullest.


This month you have blossomed from our sleepy, baby guy into a boisterous, smiley, happy little fellow. You have certainly gotten longer, and I think you are making a case to be in the NBA. You are still wearing size one diapers, but you have now outgrown almost all of your 0-3 month clothes, and you are starting to comfortably fill out your 3 month and 3-6 month clothes. I was very sad when your feetsies got too big for your footed onesies and I couldn't zip or snap them without them not covering your shoulders! I still think baby clothes are sized arbitrarily, and it's hard for me to put clothes away and think that you will never, ever be able to fit in them again. It seems silly, but one day, when you have babies of your own, you might understand.


Your favorite thing this month, aside from Mama (as Daddy says) is your swaddle blanket. You absolutely love gripping and putting your swaddles up to your mouth, and they are very comforting to you when you're tired, grumpy or getting your diaper changed. It's a good thing we have several! You have learned to follow us with your eyes, and you are smiling seemingly all the time now! There's nothing better than waking up to your gummy smile in the mornings. You smile especially big when I say funny things to you and tickle your tummy, and you have recently started to smile when Daddy says things to you, too. You love your Moby wrap, and any time you are grumpy, especially around the time Daddy comes home, I find it easiest to wrap you up and keep you close to me to calm you down.


You are easily wound up. When we first see your legs kicking, you are usually smiling, but we have to be careful not to overstimulate you, or the kicks will more vigorous, and you will end up in tears with the commotion. It took us a while to realize you weren't just exercising those legs; you were communicating with them!


You still don't have a full head of hair, but, slowly and surely, it is creeping up to the top of your head. Daddy calls it your toupee, or your Donald, as in Donald Trump. You are still long and lean, and almost everyone who meets you comments on what a big boy you are. You have very long arms that look like wings! Your eyes are still grayish, but I think they are turning green. You're still a good eater, and for that I am so thankful and blessed! You haven't had a bottle yet, but we will begin introducing them soon. After you eat, you sometimes get the "chipmunks," or hiccups. You hate them!


Since last month, you've graduated from hating baths, period, to enjoying them, but you especially love showers. You still hate tummy time, and I hate making you lie there (seemingly) in misery, but you have to develop your back, shoulder, neck and stomach muscles if you want to play basketball one day! When we visited Texas, Birdie tried to do tummy time with you and you positively hated it. You screamed like I've never heard before! Birdie refused to be in charge of tummy time for the rest of the week; she hated seeing you so upset. And that's one thing you have certainly developed---a temper! You have very distinct angry cries vs. needy cries, and I sometimes can't believe how much of a hot head you can be. You get especially mad when I let you cry in your crib before or after taking a nap. If I go to wherever you're supposed to be napping and you see me, you will go from a medium, irritated cry to an all-out, red-in-the-face, mouth-wide-open wail. It will be even worse if I pick you up; you will scream so loud your little voice disappears and your body straightens out like a little log! I hate it, but you have to be OK with being by yourself sometimes. For as much as you hate napping, you are an excellent nighttime sleeper, averaging five to six hours between waking up. Your schedule is almost like clockwork between 3:30 and 4:30 and then again around 6 a.m. I nurse you and you are swiftly asleep, and boy, you can sleep late! We snooze in together sometimes until 8:30 or so in the morning, though Daddy wakes us up to kiss us goodbye when he leaves for work.


Shepherd, I think you're a big man disguised in a baby boy's body. You have so many animated, serious expressions that you make me laugh. Sometimes I can't help but think that you are my best friend; we spend so much time together that I feel like I know you like no one else ever will. I have loved seeing your development progress to the point where you know who I am and smile for me; it makes me feel love I didn't know existed from the bottom of my toes to the top of my head. I am filled with love for you, and a protectiveness I didn't know existed.


Neat things we did this month:

• Your first Good Friday and Easter services. I was especially emotional during these services, thinking about how Jesus' mama must have felt seeing her baby literally go through Hell; it became powerful to me in a new way that I will forever appreciate. I want you to always know how much more Jesus loves you, even more than we ever could, and that is a whole, whole lot. Inconceivably more.
• You and Daddy watched the Masters tournament, the first of many you will watch in your life! Bubba Watson won this year.
• Your first airplane ride and trip out of state to Texas, to see Birdie, Poppy, and Aunt Jilly. Even though Daddy couldn't come, we had a fantastic time. I will always cherish the memories we made on this trip, and I was so happy we could go see Aunt Jilly's home at college in College Station.

I love you so much, sweet pea. You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 2:1

Love, 

Mama

At Two Months:

Height: 24.5 inches (>97th percentile)

Weight: 12 pounds, 15 ounces (80th percentile)

Head circumference: 39.6 cm (75th percentile)

You are wearing size 0-3 month clothes, and they are almost too small.
You are wearing size one diapers.
You have gray eyes with hints of green. Sometimes they look blue.

Some nicknames we have for you this month:

Sheppy/Shep

Sheppy Giuseppe

Shepì Pepì (Only Daddy calls you this one)

Bug/Buggy/Goose/Goosey (Only Mama calls you these)

Sheppy Pie

Baby Guy/Baby Head

Grump Ears/Monk Ears/Stink Ears (all variations of monkey, which we first called you when you were very little and wore an outfit with a monkey hat)

Snoozy Guy

I am writing letters and taking photos of Shepherd on (or near) the 20th of every month.  

Also, Shepherd :: One Month

Shepherd :: One Month

My sweet angel boy, 

We are so happy you are here. The past month with you has been more than I imagined in so many ways, and knowing you actually get to stay with us makes my heart swell. I want you to know how much love you received in your first month on this earth from so many people. Your family made thousand-mile trips to see you (some of them twice!), you received so many letters and cards and gifts from friends and family and those who love you (mama still hasn't finished those thank yous, though!) and spending all my days with you has brought out a consuming love that I couldn't have predicted.

Every time you wake up from a nap I'm reminded that you've grown a little. Your eyes are open so often now, and they remind me that everything you see and hear and touch and experience is molding and shaping the little boy and man you will become. I hope you see, hear and feel the palpable love that surrounds you. You were born with long, dark hair on the back of your head and not much on the top, just like your daddy had when he was born. In this first month, we have watched your hairline get darker as you went from our little old Benjamin Button baby to having fuller features. Around three weeks we went from using newborn diapers to size ones, which mama had a hard time with. Just like when we tried your newborn zippies on and your toes curled up because the feet were too small and we couldn't get the neck past your shoulders. You are growing into such a strong baby boy.

I am thankful for our days together. I lie you on the floor on your tummy for a few minutes a day, and you lift up your head like such a strong baby. Things so mundane now make your mama and daddy incredibly proud of you. Your slate gray eyes gaze at me, and I feel at once as if I've known you a thousand years and we are meeting for the first time.

I have heard people say that the newborn phase is boring because all you do is sleep and eat. It's true, your activities are limited, but I am absolutely in love with every moment you are here. I love that you are so close to me now, and I know that one day, maybe soon, you will need me less. I will be proud for you when that time comes, but until then, I want you to stay close and small in my arms for as long as you want to be.

We are amazed at how much you love to be taken on outings. You have fallen asleep in your car seat each time we've ventured out to dinner, to church, shopping or to run a quick errand. We love that, for now, you are a perfect little traveling companion. You belong in our family!

Last weekend, right before you were three weeks old, someone at a store asked me if you were eight or nine weeks old. I couldn't believe she thought you were so old! You have long legs and arms and a tiny little belly.

You are the light of my world, little one. I am so thankful for your first month here, and I can't wait to see what next month will bring us. I am so thankful that Jesus let us have you!

Neat things you did this month: Met your Birdie, Poppie, Nana, Papa, Aunt Shannon, Aunt Tiffany, cousin Imogen and Aunt Jilly in person. You also met your Uncle TJ and Aunt Tiffany over Skype. You had visitors three out of your first four weeks! We were so busy. Your first outing was to Free Pancake Night at IHOP (ha!) at almost two weeks. Your second was to Target the next day. Mama didn't know how to take the car seat out of the car, so Daddy had to show her.

Love,
Mama

At one month:

Height: 24 inches (97th percentile)

Weight: 11 pounds, 11 ounces (90th percentile)

Wore size newborn clothes for two to three weeks, now in size 0-3 months.
Wore size newborn diapers for two and a half weeks, now in size ones.
Your eyes change from dark blue to steel gray.

Nicknames:
Baby Guy

Sheppy/Shep

Sheppy Giuseppe

Shepì Pepì (Only Daddy calls you this one)

A Room of His Own

Tonight will be Shepherd's first night to sleep in his crib in his nursery. At 25 inches long, he is officially too big for his bassinet, and as much as I'm dreading it, I think it is for the best.

If we have a rough time tonight, I doubt I will be the one who enforces this sleeping arrangement. It's been so wonderful to have him right beside us, and I am sad to see him---or more aptly, not be able to see him---in his own room. He sleeps from about 8:30 p.m. to 4:30 or 5 a.m. right now, which is great for us. I will probably bring him back to bed with us after I nurse him at 5 to sneak in a little more time with him.

Aaron and I planned for Shepherd to sleep in his room from day one, but when we brought him home, I immediately nixed that plan and decided "we would go with the flow," mainly because I couldn't stand the thought of him being anywhere but beside me.

As we put Shepherd to bed tonight, I laughed at the difference between the plans we made and the reality. I'm sure Shep won't even notice where he is, but I will miss his sweet smiles and the way he cranes his neck---we call him ET--- as he sleeps tonight, without us. Will let you know if this works, or if I try to get him to sleep one more night in his bassinet.

Sweet Shepherd Pie

My sweet Shep is nine days old, which seems like a lifetime to me. Nine days?! I'm working on his birth story, slowly but surely, and really trying to rest and recover as quickly as possible. In the mean time, here's what has been going on:

We took Shepherd home last Wednesday, and my parents were here with us until Friday. They took great care of us while we were still in the hospital, cleaning and cooking meals when they weren't at the Family Care Unit with us. I can't describe how much I love seeing our family with our baby. I am so thankful for these moments! Thank you, Mom and Dad, and we can't wait to see you in a couple of weeks! The ride home from the hospital was rainy, and Aaron drove five miles per hour slower than he usually does. It felt surreal to sit in the backseat with my baby on our way to our home. Slightly scary and overwhelming, certainly, but also incredibly... incredible. I remember thinking about how everything he was seeing and hearing was for the first time. I still feel intimidated by that. I want to expose him to the best of everything and inundate his little world with love and enrichment.

After my parents left on Friday, we went to Shepherd's first doctor's visit. He was a doll except for when he had to be weighed; he hated feeling his back against the cold of the scale. When we left the hospital, Shepherd was down to 8 lbs., 1 oz., and by Friday, he had gained back about three ounces and was 8 lbs., 4 oz. I was worried about how much he was eating, but our doctor was really pleased and told us to keep it up. I used to read things like this and not really understand (or care, honestly) why people were mentioning it; after taking this perfectly helpless but perfectly resilient little one home, I get it. In the hospital, the nurses could answer all of our questions, the lactation consultants could tell me if his eating and bathroom habits were normal and they were all there around the clock. At home, the schedules and lists we keep are the way we know if he is doing well, and until yesterday, I was obsessed with logging every minute of every nursing and every diaper change. We use the Medela iBreastfeed app, if you're in the market, and it's phenomenal! We are so cool for being excited over this kind of stuff :) Aaron kept track of everything on his phone until he went back to work this week, and now I do it on mine. I am still logging diaper changes, but I feel like we've gotten in to a more natural nursing schedule, and I don't feel like I need to log every minute.

On Saturday evening, Aaron's mom and sisters Shannon and Tiffany and our niece Imogen got to Tallahassee. Karen, Tiffany and Imogen were planning on spending a few days with Shannon in Chattanooga, but the four decided to take a detour to come meet Shepherd. My sister-in-law Tiffany also took some amazing newborn photos of Shepherd while she was here. Tiffany is a birth photographer in Denver, and so we were just thrilled that she could be in Tallahassee. I am in love with the results, and I am so thankful to Tiffany for taking the time out of her vacation to capture these memories of this tiny baby boy for us! Thank you, Tiff!

Shepherd also got to meet his Uncle TJ and Aunt Tiffany via skype just before the Academy Awards on Sunday night. TJ and Tiffany just announced that they are having a baby in September, and we are so happy for them.

After a very busy and filled-to-the-brim first week, Sheppy and his mama have been lying low this week. I have tried to rest and not do much, but I'm still perfecting the sleep-while-the-baby-sleeps routine. It's not easy to nap even when Shepherd's sleeping because of the lists looming in my head, even though I know it will all still be there tomorrow. I just want to spend every moment with him. He is an absolute angel, and all the cliches are true. I don't want to miss a second of his little life.

Thank you so much to everyone who has showered our family with love over the best week and a half. You've blessed us beyond belief, and we are so thankful for you! Shepherd is a blessed little guy, and we are, too. We are so thankful!

Announcing...

Shepherd Christopher Nix arrived Monday, Feb. 20, 2012, at 3:10 p.m.
He weighed 8 pounds, 9 ounces and was 21.5 inches long.

We are incredibly in love with our son and can't wait to share more!