Our Little Chunky Monkey

He weighs 9 lbs, 4 oz. No, I'm not kidding. And I guess I can stop worrying if he's getting enough to eat!!! When he had the home visit last week, he was 8 lbs, 8 oz. Right now, I'm worried that all the newborn diapers we have aren't going to fit him--maybe we can tape two together and that'll hold him for a little bit.

Dad & I went to Babies-R-Us today & picked up the Flutterbye Swing (or whatever it's called)--and it ROCKS, both literally & figuratively. I know that you don't want your child to get used to sleeping anywhere but their bed, but there are times when I've changed him, fed him, changed him again, rocked him, cuddled him...and he won't fall asleep. It's not that he's fussy (though sometimes he is...), it's just that I look down at his sweet face & his eyes are wide open, and he's just looking around. And it's 2:30 in the morning.

So, you can see by this picture that he seems to like his swing:


It really is a cool swing--the mobile at the top spins around, and there's a mirror underneath for him to gaze at his pretty self...and the swing spins to rock either side-to-side (as it's doing here) or front-to-back.

He's getting stronger every day--his little neck muscles are really working overtime; he's just about able to hold his head up. It's still a bit wobbly, but something tells me that in the next week or so, he'll be trying out for the football team.

I'm starting to see a schedule emerge...today we woke up around 7ish, and then ate & napped until about 10. We ate again around 11-12 or so, and then Grandma & Grandpa came by, and he ate again and when Dad & I came back from Babies-R-Us around 2ish, he was sound asleep. He woke again around 3, and we had a bath, then ate--and then I put him in the swing, and the rest is history.

Since he IS asleep, I may take this opportunity to eat something myself & maybe catch a few minutes of naptime...Wish me luck!

Daddy's Little Boy

I really love this photo...I love how tiny Noah's feet are in relation to Patrick's hands; I love that Patrick has this half-smile of contentment on his face; I love that it just looks so right.

We're trying to get on a schedule--not one that we've imposed, mind you, but one that Noah is setting for us. We've found out that it's easy to over-stimulate little babies to the point where they just won't sleep. So, we're trying to ease him into bedtime around 8ish...which invariably turns into 9, and then 10. And once he's asleep, and we've determined that all the cries, gurgles & coos are being done while he's dreaming, Patrick and I look at each other, realize it's 11 p.m., and try to have some together time before collapsing into bed...to be awakened in about an hour and a half by Noah demanding to be fed. NOW.

We have also had fun documenting Noah's first bath (which he let us know, in no uncertain terms, that he hated), and his second, which wasn't quite as bad. Of course, it still ranked right up there with diaper changes (which he also hates...I guess because it gets so cold on his little bare nekkid baby bottom). We're told that they grow to love bathtime, so we have that to look forward to.

I had a quick doctor's appointment this morning, so Mom came over & watched Noah, and she really tricked out his bassinet--she hung various toys in bright colors on the mobile (which had cute--but boring--white bears on it), and fastened the toys around so that Noah can bat them with his hands, and when I came home, he was just wide-eyed, looking at all these neat new things. We also received a really great, bright Winnie the Pooh blanket that Mom said Noah has been transfixed by. It's exciting to know that he's getting to the point where he's really taking an interest in things around him.

He really is amazing...I could just stare at him for hours!

We cleaned out the storage unit this past weekend--well, I say "we" but it was really two guys & their moving van. We found a good company with great rates, and we're happy to have paid them to move our stuff out--and it feels good to know that we don't have that monthly payment anymore, and it's really nice to have some of our furniture back. I've missed my little antique table & chifferobe. Of course, I can't remember where I put the key to my chifferobe, so that's a bit problematic, but I'm sure I put it in a place that made sense at the time, and we'll find it sooner or later.

Noah's nursery is starting to come together; we may go crib-shopping this weekend. We were going to order the crib on-line, but do you know that they charge around $120 to ship a crib??? But, since we don't need a crib right now, we've got some time to look around. We do have the dresser that Dan & Janet gave us, and it's the perfect height to put the changing pad on, and has lots of drawers and places to put baby things, plus the little dresser that I had when I was a baby... We've got a rocking chair in his room, and a nice rug from Mom & Dad to warm the room up a bit. Once we get it "done" I'll post some pictures. We probably won't do any painting right away...but we do have plans. Patrick & I both love the blackboard & magnetic paint you can get, and since the room has a chair rail around the walls already, it would be easy to just paint the bottom of the walls & have a ready-made canvas all set to receive Noah's works of art. But that won't happen for another few months or so...or until Noah begins displaying artistic leanings!

As far as the rest of the house...well, it'll take a little time to come together, but we're in no rush. At least we've got everything here, or in the "man-shed," and can go through it at our leisure.

Right now, we're just trying to relax and enjoy our precious boy.

Makin' Poopies!

I must say that every explosive emission that Noah has had so far has been with Patrick. Not to say that I won't have my share, too (in fact, I sit here in a spit-up-stained shirt from an offering earlier...though it wasn't a volcano-type spit-up). But Patrick has just been lucky.

It all started with the "Makin' Poopies" song that Patrick made up while Noah was, well, making poopies. I guess Noah liked the song so much that when Patrick went to change his diaper a little later, Patrick actually got to see Noah making the poopies. Sort of like making the doughnuts, only you wouldn't want to eat what came out. Patrick likened it to the Play-Doh Fun Factory. (And I'm sorry, Noah, but it was caught on your Grandpa's videocamera, so yes, we will show it at every available opportunity.)

Then there's the spitting up. It's sort of like Smokey the Cat's (RIP, greasy boy) projectile vomiting, only coming out of something much less furry and way cuter. For some reason, Patrick just seems to attract the volcano-type eruptions.

Noah and I are starting to settle into a routine of sorts...still learning about each other's schedules, but we're doing pretty well so far. Thank goodness it's too early to spoil him by picking him up, holding him, rocking him, smelling him & kissing him all over his yummy baby parts--because that's pretty much what I do when he's awake. Or when he's asleep. Or when he's drifting off to sleep. Or crying. Although I have to say, he doesn't really cry all that much--I'm new at this, but he seems to just cry when he needs something, which is sort of what I do, so I can't complain all that much.

I have found out, though, that there are certain songs that are really off-limits to me right now. I was holding Noah and "When I Grow Up To Be A Man" by the Beach Boys came on--and I lost it. Here Noah was, not even two weeks old, and I'm already sad that he's going to grow up! Not that we're not going to be excited to see who he becomes, but I hate to think that someday he's not going to be this wonderful, precious, little bundle that fits so perfectly in my arms.

So, Patrick is officially on "sappy song duty" and will change the station when a song comes on that may set me off.

And, I hear the master calling now...Must Feed Baby!

It's a Noah!

Sorry to all of my fans for the lack of postings...we've been busy having a baby!

Noah Bennett Hardin came into the world a couple weeks early!

On Sunday, June 4, Mom, Dad & I went furniture shopping, and afterwards I came home & took a nap...I hadn't felt "right" all day, and just thought I was tired. At around 7:30, though, I felt/heard a small "pop" and noticed that I'd wet myself. Hey, no one said pregnancy was glamorous!!! So, I went into the bathroom & changed. I sort of thought that it may be my water breaking, but in all the books you read, most women say that they aren't aware of their water breaking, so I thought I wouldn't be any different. Well, after wetting through 2 pairs of jeans I figured it out, and the doctor's office called me back (yes, I did go ahead & call them, just in case) and said that maybe we should go on to the hospital. We rushed around the apartment, trying to figure out what to pack...because no, we hadn't packed a bag. We figured that if we needed something, someone could run back to the apartment & pick it up; it's not like the apartment was so far away from the hospital. And stupid me, I didn't eat anything before we left...which is recommended, since once you're in the lovely backless gowns, it's no soup for you.

The hospital confirmed that yes, my water broke, and we got settled into our room. This was around 8:00 p.m. on Sunday night. At 3:30 a.m. on Monday morning, I had my epidural, and life was good.... I started pushing around 10 a.m. Monday, and after 2 hours of hard pushing, they realized that this baby would need some assistance...so out come the forceps, and at 12:25 p.m. we had our Noah Bennett Hardin, weighing in at 7 lbs., 4 oz. (a bit bigger than the last ultrasound weight estimate--the Wed. previous, mind you--of 6 lbs., 1 oz!), and 20 inches long!

When the doc was pulling Noah out, all I could hear Patrick saying was, "Good Lord" and "Oh My God" and then, "It's a NOAH!" Not, "It's a boy" but "It's a Noah."

And the time that it took for him to cry seemed like an eternity...but soon after they'd scrubbed the goo off, he opened up & cried and it was the most beautiful sound I think I've ever heard.

The delivery was a bit rough, but recovery has been great--we're all happy & healthy, and trying to settle into a routine. Right now he's a bit confused as to day & night (either that, or he's taken after his daddy with liking to stay up really, really late!), but I guess if I'd been where he was for the past 9 months, then had to come out into a bright, cold world with all these big headed people staring at me, I'd be a bit confused, too!

We also closed on our house the Friday after Noah was born...who says we don't like a challenge? But it is nice being in a house again; I would have wheeled myself in the hospital bed to the closing if I'd had to!

About the only crappy thing that's really happened in the past couple of weeks (except for the fact that someone stole my plants from our apartment...who steals plants??? I am upset that they got a pot that Patrick had given to me for our Anniversary last year, though. Karma will get them.) is that Smokey died. He died on Saturday--we spent a little time together that afternoon, and I just petted him and told him to tell Roo Kitty hello, and a short time later he was gone. He was 14, and had a good, long, happy kitty life.

Here are some pics of our little Noah.... We just think he's the most amazing baby ever. And we're sure he's a genius.