My Week (53) in Instagram

Sunday 1/6/13: Celebrating my dad's last day of work EVER. Good times :)

 

Sunday 1/6/13: Papa holding biggie smalls :)

Monday 1/7/13: Chillin' on the couch with the nine-pounder :)

Tuesday 1/8/13: Gettin' ready to head out in the AM.

Wednesday 1/9/13: Sticking out his tongue in his sleep. Awwww. :)

Thursday 1/10/13: Bright-eyed at 5 weeks old.

Saturday 1/12/13: My big man after a haircut. Looking so old lately...

Sunday 1/13/13: "Enjoying" a 5 AM wake-up. I shouldn't complain, though;

he's slept 7+ hours straight every night for a full week!

Want to link up? Head over to Suzanne's blog!

Wordless Wednesday: Birth Announcement

I believe these have all been sent to their intended recipients,
so I thought I'd share Justin's birth announcement.
I just love how they turned out. :)

My Week (52) in Instagram

I got a new phone! (I also got a heck of a deal on it--thank you, Costco!) I can tell a difference in the pictures (YAY!)--much less blurry. Since the older boys went back to their normal routine at preschool/the sitter last week, there's an abundance of photos of the littlest. Sue me.

Sunday 12/30/12: Aiden "helping' with a diaper change.

 

Monday 12/31/12: Out with Mike for a quick date to see "Les Miserables." 

It was AH-MAZING and I can't wait to see it again!!!

Monday 12/31/12: My date for NYE. We were both in bed before the ball dropped :)

Thursday 1/3/13: Found him napping like this. I wonder what shocked him in his dream...

 Friday 1/14/13: His first non-newborn outfit. *TEARS*

Friday 1/4/13: Doesn't seem to mind tummy time so much. What a change from Aiden & Nolan.

Friday 1/4/13: Enjoying after-school snack of fruit snacks on the beanbag chair

I brought up from the basement. Looks like it might become a permanent fixture of the living room.

Saturday 1/5/12: His smile makes me SO HAPPY :)

Want to link up? Head over to Suzanne's blog!

One Month Old

My baby has been here for a month.

A MONTH, PEOPLE.

How the hell is that even remotely possible?! I swear I just peed on a stick last week, and suddenly I've got this month-old baby.

Since he's definitely the last child my womb will ever produce, I'm trying my best to soak up all his squishy newbornness, but December was not such a good month for lying low. No worries. I'm not back at work for another two months, and with our calendar calming down a bit, my weekdays will be mostly me and The Littlest.

So just as I did for Aiden & Nolan, here is your first monthly update post, complete with his 1st teddy bear ("Chewie," who Aiden & Nolan made for him at Build-A-Bear) for size comparison.

At one month, Justin:

 --is easily THE BEST sleeper of all three boys (at least at this stage). Since the day we brought him home, he has woken up once or twice overnight, eaten, and gone right back to sleep. And I really shouldn't jinx myself here, but he's slept 7-hour stretches twice in the past week. H-E-A-V-E-N-L-Y.

--is a very good eater, and an even better burper! Despite his small size, he sometimes scares me with the volume of his burps.
--has definitely gained weight; I'm quite interested to find out just how much after his official weigh-in at his one-month checkup tomorrow.
--has LOTS of nicknames: Magoo, Curly, J-Fresh, Monkey-Butt, Biggie Smalls, Munchkin, Littlest, etc., etc.
--does a fantastic job of alternating which side of his head he sleeps on. Both Aiden & Nolan had a bit of a flat head for awhile because they would ONLY lay on their right side, but Justin's noggin is still nice & round. Kudos for that.
--gives me bona fide smiles (as in not gas-related) already. I love the look of recognition in his eyes when he realizes who I am, too. MELT.

--DETESTS being naked, so he's not much of a fan of diaper changes or baths. We're working on it, though.
--has just the best, easy-going disposition (though you might not guess that from the photo above). Sure, he cries bloody murder once in awhile if I'm not quick enough to get him a bottle, but generally, he's just content to sit & observe.

So yeah. He's been just a dream of a baby so far, and we're enjoying every second of having him here! If only he would slow down, though...just a little...

My Late-to-the-Party Resolutions

So I'm a bit late to post my fleshed-out resolutions for 2013. No apologies--I've just been really thinking this through since I didn't have much time to think in December. But now that the holidays are over, and the two older boys are back in preschool/daycare during the day, I've got a few stretches of me time during the littlest's intermittent naps.

Diving right in (no particular order):

1. Lose the extra baby pounds. And I'm talking ALL OF IT, folks. I've been lucky enough to shed everything I gained with Justin already (don't hate!), but I've still got a good 10 pounds from Aiden and 10 pounds from Nolan that have stuck around far too long. This goal is delayed for another two weeks until I've gotten the postpartum all-clear from my OB, but I'm itching to get started.

2. Get a better handle on our finances. I'm really proud to say I'm off to a good start on this one! I spent a good chunk of time yesterday constructing the shell of our 2013 budget. I was actually pleasantly surprised; I really think that with some careful planning and reigning in of frivolous spending, we can make a sizable dent in our debt this year. Not bad, especially considering we'll be paying daycare costs for THREE kids for six months!

3. Live in the moment. It's been a flaw of mine for years to not enjoy myself during both everyday life & special occasions because I'm already thinking about what's coming up next. I need to learn to slow down and enjoy the present, because if 2012 taught me anything, it's that tomorrow is NOT promised.

4. Give myself a break. Like, for serious. Mike often tells me I'm too hard on myself, and if I'm being completely honest with myself, I have to agree. I'm going to blame this on the whole Middle Child Syndrome thing (it ABSOLUTELY exists!). I'm considering posting a note on my bathroom mirror that reads "It's NOT A Competition" so I have a daily reminder to chill the hell out.

5. Love the heck out of my family. And by family, I mean the immediates, the extendeds, and the honoraries. Because in the end, they are THE ONLY THING that matters.

So there you have it. I hope to report back to you in about 362 days about all the success I had. :)