1 Month Old!

Sweet Baby Hayes… how are you already one month old?  In some ways our special day at the hospital seems so long ago, and in most others this month has flown by!  You are such a blessing to our family, and we already love you more than you will be able to comprehend- at least until you have your own babies!  I have already posted about many of your 1sts this month, but a few to add to the list include your first bathtub bath and bath with your big brother and sister.  They were so excited to have you in there with them and were so calm and careful not to splash you.  You still would have preferred warmer water and to be in the water more… sorry bud, this 3rd time momma is still learning!  Cole and Jordan just sang to you when you cried and tried to cheer you up!

After your bath, Daddy gave you your first mohawk!  I really think you are going to have a little wave to your hair- maybe even some curl!

Daddy also got to give you your first bottle!  Momma still plans to feed you most of the time, but it’s nice to know that every now and then I can sneak off to do my own thing while someone else feeds you.  Plus, your daddy really likes it! 

You have also started giving us some first real smiles.  You have smiled since the beginning.  We even have one from the hospital!  But, the last week or so, we have gotten some while you were looking at us when we were talking to you.  You smiled at Cole several times in a row the other day, and he was so proud!  Here you are looking over at him smiling and then you gave him a big one when he rubbed your hair and talked to you!

Daddy is pretty good at getting your smiles too!  So sweet!

Here you are posing with your big brother and sister with your first Christmas present!  You wanted to make sure Great Grandma & Grandpa Nickleson knew you loved it!

Here are just a few more pictures of you that I think are so precious.  Poor baby, get used to it… your momma is picture crazy!  Especially when I think every expression and everything you do is the sweetest, more adorable thing!  You are just too cute!

At one month, you are still in NB clothes and diapers, but I think we are about to go to Size 1 diapers.  Anxious to see how much you weigh at your doctor’s appointment in 2 weeks.  You love to be swaddled and to sleep in an upright position.  Your favorite is to lay on my chest, but you do pretty well in your new cradle from Mimi and your swing.  You are pretty content to sleep in the swing without it even moving, but sometimes the motion does help.  You don’t mind doing tummy time, and your head control is already impressive!  You are not a fan of the carseat however and fuss probably about half the time you are in it- at least at every stop light.  Haha.  You also still aren’t sure about the pacifier.  You will take it most of the time with much effort on our part, but it is not something you love by any means.  It’s tough because you sometimes you really want to suck- just not on the paci.  Hoping you will be like your  big brother and find your fingers sooner than later!  You are pretty tolerant of all of Cole’s and Jordan’s hugs, kisses, pats, etc. Sometimes they overwhelm you wanting to be right in your face to kiss you over and over.  They just adore you! 

You nap all throughout the day- usually after being awake about an hour  or a little more until your next time to eat.  You eat about every 3 hours although occasionally you give me a longer stretch.  You still wake up a couple times through the night to eat, but you usually go right back to sleep.  Usually.    You really like to have your hair washed and rubbed.  You also are happy with your bath too as long as the water is warmer than I would think it should be and you are mostly all submerged.  You don’t like to be cold!  You also love to be held or worn in my baby wrap.  This is how we get things done most days- with you sleeping in the black thing I’m wearing in this picture!

And did I mention that you are just the cutest little thing?!?!  So glad you are ours baby boy!

Thankful!

We started out the Thanksgiving holiday with Cole’s Thanksgiving Feast at school.  He made a cute Native American if I do say so myself.  And I love the class picture.  Too fun!

We made our first road trip as a family of 5 for Thanksgiving.  It went surprisingly well considering Hayes doesn’t exactly love his carseat.  Haha.  He actually did really well, and it was just under a 2 hour drive.  Cole thoroughly enjoyed the drive once we busted out the headphones that work with the car DVD player.  He was so excited about them, kept saying “Mom, these are AWESOME!,” and wanted to wear them all weekend long.  We gave in more often than we should have, but it made this silly boy so happy.

Everyone loved seeing the kids, and I must say they all looked so cute in their festive clothes! 

Look at that cute little turkey bottom!

Lots of people got in sweet snuggle time!

There was also a lot of fun playing with cousins!

Friday, we went up to the church building to let the kids play in the gym and run a little energy off… they at least ran of their shirts!  Jordan insisted on having hers off just like the boys.  She doesn’t have many years of that being ok so we just laughed about it.  She is such a silly mess. 

To prove my last statement, here she is getting into things… Mimi’s make-up and cake icing!

On the way home, we passed a huge cotton field that was being harvested.  Murray pulled over and got the kids out to show them the plants, let them pick some cotton, and wave to the farmers.  They were pretty impressed!  Cole was a little disappointed that he couldn’t give his cotton to the farmer so that he could make some socks.  Sweet boy.

It was a wonderful Thanksgiving surrounded by people we love very much.  It definitely wasn’t hard to think of things that we are grateful for.  God has richly blessed us, and we are so thankful on Thanksgiving and every day for his grace, goodness, and love. 

Staying In…

We have been laying pretty low since Hayes was born.  For someone who likes to be on the go and out doing fun stuff like story time, lunch playdates, etc., it hasn’t been the easiest for me!  Especially since I really can’t wait for everyone to see my sweet boy!  It is worth it though to keep this little guy safe and healthy!  As much as the get out and go mom in me wants to get out and go, the NICU nurse in me has seen too many sweet, happy babies come in terribly sick from RSV.  It’s running rampant right now so that plus flu season has us playing it safe.  One plus is we have had plenty of pajama, snuggle time!

We have also gotten creative with our inside play!  Cole and Jordan *usually* play so sweetly together!  I have loved seeing their imaginations grow these last few weeks!  I think here they were in a submarine…

Here the dog catcher is after the stray dog…

And then there’s always ABC Mouse.  Love that they can learn while playing games!  After the last video you can understand why momma enjoys the quieter play too!

Hayes has been working on his muscles!  He is getting more and more head control all the time.  He especially loves to do it when someone will talk to him.  Cole and Jordan are too sweet about it!

And I prompt her here, but only to repeat what she had said on her own previously.  She is loving her big sister role!

Had to include these.  Made Hayes’ hand and footprints for his baby book the other day.  So sweet and small!  Crazy how fast they will grow.