So grateful

I cannot adequately put into words how loved and blessed our new little family of three (or six with pups) has felt over the last month!!  With the arrival of Charlie at the end of July, we have just had the most wonderful outpouring of love and support and excitement from all those in our life celebrating this new little bundle of joy.  We were literally overwhelmed with all the cards, sweet messages, emails, text messages, facebook posts, etc.  And the visitors that are still rolling in just to meet this sweet little boy and chat with him mom and dad.  I know I am so grateful for all the wonderful people in our lives and it feels so great to bring this little boy up with all of them surrounding us, praying for us, celebrating our joy and listening to us when we need to complain - because we all know there is some of that mixed in with all the joys of a new baby.  Maybe not complaining as so much completely clueless and feeling helpless and sleep deprived.  Hm, there are probably a few more emotions worth mentioning here that I have forgot!!

So in the past month we are just so grateful for all of you wonderful people in our lives.  THANK YOU.  I promise I am in the midst of writing thank you notes and when Jimmy gets home at night on the nights that people aren't coming over, I'm working on writing them.  I now have most of them written but not addressed.  Jimmy wants to know what I do all day that I can't do this during the day. Seriously??!  Taking care of our kid!  Haha!  I honestly never knew it was THIS much more and THIS time consuming to watch a little one.  Especially one you are completely obsessed with and pretty much don't want to ever put down.  But I do, every once and a while, like when he needs a nap and I have to shower and/or pee.  You know, the necessities.

To all you stay at home moms out there, my hat goes off to you. I'm just amazed at myself most days when I take a shower and put on clean clothes that are filled with spit up.  The eat, play, sleep routine is one we are trying to follow and getting better at, so that's good, but still no routine at all that is set in stone.  However, I am trying to get him to nap in his crib, which is good...but the whole putting him down to nap/sleep when he's a little bit awake still, yep, we're not there yet.  But I keep telling myself we have plenty of time and plenty to learn still.  In the mean time, we'll celebrate our small accomplishments with our family and friends.  Like that this little man is up to 10 lbs and 12 ounces at just 4 weeks old.  He's growing like a weed each week and is SUCH a great eater.  Very thankful for that.  Very thankful for my over-supply of milk too.  While I do have to wake up in the middle of the night to pump, I'm thankful that it's there to feed this growing and hungry boy.  And the fact that Charlie has been going around 6-7 hours between feedings at night is something HUGE to celebrate.  Now, we'll see if he keeps that up, but with that little extra sleep in longer stretches, I'm already feeling like a new woman!!  Needless to say, taking care of a kid is HARD work and I give mad props to those that do it all day everyday and with multiple kids.  Nice job!!

And then my birthday rolled around at the end of August.  The big 2-7.  And I cannot tell you how wonderful it was to receive all the love in the form of cards, all forms of social media, texts, phone calls and hugs and kisses.  Another year done and I couldn't be happier with everything that the last year held and look forward to all the wonderful things that this year will bring.  It's so exciting and so unknown and so fun.  I'm trying to live in the moment more.  Slow down.  Reevaluate what is important to me and my priorities and that is where I will dedicate my time.  I want to cherish and remember those sweet moments at night when I'm feeding my little man. When he sneezes and opens his eyes to look at me and does his little half smile.  I have to slow down and not do 14 things at once like I did before to make sure to not let those pass during this 27th year of my life.  And that is what I will do.  I've been working on it now and am thoroughly enjoying the slower pace of life.  I think it suits me quite well actually...

While this post turned out to be a jumbled mess of "thank yous" and "I look forward tos" and "I will do this...", I am thankful for all of our family and friends and coworkers and wonderful people that are in our lives.  The first MONTH with this little man (yep, it's been a month, which is crazy) has had it's ups and downs and emotional rollercoasters, but we are in love with him and he has truly changed our lives forever.  We could not have made it through without the love and support and prayers from so many wonderful people.  So thank you.   We are oh so grateful and know that we will be there for you in good times and bad!!!

And I couldn't end this post without a picture of Charlie.  Look at how much he's grown in just one month!!  This was on my birthday and he was sporting his new fedora hat from Grana.  Um, yeah, love this little guy!