It's in the bag!

Yes, I am blogging about a handbag, but for good reason. As some of you know I have had diaper bag drama since I found out I was prego. I did not want the boxy diaper bag with Winnie the Pooh on it, but I also didn't want to spend a fortune on the super cute baby bags. Oh, the dilemma. However, after months of searching and many handbag returns, I found THE bag. To further add to my drama, I wanted a diaper bag that looked like a handbag, which essentially meant I needed to find a handbag that worked as a diaper bag. The bag had to have a place to organize my items, plenty of room for Logan's things and pockets to hold the bottles up-right. Not too easy to find that in the handbag department, but this weekend I did! And, the bag was half off with an additional 30% off, it's like the handbag gods looked down on me that day. I feel like a whole new woman!

Say Cheese!

Our little Logan is smiling, cooing and laughing! This trio makes me clap and get all excited as if he just scored the winning touchdown at the Super Bowl. Derek laughs at my enthusiasm, but then I catch him doing the same thing (minus the high pitched squealing). I cannot tell you how awesome it is to walk into his room and see that smiling face first thing in the morning (even if that is at 4 am). Plus the reassurance to know that he is happy is awesome.

Logan is much more alert now and we love looking into those baby blue eyes. At his visit last week, he weighed almost 12 pounds and was 23 1/2 inches long. Once I learned that information it made sense why he had been such a ravenous eater the last few weeks. When the charts said an average of 3 ounces per feeding and my little munchkin was eating 5 ounces, I was a little shocked. But, he is a healthy, growing boy so I now say, eat away sweet Son!

We have had some more adventures. Logan and I took our first road trip to San Marcos last week and it was a marvelous time with my family and friends! I was so nervous about the 4 hour drive that I barely slept the night before and I had butterflies in my tummy. However, I only had to stop once for a feeding and he was welcomed by Grandma and Grandpa with big hugs and kisses. My Dad could not wait to get him out in the woods by their house to see the deer, and the adventure made for some cute pictures. The week we visited was also the first week that Logan laughed, so you should have seen us huddled around his activity mat doing everything to recreate that laugh. Who needed American Idol, Logan was our entertainment!

This week we met up with Logan's newest friend, Carson. She is a month old and is absolutely precious! At one point the two babies were staring at each other as if talking telepathically. If I had to guess, the conversation was something like this: Logan to Carson, "So, does your Mommy act silly and dance around to make you laugh too?" Carson to Logan, "Oh yes, aren't Mommies funny?" Logan to Carson, "They sure are, but how can you not love them?" Either that, or they were trying to figure out how to make a break for it.

Derek and I also had our first date last Sunday. His parents watched Logan while we had brunch at Hannah's, this great restaurant in Denton, and then enjoyed ice cream on the square. My stomach sank when we left Logan because it was such a new experience, but we really enjoyed our one on one time together. It was a nice refresher so that we can be the best parents possible. I would love to post a picture, but then we thought it was silly to take a picture of us on our first date post Logan...who wants to see that?

So, we have had a lot of firsts lately and I am sure there are many, many more to come! Life is grand! Oh, many of you ask how the dogs are holding up with the new baby and they are doing great...lazy as ever as you can see! They really do well with him and are mostly uninterested in him unless he has a dirty diaper, then they like to follow me to the changing table with their noses to his bottom. However, Logan loves looking at them, especially Polly with all of her different colors. He follows both Polly and Sam with his eyes as they walk past him. We joke that if he ever asks for a pony, we will point out that he already has two in his home!

Oh what a night!

As I sit here with pee and spit up on my shirt, I still feel like the proudest mommy! It's like a badge of honor to wear such gross things on your clothes. And I love how Derek and I now compare notes in the morning light of who changed the most disgusting dirty diaper overnight. Yes, people, these are our conversations. We honestly try to talk about other things, but we keep coming back to the gross moments that let us know our son is happy and healthy (please note, we are seriously working on other conversation topics so that we do not become those parents that only talk about dirty diapers). Overall, life is good! Some days I want to sit on the floor and cry, but then I remember to laugh because these moments won't last long and I will miss them. So when I experienced projectile spit-up the other day (I know all you parents out there warned me about this poltergeist moment) I laughed my butt off and called Derek!

So, our son really does do more than the fun things mentioned above. In fact, we have a lot of firsts that have occurred over the last two weeks! Here is a quick run-down:

-The first smile and the oh-so-sweet full mouth grin (my heart melts every time)

-The first coo and even what I thought might be a giggle today

-The ability to hold his head up for longer than a second, and accompanied with those bright blue eyes, it is a joyous moment

Logan also had a very busy week as his new best friend, Landon, and his mommy, Lindsey, came to visit this week. Landon is two weeks older than Logan. We had SO much fun in spite of the "ice storm '09." The boys enjoyed playtime on the mats and many more adventures. They saw their first movie, Bride Wars. To the amazement of Lindsey and I (and the other movie-goers), both boys slept through the entire movie! We also strolled around Northpark mall for a few hours, and I received plenty of exercise as I could not stop moving. You see, the moment I stopped the stroller, Logan would fuss. What this means is that I was basically doing laps around Lindsey in each store we visited. She would hold up a cute shirt and I would give the thumbs up as I strolled past her. I am sure we were a funny sight! We had a super week and Lindsey and I even enjoyed some time reading our old Jr. High letters (yes, I saved them for a moment such as this past week). We laughed at our crushes and the things we used to worry about, however we both agreed that we did not want to go back as we are very happy right where we are in life (and happy we didn't marry those crushes)!

Logan is now going on week 8, and I think it is time to start counting his age in months. I am so used to tracking time in weeks (first with the pregnancy, then with Logan), however I think those that ask "how old is he" would prefer the answer with the least amount of math involved. Logan loves sitting in his swing, and his favorite toy is the turtle on his bouncy seat. He has started to bat at it and smile when the turtle moves back and forth! Logan has also discovered the dogs and loves to follow them as they walk past him. Polly is his favorite, I think because of her black and white coloring. And they both love their Logan!

So, as I always say, life is good! We wish you all a wonderful week ahead.

Logan is One Month!

Okay, so I cannot believe that today Logan is one month old. I knew time would fly, but I never imagined it would go by this fast. I make it a goal each morning when I wake up to be present in the moment and leave the dishes and cleaning for when he is napping. Those awake moments are increasing and I just love gazing into his eyes and forming those bonds that will last a lifetime. I feel so blessed to be able to stay at home with him for the next several months! Although I get to spend all day with Logan, one of the favorite parts of the day is when Derek arrives home from work. To watch my big, strong husband turn into mush at the sight of Logan is the sweetest thing.

Of course every little moment feels like a milestone when Logan discovers something new. His favorite toy is a turtle that he loves to bat at while sitting in his bouncy-seat. I find myself cheering each time he bats at a toy or lifts his head up during tummy time. What am I going to be like when he scores the winning touchdown or is "first chair" in band? I think I will be "that Mom" you can hear cheering loudly in the stands, just like my Dad was! Okay, back to the present...Logan is gaining great head control, is a wonderful eater, and even sleeps 4-5 hours between feedings at night. I also feel that Derek and I become better, more relaxed parents each day. We have noticed so many wonderful changes in ourselves now compared to the first week home with Logan. We are learning the different cries, learning how not to get peed on during diaper changes and can mix a bottle faster than before. I feel like we are really starting to "get it" and are settling into our new roles as Mom and Dad quiet nicely.

Upcoming adventures for Logan include a trip to New Mexico to meet his Great Grandparents and Great Aunt, a road trip to San Marcos to visit his JuJu and PawPaw, continued visits to the arboretum and being the best side-kick to Mom while running errands.

This is the life!

Pictures include his first Christmas, fun Christmas outfit, camo picture with PawPaw, story time with JuJu and his first Aggie outfit picture.

Welcome Home, Logan

While the hospital stay was quiet nice and the food was honestly tasty, Derek and I were ready to get home with Logan and start our lives as a family of three.

We shared many laughs while packing up to leave the hospital as well as on the drive home. You should have seen us putting Logan in his car seat for the first time (we even asked the nurse to check our work to ensure Logan was properly secured). When Derek pulled the car around he carefully put Logan in the back seat and then began getting the front seat ready for me. I guess he missed the section that new Mommies always want to ride in the backseat with their child on the way home from the hospital. Happily I watched over Logan on our trip home while grimacing at every car that got too close to ours and every pothole that was hit a little too fast. However, I think it was the first time my car was driven at the exact speed limit posted! The trip from the hospital was much slower paced than the trip to the hospital a few days before.

We arrived home to a "Welcome Baby Boy" sign and cute decorations all throughout the house! My parents did an excellent job decorating for the big homecoming. They hung streamers around his nursery door and banners in the archways along with balloons. It was spectacular!

Shortly after arriving home Logan showered Derek for the first time during a diaper change! I was in our bedroom and heard laughing from my Dad and Derek in Logan's nursery. It was so funny to walk in and see their faces, as well as Logan's! What a moment for the baby book.

Due to the shower, we decided to give Logan his first bath. We looked like the most amateur of parents and thank goodness it is all on video! Logan was screaming, Derek and I are rushing around and my parents are smiling at all the excitement. While the bath seemed traumatic, Logan was so cute in his hooded towel. This is one of my favorite pictures!

Welcome Home, Logan! I have a feeling we are all in for many laughs during this first year and beyond.

Logan's Birthday!

Sweet Baby Logan arrived on December 11th at 5:27am. He weighed 7lbs, 8oz and was 20.5 inches long. His delivery was the most amazing thing both Derek and I have ever experienced. The doctor and nurses truly made it a wonderful memory for us and I could not be happier with how everything went! I certainly have to hand to it to our hospital and their staff.

I wish I could express the feelings that ran through us the moment we first held our little boy, however I remember crying many tears of joy as well as Derek and I holding each other's hands tighter than when we found out we were pregnant with Logan.

The whole process was quiet exciting! They say only about one third of women experience their water breaking on its own, and I was lucky enough to be a part of that one third. Derek had arrived home early from work and we were just about to head out the door to Petsmart for dog food. As I was going through my standard routine to head out the door, I felt something strange and told Derek, "I think my water just broke." Of course his response was, "what do you mean you think your water broke?" Shortly after that question, I knew my water broke. I immediately called my parents so that they could start their four hour trip up here and Derek rushed to get the dogs to the vet for kenneling. I was rushing around making sure we had everything packed for ourselves and Logan. When Derek arrived back home we were both giddy while running around the house for a last check that everything was in order and in the car! It was such a fun experience. Keep in mind that the contractions hadn't set in too strong yet, so life was good. However, about 10 minutes into our 40 minute drive the hospital they set in and they were strong. For a moment I thought I was going to deliver the baby in the car and was screaming at Derek to speed up, but we learned at the hospital that I was not even close to the point of delivery yet. I honestly wish we would have had all of this on video tape because it would have been similar to the movies.

Once in the hospital and after the epidural, it was smooth sailing for the next 12 hours. Once Logan arrived both my parents and Derek's Mom were there to greet him. It was a wonderful experience for all! We also had wonderful visits from other friends and well wishes from all. I could not have asked for a better moment in time!

Welcome Logan and Happy Birthday!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Well, I will be 34 weeks on Monday, which means only 6 weeks or less until Logan makes his arrival! How the time has flown. Before we know it, Logan will be in our arms and we will officially be know as Mommy and Daddy. We are so excited to meet our sweet son, and we honestly say that everyday to each other. Everything is ready for him, including his bag being packed for the hospital. And as usual, I over packed! I am not quiet sure if he will need 3 blankets, 2 burp clothes, 4 outfits and 3 pairs of socks, but we are prepared. I also think my parents are even packed and ready for the moment I call and say "It's time!" This sweet boy will be surrounded by so many that love him.

I have included the 33 week pictures, and the growth spurt has kicked in for both Logan and myself! I never knew my skin could stretch this much and the scary thing is, I still have 6 weeks to go. Our bodies are truly amazing!

Derek and I want to wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving! We hope you happily look back on this year and all of the blessings. I know we sure do! Be safe in your travels and enjoy all of the Thanksgiving goodies.