My Miracle boy

My Sweet Little Levi Boy,

You are becoming more and more alert these days and I just love watching your beautiful wide eyes look around.  I especially love when you look at me.  The other day as I was holding you, you were starring right at me.  I watched your little eyes move all around as you studied the features of my face.  Oh what I would give to know what was going through your mind.  Looking at you I have never been more convinced that life truly is a miracle and we all have a Maker.  It blows my mind that a little piece of me and a little piece of your dad created such a beautiful life.

When I look at you I wonder what you will be like, what your voice will sound like, what sort of imagination you will have, and what you will be when you grow up? 

We are so blessed to have you as a part of our family and we can't wait to watch you grow and learn!

I love you more than you will ever know!

Love,

Your Mama

 

 

Levi's 1 Month Update

 

 

Just the other day I was telling Daniel that I know it has only been one month since little Levi joined our family but I really can't remember what life was like with only 2 kids.  I know it is cliché to say but it really is true. Along with that, I know I only have 3 kids but I often find myself feeling the need to do a head count when we are out and about.  Also, Levi is so quiet in the car that I often find myself looking in the back seat to make sure he is really there.  Daniel said he is so "leavable."  He is so quite and we are so distracted with the other two add that to being sleep deprived. 

All in all, we are all adjusting well and finding our new rhythm.  We have been so blessed by our wonderful friends and family with all the meals and help with the two big kids.  Friends have watched Joshua while I took the two littles to a doctors appointment, picked Joshua up for story time, and Joshua and Kayla have had two sleepovers at Omah and Papa's which they love.  Before heading over to Omah and Papa's just for the day one time, Joshua was very bummed he wasn't going to sleep there at night.  Omah and Papa might need joint custody of that boy :)

Here is what are little guy is up to this month...

Well Baby Stats:

Weight: 10lbs 15.5 oz (75%) He put on 2 lbs in 2 weeks!!! 
Height: 22 1/4 inches (80%)
Head: 15 /4 inches (90%)

*He is a content baby mostly only crying when tried, hungry or gassy. 

*He likes being swaddled.  Most times he will immediately stop crying once he realizes we are swaddling him. 

*Thankfully he is a great nurser.  After eating he is so peaceful.

*He got his first cold thanks to his siblings.  It didn't seem to really bother him though.

*He is becoming more alert.  I love watching his wide eyes look around.

*He eats about every 3 hours around the clock.  Occasionally he will go 3.5 or 4 hours at night.  We even got a 5 hour stretch one night (WOO-HOO!).  Sleep will come right?!  Readers, please reassure me of this.  On the upside he goes right back to sleep after he eats in the night.  My super awesome husband tag teams the night feedings with me.  He goes and gets Levi and brings him to me and then changes his diaper.  In the rare event that Levi needs soothing back to sleep Daniel handles that as well.  Not only do I appreciate all that help in the night but it is nice having a partner in all of this during those hours.  We don't talk but we do a lot of communication through facial expressions, grunting, mumbling the very minimum to get our point across, and head nods. 

*During the day if he has trouble sleeping in his room we move him to the laundry in his bouncy chair and that usually does the trick.  Kayla liked the laundry room too. 

Snoozing in the laundry room. 

Nothing like a sleeping baby on your chest, especially a smiling one.

 

First bath at home.

Big helpers!

 

Joshua trying to swaddle his little bro.  Disclaimer: Levi was rescued

right after this picture and no one was hurt ;)

 

 

A visit from Aunt Brooke and Mimi.

 

 

Check up time for my littles.

 

 

 

Omah and Papa adoring their newest grandson. 

 

Aunt Brooke came to spend the day with us and we all had so much fun. 

She is such a big help with the kids.

 

He seems to enjoy bath time.

When you are shivering after a bath Mom

grabs the closest blanket within reach. 

 

Kayla loves her baby brother and still asks for him first thing when we walk into her room after a nap or in the morning.  She likes to lean in and lay her head on his head.  She does this while saying, "AWE!"  Such a sweet sister!

I laid him in her crib one day and she gave him her bear.  Now that is love!

 

 

Any time Levi is on the floor the kids immediately go over and play with him. 

 

Tummy time on his big sister.

 

Joshua was watching a show in his chair and when I put Levi on the floor

he came over and laid next to him. 

 

 

Little Levi is the perfect addition to our family and we all love him so much.

Welcome Home Levi

Levi has been home with his siblings now for b 2 weeks.  Here is an update on his homecoming and how things are going. 

Since we only stayed one night in the hospital we decided to have Omah and Papa keep the kids for one more night so we could settle in and get some rest before our new reality set in.  We are so thankful that Omah and Papa agreed to keep the kids for us.  It really helped us out!

Leaving the hospital.

 

 

Our first day home we rested, took a little walk, grabbed some dinner and then watched a movie.   

Movie time with Mom and Dad.

 

The next morning Levi had his 2 day check up and then Omah, Joshua and Kayla were waiting for us outside at home afterwards.  Both kids were so happy to see us pull up and ran to the car.  They were of course even happier to see that we brought their baby brother home with us.  As we were walking in Kayla kept saying over and over, "Baby, baby, baby."  Which by the way, before I delivered she would say, "be-be." But since Levi she clearly says baby and its just precious. 

 

Daniel and I both couldn't get over how much bigger and thicker Kayla seemed to us.  She has always seemed so petite and dainty.  I remember going through that feeling with Joshua after Kayla was born.  It is the wildest thing to me. 

 

They couldn't get to him fast enough when I sat him down in his car seat in the house.  

It's tough being loved this much.

He started crying and Joshua brought over some train tracks for him. 

 

When Levi continued to cry Joshua looked concerned and started really thinking.  Then he declared, "He needs a new diaper."  Sure enough Joshua was right.  It was a big family affair changing Levi's diaper.   

Joshua covered him up with a blanket.  3 year olds are so literal.

 

We were finally able to get the kids to give Levi some peace while he slept and we ate lunch.  Every time he would make a little sound they would whip around to check him out. 

 

Busted!  Kayla caught in the action of poking Levi in the eye.

 

 

 

Having Daniel home for a week and a half helped so much and both kids just loved having him home.  He is a huge help and we all miss him tremendsouly while he is away at work. 

 

 

How Joshua is handling the change... 

 

Joshua adores Levi!

 

 

 

 

 

 Every morning when he comes into our room he wants to check on him and love on him. 

 

 

He also likes to hold him.  In the first few days he always wanted him to open his eyes. 

 

 

 

 Once when Joshua was holding Levi he got real close to him and asked, "What do you think of me?" 

 

He is always saying how cute and adorable he is. 

 

When he cries he likes to problem solve as to what would make him better.  He usually suggest the pacifier. 

 

Levi's car seat is right next to Joshua's and Joshua is always lifting the blanket to check on him.  He almost always has his hand on him patting him when we are driving.

 

Joshua said about the blanket over the car seat, "It's like a fort."

 

One day while Levi was napping and Daniel was in the shower, Joshua was watching a show, and I took Kayla to play outside.  I told Joshua if he heard Levi on the monitor to come and tell me.  Sure enough Kayla and I are a few houses down and I hear Joshua yelling, "Mommy, I hear Levi."  We left right away to get Levi and when I went into his room Joshua was in there real close to Levi saying, "shh, it's okay Levi, it's okay."  Another time we were all outside playing and Levi was in the car sleeping.  When Joshua heard him crying he hopped in the car to comfort him.  He is the perfect big brother!

 

How is Kayla adjusting?

 

Kayla too loves Levi and is adjusting better than we could have ever imagined.  As I have mentioned before, she is a Mama's girl and we were worried she would be jealous of the baby but so far she hasn't shown any signs of being jealous.  She seems to have grown more independent playing by herself and keeping herself busy. 

  

During the first few days when would be in another room sleeping she would wander around the house asking, "Baby? Baby? Baby?" 

 

She doesn't mind when I am hold him or nursing him which is a huge relief.  She is however, starting to realize that she can get into things she isn't suppose to while I am nursing and completely ignore me when I tell her no.  I think I am going to be a pro at nursing while walking around and holding the baby with one hand while tending to Kayla with the other.  The life of a mom :)

 

She has tried sharing her toys with him and putting things in his hand.  She even brought him her most special Polar Bear when he was crying one day. 

 

 

She likes to bring me diapers when I am changing him.  Sometimes I get more than one or sometimes she stacks them all around him as I am feeding him.  She always wants to bring me wipes, one by one.  When I ask for a diaper she will get the package of wipes and look at me and nod her head yes.   She also likes to throw away dirty diapers and then claps for herself for helping ;)

I love her expression here. 

 

She likes to lay her head on the baby.  

Kisses

How are Mom and Dad doing? 

 

We are a bit on the tired side.  Okay, okay, we are exhausted but oh so in love.  We are slowly finding a new normal and routine.  I feel like my life operates like an assembly line sometimes.  I also feel like I am always either feeding a tiny person or wiping a small bum but I love those little people with all that I am.