1 Month

Wow, where to begin? It is hard to believe it's been a whole month since we brought the little man home, but at the same time it is hard to remember life without him. While some days are better than others, it is amazing that a tiny smile or cute cuddle can erase all of the sleep deprivation, frustration, and concerns in an instance. Looking back through a month of pictures it is amazing to see how much Reed has grown and changed already!

 

 What a difference a month makes! 

It is also so neat to see how many amazing people are in our son's life. I didn't count, but I would venture to guess that Reed has been held by somewhere around 25 different people, introduced to somewhere around 50, and there are still a lot more out-of-towners he'll be meeting in the coming weeks and months. We are so lucky to have the friends and family that surround and support us and who will be there for Reed as he grows up. Last week he had the chance to meet his Great Grandma Joan for the first time:

Over the weekend Reed's Great Grandpa Dean and Great Grandma Didi stopped by to say hi:

Then Jon's Grandparents joined us for Sunday dinner . . .

. . . and so did Chris and Allison . . .

Tough Guys

Sweet Girls

Even though it was Tio Drew's Birthday, Reed got presents too:

Pink Crocs to match Tio's

A Rocking Horse for Nonna and Pepe's house

 from The Kenfield's

In this first month we have already learned so much as parents. I think the biggest lesson I've taken away is to not try to do everything at once. When we first got home I was overwhelmed with taking care of a newborn and trying to assemble and learn how to use all of the baby related gizmos and gadgets we had received. Basically if you can feed and diaper a baby you are fine and all of the other stuff can be added-in down the road. I gave up on trying to be "Super Mom" and decided to just take one thing at a time. Car seat, Nail Clippers, Swing, Breast pump, Baby Bjorn, Playmat, Baby Bath, Pak 'N Play, Cloth Diapers, all have been somewhat mastered. Up next - the baby monitor and strollers.

Look who likes bath time now

So something I haven't talked about yet is how we came up with the name Reed William. A few people have asked, so I thought I would share. Since we didn't know the sex of the baby we wanted to have a girl name and a boy name picked out when we went to the hospital. For some reason the girl name was really easy for us but we just couldn't settle on a boy's name we liked. At one point I was flipping through a book of like 25,000 baby names and I told Jon just to stick his finger on a page, he did, and the name he landed on was "Reed." We both immediately said how much we liked the name and it was one of our front runners from there on out. Once the little guy was born we thought he definitely looked like a Reed and so we went with it. William was much easier for us to land on; Jon's Paternal Grandfather's first name was William as is my Dad's middle name (it also goes back generations on the Gillette side).

Monthly Statistics

Weight: 10 1bs
Eye Color: Blue
Can't live without: Baby Bjorn, WubbaNubs, Burp Cloths, Swing

Reed loves his WubbaNub

Nicknames: Reedster, Reedcito, Baby Bear, Duder, Frogger
Favorite Moment: Bringing Reed home was such a special moment for us. I still get tears in my eyes every time I think of Jon carrying Reed around to all of the different rooms in the house and telling him what he would be doing in them with us in the future.
Where/How is Reed sleeping:

Reed loves sleeping with his arms over his head

in his swing or bouncer

Milestones:
09/20/11 Reed is born
10/07/11 His umbilical cord stump falls off
10/16/11 Reed's first official public outing
10/21/11 We start getting smiles from the little guy

Embarrassing Picture:

Yes, future girlfriends, that is hair on the outside of his ear!!!

Week 4

Week 4

I can't believe Reed is going to be a month old tomorrow. I will do a post to celebrate the big occasion, but in the meantime I'll get you caught up on what we've been up to this past week.

The first half of the week was pretty routine - lots of eating, pooping, sleeping, and going for walks. Both Grandmas got a chance to watch Reed for a few hours while I got some work done on Tuesday and Wednesday and Papa Jay even swung by to say hi.

On Thursday I decided to brave the world of cloth diapering. I will do a separate post on this topic someday, but in the meantime check out how darn cute he looks in these things:

Friday Jon left for a four day work trip. I'm not going to lie, I was a little apprehensive about being the sole care giver for four days. Reed and I spend most days together, but starting at around 4:00 pm we have Dad around to lend a helping hand the rest of the night. I think the hardest part of having him gone was not having anyone to commiserate with at 2:00 am or to laugh with when we had a poop incident.

Remember when my house wasn't overrun with

doggy and baby stuff?

On Saturday Mikael and Erin came over to visit. Mikael was great, not only was he willing to hold Reed (something most of our guy friends aren't willing to do yet), but he played with Dodger!!!

Mikael and Erin Hanging out with Reed

The doggy saga has continued with the poor guy escaping the backyard last week and cutting open the pad of his foot, he now has been banned from walking altogether until he is healed. To say he is going stir crazy is a huge understatement. Although I do give him attention, feed him, medicate him, and try to get some loves in here and there, Mikael really stepped it up a notch and left me with a happy dog for the rest of the afternoon. A completely different story than the day before when I found him looking totally depressed on our comforter (somewhere he knows he is not supposed to be).

In his defense the quilt was only on the floor

because Reed had peed allover it

After Mikael and Erin left I managed to quickly get showered while Reed amused himself in his swing and then we headed over to my parents house for dinner.

Melissa joined us for dinner

Sunday I decided to brave the car seat and head into Kingsburg for a walk and Reed's first official public outing. We went to Starbucks so Mom could get a much needed energy boost, unfortunately the normal crowd of 3 or 4 people had been augmented by an entire bus of French tourists - so much for keeping the little man away from large masses of people! Reed decided he wanted to be wide awake all day and hardly napped at all. The Parlier Compound sweetly invited us over for dinner and we accepted. We hung out there for awhile, long enough at least for Reed to fall asleep and stay asleep for the whole car ride home. Driving with a screaming child has to be one of my least favorite things of all time and I had already done it 4 times in the prior two days.

Dinner at the Compound

Monday we were back to our normal routine, but again Reed didn't want to sleep AT ALL. Finally I came to the realization that my baby boy is now so much more stimulated by everything around him that he is fighting going to sleep so he can do weird things like stare at light fixtures and ceiling fans. With this new found knowledge I was able to go to a quiet, dark, chair and with some patience get Reed to fall asleep. He didn't take a long nap, but enough of one for me to eat lunch and type this post (simultaneously of course) which is a huge victory!

Weekly Statistics:

Weight: 9lbs 13oz
Nicknames: Reedster, Reedcito, Baby Bear, Duder, Goose
Favorite Dad Moment: Dad cleaning pee out of my ear after a diaper changing incident
Discovery: The good looking baby in the mirror
Something Mom did for herself: Let herself have a fancy Starbucks drink
Milestone: First official, non-doctor, public outing
Outfit of the week: Check out those Alaskan Moccasins!

Sorry, he's too cute - I couldn't pick just one!

Week 3

Week 3

I promise the day-by-day recaps will end soon, but for a couple more weeks you'll have to let me ramble.

Tuesday was my Birthday. Reed and I had a fun day together and then my Mom came by to watch the little guy for a bit while I tried to get some work done from home. I think we had success on both fronts. My first Birthday as a Mom was pretty low key, just a simple BBQ with the family, but still really nice, especially because with so many people to hold him I had two free hands to eat cake - a rarity these days!

On Wednesday we braved a rain storm and Reed made his first appearance at HMC. Of course everyone fell in love and wanted to know when he would be starting work

The newest HMC employee

Finally a picture with Aunt Paula

Thursday and Friday were spent at home with some normalcy. We took a morning walk each day. Reed has gone from falling asleep instantly in the Baby Bjorn to trying to peer out from beneath his sun hat to see what is going on. He loves looking at the trees as I walk by. I've tried different toys and games with him and so far the rain forest play mat seems to be his favorite.

The Bright/Noisy/Obnoxious Toy Takeover has Begun

Finally on Friday, Reed's umbilical cord stub fell off, I was super excited about this because it meant I could give him his first "real" bath. For some reason I thought this was going to be a magical family moment for the three of us and  that he would love it, boy did I miss the mark. We couldn't get the tub positioned in the kitchen sink correctly, then he cried as soon as we put him in, followed by peeing all over us, himself, and the counter. He waited until we were almost done though for his grand finally - a big poop. So much for a clean baby!

Bath time Trama

Uncle Kyle and Aunt Kari were in town over the weekend and came by on Saturday to meet their new nephew. It was fun getting to see them for a few hours and talk babies with them (our first niece/nephew is due in a month and a half). As a new parent you don't feel like an expert on anything and are always second guessing yourself but it was amazing how many questions we had definitive answers to, maybe we aren't such horrible parents after all.

Uncle Kyle and Aunt Kari meeting their NEPHEW!

On Sunday our friends Deric and Ryan came over to meet the little guy. He slept in my arms through their entire visit so we don't have any pictures of the introductions. Then we were off to Jon's parents' house for dinner.



Typical Positions after Sunday Dinner

(notice Reed tucked into Drew's arm?)

Monday Reed and I were back to flying solo. We got a walk in, played with a couple of different toys, and I even managed to get some laundry and dishes done. In the afternoon Heidi brought over my friend Tiffany to meet Reed. I've known Tiffany since we were, I think, four or five years old so it is so weird to think of ourselves as grown-ups and having babies of our own.

Miss Tiffany and Reed

Weekly Statistics:

Weight: 8lbs 13oz
Nicknames: Reedster, Reedcito, Bear

Favorite Dad Moment: Dad trying to be helpful bought diapers that were WAY to big
Discovery: The Rain forest play mat
Something Mom did for herself: Got a quickie pedicure with Lee
Milestone: Losing the umbilical cord stump
Outfit of the week:

Cozy sleeper - Check

Favorite color Blue - Check

Musical Reference - Check

Zipper (not Buttons) - Check

Ridiculously Cute Baby - Check

Photo Shoot

We didn't have any formal newborn pictures of Reed taken, but the Sunday after we brought him home from the hospital we decided to try to take a few of our own to document him in his early days. Obviously we aren't photographers (even very good amateur ones), but we think some of the snapshots turned out pretty well. Enjoy!

Week 2

Week 2:

If each week had to have a theme this one would probably be called "The Week of the Doctor Visits." On Tuesday we visited the pediatrician again and had Reed circumcised. The little guy was a trooper and just sucked on my finger, held onto my hands, and made the most heart-breaking little grunts during the procedure. Since I hadn't been cleared to drive yet Nonna (Debbie) gave us a ride and we added to the drama of the day with the car battery dying and the appointment lasting almost 2 1/2 hours!

On Wednesday we got a ride from Nonna again but this time it was for my doctor visit and I was in and out of the office in about 10 minutes. I'm healing well, but still no exercise or house work for 5 more weeks (I'm going to go crazy)! When we got home Jon's aunt Paula brought me lunch and snuggled with Reed. She offered to stay home with him if I would go back to work - sorry lady that ain't happening! Wednesday night we had a bunch of friends over to watch the Arsenal Champions League game and to eat pizza. The nice thing about a bunch of visitors is that they all want to hold the baby and you get a chance to eat!

Thursday was Reed's follow-up appointment at the Pediatrician. Even though I had received the green light to drive from my doctor, I decided wielding a carseat and juggling a diaper bag, etc. was too much for my post-op self so Grandma Kelley gave us a ride. We were told Reed was a "Five Star Baby" and that he was gaining weight so well that they trusted him to let us know when he is hungry and we no longer have to wake him up at night. This was awesome news! He still has been waking up about two or three times each night, but Jon has been super Dad and has covered one shift, letting me get a solid 5 or so hours of sleep straight. Shannon and Heidi stopped by after work to meet Reed and of course fell in love with him. Now for the bad news. . . I told you it was the week of Doctor visits and it was topped off with Dodger having to go to the vet. He is having some knee issues and in an effort to keep it from turning into full-blown arthritis he is only allowed to walk (no running, cross-country ski pulling, etc.) for the next 6-8 months. So much for my dog helping me get back into shape!

Doctor visits are no fun!

Friday we FINALLY got to stay home and relax. Karl came by after work for a quick visit and then Cameron came over for Dinner and to watch Boardwalk Empire (standard Friday Date Night) he even watched Reed for about 15 minutes while Jon and I walked Dodger.

Saturday we took a huge step as parents and left Reed with my Mom and Dad while we went out to dinner. Of course we went to sushi - I've been deprived for 9+ months and it was great to spend a little time just the two of us. Reed did great for Grandma and Papa and they of course want to babysit again sometime soon.

Sarah and Reed saying goodbye before dinner out with Jon

Sunday morning we took a "family" walk. Jon was in charge of Dodger and I got to strap Reed into the Baby Bjorn. He loved it and fell asleep as soon as we started walking. The Parlier Compound and Cameron came over to watch the Aresenal game and then we had a quiet afternoon of napping, eating, and watching TV.

First time out with the Baby Bjorn

I feel like Monday was mine and Reed's first real day at home and I absolutely loved it. In the morning we went for a walk, and did some chores around the house. Between feedings he alternated between being completely passed out and being wide awake looking around and even interacting with me a bit. Melissa brought us lunch and we got caught up on Project Runway. Jon came home early for a meeting and we got to take a family walk before he had to leave for soccer. I wish Reed was a little older and I felt comfortable taking him out - it is playoffs for team Slizzard, I guess we will just have to wait for next season. The most exciting part of today was the fact that Reed wore the same outfit all day. I know this sounds totally lame. But since his circumcision he has been wetting through his diaper, necessitating a costume change, on average about 5 times a day. Hopefully the new diapers and the healed winky mean fewer overflows in our future!

Weekly Statistics:

Weight: 8 lbs 4 oz
Nicknames: Reedster, Reedcito (Thanks Shannon!)
Favorite Moment with Dad: Three diaper changes in 10 minutes
Discovery: Thumbs are fun to suck on!
Something Mom did for herself: Went out to dinner with Jon to celebrate her Birthday
Milestone: It's not a "real" milestone, but being circumcised is kind of a big deal
Outfit of the week:

Only outfit this week not to be the victim of a "blowout" or "overflow"

Introductions Part #2

So Reed has been quite the social butterfly in his first 11 days of life. Here are some highlights from his newest "Meet and Greets"

Aunt "C" and Tio Drew Actually got to hold Reed this time!



 Cameron aka "The Baby Whisperer" and Allison (Chris isn't quite into holding babies)

Stand-in Grandpa and Grandma - Mark and Penny

Cousins!!! Melissa and Greg


*****Picture Missing****

On Wednesday Jon's Aunt Paula came over during her lunch hour. She snuggled with Reed the entire time and I failed to snap a single pic. I guess she'll just have to come over again sometime soon!

Uh-Oh Russell - Laurie looks way more comfortable with a baby!

Laura and Reed

(Mason is waiting until he can "hold his head up on his own")

Reed's Spanish tutors - Kevin and Shannon

Heidi getting some baby holding practice in

her first is due in February

 Karl approving of the name "Reed"