It was one year ago today that we found out I was pregnant! So hard to believe it's been a year already. Our lives have changed so much in this past year, I just can't believe it!
Have you seen this video?? I told my family I was pregnant the day after I found out. Here is their reactions (turn up your volume!):
Friday, July 23, 2010
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
An intense love
I cannot believe how intense my love is for Silas. Of course everyone tells you you're going to have an out-of-this-world kind of love for your child, but as probably every first-time Mommy can relate, you don't fully comprehend anything until you experience it. I never fully got the concept of how drastically our lives would change until I experienced it. I also completely didn't understand how much love I would have for this child and how strong my feelings for him would be.
We've received some advice lately from several people - one being a complete stranger that Jake met at church...a fellow Daddy with more experience. Their advice in a nut shell has been, "Don't wish your child's life away" -- don't wish he was talking, sitting, walking, running, throwing a ball, etc. because before you know it, they're doing all that and you've missed out on the baby stage and all the fun that comes with it.
I had been pondering this thought for the past week or so and I am really trying to wrap my mind around it and apply it. While I'm excited for everything in the future that Silas will do, I love, love, LOVE where we are right now. Sure his dependence on me feels a little burdensome at times, but I love that he NEEDS me - for comfort, for nutrition, for survival. Wow! So much responsibility. I love that he nestles in my arms or in the crook of my neck as if to say, "Oh Mommy, I love you!" I love that he smiles in recognition of Jake and me, and that he also smiles at strangers. And I finally LOVE nursing him.The first couple months my feeling of nursing was, "people love this??" I get it now. I understand the bond now and relish in the closeness I have with my baby.
I looked at Silas tonight as I rocked him to sleep and prayed that God would burn the image in my mind. When I'm old and have Alzheimer's, I want to be the little old lady that tells the stories she CAN remember - the ones of me rocking my babies to sleep, the "good old days". I never want to forget how precious Silas is right now and I never want to loose the warm, fuzzy feeling I get when I think about how perfect he is.
To be honest, I'm already begging for this baby phase to last a couple years (I know, Jake thinks I'm crazy too). :) I simply can't enough of his snuggles, his love for me, his smell, his chubb, his toothless smiles, his happy nature, the rolls on his arms and legs or the head-over-heels-in-love feeling I have for him.
I thank God every day for the miracle that I get to call my son. Having a son of my own has put into perspective the sacrifice that God made in letting His son die for us. I can't imagine sacrificing the life of my child, my only child, for people who turned their backs against me, who sinned against me, and who betrayed me. I can only begin to imagine the heart-wrenching pain God must have felt to watch his Son die for our sins. Thank you, Lord, for your sacrifice. For sending your son into this world to save us, to save me, from my sins.
We've received some advice lately from several people - one being a complete stranger that Jake met at church...a fellow Daddy with more experience. Their advice in a nut shell has been, "Don't wish your child's life away" -- don't wish he was talking, sitting, walking, running, throwing a ball, etc. because before you know it, they're doing all that and you've missed out on the baby stage and all the fun that comes with it.
I had been pondering this thought for the past week or so and I am really trying to wrap my mind around it and apply it. While I'm excited for everything in the future that Silas will do, I love, love, LOVE where we are right now. Sure his dependence on me feels a little burdensome at times, but I love that he NEEDS me - for comfort, for nutrition, for survival. Wow! So much responsibility. I love that he nestles in my arms or in the crook of my neck as if to say, "Oh Mommy, I love you!" I love that he smiles in recognition of Jake and me, and that he also smiles at strangers. And I finally LOVE nursing him.The first couple months my feeling of nursing was, "people love this??" I get it now. I understand the bond now and relish in the closeness I have with my baby.
I looked at Silas tonight as I rocked him to sleep and prayed that God would burn the image in my mind. When I'm old and have Alzheimer's, I want to be the little old lady that tells the stories she CAN remember - the ones of me rocking my babies to sleep, the "good old days". I never want to forget how precious Silas is right now and I never want to loose the warm, fuzzy feeling I get when I think about how perfect he is.
To be honest, I'm already begging for this baby phase to last a couple years (I know, Jake thinks I'm crazy too). :) I simply can't enough of his snuggles, his love for me, his smell, his chubb, his toothless smiles, his happy nature, the rolls on his arms and legs or the head-over-heels-in-love feeling I have for him.
I thank God every day for the miracle that I get to call my son. Having a son of my own has put into perspective the sacrifice that God made in letting His son die for us. I can't imagine sacrificing the life of my child, my only child, for people who turned their backs against me, who sinned against me, and who betrayed me. I can only begin to imagine the heart-wrenching pain God must have felt to watch his Son die for our sins. Thank you, Lord, for your sacrifice. For sending your son into this world to save us, to save me, from my sins.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
A weekend with the three of us
There is so much to be said for spending a weekend at home, just the three of us. I love going to see family and friends and I love having people here, but having Jake home for a weekend and having it just be the three of us is so much fun!
We went to the farmer's market Saturday for all of...10 minutes? It was SO HOT. I think the heat index that day was 105 and I just felt like starting off the day melting didn't sound like too much fun. We pretty much got breakfast and left. We then went to Homemaker's furniture store to look around and then headed to the mall for some shopping and lunch. Silas was fantastic the whole day - lots of smiles, giggles, and just quick naps in the car or on my lap at lunch. He really did a great job and we had a great time.
He has REALLY discovered the ranges in his voice the past three days....or at least the higher range. He often gives a loud squeal or shriek and then repeats it over and over. It's been pretty fun watching him discover that. He loves to stand now and seems to be pretty proud of himself when he does. He'll often vocalize his pride so those around him can appreciate his abilities too. :) Such a show-off. Where in the world does he get that??
Here are a few pictures from the past week:
Thank you, Dr. Hemann for the jumper-roo!
We have a finger-sucker!
Silas loves to look at his book while on his tummy
Standing up so proud!
We went to the farmer's market Saturday for all of...10 minutes? It was SO HOT. I think the heat index that day was 105 and I just felt like starting off the day melting didn't sound like too much fun. We pretty much got breakfast and left. We then went to Homemaker's furniture store to look around and then headed to the mall for some shopping and lunch. Silas was fantastic the whole day - lots of smiles, giggles, and just quick naps in the car or on my lap at lunch. He really did a great job and we had a great time.
He has REALLY discovered the ranges in his voice the past three days....or at least the higher range. He often gives a loud squeal or shriek and then repeats it over and over. It's been pretty fun watching him discover that. He loves to stand now and seems to be pretty proud of himself when he does. He'll often vocalize his pride so those around him can appreciate his abilities too. :) Such a show-off. Where in the world does he get that??
Here are a few pictures from the past week:
Thank you, Dr. Hemann for the jumper-roo!
We have a finger-sucker!
Silas loves to look at his book while on his tummy
Standing up so proud!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Pool time
Oh my, how I LOVE this child! He is so sweet, so snuggly, and so much fun. I love watching him learn and discover new things. Silas is such a joy to be around and brings so much happiness to our home.
People often say, "What did we ever do before we had kids?" In the 3 1/2 months we've had Silas, we have yet to say that. Our "before children" days are still in our minds and we often look back on those days fondly and remember when it was just the two of us. Staying up late, sleeping in, going out to dinner, running to the store real quick, jumping in the car to go where ever....ahhh, those were the days. Now I'm not saying we don't LOVE, LOVE, LOVE having Silas, but I think Jake and I both miss our freedom as a couple. I think the main reason we haven't had much freedom is because I'm nursing. I plan to nurse as long as I can but once I'm done, Jake and I are going on an overnight get-away just the two of us!
Enough about that, lets talk about Silas! I took Silas back to Iowa City last weekend for a last minute trip. Word travels quickly in my family and once my grandparents and aunt heard Silas was going to be in Iowa City, they quickly made plans to join in the fun!! I'm telling ya, no one can get enough of this baby boy! It was a relaxing weekend and I think everyone had a great time. Silas got some good pool time on Saturday - he was in the pool for about 40-50 minutes and seemed to enjoy it.
He really liked the fountain and hanging out with his Grandpa David. A big thank you to Cheryl Gilmore for getting Silas his darling little swim trunks and pool shirt! He looked so cute! His hat was a little small, but it did the trick.
Look at that smile!
Silas has regressed in his sleeping patterns. He was going down at 8pm and then only waking up once in the night to eat and going back to bed. The past two weeks, he's been getting up every 3 hours at night which is absolutely killing me...especially when I have to work the next day. He's had a stuffy nose so I'm not sure if he's waking up because he can't breathe or what, but we're really praying something changes soon! This week has been really tough on me and I'm starting to feel physically sick from lack of sleep.
Anyway, little man is now awake from his (short) nap so I better get going. Jake has this weekend off so hopefully we'll get some good pictures to update you with! :)
People often say, "What did we ever do before we had kids?" In the 3 1/2 months we've had Silas, we have yet to say that. Our "before children" days are still in our minds and we often look back on those days fondly and remember when it was just the two of us. Staying up late, sleeping in, going out to dinner, running to the store real quick, jumping in the car to go where ever....ahhh, those were the days. Now I'm not saying we don't LOVE, LOVE, LOVE having Silas, but I think Jake and I both miss our freedom as a couple. I think the main reason we haven't had much freedom is because I'm nursing. I plan to nurse as long as I can but once I'm done, Jake and I are going on an overnight get-away just the two of us!
Enough about that, lets talk about Silas! I took Silas back to Iowa City last weekend for a last minute trip. Word travels quickly in my family and once my grandparents and aunt heard Silas was going to be in Iowa City, they quickly made plans to join in the fun!! I'm telling ya, no one can get enough of this baby boy! It was a relaxing weekend and I think everyone had a great time. Silas got some good pool time on Saturday - he was in the pool for about 40-50 minutes and seemed to enjoy it.
He really liked the fountain and hanging out with his Grandpa David. A big thank you to Cheryl Gilmore for getting Silas his darling little swim trunks and pool shirt! He looked so cute! His hat was a little small, but it did the trick.
Look at that smile!
Silas has regressed in his sleeping patterns. He was going down at 8pm and then only waking up once in the night to eat and going back to bed. The past two weeks, he's been getting up every 3 hours at night which is absolutely killing me...especially when I have to work the next day. He's had a stuffy nose so I'm not sure if he's waking up because he can't breathe or what, but we're really praying something changes soon! This week has been really tough on me and I'm starting to feel physically sick from lack of sleep.
Anyway, little man is now awake from his (short) nap so I better get going. Jake has this weekend off so hopefully we'll get some good pictures to update you with! :)
Monday, July 5, 2010
4th of July
Happy 4th of July (although it is the 5th as I write this)!! :)
Silas is now 3 months old...can you believe it?? Seriously, where does time go? Everyone asks you, "Isn't motherhood amazing? Isn't this the best thing in the world?" I never knew how to answer that and would usually say, "Yes, it is" but if I can be honest, I didn't REALLY appreciate "the bond" everyone talks about or feel like motherhood was the most amazing thing.......until I went back to work. Being back to work has made me miss Silas, something I hadn't been able to do. When you're with a baby 24/7 with the exception of an hour at the gym and 30 minutes in the shower, that leaves you little time to really miss your child. The old saying, "absence makes the heart grow fonder" is so true. I MISS Silas when I'm at work and constantly find myself thinking about him and wondering how he's doing. The long hours at work, the intensity of job, and remembering again how fragile life is has made me appreciate my little miracle more and more. He is growing like a weed - his interests and and milestones are changing every day and he is a BIG BOY! He loves to carry on conversations and does so with anyone and everyone.
Silas had his first 4th of July!
As most new mommies do, I decked Silas out for the 4th. Granted, little boy clothes aren't nearly as cute as little girl clothes, but we found some pretty sassy shorts for Silas and he rocked 'em! I got him a "Little American" onsie and one that says "Made in the U.S.A." He looked like a stud.
Saturday we went to Nevada (by Ames) to Jake's Aunt & Uncle's house for a little get together. It was really fun seeing Silas interact with everyone, most of whom he hasn't seen since he was almost 2 weeks old. So far he hasn't met a stranger...Silas seems to enjoy anyone that will talk to him and give him a smile. And he looooooved Jake's Grandma, Bette! There must be something about his Great Grandmas that he loves, because Silas really loves to smile and talk with them. He cooed and tried so hard to carry on a long conversation with her. I'm sure she loved every minute of it!
I leave you with a few pictures of Silas from the past week:
Silas and I love to take long walks in the morning when the sun is shining!
A funny story about this outfit Silas is wearing (although you can't really see it very well). It is SO cute - blue and white striped with a little elephant on it. I just love it and we call it his "muscle shirt". Anyway, EVERY time Silas wears it, he has a blowout. As in, up to his hair line. So he was he was sportin' this little outfit one day and we had a friend come over. I had told her earlier that he always has a blowout in that outfit and said, "but so far, so good!". She finished giving him a bottle and was burping him when he started [loudly] filling his diaper. I suddenly remembered my previous statement and said, "Uh, Allison..." She picked him up and the back of his outfit was COMPLETELY POOP-SOAKED...and so was her shirt and shorts. I felt horrible. Yellow, seedy poop was everywhere. Oh gosh, how embarrassing!! She was so sweet and blew it off like it was nothing (she informed me later that it did wash out of her clothes). Sorry Allison...thanks for being so sweet! :)
I like to prop Silas up on his boppy for some tummy time, but he's started using his legs and pushing himself up and over the boppy.
Here's my big boy sitting up in his Bumbo! (I only put him on the counter for the picture...no worries, I will not leave him up there unattended!)
Here's Silas talking to his toys on his little gym
Silas is now 3 months old...can you believe it?? Seriously, where does time go? Everyone asks you, "Isn't motherhood amazing? Isn't this the best thing in the world?" I never knew how to answer that and would usually say, "Yes, it is" but if I can be honest, I didn't REALLY appreciate "the bond" everyone talks about or feel like motherhood was the most amazing thing.......until I went back to work. Being back to work has made me miss Silas, something I hadn't been able to do. When you're with a baby 24/7 with the exception of an hour at the gym and 30 minutes in the shower, that leaves you little time to really miss your child. The old saying, "absence makes the heart grow fonder" is so true. I MISS Silas when I'm at work and constantly find myself thinking about him and wondering how he's doing. The long hours at work, the intensity of job, and remembering again how fragile life is has made me appreciate my little miracle more and more. He is growing like a weed - his interests and and milestones are changing every day and he is a BIG BOY! He loves to carry on conversations and does so with anyone and everyone.
Silas had his first 4th of July!
As most new mommies do, I decked Silas out for the 4th. Granted, little boy clothes aren't nearly as cute as little girl clothes, but we found some pretty sassy shorts for Silas and he rocked 'em! I got him a "Little American" onsie and one that says "Made in the U.S.A." He looked like a stud. 
Saturday we went to Nevada (by Ames) to Jake's Aunt & Uncle's house for a little get together. It was really fun seeing Silas interact with everyone, most of whom he hasn't seen since he was almost 2 weeks old. So far he hasn't met a stranger...Silas seems to enjoy anyone that will talk to him and give him a smile. And he looooooved Jake's Grandma, Bette! There must be something about his Great Grandmas that he loves, because Silas really loves to smile and talk with them. He cooed and tried so hard to carry on a long conversation with her. I'm sure she loved every minute of it!
I leave you with a few pictures of Silas from the past week:
Silas and I love to take long walks in the morning when the sun is shining!
A funny story about this outfit Silas is wearing (although you can't really see it very well). It is SO cute - blue and white striped with a little elephant on it. I just love it and we call it his "muscle shirt". Anyway, EVERY time Silas wears it, he has a blowout. As in, up to his hair line. So he was he was sportin' this little outfit one day and we had a friend come over. I had told her earlier that he always has a blowout in that outfit and said, "but so far, so good!". She finished giving him a bottle and was burping him when he started [loudly] filling his diaper. I suddenly remembered my previous statement and said, "Uh, Allison..." She picked him up and the back of his outfit was COMPLETELY POOP-SOAKED...and so was her shirt and shorts. I felt horrible. Yellow, seedy poop was everywhere. Oh gosh, how embarrassing!! She was so sweet and blew it off like it was nothing (she informed me later that it did wash out of her clothes). Sorry Allison...thanks for being so sweet! :)
I like to prop Silas up on his boppy for some tummy time, but he's started using his legs and pushing himself up and over the boppy.
Here's my big boy sitting up in his Bumbo! (I only put him on the counter for the picture...no worries, I will not leave him up there unattended!)
Here's Silas talking to his toys on his little gym
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