Max's First Month

I can't believe that my teeny little man is already one month old! The time is flying! I am SO in love! His stats this month are:

Weight: 9 lbs 2.5 ozs

Height: 21 inches

His height, weight, and head circumference are all in the 25th percentile. My littlest one yet! He is such a great, laid-back baby, and I am so thankful for that! You hardly ever hear the child cry, unless he is cold or hungry! YAY! He has a little time between about 8pm-11pm that he needs his paci, but thats it! The older kids are doing so great with him! Addie is SOOO in love, and she has been such a helper to me! Jett is now asking to hold him, kisses his little head, and pats him. He is actually very gentle, besides the throwing of cars and body-slamming into the couch where he was laying the other night, but that's for another story!

He is nursing about every two hours during the day and every 3-4 during the night! And, we are functioning well! I get a lot done at night when he is up and the other two are asleep! I have really enjoyed that time with Max and Adam, it has been very special.

I would say that the transition to three has actually been easier than the transition to two, at least emotionally. Now, don't get me wrong, I have definitely had my moments, or days, but I do that with every baby! I am slightly emotional, those of you that know me well, know that is quite the understatement! But, the hardest part of three so far is logistics! Going places with three little ones is a little more difficult, but we do it, and I love getting out of the house, and it makes me feel human to get out and do stuff! I have also decided that a cup of coffee in the morning is a necessity and makes me a much better person!

I am CRAZY about this baby, and watching all three of my little munchkins has me constantly overwhelmed with gratitude! Here are some pictures of the last month:

My sweet friend Shari Henson took these photos. She is amazing! She came to my house when he was one week old. I am so thankful that she captured these precious moments for me.

Here is a good picture of his "crazy eyes" as we like to call them

There is something special between these two!

He started smiling right about the time he turned 4 weeks old, and oh my goodness...melt your heart! I love leaning over the pack and play in the mornings to see that sweet little grin, you know the kind where he can't quite control the muscles in his face, so his whole face smiles...ahhh, so cute!

The first time that we had all three in the car. We were headed to my parent's house. He was 6 days old!

First bath

Daddy singing with the boys

both of my little men in their camo

one of my favorites!

this hat is so cute! (and yes, Jett is naked in the background!)

Addie reading "Brown Bear Brown Bear" to him

Our first restaurant outing as a family of 5, we went to Tuscany for pizza with the Bassetts

Mama and her boys

We are having a blast figuring all of this out! Its so much fun to see all of the kids interact together and to see Addie take on her role as the big sister of two brothers! The other day, she was painting and we were talking about it all. She told me that she wanted us to have another baby. And, I said, "Maybe we will if God has decided that is what our family is supposed to look like. But, what if its a boy?" She looked up at the ceiling and said, "PLEASE GOD...make the next baby a girl!" It was priceless! My cup runneth over...

Max's Birthday

November 1, 2010...What a day it was! I had a scheduled appointment at 10:45 on Monday morning. I had been having some back pain previously, but nothing more than that, a contraction every once in awhile, but very inconsistent. So, after my exam, Dr Wood told me that I was between a 3-4 and 90% effaced. She decided to hook me up to the contraction monitor where we saw that I had 4 contractions in 20 minutes, but it was all back labor. She decided to have me go home for a couple of hours, eat lunch, then come back and get checked. So, Adam and I filled the car up with gas, went to the house, cleaned up, got our stuff together, ate lunch and headed back to the doctor. When she checked me again, I had progressed to a 5-6, so she said, "Let's go have a baby!!!" So, we headed across the street to the hospital and got checked in. I decided to hold off on my IV for awhile so that I could bounce on the ball and let my labor progress a little further. Around 3:30, my contractions started really picking up, so I just kept on bouncing! About 5:00, I decided it might be time to head to the bed. I got an IV started, knowing that I had to get a whole bag of fluid in me before I could get my epidural, and that was very important to me!!! Dr. Wood, came in to check me around 6:00, told me I was at a 7, and broke my water. Contractions picked up pretty quick, so I asked for my epidural and got that around 6:30. At 7:00 since I hadn't progressed much more, they started pitocin. After that, my contractions began to get quite a but more intense, but irregular. My nurse said that with my back pain, the irregularity of my contractions, and the fact that the contractions were "coupling" (2 intense contractions back to back, then they would subside) they thought Max might be "sunny side up" where his face was up, or at least his head turned at some odd angle. So, every time that my back would start hurting, I would shift to my other side, hoping he would get himself into the right position. Around 9:15, I was checked again, at this point, they told me I was at an 8 and 100% effaced. I wanted to be further than an 8!!! Addie was in the room hanging out with us, and my back started hurting again, so I decided to shift to my right side. Almost immediately, my contractions got EXTREMELY intense! I told Adam that Addie needed to leave the room now, and I looked over at the monitor and saw that Max's heart rate had dropped really low. I called the nurse, but I barely had said a word and there was a nurse there to check me. She said she saw the drop and was thinking that it might be time! She put a glove on and just touched me and said, "You're having a baby!" So, everyone sprung into action! All the while, the 9th inning of the World Series Game 5 is playing on the TV! Max wanted to wait right until that moment to make his debut! The game ended, everyone took their places, I pushed through two contractions, and there he was! My 8 lb 1 oz, 20 inch, precious little Max Clayton!

As I hold this little gift, I am overwhelmed with gratitude and filled with joy. We have walked a very difficult journey with our precious best friends this year, and I am reminded even more that this new life cannot be taken for granted. Healthy babies are not promised, they are a miracle. Both the week of finding out I was pregnant with Max, and the week of delivering him were marked with different times of both grieving and celebrating simultaneously, a crazy picture of the mysterious ways of the Lord, Him showing us his goodness when it feels good and when it doesn't. But we know that He IS good, all of the time. Thank you Jesus.

Here are some pictures of this week:

Just got checked into my room

Look at those tiny feet

YAY!!!

My sweet Angela holding Max

This is one proud big sister! It is so crazy how much change I have seen in her the last few days. She is absolutely crazy about Max and wanting to help in any way that she can! It is the sweetest thing! She can't wait to kiss him when he wakes up, pat his little bottom when he cries, melts my heart.

Jett is still not so sure :)

Ready to come home!

Hanging out with Poppy, look at his little ear sticking our from his hat!

Crazy about his Mimi already! She has been SO much help, I can't even tell you! She just knows what I need before I can even say it! Love you Mom!

Hmm...so are you going to live here now?

He was kissing him, big step!

As I said, and I will say so many more times, I am so thankful to be the mommy of these three. Max, you are a precious blessing, I am so glad that you are here. I can't wait to watch you grow. Your daddy and I were just talking about all of the things that we are praying for you already! We are praying for your salvation, that you would be a mighty warrior for the Lord, that your wife, if she is born, is being brought up in the ways of the Lord, and that the name of Jesus is spoken often and the gospel proclaimed boldly in this house as you grow, and so many more things! We love you precious boy.

A Bazillion Pictures...really

So, I got an iPhone for my birthday in JULY, and I have taken SO many pictures with it, but I have failed at updating the blog! With Max making his debut any day now, I figured that I should get some of these on the blog, and it turned into A LOT! So, here goes, lots of randomness...

Lainie gave Jett a Thomas the Train book, he LOVES it!

We were so blessed to have someone on Adam's side of the family pass this train table down to us! Daddy really enjoys building the tracks (just to have them destroyed! :)

Visiting Poppy and the "too-toos" (choo choos!)

My sweet hubby painting my toes, they got a little hard to reach

Braums on a Saturday night with a couple of Cowboys

enjoying some Sherbet milkshakes

the Tickle Monster Book, HILARIOUS!

hard at work on her letters

shopping at Kroger is SO FUN!

future BNSF employee?

he went through a phase where he would not put this down, yes it is a big ballerina frog

LOGHAN'S BDAY PARTY

LABOR DAY

the little ballerina

Jett loves the Bassett's dog, Kyleigh

Kayaking with Mimi and Poppy

Oh the fun a box can bring!

My Mommies Walking Group

The best ice cream truck ever! Check out Daddy in the background...

A puzzle all by herself

Mmm hmm...Sissy "helped" him, apparently he needed to go potty

Our first day of fall project

PLAYGROUP AT THE APPLE ORCHARD

Mom and Tara threw us a diaper shower, WHAT A BLESSING! OH MY GOODNESS!!!

FIRST HAIRCUT (by a professional, thanks Amy!)

Before

During

After

37 weeks

PUMPKING CARVING/DECORATING

The kids with my Pop

PUMPKIN PATCH

SHRINE CIRCUS

THE FORT WORTH ZOO

WESTERN DAY AT PRESCHOOL

Of the 514 pictures that I had, these are the ones I had to narrow it down to! I am so thankful that I get to spend so much time with these kiddos! We have so much fun!!! I thank the Lord that He has chosen to bless us in this way, and we are so excited to meet the newest little dude! Any day now...maybe my next post will be Max's pictures!!!