Monkey!!

Aunt Joanna sent Nathan a box of goodies, including this adorable monkey hat and stuffed giraffe. They look so cute on this lovely model that I found that I just had to post a picture! :) In related news, Aunt Joanna is going to be an aunt in the eyes of the law as well as in our eyes--she and Steve are getting married!!!! I'm super excited because she is really awesome, and Steve is head-over-heels in love with her. Plus it means that we'll finally get out to San Francisco for the wedding festivities. I can't wait!

Trip to Rockford

We went up to Rockford today to spend time with the entire Fowle clan. Due to Nathan's early arrival and bad weather on the original date, the Fowle family Christmas celebration that was planned for December 21st was postponed until today.

We all gathered at Gary and Peggy's house for a tasty potluck, some presents and some time together. It was a lot of fun to catch up with everyone and to see how much Alex (2 1/2) and Kaden (2) had grown, and really crazy to think that Nathan will be running around like that someday in the not-too-distant future.

I was busy eating and socializing, so I didn't take many pictures, but here are a few:

Nathan modeling his outfit that features a Dodge truck like Great-Grandpa Basil used to have.


Three generations of Fowle boys.


Aunt Peggy snuggling Nathan


I think Todd's cousin Amy likes him! :)

Finally a run!

I went running today for the first time since October! I am glad that I was able to keep running into my third trimester, but it eventually got too painful and I had to scale back to walking and the elliptical. This evening I was feeling restless and full of pent-up energy, so I decided that even though it was 18 degrees outside, I would go for a run. I'm so glad I did! I only went 1.75 miles, and much slower than I used to, but I actually felt good the whole time, which is sort of amazing. It is the first time since Nathan was born that I did something completely alone, and just for me, rather than running errands or taking the dog for a walk. It felt SO good! Now I'm off to snuggle with my hubby and baby on this chilly evening.

Slumber Party!

Last night Todd had a much deserved (and much enjoyed) night out with the boys. He and Toby went up to Grand Rapids to check out Joey and Jenny's new place, and go out for dinner and drinks. I decided to take this opportunity to have a slumber party at my parents' house with Nathan and Deuce. I think Grandma and Grandpa were thrilled to be able to spend so much time with Nathan, and put some of the baby equipment they've acquired to use. Nathan enjoyed being doted on, and I enjoyed having two extra pairs of hands around to help with my little munchkin! Deuce enjoyed going on squirrel patrol in the back yard, and having a change of scenery and a car ride.

In the late evening, Todd and Nathan usually hang out together while I catch some Zs in preparation for the nighttime feeding sessions. It was clear from his increased fussiness during this time that Nathan wondered where his daddy was, and why mommy was putting him in a strange bed, but eventually he settled down and the evening went very well.

It should come as no surprise to anyone that this event was very well documented in photographs! Believe it or not, this is an extremely pared-down selection of the available photos (can I help it that my kid is so cute???).

Todd stopped by to drop off the dog and some supplies, as well as a little snuggle with Nathan, before he hit the town for his night out.


Tummy Time!


Hanging out with Grandpa.


Can you tell they're happy to have their grandson over?? :)

Deuce finally gets a little attention.

"Mom, do I have to produce a burp? Can't I just keep eating??"

Deuce attempting to give his baby kisses--he doesn't really know the meaning of moderation when it comes to giving out kisses!

Cutie!!!

Just hanging out in the bouncy seat.

Snoozing while his favorite cow looks on.

Hanging out with mommy.

Big Boy!

I took Nathan to the Breastfeeding Center today to weigh him. The purpose was to make sure that Nathan is gaining weight appropriately, as that is the only way to truly ensure that he's getting enough to eat from breastfeeding. To be on target he needed to weigh 8 pounds, and he came in at a very healthy 8 pounds, 4 ounces!! I knew he was gaining weight, as he now has a double chin and his arms, legs and belly are starting to fill out, not to mention that he is outgrowing all of his newborn clothes! Still, it was reassuring to see in numbers that our little guy is healthy and growing like a weed.

New friends

This weekend Nathan spent some time with Grandma Cindy and Grandpa Fred. Then on Monday he got to meet Ellie Ann Lepley. It's so fun to think that Nathan will look back on these pictures one day and marvel at how long he has known these amazing people!

Hands-free

Mom and dad got me a Moby wrap for my birthday this weekend. It is a really long piece of fabric that I wrap around my torso in a specific way, tie it off, and it makes a baby carrier. There are tons of different ways to carry Nathan in it, especially once he gets older and has head control--the instruction book is about 30 pages long! So far Nathan really likes being in the carrier, because it is like being swaddled, only with Mommy inside! He is such a snuggler, and would be perfectly content to have Todd or I hold him 24 hours a day. This wrap allows him to snuggle, and me to do things like wash the dishes or type with two hands. Talk about a gift for both of us! :)

Winter Wonderland

Every year, Suzanne and I give each other the gift of time for our birthdays (mine is 1/17 and hers is 1/30). Usually we go out to dinner together, but this year we decided to do something active, outside, and free! I've been feeling a little trapped inside by the combination of cold and a new baby, so having an hour to roam in the woods was a dream come true. I'd never been snowshoeing before, and Suz's dad had an extra pair, so we went on a wonderful snowshoeing adventure. I loved it! It felt so good to be outside and active, it was a beautiful day, and I always treasure one-on-one time with Suz.

Two Milestones

Today is my 31st birthday, and Nathan is 1 month old today! It's hard to believe both of us are as old as we are, especially since I really wasn't expecting Nathan to arrive until around now! We had a really nice afternoon and evening hanging out with my parents and Todd's parents. I love the fact that we all live close enough to celebrate together. I am excited to try out the Moby Wrap baby sling that my parents got for me. It looks a little complicated to learn at first, but I'm hoping once I get the hang of it that Nathan will love snuggling with me while I have both hands free. :)

31 years old and 1 month old!

Lounging on his Boppy pillow.

Ready to go to Grandma and Grandpa's house, modeling the hat that Aunt Becky made for him. :)

Some pictures of our winter wonderland. It is SO nice to have a snowplow and a couple of Subarus!

Nathan Update

Nathan and I have spent much of the week hunkered down and snuggling inside; it has been really, really cold here!! The overdramatic meteorologists have been calling it THE DEEP FREEZE.

Saturday the 10th was Nathan's due date, and I spent some time being thankful that he is here and healthy, and being very glad that I wasn't in labor anymore! :) We had a busy weekend of visitors--Uncle Stuart and Grandpa Dan stopped by, Patti and Robert came over, Andrea, Dave and their two little girls brought us a delicious dinner, Grandma and Grandpa Emhof came over, and then Ben, Jessie and Lizzie Bierlein stopped by. It's so great to be surrounded by such amazing friends and family, and see how much they adore Nathan!

I spent a great morning with Suzanne on Tuesday. It was wonderful to have some one-on-one time and really get caught up. Plus she took some great pictures of Nathan with her fancy new camera!

Wednesday Nathan and I braved the subzero temperatures and visited Admissions. I had a meeting with my supervisors about the date I'll be returning to work (boo!) and then had fun introducing my little man to some of my co-workers. Nathan decided he needed to eat, and then we both needed a nap, so we headed home before we finished making the rounds of the office, but it was plenty of excitement for both of us for one day!

This week Nathan has been awake and alert a lot more during the day. He is much more intentional about looking at things, and is making a lot more eye contact. I love that he's continuing to practice his smiles, and sometimes he surprises himself with the loud noises he can make! Breastfeeding has started going a lot better this week, which is a relief to both of us I think. :)

Here are some recent photos:

Cuddling with Mommy on his due date!!

Hanging out with Uncle Stuart.

Meeting Ben, Jessie and Lizzie Bierlein for the first time.

When he's awake, Nathan loves to look at the cow.

Not afraid to express his opinion about bathtime! :)

Modeling the cute outfit that Evan Sarapu sent him! :)

Photo update

Life with Nathan...

Nathan loves to cuddle with Daddy on the couch. He's wearing the outfit we bought for him the day we found out we were having a boy!

Feeling very relaxed...

Meeting Aunt Annalee

and meeting Uncle Dan



Wearing the pjs I got for him the day before we heard his heartbeat for the first time.

Bathtime!

Loving the bouncy seat.

Nathan's 2 week appointment

Nathan had his two week appointment with the pediatrician this morning. He's 7lbs 4oz (10%), 19.5" long (10%) and his head circumference is 14" (25%). The doctor checked him over--eyes, ears, heart, lungs, circumcision and umbilical cord site--and pronounced him perfect (as if we didn't already know)!! I felt like the doctor did a great job answering all of my questions, and I feel good about the practice we're taking him to, which is really nice. His next appointment will be at 8 weeks old, and he'll have to get vaccinations then, so I imagine that both Mommy and Nathan will be shedding a few tears.

In other news, Nathan has decided that he likes to sleep in his bouncy seat with the vibrate function on. This is very exciting to me, because otherwise I would not have the hands free to type this!

Here's a picture from an impromptu photo shoot I did of Nathan this afternoon: