I stole...

...a really great idea! So, I was blog surfing or blog stalking or blog browsing, whatever you call it (I am so lame when it comes to the proper tech term). Anyway, I was checking out a blog linked from one of my favorite Christian blogs (Jesus related, not my baby related) and I totally stole the best idea. So, this new mom decided to document her little guys growth by taking a picture of him each month laying/sitting on the same stuffed chair. Isn't that brilliant? I know, you are thinking "Stacey. Really. Have you not heard of this before or thought of it yourself?" And, the answer is NO. I am so overwelmed with the whole idea of being a Mom I have completely lost my creative brain. Instead of looking for it, I have just decided to steal really great ideas from other people. With that said, here is Cristian's first photo:

Isn't it cool that I just happened to have a little stuffed bear chair? Thank you Jessica, creative Mom that I do not know, for the awesome idea. I hope you don't mind that I stole it (Hey, I gave you full creative credit!). BTW- My oldest friend (of 25 years...yep, we have known each other since we were 5) is moving to Austin from Dallas!!! We will now be a little under two hours away from each other!!! Welcome back Lisa, Joe and the little ladies!!! Oh, here are a few recent pics of our little man. Isn't he the cutest thing you have ever seen? yes, I know he is!!! I just wish I could get him smiling and laughing...everytime I try to take a pic, he yells at me. I guess that is why I am always taking sleeping pics!

Growing Like a Weed

Cristian is one month old, so yesterday we went to the doctor to have him checked out. He is 23 inches long and 10 pounds 6 ounces. That translates to a growth of 2 pounds in just the last 2 weeks!!! I had to ask his doc if that would continue...as I really don't want to have a 30 pound 6-month old. He laughed of course, but did reasure me that although his current growth is quite normal it will not continue. Thank God! Oh, and he also suggested we start offering Cristian 6 ounces at each feeding to get him fuller and span out his feedings. Now that he is getting 1/2 formula and 1/2 breast milk in his bottles he could stand to eat more less often. I was totally on board with that so we started yesterday with his afternoon feeding. He is sleeping longer, already, so that is a pleasant surprise. The only downside is he will be getting more formula instead of 1/2 and 1/2, seeing as although he will be eating more, I am not producing more. I could barely keep up with the 4 ounce feedings, now with 6 he is out of luck. Oh well, some is better than none and pumping is far better than breatfeeding all day (in my opinion). Don't get me wrong, I loved avoiding washing bottles those first few weeks, but once Cristian starting feeding for hours at a time, I wore thin pretty quickly. Thank heaven for bottles. I can pump in 15 minutes and Cristian eats in 30, so we are really enjoying all the new free time...well I am really enjoying it.

Mom has been keeping my nieces for the last week and she will be taking them home on Monday. Cristian and I will be going with her for the quick trip north and boy am I excited. On the way back from my brother's we are going to stop in Dallas to see my friend Lisa and her twin girls. The girls are a few months older than Cristian and super cute! We visited when they were 2 weeks old, but the've changed so much since then. I can not wait to see them this week! Yippee!

Debbie, a very dear friend of my mom's just returned from Italy this week and she brought Cristian a rosary. Not just any rosary, a rosary from the Vatican, blessed by Pope Benedict. How cool is that? My mom bought my nieces similar ones several years ago when she was there and now Cristian has his own. Just a side note: Did you know that Pope Benedict had a brother with Down's Syndrome that was killed by the Nazi's? I just read that this week. I think that is such a blessing for the Pope to know first hand what beauty there is in special children (like our Philip).

New Swing, Growing Pains

We bought a swing for Cristian and so far it is a hit...sort of. He pretty much puts up with it for about 20 minutes before putting out his bottom lip and crying. I thought it might be a way for me to get some things done around the house since he pretty much refuses to be put down...even in sleep. But...unless he changes his mind and sticks in for longer than 20 minutes, we are at his mercy. You can tell by the picture he was really not amused.

In addition to giving me some time to say, pee, we also thought the swing might give Cristian something soothing. We are pretty sure he is experiencing some growing pains. He is also having some issues transitioning from breast feeding to bottle feeding. So, we thought the swing might sooth him and take his mind off his hard life as a 3 week old. So, now that we have discovered that isn't going to work, does anyone have any suggestions? We haven't been swaddling him because he really likes to stretch, but Carlos' co-worker suggested that we try that. It is supposed to give him some sense of comfort, maybe help him to relax. We will defineatly try that, but are open to other suggestions. I think that he will relax once we have more of a feeding schedule set. Up until now we have been feeding on demand, but with pumping and bottle feeding, I would like for Cristian to eat on more of a schedule (if possible).

Anyway, we have been spending this week adjusting and just making it through the days. Cristian does sleep and eat rather well at night, so I will never complain about that...it is just the hours when we are alone together that he likes to put me through the ringer. Could I already be paying for my raising? Surely not this early?

2 weeks old!

Mom and I took Cristian to his 2 week doctors appt. yesterday. He gained 12 ounces in the past week! He is up to 8 pounds 7 ounces. He has gained over 2 inches in two weeks! He is now 21 1/4 inches long. I can not believe he is getting so big...I can actually see the difference. He has started adding on his 2nd chin, which I love. And, his thighs are starting to get chubby! He is still eating well and behaving most of the time. The last few days he has started eating so much, that I have to stop nursing after awhile because I am sore and we have been supplementing with formula. That is fine except that the formula gives him gas (which he doesn't get with breastmilk) and it takes some time after a feeding for him to get it out and settle down. I am starting to pump after feedings in hopes to supplement with breastmilk instead of formula. I don't like to see him frustrated and gassy, I also don't like the sound of him excersizing his lungs during the frustration. :-0
All in all I am doing good...very tired...very tired...very tired...but good. Carlos has been enjoying working at Pappasitos. He finished their training program tonight, so he will start working tables tomorrow. To start on a holiday weekend is going to be good. He will stay busy and (hopefully) bring in some big tips! This baby stuff is expensive...and we're breastfeeding! I can only imagine our weekly bill if we were formula feeding!

Look how big I am!


I squish my face when I wake up!


Check out my big feet...just like my big brother!

Philip's Gift

After Philip died, my good friend Mandy brought me an orchid plant. Her mom saw it at a store and bought it for me because it reminded her of Philip. For those of you that did not meet Philip, here is a picture.



As you can see his cleft was quite severe. However, that is exactly what my friend's mom thought reminded her of an orchid flower. The plant was quite beautiful (with several blooms) and (luckily) it came with a set of instructions. Let's be honest, I am so the "killer of plants". Even my "unkillable" monkey grass by the front walk has died. So, I followed the instructions perfectly to try and reverse my bad fortune with the orchid. I wanted so badly for it to live. Well, it has been over a year and the plant leaves have grown. About a month before Cristian was born, a new stem began to sprout from the base. I was so excited that I had not killed it! A week before Cristian was born the first flower bloomed. Now, one week after Cristian's birth the orchid has four beautiful blooms. We have decided that it is Philip's welcome home to Cristian. Four blooms for our now family of four.

On week old

Cristian is one week old today. This morning my mom took us to HEB for Cristian's first shopping trip. I figured if we went early the place would be empty and no one would try to touch him or anything. It was fun, too bad he slept through the whole thing! We also weighed him...well we weighed us while holding him...anyway he is back up to his birth weight and that made me feel good. I guess the breastfeeding is working. Cristian will have his first doctors appointment tomorrow. We are really happy with our pediatrician so I am excited to see him tomorrow. I guess he will confirm Cristian's weight and hopefully make me feel better about his health. Yep, I am still feeling uneasy. I guess it is a combo of the baby blues, lack of sleep, and overwelmingness of it all. I have cried more than a few times...mostly just because I am constantly worried. Worried that something bad will happen or Cristian will get sick and I won't see it until he is really sick etc. etc. Just silly worries that I should not be wasting my time with, but I can't help it.

When I was pregnant I kept telling my boss that I would be returning to work, because I have to. And yes, that hasn't changed, but I am now understanding what she meant when she said it would be harder than I thought. I am now looking 7 weeks from now when I have to leave him behind to return to work and I am already freaking out. I can not imagine how I am going to get through that. I now get what my boss was trying to tell me. One more thing I am worrying about. Can't I just win the lotto or something?

This was supposed to be positive, sorry. So the baby is cuter every day and makes these really funny faces when he sleeps and you can hear his farts from across the room. He is calm and sweet (except when you wipe his jewels during a diaper change...he doesn't like anyone near the jewels). When he is hungry and I can't get my shirt off quick enough, he moves his arms up and down with fists of fury (I call them angry arms) and barks at me (no cries, just little yells for me to move it along). He falls asleep when he eats and drools milk...it is really cute and makes me laugh everytime. Here is a picture of him in his visor. We added the cards, we thought the visor made him look like an old-fashioned card dealer from the wild wild west. I love this kid. What a cutie pie.

Welcome Home Booba!

Our little Cristian was born on Tuesday. We weighed in at 8 pounds 2 ounces and is 19 inches long. He has blue eyes and light brown hair. I meant to post sooner, but...we were busy! Anyway, here are some pictures!

And Baby Makes 3


Granny Named GoGo


Grammie D and her Sugar Booger


Mommy and baby


Smiling at Daddy


Homeward Bound


There are also pictures that the hospital took and posted online.
Go to www.our365.com and fill out the blanks. Cristian's pics will pop up. They are really cute!