7 Weeks

It is wise to consider your audience before most blog posts. (My caveat is when something is boiling over and you just have to say it; you say it.) Knowing my current audience, I’m jumping right into the pics:

This kid is GROWING! I’m definitely at a point where I’m comfortable where she is and am not pushing her to get any bigger. It truly is going by so quickly! That’s picture was taken of her in her car seat with one of our favorite H&M outfits (note: H&M has great, inexpensive stuff for the lovely babies in your world). That chin gets me every time and is so hard and rigid in a sea of kissable cheek and chinage.

We’ve been more brave and have been going out of the house more often. (Which bit us in the rear a lil as Amanda came down with a 24-hour fever bug thing. But praise the Lord, she’s feeling much better and Bryce and I seem to be okay.) It’s awesome being outside of the house (and exhausting) and one of our special excursions was to see Karen and Kelly from our Bradley class. They had a little boy named Luke and he was born 3 days after Bryce. Naturally, they had to meet one another:

Luke was ready for some love and bouncing and Bryce was yawning. Could this be any cuter? I submit that it cannot.

We are loving this child. She is as sweet and wonderful as she can be, crying only when there is a reason. The Lord continues to answer every prayer and to amaze us with her.

And really, this kid is too cool for her own good:

Or maybe to cool for my own good. :)

We love you baby girl!

-w

Poppy Ginger Terry

Yesterday was unseasonably beautiful again (Virginia is totally wooing us) and we decided to go on a walk. When we stepped outside we thought, “hmm, trees would be nice” so we got in the car (to go for a walk…) and headed over to the nearby park where they have trees. Trees!

We parked, got out, started walking, and on the way there we saw a dog with no leash and no tags just sniffin’ around the sidewalk right next to the road. I waited for an owner to emerge and none did. Justice Amanda kicked in and she instantly was filled with compassion for this sweet lost dog. I, on the other hand, thought, “Hey! Cute dog; someone surely will come around the corner for it so let’s keep going!” Since my wife had started on the courageous path I followed and offered any help I could. We ended up taking her home because Animal Control is closed on Sunday. (Don’t lose your pet on Sunday!) Amanda was attentive and kind and truly sympathetic towards the dog that I named Poppy. Then Ginger. And finally Terry.

Dave (whom we live with…not commune style, rather landlord style) is brilliant and resourceful and called an emergency animal hospital and they were allll about taking her in until Animal Control could take over the next day (Monday, when they’re open; again, do not lose your pet on a Sunday).

So Terry and I hit the road and enjoyed a beautiful sunset ride out to Leesburg.

Thank the Lord for amazing people (yay wife!) and cute dogs (yay Terry!).

6 Weeks

Lil girl has been living in the outside world now for 6 weeks (I know, I said I was going to start just counting months once she reached a month…maybe we’ll go with that at 2 months) and she is doing quite well. She recently has realized she has multiple levels of volume and tone of voice and she enjoys exploring them all. Just yesterday she started making random, adorable noises while she was awake and looking around instead of just soaking in the environment. She is a joy to watch and listen to and learn from. She’s not quite as cute at 3:00 in the morning when she wants to be awake and decides she is going to be fussy because she wants to be held while she’s wide awake. Those are times when Amanda would really appreciate the sleep more than the curiosity but she takes on the challenge like a champ!

I’ve been back at work now for 2 weeks and I’ve been pouring myself into my tasks for a number of reasons. Mostly it’s because it’s the right thing to do. A pleasant side effect, however, is that I am so focused at work that I don’t spend the time during the day to wish I was at home. It’s interesting now to choose to work at work and to go to my vocation in a myopic mindset. I miss being at home with Amanda and Bryce quite a bit and this mindset allows me to give myself fully to whatever task is at hand.

And a fantastic task at hand when I’m at home, is making sure this lil one knows she’s loved:

Photo by Beautiful Wife

One Month

One month ago today I held my lil girl in my arms for the first time. I watched my wife go through an insane amount of work and effort and to do it all with diligence and perseverance. I was there to witness the birth, to encourage my wife, and to stand by my lil girl’s side once she came into this world.

After 2 days my wife and I took her home and I was able to hold my lil girl in our familiar environment.

Since then, it has been one of the most exhausting months of my life and Amanda’s life. We went through a time during Day 6 where a 6 hour trip to the ER took us to the brink of reality. We were both spent and could go no further than prayer. There was no place to go except the foot of the Lord Himself.

He, of course, was faithful to His character and our lil girl came out of a jaundice/listless/food scare with flying colors and at one month old she is now 9 lbs 10 oz and over 21 inches in length.

Amanda and I have grown closer to God through the birth of Bryce; we have grown closer to each other; we have seen a love for our daughter that is deep and unwavering. On Monday of this week I had to say goodbye to my beautiful ladies and go back to work. It was a rough day but I was able to pour into work and be productive and it took the edge off of the missing. It’s been a tiring month…

…but it’s totally worth it. I love you, kid!

Happy One Month!
Love, Dad

So. Fast.

Yesterday was my first day away from Bryce since she was born. People tell you that children grow quickly and I am here to testify. I was away from her for one day and I could see a difference.

Look at those cheeks!

Sweet Moses I love that child.

And what did I miss most yesterday? Spending time with my best friend.

Amanda and I went through so much and spent so much time together this last month that my major withdrawal came from not spending time with her during the day. I know we’ll adjust again. I just don’t want to adjust. :)

Last Week

I’ve started my last full week at home with my amazing ladies.

This has been an exhausting 3 weeks but I wouldn’t trade them for anything.  I have seen my wife take on a huge responsibility and handle it with strength and grace.  We’ve both become more vulnerable and have bonded in a new and deep way.  And I’ve watched my little girl go from listless and lethargic to alert and packing on the pounds.  Most importantly, during this time my wife and I have spoken more with Almighty God than we have in recent memory.  And that is a beautiful thing.

It would appear that we have a little activist on our hands.  There are times when she takes a break to pose for the camera:

And then there are the times where she’s fighting the Man.  Even in her sleep:

It may appear that she’s asleep a lot, but that’s really the only time she’s still enough to get a good picture of her in not optimal lighting.  To be sure, this kid definitely has some serious awake time:

And she couldn’t be any more beautiful.  :)

Sleep is Good

Life is moving along here in our household.  Bryce is feeding regularly and putting on weight.  (Sidebar: It’s crazy to me that we spend SO MUCH effort trying to put weight on her and in 12 years or so she will spend the rest of her life trying to get rid of it.)

She also has decided that this is her favorite thing to do during nap time:

So we’re working on the whole, “you really do need to sleep, kid” thing and she continues to let us know that she’ll sleep when she wants to, thank you very much.  The only exception to that is the car seat.  Screams and squirms getting into it, but once we’re in the car it’s lights out! Good times. :)

Lately I get excited about bath time because immediately afterward there is “dry the baby” time.

One day she will have angst towards me for this but for the cuteness and joy it gives us now…totally worth it.  :)

I’m signing off now and hoping that my daughter has sleepy eyes after this feeding.  As opposed to seeing these beautiful eyes open during nap time…

Too Cute to Not Share

I’m digging through all of the pics and video from the last 2 weeks and I found my “vigorous” daughter figuring things out.

Bryce Rooting Around from -w on Vimeo.

3 Days of Catching Up

On Tuesday, the family set out on a mini-road trip to go see Bryce’s Great Grandma Colton. In the past it wouldn’t have been much of a road trip but now we live a solid 45 minutes away. I realize to a lot of you, living 45 mins from your relatives is really close but I’ve always been 20 mins or so away. So add on a lil one to the travels and it becomes a road trip. :)

It was a great visit and it was wonderful to see my Grandma and Aunt again. And Bryce was a lil charmer, as always.

Yesterday we went to the pediatrician for a 2 week check up and lil girl is doing well! She gained a bunch of weight and she showed off to the nurse practitioner. Bryce was placed on her tummy and she proceeded to lift her head WAY off the table. To the point where the nurse practitioner said, “Can I borrow her for a week!? She’s really strong!”

Fortunately, Bryce is keeping a level head about her awesomeness.

Today it is a BEAUTIFUL day outside after a Tornado Warning and some thunderstorms last night. With weather like this, we have an increased interest in getting outside and soaking in a rare July day in Virginia. If that occurs, we will be spending this afternoon like yesterday afternoon:

I love my life. :)

Lessons Everywhere

Everything I read about raising a little one boils down to “Trust them to tell you what they need.”

If all is well and they are sleeping, they are tired.
If all is well and they are awake, let them be.
If they cry, feed them, burp them, hug them, put them to sleep.

In the end, they will teach you what they need.

So I now have a 12 day old daughter teaching me how to be a Dad.

It must be a lot of work teaching Dad cause child is workin’ hard In her sleep: