2 1/2 months old!

I can't believe he's 2.5 months old...where has the time gone?  Our sweet boy changes more every day.  He's 10 weeks now (11 this Wednesday) and he really gets better by the day.  Being his Mom is just as amazing as I thought it would be, better even if that's possible.  And every day we fall a little more in love with him...even though I always think my heart's as full as can be, he makes it a little bigger.  I have never been happier and I am eternally grateful I get to be a part of this amazing little boy's life!

My 2 month birthday!

Let's see, what milestones have we reached?  He had his 2 month shots, which was not a milestone that either of us enjoyed.  Having to hold your baby down so a stranger can stab him repeatedly with giant needles is just wrong. He was very grumpy for a few days (understandably so), but luckily that seems to be forgotten now.  He is cooing and talking to me, his Dad, his toys, his hands, and the ceiling fan.  He is batting at and grabbing his little toy bee, and rattles.  He has been a very alert and interactive little guy since he was born.  Not a big fan of napping or sleeping which makes me doubt he's mine from time to time, but he's just so interested in everything that sleep means missing out.  He loves to sing along with me, and our favorite song is "there was an old lady who swallowed a fly"....which admittedly is a twisted song for kids, but dog gone it, it's fun to sing.  Which brings me to my favorite milestone to date...smiling!  I'll do anything for his amazing smiles.    He started smiling at me and others on purpose when he was 4 1/2 weeks, and they've only increased in frequency and adorableness since.  We are so close to giggling, and I'm just dying of impatience waiting for that first giggle.  I melt every time he smiles, I may become a complete puddle when this kid starts laughing!

Here we are on our play mat, it's so much fun!

He's more fun to interact with all the time.  Right now he's talking and waving his arms at me.  We go for a walk every morning, which is my favorite time of day with him.  He's so happy when he wakes up in the morning, it's like he swallowed a little piece of the sun and he's just beaming when he wakes up.  And boy does that help me get up even when I'm really tired.  You can't be unhappy with that sweet little face smiling at you!

Thank you everyone for following along with us on this amazing journey!  We will try to keep this updated as often as possible, but this little guy keeps me on my toes :)

Visit with family!

Aunt Kasey, Uncle Shawn, and cousin Gavin came to visit us today.  We had an amazing time together!  Aunt Kasey was so excited to meet her nephew and Luke was thrilled to meet his family.  And cousin Gavin was an absolute doll with Luke.  He held him and talked to him, and told him everything would be okay when the baby got grumpy.  It was so sweet to see these cousins together.  I wish they lived closer, I know Gavin will be such a big part of Luke's life and I loved seeing them interact for the first time.

Luke and Big Cousin Gavin

Aunt Kasey (aka Baby Whisperer), Gavin and baby Luke

Grandpa was also able to make it down to spend a few hours with both of his grandsons.  It made Kasey and I so happy to see our Dad with our sons.  I wish we all lived closer and could see each other so much more, but I'm grateful for anytime we do get together!

Grandpa Terry and his grandsons!

After a nice day at the pool where Gavin showed us his amazing new moves, we went to have BBQ together, which was just delicious!  Luke was perfect and slept the whole time, which meant we got to go out to eat with other people!!  I got to eat without dropping food on Luke's head, amazing!  I think he probably appreciated it too :)

Visit with Great-Grandpa

Luke and I were lucky enough to spend time with my grandfather while Joe was in DC for work.  It's only been a few months since my grandmother passed, and their home just isn't the same with her gone.  But it was so nice to be able to bring Luke to visit and see the smile he brought to Grandpa's face.  He loves this baby!  He sits and talks to him and smiles at him and I can see the spark that's been dimmed since my grandmothers passing slowly flaming up again.  Just another reason why this baby is such a miracle, he's able to bring joy even in the midst of our grief.  There were plenty of tears when my grandfather said he just wished that Grandma could have met him.  So do I, so much.  But there are so many times when Luke will look past me and just start smiling like crazy, and I'm sure that she's there with us.  I hate that I can't see her or touch her, but I know she loved me and I know she's got to be just as crazy about Luke as the rest of us are.  Of course she's coming to visit him!

Great Grandpa and Luke

Spending time with Great-Grandpa is pretty low key.  We mostly hang out at home, although we did venture out a few times to have breakfast together.  I'm looking forward to when Luke is a little bigger and we can get out a little more together.

We also were able to see my parents while we were there, and Luke's Grandma came over bearing loads of gifts as always.  She loves a reason to shop, and if a baby doesn't get you buying, I don't know what will!

Grandma Valerie and Luke

Two weeks old!

This past Wednesday was Luke's 2 week old birthday.  Every day brings something new and so far I'm loving every minute.  I'm not getting a lot of sleep, but I knew that going in so no surprise and no complaints.   We learn a little more about each other every day and I am so grateful that I have this time with him.  He's just an amazing gift that I get to keep unwrapping.  Sometimes I wonder if someone's going to knock on the door and ask for their baby back, as if he's just too good to be true.  It's just hard to believe that something so wonderful is ours.

This is my serious face!

So what is he like now that he's a big 2 week old boy?  Well, he's enjoying a pacifier, although he's not great at keeping it in his mouth, so I spend a good amount of time popping it back it back in.  He's sleeping a little less, and looking around more.  He likes to cuddle and really likes to be walked around when he's grumpy.  He loves to sleep during the day and save his energy for night time.  Night time is Mommy-Baby time.  We get up every 2 hours or so to eat, and sometimes to walk around.  We change the diaper and Mommy hopes for sleep.  Sometimes I get a few hours straight, sometimes not.  But I know it's not forever and I'll sleep again eventually so it's not so bad.  And Joe's parents have been here visiting and I've gotten to take a 2-3 hour nap most afternoon's which is a lifesaver.  And they get lots of baby holding time which makes everyone happy.  He's lucky to be so loved, I know his grandparents are really going to miss him when they go home next week.

Mmmm, paci :)

So what have we been doing up until now?  Well we've had visitors.  My dad came up and enjoyed some time with his newest grandson.  Grandma couldn't make it because she was sick, but hopefully next week she and my Dad will be back to shower him with love and attention.  My Uncle Paul and Aunt Diane also came by to see him.  It was great having them here and I never get tired of hearing how cute Luke is so it was a great visit. 

Grandpa and Luke

Aunt Diane and Uncle Paul (my Dad's brother)

                                                     












Joe took the first week and a half off of work to be home with us.  He helped so much and really gave me the time I needed to recover from the c-section and focus on Luke.  For Luke's 1 week birthday his Daddy surprised us with a super cute outfit from Janie and Jack (my favorite children's clothing boutique in Charlotte).  Luke wore it for his newborn pictures which I am dying to see.  Our photographer is putting them in the mail on Monday, and I'll be sure to post them when they arrive.   Daddy also got a little gift for Mommy.  A beautiful heart ring from Tiffany's to match the heart necklace he gave me when we first started dating.  I can't believe how thoughtful he is.  I love that the necklace and ring match and the symbolism behind them.  

I'm sure there's so much more to tell you about Luke, but I have limited time with this sweet boy napping. I'll catch up more soon!

Once again, thank you for being a part of our journey.  We are really grateful for the love, prayers, and support of our family and friends.

Much love,
Joe, Krystyn and Lukas

Born on the 4th of July!

Our sweet little man was born on July 4, 2012.  Lukas Paul Smith arrived at 3:32pm weighing 8 pounds 13 ounces, and was 20.5 inches long.  Today Luke is one week old, and the time has just flown by.  His Daddy and I are madly in love with this sweet boy.  I'm sure we're like every other set of new parents, but every face he makes is the cutest we've ever seen.  His cries are adorable, he sounds like a kitten, just little mews.  He's just as laid back on the outside as he seemed to be when I was pregnant.  He loves to sleep.  I have to wake him up to feed him...which I know sounds crazy.  But he lost 11.5% of his body weight the first few days and we're working to catch back up.  That and I am not sure that he would wake up on his own to eat, he really loves his beauty sleep.

Luke's Birth Story:   I went into early labor the Thursday before Luke was born.  We made a few trips to the doctor and hospital and although the contractions were 3-5 minutes apart, there wasn't enough progress to keep me there so we were sent home.  Needless to say, the next few days were painful and exhausting.  Finally on Tuesday July 3rd my water broke.  We arrived at the hospital around 6:30pm and checked in to have our baby.  Our Midwife and Nurses thought he would be here by the next morning.  My contractions were extremely painful and lasting 3-5 minutes each.  They decided to start Pitocin to try to get things moving faster and to deal with the pain I had my epidural put in, and God bless that Doctor.  It kicked in immediately and I was so grateful!  Unfortunately after laboring for a full 24 hours since my water had broken with no real progress, we realized that Luke's head was simply too big and it was time for a c-section to keep him safe.  His heart rate had dropped dangerously during the night and we were seconds away from an emergency c-section.  It was the worst feeling Joe and I ever experienced.  It was terrifying.  Thankfully after several long minutes they were able to stabilize Luke through positioning.  I really dreaded the c-section, but I'd spent the hours since his slowed heart rate terrified it would happen again, and was willing to do anything to get him here safely. Once the decision was made, everything went very quickly.  I signed the papers and Joe and I headed to the O.R. to meet our son.  When Luke came out time stood still.  They brought him around so that I could see him and we could hear him crying.  Because there was meconium in the amniotic fluid, there was a team in the O.R. that immediately took Luke and checked him.  Thank God he was completely healthy and scored 99 on his apgars.  They let Joe cut his cord and wrapped him up.  Then they handed him to his Daddy and they brought him over to me.  I'm sitting here crying thinking about that moment.  I couldn't even say hello to him because I was crying too hard.  Looking at my son, seeing him here safe and sound was the best moment of my life, hands down.  I am beyond lucky to be his Mommy.

We spent the next 4 days at the hospital and I am really grateful for that time.  I needed it to recover from the surgery, and Luke needed it to deal with his jaundice and weight loss.  The nurses and lactation consultants were amazing.   And we took full advantage of having them there.  We were released with flying colors and on Sunday we were able to bring our baby home.  He's been completely spoiled ever since.  His Grandma and Grandpa Smith were here a few days before his birth and have been snuggling him like crazy ever since. Daddy and I can't get enough of him either.  We could hold him 24/7.  We can't wait for the rest of our family and friends to meet our boy, we know they'll be just as in love with him as we are.

Joe has been amazing. Even though he isn't getting much sleep either, he has waited on us hand and foot.  He's cooking, cleaning, and still finds time to ooh and ahh over his boy and take a million pictures. I don't know what I would have done without him this past week.  I am so lucky to have him for my husband and Luke is blessed to have him for his Dad.  He's taking the very best care of us and I am so appreciative.

So here I am, typing up his birth story while my sweet boy is next to me.  Every once in a while he will stretch or make a cute new face and my heart melts a little more.  I wish I could freeze this time forever.  He is perfection.

Joe and I want to thank everyone for your thoughts and prayers and well wishes.  We look forward to keeping you updated on our little man as he grows.  We are so incredibly grateful and happy and love that you are here to share this journey with us.

Daddy's excited too!

Joe doesn't have the time he wishes he had to add to the blog, but that doesn't mean he isn't just as excited about little boy as I am.  Sometimes I forget about that because I am so focused on the little guy inside of me and my own feelings.  However, any time I start to think I'm the only one anxiously awaiting little boy's arrival, Joe goes and does something that reiterates how much he loves his son and can't wait to meet him either.  He spent all day Sunday cleaning and organizing baby things.  Which I appreciate so much because I can barely move around now.  He then threw me for a loop when he came in a with a list of items I need for my "go bag".  He's really done his research and I was happy to know he's so engaged in the process of little boy's birth.  Tonight he showed me the organic outfits he picked out and ordered for little boy, and this Little Shrimp one was my favorite!

He is so supportive of my crazy insistence on organic clothes and body care.  He ordered a little organic monkey lovey and gripe water for his son.  I know we all imagine how our spouse will be for certain things, but Joe has really exceeded even the dreams I had for this.  I know he will be an equal partner in caring for our baby and I am so appreciative to have someone so supportive and loving to share this journey with.

As to how I'm feeling...I feel really good.  I still enjoy every kick and squirm, and as he gets bigger and bigger the stretches and kicks are now really dramatic.  I laugh out loud when he makes my stomach roll like a wave.  When I say this pregnancy has been great, I can't emphasize it enough.  Maybe it's because I wanted it so much that nothing can rain on my parade, but I think in general I've just been really lucky and I don't take a minute of it for granted.

We have less than 3 weeks until his due date and I am having a hard time staying patient.  I am just looking forward to meeting this little guy so much that waiting is becoming a dirty word.   I know it's worthwhile for little boy to have as much time "on the inside" as possible, but boy are we excited to meet him.  I just look forward to showing him how very much he was loved and wanted every day!!! 18 days and counting...

9 MONTHS PREGNANT!!

As of Monday, we are officially 36 weeks (9 months) pregnant!  We are truly in the final stretch and are so excited to meet our son.  We've been preparing things at home...the swing is put together, his clothes are washed and put away, the car seat is installed, and our bags are packed.  Now all we need is a few more weeks for little boy to grow and we'll be 100% ready to welcome him to the world.  It is surreal to see all of the baby gear spread out around the house.  Some things feel just too good to be true.  I am still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that sometime in the next few weeks, Joe and I will finally get to meet the little boy we've waited a lifetime for...amazing!

I'm still feeling pretty good.  I can get comfortable when I sleep, and I think a lot of that is thanks to the Snoogle pillow I have.  I don't sleep more than an hour or so at a time, but that's okay, I am trucking along alright anyway.  I am working from home now, so that is a huge relief.  No more hour plus commute to and from work every day, and I think that will really help my energy levels.  I know I've been very lucky with this pregnancy (in absolutely every way) and I am very grateful. 

We had our maternity photo shoot last weekend with Blue Sky Photography and it was amazing.  We drove to Burlington to meet with Layla our photographer.  She has such a great eye and I just know our pictures are going to be amazing.   Below is the sneak peek she gave us.  I was really hesitant to do the shoot and am so glad Joe talked me into it.  I can't wait to see the photos she's going to take of little boy after he's born, I know we picked the right person to capture this once in a lifetime event.