Photos (sans photos)

I'm trying to pick out some outfits for Jake, Peter and I to wear our "photo shoot" on Sunday.  I'm laughing because all of my shirts are too small for my chest!  I don't mind wearing tight t-shirts etc around the house and running errands, but now that I'm actually thinking of having my photo taken I'm a little concerned.  Hmmmm - I might go shopping this evening.

I'm enjoying my last weekday of maternity leave today.  I'm going to miss being home all day with Peter.  I'm sure I'll ease into work and I'll get used to it - but I have loved being home with him all day.  This transition stuff is hard......

Happy Baby

I love motherhood. How could I not?  Look at this face!

Love his grin!

Grandpa came to play.  We practiced standing and doing sit ups!

11 weeks - My Friday Night Date

I love Friday nights with Jake and Peter!  Peter is 11 weeks old today - time is flying! Other things that happened this week: Lot's of babies were born!  One of my best friends had her baby on Wednesday and two other friends in Eugene had baby girl twins today.  Our friend Liz came to visit and Mr. Ron Lancaster stopped by to visit as well.

Discovering that he can hold his own spit rag

Tummy time with Daddy before his bath

Getting ready for his bath

"I don't want to take a bath mom!"

Post bath faux hawks

My great friend Liz drove down for a visit - she came really far to see us!  She is a mountain guide in France (Smart Mtn Guides!) 

Ron Lancaster dropped by for a visit - he had Peter giggling and smiling the entire time.  He is clearly an experienced Grandpa!

10 weeks old

Peter's best smile yet!

I feel like the weeks are just going by faster and faster!  I go back to work in 2 weeks and am trying to gear up and prepare for what that's going to be like.  Like most women, I'm dreading it.  I love my job and I know it's going to be fine once I get into the swing of things, but I still feel incredibly emotional about leaving Peter for part of the day.  We are incredibly lucky to have our parents to help us with child care and they are even going to come to our house.  But it's still incredibly hard!  I usually spend a good portion of the morning holding Peter and cuddling him.  Right now I'm planning to work mornings so I'm going to miss that a lot.  I realize that I can just cuddle him at 6am when I feed him before work too - so maybe I just need to start a new routine.  I'm trying to keep track of when he eats/sleeps so that I can tell my parents/in laws what to expect when they are watching him - despite him not being on much of a schedule yet.  He is slowly starting to develop one which is good.  It helps me to write it down to see if a pattern emerges.

I'm so amazed by the intense bond that I feel with Peter.  I know it sounds obvious, but it's way way more intense than I ever expected.  My girlfriends have assured me that while going back to work is really hard, that it does get easier.  It won't always feel like my guts are being ripped out.  Unfortunately I work right next to the pediatricians, so I have feeling that's going to be emotionally hard (hearing babies cry and wishing I was with mine), let alone lactating every time a baby wails!  I think my hormones are getting the best of me right now, and probably will for the next 1-2 months.  Bear with me!

Meanwhile - I am loving the fall.  It rained last night and this morning and it just plain smells good outside!  Jake and I are loving parenthood and our little dude.  I am surrounded by the greatest friends near and far.  My heart feels so full!

Daddy Days

Daddy and I

Sorry for the delay on getting this blog post written.  It has been a busy week for me: learning how to wear cloth diapers, discovering my hands, focusing my eyes together, working on fun new noises and doing lots of eating.

Last weekend my mommy had a work retreat at Skamania Lodge and that meant that during the day daddy was in charge of me.  I know what you are thinking and I was skeptical too, but grandma was there on Saturday to make sure he was qualified to take care of me.  He passed so it was just daddy and I during the day on Sunday and Monday.

So even though I was skeptical at the start in the end daddy did a great job and we had lots of fun together.   

Chillin with Dad

~Peter

I spent a lot of time napping in the hotel with my Daddy

Hiking

Fatherhood - Pregnancy and the first 9 weeks

Last weekend I got to take care of Peter while Amy was in sessions at her work retreat. Peter and I had a lot of fun and it gave me plenty of time to reflect on being a dad.

On August 3^rd 2012 my life changed forever.  Thirty-seven weeks earlier, on December 16^th 2011, I learned that I was going to be a dad.  From that moment on, I knew in my brain that I was going to be a dad, but didn’t feel it physically like Amy who was experiencing the pregnancy first hand. I was experiencing it through her but never had the same physical connection with Peter as he grew.   So when I saw Peter for the first time my daddy-meter went from 0 to 100 in just a few seconds.    

When Amy and I decided that we wanted to start trying to have a child I was excited to be a dad.  When I learned that Amy was pregnant I was so happy, and when I learned that I was going to have a son I felt like I was on cloud nine.  I tried to imagine what it would be like to be a parent, but in my wildest imagination I could not envision something so great. 

I can’t believe how fast he is growing up.  Everyday things change. It is so much fun watching his motor skills develop and starting to see his personality come through.  I spend half of my time thinking about the next step and how much fun it will be when we can do more things together and the other half of my time hoping that he stays just like this forever.   Each day I can’t imagine things getting any better and everyday I am proved wrong.

Time to for me to put down the computer and pick up my son.  More posts to come.

~Jake

2 months!

On October 3rd Peter turned 2 months old! He has become so much more animated, engaged and aware.  It is so amazing to watch him grow and develop.  

Aunt Karin came home from NYC to see Peter on his 2mo. birthday!

2mo. old 

His eyes are turning blue!

9 weeks old - he's getting so long!

Love this smile

Such a ham

So inquisitive

Jackson came to hang out!

Aleta and Della came to visit! I love spending time with these guys

Fast friends - so cute.