Sup? Foo..

How do you leave the house?

I see women out and about with their babies. I just don't get how. Seriously. I'm not kidding. HOW? Let's say Mo eats at 10:30am. That could take up to 45min-1hr with all of the trouble we're having with breastfeeding. That puts us at 11:30. He is ready for a nap 1hr-1.5hrs after he woke up. That would mean a nap at noon. Sleeping in the car seat is out, he doesn't like that much. I tried to have him in the stroller/car seat yesterday and keep him covered so I could run some errands and that went over like a lead balloon.
Today I went to the luncheon after Bible study, because I didn't feel like I could nurse him at Bible study. When I was talking to the women in my study, most of whom have 4-6 children, they all just kinda laughed. "Oh, yes. The new mom thing. You'll get it." Whaaa?? Not the help I was looking for :)

Gotcha!

This may not be the best picture, it was hard to get, but it is the first smile I've been able to catch!!

I ran, I finally RAN!

Can you believe it? I hardly can! I got in a soild 35min run yesterday. It was not fast, it was not impressive, but it was running, and on occasion, it was walking really fast :) I cannot tell you how much I have missed running. It was way too painful to run by 30 weeks into my pregnancy and while I enjoyed other forms of exercise I have been looking forward to the day when I could lace up my shoes and go. I can harldy wait until Moses is big enough for our jogging stroller! The kid has NO IDEA what's coming. Have I told you about me wanting to name him Miles? :) Jeremiah vetoed that idea.
I will probably be very sore by this evening, but I am already hoping I get to do it again today.
For those of you who have kids and love being active, one of the blogs I follow, Baby Steps, would be worth checking out!

Too funny!

This picture just cracks me up. What a sweet, silly face!! It is funny how different he looks in pictures than in real life!

So very glam.

So today I went in to get Moses at 6am for a feeding and as soon as he sees me he just unloads in his pants. I know better than to intervene at this point so I give him his paci and let him finish his business. About 20 minutes later he lets me know he's done so I go get him and change his diaper, which he soils before I can even close it up. There is something about a clean diaper that just calls to this kid. So I smile at him and close it up, off to the couch to feed him. After I grimace through the first latch he unloads in his diaper again, I just giggle. We get through most of the feeding when Daddy gets up and comes to see us. (We split the night, Jeremiah takes the first half on the couch while I'm in the bed, then we switch.) It is then that I realize my hair is standing on end, I'm wearing yellow shorts, bright green fuzzy socks and a nursing bra. I just kinda smile at Jeremiah. Amazing, he still likes me :) As I smile I put our son over my shoulder and as if on cue he spits up all down my back. Jeremiah comes to my rescue and cleans me up. So now in addition to my cute outfit I smell like spit-up :) What a GREAT way to start the day - and I'm not kidding. This mom stuff is kinda fun.

Daddy's Home!

Today was Jeremiah's first full day back at work. Waa Waa! That protest comes both from Moses and I! Jeremiah surprised us by coming home for lunch and can I just say that Moses and I BOTH were elated! When Jeremiah came home this evening Moses had a big, gummy grin for his daddy. They really seem to like each other :)
Mo's new favorite thing, by the way, is to hang out in his crib with his paci. No mama time, no swing, no bouncer (aka - da' bounce), just himself and his paci in his crib. I don't know what he likes so much! Maybe now that he is A MONTH OLD he needs time to reflect on his life hence far. If that is the case, like father like son!

All ducked out!

Here is an outfit from my buddy Xander, thanks Crystal!



This is what daddy thinks of my matching socks.

Our sleepy family.

Have a happy weekend!

The story behind the name.

Moses David Hayes

Naming our son "Moses" started out as a joke. Moses was combined with other names, such as Noah and Josiah. We laughed about calling him No' Mo' Jo' or some combination thereof. Up to the day he was born, though, we really had no idea what we would name him. We really wanted to wait and see the little guy. I was having a hard time naming someone I hadn't met yet. So when I woke up on Friday morning, December 19th I just knew that I was going to go into labor that day. While I lay in bed thinking about labor and praying over the day and our soon-to-be-born son I felt led to pray that out son would be "drawn out" of this world. That he would be set apart from birth, that the Holy spirit would be with him just as it was with John the Baptist (Luke 1:15). I kept coming back to the thought of our son being "drawn out" of this world and the sin that so easily entangles.

Fast forward about 20 hours after Moses was born and we were thinking of what to name him. I remembered that time of prayer and I was reminded of what the name Moses means. It literally means to be "drawn out", and Moses, the "giver" of the Torah and great leader of the Israelites, was given that name as he was "drawn out" of the Nile. Jeremiah and I talked it over, prayed about it, and decided that Moses would be his first name.

Moses gets his middle name from our dear friend, David Ohst, in Hawaii. His friendship has meant the world to Jeremiah and I and we knew from the get-go that David would be his middle name. We also loved the meaning, "beloved".

Now that we have spent the last four weeks with this sweet person, getting to know him, I know we made the right choice. What a sweet little man we have.

What a big boy.

Is anyone else having a hard time believing that he is 4 weeks old??

Just looking at this picture makes me nervous.

Check out the head control, he's not such a bobble head anymore.

He SMILES!

Moses smiled, at ME, and it just about melted my heart.
This wasn't some gassy episode, either. These were true blue smiles at his Mama. It just about made my life.

THE video!

Okay, so it is finally here! Not at all what I had hoped for, but it is still kinda cute. You may get a neck cramp from watching it sideways, but, hey, I'm an amateur. Hope you enjoy, Keek!

I.O.U.

Years ago I heard John Piper speak at student week at Glorietta. One of the things that he said has stuck with me: the principle of I.O.U. He suggested that when one sits down before the Lord he or she should ask the Lord for three things:

1. That my heart would be Inclined toward his statutes.
   Psalm 119:36 36 Incline my heart to Thy testimonies..
2. That my eyes would be Opened to the wonderful things in his law.
   Psalm 119:18 18 Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Thy law.
3. That I would have Understanding as I read the Word and talk to the Father.
   Psalm 119:34 34 Give me understanding, that I may observe Thy law, And keep it with all my heart.

So this morning as I was talking to the Lord it occurred to me that I could apply these principles to something that is weighing heavily on my heart: breastfeeding. Many of you know of the struggle that feeding Moses has been, and I am so grateful for all of the support you all have given us as we try to figure it out. However I have not brought this concern to the Father as often as I should. He, after all, is the one who made me and knows me, and the same for Moses. May he help us as we try to navigate this new territory! Moses and I are off to see our wonderful lactation consultant, Rebecca, again this morning. Lord, please give all of us wisdom and insight. Help me to deal with the pain and be conscious of my child and his needs.

For those of you who are praying for us and our parenting adventure, would you please pray that I would have wisdom and insight in how to proceed? New ways to have Moses latch on, a different way to hold him, anything that may be escaping me. Also, we are in the process of trying to get a new breastpump from my insurance company. If the Lord sees fit, it would be such a blessing! And also, wisdom for Rebecca, my LC, and my doctor, Nancy. I am so grateful for your prayers!!

A sweet gift.

Moses received a package in the mail this week from Mary Alice Higbie, affectionately known as Emmai, the owner of the St. James Tearoom. For those of you who aren't acquainted with Emmai and have never been to her tearoom, may I suggest making a trip? What a lovely way to spend the afternoon.

I am posting a picture of Moses in the new blanket Emmai sent, but I am also going to include a bit of what Emmai wrote in her card. For me, it was a beautiful reminder of the importance of the journey that Jeremiah and I have started on.

From Emmai:

Isn't it wonderful? Aren't the possibilities enormous - & and awe inspiring just to think about?! A new little masterpiece, created for specific work - good work - by the King Himself. And you two have the enormous responsibility of shepherding & stewarding such a treasure, guiding him into the steps planned for him. The Lord Himself will help you in this task. What important work.

And Emmai says to Moses:

Dear Moses,

Each new day opens up like a flower...every hour, a petal unfolding with possibility...this is your life before the Lord, opening up, day by day, growing you towards the steps that have been planned for you from the beginning of time by your King; for you are His workmanship!

Ephesians 2:10 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

A new picture.

I haven't been very good with my daily updates this week, it has been a week of adjustments! Here is a picture of Moses on the changing table. Just chillin'.

Three hours...

That's about how long I was away from Moses. Jeremiah was asked to speak at a church in Bloomfield, so off he and I went. We even went out to eat first. Grandma Kat was only to THRILLED to have the time with her grandson. I think he enjoyed the Grandma time, too. Here is a picture of us being reunited. He is just so thrilled to have me back...

I think this may be the first picture taken of me in the last three weeks that I have not been in my pajamas! Don't worry, I'm back in them now.

Two week check up!

Moses had his two week check up this week. He is a happy, healthy little boy. He weighs over 10 pounds now, wowzers. That is over a pound since he was born! He is just so cute. He's starting to take the world in a bit more, and he loves it when daddy comes home from work. (So do I :) He loves to just hang out with Jeremiah. He thinks I'm alright. I'm the one with the food so he keep me around, ha ha!

Moses is asleep...

...and I haven't fed him since 1:50am. That means it has been over 5 hours since feedings. Whoa. He is two weeks and 3 days old, I hope this trend keeps up!
Last night was my first night "on duty". Jeremiah and Kat go back to work today so their days of all nighters are over. Yep, I hadn't pulled an all nighter yet, last night was the first! Jeremiah was a bit nervous, seeing how I do so awful on little sleep, but it seems the little guy has it all under control!
Today is also my first day taking Moses out of the house by myself. We have an appointment at the hospital at 10:30am. It's a day for firsts I guess!

He he, he loves me.

Well, you never can tell...

So...here I am, getting a video of our cute little guy, when all of a sudden, well, you'll see.

Here ya go, Nana!!

Mr. Grumpy pants is eating his hands.


Check me out in my camo! Do you like my highwaters??

Bath time!!

Our big boy's first REAL bath! His umbilical cord fell off yesterday, so we gave it a go tonight! He looked kinda confused, but all in all, I think he liked it!!

Tummy time :)

Baby Moses, checking out the world.

The six o'clock feed.

Okay, grandma's and auntie's, here's part of our nighttime routine. The six o'clock feed, all sleepy.

Mo's first play date.

Moses got to meet Shepherd Gabriel today. Shep even shared his bouncy seat, what a sweet friend :)
Shep was born 9 days before Moses, and his mom Brittany used the midwives, too. We were hoping we could meet up at the hospital, but no such luck!! I think there is a great friendship in the future!!