I am thankful for...

1. The men in my life...Matthew and Jeff!
2. My family
3. Good food/wine
4. That 75% of my baby weight is gone
5. That Matthew is ALMOST sleeping through the night! WHOO!

One Month Old!

I can't believe my baby is one month old already! He has grown so much over the past few weeks. Here is a picture of daddy and Matthew snoozing. How cute!

Baby Shower for Charlotte!

Over the weekend was my sister-in-law Angie's baby shower. Angie is due to have a little girl, Charlotte Rose, in early January. I had so much fun helping to plan the shower! I can't wait to meet my little neice...just a few more weeks!

WELCOMING ADDISON MARIE BYRD!

My cousin Lisa gave birth to a healthy baby girl today! I am so excited for her and her husband Chris. Addison is adorable! Matthew can't wait to meet his new little cousin.

Bedtime Lineup

I think Jeff and I have found the perfect recipe for putting Mathew to bed. Here is our nightly routine.

- Bottle of formula (supplementing breastmilk with formula will help baby sleep longer, since it is more filling).

- Nightly Bath - Matthew loves bathtime and the warm water puts him in sleepy mode.

- A pair of snuggly fleece pajamas. He loves his pj's!

- Story and prayers.

- Swaddle with receiving blanket or swaddler.

- Ocean waves CD. This relaxing sound reminds baby of being in the womb and lulled Matthew right to sleep!

It was our first night of waking up only once! Ahhh....it was so nice.

First Time in the Tub!

Matthew's First Bath

Awww...poor baby

Matthew's First Video Debut!

Jeff and I received a new video camera from my parents for our birthdays. Today we are playing around with all of the features. Here is Matthew's first home video!!! Note when I tell him to say hello the second time, his little hand waves...how cute!

Eek!

I just found out about the most amazing gadget EVER! The new Amazon Kindle. You can download books, periodicals, and magazines right to this device for reading. You don't even have to hook it up to your computer to do so! The Kindle works like a cell phone...only when you purchase it there are NO contracts, no monthly fees, etc.

One concern of mine was that I hate reading on a screen. However, this gizmo has such a hi-def screen it mimics the pages of an actual book. YEAH! I HAVE to have this item for Christmas. I already purchased one for someone in my life. No names mentioned in case that someone reads my blog!

And another one...

I had to share one more picture! He looks so much like Jeff! Ah! He may look like his daddy, but he sure acts like his momma...#1 He is content as long as he is fed #2 He is very serious #3 He is very intelligent (Ha! I had to throw that one in there).

Three Weeks

Matthew Richard is now three weeks old! He is adorable as ever. He is really starting to look like a little boy and less like a baby. He HATES to be naked...haha. Any time we change his outfit he immediately gets upset.

We took our first trip to the mall today to go Christmas shopping. I brought Matthew to my favorite hot spots...the M.A.C. counter in Nordstrom and Metropark (new boutique that my sister Tina loves!). Everyone gushed over how adorable he is! I am a biased opinion...momma always thinks her baby looks cute!

Two Weeks

Well, my little Matthew is growing up so fast and he is only two weeks old! Over the past week, Matthew has gained a pound and grown 1/4"! I can't believe it!

Happy Birthday Honey!

I love my husband Jeff so much. I am very lucky to have married one of the most intelligent and sweet men that I have ever known. With the birth of our son, Jeff has revealed to me a new reason to love him even more. Before Matthew was born, Jeff had never changed a diaper and could count on one hand the number of times that he had held an infant. Over the past two weeks, I have seen Jeff morph into "Super Dad."
He is so loving, patient, and naturally gifted at being a good parent. Matthew could not have been blessed with a better father. I love watching Jeff hold and care for Matthew. It has given me yet another reason to admire Jeff!!

And so on this day, I would like to wish my amazing husband the happiest birthday yet! XOXO!

One Week Old

Here is an update on baby Matthew. He is one week old! I can't believe that a whole week has gone by already. My little man is growing up so much. He weighed 7 lbs 4 oz. at his pediatrician appointment. After losing a little weight in the hospital, he is on the upswing...I wish my baby could stay this little for a little longer.

Here is Jeff doing a little Sudoku with Matthew watching. Haha. I thought this was a cute pic!