First Smiles and a Day at the Met

Jack has had some random smiles over the last few weeks, but today was his first real day of smiles. It started early this morning when he first woke up with Alan and me (I'm so glad we were both there) and continued throughout the day. It's so much fun to watch his little face light up again and again! Part of his smiling may have had something to do with his first visit to the Met followed by an afternoon tea at Le Pain (one of my favorite places). I'm so glad Aunt Susan and Uncle Jeff were here for all of the fun!

He's already such a stylish and cultural little boy!

I love this little face!

This picture cracks me up!!

Hints of his beautiful smile!

Meeting Aunt Susan and Uncle Jeff

No pressure on the rest of the family, but Susan and Jeff are the first aunt and uncle to visit:) We're so excited to spend the next few days with them...it's making us even more excited for Jack to meet the rest of his aunts and uncles!

Meeting Grandpa and Aunt Debbie

Such a fun day! Dad and Aunt Debbie are traveling to Israel this week and had a long layover before their international flight from JFK. It took a little finagling to find a way to get there, but I'm soooo glad we did. I was so happy to see them both and Jack had his first visit with Grandpa and Great Aunt Debbie!!

Growing Boy

Jack had his 1 month appointment with the pediatrician this afternoon. He's just a growing boy weighing in at 9lbs (that's 20 oz in 2 weeks) and measuring 21 1/4 inches. He's now in the 35th percentile (up from the 22nd).

Happy 1 Month Birthday Jack!

I can hardly believe it's been one month of Jack already! To celebrate, we headed to Magnolia Bakery for a cupcake. While we were there, an older gentleman was passing by on the street. When he saw us in the window holding Jack he stopped and looked at us and gave us a nod of blessing. He passed back by while we were still there and came inside to talk to us for a moment. Among the many nice things he said, he told us that this was our time to hold him, that this was a time we'd never forget. He said his son was now 27 years old, but that the moment he was born felt like it had just happened that morning. He said "God bless you" and went on...I sat with tears in my eyes. Such a sweet, sweet moment for us!

Everyone says it goes by fast and I now fully understand that statement. While I know each phase will only get better as Jack grows and shows us more of who he is each day, there is a small part of me that wants him to stay a newborn just a little longer. While I attempt to hold onto that idea, here are a few thoughts from our first month together...

*I feel really blessed that breastfeeding has been going so well. Jack and I seemed to figure it out pretty easily together. It is a pretty amazing thing women are built to do. It is also a pretty amazing commitment too. Thank goodness our bodies burn extra calories during this time because sitting for 8+ hours/day could do a number on your body otherwise. I'm learning how to do many things one handed (blogging for example). And I've taken my mom's advice to not let it interrupt life, Jack and I go everywhere we feel like and a feeding fits in wherever we are at the moment.
*Having a stroller in the city is like having a car again. It comes complete with 2 cup holders (a personal favorite), a glove box for those immediate essentials, a second seat for your bag, and a trunk for all those other necessities you collect along the way. I love it!
*Jack has the cutest wake up face. He stretches his arms up over his head, arches his back, purses his lips with his eyes closed...one of the many favorite parts of my day.
*Every day we are learning what makes Jack happy. We each have our own tricks too, Alan singing "Hey Jude," a cuddle with Jenny, the infamous "butt pat," or anything else that keeps him moving and lulls him to sleep (can you tell he's a New Yorker?).
*A friend told us that a baby that looks up at what's above them has been shown to be a more intelligent child...well, Jack is a genius then:)
*Jack has 2 favorite spots in the house, his changing table where he can look in the mirror or just stare at his room and the couch in our living room where he stares up at the mirror and frames above it.
*Jack's starting to have an opinion about what's going on around him. It's kind of cute really, even if the reaction is to cry. He lets you know what he thinks...just a small taste of what's to come I'm sure.
*I feel a lot of pressure about the amount (and quality) of photos taken of Jack. I realize this seems ridiculous when there's a folder of images of Jack's first month with nearly 900 photos in it, but it's true.
*Riley could not have cared less about Jack when he first arrived. Slowly, but surely he is figuring things out. He definitely knows when he's being left out and finds ways to remind us he's here (ex. climbing into the lower level of the baby cradle). Recently, he has taken to watching over Jack a little more. If Jack is crying, Riley will go sit next to him as if to let me know where I need to be too.
*Almost daily I have a moment where I'm looking at Jack and the realization that he's mine overwhelms me. It's such an amazing feeling really. All my life I've wanted to be a mom and experience this very thing and now that he's here I still find myself amazed that it's happening. I suppose there will be many more of these moments for months/years to come.

There are so many other things I could write, but that's all for now.

23 Days

It's going too fast...

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

We didn't dress up in correct St. Patrick's Day colors, but we did dress up. Jack wore his first "little man" outfit today. It was actually a lot harder for me than I thought it would be! All of the clothes I've picked out for him these last 9 months were meant to make him a "mini Alan" of sorts, but 3 weeks in and I still want him to look like a baby. I don't know if this look is here to stay just yet, but here he is in his first Oxford shirt and baby blue jeans...just like his dad.

First visit to the rooftop at Metro! (Adding the bear hoodie definitely keeps him looking like a baby again.)

Saying Goodbye for Now...

It was a short last morning with Grandpa and Bibi, but Jack took it all in. We can't wait for the next visit!

more with Grandpa and Bibi

The weather wasn't too great our first day with Grandpa and Bibi, but today definitely made up for it. We spent the entire afternoon in Central Park (along with 1/2 of New York). It was so beautiful! Grandpa and Bibi got their first chance at taking a stroll with Jack and he loved every minute.

Grandpa and Bibi come back for more...

We knew they couldn't stay away that long. So glad Grandpa and Bibi got to come for a longer visit that doesn't include going to the hospital to see us. It's going to be a fun few days...

Baby Boom at Metro

It's been a year of babies at Metro with first Hudson, then Jack, and now Kaylyn (born just 5 days after Jack). This Sunday was the first meeting of all 3.

Hudson's checking it all out. Somehow he looked so small just 3 weeks ago...

I have a feeling there will be a lot of photos of the 3 of them together.

Our First Nashville Visitor

Laralee wins! She's the first Nashville visitor Jack has had. Her spring break mission trip to NYC timed out perfectly with Jack's arrival. So glad we had the chance to hang out together! It only made us more excited for our next trip to Nashville and the chance to introduce Jack to so many more wonderful friends...

First Bath

Jack had his first bath tonight. He wasn't too sure about it and started crying which in turn had me crying. It's a good thing Alan could stay calm despite the emotional mess I became.

An Afternoon in Central Park

Good news! I had my doctor's appointment today and was given the "all clear." My doctor said I was healing great and I am no longer under house arrest! To celebrate, we got Starbucks and went for our first family stroll through Central Park. It was a beautiful day too...58 degrees and sunny. I'm not sure spring is officially here to stay, but I'm glad I got to enjoy the preview.

2 Weeks

Another big break out day...Jack's 2 week pediatrician appointment and my chance to get out of the house (legally). It's amazing how this can be a focus for an entire day. Jack is perfect (of course), weighing in at 7 lbs 12 oz (4 oz more than his birth weight) and measuring 20 3/4 in...he's just a growing boy!

First Sunday at Metro

Today was Jacks' first visit to Metro...I think there will be some great stories to happen here.

2 babies born the same week!! We've started something...

First family church photo...won't be the last.