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We decided it might be nice to have a couple of days without the baby before I have to go back to work.  Just some time for Taylor and I to relax, sleep, and spend some time together.  As it turns out, taking that break was harder than I thought it would be.  

I dropped Noah off at my parents' on Thursday.  I cried when I pulled out of the driveway, and then about three other times after I got back home.  We did get to spend some time together, and with friends, but we couldn't wait to have our little man back home today.  He had fun with Grandma and Grandaddy, and they loved having him.  But we missed his smiling little face much more than I thought we would.  I'm so glad he's back home with us today.

Gettin' Out in October

Noah's second month has so far been one full of firsts.  As he has settled down a little bit and I've gotten more comfortable with him, we have ventured out a little more.  We took our first trip to Grandad's house on the 9th.  Noah met Lobo and Lola (shown below with Grandad at the beach last year), which made me a little bit nervous.  You may look at them, laugh to yourself, and wonder why I would be nervous.  Small though they might be, they are rather hyper dogs and I was scared they would jump all over him.  They just sniffed at him a little bit and that was pretty much it.  No harm done.

On the 12th I ventured out with him by myself to run a few errands.  I waited until it was time for his afternoon nap and raced out the door.  We got my oil changed and went to Babies R' Us, Petsmart, and Target.  He slept through it all and the trip was a success...despite the fact that I was a nervous wreck the entire time.

We went to Grandma and Grandaddy's house on the 13th for our first overnight visit.  Lots of family members came by to meet Noah for the first time, and he did very well with all the attention.  He smiled and cooed and wiggled around, and put on a good show for everyone who came by.  He even slept in Grandma and Grandaddy's room so that I got a little break.  My little cousin Landyn was especially adorable, asking if he could hold the baby.

My cousin Ashley asked the same thing, but it did not go so well.  

Overall it was a successful trip. 

The 23rd brought our first trip out with him to a restaurant.  We went to P.F. Chang's to meet Aaron and Kelly after they finished the 3 Day walk.  He fussed a little when we got there because he was hungry.  We quickly got a bottle ready and he was happy for the rest of the time we were there.  There was a pretty nasty code brown situation, but it was quickly dealt with by Daddy and a trip to the men's room.  

Time really does seem to be going by a little faster than it was a couple of weeks ago, and I know I will have many more firsts to write about soon.  After all, Noah's first Halloween is just around the corner.  I'm just glad these first few went well and that Noah, and my nerves, came out of them unscathed. 

Days Go By

It's a little hard to believe that our sweet Noah is a month old today.  You hear people say, "Enjoy every minute because they go by so fast."  Although it hasn't really felt like it day to day, I guess looking at it now it seems that this month has gone by quickly.  Noah has changed so much already right before our eyes.  It was hard for us to see because we are with him every day, but he has grown a lot this first month.  I can really tell when I hold him for more than five minutes.  He's definitely heavier.  He is also more alert and active when he's awake.  His eyes seem to get brighter every day. He loves his swing, and will wave his arms around and make noise when he gets excited in it.  He does not like to have his diaper changed, does not really appreciate it when you try to change his clothes, and he really hates getting a bath. He refuses to keep his arms covered while he sleeps, and is absolutely adorable when he's napping.

While it has been amazing to watch him change every day, it has also been the biggest challenge of my life.  Losing sleep while having hormones running wild will really take its toll on you after a few days.  And when he cries and I can't for the life of me figure out what is wrong or what to do to make him stop, I feel completely helpless.  I've never had someone be completely dependent on me and I have to admit it's a little scary.  But it's amazing when I hold him in my lap and he falls asleep against my chest.  Or when he holds on to my finger while I feed him.  And seeing Taylor with him just makes me love them both even more than I thought possible.  I adore my new little family and feel so blessed to have this life that I've been given.

Being a mom has already taught me so much about love, patience, and the limits of my sanity.  I've also had to learn that I am not actually Super Woman and cannot do every single thing myself.  This is hard for me, but I'm working on it.  So tomorrow we will begin the second month of this adventure and see what it has in store for us.  I can't wait to see how Noah will grow and change as we move forward.  I'm sure Taylor and I will also continue to grow and change along the way.  It's a little unnerving not knowing what's to come, but I know we'll figure it out as we go.  I love my new life and I wouldn't trade it for anything.