Photo Shoot

I've dreamed of having my friend Crickett take Jack's pictures long before he ever arrived. Last Saturday ended up being perfect. A little rainy and overcast in the morning, but warm enough to have a naked baby outside. Click on the link below to see a preview on her photography blog!

http://crickettphotography.blogspot.com/2011/04/newborn-barnes-baby.html

The cradle that Jack is sleeping in is one that my Dad made me when I was little. I've treasured it all these years, and love that we were able to use it in some of the photos. The rest of the pics will be out soon, and I'm absolutely DYING to see them!

Happy Easter!

In the battle of Easter 2011, Jack emerged victorious and scored a visit from the Easter Bunny. He managed to get a couple practical items, like sunscreen, socks and jeans. More importantly, I got the photo-op that I wanted! Happy 1st Easter Jack!

6 weeks!

Six weeks has flown by! In a way, it seems like much longer that Jack has been with us- Probably because our lives have completely and utterly changed in those six weeks. Every single thought of my day now revolves around taking care of him, and keeping my family and household up and running. Daron has been a indispensable partner in this parenting thing, and I think we're doing a pretty good job so far! Jack had a great checkup this week, and his pediatrician says that he's perfect. I already knew it, but confirmation is nice.


Some facts about Jack:
1. He still hates the swing.
2. He's in between sizes right now. Somewhere between NB and 0-3
3. Weighs 10.5 lbs this week
4. LOVES his bath. See below..
5. Loves to snuggle. Would rather be held than anything else.
6. Bought his first plane ticket to Grammy's house this summer!
7. Is finally sleeping a little better at night






Yep, here's Jack asleep in the tub. He got so relaxed tonight that he just konked out! I told you he loves a bath....

Elisa

Grateful

I'm so grateful for this wonderful new man in my life. How could anyone not fall in love with a face like this?
On a completely unrelated note, can I make an interesting observation? Doing laundry for little people is dangerous. Imagine my shock when I plunge both arms into a hot dryer full of baby clothes, and 463 searing hot snaps burn me like fire pokers. Lesson learned- send Daron to empty the dryer next time!

Why Me?

Jack must think were complete clowns. Hopefully the fun lovable kind, not the scary Steven King kind. Someone asked Daron the other day if fatherhood was going to turn him into a fuddy-duddy. "Heck no! If anything, now I have a prop!" Some unexpected things I've discovered in the last month:
1. A new kind of tired that I didn't know existed.
2. Along with that new kind of tired, the inability to sleep deeply anymore. I'm always listening for that cry in the back of my consciousness.
3. People treat you better when you have a cute baby. Cashiers, waiters, even the customer service counter at Target! They've never once been nice to me before!
4. Instant friends. Other baby-toting individuals will go out of their way to ask about your baby, how old he is, etc.
5. That motherhood will stretch you in ways you didn't expect, and you don't even mind. One word: suppository!

I thought I had a little more time before being thrown into that particular experience, but these days nothing goes according to plan.
A couple of my new favorite things:
1. Watching Jack sleep- I could do it for hours. If only he would do it for hours.. Which he doesn't. Hence, the new kind of tired.
2. Listening to Daron and Jack's heart-to-heart talks over the baby monitor.
3. Baby jammies. There's nothing cuter than a baby in pajamas. Especially after you've slicked them up in Baby Magic!
4. Jack's wide-eyed gaze when you're feeding him in the middle of the night. Like he is studying you intensely. I'd love to know what he's thinking.
5. Finally feeling like I have a family! Sure, we were a family before, but these days we feel far more complete....

Growth Spurt

Jack's pediatrician in Iowa told us that he would go through a major growth spurt around week three. Can you see why I'm completely freaked out? If he continues at this rate, he will be leaving for college in the fall...
He wore these jammies less than two weeks ago.. *sigh*

Bellies and baths

What a great weekend! My mom and youngest sister flew out from Austin for a few days to spend time with Jack. Oh yeah, and maybe a little time with me and Daron. We shopped, ate Carolina Barbecue, and went to Shuckers for seafood. Grandma got to give Jack a bath, which right now is most conveniently done in my shallow bathroom sink:

Aunt Catherine did the dressing:
Jack really loves getting a bath, and all these lovely ladies are more than willing to oblige him. Add in that smell of freshly applied Baby Magic, and it's a recipe for heaven. In the last couple days, Jack has turned into a marathon eater. He will pound 4 to 6 ozs at a time, and be ready to do it again two hours later. I have yet to figure out where all this milk is going, but I think I have an idea:
Jack is already outgrowing some of his newborn outfits, which makes me sad. We moved up from Newborn diapers to size 1, and those skinny little chicken legs are filling out nicely!
Yes, I know bottle-propping is bad. Yes, I know the bottle is empty. The bottle is ALWAYS empty it seems... We are slowly settling into a new routine with Jack around, and I find myself getting a little melancholy every time he reaches a new milestone. Is that normal? I want him to stay small so I can savor it longer. MUCH much longer. I feel like even though it's only been a month, I'll never get that first month back. I'm excited to see him grow and develop his personality, but this frantic pace of growing and changing has got to stop! I'm just going to have to turn into one of those weird, hovering mom's that document every little thing.
Man, I love this kid. Sleep deprivation may have clouded my judgement, but I think he might be the best thing ever.
Elisa