Roadtrippin' with a newborn

Greg and I love to travel. We've spent time in Paris, London, Rome, Maine, Boston, San Francisco, Denver, New Orleans and all over Texas. It's a passion that we hope to pass on to our son. This weekend, we had to get out of house. After nearly five weeks of house arrest, it was time.

My brother and his family were in China Spring, visiting for the weekend. With a planned trip to Waco on Sunday we thought we'd make a weekend of traveling and go visit Greg's grandfather near Houston and his great-grandmother near College Station-- both of whom have been anxiously waiting to meet Wyatt.

It all seemed simple enough. Pack an extra bag for Wyatt, strap him in his car seat, head to Houston, stop by College Station and head to Waco...  Yeah.... it wasn't that simple. Traveling now has become quite the event... "Did I pack enough diapers? Where's his burp cloth? Did he just have a blow-out in his car seat? I can't find his pacifier!"

Saturday morning, bright and early, after a bad night of no sleep, we headed for Houston. Our little traveler made it nearly three hours before the meltdown began. Such a trooper. Luckily we were nearly there. I think Wyatt would agree, his meltdown was worth it. He got to meet his great-grandpa Threadgill. Here are all of the Threadgill men, united at last.

Wyatt also got to meet his Auntie Teri, Uncle Brad and Great-Aunt Nancy.

After meeting great-grandpa Threadgill, we met up with some of Greg's buddies in Houston, where Wyatt met his cousins Pete and Casey. Here's Wyatt getting a snuggle from Casey.

Our little family of three stayed at Brad and Teri's that night... and little man must of known we were not at home. He didn't sleep a wink. Finally at 6 a.m. I got up with him, got the coffee going and watched some TV while Wyatt, wide-awake, enjoyed playing on the couch. Waking up that early was totally worth it as it was the first time Wyatt giggled. Music to my ears!

I love this pic of my two men from that morning. So in love with both!

We left Houston and headed for Hearne to visit Wyatt's Great-Great Grandma. It was so sweet to see her hold and kiss him. He's such a lucky little guy to get to meet her! She'll be 97 in June.

A five generation pic!

Wyatt getting a warm snuggle from great-aunt Cindy! 

After a quick trip to Hearne we headed for China Spring to visit my family. Mark, Jenny and their two precious boys are visiting from Missouri. We were all able to get this fun pic of the Talbert clan and of course, my kid was the one crying! :)

Ryan and Grant loved their newest little cousin.

Cousin Jenna also got to snuggle Wyatt. She's a natural!

My family also came to visit us on Memorial Day. We ordered Salt Like (I think that's what really drew Mark to come visit...) and then enjoyed a game of touch football in the back yard.

The boys playing throw grass on Max!

Grant really like Maxwell... probably because they're the same size. :)

Daddy and Wyatt watching the tag football game. Notice our weeds... anyone want to come pick them! :)

Jenny and her boys. We loved visiting with them!

Mark and the boys racing.

A feisty game of tag football!

We had such a great weekend visiting family and were really glad to be out of the house for a bit! Love to all!

We have a one-month old!

It's amazing how fast time flies. The older I've gotten, the more aware of how fast life is passing me by. But having a baby has sent me in to warp speed. As much as I'm ready for him to be cooing and smiling at us, I'm sad that my new baby boy is already one month old. This handsome little boy has been a true joy and a wonderful blessing from God.

Wyatt is a good sleeper. Most nights he sleeps from midnight to 4 a.m. and then 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. And if I'm really lucky, he'll take another nap until 10 a.m. It's well-needed sleep for this tired Mama.

He is so observant, looking at ceiling fans, faces and anything hanging on the wall, even the TV! During the Christmas season, Greg and I went to a craft fair to buy Christmas presents for family. While there we found four really cute paintings. We didn't realize then how much Wyatt would love them. They hang over his changing table and give him a needed distraction while he's getting his diaper changed. I also recently bought him a mobile for his crib and he loves it. 

 Speaking of crib, he's been taking naps in his big boy bed and has done well. I'm still too nervous to let him sleep in his crib all night but we're getting there.

Wyatt is a grunter. He grunts all of the time. We love it, even in the middle of the night. :)

He still goes cross-eyed now and then... and it's funny.

Wyatt got a sweet snuggle from Mommy's boss, Congressman John Carter. 

 

Our little man has a red tint to his hair. I wonder if he'll always have it or if it will change. His Daddy and I are always trying to figure out who he looks like and what color his eyes will end up being. I'm guessing green/hazel like his Daddy. 

His favorite way to fall asleep is on our chests. He curls his legs up, sucks on his paci and passes out within minutes. I'm sure we're creating a monster with this sleep method but for now, it's working and we love the cuddle time. 

Wyatt smiles. Probably by accident but it's the best thing in the world. I think he looks like a super cute mini-George W. when he smiles. What do you think?

Wyatt has finally found his thumb. He's gotten it in his mouth few times before but didn't quite know what to do with this. On his 1-month birthday, it clicked. We found him like this. So precious! 

Wyatt loves riding his in stroller and taking walks. It's been nice because it allows Mommy to get out of the house. Cabin fever!! 

I could go on and on and on... but have to get this sweet boy to bed. We love you little man! Happy one-month birthday!! 

Wyatt's Birth Story

We knew Wyatt was going to be a big baby... but we had no idea just how big. When we went in for his 36-week appointment, he was measuring in at 9 pounds. At that rate, on his due date April 29, he would have been close to an 11-pound baby. I wasn't looking forward to trying to push out an 11-pound baby and my doctor frankly didn't think my body would be able to do it.

So we scheduled a C-Section for one-week prior to this due date. I had mixed feelings about this. I wanted to experience labor and I was afraid I would miss out on it by scheduling his birth. I was right. I prayed that my water would break and I'd go into labor on my own but April 22 came and he was just too comfy.

My parents and Greg's parents stayed with us the night before Wyatt's birth and followed us to the hospital bright and early. To say we were all excited was an understatement. However, I was probably the most nervous out of everyone. 

Last belly shot. I still can't believe he fit in there!

My friend Courtney, who had two C-Sections by the same doctor, laid out the process to me. But it was all still nerve wracking. I spent two hours sitting in a bed, being hooked up to monitors, answering questions and being poked by needles. Dr. Cowan came in to chat prior to going back to the OR. I love my doctor. If you're having a baby in the North Austin area, check out Dr. Robert Cowan with Austin Area OB/GYN. He was great throughout the whole process. He was laid back and confident, which is just was the worrier needed.

Prepped and ready to go! 

When it was time, I walked back to the OR. The room was bright white and filled with people. I sat on the table and immediately prepped for the spinal. I have scoliosis. The anesthesiologist had a bit of an issue getting the needle in my spine. Let's just say it did not feel good but he did a good job. Within minutes, my legs and torso were numb. I will say there is no modesty in having a baby. In that room filled with people, I was laid up on the table, exposed to the world. The things we mothers do... 

Dr. Cowan came in, ready to go. Then it was Greg's turn. He was so cute. I could tell he was a little nervous. He was quiet. I kept asking him what they were doing. He did look over the curtain and didn't get sick. I'm thankful because he got some amazing pictures of Wyatt's birth, which took all of 10 minutes from beginning to end. It's amazing how fast they were able to get him out. 

His first breathe!  

All the way out. What a blessing...

Dr. Cowan did take a few extra minutes working to get Wyatt's head and shoulders out. He was a big boy for sure. Once he was out, the entire room of nurses and doctors talked about how big he was. At 9lbs, 12 oz, he was big. I remember the first time I saw him, besides thinking how stinkin' cute he was, I thought "Wow, he has a big head." 

Momma's first look at her little man.

We're so blessed to have this perfect, amazing little man. He's so laid back. He gets fussy when he's hungry or has a dirty diaper. Other than that, he's happy and healthy! 

Willkommen!

Writing down my thoughts isn't something new to me... but it has been a while. My freshman year at Mary Hardin-Baylor, my comms professor had us "free write" each week. We were required to write down our thoughts for 15 minutes a day. At the time, it was a bit of chore. I would mostly write down stories in an effort to think of something. But last year, I found all of those posts in an old box and I LOVED reading through them. (Thank you Dr. Burleson for assigning me that chore!) So I thought, what better time than to start free writing again, than with the birth of our son Wyatt.

I'm not really concerned in anyone reads the posts. I'm doing this for our family, to remember the small things, for Wyatt and for a creative outlet. 

This is mostly for you little man! Enjoy!