A Day in the Life of Zander Houston

Now that Zander is almost 6 weeks old, we are starting to get into a routine.  I wish the routine included a little more sleep at night but I am blessed to get about 3 hours at a time between feedings in the night.  Some nights are better than others.  For example, last night he was up every other hour.  When you factor in the feeding time and diaper changing time, it doesn't give mommy a lot of sleep time in the nights. ;) I have started to attempt to take naps during the day which is helping.  However, I have found that I am not very good at taking naps when it is light outside so I am still working to get more than a few minutes here or there while Zander is napping.  We start out the day with a feeding and getting dressed.  Here are some pictures from one of our mornings....

  Bath Time

So Fresh and So Clean....

 Then, about 15 minutes after the above picture, he threw up everywhere!  Mainly on mommy, but you can see his outfit is no longer fresh or clean! :/

After getting dressed and eating "breakfast", we decide to go for a walk.  We have a half mile loop around our house so I take Burke and Zander around the neighborhood three times (1.5 miles!)..... I am not yet up to the marathon training from the past but we enjoy the morning stroll!  Then, it is time to eat again.  After eating, Zander usually takes a nap which lasts a couple hours.  (see below)  While Zander is sleeping, I usually try to do laundry, clean up around the house, and possibly fit in a shower.

In the afternoon, we try some tummy time and time on his back using his rainforest.  Zander loves looking at the lights and kicking objects he can reach with his feet.  He can hold up his head while on his stomach for a little bit, and I have memorized the entire "soundtrack" that the rainforest plays while he is hanging out under there.

We continue to enjoy the afternoon with more "snacks" and mommy and Zander cuddle time.  However, if it is a really fussy day, Zander spends some time in his swing (which he absolutely loves!).  As you can see, he just stares at the moon and star mobile that is above his head. 

In the evenings, we wait for daddy to come home.  Burke usually waits by the front window anxiously looking for daddy's car to pull up.  As you can see below, the boys are getting along nicely!   

I have discovered that I am somone that needs to see people or just get out of the house almost daily.  So we plan to hang out with family or friends in the evenings, or Zander and I will take a trip to Target or the bank or the grocery store, etc.  Tonight we are planning on going over to the Whites for some yummy "surf and turf"..... we can't wait! :)

1 month old already!

I can't believe at this time last month I was in labor and about to have Zander (I am typing this at 10:00 a.m. and he was born 11 minutes later!).  Where has the time gone?!  We are starting to get into a routine (if you could call it that!), and Zander and I are trying to take daily outings.  We might visit Target, get gas, stop at the bank, visit daddy for lunch, etc.  I am finding that we both like being out and about.  It is also helping me to plan ahead to make sure I have everything needed in the diaper bag.  I think I am getting quicker with the whole "leaving the house" process.  If it is nice weather, the four of us (mommy, daddy, Zander, and Burke) try to fit a walk in after daddy gets off work.  If he works late, Aunt Lindsey has been coming by to help get the rest of us out of the house!  As you can tell, I am someone that can't sit still for long so these little trips are really helping my sanity.  Tonight I am going to see a movie with my sister.  I have been pumping bottles so Zack can feed Zander while we are gone.  This will be an interesting evening but I think the sooner we do it the better.  And Zack suggested it which was incredibly sweet!  I think it will be great for the boys to have some time at the house together.  We are seeing The Great Gatsby (since this is a movie Zack didn't necessarily want to see).  Zack and I are saving Iron Man 3 and Star Trek until we can see these together.  :)  Here are a few pictures to celebrate Zander's 1 month milestone!

A special thanks to Auntie A for making these onesies for each month of Zander's first year!

Happy Mother's Day

Today I was able to celebrate my first Mother's Day.  It is exciting to think I will be able to celebrate this day for the rest of my life!  We were able to dedicate Zander at our church, and we had all of our family come into town for the occasion.  Zander spent the day with his parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, and uncles.  This was an incredibly special time for me as I was able to enjoy being his mama! We made sure everyone was able to hold the newest addition to the family, and I am excited to say that Zander did great at church.  He didn't have a blowout in his diaper (saving the outfit for the WHOLE day!), and he stayed very calm or asleep through the entire church service.  Thank you to all the moms in my life (especially the mama that birthed me!)......you have shown me how to love someone else more than myself, and I look forward to passing this along to our son.  Here are some pictures from the big day......

Before the service...check out his big boy shoes!

 This is what sleep-deprived parents look like;)

 Zander's Dedication

 Great grandparents with their little guy

 Family Pics

 The Houstons

 All of Zander's Aunts and Uncles

 Four generations

 The Bakewells

 Alexander Leigh Houston

Zander was also able to meet his cousins and aunt this week from Florida.....what a special meeting expecially with Connor and Zander representing the next generation in our family.

Zander's First "Big Boy" Bath

Zander is now two and a half weeks old.... where is the time going?! We have decided to participate in our church's baby dedication service on Mother's Day this upcoming weekend.  It will be really special to have all the family in town for this occasion.  I can't believe I will be celebrating my first Mother's Day as a mom!  We have had a wonderful week at home with Zander.  Zack has been back at work but I have been blessed to have my mom and Zack's mom each come for about a week to help out around the house and of course love on our new little one.  They have made it easier to take a shower and take a "breather" every now and then.  Zander is sleeping for about 2 and half hours at a time through the night so I have been getting about 2 hours of sleep in between feedings.  I know it could be a lot worse so I am thankful our little one is sleeping some at night.  I told Zack that I can't wait for the time when he goes four hours and I only have to wake up once or twice in the night to feed him..... hopefully I will be able to include this in a post sometime soon! ;)  Zander had his two week check up on Monday and everything is looking good..... he even gained another 2 ounces since the week before and a whole inch in length! His next appointment will be at the two month mark which will include shots.  We are hopeful with all the poking and proding they did in the NICU that the shots will be no big deal for our tough little guy.  This week, we have had friends visit and meet Zander. We also tried to give him his first "big boy" bath.  A couple things I realized is that: 1.) you need at least two people at this point to give him a bath and 2.) I don't need to put as much water as I did in the baby tub.  I am new at this whole mom thing...... hopefully this will get better with practice!  Here are some pictures for your enjoyment....

Our cutie!

 Bath Time!

 Maybe not his favorite time of the day yet!

 Meeting the Greenes.... Ashley, Chris, and Cutter

 ....and Maverick Greene

 Burke is confused.... he is using Zander's Boppy as his Bed! ;)

10 days old

Zander is ten days old today.  We have truly enjoyed being home!  We had a doctor's appointment on Monday, and we received a good report.  He has gained about 5 ounces since birth.  We have another appointment next Monday to continue to monitor his progress.  Since being home, we have introduced Zander to his room and crib.  We have taken our two boys (Burke and Zander) for a walk which is one of my favorite things right now.   We are loving our new family dynamic.....more pictures to come soon!

Trying out "tummy time"

 Spending time with Mommy

 Chillin' in his Boppy