3 weeks

Well folks, 3.3 weeks have passed since this little boy was born. I can't believe how fast time flies. I've been a mother for 3 weeks now and it seems like only a couple days. I'm trying to cherish everything about this newborn because he is growing up so fast! I love everything he does- the faces he makes, the noises he makes, I love how he can recognize mine and Kyle's voices and how his eyes get really big when we talk to him and he stops wiggling around so he can hear us better. It's so precious. I love his hiccups he gets like 5 times a day, the smiles he makes when he is falling asleep, and he even giggled a little today while I was feeding him (he was asleep- he must have had a funny dream). He also puts his hands in the cutest positions sometimes, especially when I am feeding him- see pictures below.

This one is so cute- I was nursing him (hence the cropping of the picture) and he put his hands like this like he was saying a blessing on the food. I thought it was so funny.

This one was from today- I was feeding him a bottle and he wanted to help hold it up to I guess. 

I promise I don't put his hands like this for him- he does it all by himself. One day he even picked up his binky and held it with his hand! It was on accident of course but it was so funny to see because he can't control his arms yet and they just go wherever. 

I feel so blessed that Landon came safely and that we both made it out of the delivery experience without any complications. I was crying to my mom the other day because Landon and I have thrush and both have other problems having to do with the bowels =). Thrush is a yeast infection that started on Landon's bum, then he got it in his mouth (not because it spread from his bum to his mouth, it just develops on the bum or in the mouth or in both), then, Landon gave it to me in my breasts through nursing. It's quite common, especially if you both were on antibiotics during delivery (which we were pumped full of them!)- all the antibiotics killed all the good bacteria in us along with the bad so now we have yeast infections galore. So, anyways,  Landon and I have been in a lot of pain and I've been to his pediatrician twice about it and the first time he told me that the rash on his bum was not thrush so I kept putting everything I could on it to make it better- desitin, vaseline, melaleuca oil, coconut oil, and 3 prescriptions that the doctor gave me. Nothing cleared it up. Finally, when I got thrush in my breasts I went in again, this time to a different doctor and he told me that yes, Landon did have it on his bum but not in his mouth and there is no way that I have it because he can't see it in his mouth. I was so upset. I knew it was thrush. I asked him "well then what do I do because I'm dying here!" (it hurts like crazy). And he told me basically that he can't do anything about it and that I might have a serious staff infection. I called my OB and over the phone I described my symptoms to them and they told me that it was thrush and that babies can still have it in their mouths even if you can't see it...and over the phone they prescribed me the medication to clear it up. Anywho...I was a little frustrated at the pediatricians BUT Landon and I both got medicine for it and are doing 100 times better.
Landon also had a couple days where he was having a hard time pooping and was crying and I felt so bad for him. My neighbor suggested that I get him some probiotics to put in a bottle once a day- that will help with the thrush and help him go poop. So I did that and it worked SO good. The day before he took it he only pooped once and now he is pooping 5+ times a day like he used to when he was first born. He is such a happy baby now and I am a happy mommy now too because I'm feeling much better.

Anywho, I was crying to my mom when everything was at its worst, telling her that I feel like there is always a problem and things just keep happening to us and I hurt so bad that I can't even get out of bed. She then told me about how lucky we are. That I need to get down on my knees and thank Heavenly Father for our health and that we made it through the delivery alive. She told me that when she told a couple of her friends about Landon's possible infection in the hospital, 2 of her friends told her that they knew someone's baby that died of an infection right after birth. She told me that it is a miracle that Landon and I are so healthy and that if he did have an infection that it was cured and that I was lucky I made it through that delivery. I thought "they died?". Never once did it occur to me that Landon could have died from an infection. I guess the doctor's did a good job in the hospital helping me feel calm and keeping me in the dark about the seriousness of Landon having a possible infection. After I hung up with my mom I got on my knees and prayed and told Heavenly Father how grateful I am that we are both okay, that even though we both have these minor and temporary illnesses how grateful I am for these trials instead of something else. I feel so blessed that we are both okay, that we are healthy and alive. I feel so blessed to be able to have this beautiful baby. I keep thinking that someone is going to come knocking on my door to come and pick him up, that I'm just his babysitter. I just can't believe that this baby is mine and that we get to keep him forever. I know that I am so lucky to have him. I have realized that life is so precious- that I have taken it for granted. I never thought that Landon could have died from an infection. I will strive to always be grateful for what I have and for our health because it really could be so much worse. Thanks for that valuable piece of knowledge mom! I hope I can be a mother just like you and raise my kids the way you have raised us. That goes for my mother-in-law too! I really do have 2 amazing mothers to look up to.

Here are some picture of our little 3.3 week old. Enjoy!

Smiling as he's falling asleep:

Stegosaurus hair:

Smiling as he is falling asleep on mommy:

Funny face he pulled while I was trying to get a good picture of him:

 Daddy and him sleeping:

Landon looking at daddy. I gave this picture to Kyle for his birthday. It says "No matter how tall I grow, I will always look up to my dad." =) I agree. I look up to him too. He is amazing. He works so hard so I can stay home and take care of Landon. I could go on all day about him but don't have time. =) I love you Kyle, thank you for all you do. Landon and I both look up to you.

Oh yea, P.S. I forgot to mention how Sammy, our dog, is doing with the baby. She's doing awesome and adjusting very well. She keeps her distance but is very protective of him. She will lay underneath his rocker and his bassinet when he is sleeping. It is so cute. See: funny huh.