Life's Ups and Downs.

Nathan chillin' in the bouncy seat.

It has been an incredible week, full of trials, teamwork and answered prayer. I am left exhausted but hopeful and so very grateful for loving and devoted husband.

Somewhere around Thursday (I can hardly keep track of the days anymore), I hit a wall. Nathan is an amazing baby. He is not terribly fussy and is always consolable in some way. He goes at least 3 hours between night feedings and for this I am truly grateful. My skills at soothing him to sleep, however, are not very good and it often takes me over a hour to get him back to sleep. After such a trial of patience, I have a very hard time falling asleep myself (I think I lost the ability to "self soothe"--I usually rely on sheer exhaustion). This leaves me with about an hour to sleep before Nathan wakes up again. I think the 4-5 hours of sleep a night finally caught up with me an I was too tired to fall asleep. At around 6am I sat in bed with a migraine, crying and frustrated. I finally woke Danny (who until this point has slept through every night unless he was on call for the hospital). He finally saw how desperate I was and quickly stepped in. He soothed me to sleep and for the rest of the week brought Nathan to me in bed so all I had to do was nurse at night.

Now Danny has to return to work after a wonderful week of vacation. I worry that I am not capable of soothing Nathan to sleep. Patience is not my strong suit, and I worry that this is the lesson this stage is teaching me. So tonight I must return to the fire. Pray that I will not go into it alone, but relying on the peace of Christ and knowledge that He has equipped me for the strenuous journey of motherhood.

On a happier note, we have received so much this week, I hardly know where to start!

1. Dinners upon dinners! I have not had to make a dinner since I have been home! Thank you to everyone who has provided so generously for us.

2. News came this week that I will be returning to work after maternity leave as a PRN employee!!! I am thrilled to hear this because I am in love with my job, but more so with my son. I will now be able to enjoy both in proper measure. The position requires something like 2 12 hour shifts per month, the pay is more and I mostly determine which days I can work. What an enormous answer to prayer considering the hospital is on a hiring freeze!

3. Baby gifts galore. Whoever said boys clothes are not as cute as girls clothes obviously hasn't seen Nathan's closet! Generous friends have assured he will look adorable for atleast 12 months. Danny and I also received a few things...namely a Whistle Key Ring Finder. This fancy device attaches to...well, your key ring and...well, I'm sure you've figured it out. We thought this was a great gift for Danny but he has yet to put it on his keys. Instead it sits on our coffee table mocking me constantly! If I laugh too hard, it alarms. If I call out for something (I didn't realize my voice was so shrill), it alarms. No matter how hard I throw it against the wall, it persists. Needless to say, I told Danny it was either me or the Whistle Key Ring Finder, and since it doesn't have mammary glands, he had to choose me.

4. An amazing win by the Fighting Irish. Although it was against Nevada (enough said), there were some seriously amazing plays! Nathan experienced his first ND football game from Daddy's lap in a onesie sent by Papa just a few days earlier. He stared in amazement at the beauty of the Blue and Gold. He fell asleep shortly before the second quarter, but I believe his mere presence was enough to clench the win.

Ready for the big game!


Daddy teaching Nathan about football.


After the 88 yard TD pass!


5. Nathan's Social Security card! We opened the letter by accident as it had been put in the shred pile, thinking it was a junkmail look-alike. We were amazed to find such an important document inside. Nathan was initially very excited and promptly proclaimed, "I'm a real boy!" We then explained to him what it really meant.


The next posting will be on Nathan's ONE MONTH BIRTHDAY! We are hoping to get a new video camera today, but until then here is a clip of my noisy boy while he is sleeping. Many have asked me if I run into his room at night to check if he is breathing. I may be a horrible mother, but I have never felt as though I needed to do this. Nathan is one of the noisiest babies I have ever known. He is constantly singing and grunting, even when he sleeps. This clip is mostly for Nini and Papa because I know they are really missing this noise.