My wonderful Aunts and Cousin!

Will was so happy to meet his Aunt Lisa and Aunt Lesley this week.  He got lots of wonderful cuddle time and mom got lots of wonderful sleep!  Because Will spent the first week of his life in the NICU, he didn't get a chance to be held and cuddled by his sweet family.  Thank you Lisa, Ethan, Sam, and Lesley for sharing the joy of meeting your newest family member.  We love you all so!  Will is blessed to have family like you!

Will's great Daddy!

Will is blessed to have a daddy who has worked himself ragged to make a fence outside so he will have a place to run and play...who gets up at 3am to change his diaper...who rocks him and soothes him even when his back is on fire with sunburn.  We are both blessed to have Wes in our lives...he is a wonderful husband and daddy.

Will's Debut at UA

Will made his first trip to UA today to meet all of his fans at the Career Center.  He did great and was more awake than I've seen him so far.  he even gave some glimpses of a smile :)  His smiles right now are kind of a crooked half-grin...but they are a joy!  We're slowly figuring out how to get showered, bathed, clothed, geared up, and packed in the car to actually get somewhere on time.  It's proving to be a challenge.

To anyone who checks our website and blogs...so sorry it has taken us this long to post new photos and blogs.  It has definitely been an exhausting 3 weeks, and it gets tough to find time to do anything but care for our new bundle of joy!  Now that I'm a mom of 3 weeks I decided to write down some things I've learned in the past three weeks:

1. Wipes can be used for anything...and you go through a box of wipes like it's going out of style!

2. When your baby is checking out your face, he gets very still and quiet.  So sweet.

3.  Very rarely does a mom get a warm shower or a warm meal.

4. Babies love the sound of their dad's voice.

5.  The distance between your bed and the baby's crib seems like a grand canyon...it can be scary

6. Nothing feels better than when you can stop your baby crying just by picking him up and talking to him.

7.  Grandparents can be a tremendous help!!

8.  The word "routine" takes on a whole new meaning.

9.  Spending time with God get tough...but He hears even the weakest prayer at 2am.

10.  No one could have ever prepared me for the entire life change and exhaustion of motherhood...I'm sure nothing can prepare me for the joys that await us with each new day as well.

Chillin' at home

Will is a sweetheart.  So far the only time he really cries is when he's hungry (which is anywhere from 1 1/2 to 3 hours apart).  He takes some great naps sometimes, and then other times he just wants to be up and check out what's going on around him.  He's had a great time being cuddled with his grandparents, aunt, and great grandparents.  I think his cheeks have a forcefield that draws you in and make you kiss them uncontrollably!  He's definitely very squeezable.  Today we went back to the hospital to have him weighed...he's now 7 lbs./11.4 oz...so he's officially passed his birth weight.  Thank you, Lord, for helping our little one grow into a healthy well-baby!

A reminder of God's miracle

Before we left I wanted to get a picture of Will's x-rays to show off God's handiwork.  I know these are small and little hard to see the difference, but the left x-ray shows will at 2pm on Thursday.  (We didn't get a picture of his x-rays at 6pm, but my dad told me they looked even worse than the first one).  If you can tell his rib cages are filled with a cloudiness which was the fluid in his lungs.  Also, in the left picture in the left ribcage you can see a dark spot which was the hole in his lung.  The right x-ray is the shot of Will at 6:15am on Friday.  Almost all of the cloudiness was gone, and there was really no sign left of the hole in his lung.  Dr. Gudoy told Wes that he would not have believe these two x-rays were the same child.  Praise our Healing Father!

Before Will was born, my sister gave me a book of particular scriptures to pray for Will, and I was looking at them this morning.  Some of the main comfort I've had during this time is to picture Will safely cupped in God's hands and surrounded by the radiance of His love.  I had also visioned Will's NICU bed being surrounded by a host of angels.  My heart was overwhelmed with the power of God's Word, as I remembered these scriptures I had been praying over my unborn child:

"Let Will dwell in the shelter of the Most High, and rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  Be his refuge, his fortress, his covering, his shield.  Do not let him fear the terror of the night, or any type of plague or sickness.  Do not let any harm come near Will.  Command your angels to guard him in all his ways and keep him from hurting himself.  When he calls on you, answer him.  Be with him in trouble, deliver him and honor him.  Satisfy Will with long life and show him your salvation."  Psalm 91

Will...unplugged

We're home!!!  Ahh...to be able to snuggle and hold Will without any plugs, cords, or monitors.  Will is unplugged.  He has had a tremendous first day home.  He's a great eater, sleeper, and pooper!  What a joy to have him home!  For the full story of this Will's birth check out "The Whole Story" below...