There and Back Again

Don't you just love the fall weather we've been having? It's been gorgeous; the perfect blend of sunny and chilly.
The fun thing about fall is that, when it comes to clothing, you can start to get really creative with layers and rich colors. Knits, cords, velveteens, and all the other lovely textures entice in a way no other fabrics can. And guess what?
Now I can take full advantage of them (or at least, as my budget permits).
I've recovered from pregnancy and birth pretty well so far; I never got stretch marks, and by the time two weeks had passed, I was within three pounds of my prepregnancy weight. Now it's just a matter of toning everything up again. I've had great fun playing dress up with my old clothes, and eyeing new pieces for my wardrobe.
Our little Sean seems to grow and change every day. I love it when we make eye contact and he responds to what I say. His favorite things to do include looking out the window, "talking" to Daddy, and snuggling in Mommy's soft robe. Sometimes, when something tickles his fancy, he'll even give a couple little giggles, and I think he knows that I live for his smile.
Am I smitten? You betcha.
We are excited to be planning a trip to Philipsburg celebrate our anniversary in October. I am looking forward to having Sean with us, and hopefully he'll be proof enough to the lady at the B&B that we were not running away from home last year (as she asked us when we checked in; she didn't think we looked old enough to be married).
Last year we made such happy memories, and this year we will make more, I am sure of it. :-)

So Thankful for My Husband

Well, since I've written about my new little man, I see it only fit that I say a few words about the other man in my life.
Throughout my pregnancy, labor, and birth, Ridge was there for me every step of the way. He took me to every appointment, helped me prepare for Sean, and gave me his emotional support the whole time.
He spent untold hours rubbing my back and trying to ease the pain of labor for me, held me while bent epidural needles were discarded, and caught our son as he came into this world.
Now, a few days into parenthood, Ridge is a fantastic father. He loves taking care of Sean, and relishes the occasional reward of a sleepy half-smile he gets in return. We enjoy just reclining on the bed, with our Bug between us, and admiring what God has given us in this first year of our marriage. Ridge has been showing Sean Rubik's cubes and music, and every day, when he comes home from work, he makes sure to go and give our Bug a kiss (after he's gotten to me, of course!).

I am so happy that we are finally starting our lives as a family, and that we are back to a good mixture of "real life," (bills, need I say more?) and jolliness.
There is a lot of kissing, laughter and love going on at this little home.

My Boy is Here!!

It's been awhile since I wrote, and my followers are probably wondering what I've been up to. If you haven't, that's okay; I know you all have lives. ;-)
This here is why I've been tardy. Getting ready for Sean's arrival, a false alarm, and general late-pregnancy laziness are my best excuses for not writing more.
Our son was born weighing 6lb. 14oz., at 12:51, on Saturday morning. We're kinda tickled that he came on 9/10/11. His birth took some unexpected turns, as after experiencing an exhausting labor for nearly three days, we finally resorted to an epidural. I had been dead set on doing everything naturally, but with Sean being post-date, and after discovering that my back had become too tense for his head to be born, we decided that was our only remaining option.
Thankfully, God is good, even when things don't go quite as we expect.

Just after he was born, Sean had to be taken to the nursery because he was unresponsive and had gunk down in his lungs. The next day though, he was doing much better, and by Sunday night, he could stay in our room.
Now we are home, and the up-all-nights have begun.

So far, Sean has been doing great. He took to nursing so well, and is alert and inquisitive about everything around him, including the Rubik's cube mobile his Daddy made for him.
We love the little Mallery God blessed us with!