Lately...

Here are some cute pics I've taken lately that I wanted to share!

Nate's first time in his Bumbo. He wasn't too fond

of it because he is still a little wobble headed!

Nate loves Grandmom and Granddad Clapp!

Nate and his cousin Maggie Beth. Maggie is 5 weeks older

and smaller than Nate!

Camera shy!

I love play time with Daddy!

Nate's First Big Trip

We have been quite a busy family lately! My cousin, Meredith, married her high school sweetheart, Greg, in College Station, Texas last weekend, and we flew out to the wedding last Wednesday. Nate was such a great traveler and such a trooper. We sure did drag the little guy through a lot over the course of six days and he only complained a little! He has really become such a happy, laid back baby lately.
We flew into Houston last Wednesday, rented a car, and drove to The Woodlands to spend the night with my dad's brother, Uncle David, and my Aunt Kay. We had not seen them in a couple years and had a fun time catching up with them. And of course, they enjoyed meeting Nate for the first time. Nate actually slept 10 hours straight for the first time (and only time) that night! He also slept right through take-off and landing on the plane and never complained when I had to carry him through the airport strapped to my chest.

Thursday, we drove to College Station to introduce Nate to my mom's sister's family for the first time. We enjoyed hanging out with my aunt, cousins, sister and brother-in-law, Mimi, and my parents. I stayed busy with showers and parties for Meredith most of the time, so Nate got to spend a lot of time hanging out with the guys. Meredith and Greg's wedding was so beautiful and sweet, and we had a really great time. Nate slept until the organ piped up with the Trumpet Voluntary as Meredith walked down the aisle, so Ben and Nate watched from the lobby! By the time we got to the reception, he had had enough wedding fun for the weekend and was pretty cranky. We ended up leaving the reception a little early since Nate wasn't too fond of the DJ's music.

Sunday, we drove back to Houston in hopes of getting on a plane headed home. Ben's dad works for Delta airlines, and one of the perks is that we can fly cheap using Buddy Passes. The downside is that we have to fly standby, and getting on a plane on a weekend in the summer sometimes proves difficult. So after we had turned in our rental car and sat in the airport for a while, we realized we were not going to get home that day. So we had to rent a car for another day, drive back to The Woodlands, and spend another night with Aunt Kay and Uncle David. That was a very frustrating day just because I felt sorry that Nate had to be drug around and kept out of his routine for another day. All in all, we packed and unpacked four times in one week! We were so grateful though that we had wonderful family nearby who were very happy to see us for another night! So Monday morning, we put Nate back in the car at 3:45 a.m. and drove back to the airport to catch a 6:00 flight. We were back at our house by 8:30! Nate took a great two-hour nap (which he has never done) and allowed Ben and me to get some much needed rest as well. We had a great trip and loved being able to introduce Nate to both sides of my family. I am so proud of what a good boy he was during the trip!

Also, last Tuesday Nate and I got to have lunch with one of my favorite patients, Ava. Ava and her family were in town for the week, and Ava has been looking forward to meeting Nate for a long time. She had so much fun holding him, and it was nice catching up with her family. I only have one more month of maternity leave left and I am already sad about having to leave Nate. He is growing so fast, and we are having so much fun with him!

Ava and Nate

Nate enjoyed his first plane ride!

Pretty much his usual disposition now

Aunt Kay and Uncle David (now you see

where Nate will get his height from!)

Aunt Sue and cousin Katherine

Meredith and me

Nate's first place setting

Megan, Katherine, Meredith, and me

The happy couple

Meredith and Greg with Nate

Nate with his BB

Aunt Meg and Poppy trying to entertain one tired little boy

Two Months Old!!

I'm sorry it's been so long since I've posted. I fully intended to do the official two month post last week, but with Ben being so busy with his online class, I have not had a chance to get on. And Ben is officially finished with his Bachelor of Nursing degree as of today!! We are so excited he will have seven months off to enjoy family time until he starts all over with his Masters (his fourth degree!)

I can't believe Nate is already 10 weeks old! He is growing so fast. I took him for his two-month checkup last Wednesday. He weighed in at a whopping 12 pounds, 10 ounces (75th percentile) and 25 INCHES LONG (97th percentile)!! He has grown 5 inches since birth! That's 1/3 Ben's height already!! That really puts it into perspective. He got all of his two month shots, which makes me really nervous. He only screamed for a couple minutes and stopped the moment I picked him up. He was only cranky that day and was his happy self the next day. Nate is getting too long for his three month clothes and can wear a lot of his six month clothes already.

Operation Crib has been quite a success so far! I can put him down around 8pm wide awake, and he will fall right to sleep. He sleeps eight hours now and usually wakes up around 5am to nurse and will go right back to sleep until 8:00. The first night we put him in his crib, I looked at his empty pack'n'play and just cried because my baby had reached a big milestone. Naptime is still a challenge, but I can at least put him down awake in his crib and he will sleep 10 minutes, cry 10 minutes, and so on until he finally falls asleep for about 30 minutes. So he is slowly making progress. At least he is self-soothing now so that I don't have to keep going in there.

As far as development goes, Nate is doing new things every day. It's so fun to watch him discover this new world. He absolutely loves ceiling fans and will lay back and stare at them. His favorite color is yellow. He lights up when we put his yellow bumblebee toy in front of him and he will pick it out of all the toys hanging on his playmat. He also stares and smiles at the page with the yellow border in his black and white book. He is really swatting at his toys now but has not relaxed his hands enough yet to grab them. He can hold onto a rattle for a few minutes but doesn't realize he's holding it! He is getting pretty good head control and his starting to lift his head up during tummy time.

We are flying to Texas next Wednesday for my cousin's wedding and are very excited about introducing Nate to my extended family. I am a little bit stressed about flying with a baby and all the stuff that entails, but it will better than a 12-13 hour drive! I will post again after our trip!

This outfit is a 9 month!!

The official monthly chair picture

Holding his rattle

Bathtime is my favorite time of day!

I just love those cheeks!

Two month post coming soon! I'm waiting for Ben to finish his online class this week so I can spend some time on the computer!

Getting Settled

Nate is growing up so fast! I can't believe he is going to be eight weeks old tomorrow. We are finally starting to get into a routine. I didn't imagine that he would still keep me this busy at two months! Nate is not a great napper. He likes to cat nap, and we're lucky if he sleeps 30 minutes at a time. Right now he is screaming because I put him down for a nap in his pack 'n' play (that's the first time he's screamed when I put him down today). He is generally much less fussy now. I had been trying to get him to nap in his crib, but he absolutely hates it and refuses to sleep. He will scream for 45 minute intervals until I go in there and pick him up. And of course, when I do, he will cuddle up on my chest with a big smile on his face. That little stinker! He knows who's in control! We are putting him in his crib tomorrow night to sleep for the first time, so say a prayer for us. It may be a really long night. But I'm so ready to have my room back after eight weeks! I figure he's got to fall asleep at some point, right?

Nate's personality is really starting to come alive. He smiles all the time now with a smile that will light up a room. He loves to kick and move his arms and really interacts with his toys. This morning he discovered himself in the bathroom mirror while I was taking a shower and was really impressed with himself! He is starting to sleep from about 8:30 to 7:00ish and only wakes up around 2:00 to eat.

Nate made his first trip out of town this past weekend to visit my parents. I helped host a baby shower for my friend, Sally, who is having a girl in July, so I drove down to Jackson Saturday while my mom (BB) got to babysat. She said the three hours he slept on her chest was the best three hours of her whole year. My grandmother, Mimi, really enjoyed holding him again as well. We went to church Sunday and everyone oooed and ahhhed over him. Nate behaved very well on his first trip, and we had a great weekend.

Ben started his last class this week. It's a three week course that keeps him really busy on the computer when he's home, so I have to get my computer time in while he's gone. I am so glad this is his last one for a while and that he will have the whole summer and fall off!

We are loving life with this little guy. I still can't believe how good God has been to us, how blessed we truly are. I never imagined it was possible to love this much!

Nate talking with his daddy

Nate and Mimi

Cutest smile in the world!

I love my play time!

Whose that handsome baby in the mirror?

Happy Mother's Day!

My first Mother's Day was such a special day! My sister, Megan, my parents, and my grandmother, Mimi all came up for Nate's dedication. Megan and Mimi had never met Nate before, so it was a special weekend. Nate is Mimi's first great grandchild, and she was clearly happy to meet him and be able to hold him. Nate is so blessed to have five living great grandparents (four on Ben's side). We had a great time visiting with each other and being together as a family. My parents babysat Nate Saturday night while Ben, Megan, and I went to see a movie with some friends. Nate apparently showed out while we were gone and was quite cranky! 

Nate's dedication was very nice, and he was such a good boy through the whole thing. He ended up sleeping in my arms through the whole service. I was so glad Mimi was able to attend. She may not remember that day for long, but we will certainly remember she was there with us for years to come. We all went out for a Mother's Day lunch with Ben's family (18 of us total!) before my family had to leave. It was such a great weekend with everyone together. Nate (and Ben) gave me such a sweet card and a mini spa day for Mother's Day. I can't wait to use it! I could definitely use some pampering right now!

Nate is now in the throws of his six week growth spurt. Instead of sleeping four to five hours at night, he has gone back to his every two to three hour schedule. Needless to say, he has made me quite exhausted the past couple of days! He is definitely eating more and putting on weight. His little outfit he had on today was way too short, and it fit perfectly fine last week! He is certainly becoming more interactive each day. He makes great eye contact when you talk to him and is really starting to smile a lot more. We even caught some smiles on camera this weekend. He loves play time on his mat and is starting to swat at the toys. The past several nights, he has done really well when we put him down for bed. He is having more good nights than bad where he is not nearly as fussy. He cries a little less each night, and tonight he didn't even cry! We are definitely starting to settle into our little family routine here. I will just be glad when this growth spurt is over and he starts sleeping longer stretches!

Nate and his Aunt Meg

Nate and his Poppy

Mimi meets Nate for the first time

Nate getting ready for his dedication

Four generations

Nate being dedicated

BB, Poppy, and Mimi

Grandmom and Granddad

Nate and his cousins Abby and Maggie Beth

Thought this was funny!

Lighting up the room

Cutey patooty!!

I am writing this post as Nate is screaming, as he has been for the past couple hours. Not because anything is wrong, but just because. He has gotten quite spoiled and pitches a fit if he is not being held. I am trying so hard not to pick him up when he cries, but he looks so pitiful! This afternoon I made it an hour before I cracked and picked him up. He had been crying so hard he was sweating! Ben is here now and is keeping me strong! He seems to be doing much better with his reflux, though. We stopped the Mylanta yesterday and he is only on the Zantac now.

We had two nights in a row this week where Nate slept five hours straight! I felt like a new woman. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. He didn't sleep so well last night. I figured the streak wouldn't last long, but I was hoping this was a new trend. Maybe all this crying he's doing now will wear him out! I am not looking forward to the six week growth spurt that I keep hearing about. Hopefully it won't be as bad as the two week growth spurt!

I took Nate up to St. Jude last Thursday to meet all of my coworkers. Everyone thought he was just as adorable as I do! It was such a strange feeling walking through the front door with my baby. I thought of all the parents who have had to do that for real, do it because their child was sick. I figured those who didn't know me would think I was their because my child was sick. I always thought that if it happened to my child I'd be able to handle it because I know what to expect. I never fully understood how devastating and life changing that would be until five weeks ago. I cannot imagine someone telling me my son has cancer. Ben has said that he sees his patients in a different way now and it has changed the way he does his job. I felt for the parents of my patients before, but now I have a new respect for them and can admire them for their strength and faith. I don't think I will ever see my patients the same way again, and I believe it will change the way I do my job.

On a lighter note, we took Nate to his first church service yesterday, and he slept all the way through with only a few wimpers! We are having him dedicated this Sunday on Mother's Day. I am so thankful for a church that is so dedicated to ensuring my children have a strong foundation in Christ. My sister, parents, and grandmother are all coming up for the event. This will be the first time my sister, Megan, and grandmother, Mimi have met Nate, so it will be a special weekend.

Mr. Cool

My first Sunday at church