Mid-June

I think time just speeds up every year.  We've been busy the past two weeks...

Annabel brought this apron to me the other day & said, "Help me put on this kitchen skirt."  She cracks me up!

This face cracks me up..

For a while I was rocking Whitt all the way to sleep.  I captured these photos as he was drifting off the other day.  First, he stares off into space, then starts grinning as he's dozing off.  Then the girls came clopping down the hall in their dress-up high-heels so he cried a little bit.  And finally, dreamland!

 He fell asleep in his bouncy seat the other day and just about slid out.  So cute!

The little hand hanging out the bottom cracks me up.

We got a new attachment for our swing set.  I wanted something they could do together and the thing that was on this end that came with the set was a little disc on the end of a rope, which they never used.  They're still trying to figure out how to make this work, but I think they'll love it as they get older.  The glider was always my favorite thing on my swing set as a child.

We've been walking every evening and Whitt rides in the ergo carrier.  He loves it, but he's about to outgrow the infant insert, I think.

Big T and Tiny came to visit last weekend and Big T finally got to meet his first grandson.  I love this picture of three generations of Richey men.

He's really concentrating on that pacifier.

Jon told him, "Superman doesn't cry!"

The girls have been in Texas all week visiting their grandparents.  I think they're having the best time.

And why does she look so big?

This is what Whitt does almost every time he nurses.  It's like he's making sure I'm not going anywhere.

Tummy time...

She helped her Nana pick the garden.

I think the biggest differences I've noticed so far in boy vs girl is how strong Whitt is.  He can bust out of the swaddle in no time.  Another difference is how big he's gotten in such a short time.  I think he's going to be bigger than his sisters before he's 10.

When the girls go to Texas, they split up and one goes with Jon's parents and the other goes with my parents.  Then halfway through their time there, they switch.  However, mine and Jon's parents are friends, so they get together several times throughout the week so the girls can hang out.

Outgrowing the infant insert...

They've also been going to our parents' church's VBS this week.

Look at these rolls and double chin!  I don't think he'll ever be a chunky baby, though.  I think he'll be just like the girls and look a little chunky right before growing an inch taller, therefore, go right back to being long and lanky.

A trip to Walmart with Nana means a toy and a ride on the little car outside.

His eyelashes have grown so much since he was born!

Three times this week he's slept until 5 or 6 after being put to bed at 8pm.  So big!

Poor little Annabel hasn't felt great the whole time she's been in Texas.  It started with fever and puss pockets on her tonsils, then when the fever left she broke out in mouth sores.  I know she's loving all the one-on-one grandparent attention, though.

Swimming at Tiny's..

Last day of VBS!  I can't wait to get my hands on my sweet girls!!

What a busy summer and it's only just begun!

Whitt's 1st Month (way too many pictures)

Whitt's first month has gone by so quickly.  I've taken lots of pictures, so bear with me.

Adeline wants to hold her baby brother all the time.

My aunt got a stork put in our yard when Adeline was born, so we've carried on the tradition with Annabel and Whitt.

Sleepy baby yawns are the cutest!

Whitt's first sponge bath at home.  He was not a fan.

And his first stroll around the block.  He loved it.

Adeline had her AWANA Cubbies ceremony the week after we brought Whitt home.  My mom took her.

And we had our first outing with all three.  I love filling up my mommy van.

I know I look mad in this pic, but that's just my resting face.  I didn't know the photo was being taken.  Dr. Froman is checking him out.  He had a bit of trouble gaining weight after he was born, but he's on track now.

Napping with Happy.

Trying to get rid of some jaundice.

Love these three rings!

I love an open-mouthed sleeping baby.

My Mother's Day photo.  Full arms, full heart!

I love this little outfit his Tiny made for him.  That onesie is already too small.  I can barely snap it in the stride.

We had a week of really cold weather and I was trying not to turn the heat on.

He's got so much loose skin on his head.  It cracks me up.

I ventured out to bible study with all three the first week I was by myself.  It was a successful trip!

He's got some long, skinny legs.

He is so loved by his sisters.

We've been taking a walk every evening.  He loves the ergo carrier.

They love to show him his toys.

We went strawberry-picking one Saturday morning.

Happy Memorial Day!

He rolled over from tummy to back twice one day, but hasn't done it again since.

I pumped and we gave him his first bottle the other night.  He drank it like he's been doing it all his life, just like his sisters.  I hope this means he's going to be as good an eater as they are.

Whitt is not a happy camper in the evenings, thanks to the lovely "witching hour", but he does like being outdoors.  We picked up Braum's the other night and picnicked in the backyard.

We made it to church, finally.  Yay!  Jon said, "that's Whitt's smiling face."

Sweet stretches...

He'll take a paci most of the time, but sometimes that doesn't even do the trick.  It's a blessing, though, because neither of my girls ever liked it.

And today he is ONE MONTH old!  Wow!

He nurses every 2.5-3 hours throughout the day, except for in the evenings I try to do cluster feeds every 1.5-2 hours with a bottle I've pumped that day thrown in as well.  I really try to bulk him up before bed.  :)  He's started only waking up once in the night, usually around 2:30 or 3am.  I put him to bed around 8, so that's about 6 hours he goes without eating at night.  However, he's not super consistent with that yet, but it is happening more often than not. 

He slept in my arms in our bed for the first two weeks, then one night he just would not quit crying and go back to sleep.  I put him in the little rock & play sleeper thing in his room and he went right to sleep.  He's been sleeping there ever since.  I put him in his room because Jon and I sleep with the ceiling fan on and I was afraid he'd get too hot, plus he makes a lot of noises when he sleeps.  I do miss snuggling him all night, though.  

I would not classify him as a "happy baby."  He really only likes to eat and sleep.  He's not happy awake for more than about 10 minutes at this point. 

I swear I got a real smile out of him the other day, though.  He made a funny face and I laughed and he looked right at me and smiled back.  It seemed legit to me.  

Now that his umbilical cord has fallen off and he can be submerged in the bathwater, he really enjoys his baths.

He liked the car for about 3 weeks, but now hates it.  I really got my hopes up that I'd have one newborn that didn't scream every time we went somewhere, however it doesn't seem like that's going to be the case.  His sisters cried every car trip until we faced them forward, so looking forward to a year of this.  Oh my!

He's wearing 3-6 month clothes and size 1 diapers.  

He's not a spitter-upper, but he does get the hiccups a lot.

I rock him to sleep.  It makes my life easier right now and I love that time with him so very much.  He also likes to be swaddled and have his sound machine on for maximum sleeping comfort.

He went to the doctor today and he weighed 9lbs 7oz and was 22.25" long.  He's a healthy, growing boy!  Thank you, Lord, for this blessing!