1 Month Old

Soren is a month old, today!  Where has the time gone and what have we been up to?  

Basically, every moment I have when my other children are asleep or away at school is spent holding and loving on my baby. 

I know I am spoiling him. 

I don't care. 

I am smitten.

This little baby has all of us wrapped around his teeny tiny fingers.

I could post a list of baby stats and bore you with a feast of info about his height, weight, and how much he eats, sleeps, poops, etc., but what would be the fun in that?  Enjoy some pics instead, but be warned, this blog does not come with a dental plan, and Soren is the sweetest, most delicious of babies.

Prepare to get a toothache from this baby candy.

Oh my how I love this face. Look at those cheeks. Dessert. Yum. 

I keep telling him not to grow. 

To stay tiny and be my little baby forever.

I can tell he thinks I am hilarious. 

Well, little Soren, you might get away with growing, and you might not be tiny forever, but you will forever be my little baby.

At least I know she's paying attention at school.

Q: Mah-Ommmm! Corbin's eating with his effellangeez!
Reese: his what?
Q: {wiggles her fingers} Effellangeez. Fingers.  Use your skull, it's on your skeleton.
Me: Reese, flanges are another name for your fingers.
Reese: uh, not MY fingers. That's just weird, Quincy.
Q: You have a patella, too.
Reese: nuh uh! Do not! Mom! Quincy called me a pat, a pat, a---what did you say, Quincy?
Q: Patella. It's on your knees, right mom?
Reese: How come Quincy knows all this stuff and I don't?!

Things that make us laugh

Quincy (after opening a Lolliloopsy doll): "Thank you, Grandma!  How many bucks was it?"

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Meg: Come on Corbin, it's time for bed.
Corbin (hiding under a blanket on the sofa, with a football game on in the background): No! No I can't! I'm watching baseball!  No thank you, Mommy.

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Quincy: Grandma, I'm going to draw a picture of you. I'm not going to make you fat.

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Quincy: Mom, Soren is really thirsty a lot.  You are kinda like a milky cow.

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Corbin: Oh Dear! Soren is crying! Oh Dear!

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At atlanta bread company
Quincy: Look! That guy looks like Simon!  I wish he was a chipmunk.

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Corbin: Grandma, let's play the candy game
Lynn: Not right now, Corbin, the iPad is closed today.
Corbin: Grandma (hands my mom her iPad) read your scriptures?
Lynn: Good idea, want me to read them to you?
Corbin: Uhhh yeah!
Lynn: (opens iPad and reads one sentence)---
Corbin: Ok, you done yet?  Now let's play candy.

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Meg: I want soup. What do you think they put in that navy bean soup at Monte Ne?
Lynn: Oh I don't know---crack?

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Corbin: I'm tiny. I'm so tiny and I cute.

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Meg: Hey, come outside and help me kill this groundhog.
Aaron: Uhhh. That's not me.

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At dinner, Corbin wiped his spill up, then threw his napkin across the table. Quincy watched the napkin float to the floor in front of her with pursed lips and a disgusted scowl.  Then she tisk-tisk-tisked her tongue and shook her head no saying, "Not a good citizen."

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Aaron: Meg. We've got to do something about Quincy.  She said, "freakin'" in the church hallway, today.
Meg: [laughs] well what was the context?
Aaron: Oh something like, "I've gotta get my freakin' paper" or somethi---wait, does the context matter? She still said freakin'.  At church Meg. Church.

On My Own

My mom just left.
I loved having her here so much.
Cue the ugly cry.

1-2-3-4

6am in labor with Reese

6am waiting to be induced with Quincy

6am waiting to be induced with Corbin

6am waiting to be induced with Soren

Meeting Reese Olivia (hey man, 2 hrs of pushing...we were TIRED!)


Meeting Quincy Brooklyn

Meeting Corbin Mac

Meeting Soren Beckett

Reese 1 Day Old

Quincy 1 Day Old

Corbin 1 Day Old

Soren 2 Days Old

Soren 3 Days Old

Soren Beckett 2 Weeks

Somebody is starting to look a whole lot like his older brother did at the same age...

I've said it 100 times in the past two weeks and I'll probably say it a million more times.
I am so in love with this sweet sweet little baby.
I am so happy he is mine.

Hello Kitty

We attempted to catch the groundhog that has taken up residence underneath our tomato bushes. Instead, we trapped a talking kitty.  Seriously guys... the cat says, "hello" instead of meowing.  Someone come take it away?

UPDATE: Hello Kitty is happy at her new home at our babysitter's house.  Thank you, Jessica!

On Giving Up the Title.

Poor Corbin is really having a tough time adjusting to all of the changes happening around him.  I'm not worried about him hurting the baby or anything, he loves his new brother, he's just very emotional and gets upset about everything.  He's been sort of a mess since school started and took his sisters/playmates away for the day, and it has only gotten worse with the addition of a new baby.  I feel really bad for him.  It is so hard to watch him fall apart and cry over everything.  He's very stubborn and emotional, like a sad and angry little elf.

Today, he was obviously tired but refused to nap.  He went to bed fine, but after he'd been down for maybe 30 minutes he started crying.  Sleeping is never a problem for that kid.  It's the one stability he had left going for him even when he was a wreck for the rest of the day.  But now he couldn't even settle down for a nap.

I decided not to rush right in to rescue him, thinking maybe he'd calm down and go to sleep.  I fed and changed Soren and prayed silently to know how to help little Corbin as I listened to his cries escalate to hysterics,"Mommy, Mommy, I need my Mommy! Come here, Mommy! Get me up right now!"  

I went into his room and found my not-such-a-baby-anymore lying teary eyed and totally exhausted in his crib.  He sniffled the kind of post-crying-sniffle that shook his whole body as he caught his breath.  He reached his arms up and I knew exactly what he needed.

We curled up in the rocking chair with his blanket and rubbie.  He said nothing and I sang, "Baby Mine" to him.  He got heavier and his breaths became deeper as I rocked and sang.

Finally, I whispered, "it's time to close your eyes"and saw his dark lashes flutter and close.

And then I happily rocked my 40 pound three and a half year old "baby" to sleep.

Change can be really hard.  Sometimes we are reluctant to give up our old role for a new one, especially when the new role is being forced on us against our will.

Take your time, Corbin.  I can love two babies.

9 Days Old

Reese, Quincy, and Corbin meet Soren

The children were VERY anxious to come meet new baby brother.  I wasn't really sure if Corbin ever actually "got" the concept that there was a baby in my belly and that eventually, there would be a new baby in our home. We read a lot of books, I gave him a baby doll to practice being a big brother with, and we talked about the new baby every time a new item (swing, tiny diapers, bouncy seat, carseat, etc) arrived in our home, but I just wasn't convinced that Corbin truly understood what was happening.  

When the big day came, to my surprise, Corbin was all smiles and announced, "that's my baby Shoren" and "awww he's so cute!" to everyone. He knew right away that this baby belonged with us and would be coming home to stay.

 Our little momma, Reese, is obsessed with this baby.  If Soren so much as squeaks, it is immediately followed by the sound of Reese's feet thundering across the room to check on him and give him a pacifier, sing him a song, or re wrap his blanket to make sure he is comfortable.  Today, she took him out of bed and put him in the swing. I was livid (the children are not allowed to carry the baby around) but my frustration couldn't last against the cuteness of the sight of Reese singing a lullaby to Soren and rocking him gently in the swing. Adorable.  

These two are VERY protective of their baby and offer to "babysit" constantly.

Quincy says, "He looks like ME, Mom!"

2 hours old. We are in love. 

Soren's Birth Story

Thursday, August 30th, 2012

3:15 am I wake up to a hard contraction that nearly knocks me off my feet when I try to stand up.
I woke Aaron up. "Good thing we already have an appointment in a couple hours. It's starting. I'm in labor."
3:45 am I have another. Wowza.
4:30 am one more. Ouch!  It is most certainly baby-having-day!
5:15 am leave house (stop @ Mc Donalds for breakfast)
5:45 am arrive @ NWMC and wait to be admitted

6:30 am get checked into L&D room (5cm)

7:30 am start pitocin @ 2

9:30 am Dr Hannah breaks my water, increase piton to 6
10:30 am epidural, increase pitocin to 10
The burning from the catheter makes me feel like I am going to die or explode. I decide to keep the epidural at the lowest dose possible to ensure a faster delivery, and just pray that the pain will be manageable enough for me to survive the rest of delivery. I think I sent a text to Kasey that was along the lines of, "Ooooooowwwwwwwwiiiieeeee!!!  Holy crap, this hurts! I am dying."

 
12:00 pm (7cm) increase pitocin to 12

12:45 pm feel lots of pressure, call nurse and tell her I think I'm transitioning. I'm at 9.5 cm and fully effaced.  I feel ready to push.  Dr. Hannah is in surgery, so the nurses turn off the pitocin and contractions slow down to 3-4 min apart while we wait.
2:00 pm I am tired of waiting and we decide to begin pushing with the nurse, Jibby, who is a midwife and totally awesome. I allowed a med student from UofA to come participate.  Aaron stands by my side, rubs my shoulders, holds my hand, and gives love and moral support laced with comedic relief.
2:15 pm Dr. Hannah comes in, but allows Jibby to continue to coach and massage.
2:30 pm Dr. Hannah takes over
3:05 pm our perfect baby boy is born

Soren Beckett Willardson

born August 30th, 2012 @ 3:05pm

8lbs 13oz 

20 3/4 inches long 

 Proud Daddy cut the umbilical cord and stayed with Soren while the nurses cleaned him up and weighed him.  I was in a little bit of shock after delivery and started to shake and shiver uncontrollably. Aaron got a warm blanket from the nurse, then he kissed my forehead, told me I did a great job, put our son back into my arms, and lovingly fed me a krispy kreme donut.  That is true love. (yep. that's chocolate frosting on the corner of my lips.)  I don't think there have been happier moments in my life than those when our fresh babies were placed across my chest by my husband.  Our children are the best gift he has ever given me.

We love him so so SO much and it is a great relief to finally have our baby here.

It is a really special time for our family and we aren't really doing anything but loving and holding and enjoying this little heavenly presence in our home.

Baby Soren, you were definitely worth the wait. Welcome Home.