Thankful Thursdays

Not sure if Justin and I do a very good job of letting you guys know who is posting, but I figure our writing style is so different (with mine mostly being rambling thoughts) that you guys can figure it out, even when we post on the same day!

Everyday, multiple times a day, I thank God for the many blessings he has given me. Today, I am especially thankful for Thursdays. Our church, Watermark, offers a ministry called Square One. It is for new moms with infants. It lasts 8 weeks and provides support and biblical encouragement to women as they begin their journey of motherhood. This session has the most women to date, 44! Thats right 44 women all with our babies UNDER 12 weeks. Its amazing. Babies are crying, sleeping, nursing, being changed, etc without anyone batting an eye. Its actually 2 hours of being out of the house where you feel safe to be out without a worry. The youngest baby on our first session last week was 6 days old. Kuddos to that momma!! Today we broke off into small groups according to if we plan to stay at home, work part time, or work full time. The majority of mom's plan to stay home so there were 2 groups for that. In our small group we went around and each gave a praise for something good that happened this week and asked for prayer requests for this week. We then proceeded to pray for one another. It was such a sweet, vulnerable time for everyone. I am already counting down until next week! After a few of us went to lunch at Corner Bakery. It was too much. 6 of us walking in all with babies in tow. Luckily, they are all young enough that they are sleeping a lot and not one fussed! I am excited to get to know these women and so grateful that Watermark has provided us with this opportunity.

Reliving the Experience

I am sitting in a hospital room, in Chattanooga, TN, awaiting the arrival of Sofia's Cousin, my Nephew, Talen Gregory Tibbs.  So, most of you know that I am a twin and she is about to have her first, a little boy! Our God is so amazing! For as long as I can remember Jackie and I always said it would be incredible to have our kids be the same age.  Well our little Sofia is 7 weeks old tomorrow and little Talen will join us today (Jaunary 26, 2012), making them Twins (Once removed)!  Although I am miles away from Michelle and Sofia, my mind is with them because being here, I keep reliving our birth, only a short time ago.  I, maybe prematurely, play off my experience of being a father, trying to give them advice on what to expect.  Do this, don't do that... I wish I would have's or wouldn't have's... all I feel are applicable to their scenario but really just replaying mine.  That experience is still alive and fresh in my memory but even more fresh is the sights, sounds and smells of our little girl.  As they wheel my sister back to the OR, I am overwhelmed with joy because now she will know these feelings.  The next time I see my Twin, she will be a mother!!! Our God is great!

Out and About with Sofia

Recently we have had some gorgeous days here in Dallas which has motivated me to get out with Sofia. Yesterday it was 70 degrees and not a cloud in the sky.  My mom, me and Sof went to an outdoor shopping area with great botiques, restaurants, and my favorite baby store, Baby Bliss. I wrapped Sofia up in a cute kelly green Moby wrap and she was as happy as could be. Sleeping the majority of the time we were out,  and waking up just to nurse. Wraps are the greatest thing ever. Not having to lug around the carseat or a stroller and being hands free, yet having Sofia so close is a win for all!

We met some great ladies at the baby shop and I even found a potential baby sitter for when mom leaves. I am still struggling with the idea of going back to work. At first I thought for sure at 12 weeks I would be ready to work 2 days a week, but I absolutely can not fathom leaving Sof with a stranger in 2 months. Justin and I have some serious discussion to do.

On a completely different note, one of our favorite times with Sofia is her every other night bath. We have a pretty good system going, and bath her quickly, but we have found that she LOVES the bath so much that the other night we just let her sit in her little tub on the bathroom counter and watched her stare at herself in the mirror and make the cutest faces.

1 Month Memory

Sofia's 1 month was yesterday and every new moment I have had with her has been my favorite.  Given yesterday is a milestone I would like to share the one that stands out above any else.  Sofia has a problem of getting up at 4:30 - 5am to feed and not wanting to settle back down.  This is great for daddy because I can start my day with having my daughter, alone, for the waking hours of the day. Saturday morning, same thing, after a feeding Daddy's turn.  Our typical routine is to go into the nursery and sway, bounce, and sing to her all while patting her back.  This will go on for a good hour.  The key here is trying to get her to have some movement in her belly and to avoid the hiccups.  If she gets really fussy we will pace the hallway until she can get comfortable on my chest.  Saturday, nothing was working.  After about an hour she was still squirming so we did some Tummy Time in our spare bedroom.  Since it was Saturday I had all morning, which was great, but I unfortunately was very tired.  At about 2 hours awake, Sofia was fading so I laid on the couch, put on some Christian music, and slowly drifted to sleep.  This was kind of frightening because I wanted to be sure to position myself as to not harm her.  What resulted was what was basically a hug that I will remember for ever.  Thanks Sofia for one month. Thank you Michelle for being an amazing mother to her and for God for making it all possible.

Happy 1 month Sofia!

Well, we have made it through 4 weeks and they have been surprisingly better/easier than I expected them to be. This could be due to a variety of reasons...1.) I have been blessed with so much help between my hubby, mom, dad and sister. 2.) Sofia is one of the least fussy babies I have ever heard of. She gets a little wild for about an hour or 2 a day and that is it.  3.) Over the course of my pregnancy I heard so many horror stories that I just assumed Sofia would fit into all of them! Whatever the reason, with the exception of the lack of sleep that is expected, it truly has been blissful. She sleeps well, nurses well and is so happy when she is awake. The main thing this momma needs to conquer is getting Sofia to nap in her crib. She is currently sleeping in a pack n play bassinet in our room at night and that is heavenly. I don't even have to get out of bed to change her or nurse her. This was recommended by so many people and I am so glad I listened. As far as sleeping in her crib goes, I am definitely not ready to have her in her big room all by herself at night,  but am ready for her to take naps in her crib. What typically happens is this...she begins to doze off and we put her down in her crib, swaddled and with the sleep sheep on and making the sweetest noises.  I walk out, turn on the video monitor (thank you IPT girls!) and within 10 minutes she is having a party. Her arms and legs are moving all around and I enjoy the show, until the crying starts (if you can call it that). She makes these pitiful little noises that to me sound like "mommy, you are being mean, why are you leaving me in this jail cell, all I see are bars in front of me, come get me and play with me, your chest is so much warmer than this big scary crib"...and then I cave. I justify this by saying, "she is only _ days old, she just isn't ready".  We have had a few successful times leaving her in her crib when she is out cold, but these are few and far between.  She does however, love to sleep in her rock n play sleeper (thank you Sarah B!!). This hangs out in the living room with us where she takes most of her naps. I am hoping that she will naturally transition to her crib without us having to make her cry it out. I always considered myself the logical  type and as a pediatric OT I have given countless mom's advice on sleep habits, among many other things, but when its your own child, all the logic flies out the window! This little bitty thing has me wrapped around her finger already.

Today, in honor of Sofia turning 1 month old, she is going on her first outing (outside of the doctor). It is a beautiful day in Dallas, 71 degrees and not a cloud in the sky.  We are going to drop abuela yoyi off to get her hair done and enjoy the fresh air and some shopping/lunch at Snyder plaza.

Newborn photo shoot

Through the poop and pee we managed to get some great pictures!

Sofia Sounds

Coughing, crying, sneezing, wheezing, burping, farting, breathing, sighing and my favorite Cooing.  These are the many noises Sofia has made.  When she does make these noises I truly wish I had a recorder because this, more than anything, makes her presence feel real.  When she coughs we worry about her getting a cold.  When she crys she gets whatever she wants/needs... I hope this is not a foreshadowing of her teenage years.  When she Burps, we cheer! When she farts... Laughter inevitably follows.  When she breathes, we praise God! When she sneezes, we get a glimpse of what her voice will sound like.  When she coos... all these emotions flutter at once.  The question is, If this much is felt when she makes a simple sound... what are we going to feel  Tomorrow?  What will I feel when she utters her first word?  What emotion will be felt when she says "please?"  How will we respond to her laughter?  When she screams? What about when she says... I love you!? Or the dreaded "I Do!" If sounds are the most enjoyable memories, how will we remember her first step or her first day of school, or DATE.   The problem with all this is... If I get more enjoyment with each sound which never get old, how do you capture the experiences to come!? I am so excited to find out, yet for some reason I am sad, because I still love the little things... Sofia's sounds!

- Justin