Check out my new kicks!

Our friends Tony, Suzie and Ava came over to visit on Saturday night and they brought Sayer a pair of Baby Converse. Talk about cute! I just couldn't resist dressing him in them on Sunday when we got back from church. Aunt KiKi and Mimi added the NIKE hat. Too funny!

Thanks Tony, Suzie and Ava. It was good to see you. We'll have to get the kids together again soon!

Does this remind you of anyone?

Daddy maybe?

More pictures of the little man!

Uncle J was home last week for Grandpa's funeral and he got to spend some quality time with his nephew. He couldn't believe how much Sayer had changed in two weeks time. Here he is giving Sayer his ba-ba.

Okay, so Mimi gave Sayer this outfit just before Christmas and I failed to dress him in it on Christmas Eve / Christmas Day. So, last week I thought that I would dress him up and snap a photo or two for keepsake purposes. Well, Sayer wanted nothing to do with it. He hated the hat and didn't cooperate for one single photo!

Seth and Abby were in town a couple of weekends ago and came to pay their newest cousin a visit. Abby looks pretty natural holding a baby!

Sayer's first bath in the real tub. He liked this much better than the sponge bath - except for when it was time to wash his hair!

Aunt Missy and Kole holding Sayer after Grandpa's funeral last weekend. This was the first time that Kole was able to help hold him... he's been waiting patiently since December 17th.

One Month Old

Sayer turned one month old on Saturday. It is amazing how fast the past month has gone by and how much our little boy has grown and changed!

I haven't had him officially weighed since he was two weeks old, but Mike and I weighed him on our scale at home and he is now approximately 10 pounds - which means that he has gained two pounds in one month. WOW! I can certainly tell that he is getting bigger and he has grown out of most of his newborn sleepers because he is so long.

This little man loves to EAT! I can't seem to feed him enough. I am nursing and supplementing 4 oz. bottles at every other feeding. When Mike was a baby he tripled his birthweight by 3 months! Hopefully Sayer won't grow at that rate or else I'll have a really big baby on my hands. Daddy wants a wrestler, but not a sumo wrestler.

Great Grandpa Freddie - an amazing man

Last Tuesday just before midnight my Grandpa passed away in the comfort of my parents' house surrounded by his family - my mom, my aunt and my dad.

I was blessed enough to be off on maternity leave so Sayer and I were able to spend his last days on this earth with him. Tuesday we were there for a couple of hours holding his hand and talking to him. Even though he couldn't respond I know that he knew we were there. I then went back to the house that night and spent another couple of hours with him... reassuring him that it was okay to leave this earth and enter heaven to be with grandma. I left just a couple of hours before he passed away. When I left the house I knew that it would probably be the last time that I would see him alive. My prayer that night before I drifted to sleep was that God take him soon... my dad called just before midnight to tell me to come over, but before I could make it there he had passed away.

You know how you always hear that phrase "Everything happens for a reason." Well, I am a true believer in that. Last December when I miscarried, my mom and I had a conversation about just that. The just of our conversation was that God might have an alternate plan in place so that a baby might be a much needed blessing to our entire family at a later date.

I think that my grandpa held on for so long so that he could meet his first great grandson and celebrate his first Christmas with him. He did just that - and for that I am extremely thankful! Those memories will be ones that I will hold onto forever. Sayer has been an extreme blessing to our entire family... where there is death there is also life. It is the true Circle of Life!

Grandpa, I will miss you more than you will ever know, but I am happy that you are once again reunited with Grandma. I am thankful that you were able to meet your first great grandchild and you were able to hold him in your arms. Thank you for all of the memories and for loving your wife, your daughters, your grandchildren, and your greatgrandchild everyday of your life. I will love you forever. Ashley

These pictures were taken on Sunday... two days before Grandpa passed away he was holding Sayer.

Newborn pictures are here...

Sayer's newborn pictures have been posted to my photographers website and they are fabulous!

You can view them at the following link... www.m-mphoto.com. Once you are in the website go to PhotoCart > Portraits > 01-07 Ashley (he's the little one yawning with the baseball glove and baseball) > Password is Reik.

I placed an order today... YIKES... Mike just might kill me when he sees the bill. It was just so hard to choose. My little boy is so adorable!

ENJOY!

Grammy and Papa's Visit

Last Monday Grammy and Papa came to visit for the week. This was the first time that they had seen Sayer him since he was born. Grammy could hardly wait to get her hands on him! And he could hardly wait to meet his Grammy and Papa that he had heard so much about from Mommy and Daddy. Grammy was able to spend lots of time holding Sayer, changing diapers and helping feed him.

It was really hard on them when they left... but I promised Grammy that I would continue to take lots of pictures of her newest grandbaby so she could still feel close to him!

We love you Grammy and Papa and we're glad you came to visit. Sorry the week took an unexpected turn... hopefully we'll see you again soon!

Newborn Pics...

Yesterday Mike and I took Sayer to the newborn photo shoot. WOW - what an experience!

When you have a newborn photoshoot with a naked baby, you are sure to end up covered in pee, poop and spit-up. While I was only pooped and spit up on, Daddy had the pleasure of not only experiencing those two things, but getting pottied on as well. If only you could have seen, the photographer, Mike and I working with Sayer to get him in position and wipe up the spit-up and poopie so we could get that perfect picture! Too funny! We just had to laugh.

This photographer we went to was awesome! She had so many tricks up her sleeve to get the perfect newborn shot. We had the vaccume cleaner running, the heating pad warming every surface that Sayer's naked body would touch and we had the blow dryer blowing warm air over both his body and his face. We also had the bottle and buca working overtime. By the time the shoot was over Mike and I were both pooped out (and on) literally.

I am sure that these pictures will turn out precious... some of the few that she showed us on her camera were AWESOME! They will be ready next Wednesday. I can hardly wait.

Much better night...

I am happy to report that last night was a much better night for Sayer and I. We both actually got about 8 hours sleep total. It's amazing how a couple of three hour blocks of sleep will make all of the difference in the world. I was up at 6:30 this morning and feel revived and energized. The little man is sleeping again after eating a healthy breakfast!

Today we have our newborn photo shoot. I am so excited. We are having them taken by a photographer in Independence. I have viewed her work on line and it is amazing - very Anne Geddes like. Thanks to Marci for the recommendation! Hopefully he will cooperate at our session and give us some unbelievable photos. I will share the link with everyone once they are available.

Exhausted...

I am exhausted! Sayer and I had a very long night last night! We got a couple of hours of sleep, if that.

After feeding, burping, changing the diaper multiple times, rocking, singing and swinging in the swing he finally fell asleep at 6:30 this morning. Thank goodness. I could barely keep my eyes open. It is amazing how revived I felt with a couple of hours sleep.

But now, I am feeling the effects. I am hopeful that tonight will be a better night than last night was.

2 Weeks Old...

Here are just a few pictures that I snapped last week... two weeks old.

With Daddy at Bravo...

Showing what a strong boy I am... lifting my head

Playing under my Baby Einstein play gym... I love the lights and the music!

Sleeping in my bouncy seat

Eyes Wide Open

I know that most of you probably think that all Sayer does is sleep - since most of the pictures I have posted on the blog to date have him with his eyes closed.

Well, I finally was able to get a pretty good picture of him with his eyes wide open. YEAH!

It is amazing to me how much he continues to change on a daily basis. In two weeks time what a difference!

Gus comes home...

Gus finally came home after being at my parents house for the first couple of weeks. I wasn't really sure how he would react to Sayer, but to my surprise, he was more interested in all of the new stuffed toys than he was the new little person in the house.

I thought that he might be a bit jealous since he's been our "baby" for so long, but he has surprised us in a positive way. Although he does try to get close to me any chance he can get.

He still doesn't know quite what to think of the crying and fussing. And he definitely seems put out by the fact that we spend more time awake during the night than we spend sleeping.

I think in time and as Sayer gets bigger these two will be the best of pals!