Baby wearing

We are still figuring it all out but he (and John) are quite cute in the process. 

Swing power!

Late night musings

Newborns are a lot of work.  For the past 2 weeks, Rock has had a 3-person team looking out for his every need, doing laundry and taking care of each other.  Today Granny headed back to Hawaii and I felt a rush of sorrow and panic as I dropped her off at the airport.  We had a good routine that included at least 1 nap for me each day.  Now Rock and I will have to find our own routine during the day, continuing to rely heavily on Dad's care-taking skills in the evenings, nights and early mornings.

Rock is now 19 days old which means that we have changed approximately 170 diapers, fed him 152 times, given him 2 baths (don't worry, he is getting his 3rd tonight!), and I've gotten approximately 95 hours of sleep.  We have learned countless lessons- Rock likes bouncing more than swinging, he likes Granny's swaddle the best however sleeps best after Dad swaddles him (Dad's swaddles are significantly tighter than Granny or Mom's), he hates getting dressed/ undressed, he loves to stretch his legs and appears to be getting taller each day, and he loves dancing with his Dad (almost as much as his Dad loves dancing with him).

Below is a list of other thoughts or realizations that have come to me since January 9th.

*  My son has much better temperature regulation than I do.  We both spend our days wrapped in blankets however his body acts like a little heater when we cuddle.

* Mail delivery is much more exciting when you have a newborn at home.  Very few days have passed when Rock doesn't get a card or package in the mail.  He feels VERY loved!

*  Living in Salt Lake we are isolated from family however we have a wonderful support network of friends and co-workers who look out for us!

* Granny's are invaluable.  From the moment I found out I was pregnant I've been excited to introduce my son and my mom.  Her visit was awesome.

* I don't wake up easily in the middle of the night.  I've always been a 'snoozer' (much to John's distress!) and take my time adjusting to the day.  Unfortunately Rock doesn't like to allow me a 10 min 'snooze' before I get out of bed to feed him.

*  Having a newborn makes you very germ conscious!  We have been hiding out at home since Rock was born, our only trips out of the house have been to the hospital for follow up visits.  I have never been so appalled at the number of sick people in the hospital!

*  I miss Rock when I'm not directly around him, even if I'm just napping.

*  I'm happier and more peaceful than I've ever been- and I'm not even running!

*  Babies don't need stuff but they certainly help you accumulate stuff!  We now own a sweet lazy-boy recliner, new washer and dryer and upgraded Subaru- all "for the baby"

*  I can't imagine John and I not planning on having kids.  Rock is amazing.

*  I have a new respect for my body. It will be a while until I'm back to 'myself' however I grew a baby!

*  John and I have an amazing network of supportive friends and family scattered all over the globe- we couldn't do this without you all!

*  A nice warm shower can almost make you believe you had a full night's sleep.

*  My love for my husband has grown exponentially from pregnancy to birth to watching him care for Rock.  He has been there for me through all my fears and wildly swinging emotions and I love watching his face light-up when he interacts with or talks about Rock.  They are quite the pair and I'm a very lucky lady!

Winter bonnet

When "regular" hats don't stay on your head you have to wear a bonnet!  Luckily Rock had this awesome hand-me-down from his mom, knit by his Great-Granny!

Special Day

Happy Birthday Granny!!   We are so happy to celebrate with you this year!

The Cornelison Cradle

According to Cornelison folklore (nearly?) every grandchild and great-grandchild slept in this cradle as a newborn so I was honored when my Aunt Beth offered to send the cradle to Salt Lake so Rock could take part in the tradition.  Personally I think he looks quite handsome & peaceful sleeping in it.

My mom was able to rock the cradle with her foot while she slept.  Unfortunately I have not mastered that skill......yet......

Getting bigger!

Official measurements from Rock's 2 week appointment:

Weight: 5 lb 11.8 oz
Height: 19 inches

He is turning into a little chunk!

Look at those chubby cheeks.

2 week appointment

Tomorrow is Rock's 2 week birthday so to celebrate we took him to his 2 week pediatrician appointment today.  All special occasions require the right outfit and an outing to the hospital is no exception.  I have literally been anticipating dressing my son in this bear suit for months.  He was even more adorable than I had imagined- and he has plenty of growing room in his suit!

THANKS again to Lindsay, Tanner and Juniper for adding such joy to Rock's wardrobe!

Don't worry, he was fully strapped into his carseat for the car ride.

Napping with Granny

Welcome!

Welcome to Rock's blog.  We decided to (mostly) keep Rock off of Facebook but wanted an easy way to share photos and milestones with family and friends- hence the blog!  This is a closed blog, so an invite is necessary to view it.  No one was intentionally left off the invite list (except creepy internet strangers) we just had limited email addresses upon publishing our first posts.   If other family or friends are interested have them email or text and we can add them to the "approved" list of viewers.  Thanks so much for all of your love and support!

**Disclaimer:  If words are misspelled or thoughts incomplete it is probably because, like this post, some writing is done on my iphone, in the dark, during 3 am feeds (this one after my lovely son peed on me and pooped his pants twice in a 10 min time period).

Family photo

Rock spends most of his time eating or sleeping.  We spend most of our time watching him sleep or, when he is awake, marveling at how adorable and perfect he is.  

Pouting

Granny Tutu

When you live in Hawaii there are few things that will inspire a trip to Utah in January.  At the top of that list is visiting your first grandchild.  Granny Tutu's visit has been invaluable, I get daily naps and Rock gets extra snuggles.  We hope she never leaves.

Bath time!

John was worried that Rock was getting stinky so we gave him a bath today.  I was very nervous that he was going to have a difficult time warming up so we had heated blankets (from the dryer), a space heater and warm clothes all prepared.  He looks a bit tortured in this photo but overall I think he enjoyed the warm water.  I enjoyed the cuddle time after the bath!

Last days of pregnancy

Growing a baby takes a LONG time.  Luckily Rock was worth it!

One of many ultrasounds.

Epic walk up the sledding hill at Liberty Park

Family photo, taken 3 days before Rock's birth

Hospital lunges.  Michelle was in charge of keeping me upright. 

Waiting.

Laboring, with support from our Doula, Gloria.  

The Best Day

Beautiful Robert Elias "Rock" was born at 7:53 am on January 9, 2014.  He weighed 5 lb 3 oz and measured 18 inches tall.  It was an amazing day, the best day of our lives so far and even as I write this I become teary.  Rock was strong, perfect, and adorable (at least in the eyes of his parents!).

We spent the next 2 days in the hospital, recovering and attempting to learn how to eat, manage blood sugar and body temperature.  By Saturday afternoon we were antsy to go home.

Here are some photos of the first few days of Rock's life.

First family photo

5 lb 3 oz of cute.

Learning how to relax with Dad

First bath with Dad

Dad washing Rock's hair

Sleeping on Mom's chest

Going home outfit

First poop!

I get to go home!

Getting a tour of the house

Football with Dad!

Car ride to his 5 day appointment

Out little dude is powerful.  Rock kicking his way out of his swaddle and clothes.

Nightshirt and nightcap (John says I'm not allowed to treat him like a doll, but I can't resist!)

Lots of quality time with Mom

Best buds