The Farm

So growing up, I spent many many lazy summer days at what we call "the farm". Its not really a farm, no animals, no crops, but once upon a time it was. The land belongs to my Grandparents. It's the land my Grandmother grew up on. She picked cotton in those fields in the depression. She played stick ball in the field during recess. The one room school house she attended, where she met Grandpa, was right there on their property. The house that still stands there was built by my Great Grandfather. It is where my Great Aunt Dink was born, she is 86ish. There is a cold water creek that even on the hottest day in August will take your breath away. I could go on and on about how beautiful it is and how much it means to me.

Since moving back to Arkansas, I hadn't been to the farm. I've really been wanting to go and especial take Bryce on his first trip. I hope that Bryce grows up to love the farm just as much as I do and to make some precious memories there.

So this weekend seemed like the perfect time to make our first trip with Bryce up to the farm! Here are some pictures!

 Front porch swinging

Meeting the cousins



First cookout!

Meeting his Great Great Aunt Dink

2 months

My my my! I feel like a lot has happened since my last post! Has it really only been a week?

Probably the most important thing that has happened is Bryce had his baby blessing at church on Sunday. Scott's Uncle Jay and Aunt Dorthy flew in from West Vally, Utah for the event. They were here for a week! I really enjoyed seeing them again and spending time with them. Scott gave a beautiful blessing to Bryce, I teared right up! I'm not usually like that, but now that I'm a mommy I cry so easily.

I'm really struggling to fall into my new roll as a working mother. All I do is wake up (5:30), breast feed, get me and the baby ready, work, pump, work, pump, come home, breast feed, play with Bryce, cook dinner, clean up dinner, breastfeed, make sure the diaper bag and everything else is ready for in the morning and then go to bed about 9. Rinse, wash, repeat. Forget keeping up with the endless to-do list or even the most basic grocery shopping. There is about 17 other things I could be doing right now instead of blogging.

So here is Bryce's 2 month update:

Diaper Size: Size 1 (getting close to outgrowing these)

Clothing Size: Mostly 3 months. A couple of 0-3 month things.

Height/weight: 23 1/2 inches and 10 lbs 10 oz

Firsts: started supplementing formula, first day at daycare, first shots, first time getting "sick", first time sitting in the bumbo chair, and FIRST TIME NOT CRYING DURING A BATH! About the bath- I just finally decided to fill the tub with what I would label as hot water (by baby standards). I gently put him in and he didn't scream or cry. I started washing him and still no crying. I washed his hair and still no screaming!Not a cry, not even a whimper. Weird right? I guess he just likes his bath water really warm. Scott and I were in shock. Bath time has been heartbreaking for all involved for the past 2 months, so we are really relieved we got this figured out.

Milestones: I mentioned alot of his milestones in a previous post. He lifts his head, smiles, and coos all the time. Just this week he has started watching his hands and feet. I even watched him track his hand all the way to his mouth. Working on that hand/eye coordination! If I pick him up and try to put his legs on my lap, he will push back for a second. He still hates tummy time. I think he gets frustrated that he cant sit up, roll over, and lift his head all the way so he just gets mad.


Here are some pics from his 2 month photo shoot!

Poor poor baby

So we have been to the Dr. 3 times in the last 7 days. Poor Bryce he's had a rough week!

First it started with green poop. His poop went from mustard yellow to green over night and has been since. I thought this was unusual for him. Then I heard things like it could be the Rotavirus. So I called the Dr. They assured me green poop was normal for a breast fed baby.

The next day Bryce wakes up with his eyes all full of goop. I didn't think anything of it, just cleaned it out and sent him to school. They said they were constantly cleaning out his eyes all day. So I call the Dr. We brought him in and turns out he had an infection of the tear duct. Completely normal for babies. We got this lovely tube of ointment to squirt IN his lower eye lid. That was NIGHTMARE. I dont think any of it ever made in into his eye, just sat on his eye lids. On the bright side, I got to stay home with him for a day since it is contagious.

My skinny 2 month old!

Then to my horror I find bright red in his diaper the morning I stayed home with him. I called my mom crying before I called the Dr. She calmed me down. Said I couldn't call the Dr. for every little thing and to wait to see if his next diaper had what we assumed was blood in it. Well later that afternoon there was a brownish red "mucus" in his diaper. I was terrified. I called the Dr and we rushed right in at 6 o clock. I brought in the diaper in question and they ran a lab test to test for blood. Well it came back negative for blood. So no answer for what that could have been. Bryce was perfectly healthy by all standards: alert, smiling, no fever, wasn't in pain, etc. The Dr. sent us home with a lovely stool sample collection kit so we could test for salmonella and all sorts of other horrible things, although she was sure these would come back negative.

Today we went in for our 2 month check up and get his shots. He is 23 1/2 inches long and weighs 10lbs 10oz. He is in the 75 percentile for height and the 25 percentile for weight. I've been really worried over how skinny he is. I mean, I can see his ribs. When was the last time you saw a baby that you could see their ribs? I see other babies that are his same age and they have rolls of fat on them. The Dr. said she thought he was a "little thin". She said we should start supplementing 1 oz of formula and mix it with my breast milk.  Then it was time to get his shots... I was traumatized! I held his little hands while they stabbed both legs simultaneously with needles. He silent screamed for about 5 seconds and then he screamed a scream I've never heard him make. I didn't even know he could cry like that. I swooped him up and I was a blubbering mess. His face was so pitiful. :(

 I felt like I was leading a lamb to the slaughter. He had no idea what was coming

He was kicking and smiling. I still haven't caught his smile on camera!

So off we were to school straight from the Dr. He had such a horrible day at school. I ended up clocking out for about 30 mins just so I could hold him and calm him down. He was fussing and crying like I've never seen him do. It was really more like screaming. He was just inconsolable. He had a fever from the shots (I gave him some Tylenol) and he had horrible gas and tummy ache from the formula. Apparently the first time you give a baby formula it upsets their tummy. Just more reason to keep breastfeeding. I felt so bad for him, like I had failed him. My body is supposed to give him what he needs and it isn't.


I pray the coming week is better for the little guy!

Little Bryce is growing up too quick! I saw a 2 week old baby at church today and I thought "Bryce looks huge compared to that baby!" Sad part is he was that little not that long ago.

Bryce is really starting to blossom. He smiles all the time now. I've tried to catch him on camera but haven't been successful. He has started to "coo" also. We've even heard a slight giggle a couple of times!

His neck is getting so strong! He can hold his head up for a few seconds when I hold him up against my chest.

He loves sitting propped up too!

The most newsworthy thing from this week is I went back to work and Bryce started day care. I feel so lucky and blessed to be in the position I am in where Bryce can come to school with me and be just right down the hall in the baby room. I love coming in on my lunch break to feed and hold him! He isn't old enough to cry when I leave him, which is such a tender mercy. In fact, when I bring him in the baby room in the mornings, he just smiles so big, like he is excited to be at school. He hasn't taken being at school like a champ. He sleeps, eats, and swings all day. They say he loves being in front of the mirror!

Scott got more good news this week too! He got invited to assist in the grand opening of a Chick-Fil-A in Texas. He will be gone about a week and will get to rub elbows with a bunch of corporate people. He is real excited about this opportunity!

And as for me, I'm surviving. It wasn't easy going back to work while sleep deprived, but I just keep telling myself that this phase of life will pass. It will be over and gone too fast.