Saturday, October 08, 2011

Smitten

We are all postively smitten with our new addition. Here are LOTS of pictures to prove it (A big thanks to my mom for being willing and ready to capture every little face and every new moment...again, what would I do without her?)
These pictures are from the first 10 days of his life, but I'm typing this at 2 weeks and Pierce is a pretty easy going baby. You wonder if kids get better or if you as a mother are so much more relaxed it rubs off on the little guys. He loves to sleep during the day and we are working on the nights.
 I've realized that nursing is like riding a bike...once you've done it, it might take a minute to adjust, but it all comes back to you. He is an amazing eater and loves to nurse. I don't remember loving it this much before (maybe because I usually had a toddler trying to hit the nursing baby) but it's been so great this time and such a speical time to bond. There were quite a few questions from my older ones, (Does that hurt? Is he biting you? What happens when he gets teeth? Do you have to drink milk? How does milk get in there?) but now it's no big deal.
 I've been taking advantage of having alone time with Pierce and I try not to hurry things along. I adore spending time with him.
 I'd forgotten for how many hours you can just stare at a baby. Everything he does seems new and magical to all of us.
 I don't even mind waking up at night (well, not too much). When I come into his room to see him, even only half awake, I'm so happy to see his sweet face. He's delicious.
 Having a baby 5 years after your other kids will certainly have some disadvantages, but as a mom, it's been so great to be able to devote time to him.
 This little "O" face is one of our favorites. He loves to do it all the time. He's also a big stretcher...just like a little kitty, and it can make us all stop in our tracks just to watch him.
 These boys are still all crazy about him. They've been wonderful and adjusted so well. Of course, there have been a few hiccups, but the love for Pierce is always there...sometimes they are just a little bothered that mom can't do everything for everyone. James struggled a little, as he's had me to himself for quite a long time during the days, but he's doing well now and we have a pretty good thing going where there's plenty of love to go around.


 So far, Pierce is so calm and sweet. He cries sometimes, and when he does it breaks our heart, but for the most part he's pretty good! We're so grateful and hope it keeps up :)!


 Pierce has the tiniest feet of any of my kids. Really, alarmingly small and skinny.
Pierce was not a big fan of the bath. In fact, he hates to be undressed at all and cries lots everytime he gets his diaper changed. But Grandma figured out how to make him love it with a warm towel and lots of snuggles.
 My dad came the first weekend Pierce was born. He just loves to see and hold the little ones. I was so happy to see him and so grateful he was able to be here. He spoiled us all and kept the boys entertained too. He's such a sweet grandpa.
 Since my mom was often the picture-taker, we didn't get too many photos with her, but she was the most awesome helper ever. She came and for 10 days did EVERYTHING. Stayed up late, woke up early, did laundry, cleaned my house, made or picked up food, let me nap, got the boys ready for school, made breakfast and their lunches, kept me company, didn't let me over do things, did all the carpooling and running around, played games, read books, did bedtime, bought everything I needed and didn't think about, bathed and held Pierce, went to back-to-school night and cub scouts...seriously the list goes on and on and she never complained. Because of her, my recovery was fast and went well. By 2 weeks I'm feeling really great and like I can handle this crazy life of mine...though I'm still much more tired than I used to be. I've said it before, but what do you do without a mom?

Living away from family is a bummer, but I'm so grateful to have 2 sets of parents that always seem to keep us close! So glad they could be here!

13 comments:

Coordination Queen said...

What an adorable little boy! Easy to see why you are smitten.

The Arizona Blake Family said...

Adorable! You can never have too many pictures...he's so sweet!

Lyric Payne said...

He is beautiful...and SO a Romney! Steve and I both agree on that! We can't figure out who he looks like, but there is a definite look of familiarity. And your Mom is awesome!

Courtney said...

He is adorable!!! Great pictures! Glad things are going well! Can't wait to see you guys next month!

Kim said...

Seriously loving this little guy. He is sooo stinkin cute! So glad your mom came out and helped so much. Gotta love it. She is the best...but Kim's are you know :)

Jenny Hill said...

He is so beautiful! We'll have to hook him and Katie up in about 20 years! Haha! Miss you guys tons. Jonny really misses Parker and tells me about it all the time.

The Martin Family said...

Pierce is ridiculously cute! Love all the photos. Your mom is really talented. She came to Kristen R. shower and showed everyone some pics of Pierce. ADORABLE. I am so happy you are adjusting and your recovery is going well. Yep, the 4th is pretty amazing. I loved nursing too. Am I getting teary-eyed right now? Yikes. Mom's rock.

Kirk and Aly said...

So cute! I'm so glad your boys are loving him so much! I remember some of the defense it took with your other boys. :) After I watched my sisters little boys a couple weeks ago for a few nights and my girls thought that every little thing they did was amazing, I totally got why having a big space between kids isn't necessarily a bad thing. So much fun!!

Mandy said...

Love all the pictures. Great job, again, you two. Another handsome Romney boy. Glad things are going well. Take it easy and stay smitten!

Brooke Madsen said...

He is adorable. He is going to love your family. You are such a great mom.

Eardley Fam said...

Oh he is just a doll-so sweet!! It is hard to be away from family but so great when they come and your mom sounds amazing! Enjoy those newborn snuggles!

Melissa said...

So precious! I love all the pics. He looks a lot like James to me.

Alison Wilde said...

He is seriously adorable!! It is sooo fun to see your older 3 boys with him. There is nothing like a newborn to bring huge amounts of joy to a home. Your mom is wonderful---I can't imagine trying to cope right after a baby without mine! I LOVE all the pics she took of Pierce---perfect!!