It Won't Be Like This For Long

We had quite the car ride to and from the lake this weekend with Gabriel and while driving in the car I could barely hear the words of Darius Rucker coming from the radio in the background over the crying... but, I did make out the part that says, "If you could just hang on, it won't be like this for long." And although I am no close imitation of Mary, I sometimes like to do what she did and ponder things in my heart... it's the introvert in me...

So... I was pondering Darius Rucker's words... as deep as that can be...

Love surely stretches you. A child surely stretches you. I have died to myself and my desires and wants more now than I ever have in my entire life. It makes me wonder about the sanctification mothers who have more than one child go through... because it is hard. But any vocation God calls us to is going to be and the rewards of your fidelity I have found are immense.

One example:
So, it's 4am and I hear Gabriel grunting in his bassinet next to me. Really? You're not going to sleep through the night? Maybe I will just pat his back and he will fall back asleep. So, I stick my arm over and pat away. No. He didn't. He's totally hungry. Ok, so I pick him up with my eyes still closed and think, burp cloth, I need one of those. As I open my eyes to look for one, there are his little eyes looking back at me. He isn't making any noises anymore because his mom is holding him. I look back at him and say, "hello sweet boy" and then I get the most amazing smile in the world, the one where he squints his little eyes after holding the smile for a while. I am so filled with joy to have woken up in this moment. How is it that I am loved so much? How undeserving I am of this love! How much I love him... it really is beyond me. So, I am hanging on, because it won't be like this for long.

He will grow and he won't wake me up anymore and I will miss those days where the world was asleep and God loved me through the night.

You'll have to turn your head sideways to see this....

'



Gabriel gave me the best smiles ever today. After yesterday's visit to the doctor Patrick and I were looking forward to two things... 1) some smiles, since he cried all day and 2) to see if he could pull off what he did yesterday and roll over. We accomplished one and he smiled away today, but the rolling over thing, we will have to work on some more. I think he was just trying to impress the doctor. He already knows he impresses us! Sorry, but I always forget to turn the camera sideways when taking video. You will have to turn your head sideways to see this one! Man, do we love him.

A funny thing happened on the way to the doctor!

Well, actually it happened while we were there...

Kristi and I took Gabriel to the doctor this morning for his two-month well checkup and his first round of vaccinations. We weren't really looking forward to the nurse sticking him with those needles and shooting him full of diseases, but we took him because we thought it was the best thing to do.

While we were there, he weighed in at a whopping 11 lbs. (just 1.5 lbs. heavier than his week old cousin, Catherine) and measured 22.75 inches long. He's a growing boy, that's for sure, close to 50% for his age up from around 10% weight when he was born. But none of this is all that funny.

Here's the funny part... The doctor came in and started his routine exam checking his joints and ears, etc. then he turned him over to his belly. Gabriel immediately propped himself up onto is elbows and held his head high looking all around to which the doctor responded, "Wow, that takes some good motor skills to get up on his elbows like that, especially at 10 weeks." Then, to the amazement of all of us, Gabriel rolled over onto his back! All the doctor could say was, "That's impressive." He hadn't ever done that before, so there were two proud, glowing parents in that doctor's room. Atta boy!

Then the nurse came in and gave him 3 shots in his thighs. Not cool, but he's one cool dude now!

First Trip to the Beach

As you can see at the top most picture, the beach totally wore Gabriel out!
He slept more at the beach than he has ever slept and for the first time
... drum roll please...
he slept through the night while we were there.
Babies LOVE the beach! They are totally relaxed there and the fresh air kicks their little butts. Gabriel enjoyed sitting under the umbrella, hanging in the cabana and for about 3.5 minutes going into the pool and then the ocean. Patrick was not leaving until he experienced both.
And just like he loves the bath, he loved the ocean and the pool.
We had a fabulous time with Mom-Mom, Pop-Pop, Uncle Bo and the Hogans.
I took a million pictures, so a few are above for your viewing pleasure.
It was the break we all needed.
Grayton Beach, Florida... I miss you.

My favorite time each day!

Besides the bonding Gabriel and I get to do at 4 each morning when I change his diaper, bath time is our time too. He has recently started being much more playful during this time which tells me he is ready for the pool. Well, as for the pool, our friend who is a pediatrician told us that he can go in the pool at two month which is today, so Michael Phelps should be scared of this little swimmer!

Double Chin Much!

2 Years: Happy Anniversary!

I wonder how many years you have to be married before you stop looking at eachother and saying, "We're married!"

Two years ago today will go down in history as the MOST FUN DAY of my entire life! It was the most beautiful Mass I had ever attended with two of our most favorite priests and over 400 people to celebrate the sacrament of Marriage with us. Thanks to my parents we had the time of our life at the reception... the best band in town, dancing ALL night long, delicious food (including an ice cream bar), and everyone we loved was present to party with us. I was sure that day that this is what Heaven was like, the banquet we are awaiting. The joy was overflowing in Patrick and I all day. We still talk about it all the time. We also continue to be grateful that God gave us the incredible grace and stregnth to save ourselves for one another until that day.

Two years later we look back and say that it feels like yesterday, but life has surely changed. We have one child in Heaven, one here with us, and a boat load of other joys and sufferings we have already endured together. We have learned about love being a choice and not a feeling and we have definitely grown in appreciation for each other's strengths and in wisdom in how to help one another with each other's weaknesses. But, two years is nothing... we are aspiring to learn more about sacrificial love, we are aspiring to have many more children, and we are aspiring to keep having a blast!

Patrick, I love you!

I Continue To Be A Stud

I'm A Smilin' and Sleepin' MACHINE!

My favorite moments are when he sleeps and smiles. The top picture was last night right after he was bathed and fed... he usually falls right asleep, but instead he decided to smile for about 30 minutes. This is one of the many smiles. Ohh, I could just eat him!! The other pictures are of him sleeping. He changes position and still does the funniest things with his hands. Patrick and I can not stop laughing every time he throws us off with one of the craziest poses. I continue to fall more and more in love with him every day.

I Am Growing

I am growing so big! I have finally grown out of my newborn diapers and onesies. My mommy and daddy wake up every morning and tell me I look different... and I totally do. They say I still have my mommy's eyes, but that I am looking more and more like daddy every day. I have started to smile all the time and sometimes I even let out a little laugh. I am still sleeping well at night and only wake up mommy and daddy one time to change my diaper and eat. I am the best pooper in the world. Check out the picture below. My mom and mom-mom had to use a box to catch my poop, then a roll of paper towels, 10 wipes, and a new outfit and diaper and my mom-mom even had to change her clothes. It was a mess, but I felt so much better when it was over. Besides that I guess I could just say that my top three favorite things are cuddling, sleeping and milk. Life is good.