Ten on Tuesday

1) It's 2010 and I keep writing 2011...every single time. Bet it will take me well into February to remember! I can't even believe that it's already 2011 or that January feels like it's already almost half gone! Seriously, January is already kicking my butt at work. It's insane!

2) We had a wonderful Christmas! It was so much fun sharing Harris' first Christmas. He got a million and one toys, with one family Christmas still to go next week. It's a bit ridiculous. The "Baby Things" toy box that sat in front of our fireplace was barely full before Christmas. Now, there are toys the entire length of the hearth. Cleary we need a toy management system for our living room!

3) LMH's daycare is closed the week between Christmas and New Year. Yes I know that this is sort of strange. But, essential his montessori daycare is also a preschool that has a traditional holiday vacation for kids and staff. All my vacation was used up on maternity leave this year, and The Hubby is in the midst of a ginormous (neverending) project at work. Thankfully, my mom was able to take off that week to watch LMH for us. It was so very nice having her with us all last week. And, I know she enjoyed all of the one-on-one time with LMH. Going forward, Hubby and I could totally plan to take off vacation that week, but Nana has already called this as her annual LMH week!

4) I have a four day workweek this week, since Friday is my flex day. Next week will be the first in at least three weeks that I'll be expected to work a full five day workweek. I'm already dreading it. Between flex days and holidays I'm royally spoiled right now.

5) Remember a year ago when I was soooo excited to get my (crappy) Palm Pre? Well, it sucked...way more than the Blackberry Pearl that I thought sucked back then! Ok, to be more accurate, the Pre and WebOS has tons of unfilfilled promise, but for the time period I had it, it sucked. The app market was exceedingly sparse, updates few and far between, and the physical build quality subpar. I had high hopes for my Pre, but in the end, I pretty much squealed with delight when I opened my shiny new T-Mobile G2 on Christmas morning! I LOVE this thing! I really had know idea just how much my Pre sucked until I got the G2. It rocks!

6) Honestly, I'm fairly certain that phone is inreasing my productivity, too! Right at the end of 2010, I was scrambling to finish my annual performance goals at work. I had to read this book by David Allen called "Getting Things Done." The book was just ok...really jargon heavy and kind of outdated, because it focused mainly on a paper-based organization system. However, after some time with Google, I found so many great tips for how to incorporate the Getting Things Done system into my daily routine...and a lot of them had to do with productivity apps for my phone (Astrid Tasks, Evernote, Remember the Milk, etc.). I've been using them since Christmas and am totally loving it!

7) At the same time, it's a bit of a double-edged sword. Seeing a comprehensive list of all of my projects, personal and work, is a bit (maybe a lot) overwhelming! And, it's even more so when so many of them remain undone and untouched each day. There just really aren't enough hours in the day! I guess I need to learn how to ignore what I can't work on and just focus on what I'm working on at the time.

8) Ha! That was funny. If you've been reading any time at all, you knkow that's pretty much the antithesis of my personality. Don't see me learning how to change that one anytime soon!

9) LMH will be five months old tomorrow! I can't believe. Time is truly flying by. I've always heard people say that "it goes so fast," but I truly had no idea! It feels like he's already gone from newborn to little boy in the blink of an eye!

10) Remember what seems like months ago when I mentioned that I'd be unveling a new blog project soon? Well, soon is finally here and I'm sooooo excited! I'm hoping to have the new blog, Mom in Orbit, up and running by this weekend. And, I'm looking forward to sharing it with all of you! In the meantime, here's a sneak peek:

It's Starting to Look a Lot Like Christmas

We made the trek home to Arkansas on Wednesday. It was actually quite the trek...I felt a bit like Santa on his cross-country flight! The Hubby, LMH and the dogs drove to Arkansas on Wednesday. I would have driven with them except 1) I had to work (minor details) and 2) one of us had to take Hubby's dad to the airport for his 6pm flight.

Rather than us all driving together after dropping him off at the airport, we split up and conquered things separately. I got off work (near Dallas Love Field), drove home (35 minutes north), took Hubby's dad to the other airport (DFW 40 minutes east), back to Love Field for my own flight, landed in Little Rock, did some Christmas shopping and then finally home to Hot Springs 40 minutes east. Whew! Makes me tired just writing it!

Once we got here, Hubby FINALLY told me what he wanted for Christmas. Can we say late much? He suggested the following: a new suitcase, noise cancelling headphones, one of those "e-reader things." Hubby went WAY overboard for Christmas this year, so my budget for him is not terribly large. The suitcase he's had his eye on (360 degree wheels and an ergo handle)  is too expensive, as are Bose noise canceling headphones. That leaves the e-reader.

Ironically, my mom is also getting an e-reader for Christmas from my dad...a Nook Color. Hubby will be getting a plain Nook. Mom should enjoy the tablet-PC "light" features of her Nook Color. But, Hubby, who has a smartphone, desktop and laptop should appreciate having a dedicated e-reader. Well, at least that's my hope. I was a little worried that it might be a downer for one to open the fancy Nook Color and the other to open a plain Nook. But, I think that they both serve each others' needs perfectly. Plus, they can lend each other books.

Santa will be bringing LMH a bunch of "sit up and play" toys as he is soooo very close to being able to sit up like a champ. Well, and Nana has some awesome surprise for him that she won't let me in on. There's a Laugh & Learn Kitchen under the tree for him and a My Pal Scout. I can't wait to see him interact with Scout. I think he'll be able to do that right away, though the kitchen may take him a bit longer to get the hang of.

As much fun as I have planning the perfect gifts for my family, it's the Christmas traditions that make it perfect. Tonight is our annual trek to Mama & Papa's for Christmas Eve festivities. The first of many Christmas traditions that we get to share with LMH this year. Christmas Eve sugar cookie baking, reading our favorite Christmas stories, opening one present (an ornament) before going to sleep, waking up and waiting for the okay to head downstairs. No matter how old I get, I still take such joy in these traditions. This year, it's so much more meaningful. I've already started to contemplate what traditions we'll be starting just for LMH...Christmas Eve PJs are high on the list.

Soon our Christmas locale will switch to our home in Dallas, instead of my parents. I'm excited for the change, but I'll miss Christmas' here, too. Christmas is all about coming home for me, all about being a kid again, all about giving and sharing. It's such a joy and a blessing to share all of these things with LMH this year. A year ago, I could hardly believe that he was actually baking away inside me. This year he's here in all his perfection.

I'm in awe of our blessings...despite all of the fun in giving and receiving, baking, stories, family, etc., in LMH I'm reminded of true meaning of Christmas. Thanks be to God.

Santa Goes High Tech

This weekend we completed a right of passage: LMH's first trip to see Santa. I was concerned that it might not happen, though...or at least that Daddy might not be joining us. You see, The Hubby hates line. No, actually he despises, detests and HATES lines. Long lines tend to aggravate his anxiety. And, since no one wants that, I end up despising lines, too.  The trouble is that I like the things that happen at the end of long lines...like Santa.

I had been contemplating how we were going to accomplish this might feat for awhile now. So long that we ended up waiting until the week before Christmas to make our first attempt. Probably not the smartest plan. There are two malls near us with "traditional" Santas. I figured that I could wait in line with LMH and call Hubby when our turn was near. Effective, but not exactly fun for anyone.

There were two other options, though. Northpark Mall in Dallas has a ticket program (think FastPass for Santa), where you go when the mall opens, get your ticket and then hang around (or come back) when it's your time period. That seemed like a good option except for two things: 1) It's a bit of a trek into downtown Dallas from our BFE north suburb, 2) we're not exactly the "be at the mall at 9am" type.

The next option was "The Big Guy" at The Villages at Allen. The Villages do something truly ingenious! They have an online queuing system for Santa. You go online to their website, check the overall line time, enter your cell number or e-mail and your done! They send you text or e-mail updates as you get closer to the front of the virtual line. When there are 15 people ahead of you, they tell you to head back to the North Pole.

At first, I wasn't 100% sold on this idea because "The Big Guy" isn't in full dress regalia...he's what I refer to as a"workshop" Santa. He wears Christmas shirts that his wife sews for him (yah, his real wife, not Mrs, Klaus) with suspenders and his normal red pants with white puffy trim.  I got over it, though, because I started reading reviews from past years online. He's the most realistic, genuine, kindhearted mall Santa I've ever seen!

And, come on...the no line thing! We were so there! Why on earth don't more malls come up with better Santa systems.  It seems to me that more shopping gets done while your waiting for your turn than if you were waiting in line. Oh well! It's their loss. We've found our family Santa!

As for how Harris did with his first Santa visit? Well, there weren't any tears, but there weren't any smiles either! I was pleased with how the pictures turned out, though. His expression is priceless!

Wordless Wednesday: Best Present Ever

I'm particpating in Wordless Wednesday at The Snyder 5 and Momspective!

One Year Ago Today

One year ago today, I woke up feeling just like any other during the two week wait.  I had no sneaking suspicions, no preconceived notions. I knew I wasn't pregnant.  Why would I think anything otherwise? Doctors far and wide had told us that it wouldn't happen on our own, and we were set to start our first IVF cycle the next month.  As a matter of fact, I was going in to sign the paperwork on Monday!

As a rule, I did not test.  I'd much rather just see AF rear her ugly head than to see the absence of a line or, even worse, a glaring "NOT PREGNANT" staring back at me.  After all, I had seen AF appear for the better part of 20+ years. It was no big deal.  Being reminded, however, of the ridiculously low odds (3% or less according to the RE) of us conceiving naturally was just to painful to bear.

This particular day was a little bit different, though.  This was the day of my company holiday party...an affair known company-wide for it's fabulous open bar.  For that sole reason, I pulled out an internet cheapie and absent-mindedly tested.  I almost went back to bed, since it was ridiculously early for me to be waking up on a Saturday morning.  But, something forced me to get back out of bed within the 10 minute testing window.

In my half asleep state, I barely noticed that there was the faintest of a second line.  Could it really be true?  I didn't believe it.  But now I just had to take another.  I took five ICs that morning, all positive, before realizing that they had expired a month earlier.  Now, convinced that they might be giving me false positives, and desperate to see "PREGNANT" on a digital in order to believe, I raced off to Walgreens at 7:30am.

By this time, The Hubby knew that something was up.  As if it wasn't strange enough for me to be up at 7:30, now I was getting dressed and going somewhere?  Yep, something was definitely up.  He just smiled and waited for me to continuing on with my confirmation process.  At that point, I still didn't believe there was any chance that this was really happening, certainly not enough of one to get his hopes up.

As luck would have it, his dad had been in a car accident the previous night.  The Hubby needed to take him to the accident site, car dealership and insurance agent that morning.  Of course, that meant I'd be doing all of the confirmation on my own, and on the down low.

I got back fro Walgreen's with three more tests, two regular and one digital.  All three were positive, and "PREGNANT" appeared on the digi in mere seconds, plain as day.  Even then, though, I didn't believe. 

I knew that our RE was open until noon on Saturdays, so I called to get their advice on what to do next.  I was really hoping they'd let me come in for a blood test and not make me wait until Monday.  Thankfully, they got me in for a blood test ASAP, so I booked it across town for the blood letting...happily! But, it would be a long few hour wait until they called with the results.

The first time I saw The Hubby after the positive digi was in the parking lot of a shopping center.  He had just enough time in between dropping his dad off for some errands that we could share a hug and a few tears of disbelief.  Maybe this was really happening. Still, just to be safe, we didn't want to share the news with family until we had the HCG results.  I was on pins and needles.

A couple hours later, I met The Hubby and his dad for lunch.  I was mentally counting down the hours until when they said they'd call with the results.  It should be any minute.  We couldn't stand it any longer, so we told Hubby's dad what all the fuss was about, and he waited with us. 

It wasn't too much longer before the phone rang. I handed it to Hubby. I just couldn't bear to hear that it had all been a dream, a cruel figment of my imagination. He listened to the nurse and a big grin broke across his face.  Only then did I finally allow myself to start believing that LMH was really baking in there.  The next few weeks were probably the longest of the entire pregnancy...the wait between the positive and our first ultrasound.

But, for this one afternoon, I let myself believe that it would all be ok. That our miracle had happened.  That in August, I would hold our miracle in my arms. Even then, though, I don't think I could fathom him being four months old.  Even now sometimes that's hard to believe! 

So today, a year later, I'm feeling rather nostalgic.  I'm marvelling and just how much things can chnage in a year, at just how fast he grows, at just how lucky we are...how blessed.  And, I'm thankful beyond words.

Perfect Moment Monday: Morning Smiles

Every morning, there's a moment when the sound of baby babble gently rouses me from a deep sleep. He's the best alarm clock there is! Sometimes it's just some mutters and a stir; other mornings he's in a full on scream by the time I get myself out of bed and into his room.  Regardless, as soon as I open the door and say "Good Morning," the room gets quiet. And, by the time I turn on the light, turn off the monitor, and look over the crib, he's grinning back at me with the most perfect smile.

When I was on maternity leave, we'd take things easy...feeding, read a book, play a little. And, I could soak it all in. Every smile and coo making me feel that much more blessed for my miracle baby boy.

Since I've been back at work, it's that morning ritual I miss the most. Now it's go, go, go, with very little time to stop and savor the moments. I try to be the one to feed him every morning, just so I can add a few precious moments of LMH time to my day. Then it's off to the bouncer or the exercauser why I hurriedly get read and then out the door...after more than a few goodbye kisses.

But, now that I'm back at work, it's that "I hear my mommy" silence, and that first smile that get me through the day. It's a moment just for mom and son, no one else awake yet but the two of us. My morning starts with a smile that echoes his. And, no matter what the day may hold or how poorly I slept the night before, that perfect smile reminds me why I do it...why I juggle the insanity that is being a work away from hom mom, why I stay up late to spend more time with him, why it's worth it that I might be a walking zombie at work, why I feel so blessed to see that smiling face every morning.

Read about more Perfect Moments and share your own at Write Mind Open Heart.

Babysitter Bites the Dust

As part of his Christmas present to us, my brother-in-law, Chris, offered to babysit LMH on Thursday night so that The Hubby, his parents and I could go see Harry Potter (because, of course, Chris proclaimed in disgust that he was "not going anywhere near a Harry Potter theater"). Though not so good with adults, he is great with kids. Perhaps they’re on a closer wavelength or something? But, seriously, he’s always been great with kids. I knew LMH would be in good hands.

Before we left, I got bottles ready, set out his wubbanub, showed Chris how the swing worked, setup the playgym and all of LMH's other favorites so that the odds of it being a great night for both of them would go up a bit. We left for the movie at about 6:15. A little after the movie started (probably still during the insanely long previews), around 7:30 maybe, The Hubby got a text from his brother: “I can’t get him to stop crying. Any suggestions?” At that point, I realized the one thing I had forgot to tell him…LMH can get downright cranky right before bed. He gets so tired that he screams out of sheer exhaustion. There’s not much you can do when he gets that way except walk around with him or, in a pinch, let him cry it out. Nine times out of ten, I’m able to calm him down just by doing laps around the house, but occasionally he’s just over stimulated and needs a break. I neglected to tell Chris that, but I thought that once he got the text reply from The Hubby that all would be well. Back to the movie…We didn’t hear anything else, so assumed walking had done the trick.

A little after 10, as we’re leaving the theater, my mother-in-law checks her phone. Turns out that she missed a couple of texts…one at 7:30 (same one Hubby got) and another at 8:30…in all caps asking for someone to call him NOW. She hadn’t felt her phone vibrate when either text came in. We called…All was well. LMH was asleep, but Chris was mad…that whole not so good with people thing again.

In the end, all he had to do was let LMH cry it out in his crib. He said it took less than fifteen minutes for him to cry (er…scream?) himself to sleep…that was after an hour of frustration for both of them. I fully believe that babies can sense when their caretakers are upset. And I’m sure that, as LMH got more and more upset, so did Chris. It was a self-perpetuating cycle up until the point that he put LMH in the crib so they could both catch a breath.

Up until recently, I had trouble with the whole cry it out philosophy. It’s only been in the last two weeks or so that I’ve been okay with letting him cry, although still not more than 15 minutes or so. He’s gotten very good at self-soothing and it just seems like sometimes the only thing that will calm him down is the absence of stimulation—calming or otherwise. So, I would have thought I might have been upset that Chris ended up letting him cry it out. But, as it turned out, I almost wished he’d put him in the crib earlier…it might have saved a ton of stress for both of them! I think we all learned something that night...
1) Bedtime rituals are an important thing to tell the babysitter
2) Don’t call my mother-in-law in the middle of a movie if you need something urgently
3) Mom is okay with CIO, in moderation

I very much appreciated Chris’ Christmas gift of babysitting. And, now that we’ve learned what works for both of them, I’d definitely let him watch LMH again. I’m pretty sure I won’t be getting the chance anytime soon, though. His first LMH babysitting experience is probably his last for a very long time. Silly Uncle Chris…babies cry, didn’t you know?

Semi-Wordless Wednesday: Turkey Troubles of a Different Kind

Daycare sent this lovely Thanksgiving craft home in LMH's bag.  So, what's wrong with this picture?

His name isn't Joshua...they sent us home with another baby's turkey!  What to do?

Perfect Moment Monday: Full Circle

Growing up, my family was sort of “holiday religious.” We didn’t necessarily go to church every Sunday, but when holidays rolled around; we got dressed up and headed to church with the rest of the extended family. Prayer circles were sort of that way, too. Though the extended family didn’t necessarily pray before every meal, when we were all together we always prayed in thanks and for safe travels home.

This past weekend was LMH’s first extended family Thanksgiving. There were so many perfect moments to choose from, but it’s the prayer circle that stands out. LMH was actually just about asleep in his soon-to-be new cousin’s swing when I picked him up so he could be a part of it. I held him facing outward, so he could see everyone. And, since my uncle and cousin, on either side of me, couldn’t hold my hand (because I was holding LMH), they held his foot and hand. He happily gripped them (or kicked them) back.

By the end of the short prayer he was cranky. I had disturbed his nap, after all. I didn’t mind, though. He had been there. He had shared that one perfect moment with three generations of our family, just like I remember sharing it with the three generations that came before him.

My mom, LMH’s “Nana,” brought a baby’s first Thanksgiving onesie for him to wear. But, I really wish there was a onesie that said “Mommy is thankful for ME.” Things were just so different a year ago and I’m beyond thankful that we have these moments to share now. Saturday’s prayer circle was one of those moments. Last year I was praying for him; This year I’m praying in thanks.

Please head over to Write Mind, Open Heart to share your Perfect Moment.

The Hubby was Sleeptalking Again

This was my phone call to The Hubby after picking LMH up from daycare last night:

Me: Hi sweetie. Just wondering why LMH is still in the sleeper he went to bed in last night.
The Hubby: Oh, I thought you said you got him dressed.
Me: No, I change his diaper when I get him up, but I thought the plan was that you were changing him and  
getting him dressed before you left.  Did you feed the girls (i.e., the furbabies, Gracie and Audrey)?
The Hubby: No, I thought you did.
(long pause)
The Hubby: I think I was still half asleep when you were talking to me this morning.
Me: (laughs) Apparently!

I couldn’t help but laugh. It was pretty comical. Especially since he distinctly said “okay” to each of the things I had listed off as being done/not done. To his defense, generally he’s still asleep (in between snoozes) or only half awake when I leave the house. And, I had been running behind yesterday morning so didn’t do some of the things I usually take care of. That said, I’ve only been back to work for two weeks. This weekday morning schedule/plan is still in the formative stages!

This is a rough outline of our morning schedule so far:
5:15ish (although it really needs to be 5am sharp!): Wake-up, put bottle in warmer, let the girls out to go potty, feed the girls, sometimes I pack bottles for The Hubby, too
5:25: Brush teeth, shower, etc.
5:40ish: Wake-up and change LMH’s diaper
5:45ish: Feed LMH
5:55: The Hubby’s first alarm goes off
Fix my lunch, grab piece of toast, etc.
6:05 ish: Leave for work

So, the point at which I’m downloading all of what I did or didn’t get done in the morning, The Hubby is still trying to catch his last few minutes of beauty sleep. I get it. I’m doing the same thing an hour earlier! But, our morning schedule isn’t working for three reasons.
1) I’m not waking up early enough. And, I absolutely HATE it when I oversleep, because I get less time with LMH!
2) There’s too much left for both of us to do in the morning.
3) Can’t expect The Hubby to remember stuff that he’s half awake to hear.

Clearly, we need to tweak the morning routine. I’m thinking about a marker board near the front door. And, the idea of a “chore chart” for the morning routine makes me giggle a little! 

So, humble readers, I’m curious about your morning routines. How do you juggle it all and still make sure that what needs to get done actually gets done?

NaBloPoMo...FAIL!

Yah, so obviously NaBloPoMo isn't going so hot since I've been back to work!  In theory, I have more time to blog since I've been back, believe it or not, but I think I just haven't got back in the groove yet.  I've had a post in my drafts for a week now, but it's not quite ready for air yet. 

Meanwhile, so far I'm doing ok with work life balance....as long as everything goes according to schedule, that is.  This week, we had some extra drama thrown in when Gracie started having a severe allergy attack.  Within just a few hours on Sunday, she had scratched a giant sore on her neck and chin.  And, by Monday night, when I went to pick her up, it was almost like she was having a seizure.  She was all contorted and still frantically trying to scratch.  I was literally in tears, it was so hard to watch.  So, with that, she was off to the emergency vet. 

The Hubby took her so that I could stay home with LMH, but things were just a little "off."  I was worried and Audrey was whining constantly because she missed her big sister.  Gracie knows how to be alone since she was a only-puppy for a year before we brought Audrey home.  But, Audrey has always had Gracie, so she's pretty dependent on her big sister.  Audrey's reaction just made it tougher on me, because I felt bad for her...but it also reminded me of how much I love my sweet Gracie!  Long before LMH was here, back when we were still naive semi-newlyweds, Gracie taught us how to take care of someone other than ourselves.  She showed us that we could handle more. She was truly our first baby.  And, I dread the day...no, dread is stronger enough...I am terrified of the day when we have to let her go.  Thankfully, that decision will be saved for a much later date.  A few hours later, my Gracie was home.

She seems so much better already this morning.  Those steroid shots take action pretty quick.  Unfortnately, they also make her super dehydrated and upset her tummy!  We'll probably be dealing with an upset tummy in a few days.  But, at least for today she's feeling better!

NaBloPoMo & Halloween

What better way to jump back into blogging than to dive in head first with NaBloPoMo?  What's NaBloPoMo, you ask?  Why National Blog Posting Month, of course!  Essentially it's a challenge to write a post every day for 30 days during the month of November.

So, join us...can you blog 30 times in 30 days?  If you're up for the challenge, you can sign up here at NaBloPoMo central or with Suzy at Not a Fertile Myrtle.
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It's Halloween and here in Texas apparently we trick-or-treat on Halloween, even when Halloween falls on a Sunday.  Not really sure what to expect by way of trick-or-treaters.  Last year, Halloween was on a Sunday and we hardly had any stop by, so I'm thinking the numbers on a Sunday will be even lower (read nonexistent).  It really strikes me as odd, though, since we live in a very family oriented area/neighborhood.

We're planning to get H dressed up in either his puppy or little devil costume (will have to post a pic of the little devil...too funny) and hang out on the patio and wait for the kiddos.  Gracie and Audrey (the fursisters) bark like crazy when a doorbell rings, so it's just easier to avoid the doorbell and dispense candy from the patio!  I hope that we have at least a few trick-or-treaters...it is LMH's first Halloween after all!

I also just remembered that I was planning on making a Halloween themed dinner.  Would have been nice if I'd remembered that before the hubby left for Wal-Mart and was even nice enough to ask me if I needed anything.  Well, yes, as a matter of fact, but since he just pulled into the driveway, I think LMH and I will be headed out to the store a little later.  I'm thinking mummy dogs are on the menu!

Happy Halloween Everyone!

Little Man H!

I've missed blogging and I've missed all of you!  For some reason, I really just needed to take a break near the end of my pregnancy, but I never really planned on disappearing completely.  I needed a break, but I didn't know why.  Now, I do.  For awhile there, blogging made me feel somehow ungrateful and guilty.  I didn't how to straddle the line between fertile and infertile.  Blogging here, in particular, made me feel guilty...but, feeling guilty made me feel ungrateful for our miracle.  It's not that straightforward, though.  I know that now.  Reading blogs of people who had come out on the other side gave me so much hope during those darker days.  Maybe our story will do the same.

I always planned on coming back once he was born.  The latter end of our pregnancy had some unexpected complications, though...H came about a month early and I was unable to use the computer for a week or so before he was born and about a month after due to issues with my own vision.  I spent so much time worrying about him that I never really stopped to worry about myself.  In the end, he was perfect and I had the lingering issue....

So anyway, I've been waiting all this time to post, because I wanted to wait until I had his birthstory written...but, I'm still working on it.  In fact, I have writer's block.  It was such a time of emotional extremes...sheer joy at his birth and sheer terror at the thought (and reality) of not being able to see him.  It's been difficult to relive it in order to write it down, but I feel that I need to do it so that I can truly process it all.

H is FABULOUS!  He's an absolute dream baby!  Honestly, I can't imagine a more perfect, adorable baby boy and I already can't imagine what we did before he was here.  Our life and family just feel complete now...perfectly how it's supposed to be!

So, here are a few pics of his first fabulous, amazing, wonderful (I could keep going, but I digress...) three months with us.  I hope we're back now...I plan to be back.  I feel the need/urge to blog again now that our life is settling into its new normal.  I go back to work in about a week and I'm sort of terrified.  Real life is already much more complicated than my wonderful three months in a bubble with LMH were!  *sigh*

So, we're back!  I'm not sure what the blog will look like now, but Little Man H and I will be here for sure!  And, come on...how can you resist THAT face?