Mitch and Kelsie: April 2012

Rhett is 9 days old. I am already wishing that time would slow down so I could enjoy more of our sweet incredible little boy. Becoming a mom is the most incredible journey I could ever hope to go through. I feel like my ability to love and feel compassion has multiplied by 100. I feel everything so much more deeply and boy does it get exhausting! One minute I'm crying because three feedings in a row Rhett didn't eat well and I'm stressed that he won't meet his birth weight by his next pediatrician appointment, and the next I'm crying because feeding is getting easier which means Rhett is growing up. I dread the day that he doesn't fit into his newborn clothes anymore (he doesn't fit into them right now anyway, he's so little!), or the day that he doesn't need me as much anymore. But at the same time, I am so excited to watch him grow and learn and become an independent little boy.

Mitch and I are so blessed to have this little boy in our home. He brings such a sweet and special spirit and we feel Heaven is so near. So many times Heavenly Father has answered our prayers throughout pregnancy and his Rhett's first week of life. It is comforting to know how much he loves us and Rhett and that he is watching over us.

Some of my favorite memories from Rhett's first week of life:

1. Holding him just an hour after he was born and having him look straight up at me with his big wide open eyes and then look over at his dad, then back to me, and then back to his dad. He seemed to be saying you'll take care of me right? You'll love me right? Those moments when he looks straight into my eyes make me just melt.

2. Watching Mitch hold Rhett and knowing that our relationship will never be the same, it will only get better. I love Mitch even more as I have watched him bond with and love Rhett and take care of me. Mitch has been incredible. In the hospital he was doctor, nurse, dad, and husband. He took such good care of me and Rhett and I am so grateful for all the time we have spent together loving our son.

3. Lying awake on the hospital bed in the middle of the night, knowing Mitch was doing the same thing, just waiting to hear Rhett's cries coming down the hall from the nursery for his next feeding. As soon as he heard our voices, he would stop crying. I loved that he knew us and trusted that we would take care of him.

4. Bringing Rhett home from the hospital and taking him on a tour of his house.

5. Rhett peeing on me for the first time (of many.)

6. Walking into the nursery at 3:30 and feeling my heart melt watching Rhett looking around, waiting for me to feed him. At those times I just feel like I want to give him the whole world. I love that I have to (get to) spend so much time with him feeding him, even though sometimes it's hard.

7. Cuddling with Rhett on the couch and taking naps together.

8. Watching my mom and dad take care of and love Rhett. I could not do this without my mom here. She has helped in so many ways! I love that she got to spend so much one on one time with me and Rhett and Mitch.

9. Telling Rhett stories about how me and his dad met and got married, and listening to Mitch tell funny stories to Rhett.

10. Watching Rhett wake up from a deep nap making the cutest little faces and trying as hard as he can to open those heavy eyes.

11. Watching my sisters and brother in law hold Rhett and realize how many prayers have been said for this little boy to arrive safe.

12. Skyping with Mitch's family to show off Rhett and realizing how loved he is by so many. One of my favorite times Skyping was with his cousins in Utah. They were so excited to meet Rhett and asked a bunch of questions about him. At the end, they sang him I Am a Child of God to help him go to sleep. Those little voices were so sweet and I was so grateful for older cousins who were already setting a good example.

13. Having friends come to visit Rhett and feeling their support and love. We are so lucky to have such incredible friends down here who make it so much easier to live away from family.

14. Realizing that this boy is so loved by his Heavenly Father and how much responsibility we have to help him make good choices in this life. We are so lucky to have him in our family!

Rhett is still waiting on his little buddy to come. 5 more weeks!

My sweet sisters

Minds and Brady got a crash course in parenting. Hope we didn't scare them too much!

I told Mitch before Rhett was born that I hoped he would inherit his dimple chin. He came with the cutest dimpled chin. I love kissing that little face.

This room was our whole world for the first few days of Rhett's life. I remember leaving the room to go for a walk around the halls in the afternoon of our second day in the hospital for the first time since our arrival and realizing I didn't have any idea where we were in relation to the nursing station or anything else! We were totally focused on our new family member.

As nice as the hospital was, and as grateful as we are to the wonderful doctors and nurses who took care of us there, it was sure nice to leave! I had Rhett's going home outfit picked out about 5 months in advance. It was so much fun to get him all dressed up in his own clothes for the first time. He is so tiny he barely even fits!

Love those crossed eyes.

We were wheeled to the curbside in a deluxe wheelchair type deal where my Dad came to pick us up for Rhett's first car ride. The traffic on the valet ramp was backed up for about 10 minutes and we quickly found out that Rhett likes traffic about as much as Kelsie does.

When we got home we felt so welcomed! My sweet family had out up this giant stork balloon. . . .
And our thoughtful neighbors had put up this cute sign.

The little peanut in his crib for the first time. He looks so tiny!

Saturday was Mindy's birthday so we decided to go out and celebrate with a birthday dinner. My mom and dad were nice enough to volunteer to watch Rhett while we went with Brady, Minds, and Nats to one of our favorite restaurants in town. It was so hard to drive away without Rhett with us! I think one of us either called or texted home to my parents every five minutes to check up on him. Luckily he slept the whole time. It was so fun to have some quality time with my sisters before they left.

Best pizza in Houston as far as we know. Best pizza we've ever had anywhere!

Rhett loves to move his hands around and see what they can do. It seems like no matter how tight we swaddle him, we always find him with both hands out of the blanket resting next to his cheeks. I saw him doing this one time and thought he was doing the "walk like an egyptian" dance. Mitch corrected me and told me he was actually working on his jump shot follow-through.

This was Rhett's first sponge bath at home. He hates being uncovered so we tried to find a way to wash him without undressing him. It ended up just taking forever and he cried the whole time anyway. Oh well, we loved it. Clean baby smell should be a type of air freshener.

Monkeys love Rhett.

When Rhett was five days old we decided to go on an adventure. Brady and Mitch were dying to play tennis so we decided we would all go together. Rhett was such a champ! He slept almost the whole time, but the weather was perfect and we loved every second of it.

We tried to do a newborn photo shoot but Rhett did not want to take any more pictures!

My mom made an adorable blanket with hedgehogs all over it and then found this cute stuffed animal for Rhett. He is the funniest looking thing! We use Hedgie to try and keep Rhett awake during feedings.