2 months

Yesterday was Vince's 2 month appointment. He weighed 11 lbs, 5 oz and was 22.5 inches. They gave him 2 shots and we both cried :(

The Dr. said he had very advanced oral and motor development skills because she clicked her tongue at him and he copied her. Then she put him on his tummy and he lifted his neck and torso way up and turned his head from side to side. I was even impressed with that because I've given him "tummy time" like twice. I think Charles holds him in a way that perhaps forces him to use his neck muscles more, so I guess his incredible motor skills are thanks to Charles. Anyways, she said she hasn't seen either of these developments very often in a 2 month old, that's it's more common at 4 months. I know, my son is amazing :)
He really is such a good baby! I'm afraid of when my luck is gonna run out with him. He's been sleeping for 9-10 hrs straight for the past 2 weeks! And the week before that he slept consistently for 8 hrs straight. I'm pretty sure once he turns 3 months this will stop for awhile, if he follows Azure's sleeping habits (which so far he's done).
What helped Azure sleep for so long was a consistent bedtime schedule, including a bath. So, I tried this with Vince and the results were the same. I give him a bath around 9-9:30pm, then I nurse him and swaddle him up really tight using a burp cloth to tie down his arms for extra support. He usually falls asleep between 10-11pm (on his own I might add) he just looks up at his mobile until he drifts off and doesn't wake up until 7:30 or 8am. Amazing right?

Last week I pulled out Azure's old play gym for him. He loves it! As soon as I put him under it he gets the most adorable toothless grin from ear to ear! It has a mirror on top and he just loves looking at himself!Azure loves laying under it with him. She also likes to link her arm in his; and in this picture, she apparently likes to put her arm over his face to see what it will look like in the mirror above :)
He's had blocked tear ducts for almost a month now and some green discharge here and there so he finally got some antibiotic ointment for that yesterday.

He snores and squeaks when he sleeps quite loudly. Some people have thought that he has the hiccups when in fact he's just squeaking. I think it's adorable.

He has become more interactive when he nurses and looks up at me and smiles. He has also started to reach up towards my neck while eating which means he'll be batting at toys soon. Why do they have to grow so fast?

Easter Week Activities

My amazing friend Lori from my freshman year at BYU asked me to guest post on her blog about Easter activities. So go ahead and check there and check out both of her fabulous blogs!
Hosanna! Azure waving her palm branches reenacting Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem; finding wood, branches, nails, rocks, and flowers on our Easter walk.

I'm sprung on spring!

Taking pictures of blossoming spring flowers is one of my most favorite things to do. And we finally have a nice camera to do it with! Though my photography skills are at the beginners level, I am pleased with these. Enjoy!









We finally ventured out to the park on the first warm day in awhile. I figured it was a good day to get an ice cream cone. I decided to get Azure her very own cone because I thought they were the small mini sugar cones. Turns out it was HUGE. I wish I had a picture of her face when I handed it to her and told her it was hers. I know she wanted to say, "Are you for reals Mommy?" We don't really let her eat that many sweets so I told her to enjoy it because she was not going to eat another ice cream cone that big all by herself for a very long time.

Vince's blessing day

Grandma Jensen bought this adorable blessing outfit for Vince.
I thought we were blessing him AFTER the sacrament, so I went into the mother's room to nurse him to make sure he was full and calm during the blessing. Imagine my surprise when about 10 mins later my mother in law comes in and tells me they are ready to bless him NOW. Gratefully they had 2 confirmations to do as well so they just did those first as I got him into his blessing outfit.

The blessing was beautiful. Many things were said but one of the sweetest things was that Charles blessed Vince to have a love for Azure, to be close to her, and share many experiences which will strengthen him throughout his life. As a mother of course one of my desires is that they will be close and help each other make good choices and encourage each other to stay faithful to the gospel (especially during their high school years). I was overcome with emotion to hear a desire of my heart spoken aloud in Vince's blessing. I'm very grateful that Charles holds the priesthood and is able to bless our children! And Vince didn't even whimper, very different from Azure who screamed the entire time. We're glad that we had at least one extended family member there to witness it.

It was a little big, but he still looks adorable in it.

Mother and son

Having a son is somewhat different than having a daughter. I love my little girl and am grateful I got her first. I feel somewhat more possessive of Vince than I do of Azure though. I understand the phrase "Mama's boy" and "Daddy's girl" a little better now.

Our family of four

*Note* Google reader actually does NOT work for updating feeds for private blogs :(

More smiles

Isn't he a cutie? Grandma Jensen arrived today to spend a week with us. We're excited to have her here.

Blessings

It's not a bird, it's not a plane. It's....

SUPERMAN!

It has been a great week at our house. Vince has slept for 8 hrs straight 3 nights this week! I have felt more rested and able to dedicate more time to Azure which has resulted in less melt downs for both of us. I attribute this blessing to fasting. Last week we fasted that we would essentially get better adjusted to having 2 kids, that Vince would sleep for longer stretches, that we could spend individual one-on-one time with Azure. It's no coincidence to me that the week following our fast that things have fallen into place. We have seen so many miracles as a result of fasting. I feel like the Lord is just waiting to shower us with blessings, but waits for us to come to Him in fasting and prayer before the down pour.

Another great milestone this week: SMILING!
Here's the only photographic evidence we have of this, unfortunately it's blurry. We caught Azure's first smiles in the swing too. I love when they start to smile, it melts my heart.

Vince's face is already changing. He doesn't look like a newborn to me anymore. He's definitely longer and heavier. He still has his newborn scent though, which I absolutely love. I can't stop burying my face and nose into his hair and all over his head. It's intoxicating.

Another answer to our fast is this bike.
While I was pondering what activities I could do with Azure, the thought to get her a bike came to my mind. I immediately went on Craigslist to see what they had. I found this bike listed from 2 weeks back. I emailed the lady but, wasn't too hopeful since the listing wasn't very recent. She emailed me back and told me it was still available. I was surprised. We went and saw it and it was in really good condition for $10.Again, I attribute this all falling into place so quickly because of our fast. I have no doubt that the Lord Himself placed the thought in mind to look for a bike for her. She still hasn't really gotten the hang of how to ride it yet, though I'm sure with practice she'll be cruising all over the place.

Azure has a feeling of pride for Vince. At church last Sunday she went up to her friend Bella and said, "Do you want to see my brother?" Then she turned to Vince who was in the baby carrier and gushed all over him. It was adorable. She also likes to lay next to him and "pet" his head and basically copy everything she hears me say to him- "It's okay boy. Hi boy. It's alright. Hi sweetie pie boy, sweetie pie bear. Oh, baby Vince."

Tonight she asked him, "Do you want to take a bath with Azure?" (I love that she talks about herself in the 3rd person still). When he didn't respond she said, "Oh, you're too small still. It's okay."
Daddy multitasking: studying for finals and bouncing Vince in the bouncy seat.

Everyday we are adjusting more and more to our new family. And everyday we receive divine help and blessings.

1 month already!

It's already been a month since we've been blessed with our little Vincenzo.
Some facts:

He has a patch of blonde hair on the top of his head. It's like a reminder that he is Charles' son. I hope it stays, it gives him character.

His big toe is really big for a newborn. The nurse even commented on it as soon as he was born. Another one of Charles' traits :)

He has pointy ears. This is something we hope will not stay :)

So far he doesn't have a hemangioma like Azure. Azure's manifested itself around 2 weeks.

He is sleeping pretty well during the night, (as well as a 4 week old can) 4-6 hour stretches. Of course there's been a few nights when he wakes up every 3 hrs, but on average he is pretty good. I am still sleep deprived however. I have always needed more sleep than the average bear. If I don't get enough sleep I get really bad migraines.

No Postpartum Depression this time around. I attribute that to the success of my VBAC and the fact that Vince seems to be more calm than Azure was. Also, I knew a little better what to expect this being my second time.

Suffice it to say, I am madly in love with my little boy!