we went to the beach!

newborn photo shoot

with a readership that is mostly grandparents we need to include lots of baby pictures! especially as 3 of the 4 grandparents haven't met the little man yet. 

The rice box

The past couple days have seen this rice box getting much playtime. The dump truck has also enjoyed it. Some black beans were thrown in a while back making me joke about how it's really our "reserve food" box. But we did have a bean up the nose incident the other night which was a little tricky to fix (we got it out!), so now I sit at my nursing perch (aka my favorite rocker) and watch more closely :).

(While posting pictures of course).

oh eli...

(images from mother's day… just a couple weeks before henri's arrival)

…you'll always be my firstborn child. and you'll always be the oldest kid. the one we figure it all out with. and that's probably quite hard. for you and for us. your daddy and i never had that spot in our families. but we can imagine this is tough for you--one day you wake up and there's another person who needs our attention. the first couple weeks seemed ok, like you didn't mind this baby so much. but now, now you seem to need your mama more than ever. when i'm nursing henri you really need me right then. and when it's time for bed you need me to stay and lay next to you until you fall asleep. it's been a bit rough on us, but don't worry, we'll all be ok. you too were once little like henri and needed lots of attention and caused some panic among your father and i during those first weeks. but i do have to tell you that henri is here to stay. so last night when you came into our bed at a quarter to 11, tired and sleepy and making your daddy wonder if you were sick… and you looked over at henri curled up there in the middle of our bed and said very happily, "baby!". yes, that one. your brother. he's here and he's very exciting but please, please don't let that keep you up so late! you'll always be the child who stole my heart first… but there's room for two, i promise. xo, your mama

Henri at 2 weeks

This one is for the grandparents!

He keeps growing... Over 10 pounds at less than 2 weeks!

Busy, busy

Mama was needed and my lap found a way to hold them both...

Henri helping out with some laundry folding (not needing to be held was indeed very helpful)...

our day in pictures

around here

He's here!

Baby boy!! Henri Beckett, born 5/25 at 3am. Weighed in at 9lbs4oz (I'm counting every ounce after the labor and delivery of this big boy!). He's a delight. Eli slowed down enough about 1.5 days into his baby brothers life (this afternoon), to notice Henri and was very sweet with him. Mostly pointing out body parts. But so far, in the midst of newborn haze, I'm so glad Eli is pretty much life as usual and quite easy going. We are just so glad baby Henri is here! A few grainy iPhone images...

 

Due date

Oh boy

On the verge of this baby's arrival, any day really, I've been thinking a lot about our boy. We don't know if this one will be a boy or girl and I'm increasingly torn on my own guess (though we both still suspect boy for the most part). Eli is his own little man. And whether he gets a brother or a sister, I know they'll have some keeping up to do. They've been getting ready for it over these months on the inside!

He loves playing in our little garden/dirt patch but gets covered in dirt!! He doesn't like dirty hands though. 

Learning to be patient for the 3 minutes we had to wait before the pool opened for swim time. Always a ball in hand. He's gaining a strong arm and generally like throwing. All kinds of things. And while you may think moon and I go around yielding objects all over the place, clearly modeling this for our son, you'd be mistaken. :)

family appointment

Yesterday began the weekly appointments and the timing was such we all ended up there together. Eli was awakened from his car nap, but just in a sleepy mood, not grumpy. Moon had just finished a shift in the ER and walked over in time for the appointment. And the appointment went great. Chatting about labor, signing forms for the (hoped for) water birth, and of course listening to the baby and having the midwife point out some little feet up there at the top of my belly! Anyways, snapped these as we waited outside. Not the most glamorous of M or I (he was finally getting a chance to eat, I have the "I'm huge pregnant lady" excuse). Eli wanted to rest on me, and honestly the bump was as good a place as any.

The fam at 37 weeks: