Our Sweet Boy

Finally, a long overdue post about our sweet baby boy! Can you believe that Wyatt is 7 weeks old already? It's been amazing how quickly the past (almost) two months have gone and yet it's getting more and more difficult to even remember our family without him! The past weeks have been an adjustment for sure. The 'ole saying is so true that "having a baby changes everything!" Just at a time where we were feeling pretty comfortable and settled into life with a toddler, we're thrown back into that hard place of unpredictable schedules, no time for yourself, little sleep, LOTS of pacing and bouncing, cold meals, considering it a major accomplishment to leave the house for anything, constant diaper changes, re-learning how to communicate in marriage, :) and little ability to give attention to much else than this tiny life that needs you 100% of the time. Fortunately, because we've just recently been through this season of parenting, we knew what was coming (and we know the great stages ahead!). Unfortunately, that hasn't necessarily made it any easier.... even harder in a lot of ways because we have an active toddler to also care for! Learning the balance of caring for two young children has been challenging for sure but we're learning to take one day at a time and be content with what our day brings....the good and the bad. We've been SO blessed by you, our family and friends, over the past several weeks! Your generosity with things like making meals and offering another set of hands has meant more to us than you will ever know! THANK YOU!!

In many ways, this first month and a half has been more difficult than expected, mostly due to the fact that Wyatt has been a bit colicky. This term is kind of a catch all for many things but he basically fits the definition in every way possible. This has mainly been due to his GERD/reflux which has been really bad. For so long, anytime he was awake, he was miserable....screaming, crying, and always seemed to be in pain. He needed (and often still does) to be held 24/7 and it feels like he is constantly spitting up. Poor baby. We've also been debating about whether or not he has a dairy allergy. Long story short, we're still not sure but are praying that it's not since giving up dairy (b/c of nursing) is overwhelming and nearly impossible and I really don't want to stop nursing. As much as our patience was tested, our hearts hurt for him more. After trying one medication and it not helping, he is on another and it seems to be working for the most part. Within the last week has finally been acting more "normal" - meaning he still has his fussy moments but he actually has times where he is awake and content...and sometimes even happy! This has been such a blessing, especially for him. We know deep down he wanted to be a happy baby but was in so much misery that he never enjoyed being awake. Overall, I am determined to bask more in the emotions of contentment and love of holding and cuddling my sweet boy than in the emotion of frustration as I am finding it nearly impossible to get anything else done! Prayers for our lil' guy and some of these issues would be so appreciated!

Despite the fact that we're being thrown back into some of the hardships of having a newborn, we're also experiencing all of the JOY that comes with this stage as well. First coos, first smiles (his smile is absolutely adorable!), seeing Wyatt recognize our voices and our faces, watching as he discovers the world around him, seeing the way he and Teagan interact (she loves him so much!) and having our hearts be full as we look at him, embrace him, and know that he was created just for us is something that brings us a joy that is hard to put into words!


Wyatt loves his Mama!

(No, this is not a picture of me nursing....just cuddling with my lil' man). :)

A favorite (but rare) moment for Daddy!

What a strong boy! He's becoming really good at holding his head up!

First bottle feeding...he did great although we haven't kept up on it very well. I feel like I don't have a spare minute to find time to pump but it would be nice to be able to leave at some point. We tried formula once but he refused it.

Teagan loves Wyatt so much. Unfortunately, he doesn't always respond very favorably and Teagan gets a little confused. :)
Showing Wyatt all the animals in her new animal book (thanks Stacey!).

Wyatt in his "Miracle Blanket." This is one of a few different things we've used to help manage some of his fussiness. It really does help calm him and he sleeps much better in it! We've also used Gripe Water occasionally, an all-natural remedy. This helps calm him as well. Though not a "cure-all," these are lil' Godsends for any parent who feels they are reaching the end of THEIR calmness! :)

Our cutie patootie!

His smile melts our hearts!

Jammies!

He LOVES his bath!!
Don't you just want to eat him up?! :)

my husband

As you read in the last post, Tim just celebrated his 30th birthday! I thought it would be nice to dedicate an entire post to him and show all the wonderful things we love about him. So, here goes...

He's a loving husband and my best friend!


He's an incredible Daddy to our two precious gifts.


He's extremely talented and built me this BEAUTIFUL console table. I absolutely love it!!


Words cannot express how grateful I am for how hard Tim works to provide for our family. Here he is moving into his new storage unit a couple of months ago.


Stacking wood and getting us ready for a cold winter!


He's very handy! We finished our basement....over a YEAR ago...and I meant to put pictures up then...but such is life. Tim finished off his office on his own before Teagan was born and then we had the guy who built our house do most of the work on the other parts but Tim did a few things as well like the tile in the bathroom and the stone around the fireplace. We love having our basement finished....it's our little retreat each night after Teagan is sleeping.

30

HAPPY 30th BIRTHDAY TO A MAN WHO IS MY BEST FRIEND, AN INCREDIBLE FATHER, AND THE LOVE OF MY LIFE!!

I love you, Timothy Alan Keeler!!