Relief at Last

As the cool weather is finally breaking the oppressive heat and humidity that has trapped Houston all summer long, we are getting really excited about the coming season. Chase is really starting to come out the newborn stage, which is frankly a little boring, sweet but boring. He is smiling more and cooing a lot which is always more exciting for a mom. Now he can look you in the eyes and responds more when you talk to him. We've discovered he is ticklish and even though he can't laugh yet, he squirms and smiles when you tickle his ribs or his neck.

I dare to say he might be officially sleeping through the night now and I mean at least 8 hours a night. We've had 3 nights in a row now so I'm praying this is a permanent transition! Ah, sleep is such a beautiful thing.

I also think he might have some teeth starting to push their way up and out. You can't see them yet but he is chewing on his hands more and he'll get relaxed when you rub his gums for him. With Cailin being a preemie, she was so behind on some things like getting teeth, it's strange for Jeff and I to see things that took so long for her happening so soon with Chase.

Aunt Linda and Grandma came by for another visit. I'm really glad Cailin has gotten to see Grandma more in this past year as she has really started to recognize her as her Grandma. Before she saw her so infrequently, she was never really sure who she was.

Cailin is a really good big sister. She almost never shows any jealousy towards Chase. She'll talk really softly to him and pet his head. She'll even begrudgingly lets him play with some of her toys, as long as she gets to decide which toy he plays with. She has several baby dolls she plays with that she has all named Chase and she'll even carry around a burp cloth when she plays with them in case they spit up I guess. It's really cute.

I just love sleeping baby pictures. Tummy time usually wears him out and it ends in a nap.

We've recently had some big changes in our house. First the washing machine sprung a leak and flooded the house. We had to rip out the soaked floor boards and have holes drilled in the walls to dry them out. Blackmon Mooring came out and set up huge fans and dehumidifiers to dry everything before mold grew. They produced a ton of heat which overworked our AC which then broke. Our house got up to 95 degrees! Luckily our friends Chris and Morgan took us and our dogs in to escape the heat until it was fixed. Chase had to sleep at times on our bed cause his room was too hot. Now our AC is fixed and we are hoping to have new floors soon. I just hope this is the last of our big changes for a while. Unless the universe would like to send us a winning lottery ticket...that would be great universe.

How Time Flies

Last week we all said goodbye to Nana and Poopah again as they headed back to UAE. We spent the day with them and the family. As they will be there for another year, we may try to visit them over Christmas time but we might shorten the flight a little and just meet somewhere in Europe. Looks like Cailin might earn another passport stamp and Chase may join the ranks of world traveler at the ripe old age of 5 months, but definite plans haven't been made yet.

It's Cailin the Explorer!

I got Cailin her very first "professional" haircut a couple weeks ago. I use the word "professional" loosely as she did little more than I have always done in our own bathroom. Needless to say Cailin will not be going back there and will return to the good ol' Wilkins salon conveniently located in our bathroom.

Amazingly Chase is already 8 weeks old! I can't believe how the time has flown by. Here is what we have picked up about our little guy. He loves to sleep. Unfortunately, that sleep doesn't tend to coincide with our sleep making for some pretty exhausting nights. However, the last couple of nights he has gone 6 to 7 hours straight with just needing an occasional resettling. Last night he slept from midnight until 9 am! I just had to go help him out when his jammies got all tangled which I think was making him cold cause his feet were freezing when I checked on him. After a quick pajama adjustment and tucking the blanket back around him he quickly dozed back off. Chase is definitely a cuddle bug as well. He loves being held and talked to and even seems to love the sounds of Cailin's antics going on all around him. I guess he's been hearing her giggles and tantrums since he was still in utero.

Thank goodness Texas Football season is back!! We are beginning the brainwashing as soon as possible and made sure Chase was wearing his Longhorn finest for the first UT game of the season.

Don't you just want to smooch those cheeks! They remind me of Cailin's cutie cheeks which still get smooched about a hundred times a day whether she likes it or not.

These are the first glimpses of his smiles. I love seeing them come out more and more.

Our great friend Eric came to visit a couple weeks ago and we made sure he didn't leave without getting a good dose of baby fever! (I think it worked)

Aunt Linda came by to make sure we were taking proper care of Chase since her help was crucial on the day he was born.

Chase got some good cuddle time with Nana. I think if it were up to Nana, all her grandbabies would sleep on her just like this and none of them would ever have to sleep in a bed.

My sweetie little boy. I was about to give him a bath but I felt bad waking him up cause he was snuggling so nicely. Of course when he spit up down my bra, cuddle time was over.

I have pictures of Cailin playing on this exact same toy when she wasn't much older than Chase. Even one of Cailin and Magnolia. Unfortunately, we have gotten a new computer since then and the pictures don't seem to have made the transfer. I actually only have them in hard copy, which is strange for these days.

Cailin has learned the words to "The Eyes of Texas" and this is a video of her dancing to Daddy singing.

One month!

Chase is now about 1 month old, can't believe it. He has grown a ton also. When he came home he weighed a little under 6 lbs, and now he is over 10 lbs. I swear sometimes he looks bigger from one nap to the next. He has a little bit of colic and mild reflux so he's been keeping Mama and Daddy up a lot at night but he is really good about going to sleep once his tummy calms down. He loves his crib and falls asleep all by himself, thank you Babywise! Chase is quickly outgrowing newborn size clothes and has moved into the 0-3 month and some 3-6 month clothes. The jury is still out as to who he looks like more. The person we think he most resembles though is Cailin when she was a baby, just a more boy version of Cailin.

Cailin is adjusting really well to having Chase at home. Her favorite big sister activity is getting to take a bath with Chase, especially now that his belly button stump has fall off and he can actually get in the water with her. The biggest thing she is happy to share is her Daddy though. When Daddy comes home from work, she want him all to her self but she doesn't protest very long when he's holding Chase.

I was attempting some tummy time but mostly tummy time turns into nap time.

Chase made his first 4 hour trip to Burleson to see Grandma. He did great, just slept the whole time.

Ones to never stay home just cause we have a baby, we packed up the kiddos and took Chase to Galveston at a mere two weeks old. Despite having to bring so much stuff, traveling with a newborn is fairly easy since they just sleep.

Cailin was a little afraid of the waves and preferred to stay on the beach building sand castles.

Chase on the other hand preferred to relax and take a nice ocean side nap.

About a week after Chase was born, Grandma and Uncle Brad came down to visit.

It's amazing how much he had grown since these pictures were taken. He looks so tiny compared to how big he is now.

Chase is here!!!!

At 7:44 am on July 18th, Chase Matthew was born weighing 6 lbs 2 oz and was 19 inches long. My labor began about 2:30 in the morning when my water broke. We didn't rush up to the hospital right away though but by the time we got there around 5:00 am, my contractions were getting closer and closer and stronger. I was quickly dilating as it seemed Chase was in a hurry to get here. Luckily Aunt Linda made it up from Houston just in time to get Cailin so that we could rush off for my c-section. Everything went absolutely perfectly. There were no complications and Chase was born healthy and happy.

Cailin is absolutely ecstatic about her new baby brother. She immediately claimed him as her own and nobody else was allowed to touch him. She gives him kisses every time she sees him and covers him with blankies if she thinks he is cold. It's really sweet to see to her and how much she loves him.

Getting ready to go to the operating room.

Jeff caught me at a brief moment in between contractions.

This video is the first time Cailin is meeting Chase. As you can see, it's love at first sight.