A few technical difficulties...

Now that we're home we've run into a few setbacks in the technical world. Our internet connection, when working (which is sporadically), isn't sufficient to upload pictures to any internet site. So....that would explain the lack of pictures posted from Luke's first week. Then to top it off, I realize that I must rely on my computer at work to automatically fill in friends' email addresses when I send emails because the one at home doesn't have them in its memory so I'm having trouble sending emails to groups as well. So knowing that many of my friends check the blog I thought I would just post an old-fashioned written update of the past week!

Sitting here watching Luke in the swing (yes, we have another baby who seems to love his swing!) it's hard to believe that a week ago he was still in my belly. (Then again - maybe that wasn't hard to believe given how BIG and uncomfortable my belly was!). In any case - it was exactly one week ago that I got to hold my new little guy and feel the softest hair ever rub against my cheek. He's a perfect little guy with long legs, arms, fingers, and toes. He's tall and skinny - built like Steve thus far, though Mom says he's built a lot like I was when I was born. His eyes are steel gray, just like Grayson's were at first so I'm pretty sure he'll have Grayson's dark brown eyes. He still has wookie fur over parts of his body which I love. And he has one elf ear that has a very slight point. We momentarily considered naming him Frodo when we saw that ear. It will be a cute distinguishing feature later in life! We keep forgetting what we named him and have to stop for a moment and think sometimes before we refer to his name. Occasionally I resort to "squeaker" because of all his funny squeaking sounds he makes. Grayson sounded like a billy goat, Luke a mouse. We've been fortunate this past week in that, thus far, Luke is a very easy baby. All he wants is to eat and sleep. He doesn't cry unless he's hungry or has a wet diaper. Already different than Grayson who suffered with colic and cried for no reason but couldn't care less if his diaper was wet or dirty. This little guy loves to sleep - but only when being held or when in his swing. He won't have a thing to do with his bassinet in our bedroom or his crib. My Mom has been here the whole week which has been a real blessing. She has taken many late night shifts holding Luke while he sleeps or watching him snooze in his swing in the family room. Between Steve and Mom I've hardly lifted a finger and have been spoiled with all the extra help. I've actually gotten more sleep in the past week than I was getting before having Luke. But boy does he have an appetite! He likes to nurse every two hours and he he's such a slow eater that each meal takes about 30 minutes or so. We spend a lot of time cuddling on the sofa! Despite all of his eating, he hasn't gained any weight since leaving the hospital. He's weighing in at 7 pounds 8 ounces right now. The doctor gave us another week to try get him back to his birthweight before getting concerned. It's only 8 ounces so I have to believe that with all his eating he'll certainly be able to gain that much by next Wednesday. Luke also gives us a little break late at night. If he's well-fed he'll sleep from about 10:30 until 3:00 in one stretch! Other than that - mealtime every two hours. But we couldn't ask for a better-placed long stretch of sleep!

Grayson is enjoying all of the extra attention from his Nana (though he is insistent on calling her Nannie, which we don't understand since we've never called her than and his cousins all call her Nana, too.) He wasn't sure what to make of Luke at first, but is now obsessed with holding Luke. He loves to sit on the sofa and have us place Luke in his arms. Most kids would try to give a baby back when he cries, but Grayson likes to hold onto him and tries to keep putting his Nuk back in his mouth to settle him down. We're trying to teach Grayson to say "excuse me" when he "poots," and when Luke did the same when Grayson was holding him yesterday he looked up at me and pointed to Luke and said "baby" wanting to make sure that I knew he didn't need to excuse himself for that one! He's going to be a great big brother!

Unfortunately my Mom leaves tomorrow since she has to get back to work so Steve and I are on our own Thursday and Friday. Lucky for us, though, his parents arrive Saturday to yet again lend us extra hands! Grayson will love having his Grammy and Grandpa (which he also seems to want to call Mimi and Poppa for some reason) around for the extra attention, as well.

In the meantime, I'm going to try to do what I can to get some pictures posted, but I'm not sure at this point how I'm going to make that happen!