Happy Days are Here Again

Jack fits into our family so nicely. It's like he was always supposed to be with us. For example, Maddie welcomed her new "student" into her "classroom" with open arms. He is a very well behaved student so far.

He also likes to take naps on Sunday afternoons.

He likes to watch cartoons with Maddie.

And he is just completely pooped after a long day at the office.

Jack is also being trained to be a Rebel fan. It's mandatory for people who are raised in Vegas.

In other news, Maddie made a house for her newest pets. Her Mexican jumping beans love their new home.

Maddie suddenly loves practicing the piano now that we have a real piano. She and Josh were serenading me with a duet.

My sister-in-law needed skirts sewn for her children's choir and "hired" my mom and I to be her seamstresses. It's amazing what you can get me to do by paying me with a salad from Panera Bread.

 Josh got to sneak off with his cousin buddies to a Chargers football game in Florida. Lucky man!

Pumpkin Patch

It is tradition to get a picture of Maddie in a pumpkin patch every year. She is getting very big!

So we had to start the tradition with Jack too. He is still very small.  :o)

Other Las Vegas pumpkin patch traditions: Itchy eyed, dusty hay ride,

And a horse ride around the infested petting zoo.

I love Halloween and Fall!!

Ghetto Fabulous Newborn Photo Shoot

Josh and I did Jack's newborn photo shoot on our own. It was so much fun to dress him up and play with him. Even though he did NOT like sitting in the baseball glove. Let's just hope that Jack loves sports as much as his daddy dreams that he does. 

Cutest Husband Ever

Josh took this picture of himself taking the early morning feeding shift. He was trying to drum up sympathy. Although my husband looks absolutely adorable in this picture, he did not get any sympathy from me. His life is still very cool. And I am grateful for that. He has been too busy to become jealous that I am in love with another guy.  :o)

Josh's band got to play at a lawyer's convention in Petco Park. How rock star is that?

While they were in San Diego, they found time to eat at our favorite restaurant and take a sail around the harbor. WHY DO I NOT LIVE THERE?!?!?!

And he took a day trip to cheer for the Giants in the playoffs. Again, WHY DO I NOT LIVE THERE?!?!?!

Although we are both sleepy (Josh now takes the late night shift), we are both incredibly happy. We are just so excited to share our lives with another child. Because life is good, you know?

The Lady and the Tramp

Remember that adorable puppy that I loved more than life itself? Yeah.....neither do I. I brought my sweet baby Jack home from the hospital and realized very, very quickly that I have complete hatred and contempt in my heart for Angus. And Angus realized very, very quickly that if he wants to keep on living this life he better stay far, far away from that new little thing that squeaks. It is NOT a squeaky puppy toy. He learned that the mom who sort of thought his naughtiness was cute was no longer here. He was now messing with a mama bear who would protect her baby cub at all costs. 

Angus "got to" spend a week on a "doggy vacation" because he was too crazy. When he came back, it was done with great humility and a temperament change. He now sits near (but not TOO near) Jack and guards him loyally. I have to keep reminding myself of the movie "The Lady and the Tramp" and make an effort to show kindness to Angus. And I remind myself that in 6 months, when Angus is older and more calm, and Jack is older and more bored, they will be the best of friends.

Make sure you register for one of these at Babies-R-Us.

The must-have baby accessory is an 8 year old daughter. She is amazingly loving and affectionate, but more importantly completely competent. She holds the neck just right, understands when I have to sit on the couch for hours at a time to breastfeed, is excited to run and grab things to help, and is grateful for a sibling.

Here is Maddie holding her baby brother for the very first time. I'm not sure how to explain the bangs. But I love these two pictures.

It is so helpful and fun to have a partner as excited about a baby as I am. She loves to push the stroller and go to the doctor appointments with me.

She was very enthusiastic to help with Jack's first bath. She wants to know how to do everything "all by herself."

She likes to pick out his clothes and style his hair. I'm just waiting to come in and see her dressing him up like a little doll with painted nails or something. As long as they are both entertained and not crying, and as long as dad doesn't see, I will just look the other way.  :o)

 Maddie loves having a little buddy to watch cartoons with her. I remember spending hours doing the same thing with my siblings. It's great sibling bonding time!

Joyous Jack

I am amazed at how much joy I feel. With Evan I felt exhaustion, confusion, and grief. With Maddie I felt paranoia and fear. With Charlie I felt an unbearable amount of sadness. With my little Jack Man - I feel complete and total joy. All day and all night, I am just full of joy and energy and gratitude. I can't describe the feeling I have when I get to hold him and love him and feed him and change him. Maybe I don't have to? Maybe that's the feeling every other parent always feels?

All I know is I'm having a blast. I feel great. I'm happy to not be stuck on my couch anymore. Me and Jack are just living it up. My sister yells at me at least once a day to take and share more pictures. But you know what? I am just enjoying being with my little guy. I'm not concerned about getting pictures. With Charlie, I wasn't worried about getting pictures, I was worried about enjoying every moment. And now I don't regret not getting more pictures. I only regret not getting more time. So Jamie, if you don't get a new picture every hour on the hour, just know that it means that I am sitting somewhere, happily holding my bundle of joy.

Here he is just playing it cool.

I parted his hair to make him look like a dork.

When he is awake, he never holds still. He likes to sit on my desk and "help."

Chilling.

First trip to the park.

Looking very studious.

Class clown.

Anxious to leave the hospital.

Getting burped by dad.

Ready to go home!

Jack Bonovox Thomas Harris - October 1 - 5 lbs 14 oz

Wow. I posted that last post "If you build it he will come" to let the world know I was ready for the baby, and then the baby came! The next day the contractions started up again and they didn't stop. I knew it was time but I also knew that I needed to finish my 20 page research paper for law school. So I sat at my computer until 1:30 am refusing to go to the hospital even though my contractions were 2-3 minutes apart. The next day I woke up and the contractions were gone again. Phew. But on Sunday, Maddie begged/guilt tripped me into going to see her in the Primary Program at church. So I went and sat near the front so I could see her. And suddenly I got very hot and started sweating like crazy. And then the contractions came back with a vengeance. And since my paper was done I agreed to go into the hospital when Josh insisted. Here is my Maddie girl being VERY excited that we were going to the hospital and might be coming back with a baby brother.

That night was long. The doctor on call tried to send me home twice, but I now know how to be a pushy patient. So I insisted that he keep me longer to monitor how the baby was handling the contractions. And when I saw some weird stuff on the baby's heart monitor I pointed it out to him and made him call my doctor. My doctor said he would come in and check me himself because, and I quote, "She's complicated." I'm lucky I have an OB who respects me and treaded carefully around my pregnancy. He called my baby the "million dollar baby" because he knew how long and hard I had to fight for him and what a miracle he was. My doctor decided to induce me when he saw the weird stuff on the baby's monitor. So he started the patosin and I sat and contracted and stayed at a 3 forever because the baby wasn't fully turned head down. But I got my epidural (always ask early!) and just kept waiting. As you can imagine, I didn't get any sleep that night. I looked over at Josh peacefully sleeping on the "Dad Bed" with envy.

Josh brought Maddie in that morning before school to say hello. Mom's are wonderful actresses. I pretended I wasn't in pain the whole time Maddie was there. She was so excited to go to school and tell everyone she was getting a baby brother that day.

After Josh left to take Maddie to school, the doctors decided to break my water because it was taking too long and the baby still hadn't turned. But I warned them that as soon as they break my water I progress very fast. So I called Josh and told him that he didn't get a smoothie that day and to hurry the heck up. Literally 15 minutes later he walked in and I was ready to push. That's how fast I went from a 3 to a 10. (I love epidurals.) One push and then there was this little pink blur screaming at everyone. I have never had a pink screaming baby come out of me! But he was pink and moving and screaming and it was making me cry. He was healthy! But when I looked at the doctor, he looked very nervous. He showed us the tight knot in the umbilical cord and said the cord was wrapped around the baby's neck too. If he had been in my stomach much longer we likely would have lost him. I have never been more grateful for my stupid, irritable uterus and my preterm contractions.

I have to admit that it was about a half hour after Jack joined this world that I believed that (1) he was real, (2) he was healthy, and (3) he was mine. When I realized all of that, I was overcome with tears of joy. I love this picture because we are both looking at him in total wonder. When you think about how he was THE LAST EMBRYO out of about 50, and even then the doctor didn't think he was a good quality embryo, the miracle of his life is just plain crazy. 

After school, Maddie got to come and meet her baby brother for the first time. What a sweet, gentle big sister she is!

My mom took this picture right after they handed Jack to me. I love it because I look so incredibly proud and surprised. That was my true emotion at the time! It sort of reminds me of the scene in the Lion King when the proud parents hold up their little prince for the world to see and rejoice with them. :o)