2 Week Check-up

Making a muscle!

Walker had his 2 week check-up on Tuesday, and everything went well. He is 9 lbs 6 oz (75%), 22 in long (90%), and has a head circumference of 15 in (75%). The pediatrician says we have a perfectly healthy big boy! We are so very blessed!

In other news, his umbilical cord fell off on Monday...thank goodness! Those things gross me out! Other than that, not much else is going on. We're just trying to get used to a little sleep deprivation!

Okay, gotta run...got a crying baby to attend to! Have a great weekend!

Walker's First Trip to the Zoo

Yay! Pa Pa is back in town!
Mama (looking rough) and her two favorite boys

Riding the choo choo train

It kind of looks like Jake is standing right next to the tiger, huh?

Of all the things at the Zoo today, Jake enjoyed the bulldozers the most! :)

Today was Walker's and my mom's first trip to the Birmingham Zoo. We literally decided to go at the last minute, so we were only able to stay for an hour before they closed. We hit the high points though (the train, zebras, giraffes, and elephants), and had a good time. Walker was an angel and slept in the Baby Bjorn the whole time; I foresee lots of trips to the Zoo in his future! :)

Sunday

Today, one of my old co-workers from Atlanta came over and took some photos of our little family. Walker was extremely cooperative and got some great shots, but who knows how the group photos will turn out. Jake was a wild man! I can't wait to get the proofs back...I'll be sure to post them when I get them!

Here are some other cute photos from this beautiful Sunday:

2 Weeks Old

TOUCHDOWN!

Don't know how we would have survived this week without the train table!

Today, Walker turns 2 weeks old. Where has the time gone? This week has been so much better for all of us; I think we are gettin' a hang of it...kinda. My mom left on Wednesday, so I've had both boys since then during the day, and we've all survived. Jake is definitely getting a little bored, but he is still doing very well and is being super sweet to his brother. Walker is doing well, too, and sleeping so much better. Tyson and I are so blessed to have had such good babies! Here are some bullets about what's going on:

• Walker has been going down around 9 pm and only wakes twice at night to eat. I should be waking him up to eat (at least until he gets back to his birth weight), but I'm putting my faith in God that he is getting enough and gaining weight appropriately. That four and five hour span at night of straight sleep are pretty sweet for a 2 week old! :)

• Walker has a colicky period from about 7pm-10pm every night, but other than that he is pretty easy going.

• He really isn't into the pacifier, but it gets shoved into his mouth at least 20 times a day anyways by his big brother. :) Tyson and I were pretty adamant about Jake not having a pacifier, and we got a thumb sucker out of the deal, so...we are kind of hoping the pacifier works with Walker.

• Another thing we NEVER did with Jake...Walker sleeps in the bed with us. Bad, I know, but soooo convenient. I only have about an hour and a half to nap while Jake naps during the day, so sleep at night is super important. I'll take it how I can get it!

• Walker seems to be pretty long- his little feet are already crowded in his 0-3 month outfits. For being such a big baby, he really doesn't look that big, and he is no where near filling out his 0-3 month clothes...other than getting too long for them.

• Walker loves to be held! He will sit in the bouncy for a little while, though...thank goodness!

• Walker should have been named Tyson, Jr. because he looks just like Tyson! There is no part of Walker (other than his blood type) that is me so far. I'm still hoping his eyes end up being green, but they have already gotten so much darker since being home from the hospital. I'm sure they'll end up brown just like Jake and Tyson's (and my mom, my sister, Tyson's mom, and Tyson's dad).

"First Date"

Movin' in on her...or her bubbles!

Tyson's best friend, Worth, and his family came over to meet Walker this past weekend, but the visit turned into a little more than that...as Tyson put it, "I think my son (Jake) just took your daughter (Ellie) on a first date." Tyson had Jake and Ellie outside playing while Worth and Ashley visited with baby Walker, and sure enough while we were inside, Jake was outside putting the moves on Ellie and taking her for a spin in his Jeep. They were too cute together!

My boys before the Bowers' visit

The Boys at Bedtime

Giving baby Walker "dap"
Giving baby brother his "paci"

I'm sorry for the lack of pictures lately; it's definitely true that the second child isn't photographed near as much as the first child. I'm trying hard, though, and I hope to be able to post more pictures as life gets a little easier...I hope. Oh, and same thing about phone calls and emails- I apologize if I haven't gotten back to you...I'm working on it!

On to the boys...they are both doing great. We are really having to work with Jake on being gentle with Walker; he's doing great...for a 2 year old! :) I'm just so glad to see how much he loves his little brother. So...when does the fighting begin?

1 Week Old

Yesterday, our sweet Walker turned 1 week old. Like I said before, it's been overwhelming at times, but for the most part, it has been a good week. Just an adjustment for sure!

Walker is a sweet baby; he only really cries when he's wet. I hope that gets a little better once his circumcision heals because we have probably changed 20-30 something diapers a day!

For the better part of the week, Walker was pretty difficult to put down. I think this was the most difficult part for me because I couldn't get anything done because he had to be held constantly. I finally had an epiphany and tried the bouncy seat, and it worked like a charm...thank goodness!

Walker is a great breast-feeder; however, he is now refusing to take a bottle. This is really stressing me out because I start back to work in 5 weeks, and I don't know what we are gonna do if we haven't figured something out by then. Any suggestions are welcomed!

Walker is a good sleeper; we haven't had a problem with him having his days and nights confused- thank goodness! He usually wakes to eat every 2-3 hours at night and does about the same during the day.

Things are going well for the most part...we're just trying to get used to our new life. Thank goodness Jake has been wonderful; he has become a little more defiant to me as the week has progressed, but I can't complain if that's the worst thing that happens. He has been completely awesome towards his brother, though; he wakes up asking for him and has to be where ever his baby brother is. Jake also loves to hug and kiss his baby brother and put a pacifier in his mouth. I love watching my two boys together...absolutely precious!

UAB Spring Game

Today was UAB's spring football game, and I was fortunate to go for a little bit while my mom watched Walker. Jake had already gone to the field earlier with Tyson, and he was a big sweaty mess by the time I got there. I am so glad Jake was able to go to the game- all he talks about is Daddy being a football coach, going to football practice, and watching the football players tackle.

We're so proud of you, Tyson! Go Blazers!

The First Day at Home

Well, we survived the first 24 hours at home with 2. I have to admit, it has been pretty overwhelming at times, but my mom is here and has been a huge help (especially with Jake), so that has made all the difference in the world. Also, Jake has been AWESOME about everything.

From the second we walked in the world, Jake couldn't get enough of his "baby brother." Now, Jake has had a nasty cold, so we've been trying to keep the boys seperated...that has been a challenge in itself. Jake keeps asking to hold baby brother and wants to help with diaper changes, putting the pacifier in his mouth, and anything else he sees me do. Jake also likes to keep me informed on his brother's doings- "baby walker is crying"..."baby walker going nite nite"..."baby walker tee tee'd!" :) I am so proud of Jake; it is going better than I could have ever expected. (Knock on wood!) I think it has really helped having my mom here to show Jake so much attention, so I'm sure the real test will be after she leaves...which I hope is never! :)

Walker has done okay since being home; unlike Jake, Walker prefers eating to sleeping, so that has been an adjustment. He was up at 10 p.m., 11:45 p.m., and then again at 1 a.m. wanting to eat...my awesome hubby (who went back to work today this morning around 4:45 am), got up and helped me at 1. Tyson obviously had the touch because Walker then spaced it to 4 a.m. and 7:15 a.m.- at which point I had to wake him up to eat. It's just so different from Jake whom I had to set an alarm clock to wake up every 3 hours to eat; I guess I should have known not to expect them to be exactly alike, but we definitely got spoiled (in the sleep department) with Jake. Now my Walker is an eater, though, which Jake definitely wasn't. (I promise to quit comparing the two boys- I just can't believe how two brothers can be so different!) Walker is a breastfeeding pro and will also take a bottle like a champ; he has already started gaining back weight to get to his birth weight- today he was 8 lbs 10.5 oz.

Mom and I took Walker to the pediatrician today for a bilirubin check, too. It was 9.3 yesterday but it has already started coming down- today it was 9.2. No more bilirubin checks for us! We go back to the pediatrician in 2 weeks for a check up. He said everything looks great for now, though!

Baby Walker is calling for me! Hope everyone is doing well!

Some Hospital Pics

Walker loves Auntie Casey Rae!

Big yawn!

And another yawn!

Today is our last day in the hospital, and then we're headed home! I don't know how frequently I'll be able to post, so I wanted to put these pictures up before we left. Pictures just don't do Walker justice...he is absolutely beautiful! And he's been such a good baby (so far); I just pray he continues to be when we get home. :)

We got a visit from Auntie Casey Rae yesterday before she went into work, and Walker fell in love immediately. When she got there, it was past time for him to eat, but he was so content in her arms that he never made a peep. Walker must know how much Jake and Mommy love Miss Casey Rae, too!

Tyson is heading back to work tomorrow, and then the real fun begins! Wish us luck!

A Family of Four

First picture as a family of four...
Jake looks thrilled, right?

Jake and Walker and "the stare down"

Thank goodness for the grandmas!

Even "Da" helped entertain Jake

Tyson and I are very thankful to have both grandmothers here helping us with Jake while we are in the hospital; I don't know what we'd do without them. Thanks Pa Pa and G Mama!

Anyways, the grandmas (and "Da" gets credit, too) brought Jake to the hospital today to see us and to meet his baby brother. I knew I'd be feeling and looking pretty rough after my c-section, so I wanted to wait a little while until Jake came to the hospital to see us. Well, Tyson and I were missing our little boy badly, so we got our moms to bring him to the hospital today to see us.

I was really worried about how Jake would respond, but he did pretty good. Don't get me wrong, I've been trying to prepare him for his "baby brother's" arrival, but it's kinda hard to gauge what a 27 month old actually understands. Anyways, as soon as he walked through the door (and washed his dirty little hands, of course), he took one look at Walker and said "baby brother!" It was sooooo cute! I wasn't really expecting him to gush all over him (he is a little boy and all) but I didn't think he'd be jealous either; just as I thought, he was just kind of mellow about the whole thing and just checked Walker out pretty hard. I think more than anything, Jake was just really excited to have all of his favorite people in one room and felt the need to show-out. :) And show-out he did! He was being so loud and silly, I'm surprised he didn't get kicked out of the hospital.

I can't wait to get home to our family of four. Then again, I'm sure just as soon as we get home, I'm gonna be begging to go back to the hospital. :)

Walker's Birthday

Here's Walker!

Me and my mama before the c-section

Mama and Daddy before Walker's arrival

My hot husband!

The proud grandparents and great-grandparents

MaMa and Granddaddy's 8th great-grandchild

My Dad and Walker

My parents and Walker

The grandmothers

Tyson, G Mama, and Walker

Here are some pictures from yesterday, Walker's birthday. We were very blessed to have my grandparents, my parents, and Tyson's mom here for Walker's birth. Jake still hasn't met his brother yet, but he should be here shortly.

We are doing well so far. Walker is such a sweet baby; he looks like a mixture of his big brother and his Daddy. He doesn't have quite as much hair as Jake did, and it seems to be a little lighter. He is absolutely adorable...but I might be a little biased. :)

Oh, and Happy birthday, Tyson! With all the excitement of Walker's arrival, poor Tyson's birthday has been put on the back burner. He's being a good sport, though.

More pictures later! Have a great Sunday!