Week 10

I can't believe how much time has flown. Our little man is 10 weeks old now and is getting bigger every day. He is already up to 15lbs and already wearing 3-6mo clothing. He is such a happy baby always smiling and giggling at us and his sisters. It is great when he looks at you and can recognize your face or turns his head to a familiar voice. I think that he is already starting to have favorite activities with different people. With Alex he always smiles and laughs when he plays patty-cake with him. If I try the way Alex does it then I don't even get a smile. With me he tries to stick his tongue out because that is what I have been doing to him. He loves to talk with everyone and is getting pretty vocal about some things. Like if Sam plays with him then walks away he lets her know that, that wasn't cool. Ashley is becoming more confident with him. Usually if he starts fussing then she stresses out.

The girls have been such great helpers with him. Not only with AJ but also with doing their chores and getting ready for school. They usually let us sleep in unless there is something I forgot to sign for school and they have not fought once in the morning. That there is the best part. On mornings that I'm not up to see them off to school they leave me notes on our white board. It is really sweet and totally makes my day.

Poor Alex is trying to relearn how to balance work, wife, big girls and a little baby and still get some rest time. He's been trying really hard at helping me with AJ. Now that Sam has started soccer and the girls have their young women activities there are times during the week that we don't see each other. That part does make it hard but it is not forever. He is taking the week of spring break off so we will be able to have some good family time.

Alex and I celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary last week. It was nice to go out just the two of us. His parents were able to take all the kids. We did leave the girls there over night but AJ is just a little to young to do any sleep overs at the grandparents house just yet. We went to dinner and then saw the Hunger Games. Great movie.

As I mentioned Sam has started playing soccer on a city team. She is having a blast playing. They have her playing two positions, defender and forward. She's pretty good at both I just wish she would be a little more aggressive at handling the ball. Ashley didn't want to sign up with Sam did but after seeing her play she wants to play now. We'll have to wait until the fall season to sign them both up. It will be great to have them both on a team again.

Week Four

I can't believe that AJ is four weeks old now. He is getting bigger every day. I swear he is going thru a growth spurt now. He is eating all the time and sleeping for longer periods. There has been a lot that has been going on the last couple of weeks. Last week AJ and I had to go to Atlanta to see the pediatric urologist to see if he was going to be able to have a normal circumcision done or have to have something fixed. It was a two hour drive for a five minute appointment to find out that everything was ok and that it could have been done while we were at the hospital. I figured that they would find nothing wrong but it is better to be safe then sorry.

I did end up really sick this last weekend. I ended up with mastitis which hurts like crazy and I had a high fever. I ended up going to the doctor on Monday and ended up on antibiotics. I feel way better now and was able to get all of the sleep I needed since I started taking care of the baby my self.

We did end up getting AJ's circumcision done this week. I had to go and take him myself since Alex wasn't able to come for moral support. He had meetings all day. I felt so bad taking him in for it but I know that it is what we wanted. He was a trooper for the whole deal. He calmed down after I got him and fed him. He did get even with the doctor though the last time he checked him out. After the doctor opened his diaper he peed in his face. It was so funny that everyone in the room got a good laugh. The thing that will make the whole day memorable is that it happened on Valentines Day. What a way to spend his first Valentines Day.

It is amazing to see how he changes everyday. He is a wake and alert more and has more control over his head. He loves to look at himself in the mirror which is a total uncle mike and uncle Brandon thing. He smiles more while he is awake and I just love seeing his dimples. There is one thing about him. He loves to grunt in his sleep. I think he is just trying to compete with daddy. I am so glad that he sleeps so well at night through all of the noise that Alex makes.

I am still happily surprised that I have a little boy. I love snuggling with him every second I can. I hate that he is growing so fast. I just want to keep him little just a little bit longer.

Week two

AJ had his two week appointment today. He is now 9lbs and 21in long. I can't believe how big he has gotten in such a short time. He is still a good baby, probably my best one. He is sleeping most of the night which is good.

I still can't believe that I am a mother to a little boy. Alex has even said how weird it is for me or anyone refer him as his son. Sam has had to learn how to change boy diapers since she was only used to girl diapers. I didn't know that there was a difference.

AJ has past two big mile stones this past week, meeting Papa Jay and his first luncheon with Harmony and her friends. So many Korean women holding him and trying to wake him up. He slept through all of the poking and pinching. They are already planning his 100 day celebration.

Week One

AJ has been home for a week now. He has been a great baby. Doesn't really cry unless you change his diaper or make him naked in anyway. We did have some issues with feeding. He really didn't want to breastfeed at first and still has issues with it. I finally broke down and gave him a bottle when we got home. The good thing is that he is only taking breast milk so I don't feel to bad about it.

The girls have been fawning all over him. I have to make sure that they get all of their homework and chores done before they hold him or play with him. Alex has been great with helping me out. The first few nights had been rough with lack of sleep. I didn't much sleep while at the hospital and then top it off with less sleep at home and the stress of not feeding my baby the way I wanted to was taking it's toll. So Alex came up with a plan. He stays up til wee hours of the morning with AJ so I can get a good block of sleep and then I wake up with him the rest of the night and morning so Alex can sleep. I seemed to have gotten the short end of the stick since he thinks he needs to sleep all day long.

AJ's first week has been a busy one with doctor appointments and his first photo shoot with a friend of mine who specializes in newborn pictures. He even went with me to take the girls to young women's where he was ohhhed and awwed by everyone.

Can't wait to see what the next few weeks bring to us.

Introducing....

We are proud to introduce the newest member of our family, Alexander Hyon Harmon Jr (a.ka. AJ) He joined our family at 12:25 pm on January 19, 2012 at Martin Army Community Hospital. He was 8lb 11oz and 20.5in long. He was born via c-section. All went well with his birth. The first thing the doctor said was how big his head was and what a big boy he is. Yes he came out with the Mitchell head. He has some of the longest toes I have ever seen. They look like money toes and he can grip really well with them.

Mommy, Daddy and sisters are so happy to have him in our family. He looks just like Alex and of course I was prepared for that. All the kids came out looking like him. The girls are proud big sisters that have told everyone that they can about their new baby brother. We even sent some pics with them to school so they could show all of their friends.

I can say that I am so happy to not be pregnant anymore. The surgery went well for me. I did get sick but for me that is normal. Alex was able to be there for the birth but was not able to watch unlike with the girls. He was however able to cut the cord and I was able to see him for a few minutes before they took him to the nursery to be cleaned up. We had lots of vistors while we were in the hospital. A lot of them were people that Alex works with in the hospital. They were all surprised to see how much AJ looked like his daddy.

Start of the Second Trimester

We had an ultra sound done a week or so ago to see how the baby was growing. It was great to be able to see the baby so soon. Alex and I got to share this wonderful experience with the girls. Sam was doing her "I'm excited but don't want to show it" look. We did find out that this is a VERY active baby. The doctor had a hard time getting the heart beat because it was moving so much. Can't wait though to find out what it is so I can start planning the nursery.

I think what I have been enjoying most about this pregnancy is that I get to share it with the girls. Sam and I talk about the baby all the time. She likes to hear stories about when I was pregnant with her and her sister. I think out of the both of them and even Alex she is the most excited.

The girls are always asked what they would like to have a brother or a sister. Ashley says brother but Sam says sister. She says that so it won't jinx the baby. So I guess she is secretly hoping for a brother.

I can't believe how different this pregnancy has been. My pregnancy's with the girls were a breeze. I don't know if it is because it is a boy or if this is my last pregnancy but this kid is driving me crazy. Everything that I did not experience in the last pregnancy I am getting a double dose now. I finally got rid of the morning sickness and tiredness and now I can't seem to be able to brush my teeth with out getting sick. I still think I am about to go crazy and I think Alex does to. Sometimes I feel really bad for him and the girls.

In a couple of weeks school will start. Both girls are totally excited to start. I have never seen this from them before. It will be nice to have them in school and have some alone time before the baby comes.

July Birthdays

This has been a mile stone month for the girls. Sam is offically out of primary. She in now in Young Women's and is enjoying it. I was able to go in and talk about her to the other Young Women kind of an introduction for her. I tried to embarrass her but didn't do a very good job.

We ended up going to the Georgia Aqurarium on Sam's birthday. It was the only time we could meet with everyone. We went with Alex's parents and his cousin with her husband. We all had a great time seeing all the different kinds of fish. We even had the opprotunity to pet stingrays and sharks. The girls loved the dolphin show alot. To me it was kinda cheesey because of the singing. I really wasn't expecting to see a dolphin musical.

Later on that day we went out to dinner and gave Sam her present from Alex and I. It was great to see the look on her face when she opened up her Ipod touch. This is the only thing she got but she was totally surprised we got her something she wanted. Ususally this is a "No" present.

We didn't do as much on Ashley's birthday. Mostly because I was feeling not so good. She was excited about what she was going to be getting since Sam got the Ipod so she went to bed way early the night before. Because of that she woke me up at 6:30 am so she could open her present. I told her to go back to bed and leave me alone. After a while we all got up and let her open her present. It to was an Ipod touch. Since she turned 13 (i know it is scary to have a teenager now) she is able to have a facebook page. We had to teach her some things about posting online. She did get a little crazy the first day. Later on that day we all went out for BBQ and then I took the girls to see a movie that Ashley wanted to see. All in all I say they both had a good birthday.


Baby Update:

Well I am now 11 1/2 weeks. I have my first OB appointment this week. They will be doing a ultrasound to see how far along I am and to see if there is more than one. I know this sounds crazy but both Alex and I want twins. We have been disussing girl names but can't agree on any. We already know what the name is if it is a boy. I hope that Alex will let me go to a place to find out what it is in a couple of weeks. He doesn't want me to pay for some thing the Army will do for free but I don't want to have to wait that long.

I will try to keep this updated as much as I can.