birth + newborn photos

When we asked Katy O'Dell to photograph Wells's birth we knew she would do a good job and in working with her, she has exceeded our expectations. I have been so impressed by Katy's work and sweet spirit as she documented Wells' arrival into this world and capture our growing family for his newborn photo shoot when he was five days new. She has been a dream to work with and if you're in the area and looking for a photographer, I highly recommend that you check out her work.

I've shared a few our Wells' first photographs on our blog and today, Katy posted our birth and newborn photographs on hers. Please check them out here:

http://www.katyodellphotography.com/blog/2015/7/22/wells-robert

I promise, they're not too "leggy". I am so happy with these photos and hope you enjoy them as well.

Thank you, Katy for capturing these fleeting and life-changing moments for us with such care.

Katy's Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/katyophoto?fref=ts
Katy's Website: http://www.katyodellphotography.com/

saturday morning: is this real life?

This morning is going well. I woke up at 8:00 to the sound of Todd saying, "Pancake party!" I got Wells situated and walked into the kitchen to see Elia sitting on the floor happily measuring sugar into little bowls and a plate of pancakes ready to eat. She scooped some sugar on my pancakes and the three of us hung out in the kitchen eating pancakes, playing "measuring", and chatting together while the baby slept.

After about ten minutes of this I looked at Todd and said, "This is what I imagined life would look like." A happy family just hanging out, enjoying each other's company.

I love our little family but life has not looked much like this lately. Elia has been whiny, Wells has been fussy, and their parents have been tired, not as patient as we'd like, and a bit (or more) crabby ourselves. This morning has been a reminder that this is a phase of our lives and that the challenges are far outweighed by the simple joys. So as the baby starts to stir and Elia's voice starts to take on that whiny edge, I'm going to try to practice patience and grace and soak in all of the sweetness of these moments with my babies.

wells: month one

Last week, Wells finished his first month here on Earth. In that time we've been getting used to life as a family of four and getting to know our sweet new little nugget. We've been able to introduce him to lots of family members and friends and even get out for a good numbers of outings. Even though we've been through this before, it's hard to believe how quickly Wells is growing and changing. Below are some highlights from his first month.

Likes: Being held (especially by Mom). Stroller rides. Sleeping. Eating.
Dislikes: Diaper changes.
Hates: Bathtime.
Nicknames: Buddy, Bud, Wellsy Bellsy, Bells, Nugget, Sugar/Sug, Little Monster

Month 1 Milestones: 
Cord fell out on day 5 (!).
Reached birthweight at about 6 days.
Met all aunts and uncles who came to visit from Seattle, Portland, and Denver.
Celebrated his first national holiday. (More on our Fourth of July celebrations later.)

Other Notables:
Startles easily.
Big sister likes to give him eskimo kisses before she goes to bed.
Has powerful lungs.

He was born with a strong neck, holding that head up so high!

We love you little guy!