More Visitors!

Yesterday Great Uncle Wade and Aunt Marge stopped by from Jackson. There's a whole group of people he still has to meet on that side of the state.

We did our first road trip today... Muskegon! He slept well in the car both ways but he wasn't so sure about the time in between. We hope small steps like this are getting him ready for campouts and vacations next summer.

Jason isn't big on holding the baby but at least we got a picture of him:)

And this video I affectionately call "the breakdown". This is how we know he is hungry, the slow transition from happy to sad in 25 seconds.

Hospital photo

Here's Owen's hospital photo ... he's so little!

(Let me know if you'd like a copy of this pic and I'll send you the link)

Cuddle Bug

Here I am cuddling with my little buddy. It's the best part of my day.

Our little man is already growing up. As of Thurs. he weighs 8 lbs 6 oz - that's about 3 oz a day, so basically he's going to be bigger than me by age 5.

We seem to have our nights and days mixed up a bit, but we're hoping it all balances out soon. Last night Ben took the early a.m. shift and I got a full 3 hours of sleep all in one shot - I was so excited!

Just another day

He is at 8lbs!! He gained 15 oz in 5 days - three times the normal rate. Seems he likes to eat as much as me.

I think he's starting to learn he's in charge. He likes to make "monkey" noises which brings us into the room and we hold him until he sleeps again.

He also likes to use bodily functions as weapons. Cara seems to be the target of #1 although that tends to back fire on him and he hits the shades or the changing table. Grandma Stark gets #2. Today he got the crip, the floor and her pants - NICE SHOT!

Enjoy these nice pictures of our little sleeper.

A visit from Great Grandparents

Great Grandpa and Grandma wanted a turn too. He stayed awake the whole time and never cried.

Today he was re-weighed and has gained 15oz in 5 days bringing him to a grand total of 8 lbs. No issues of a small baby here.

He gets is first photo shoot on Thursday - those will be some great pictures!

Cara is getting more and more mobile every day. We've had a lot of help from Cara's mom who has helped keep the dishes to a minimum and the laundry from piling up. The meals fr0m our small group are amazing - I didn't know what I was missing!

Mima & Poppi

Mima and Poppi came to visit too. Poppi made a special crib for Owen, he likes it a lot.

Wickstra Family Visitors

Lots of family have visited us. He's pretty popular. He likes having everyone around.

Grandpa & Grandma Visit

Grandpa and Grandma came today. He even woke up for them.

Yesterday he decided to sleep all day and eat at a regular time interval but then night came and he decided to be a third shift worker and stay up for a while. He finally calmed down around 4:00.

Even though he likes to keep us on our toes, we wouldn't trade it for anything. Kind of fun when he calms down when he hears our voices.

Bathtime

We did his first bath at home. He isn't a huge fan of the head but everything else was great.

Note to other parents: leave diaper on to avoid projectile urine. Seems putting a baby's hand in water has the same affect as it did for practical jokes in college.

He stayed clean for 10 whole minutes!

Love at First Sight

This is just moments after birth.  We're both tired but too excited to sleep.

First day home!

Owen Marcel has finally come home! Monday was a rough day... 14 hours of labor, then a c-section, he enjoyed a few days of nurses and family at his service.

Although he lets us sleep, for about an hour at a time with the occasional gift of 3 hours, I think he likes sleeping in general. Even "tummy time" he curls his legs up under himself and looks like an Ann Getty picture.

Glad we haven't started doing reusable diapers yet... he is going through them by the dozen at this point.

Cara is doing great and healing well, praise the Lord. All the changes she had when she was pregnant are leaving... her hands are cold again, smaller portions at dinner, likes sweets again, and fits in some of her non-maternity clothing.

Our church is bringing us dinners for the next week and a half which is a dream come true! It's nice to be a part of their community.