and then there were 3 (plus a beagle)

I'm back! I was busy falling in love with being a mommy. It took me a little bit...maybe not something you would expect a new mom to say, but honest. I felt like I was meeting a stranger when Mr. B. made his debut. I've loved him since before I knew him, but I'm IN LOVE with being his mommy now. It's the most selfless, beautiful, hard, lovely, happy, empowered, consuming thing I have ever done.
He is perfect. He's just like his daddy...filled with passion and a desire to let you know exactly how he is feeling every minute. If he's happy...you will get smiles galore. If he's sad...you will get screams, tears, and a stiff little back bend. If he's hungry...he's starving and wanted milks, like, yesterday! If he's tired...he's slumped over refusing to burp because...he's...just...so...tired. If he's bored...you have 15 minutes to get in the car and go somewhere fun.
The first three months J. and I had no idea what we got ourselves into. We loved pregnancy, labor, the hospital, and showing him off to family and friends...but the day in/day out of having a colicky baby was more than this late 20's, comfortable in their selfishness couple was expecting. It was/he was exactly what we needed. We can't live our lives for ourselves all of the time. We were made for more. That doesn't mean everyone has to be parents...it simply means that I now know that God didn't make us to be comfortable, well rested, squeaky clean, selfish individuals all of the time. It's good to put someone else's needs before your own. It's good to sometimes not have more than 20 minutes to get ready. It's good to need your community to help when it's more than you can handle. It's good for your marriage to require more teamwork, sacrifice, and patience. It's good to be challenged.
There's so much to say, but for now I'm going to make a list of a few of my favorite things we did/are doing:

1. breastfeeding and pumping/bottle feeding so j. could feel like a big part of it
2. sleep schedule - starting at 3 months (when his colick simmered down)
3. making homemade baby food and diaper wipes
4. bath time together
5. we each picked three words and pray them over b. every night (bold, brave, loyal, wise, kind, faithful)
6. scheduled time for my parents, sister, and brother in law to come every week
7. frequent times/week when j. & b. can be alone so they can figure each other out
8. taking turns waking up in the middle of the night
9. date nights 2 times/month
10. nursing naps - b. and mommy love taking an afternoon nap together
11. honesty with our friends and family about being new parents

These last *almost* 6 months have been filled with laughter, tears, lack of sleep, learning, experience, scheduling, and much much more...
I'm blessed and I know it. I am so glad that God made this little, handsome, perfect package just for us. This is the stuff that real living is made of.