Jonas - 1 month!

Today Jonas celebrated one month of life! Now I wish I could say this past month has flown by with him, but that hasn't really been the case. I have never felt so exhausted, confused, frustrated, anxious, overwhelmed, and, at times, helpless in my life; yet I have never felt so much love and joy, or experienced so many tender mercies from my Father in Heaven, or felt so much pride as I've watched the other kids step up to the task of being his older siblings in my life. Overall, Jonas has been a really easy, content baby. During the last week, he has experienced some more reflux and has been more fussy, but he is generally easy to console. It is fun to watch him grow. He is learning to control his body more. He is gaining physical strength. He is so much fun to watch as he makes faces when waking up or after feedings. We have discovered that he really enjoys the vacuum cleaner noises. One day, when he was super fussy, I spilt some cereal flakes on the floor as I was trying to console him. Instead of picking them up one by one, I decided to quickly grab the vacuum. As soon as I turned it on, he immediately stopped crying and fell asleep! It has worked the same ever since. He also really enjoys his swing. I think he likes the gentle motion and the way it cradles his body. Jonas also loves the outdoors. Again, when he's fussy, we can generally get him to calm down by taking him outside to feel the breeze and listen to the sounds of nature. Car rides are another thing Jonas enjoys. He almost always falls asleep..even though the car seat itself is not something he enjoys. Finally, bath times are some of his favorite times...once we discovered that he likes the water really warm. He is definitely a bit of an Arizonan. I have to admit that there are some days when I wish he would hurry and grow up a little more, but then I would miss out on those quiet moments when I am nursing him and he grabs my finger or when he just snuggles up to you when he's tired. I can't wait to see his little personality develop more over time. I often wonder, "Who are you?" Only time will tell.

Jonas always likes to sleep with his arms up and around his face!

Love his little grin! Again with the arms up.

Going to church...Super Baby J! 

Love these tiny hands! They may not be able to hold much, but they hold my heart every day.