Time

One thing is for sure...April and I have quickly learned that time is precious! Back when our adventure in parenthood began (Lincoln's birth and hospital stay), it felt like time stood still. Driving to the hospital each day took us from the "real world" into this weird space in time where nothing else mattered. The world just stopped when we sat beside Lincoln in the NICU. In those days we realized how it's important to just stop, be quiet, be present in whatever is going on...for us it was keeping our eyes on our baby and enjoying the moments we had to hold him close.





Now Lincoln is almost seven months old and we are realizing that this little boy is growing up by leaps and bounds right before our eyes. Therefore, the lesson we learned about taking advantage of every opportunity to be present remains just as true as it did during the NICU days.

For me (as the Dad), it's a lot of fun to come home from work and hear about all of the things Lincoln is doing. For example, this last week he figured out that his feet are actually connected to his body! Just this morning April found Lincoln lying in his crib with one foot on his pajamas completely soaked...apparently he had been sucking on his toe:-) This past weekend Lincoln got his first taste of rice cereal. He did great with it but were still not too sure if he liked the food...or if he was just enjoying the fact that he got to hold the spoon and put it in his mouth. Either way, one thing is sure...Lincoln loves to discover new things. One thing he likes to do is to go on walks and watch as the wind blows through the big trees in our neighborhood. Another thing we've learned is that Lincoln is a very social baby. He loves to be around people! This past Tuesday, April and Lincoln came to hang out with the Sr. High group at church. While I was teaching, I looked over at Lincoln and realized that he was paying really close attention to what everyone was saying as I interacted with the students and other leaders. Obviously he has no idea what we're saying, but it was hilarious to see him twisting his entire body in order to hear another leader share with the students. He definetly loves to be a part of the action!

As I mentioned before, it's always good to come home from whatever happens during the day and spend some time with Lincoln and April. It only takes one of his big smiles to remind me what's most important in life. This past Sunday on father's day April asked me what I wanted to do...to which I replied, "I don't care as long as I get to take a nap after church with Lincoln on my chest"...there's no denying it...it's just one of my favorite activities (dang it! that should have been my answer last night to a jr. high kid who asked me what I like to do in my spare time). So, that's how I spent part of my first father's day and I was reminded again of how lucky I am to have been blessed with this little boy.

The real truth is that weeks and months have passed since Lincoln was in the hospital and yes we've sorta slipped back into "the real world". There are things to take care of around the house, grocery shopping to do, rushing to get different places on time, making sure the dog has enough food and water, etc. The list could go on of all the stuff that seems to devour time so quickly but there is not a day that goes by when April and I aren't still amazed at God's creation when we look at Lincoln. Way back when we first discussed the possibility of trying to have a baby one of our main reasons was to pass on some sort of legacy to our children. As we participate in Lincoln's discovery of the world around him and watch him grow we are excited to see who he is going to become, what his voice is going to sound like (yes, I'm sure some of you parents had the same thoughts about the whole voice thing at some point in the past), what he'll be interested in, and all that sort of stuff...but for now (as I listen to him fall asleep in the next room), we are just trying to enjoy these moments. Making him laugh, reading him books, taking walks together, letting him sit next our dog and feel the texture of her fur, and of course one of my favorites...rocking with him in his room as he sucks his thumb before bed. Those are the precious things in life.

Here's a quick video and a few more pictures to share with you from our adventure. We hope you enjoy them and we hope that you can stop and find precious things in our life too!

Lincoln's Frist Sleepover

We have had a busy start to June so here are lots of pictures for you to enjoy.

Here is the first picture of the cousins on my side. We went to Modesto to visit Carleigh (born May 18), Vinnie (7), and Dominic (4). We can't wait for Lincoln to meet all his cousins on Jeremy's side...all 10 of them!

Our next trip to Modesto was Lincoln's first overnight trip. He did great... though he heard your supposed to stay up really late at sleepovers. He was awake from dinner time through midnight! He is turning out to be a social little guy... doesn't want to miss the action!

We got to hang out with Leslie, Aaron, Lily, and Eden plus Jim, Robyn, and Malachi. We meant to get a picture of all the kids, but didn't manage this trip... definitely next time!

We did get a couple snapshots of the boys hanging out... they both fell asleep on the way home from church after a fun-filled time in the church nursery with grammy Pam.

As I mentioned before, it's been a busy couple of weeks! Time seems to be disappearing...but it is so much fun to watch Lincoln grow and change. He brings so much joy into our lives; we can't thank God enough for this little boy!

Half a Year

On Friday Lincoln turned 6 months old! We made the usual birthday cake for him, but I stole this "half birthday cake" idea from my friend Emily. Happy Half Birthday Lincoln! He put his hand in the cake and was pretty bummed when we didn't let him taste it. With his monthly cakes I think he will definitely be ready to chow down for his first birthday!










It is insane! He is growing so fast... in fact he is looking so different now and has completely lost that new baby look. He is packing on the pounds and filling out more and more. He is a happy, healthy baby weighing in at 14 lbs. 4 oz.

Last week we had his Cardiology re-check. He had another echocardiogram to make sure everything had corrected itself (he had a tiny hole between the ventricles that they were certain would close up shortly after he left the hospital). The cardiologist said everything looked great and released him... meaning we aren't seeing any more specialists and Lincoln will only be followed by the pediatrician with the normal well-baby checks. So fewer doctor appointments! In fact, today we saw the pediatrician and got a few shots. His next pediatrician appointment will be his 9 month appointment.

Jeremy and I still look at each other in amazement that it's been 6 months since this adventure began. While we always remember how this all started...we also look forward to the future with excitement. Just like lots of parents, we don't want Lincoln to ever get too big to hug and kiss but at the same time, we're excited to watch him grow up...and we're excited that we get to walk alongside him as he discovers his place in the world. It's going to be a lot of fun!