Lazy Saturday afternoon

It's amazing what just a couple of days can do in the life and development of a baby. What a few days of alone time can do for moms to get used to the schedule and personality and cries and one-handed juggling.

This past week was sooooooooooooooo much better. I can't emphasize that enough. Maybe it's my body getting used to fewer hours of sleep. Maybe it's the conversation with John about expectations and cutting myself some slack. Maybe it's that I'm caught up on DVR just in time for the post-holiday new episodes to start (and can I give a shout out for the NEW shows starting this month like LOST, American Idol, and my long lost love Big Love!).

But mostly I think it's that Colt gets more fun each day. I'm serious, the subtle changes I'm noticing make me excited to get up in the morning and spend the day with him. He coos a little when we talk. He's so calm through the morning, just chilling and staring with his "crazy eyes". This morning I swear to you he smiled when I talked about Van, Riley and Anna, his BFF's. He's a little more predictable (calm and funny but very alert in the mornings, nap, alert and wilder in the afternoons until swaddling must be done for a nice long afternoon nap, then alert evenings and off to bed). He sleeps well in his crib.

And, Lord help us, he found his thumb today. It was too cute to pull out so I had to just take his picture. Don't worry...we'll keep it under control. Although I sucked my thumb and my mom swears I was the best baby because of it!

Unfortunately, he did not turn out to be a good luck charm Thursday night when our beloved Sooners played the Gators in the National Championship. But I guess out of my two Christmas wishes (a baby and a 2008 National Championship trophy in the Barry Switzer Center) I got the better of the two. Colt sure looked great in his Sooner gear!

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John and I went to visit our dear friends Nathan and Liz at the hospital today, and caught a glimpse of the long-awaited baby Anna Jane. We'd had a bet with her parents that there was no way she could beat Colt in size at birth. Boy, were we wrong. Wrong by almost a whole pound! Anna weighed in at 10 lbs, 3 oz...only 3 oz shy of Colt's size now at almost four weeks! We're excited to go back and visit tomorrow when she's had some time with her parents.

This was a big day for me personally. Liz and Nathan have been SO supportive of us in our journey to a family (remember the sperm cake?). Despite thinking it would take a while, they got pregnant rather quickly. I spent several months between their announcement and our adoption placement afraid John and I would be the ones left out of our friendship tree (there are several couples that are very close, all now have children).

You guys know what I'm talking about. You're so excited for your dear friends, and so very pained at your own situation.

If anyone was more excited than us about the timing of our placement, it had to have been Liz and Nate. I know they were relieved that not only were we placed, but that we could face this day with true excitement and relief that our family was complete already. They're just that kind of people...so glad for us. And today when we were at the hospital (my first visit to the maternity ward to see a friend since Colt's arrival) it was the first time in over three years that I wasn't sad to be there. Always happy for my friends, loving their babies, but leaving empty-handed just ached.

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Probably enough rambling for today. I leave you with photos: finding his thumb, my ski bunny (those are real ski pants!), and Dad and Colt cheering on our beloved Sooners.

We're off to see a movie and let an aunt, and uncle, and two cousins spoil the boy for the evening.