Photo of the week

Wooooooooo whoooooooooooo! Faster, mama!

Song for Logan Vaughn

Words and Music by Daddy Hallada

Waited For My Only Son

First Child of the Last Child's Just Been Born

The Three of Us Have Just Become

Rest of Our Lives Really Just Begun

No Room to be Afraid

In My Heart You'll Always Be

No Room to be Afraid

In My Heart You Will Always Stay

Daddy's Child Has Just Become Father

Grandma, Grandpa, Mother, Son, Father, Daughter

A Father's Arms and A Mother's Kiss

Love For You, You Will Never, Ever, Ever Miss

A Mother's Heart is Not Afraid

For Her Child She Will Be Brave

A Mother's Heart is Not Afraid

For Her Child Love Will Always Stay

Waited For My Only Son

The First Child of the Last Child's Just Been Born

The Happiest Thanksgiving

Needless to say, this year we have SO much to be Thankful for. First and foremost, we are thankful for our bouncy, healthy, baby boy and our beautiful little family that he has made complete. Our home, our friends and family and our jobs... oh, and our health.

Since Logan is still so young, and we are all still in a huge adjustment period with our schedules and routines, we opted for a nice, quiet Thanksgiving at home by ourselves. It was lovely.

Actually, it was the BEST Thanksgiving I have EVER had. My whole life. :)
Dan never ceases to amaze me. I figured since we were staying home that we'd be having tacos or sandwiches or something we bought in bulk from Costco. But no, my husband brought home a huge bird and all the fixins and prepared us a kick ass Thanksgiving meal! (He's a keeper!)
Almost ready to eat...
There was nothing missing! Home-made turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes & gravy and even green beans. I was so impressed. And it was delicious! Thanks babe. I am SO thankful for you, my amazing husband :)

Of course, we had to eat with amazing speed, before Logan woke up again and demanded HIS Thanksgiving meal... ;)

The Logan: Week 2

Logan is two weeks old. I still can't believe that they let us take this baby home from the hospital... He's just amazing. He has changed so much already in just another week of life. This week there was a lot of staring at each other, something we can do for hours... and Logan seemed like he wanted to be held and be with us at ALL times. We could hardly put him down and he demanded to be picked up again :)

This week was tough on sleep. Like I said before, NOTHING prepares you for this type and severity of sleep deprivation. Dan found my eye mask somewhere. Didn't help. But nice try.

Dano and I started taking Logan on a stroll around the neighborhood...

He seemed to like the motion and the fresh air!
Per strict Dr's orders, I cannot work out for 6 weeks... healing from surgery sucks. But I feel well enough to go on strolls/walks so that's at least something...

Logan has a new Kitty... so precious when he's sleeping, isn't he? The past few days, there has been very little of that. It's like if all of a sudden, he didn't need sleep. Unfortunately, we do...

Oh, and the faces... "Just let me think on it a while..."

"You wanna piece of dis?"
"I'm watchin' you..."

To close, people I would like to kiss: the inventors of the following items I now cannot live without:

The SLEEPY WRAP: Logan LOVES it. When he's in the mood for it, he can sleep in there for a few hours... and leaves me hands free!
My BREST FRIEND is awesome for breastfeeding, really saves your back...

And The MIRACLE BLANKET, really is, truly, a miracle. Thanks. (or a little straight jacket for my little crazy boy:)

:)

Logan's first week in the world

.

A WEEK AGO, OUR FAMILY GREW, BY TWO FEET. It's hard to believe Logan is a week old. We have been pretty busy getting to know each other and he is doing a good job at training his parents. Yeah, Sir Logan is the boss of us. But I must say the three of us make a great team.

We had our first outing together, just to take Logan to his first check up appointment with his new Pediatrician. He did NOT enjoy it. We have also learned that he does not like hygene. Hates his diaper changed, his eyes cleaned and hated the bath. It took a long time to recover from that one... but as long as you are not trying to clean him in any way, he's good. :)

The kitties discovered him but are not terribly interested in him. They are more concerned with the fact that they are no longer allowed in the bedrooms and don't understand why the Pack'n'Play is just for Logan. (Coco reeeeeeeally wants to lay in there).
This week Logan has had many wardrobe changes...


It has been the best week of our lives and in some ways the most difficult.

It has been the best because: everything has changed. Our lives as we knew them are a million times fuller and better than they were. Our hearts have runneth over. I never fully understood how and how much my mother loves me until now (and she told me I wouldn't until I too, had a baby).

We love this baby like we have never loved before. My love for my husband has increased a hundred fold. Watching him with Logan melts my heart every time. And it is because of him that there is a Logan. My love for myself has also increased as I know I want to take care of myself to be a hundred percent present for my little man. It is the best because I can spend an hour staring at him and it feels like just five minutes. And a few days ago, he discovered my face. So now, when I'm feeding him he stares at me just as intently. I melt.

Plus, you have this protective instinct that just got kicked into overdrive. Or maybe that's one of the reasons why it's so difficult...

And it has been difficult because: everything has changed. Nothing prepares you for this. We've never had and operated one of these babies before ;p

For me, the hardest adjustment has been the lack of sleep. The fatigue is pretty incredible! No amount of college all nighters, dance all nighters, two-job-having, mid-term procrastinating compares to this kind of tired.

And time just seems to fly by. And it's difficult because it seems like now I need 3 and 4 hands to do everything. But I've gotten pretty good at multi-tasking. Unfortunately, that takes place of sleeping. We are trying to get better at napping when Logan naps, but it's not easy.

It has been difficult because my body is not my own. It has not been my own since I got pregnant and it has not gotten any easier. For one, you come home having delivered a baby, and... still look pregnant. What the...? About 6-7 months, but still. Oh, and the pain. I know I needed that c-section and it was easier on my little guy, but it sure is not easier on momma.

It is hard because I know that my husband will have to go back to work in a few weeks and eventually, I will too. It is hard not knowing exactly what Logan wants but it sure is the best feeling when I figure it out.

Although I don't have a long list to choose from at this point. He either wants to eat, eat or eat. And for me to stop trying to clean him up.

My stud muffin

Logan, my stud muffin. At four days of age I thought it was time to start him on his first Kenpo Karate lesson. He is a natural. Of course, he has had plenty of practice, kicking and punching me from his womb for the last few months.

He got his technique right away. Chambers the opposite hand while he delivers the deadly blow. Here, he demonstrates a horizontal punch to the solar plexus... Followed by a jab to the face. Hiiiiiiiii, yahhhhh!!!

Logan comes home from the hospital

Logan has been a great baby from the minute he was born. Of course our lives are forever changed, in the most amazing way. It really is impossible to describe the feeling unless you have been there. Dan spent every night with us at the hospital and that was amazing. We had a private room, which made this possible. Logan got a lot of skin on skin contact with Daddy, which was just the sweetest...

Our first night with Logan was surreal. I was up most of the night but it wasn't only because he needed to eat or be attended to... I just could not stop staring at him, smelling him, kissing him. I wasn't even that sleepy!

We had our closest friends and family come visit us. He was pretty much quiet and sweet for everyone. We have learned that he saves the screaming sessions for when we are alone, just the three of us :)

"Uncle" Marlon with Dano and Logan on his third day of life.

Did I mention we just can't stop staring at him? He is just the sweetest baby.

I convinced the doctor to let me out a day early. We were SO excited and anxious to be home as a family, sleep in our own bed and stop with the nurses coming into our room every hour when we didn't want them to... and NOT coming at all when I needed help... ;p

So, we were discharge just after dinner on Friday night.

Logan did NOT enjoy being strapped into the carseat. He settled down though, just as the truck started moving and slept the whole way home.

We have been home for 3 days and yes, it has been a great deal of adjusting but it was not anything we were not at least somewhat prepared for. Or at least we KNEW that we did not KNOW what we were in for and were prepared for THAT.

That deserves a whole post of its own, something that I don't have time for just yet... bottom line is, we are home, we are SO thankful and grateful to be here and thanful for our healthy, perfect, sweet baby boy.

It is true what they say. You fall in love instantly, completely, unconditionally and forever.

LOGAN VAUGHN HALLADA

There is only one beautiful, perfect baby in the world: Every mother has one.

Logan, welcome to the world.

Our son. Wait, I want to type that again.... Our son. Logan was born on November 11th at 830am. He tipped the scale at 9 lbs 9 ounces, was 21.5 inches long and melted our hearts with his first hearty cry.

Below, a short picture recollection of the first two days of his life:

Excitedly heading to the hospital Prepping for Babyectomy
Dano looked so cute in his Doctor blues
Just seconds after Logan's birth

Words cannot describe...
We were lucky enough to get a private room.

Proud Grampa and Gramma. Baby was snoozing under nursing cover after a feeding session. This little man is quite a hungry boy.... just hours old!

Megs came to visit us! She's always present at all our big milestones, aren't you girl?
Grandparent love
"Auntie" Dessy
Aunt Leslie couldn't wait to see Logan!

Daddy peeks at Logan first thing the next morning...
Daddy love.
Logan adores his Granny and Gramma
Annie and Monika stop by to see the handsome devil