Happy one month-iversary Fraser!

Here follows a series of points and pictures to commemorate this- Fraser's one month birthday!

1. Sleep. I recall stating that I was THRILLED that Fraser was getting up 3-4 times per night. Well, I suppose that was great compared to getting up seven times a night, but I'm not so delighted with that any more.... I'd now prefer 1-2 times if anyone up there is up for granting such requests! I AM happy to report, however, that the paper route curse (i.e., waking up by 6 each morning) is currently not in effect thank HEAVENS. Apparently sheer exhaustion trumps the paper route curse! The negative side to that is that I miss my mornings with Lowell. He takes off by 7:45am, and Frase and I usually roll out of bed around 8am. The other morning I THOUGHT I was awake when he got up, and I clearly remembered him lovingly wrapping me in dough (from the bread maker... obviously) before leaving. I also remember fake sleeping so he could complete this romantic act. It was only when I ACTUALLY woke up that I realized it was just a dream (as I was not covered in dough... duh). What does that even MEAN?!

2. I find breastfeeding utterly fascinating (pun unintended initially...but then totally intended). I've spent many hours staring at his precious face as he sucks away on the always-ready bottles hanging from my chest that I tote around with me 24/7 for his convenience. Totally intriguing.

3. Our boy is GROWING! he now weighs 10lbs 9oz and is 23 inches long. The only way I can tell he grew (besides actually weighing him) is that he is now filling out the 0-3 month sleepers that hung off of him at the hospital. If anyone out there is looking to put on some poundage, I'd be more than willing to bottle up some of this miracle milk and send it your way! By the way, I have not yet tried it myself (which is amazing to me because believe you me I WILL be trying it at some point). KUMUEU has, but I haven't. Allow me to explain... Fraser spit up, I caught it in my hand and didn't have anything to wipe it on, and Kums just HAPPENED to be sauntering by (this has happened more than once. I should probably have clothes/towels/tissues on me more).

4. MAN this kid has big hands and feet.

And you know what they say about guys with big hands... they also have big gloves! hehe

5. Kumeu has always been a cuddler, but now he's even more of a cuddler. While I'm nursing Fraser, he crawls up on the couch beside me and rests his head on my lap. Or if Lowell is home, he'll jump on his lap and snuggle up. Don't worry- we've been giving him lots of love. I try to make it to the dog park nearly every day, and he's regularly smothered with hugs and kisses.

6. Frase got passport pictures done! It was a fairly ridiculous experience, but 30 minutes, 4 employees, 4 different positions, and 40 pictures later, a photo was finally selected... and it was the THIRD picture that was taken. Take note: if you ever get a passport photo for one so young, insist that they lay him down on the white sheet... apparently that's okay and it would've been sooooo much easier (with much less crazy flashing in their poor infant eyes). Seriously... how picky can they BE with 2.5-week old infants?! The only way this kid would be turned away from borders is because of extreme cuteness.

The passport should be here mid November, then we can get started on our family goal of taking at least one trip each year!

7. When Fraser was 10 days old, he was the ring bearer in Julie Anne & Ryan's wedding! More on that to come, but I recently put him in his tuxedo outfit again, so I'll whet your appetite with that...

Oops- how embarrassing. He WAS wearing pants...

8. Fraselnut has enjoyed all of his family snuggles from the very beginning!

9. We pass some of the daytime nursing hours watching Ellen, the news, and plowing through the seasons of Matlock & Murder She Wrote. Andy Griffith and Angela Lansbury are pretty much my heroes.

10. Shareen and Maggie (her puppy daughter) just got here and there are many more family snuggles to come!!

11. By the way... I'm feeling great, and the Fraselnut is a generally content baby, and we're totally into a little routine (knock on wood it lasts!). I love spending my days with my boy (and trust me... I do NOT usually look like this (i.e., clean))...

12. And now for a smattering of images of Fraser over the past few weeks...

Check out that HAIR...

"Mommy, I kind of have to poo"...

In an adorable vest handmade by Alisha...

In the absolute most precious moccasins you ever did see...

"Put 'er there"...Well THAT was a whirlwind of a month. We look forward to what Fraser has in store for us this next month! Before you know it, this kid will be headed off to college...

Why Fraser Brian?

So.... wonder why we named our child Fraser (pronounced FraZer as in laser) Brian? No? Well I'll tell you anyway!

Our criteria for the first name was cut-throat. It could not be in the top 1,000 (according to wolfram alpha where 'Fraser' in fact didn't even show up as a first name!), but it couldn't be too crazy. So, unique but not ridiculous (i.e., no "Apple", "Cocoa" or "Blanket"... no offense to Gwyneth, Courtney or Michael of course).

We have a friend named Fraser who is really good friends with Marc & Kylie (and was the best man at their wedding). We liked his name a lot, and we also really like HIM so there are no negative associations!

Little Fraser was lucky enough to meet Big Fraser in the first days of his life!

Thanks Big Fraser for letting us use your name (not that you had a choice in the matter!) :)

We didn't even know what 'Fraser' meant when we named our boy, and googled it shortly after some of our first hospital visitors (Troy & Kirstin!) asked what it meant and we stared at them blankly and said "Dunno!" Well, it's of Scottish origin and apparently means 'woodsman', 'curly hair', and possibly even 'strawberries' (from the French 'fraise'). Perhaps he'll become a strawberry-lovin, curly-haired woodsman... what a fine catch he shall be!

Now for the 'Brian' part. Brian is Lowell's Dad's name as well as Lowell's middle name. Fraser is the first grandSON in the family, so we thought it was all too appropriate that he be named after his Dad AND his Grandpa T! Brian means 'high' or 'noble' (like Lowell or his Dad need to be reminded of THAT! Kidding kidding, boys...)

The Dad and Grandpas celebrated Fraser's birth by smoking some black licorice pipes...

Now you know why Fraser Brian is Fraser Brian! I'll finish off with two more sneak peak images from Fraser's two-and-a-half week photo shoot by the lovely Jen from La Di Da Lane Photography...

Life at home with a Fraselnut!

I think the listy-loo thing was working well... no reason to change that now!

1. Fraser and Kumeu. We still very much want Kumeu to be a big part of our family receiving lots of love and attention, so we did not take their introduction to each other lightly. Following Cesar Milan & the Monks of New Skete schools of thought, we first exposed Kumeu to a blankie that smelled like Fraser, then we spent time with Kums before introducing Fraser. When we DID introduce them, Fraser presented Kumeu with a toy. It went well and Kumeu seems to be adjusting nicely to the new little person in his life (although I think he’s a little baffled by all the noise in the middle of the night!)

Daddy likes to cuddle with his boys...

In our effort to include Kumeu, it kind of feels like we have two kids now and not just the one!

2. I thought I was comfortable in my last few weeks of pregnancy… and for being 41.5 weeks pregnant, I suppose I WAS comfortable. But now that I don’t have a 44-inch belly, the water retention has dissipated, the reflux has subsided and the veins have largely vanished… I’d say I had forgotten what COMFORT was. My downstairs area is still rather sore (third degree tearing will do that to a person), but it’s nothing a little Advil, Tylenol & Epsom salts can’t manage!

3. Our boy already has a plethora of nicknames. Let’s see, there’s 'Fraselberry' (as the French ‘fraise’ means ‘strawberry’), 'Fraselator', 'Frasenator', 'Fraser the Laser', 'Fraisin', 'Frasel-rock' (like Fraggle Rock)… and those are only the ones created by Auntie Shareen who hasn’t even MET him yet! Other endearing names include ‘Crazy Frazie’, 'Frazie Fraze’, and 'Frasel-boy'. These are all on top of the popular ‘Fraselnut’ (which has somehow evolved into ‘Fraselnut butt’ at times). Oh this poor child…

4. I still look pregnant… but my stomach IS flattening! When Fraser was first born, I was slightly appalled to notice that I still looked 28-30 weeks pregnant. Add the stretch marks and the full body rash I somehow acquired, and we do NOT have a pretty picture! The rash is largely gone, and I now only look 16-18 weeks pregnant, but the stretch marks are still screaming LOUD and clear. It’s a work in progress, folks. 25lbs down, 20 more to go (keeping in mind that a small chunk of that is these milk-laden breasts). I think I’ll give myself 1-5 years to get rid of the rest. It’s not hot... but honestly? I don’t care. This perfect little bundle that I get to hold in my arms is sooooo worth it!

Funny story. At the hospital, Lowell said “Don’t worry, you’ll be hot again soon” which was immediately followed by a ‘whoops- I just implied that she doesn’t look hot NOW’ expression. And then “you look beautiful.” Tee hee, I enjoy watching Lowell stumble over his words once in a while. :)

5. Since I lost most any dignity I had left during the delivery, I now have no qualms about whipping my boobs out in public. I FINALLY understand moms who do this. HOWEVER, I do control my boob-whipping-out out of consideration of those LESS comfortable with such things.

6. I guarantee that Angelina Jolie had nothing to do with the creation of this child… but check out those lips!

7. Fraser seems to be straightening out his days and nights. At first I saw every hour on the clock at night and he would sleep for 4-hour stretches during the day (crazy kid!!). I’m happy to report that he has now been getting up only 3-4 times per night, and I’m THRILLED!

8. So many firsts! Some of the documented firsts include…

First bath at home...

First walk with Kumeu and the stroller...

First grocery shopping trip...

First restaurant experience...

First time I breastfed WHILE eating at a restaurant...

9. Fraser has such looooong toes and fingers. And he’s STRONG! He could hold is head up (slightly) since day one. I’m positive that while he was in the womb, he was doing P90X along with his pa. Apparently I’m the only lazy bum in this family!

The end!