Two weeks is too soon!!

My baby is two weeks old!! The time goes by very fast! Carder is growing way too quick...especially when he started off as a big baby! We are just loving him more and more each day! It is so fun having a baby in our family!

Carder's two week appointment went great! He now weighs 10 lbs 6 oz (which I remind you is one ounce short of Ty at birth!! Yikes!) That puts him in the 89 % for weight! He is 21 3/4 inches long which is the 82%. Looking at Carder you wouldn't think he is disproportional but his head is actually only 37 cm and 47%!!

Here is our little guy all decked out with his shoes and socks ready to go!! So far he has only gone to the doctor's office and the store and been on a few walks in his stroller!

Caleb loves being a big brother! He is so cute with Carder!

This picture makes me laugh!! Carder is almost the same size as Mara's new doll! Look how big Caleb is compared to Carder! 

 Caleb grew up over night when Carder was born! He all of a sudden seems like a big huge kid!! 

 I LOVE these boys!!! They are my four favorite boys all watching football together!!

I'm not quite sure if Carder likes his bath yet! He still hasn't lost his umbilical chord stump so he hasn't had a real bath yet!

 

Two best buddy-brothers!! I am so glad I had a baby boy! Caleb and Carder are going to be the best of friends!

 

It has been really nice the past couple weeks all the help and support from friends and family. Mimi came down for a week, Papa stopped by a couple days, friends brought meals, and Grandma Lewis came down for several days!! We are so blessed to have a new healthy baby, wonderful friends and loving family close to us!

Cooperation Project!!

Ty just loves being a cub scout! He has almost earned his wolf! For one of the wolf requirements he was asked to lead a family activity that promotes cooperation. It's kind of funny to listen to an older brother try to teach a 3 & 5 year old cooperation! Ty first said "Ok guys, we are going to learn how to cooperate, listen to me and do what I say!!" Well that wasn't exactly what we (Mimi or Mom) had in mind for the activity! I guess we need to have more of a discussion about cooperation!

 For the cooperation project we used constructed figures using marshmallows and toothpicks. As you can see Caleb really got into this project!

 Caleb made a fantastic spiderweb! (And I think he ate as many marshmallows as he used!)

 Mara was pretty good at the cooperation activity, we found it was easiest to work together doing their own projects!

 This turned out to be a really fun activity for the day! The kids made buildings, houses, a playground with swings, slides, and monkey bars! Who knew marshmallows and toothpicks could make such a fun project!

3rd grade here Ty comes!!

What a big kid I have! How can Ty already be in 3rd grade?! After this year he will be half way through elementary school (that is a scary thought! Yikes!)

Ty was not very excited about starting school, but he wasn't very nervous either! He was excited about seeing all his friends again.

Ty's mom and dad walked him to school on his first day! 

What a handsome 3rd grader!

Ty 's school is lucky to have such a great kid!!

Ty's teacher is Miss Taylor. I don't know a lot about her, but she seems really nice! I'm sure Ty will have a great year with Miss Taylor and I'm looking forward to getting to know her.

One Week Old!!

Over the past week we have fallen in love with the newest addition to our family! Everyone just loves having Carder part of our family! He is the easiest, happiest, cuddliest, snuggliest, cutest little love in the whole wide world!!!

 Mara's favorite thing to do with Carder is read to him! And he is actually a pretty good listener!

Mara is in heaven with a new baby brother! She could hold this kid all day long! She is the best baby tender in the world!

Mara constantly asks to hold Carder...looks like Mara put Carder to sleep, or was it the other way around?!

 He is just so handsome!! 

 Could we possibly have a thumb sucker on our hands?! No! Carder tries chewing on his hands when he is hungry. He hardly ever cries...only when he is getting his diaper changed! When he is hungry he tries eating his hands and smacking his lips! He is such a good baby!

 

 Don't mind the socks on his hands! They are protecting him from himself!! Why do baby's fingernails have to be so sharp! It's like little tiny razor blades on the ends of their fingers!!

 Carder is so long! He might be 9 lbs but he is not chubby or chunky! He is just a tall baby!

 Today Carder is 1 week old!! He had a 1 week check up today and (drum roll please.....) Carder weighs 9 lbs 12 oz!!! He is officially past his birth weight in just one week! His doctor was very impressed! Carder is doing great! He should get the 'baby of  year award!'

Cute Little Baby Face!!

Carder has the cutest baby face...although I will admit it isn't a little baby face at all! He does have chubby cheeks but they are nothing like Ty and Caleb's!!  It's amazing to me how many different faces and expressions one baby can have!

We couldn't help but laugh at Carder's continuous line from one eye, across his nose, to the other eye.

 This face doesn't even look like Carder--more like Jaba the hut!!

 I just love Carder's little lips! I think they are just so perfectly shaped and cute!

 I love Carder's sleeping face! So peaceful and perfect!!

I LOVE this face! So serious and focused on his daddy! They are having their first father and son chat!

We are very thankful for a wonderful doctor who had the knowledge and skill of delivering a healthy baby to us! We felt like Dr. Branch was the best doctor at the U for our situation and he knew what needed to be done for both Carder and myself!

We couldn't be happier to have Carder here and healthy! What a little miracle baby! So many worries and concerns yet in the end all prayers were answered and Carder is doing great!

Time to go home! Our little bundle of joy is ready to go home and see his family!

Baby Carder Clegg Lewis!

Monday August 13, 2012 we drove to the University of Utah hospital for our scheduled c-section. The day we had been waiting and hoping for had finally arrived!!

  The last time ever you will see me with a prego belly! I was convinced that this baby would weigh 8lbs 13 oz!

Dr. Nate ready for operation! He does not like seeing his wife go through major surgery but he is tough and strong and I'm grateful for such a supportive and loving husband and father!

Our 'cut-time' was at 11:30 but we didn't get back to surgery until noon. Here is our surgery team. All the doctors and nurses were great!

 The pediatrician staff examining Carder. We were mostly concerned about his blood levels because of my antibody blood problem which could cause anemia and other issues. Miracles do occur and prayers are answered! Carder was just fine with no anemia or blood problems!

My other concern was his hair! I wanted it to be like the other kids: lots of it and dark! When the doctor was cleaning him off she said to Nate "Does red hair run in your family?" NO way! Then the doctor said "I think his hair is blond." I personally think Carder's hair is brown!

 

Our 'little' bundle of joy was actually quite the 'whopper'' as the doctor called him! 9 lbs 5 oz and 21 1/4 inches long!! The doctors and nurses were quite surprised with his weight! Sure glad I had him a week early--otherwise I might have had another 10 pounder!

 Nate brought Carder over to meet his mom! It was love at first sight! His eyes were open and looking right at me.We had a little bonding moment!

 

 There is no doubt about it: this is Nate's boy! Carder has a curly toe on his left foot, same toe, same foot as his daddy's!!

 "Baby's eyes open!" This is one of our favorite lines to say! Ty used to say it when Mara was baby and it's stuck ever since!!

 Carder meeting his Aunt Beanie for the first time!!

Auntie Chelsie with her 4 happy nephews and niece!

Daddy has fallen in love all over! He just loves his little Carder boy!

I was so excited to see my kids! They spent one day with grandma Lewis and the other few days at Mimi's. The kids were so excited to come meet their baby brother! 

 Grandma Lewis's maiden name is Card--hence the name Carder! It's a family name! And Clegg is Mimi's maiden name, so Carder is named after both sets of Great- Grandparents!!

 If you can't tell by her face she is one happy big sister to have a new baby brother!

 I can't believe how fast my babies grow up! It felt like just yesterday that Ty was born and Grandpa Lewis was holding him in Indiana! Now he is so big, but he will always be Grandpa's Boy!!

Caleb was sure excited to meet his baby brother! When we sent a picture to Grandma Lewis she showed Caleb the picture of Carder and he said, "The baby came out? Right now!?" He just loves his little brother and is going to be a great big brother!

 Here we are: Our little family of 6!! Our family is complete! We are happy to be one happy eternal family!

 Can't you just feel the love!! It's amazing how much love comes with a new baby!

 It's going to be interesting to see who Carder looks like! I think he already looks like Ty & Caleb! I'm sure his cheeks will grow and he might have brown eyes like his brothers or blue eyes like his sister!

I just love these 4 children and feel so blessed to be their mom! 

 Ty was also excited about Carder! He will be a great example and helper!

I'm amazed how many different facial features a baby can have! This picture actually looks a lot like Ty when he was a baby!

It's not as easy as you might think to open those eyes! 

 Carder would much rather sleep than open his eyes or even eat! He just loves to snooze! I am so happy that Carder has finally arrived! He is such a joy to our family and I just can't believe what a little miracle baby he is! I am grateful for our family and friends. I am thankful for their prayers, love and support. It has been so different with this delivery than the other because we are surrounded by family close by! I am so happy that my kids are close to their grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins! It is nice to have such a great support group! So THANK YOU one and all for helping us out this week!