First Bath!

I wanted to share one of my favorite pictures from my entire stay at the hospital before I tell you all about James and his first bath.


And now, for the first bath....

See? Happy baby while you pour water on his belly.


Stop to take a picture of happy baby? See? Crying baby.


Video of crying baby! Yay! FYI: Bryan says he was crying because we were bathing him with a pink washcloth. Do you notice in the video that Daddy is the one handling the pink cloth?


Content baby wrapped in a towel (which included a secure diaper to keep him from "springing a leak".)


He survived his first bath!

Food for Thought: Are you Guilty?

So as a mom and a blogger, there are certain blogs I pretty much frequent on a regular basis. One of them I became connected to through an online message board I am a member of. It's called Working Moms Against Guilt (or WMAG for short).

They have posted several interesting blogs in the past, including some of my favorites like on Tuesdays where they do quick and easy recipes focused on busy working moms who want healthy meals for their families. Anyway, I've gotten behind recently in my reading over at WMAG because of an *ahem* new member to our home who requires lots of time and attention. And snuggles. And kisses. I digress....

They recently posted a blog entitled Why Guilt for Liking Work? where each of the four contributors to the blog gave her own personal take on why moms sometimes feel guilty for enjoying the time they spend at work (away from their children).

I remember when Gracie was born and I went back to work, how conflicted I was. On the one hand it was extremely nice to go back to adult conversations that didn't involve coo-ing, drool, and stinky diapers. On the other, I missed my baby. At the same time, it was like while I was gone from work everybody had a big party I wasn't invited to. I just felt so out of place and so confused, I think that is the point when all that "post-partum depression" stuff really took it's toll on me.

There are days, even before I went on maternity leave with James, that I hate working. I wish we had the financial stability for me to be a stay at home mom (sometimes). And then often times I wonder if we were in a situation and I could stay at home full-time, would I really want to? There are days when I'm exhausted from work and the last thing I want to do is get down on the same level as my children and play. And other times when I've had a bad day at work or whatever, that little silly smile can make my whole day even better.

I do agree with Tela, in that typically my eight hour shift at work each day makes me appreciate so much more the time I do have at home with my children. I'm sure once I go back to work in October, I'll start to feel that way even more. I'm not knocking the stay at home moms at all, because I'm sure (even staying at home) their workload is just as demanding - schedules, naps, house cleaning, errands, etc.

I guess either way sometimes it's hard to find a balance. I know a lot of stay at home moms who get flack because they don't "do" anything except sit at home and watch TV all day. Knowing the handful of SAHMs I do, I can tell you firsthand THAT is very far from the truth.

So if you work or you stay at home with the kids, what is your take? Share your thoughts with me....I'd love to hear them.

New Look! New Header! Same link...

Hey guys!

It's just me, popping in to share our new look with you. Okay, so "Nelson: Party of Four" is not the most original of blog names but it makes me happy. And I'm leaving the blog URL the same because so many people know it, and it's in my email address too. They'll still get to our blog, now it's just going to be more family based and not all about the Princess. LoL!

Anyway, an update on the newest member of our family: breastfeeding almost went out the window! But after several kind words of advice and some help from good friends, I have been given a Medela double Pump in Style on loan. I've only nursed a few times, but James is thriving and doing well with both formula and breastmilk. He's getting more breastmilk than formula and loving it all!

He has been unusually awake/alert the last few days, and I'm shocked to think that this Monday he'll be three weeks old. Where did the time go? Normally bedtime is between 11-12 and he'll sleep until about 4:30 and bottle/nurse, then back to sleep until around 8-9. He's a good baby, just like his big sister was!

His little umbilical cord stump fell off sometime yesterday morning (and must be hiding in the mess that is our bedroom right now) so he had his first official bath last night. He cried the entire time, and Bryan said it's because I was bathing him with a pink rag. In an attempt to show me how he felt about the pink rag, my little man "sprung a leak" and tried to soak his Mama. I move too fast for him!

FYI if you care: I am back in pre-pregnancy jeans and have lost almost all of the 30+ pounds I gained during pregnancy! Can I get a "WOO HOO!"

I'll be sure to post some newer pictures of Little Man and the Princess as soon as humanly possible.

Baby James

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Introducing James Edward Nelson!!

This is Amy checking in to announce the arrival of James Edward Nelson. He was born this morning, August 10th, at 7:51. He weighed 8lbs. 8oz. and was 20 1/2 inches long. Both he and Miranda are doing great, and Bryan and Gracie are thrilled with their new addition! Congratulations to the Nelson family!

Just minutes old!

His lungs were definitely working!

Bryan watching them weigh James

Father and Son!

Those cheeks are so pinchable!

James' first bath!

I'm not liking this!!!

Rub a dub dub, it's James in the tub!

So sweet and squeaky clean!

Miranda should be heading home on Thursday, but please just continue to keep her and the new baby in your prayers!