Three Weeks Old!

There's a whole 'lotta growing happening this past week at the Tormoehlens! Little Zachary sure is growing0 he's just over 7 lbs, which means he's gained a pound a week! His appetite is HUGE and Pam has nicknamed him the 'Chow Hound' because this kid eats constantly. I think he wants to be big by Christmas, so is packin on the weight!

Here are a few photos from the past two weeks.

Carter and Zachary at Thanksgiving. Zachary slept through most of the festivities.

Carter was thinking, "Get this kid off me!"

This is what every two hours look like. Wide awake! Go to bed Zachary!!

Yawning, but still fighting the nap. Please give mommy some down time, you little party animal!

Daddy was babysitting and realized Alien vs Predator was on. Try Disney Daddy!

He likes his Daddy's chest.

Walsh boys. I think they like their cousin.

Walsh Family over for our famous Blackjack Pizza night. We keep it classy.

My Child Never Sleeps. Good Thing He's Really Cute.

I never sleep and my little man parties all night. I've turned into an entertainment monkey! Our home is now set up in stations and we rotate throughout the circuit of swinging, vibrating chairs, made up songs while I rock him.

Yesterday, Zachary and I went to Grandma Pam's house so that I could take a nap. The two of them seemed to have a lot of fun together and even found time to bake cookies together. Zachary just watched Pam cook and was mesmerized with her singing. It was great to catch a nap! Zachary is two weeks old today and I've learned a lot from him.

You know you're a new mom when:

• You drive 30 mph on the freeway with a baby in your car.
• You think 5 hours of sleep is amazing
• A hot shower makes you feel like you've won the lotto
• You cram frozen peas in your bra.....ok, maybe this is just me, but don't knock it 'till you try it.
• When your child FINALLY got out that stubborn booger at 2am, by sneezing it on your face and you respond, "Great job!"
• You smell like spit up
• Your own nursery song singing frightens you
• You actually own a pair of 'nice' sweatpants when people come over
• You eat cold dinners
• You forget what day it is

All of Zachary's habits have rocked my world, but it only takes one smile from him to confirm how in love I am with him. He's such a babe and I'm looking forward to more great memories to come. Zachary has taught a lot over these last two weeks!

A Few Firsts

I have 10 minutes to spare and I'm downloading photos from our week! Our little guy has been great to us.

We've been so lucky to have Pam come to help us this week. Not many new parents get to have a nurse come and check on them each night. She's helped get our family on a schedule and has taught us a lot about keeping this little guy healthy. Thank you so much Pam! This week was SO much better than I planned on, thanks to you!

Zachary had his first photo shoot on Friday. My friend from HS came to our house and I had no idea how much work it would be to set up for these shots! Before we wrapped, she let me take a few shots and I can't wait to see the rest! Thank you AMN photography!!

Kyle didn't have the patience to stick through the entire shoot, but came over to check this last one out. I think he said it best when he said, "You'd have to be a real jerk not to like a picture of a baby in a basket! That's so cute!"

Ryan Nicks came over to hold Zachary this afternoon. I've known Ryan since the 1st grade and Kyle lived with him for a few years while we were dating.

Mike and Nicole Witty.

Pam with Carter and Dave with Zachary. The Tormoehlens came over to give Zachary a bath and Alicia cooked us up a great dinner. This was a great night!

Pam after Zachary's first bath.

Pam and Zachary. Kyle and Carter. We used to think Carter was so teeny, but she's getting so big!

Mom and Dad before they took off for Arizona for the winter.

Mom showing Zachary his first snow fall. Bundle up little guy!

Zachary's Story

I was over being pregnant and gave up thinking I'd ever had a baby of my own. I was tired, sore, and had contractions all week, but nothing seemed to get this baby movin'.

After Kyle hung the final photos in the nursery, I went to bed very sad.....and then woke up at 1am with lots of contractions. I decided to wait them out for awhile before waking Kyle. After many false alarms, I wanted to make sure this was the real thing before getting him up. At 2 am, the contractions were getting closer and stronger and I fired the alarm with Kyle. We started to pack the car and headed to the hospital. Other than having contractions, I felt great and we even had time to stop by to get a coffee and cash on our way

We walked into the emergency room and were admitted for a labor check. We got all hooked up and the nurse said if I didn't make any progress in an hour, they would release us, as they needed the room for delivering babies, not having contractions. Kyle and I took laps around the hospital and after an hour, the nurse looked surprised, as I moved forward very quickly. She just smiled and said, "You're having your baby today." It took Kyle and I for surprise!

Things progressed very quickly. I received my epidural by 9a and started to push by 10a. The Doctor told Kyle and I we'd have our baby by lunch time! Crazy!! Zach was born by 12:58pm. I must say, it was a great experience. Kyle was a great coach and the nurses were great. I was overjoyed and overwhelmed when he was born and I'll never forget it.

For the ladies- I don't know why women like to tell you their labor horror stories, but I'm here to tell you that sometimes it doesn't happen like they tell you. Sometimes, you get a husband like Kyle that supports you and helps you when you're scared. Sometimes, you get a nurse that holds you when you get your epidural. Sometimes, you get a Doctor that truly cares about you and your family. And sometimes, your baby arrives perfectly. I had an incredible experience and am here to tell you otherwise. And no matter what your birth story is, the ending is always the same. You're in total love by the end.

And we're in total love with Zachary.

Car ride home from the hospital.

Sweet baby.....

So little, so perfect.

Pam and her first Grandson.

Uncle Sean and Aunt Kristy

Pam and Dave

Day One of our new life. This is what love looks like.....

Kyle and our incredible Doctor. Dr. Reid Goodman, we're thankful for you.

Sleepy baby, sleepy mommy.

Daddy and Zach.

Colin put a blown up hospital glove in his shirt and said "Now I'm having a baby!".....jokes....

Zach and his buddy- Mr Blue Elephant

Carter, my niece, is getting so big!!

First Bath

Epidural. I love you.

Someone get this girl some drugs!!