To all of my lady friends :)

Hello Peeps!

I am sorry it's been so long since I last posted about the lives of the Davies. We are doing well and are busy with work and are finally settled in at our house. We love it here in Teton, and are glad we found such a great home to make ours :)

I want to give updates on our lives at the moment but feel that this post should really be about something I feel is very important.

As you all know, I shaved my head a couple of months ago to try to find myself and I have been learning a lot about myself in the process. I really miss my hair, and I have found that I still struggle with my self image. While shaving my head shifted my world it didn't remove all of the built in luggage racks of my soul where I have kept a lot of my negative thoughts and habits. I have realized it takes a lot to let such things go and that it may be a lifelong endeavor for me to truly leave such things behind. I have learned though that I am surrounded by the most incredible people who have totally loved and supported me beyond words. I think of how Ben has  been on this journey with me every step of the way and my heart swells when I think of the love he gives me each day. I can't even begin to put into words the joy I have found with my husband and with my son. Finch never looked at me like I was scary or different without hair, but rather just as or more beautiful to him. I think he liked it because we had the same hairdo for a while ;)

So as my project shifts in many ways, I just want to thank you all for your support and say that it isn't over, but I've realized that I still have a lot of work to do and that I am learning new things about myself every day.

Part of what I have found has changed how I see myself the most though is realizing that I do matter to those around me, that I make a difference to my husband, my son, my cat, my family, my friends and peers, and that I am important to Heavenly Father as well. I tend to forget that I have someone who knows me better than anyone else in the world, ( in the universe ) and that He sees me for the incredible person I am today and who I have always been and who I can be. I know that there are those who wonder why I chose to stay at home to raise my son rather than work outside the home, and those who feel that I shouldn't put pressure on my husband to work and go to school  while I am home. I've struggled many times with what I think others think of my choices, but I have learned that I don't care what others think, that I made these choices for my family, with input made and discussed with my husband, and with the inspiration of the Lord in it for what we should do and that while I may not be saving the world one patient at a time as a medical assistant or a doctor, I am shaping and changing the world of my family and that they need me and that I matter to them. I may not be able to do a lot but I know that my husband knows that I love and support him with everything I have in my heart, that I have a son who knows that I would do anything for him and that I love him, and that I have a God who knows I try every day to put aside my pride and my fears and that I try every day to be a better, kinder, more selfless person. The people who matter most to me are affected by me everyday and I do make a difference for them and that I am happy being who I have chosen to be, and that I have found what was missing for years in myself in being a wife and mother.

I forgot that and I often forget that I do make a positive difference in the lives of those around me and that I do matter. I think women tend to forget that we don't have to conquer our lists or the world to be successful and happy and accomplished. That when we just try to be ourselves and to love those around us and we try to share our hearts and kindness and talents that we are changing the worlds of those around us each day. I wish we women knew that and remembered that we do matter and do make a difference and that even and especially the little things are the building blocks to the skyscrapers of our childrens' dreams, our spouses' confidence and support systems, and that we do shift their worlds each day for the better or the worse. That's an incredible thing. It won't put you in Forbes, or Cosmopolitan, or People, Time, or the National Geographic, but it will etch in their hearts and in yours the greatest memories, feelings, and will have lasting consequences. I think of my parents, and of my mother especially, and I know she had so much she could have done as a career woman, but I know that I have always felt loved, I have never felt ignored, and that I have always known that I mattered to her as she stayed home to raise my brothers and myself and that her personal choice to do that made all of the difference to me (I understand that that is not always possible for some families but I speak of my personal experience). I know there were days that she didn't feel important or that she felt overwhelmed and insignificant to the world, but she was my world for so long, and I learned to dream and to love from her. I see how she has affected the lives of those around her and how she and my dad have the marriage they do, how she so selflessly helps those around her even when she is out of energy or has had a hard day. She has and continues to make a difference and that to me means so much more than any cure for a disease or animal she could have discovered in the ocean had she followed the career dreams she had as a little girl.

Now, I know that marriage and motherhood may not be everyone's cup of tea and I don't mean to single out those women, I know that we all have the ability to make a difference to those around us and the message of this post is more that we as women do matter, and we do make a difference to those around us and that we don't have to abandon who we are to the world to be significant or to shift the lives of those around us. We make a difference each day to the people around us and I feel it is important to say that. The media never will, even when they talk about feminism (yes, I am a feminist for any reading) but being you as you are and choosing to follow your dreams whether big or small, public or private, that is what matters and never forget that you are a beautiful daughter of the One who created the universe. I know some don't believe in God, but I do, and all I want to say is that I believe that we all matter to Him, that we are His daughters, that He knows each of us by name, our wants, our desires, our dreams, and that He is proud of everything we do even when we don't realize our worth, He is so happy to see us succeed and to grow.

I just want to end this post with a large quote from a talk that President Dieter F. Uchtdorf (to those who are not LDS, he is a counselor to the President of our church) at the Womens General Conference last Sunday called, "Living the Gospel Joyful"

"My dear sisters in the gospel, whether you are 8 or 108, there is one thing that I hope you truly understand and know:

You are loved.

You are dear to your heavenly parents.

The infinite and eternal Creator of light and life knows you! He is mindful of you.

Yes, God loves you this very day and always.

He is not waiting to love you until you have overcome your weaknesses and bad habits. He loves you today with a full understanding of your struggles. He is aware that you reach up to Him in heartfelt and hopeful prayer. He knows of the times you have held onto the fading light and believed—even in the midst of growing darkness. He knows of your sufferings. He knows of your remorse for the times you have fallen short or failed. And still He loves you.

And God knows of your successes; though they may seem small to you, He acknowledges and cherishes each one of them. He loves you for extending yourself to others. He loves you for reaching out and helping others bear their heavy burdens—even when you are struggling with your own.

He knows everything about you. He sees you clearly—He knows you as you really are. And He loves you—today and always!

Do you suppose it matters to our Heavenly Father whether your makeup, clothes, hair, and nails are perfect? Do you think your value to Him changes based on how many followers you have on Instagram or Pinterest? Do you think He wants you to worry or get depressed if some un-friend or un-follow you on Facebook or Twitter? Do you think outward attractiveness, your dress size, or popularity make the slightest difference in your worth to the One who created the universe?

He loves you not only for who you are this very day but also for the person of glory and light you have the potential and the desire to become.

More than you could ever imagine, He wants you to achieve your destiny—to return to your heavenly home in honor.

I testify that the way to accomplish this is to place selfish desires and unworthy ambitions on the altar of sacrifice and service. Sisters, trust in the saving power of Jesus Christ; keep His laws and commandments. In other words—live the gospel joyful.

It is my prayer that you will experience a renewed and an expanded measure of the beautiful love of God in your lives; that you will find the faith, determination, and commitment to learn God’s commandments, treasure them in your hearts, and live the gospel joyful.

I promise that as you do so, you will discover your best self—your realself. You will discover what it truly means to be a daughter of the everlasting God, the Lord of all righteousness. "

I know that this was definitely for me and that it totally made cry when I read it because it voiced so much what I have needed to hear as I have struggled to feel of worth as a woman, as a wife, and as a mother. I hope that any who read this know that they make a difference to those around them and that each of you remember that you are so important and lovely, and wonderful.

Thanks for reading :)

Liz

Why I decided to shave my head

Okay, I feel like it is probably for the best that I address why I shaved my head now because my mom keeps getting concerned calls (I appreciate the love and concern and am happy to know that so many care enough to call), and I know I didn't really forewarn too many people so I am getting what I deserve for that lol. Also, I do want to thank everyone who has told me how great I look. It's pretty scary shaving one's head and if I have ever needed validation for something I have done, it is now!

So, here goes: I did not shave my head because I am sick. I am actually in very good health right now and even though I am tired all of the time that is just because I have a cute little man who likes to keep me busy! I did not shave my head because I am dealing with a crisis in life, or depressed, or losing my mind (although I do think it would be funny to dress up like Brittney Spears for Halloween now...sorry, too much? But I digress). I am actually the happiest I have been in a long time. I am married to an incredible and kind man who is my best friend, I have a beautiful son who I fall more and more in love with each day, and we try to live our days the best we can with love in our hearts and seeking to grow. I am happy and did not shave my head as a cry for help. Also, I wish I had known someone who could have used the support of my shaving my hair off (not that I wish someone had cancer to do that to, please understand I don't mean it like that) but if I had or ever have a friend who needs that support I'd do it again in a heartbeat!

I shaved my head because I have started a self discovery project. In the midst of dealing with such things as an eating disorder in high school, the hubub of growing into a new more independent person in college, getting married, dealing with an early miscarriage early on in marriage, having a very negative experience at a workplace, graduating, and phew having a baby, I feel that I have lost myself a little and I want to find myself again. When so many things happen in a ten year period (if you include high school) and most of the stuff happening in the last two years, you just go with the flow and try to get through it all. I have survived and am so much stronger for it, but I still find myself saying mean things about how I look and disliking the changes of my body and resenting that I have the body I have. Not cool and not okay. I know part of it is dealing with the emotional and mental components of an eating disorder which I will probably have to monitor and keep in check for the rest of my life, but I don't want my children to pick up those habits and I don't want to spend the rest of my life saying kind things to others and building them up and then going right back home and abusing myself with unkind words and tearing down my confidence.

Not only does it hurt me, but it hurts my husband and son who see me and love me for the beautiful woman I am. It hurts Heavenly Father too because I know that He sees me as a beautiful and worthwhile daughter with so much more potential than I ever allow for myself. When I am constantly fixating on my weight and my flaws all it does is distract me from the more important and happy things in life and hold me back from reaching my potential. And I want to find that potential. Part of that was finally going through with a little dream I have had for a while in shaving all of my hair off and realizing that I am beautiful without the hair and that who I am and what my body looks like without my security blankets is beautiful and wonderful and worthwhile.

I want to feel the confidence I exude to others and see myself for the beautiful woman I know I am but don't always feel. That is why I shaved my head. To feel a change and a new beginning as I learn to love myself a little (a lot) more. I may or may not share my experiences as I work to learn to love myself more, but I am journaling my experiences and am already finding that my scripture study is more meaningful. I look in the mirror with more confidence, and I see that even though I feel and look so different that my husband and son only see me for me and love me all the same. If any of you who read this would like to join in with finding more confidence and appreciating your beauty inside and out more, let me know, I'd love to share what helps me and encourage you in your journeys too.

It was so scary getting rid of my security blanket of hair and I still miss it and I have definitely cried at what made me cut my hair, but I am also finding that I look in the mirror and am liking what I see and I am learning to accept this and make it a wonderful positive more and more.

Thank you for reading and thank you again for your support. Please let me know if you'd like to hear more about my project, I'd be happy to share, and if you need/want support I am always happy to give it!

Love,

Liz

Has it seriously been 3 months????

Hello All!

I am so sorry that it's been so long since I last posted on the blog! It has been a C-razy month and a half and our internet was going so slow at the other place that it was harder to post anything let alone a blog post.

So since June a lot has happened! We moved to our new little house and we absolutely love it. It is roomy and it is adorable and it feels like home in so many ways which we've been looking for for a while. We have a yard, and neighbors, and we love our ward. We miss our old ward, but we meet in the same building and see them all of the time which is wonderful. Since joining the new ward we have been and felt so incredibly welcomed by them. We have had so many people come up and introduce themselves, and we even got to go to a ward party yesterday evening and we loved it. It was pretty hard to be so sick when I was pregnant because I felt like it was a huge success when I could even go to church and go to the first meeting and it was hard to get to know people when I was constantly in and out. Now that things have settled down it is so nice to feel a sense of community again. And we definitely feel community in Teton.

Teton, ID, is a small little town (literally little, it's basically a couple of miles long and along the highway and has about 760 people total in the town!) about ten to fifteen miles outside of Rexburg. We found out about it when our friends lived here and when we were looking for a new apartment we found the beautiful loft one in Teton, and then we found this house we are in now in Teton as well. Since moving into Teton, we have fell in love with it. It is so quiet and friendly, and we are so glad we were led here.

Ben was able to get a second job and although I don't get to see him as often as I'd like (which is all the time, so I guess I had to have a dose of reality) we are thrilled to have found it. He is also getting very close to being done with school for Spring semester and won't be back in school until January. This will be awesome because now we can get into a rhythm with work and family life without homework assignments being included :) He is thriving at being a dad and Finch loves his big buddy. They play all of the time and even though Finch doesn't get to see his daddy as much during the week, they enjoy their 3 am feedings and weekends together :)

Finch is three months now. Yes, I did say three months. Where did the time go? I have no idea. I can't believe as I look at my little boy who can hold his head up when we hold him and sit in his bumbo like the big boy he is, or who is downing lots of milk so fast that he is basically doubling in size every other week, how much time has flown by. As much as I miss my little 6 pound baby, I love seeing him grow. I love hearing his almost laugh, and seeing the gummy grin that has won my heart. Whenever I think of that baby commercial that said, "Who knew the love of my life would be a chubby and bald?" I think of my beautiful little boy. I love him so much. Ben loves him so much. We are just enthralled with this spiritual giant who has graced us with his loving presence. He is so funny, and so sweet, and I can't imagine a happier existence than with him being a part of our home. I keep learning new things about him like: he clenches his fists and curls his toes when he eats, he only gets angry and cries when he is hungry and he goes from not hungry to ravenous starved Donner party member in about ten seconds, he loves when we sing to him, and he won't go to sleep without us reading, "Where the Wild Things Are" first. When he gets sad, he sticks out his lower lip, and puckers it just enough to look so sad and so adorable. Poor thing, he tries to make me feel bad and I do, but I have to laugh at his cuteness too. The first thing he does when he sees me is smile, and he squeals and sounds like a dying rabbit when he is mad. He is so unique and so wonderful and I love every minute I get to spend with him!!

Here is the progression of 0-3 months!

My sweet and silly little boy! :)

Working his sad face magic on his Mama. I am such a sucker for his expressions...

As for me, I am currently getting over a double infection that left me in bed most of the week, and I am trying to figure out how to unpack and organize everything. I am also getting into crocheting more. I need a creative outlet when Finch is sleeping besides Grey's Anatomy and Master Chef and I am really enjoying being able to create and see my skills coming together. I am also below my pre-pregnant weight and I am trying to keep it that way. I found within six weeks of Finch being born that my milk supply was drying up, and I have been transitioning to life without a breast pump, nursing pads, or a baby needing only me. It's been about 7 weeks since that started and I think we have a good rhythm now. Also, I feel that how I feed my son is a personal decision and I chose to stop breastfeeding when my body wasn't able to feed him what he needed (and by what he needed I mean that I went from producing 4 ounces a sitting to less than two and then to less than one when he was needing four ounces every 2 hours in just over a week) and when it was making me a sick and an unhappy mother, and since we have switched to formula he has thrived and so have I. I don't know why that happened, but I guess there is a genetic pattern of it in my family so at least I got to breastfeed him while I could :)

That is life for us right now. We are loving life and although it isn't easy and is always teaching me new things, I wouldn't change a thing. It is wonderful being a mother, and as Ben and I approach our two year anniversary next month, I can't help but marvel at the sweetness my life has had since marrying my eternal sweetheart :)

I promise to write more often now that things are coming together and are more regular.

Have a lovely Sabbath!

Love,

Liz, Ben, Finch, and Zola

Our June So Far

I know it's been a while. And we have been very busy as of late, (Babies can do that to you ;) ). We are in the midst of getting ready to move (again) but this time to a house with three bedrooms. We are super excited because it will be a place we can grow with rather than outgrow super quickly which Ben and I managed to do with our current one bedroom apartment. We love our current place. It is beautiful, we love our ward, and it is so unique and filled with creative energy. But, alas, we must go and by go, I mean move down the street (so we're not going too far lol). We're pretty excited. With the new place having three bedrooms, we can make one an office or studio for Ben and I to use while the other is using the front room, and we will have a nursery for Finch, plus a yard to play in as well. With the warm weather here (finally!) in Idaho, we can go and lay out on the lawn and enjoy it even more! While I am excited for Finch to have his own bedroom, I know it will be hard for me to get used to him sleeping in another room because he's been right beside my bed for the last two months and I still miss him even if he's just sleeping beside me. He'll probably still be in our room a lot though, he always manages to stay close to us no matter what :)

Motherhood is becoming my true joy in life apart from the gospel and being a wife. I never thought that I'd find something that is so fulfilling. Sure, there are days where I get nothing done but hold my child, my clothes are dirty, I smell, and my house looks like the set from the movie, "Tornado", but I wouldn't change it for anything when I see my sweet little guy smile at me or reach out for me. He is so worth it all and I just fall more and more in love with him with each day. I think one of my most favorite things is seeing how curious he is and how his personality is coming out more and more. There is such wonder in those eyes of his as he takes in the world around him and it makes me so happy to see such genuine interest in everything. Plus, he has such a sweet and calming spirit he brings into our home. Things are also getting easier as he is at the point now where he only wakes up once a night, maybe two depending on the day, and then just goes back to sleep and he is sleeping pretty well during the day as well. I love it because then I can get some things done and then we can focus on his routine which has proven to be super helpful!

Finch from a couple of days old to almost two months!!

Ben and I love being parents, and we are getting into the swing of things with sleep schedules, feeding routines, and how to leave the house in a somewhat timely manner. Finch is finally growing a bit and is going to be two months in a week and 8 weeks this Friday.That's crazy. Finally, his newborn clothes are starting to look snug and like they fit him, and his 0-3 month clothes are still huge, but not quite as huge as they were a couple of weeks ago. He is already so strong, and kicks all of the time and can hold his head up when we burp him. It's amazing to me to see his funny personality already. He smiles when I play with him and when I am the first person he sees after a nap. He cries when he doesn't get fed as much food as he wants the moment he wants it, he loves to fall asleep on Ben's chest (we call him the "glorified pillow"), and is fussy the moment he knows I am out of the room. His hair is starting to grow in and is a beautiful strawberry blonde and his eyes are a deep sea grey/blue. He and Zola are friends. Well, let me rephrase that: He loves Zola, and Zola shyly loves him back when she's not quite as jealous. She gets protective of him with guests, and he smiles whenever she is near and loves being close to her (he always kicked in my tummy when she would purr when I held her.). I think they will grow to be great friends and as time is proving it isn't too far off :)

School is going well for Ben and we are currently trying to find a second job for him, especially with summer coming, it would be great to start saving up money for his off track and when he goes back to school! He loves his job as a tutor and has such a gift for it. Last semester he decided to go with Special Education K-12 for his major and he seems to really enjoy his classes and the future such a career will hold. It is so wonderful to see that he is happy with what he is doing and that he comes home excited rather than stressed and frustrated. Seeing that satisfaction is worth it all to me :)

So that is our June so far. Next week we will get to see how much Finch has grown and then we will be busy busy with packing and getting ready to move!

Toodaloo friends!

Love,

Liz, Ben, Finch, and Zola :)

Memorial Day Weekend

It has been hard getting back into real life after such a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! For as long as I can remember, Memorial Day has been more than just a day to honor our veterans and servicemen (although I thank and appreciate each of you who give your time and lives to protect our country) but a day to honor and remember loved ones who have passed on, veteran or not. Memorial Day has been a day where we would go to Salt Lake City to see family, and then travel throughout the Utah valley to the various gravesites where loved ones from as far back as I can remember are buried. My mom and dad would buy lots of flowers and would lovingly clean up each gravestone they could and leave flowers for each of their loved ones and would then tell us stories about them. I remember Dad telling me about my great great grandmother who would come and take care of my grandmother as a little girl, my great great great grandparents who saved up money for their daughters to go to America from Norway even though they wouldn't be able to go along and how they never saw each other again, my great uncle and how he said this or my great great aunt and what she would do with my dad when he was a child. We would visit my mother's side of the family and celebrate my grandmother's birthday with a huge party. Each year we did this and it has only been in the past few years that we haven't been able to go as much which is hard because I always look forward to the drives to Heber City, Midway, Pleasant Grove, and Salt Lake City cemeteries and to the stories I would hear about them. Especially because I did family history research before Finch was born while I was at home, I felt the ties of family even stronger this year than ever before.

This year we went to stay with Ben's family in Provo and enjoyed a fun family dinner with his side, and then on Sunday we enjoyed the homecoming of one of my cousins who just got back from Chile. Yesterday, Ben and I went to Heber City and left flowers on the gravesite of my father's parents and then had to head home because we were running late and had a long drive ahead of us. I wish I could have done more and could have visited all of my loved ones. After getting lost and spending twenty minutes searching for their plot, I was grateful to see that my grandparents were doing well and that they had been visited by more loved ones apart from us. If only Jeanne knew there were spiders on her side of the gravestone. She hated bugs of any kind and would have had a fit. We tried to clean everything up and leave it beautiful and touched with love.

Ben and Finch were super tired after a day of driving up to Provo

Did I forget to mention that I was too? :)

Finch in his Sunday best :) He was a bit serious after a day of being held by family he didn't know.

Finch was charming his great grandmother on Ben's side of the family. She loved getting to hold him :)

This was at Doc and Jeanne Mahoney's gravestone (my grandparents on my dad's side)

Now we are back to the hubbub of being new parents and it is hard to think how quickly this last weekend went. I am grateful for the loved ones I got to see and so grateful to see how each of them welcomed my little Finch into the family with so much love. I can't even tell you how many people held him and wanted to be near him. He was so loved and it made my heart warm just to see how the ties of family extend so far. I know that loved ones beyond the veil were there and that many loved ones were there to welcome him when he was born that I couldn't see, and it's holidays like Memorial day that I appreciate the binding ties of family with the gospel. One of the happiest messages I think the LDS church teaches is that of eternal families. I look at my husband and my son, and then at my immediate and extended families and I see that eternal families can and do exist. I think of those who are gone in this world but who are flourishing in the next and I know that they are preparing it for us and are there to help us when we are in times of need.

I am grateful for family and so grateful for the love and friendship that ties us together forever.

Love,

Liz, Ben, Finch and Zola

A month on Friday...

Wow. Now I get it. All those years my mom would tell me to stop growing up and I'd just roll my eyes and try harder to be an adult make sense to me now. As I look at my little boy who is not quite as little as he was a month ago, and as I try to think of where the time has gone, I am drawing a blank. It could be all of that sleep deprivation wiping my short term memory, but I just don't get it. How can time fly so quickly? The nine-ten months of carrying him inside me took forever, but already he will be four weeks old the day after tomorrow. It's not fair.

Looking back on the past month I can't believe the journey we've been on and I am so glad he is a part of my life story now. I loved getting to celebrate Mother's Day as a new mother, and getting to proudly tell people who ask us how old he is when we go out for groceries or for errands. I love this little boy, and with every night that I have to wake up in zombie mode to nurse him, or to comfort him when he's fussy, I wake up loving him more and more. I just can't even begin to describe the love I feel for him that grows each day. And it gets worse everyday to the point that I know I will never get over this love I have for him. And he's growing up already and needs to stop. When he's 35 years old I won't be able to give him hundreds of kisses a day or hold him close to me and I don't want those moments to stop! (Hopefully he'll have kids of his own by then and I can just kiss them ;) ).

Such is the dilemma for every mother I guess. Being at home with him has been a true joy and I thank God each day that I am able to be home with Finch because Ben is able to work the job he does. We are so blessed and I am so grateful for the hours I get to spend with my little one. Being a mommy rocks and I would never change it :)

Love, Liz, Ben, Finch, and Zola :)

Has It Been Two Weeks Already??

Two weeks ago, I was sitting in the hospital as they hooked me up to a Pitocin drip and waiting for my little man to make his arrival. I can't believe it's already been two weeks. In some ways, it feels like he was just born yesterday, and in other ways, it feels as if he has always been with us and that we've always been parents. I love it. I cannot say enough how much I love being a mama. Loving and caring for Finch is like breathing for me and even though I do get tired and overwhelmed at moments, that is life, and I am just so amazed by this incredible little boy and the joy he brings to Ben and I.

His two week check up went great and while he is needing to put on some fat and still has a tiny bit of jaundice, he is doing great. He is such a good baby. People don't believe it when I tell them that he only wakes up about twice a night (maybe three times but that's not as common) and once he's fed and diapered goes right back to sleep and hardly cries. He sleeps like an angel and loves to be snuggled. He is so good, and I feel so blessed.

In the past two weeks I have learned:

1. Finch loves breastfeeding and tolerates the bottle if I have to pump, we had to supplement with formula about three times total while I waited for my milk supply to come in and he doesn't enjoy it at all.
2. He has an incredibly strong suck. Ouch, ouch, ouch.
3. When he gets too hungry, he gets frustrated and spends a lot longer trying to latch. Poor guy, he gets flustered just like his mama when he's upset.
4. Finch hates baths. Honestly, they are kind of sucky until you get to be immersed in the warm water. I'm working on finding a good way to do that while I am still healing up from delivery.

5. Finch can pee anytime, anywhere, and has the power to turn it on and off to his advantage. It is like a water gun, and he is dangerous.
6. I can guarantee that 95% of the time he will pee after I have finished cleaning him up while diapering him. It rarely makes it into the new diaper, but onto the bed, my shirt, Ben, or Finch's little face. Poor guy...poor us.
7. Finch is most alert after a feeding and will get very mature and thoughtful expressions like he is pondering eternity. If only I could hear his thoughts, it is amazing to see the wheels turning behind his eyes :)

8. Kangaroo care rocks and Finch loves it. He loves being held and snuggled and if I hold him, he practically stops crying, whimpering, or being restless and just relaxes.
9.He loves Enya and sleeps through anything if she is playing because I listened to her when I was pregnant with him.
10. I am a Child of God and Away in a Manger are his favorite primary songs.
11. His hands must always be by his face. Don't ask questions, just let him do it.
12. He adores his daddy to no end. He may look like me, but he is definitely his father's son.
13. Just being close to us is all he really needs to be content and happy. He has never been away from us since being born. Apart from a two hour gap when Ben and I ran some errands and Grandma Mary watched him, he has always been close by. I can't stand being away from him.
14. We've only really tried it a couple of times because he is still so small, but he loves babywearing.
15. He is super strong.  His neck muscles are super strong and he almost rolled over the other day. I am in for it once he learns how to use his body more.
16. Already, he smiles and giggles in his sleep. He also makes the Zoolander face with the kissy/pursed lips and the furrowed brow. He is so expressive. I love it!

17. His favorite place to be is snuggled into my chest so he can sleep to the beat of my heart. (rather poetic, isn't it? ;) )
18. He fits nothing. All of his newborn clothes look like they belong on a giant baby, and it is so darling to see how little he is.

19. He is the most brave and resilient baby I have ever met. He is such a trooper and never ceases to amaze me with his incredible strength. During labor, during his blood draws, his circumcision, and more blood draws, he hardly cried and was just the sweetest little guy.
20. I am hopelessly and irrevocably in love with this little boy and I am so grateful I get to be his mama :)
21. He squeaks in his sleep, moans with joy when he gets his b-juice (our nickname for breastmilk), and chirps like a little baby bird when he is talking to us. Let's just say his entire name: Callum means dove/hope, and Finchley pretty much means bird all around.

Love,

Liz, Ben, Finch, and Zola :)