January is coming to an end......

Van just turned 7 weeks old this past Friday and I can't believe how much he changes week to week. Courtney sent me all the pictures from Van's newborn photo shoot and I couldn't believe how small he was only 6 weeks ago! Here are some of my favorite shots:

Daddy Awe

Kisses to his sweet face

He has my heart

All curled up

That bottom lip makes me giggle

Van and I have been meeting every Wednesday morning at 11 with our play group and it's something we both look forward to every week! Van really enjoys lying next to his friends and kicking his arms and legs. He looks like he's riding a bike - just like his daddy. After play group we usually take a nice, long walk around the booty loop (a 3 mile loop around the Myers Park neighborhood). We get some fresh air and Van takes a nap!

Hudson and Van

Little pea pod

Every Friday Van gets to spend quality time with Grandma Utsey (Mimi) while mommy goes to the gym and works out with her trainer Ryan. This quality time usually consists of napping and eating. I am excited to be back in the gym training but was shocked at how weak I felt and how sore I have been. Thanks Ryan for kicking my booty!

Spending time at Mimi's

Last weekend Van and I took an Infant Massage class at the hospital with Kate and Avery. Van was so alert and relaxed after the class. He slept soundly in the car on the way home so I try to incorporate the baby massage into our bedtime routine.

He's really started cooing a lot and talking to us. He smiles and laughs when he sees his daddy. Van loves being read to and shows it by pumping his fists and kicking his legs!

This weekend we were homebound because Charlotte was hit with a tiny snowstorm. But it's not the snow that kept us in - it was the ice! Luckily we had an amazing view of all the white stuff from our moon tower. Being eight stories up has it's advantages!

Derek missed Van's first snowday because he was in New Orleans for his best friend Blair's bachelor party. We missed Derek greatly and our weekend just wasn't the same. We are so excited that D comes home today!

Snow Van

Loved By Many

Our little punk on Christmas Day with visions of X games playing in his skulligan (a D-ism for head.....)*

So many of our friends and family have come to visit us and meet Van for the first time. We love that they love him as much as we do! He is one lucky little boy to have so many fabulous people in his life.

Since Van was born, Derek and I have been the fortunate recipients of many delicious home-made dinners and our favorite take-out. A huge THANKS! to all of our food fairies. We really appreciate how incredibly generous and helpful you all have been!

Here are lots of our friends and family that can't get enough of the littlest Utsey!

Brooke & Jack (parents to Lawton - Van's soon-to-be partner in crime due February 13th)

Erin (I'm so excited to share Erin's pregnant with a baby girl due May 25th)

Wes

Meghan

Lexi

Martha

Philmo

Rich & Beth

Nana

The Colonel

Brooke & Col Col

Van's Godfahza & Godmahza

Mimi

Grandpa Utz

Kate

Trav (who was so great at giving Van his bottle)

Q

Libbs

Mac

*side note: A D-ism is our word for words that Derek makes up!

One Blessed Month

We can't believe Van is a month old today!! This month has gone bye in one quick blur but I have no idea what we did before Van. He has enriched our life so much and we are very thankful for him.

We had our one month check-up today. Van now weighs 11 pounds 11.5 ounces and he is 23 inches long which puts him in the 90th percentile for his age group. I was looking through all the pictures we've taken in the last month and he already looks so much bigger!

Van has done a lot of sleeping this month. Here are some of my favorite pictures of my little man slumbering. What is that saying? - "Let sleeping babes lie".

Van is very excited to announce that he is expecting his first cousin to arrive on August 12, 2010. We are so happy for Candace and Clay. They are going to be amazing parents. Baby G is very lucky! Here is the first official picture of Baby Goodman (a.k.a. Baby G)!

There is a First for Everything!

We've had a lot of "firsts" these past couple of weeks and I wanted to share a few of them with you.

On New Years Eve, Derek and I gave Van his first bath. He did not like it so much! He hates being cold so sitting in a sling over warm water and being washed wasn't the best experience for him. It didn't take long to get him clean and wrap him in a towel!

Instead of bathing him again, he took his first shower with Derek and he enjoyed that so much more! Looks like we have found the best way to keep him smelling baby fresh for now. (Sorry no picture!)

At three weeks old, the pediatrician recommended that we start giving him a bottle everyday for a week so that he will learn to take one when we are not home. Derek was very excited to be able to feed him! It was also recommended that I leave the house so Van couldn't hear my voice or smell me but he is such a great eater that he took that bottle regardless.

Van now weighs 11 pounds 5 ounces! He goes in for his 1 month check-up on January 11th. We can't believe how quickly the month has gone by and cannot imagine life without our peanut.

It has been absolutely freezing here in Charlotte but we wanted to test out our Baby Jogger so we bundled Van up and took him to the EpiCentre for a little shopping! He looked like a little Eskimo!

In this picture you will notice his Sleep Sheep (we call him Lamb-y) which we do not go anywhere without. Lamb-y is worth his weight in gold! Being like his father, Van loves the sounds of water - rain and ocean waves. As soon as we turn on Lamb-y he falls right to sleep!

Derek has been introducing Van to lots of music. Here is Van during his first listen to the musical soundings of Jay-Z. "Can I get a what what?"

Today Van and I went to our first playdate with Brooke, Baby Hudson, Ashley and Baby Ella. It was a lot of fun and we're already looking forward to seeing everyone again next week. It's so helpful being able to talk to other moms who have babies around the same age and see what their days and nights are like!

Van is a great sleeper. He naps off and on during the day with about two to three hours of alertness. At night it varies, we try to go to bed by 10 and right now he usually wakes up twice a night to nurse. He loves to babble in his sleep and make lots of noise. My favorite thing to hear is his sweet baby laughter!

Baxter loves playtime.

He smiles at us more and more showing off that sweet dimple. We are so in love with our little man!

Van's First Christmas and NYE

We hope that everyone had a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year! May 2010 bring lots of happiness, love and laughter to you and yours. As we reflect back on 2009, we're reminded of all that we have to be thankful for; a wonderful family, amazing friends, a healthy and happy baby boy, a roof over our heads and delicious food on the table. We are so blessed to have each of you in our lives. We look forward to making more memories to share in 2010!

We went over to my parents' house for our tradition of breakfast for dinner on Christmas Eve. We had french toast and bacon (my favorite) this year! A little eggnog too! There were lots of laughs as we all enjoyed our little game of Secret Santa.

Van wore his little Santa sleeper and relished being so loved by all.

On Christmas Day, the three of us slept in then went to mom and dad Utsey's house for brunch. We had our traditional mimosas and sausage balls! Around 5 p.m. mom and dad Luke and Candace and Clay came over for dinner. Van loved having all his family together in one place and being the center of attention!

Another special thing that happened over the holidays: Van got to meet one of his Great-Grandmothers and one his Great-Grandfathers this Christmas season.

Grammy Utsey, Derek and Van

Grandpa Danens, Ruth and Van

We rang in the New Year with our dear friends Stew, Quinerly, Mac and Libby. What a difference a year makes - last year we all rang in 2009 and Quinerly was nearing the end of her pregnancy, Libby was just starting to share her wonderful pregnancy news and I wasn't pregnant yet. This year, we had three sleeping babes!! It was very special and a lot of fun too!

Happy 2010!!

Derek and Van

Mommy and Van

Van partied hard and passed out!