Becoming Smiley

Well, It had been over 4 weeks since I have Joined you all on this planet. I have decided that I like the Smiley Clan. Since I will be a part of the Smileys I have decided that I will start to smile. It is harder then you think... I have this crying thing down. It gets me what I want, food, being held, cleaning my backside. I am now going to try a different approach. I have heard that the smile can be even more effective in the future. It has the power to melt hearts and bend the wills of even the strongest. This is hard work and still in the beginning stages. I will keep you informed on my progress. Later I will try to keep my head attached, but first thing is first lets smile!

-Rigel

Mommy thinks I'm handsome!

So here we are, 4 weeks old already! Where did the time go? Rigel continues to be a joy as he grows and grows. We are getting to know him better and "understand" his needs and cries. He is still on a great schedule. We are taking regular early morning walks and he enjoys his swing, bouncy seat and being the the bjorn with mommy. Boyd is an awesome dad willing to still change the middle of the night diaper despite having to get up for work. We get out every now and then and he does well, attracting the attention of those around us with his charm and sweetness! He is starting to interact and recognize me easily and is attempting a smile;-)

A crappy day;-)

We got this deal to have "mommy and me" photos taken by this amazing photographer. So I got up early to get ready in time and have Rigel fed. All in all it went well but most of the photos Rigel is in his birthday suit, which for our son, makes him a loaded gun! First I got peed on and then a bit later, Boyd got the poopy mustard squirt on his shirt, jeans and shoes! It made us all laugh. The photographer even got the pee stream on film... a regular pee fountian it was! Hopefully she'll let us have that one for free to commemorate the day!

A Taste...

Well I got a small taste of life with just me and Rigel on Tuesday when Boyd had a district meeting for work. No shower that day, ate breakfast by 10:00 but did make it to a breastfeeding group by noon! Rigel got changed 4 times that day for either spitting up or leaking pee because we had cloth diapers that were too small at the time. Whew!
I hate to say it, but I can see how new moms let themselves go, my hair is up a lot these days and jeans/sweats and a t-shirt are a fitting new mom wardrobe. I am debating cutting a few inches off my hair if it's just going to be in a pony tail for the next few months. Well, next week is the true test when Boyd returns to his 10hour work days and me and the babe are on our own!
So if you are reading this and live in the area, please stop by and visit for a while!

Mother's Day

Dena's Mother's Day started at 12:05 a.m. Rigel was very instant that he wanted to eat. He slept ok after that. I got her a card that she enjoyed and a pair of shoes (the wrong size of course. Fellas, just a note, jewelry goes over better.) I guess all women have a friend named Tiffany.

The morning went well and we made our first voyage to church. Dena and I liked the service but Rigel thought it was boring and slept the whole time.

Later we met my parents and brother at the Chautauqua dining hall for brunch, it was scenic and nice. Rigel must not have been impressed because slept through that too. At the end he let us know he was done just sitting in the seat and told mom that it was time to eat.

As a family we are somewhat setting into a routine. I am really enjoying my time off work, I think everybody should only have to work one month on one off. The powers that be did not ask me about scheduling.

For me (Dena), it was pretty amazing that after 2.5 weeks you can get all the recognition and gifts for mother's day. Though with the schedule I am keeping, my dismay is quickly dissolved and I am willing to fully claim this wonderful holiday known as Mother's Day! It gives me a whole new appreciation for my mom since she went through this with me when I was Rigel's age. Love you mom and can't say it enough!

Getting to church for the first time was no small feat. Babies seem to know when you need to get somewhere at a certain time and will interject their feeding schedule into that. I was raised being on-time or early everywhere I go... thank goodness for grace so I can accept the fact that occasional lateness is just a part of being a new mom.

All in all, I love my baby so incredibly much and thus, love being a mother, but told Boyd that I prefer being called "mommy, mama or mom".

2 weeks and still kicking

Well friends Rigel is such a blessing! yesterday the 7th we took Rigel to his 2 week check up. The doctor said he was perfect, and was suprised at how alert he is. He grew 3/4 of an inch and gained weight, he is back to his original birth weight. (Babies naturally lose weight when they are born.) Everything checked out great!

He is starting to put himself on a sleep schedule of sorts... he goes to bed about 9:30 and will sleep until about 2:00a.m. and then until about 7:00. So I (Dena) get some sleep, just broken sleep. He had one hard night this week where he ate every 2 hours so just as soon as he was done and settled, we were back at it... ugh!

It's all worth it though... wouldn't trade it for anything! We've made it out of the house a few times now for errands, the mall, visitng our friends the Wiltons who had their baby 6 days after us and such. I'm learning how to use my "hooter hider" and the backseat of the car for feedings on the go!

We have our first fun outing this Saturday as we were invited to a garden party at the Binders. We'll get pictures loaded from that as soon as available. And of course Sunday is MOTHER'S DAY!!!!!! We are brunching at Chatacqua Dinning Hall... can't wait for that! What a proud Mommy I am;-)

In the Beginning

So here we go,

Dena an I met Oct. 30, 2005, engaged Sept. 17, 2006 and married Dec. 31, 2006. Time well spent if you ask me.

Dena just gave birth to our son, Rigel Shane Garcia Smiley. (Pronounced Regal.) April 23, 2008 at 6:05am weighing 7lbs 2oz, 20 1/4 inches. 23 hours of natural child birth. Way to go Dena!!!

We will add more later.