Rise and Shine!

Our Aaron has such a sweet spirit and tender little heart. Five minutes hardly ever pass without him checking in on Levi. He can be found every morning peeking over Levi's bassinet before Levi wakes up. And this morning, since we weren't rushing him to get ready for school, he just watched Levi sleep for a long time. So I thought I'd take a picture to remember these precious brotherly love moments. Levi doesn't realize just how loved and blessed he really is!

Put a Smile On

Little Levi is starting to smile!! Here are some pics of one of his first!

Little Levi

It's been a month, and Levi is not so little anymore! Our baby boy is growing like crazy, no matter how much I want him to stay my baby boy. At four weeks old, Levi's favorite things are eating, sleeping, and staring at lights. He just started grinning at us on April 8th, which we all find adorable! He is also starting to sleep longer at night, so we're getting more rest.

I have totally loved having a new baby. We say he is completely spoiled because he really likes to be held and cuddled; but I just can't help it. He is our last baby, so I want to relish every minute I have with him. My favorite moments are when I am feeding him, and he grabs hold of my thumb and pinkie and squeezes as hard as he can. I look at his little fingers around mine and dream of what great things his little hands will do and what awesome plans God has in store for my baby's future.

Even Levi's big brothers continually take care of him. They check on him every morning, hold him after school, and dispense hugs and sugars at bedtime. When he cries, they stick his paci in his mouth and pat his tummy or rub his little forehead. It is a such a joy to watch as they love their baby brother with all their heart!

Anyway, there you have it-Levi's life story so far. Hope you enjoy the pics!

Surprise!

The Thursday before Easter, Jeff and I spontaneously decided to head back home for the holidays to surprise our family. So Friday night at 9:00 we pulled into my unsuspecting parents' driveway, and boy were they happy!!


We spent Saturday with Jeff's brothers and sisters cooking out, and all the grandkids hunted Easter eggs. I forgot the camera, but Jeff's mom captured the fun. I'll post pictures as soon as I get them.

After dying eggs, we had Easter dinner at Mama Nance and Daddy Wayne's, where we also flew kites and hunted eggs again.





While in town, we also visited Jeff's Mammaw and Roy, my Mammaw and Papa Don, Aunt Cathy and Jordan, and even Becky. Everyone was excited to see us, but even more excited to hold little Levi!

More Levi and More Visitors

Levi is just melting our hearts. We love him more and more each day. After Ma and Pa's visit, Nana and Pepaw had to come see their new grandbaby. Even after 12 grandkids already, Levi found some room in their hearts of course! While Nana and Pepaw were here, Pepaw and the boys competed with the Wii; and we took them on the "tour" of Memphis, where we stopped at the Peabody Place and ate some BBQ at Jillian's. These are some pictures of the visit, as well as some more at the hospital and coming home. . .

Ready or Not, Here He Comes!

It seems as if time just flew by as we waited for Levi; and before we knew it, the time had come. And we weren't quite ready! Some friends of mine threw a surprise baby shower, thankfully; and we received some clothes, diapers and supplies, and a playpen. Besides that, we didn't have much more. We've borrowed a crib, but we had to buy pretty much everything else. Jeff's parents sent us a new stroller/carseat combo, which we are extremely grateful for. My parents, grandparents, and aunt sent lots of goodies like bottles, blankets, and more clothes. So all this to say: we were totally prepared by the time Levi arrived!! Thanks to everyone who supplied us with the physical needs, and also thanks to everyone who's lifted us up in your prayers!!

Here are a few pictures of the many preparations. . .