Fly By February

 Love finding gems like this.

 This kid is so sweet.  He is always trying to help out with Cody where ever he can.  He is going to make a great dad one day.

sleepy baby

First you can't wake them up...

And then they won't go to sleep....

CODY updates

Well the first night home was aweful!!  I don't think my milk had come in yet, he was hungry and then he'd get ticked and wouldn't try to eat anymore, but instead he'd just scream.....so he was literally up ALL night long. I was super frustrated and of course emotional.  The one thing a mother should be able to do with their newborn is pacify and comfort them with feeding them and I couldn't even do that.  Thankfully again for me, Cordelle walked and bounced him ALL night while I cried myself to sleep.  I felt prompted to get up and drink as much water as I possibly could and pray for my milk to come in.  I don't know if it was the water or the prayer that helped but Cody did seem to be a little more content over the next few days.  And strangely enough for the first couple weeks, even though I was tired, I did not mind getting up to feed him.  I was almost excited and willing to do so.  I believe I was strengthened during this time because now (2 months later) I feel exhausted everytime I wake up to feed him. 
  Over time he started spitting up and we're afraid he's probably got acid reflux.  Never had a baby that spits up at all so this ought to be a new experience for us.  Luckily he takes a pacifier like a champ and actually loves the smoothie binki's from the hospital (which again is new and different than the other 3 kids).  But I think if he didn't take a binki, he'd probably be crying all the time, cause he doesn't seem real content.  But the kids are adjusting and I am trying to as well.  It takes me a few months to realize this is the new normal, but hopefully with a daily gratitude journal and things like basketball, PTA and teaching Gospel Doctrine will force me to get out and get back into real life...a MUST for me to emotionally stay on top of the hopelessness and depression that sometimes comes with having a newborn.
  Seth is the most helpful.  He is so sweet and tells me he'd willingly get up with Cody in the night, if we just wake him up.  Love him!  He is the first to want to help by holding him.
  Jaq kind of stays aloof of him.  She is nervous to hold him because she might drop him.  I once kind of tricked her into holding Cody standing up and wouldn't take him from her just to give her the confidence that she could hold him without dropping him and there was nothing to be afraid of.  She kind of keeps to her own self with the new baby.
  Collin loves his little brother and takes pride in his ability to give him his binki when it falls out (which is his self proclaimed job in the car as well as at home).  But as most toddlers do, he is manifesting the new baby change, by refusing to go to the bathroom by himself.  He now thinks he needs help pulling his pants down, getting on and washing his hands which with a newborn is almost impossible with how often I am feeding.  I think whats most frustrating is I KNOW he doesn't really need help.  But knowing this is just a manifestation of the change of attention, I am extra careful to try when I can to be willing to help him and stay positive until this passes.  I have tried my best to make sure I give him extra attention and positive comments about him and Cody together.  Hopefully this won't last long.  But Collin has completely impressed me with his stubbornness to hold himself until someone will help him.  And a lot of times, he just doesn't want to go until he decides and this can often be... a really long time. I say this much though, the kid has a champ of a bladder (although I don't know if its healthy for him to hold it as along as he does sometimes).

Cody Clyde Morris debuts on Valentines Day 2016

Well here he is.  Cody Clyde (named after my dad).  Labor was awesome as usual.  I did have a few contractions of my own, but my water did break again with no real progress into labor so it was petocin and an epidural for me.  Love my epidurals.  I sat up, watched Cody come out in 3 painless pushes and loved it.  He was healthy and perfect.  Interestingly they couldn't get him to cry.  He was breathing, but I guess that big cry helps there lungs pop all the air bubbles on the aveoli or something?  Anyways they were patting him and rubbing his feet and trying all sorts of things but the kid would not cry.  So they ended up having to do some breathing treatment on him, which was fine.  And don't get me wrong, he did not hold onto that characteristic forever.  He definitely can scream with the best of them now.  I just thought that was interesting.  Anyhow, here are his stats.  7lbs 8oz. 21 inch. long.  Nursed really well right from the get go.  Probably the best nurser yet!  Here's to the next few LONG months ahead. 

Oh Madi

This sweet little girl is Madi.  She has been such a great friend to my kids.  Matter of fact she was the first friend Seth ever really had.  She was always so kind to Jaquelle even though she was 2 years older.  She always included her and played with her like she was the same age.  Since we moved in when she was just a few months old and Seth was almost one, my kids grew to love being with or playing with Madi.  Coincidentally Madi became Seth's first crush.  But for kids this age, it was really more of Best friend.  Madi comforted him when he was nervous at primary and crying or terrified in Kindergarten.  She always made sure he felt included or had friends. And when he would avoid playing with the big group of kids (seth was always more of a one on one type of play kid), she would make sure he knew if he wanted to, she would be there.  There were many birthday parties and other gatherings that he only agreed to go to because he knew she would be there to help him feel safe.  When Seth was younger, he was terrified of being left in a situation where there was not CONSTANT adult supervision. So if a teacher walked out of a room, or a mom was not in sight while playing at a friends house, he would panic.  Madi helped him many times with this and was there to comfort him.  She became his blanket.  Which, as a mom, I was so grateful for.  I worried he'd have a hard time when they were not in the same classes at church or school, but their separation was gradual and he learned to be a little more independent as he grew older.  But little did I know, he still loved Madi with all his heart. 
  This year, we learned that Madi would be moving!  Seth came home and cried.  It was one of the first times as a parent where I knew I couldn't make it better.  Matter of fact one time when I was trying to comfort him, he actually told me, "I just want to be alone."  I got it.  But it was still heart breaking to watch.  Seth is now in 3rd grade and the school crushes are everywhere.  Everyone knew at school that Seth and Madi were getting married and Seth would come home and tell me the other kids that liked certain girls.  I knew the innocence of it and watched them play more as buddies than anything else.  The night before she moved was emotional but we said good bye and talked about how good of a friend she was.  They promised to keep in touch and even though I knew they would drift a part, I let him believe he would grow up, go on a mission, come back and go to BYU or whatever college Madi was at and they would get married.  He asked us many questions about marriage and college and missions at this time and I knew he was planning his future. He was determined and he had his priorities in order so I never discouraged it.  I have marveled at watching Seth try to be strong and let go of someone he loves.  We will miss their whole family but are excited for the new adventure for them.