12

12 weeks ago today, Lane decided it was time to make his entrance into the world. Around 12 am on December 4, my water broke. (OK, it kind of slowly leaked - allowing me to wonder what the wet feeling was and then go back to bed.) Around 11 am, James and I checked into the hospital. 12 hours later, Lane was born. If I had to pick one, I would say 12 would be our lucky number.

12 things I love about Lane:

1. He is the perfect combination of his mama and his papa. If you take James' good looks and place them on my round face, well you have - Lane.


2. His head is so round it has earned him one of his two nicknames - Coconut Head. This kid has a seriously round head.

3. We like the same music: Steve Earle in the car; Ryan Adams and The Cardinals in the afternoon; Olde Crowe Medicine Show in the shower; Eva Cassidy in the evening to wind down; and our favorite song is Ray LaMontagne's "You are the Best Thing," sure to bring a smile to a little boy when he cries.

4. His sloth toes.



5. The way he stares and whoos at his papa when they take an evening bath. Each night, I plan to use this time to get chores done, but who can do any chores when you have a kid this cute to stare at.



6. He inherited one quirky physical feature from both of us: my flat ears and James' back dimples (lovingly referred to as butt buttons).

7. Flirty face: that smile, those eyes. He knows you can't resist him.


8. He is the perfect reminder of the circle of life. He was born on the eighth anniversary of my grandmother's passing - giving my mom a reason to be so very happy on this day that once made her so very sad.

9. When he squeezes his little lips together, he looks just like a Dr. Suess character - giving him the nickname "Who" or "Whootie" very early on in his life. He has lived up to this name by whooing instead of cooing.



10. He has given James and I a new appreciation for our own parents. We both have very close relationships with all four of our parents but until we had a child of our own, we couldn't comprehend the love a parent has for a child. Lane has shown us this love, and it has made us love our parents even more.

11. His long eyelashes. We have no idea where they came from but they are cute.

12. He is our's, and he is perfect. After more than 2 years of trying to conceive, 4 rounds of Clomid, 1 miscarriage and 6 months of acupuncture, we were pregnant with Lane. Now we know why we had to wait. We were waiting on him. And he has brought so much happiness and so much love to both of our families and to us.



Happy 12 week birthday, Whootie.