Jaxon Pictures

Here are a few of the pictures we have taken with our cell phones in the last few days:

In the hospital...not a happy camper:

All hooked up to his machines:

Sweet boy:

His going home outfit:

Sleepy boy:

Love this one:

In his "bilibed":

The closest thing to a smile I have been able to capture on camera:

Doesn't get much sweeter than this:

A little brotherly love:

 I promise he wasn't eating his nose in this picture!  He was actually giving him a kiss:

Jaxon Charles Cothren

Jaxon Charles Cothren was born on March 24, 2011 via c-section.  At birth he was 7 pounds 2 ounces and 19.5 inches long!

He had a rough start.  He was breathing too heavy and hard and had to spend the first few days of his life in the NICU with an IV attached to him.  It was so pitiful, but pales in comparison to what other parents of NICU patients are going through!  Since coming home, we found out his bilirubin count was a little too high, so he got spend a few days in the baby tanning bed to lower his bilirubin count.  Now he is perfect and healthy and we couldn't ask for a sweeter newborn!

He is beautiful in every way (of course, we are a little biased)!  He sleeps and eats like a champ and so far only cries if he is getting his diaper changed or getting a bath!

Alex is loving his title of "big brother" and is eager to help out with all of Baby Jax's needs :)  I think we will use this to our advantage as long as possible!!

Because his first few days were a little rough, we don't have as many pictures with Jaxon as we did with Alex.  When I was able to visit him in the NICU, getting pictures were not my first priority!  I promise to start working on that :)  The few that we have on our camera, I haven't had a chance to download yet.

Here are a few pictures from our cell phones of our new bundle of joy:

Playing Outside

Now that the weather is nicer (in the low to mid 70's), we are trying to get out and soak it up as much as possible.  Not only is it so nice to sit outside and enjoy it after being cooped up all winter, but it is great for wearing Alex out at night :)

We have made great friends with our neighbors, so we can usually be found playing outside with them.  We all usually just drag out all the toys from the garage and let the kids go to town.  So much fun...for both the kids and adults!  I love being able to have some adult time in the afternoons and evenings!

Here are a few pictures of Alex from our recent outdoor activities:

Riding in his truck:

 

He is not a fan of having sand or dirt in his shoes...silly boy:

Wearing his golf club as a "sword".  Yes, it is in his shirt and thru his back pocket.  You never can be too prepared:

He is totally checking himself out in the car:

Pretty good form for a 3.5 year old!  Maybe we have a future baseball player on our hands:

Scooter time:

Pouty face...he is working the camera:

So, I make him wear his helmet when he rides his scooter because he is a klutz like me.  However, I don't check it to make sure it is on correctly (it is on backwards)!  Mom FAIL:

Bike time:

He made me take pictures of him so he could see what he looked like.  This was the first in a series of quite a few:

And here is another:

Hiding behind his basketball hoop:

Not too bad with a basketball, either!  Maybe a basketball player:

Sassy pants:

37 Weeks

Here is my ginormous 37 week belly:

Alex Funnies

Lately, Alex has been cracking me up.  I love this age where they say whatever they want and ask questions that only a 3 year old can get away with :)

I want to remember some of these funny moments, so I can share them with him as he gets older!

Here are a few of the fun things heard around the Cothren house:

Alex (yelling upstairs):  Larry!
Me:  Alex, you call him Daddy!
Alex:  Why, Sarah?  His name is Larry!

Well played son, well played!!

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Alex:  Mommy, why is my pee-pee real big in the morning?

Not real sure how to answer this one...I'm open to suggestions :)

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While we were all sleeping, we hear Alex start yelling out for "Daddy".

I wake Larry up and send him upstairs to Alex's room.

When Larry gets up to Alex's room, Alex says "Daddy, my feet are uncovered, cover them up!"

Larry covers his feet and Alex falls right to sleep!

Spoiled much?!?

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Since finding out we were going to be expecting another baby, we have been trying to get Alex used to the idea of another baby coming into the house.

When we found out the baby was a boy to be named Jax, we include Jax in our talks and remind Alex that Jax is growing in Mommy's belly.

However, according to Alex, this is how the pregnancy is going:

Alex has Baby Jax in his belly.

Mommy has Baby Girl in her belly.

Daddy has Baby Daddy in his belly.

There are times that Alex knows that Jax is coming home from the hospital with us and there are other times when he is convinced we are bringing home a baby girl.

This should be interesting!

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The prayers at night in our house have been the following:

God Bless Alex,
God Bless Mommy,
God Bless Daddy,
God Bless Sarah and Larry,
God Bless Baby Jax,
God Bless Baby Girl,
God Bless Baby Daddy,
God Bless Alex James,
Amen

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Alex is starting to notice the difference between boys and girls.

He told me that he was going to "pray to God to give Mommy boy parts, like him and Daddy"!

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Heard at prayer time in the Cothren house two night ago:

Alex:  God Bless Alex, God Bless Larry, God Bless Sarah....
Me:    No Alex, it is God Bless Mommy and Daddy, not Sarah and Larry!
Alex:  That's silly, Mommy!  You aren't God's Mommy and Daddy.  You are Larry and Sarah!

Again, outsmarted by the 3 year old!!

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In Alex's Mother's Day Out class, they are growing "capitillers" into "butt-flys".  And when the "butt-flys" are big enough, they are going to let them "out of their net to go to God"!

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While watching TV:

Alex: "Mommy, I want to be a movie star!"

Awesome!  Go out there and make us money, kid!

I love this kid!

Circus

The Ringling Bros Circus came to Huntsville and I was so excited to take Alex!  He absolutely loved it!

Each time we saw the commercial on TV prior to going, he got so excited and would ask me if we could go right then :)

He really liked the "action" parts of the circus - the motorcycles in a huge metal ball, the people jumping on trampolines and doing tricks and the opening/closing numbers.  And of course he loved the animals - it was a tie between the elephants and tigers for which was his favorite!  

We had a great time and I'm so glad we took him!  I love creating memories like this!

Here are pictures from the circus:

Getting all tattoo'ed up:

Why can't he be this patient at home?

Showing off the goods:

Nothing like a big giant box of popcorn:

The opening number:

The tigers:

Watching the motorcycles...he couldn't take his eyes off of them:

The motorcycles:

The elephants:

Alex Likes Markers

And this is what happens when I finally have a few minutes to talk to Larry on the phone.....

I left Alex unattended with markers (rookie mom mistake) and he came back with a very colorful face, chin and neck. Funny kid :)