Thad is Three Months Old

 

Oh, Thad!  What a joy you are! 

 

I can't even begin to think what life was like without you.  Your Daddy and I are helplessly in love with you and you hear us say frequently, "Thank goodness for Thad Campbell!"  You just fit so seamlessly into our lives, and you are so laid back! 

 

Three months has been a big month for you.  Here are a couple highlights:

- at 13 weeks you slept 13 hours - I'll never forget having to wake you up in your nursery to feed you, and you were smiling in your sleep. 

-you laughed for the first time in our Sunday School class. Everyone started laughing, including me.  You were watching my face and you found that really funny! 

- any day now, I suspect you'll roll over - you've almost gotten it figured out

- you love to give eye contact and you share your smiles freely with everyone.  My favorite part of our day together is right after your bath when I sing "Jesus Loves Me" to you and you sing right along with me!

- you just started your first Kinder Musik class.  You're the youngest in the class and love looking at the other babies.

Your first hike up Kings Mtn - and a brief picnic lunch

First vacation to Lake Murray

Nursery and Birth Announcements

 

 

Thad's Baptism

Thad, what a beautiful day we had for your baptism!  Your grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins from both sides of the family came to town for the big event.  We felt so blessed to have so many family members come to see you baptized and we enjoyed a great celebration with all of them at our house afterwards. 

Here you are in the church nursery - right after Gee Gee and I got you dressed.  You are wearing the handmade gown that she was baptized in.  Since then Daddy, aunt Mere, all of her children, and your brothers have been baptized in the same gown.  It is an absolutely beautiful family heirloom and I'm so thankful that you've been able to be a part of this special family tradition. 

 

 

Aiya came up several days early to help us get ready for the baptism celebration.  She cooked and cleaned like a mad woman and for a very short time, our house looked and smelled great.  Funny the only picture I took of the party at our house was of a plate of cookies!

Thad is Two Months Old

Oh, how I love these little chirps!

One of your first baths that I forgot to put in with your one month pictures

Oh Thad.  Here you are so upset at having your hearing tested.  You failed your hearing exam in the hospital, and for the past 2 months we've been having it retested.  All we know that that you have fluid on your left eardrum, which does not allow you to hear soft sounds out of your left ear.  Your right ear, however, hears great.  We are still investigating, but are not too concerned.  You've shown us already that you're pretty adaptable and lack of perfect hearing on your left side has not seemed to hold your cognitive development back one bit. 

One of your first smiles - around one month

2 month check up

Getting so big - you love being on your belly!

We swing while the Bigs nap - you love it!

You absolutely love smiling at McCord!

Another one month bath photo

2 month hearing screen

Before You Were Born

 

 

 

Thad, before you were born, your daddy and I were so convinced you were a girl, but we couldn't decide on a name for you.  We'd narrowed it down to two: Anna Chiles and Campbell Chiles (Cece).  And would you believe that we were about to deliver you and still couldn't agree on a name.  Several weeks prior to your due date, we'd settled on a boy's name, but hardly gave it a second thought because we just knew you were going to be a girl.   

 

 

 

My labor with you was completely unlike what I was accustomed to with your brothers - whereas they were fast and sudden, you were slow and on your own time frame.  How funny and foolish of us to assume this also meant you were a girl. 

 

Laboring with you was so leisurely and I enjoyed every contraction and kick I felt - knowing that things would soon change.  There is a closeness I've felt with you and your brothers while being pregnant that is so comforting.  I got to know your little kicks and nudges.  Late in my pregnancy I was concerned when you hadn't turned head-down, but a few days later I remember knowing that you were in the process of moving.  I just loved to feel your little body and guess what position you were in.  And so there Bo and I sat in the hospital room, savoring these moments with unborn you, and anticipating with great excitement your entry in the world. 

 

A nurse midwife named Tina Hayes delivered you, and she allowed Bo and me to help guide you out.  That was a thrilling and emotional experience.  A true gift - and one of the most meaningful days of my life.  You can only imagine our surprise and extreme excitement to see that you are a perfect and beautiful little BOY!  Your daddy and I were so surprised we laughed immediately!  What a beautiful entrance you made into the world - bringing joyful laughter with you!

 

Thad is One Month Old

 

Dear Thad, I knew just moments after you were born, that you were going to be the sweetest baby.  I held you so close the first day of your life that I hardly had a moment to take a proper picture.  And to this day you love to snuggle.  I love to rub my cheek on your face, feeling your soft baby breath on my face and the fuzz on the top of your head.  You'd think a baby would get tired for all the smooshing I do to you all day long, but you just love to be cuddled. 

Here you are at just 2 weeks old wearing one of your Daddy's outfits that GeeGee saved.  It brings me so much joy to see you and your brothers wear things that used to be worn by Bo. 

This is how we spent the majority of your first month - all snuggled up on the bed with the ipad for entertainment.  Our days were slow paced and uneventful and perfect.  We made sure that we didn't have a thing to do but be together and get to know you.

During the day you slept best on the dining room table in the papysan, and at night you slept in the bassinet that once belonged to Gee Gee as an infant.  Daddy and both of your brothers also slept in it when they were babies. 

Your first outing.  Daddy and I took you out to a restaurant and we thought you'd sleep the whole time, but in stead you were quite alert for being just a couple of weeks old.  I rocked your car seat the whole time to keep you comfortable and gave evil glances to anyone that looked like they wanted to touch you.  I was very over protective of you in the early days to protect you from germs. 

Another one of your first outing to the museum with your brothers.  There was a special exhibit on bugs, and we were in a big bug phase over the summer. 

Your brother Wade loves to be close to you.  Although he knows your name, he still just calls you "Baby." Wade is quite a kisser and as you know, he can't keep his lips off of you. 

Your oldest brother, McCord, loves to hold you - even as Batman, he can be quite gentle.

Your first Forth of July - we celebrated with Poppie and Gee Gee at the lake.