A visit from the cousins

Jordan turned 5 weeks old today, and he is so much fun. He's starting to sleep a bit more between feedings at night, but we're nowhere near sleeping through the night yet. Yesterday, he got to meet his cousins Eli and Elana, as you can see in the picture above. They really seemed to enjoy giving him hugs and boucing him in his bouncy seat. We have both decided that our favorite times with him are either when he's wide awake, alert, and looking all over the place or when he is snuggling up on our chest and resting.

One month old!

It's hard to believe, but Jordan is one month old today! This past month has gone by so fast, and we have been nothing but blessed by this little man - he is truly a gift from God. He continues to grow, he is much more awake and alert now (which has been really cool for us to watch), and he is just a lot of fun. His eye infections/clogged tear ducts have seemed to resolve themselves as well. We appreciate all of the family members and friends who have poured out their prayers, love, and support for us and this little rock star. Thank you so much!

UPDATE: With the beautiful weather, it was time for Jordan to enjoy his first walk with Mom, Dad, and Bailey. He got to meet lots of folks in the neighborhood (some of whom didn't even realize Sally had been pregnant!), and he slept pretty much the whole way!

Rub my belly for good luck

Jordan would like to wish everyone a Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Just a quick update -

Jordan is doing very well. His eyes are looking a lot better, but are not completely cleared up. The pediatrician thinks that they are clogged tear ducts rather than an infection, so we'll just have to wait for that to resolve itself on its own.

We are both suffering from a bit of sleep deprivation (Sally especially) as Jordan still tends to be much more awake in the late evening and night than he is during the day. In the morning he takes after his mom, sleeping in late, completely dead to the world until we wake him up for his morning feeding. He is definitely growing, weighing over 8 pounds now and getting too long for some of the clothes that were big on him just a few weeks ago. He has long arms (an Anderson trait), and big hands and feet. We've got a future basketball star on our hands!

March Madness!

Like father, like son. As many of you know, this is the most wonderful time of the year - NCAA Tournament time! As Dad filled out his seven(!) different brackets, Jordan has followed in his footsteps. Jordan went very conventional with his first bracket, picking almost exclusively the higher-ranked seeds. You can see in the picture that he is very anxious, as he is hoping (like his dad) that North Carolina wins their second national championship in the last three years. We'll let you know at the end of the tournament how Jordan fared. Go Heels!

Glimpses of God's Love

Almost two weeks into this parenting thing, the most unexpected joy that I have found in being a dad is the immediate and unconditional love I felt for Jordan. The moment I laid eyes on him and held him, I loved him deeply enough that I knew I would be willing to give my life for him. He had done nothing to earn this love - he wasn't even 10 seconds old! And yet he was loved more than he could ever know.

And as I've reflected on it, I understand why the Bible uses Father imagery and language when talking about the love God has for us as His children. In parenting, I think the love we have for our children is the closest taste we'll ever get of the kind of undeserved, unconditional love that the Father has for us. While my love for Jordan pales in comparison to God's love for me, it has given me a glimpse into God's boundless love and it leaves me speechless every time I think about it.

~Matt

Back to the pediatrician

We headed back to the pediatrician today for an eye infection/ clogged tear ducts. It looks more like an eye infection, but either way the pediatrician said that we would treat it with Gentamicin drops since Jordan is so young and since this is the first occurrence. We are hoping to see his eyes clear up in the next day or two. He hates getting his eyes wiped out and the drops put in. The good news is that he weighed in at 7lbs 3oz. They were expecting him to be back up to his birth weight which was 6lbs 13.5oz by this next Friday. He's a great eater and is going to grow fast at this rate! Jordan has been such a blessing and he has brought great joy to our lives. We both love being parents and are amazed with this little miracle. God is so good! We are trying to cherish each day as we know each one goes by so fast. We just want to thank both family & friends for all your support and encouragement this last week and a half. It has been greatly appreciated!

America's Next Top Model?