John is 0 months old!

Likes: Being swaddled, my orange hospital pacifiers, sleeping on an incline, sucking on my hands when I can find them, taking my sweet time while eating, and falling asleep during car rides.

Dislikes: Having my picture taken (clearly Mama has to work on this one), taking a bath, being strapped into my car seat, and getting my diaper changed.

Scrub a dub dub

We gave John his first bath this week. I like to bathe my babies in the kitchen for the inaugural bath because my Grandma Longo did the same. Henry proved to be an eager, gentle helper. If you can't tell from the photos, John did not enjoy bath time one bit. Big Brother doesn't like it when "Bebe John" cries, so he tried to make it "all bettah" with some kisses. I know one day they won't always be this sweet to each other, so I'm trying to savor these precious moments.

The Hospital and The Homecoming

We spent two days at Northside Hospital after John was born. Henry was our first visitor, and while he was happy to kiss his brother, he was far more interested in the cookie on my lunch tray. Nanna, Pa, Grandma, Papou, Uncle Chris, and Aunt Stacie all came to visit John, too.

On Sunday evening, we dressed John in his Cornicello and Uncle Jonathan's Dior Romper for his homecoming. Just like his big brother, John found the car seat unsuitable to his liking. As we pulled into our driveway, we found our mailbox and picket fence lined with balloons and baby boy decor, courtesy of (who else?) Uncle Chris. The very best part of coming home was climbing into Henry's bed that night as a family of four to read the first of many bedtime stories together.

Introducing...

John Augustus Makris, who is named after my late brother, Jonathan. He was born on March 23rd, 2012 at 6:55 PM. He was 8 lbs., 12 oz., and 21 and 1/2 inches long. We are beyond thankful to God for this most precious gift.

"Heaven blew every trumpet and played every horn on the wonderful, marvelous night you were born." - Nancy Tillman

Tomorrow.

Tomorrow our little family of three becomes a family of four, as we welcome our second son into this world. The night before my wedding, I barely slept at all. The night before Henry's birth, I tossed and turned all night. Tonight, I am certain, will be no different. And yet I welcome this insomnia with open, tired arms. What a gift to know that tomorrow will make the very short list of one of the very best days of my life. We are beyond blessed.

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

We took Henry to the zoo for the first time last weekend (his visit at 8 weeks old does not count since he slept the entire time). Grandma and Papou are in town for the impending birth of Baby Mak, so they came along too. I did get a few comments and stares as I waddled through the zoo at almost 39 weeks pregnant, but it was worth it to see my sweet boy squeal with excitement over the giraffes and zebras. He also gave us his best gorilla impression, and shared some Cheerios with Papou and Daddy on a park bench. It was a wonderful day!

The Big Boy Room

Henry moved into his "big boy room" back in January. I wanted to allow Henry enough time to adjust to his new room and bed before the baby came. Little did I know, he needed no time at all. Henry continued his typical 8PM-8AM sleep routine and 2-3 hour daily nap with no interruption. He's always been a rockstar sleeper, so let's hope Baby Mak follows suit.

Baby Mak already has a "big boy bed" in waiting. It breaks my Mama heart just a little bit to already think about Baby Mak being big enough one day to sleep in that bed, but that just comes with the job.