Is it vain...

A quick question to all of you out there. Is it vain to want to do something about baby acne? Yes, I know it doesn't hurt him and he could care less when it comes to his looks, but its so sad to see his little face with such premature acne. Is there a way to rid baby acne without using some sort of harsh product (I've heard cortisone works well-but isn't that a steroid?)? If so, please let me know.

Happy Times

Just a few pictures showing our happy little boy. It's Tristan's smiles in the early morning hours that seem to make it all worth while. Here's a few pictures that I love, showing some of the happier points of the day.
Here's Tristan and I taking a little cat nap. This is my favorite-to just have him fall asleep on my chest. At that point, nothing else seems to matter.

Here Tristan is leaning on his little hands. He gestures with his hands all the time, and they have become one of our biggest indicators of his mood.

Once again Tristan is leaning on his little hands. Along with several other attributes, I think he has inherited some of his Daddy's intense looks.

One last picture of our happy boy!

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

This week I wanted to give a shout out to my mom who was able to visit us and help with the little man. She arrived the day after we brought Tristan home, and was able to stay for 3 weeks. During those three weeks she was an immense help as I was short on sleep and most of all experience. I felt spoiled as I was always able to fit in a shower and daily naps-it was great! I'm so glad and incredibly grateful that she was able to make the trip. When she left, our little home felt so empty and I couldn't wait for the next opportunity for her to come and visit.

I also wanted to give a shout out to Aunt Laura who so lovingly made a cradle for Tristan. It turned out beautiful and arrived without a nick or scratch (which seems miraculous after seeing how the baggage is handled at the airport). Tristan fits perfectly in his new cradle and is able to sleep comfortably thanks to a wonderful blanket Joanne (Grandma Domm) made for him.

During the last week my mom was here, we took a trip to the nearby town of Bad Durkheim to explore its castle ruins which date back to the 1100's. Because we had to climb numerous steps to get to the castle (and had learned from previous trips that the stroller wasn't the best option) Paul toted Tristan in the Baby Bjorn under his coat. This was the first time we had used the carrier and were skeptical of how warm or even comfortable it would be (Paul wondered if our poor little guy could even breath in there). To our surprise though, it worked like a dream and Tristan slept the whole time. Thanks Jen D. for the Baby Bjorn-what a great gift! The picture below shows the three of us in front of the castle.

Here is a side view of the castle. Thanks to a friendly old man who was taking a walk nearby, we learned that the castle and inhabitants were overthrown during the French Revolution. For any history buffs this really is a fun place to be-as there is history all around us!

A Little More of Tristan

To start I'd like to say thankyou for all the words of congratulations and the many words of wisdom we have recieved from all of our friends and family. We are all doing well and today has been a particularly nice one. For starters Paul went into work late this afternoon, so he got to nap with Tristan this morning-what a treat! While Paul was having some alone time with little Tris, I got a nap of my own, this was invaluable. Another exciting event that took place today-Tristan's little chord stump fell off! Paul was worrying that this ugly little thing was never going to fall off. But, alas it did and just in time for a bath!

For all of you who don't know this little guy yet, let me tell you a few things about him. As I've said in the past, he loves milk. Poor little Tristan may love it a little too much, as he sucks it down so quickly he can't help choke and then get numerous air bubbles. Besides the milk, he loves to cuddle and be held. This is no problem as we love to hold him and just watch as he makes the funniest faces-he's a real character just like his dad.

I have been so blessed to have my mom here helping with Tristan's first few weeks. Her time here has been priceless as she has taken him and let me shower or just have some time alone with Paul. He won't remember but he's been able to bond with Grandma and have alot of special time with her.

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This past weekend Tristan was a little fussier than usual and I just couldnt figure out why he was so agitated. Thanks to Aunt Emily, we learned that little Tris was being tormented with a bad case of gas. She gave me some great pointers on how to help Tristan with this, and he has been much happier since. Thanks Emily!

As one last blurb about our little guy, we went on our first big trip with Grandma Baier and Tristan was a real trooper! This past Saturday we went to Heidelberg and Paul strolled Tris all over the city, as well as up a tremendous hill to get to a castle and he didn't make a peep. I was told this was because of the cobblestone streets, which I'm sure will come in real handy when I'm not able to console him in the future. On the down side of these European streets, I'm sure they will be the cause of our strollers very quick demise. Our Graco stroller may not last long after trips out here, and we may have to invest in one of these Euro strollers that have tires and shocks that look like they belong on a four wheeler.

More Photos of the Little Guy and a taste of Germany

I think it appropriate to include some photos of the parents with the newborn, but that is impossible as Holly tends to flee from photos like a cockroach from light. Hence, you must simply enjoy the photos of the little one and a few of our neighborhood in Germany. Adieu.

Welcome Tristan Paul!

I hope you'll all excuse me for not updating the blog earlier, but things have been pretty busy around here. One week and one day ago little Tristan Paul arrived at 5:17 pm. He weighed 6 lbs. 10 oz. and was 20 inches long. The delivery was easy (after about six minutes of pushing the little guy shot out like a rocket) and uneventful. Little Tristan arrived alert with both eyes wide open. He barely made a sound as the nurses administered his first shot and dose of medicine.

Here's little Tristan his first week home.
After 9 months of waiting to meet this little man, I'm so excited to start to get to know him. So far I've learned that he takes after his dad in both looks and his love for milk (little Tris has an absolutely insatiable appetite). This little guy also is extremely animated and seems to have 101 expressions that make us wonder what he's thinking. The last week has been wonderful (and exhausting) and both Paul and I are looking forward to life now as a family of 3.