Oliver is 3 months!

Dear Oliver,

You are 3 months old!!!  You're actually a little over 14 weeks as I type this, but that's ok, right?  You weren't weighed or measured at the doctor this month (you only went to get 2 shots) so your measurements are approximates based on Grammie's scale and tape measure:

15 lbs

26 1/4 inches long!

In your 3 short months of life, you've already been in 13 states:  Tennessee (of course), Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama.  Whew!  You are quite the little traveler.  You've been in snow, rain, warm weather, cold weather, and been to the beach!  (And thank God nothing as scary as your first night home when we had tornados and sirens and we had to get in our safe place.)

You still travel well, although it seems you're starting to not like your car seat.  You're still ok with it, you just scream sometimes while you're in it.  Breaks our hearts.  But, Granddad Larry gave us a CD of his other granddaughter playing hymns on the piano and you LOVE it.  You can be fussy in the car and we'll start that thing and you stop instantly.  Music calms you.  I love bed time and singing to you, feeling you soften and relax in my arms.

You started grabbing and batting at stuff this month AND you're rolling over from tummy to back.  Not every time, but some.  And you're in size 3 diapers!

We tried the Bumbo for the first time and you weren't ready:

But just a few weeks later you were rocking it:  

You play with your hair when you nurse.  It's pretty much the most adorable thing ever.  That and tugging at my shirt.  When you wake up in the morning or in the middle of the night to eat and you greet me with that big smile, I melt.  You are the sweetest.

 You have really started to respond to us!  You laugh and coo and tell us all your stories.  Picaboo is your favorite.  And it makes you laugh when we even scare you a little when we do it.  Does that mean you're going to be a thrill seeker?  We shall see.  (Just don't do anything too crazy, ok?)

You also love when we blow in your hair and you like the air on you in the car.  (You're hot natured like your daddy.)  And you're starting to laugh when we tickle you.  Oh, that laugh.  It's perfect.

You have met almost all of the family and they are in love with you, just as we are!  

You've been to meetings and interviews with us; you go where we go!

You're our little power napper, only napping at maybe an hour at a time, 3-4 times a day.  But!  You are sleeping wonderfully at night, so we'll take it!

You are growing so big so fast.  You love to stand up and you love to see the world around you.  Just recently, it's like you have places to go and people to see.  When you were in my tummy, the ultrasound tech said you were a wild man and you are proving her right, Mr. Squirms.

In our time on the road, we have witnessed God already using you.  I'll tell you those stories another time, but He has plans for you, little one.  You will do great things.

You are our greatest joy, Oliver Tuck.  We are so in love.

I've been everywhere, man…Part II

So, after our shows out west, we headed to Salado, TX to see family.  My parents moved there in the fall and it was our first time to see their new house.  It's adorable and the perfect size for them.  I will admit, it was weird not going to China Spring to the home I grew up in.  But it was the right move (literally) on my parents' part and I love the new place.

All the cousins got to hang out together and it was just about the most precious thing ever. 

Grammie wanted a picture of all of them, so there was a little photo shoot action.

Oliver met Nana.  He cried when she held him for the first time which made us feel bad.  Then he took a nap and all was good.

Nana with all the kids.

4 generations:

We literally just hung out all week.  It was the kids' spring break so lots of loving on O was happening.  

 Sweet Miss Elliot reading to Oliver.  (I love his feet here!)

We drove to Waco to see Nana again and Oliver was a perfect angel for her.  He even fell asleep in her lap which MADE HER DAY.  He's her 10th great grandchild.

And for a little Nana Funny, she gave a shirt to my mom.  It was a little low cut, so she told Julie to "go get that thing to put under it so you can't see her dinners."

Dinners.  My Nana calls breasts dinners.  To say we cracked up would be an understatement.

On the way back to Salado, Oliver got fussy.  He had just eaten, so it wasn't due to hunger.  So, Julie (super mom of 4) busted out her iPad and pulled up some Baby Einstein on YouTube.  Worked like a charm.  It appears our boy likes him some screens.  

We left Salado (with tears, of course) and went to Shreveport, LA to play at New Life Center.  We got to town with plenty of time to rest in the hotel.

We officially had to stop putting up the bassinet on the pack 'n' play.  He's over the weight limit…sad day =(

Our OliVolunteer.  (I just made that up.  I think I'll keep it.)  Renee is a nursing student and plans on going into Labor and Delivery.  She was awesome.  

The show was fantastic!  The students on campus with Go Ministries are some of the most enthusiastic, Christ-loving kids I've ever met.  Makes our job easy and more fun =)

We left the next day and drove to Denham Springs, LA.  The church has an apartment in the building and they let us stay there Friday and Saturday night.  I've decided every church needs an on site apartment.  I feel it's what Jesus would want.

Anyway, it had a full kitchen, so Trent cooked and we relaxed.  I'd like to say we journaled or got some work done or something respectable like that, but we got caught up on the train wreck that is The Bachelor.  I kept telling myself, "it's okay" to make me feel better.

(If you didn't get that reference consider yourself lucky because that means you didn't watch Jaun Pablo.)

Saturday we walked to some local antique shops and it reaffirmed the fact that I need a church pew in my life.  And a rusty metal cart.  We also found a consignment store for kids' clothing and found some great stuff for cheap!  

We hung out before the show and O was admiring my new necklace ;-)

He also was a little doll for sound check!

We left early Sunday morning and made the trip back to Nashville.  We got in at a good hour, went to the grocery store, and started the unpacking process, which happens to still be going on.  

Oh, how priorities change when you have a little one...

And this cracks me up.  Pit stop on the drive?  Let me strike a pose...

I've been everywhere, man…

Go ahead and try NOT to sing that Johnny Cash number.  And if you don't know what song I'm talking about…we cannot be friends anymore.

Juuuuuuust kidding!

Well, we left Nashville on March 1st for some shows and some family time and some more shows and some more family time.  Our first stop was in Van Buren, Arkansas to play Sunday morning at Bethlehem Free Will Baptist.  We were able to get set-up and sound checked Saturday evening.  (That always makes the next morning run a little smoother.)  After we were finished, the pastors and their wives took us out to eat.  Yay for a steak dinner!!!  Oliver held it together pretty well, but he was slowly coming unglued, so we had to eat and run.  

We got to our hotel and Oliver had a gift waiting for him!  Just look at all the preciousness.  Monkey AND mustache fabric?  I can't even.  Thank you Dale and Beth!

Leaving the hotel Sunday morning.  And I'm sorry to say, but this is sexy.  Can I say that?  Yes I can.
(Oh, and he also cooks and cleans.)

The morning went great!  It's fun to play the new songs officially as We Are The Monks.  Everyone enjoyed it and that makes us happy!  And Oliver slept the whole time.  Then had diarrhea.  Bless it.

 Rachel posed with us after.  And even included a #Oliver on instagram.  Love.

We had planned on leaving after church to go to Amarillo, but that darn Polar Vortex stranded us.  The church offered to put us up another night and we were so thankful for them!  We had naps and our very own Oscar watch party.

So, we left Monday and made the drive to Amarillo dealing with this about half of the way.

We were only there 3 days and we packed that time with family.  Oliver met some family for the first time!  Granddad Larry, Aunt Amy and Uncle Travis and Mama Pat and Papa Tuck.  Such a sweet time.

Four generations:  Tuck Noble, Timothy Tuck, Trenton Tuck, Oliver Tuck.

They're not in love or anything...

Family tuckered him out!

Denim, plaid, and pearl snaps.  When in Rome Texas…

We flew my mom in so she could join us for our trip to Arizona.  Her first time as road nanny and she rocked it.  And let me just say, traveling with a nanny is where it's at.  (Forgive me for using 'at' with 'where'…sometimes it's needed.)

 

We BEARly had time to snap this picture.  (Sorry for that terrible pun.  I can't help myself sometimes.)

We stopped in Albuquerque on Thursday and Oliver met more family!  Chad, Christie, their boys (Caleb and Connor), and Paula.  Plus, my mom watched Oliver while we had a date night (our FIRST date post-baby) for our anniversary.  We were those parents and talked about him the whole time.

Our next stop was Phoenix.  That travel day was loooooong and this is the result:

We had all day Saturday to relax and take in the wonderful Arizona weather.

The warmth made us long for spring even more!  Go home, Old Man Winter!

It was awesome to be back with our hosts, the Whitens.  We stayed with them last summer for a week and it was great to stay there again…even if it was just for one night.

The Habeñero Collective house show was super, tons of fun, and we loved the ambience.  And Oliver slept the whole time.

We had to leave immediately after to drive to Tucson (about 2 hours) so we could share special music at Fellowship Bible Church on Sunday morning.  We got to the hotel in Tucson and set our clocks forward so we wouldn't be late to church.  What can I say?  We're responsible people.

Well, turns out Arizona doesn't change their clocks, so Sunday morning was a little confusing.  After calling the front desk, we were all squared away, but mercy.  Overly tired + spring forward + not really springing forward = what in the world.

Anyway, Sunday morning went well.  Everyone loved the two songs we played during the services.

 After church, we had lunch and then rested up for the show that night which was at the same church.  It  was super fun!  A lady bought a CD and said, "I just loved it!  I can't wait to play this in my car.  I listen to Christian radio all the time but I get tired of all the same songs they play all the time."  That warmed our little hearts.  Then we went and had some dinner at BJ's.

We try to avoid chains restaurants, especially while on the road but LISTEN.  BJ's is delish.  We also ate at one in Albuquerque on our anniversary.  And it's where we had our first real date when we met.

That's all I have to say about that.

Monday was spent being lazy.  We had the whole day to do nothing.  We ran some errands, which included finding a Babies 'R' Us so I could buy nursing pads because LEAKAGE.  (Side bar, when will that business stop?)  Then we ate lunch at one of the best Vietnamese restaurants evah, Miss Saigon.  So good.  And my mom even ate with chopsticks!  Proud daughter moment.

That evening, we led worship and shared special music at the Southwest Pastors and Leaders Conference at Calvary Tucson.

The Grammie Nanny!

We left super early the next morning.  We even got to see the sun rise up over the mountains.  Excuse the through-the-windshield picture.

We drove all the way to Fort Stockton, TX where we ate at the only restaurant in town along with everyone else who had to stop that night, where the waitress was less than decent.  Oliver was extremely tired.  


But then he woke up and I put a spoon in his hand because it's funny. 

So that's that!  We then headed to Salado, TX and then had more shows in Louisiana.  I'll tell you all about it in the next post!

(For those of you keeping up with us at home.)