Tuesday, December 29, 2009

1st Christmas & 22 week highlights

The past week has been so much fun and full of lots of love and laughter. Life is good and God is GREAT!

I probably just had one of the best Christmases ever! Phil and Shannon came down to spend the holidays with us. Thursday we started our good ol family Christmas Eve traditions full of church service, singing Christmas carols (Shannon's tradition), opening 1 present, reading of the Night Before Christmas and the Christmas story. After a great evening with family we headed to bed and waited for Santa to fill our stockings and bring presents to put under the tree.

Christmas morning we awoke to a White Christmas! As we began to open our gifts after a delicious breakfast the snow flakes began to fall from the heavens! The white Christmas I had so dearly hoped for was here! I couldn't believe it and gave thanks to God for all the little miracles that were happening at once. Jr was all smiles and laughs all day long! There really is nothing like a baby's laugh; it doesn't matter who you are when you hear the little giggle your heart melts and you can't help but flash a little smirk. Jr had a wonderful Christmas full of lots of love and presents! Mommy & Daddy gave him his 1st wagon! We put his little bebe seat in it and took him for a ride around the house. Rambo even got to ride with him. It was funny watching Jr and Rambo cruise along while Daddy pulled them along. Jr got some other toys and had quite the expressions on his face while the paper was being torn off the present. I really wish I could have known what he was thinking the whole time we were putting all these toys and pretty paper in front of him. Grandma and Grandpa McBride were able to watch Jr open his presents (via Sypke).

Saturday and Sunday we took it easy around the house and had another great day full of family fun and lots (lots, lots, and lots) of Deal or No Deal on the Wii. Sunday it snowed again so we took Jr out sledding again. He loved sledding and playing in the snow. It was so cute because when we took him out the first time he was lying down and the snow flakes were falling on his face and he couldn't figure out what was falling on his face. The past couple days we've been getting ready for company to come again. I can't believe Grandma and Grandpa McBride will be here tomorrow to celebrate the New Year with us. Phil and Shannon are also flying in tomorrow to celebrate our family Christmas and New Year.

22 week highlights:
-Celebrated his 1st Christmas! Also celebrated his 1st White Christmas!
-Jr had so much fun getting new toys for Christmas. He got a teddy bear, drums, big towering rings, a wagon, a farm set, a Noah's ark book and animals, a box with blocks that are different shapes, and of course some clothes. He got a CD from mom and dad with 10 songs that were meaningful between the three of us.
-He loves to go for rides in his wagon around the house. We set him up in his bebe seat and him and teddy go cruising! If he's ever fussy, we just put him in the wagon and around the house we go. Works like a charm!
-Jr loves to sit and watch Mommy's train go around the tree.
-Jr got to go sledding again! This time with a little more snow and he even got to sit up in the sled. He didn't quite get what was hitting him in the face as the snow fell, but was all smiles the whole time we were outside. He really does love being outdoors and being pulled around!
-Jr can sit up by himself. Each day he sits for longer periods of time by himself. He loves being able to reach for what he wants and definitely prefers sitting up over any position.
-Jr is always rolling to the left on his back. Anytime you put him on his back he rolls to the left almost instantly. It never fails, he never wakes up in the same position as the one we laid him down in before his nap or before he went to bed.
-Everything continues to go into the mouth. Fingers, clothes, bibs, toys, you name it and it's in the mouth. He's even started chomping on the spoon when he eats.
-Jr is all smiles all the time and loves to laugh at everything! He always makes mommy and daddy laugh so much!
-He continues to sleep 11 hrs at night and usually takes a hr nap in the morning and afternoon, followed by a 30 min nap in the evening.
-Jr loves to eat! He eats 8-9 oz of milk along with baby food (3 tbsp) and barely cereal (1.5 tbsp) 3 times a day and anywhere from 13-16 oz right before bed.
-Jr had lost some of his hair on the sides of his head, but it's all starting to grow back in and looks pretty blonde like his daddy's when he was a baby.
-Jr can do a full push up and lift his chest all the way off the ground. It's been so much fun watching him develop and hit all these major milestones. I know I'm going to regret saying this later, but I can't wait to see him crawl!
-He loves to play with the "Alien" toy and can't stop laughing when it falls on his belly.
-Jr is all about blowing bubbles with his mouth.
-We finally have Jr back! The month of November and part of December was kind of rocky, but we finally got back our happy baby back. Jr is back to napping good during the day, and even if he doesn't take a long nap, he's happy and that's all that matters. He's also back to eating and pooping like normal too, which makes him a lot happier too!
-Most of Jr's clothes are 9-12 months. A 12 month old shirt fit him perfect the other day and today he even wore a 18 month old shirt!
-Overall he's rally starting to hit a lot of major milestones and has quite the happy personality.

*Mommy side note: I got a trampoline and train from A for Christmas! We set up the train on Saturday and Jr loves to watch go around the tree! We got the trampoline set up on Monday and of course we had to break it in with some jumps and flips. I'm such a big kid at heart! I also got a photoshop program that I absolutely love. I can't wait to play around with some of the Christmas pics!

“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”-Jeremiah 29:11

GROWING UP!

LOOK HOW I'VE GROWN!


From 1 week to 23 weeks!



I can sit all by myself!



I can hold my whole chest up!

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

21 wk highlights, Turned 5 months, Getting ready for Christmas

21 week highlights:
-Officially turned 5 months old!
-At 5 months he weighed 18 lbs and was 26 in long.
-Jr got to experience his first snow! Daddy pulled him around on a sled and he made his 1st snow angel. He absolutely loved playing in the snow and being pulled on the sled.
-He can move in a full circle when he's on his back. Jr is all over the place in his crib; he usually ends us completely flipped from where we left him (at both nap and bed time).
-Jr can also move in a complete circle on his tummy.
-He can do a complete push up with his arms and loves to look around at everything in this position.
-Jr loves to sit up and can actually balance on his own for awhile. Out of all the positions (tummy, back, sitting, etc.) he definitely prefers to sit and play.
-To say he loves his jumperoo is an understatement; he goes absolutely crazy when you put him in and loves to jump around nonstop.
-Everything continues to go in the mouth and the drool is nonstop.
-He constantly chews on his pointer finger and thumb. We still can't feel any teeth, but we're pretty sure he can feel them.
-We finally said enough with the paci. He doesn't like it at all and does just fine without it, so we decided to toss it.
-Jr is finally back to napping good (usually 50 mins) on his back and wakes up happy. We usually let him squirm around and hang out in his crib a little over an hour and then as long as he's happy we'll go get him. It took about 2 days of letting him cry it out to get him to sleep longer. We also started using some white noise (water, womb and thunderstorm sounds) during his nap time, which seems to be helping him sleep longer too. He takes a nap in the morning and afternoon and a little cat nap in the evening.
-Jr has really started noticing Rambo lately, he even reached out to pet him for the first time. Rambo just wanted to lick him, but Jr did manage to feel his fur before he got a big kiss from Rambo.
-Most all of his feedings come from the bottle now, because we need him to be good on the bottle so when we take our trip he's good for Grandma and Grandpa. Since giving him a bottle, it has sped up our feeding times to about 30 mins.
-Eats 3 tbsp baby food (only vegetables so far) and 1 tbsp barely cereal for breakfast, lunch, and supper. Along with usually 7-8 oz of milk. At supper and his bed time bottle he always takes more (dinner=10 oz and bedtime= 13 oz).
-Continues to sleep 11 hrs at night!
-He helped Mom and Dad celebrate their 3 year wedding anniversary! Annie and Tina babysat him, while Mom and Dad went and had a wonderful dinner. He did great for them and loves to play with Annie.

We've been so busy lately getting ready for Jacob's 1st Christmas and my family coming into town. Last night we went shopping at Toys R Us and got all of his Christmas gifts. We bought him some toys and a Radio Flyer wagon! I can't wait to celebrate the holidays with family and watch Jr play with all of his new toys. Today A & I are off to finish our Christmas shopping since tomorrow is Christmas Eve. I really can't believe how fast time has flown bye.

"What you are is God's gift to you; what you do with yourself is your gift to God." ~ Danish Proverb

Thursday, December 17, 2009

2 Hearts beating as 1!

Two hearts beating as 1!!! Three years ago I married my best friend! Together in front of God, our family and friends our 2 bodies’ became 1 (For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh). We continued to fall in love with each other and the fairy tale story began. Last year our 2 hearts began beating as 1 body. We were expecting our first little miracle and now this year we are holding him in our arms every day. Both our hearts combined to beat as one heart in this world! Simply an ordinary miracle!!! God is AMAZING!

I can’t believe how fast time as flown by and the journey we’ve walked thus far as man and wife. A and I have been through so much together and I really can’t imagine walking through life with anyone else. A is my best friend and the one person that no matter what I can rely on. God truly blessed me with an incredible husband and now father of our child. The amount of love he has for the Lord and his family is immeasurable. Each day I give thanks to the Lord for blessing with a husband like A. He’s an incredible father to Jr and would do anything for the two of us. A is honest, a hard worker, dedicated to everything he does, patient, kind, loving, caring, he’s simply Amazing! I can’t wait to see where God leads us in the future, but with A holding my hand I’m more than ready to keep experiencing this journey called life together with my one true love.

Today I especially give thanks to being married to an incredible man and the father of our son! Life is good, God is GREAT, and A is AMAZING! Thank you Lord for my wonderful husband!

The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man." For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. - Genesis 2:18-24

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

20 wk highlights!

Today Jr turned 21 weeks! It's so amazing watching my lil man grow and discover this whole new world! With our anniversary in 2 days, Christmas in 10, and New Year's a week after that, and then the end of the season 3 days after New Year's, we are always going nonstop it seems....tis the season! Nonetheless, it's time to highlight what Jr has been up to this past week.

20 week highlight:
-Jr absolutely loves to play in his jumperoo. He can go around in a complete circle in his saucer and if he's fussy he'll calm down almost immediately as you put him in it. This week he has absolutely gone crazy in it; jumping around and having a ball of fun in it!
-Jr can sit up on his own for about quite a few secs, but he can tripod for about 5 mins all by himself. He loves to sit up and enjoys playing with (or more like trying to eat) his toys when he's sitting.
-Jr can roll and definitely prefers to be on his back rather than his stomach; maybe that's why he learned how to roll from his stomach to his back first. He's loves to roll to his side when he's on the back, especially to the left side.
-I left him alone playing on his gym the other day and when I came back a couple minutes later he was turned a 180 degrees from where I had left him. He definitely loves to move and so comes to our end of leaving him unattended.
-He no longer sleeps on his wedge, because he loves to roll off of it.
-We had to take the bumpers out of his crib, because he moves all over the place in his crib now.
-Jr continues to eat 3 tbsp of baby food and 1 tbsp of barely cereal 3x/day and of course loves his breast milk. I breast feed him at every meal and always offer a bottle afterward to make sure he gets enough to eat.
-Jr continues to sleep 11-12 hrs at night. He takes 2 naps during the day for about 40 mins and one during the evening for about 30 mins. Lately we've been able to get him to take a 1.5 hr nap during at least one of his naps.
-We gave Jr a teether today, since he puts everything else in his mouth we decided why not give him something that is suppose to go into his mouth. He really didn't care for it at first, but after awhile he thought it was okay to chew on.

“Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.”-Psalm 27:14

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Rollin' and Sittin'

Our little tootsie is......ROLLING! Yes, we couldn't believe it either. He's been rolling around this past week, but today he officially rolled over (did it more than a couple times in a row) and did it about 20 times in a row! He actually did it enough that I had time to pull out the video camera and get him flipping from his stomach to his back. He definitely prefers to be on his back rather than his stomach. Jr has been rolling to his side the past couple weeks, but now finds it fun to roll from his back to his side and back again. And if he's rolled onto his tummy, he'll roll himself to his back. It was so much fun playing with him tonight and watching him experiencing rolling over for the first time.

Our little man can also sit up. He can sit for about 3 seconds by himself, but if he tripods himself with his arm he can sit for 5 mins or so. Jr loves to sit up and see everything and especially likes if you put his toys between his legs so he can sit and play with them.

Everything continues to go in the mouth. Jr will even sit up in his high chair, get his mouth on his tray and suck. He definitely likes to eat and play; what a true boy!

We finally have a new little routine down. Up at 8, eat, play, (at 10)nap for 45min to and hr, play, eat at noon, play, nap (at 2 for about 45min- hr), play, eat at 4, play, catnap (6ish), play, bath at 7 or 8 (depends on if he takes a catnap in the evening or not), bottle, then bed. The past two nights Jr hasn't taken a catnap in the evening so we just put him to bed at 8 instead of 9. Last night he slept 12 hrs straight! It was awesome! I love that he sleeps so well at night and can handle him not sleeping so much during the day. He's so happy when he wakes up from his nap, unless of course we leave him in his crib too long. A and I really wanted him to sleep a little longer during the day, but he apparently doesn't need as much sleep as we thought. Jr gets more upset if we try to keep him down for a nap and is apparently rested enough that he's happy as can be throughout the rest of the day. The past couple days have been great and it's such a blessing to have a happy and content baby all day long.

*Side note- Christmas cards went out yesterday!

“A man finds joy in giving an apt reply— and how good is a timely word!”-Proverbs 15:23

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Love my job & 19 week highlights

I can't believe Jr is already 20 weeks old! Sometimes it feels just like yesterday we were bringing him home. It's been an awesome ride so far and every day I wake up and give thanks for the coolest job ever! Lately all I can think about is how fortunate I am to be able to stay home with my baby and watch him grow each and every day. A and I were looking at pics of when he was first born compared to now and can't believe how much he's changed in 4 1/2 months not just physically either. Looking at his weekly pics you can start to see his personality shine through. He went from being curled up next to the bear & Scooby, hands over his face to sittings straight up (and now even trying to lean forward to sit on his own at times) and showing off his huge Gerber smile! As a parent watching him grow into a little guy is so awesome and one of the greatest blessing ever. He's such a happy baby that loves to eat, play, and snuggle! Life is great and being a stay at home mom is AWESOME!

With A and I's anniversary quickly approaching (9 days) I can't help but look at our life together thus far and praise the Lord for all he has granted me. A is an awesome husband and an incredible father! I feel so blessed to have him in my life and every time I look at him and he gives me that smile, my heart melts all over again, just like the night I met him.

Jr's 19 wk highlight:
-Jr loves to put his feet in the air and roll around on his back and butt. He grabs his toes and rolls around. Jr absolutely loves putting his toes up in the air and grabbing them with his hands. I put him in his rocker and he even tried to grab them in it.
-Got his pic taken for Christmas. Was a little burger during some of them, but I think we ended up with some pretty good ones to choose from. His smile will make your day that's for sure!
-Jr loves to look at himself in the mirror. He laughs, coos, talks, smiles, and just gets so excited when he sees himself. It's so much fun to watch him, because he really does think it's another baby he's seeing and talking to; endless hours (okay maybe minutes) of entertainment.
-Jr is grabbing everything he can get his hands on. A & I have thought for quite sometime that Jr might be a lefty. He swats and grabs for toys primarily with his left hand. If you're feeding him you have to hold down his left hand or he'll try to help you with the spoon. When going to feed him some peas he stuck his whole hand in the bowl and attempted to eat them off his hand. He's a handful when it comes to feeding, because he wants to help out and he moves nonstop.
-Lately when Jr gets a bottle, he insist he can hold it on his own. The only problem with this is that he doesn't help you much. Oh well, it's fun to see him discover all of these things.
-He naps about an hour and a half in the morning, hour in the afternoon, thirty mins at night, and then followed by 11 hrs at night. He's a great sleeper at night, which is such a blessing to any parent.
-Jr eats about 3 tbsp of vegs, 1 tbsp of barely cereal, and nurses at breakfast, lunch, dinner and then gets his last milk feeding right before bed. He breastfeeds first and then gets his solids. Seems to like the barely and it doesn't plug him up!
-Jr is growing so fast and insist he's a big boy now and can sit up on his own. A & I are always doing sit ups with him, so apparently they're paying off.
-Everything (seriously everything he can get his hands on) continues to go in the mouth.
-Jr wears a bib almost all the time minus when he is sleeping. He drools nonstop and if he didn't wear a bib we'd have nothing to wipe his mouth with and of course we'd be changing his clothes all the time.
-Jr's cheeks are turning rosy red and have been since the past couple weeks. Some say it might be due to teething.

Much as a person would tie a stake to a tomato plant to sustain it from the weight it carries; the strength of the stake is transferred to the plant and thus "bears it up." I am so thankful to have wonderful friends. It is if they say to me, "You're not going to fall and be broken or destroyed because I'm staking myself to you. My strength is now yours. Go ahead, lean on me. As long as I can stand, you will." Gal 6:2

Sunday, December 6, 2009

1 yr ago today and tidbits about Jr

One year ago today I found out I was expecting our first miracle child! I remember the morning like it was yesterday and will never forget the excitement I felt inside when I saw 2 lines appear! Every time I think about the whole experience of finding out, I can't help but smile and give thanks to the Lord for this true blessing that I now get to hold in my arms everyday. Life is good!

I was looking back at my pregnancy journal and told A how I forgot how sick I was for the first half. I did remember though that nausea feeling, because I had the same feeling last wk. No not because I'm pregnant, but I just had that same sick feeling to my stomach. A tells me all the time how I tend to forget things, which he's right I do. I remember though the instant the feeling comes back to me; it'll probably be the same thing with labor. I told A how I can do it drug free again, no biggy and he said, "Um...clearly you don't remember the pain you were in." And clearly I don't because it's through that pain that I was blessed with one of the greatest things to ever happen to me. Hints why the instant he was born I forgot about all the pain I'd just experienced. I love my husband with all my heart and feel so blessed to have a son who I can't wait to show the world to. Again, LIFE IS GOOD and GOD IS GREAT!

Jr has been growing so fast and I really can't believe how big he's getting; I clearly understand why he eats so much every time I pick him up and feel how big he is getting. I have a feeling he's going to be exactly like his daddy!

I keep forgetting to mention little tidbits about Jr so here they are:
-Last week he started making these dinosaur noises. We started calling him our little "Raptor!" He sounded like a baby dinosaur that had just been born. He hasn't done it much lately, but when everybody was here for Thanksgiving he did it nonstop it seemed like. Goofy kiddo!
-Jr has lost some of his hair; it's mainly on the sides from moving/rolling his head back and forth. He still has a lot of hair and the sides are growing back in. I have a feeling he's going to have thick hair just like A & I.
-It's funny the difference 20 weeks can make. When Jr was first born people could not believe how much hair he had. They also couldn't believe how little he was. Now he's lost a little hair and is huge for a 4 1/2 month old. I told A that we brought home a 5 year old (because he had a very skinny face and a ton of hair) and now we have our baby (chubby cheeks and just looks like a baby).
-Jr is finally back onto his regular pooping schedule, thank goodness! I started adding rice cereal back into his baby food and so far so good. He now eats 3 tbsp of baby food with some rice cereal mixed in at breakfast, lunch, and dinner and gets a bottle right before bed. He still seems like he could eat all day long, but then again most babies would eat all day long if they could. I nurse him at every feeding and usual give him a bottle at the end to make sure he is full.
-Thursday Jr got to meet Santa, well actually Santa met Jr while he was out cold. The country club across from our court was having Santa, one of his reindeer's', buggy rides, hot chocolate, pretty much the whole holiday works Thursday night. So we bundled up Jr (as it is freezing here) and took Annie to see Santa. We got our pic with the reindeer and then with Santa. Jr feel asleep in my arms while we waited in line for Santa. We did end up with a priceless pic of him sleeping in Santa's arms. It was so much fun and definitely worth standing out in the cold.
-Jr has had cradle cap for the past couple weeks and it is finally going away. He started getting it when he started losing his hair, but after brushing, brushing, and more brushing it's going away.
-Jr's can finally touch the ground with his feet in his jumperoo. For a long time we had a pillow underneath, then a book, and now there's nothing. He loves to push off with his feet and goes nuts when the who thing giggles him. Like I said before, I can't believe how big our little 6 lb baby has grown in just 19 weeks (almost 20)!
-Jr is so close to rolling over and if positioned right he can do it, but he hasn't quite got the whole concept of rolling completely over and continuing to roll. It's so much fun to watch him discover this world and see his eyes light up every time he discovers something new for the first time.
-Lately Jr has been waking up around 7:40ish. He sits and talks to himself for about 15 mins or so and then I usually go get him up and our day begins! It's so much fun to listen to him on the monitor; oh how I wonder what he is saying?!
-So Friday night Jenna came to take Jr's pics and a family pic for Christmas. After trying desperately to get him to smile, we only ended up with a handful of good ones. She came back yesterday to try to take some more, but again he was being the typical kiddo (all dressed up and looked so nice and would not smile at all). So finally today I dressed him up and I took the pics. They came out pretty good, so between mine and Jenna's I should be able to come up with a cute Christmas card. Jenna does such a good job and I really wish we could have got him to smile for her, but for whatever reasons our smiling 24/7 baby decided he would just sit there. At least though he would look at her.
-Jr just took a 2 hr morning nap! LIFE IS GOOD! GREAT NAP Buddy! NAPS ARE AWESOME!

We watched the NE vs. Texas game last night for the Big 12 Championship.....bummer. I'm disappointed in how we lost, but it is what it is and there's nothing we can do about it now. They lost on a last second field goal......gggggggrrrrrrr. I strongly dislike the Longhorns and even more so now. Oh well, I better stop thinking about it or I'll just get angry inside. A is still upset today about it. We don't like the Huskers or anything?! Nonetheless, NE has come a long way from the Billy C era and will continue to grow and get better each year with a coach like Bo.

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.”-John 10: 14-15

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Thanksgiving with the fam, back to normal, 18 wk highlights

I can't believe its already been a week since my last post. I really don't know where the days go and with the holidays among us it's only going to get more hectic. Nonetheless, the Christmas tree is up and the outside lights are up, so tis the season. And to top it off we're suppose to get snow tonight! So it's been a supper busy past week and weekend and now that the house is (too) quiet I better do a quick recap of everything the lil man has been up to.

Wednesday while everyone was at the arch, Jr napped like a "Champ!" It's so nice to be back on our old routine and to have a baby who sleeps over 30 mins really allows mom to get some things done. Once A got home, I ran to the store to pick up our Thanksgiving dinner. I pre-ordered it all from Dierbergs, so we didn't have to cook much come Thursday and could be able to enjoy each others company instead. Gina and Mark were suppose to come today, but Aleah had a double ear infections, so they decided it would be best to just stay put and let her get better. It kind of bummed everyone's spirits, but as parents we completely understood putting your child's needs first. Stacy got here in the evening and couldn't believe how much Jr had grown since she had seen him last.

Thursday (Happy Turkey Day) was probably one of the greatest Thanksgivings I've ever had. We started the day off with a wonderful breakfast feast: pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, etc. Stacy and I started preparing everything around noon so we could eat around 2:30ish. Everything turned out wonderful and it was truly a day to give "Thanks" for all that we've been blessed with. The company was awesome, the food was delicious, and I even got to enjoy my whole dinner in peace while my 4 month old son took his nap; probably not going to be the case next year! We played games, ate, ate a little more, played a little more and over all just had a wonderful Thanksgiving as a family! The kids, Keri and I went and played with Rambo in the yard. I've never seen the kids or Rambo have so much fun playing. One of our Thanksgiving traditions is to go around the table and say what we're thankful for; this year I am most thankful to be able to stay at home with my happy and healthy son. Today it's not only Thanksgiving it is also my Grandma's birthday. My parents went down to see her and I even got to wish her a "Happy Thanksgiving and Birthday" on the phone. She can finally talk since all the swelling in her tongue and neck are going down. I couldn't believe that I could understand her so well on the phone. I'm so thankful that she's doing great and I never knew how much of a fight my Grandma had in her, but watch out world because she is not giving up!

Friday was sad because Keri, John, and the kids had to head back home. It was so much fun having them here and the house was so much quieter once they left, which wasn't a good thing. Dalton and Taylor are such sweethearts and every time Dalton came around Jr he wanted to give him a hug or kiss. I just keep hearing in my head, "Can I give my baby cousin a kiss?" and then my heart melts because they just wanted to give their baby cousin love all the time. We watched the Huskers beat CU! Always a delight when that happens, because we can rub it into Mark for the next year. Stacy and I went shopping at Kohl's since it was black Friday and they had some pretty good sales. This was so out of character for both of us and after about 20 mins we looked at each other and laughed. We really couldn't believe we went shopping together; such a girly thing to do! I did get some good deals on Jr's clothes, which is a plus considering he fits in them one week and the next their just a little too tight. All the clothes I bought him are 9 month clothes hoping he'd grown into them, however they fit perfect right now! There are countless times that A and I look at each other and say, "He's going to be big!" Which would not be a big surprise given his genes.

Saturday was full of more football, fun, and family time. We took it pretty easy around the house and had a great laid back day.

Sunday we brook out the Christmas decorations. Stacy helped me put up the tree, while A took his parents to the game. I managed to get pretty much the whole house decorated between Jr's naps. Jr is fascinated by the lights on the tree. We took A's parents out for his dad's birthday once they got home from the game. Jr did great the whole time and even allowed us to go get ice cream after a great dinner. I really think his parents had a great time and it was nice to treat them to something special.

Monday morning A took his parents to the airport and just like that everyone was gone; a very sad day for A and I. And like I always say, just a reminder of how we really wish we lived closer to family, maybe someday. With everybody gone, it was time to get the house cleaned and back into the day to day routine. So most of Monday consisted of laundry, cleaning, and taking care of Jr.

Tuesday Jr turned 19 wks! We went out for breakfast for our little Tuesday tradition. Afterwards we went and got Jr a cute little outfit for our Christmas pics. Jr did great the whole time we were out and to be able to eat a whole meal without a baby in my arms was a blessing. It was another day of trying to catch up on things that have been over looked since we've had company.

Today (Wednesday) our outside decorations got put up, so our home is decked out for the holidays. The past 2 years I've done the decorating outside (lights on the roof and lawn orniments), but not this year we had to hire our lawn guy to do it all. It was kind of sad not being able to do it myself, but I clearly don't have the time to do it so I was okay with having another person do it. I hope to do it next year though, but we will see. It just started to rain this afternoon and it they say it's going to snow this afternoon/evening....I really hope it does! Today we went back onto his 4 hr schedule and are no longer doing a little feeding before his naps. We knew he could do it, because he'd done it before it's just a matter of getting him back onto that routine. The result from today= happy baby and a great day for baby and Mommy!

Jr update: He seems to be like a roller coaster lately, good days and then not so good days. It all comes down to not napping. He was on a great little routine, but since we got back from NE its been a work in process. Last week he was napping like a champ again, but once everyone left he started doing his 40 min naps again. Luckily he continues to sleep through the night and usually I have to wake him up in the morning. If he does wake up early he just sits and coos and talks to himself in his crib. Today (Wednesday) he's had an awesome day and we just spent a half hour laughing and playing tonight, which totally made moms day. I love seeing his Gerber smile and his laughs crack A and I up all the time. He tries so hard to move when he's on his tummy, but only goes in a circle. His arms and legs move nonstop and when he can move he's going to be gone.

18 wk highlight:
-Got 4 month old shots. Had a rough night following them, just wanted to sleep in mommy's arms'; not a terrible thing I guess.
-Met Grandpa Dave for the first time. Loves to talk and smile at Grandpa. Grandpa couldn't believe how happy Jr was and what an awesome kid he is.
-Jr is slowing getting back to his old sleep routine,
-Celebrated first Thanksgiving with the Carriker side. Took a nap during the whole meal, which allowed Mommy and Daddy to get seconds!
-Had white grape juice for the first time. Mixed in with his rice cereal to help with the constipation, didn't help in the end.
-Sleeps 11 1/5 hrs at night.
-Eats 1 1/2 tbsp baby food at lunch and supper. Doesn't eat rice cereal anymore because it seemed to make him constipated. Likes/eats squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, and now peas. I haven't given him squash or cereal since trying to get his system back in order.
-Entered the "Everything in the mouth" stage. Toys, fists, blanket, shirt, etc. etc. it all goes in the mouth to be chewed on!
-Really enjoys grabbing toys and and of course putting them to his mouth.
-Jr is constantly using his fingers to hold things and really play with them.
-Helped put up the Christmas tree, well he actually took a nap when Aunt Stacy and Mommy put it up, but he approved it when he woke up and smiled when he saw all the lights.
-Is doing the Baby Can Read program daily. Really likes the video and the flash cards and book seem to catch his attention.

“Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.”-1 Chronicles 16:8