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