Me time, A lil cold, Holding a spoon, 16 wk highlights

Finally some "me" time. I've definitely needed some me time to get some things done without any distractions. So here I am enjoying a late night catching up on emails, my blog, pics, etc.etc. It continues to be a whirlwind around the Carriker home and with the holidays approaching I can only imagine how fast these next two months are going to fly bye. A's side of the family is coming this weekend and into next week for Thanksgiving. It's going to be so much fun to have family here and see all the cousins together. We plan on having some of my family out during New Year's. I really do love the holidays and spending time with family.

So Saturday night A and I stayed up until midnight! We were just trying to get some things done that we couldn't get done during the day, due to Jr's lack up sleeping during his nap times. Sunday night we stayed up late again, for the same reason as Saturday. And yet here I am again tonight staying up late. I'm kind of getting used to this; probably not a good thing considering I still get up at the same time. Nonetheless, I do enjoy having some down time and if it falls late at night, so be it! Just part of being a parent!

Jr was a little fussy and stuffy Saturday night and woke up Sunday with what sounded like a little cold. He was a little congested, sneezing, and coughing. Luckily he hasn't ran a fever or anything, just seems a little plugged up. Monday (Today) I decided to take him into the dr; I'd rather be safe than sorry when it comes to things like this, especially considering everything that is going around. The dr just said to make sure he doesn't spike a temp and watch him closely where there is a lot of nasty stuff going around. Jr sounded a lot better this afternoon and evening, so maybe he's fighting it off and it'll be completely gone soon.

Today I talked to Amy about Jr's naps. After going through everything, we came to conclude a couple things about why he wakes up 30 mins into his naps. First off I think he's just developed a habit and it's just something we need to break now. The other thing I think that contributes to him waking up is he's still hungry. We ran into this same problem when he was like 5 wks or so (I think) and he simply wasn't getting enough to eat. He acts full at the end of his feedings, but maybe getting something heavier in his stomach will help. So we decided to mix some cereal into his baby food and see if that would help fill him up a little more. It seemed to help tonight, he wasn't as fussy. We mix in cereal at his 12 and 4 feeding. He drinks and eats like a champ, which is very clear given he weighed 16 lbs today at the dr's. I can't believe he's put on 10 lbs already. Although I don't workout right now, I do get my mommy workout in daily. Lifting and squatting with him all day is giving me great mommy muscles!

Jr is a really happy baby and loves to play games with mommy and daddy. He rarely wants to play by himself and would definitely prefer someone playing with him and/or paying attention to him. The other night I was playing a game with him in his high chair and I don't think he could have laughed any harder or smiled any bigger the whole time. It was awesome and it was definitely my mommy pay check for the day! Despite all the little bumps (and yes the big ones too) you have along the parenting road, when you sit and hold your child who looks at you and gives you the sweetest smile....it is then that your world is complete and you remember the endless rewards of being a parent! I love being able to watch Jr grow daily. I can't even begin to count the number of times that A & I will be playing with Jr and I just stop to give thanks for everything I've been blessed with. Most of all I give thanks for a wonderful, loving, and amazing husband and a healthy and happy son who is simply incredible! God is truly great!

And so the milestones continue: Sunday morning I was feeding Jr and decided to give him a spoon too to see what he would do. He took it straight to his mouth! I couldn't believe it. Luckily I had grabbed the camera in hopes that he would do something like this, but thinking that he'd just drop it or do something with it besides what he did. But to my surprise he brought it right to his mouth. It was so neat and I ran to wake up A so he could see what Jr was doing. Today I put a little food on there, just so he doesn't get disappointed that there's nothing on his spoon. It kind of got everywhere, but that's the fun of learning how to eat!!! Another mommy paycheck!



16 wk highlights:
-Started eating squash this wk. Out of the 3 veggies we've tried so far, seemed to like this the best. Eats 4 tbsp of veggies/day at 3 feedings. Just started adding a little cereal to his baby food. He really seems to enjoy it.
-Got to swing at the park for the first time. Loved going on a walk to the park and seemed to really enjoy being in the swing.
-Holds his shoulders and head off the ground really well. We've really noticed his strength this week. He's getting close to rolling over, but isn't quite there yet.
-Loves to breastfeed. He definitely prefers it over the bottle. Gets a bottle after each feeding just to make sure he's full (because he drains me really well, usually only leaves an oz total) and for his last feeding we give him a bottle. Although I think we might have to change this, because he'd rather nurse than take the bottle.
-Goes to bed at 8:30 now and sleeps till 8:00.
-Is out of all of his 3 month clothes (we actually cleaned out the closet last wk). Mainly wears 6-9 month cloths in most brands.
-Has been fussy this week. He's still a very happy baby, but getting back into a routine and trying to tackle the morning and afternoon nap have made for a long week. Finally tonight (after doing eating some cereal and getting his cold cleared up a little) he's been the happiest he's been in a week.
-Experienced first very minor cold. I don't even know if it can be considered a cold, but he's definitely been stuffy and has some crud in his throat.
-Can hold a spoon and bring it to his mouth!
-Weighs 16 lbs!
-Started giving him his snuggle puppy when it's nap time. He seems to kind of like it or at least chew on the ear!
-Laughs and talks all the time. Says what sounds like "Hi!" We were at the dr office playing with his phone and it said, "Hello," he then said, "Hi!" I think the dr about fell out of his chair when he heard Jr. It was great!
-Loves to look in the mirror and talk to the "other baby!"

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. -Ephesians 4:32

Parking it & Jr fussy

Wednesday A & I went out for lunch at Longhorn and then went to "Law abiding citizen." It was a very tasty lunch, really good movie and overall a awesome date afternoon. I love that we take the time each week to be just "us." Jr did great with Shannon, but of course was happy to see Mommy (okay so maybe it was more Mommy was happy to see Jr). Today we moved up Jr's last feeding schedule and when he goes to bed. We used to do his bath at 7:40, his bottle a little before 8:00, and then put down for bed around 9:00. Now we give him his bath at 7:15, his bottle at 7:30, and then bed around 8:30. We decided to do this because he's a little more fussy in the evening and he still sleeps till 8:00 AM no matter when you put him down; it also allows us to be in bed earlier too.

Thursday I decided to "park" it for the day. I really just needed a laid back day and to just take it easy. I didn't hustle around the house trying to get everything done; I just decided to take a moment to breath and enjoy all that God has blessed me with. It's so easy to get caught up in everything life throws at you, but it's just as important to take the time to enjoy life. Today just seemed like the perfect day to put my life in park. I couldn't go to bible study because our escalade was in the shop getting fixed, so after A got home and Jr was fed, we all (including the dog) went for a walk. We walked to the park, where Jr got to swing for the first time. He fit perfect in the swing and seemed to enjoy it. Luckily I had brought the camera and was able to capture this fun family time. Overall it was a great day and much needed day for me personally. I feel like I'm always going and that I often miss the little things in life that bring a smile to my face. God has been amazing in my life and has truly blessed me with so much. I can't help but give thanks each and everyday for all the blessings in my life; I give Him all the glory!

Friday it was back to work (as if I really had a complete day off)! I cleaned the whole house from top to bottom. I started in the basement and went room to room, while Jr was taking his morning nap. I was able to get everything dusted, but didn't have time to vacuum/swifter, so my wonderful husband did the dirty job for me later that evening. I was able to get some of the upstairs done before mommy duty called. Nonetheless, I was still trying to clean at 6, but I did end up getting almost everything done (thanks to a lot of help by A). We rearranged our hearth and sun room. Both A and I really like having the couch and rocker in the sun room and our table and chairs in the hearth room. For some reason Rambo really seems to like this arrangement too! A loves it because he can watch 2 TVs at once; such a true man! He loved it come Saturday when he could watch 4 different football games at once.

Saturday (Today) we watched the Huskers beat KU! Jenna brought by some cookies, which A and I have done a number on. We took it kind of easy around the house today and are working on Jr getting back into his good nap routine.

Jr has been really fussy this week. He's probably not even been that bad compared to most babies, but this is completely out of the ordinary for him. During both his naps during the day he wakes up after 30-40 mins and is ready to be picked up. He rarely falls back to sleep, which makes him really fussy at night, because he's tired. The parents as teacher lady said he doesn't know how to manipulate mom and dad until 6 months, but I disagree. Jr knows that if he cries, mom will come get him and life will be all good. He always greets me with a smile in his crib when I come to get him. I wish he would go back to his normal napping schedule, but I think it's just going to take a lot of time and patience to get him back on track. This afternoon I went and got him, but was able to get him to fall back to sleep for the rest of his nap. He's been a lot better this evening, which clarifies to me that we're not getting long enough naps during the day. Nonetheless, parenting is all about trial and error and together we'll all figure it out!

Other than the fussiness this week, Jr is doing great. He's truly growing like a McBride and Carriker! He's getting so strong and is really raising his head high and looking around when he's on his tummy. We started squash on Wednesday. I think he enjoys it the best out of everything. A tells me I say this about everything he eats, which is probably true since its a new taste it probably becomes his favorite food to eat then. Jr's toothless smile and cute giggle melts my heart every time.

“For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.”-1 Peter 2: 15-16

Nebraska trip & 15 wk highlights

Time to breath....I think we've tried to squeeze 25 hrs out of 24 hr days this past week. It was a great trip back to good 'ol Nebraska, but it's nice to be home and have the baby back into his own environment. So here's a quick recap of everything we did this past week.

Wednesday: After a busy morning full of workouts, rehab, dropping dog off, loading the car, etc.etc., we were off to the airport. Jr had mom and dad worried a little when he was fussy before we took off, but he did great on the flight. Everybody is always impressed with how well he does on the airplane; what a true blessing! PJ picked us up from the airport and off to Huhot we headed to meet up with Sam, Tami, Ty, Jen, Kit, and Megan. It was so nice to visit with friends and show off Jr! He did pretty good, but was ready to leave by the end. We checked into our hotel and headed to bed early knowing the whirlwind was just beginning.

Thursday: We headed to Aurora to meet Jr's Great Grandma and Grandpa for the first time! We arrived just in time to head to the Senior Citizen Center for lunch. Jr did great and was a hit with all the old people! Grandma Carriker was in 'ah' of Jr and loved to just look at him. As Jr and I watched them play cards, Grandma Carriker leaned over and said, "Let me hold that baby!" There was just something in her eye that twinkled anytime she looked at him and held him. It truly made my day to see her light up inside. Jr really took to Grandpa Carriker and really liked being held by him. We headed back to Lincoln to meet up with Jeff and Dusty at Rib Ranch for dinner. Jr started to scream and cry from the time we got off the interstate at Lincoln till we arrived at Rib Ranch. It was terrible; we couldn't do anything for him and he stopped crying the instant we took him out of his car seat. Rib Ranch is no longer Rib Ranch, it is now Parker's BBQ. Same menu and all, but something was just different about it; not quite as good. Of course we had to get some TCBY to top our whole evening off. It was delicious! After a quick, but great dinner/dessert and visit we headed back to the Holiday Inn in Omaha. As soon as baby was bathed and fed, it was lights out for all of us.

Friday: My parents got in late Thursday evening and were ready to see their grandson come morning. My mom offered to do his morning feeding, which allowed me to sleep in a bit and get ready while he ate. Oh, so nice! My dad, A, and I grabbed a quick breakfast before meeting with our tax lady, while my mom babysat Jr. After our quick meeting, A was off to Lincoln to do some work and my parents, Jr, and I met PJ for lunch and then headed to see Grandma. Grandma had surgery Tuesday and was in the ICU when we went to see her. It was really tough to see my Grandma in the condition she was in, but she's been a fighter through all of this and continues to fight for her life (royally). She couldn't talk to us, but would nod/shake her head in response to yes and no questions. The ICU nurse said she looked great and was doing really well. I really pray she can pull through all of this and be back to her old self soon. Grandma later wrote on her note pad to Bill and Nancy that she had, "Saw the baby. Baby is cute." Jr did great the whole time we were visiting Grandma. It was almost like he knew he needed to behave while we were there. We stopped by Kohl's on our way back to the hotel, but only had time to grab a couple frames (for A and Grandma) and a play phone for Jr. My mom found this phone that lights up and plays music; Jr seems to love it and it's definitely a favorite toy. Later that night A, Jr, and I went swimming at the CocoKey Resort in our hotel. Jr played in the baby pool, well actually A held Jr in the pool and they played. A would go to put Jr's feet down on the bottom of the pool and Jr would just raise his legs until he could feel the bottom and then he'd put them down. After about 10 minutes my mom took Jr and we headed to the big slides. My parents visited with Bill and Nancy while we played in the water park. A & I had a great time and it was almost like a mini-date. After the water park we went and ate with PJ, Shan, Bill, Nancy, Mom, and Dad at a Mexican restaurant. We asked for a glass of hot water to heat Jr's bottle up in, but somehow ended up with them putting the water in the bottle; interesting to say the least. After dinner, it was bath-bottle-then bed for Jr along with us following quickly after.

Saturday: Went and saw Grandma again. My mom stayed with Jr in the pickup, while A, dad and I went up to see her. I think she really enjoyed the fact that we came by again to see her and this time A was with us. Ty and Jacob finally got to meet! Cass brought Ty down to our room, so our boys could meet. It was fun having them together and it's so weird to think of us as both moms. Wow, how our lives have changed from when I first met her in the swimming pool. A had to go do another signing thing in Omaha, so why he did that we met up with Carol and Alan for lunch at Perkin's. It was great to see/visit them and Jr couldn't have been happier when being held by both of them. After our lunch, it was off to Lincoln for some tailgating and Big Red football. My parents went to church and dropped me off at the tailgate. Jr had eaten half his bottle already and I finished feeding him when I got to the pickup. I was trying to heat up the other bottle, but Jr did not have the patience to wait for it to get warm and he was getting to flustered to nurse. So mommy had to deal with the result of a crying baby who just wanted food. Uncle Bill came to the rescue and heated the milk on top of the brisket. When he finally gave me the bottle, it smelled like meat and BBQ. Oh what Jr must have been thinking when he was drinking from his "meat smelling" bottle?! Some family and friends of mine stopped by the tailgate and met Jr for the first time. It was great tailgate with family and friends, but come evening Jr and mommy were ready to go back to Omaha. Once my mom got there (from shopping), we headed to the pickup in hopes of making it back to Omaha at a good time. Jr threw a fit about 2 minutes before getting to the pickup. It was the same thing that had happened at the tailgate. He wanted food and he wanted it now! While my mom calmed him down, I sat and pumped in the back seat. After Jr was feed we headed back to Omaha. We listened to part of the game on the radio and watched the rest on TV when we finally got back. Nebraska pulled off a huge upset against OU (10-3) and the boys seemed to have a great time at the game. PJ, Dad, and A all got to sit in a box on the 50 yard line! A got to see a lot of people and it's all the guys could talk about for the next couple days! It was a great (and much needed) win for the Huskers!

Sunday: We met Ty, Cass, and Jared for breakfast at our hotel. It was great to sit and visit with them and talk about this crazy thing called parenting. After breakfast we had a play date and took a ton of photos of the babies and us. It was so much fun seeing them interact with each other, well as much as a 10 and 15 wk old baby can at least. Ty is a very laid back baby and was calm as could be the whole time. Jr on the other hand was a wiggle worm. It's fun seeing their different personalities come through and I can only imagine what they'll be like in a year. Jr was a mover from the beginning and continues to move nonstop. Watch out world when Jr can walk, he's going to be gone like a lightening bolt. After a great morning with great friends, it was off to the water park for a couple more slide rides before we had to leave. PJ, Shan, mom, dad, and us went to TJ's for lunch and DQ for dessert. Mom and dad took us to the airport, where it was check in and get through security before our plane left. Jr once again did great on the flight, but was definitely ready to be home by the end of this trip. A two yr old lil girl cried the whole time we were up in the air and stopped the instant we landed. I (along with anyone who has kids) felt sorry for the parents, who could not do anything to make her stop crying. A leaned over to me and whispered if that was Jr, "We would not fly!" It was so great to walk into our house and be home sweet home!

Monday: Monday was full of unpacking, doing loads of laundry, catching up on bills/mail, cleaning the house, and trying to get a baby back into a good routine. Jr was fussy almost all day long. This is so out of the ordinary for him and I know it was just from traveling and now trying to getting back into a routine.

Tuesday: Jr turned 16 wks! I can't believe how fast time has flown bye. We went out for breakfast and then our day was full of getting a lot of things done. We got our new bed delivered, along with our new queen, some guys came out to fix our escalade, our new bed got moved into A's tent, grocery store run, and just doing the usual day to day things. Jr was fussy in the evening, but had a pretty good day overall. Today was the first time I nursed him all day long. Starting Monday I started nursing him a little at each feeding and by the third feeding of the day he had it down pat, again. I always give him a little in a bottle at the end to make sure he gets enough. It's nice to be able to nurse him again (so convenient) and I really love the bonding experience we get experience.

Wednesday (Today): So far has been a busy morning trying to get our escalade fixed, doing household duties, and trying to finish my blog. A and I are going on our date this afternoon; I can't wait to get away for a couple hours.

Grandma Update: They've moved her out of ICU and she seems to be improving each day. They removed some tubes from her neck and she's starting to write more things down on her note pad. As I was lying in bed last night all I could think about was the fact that her birthday is on Thanksgiving this year and how she won't be able to eat a holiday feast and cake/ice cream. It made me really think about my own life and how I will never take advantage of being able to enjoy a holiday feast and cake/ice cream again, because you never know when you won't be able to enjoy it. She can now have mail, flowers, cards, etc delivered to her room, so Jr and I are putting together a little collage for her to hang in her room.

15 wk Highlights:
-Continues to sleep 9-8! Even on our trip to NE, he kept his same sleeping pattern!
-Discovered that he can scream (both happy and mad screams).
-Discovered he has 10 toes. He just realized he has feet and loves to stare at them. This is fun when we're trying to take a pic and all he wants to do is look at is his feet.
-Jr is trying to sit up. If you put him in a chair, he'll try (and usually successfully) brings his head and torso up and does some what of a crunch. So much for being able to leave him anywhere now days. He'll even fight you if you try to lie him back. Oh how our little boy is growing in so many ways.
-Traveled on a airplane for the 3rd and 4th time. He did great on both flights and is really a good traveler for us.
-Went to Nebraska for the first time.
-Met Great Grandma & Grandpa Carriker. Jr really took to Grandpa and enjoyed being held by him. Grandma insisted she needed to "Hold that boy!" It was a great visit with them and I'm really happy they got to meet their great grandson.
-Met Great Grandma McBride. She was in ICU and couldn't talk to us, but later wrote a note that said, "Saw the baby. Baby is cute!" She agreed with me (and everybody else) that Jr looks like A.
-Went in a swimming pool for the first time. Daddy and Jr played in the water, while mommy took pics. Jr didn't quite know what to think of the water and would lift his feet and legs up in the water, until he could touch the bottom, then he'd put them down.
-Went tailgating with Mommy and Daddy. Wore a Nebraska outfit and Husker shoes (that Daddy had just bought him). Jr did fairly well, but did not like when the band started to play. Uncle Bill came to the rescue of heating the rest of Jr's bottle up on top of the brisket.
-Met Uncle Jared, Aunt Cass and their precious baby boy Tyler. Ty was so laid back and hardly moved at all. Jr on the other hand moves non-stop, even when he's sleeping. I can only imagine how fun this is going to be when he's mobile.
-Eats 35-40 oz of breast milk per day. Along with 4 tablespoons of carrots.
-Successfully started nursing at all feedings. Is fed both by bottle and breast, but only breast milk.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”-Ephesians 2: 8-9

Grandma surgery, packing for Ne, 14 wk highlights

I have no idea where time goes. I know I find myself saying this all the time, but seriously I can't believe how fast the past 3 1/2 months have gone.

Monday was a whirlwind of getting things done and dealing with a headache that still comes and goes.

Tuesday we went out for breakfast, then to American, where we picked out our new bed (to replace the valley that A sleeps in now) and we also picked out a queen. After going back and forth about this whole bed situation with them, we were able to get a replacement and nice queen size bed all for the price of our original king. Two points for the Carriker's! I ran to Target to pick up some last minute things for the trip, while A got his haircut. The afternoon and evening were full of baby time, cleaning, laundry, and packing for NE. It wasn't the best day, but I went to bed happy and am so ready to get on the plane and go back to Nebraska.

Grandma had surgery on Tuesday to remove the cancer from her mouth. After 8 hrs, they finally wheeled her into recovery. Her pace maker was giving them trouble during the surgery, so a heart dr had to come in and they put a pace maker on the outside. Which means that she'll have to have a new one put in at a later date. My dad called me later to say that she was doing great in recovery. Grandma was awake and responding really well. Carol and them were able to go see her and Carol said, "She looked good, especially in her eyes." I can't wait to see Grandma and have her meet her great-grandson. I really wish it was under better circumstances, but at least she gets to meet him. I know Grandma is a fighter and will do everything in her power to overcome all of this that has been placed in front of her.

Today (Wednesday) I woke up with a sore throat. I really felt it coming on yesterday, but was hoping and praying that it would pass. Unfortunately it's killing me; hopefully it just stays a sore throat and is gone soon. We are flying out this afternoon and will meet up with PJ & Shannon, along with a group of friends for dinner. I really can't wait to get on the plane and head to NE. I miss my family and friends so much and it's going to be great to see everybody. M & D are coming down Thursday night after my mom gets off work. Jr finally gets to meet Ty! Cass and I can't wait to have the boys meet; oh it's going to be so much fun! I'm really excited to see them and well to see everybody actually. Anyway, I better wrap this up and make sure I'm ready to go before Jr is up and ready to go. Here we come Husker Nation!

14 wk highlights:
- Jr was asked to be ring bear in Jenna & Jason's wedding! He's going to be so cute and is definitely going to be a hit with all the girls. (He was technically asked when he was 13 wks, but I forgot to add it to the 13 wk highlight).
- Jr stayed with a babysitter for 7 hrs at our house, while we went to the dr and out to eat. He did wonderful the whole day for her. Shannon will be coming every Wednesday afternoon to babysit for us, while we do a date afternoon.
-He continues to sleep 9-8 every night.
-Is one of the happiest babies ever! Laughs and talks nonstop, especially at night. Loves to flash the biggest toothless smile I've ever seen. He absolutely loves when you sit and talk to him. I was talking to PJ on the phone the other night and Jr decided he wanted to talk to, so the whole time I was talking to PJ, Jr was talking in the background. PJ thought it was great and couldn't believe how much he talks. We've been truly blessed with such a wonderful and happy baby and one that really brings joy to our heart each and every day.
-Eats a tablespoon of baby food at each feeding, along with 8-11 oz of breastmilk. He seems to enjoy the baby food, but still prefers his bottle. Since starting the baby food we've not had a bottomless pit night (thank goodness)!
-Started eating carrots this wk. He seems to enjoy them, maybe even more than the sweet potatoes.
-Has recently discovered how fun it is to chew on his tongue. He's really starting to move it around all the time and chew on it. He can even curl it down the middle!
-Said "Ya!" It was so neat because A was talking to him and said, "That's because you're a Carriker," and Jr replied, "Ya!" Okay, so he doesn't know what he's saying, but it was soo cool and made Mommy and Daddy's day!
- Jr found out he is going to have a little cousin between May 28th-June 1st. Jeff and Angie are expecting a little blessing. I love watching all of our family grow!

"May your father and mother be glad; may she who gave you birth rejoice."- Proverbs 23:25

Happy Halloween, being more Mary like, and carrots

The Carriker Clan had a very Happy Halloween! We had a wonderful day as a family and took Jr around trick or treating in his fireman costume. A went to Walgreens to pick up some more candy (which we didn't even need because we didn't even have 1 trick or treater) and some how we ended up with a some cute decorations too. He got this short, little, creepy looking old man that he has now found joy in putting around the house in random places just to scare me. I think he's just getting me back for all the times I hide around corners and scared him. The best part of it all is that I know he's scared himself a couple times. There was only one house in our court that had their light on, so after stopping by their we walked over to Whitmore. It was a tad bit chilly, so we threw a blanket over the stroller and made sure Jr was cozy and warm. Our little trick or treater did great on our little stroll through the neighborhoods. Everybody thought he was, "Oh so cute!" and was definitely a hit with all the older ladies.

Today I managed to get my haircut and run some quick errands all before settling down to feed Jr and watch the Rams. It was a pretty lazy Sunday, but a much needed restful day for us all. The Rams ended up winning (1-7) against the Lions. Jr took half his nap in his crib and the other half on my chest. There's just those times that you have to savor the moment because before long it'll be gone. It was so nice to relax with A and Jr. I was truly in heaven and couldn't help but thank God for these unbelievable people in my life and this precious moment we were sharing.

As Jr continues to grow I'm really starting to learn it's not about all the big things, but it's about all the little things. It's taking the time to have a conversation with him, play with him, snuggle with him, and enjoy having a child that I so desperately wanted. The same goes for spending time with A. To often I get consumed with caring for a baby, doing laundry, cooking, cleaning, etc. (being a stay home wife and mom), that I forget to take time to be a couple with A. I love how we have our date afternoon each week and really try to focus on us becoming closer as husband and wife. I really do feel that I have a good handle on things now and that I'm slowly catching up after what has been a whirlwind summer and fall. Will I ever be caught up, probably not, but that doesn't matter. What matters in the end is that I took the time to be with my family and friends and enjoyed my life to its fullest. I really think I'm starting to get a handle on being more Mary like in my Martha world!

Some say that college is the best time of your life. Well college for me was a lot of growing and developing into who I am now. I would have to say that right now is one of the best times of my life. And to add to my goals from before, I hope I keep saying this same sentence throughout my whole life. I hope in whatever I'm doing, where ever I am, etc. that I'm having the time of my life and enjoying life to the fullest! I really think this might be a hard goal to achieve, but think its worth striving for.

Overall it's been a great weekend and I really can't complain. My headache is officially been gone for 2 days (thank goodness), Huskers won, Jr had his 1st Halloween and was so happy the whole day, Jr slept in the extra hour (fall back), Rams finally pulled off a victory (what a great way to start the bye week), and I got to spend the whole weekend with my one true love! My life (especially as a mom) is like a roller coaster; there's always unexpected climbs, unbelievable high peaks, crazy twist, and even the surprisingly huge drops........but in the end it's so worth it all and I'd run around to the beginning and hop right back on and do it over and over again. I'm having the time of my life and loving it!

Jr quick highlights:
*11/1: Slept in till 9:00 (technically it was 8, because of day light savings), but the fact is that he slept the extra hour! And to top it off, he went to bed early. He was out in his crib (full and clean) by 8:50!
*11/1: Tried carrots for the first time today. Seemed to like them. Continues to eat 7-10 oz of breast milk at each feeding.

“The earth is filled with your love, O LORD; teach me your decrees.”-Psalm 119: 64