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

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

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

Family here, Jr not himself, Mommy update, 17 wk highlights, Jr finally napping, 4 month check up

Okay so I meant to post this first part of my blog yesterday, but ran out of time and didn't get to it. So at the end I updated all the changes.

Saturday Keri, John, and the kids got to our house around noonish. I was greeted with a big hug from both Taylor and Dalton. They're so sweet and just love A & I to death. They were so happy to see us and even happier to meet their cousin. We went out to Red Robin for lunch and later that evening watched the Huskers win against KSU, making them the Big 12 North Champs. They head to Dallas to play the Longhorns at the new Dallas stadium. Unfortunately A or I won't be going to it, but it sure would have been a lot of fun. PJ, Shanoon, and Uncle Bill are just a few of the lucky people who are going.

Sunday everyone went to the game, while Jr and I stayed home. I can't wait to start going to the games again, however I don't think that'll be until next year. It's really not worth the hassle with a 4 month old; now if his daddy was playing of course we would be there, but he's not so there's really no reason for us to go. I can't believe next year at this time he'll be running around and terrorizing everyone and everything. I really can't even imagine him crawling and sitting up, which is not that far off from.

Monday we took it easy in the morning just playing and what not. Once it was time for Jr's afternoon nap we went shopping at Toys R Us for some Christmas gifts. At home I helped Dalton put together a Lego car he had got at the store, while Taylor babysat Jr. It was so cute because she asked if she could just play with him in the other room by herself. Jr loves Taylor and cried when she left the room. It was fun putting together the car with Dalton. I love to build things and can remember as a kid building things with Kenex for hours on end. I can just see myself now building things with Jr. Oh the things we'll be able to show daddy when he comes home from work. Okay enough day dreaming, back to what we've been up to. After supper Keri, Taylor, and I ran to get Taylor a snowglobe for good grades and went to the grocery store, where we bought way too much junk food! As soon as we got home it was bath, boob/bottle, bed for Jr who was more than ready to head to bed.

Jr is 18 weeks today (Tuesday)! We're headed to get his 4 month shots today. I have a feeling he might be a little fussy tonight, but am praying it goes like when he was 2 months and didn't have a single side effect. The kids and I built a Gingerbread house this morning. It was a lot of fun and you can definitely tell the difference between a boy and a girl. Taylor was putting the candy on the roof really nice and neat and Dalton on the other hand wanted to dump the candy out of the bag and just eat it and maybe put a little on the roof. I think the kids had a good time and of course were super happy because they got to build it with the coolest aunt ever. Jr took a 2 hr morning nap! I really can't believe it and I swear A & I didn't know what to do with ourselves. We fed him at 8 as usual and then again right before his nap. He woke up about 40 mins into, but I just went and gave him his paci and success back to sleep. Keri and John went and picked up Dave and Nancy from the airport, while we ran Jr to the dr.

Jr hasn't been himself the past 2 weeks. He's constantly fussy it seems like and wants to eat endless amounts of milk. He used to be on a great little routine and was the happiest and most content baby on the earth. However, ever since we've gotten back from NE he's not been himself. He used to nap really well, however he naps for about 30 mins at a time equalling 1.5 hr of total nap time. He did take a 2 hr nap this morning though, so maybe we're getting back on track. Thank goodness he sleeps like a champ at night, but we really need to figure out what is going on during the day. So here's an example of what yesterday (Monday) looked like: ate 8 oz and nursed a little for breakfast, took 3 oz just before his nap at 10, woke up screaming and mouthing his fist at 10:40, ate 11 oz at noon, napped from 2-2:50ish, ate 14 oz at 4:00, was mouthing his fist at 5:30, ate at 7:00, went to bed a little after 8:00. I can't believe how much he eats during the day and if we would let him he'd probably eat all day long. We definitely celebrate the fact that he sleeps so well at night, but am baffled how he can go 12 hrs without food, but can barely last 4 hrs during the day. We stopped all baby food and rice cereal to help him go the bathroom, which leads us to should we try rice cereal or not. It's something heavier on his stomach and would probably help him feel full, but it made him constipated so what to do. We also think he might be getting teeth. I don't think they're cutting through yet, but he definitely shows the signs of teething (drool, hands in mouth, fussy, etc.). So all things combined our little guy has had a rough couple weeks and obviously we're hoping the dr can answer some of our questions and give us some suggestions about what to do. Praying that Jr returns to his old self and that all becomes calm in the Carriker household soon. I am celebrating the fact he took a 2 hr morning nap!

Mommy update: I've developed a severe cold that I can't seem to kick. I woke up this morning feeling terrible; I was all congested in my chest and could barely breathe. Today (Tuesday) at Jr's dr, I am going to ask him what I can take since I'm breastfeeding. I can't believe how many things are starting to pile onto each other this week. Between Jr not being himself, my cold, company here and coming, and Thanksgiving in 2 days, I really think I'm going to need a vacation next week! Side notes: my pregnancy line is almost gone and I shed so much hair a day I think I could have made about 5 wigs so far. A tells me I shed more than Rambo, which I can't argue.

17 wk highlights:
-Officially turned 4 months according to the calender.
-Experienced first set of sniffles/cold. Luckily was able to fight it off, so it didn't turn into anything big.
-Loves to spend time with Grandma Tina and watching them snuggle together makes mom’s heart melt.
-Has been only napping for 30-45 min in the morning and afternoon, making for a grumpy baby at times. Trying some different things such as feeding Jr a little more and right before he goes down for his nap.
-Jr hasn't been pooping like normal. So we decided to stop all baby food and cereal for right now and are going to try and get his body back to being regular.
-Constantly chews on his fist, bib, your hand, pretty much anything he can get his hands on and up to his mouth. Is showing signs of teething, but don't have any teeth cutting through yet. He constantly acts like he's hungry, despite how much he might have just eaten. This boy truly has an unbelievable appetite.
-Met Uncle John and Aunt Keri for the first time. They both thought Jr was big and looked like A.
-Got to meet some of his cousins for the first time (Dalton and Taylor). Dalton insisted on giving him a hug all the time. It's so cute to watch him get down and hug him. Jr loves to stare at Taylor. Taylor is a big help with him and really likes to sit and hold him.
-The past 2 wks Jr just hasn't been himself and is leaving mommy and daddy wondering where their happy and content baby went. He's not bad by any means, he's just not himself (happy and content).
-Doesn't care for his car seat, especially when he's awake.

Okay so here's an update from yesterday afternoon thru part of today (Wednesday):
Jr is back to himself! Thank you God for my precious "Happy" boy! Yesterday (Tuesday), Jr took a good solid 2 hr nap in the morning. Ate a good lunch and then we headed off to the dr. He was just like a typical kid in the fact that he wanted to make liars out of mommy and daddy. He did great at the dr (we had to see the nurse practitioner) and she really couldn't get enough of him. Jr was all smiles and cooing during the whole visit, of course until the shots came. He really didn't cry that much after his shots and after a little milk went to sleep for his afternoon nap. We had to stop at Walgreens to pick up some white grape juice to put in his cereal so he doesn't get constipated. We got home the exact time that Keri and John did with Grandma & Grandpa Carriker. Jr stayed asleep for awhile in his car seat and as soon as he fussed around a little I moved him into his crib, where he took the rest of his 2 hr nap! Thank goodness! He had a really good evening until about a little after 8 when we went to put him down. He just started crying with his eyes shut and everything. After I got him calmed down he was out for about 40 min and then came a long 5 hrs of crying in his sleep. I think his legs were sore from the shots and every time he would move he'd cry because it hurt. I bounced, rocked, slept in the rocker, pretty much did everything last night until about 1:00 when A took over so I could pump. We put him down around 1:30 and he slept till a little past 7. This morning when he woke up, I just took him into our room and rocked with him (of which he fell asleep till a little before 8). As I type this right now we are on successful nap #1 of today......going on 1.5 hrs! Hints why I have time to write on this. Everyone headed down to the arch except for A, Jr, and I. A is at rehab and working out, and of course Jr is trying to get back on a schedule so we stayed behind. I really didn't think it would be worth dragging him along just to be in his car seat, of which he's not a big fan of when he's awake. Okay, so I better post this and get some lunch ready for Jr. Praying that the happiness continues and that we're back to normal.

4 month check up:
Height: 25 in (52%)
Weight: 16 lbs 6.5 oz (78%)
Head: 17 in (74%)
-Had second round of most of his shots. Did great at the dr office, however had a rough night because of the shots.
-Overall is doing great and is right on track developmental wise!

“Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”-Galatians 6:2

Jr 4 months, Busy getting ready for family, Naps

And so it is Saturday….ALREADY! And Jr is 4 MONTHS TODAY! I really can’t believe how fast time is flying bye. Thanksgiving is less than a week away and soon after is our anniversary, followed quickly by Jr’s first Christmas! Oh, tis the season! I absolutely love the holidays and am so excited to see our families.

I’ve been going non-stop this week and only have a little time to finish this blog before it’s time to clock in for my mommy and wifey duties. Nonetheless here’s a very quick recap of what we’ve been up to this week.

Tuesday was kind of like our typical day overall. We went out for dinner at Applebee’s and then to the grocery story to start getting some thing for when people get here for Thanksgiving. By the time we got home, it was unload and put away groceries before bath, bottle, and then bed. I stayed up to have some more “me” time, but I honestly stayed up because I needed to cook up some meat for next week. I managed to get one meal cooked and frozen.

Wednesday is our typical date afternoon, however we were going to pass this week because of everything we were trying to get done. After thinking about it for a while, I decided it might be a good idea if we ran to Sam’s and did a couple other errands Jr free. Knowing that Tina really wanted to watch him for a little bit, I shot her a text and she was all over it. Jr really loves when Tina comes over and the sight of them rocking together when we got home made my heart melt. It was just a reminder to me of how precious our little boy truly is and how amazing our God is to have created all of this. I hadn’t been to Sam’s in a long time, so we definitely loaded up for the holidays. Annie just watched in ah as A and I carried in boxes of corn, tp, paper towels, cereal, etc, etc. It was so funny because she told me, “I don’t think you need to go to the grocery store for a looooooooooong time!” Kids will tell you like it is! Gotta love ‘em! Yet again it was another busy evening and night. I stayed up late again to cook another meal for next week. I’ve been trying to get everything cooked (our dinner meals) for next week so we don’t have to spend a lot of time in the kitchen and can just enjoy everyone’s company.

Thursday we had bible study at our house. Jr got to see Georgia (his playmate), who is so much littler than him now. She just stares at him every time they’re together, but Jr could really care less. He would occasionally look at her, but was mainly fixated on everyone walking around and talking. He’s funny because he’s such a talker unless we’re in a big group of people, then he’ll just look around and will hardly say a word. Bible study was great and definitely something I needed this week. It always helps me to ground myself and take time for God. Most of Thursday evening turned into troubleshooting our Internet and kid. Jr had a good morning, but rough afternoon and was ready for his bath, bottle and bed by the end of the day. We’ve been trying to work on his naps, but I really think he’s still hungry which makes him wake up early. I’ve learned so much about myself and have really grown into a young confident mother over the past 17 weeks. Parenting is such a learning job each and every day. It’s one of the hardest things you’ll ever do, but yet probably the most rewarding job ever. Whenever I get frustrated or down I just look at my precious blessing from God and remember just how fortunate we are to have Jr. He always gets an extra squeeze and kiss then! And yes God gets many thanks then too! Luckily I didn't have to stay up late to cook a meal, because I was able to get it done during the day! I can't believe I got all our meals made and frozen, except for one!

Friday was full of one last run to the store, fixing our internet, cleaning the house a little, laundry, pretty much the usual things we had to do to ready for company. Vic came out and tried to fix our Internet. He was here for 2 hrs and still couldn’t figure it out. But long behold after 2 different routers and I don’t know how many hours later of trying to fix this thing, the computer Gods finally came through and I got us Internet late that night.

It always seems like everything just starts to pile onto each other all at one time. First it was Jr waking up early from his naps, then a mouse in our house (oh wait, make it 3! I don’t even want to talk about it), the internet goes out, I have another sore throat, Jr not pooping right, and well yes I could go on, but it’s not worth it. All I can say is that I’m so happy the holidays are here and I get to see my niece and nephew today and that Jr finally gets to meet some of his cousins! Keri and John should be here by 11:00ish today.

Jr side note:
-The cold/sniffles have completely gone away! Thank goodness. So we’ve yet to experience a full-blown cold.
-Loves to spend time with Grandma Tina and watching them snuggle together makes mom’s heart melt.
-Has been waking up 30-45 min into his naps. However after doing some ready last night I think A & I have finally figured out what is going on. We decided to feed him a bottle at every feeding except for his last feeding, of which I will nurse him and give him a bottle at the end if he wishes. We still want him to nurse sometimes, but nursing along I don’t think he gets enough and even though we try to give him a bottle at the end he usually won’t take it. So we’ve decided its time to make sure he’s getting enough to eat and then he will hopefully stop waking up during his sleep cycle. Thank goodness he continues to be a champ at night and sleeps 8:30-8:00. I really hope this works. The fun thing (and not so fun thing at times) of being a parent is the trial and error part. I guess we will see.
-Jr hasn't been pooping like normal, so we've had to use a suppository to help him out. I feel sorry for the little guy because you can see him just straining and pushing with all he has. Poor lil fellow has had a lot of gas lately too. We go in Tuesday for his 4 month check up, hopefully he's back to his regular self before then.

“[Thanksgiving] I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way—in all your speaking and in all your knowledge—”- 1 Corinthians 1:4-5