Cousins

What fun we had a week ago!  (It's hard to believe it's been a week already!)  We had good times hanging out and playing with the cousins.  They are growing up so big and want to take good care of Nathan.

New Hat

My sister Katherine made us a new hat!  You may remember the one she made when Nathan was a newborn (see here) and I asked her to make us a bigger one.

You can't see the puff ball on the top (I'll have to try another day to get that), but it's super cute.  We did mess up though....  I thought that Nathan would eat the strings so we asked her not to put them on.  But, how do you keep a hat on a baby's head?  So, we need to have her fix it so it'll stay on.

Two Spoons

When Nathan's finished eating, he grabs for the spoon and likes to chew on it.  After a while he'll get the spoon turned around and have the metal part in his mouth.  So, we decided to get some plastic spoons so that he could chew on them without hurting himself.  I don't quite remember why I had given him the plastic one without taking the other away, but never-the-less, he decided to put both in his mouth!

Nathan is eating a bunch of solids.  He's added a third meal during the day (so he eats 2x at daycare now).  He is trying all sorts of things since the pediatrician told us to expand his horizons. Yesterday he had meat for the first time (in a baby food jar) and they say he gobbled it up.  He's increasing the amount that he's eating so that by 1 year he'll be primarily eating solids and only having milk for a drink.

Two for Tuesday

 Can it get any better than this?  Lounging on the bean bag chair! :)

Come and worship Jesus Christ the newborn King!

Motorboat-ing

I actually had taken this video on Wednesday night while Nathan was finishing up his dinner.  He proceeded to make the sound all evening long (I was begging him to do something else!).  He continues to make the motor boat sound and varies it up a bit. 

Playing with the Kids

Melissa set aside toys that she thought would be appropriate for Nathan to play with.  The kids loved playing with him and playing with the "baby" toys.

 

Yea! It's so much fun to play with my cousins!

Christmas Parade

My sister wisely had us check out downtown on Friday when it was warm.  Saturday it was f-r-e-e-z-i-n-g!!!!  Nathan did not like it one bit!

All these pictures were before the parade started and our noses weren't very pink even.  By the end of the 1 hour parade, we all were hoping for some hot chocolate and some place warm.  We did see Ewell and the float his work had done as well as many more floats and other interesting vehicles in the parade.  The kids got lots of candy and we finally saw Santa and his reindeer.  It was a fun memory for sure!

Big Boy!

Look at this big boy!  Barry's tried to put him up on his shoulders (remember the laughing video), but Nathan won't stay there very long.  But, here he is as we're walking around downtown Mt. Airy, with Nathan on his shoulders.  It didn't last too long, but he did like sitting up there for a bit.

We had a great day checking out the little shops in downtown.  We got to eat at a cool fast food place called Cook Out for lunch.  Although we didn't do any Black Friday shopping, we enjoyed being with the family and hanging out.

First Thanksgiving

We were a bit crazy and decided to get up after Nathan's 1:30am feeding to leave for my sister's in Virginia.  We were on the road by 2:30am and had only short stops along the way until we arrived before 10am (we lost an hour since we were driving east).  That gave me time to help Melissa with the last few things for the meal.

 

Here are a few pictures around the table:

 Looks good, huh?!  It was delicious and we got to try a couple new things we've not had before (corn casserole & a sweet potato casserole).  YUM!

This nap actually occurred before the meal!  Nathan had a hard time figuring out what was going on as we travelled and didn't sleep so well.  He napped here with Barry and then ended up going to bed around 5:30pm (and sleeping through till 6am with two feedings).  We weren't the best of company that first day, but it was good to be with family!

Ready for School

The red bag is Nathan's "school" bag as it's got his milk, baby food, and cereal inside.  He typically will try to hold it, though it's too heavy for him to carry on his own.  He knows it's his!

We've been having to get ready extra early this week and will continue to do so for the next 4 weeks as Barry's warehouse is changing to 2 shifts to handle the holiday orders.  He has to be to work (to start) by 7am!  So, that means that we have to leave the house a bit before 6am so that we can drop off Nathan and get going.  Today we actually made it to the daycare before the workers!  (A little scary to be sure!).  Barry does get off earlier so we have been able to get Nathan from daycare a little bit earlier.

We're glad for a few days off!

Laundry, anyone?

Rushing to get things accomplished before our trip this weekend, we decided that some laundry would need to be done.  Otherwise, Buster Brown, here, would not have clothes for next week!  So, we pulled out the basket and sorted out some clothes.

Nathan did NOT like being in the basket.  In fact a couple tears were shed, but I think the night was an emotional one because he cried when he had a bath as well.  Perhaps he can sense that something is going to happen?  A little more than one more day, Baby, and we'll be with family!

Too big for carseat

Look this little guy -- passed out after a wonderful Sunday School experience!  We've been trying more since the weather's not been as hot to pull Nathan out of his seat and carry him in to his nursery room since there are so many babies and not very much room for carseats.

Since Nathan is 29 inches long and this carseat is only for children 30 inches and under, we decided that it was time to graduate to a "big boy" carseat.  We had been checking out different stores to see what we could find and realized our best bet was to get it from Essex -- a retail store (kind of like Big Lots) that has name brand items for a deal.  The seat we got retailed for $170 and we got it for $99.  It's taking a bit of time to get used to since it doesn't have a sun shade, but we're hoping it will be a good fit for Nathan.

I'm sure a picture of Nathan sitting in it will be forthcoming!

With Daddy

Nathan sure loves his daddy!  Barry plays with him all the time and tries to do whatever he can to make him laugh.  I love my boys!

Hanging out with the cats!

Nathan and the cats get along together pretty well.  Typically if he's crying, they'll come and see.  They'll let him pet them (or in reality grab chunks of fur!) and put up with a lot.  I've heard that they say that a home with pets is good for a baby - to build up resistance to allergens and such.  We hope that will be true for our little guy!

Can I give you a hand?

All it takes is to say, "Yay, Nathan!" and he will start clapping.  In the mornings the last couple days, he'll just spontaneously start clapping and smile big. 

 

Such a cutey!

Playing

While we eat dinner, Nathan plays with his toys on the floor.  Here he is playing!

(Did you see that his shirt is on backwards?  The tag is in the front!)

Two for Tuesday

This is Oreo's chair...

See, I told you it was Oreo's chair!

Playing around

Don't you like my new chair?

9 Month Turtle Pictures

"I want this one and this one and this one..."

 

 "What?!"

 

Despite Barry trying to keep Nathan from eating a leaf, he did it.  And promptly tried to spit it out!  He was so funny about touching them and trying to figure out what they were.  (Can you tell he was hiccuping in the first pictures?!)  We're hoping for some good stats to share after Thursday's appointment!

Making Baby Food

We have a good friend who works as a nanny and cares for a baby that's a month or so older than Nathan.  She had been telling me about making food for the baby and I told her that I had been using our blender to make some things.  Next thing we know, she & her husband had gifted us with a Magic Bullet!  I got to use it for the first time this weekend.  We did sweet potato and carrots.  Yum!

Friday Fun

What kind of mischief is this little one going to get into?!  Look at that face!

I don't know why he put out his hand, but that's what he did when we went to take the picture.  Love that boy!

We're almost over the crud, but the teething continues.  He has been unusually whiney and we hope that it won't last long.  Can't wait for the weekend!

Did you vote?

We were concerned that the lines would be long and we wouldn't be able to stay and vote, but we got in and only had to wait about 10 minutes total for both lines.  Nathan had a rough day with his teeth so the paci was a constant companion.

I got this in an email on Tuesday and thought it was appropriate to share:

After the Election

I can predict (and guarantee) the following results:
1. God will still be on His throne
2. Jesus will still be King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
3. The Bible will still have all the answers to every problem.
4. The tomb will still be empty.
5. Jesus will still be the only way to heaven

6. Prayer will still work - it will still make a difference and God will still answer prayer
7. The cross, not the government, will still be our salvation
8. There will still be room at the cross. 
9. Jesus will still save anyone who places their faith and trust in Him.

10. God will still be with us always - He will never leave us or forsake us.

Two for Tuesday - 9 Months Old!

It's true, my baby is 9 months old today!  Wow!  He's almost been alive as long as he was in my womb.

I was trying to get a picture of him as he made the motor boat sound (another new trick), but when the camera comes out, it's time to smile.  (Look at his white gums... maybe a tooth will be coming soon?!)

Again, he was fussing and not wanting to sit for the picture, but just as I do the focus on the camera (a light shines which catches his attention), a big smile breaks out. 

How can you not love this child?!

 

We got next week for his 9 month check-up and shots.  I'm interested to see what the pediatrician says since he's getting so big.

With Momma & Daddy

We need to get another family picture, but, these will have to do...

 

 Hamming it up with Momma!

Being cheesy with Daddy!

I don't feel well...

Nathan is struggling with another round of sickness - a cold & cough.  He started off with a little tickle in his throat and would often laugh after he coughed, but it's a full fledged cold now.  Both Thursday and Friday he didn't eat his whole morning bottle and throughout the weekend he struggled with eating.  So, the paci was a constant companion this weekend...  It didn't stop him from smiling, though!

"What are you doing, Momma?!"

New toy

As I was putting away too small clothes in Nathan's closet, I found some toys that we had gotten from someone before he was born.  It was fun to pull out these "new" toys and see what Nathan would do with them.  So far, the hit is the hammer!  He doesn't know how to hold it and will use different parts to hit with, but he's getting the jist of what to do.

(The weather is playing tricks on us!  It got so warm today that we took of Nathan's pants!  The cool weather is coming though so we'll keep that cold :( Yuck!)

Another New Trick

Daddy has been working hard to teach Nathan new things.  Here is another trick that he's learned.

 

The silly thing is that more often than not, the thing that we would logically choose to hit is not what Nathan chooses.  So, even though he'll have an assortment of toys that would be great at making noise, he'll use the hammer to hit a soft plush animal.  He has been tapping on my arm or hand when he sits with me. 

 

We're learning all sorts of things!