BlAcK FrIdAy

This morning we were up and at the YMCA for swim practice at 7am. You are teething full speed ahead now, and last night wasn't quite as bad as the night b/f but you were restless for sure! It seemed like you really started to slip into a deep sleep when it was almost time to get up...so I let you sleep as long as possible. It was super cold this morning, and yesterday too...but Thanksgiving Eve it was almost 70 degrees.  So I guess today or yesterday was your first real experience with cold weather! This morning I know for sure it was in the 20's!

***Right now you are laying face down on the couch in the basement. I can hear you breathing so I know you are okay. With your stuffy nose you sound like an old man snoring! AND you look huge! If I knew where I had placed my camera I would snap a pic. but it's not worth waking you up.  Daddy started the first fire of the season tonight, so it is nice and cosy down here. I have to admit though that I ran upstairs to wash my face etc. and I kept having visions of you waking up, rolling off the couch and crawling over to the stove and trying to pull up on it!!!! Ughh... mommy's imagination is outta sight! Daddy is spending some guy time with his high school buddies, and you and I are pooped from a full day of black Friday shopping. I am watching old episodes of Two Fat Ladies. I used to watch this show when I was in high school, and they now have old episodes on The Cooking Channel. You should totally look up an episode on the Internet...it may be the weirdest cooking show ever...but for some reason I love it!)

So anyway, today after practice (daddy had to work) we went to G&G H's and hung out. You ate breakfast (mac and cheese, your absolute favorite) and G&G gave you your first Christmas present (2nd if you count the super cute onesie Auntie Blair gave you Sunday night) but this was the first one you opened. That's right...we were all hanging out on the floor this morning when G&G decided they really really wanted you to open a gift that they were soooo excited for you to open. Well really I think they were more excited for me to see it. And they were totally correct! I was pumped! You really loved the paper?! After you opened the gift, they wrapped it back and we will wait until Christmas to open it again...maybe :)

After the impromptu pre-Christmas party...we decided to go to Joplin for the traditional black Friday shopping, b/c you weren't feeling too hot. I thought that you would however, feel better if we were up and out vs. just sitting at home feeling terrible. You were so restless on the initial drive out of town that I had to put my face against yours in your carrier to get you to fall asleep. You finally snoozed on the way down and then once at the mall, I carried you in your carrier. Lot's of people commented on how cute you were! We looked around for a bit and then went to Target and you slept in your carrier most of the time. When you did wake up, we played with various toys to get an idea of what you liked and disliked. You really liked a super cool kitty piano that I'm pretty sure you asked Santa to bring you! After Target, we ate at Del Rio. You were perfect! AFter that, we headed home. Daddy was cleaning when we got home and then we went to eat at Casa(your fav. b/c of the fast pace and action)...again, you were perfect!

So that brings us to now. And, I must end now b/c I can't keep my eyes open!

Thanksgiving - From Daddy

I love you and mommy so very much!! You have a wonderful mother whom puts her heart and soul into taking care of you. You should be very proud of her.

You keep getting bigger, stronger, faster, and busier everyday. I enjoy watching you grow up and do not want to miss a thing.  In my eyes, you are a perfect baby!!

- Daddy

HAPPY 1st THANKSGIVING!

Today is your first Thanksgiving! Last night you were up every single hour on the hour! I think your teeth are starting to hurt, and you for sure have another stinking cold! I started the first sentence of this post early this morning when you were strapped to my chest in your carrier and we were prepping the turkey! Now, it is after 8pm and you are sleeping in your carrier next to daddy watching a movie on the couch, and me typing on the ottoman in the living room. Thanksgiving is almost over! We started the day early with you getting up at 22 after each hour after midnight! I would simply have to get up off the couch (we fell asleep on the couch last night) and head up the stairs and basically sit in the chair that rocks, and you would be back out. Thank goodness...the last time you had a difficult time sleeping was one of the nights you, daddy and I all slept at G&G H's house. That night you just wouldn't go to sleep at all...and you had a cold then too, now that I think about it! I hope tonight is not the same...however, if it is, I will just get up and go shopping!!!  Anyway, so today we fixed the turkey, you ate breakfast and then took a nap while the turkey baked and we watched the Thanksgiving parade! You fell asleep before Santa came by. After that, we went to G& G H's for lunch. It was really nice and fun. You were a little cranky, but again, I think it was because of your teeth and the cold. We ate with Jack and Shirley, Grandpa Smith, Auntie Blair and Uncle Shane, Cole, and of course G&G H. ( You keep talking in your sleep right now...it is really strange...but super cute). For your first Thanksgiving lunch, you had turkey dinner and veggies baby food dinner, peas, and some of our gravy and potatoes...really mostly gravy b/c the potatoes I gave you gagged you, they were still too thick for you this year! AND I did really get a good feel of the little tooth coming in on the bottom floor today!!! After dinner, we hung out and decorated the tree. Around 5 we headed to Eldo for dinner with daddy's family. By the time we got there, you were really tired, hungry, and your teeth and cold were making you really fussy. We ate and visited with everyone, including daddy's grandma Helen. We were all tired, and you were starting to cry with real tears, so we headed home. You fell asleep in the car, basically b/f we left Eldo.

Tomorrow we are going to go to swim team practice from 7-8 and then go shopping with G&G H. Daddy has to work...so he won't be joining us.

So that was your first Thanksgiving...it was so much more fun for daddy and I than it was b/f we had you! But you pretty much make everything better :)

Your FIRST Thanksgiving Eve

Happy Thanksgiving! Today mommy woke up at 6am to get ready for swim practice. I let you sleep until I was ready to walk out the door around 6:45am. We slept on the couch last night so we wouldn't wake daddy up this morning.  We went to practice, and you observed from the carrier until you fell asleep  about mid-way through practice. After practice we went to see daddy at work. You were crawling all over his desk and ate a little bit of sucker, and typed on his keyboard. Mommy got some coffee and we drove around for a while so you could snooze (which you are doing now or I would never be able to do this). Grandma B. just called and we are going to pick up daddy in about an hour and go downtown to eat at a little cafe called Jenny's with Grandma and Grandpa B. for lunch. After that...who knows! We need to figure out what we want to do with the 10 lb. turkey mommy won at school for winning the biggest turkey contest. So, we will probably go to Wal-Mart and shop after lunch. We are also waiting for Uncle Cole to wake up so we can hang out with him. He is home from Columbia, MO for Thanksgiving.

Changes

It seems like over the past two days you have really started to act like a "real" little person. You are pulling up onto furniture and various other things for two weeks now. This past week you have really started doing it quickly and very well. You have started to hold on with one hand, which you could not do last week. You are quick to reach up for me if you are at Sally's or in your walker. You also push the bottle away if you are full, or pull it near if you are hungry! You however, do not know to remove your little hand from the nipple in order to suck in the milk. The last two nights, you have not really wanted to nurse that much at night. Last night you did not wake up at all. My alarm went off at 4am and you stirred a bit and nursed a little, but then you were out again. You are a much more independent sleeper these last two days?!

Yesterday was the start of our second week of swim team practice. I have been dreading it just like the start of school. I hate being away from you for any unnecessary amount of time. So, I had decided to strap you on in your carrier during practice. I was so worried that you would not like it. Sally kept assuring me that you would love it. AND was she right...you love practice! You love water and baths and swimming yourself...so I'm not sure why I was so worried. But you new schedule is for me to get you around 2:15pm, we run home and nurse for about 5 min. (seems like you are fazing out your nap/nurse) and then we head to practice around 3:15pm. You watch and hang out until about 4'ish and then you chatter and hum and then fall asleep until the end of practice! You are perfect, and I love my time with you during practice!

We had your Christmas photos taken this last weekend. You were asleep when we got there and when you woke up I was dressing you. You were a little confused during the shoot, but beautiful none the less! You are always so happy and good. The only time you are fussy is when you are tired, hungry, or poopy! You really show your emotion well. If you don't like someone, you don't cry, but you don't hide the fact that you don't want to hang out with them...can't imagine where you get that :)

Saturday was Grandpa H.'s birthday. We spent the morning with Grandpa. After your pictures, we took a really long nap and then went shopping with Auntie Blair. You helped pick out all of Grandpa's birthday gifts. We had dinner at the club. You were really more interested in walking around than sitting around. You did eat some soup and mashed potato's and gravy. You are trying more and more things each week it seems. You have even started gnawing on teething cookies. We have to be careful though, the cookie breaks off and you are not quite ready to "chew" it up! I did just notice on Monday that you have what will soon be a tooth trying to poke through!!! Daddy even felt it last night!

Sunday we put up your first Christmas tree. Auntie Blair brought over a cute red and green outfit that said "I'm on my Auntie's nice list" you wore it that night and we got some cute pics of you with the tree!

Last night you and I baked cookies for my class Thanksgiving party. I strapped you on in your carrier and you ended up falling asleep! It was really sweet. Tom Lovinger stopped by to see you, and you ended up waking up and showing off your skills. Even though you were tired...you still showed off fairly well.

Today is our last day of school/Sally's b/f Thanksgiving break! We will have so much fun.

HALLOWEEN

This month has been crazy! Halloween was a blast for mommy and daddy...not sure what you thought about being dressed up in costumes each Friday of the month, and then finally on the Saturday of Halloween, you were a super cute bumble-bee! Saturday evening we got you bundled up and into your costume, and went to Jennifer Yarsulik's house and had our family photo taken, and you showed off your new skills crawling and sitting up. It was pretty hot, so you were't too excited to hang around too long.

A Very Merry UnBirthday To YOU!

So today is your 6 month or 1/2 birthday! Daddy and I planned a birthday celebration for you at our house. We had invitations made with your picture on them, and sent them to G&G H. & B., GG Smith, Auntie Blair, and Auntie Shirley and Uncle Jack. We had pizza and I had a half cake made for you, and Auntie Shirley brought chocolate Halloween cup cakes! We all had such a good time ogling over you! You had already had a busy day with a Halloween party at Sally's, Trick-or-Treating at Daddy's bank, and finally your birthday party! You were exhausted by the time we were ready for cake. You were a trooper though and ate some icing and even showed interest in opening your presents! It was totally a real birthday party. So cool that you have such caring family members that go along with crazy off the wall things like 1/2 birthdays :)