Monday, November 28, 2011

Thanksgiving 2011

We had a wonderful time celebrating Nathan's first Thanksgiving. We are overwhelmed with thankfulness for that little boy. I remember last year looking forward to this Thanksgiving knowing we'd have  high chair at the Thanksgiving table. Holidays are so special with little ones. We hosted Thanksgiving at our home again this year. It's become a tradition to host, and I really enjoy it. Plus it's much easier to invite all our family into our home than trying to divide our time among everyone we need to see. Matt took off work on Wednesday, and it was fun to have him home with Nathan and me for an extra day. I spent Tuesday and Wednesday baking and preparing for Thursday. Matt cleaned the whole house for me on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning (I always save the coupon he gives me at Christmas for a whole house cleaning for the week of Thanksgiving).

My grandparents and Aunt Sydney arrived on Wednesday afternoon. My parents joined us for the evening, and we ate pizza, laughed at Nathan, played cards, and visited.

Thursday morning, Matt's parents arrived and we had a full house for the day. My mom, Barry, and I worked in the kitchen some of the morning getting things ready. Barry smoked a turkey, and it was delicious. He is always in charge of preparing the meat. He cooked a ham too. We also had plenty of time to watch the parade and visit for the morning.
We had to get a family picture on Nathan's first Thanksgiving.
Nathan got so much attention all weekend. There were always available arms to hold him and rock him and play with him. He soaked up all the spoiling.
We ate Thanksgiving lunch and I think everyone enjoyed it.
We had turkey, ham, dressing, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, glazed carrots, green bean casserole, corn, cherry salad, cranberry sauce, and rolls. For dessert I made a cheesecake and pumpkin roll. My fridge is still full of leftovers

Nathan got a little treat of sweet potatoes and apples for his first Thanksgiving. He mostly played during lunch though. Next year, buddy you can eat all you want.
That evening we just relaxed, ate leftovers, played cards, and spent time as a family. We also watched some football. I love having a house full of all the people we love.

Matt cooked everyone breakfast Friday morning and Nathan said goodbye to his grandparents. Granny, Grandaddy and Aunt Sydney stayed through Saturday morning. On Friday afternoon we headed over to my parents' house. Barry smoked ribs for lunch and we played a couple games of Settlers. The girls also did a little shopping that afternoon. No crazy black Friday shopping, but we wanted to get out of the house for a little while. We went to Hobby Lobby, Stage and a local baby boutique.

We went back over to my parents Saturday morning for breakfast and to say goodbye to Granny, Grandaddy, and Aunt Sydney. Then Matt and I came home and loafed the rest of the day. We were both pretty exhausted from the busy weekend. Saturday night we set up our Christmas tree and decorated it. Nathan tried to help some. We showed him all our favorite ornaments and let him play in the lights. It was a wonderful long weekend filled with many special memories.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

A Big First




Nathan had another big milestone this weekend, although I think this one was bigger for his mommy than it was for him. He spent his first night at Grammy's house. Before he was born, I set a goal for myself to let him spend the night at my mom's house before the end of the year. I knew that our marriage needed to remain a priority even after adding children to our family, and one of the ways to do that was to be able to have time alone without Nathan from time to time. Plus, my mom had been asking when he could spend the night since he was just a few weeks old. With six weeks left in the year, I accomplished my goal.


Matt and I had been talking for a couple of weeks about spending a night away from him. I kept telling Matt that I just didn't see a reason to let him stay at my mom's. We didn't have any trips planned or any reason to need to be away from him. Matt kept telling me though that it would be good for me to go ahead and let him stay, and I knew he was right. I knew the first time would be the hardest and needed to get through that milestone. Since OSU had a Friday night game last night, we decided to watch the game at my parents' house and put Nathan to bed over there and then leave him for the night. The game ended up going much later than we expected (double overtime), and ended with a disappointing loss, and we didn't make it home until after 11:00. By the time I got to bed, it was after midnight, but I got 8 hours of mostly uninterrupted sleep, which was glorious. Nathan has been sleeping decently for the last month or so, but there are still times during the night when I have to get up to put his pacifier back in his mouth or soothe him, and for the last few days, for some reason he has been waking up at 5:00 ready to play. So to have a night where I knew I could sleep without interruptions was really nice, and I took advantage of it. We went out to breakfast Saturday morning and then picked him up around 10:00. In total we were away from him for about 11 hours, but it was a significant 11 hours. I'm glad I was able to relax and actually get some sleep, and I know the next overnight stay will be easier. My parents looked pretty tired this morning when we picked him up. I'm thankful they are so willing to watch him for us, and I really appreciate that my mom makes it as easy on me as possible. She has everything he needs at her house and even bought his cereal and fruit for breakfast. All I needed to make sure was in his diaper bag were pajamas and a change of clothes.

Overall, it was a successful night for all of us. I spent the night with my grandparents all the time when I was little and have special memories from those times, and I'm excited for Nathan to make those memories as well when he gets older. And weekend getaways alone with my husband every once in awhile sound really nice too.

And just for fun, here is a video of our little growler. 

Friday, November 11, 2011

Splish Splash, I was Taking a Bath



Just for comparison, here he was taking a bath 6 months ago
Things change quickly around here!

Monday, November 7, 2011

Weekend Recap

This Fall, we have been incredibly busy on the weekends. Prior to this weekend we were either out of town or had company staying with us the last 6 out of 7 weekends. Our September and October were just jam packed. We had so much fun on our little weekend adventures and thankful for family and friends who want to come visit and spend time with us, but Matt and I were ready for life to slow down a little bit, and were looking forward to a November calendar that outside of football games and Thanksgiving was pretty much empty. We enjoyed our mostly free weekend this past weekend, and although we still filled it with several things we were able to relax a little more and just enjoy being at home.

On Friday night, Matt and I went out on a date. We were way overdue for a date night (like two months overdue), and I was dying for one. With all our crazy weekends combined with my mom not feeling well for a few weeks, we could never find a free night to go out, so we were both looking forward to some time just the two of us. We decided to go bowling and had a great time. We hadn't been bowling in over a year, and we had missed it. We bowled two games and then went out to dinner before picking up Nathan and heading home. 
Saturday morning we ran to the mall to pick up a few things and have some family pictures taken. We invested in a nice camera before Nathan was born and Matt has taken some great photos of him over the last six months, but we needed some pictures where Matt wasn't behind the camera. They turned out really cute and we now have something to replace the wedding pictures on our wall (after 5 1/2 years of marriage, I think it's time to update those pictures).

That afternoon, Nathan napped, Matt changed the oil in the car, and I ran a few errands and prepared some snacks for the OSU vs. Kansas State game that evening. Our friends, Jason and Andrea and Chloe and Matt and Erica and her sister and nephew joined us to watch the game. We had fun watching the babies play during commercials.
It was a crazy game, but thankfully, OSU came away with a win and that's all that matters. I really can't believe we are three wins away from a trip to the national championship. I love my Cowboys but never dreamed we would be this close! I put Nathan to bed at halftime, and it's a good thing because that 4th quarter was crazy, and I'm sure all my jumping up and down and screaming wouldn't have been good for him :).

Sunday morning we went to church and then came home and had a lazy afternoon at home. That evening we went to a connection group with our Sunday school class. It was a fun evening of food, fellowship, and plenty of baby cuddles.
I love weekends spent with my little family!

Saturday, November 5, 2011

6 Months Old!

Nathan Wilson, you are a half of a year old! Oh my goodness, what a special milestone. We have loved having you in our family for the last six months and watching you grow and change. Life with you has been so fun this month. I just can't get over what a fun, easy going, sweet baby you are and that you are mine!

This has been a busy month for you. Mommy and Daddy have kept you busy on your weekends meeting new friends and experiencing new things. During your sixth month you got to meet your friends Wyatt and Carter and get loved on by their parents, you watched your mommy and daddy go rappelling, went to your first OSU homecoming celebration, spent lots of Saturdays wearing orange and cheering for the Cowboys and got dressed up for your very first Halloween.  Everything we do now seems extra special because we are making memories with you.

This month you have started sitting up unsupported for short periods of time. It's crazy to me that I can sit you down, leave the room and walk back in and you are still sitting up. I timed you once and I know you can sit by yourself for at least 30 seconds before toppling over. You look so big when you are sitting up. Where did that tiny baby go?
You are still rolling all over the place. I feel like it's pointless to put a blanket on the floor for you to play on because you roll off of it in less than five seconds and a lot of times you take the blanket with you when you roll. The other day I laid you down on a blanket in the living room, left the room for less than a minute, and when I came back you and your blanket were both gone. You had rolled over by the coffee table with your blanket wrapped around you and were out of my line of vision. We've also caught you scooting backwards every once in awhile. You haven't quite figured out how to use your legs to help you move forward. I know its coming soon though. You use your hands to push off and move, but your lower body remains stuck. You can turn in almost a full circle when you are lying on your tummy using your hands to maneuver. You will be mobile soon, so I'm enjoying the last few weeks of not having to constantly keep an eye on where you are and what you are getting into.

I love my time with you at bedtime. Daddy or I will give you a bath about every other night and then I will feed you, read a story and rock for a few minutes before I put you down. You are so tired by that point, that our rocking is usually cut pretty short, but I know those are some of the moments I will look back on and cherish as a mother.

This month you started grabbing at your sheet when I put you to bed, so I've given you a stuffed animal to hold onto. I just think you are the most precious thing in the world when you are sleeping in your footy jammies, with a paci in your mouth, holding onto your little elephant. I mean really, is there anything sweeter than a sleeping baby.


 

You nap pretty well while when we are at home. You will take a morning nap around 8:15-8:30 that usually lasts about an hour. Then you cat nap about 12:00 for 30-45 minutes and take a good late afternoon nap around 3 for 1-2 hours. If we are out and about for the day (Bible study, mother's day out, errands, etc.), you won't nap as well. I almost always have to wake you up early from your morning nap Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays so we can make it to Bible study or Mother's Day Out. You'll fall back asleep in the car, but once we get there, I know you won't go back to sleep. If you are in a new environment, you just don't like to nap. You've got to much to see and do, and don't have time to sleep. You are rarely cranky though if you miss your naps, so I don't worry too much about it. Those days you'll just take shorter naps more frequently (usually a cat nap after each feeding and any time we are in the car). I noticed when we spent weekends out of town this month, that you hardly napped more than 15-20 minutes at a time, but you were always in a good mood, so it wasn't really a problem.




You are blowing raspberries all the time, and have recently started doing it while you are eating your cereal and vegetables. Oh dear, it can be messy sometimes, but you are just so cute, I guess I'll put up with it. You are making new sounds too. You are really into making this deep growling sound. I tell your daddy that you sound like you could be in a horror film with that growl. We also hear a lot of "gagaga" and recently, some "dadadada." Your daddy is pretty excited about that. You also like to let out a really high pitch happy scream. You hurt our ears sometimes with your happy screams.


We have noticed a lot of teething symptoms lately, chewing, drooling, occasional random crying, and some congestion we are pretty sure is related to teething. I check your gums every morning to see if anything is poking through, but haven't seen anything yet. I'm going to enjoy your toothless grins while they last.

You are on a good schedule this month. You eat about every 3-3.5 hours during the day usually around 7, 10:30, 2, 5, and 8. You eat cereal with your breakfast feeding and cereal and a vegetable with your 5:00 feeding. We are also still supplementing most of your feedings  with 2-3 oz of formula or breastmilk.  I put you down after your 8:00 feeding, and you are almost always asleep by 8:30 or 9. You are sleeping all night for the most part, until about 6:30-7. I usually have to get up once or twice to put your paci back in your mouth, but you fall right back to sleep (sometimes you are back asleep, before I even make it to your room). Sometimes you will wake up around 5:00. If you do, I take advantage of the cuddle time and bring you back to our room. Sometimes, you just want to snuggle and will fall right back to sleep in my arms and other times you want to nurse for a few minutes before falling back to sleep.

You are enjoying eating solids (well most of them) and are a great eater. You love your rice cereal and are eating it for breakfast and dinner. A couple of weeks ago we started you on vegetables at dinner too. You're not a fan of peas, but you LOVE sweet potatoes. You gobble them right up. You'll eat peas too when I make you. I let you try bananas this morning for the first time in honor of your half birthday. You weren't quite sure what to think of them. I think the texture bothered you a little, but it was clear you liked them better than peas. We have a freezer full of new things for you to try this month (apples, pears, squash, carrots, and green beans).



You are such a happy baby and hardly anything gets you very upset. You whine and fuss some when you are tired, and cry if you get really hungry, but other than that you are almost always content. You are social too and have no problems being left at school or in the church nursery. You are all smiles when I drop you off and all smiles when I pick you up. I'm so thankful for that. I never worry about leaving you when I know you are in good hands. Your teachers at mother's day out and the church nursery workers always comment on how good and sweet you are. I've never gotten a bad report from any of them.



You love to go on walks. Recently we started letting you face forward in your stroller instead of hooking your car seat into it. I miss seeing your sweet face during walks, but I know you are enjoying a better view of all the scenery around you.

You are also loving your jumperoo and play in it several times a day. It will keep you entertained for about 10 minutes at a time, before you get tired and need something else to do. This month you started watching a Baby Einstein video and you are mesmerized by it. You watch it a couple of times a week and I never hear a peep out of you, while it's on. It holds your attention the entire video (almost 30 minutes). Your eyes are glued to the pictures on the screen. We continue to read books a lot, and you are getting more interested in looking at the pictures and hearing my voice and a little less interested in just wanting to grab the book and put it in your mouth.


You are wearing 3-6 month and 6 month clothes. You still wear 3 month clothes occasionally, but for the last week or so every time I have put you in 3 month clothes, I tell myself that that is the last time you'll be able to wear them. 3 month pants are too short for you and they are getting tight around your belly. You are wearing a size two diaper. I had your weight checked yesterday just for curiosity and you weighed 14 lbs 4 oz.

We are so thankful for you Baby Nathan and the joy you've brought to our lives these last six months. We don't know what we would do without you!

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Nathan's First Halloween

We had a fun day celebrating Halloween with our little monkey.

He wore this pumpkin outfit out during the day. We were out a little bit on Monday, and everyone we saw commented on his cuteness. I thought he was a sweet little pumpkin.

After Daddy got home, we transformed him into a monkey and did a little trick or treating. Well not really because this monkey didn't get to eat any candy this year. We did visit a few houses though just to say hi.


We walked around our street and visited a couple of neighbors and then loaded up and went over to my parents' house for dinner.
Nathan didn't get any candy at Grammy and Papa Joe's this year but he did get a few new toys in honor of his first Halloween. Grammy never passes up an opportunity to get him new toys.
We stopped by a friend's house on our way home, but our monkey was worn out at that point and ready for bed. We had a fun night and are looking forward to many years of trick or treating ahead!