Christmas

We took a trip to Texas for Noah's first Christmas to visit Christa's family. We had such a good time and it was SOOO HARD to leave. Noah had a WHITE Christmas and the snow was a very nice change from the Arizona bright & bubbly sunny winter weather.
He LOVED being around so many people to love him and got all the attention a baby could ever ask for! He got to see Great-Grandpa's and Great-Grandma's, 3rd Cousins and Coworkers....it was like Show-and-Tell and Noah was the star!

He was more interested in eating the wrapping paper but after we got the toys put together for him he had a great time playing and learning new things!

Meme and Pearpaw worked on teaching him how to "motorboat" and he is getting better and better at it! Grandpa Wes was able to get him to sleep TWICE in a row without a fuss!

For Christmas dinner we had Turkey, Roast, the best dressing in the universe (it has sausage and apples in it!), and of course, pumpkin pie. Noah feasted on Squash and tried Sweet Peas for the first time, and he LOVED them!


It was such a good week for all of us, we didnt care too much for the LONG LONG drive and think we may stick to flying from now on - lesson learned! But other than that, it was a perfect Christmas and I know it will always be one to remember. It was so hard to pack up and come home but I just have to remember that thats just the way it is and we have to do the best we can to stay connected and visit often.

Bla Bla Bla

Well - I can confirm now that Noah can say his Ba's, Da's, and sometimes his Ma's...the Ba's and Da's he just babbles away continuously while playing...but when things are serious and immediate action should be taken - he whips out the ultimate weapon...a charming, heartbreaking & adorably said with a sad frowny face MAMAMAMAMA! I seriously doubt he really knows what or WHO he is calling for but I still come running when I hear it - How could I NOT?? Its too cute and I just want to be DOUBLE sure he learns who MAMA is real quick! hehe

Of course I got it on video - sorry for the bouncy screen...but it was the best I could do given the scene...

Santa came to visit!

Here are some pictures of Noah with his Santa hat on!!

He'd rather EAT his santa hat then wear it.....

And below is our best attempt to take a 'family' photo! HA! Silly dog...

HOLY BUTT-RASH BATMAN!

Noah has his first bout of diaper rash....I was SO proud that we hadnt had to deal with that yet....but then a few short days after I bragged about it - it happens...should've known better!! At least its not a bad one!

BUT - to take full advantage of this unfortunate event, OF COURSE I had to get the camera out during some AIR time! hehe

YES - he did pee all over the place.....but Spot Shot is wonderful!

Kiss the chef!

I asked Keving to take a picture of me cooking my first Thanksgiving dinner......so this is his masterpiece.

ME....cooking our wonderful turkey in a fabulous roaster....in the garage...on top of our dryer...right underneath the bleach and oxi-clean....nice.............

Giving Thanks...

Noah sure had a good time with Gamma and Grandpa!!!

Who wouldnt love THIS smile??!?

Yummy sweet potatoe Thanksgiving feast!

He held is own bottle for a whole 4 seconds!

This is his new face...he sticks his tongue out when thinking...hehe

Thanksgiving was a big treat for all of us here - Kevin got to visit with his parents - golf with his Dad, Noah spent lots of time hanging out with his Gamma and Grandpa while MOMMY got to cook (YEAH!!), run errands(WOOHOO!), clean (OMG!), and get some much needed projects done around the house..needless to say, it was SO NICE to have the extra help with Noah so I could take care of a few chores and actually get to be a good hostess to our guests for once! We all really had a good time and I must say...I MADE THE BEST TURKEY EVER!!!! hehehe

Anyway, thanks to Elaine and Jerry for making the trip to visit us and for helping out so much - we enjoyed being able to spend the holiday together!!!!

Thought I would share this cute little song with you all...

I AM THANKFUL

Sung to: "She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain"

I am thankful for my doggy and my cat

And my teddy bear so furry, soft and fat,

I am thankful for soft kittens

and my nice warm wollen mittens

And my swing set and my baseball and my bat.

I am thankful for my crayons and my books

And the way our brand new baby smiles and looks

I am thankful for potatoes

and for juicy ripe tomatoes

And for all the tasty food that mommy cooks.

I am thankful for my mommy and my dad,

They both love me when I'm good and when I'm bad,

I am thankful for the flowers

and refreshing summer showers

All the pretty things around me make me glad.

(NO I didnt write this, we found it at the Library!)

Just a little update

This just keeps getting more and more fun and exciting! Noah has really been showing some personality these last few days - he loves Bandit now - and gives out loud belly laughs when Bandit is nearby to get his attention, then he reaches out and gives him pets and slobbery open mouth kisses....nice and sanitary, I know...but what can ya do?!

He has been working on saying "OH" sounds and he makes the most adorable face when he tries to pucker his lips for it - he gets it half way right most of the time.

He has discovered his toes and likes to grab ahold of them with his hands - the first time I heard him laugh was when I put his toes in his mouth. Now he laughs at everthing - peek-a-boo, tickles, funny faces, and even when you wash his 'boy parts'....yeah, thats awkward but still kinda funny. hehe

He is definitely entered into the bouncy stage - when we hold him (or try to!) he just wants to wiggle and jump and bounce - he has head-butted me several times, ripped my glasses off my face, pinched my nose closed, and almost ripped out a few earrings. I sometimes look like the frazzled mother with crazy birds nest hair with a dazed look on my face...you know the one! Noah is actually not a very big cuddle bug at all (unless he's sleepy) - otherwise he wants to MOVE! So lately he loves his bouncy seat and will stay in it for a lot longer than he used to! And Mommy likes the spare time to get some things done!

Everyone comments on how happy he is - and he really is a very happy little guy. He smiles at everyone - loves to laugh - and is such a marvel to watch as he learns and explores. Dont get me wrong, when he is tired and sleepy but doesnt want to go to bed - he will surely let his opinion of naptime be known, but thats to be expected from a baby from time to time I suppose.

All in all - its hard work and you never know what to expect on a daily basis. But we are so in love with him and we cant imagine our lives without him. Kevin is already talking about when Noah can have a sister! But for now, Noah can get by with just a big puppy to play with!

Teething?!?!?!?!

This is where his hands spend most of thier time....

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!

I swear I didnt give him the candy......

Well, Its October 31 - HAPPY HALLOWEEN!! I cant believe how fast this year has gone by already!! Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away - and then Christmas - ACK! I am getting really excited for the holidays though..I LOVE this time of year! And now that we have a happy little baby to share it with it will be even better....

We have been having a great time hanging out with other babies and new mommies with the MOMS Club I joined - I tell ya....its been a LIFESAVER! Well, maybe a marriage saver is a better description! HA!

We walk almost everyday with out new friends at a nearby park - we go to infant story time at the library and I really think Noah likes it - they read several short books and then we sing and dance along to rhymes and goofy songs like 'The weels on the bus" and Noah smiles through the whole thing!

Last night Noah was laying on floor on his play mat just sucking away on a new pacifier and it fell out of his mouth - and as I was leaning down to put it back in for him, he reached out, picked it up, and stuck it right back in his mouth all by himself!!!!!!!! I was shocked! And then so excited and impressed by him - and then sad....he is already beginning to not need me as much - its a small thing, I know, but it sure pangs the heart anyway. We get so excited for him to grow and learn new things...but when you actually see it happening you want them to stay a baby forever!

He is beginning to sit up better and for longer periods by himself - he reaches for and wants to explore everything. I held a peice of ICE to see what he would think about that and he sort of made a sour face when he touched it - I wonder what he thought???

He loves to pet Bandit - everytime Bandit comes close Noah reaches out for him. I encourage it because I want them both to get used to each other - but I think Bandit is sort of shocked by it - I can just see him thinking "Woah, it sure moves a lot more than it used to! Got any food on those fingers?" I put some sunscreen on Noah one morning before our walk - and Bandit tried to lick every inch of it off him - Noah laughed when his feet were being 'cleaned'! It was cute...

Noah is definatley more aware of who Mommy and Daddy are and who 'strangers' are - he will cry for a few seconds if someone new holds him - but once he figures out he is safe and new people are funny - he will smile and be just fine with it. Then he will spit up on them...thats when ya know you are really accepted! HA!

Anyway, we just wanted to say HAPPY HALLOWEEN to everyone! We sure miss you all and cant wait to see ya'll for the holidays!

4 Months

Well - we are beginning yet another month as a family! Noah is now 4 months old and its been exciting! He has started to experience solid foods - so far just oatmeal and squash from time to time. He loves it - we tried apple sauce and he didnt like that too much - he gave me the cutest sour face, gagged, and then out it came! It was a messy job at first trying to feed him completely dressed and with a bib on- all he wanted to do was put the filthy bib or his food covered hands in his mouth which just made the mess worse - so now he eats almost naked -and with all furniture draped in plastic shower curtains...kidding...but thats not a bad idea hmm...

As you can imagine Bandit is never very far away when Noah is getting fed - he just sits beside him and patiently waits for that little squash covered hand to fall into the perfect licking position. hehe

As the video shows below he can roll over - from belly to back and from back to belly. Sometimes he forgets and panics when he suddenly finds himself with a different view! And I know it may be early but I really think he has crawling on the brain already! He is trying with all his might to figure that one out. I wonder how long it will take??? Right now I think its adorable - well I think everything is adorable - but its scary to me too. I only thought I was tired now, I have a feeling that this little guy is going to run me ragged! With any luck at all we wont be the parents of the little kid wearing a helmet and leash at the playground!

I see YOGA in his future...I can't even do that pose!

Noah got his second round of shots this past friday and that was hard - he cried for about 2 minutes and then was happy again. I love his ability to get over things pretty quickly. Of course there is the rare occation when he cries himself to sleep, but we really are blessed with a happy baby - all we need to do is look at him and he gives us the biggest gummy grin and squeals in delight.

The BIG NEWS is that he is sleeping through the night!!!! I am now beginning to feel more like my old self - I actually wore make-up and did my hair the other day (WOOHOO!!) - we walk at the park several times a week - I am making lots of friends in my local MOMS Club...life is just wonderful these days!

Our little PUMPKIN

We went to a pumpkin patch this week. I don't know why really, we didn't get any pumpkins and Noah is WAY to young to appreciate the scraggely farm animals and rinky-dink corn maze..I guess I just wanted some pictures of him at an actual pumpkin patch for his first Halloween. It was a bit hot outside so shortly after this Noah fell asleep in his stroller for the remainder of the visit while I chit-chatted with other moms from my MOMS Club group. We actually ended up having a good time and I'm glad we went! :0)

Noah Rolling Over

Here he is ROLLING OVER!! He did this for the first time over a week ago but it has taken me this long to get him to do again in front of the camera....

Milestone Week!

Well - it has been an exciting week here at the house with Noah. He had his first real belly laugh on Tuesday (Oct 2nd for those keeping record)!! I was changing his diaper and he had his feet in the air - so I grapped his little toes and stuck them in his mouth! He thought that was pretty funny so we did that over and over again until I got teary eyed from listening to his adorable little laugh! hehe

THEN - we spent the day at the office on Thursday (Oct. 4th) and I put him down on the floor for some 'Tummy Time'. (I confess, we hadnt been doing that as much as we should) and after about 15 seconds of working it out in his head he rolled over all on his own!! And to my knowledge on his first try! We were so excited at the office we made him do it again! He had a surprised but very pleased look on his face - his little grin said " HA! I dont need no stinking 'Tummy Time' !!!" hehe

He gotta wear shades...

We went to the lake with some friends this past weekend and of course, I had to get the appropriate gear for Noah - little swim trunks, baby sunscreen, a hat, and some very cool baby shades. The swim trunks he didnt wear afterall for a couple of reasons - they ended up being WAY too big for him....and I really couldnt figure out if he was supposed wear a diaper underneath them...it said 'no additional diaper required'...but it just didnt look very leak proof so I just avoided it all together! What can I say, Im clueless...I just didnt want my friends to get pee'd on! BUT he still looked adorable. I learned that the lotion type of baby sunscreen is SO much better than the twist up stick kind - those take FOREVER to apply and are harder to make sure you have all areas covered well - but we stayed under the umbrella anyway so it worked out. We did let him put his feet in the water and he seemed to think that was pretty cool - well he didnt react to it at all really, but at least he didnt cry! He loves being outside and I think he had a good time....AND he slept like a log that night so that's a plus for me!

Daddy and Noah

Noah enjoying some play time with Daddy! Patty cake with his feet is a family favorite! hehe

3 Months

Noah passed his 3 month 'birthday' this past week! We are still working on sleeping through the night, though I think he is getting better, finally! I usually have to wake up only once for a late night feeding, but then after that he sometimes wakes up and just needs to be reassured that we are still here and ready to comfort him. He is SO alert and active its amazing to me! He can hold himself in a sitting position and tries with all his might to pull himslef up with anything he can grab onto...namely my hair! OUCH! He LOVES to stand up and face the world so he can see whats going on all around him. And he is really starting to enjoy bathtime and squeals in delight as he kicks and splashes around! He can also roll half way over - if he is on his back he will roll to either side ( I think usually his left side). AND HE FINALLY FOUND HIS THUMB and sucks till his hearts content!! We also have been able to enjoy the outdoors more now that the weather has cooled down to 99 degrees! HA! We go for walks and he LOVES it; he gets so wide eyed as he takes everything in. He can sit in is stroller like a 'big kid' and I think he really enjoys the new view he has of life now!

Its almost sad though....he is growing and changing so quickly. It really is true, it passes by so fast and before we know it he will be asking to borrow the car! I had to clean out his dresser and store all the clothes he has that wont fit him anymore and that was SO HARD! And to think that in just a few short weeks we will be starting him on SOLID foods!! Ack! Bandit cant wait to help 'clean up' the mess that will make! HA!

Kevin and I had our first 'date' since Noah was born. We had a friend watch him while we went to a movie and then to a Cardinals/Seahawks football game. It was nice to have a break from Noah but we both thought about him and I held my cell phone the entire time just itching to call Tonya and see how he was doing! HA! But I didnt and Tonya is SO good with him I knew everything would be just fine. Noah adores her too - we are very lucky to have a circle of friends like Tonya around us who love to help! THANKS TONYA!!

So thats the news around here - being a parent is the hardest job in the world and we are only just beginning! It is nothing at all like I expected it to be - I think we both had a romantic idea of what parenting and having a baby would be like. But the reality of it hit home hard and honestly its been difficult to get used to for both of us. But we are working it out and doing the best we can and thats really all you can do as a parent I guess! I dont know yet...we're still learning! :0)

But for this smile.......we'd go through anything!!

Congratulations!!!!

We just want to say Congratulations to Brian and Angela Jones for their new baby boy Caden Reed Jones! Caden was born September 21, weighing 6 lbs 9 oz and 19 1/4 inches long. Both Mommy and Daddy are doing well!! He is perfect and precious in every way!

Congratulations!!!!