Meet Muffin

The warmer temps have me anxious for Spring to arrive and has me motivated to get our winter and Christmas up on the blog!

 

We started Elf on the Shelf this year and Addison named her elf... Muffin.  Yep, Muffin - the little boy elf.  Anyways, we had some fun moving him each night, got lazy and lacked creativity other nights but all in all... a tradition we are already looking forward to next year!

 

Muffin arrived after a LONG trip from the North Pole (aka. deep freeze) to the most precious 2 year old we know....

We watched the movie and read the Elf on the Shelf story.  Addison was a little unsure at first but over the first couple days, she fell in love.  

 

 To this day, if I buy "snow" covered donuts at the store she thinks Muffin brought them just for her.  Josh and I still find ourselves every now and then telling Addison "Muffin is watching!"... oh lordy!

 

Muffin may have to arrive with a skirt or a dress on next year and magically turn into a girl and bring a friend for brother... who knows what Santa has up his sleeve!

Happy Hearts Day 2014

Luke: 8 Months

8 Months!  8 months little guy.  I say it every month...you are the sweetest, little chubby guy I know.  You bring so much joy to our everyday.  We live for your smiles first thing in the morning.  You wake up the happiest baby around.  Another month has flown by and yes, I am starting to plan your first birthday BUT before that comes, here is what you are up to at 8 months.

 

 

 

At 8 months you...

• are eating 8 oz at every feeding, 5 feedings a day (whoohoo!  We are down 1 bottle!)
• are also doing really great with a 3 meal routine.  That is recent in the past couple weeks.
• LOVE just about any fruit and your favorite vegetable is sweet potatoes and corn. 
• prefer all your food warmed just a little bit.
• are doing so great with your cereal now.  We had great success with apple cinnamon rice cereal.  We stuck to a few Gerber premade cereals that had cinnamon in them for a few weeks and you will now eat the flakey rice cereal mixed with breast milk and sometimes a little fruit.
• breast milk only through 8 months.  It is a bit bittersweet for Momma but you got your first formula bottle this past weekend.  About a month ago you bit me trying to breastfeed so that was an end to that as it might have been the worst pain of my life.  Your sister never did that.  I was pumping 90% of the time the past several months so this was not much change for you.  Stress, travel, etc... this supply is coming to an end so we are working our way through our freezer stash and mixing in some formula bottles here and there to make the transition.
• have 2 teeth on the bottom and the two top almost through.  Teething like crazy and these top two are a little brutal, poor thing.

 

• had another ear infection this past month and we found out you are allergic to Augmentin the not so fun way.  It's been a couple months of the ongoing childcare cold that both you and sister get from school.  I am ready for warmer temps just to get those little noses to dry up!
• LOVE your sleep at night.  Your bedtime routine is dinner around 6, followed by bath (sometimes reversed), and then your last bottle started by 7.  You are usually in bed sound sleep by 7:30.  We won't hear from you until 7:00 am earliest but you usually sleep until I have to wake you to get you to school during the week.

 

 

 

• let me rock you to sleep at night.  That is our time together and I look forward to our snuggles each night.  I will rock you as long as you will let me.
• are still working on your naps.  We can get you to take a good 2-hr nap usually on the weekends.  You sleep maybe 2-hours combined at school during your day amongst several smaller naps. 
• STILL have your umbilical hernia but it is slooowly making its way back in.  We do see improvement but you definitely have more than just a regular outie belly button.  Dr. G says we will see about fixing it if you still have it when you are 1 years old.
• can move everywhere and amaze us the places you take yourself with your rolling and army crawling. You really are SO strong just haven't quite figured out how to get that belly off the ground.  You are not crawling yet but you want to be on the move so bad.  You sit up so well on your own and rock forward to place your hands on the floor as if you are about to just take off crawling but end up nose-diving to the ground.

 

• are enjoying your walker and exersaucer more these days than your jumper.   You can move just about anywhere and out of any corner in your walker.  You may just walk and not crawl!
• LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your big sister.  It melts my heart to see you two play together.  You would play peek-a-boo for hours if sister would play with you.  We get the best giggles from both of you when you play.  Addison loves surprising you just as much as you love to see her sneak around the corner.
• started taking a wubbanub this past month.  It is more of a comfort when you are sleepy but nothing you actually need to go to sleep.  I think it may make your teeth feel better since this round of teething has been a bit tough.
• are wearing 12 months and some 18 month clothes.  Not kidding. You are 8 months old and wearing 18 month onesies and rompers, 12 month pants.
• are still in size 4 diapers but I pulled out your sister's leftover size 5s just last night. 

 

Everyone told me about this Mommy/Son bond when I was pregnant and now I get it.  You are a Momma's boy and I love it.  I am excited to see what this next month brings and what you weigh at your 9 month checkup!  Keep smilin' little guy.  You light up our life! 

Little Man Haircut

Just after Thanksgiving we took our little man for his first haircut, just shy of 6 months.  I had trimmed it a time or two myself but it was time for a pro to take their turn. Josh might have taken away the scissors from me, maybe.

 

This little guy was ready and all smiles when he saw himself in the mirror. 

Look at that hair!  It was out of control.

 

 

 

 

 

He was great for about 10 minutes and then got a little fidgety so Kelly, Josh's hair stylist, had the best idea... a Dum Dum.  Luke didn't have any teeth yet so there was really no harm and it kept him occupied for a good 10 more minutes.

 

Then we pulled out the bottle to put on the finishing touch.

 

 

Sister got in on the action too.  She has had one other haircut but was definitely due for another.  And she cut Addison's hair with Miss A standing up!  Who knew that was normal!?

 

 

And a few after pics of our little guy.  He went from baby to little man in 20 minutes.

Be still my heart!

 

 

 

Thanksgiving 2013

We spent Thanksgiving out in Bridgeport as Ash and Landon hosted this year.  We all packed our bags and took over the Smith's house for a night. I love having a house full of family!

 Sweet little girls ... wait for it....

Luke the GIANT.  Landry (right) makes me laugh and what she may have been thinking.

 Luke is 42 days older than the girls and could afford to share some of his extra pounds :)

And an attempt at a picture of our kids.... 

And this is the best one we got.  That is true life, friends.  So thankful for those little nuggets nonetheless.

Hope you had a Thanksgiving full love and blessings!

Big Orange Pumpkin Farm

One of my favorite fall traditions is a trip to the pumpkin patch.  We found a great pumpkin patch in Celina this year and will definitely be back.  Lots of pictures, a hay ride, petting zoo, a hay maze, and more!  

Happy Fall Ya'll! 

Yep, I know it's January...just bear with me.

 {Landry Elizabeth}

These two have something special. I hope they are always such sweet cousins!

 SO thankful my husband will do the animal thing.  Not me.  Yuck, yuck, yuck!

Our little pumpkin - 5.5 months.

Landon and Miss Harper

And food to end our trip!  I'm tellin' you... they had it all!

Can't wait until next year!