Christmas Eve 2009

We could not have had a better time with our Brody Bear this Christmas season. It was great having time off from work and spending time with family and friends, but most importantly spending it with our little one. What a special time of year and how wonderful it was to have snow on Brody's first Christmas. Simply magical!

All bundled up!! Getting ready to go outside in the snow!!

We celebrate Christmas with my dad's side of the family on Christmas Eve and we were so thankful to have my dad, step mom and sister drive out here (safely) in this snowy weather, especially since it took them about 2 hours to get home. We had a great time opening gifts, watching Brody, eating dinner, and enjoying each others company. Here are a few pictures from the evening...

Enjoying the wrapping/tissue paper from Aunt Devon's present

Playing with one of my new toys

Can you please show me how to work this...

My dad, Step-mom and Brody

Being a silly stinker before bed. Look at my C-U-T-E Christmas jammies!

First Steps

Brody took his first real steps tonight. We are still practicing our balance so it will still be a little bit before he is "walking," but first steps are pretty fun. Glad I got it on video.

Keeping things interesting...

Gabe and I will occasionally play jokes on each other, such as driving off while someone runs in to pick up an item, pour ice cold water into the hot shower, you get the idea. Well here is the latest trick Gabe pulled on me....

So last weekend we were winding down our Christmas shopping for the day and had one last stop. As we are pulling into the store parking lot, I see a gas station that has really cheap gas, so I encourage Gabe to get gas before we go into the store. Gabe is pumping the gas and I am looking at my iphone (and it goes dead) and for whatever reason, I think it is fun game to lock Gabe out of the car. He sees me do this, finishes up pumping the gas and then disappears! I am looking all around for him outside, no Gabe. I keep seeing people come in and out of the convenience store, no Gabe. I sit there and wait and wait and wait and wait and wait. 10 minutes I wait, with Brody in the car and a dead cellphone. Finally I drive around the gas pumps looking for Gabe, nothing! I am considering driving home to plug in my phone to call him. By this point I am getting a little nervous. I start to drive off and I see Gabe walking toward the car!! He had gone inside the store to look at the items we were going to purchase. Ugh! Didn't even cross my mind! I thought someone had kidnapped him. We got a really good laugh after I decided it really was funny!

Thanks for the heart attack, honey!

9 Months

Brody is 9 months. Seriously, where has the time gone? He is my little love bug who makes each day better. I laugh a lot more now that Mr. Personality is in my life. And he makes our lives so much more full and complete. We could not love him more, our hearts are overflowing with love for our sweet angel baby.

Stats:

Weight 18 lbs 1 oz (12%)

Height 26 3/4 inches (7%)

He gets smaller and smaller (according to the averages) each time we go to the doctor. I was sure this time he was going to have increased percentages! Wrong!! My child can E-A-T! We are giving him too many liquids and will need to begin to cut back a little. The goal is 24 ounces and now he is eating around 30 ounces, plus the 3 huge solid meals that he already eats and cheerios/puff snacks. We will be introducing the sippy cup more regularly now that we should begin phasing out the bottle. He hit all the "9 month milestones" except for waving and clapping. Brody is extremely interested in table food and I got to ok to let him have some. I had my list of questions that our doctor so graciously answered them all and never made me feel rushed. With a little peer pressure, I caved and Brody was given the 1st dose of the H1N1 vaccination. I told myself I wasn't going to let my baby have something so fresh and new, but I am now eating my words.

Brody,

Mommy and daddy love you so very much. These last nine months have been the best 9 months of our lives. You are so handsome and full of energy. You are a very happy baby and extremely tough. Your fun-loving personality shines so bright and is infectious. Everyone who meets you falls in love with you and always has so many compliments for you. You are the light of our lives.

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

All Brody wants for Christmas is...

...his 2 front teeth! His left tooth began cutting through on Sunday and now you can see the right tooth breaking skin. I feel like he will look like a different kid with his mouth full of four teeth!! Can't wait to see how cute he looks!

Dear Santa, define "nice."

SANTA and Brody

I thought I would write this one (Gabe) because it is near and dear to me, seeing that I believed in Santa until I was 12 and for an even bigger reason, Brody just got to see the same exact Santa that I did growing up. They call him "The Real Santa", well because he is. After over a 4 hour wait Brody finally got to hop up on Santa's lap and pose for the camera (which we all know he does very well). Brody in his argyle socks and Burberry blazer (thanks to Colin) could not have been any happier to see the Jolly old man. He was literally about a 0.5 second away from grabbing his beard before Mommy stepped in, but after that he was good to go. So with out further ado, here is Brody's 1st Santa Photo!

Momma and Dadda

Brody can say 2 words! Yay! He will get into jabbering about something and he will throw in "dadda" every now and again, and has been for a while now. On Sunday evening he saw us making a bottle and started to whine, and then cry, and then "momma-momma-momma-momma" since we weren't moving fast enough to get that bottle to him. He has only done it a few more times and only says it when he really wants something.

I am so proud, what a great feeling when your child says your name! I just don't know if he knows what he is saying or not, but oh well! The important thing is that he is saying my name...finally! :)

Happy Birthday to my Mom and Sister

A birthday shout-out to two of my favorite ladies! Hope you have a wonderful day!! You make our lives more special just because you are in it. We love you!!

Napping Schedule

Brody has always been and still is a fabulous sleeper! I cannot complain one bit. On a normal weekday he takes 3 naps (3o mins to 1.5 hours) and on a weekend he takes probably 4 naps each day. Yesterday and today he has only taken 2-15 minute naps... and semi-fusses before each one. He acts tired, he looks tired, and rubs his eyes, but the little booger isn't taking a nap! It has only been these last 2 days and hoping it does not become a habit.

Has anyone else had this problem? Did it last long? Could it be due to teething? I think his top 2 teeth are about to come in, anytime.

Thanksgiving Recap

We had a great Turkey Day and hope you did the same! We have so much to be thankful for this year and glad we were able to spend this day with most of our families. We loaded up the car and headed to Arlington to spend the morning/early afternoon with Gabe's mom, brother and niece. We purchased a Cajun turkey from Dickey's...umm... 2 words.... spicy deliciousness! We left stuffed!!! Brody took an 1.5 nap right before it was time to eat, so he had his "thanksgiving meal" in the evening. After leaving my MIL's we headed to my aunts house to spend some time with my aunt and uncle, grandpa, sister, and dad and step-mom. It was great visiting and watching Brody roam around discovering all the places and things he didn't need to get in to. I ate my weight in desserts at my aunts house! Just kidding, I was actually better than I had planned. Here are a couple pictures from Thanksgiving.

Tech Game

Gabe and I ventured back to our college days for the Texas Tech vs. Baylor game (well, kind of). We packed up our foldable chairs, cooler, and snacks and headed to Arlington. The game was being played at Jerry World (aka: the new Cowboy's stadium). That place is amazing!! It was my first time and I thought the stadium was huge and gorgeous! We met up with some friends and set up a tailgate outside for the windy Saturday afternoon. Randomly we picked a spot next to some friends of ours. This worked out perfect and ended up being a mini FIJI reunion. Gabe and I had so much fun catching up with everyone! Thank you to the Gilmore's for providing delicious wings and fries!

Tech pulled out a win, barely. Our seats were great and loved seeing the sea of red and black! We were a little frustrated for the first half, but left with a smile on our faces along with empty pockets from the concessions!

Thanks Nana for watching our precious angel Brody!

Gobble Gobble

We hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving tomorrow, whether you are celebrating with 100 people or just 1 or 2, we wish you a pleasant and happy day.

Thankfulness has never meant so much to Gabe and/or I as it does now. We are most thankful to have Brody in our lives, but also we are thankful for our excellent health, our shelter, the clothes on our backs, the food in our mouths, our jobs, our family and friends, as well as our Lord and Savior. None of this would be possible without believing and trusting in Him.

We will be spending the morning with Gabe's mom, brother and niece. And the afternoon with my dad, step-mom, sister, aunt, uncle, and grandpa. Should be the makings of a very full day as well as some pretty full tummy's!!

Gobble Gobble!!!

It's Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas!

Is it me, or do you feel like everyone is decorating early this year? Guilty! Our interior is just about done and the exterior is getting close too and it isn't even Thanksgiving! I guess we just want to enjoy this special time of year even more now that we are parents. And because it is Brody's 1st Christmas!!! What a joyous time in which we are anxiously waiting to share with him and our families.

Last night we met up with the Colberg's to attend a Christmas tree lighting at the Shops at Legacy. It was gorgeous! A little chilly, but so pretty! We ate some warm, delicious Mi Cocina and ventured down to the tree for a photo op.

8 months old - version 2.0

Some other points I forgot to mention in the last post:

He is a speedy crawler

Wearing size 3-6 months in pants and 6 months in tops

In a "mommy" stage

Loves to get into Rocky's doggy bowls, the doggy door and the fireplace

Wears a size 3 diaper

Has 2 bottom teeth

Belly laughs when tickled

Loves to shred and wrinkle paper

We are working on learning to use a sippy cup and learning to feed ourselves our puffs/cheerios.

8 months old

Wowee! Brody was 8 months as of this past Monday. Let me see if I can think of what all he is doing...

Pulling up

Walking with his baby walker

Saying "dadadada"

Climbing stairs (only with supervision)

Eating solid foods extremely well

Sits independently

Chewing - recently introduced fruity flavored puffs

Holding his own bottle

He is getting so very close to standing independently. I know this is a precursor to walking with which I am joyful about, but also having anxiety over it. He is getting to be such a big boy and looking less and less like a baby. I am so thankful to have him in my life. He has taught me so many things and he doesn't even know it. Brody brings so much joy and happiness, love and laughter to us. We are truly blessed to have this adorable, amazing, darling little boy. He is changing and growing everyday, I hope to cherish every moment with him since time is going to, and already is flying by.

Cute Cousins

Brody and Bella

4 Wonderful Years

Last Wednesday was our 4th wedding anniversary/11 years of togetherness. I am so blessed to have found the most perfect man, well God was the one who placed him in my life for a reason. I sincerely believe that Gabe is the only one who can put up with me and vice-versa. We have been through so many of life's experiences together, and we have really and truly grown up together. He keeps things fun and interesting with his jokes and tricks, he helps me to understand the jokes he tells me along with other things in life I don't understand. He is so business smart and great at his job. I have recently fallen in love with my husband again with the birth of Brody. Gabe is the most hands-on, fun, and loving father. I have enjoyed every minute being married to Gabe for the past four years and looking forward to the rest of our lives together.

We celebrated by dining at Gabe's favorite steak restaurant, Bob's....yummy! We had great conversation and enjoyed our 2 hours of alone-ness. Brody went and played at Gavin's house. I heard they were pretty cute playing together. We are lucky to have such wonderful friends to watch our little guy on a weeknight. Thanks again Brooke and Steve!

A Mommy's Favorite Things

I wanted to put together a list of some of my favorite things for baby for a few reasons.

1) I have so many pregnant friends and also new mommy friends

2) May help someone in need of a baby shower gift, and

3) I want to document what was/is important so far in Brody's life.

These are just things that have worked for me, so take it for what you want. I hope it is helpful to someone!

Here are just a few of my mommy favorite things...in no particular order...

Food Maker: Beaba Babycook from Williams Sonoma

I have been enjoying making all of Brody's food. (Except for the cereal and oatmeal). It has been super easy with the help of this contraption. A highly recommended item.

A Lifesaver Invention: Pacifier Wipes

We have gone through so many packages! Brody constantly drops his paci, so these have definitely come in handy.

Our Favorite Pacifier Brand: MAM

Not sure why, but he loves this brand of paci. We have tried others, and this is the one he wants.

Night time soothing helper: the Seahorse

Our Favorite Blanket to Swaddle with: Swaddle Designs

We still use this blanket, just not for swaddling anymore.

Favorite Bottles: Dr. Brown's

My pediatrician even recommended this brand.

To help with hiccups: Gripe Water

To help with gas: Mylicon Drops

Brody's Current Favorite Toy:

This thing is amazing! It's fun to play with and encourages walking. He goes all over the house with this thing.

Favorite Diaper Brand: Costco's Kirkland Supreme Diapers

Love, love, love these diapers! Have not had one problem with these. And they are a little cheaper too. Pampers is a very close runner-up.

Brody's New Trick

...is to climb the stairs!!! Yep, all 16 of them. Over and over and over again! I swear Gabe and/or I are right there, I just cropped us out when I could.

Can you say time for a baby gate?

A Scarecrow with a Skunk and Leopard friends?

We had a great Halloween and hope you did the same. Although Brody and his buddies are too young this year, next year should be even more fun with actually going trick or treating. My dad and his wife Pat, my grandpa, and my sister traveled over for the early part of the afternoon to spend sometime with Brody. It was of course great seeing them. We went to our neighborhoods Halloween festivities - a dog parade and costume contest. Rocky sadly did not enter. He isn't very nice to fellow canines, therefore leaving us no option but to leave him home.

Later in the evening, our friends came over (the Longs and Colbergs). We are so lucky to have wonderful friends so close. It was an experience with the 3 little ones! They do not get to all three be together often enough so it is great seeing them interact. Gavin was hilariously cute in the skunk costume...the tail was awesome! And sweet Teagan was as adorable as ever in her leopard costume...she even let mommy put a nose and wiskers on her face. Teagan and Brody got to stroll around the neighborhood while the big kids went house to house. Guess it wasn't too exciting for them since they both fell asleep.

If Brody could talk, I believe he would say he had a great Halloween!

Sleeping & Walking but not sleep-walking

Date Night

Saturday, Gabe and I had date night, which as you know doesn't come around very often now that a kiddo is in our lives (a kiddo who we love more than life itself). Any way, we headed south to Downtown, Victory Park to be more specific. It is there where we wanted to have a quick bite and to go see a show at the House of Blues. Gabe offered up Luna de Noche, one of my favs and haven't been to it in forever. It is there that I had my first official adult beverage since finding out I was pregnant. We had a drink each and two appetizers for less than $20...yea happy hour pricing! :) After filling our bellies with delicious Mexican food we walked across the street to the HOB to see Mat Kearney. We first watched Smile Smile, a local Dallas band and they were good! Gabe has a friend who knows one of the singers, which was kinda fun. Then we watched Vedera who is on tour with Mat Kearney and who were actually very good. I had not heard of them and was impressed. Then to the best part of the night, Mr. Mat Kearney's performance! Gabe and I love listening to all of his music, there isn't one song we skip over. We looked at each other during the show and both agreed that we do not ever tire of listening to his music, we just wished more people listened to him so they could enjoy him as much as we do. His CDs are always our go-to music if we can't agree on anything to listen to in the car. Love him!

We were lucky to have such wonderful babysitters! Thanks Jen and Armand. You are the best!

Pumpkin Patch

We ventured out to Celina, TX on Sunday to see what this pumpkin patch thing is all about. Our friends Brooke and Steve went to the Big Orange Pumpkin Farm recently, and so Gabe and I thought we would scope it out with our little one. It sure was packed full of people out there, but the weather could not have been more perfect!!! I keep seeing all of the adorable photos of friends and their families at pumpkin patches, so I wanted to do the same thing. I thought it is a great idea and something you can do annually to see how the babies grow from year to year. Since Brody is so little still, we couldn't do too much. We did get some great photographs of him. Looking forward to chasing him around the pumpkin farm next year.

ENJOY....

The sweet Colberg Family

A New Do

Somebody got their hair cut over the weekend!

Brody is a bully?

Yep, that's right! My son is a bully! As you know, I recently started a part time job at a preschool here in McKinney (takes me 10 mins to get to work...I'm lucky!) Anyway, one of the reasons I took the job is because Brody gets to come with. AND I get to watch him all day since he is in the room next door. Fabulous set-up....right?? Well, yes and no. Yes because I want to be with my son all day and the next best thing is to be able to see him. And I like to watch him interact with others. No because he cries when he sees me through the window (so sad, I just want to run over there and pick him up) and also because I hear "uh uh Brody!" allllllllll day...or for the time we are there anyway. He is beating up the other children. Not really, but he is a hair puller, toy stealer, and a clothes puller. He is making 9 month olds and 13 month olds cry as well as the adorable little girls in his room who are the same age. I hope his socialization skills improve with him going to "school" everyday.

Cutie Patootie

I have 2 bottom teeth!

Drying off after my bath

Sweet face