Christmas in Alabama 2013

We made it home from South Carolina a little before bedtime on Christmas Eve. We unloaded the van, gave the boys baths, and let them open new Christmas pajamas (footed polar bears!). We left out some goodies for Santa (Somehow the cookies you gave us got smashed and crumbled in the van, Nana Lakes!) and read the Christmas story.

Christmas morning we woke up and opened presents and ate muffins and sausage balls. The boys were excited to play with their new toys. Jude's main gifts were an add-on playset to our Fisher Price farm, a laugh and learn shopping bag, and a crawl around car. It was all Fisher Price stuff so apparently we were digging their toys for 6 month olds this year. James' main gifts were an RC Dusty, a LeapReader with books, and LOTS of Lightning Wooden Track Cars (that's all he's asked for now for months and you can only get them on ebay). The boys exchanged gifts with each other, and James gave Jude the sweetest hug. James also picked out gifts for Stephen and I with his Awana Bucks at church: he chose a picture frame for Stephen and a pen/stylus for me. I cried! He said it was because "he loved me so much!" It was the best gift ever.

I had high hopes for the day. I wanted it to be so special for them and a special first Christmas for Jude, but everyone was so sick, we had fevers and no energy, and the best we could do was just hang around in pajamas all day. The boys didn't even want to eat. I felt myself getting slightly disappointed that I somehow didn't make the day enough, but, at the same time, I had a day spent with the three most important people in my life, and I don't want to ever lose sight of what is truly important. There are/were so many reasons to be thankful even if the day didn't meet some unrealistic expectation I'd put on myself. I read a good article recently about Christmas Expectations that really puts things in perspective: Christmas Expectations

Anyway, despite sickness and not being able to do as many special little things with the boys as I had hoped, it was a day spent together and I'm very thankful. The weekend after Christmas we were able to go over and spend a few hours with Stephen's parents and exchange gifts as well. Here are some pictures from our Christmas at home and at Nana and Grandpa's:

Christmas in South Carolina (Picture Overload!)

I was glad we were able to visit with my family in South Carolina a few days before Christmas. A few highlights to remember:

- Jude did great on his first long car trip (and James did too!)
- EdVenture (a fun Children's Museum) with my mom; Jude sat on Santa's lap (not pictured) and didn't cry or smile. :)
- Christmas events at my Mom's, Dad's, and Mimi's
- meeting my sister's boyfriend, Thomas
- seeing extended family on my Dad's side of the family
- everyone meeting Jude for the first time
- Definitely not a highlight, but Stephen was sick the whole trip (which is why he didn't want to be in many pictures) and then James got it (he looks sick in a lot of these pictures.) (Jude and I were sick by the end of the trip/time we got home). We all have bronchitis and have been at home in our pajamas for almost a week now (except Stephen who is back at work).

Way too many pictures and these were just the best ones:

Jude's 6 Month Update

I wanted to write an update on all things Jude at 6 months old before any more time passes. :)

Growth: Jude weighed 19 pounds 5 ounces (73%) at his doctor's visit last week and was 26 inches long (30%). He is wearing some 3 to 6 month clothing still but mostly 6 to 9 month clothing now. He wears size 3 diapers when we use disposables.

Appearance: brown eyes and brown hair that seems to be getting curly on top (I definitely don't try to tame it but just let it do it's thing!); he seems to have a darker complexion still than James did at this age. 

Sleep: I think his longest stretch was around 9 or 9 1/2 hours before he started cutting teeth last week, but now six hours seems to be his max the last few days before waking up and wanting to eat. He takes several cat naps during the day (2 or 3) and one longer nap around 2:00 when James naps. He usually goes to sleep for the night between 9 and 10.

Eating: He is nursing about every 3 to 4 hours during the day. He is doing really well with stage one baby food and we will transition to stage 2 soon. He is eating solids for breakfast and dinner and we will eventually bump him up to three meals a day. He has pretty much liked everything that he's tried. So far he has had bananas, apples, pears, peaches, prunes, squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, peas, green beans, rice cereal, oatmeal, yogurt, and even one chicken baby food (but never again because it grossed me out! I made some homemade roast and carrots from our dinner last week and froze a whole bunch of single servings in ice cube trays and the doctor gave me the green light to do that instead of the jarred meat!). He has tried tiny pieces of banana and cantaloupe as well but seemed to play with it in his mouth more than eat it, so he may just not be quite ready for those bigger pieces yet. I also offer him about 2 ounces of water per day in a sippy cut and he seems to be figuring out pretty well.

Personality: He is happy, content, and easy-going. He seems to enjoy interacting with people and has lots of big smiles for everyone. You don't have to work very hard to make him laugh. He is wide-eyed and curious (like his big brother) and watches everything, especially the things that his big brother, James, is doing. He is always trying to reach, scoot, and dive toward James while he's playing with toys. He wants so badly to be a "big boy" already, and I feel like he's growing up much faster than James did. He is really into playing with toys now, and he just wants to be down and in the midst of the action. He has started to cry when James take a toy from him now. He has also started to show a little bit of anxiety the last week or so when I hand him off to other people and will cry, but after a few minutes he seems to warm up to the idea and go right back to them and be okay. Everywhere we go people just comment on how "chill" and content he seems to be all the time, and it's true. 

Voice: He is definitely a screamer at times (and can get pretty loud when he wants to) and I think he's quickly becoming a singer too. He seems to sing along (scream) whenever we are at church, and it's really precious. He is also making lots of "mmmm" sounds. He laughs very hard when we say "ahhh, boo!" when we play peekaboo and also when I say "ohhhhh, stiiiinky!" (but only for me for some reason; Stephen joked "that humors all I've got" when Jude wouldn't laugh at him on that one) after a dirty diaper - those two get him every time. :)

Movement: He is rolling all over the place. He bears weight on his legs very well and is such a bouncer. He likes to be held up on his legs to just bounce, bounce, bounce. That is definitely something that I don't remember James doing so much, and people have commented that he probably gives me a workout with all that bouncing. He is sitting up very well now. He is also able to scoot and go a short distance, and turn himself around in a circle. He is also getting himself into a pushup position on his hands and toes for a few seconds. I predict that as soon as he can "go", I am going to have to run to keep up with him. 

Health: He has been very healthy this month. He cut his first tooth (on the bottom) just a few days after turning six months old, and I predict the other one is close behind. 

Milestones/Other: sitting up, first tooth, first Thanksgiving, the introduction of solid foods, first time riding a real train and meeting Santa, baby dedication, first Christmas play as baby Jesus, and met Aunt Megan for the first time. It was a busy month!


Sweet Jude, The last six months with you have gone by so quickly...too quickly. Every day with you is an adventure and a joy. It is a privilege to mother you and be entrusted with your care, and it is my sincere joy to serve you, teach you, care for you, and love you. You are not my whole life, but to pour my life into yours is a worthy and wonderful calling. A high calling. I pray that in every little word and deed and aspect of my life lived out before you, that you would get a glimpse of Jesus and that you would come to know Him and love Him all of your days. No matter what the future may hold, I will love you in the difficult, the beautiful, the joy, the sorrow, the triumphs, the defeats, and everything in between. I will love you always and nothing could ever change that. I'm so glad that God saw fit to place you in this family. And I'm grateful every day when I hold you in my arms, that you are my little boy. You are beyond what I could have dreamed for myself. And just like your brother, you are the exact little boy that I always wanted.  You are my joy. I love you, Jude. I love you forever and ever. 
Love, Mama

Christmas Musical

Our music minister asked us several months ago if our family would play the role of Mary, Joseph, and both baby and toddler Jesus in our church's adult Christmas musical. I felt so grateful and humbled for the opportunity. It turned out to be a very special part of celebrating Christmas for me personally this year as I had the opportunity to walk in the shoes of Mary for just a minute and really think and consider what she must have been feeling as she rocked her baby boy, the Savior of the world. Jude had his baby dedication that Sunday morning, and he got to play the part of baby Jesus that evening. It was a big day for him that I'm sure we will tell him about when he's older! And I was so glad that James had the opportunity to play the part of toddler Jesus and experience the wise men following the star to find the King. It's been extra special this Christmas to read that part of the nativity story to him and watch his eyes light up in realization each time when I get to "his part." I have to confess that it was also nerve-wracking to have my three year old play the part of the only one that actually lived a sinless life, but, fortunately, he really did a great job. I think he portrayed the humanity of Jesus as a little boy so well as he sat on the floor playing with wooden animals and admiring the gifts from the three wise men. And even though I hoped that Jude was sleep peacefully in my arms like he did during the rehearsal, he fussed on and off (ready to go to sleep) throughout the whole thing. And though I must have looked slightly frazzled as I tried to soothe him with all eyes on him and me, in hindsight, I'm sure it was a more accurate depiction of that manger scene as a new, young mother learned to comfort her crying baby for the very first time. Jesus was fully God and fully man and sometimes it's easy to forget his humanity. This year I experience it like never before. :) I always have an ideal scenario in my mind of the way things should go, and through these two little boys God is constantly teaching me what is better. All in all, it was definitely a special memory for our family that I'm sure that I'll always cherish. And, of course, just a few pictures...

Jude's Baby Dedication

Jude's Baby Dedication was this past Sunday. We were glad to have my mom and sister drive in from South Carolina and Stephen's parents join us as well for this special day. Our pastor emphasized that it's an event that's much more than just saying "Hey everyone, look how cute my baby is!" but a time that we as parents commit to raising our child in a godly home. He encouraged the father as the spiritual leader of the family to lead well and the mother, who is often with the child more than anyone else, to consider the impact of her words and influence. I got a little emotional (as usual) but not overly so because I was somewhat distracted by a certain active three year old that was with us. He did pretty well, but these days it seems it's just nearly impossible for him to be still for very long. Jude fell asleep seconds before it started so he slept through it all, but we got a few pictures of him awake after the service. He looked precious in his outfit that Nana made for him. :)

My sweet, praise baby. Thank you, Lord, for entrusting him to me. :)

For anyone that might ever accuse me of only posting the beautiful, this one's for you. This is more like the beautiful struggle. :) Someone that's also had an exceptionally active three year old boy and survived it, please tell me this is normal.