Happy (almost) New Year!

I have a few blog entries to post, but I have been short on free time (not a bad thing) lately with all of the family time we have been spending. I wanted to get in a few posts before the end of 2009, though. This NYE is pretty uneventful. I guess that is to be expected since we're new parents, but really it is uneventful by choice. My mother-in-law offered to watch Baby Bear tonight while Papa Bear and I went out, but truthfully we'd rather just hang out anyway. Papa Bear and I did go to a dinner gathering with some friends of ours tonight. It was more of a send-off for a friend who is about to deploy for a year and his wife, who is pregnant and about to move back to her parents' place while her husband is deployed. I haven't had a lot of time to think about what I hope 2010 holds, but I really hope that THIS year does not hold a deployment for us. I hope that THIS year is the first full year that Papa Bear and I share together in our (almost) six years of marriage. Even as I hope for this I realize that there are many military families who are not as fortunate, and they know that there is a deployment looming in their near future. I think of these families and pray for them every day. I have been there. I have done that. And there is never any guarantee that Papa Bear's ticket won't be pulled one more time. If he is called to deploy again we will deal with it, but I still hope that 2010 is a year without a deployment. I also pray that I will be able to find blessings and rejoice in ALL circumstances regardless of what 2010 holds. I hope that 2010 is a good year for YOU as well. Happy New Year!!!

Extended Christmas - Oh boy!

After a week in Texas with my family for Christmas, and a stop in Louisiana to see some of Papa Bear's extended family, we returned home to celebrate Christmas with Papa Bear's immediate family. Baby Bear was introduced to his great grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and more over the past few weeks! By the time the last family members return home in a few days we will have spent two full weeks with family. Since our families are spread from coast to coast it is always special to get to spend time together.

Merry Christmas Eve!

Our family of four (including Super Dog) traveled a few days ago to spend Christmas with a lot of our extended family. Baby Bear was an AWESOME traveler, and it has been such a treat to introduce him to so many different people. Last night Baby Bear slept for almost 8 hours straight, so it is good to know that he isn't having trouble adjusting to his new, temporary sleeping location. Baby Bear has now met his three sets of great-grandparents, a few second cousins, a great aunt and great uncle. Today he's going to meet additional extended family and friends, and I know he is going to keep charming everyone. I have many, many pictures but haven't had the time yet to upload and post those, so this update will have to do for now. Merry Christmas eve, everyone!

Two months old!

Our little guy is two months old today, and he is growing up so quickly before our eyes! He has been cooing and smiling a lot lately, and the other morning Papa Bear walked in on him "talking" to the animal faces on his crib bumper. Hahaha. We are excited to celebrate his first Christmas and get to introduce him to many family members and friends. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and all that good stuff! Here are a few photos of Baby Bear's two month pictures beside his teddy bear. Enjoy!

We couldn't resist

I didn't think that I was going to have Baby Bear visit Santa this year. There always seem to be a lot of people around Santa at the mall, and with all of the hoopla with the flus (seasonal and swine) I'd pretty much decided that Baby Bear didn't need to be around that. Besides, Baby Bear is so young that he wouldn't remember visiting Santa anyway.

Well, Tuesday night we went to the mall with some friends and their kids to see Santa. I still didn't think that we'd have Baby Bear visit Santa. We showed up, and there was NO ONE in line. In fact, Santa appeared to be a bit bored. Maybe the area was dead because of the time of evening, or maybe visitors have been fewer due to the media's (exaggerated?) coverage of the flu. After surveying the area, seeing the antibacterial hand sanitizer scattered around the Santa station, and noting that neither Santa nor his elf were coughing or sneezing (haha), Papa Bear and I decided that Tuesday night was going to be Baby Bear's first visit with Santa. Baby Bear was too young to be scared so no crying on his part, and he even had his eyes open for the pictures. Yea! In the end we are glad that we decided to have Baby Bear take a picture with Santa.

Two month check-up

This morning we went to the pediatrician for Little Man's two month check-up. He is now 11lb 14oz (50th percentile) and 24.5 inches (90th percentile). I could tell that he was getting longer, because he is growing out of his clothes! Little Man also received two shots (DTaP and IPV) and one oral vaccine (Rotarix) today. He did very well during the shots - just a little cry, and then the pacifier distracted him. Way to go, Baby Bear!

More from T's visit

We also attended the Christmas parade in our neighborhood while T was visiting. It was bigger than we had expected it to be. Even though it was a bit loud at times with the band, Baby Bear was content in the arms of his Aunt T.





Aunt T had fun playing with Baby Bear's hair while she was here. He received a spike at the hands of T after a couple of baths. It was very cute!







Baby Bear also received his first boo boo at the hands of Aunt T. I really wouldn’t have classified it as his first boo boo, but Aunt T was so disturbed by it that it ended up making the record books. She was cutting his finger nails and knicked his skin. He was asleep during the nail cutting process, and he didn’t even wake up when she knicked him. Yes, there was blood, but if he didn’t wake up I don’t think it should be considered worthy of the ‘first boo boo’ title. Oh well. Aunt T, you made Baby Bear’s record book!



Finally, Baby Bear has been sleeping like a big boy! The last few nights he has slept for 7 hours (a great birthday present for me!), 5 hours, and then 6 hours. Keep it up, buddy!

A petting zoo Christmas party

While T was in town my book club group had its Christmas "party" at a petting zoo. Now that Baby Bear has been born all of the ladies in the book club have at least one kid, and many of the kids are older, so the petting zoo was an entertaining place. There were 42 of us in all, including the spouses and children. Although Baby Bear is much too young to enjoy the petting zoo I was able to enjoy it! I hope that one of these days he grows to love animals as much as I do. Even the animals that are less-than-normal looking, like the dwarf cow with a giant under bite that was at this petting zoo. Seriously, this petting zoo appeared to have many reject animals that you would not find at your average petting zoo. It was kind of sad…

Yes, I milked a cow. I figured I shouldn't be the only thing being milked right now. It's only fair! :)


Lunchtime with Baby Bear and Aunt T




This was Baby Bear most of the time at the petting zoo




The dwarf cow

Sharing her talent

When my bestie, T, found out that I was pregnant she wanted to paint something for the room. Since Baby Bear's name is not spelled the traditional way I thought that it would be great if she painted something with his name. We ended up deciding on letters for the room, and she brought them with her on her recent visit. They look AWESOME! I am so lucky to have such a talented, generous, wonderful friend in T, and Baby Bear is lucky to have her for an Aunt. Here are a few pictures of the final product. Isn't she amazing?

More posts to come

Baby Bear's Aunt T is my best friend from college. Naturally that means that she is very cool :), and Baby Bear loved meeting her when she came to visit this weekend. So did we! I have some posts to come about her visit, but until I have more free time to blog I will just leave you with a few pictures from Aunt T's visit. We loved having you, T! We look forward to seeing you again soon!

Visiting daddy

Baby Bear and I stopped by Papa Bear's workplace today, and Baby Bear was a hit!



Tonight we get to pick "Aunt" T up from the airport. We can hardly wait for Baby Bear and Aunt T to meet!

A happy heart makes the face cheerful... Prov. 15:13a

Our little guy has been smiling SO MUCH lately, and I think that it is absolutely adorable. Here are just a few of the smiley pictures that have been captured.















I am really smiling today, too, because Baby Bear slept for six hours straight last night. Yea!

Fun with Mia!

Mia was visiting the past couple of days, and boy, did we all have fun! Mia and I went on a shopping trip for my early birthday present, and Baby Bear was terrific. Since I haven’t gone shopping in awhile – oh, let’s say about 9 months or so – the shopping trips were pretty lengthy, but Baby Bear slept the entire time! Mia also made one of my favorites, a chocolate chip cookie cake, for my birthday. I’m still enjoying it.



Mia was also able to spend time with Baby Bear by herself while Papa Bear and I went out a few evenings on our own. One evening Papa Bear and I went to Epcot’s Candlelight Processional. It was wonderful! It is the telling of the Christmas story – about Jesus’s birth, not Santa Claus – with a mass choir and live orchestra. The Christmas story scripture readings were read by Anika Noni Rose, the voice of the princess Tiana in Disney’s newest princess movie, The Princess and the Frog. The entire night was very enjoyable, and the weather was chilly and windy enough to warrant a scarf and heavy coat. Ah, Christmas time!









Having Mia here is always fun, and I am able to accomplish a lot while she gets to bond with her grandson. Thanks for everything, Mom!

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas

I love this time of year. Thanksgiving is such a great holiday, and then right around the corner is Christmas. I enjoy decorating the house for Christmas, listening to Christmas music, and I like looking at all of the decorated homes and stores. I am looking forward to Little Man's first Christmas this year, and then his first Christmas that he is aware of next year. Here are recent pictures from around the house and neighborhood.

Thanksgiving celebration with family

Grandpa Adams, L, and A came to visit for a long Thanksgiving weekend, and we had a lot of fun while they were in town. This was their first time to meet Baby Bear, and I know that he enjoyed their visit as well! Friday L and the gang prepared a delicious Thanksgiving feast for us. I wish that I had taken a picture of the food, because it was quite a sight to look at. The turkey was beautiful – one of those that you would see in a magazine – and delicious. Thank goodness for leftovers, because we’re still enjoying the turkey. While everyone was visiting we also enjoyed beautiful, sometimes chilly, weather and family walks around the neighborhood. One evening Papa Bear and I also took the opportunity to go see a movie while Grandpa Adams, L, and A watched Baby Bear. One more event that transpired that I think is worth mentioning is Grandpa Adams, L, and A had Chick-fil-a for the first time! Can you tell that I am a fan of Chick-fil-a? Here are a few pictures from their visit.

One night Papa Bear and A played Rock Band on a big screen that was set up outdoors.


A and Baby Bear


The gang with Baby Bear




Thanks for the visit, Grandpa Adams, L, and A. We loved spending time with you and hope to see you again real soon!