Our First Family Christmas

This was my best Christmas ever! Not because of the presents or the food, but because we are a FAMILY! And this was the first time I really felt like a family. I was determined to get a family picture and we did! Brett was looking right at the camera and we only had to take it once!

I got Brett this cute little santa outfit the day before!

 No my child was not riding in the front seat of the car....I just sat him there for a second! :)

Brett is lucky and has LOTS of cousins that love him!

 I have never seen a kid, let alone a boy, be SO good with a baby! :) Griffin and Brett are the only 2 grandsons in the family...the other 6 grandchildren are GIRLS!

 Brett also received his first pair of Nike's!

 

 Brett and Daddy got matching shirts for Christmas!

Its kinda like Where's Waldo haha! Can you find baby Brett???

 Uncle Davey and Brett!

I hope you and yours had a Merry Christmas too! Now I can't wait for next Christmas when Brett will actually be able to get toys and open presents himself!

We are leaving tomorrow for the mountains with friends and it will be Brett's first car trip!! Pray for us haha! Although he is an amazingly good baby he doesn't like be trapped in his car seat very long so I will be sitting with him to keep him entertained! :)

Happy New Year!

Is it too early for a resolution?

I am not a cook....well I like to cook, and I am getting better at it, but time is  never on my side and I make one heck of a mess when I do. I am fortunate to have a husband who likes to cook and is VERY good at it. 

Just to put things into perspective,  Josh taught me the right way to cut an onion and a tomato. He taught me how to cook a baked potato in the microwave, he showed me how to cook squash, fry chicken, cook a pot roast, make sweet tea, and that there are more options for dinner than casseroles and stouffer's lasagna! :) While on maternity leave I have done a good job of cooking for my husband and with my return to work looming, I want to try my best to continue this. I think it is very possible, with a little organization.

I have always heard people talking about making their weekly dinner plans on Sunday, and going shopping so you will have all the ingredients. Well, this is what I am resolving to do this year! One of my main problems with cooking dinner is what to make! I hate making that decision and never have anything laid out which makes it harder. SO, I have already made a list of all the dinners we normally rotate through, and I am going to sit down every weekend and pre-plan my meals! This way I will know what we are having and can avoid making that decision when its 6:00 on a Tuesday night and we are starving. And luckily Josh will cook some nights too, but as long as we know what we are making, it will be easier on both of us.

Does anyone have any advice on how they plan dinners? I think this plan will work as long as I stick to it! :)

2 Months!

Well Brett is now 2 months old! I cant believe how fast the time has gone...but at the same time, I feel like his birth was so long ago! I definitely feel like things are getting (dare I say) easier! I feel very comfortable with Brett and know what he needs when he makes certain noises, how to comfort him, and know what he likes and dislikes. I know that I do not have to wait until he is asleep to get things done, that he will be ok swinging in his swing while I do the dishes or fold some laundry. I must say that Brett is such a HAPPY baby! He smiles all the time and has really started talking a lot! Here are some other things that have been going on:

*He LOVES bath time and Josh tries to make him pee by pouring warm water on him :/

*Eats 4-5 oz every 3-4 hours

*Sometimes he just wants to be put down....he really likes his "me time" :)

*Loves Baby Einstein, or anything on TV for that matter!

*Still can't keep a paci in his mouth more than 2 minutes......yet fusses when he spits it out!

*He has discovered his fist, and loves to suck on it.

*LOVES classical music (Thank to his Mamma!)

*Technically sleeps through the night (5 hours) but sleeps from 9-3 then wakes up every 2-3 hours to eat.

*Is starting to bat at the animals on his play mat.

*Is seriously the happiest baby! Sometimes when Im nursing him in the middle of the night he looks up and smiles and I cant help but laugh! 

*He only cries when he is hungry, or needs to burp. He is very easily settled.

*He wears 3-6 months but some 3 months are a little tight in the feet. He has a long body (like his daddy) so some 3 month onesies are a getting tight. We go to the Dr Monday but I think he is around 14 pounds and 23 inches long.

*Is really starting to talk more and more!

*Is SO close to laughing. He looks like is laughing silently but no real sound comes out yet.

Here is our photo shoot!

"I like this pillow!"

 

Hanging with his sister

My happy boy!

"OK Mom, enough with the pictures!"

Christmas Time is here!

Christmas time is here
Happiness and cheer
Fun for all that children call
Their favorite time of the year.......

I cant believe its almost Christmas! But I am so glad I had my baby when I did so I could be home for the entire Holiday Season! I usually get Christmas put up in our house around the first week in December, but this year I put everything up the weekend after Thanksgiving! I was so excited to decorate because for the last 2 Christmases, we have been in a basement apartment...and although we still got a tree, there was no fireplace to hang stockings, no stair rail to wrap garland and no front door to hang our wreath. But this year we do....and it makes me so thankful for what we have and how far we have come! Not to mention, its Brett's first Christmas and I want all the pictures to be perfect! :) 

Here is what I have done so far...

Our Tree! We got it at Costco for a whopping $33! The only bad thing is you cant "pick it out"...all the trees are pre-wrapped but I think we got a pretty good one. Plus, with a baby, it was just easier this way than spending an hour in the cold trying to find the perfect tree!

 I love garland! I went to wal-mart and got pre-lit garland and some little gold flowers and some sparkly pine cones and stuck them in the garland. I was pretty proud of myself since Im not the most crafty person I know.

Close up of the flowers :)

I also put some garland on the mantle but have not taken a picture yet. I am in search of the perfect stocking for Brett. I want to get one with his name on it so I better hurry before Christmas gets here!

And the best part of Brett's first Christmas...

 We took him to see Santa! He was sleeping here but I love what Santa did! It made the picture so sweet! We actually got another one with his eyes open (after ringing jingle bells) and I had a week moment as a mom and bought 2 $20 packages so I could get both pictures! Oh well, at least we saved money on our tree! :)

PS: Brett was asked to be the baby Jesus in our church Christmas concert and Josh and I were Mary and Joseph! It was amazing and Brett was a perfect, peaceful baby Jesus! I will post on that later when I get the pictures! :)

Merry Christmas!!