~Happy New Years~

2011 has been an amazing year for our little family.  We have experienced so many joys this year that it is impossible to contain them all in one post.  Much of our happiness can be contributed to this little man, who made 2011 the most memorable year yet.  

From our family to yours, I hope you all have a happy and healthy New Year!!!

Welcome 2012!

~8 Months Old~

Dear Rowen,

Today you are eight months old, I simply can't fathom that in four months you will be a year old!  This past month has been amazing with you as you continue to grow into your little personality!  This time last year your dad and I were anxiously awaiting your impending arrival, and never in my life could I have imagined how much love we feel for you today!

This month we have seen some big changes with you!  Two itty bitty teeth have finally appeared on your lower gums! For a few weeks I thought you would never get teeth and then suddenly they appeared one day.  You put anything and everything in your mouth including but not limited to water bottles, car keys, jingle bells, and books.  I learned my lesson about letting you have the car keys when on the day before Thanksgiving you were playing with them while we were leaving the grocery store and you ended up locking in the car.  I felt like an epic mom failure but thankfully the store is only about five minutes from our house and your dad came and unlocked the car for us!

You bah bah bah and sputter all day long!  If we are not paying attention to you and you want our attention, you start grunting and laughing hysterically, you can be quite the character!  You are also starting to stand up and pull up on things.  I don't think you will walk anytime soon but we shall see! In mid-November we took you on your second plane ride and you did great! You could tell we were the people no one wanted to sit next to but everyone who ended up with us remarked on how well you took to riding the plane!  Hopefully it will be just as easy later this month when we fly to your grandparent's house!

You continue to sleep through the night and wear mainly 9-12 months clothing.  This month your dad and  I broke down and finally put shoes on you, and they make you look so much older!  You are wearing a size four shoe and it seems like you have a little room to grow in those little shoes.  Food is pretty much the same this month but I think once those teeth come in a little more we can start giving you table food.

Firsts this month:
1. teeth
2. Thanksgiving
3. standing up
4. Christmas tree

Happy eight months Rowen Joseph!!

~Homemade Christmas Ornaments~

One of my favorite parts of Christmas is the ornaments.  Rudy and I have been collecting ornaments from everywhere we go so that one day we will have three trees worth of ornaments like my parents do! I love going home at Christmas and just staring at the trees and looking at all of the ornaments, which if anything, is a representation of how our family has evolved over the years.  Sprinkled amongst all of the meaningful ornaments are the homemade ornaments.  Some I made at Girl Scouts, others my brother and sisters made in school.  All have withstood the test of time and are proudly displayed on the trees.

This year I wanted to start our own homemade ornament tradition with Rowen.  This is a step by step of how I made the ornaments and I think they turned out wonderfully and I look forward to still having them hanging on my tree when Rowen is 25!

~ To make the dough I combined 4 cups of all purpose flour, one cup of salt, and one and a half cups of water.  If it still seems a little dry just add a few drops of water but don't over do it.  You will have to kneed the dough for about ten minutes to get it ready to roll out.  

~Once your dough is ready, roll it out on a non-stick or lightly Pam-ed cookie sheet.  To get the handprints for us it was a two man job, one person holding Rowen, and the other maneuvering his hand.  Be careful they don't dig their fingers into the dough because then you have to start over again.  Once you have the hand print you want, trace out the shape of a circle around it.  To bake, set the oven at 350 degrees and bake for approximately 45 minutes or until golden brown.  The thicker you make your ornament, the longer it will take to bake.  Once it has hardened it should look something like this...

~I let mine cool for about 25 minutes before I started to paint.  I wanted my ornaments to be gold so I used a metallic gold which I think highlighted the textures of the ornament very well.  I picked this up at Michaels...

After one coat my ornaments looked like this...

~ To complete these I put on two more coats and a coat of clear gloss glaze to seal the paint.  I grabbed some red felt ribbon from Michaels to hang them from...

And I may still add some tags with Rowen's name and the year.  I am so happy with the final results and they are now displayed prominently on my tree...

Overall I think this was a fairly simple and quick project that will last for years to come, and I hope to do it each year as our family grows! What homemade ornaments are you all making this year?

I'm not the grinch...

...but I'm in a Christmas funk.  I love Christmas. It is my hands down, favorite time of the year.  But this year I can't get into the spirit and I don't know why.  I could go into the long list of what I haven't done and how I blame my funk on my Christmas tree (it is missing its wow factor and I can't exactly figure out what it is) but all of these things aren't important.

This year is different.  This year we have a sweet little boy who is crawling around and bah-bah-bah ing at us all day.  He loves my Christmas tree the way it is.   Each night I watch him and Rudy sit in front of our Christmas tree and watch our Christmas train go round and round.   He doesn't care if there are not strategically placed glitter trees around the house this year.  He doesn't have enough teeth yet to eat a single Christmas cookie.  I know on Christmas day, he will enjoy the wrapping paper more than any gift I get him.  And right now, to him, a jingle bell is one of the most awesome toys there is.

 

Its hard to convey what I'm feeling this year.  This time last year we were prepping for Rowen's arrival and I never could have imagined how much love we would have for this precious little boy.  I may not get everything done I would like to this holiday season but whats most important is the family we have and the times we share together. That is truly my favorite part of Christmas and the part I look forward to the most. I do hope that each and every one of you are enjoying the holiday season to the fullest and happy 24 days til Christmas!!! 

"Remember, this all began with a child.  Because it took nothing but love to begin it, its not really Christmas if love isn't in it"

 ~The Spirit of Christmas~

~Midweek Madness~

Tomorrow is the first day of December, which means its only 25 days until Christmas, which also means I'm way behind.  This week has felt like it has dragged a little bit, but it could just be the after vacation slump.  I do know December is going to fly be so I better not blink!!

~Yesterday I discovered that One Born Every Minute is back for season two on Lifetime.  I love this show, couldn't get enough of it last year as we waited for Rowen to make his appearance, and I can't wait to watch this season.  Hopefully it picks up more viewers this year so we don't have to wait a whole year for another season!

~ Ebates anyone?  Yes I know everyone knows about Ebates and apparently I did too since I created an account a long time ago.  Thankfully I remembered the log in and all of the cash back may inspire me to not leave the comfort of my couch to complete my Christmas shopping.  Now I just have to remember to go to their site before I start my elf work.  And lets not talk about that, since I haven't started at all, and get hives/feel like an epic failure when I think about being behind.

~ Truth, my Erin Condren life planner has sat on the counter for the last month.  I don't think I am a planner girl, I think it just gave me a false sense of being on top of my game.  And naturally I let the twitter/blogging world convince me that once I got my planner it would be earth shattering, and it really wasn't.  While I love it and think it is a great tool, it just doesn't work for me.  I like to keep lists so back to lists I went and I now have lists of things I need to buy, do around the house, projects, and things to complete for the holidays.  Lists keep me organized, not a life planner.

~And a midweek post would not be complete without a little Rowen.  This week we got Rowen his first pair of shoes, and now I would like to know who this guy is and what he did with my baby.  Its funny how much simple little red walking shoes can age but they instantly make him look like a little man instead of a baby.  Please stop growing my sweet baby boy.

What's on your mind today?

~A Little Black Friday Perspective~

This year, like many other things, Black Friday was different.  Last year as I bustled Rudy out of the house at 4am to join the madness he reminded me to enjoy Black Friday, because it was the last time I would be doing it for a long time.  And while a little part of my shopping loving heart cried last year, when it came time this year to go through the adds and decide my plan of attack, I didn't care.  It didn't matter.  Life is different, and racing out at four in the morning, or even midnight as many of the stores opened then, didn't seem like the thing I wanted to do.  Rudy and I debated getting up super early and heading out, but when that alarm went off at 530 this morning, we simply turned it off and went back to sleep.

When we did wake up, at 730, we got up, got dressed, and headed out to see a little of the madness.  Maybe its me, but it seemed like a lot of the 'sales' this year were just hype.  We walked around, browsed the stores, and were in and out pretty quick.  To stay in the Black Friday spirit, we did pick up these lovely ladies who will be joining our home on Sunday.  They were part of a non Black Friday sale and I hope they are ready to get to work!

This year we had a wonderful Thanksgiving and have so much to be thankful for.  While our families are far away, we joined some of our closest friends, who are like family, for their Thanksgiving and I'm so grateful they asked us to join them, we had a wonderful time.  Its hard to believe that the last picture taken of this group....

was taken when Rowen was a little over a week old...

Thankfully I don't think we look as tired anymore, but I can't believe how quickly the last almost eight months have gone by.  2011 has truly been an amazing year, and I am so thankful for every moment of it!!

I hope you all are enjoying this time with your families and had a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!

~Fall Family Pictures~

Today the disk of our family pictures taken by the very talented Tracy Marshall came in the mail! Here are a few of my favorites....

I love how red his hair looks in these two pictures!

~Seven Months~

Dear Rowen,

Yesterday was your seven month birthday.  Like any ordinary day, your dad and I continued to fall more in love with you.  Today when I picked you up from daycare my heart melted like it does every time you give me one of your little gummy smiles!

Speaking of your gums, there are no signs of teeth.  While you will gnaw on anything you can get your hands on, I don't see any white spots on your gums and there doesn't appear to be a tooth breaking through.  This makes things a little tough for you because its obvious you would love for us to give you some different foods, mainly the ones we are eating, but without those teeth, its baby food for you!  Typically if you are home with us you will eat cereal and fruit, yogurt, and a bottle for breakfast, a fruit and vegetable and bottle for lunch, veggies and meat with fruit and yogurt for dinner, and then a bottle shortly before bed!  You love to eat, and if we aren't shoveling the food at you fast enough you growl at us!

Eating is one of the only times you will sit still for us these days.  A couple of weeks ago you started commando crawling across the floor with just your arms and now it is a full body exercise and you are fast!  Sometimes you get up on your hands and knees but most times you go back down to your belly because you know you can get around faster that way!  Long gone are the days of putting you down in one place and coming back to find you still there, usually you end up across the room!

You continue to wear 6-9m and 6-12m clothing and a size three diaper.  The growth spurt seems to have slowed a bit which I'm happy about so I can enjoy you as a baby just a little longer.  You laugh all the time, especially at your day and at Jack and Lola.  If we put you in the playpen to play you sit in there and babble, laugh, and coo to yourself.  I think once you start talking you are going to be a chatter box!

Firsts this month:
1. Pumpkin patch
2. Halloween
3. Commando Crawling

Happy seven months sweet boy, we love you Chicken Little!

~Momma's Boy~

Lately my sweet little boy is in love with me.  He has become a momma's boy.  The other day when I dropped him off at daycare and he saw me about to leave, his little lip started to curl.  Thankfully the misses are well experienced with babies and they knew how to quickly distract him.  At home, if I walk out of the room, he follows me with his eyes and usually starts his little whimper.  Sometimes, even when his dad is holding him (who he adores and can't stop smiling at) he attempts to reach his little arms out at me for a snuggle.  

While this may not be the most desired behavior, I love that he loves me, and chooses me.  Despite the fact that I work ten hours a day and usually am gone before he wakes, I'm still the one that he wants to hold him and love on him.  One of my biggest fears about being a working mom was that one day I would go to pick Rowen up from daycare and he would choose them over me.  But just like we play an important part in his life, so do they.  Every morning when Rudy drops him off, Rowen is happy to see them.  And every afternoon when I pick him up, he knows its time to go home.  

Don't get me wrong, he loves Rudy too, but its different, they are buddies.  Even now they laugh at each other in their own father son language that I don't understand.

He may not always be a baby, but he will always be my baby.  

~Midweek Madness~

I've been away for a little bit, but thats what happens when a super busy weekend creeps up on you, followed by a fall down on the couch kind of cold, and then an awesome little family weekend.  While my computer was rarely far away from me, it was nice to step back for a few days and just soak up these little times in our life.

~ Yesterday was Rowen's first Halloween.  Initially I had planned for him to wear a Winnie the Pooh onesie with cute little ears.  And then the mommy guilt set in when I realized they were having a parade at daycare on Monday and it would be too cold for little man to simply wear a onesie.  I made the decision that he would wear a set of pirate pajamas as his costume for daycare which I still think looked pretty cute!

Saturday I set out in the crazy weather in search of a costume, and came home with two, half off, from Costco.  One was a dragon and one was a chicken, which I thought was most appropriate since his nickname is Chicken Little.  I decided to spice things up a little and added some feathers for embellishment, which I really think made the costume!

The little Chicken got tuckered out pretty early in the evening so he spent most of our time like this...

~Have you been on Shutterfly lately?  I got an email yesterday for a Halloween sale and they have some really cute gift ideas including new mugs, calendars, and magnets (all would make great gifts for grandparents).  I didn't purchase just yet but I'm sure they will be having more sales as we continue to get closer to the holidays!

~Speaking of holidays, hello November!  Every year I can't wait to get past Halloween because it means we are that much closer to Christmas! While tradition dictates waiting until after Thanksgiving to decorate, I think after Veteran's Day sounds a little better.  Back when I was a single lady living in Charleston I set my Christmas tree up this weekend and made each little Tiffany Box ornament by hand.  That tree may or may not of stayed up in my living room for three more months!

~The topic of a mini vacation is being discussed yet again.  I think the mister and I just want to get away from the city for a few days.  One of my stipulations is no technology, just us as a family.  One of the places we are thinking of going may look like this....

~I hope you all are having a wonderful week and soaking up these last few weeks of fabulous fall weather!!!

~Midweek Madness~

Happy Wednesday!  Tonight I have a hair appointment and I can't wait!  The last scheduled appointment I had was for September when the hurricane hit and it got cancelled.  That being said, I think the last time I got my hair done was July, so I need an update!

~This Sunday we have family pictures scheduled with Tracy Marshall!  While I can take decent pictures of Rowen, we kind of sort of need some family pictures, especially for our Christmas cards!  The weather for Sunday is looking like sunny in the mid-60s, which sounds perfect.  I haven't exactly picked out outfits, but we still have a few days.  Any good color combo suggestions?

~This past weekend we had an impromptu dinner over at friend the Black's house, and it was great fun! Hanging out with them makes me miss Kelley and Laura a little less!  They have one of the prettiest yards I have ever seen so I decided to snap a few pictures of Rowen, who wasn't exactly happy about having his picture taken....

And this is Rowen sitting with Yellow Dog, he is pretty awesome......

~Sunday night we watched Real Housewives of New Jersey.  The reunions always stress me out and this seasons was no different.  And even though I claim to dislike the drama, obviously I secretly love it and will be watching part two this week!

~Right now I am wearing Essie Master Plan.  While I love the color, today at work I realized it is pretty much the same color as the keyboard I type on at work.  I think I'm gonna have to change up colors for work days and push the Master Plan for the weekends.

~Lastly this past weekend this little guy started commando crawling across the living room!  He doesn't really use his legs at all and gets around on his strong little arms.  Up until late Sunday he didn't attempt to come off the carpet but this picture shows someone is getting brave.  And yes ladies, I do hang out in my diaper sometimes...  

Hope you all are having a great week!