Nathan's Baptism

We had the pleasure of celebrating Nathan's baptism at our church at the beginning of January. My whole family flew down for a long weekend and hung out at our new house while we prepped for the big day. Ryan's immediate family and aunt, uncle and grandmother also came to be with the monkey, so it was quite the crew at church!

The service was at 11 am so I was nervous how the bubs would behave since we had to interrupt his nap but he was so good the entire time! The church made it so special - we went up to the baptismal font with Kelly and Lincoln, Nathan's godparents, and after the pastors baptized him and prayed for him they walked him around the entire sanctuary while we sang a song just for Nathan. It was all very sweet and Nathan loved seeing the congregation.

After a round of photos (of course) we headed back to our house for lunch and cake. Nathan didn't last too long once we got back and slept for most of the afternoon but we enjoyed celebrating him anyway.

My mom sewed Nathan's christening gown and did such an amazing job putting it together. He looked so angelic! It was such a special day and so nice to be surrounded by so much family to celebrate our little one and the start of his relationship with God. I only hope we can continue to foster that bond so that he sees God in our house every day!

Eight Months

Nathan, you are eight months old!

Oh, monkey, how you get cuter by the day! You have such a sweet disposition and I love how easy it is to make you smile! We were worried about stranger anxiety for a little while but you seem to be comfortable around anyone and will crack a toothy grin to anyone that greets you.

You are still quite the chatterbox and "sing" or "talk" to me most of the day. I've hear lots of blabbering but no real words yet (although it really does sound like "mama" when you cry). You get pretty quiet around others, though - especially babies - maybe a bit of a shy boy? I think you are just content to sit back and listen, constantly observing the world around you. We always get comments on how alert you are!

You still have just the two bottom teeth but I just know you are going to get more soon. You teethe like crazy and welcome every toy (or anything, for that matter) with an open mouth, ready to chomp on it. You've battled your second cold this month but otherwise you are a healthy, growing boy. The cold has interfered a bit with your sleeping but for the most part you sleep through the night and take two good naps a day. It's wonderful!

Solids are still agreeing with you and we've tried all sorts of fruits and veggies. You are not a fan of anything beyond a puree, though, and make hilarious faces when we try to sneak in something with more texture like a puff or a Cheerio. Anything I try immediately gets spit out in a pool of drool. I guess you're just not ready yet!

We've found your ticklish spots and your Daddy just loves to breathe on the back of your neck to make you giggle. Your back is so sensitive I often find I can't rub it if I'm trying to put you down for a nap because it makes you squirm too much! You love it, though, and seem to be quite the little daredevil. I'm in trouble! You love to be tossed in the air, to swing, and to hang upside down. You're going to be a hand full!

You are sitting up really well but don't really show any signs of crawling. You are just not a rolly-polly baby and still hate tummy time, which makes it tough to roll. You've practiced standing on your own a few times and can do it for a second or two but are still really wobbly and not ready to be without support. When you start walking I just know you'll be running soon after - your feet never stop moving and you are constantly kicking your legs. You scoot around in the walker no problem and I can't take my eyes off you or you're in a completely different side of the house. You seem to love it!

It's been a really fun month filled with celebrations and all the wonder of Christmas. I can't believe how big you are getting but I absolutely love seeing the little boy you're becoming and all that personality that shines through. You are such a light in my life and I am so proud to be your mama!

Love you, buddy!
xoxo

Eight Month Stats:

Weight - 19 pounds

Diapers - size 3

Clothes - mostly 9 months, or 6-12 (depending on brand)

Christmas Day - Part One

I am so overwhelmed with all the amazing photos we took on Christmas that I am breaking it into two posts. I just can't catch up from all of it!

Nathan woke up around 7:30 on Christmas morning and after a bottle and some quiet time upstairs we decided to head down to see what Santa brought. The Hamiltons were still asleep but my mom and dad were making coffee and Alex ventured down from the media room to join us so we took advantage of the calm to start Nathan's first Christmas.

He didn't know what to do with all the presents! Santa was too good and brought toys galore for the monkey. It was so fun to watch him go from one to the next and rip into the wrapping paper. Some highlights were an activity table (he's been practicing his standing), an airplane rocker (such a fun surprise from Hattie and Poppy), loads of books (thanks Aunt Kel and Uncle Linc!), and a swing from Aunt Alex (which we've used every day since!).

Once Kelly, Lincoln and Carter emerged from their room, the real celebration began and the boys played a bit while we opened a few presents. Carter got a play kitchen and grill complete with dining table and spent most of the rest of the day whipping up dishes.

We ended up breaking for breakfast before even making a dent in the pile of gifts. Nathan went down for a nap from all the morning excitement and Alex and I prepped the first meal of the day with some help from Dad. This year we tried a new egg casserole recipe along with the traditional blueberry muffins with crumbles on top and mimosas. Yum!

It took us until 2 in the afternoon to lazily finish exchanging gifts. We did picks again this year to try and simplify things. Ryan picked Alex and got her a Kitchenaid Mixer, which I've heard has already been put to good use. I picked Dad and got him new topsiders, a Corkcicle, and framed family photos. Kelly picked me and got me a fleece jacket that I wear all the time along with some stationery and an address stamp. Lincoln picked Ryan and got him some Xbox games and a controller to go with his new toy.

By the time we were done we needed to scramble to shower and get ready for the Trottas and Grammy to come over for the afternoon. Nothing beats a lazy Christmas morning where we can take our time and just enjoy being together! We were so slow that stockings were left to the following day so we could stretch the holiday out even more.

Christmas Eve

To be honest, I can't remember what we did on Christmas Eve day. That's what I get for taking so long to blog about past events! But Christmas Eve night was fabulous and filled with all of my favorite family traditions.

We got all dressed up and headed to the 5 o'clock service at John's Creek United Methodist Church. We practically took up an entire row with just our family, which was such a great feeling. Nathan took a bottle for the first half of the service and hammed it up for the ladies behind us once he was done. He was super well-behaved and I was thankful that he lasted the entire hour without fussing. Carter was great, too, sleeping the entire time on Kelly's lap.

An onslaught of photography ensued as soon as we got home and our baby models were such good sports. Nathan ate his dinner ahead of the rest of us and after receiving his Christmas pj's from "Santa", he went down for the night before we even ate dinner.

We feasted on yummy shrimp and pesto pasta, a dish that has helped us commemorate Christmas Eve for as long as I can remember. Each year in recent past we've taken turns preparing the meal and this time Mom, Dad and Alex pitched in. They did a great job and it was delicious as always!

More photos after dinner led to much silliness. It was such a relaxed evening and we all enjoyed each other's company and lots of laughter.

Lincoln and Ryan assembled toys for the little ones while we cleaned up and lazed around. Aside from everyone opening their jammies, we left all gifts untouched until morning which was a bit unusual for us. Everything was set up and ready for Christmas day by the time we all went to sleep. What fun to play Santa now that we have a baby of our own!

Dinners in Atlanta

We left Mobile and headed north to Atlanta for the second leg of our Christmas vacation. Leading up to the Christmas festivities, we got to spend lots of quality time with my family and friends at various dinners. Nothing beats a home cooked meal with loved ones!

Kelly and Lincoln hosted the first night with a delicious Cajun pasta dish. N had a blast exploring all of his cousin's toys in the playroom - so much so that he refused to be put down to bed and stayed up visiting with all of us until it was time to go home!

Aunt Cindy and Uncle Greg hosted the next night, inviting us all over to their new house for Tortellini Soup. Carter loved playing with "Bobis" (Thomas the Train) while Nathan practiced his new standing skill. It only lasted for a few seconds but I was impressed!

Finally, we had the pleasure of gathering with some of my besties from college for a potluck dinner at Stef and Kent's. I brought hash brown casserole and broccoli/cauliflower casserole to go along with the Honey Baked Ham. It was delish and so nice to catch up with the girls while the kiddos played and the men all chatted. I love these girls!

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you and your family the merriest Christmas

and every joy as we celebrate the reason for the season!

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." ~ Luke 2:11

Christmas in Mobile

We started our Christmas celebration with a trip to Mobile, Alabama, to visit Ryan's side of the family. His aunt, uncle and Grammy all live there and his mom, sister, brother, aunt, cousins and their kids all made the trip, too. It was a crowded house!

The trip there took about 8 hours, with a time change, and aside from some fussing toward the very end, Nathan and Jax (yes, we even brought the dog!) were both really great in the car. We stopped twice and finally arrived around 5 in the afternoon.

Since we weren't going to be home for Christmas, we brought it with us and exchanged gifts with the Morgans while we were there. Nathan got some fun toys and lots of cute clothes from his aunt, uncle and Lolly. He was slightly overwhelmed and took incredible naps to make up for it!

It was fun to watch how he reacted to the wrapping paper and definitely seemed more fixated in the bows and paper over the actual gifts! 

Everyone loved on the monkey and he was never short of attention or playmates. It was nice to have the extra sets of hands to help! He seemed to have lots of fun watching the cousins run around and playing in the center of the room with all eyes on him.

Our four days in Mobile went by fast and we had lots of fun visiting with so many family members. After countless rounds of Mexican Train and too many yummy meals to count, we were ready to hit the road again and head to Atlanta for part two of our Christmas vacation.