Giving Thanks in 2008

I will be unplugged for the rest of the week, so I decided to give thanks now. No matter the season of life, I have always had so much to be thankful for. We take so many conveniences for granted. Though this year, thankfulness takes on a whole new meaning. Here are a few things that I am thanking God for this year (in no particular order).
*I am so thankful for my son, Holden. He has added so much to my life. My days are filled caring for him. Changing him, feeding him, playing with him, kissing on him, reading to him and just loving him. He is such a happy boy and brings a lot of extra happiness to our home.
*I’m thankful for my job. Yeah, I don’t get a paycheck for it but I love it all the same! I tell Jeremy often how much fun I have during the day. It really is more than what I always imagined it to be. It fills me up like no job has ever done before.
*I am thankful for Jeremy. On Sunday we celebrated 6 years of marriage! I really do adore my husband. He is truly my best friend. I am so thankful that I get to walk this road with him by my side forever.
*I am thankful for a happy, healthy family of 3!
*I am thankful for 2007. It was a tough year, but it has brought us to where we are now. Such a joyful place! And looking back, God always knew what I needed. And he knew where he needed to work on me. And though I probably wasn’t thankful at the time . . . thank you God for walking with us through the valleys so that we can experience a deep and rich appreciation for your gifts in this earthly life.
*I am thankful for a new friendship.
And I know that is just the tip of the iceberg. But those are few things specific to this year.
In every thing give thanks; for this is the will of God. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

6 month pictures

Well, I mentioned earlier in the month having Holden's 6 month pictures done by Carrie LaFollette. Click here to check out her site. You remember I mentioned he was a bit frowny that afternoon. Figures. :( Well, we got the proofs back last week. Looks like she did manage to catch a few grins. And here is my favorite.

And yes, I am kind of spoiling the Christmas card by posting the picture here. So act surprised when you get your card in the mail. Act like you have never ever seen this cute picture of Holden. And then display it proudly on your refrigerator, Christmas card holder, mantel by the stockings, wherever you prefer. I leave that decision up to you.

Some recent faves

Below are some of my recent favorite pictures.
I needed to run an errand in the 38 degree coldness outside. What better excuse for Holden to try out one of his newest accessories! He kept it on for about 2 hours, sleeping with it on in his carseat as I did my thing. I am pretty sure he loves it, in case this face didn’t tell us that much.
Holden and friend, Lyndon just chilin out. I do think they love to play together. And that’s good because I love to chat with Lyndon’s mama.

Last weekend was an eventful one, celebrating Holden’s finalization. After all the company had left, Jeremy decided that he would join Holden for a Saturday afternoon nap. And I have to say that I love this picture. And I love these boys!

This is now what I see when I go to retrieve Holden from his crib. We still haven’t dropped the crib down, so he can push himself up high on his arms to peek over the rail. (Don't panic, he's not pulling up yet.) When we see one another, we normally both just laugh. Not sure what makes it so funny.

And here I was attempting avocados again. Not sure how he doesn’t like the stuff! This time I was sneaky (or so I thought) and mixed it with his carrots. Weird combo I know. Not sure why I went the direction of carrots. Anyways, he just kind of jags on it and makes a horrible face with each spoonful. Yet continues to open his mouth and accept each bite. (This is one of Holden's rare, but less photogenic moments.)

And I leave you with sweet, sleeping Holden. He is in one of his favorite positions. Normally every night Jeremy and I go into his room once he has fallen asleep and just look at him. Then we leave the room and comment on how cute he is. :) Seriously, this is almost every night! He is either like this, or more commonly on his back with his hands behind his head.

Sweet Cousins

Cameron and Holden are a little over 9 months apart in age. I think they will be big buds in no time. We were trying to get just one cute picture of the boys sitting together. No problem right? Wrong! Holden just wanted to kiss Cameron. He is really into kissing these days. And Cameron DID NOT want to sit on the couch and pose. But when he did sit still he was normally trying to pet Holden’s hair. He had a real fascination for those curls. It was pretty funny. I think if you flip through these pictures in true cartoon fashion, it will tell the story all by itself.

Oh Happy Adoption Day!!!!

Hip, hip, hip hooray! Oh Happy Adoption Day!
These words are from a book that I would definitely recommend to families that have or will be adopting. It is a perfect book for any kind of adoption: domestic or international. But Friday was our happy adoption day. And so November 14, 2008 will be a date forever etched into my memory. We will probably not annually celebrate the day, but it will always be a special anniversary in my heart.
My parents, my sister Amy and nephew Cameron came to town for the big event. We went to the courthouse at 1:30pm on Friday. It was a very quick process; but we had a nice and interested attorney and a thoughtful judge that welcomed us into his courtroom. From there we headed home with one stop to pick up the cookie cake. Then a couple of friends joined my family at our house for a little celebration of our special day. Thanks for celebrating with us – to those that were actually at my house and to those that thought of us on this special day. I feel like so many of you that just couldn’t be with us on this day have been on your knees for our family for a long time. And so you have prayed us to this point in our lives. I know these prayers inched us closer and closer to God’s call for our family. And now is such a sweet and blessed time in our lives. Friends, you know we love you and we are so thankful for your support and love to us.
We had so many pictures from Friday that I couldn’t decide on just a few. So if you have stuck around this long, here is a slide show from our big day.

Accessorizing

I mentioned a little shopping in the previous post. And look what we found and couldn’t pass up!
Nana bought this little hat for 3 bucks and some change. NICE! But then of course we had to hunt down an entire outfit for the hat.
And then we needed something to keep those little ears warm this winter and we found this cute little stocking hat. We'll see how well he does to keep them on his head.

A little spoiling never hurts

Nana and Holden were caught twice by the camera. She has been doing a little spoiling during her visit.
Catching a nap after a long morning of shopping.
Vanilla milkshake at 6 months??? (Don't worry. I gave the okay on it.)
And then of course he wanted more.

Loraena's Book Giveaway

Go and check out Loraena at Unmeasured Grace ! She is doing a drawing for this new book.

Share your Christmas traditions

Jeremy and I have been talking about Christmas traditions for about 3 years. Once we began thinking about adding children to the mix, it became even more important to us to make sure our focus at Christmas was on Christ, rather than everything society likes to make it. I do still love the traditions of driving to look at Christmas lights and giving gifts to those we love. But I never want my little family to be so consumed with the other stuff that we miss out on the true meaning. So as Christmas is creeping up on us very quickly, my mind has been on this subject for about 2 solid months now. Because this is the year that is different for us. This is the year that a new little life will celebrate his first Christmas. And even though he won’t remember a single iota of his very first Christmas celebration, I still want to begin our family traditions this year.

For our family, I never want Christmas to be about the gifts. With that being said, we will probably always keep the gifts small and at a minimum. If we ever feel the need to do something “big” for our kids; that will probably happen on their birthdays. But my mind has been wondering, what happens when Holden is older and in school and Santa brings his friend the newest video game equipment or his own television for his bedroom, while Santa brings Holden a board game, books and a new movie. I just wonder how we will explain. I am beginning to think that Santa is going to complicate my attempts to make Christmas about Christ.

One thing that I decided that we will do beginning this year: each person will be given a gift that could aid in their spiritual growth. Maybe a new devotional, an inspiring book or a new translation of the Bible. This little gift will probably revolve around books, unless I can find some other creative ideas. A friend once said that growing up, they would open their presents. Then their parents would ask them which present they wanted to give away. And so they would have to choose one of their gifts to give away and they would take it some place. Not exactly sure where? Obviously a place where a child would truly appreciate it. She said, each year it was always so hard. But as an adult, she is so thankful that her parents taught her and her sister to give. I LOVE this idea and may consider it in a few short years when Holden can play along.

But I am wanting more ideas. What did your family do growing up, or what are you doing now, so that your hearts are fully celebrating Christ during this season? I want Holden to grow up and know from the very beginning that Christmas is not about him and certainly not about getting presents. So tell me your thoughts. What are your traditions?

Dear Nana,

I am looking forward to seeing you in a few days and spending my week with you. I expect lots of spoiling and cuddling when you get here. See you at the airport!

I love you!
Holden

I love to bounce!!

I think Holden has gotten the hang of his jumperoo. See for yourself. Thanks again April. He loves it!

Holden’s weigh in and a little shout out for Theta boys

Today Holden went to the doctor for his 6 month appointment. Mean ole nurse gave him some mean ole shots. Just kidding. She is a nice lady. But I have a feeling, that with each visit, Holden is going to remember that face and truly not like the sweet lady. But now for the news that you have been waiting for . . . he weighed 19lbs 15oz and was 28 1/2 inches long. He was in the 97th percentile for height! He’s gonna be a tall boy, we think! The weight – she told me that he was between the 75th and 90th percentile. Doesn’t that seem like a broad range to fall between? I thought so. He did scream and cry during the shots. And he tried to wiggle his little legs away. Have I mentioned that his little legs are like solid rocks? The boy is pure muscle. The nurse mentioned before the shots that he was tightening his legs. Like maybe he was tightening up in anticipation (or perhaps showing off and flexing his quads for her). But really his legs always feel so solid. He’s going to be our little football star. (. . . no pressure Holden)

And here is a little shout out to the Theta boys that read this blog. Wait! Do any boys really read this blog? Jeremy does. Maybe I should just make this a shout out to him. As I was saying, here is a little shout out to Jeremy.

(hint: check out the band-aids)

I love booberries!

(On a lighter note than the post below.)
Tell me! Where were these cutie smiles on Saturday when we met with the photographer for 6 month pictures? Where were they Holden?




Yes, another word to add to my vocabulary. Booberries, most commonly referred to as blueberries. I pureed some frozen ones, as fresh blueberries cost out the whazoo! These are mixed with his baby oatmeal. Yum! He was opening wide for more.
Holden is now eating fruits such as blueberries, mangoes, peaches, apples, pears and avocados. I think that covers the fruit. And then veggies like carrots, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, green beans and sweet peas. So far, he is not crazy about the green beans, carrots or avocado. But just wait til he can try guacamole. That will change his life forever!

6 months ago today . . .

I didn’t even know about Holden. May 1st at 11:18am. He was entering this world probably about the time I was chomping into my sandwich. How weird! Oh how I wish I could have been there for his birth. And I wish I didn’t have to miss his first week of life. 6 months ago today I was a bit disappointed. I thought I had heard God telling me to pray for an April baby. And so, I had fervently prayed for about 2 months. I had many friends and family praying along with us. God was teaching me to trust and my baby came into this world on May 1st. I find this no coincidence. It makes me fall in love with God 10 times over to see how He worked this miracle into our lives.
This past month has been SO MUCH FUN! I mean it. Hands down, funnest month thus far. (Yes, I know funnest is incorrect grammar.) I feel like Holden is learning to love. He gets so excited when Jeremy or I come into the room. He gives us kisses . . . long passionate ones. Sometimes they are aggressive on the cheek, which I think is him mimicking me. When I kiss his cheeks (ALL DAY LONG), I think I get a little rough. What can I say? I can’t get enough of him. And then sometimes his little kisses are soft and gentle on our lips. He is just so sweet! I will do my best to keep him away from your daughters. Besides, I don’t want to share those kisses. Yes, I might become THAT mother. ;)
This boy is into everything. And no, he is not mobile. But anything within his reach is up for grabs. I made the mistake of sitting him on the table at Subway a couple of days ago. (of course I was sitting there holding onto him.) He turned over my water glass and was just grabbing at everything! What in the heck am I going to do when he is crawling? I should probably start baby proofing the house now!
Holden is getting pretty good at sitting up, though sometimes he tips over sideways. He still LOVES to check himself out in the mirror and we can keep him on his tummy for quite some time with a mirror in his face. He is rolling both ways now. More often front to back. I think he normally just doesn’t have an interest in rolling onto his belly. I’m sure that will change once he figures out crawling.
His little personality is coming out more and more each day. Along with the occasional arching of the back during a moment of frustration. Yikes, never knew it could happen so young. Can we say FIT? Yep, he has them occasionally. But overall we have such a happy little guy.
We go to the doctor on Wednesday for the official weigh-in, but he is somewhere around 20 pounds. Not sure on the length. Check in after Wednesday.
This is going to be an extra special month for our family of 3, as Holden’s adoption will be finalized in just 2 short weeks. What a blessing! I have never questioned it or even had many concerns about the lingering finalization. But it will be a special day when it is official. We are looking forward to that celebration!
Here are a few pictures from today.



Speaking of pictures . . . we actually had his pictures done outside today. Carrie was fabulous and so patient with him. He is normally such a smiley, happy guy. But for some reason, he decided that he was going to be so serious for his photo shoot. Jeremy said Holden was just going for the artistic look. We couldn’t get many smiles from him, no matter how silly we acted. But smile or no smile, I think they will be fabulous. I mean, with Holden in the picture, it will be cute. Though I’m probably a little biased.

Happy Halloween!

I really thought the title of this post would be: All Dressed Up and No Place to Go! Luckily things changed this week. But then, Jeremy found out around noon on Thursday that he would be leaving for Minnesota after work (and returning very late Friday night). So Holden and I were on our own for Halloween. We had already been making some plans with friends, but Jeremy was part of those plans. And quite frankly, I was really disappointed that Jeremy would be missing Holden’s first Halloween. I mean, I know this would be the ideal Halloween for Jeremy to miss, if he had to miss one. I knew that Holden would be very uneventful and never remember it. But still, it was his first. Jeremy finished up in Minnesota early Friday morning and began the whole trying to fly standby bit. He did make it home at 7:30pm. By that time Holden and I had made a trip around the neighborhood with some friends, while the walking kids went door to door. Holden slept the first half in his stroller. Once he woke, I put him in his costume. Ooops! It was about 5 inches too short! It was one of those bunting costumes, so his legs were all bunched up inside. I put him in it about a month ago and it fit, perfectly. So I knew it might be a little small in the length. But it was ridiculously small. But he still looked cute. Check out our little jester for yourself.
Jeremy called at 7:30 and he had landed and was on his way home. We met him for dinner at Chili’s and then the 3 of us headed back home. I am thoroughly enjoying this age right now with Holden. But I am fully aware that these fun little events will be much more fun in future years.
so excited to see daddy back home! (though the face doesn't really show it)