Merry Christmas!

Nothing says Christmas like a little sledding!

We Wish You...

...a very Merry Christmas! Wishes for you and yours to be done shopping and wrapping...and hoping your name made the nice list this year! Above all, remember the many reasons for the season. We are excited to share our son's first Christmas! Pictures coming soon...

Christmas Cheer

Here's the CHRISTMAS:

(Aaron cut down his first tree, but asked me to hold the saw for the picture)

(fresh, from our tree)

And here's the CHEER:

(after a nap...see the sleepy, yet happy, eyes?)

A dose of sweetness

I found our sweet little boy sleeping this way yesterday morning during an unexpectedly huge nap. If you look closely at his left cheek you will notice a perfect outline of his hand. He must have been sleeping on it and changed position just moments before this picture! Had to share!

Crawling, Turkey Day...and, yes, more laundry fun

Well, a lot has happened since my last post. Aaron has mastered crawling and just today has forgotten all former boundaries, aka room transitions. He crawled from his bedroom, past me in the hallway, and into the bathroom to play with the vent--all like it was no big deal! He is also pulling up to his feet on EVERYTHING...his crib, the couch, the ottoman on wheels, our legs... And, he's starting to let go of those things while standing. He can do it for awhile with one hand, but has, with increasing frequency, begun to let go with both hands! AH! It is amazing how that much mobility has significantly decreased my ability to get things done. I can't let him out of my sight for more than a minute! Needless to say, every day is more and more fun!

So, our little crawling expert is really only forbidden from one thing: Duke's bed. Duke is not allowed on Aaron's floor blankets so we figure it's only fair for Duke to have his own space, free from the munchkin. Well, Aaron has other plans...

Um, Aaron? Those are Duke's beds.

What mom? I'm just making sure they're still soft enough for Duke.

Still checking...

We spent Thanksgiving up in Toledo with my family. Here is Aaron with cousin Audrey and Grammie...just enough room for everyone!

This is Aaron's Great Grandma...we lovingly refer to her as Gramsbear! She got to enjoy a few still moments with him.

So what did he enjoy for Thanksgiving dinner? Sweet potatos, jar and all! J/k...I did open the jar and use a spoon...this picture was just for the record!

Daddy took his boys out for some fresh air...is that what heaven looks like on a great dane's face??

On Saturday, my brother and sister and their families came over to my mom's to hang out. As you can see, there was more laundry fun! Being pulled around the house by Grammie was the highlight of the day!

Audrey shared in her elation by attempting to kiss Aaron...

He showed his elation by trying to eat her...

...twice.

**Actually, the "I'm gonna eat you" mouth is Aaron's way of giving kisses. Audrey is the only person, other than myself, that he has ever done that to!**

We had a great time but are now battling nasty colds. We have to get over them quick! Christmas is coming and we have so many memories to make and share!

Laundry Fun

Well, it's official, Aaron is crawling...it's not perfected, YET, and I'm okay with that! He is also pulling himself up whenever possible...both to his knees and his feet. We lowered his crib last weekend which is very fortunate because this afternoon, I checked on him during his nap only to find him hoisting himself up to his feet in his crib and having a jolly time!

Playing in the laundry basket isn't just fun once...here's the proof:
Take One:

And Take Two... This time, I was cracking up because he was cracking up every time I dropped a pair of socks on him!

Josh and I found him sleeping in this position one morning. I even risked waking him by taking the picture--I snapped two before he shifted!

And here's Duke. His official post in the house is on his two beds, by the front door, head behind the curtains monitoring the neighborhood...barking at squirrels, passersby, and falling leaves.

So I was tagged...

A good friend tagged me on her blog...which essentially means I'm supposed to write 7 things about myself. This has proven to be extremely difficult and I've been "working" on it for awhile now! Here we go, with a twist:

1. I'm addicted to etsy.com.
If you don't know what it is, go there and try to resist it;) (Unless you are shopping for the same people I'm shopping for...in that case, stay away from it until after Christmas!) And who knows, I may put some of my home sewn goods on there at some point!

2. I absolutely LOVE being a stay-at-home-mom and only slightly miss my job.
I really enjoyed working with my co-workers but have managed to keep up with those friendships even being at home! I do miss patient care and seeing my patients improve over the course of their rehab...and I do miss my pediatric patients and the things they used to come up with during our sessions. I'll rejoin the physical therapy world at some point...for now, I am thankful daily for being the one my son wakes up to from every nap...being the one to feed him every meal (unless I share and let daddy feed him)...being the one to play with him, dance with him, and even change his diapers all day long...the list goes on.

3. I have a husband who thinks I'm "hot."
His word, not mine... And he continues to say so even when he comes home to me in comfy pants and a ponytail!

4. I prefer Kraft mac 'n cheese to the "real" stuff.
I've tried them both and like them both...but most of the time nothing beats the blue box!

5. I haven't danced since I was 23...
...sadly, that equals over 6 years. For those of you who've known me for a long time, you understand the power of this fact. Prior to PT school, I had spent the last 16 years of my life dancing. It was part of my identity and a main component of my happiness! Six and a half years gone and I still miss it...it makes me ache just thinking about it. That being said, I absolutely love watching So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing with the Stars and you can often find me dancing around my house, particularly when I'm happiest! Someday I hope to return to it...

6. I'm a proud supporter of breastfeeding (but respect everyone's individual decision!)
I have come to speak highly of the amazing benefits of breastfeeding to my mommy/soon-to-be mommy friends. I chose to breastfeed my son because of the health benefits to both him and me and entered into it not knowing how it would go or how long we would make it. I'm happy to report that we're doing great and, obviously, Aaron is growing well! Nursing him is such a sweet time and it is such an amazing thing to be able to fully provide for your child...amazing that my body knows what to make and how much to make...and when to change these things! To all you gonna-be mommies out there, give it a try and stick with it, I'll bet you'll be amazed and proud when you see that you can do it!

7. Here's my twist: If you're reading this, I'd love for you to tell me something you know about me, good, bad, serious or goofy...whether you're an old friend or new!

Phew, that was tough...but now I'm allowed to tag fellow bloggers...Jess, Whitney, Novak clan--if you can find the time, you're up! (Sara, I would have tagged you, but I figured after your recent post of 100 things about yourself, coming up with 7 more might be unfair!)

Halfway to a Year...

(in the palms of daddy's hands)

I can't believe Aaron has been a part of our world for six months already...or only six months depending on how you look at it! He continues to be a blessing and a total joy. How is it that I can miss him when he's one room away? How is it that any little babble noise that he makes can cause such wonder? How can my heart swell daily as love overwhelms it? ...I guess it's just being his mother.

(the day we brought him home...so tiny!)

Aaron's Six Month Stats

Weight 16lbs 15oz (40%)

Height 27 3/4 in. (90%)

(after his 6 month appointment: the weather was in the 70s so we, once again, walked to the doctor's office! who'd have thought we'd have that option in November?)

Yeah...we did...

Our little pumpkin!

What a good guy for humoring us through this photo opp!

Aaron's first Halloween...snuggle puppy with hilariously sweet faces!

Instead of taking our six month old trick-or-treating, we took him reverse treating by putting together a goodie for a few of our neighbors and taking it to them! The weather was perfect and our sweet little boy was a hit with the neighbors! Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa O for minding the fort and handing out candy while we were out! (I can't believe how many trick-or-treaters we had this year...a definite record! So exciting!) Afterward, we went to visit Aaron's Great Grandma O.

What a great first Halloween!

**Mobility Update**

Aaron is now up rocking on his hands and knees. He has figured out how to move his knees forward, but not his arms which leads to a soft face plant into the floor...but he's on his way and will be crawling soon!

Oh Boy!

Watch him go!

This was about the 3rd video I took...he really wanted that pig! I'm starting a list of must-do's before the little man starts crawling! AH!

On a side note: Congratulations to my brother-in-law on his new job with the fire department! We're so excited for you, Jason and Jess!

Happy Fall everyone!

A bright-eyed report

Sorry for the delayed update. We've had some busy weeks since vacation. Last weekend, we went to New York to visit Aaron's Aunt Jennifer. There will be more to come from that trip!

The day after we got home from New York, we started Aaron on veggies! The first few days were sweet peas. As you can see by the look on his face, he was expecting the bland, breastmilk flavored rice cereal with his first few bites! I'm happy to report, however, that after the first night, he has become a champion veggie eater. He finished the entire jar of peas the next three nights and has had three nights of finishing entire jars of sweet potatos! We no longer get the funny faces...just a big open mouth anxiously awaiting the next bite!

Aaron is now starting to roll and "play" when waking up from his naps! I put him down for his nap on his back ("back is best") with his head at the other end. When I went in to get him, he was on his belly playing and having a blast...facing the other way!

Here are some recent bathtime pictures...how could I resist sharing these?! My apologies to my little boy for sharing his bum for all to see, but isn't it adorable? Do you think he's enjoying the warm water being poured on his head?

Pumpkin Patch fun!

And now, a word from the dog...

Rello reveryone, Ruke reporting. Ror rhose rof rou rho ron't rnow re, Ri reak rin rarrs.
Hello everyone, Duke reporting. For those of you who don't know me, I speak in Rs.

Ry Rife ras rhanged ra rot rince Raaron ras rorn. Ri rused ro re ran ronly rhild rut row ri rave ro rare ry rarents rith rhis roisy rid. Rall rings raid, rhough, ri rinda rike rim.
My life has changed a lot since Aaron was born. I used to be an only child but now I have to share my parents with this noisy kid. All things said, though, I kinda like him.

Life's a Beach!

As I mentioned in the previous post, from Charleston, we drove to Destin, Florida to meet my family for a vacation on Frangista Beach! Aaron did pretty well during the drive, but needed a few breaks...during one, Daddy gave him a driving lesson. Don't worry, we were parked in a parking lot during this picture!

Aaron had no fear of the sand or water...that's our beach baby! We kept him out of the sun all week but decided that 5:00pm on the last day was an acceptable time to expose that perfect skin for a few fun pics!

Here is the whole family...what a bunch! Thank you everyone for such a great week! Can't wait to do it again!

What? You thought the tradition ended just because I had a baby? ;) No way... :)