2 Down, 2 Zillion To Go

January 26, 2010 was our 2nd anniversary. We were lucky enough to have Shawn's sister Amy volunteer to babysit for us to go to dinner and a movie. SO EXCITING!!! I'd never been so excited for dinner and a movie in my life. A date was certainly in order. I mean, we have people who say, call when you want a sitter...but I kind of feel awkward asking.

Anyway, Happy Sumo and Sherlock Holmes might as well have been The Rainbow Room and Phantom of the Opera as far as I'm concerned.

I love you Shawn, you are the best thing that ever happened to me and that's the truth. He is constantly telling me how much he loves me and he actually means it and I've seen enough crappy men to know I've got a super duper rare GREAT one.

Rice Cereal and then...The World

On January 20th we went in for Berky's 4 month check up and vaccinations. All was well, he's healthy as can be but the Doctor asked how he was sleeping. Through the night I informed him, and so he said there was no need to start solids yet. He told me that sometimes when babies are ready to start solids they'll start to wake up in the night because they aren't getting enough calories during the day. Well, Berkley must have been listening because that night he woke up about 4 times...and every night after that until we started rice cereal. Here are some fun shots.

All things considered he did really well. He didn't push it out and right away he was opening up for more, all good signs that he was ready I'd say. It sure is crazy how fast he's growing.

A Day In The Life...

Some of my friends ask me what I do all day now that I'm a stay at home mom. I honestly don't know what I would do if I were a working mom because I keep myself pretty busy and still feel like there are a million things to do. Dusting, vacuuming, laundering, folding, scrubbing, wiping, de-fingerprinting, windex, pledge, dirt devil, tide and you know the sad thing...my house isn't that clean. Then there's the baby tending. Doesn't that keep one busy enough? I mean, there are days where we go through 4 outfits before lunch.

Anyway, on the days when I pretty much just don't feel like it...I don't...but I do succumb my little cherub to a photo shoot or two. Enjoy the fruits of my labor...no pun intended.

3 Month Pictures

Yes, your math is right Berk did just turn 4 months old...I'm trying to play catch up one post at a time.
I think this picture is funny...not necessarily good but funny.
This boy is a drool factory!
Oh how he loves the tub!
He splashes like a maniac.
Sometimes so hard he freaks himself out when he gets water on his face.
Sweet little profile, if I do say so myself.
We love our munchkin.

Berkley's First Christmas

We arrived in Detroit at about 1 am Christmas morning due to a flight delay, therefore we had the latest start to a Christmas morning I've ever had. I think it was like, 9:30. Anyway, we had a good time with Shawn's parents, sister Tessa and brother Peter. Later that day sister Sara, her husband Kirk and their kids, William, Reagan and Kaylee joined us. Our time together was spent hanging out, watching movies and playing with the kids and the dogs...oh the dogs. Shawn's favorite living thing in the world is Riley the dog and Sara pleased him to no end by bringing him along.

It was a great Christmas to be sure with a Kitchen Aid for me, new jammies for Berky and a Macbook for Shawn. (he needed it to further pursue his animation career.)

I'll Be Home For Christmas, If Only In My Dreams

So, I'm behind. I still haven't posted anything from our Thanksgiving in Vegas and Christmas is less than a week away. I'm happy to report that all of our gifts are purchased and wrapped...except for one that is still being shipped.

This really is the most wonderful time of the year but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little sad to be spending the Holiday away from my mommy and daddy. I'm a big baby when it comes to Christmas. I like traditions. I like my traditions. I'm 27 years old and every Christmas I can remember was spent at 96 Raypaula Drive. I'm 27 years old and every Christmas morning I wake up bright eyed (its the one day a year that happens) excited to see what surprises Santa has in store.

This year is going to be different, I'm sure it will be great, but it will be different. I'll be with Shawn's family. I 'm excired to spend Christmas with them, there's no one I love to tease more than my father-in-law but I won't be with my mom and dad. I won't be with my sister. I'll be seeing Christmas through the eyes of a mother for the first time and that will be really fun but also different.

I guess its just sad because I have to grow up a little and as the baby of eight, that can be hard to do. People always say the magic of Christmas is for children but I've always felt defensive about that. Christmas is for us all and I love the magic of it.

So Mom, Dad, Amber, have an extra special time opening presents on Christmas Eve, reading Luke 2 until you sing Glory to God all together, wake up to Santa's loot and a yummy funnel cake breakfast. Me? I'll be seeing a whole new world of traditions...and trying to keep Jack the fat cat from wondering in to sleep with me.

I hope this didn't bum anyone out, it wasn't meant to, just my thoughts. For a heart warming experience look at my sweet baby with Santa!!! Now that's a new tradition I can get behind.

Blessing Day

These are Berkley's Great Grandpa Udy's baby booties (so 95 years old).

In our Church we don't do baptisms until a child is at least 8 years old, we believe that children are born without original sin therefore they don't need to be baptised until what we call "the age of accountability." That being said, we do have one religious rite of passage I guess you could call it, that infants have, its called a Blessing, and Berk had his today.

I look absolutely disgusting in our family pictures from today (as Shawn's cousin's son put it this afternoon, and I quote, "good luck losing all that fat from being pregnant" without the conversation being even close to the topic) so all you get is a bombardment of pictures of Berkley Aaron.

Berky's forte...spit bubbles.

Seriously, is he not a doll???

Sweet smirk.

Playing with Aunt Bethany.