2009-The best year EVER!

As I reflect on this last day of 2009 I can't help but be overwhelmed at how much has changed this year and how we have been blessed by God. Becoming a mother has been the most rewarding thing I could have ever imagined and has changed my life forever.  This time last year I was settling into the very uncomfortable part of my pregnancy and anxiously awaiting the arrival of our little man.  I had so many fears!
I can say without a doubt that this year has been the best ever and I can't imagine how 2010 will top it but I'm sure it will be a great one with many more blessings.  I'm so looking forward to seeing Boston grow into a precious little toddler although it is also bittersweet b/c he is growing and changing so fast!
This year has definitely flown by much faster than any before. 

 Love at first sight!

 

 Our first family photo

 

 Pure love

 

 and adoration~

I hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year! Remember to count your blessings and thank God for them all! 

A Work in Progress

I have LOVED having last week and this week off from work!  I am already dreading going back and its only Tuesday.  Today we have been working around the house all day.  I took ALL of the Christmas down (earlier than normal for me!) and it is in the garage waiting for Kyle to put in the attic. I am making much needed room for all of the Christmas goodies for Boston as well as some rearranging and decorating.  \I decided to make B his own little play corner in our living room.  His bedroom is pretty small and we spend most of our time in the living room anyway and i am able to keep an eye on him from the kitchen if needed. 
Boston has officially taken over our house.  We are running out of room in the kitchen cabinets b/c of sippies, bottles, bowls, snacks etc. His photos cover almost every wall and now all of his toys and "stuff" are everywhere! (but i wouldn't have it any other way!)
SO...
Here is my work in progress:

I need to get some more play tiles and i eventually want to get some of those storage cubbies after he starts walking and is able to reach everything, but this works for now and he seems to love it!  And it keeps all of his toys in one place (for now).

This past weekend Kyle and I tackled the guest bedroom and closets and cleaned/organized everything.  We put SO much stuff in the attic!  I have to say I think one of my fav gifts was the Shark Steam Pocket Mop.

See it here

Kyle is out of town for work until tomorrow night and the rest of the afternoon I plan on finishing up the decorating/storing.

It is VERY cold here and they are forecasting some light snow! It probably won't get to us but we can hope!

Hopefully he won't get stuck in NWA b/c of snow or ice...

I HAVE to start planning B's birthday party!  I can't decide if we should do just family or family and close friends?  I want to do a monkey theme, but I know so many other people do that too.  It just seems like one of the only cute boy birthday things.  I found a baseball theme I like,  but i keep thinking this will be the only year that I get to pick the colors/theme and we can do baseball later.  I know a lot of you are also planning your little ones first birthday, what are your plans???

First Christmas

Boston was a good boy this year!  This is what Santa brought him!

 

We need another house to put all of the gifts the grandparents got him in! We are so blessed.

 

 

 

 

My new red wagon!

The best present ever!

A good time was had by all and we will write this down as the best Christmas ever!  Having Boston has made this time even more special and we are so grateful to God for our families!

Christmas Eve 2009

Our Christmas Eve didn't go exactly as planned but it all ended up special anyway.  We planned on going to Christmas Eve service as a family, coming home and opening gifts.  However, Kyle broke our kitchen faucet that afternoon.  Thankfully, Home Depot was still open and he went to get a new one. His dad came over and helped install it that night.  You don't realize how important a kitchen sink is until you are unable to use one even for a short period of time!  B and I went to Christmas Eve service at church while the guys stayed home and worked on the sink.  Boston enjoyed the Christmas music at church and even "sang" along with the choir so loud that people around us kept looking at him!  I eventually had to put in the paci to keep him quiet!

We came home, and the sink was fixed!  We had pizza, then opened gifts.  Boston was a little unsure of the whole thing at first.  He enjoyed the boxes and paper the most!

 

 

After presents we read The Night Before Christmas and The Christmas story and put B to bed so Santa could come!  Kyle and I watched Christmas Vacation and got the Santa gift ready.  Bostons first Christmas Eve was very special to us!

christmas jammies

I just love footed jammies!  For some reason it makes him still look somewhat like a baby instead of an almost toddler.  I went a little overboard with the Christmas themed jammies this year.  I think he has 5 or 6

pairs!

Ladies Man!

We went to Georgia's 2nd birthday party on Saturday and B was the only boy there!  Most of my friends all have little girls so they love all over B when they get the chance!

Georgia blowing out her candles

Georgia giving B some love

All the girls loved petting his head!  So cute!

He found a new toy he liked, so we had to go get him one for Christmas of course!

Georgia giving B more love

I love his outfit!  We ordered it for Christmas (from Etsy) and just got it in so he only has a few more days to wear it!

 

First Christmas Party

 Boston had his first Christmas party at school on Friday.  We had so much fun.  Kyle was out of town so my mom and i went together.  It was so fun seeing him interact with everyone.

*(I look quite pale and exhausted in this photo. It has been a crazy couple of weeks at work, hence the lack of posts lately..)

 

 It was his first time to have cake and punch.  He LOVED the cake!!!

 Hulk Hogan hairdo!

His school buddy Ross

 Shoveling it in!

Opening his gift from Ross...A football and a book!

Boston and Ross are the smallest/youngest ones in their class.  Everyone else is 15-16 months old and walking around everywhere.  It was so interesting to see him in his class and how he observes everything!  I'm so thankful that he enjoys daycare and thankful for his wonderful teachers!  We brought home some finger paintings and pictures they had done for Christmas that I will treasure forever!

Christmas Card 2009

We hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas!

Be thankful even in tough times-Devotional

A good devotional, sorry it's been a while since I last posted one...


Be thankful even in tough times
by Rick Warren

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again rejoice! Philippians 4:4 (NLT)

When the Apostle Paul says, "Always be full of joy in the Lord," he doesn't say only be joyful in good times. Even when times are tough, The Bible teaches we can be joyful if we follow this simple strategy -



Don't worry about anything.

Worrying doesn't change anything. It's stewing without doing. There are no such things as born-worriers. Worry is a learned response. You learned it from your parents. You learned it from your peers. You learned it from experience. That's good news. The fact that worry is learned means it can also be unlearned.



How do you unlearn it? Jesus says (Matthew 6:34), "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough troubles of its own." He's saying don't open your umbrella until it starts raining. Don't worry about tomorrow. Live one day at a time.



Pray about everything.

Instead of worrying, use your time for praying. If you prayed as much as you worried, you'd have a whole lot less to worry about. Is God interested in car payments? Yes. He's interested in every detail of your life. That means you can take any problem you face to God.



Thank God in all things.

Whenever you pray, you should always pray with thanksgiving. The healthiest human emotion is not love but gratitude. It actually increases your immunities. It makes you more resistant to stress and less susceptible to illness. People who are grateful are happy. But people who are ungrateful are miserable because nothing makes them happy. They're never satisfied. It's never good enough. So if you cultivate the attitude of gratitude, of being thankful in everything, it reduces stress in your life.



Think about the right things.

If you want to reduce the level of stress in your life, you must change the way you think because the way you think determines how you feel. And the way you feel determines how you act, which is why the Bible teaches that, if you want to change your life, you need to change what you're thinking about.



This involves a deliberate conscious choice where you change the channels. You choose to think about the right things. Because the root cause of stress is the way we choose to think, we need to focus on the positive and on God's word.



What is the result of not worrying, praying about everything, giving thanks, and focusing on the right things? Paul says we will then "experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7 NLT)



What a guarantee! He is guaranteeing peace of mind. Have you noticed that is what everybody seems to be looking for?

10 Months old!

How can you be 10 months old???  It seems as if you are doing something new everyday!  I wish I could just stop time for awhile.

Here is what Boston is up to:

• Scooting EVERYWHERE on his butt.  I wish I could figure out how to put a video on here because it is hilarious!  I guess he will just skip crawling and start walking!
• Standing when assisted
• Pants like a dog when he gets excited (so funny)
• 12 month clothes
• size 3 diapers
• Eating mostly table food now and some baby food.  He loves Puffs!
  
• Drinking out of his sippy more often
• Still loves bath time and his paci!
• One tooth on the bottom and another one on its way I think
• The Dr has recommended tubes for his ears, but since we went to see the ENT he hasn't seemed to have another ear infection. We are trying to hold off on the procedure until January.  Hopefully he won't get another one and we won't need tubes. (fingers crossed)
• Says "dada", "na na", "mama" (sometimes)
• Got his first minor "boo boo" while at home with daddy yesterday. You can kinda tell in the picture that he has a tiny bruise on his forehead. He pulled the baby gate down on him! He is very tough though!
  
• Sleeps from about 7:30-6:00
• Down to one nap a day with his new class.  I think it is still too young for him to have only one nap.  Most nights he is very cranky since changing his schedule.
• His new class at daycare is more like school.  They have the same schedule as a school kid would have, they do activities too!  His teacher has their finger paintings hanging all over his classroom.

I can't believe it is already Christmas time and I will have to start planning your birthday party soon after!  These last 10 months have been the most fulfilling and the best time of my life. I'm so excited to spend Christmas with you, it makes this time of year even more special and fun!

We love you to the moon and back!

**UPDATED**Convertible Car Seat Recommendations...Please HELP!

We are moving B up to a convertible car seat for Christmas.  I have read so many different reviews on them.  Which one do you all have or recommend???  We currently have the Chicco KeyFit 30 and have loved it!  I wish they made a convertible seat!
 I like the Evenflo Symphony, Graco MyRide, and the Britax Boulevard (but it is so expensive!)  My husband is liking the Safety 1st Air Protect. 
Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!
Thanks!

****We decided on the Britax Boulevard!  We went with the Boulevard instead of the Marathon because it had more padding and true side impact protection.  I'm excited!  Mom ordered it yesterday off of albeebaby.com.  I found one that was on sale for $219 b/c it was a discontinued fabric!  YAY!  I hope B likes it!
Thanks for all of your help! Looks like Britax is the way to go for us!

Christmas PJ's

I'm pretty sure someday he will hate me for this!