Christmas Eve

This is probably my favorite picture from Christmas. It is not staged! Brett still cannot believe that my dad is so good at anything that involves hand eye coordination. So, I don't know why he thinks he could beat my dad at a Wii game. Even thought he's ever played it!
Christmas Eve is my favorite night of the year. When I was little, we always went to my grandmother's house. My mom has a large extended family and we would fill up the house with laughter, food and fun. When I got a little older, I would go stay with her and help cook and get ready for the night. It was so great to have my grandmother at our house this year. It made the night ever more special. Moses enjoyed sharing his crackers with his Mema Mollie.

Gaga got a special Christmas Eve gift from Papa. A new camera! Moses was happy to help her open it!
We had so much fun getting ready for Christmas Day. Cooking and eating lots of great food and teaching my parents how to play Wii. We probably stayed up way too late! I think it was one of the best Christmas Eve nights ever!

Christmas Date

Moses was sick for his playgroup Christmas party. I was so sad! So when Amanda asked if we were up for a Christmas date with Cameron a few days later I jumped at the chance. We both were ready to get out of the house. The kids were SO well behaved and shared snacks before lunch came. It was a nice day so we let them run a good lap around Cameron Village before getting them home before nap time. Thanks for the great visit guys!

Pre Christmas Fun

Trying to get ready for Christmas with a toddler running around is just a little difficult. I did find one good distraction method. I gave Moses some crackers for a snack. I turned around and this is what he was doing. One for him, one for Riley. Kept them busy for quite a while!
Also, we did get a little snow. HUGE snowflakes for about 15 minutes. Of course Moses was asleep, but I had a good time watching them. It was just what we needed to get into the Christmas spirit!

16 Months Old!

Moses J. you just turned 16 months old! You are well into your toddler "years!" You are doing and learning new things every day. I don't have to cut up your food anymore. You love to bite off more than you can chew! You are a great eater and are developing a snack/sweet tooth. You walk straight to the counter and point to anything you see asking to eat. Daddy is a push over when you ask for a cookie. You call anything crunchy a "cracker."

You are down to one nap a day. A lot of mornings you will have quiet time in your crib to read and rest for a few minutes. By the time lunch is over you are usually ready for some sleep! Your favorite thing right now? The dog. Riley is the best friend and toy you've ever had. You stand at the back door begging for her to come inside. You play ball and chase each other all day. Your other favorite toy is an old hair dryer. You will sit and play with it for an at least an hour. It is a megaphone, telephone, and who knows what else you think it is.

You are learning to give hugs and to smile for the camera. You love other people and enjoy trips to the grocery store or mall. You like it best when you speak to them first. You play well with your friends. You are never scared or upset when we leave you with someone else.

We love yo so much Moses! I wonder what the next month will bring!

Here comes Santa!

We finally made it to see Santa. Last year we went to the mall super early and didn't have to wait in line at all. This year, I just have not been able to drag myself to the mall for anything. Seriously, I have been once since before Thanksgiving. Luckily, the State Club had a very special brunch today with the Big Guy himself!

When it comes to kids you just never know. We told Moses we were going to see Santa. He had no clue what that meant. We got to the club and realized the baby bag (with the camera) was at home. Luckily we keep our old regular digital camera in our car.
Brunch was great, but the big hit was Santa. Moses was GREAT. He just sat there while Santa talked to him and smiled for pictures. We actually had to ask him to get up. He was super happy to get a treat from him as well. After Santa, we went on a carriage ride around the club. We had one happy little guy. Treats, Santa, and animals equals a great day for Moses!

Mr. Personality

I thought I would give a general Moses update. It seems we are going through a big changing phase. He LOVES playing with our dog Riley. He stands at the back door saying, "dog?" until I let her inside. They play ball and chase each other around and sometimes share snacks.
He is very insistent about feeding himself with a fork and spoon. Well, at least holding it. His favorite thing is chicken. He asks for chicken, crackers and water all the time. He is also loving eating bananas and cheese. I rarely cut anything up anymore because he likes to bite things.

Moses is starting to let us know what he wants all the time...and if he doesn't get it he is normally pretty upset. We are gently explaining to him that mommy and daddy are in charge. He has become quite the little helper. He can help me unload the "safe" stuff out of the dishwasher, get clothes out of the laundry room, put up toys, and put things back where he found them. He is so proud when he helps! He loves to say please, thank you and your welcome. He runs around the house yelling "GO, GO, GO!" (from his favorite book "Go, Dog, Go!"

I can't wait to see what he does doing the next few weeks!

Baby Camille

Praise today! Baby Camille came home! I have not had time to blog about Camille so here is her story. My friend Laura was due to have her first baby at Christmas. Well baby girl and God had a different plan. Laura was put on bed rest and medication after having contractions. The next day, after still having contractions, Laura rushed to the doctor's office and then was literally RAN to the hospital for an emergency c-section.

Camille Ruth Cox was born weighing in at 4lbs 14oz. She has been a miracle from the start! After almost two weeks in the NICU, she was sent home yesterday. Here she is wearing a beautiful pink hat that her buddy Moses picked out for her. Maybe it was a good luck charm? Congratulations Nick and Laura! We love you so much and can't wait to see your new addition!

Wrapping Up the Weekend

Can you tell we've had a busy holiday weekend? I didn't even mention that I went shopping with my mother on Black Friday! And today (since we weren't tired or anything) we decided to go to the basketball game. Since we have decided to forgo our basketball tickets this year, we don't get to go very often. We are lucky that our friend Ben takes one of all of us when he can.
Moses really likes Ben. Especially his t-shirt which Moses decided to edit. We are still on a high from beating UNC. When we played USC this year they made "Beat Carolina" t-shirts. We didn't beat USC, but after yesterday's victory a fan added the word "We" above "Beat Carolina." I loved it!

Congrats to Mary Wallace and Jonathan!

After the wonderful football game on Saturday, we had more celebrating to do! The Teague family has been a big part of Brett's life for a long time. Their daughter, Mary Wallace, was married two weeks ago in New Orleans. We were not able to make it to the wedding, but we were excited to be able to attend the party in Raleigh.
They had a slide show up of all the pictures from the wedding. She was such a beautiful bride! She wore her grandmother's dress for the ceremony and changed into a beautiful gown for the reception. She promised Brett she would show us the pictures from their honeymoon in South Africa over Christmas.

Congratulations Mary Wallace and Jonathan! We are so happy for you guys!

An Early Gift

I think everyone who reads my blog pretty much understands how passionate we are about NC State. We've had a pretty disappointing football season. We've had approximately 15 scholarship athletes out for the season due to injuries. One of our best players, Nate Irving, was in a terrible car accident before the season started. Last week, we received the news that our offensive coordinator, Dana Bible, was hospitalized and diagnosed with leukemia. Really, really, really crappy season!

So Saturday, we headed off to our last and arguably our biggest game of the year against UNC. We have had two years of bragging rights in football. That means a lot living in Raleigh. Many people argue that the Duke/UNC rivalry is bigger, but you do not have nearly as many Duke alumni in our area. We live, work and in some cases live with each other all year long. Whenever football trash talk starts up, the score from the previous year is always the argument winner.

Needless to say, we were NOT expecting to win this game. I was fully prepared for a butt kicking. Moses actually came with us, so I was more focused on keeping in busy during the first half. During the third quarter, I was getting really antsy because I thought, we are going to lose this game by three points and that is worse than being beat by thirty! When we went up early in the fourth quarter Moses was done "watching" the game. I decided I would just take him back to the parking lot to play at our tailgate. Thankfully, there were some people with radios or TVs tuned into the game along our walk.

I CANNOT BELIEVE WE WON!!!! I thought Brett was going to jump out of his skin. It was probably a good think Moses was not in there because all that excitement might had traumatized him. I don't care how many wins or losses we had this season. We beat UNC!!!

Thanksgiving

Here come the holidays! For my family, that means lots of time in the kitchen. I love cooking so this is perfect! This year we decided to have everyone over to our house because we had so many weekend plans. Wednesday night, my parents came up and we cooked steak and crab legs and began the preparing the food for the next day.
Since we had gotten so much done ahead of time, we had a very enjoyable Thanksgiving. We put the turkey on and had a nice time visiting and finishing up the meal. Moses we of course all the entertainment we needed!
Hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving!

A Season of Giving

But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving maybe in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

- Matthew 6: 3-4

The above has always been one of my favorite bible verses. I had the good fortune to see it in practice this weekend. I had taken a break from cleaning this weekend and gone to grab a burger and Andy's. I was sitting at the counter next to cash register. While I was eating, three EMTs came in and sat at a booth in the back. A woman (I'm not sure if she was eating or happened to see them come in) came to the register and quietly told the waitress that she wanted to pay for the EMTs' lunch. The waitress asked who should she tell them was paying. She asked not to be identified.

I just about lost it right there in the restaurant. How wonderful! I am sure this lady quietly went on with her day. Not mentioning her good deed to anyone. The waitress and I were the only people who knew the entire story. It may sound strange, but I always feel really wary of people who boast their "good deeds." Lately, I've noticed that there are a lot of people who do the "right thing." But there is another group of people who do the right thing for the right reasons. Giving, to those we know and don't know, should be heartfelt and not to make ourselves look better to others.

The anonymous giver had not intended to fill my heart with joy, but she did. She has warmly started off this holiday season by reminding me it is truly the season of GIVING!

Happy Birthday Maloy!

Moses' friend Maloy turned one on Friday. We celebrated with her at Monkey Joes, a kids indoor bounce house. I just love Maloy's personality. Maybe because she reminds me of a female version of Moses. She loves getting into things and eating! Can't you tell from these pictures of her tearing into her cake? Oh Maloy, you are a girl after my own heart. We are so thankful for you and your wonderful family.

You Gotta Have FRIENDS!

Last night I had reached the end of my rope. Moses and I had been cooped up with illness or low immune systems for almost three weeks. I emailed Amanda and begged her to meet us somewhere before Moses' doctor appointment. It was just what we needed. It was a beautiful fall day at the park! We played on the swings and walked around all the ramps and tires. Cameron even helped push Moses on the swings. She is such a big help!After the park, we went for some lunch. Cameron showed Moses how to dip his french fries in the ketchup. It makes fries so much better! Thank you Cameron and Amanda for rescuing us! We needed it! We can't wait to see all our playgroup friends on Friday!

P.S. Amanda, what do you think about the first picture for a save the date? I think Moses has a lot of competition!

15 Months Old!

Moses, you are 15 months old today! You have gotten so big. You weigh 23.1 lbs and you are 31.5 inches tall. Your new favorite thing is to be outside, all the time! You love to walk around play on the swings and be pulled in your wagon. You try out new words just once for now. We have heard you say many things like truck, monkey, chicken, etc but only once.

If you hear music you love to dance. Country and classic eighties are still your favorites. We are trying to move you to one nap a day but so far it's not working! You have learned to take off your crib sheet if you get bored so a lot of times we put a book in the crib with you so if you are falling asleep or if you wake up early, you have something to distract you.

We think you "give kisses" by putting the palm of your hand very gently on our mouths. It is the sweetest thing I've ever seen. You really dislike it when I try to cook. I promise, my food is not that bad. We are always trying to find a way to distract you during this time. Right now the canned vegetables seem to do the job. You eat lots of things right now but if you see ANYONE ANYWHERE with a french fry you have to have one. You love drinking water out a "real" cup. You are so happy and feel like a big boy when you do.

Daddy and I love you so much. You make us so very happy. We put you to bed together every night and say your prayers with you. We thank God for these last fifteen months and are so happy we get tomorrow to do even more.

Can't Slow Us Down

Goodbye germs, goodbye fever. Hello sunshine, hello playtime. So glad to have a little boy who feels much better. He is back! And has a huge obsession with being outside. He runs to the door and grabs the knob and tries to turn it. He points to Riley and says "Dog?! Dog?!" The wagon and swing are his favorite things in the entire world. I love having him feeling better. I've missed our adventures.
Also making a return is my beloved camera. Now I can photograph this face. Haven't you guys missed it? Two weeks and he has changed so much!

Germs...Ewww

The only way to slow my little man down? A temperature of 104.3F. YUCK. I knew something was wrong when all we wanted to do was snuggle with me. We quickly made a run to the pediatrician's office. And one exam, a blood draw, urinalysis, flu swab, shot of antibiotics, and three hours later they determined he probably had the very early stages of a virus. Thank the LORD the flu test was negative.

Since I did not feel that great this morning, Brett took him back to the doctor today. He received another shot and work up. His blood levels are still off so I am taking him back to the doctor tomorrow. Luckily he is acting much more like himself today.

I'm thinking it is going to be a long cold and flu season!!

Weekend Review

Have I mentioned what happened to my camera? My dear sweet boy decided to see if it could bounce. It does not. So my beloved Nikon D40 has been sent to the camera doctor. Thank goodness for warranties! This means I will be using my dinky camera which I have not been good about using. Blah! Picture free blogs. Double Blah!

Talk about a busy weekend! Friday I had Cornhuskin stuff all day long. It was awesome. If you did not go to Meredith College, you will not even begin to understand what Cornhuskin is. But, if you are privileged enough to "experience it" you know just what I'm talking about. I love to see the new things the girls come up with to add to the spirit of the night. It was also great to see all the alumnae who come back to watch. I was working with the Young Alum Board to help pass out donuts to the students. The girls were very sweet and appreciative of the the snack.

Saturday was game day. Kick off was a little on the early side at 1pm so tailgating was not as long as it usually is. It was SO nice to win a game (even just barely). Makes for a much happier day. While Brett and I were at the game, my parents came up to keep Moses. They had so much fun! They played outside and Moses even helped them do some yard work.

Since daylight savings time has made Moses into an early bird, we had no trouble making it to Sunday School this morning. Afterwards, we were scheduled to keep Moses' class in extended session. It was so much fun. I was worried he'd be clingy or upset we were playing with his friends. No need for that! He played very well with his friends and was no upset at all that his friend Holly needed to sit in his mommy's lap for a little while. He was even passing out hugs before we left. My sweet boy!

We are starting to try to transition into one nap but I am not pushing the issue too hard. If he seems really exhausted late in the morning I will let him sleep as long as he needs it. Naps have been a little odd, but I'm sure he will get the hang of it soon!

Busy Boy

This weekend. Moses made a new discovery. He figured out how to take the sheets off off the mattress. How cute. I took a picture.
Today, he did it again. We put the sheets back on and put him down for a nap. A few minutes later I heard Brett yelling and then he walked by with the sheets. He told Moses that his "Mommy can deal with him now." He came around the corner wearing nothing but a t-shirt and a big grin.

He had taken off the sheets again. And then taken off his diaper. Then he decided he had to go potty. Just number one. But still. Really? He has been super excitable this weekend. I swear we only gave him two or three bites of candy.

Monkey Business

Trick or treat! We took our little monkey trick or treating tonight! He's been a little sick lately so we just took him to a few houses in our neighborhood. Since the houses are pretty far apart, we loaded Moses up in the wagon and set off.
At the first house, he did not want to get out because he loves riding so much. Once he went to the first door he really like it. Getting to see people and then getting a treat. What could be better!

We took him home and let him sample a piece or two which made him very happy! Hope everyone had a nice Halloween!

Happy Birthday Anna Grace!

We just love our Halloween Birthday Girl! Anna Grace's actual birthday is October 30, but she celebrated this past Sunday with a costume birthday party at her house. Brett and I have known Laurie and Will for several years and it has been so much fun having kids the same age.

We had so much fun and the food was delicious! All the kids were really cute in their Halloween costumes. I am so glad that we got to see them all dressed up.

I really don't think there is anything cuter! So here is your sneak peak at Moses' costume!

Moses at 14 1/2 Months

Here is a quick update on what is going on with Moses! These past few weeks I have noticed a big change. He is talking a lot more. We can't understand most of it, but something are clear to Brett and I. Dada is his favorite word. I think he has also gone through a big growth spurt. He wears 12 to 18 months pants which are usually big in the waist. The length is starting to fit better. As far as shirts it can range from 18 months to 2T.

He is still a great night time sleeper. He goes to bed between 6:30-7pm every night. He wakes up between 7-8am. Breakfast is usually his biggest meal and he can still eat almost two waffles. Instead of cutting up the waffle, I have started giving it to him whole and letting him bite it. He is still taking a morning nap and it has actually gotten longer! He usually sleeps 1-2 hours. About once or twice a week he will not sleep, but he happily rests in his crib for about an hour.

Lately Moses has not been interested in eating lunch or dinner which makes eating meals a slight struggle. I am hoping this is mainly due to the fact that he is getting all his molars in. He is mostly eating a lot of fruit. He is currently obsessed with french fries. If he sees anyone eating them he makes it a point to let you know he wants one. He still likes grilled cheese, chicken, pasta, etc. Our current struggle is getting anything green into his system. He is also learning to use a fork and spoon on his own but as with most skills he grasps gross motor skill much quicker than fine motor skills.

Moses loves books. He will bring them to me all during the day to read or he will sit and babble to himself while he looks at them. I think his favorite is Brown Bear, Brown Bear. We read it over and over and over... He loves checking in on his doggie during the day by looking out the back door and talking. The pots and pans are also a lot of fun and he enjoys the one cabinet he has access to. Moses loves playing in our bathroom and closet. He brings out shoes and belts and an occasional purse. He loves hair brushes and knows how to use them! He is not allowed to play with my blow dryer and flat iron (unplugged of course) but if he manages to get his hands on them he is VERY happy.

He is still going down for an afternoon nap around 2pm and sleeps another hour or two. His favorite time of day is when daddy comes home. When he hears the garage he starts squealing "DADA!" He runs full steam to Brett (I think this is his favorite time of the day too) Moses is sometimes cranky around dinner time and I think this is the hardest meal to get him to eat. Brett and I have started putting him to bed and saying his prayers together at night. We were trading off but I think this is the best way to end his day!

"Bye" Week

Fall revolves around the NC State football schedule for us. So when the team takes a break, so do we! We took a relaxing trip to my parent's house. Moses obviously always feels right at home when he is there.

It was time for another first for Moses. He had developed quite a "rat tail" over the last few weeks. I wasn't ready for him to have a real haircut, but something had to be done about that extra hair. So we headed off to Mimi's beauty shop to get a little trim. We probably should have waited until after lunch, but luckily it was one snip.

I saved his little baby hair for his baby book. I'm not going to lie, I was a little sad. Also the one thing people never mention about having kids is maintaining the hygiene. Hair cuts, nail clipping, teeth brushing etc is a lot! (I swear kid's nails grow SO fast) Every time I turn around I'm wiping, clipping and cutting something! I'm so fortunate that my mom can help in that area!

The best day..

Have I ever written on my blog how much I love the fair? Well, I do. I get super excited about it. I love to eat and people watch and I think that's pretty much why the fair was invented. My little man is taking after me so he had a blast too. I so excited my mom decided to come up for the day to join us. Brett even took a half day so he wouldn't miss out. Moses was a little hesitant at first, but as soon as he saw the "DUCKS!" he started getting into it.

My friend Andrea had her daughter's silhouette done last year so I really wanted to find the guy to do Moses'. After his one year photo shoot, I was unsure how this was going to work, but the man assured me it only takes three minutes. I'm thinking, uhhh we might have three seconds! He shocked me by actually being pretty good and cooperating. I was so happy with the results! He has the sweetest profile.

Flip to here to see this time last year!

We mostly ate our way through the fair. Moses tried a corn dog, Al's french fries, a very small bite of deep fried oreo, ham biscuit, corn on the cob and a little homemade ice cream. Moses' favorite thing? All the people. He waved and babbled and smiled the entire time!

Wilmington Visit!

I am so so behind on blogging it's crazy. So be prepared for a bombardment of posts because it's much easier to do several than one big one. So last weekend we went to Wilmington to visit Brett's mom and stepdad. Moses was infatuated with their little long haired dachshund, Gretchen. I guess when he thinks of a dog he pictures a big dog like his Riley. At first he would just stare at her and try to touch her so very gently. This lead to feeding her goldfish crackers all weekend.

We took Moses to the aquarium for the first time. I think right now he is way more interested in people than fish. He did peer into the tanks but all the people walking around really distracted him. After the fish, we took him to ride the carousel at the mall. That was a big hit. (**Note to mommies, do not stand backward to photography your child on a carousel. You will get dizzy.)

Brett and I also took advantage of free child care and had a date night. It was just dinner and movie, but I really enjoyed it! Thanks for the great visit Judy and Vernon!

The Great Pumpkin Hunt!

It's Fall so that means pumpkins! Last year, we took Moses to a church that sells pumpkins every year. He was too little to know what was going on (actually, he slept the entire time). This year was very different. It was almost like a big "pumpkin hunt" for him. I could tell he just wanted to pick up everyone of them.

I just let him walk around and snapped away with the camera. He spent about 45 minutes going around to the different sizes and examining them. He tended to like the bumpy ones as well as the gourds. Hopefully, we will make Brett go back with us this week!