3-4 Months

I can't believe Nathan is coming up on 4 months old. It's unbelievable to think how fast time is going by. He is growing like a weed. He is going in for his 4 month well baby check next Saturday, so I will post his stats following the appointment, but I have a feeling he is going to top the charts for his height and weight. He has been such a blessing in our lives. People were right when they said that we would love him more than words can say. I had to start back at work in the beginning of January, and boy, that was tough. I never thought I would want to be a stay at home mom. I love my job, and I though for sure I would want to go back to work, but after having Nathan all I want is to be home with him. This made it all that much harder to leave him at daycare. The first week was really rough. I fought back tears all the way to drop him off and then all the way to work the first day. It was so much harder than I though it would be. It has definitely gotten easier with time. I think I am finally adjusting to working part time. I'm just thankful I only have to work three days a week. Besides being exhausted, I think my schedule is a nice balance between work-life and home-life. It seems like Nathan is really enjoying daycare which helps a lot. He loves to watch the older kids play, and the older kids love having him around. They are very interested in the "babies" and love to talk and play with Nathan.

Jan. 3 - 3 months old

My mom has a picture of all of us kids standing like this at 3 months, so we had to get one of Nathan.

Nathan is getting to be so much fun. His little personality is really starting to show. He is quite an active little guy, but he loves to be held. He can be super cuddly, but also loves to do his morning exercises on his little play mat. He has definitely found his hands and has started to deliberately grab at his toys. He has been smiling in response to us for awhile now. It is so much fun to make him smile and giggle. It's the cutest thing! Last Wednesday he reached a big milestone and rolled over for the first time. It was so exciting. The first time he rolled over he was home with Dad, but when I got home he did it right away for me too. He rolled from his back to his front. The first couple times, he kept getting his arm stuck underneath him, but a few days later, he figured out how to get it out from underneath him. He catches on pretty quick.

Our happy little guy

Playing on his mat

So happy in his Jumperoo

Nathan's First Babysitter

I couldn't skip telling about Nathan's first babysitter. My brother, Ryan, is an amazing uncle and volunteered to babysit Nathan while Steve and I attended the UW/Harborview radiology Christmas party. I, being a new mom, was pretty nervous about leaving him for the first time, but Ryan reassured me that he had everything under control. We ended up having a great time at the party, and we were even able to relax a bit and get out on the dance floor. Ryan text messaged me half way through the party to let me know that everything was going really well. I didn't even have to call which was super nice. We ended up being out for about four hours which I would call a very successful first night out!

All dressed up for our first night out

Ryan and Nathan

Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas!

(Grandma P. brought the adorable Santa suite for Nathan all the way from Oklahoma)

Wow! I'm not sure where to start. Our holidays were great, but super busy. Needless to say, I was worn out by the time they were all over. It all started Dec. 17th with the arrival of Steve's sister, Diane, and her husband, Stephen. It had been a whole year since we last saw them, so it was really nice to be able to spend time with them. Friday evening, Steve's younger brother, Craig, got into town. The following morning, we all headed up to Steven's pass to meet up with Steve's parents and his older brother, Jeff. We stayed in a cute little cabin for two nights. The weather didn't cooperate very well for skiing, but we still had a good time sitting in the hot tub, playing games, and watching movies. We also got to enjoy some good home cooked meals thanks to Steve's mom. Craig and Steve decided to go skiing on Monday and ended up having a great time. The rest of us all headed back to Seattle.

Diane and Nathan

Playing Dominoes

Grandma P. and Nathan

Tuesday night we all went to the UW vs. Texas A&M basketball game. Most of us were cheering for the Aggies for Craig's sake, but Steve was excited when UW won the game. Even though the Aggies lost, I think everyone still had a good time. Nathan, on the other hand, did not have such a great night. He was fine until everyone started cheering. It was just a bit too loud for him, and he let us all know. I felt really bad, because I think he was really scared. So, we all took turns walking him around the arena just far enough away from the noise that he was happy, but we could still keep an eye on the game.

Uncle Craig and Nathan at B-ball game

On Wednesday, the boys all wanted to go rock climbing, so we found a rock climbing gym in the area and headed there for the day. Mom P. and I took Nathan on a walk in a nearby park while everyone else went climbing. It felt so good to get outside and enjoy some fresh air while it wasn't raining.

Steve's family headed to Leavenworth on Christmas Eve, and Steve, Nathan, and I went over to Poulsbo to spend Christmas with my family. Mom and I got to spend some time with Rachel and Kathe during the day, then the whole family went over to my aunt and uncle's new house to celebrate Christmas with my mom's whole side of the family.

Kathe, Rachel, Me, Mom, and Nathan

Christmas was a nice, relaxing day. In the morning, Mom made us a great breakfast and we all had fun opening gifts. Steve and I got a Wii from my brothers, so that was a great source of entertainment for a few hours in the afternoon. Mom made us a fabulous Christmas dinner, then Steve, Nathan, and I headed back to Seattle that night.

Nathan inspecting his first Christmas gift from his parents

We got up early Saturday morning to make the drive over to Leavenworth to meet up with Steve's family again. The cabin they were staying in was great. It was very spacious and nice. We brought our Wii with us, so we could all play. It's amazing how many hours of fun you can have playing those games. That evening we all went on a sleigh ride. It was a neat experience having never been on a sleigh ride before. It was a chilly night, but we had Nathan all bundled up to keep him nice and toasty warm. After the sleigh ride, we had a great dinner there at the lodge. On Sunday, we all had to say goodbye to Steve's parents and Jeff. The rest of us went back to Seattle, where Craig caught a plane back to Texas. Stephen and Diane were able to enjoy one last dinner with us, then they flew out to Connecticut the next morning. We were sad to see everyone go, but I definitely needed some rest after such a busy time. Being a new mom certainly can be exhausting! I was so thankful that Nathan had such a great first Christmas. We got to be with so many people that we love, and I couldn't have asked for anything more.

Playing football out in the snow

Nathan bundled up for his first sleigh ride

Dinner with the family