Thanksgiving

We traveled to Crosby to spend Thanksgiving with Angie's family. We left Thursday and returned Saturday. We enjoyed seeing many of Angie's extended family, but there was one great surprise that we were not expecting.
Thanksgiving morning Greg had a Thanksgiving card waiting for David and Angie -

Then it was time to make the drive to Crosby - David all buckled in...
Cousin Ryan was ready to hold David

Uncle Donald and David playing

David with his cousins and Aunt Christie
Cousin Brooke and David

Aunt Christie and David - he loves Aunt Christie - can you believe she just had a baby!
Christie's new baby, Lila, is tiny and had been in the NICU at Texas Children's hospital in the Texas Medical center for 11 days. Before coming to Thanksgiving dinner Christie, Brian , and Luke spent time at the NICU. They were told by Lila's doctors that she would probably be there at least until Monday. This was a disappointment as they were hoping she would be able to come home Friday. Here is tiny Lila Grace -

Greg and Angie planned to go to the hospital Friday morning to meet Lila for the first time. Upon arriving Christie had been surprised by the news that Lila was being released. We were so happy to watch as Lila was carried out of the hospital by her Mommy!
Here is Lila during her car seat test -

Uncle Greg holding Lila

Look at her tiny hand

Christie feeding Lila before the long drive home

Finally home with big brother Luke

Greg and Angie went back to Gram ad Grandad's to spend some more time visiting and relaxing
Gram and David
Then it was time to head back to Round Rock.Upon returning home our house was very cold. Greg started a fire in the fire place and Angie bundled David up in his new warm Christmas pajamas.

While Angie fed David and Greg unloaded the car Bella decided she waned to snuggle in front of the fire too. We found her curled up on David's Boppy pillow in front of the fire.
What a great Thanksgiving!

Thankful

Our Amazing Gift
This year we have so many blessings to be thankful for; we are amazed at this abundant life that we have been given.
We are thankful for each other, to both be employed, health, a comfortable roof over our heads, food of plenty, our loving families, to be living in the United States of America, and this year we have our greatest blessing - David.
We are so grateful for him and the gift of parenting.
We have so much that we don't deserve and we try to remember each day how truly blessed we are - we live an extraordinary life.

David telling Mommy he is ready to read this afternoon

Daddy reading to David on the eve before his first Thanksgiving

Our family - as we celebrated with Greg's family Sunday

We wish you all a holiday filled with good food and great company!

Happy Half Birthday

Today our baby boy turns 6 months old. It does not seem as if half of his first year should already have past us by, but it has. Our love for David grows deeper and stronger by the day - we are so proud of him and are happy to share his accomplishments with anyone willing to listen. As David turns 6 months he has learned to:

• roll over from stomach to back and back to stomach
• jump
• stand with support
• sit up on his own for about 30 seconds
• find his own pacifier and place it in his mouth
• pick up toys that are within his reach
• track anything that moves until it is out of sight

David enjoys:

• books
• songs
• playing chase
• Bella
• chewing on his fingers
• an early bedtime - 6:30
• eating solids at lunch and dinner - he seems most excited about squash. He gobbles up green beans and sweet potatoes as well. He eats peas and carrots, but not with the same vigor. He still eats his brown rice cereal - we have tried multi-grain 2 different times, and he likes it, but his tummy does not.

Tonight Angie took David's 6 month pictures before bedtime. Even at bedtime he had a few smiles left - we love our happy baby! Just before these pictures were taken David was chewing his fingers - hence the red spot on his chin. The following is a series of photos Angie took of David sitting on is own without help. It looks as if he is leaning on the wall, but he really was not - we are so proud of his hard work learning to sit on is own!





David standing in front of his growth chart - he is 26 inches tall - we marked it tonight for the first time. It does not seem like he should be registering on his growth chart - it really does happen too fast!

David the morning he was born about 3:00am
Here is our baby boy just 6 months ago - he has learned so much and we have learned so much about David. We love the privilege of being David's parents - we are blessed beyond measure!

Maybe Next Year

Tonight we went to the Domain for the lighting of the Christmas Tree. The children's choir from our church was asked to sing again this year. We were excited to show David sparkly white lights and introduce him to Christmas music. However, the festivities did not begin until 6:00. Our little guy has a bed time of 6:30. We decided to go early and by 5:30 we were headed back home. Maybe next year we will get to stay to hear the music and see the tree lit. On our walk back to the car we snapped this picture. David LOVES his Daddy. Greg walks into the room and David giggles!

Talented Aunt Brenda

Greg's Aunt Brenda is a very talented seamstress. She has helped with our home decorating by making drapes, valences, place mats, and a table runner. She has even made curtains for Angie's sister. When David was born Aunt Brenda mailed David a quilt that she made just for him. He now takes every afternoon home nap on that quilt and sleeps very well!
We were lucky that Aunt Brenda and Uncle Darrell came to Round Rock for a visit a couple of weeks ago and Aunt Brenda had made David a hat. It is a little big right now, David's head circumference is in the 5 percentile, but he loves his hat. We were so glad David was able to meet his Great Aunt and Uncle.
Thanks Aunt Brenda for thinking of David!

David on his quilt in August - he sleeps on this every afternoon

proud of his new hat

falling over with joy

a happy boy

David and Aunt Brenda

Cousin Luke

Today our nephew Luke turns 4 years old. He thinks he is already four because his party was a week ago. His family is expecting a new baby, in fact Angie's sister is at the hospital in labor now, so Luke's party was planned earlier for fear this very thing would happen.
Here are a few highlights from the second birthday party that David has attended. He liked this one because there was quite a bit of action to watch and there was a large mirror where David could watch himself.
Happy 4th birthday Luke and Lila we can't wait to meet you today too.

We made the trip to Houston early Saturday morning so David rode in his pajamas. He was happy to see gram and the Birthday Boy Luke when we arrived.

Daddy and David as we are leaving for the party

time for gymnastics

the kids wore themselves out

Back at home Luke received a brand new bike. He saw this at the store and told Christie this was the bike he wanted. She tried to talk him into a blue bike or a red bike, but he wanted this metallic gold bike. When he saw it he said, " I can't believe I really got it."

playing with Thomas and the new Shake Shake Bridge ... David really wanted the train too!

David always enjoys time with Grandad

Friends

David has made a new friend and Angie as well at Stroller Strides. Ella is 3 months older than David and both Ella and David seem to enjoy each other. They try to grab each others pacifiers, they touch each others faces, and enjoy a good laugh. Angie and Bree, Ella's mom, began chatting one day and realized that both families have 2 year old puppies that have become somewhat neglected since babies arrived. So, last week they got the dogs and the babies together for a late afternoon play date.

Regan and Bella resting

new friends

play time

resting before wrestling begins

wrestling

and the babies well...

David seems to have his hands up as to say - I did not do it and Ella looks like she is possibly guilty of something - really they had just finished staring at each other

David has his hand on Ella's shoulder - Ella has her hand on David's leg. Just after this picture was snapped they began holding hands. This may be the start of a great friendship for mom's babies, and puppies!