Happy New Year!

What does a couple with a four month old who won't take a bottle do for New Years? Stays home, moves the mattress into the living room, celebrates by watching the New York new year, tries to watch a movie and falls asleep under the Christmas tree. Quite the year.

4 Months!

I can't believe Jaydon is already four months old. We took him in for his check-up and he weighed 17lbs 9 oz (90%) and was 26 inches long (77%). He is really doing very well and the only thing we have to work on is sleep. He needs a bit more practice at getting himself down after he wakes up from a sleep cyle during the night and napping during the day is a bit of a nightmare at times. Other than that he is such a fun boy to be around who is so very curious and already wants to move and be involved in everything.

This isn't the best picture of it but Jaydon is trying to crawl. He moves his feet in the right motion and will scooch but his arms are not quite there yet and just slip behind or under him. Just in the past couple days he is getting better with his arms and is grabbing the blanket to help pull forward - scary that he is moving a bit already.

He likes to help me do laundry; okay not really but when I am trying to get the laundry done I have found that I can place him on top of the clean clothes and then carry it all to the living room where hopefully I can fold most of it before it wrinkles too badly.

He doesn't have much hair (almost a bit of a baby mullet as the dark stuff on the very back and bottom is the only thing really growing). He also has the lovely bald spot from rubbing his head back and forth constantly while on his back (thankfully it isn't flattening).

He gives huge smiles to mom and dad especially. Here dad is having him practice sitting up like a big boy.

This is a bit better of a picture of him sitting, what is funny is that he is almost better at it when the boppy pillow is not around. His favorite way to get up is now to grab our fingers and we grab his hands and he pulls himself up to sitting (sometimes to standing if he forgets to bend at the middle).

He also loves being on his back and just keeping his legs up. Not to mention sucking on his hands.

What a joy he is!

Visit from Great Aunt Karen and Debbie

Great Aunt Karen and her good friend Debbie came up for a visit and it was their first time meeting Jaydon. It was wonderful to see them both and spend some time together.

Auntie Karen

Debbie

Christmas Day

We accidently forgot our camera when we went down to Christmas day with CJ and Jimmie (Diane's parents). Jenny took a couple photos so if I get them I will try posting one, if not just know we had a lovely time visiting and eating a great ham dinner. It was going to be our first Christmas day without any real plans so I am very thankful we could spend it with family.

When we arrived home Jaydon opened some of the gifts family members had sent our way.

Thanks Grandpa Jim, Grandma Jo, Aunt Megan and Uncle Patrick from NH, we love his first basketball hoop!

Thanks Great Uncle Greg and Great Aunt Rebecca this is an amazing book of ryhmes and Jaydon was already enjoying it quite a bit.

Stange Family Christmas

My moms side of the family celebrates on Christmas Eve and this year with my grandpa still recovering after surgery we planned the celebration for a bit earlier in the day and Jeremy and I hosted. I was a bit nervous about getting 13 people in our living room comfortably but it seemed to work out well. It was a great day and as people kept commenting almost uneventful as therew as no major fight our blow up...but we spoke too soon because right at the very end we had our traditional Stange yelling match - it just wouldn't be Christmas without it :-)
Getting Jaydon ready for the event, his pants needed a little de-HigginsandLilying

Mary and Joe being elves, Joe is really excited for Jaydon to get a bit older and move into the annual passing out presents position.

We lost our pickle but Jeremy hid another little 'ornament' on the tree for the first present of the afternoon. Samantha found it I bet she loves that pink snuggie!


Great Grandpa really enjoyed this gift he was opening from Bill, Higgins was also enjoying being around though he growls at everyone.

You would never know that Higgins is a brat cat with anyone except Jeremy or me.

Higgins and Lily got to open their presents - boy were they happy with their Bonito flakes we couldn't keep them away from it.

Jaydon got a jump-up from Grandma and Graham and he really enjoys it!

Visiting with Dave, Amy, Cashel and Peter

Jaydon and Peter got to visit again (they are 5 days apart) and we got to make Gingerbread cookies with Cashel. It was great to see everyone and we only wished we lived closer to get together more often.

Cashel getting some flour to put down under the gingerbread

cutting out trees, stars, gingerbreadmen, angles, snowmen and doves

placing them on the pan for cooking - we didn't get any pictures of the decorating process, it was pretty cute and Cashel made some beautiful cookies.

The boys chilling on their blankets

Trying to do tummy time to get them to look at each other - this was never really all that successful.

Look how cute they both are!

"Stop torturing us"

Meeting Great Grandpa

Jeremy's grandpa Chuck lives down in CA but came up for a visit to B'ham when J's grandma was having hip replacement surgery. It was great to see him and introduce him to Jaydon, we only wish we would have been able to spend more time with Uncle Chip and Aunt Krista when we were all there.

Since Jaydon had been sticking out his tongue so much the rest of the family tried joining in, unfortunately we never got that picture of all of them at the same time.

Lily

Lily loves getting in Jaydon's things. One day before I left she climbed into his bouncy seat, she was still there by the time Jeremy arrived home. Then I found her in the crib again snuggling with the blankets in the warm room. Fortunately at this point she never gets in anything while Jaydon is also in it.

Weekend in Leavenworth!

We had a wonderful trip to Leavenworth this past weekend. My Aunt Mary wanted to have her Christmas Tree Decorating party at her condo and so the whole family headed to Leavenworth (most of us by train) for a couple days of fun.

Jaydon's first train ride. It was quite spacious. He slept the very beginning and then was awake for most of the ride over. He slept most of the ride home.

Our family out in the snow!

Mary, Britt and Jim making the famous quiche.

Cookie and tree decorating. The cookies get frosted then the tree gets its ornaments.

Jaydon had a great time.

Playing the tongue game with Laurent while Britt, Sam, Joe and Jenny watch.

Ed (will be 100 in Feb), Jim and Mary bundled up to go watch the lights come on in town.

Soooo many people - it was crazy.

The family in the cold croweded street waiting for the lights to come on.

Jaydon was very intent on the lights.

It truly was an amazing weekend with the family. I am hoping it becomes a new tradition. We had a race car tournament and a rock throwing competition at the river. We ate lots of good food and enjoyed the almond roca. We listened to a variety of Christmas music, decorated the tree and played some other games. It was truly fabulous.

I like to...

... stick my tongue out all the time. Especially when people do it with me.

...roll over onto my side, I don't quite get to my tummy but I am close.


...interact with Higgins - this one I am just kicking him.


This one we are snuggling and I am getting close to grabbing his tail with my sticky hands.

This one Higgins just got done licking my feet, which felt weird but I sort of smiled.

...give big smiles during tummy time. I stay here with my head up looking around all day and I even try to scooch and crawl. My legs have the right motion going on but my arms aren't there yet.

Grandma's Invention

Jaydon loves constant motion! When you put him in his carseat he calms down immediately if you swing him vigorously back and forth. Now, having a 16 pound 3 month old in a heavy carseat is not easy to swing back and forth for a long period of time so his grandma created this invention. He is tied up to the chin up bar! You can see it worked like a charm.

Cookie Making Day!

What a fabulous family tradition we have of getting together to celebrate grandmama Lainie's birthday by making tons of Christmas cookies all day. I came home with 11 different types of candies, cookies and bars; now to figure out what to do with all of it so I can continue to lose weight.

The group hard at work

Trying to get Jaydon to take a nap. He is still not sleeping very well (during the day or night) and seems to always want to be around and watching what is happening.

Great Auntie Lorie and the Krumcaka - I have no idea how to spell that and am just trying to get this posted to get back to a crying baby.


Auntie Jenny and Jaydon and Auntie Wendy with her little one on board.