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.