Ridiculous Week

The foyer is coming along! We love coming home from a day at work and seeing the progress. Since this is the first time we have hired someone to help us, it's kind of surreal to know all that work is being done while we are in our offices going about our day :) Here are a few pics of where we (actually THEY) are in the process...

It looks like they will be here a few more days. The paper took longer than they thought to get off. Can you believe how different it looks already? I'll do a full post on it when they are through.

So, the title of this post is incredibly fitting. We thought it was a big week because Preston said his first word. Well, two more huge things happened this week that I wanted to document.

Tuesday night, Brian had a work dinner so he got home around 7:30. I was putting Preston to bed in his crib, and Brian walked in P's room. He said "Hey buddy! I missed you." Preston looked up at him and goes "hey daddy". Um.... WHAT?!?!?! We were both in shock. I mean, he said like he had said it a thousand times. Brian and I proceeded to analyze it for like an hour. Was he just babbling and it sounded like that? But he was sure of himself and the timing was perfect! Who knows!

The other major development happened Wednesday night. P was not really having bedtime, so we were letting him crawl all over his bedroom to get some of his energy out. Brian pulled out a Dr. Seuss book and started reading to him. Out of nowhere, Preston stood up and took 4 good steps! I considered it his "first steps" because he was very steady on his feet, and really went a decent distance across the rug in his room. He was very sure of himself. I cried. Brian did too, but only because he was reading the book and not looking at his son, who was taking his first steps :) I tried to yell for Brian to look up, but I was so shocked that nothing came out! We have seen him take steps before, but NOTHING like this! It was so cool. Maybe he'll really be moving by Christmas! Go Preston!! :)

Here is one of him taking a few steps... I gotta be a proud mom and say that he walks much better than this, but catching it on camera is HARD!



Of course, walking doesn't come without a serious casualty!

He walked right into the TV stand in the playroom. There was a little blood, but other than that, he should be fine. He is a tough kid :)

Ha!

We had a fun weekend. Friday night we had my work Christmas party. Every year, our boss cooks an amazing dinner for us, and all of us and our husbands eat dinner together. We look forward to it every year, and she always throws such a great party for us. It was fun to have a night away from home. We stayed out of the house Saturday since the workers were here, and headed out to the Germantown Christmas Parade. It was cute, just COLD. The parade goes by my aunt and uncle's house, so it was nice to have a place to park :) We will definitely go again next year. We worked in the yard, cooked, and just had a low key Sunday. My dad and Brian worked on our bathroom upstairs, as we have been having some plumbing issues. Thankfully, they got them fixed.

Back to the grind tomorrow!

First Word, New Foyer & Santa

On December 4, Preston said his first word.

DOGGIE

It was actually really cute. He was sitting in his high chair eating dinner with our dog, Brother, patiently waiting for anything that might drop. Brian even mentioned that Preston "feeding time" was Brother's favorite part of the day, haha! Preston patted Brother on the head and said "doggie" and looked up at me. I shrieked with excitement and relayed the info to Brian. We are so proud!

Speaking of dogs, the Georgia Bulldogs really got us worked up on Saturday. Brian was really hoping they would perform a miracle and win, but it wasn't meant to be. The entire family was dressed in game day apparel, including Preston. Oh well, at least Brian's team is going to a bowl game (unlike my Vols)!

Preston is getting so big that he doesn't fit well in his infant seat anymore. We upgraded to the Britax Marathon 70. Here he is, trying it out in the living room.

Starting today, Operation: New Foyer starts on the house! We cannot wait for the transformation. In case you are forgetting what it looks like, here she is in all her glory.

You know, it's like we don't even see the wallpaper anymore. We celebrated one year in our house on 12/1, and we are pretty proud of all that we have accomplished. This is the first time we are having to hire someone to help us! The main reason is that our foyer goes very high, and I did not want my father or husband on scaffolding. So much wallpaper to take down, and painting to do, but it should all be completed in a few days. Here's to a new foyer!!! For those wondering, for the trim and stairs we are going with our beloved Benjamin Moore White Dove and the walls will be Benjamin Moore Tapestry Beige, matched by Farrell Calhoun.

Oh, and P met Santa over the weekend. It was fantastic. We set him in his lap, and he turned around and stared at Santa for a while. It was funny! Then he turned around and smiled and we got a great pic.

Sometimes I think P is a little TOO friendly around strangers. He goes to anyone, and has not really had any separation anxiety issues. The other kids in his class all cry when they get dropped off at school. Not Preston! Don't know if I should worry about that, or just know that his two parents are pretty social and we've been leaving him since he was tiny, so I guess he is just used to it now.

Anyway! We went to Enchanted Forest at the Pink Palace to see Santa. Of course, this event benefits Le Bonheur, so that is where we are going to meet Santa :) We walked around the exhibit and walked around the Pink Palace, which has not changed A BIT since I was little.

Preston was so worn out by our excursion, he passed out on the couch when we got home.

While he slept on the couch, Brian and I had a date right next to him with Sekisui sushi. I love sweet moments like that. :)

10 Months Old

Preston,
You are 10 months old today!

What fun you are! Your personality is really shining through these days. You do the funniest things. You are still as busy as ever.

You are around 21 pounds, and wear a size 3 diaper. You now have six teeth, two on the bottom and four on the top. Three of the top ones are coming in at the same time right now. As far as development goes, you are even closer to full-blown walking. You take a step or two here and there, but you haven't taken off yet.

Same with talking. You babble all the time - to yourself, to your parents, to your toys. You call most things "dada" but you also say "hi" and "mama". Sometimes your parents can't tell if you are saying a word, or if it is a noise that sounds like a word.

You are off the bottle completely during the day. You love the sippy cup and carry it around everywhere. You still get a bottle sometimes before bed, but are making the switch. You are drinking a lot less formula, because you are eating more food during the day. This is the last month of formula (praise the Lord).

In terms of eating, you are the best eater in your class at school. Your mom and dad believe this, because the other night, you ate the same portion of food as your mom! Your favorite finger foods are string cheese, cornbread, rolls, green beans, peas, any fruit, crackers, scrambled egg, and you LOVE macaroni and cheese. You also love chicken pot pie, and several types of casserole. There is literally nothing you don't like!

You are an amazing sleeper. Those sleepless nights for 7 months have paid off now, because you sleep 11 or 12 hours every night. You also take two naps a day, for about an hour and a half each.

You have learned to kiss your mom. You ONLY kiss her, and she melts when you do it. It's really more of an open mouth slobber on her cheek, but you smile and look at her and wrap your little arms around her. It's really your mom's most favorite thing in life. On the flip side, you get so angry when we take something away from you that could potentially kill you. You don't like the word "no".

One thing that makes your mom and dad crack up is your love for hats. You have learned to put them on your head. You strut around the room, proud of yourself for putting the hat on. You kind of forget it's there and end up wearing it a while. It makes your mom and dad laugh.

You are clapping now! You do it when your parents do it. You are also dancing to music. It's hilarious! You wiggle your body when you hear music. You love digging through cabinets, running in your walker, and you absolutely LOVE balls of any kind. You like to play rough, and you are always functioning at 100%. You are never still. Ever.

Preston, your mom and dad treasure everything about you. As we watch you grow, we are continually amazed by all that you can do, and just how smart you are. You are one loved child! Happy 10 months baby boy!

Big Boy

Life lately has really revolved around Mr. P. It's all I talk about on the blog, but he is so much more fun than anything else! We've been busy lately, and very thankful for it. Our family likes to stay busy, and if there is a day when nothing is going on, we quickly fill it :) We are busy showing this guy a good time, 100% of the time.

Brian has been working hard on the yard and managed to fill 40 bags of leaves this past weekend. We love our house and it's wooded lot, but that was a lot of work for Brian! In a perfect world, Brian would hire a yard guy and I would hire a housekeeper, but let's face it... it's not a priority. We want to update our house and save money for P to go to private school, so our "staff" will have to wait. Ha!

I went on a cleaning binge and our house has never looked better. We had my coworkers over for a soup swap today, and I walked away with 6 soup dinners in my freezer. Worked out pretty great! Everyone made 5 individual quarts of soup, we drew numbers, and at the end of the party, we each ended up with 5 or 6 different soups to take home with us. Perfect for the busiest time of year, which is quickly approaching.

Preston is so big lately. He has a pair of New Balances and he struts around in them. He takes a step or two, but hasn't taken off yet. We are eagerly waiting for that day! I've said this before, but Preston is so "all boy." He is aggressive and plays HARD. His current favorites are wrestling with Brother, being thrown upside down by his dad, and running away mid-diaper change. At bath time, he goes nuts splashing and soaks the room. There are so many times where he hits his head, or bangs on stuff, and we wait for him to cry, but he doesn't! He is such a stinker.

So happy to have escaped!

Daddy caught me and it was hilarious

About to take on the dog

P's got his big teeth up top coming in, as well as the two on either side. He is still trying to get over an ear infection, so we've had a few nights where we have been up with him. We don't mind it now though, because we are still pretty well rested. Plus, I mean, look at this face. Wouldn't you want to comfort him in the middle of the night?

His hair is coming in so blonde, thick and gorgeous with a slight curl/wave. Brian and I are in LOVE with it.

Cannot wait for Thanksgiving this week. Preston will actually get to eat a Thanksgiving meal, complete with turkey, sweet potatoes and green been casserole. Having a baby in January really is perfect. He'll be big enough to actually enjoy Thanksgiving food! Hope everyone has a great week!

House, Getaway, Baby

This will be one random post or iPhone photo dump really, but we've had a lot going on!

First, I can't post without a picture of the little man.

He is so DIRTY these days. I just bought a 3rd container of Zout for him since this summer. I found that Zout works the best for getting out all the nasty stains on his clothes, and using All Baby for the detergent. We do so much laundry around here. So exciting, I know!

This might be weird, but I just realized that as of this week, Preston has been here longer than he was in my belly! I was pregnant with him for 39 weeks and 2 days. He's been here a little longer than that. I don't know why that makes me happy. I guess it's a weird mom thing.

P and I went for his 9 month check-up. I had to strip him down to his diaper, and I really saw how chunky he has gotten!

 Ignore my over excitement. I was trying to get him to smile, but it wasn't working. I think he knew the flu shoot was coming.

A few weeks ago, Brian and I went to the Ole Miss/Georgia game down in Oxford, MS. It was a noon game, so P stayed with my parents for the day. Oxford is great, because it's a short drive from Memphis, so we quickly went down and came back. It was nice to get away for the day, and we were so glad Georgia won! My home is much happier when Georgia is winning. Plus, it was a beautiful day outside, so we enjoyed being out and about.

A few weeks ago, we celebrated Brian's 10 year high school reunion. Because we knew each other in high school, the reunion was like a reunion for me too! They had a weekend full of events that Brian helped plan.

They had a Saturday night party at Earnestine and Hazel's. We rarely go there anymore, so that was pretty cool.

Last weekend, my best friend in high school's brother had an engagement party in Memphis, since they are getting married in Philadelphia. We had such a nice time, and loved all the Indian food. My sweet parents were invited, too!

Mom and Me

Alka, Mom, Me, and Raina

Mom and Dad

On the house front, we are still thinking over the foyer, since the playroom is pretty close to being finished. We've gotten two quotes now, and are thinking about pulling the trigger on one of them. One exciting development is our family room. It was in decent shape before we moved in, but we've made some minor improvements. We decided to mount our TV over our fireplace, but it left us with a major cord issue. They have been everywhere since we moved in! I finally found a cabinet at one of my favorite places on earth, Sheffield Antiques, for a steal, that really hides the cords for us. I am so happy with it. Here it is...

My phone took a terrible picture, but it hides all the cords nicely and it's a really cute distressed blue color that matches. I should take some pics of our family room, because even though we didn't do any major work, it has come a long way since we moved in.

Speaking of moving in, we have almost lived in our house a year. We moved in the week after Thanksgiving. Hard to believe it has been a year already. What a year!

One last pic of the little man during nap time.... he is such a sweetie. He pulled his blanket up over himself and his sheep. Love that child!

Fire

First fire of the season... and someone loved it!

9 months old

Preston,

You are nine months old!

You turned nine months old on Halloween this year. 3/4 of a year old. That is crazy! You went to the doctor for your nine month check-up and your stats are:
19 lb, 10 oz - 25%
27.5 in long - 25%
45 in head - 25%

Your mommy took you, and was surprised to learn you have your first ear infection, and in BOTH ears! She was ALSO surprised to learn that you have three more teeth about to break through the surface. You are all about surprising your parents apparently. You are completely symptom free! You must be a tough guy.

This month has brought many changes. Most of the changes are on the personality front.

Your mommy and daddy have learned that you cannot eat ANY meat whatsoever. You tried to eat beef twice, and both times it made you very ill. Your parents are sticking to veggies, fruits and some dairy for a while longer. Even some of the combo baby foods like "Broccoli and Cheese" are a little rough on your tummy, although you love cheese and broccoli separately and eat it no problem. Your parents talked to Dr. Bubba and they are going to slowly get you off baby food completely, and onto nothing but table food. You will love it!

One thing that your parents have noticed lately is that you are starting to make preferences over food. When we put string cheese and cheerios on your tray, we mix them up, and you eat all of the cheese first, then the cheerios. It's funny!

You much prefer finger foods to baby foods, and sippy cups to bottles. Your parents had a goal to have you fully weaned off the bottle by 11 months, but it looks like you'll be fully weaned by 10 months. This will make your mommy very happy, because she is really tired of washing all of those bottles!

You are also such a little creature of your routine. It's pretty amazing to experience! A few of your mom's friends say it's a "boy" thing, but man, if you get off your schedule even a little bit, you are one unhappy child. Your parents will do anything possible to avoid it, even if it means being an hour and a half late to wherever we are trying to go! (Yes, it's happened.)

You are still a good napper (twice a day) and a decent sleeper. 

You are closer and closer to walking. You are all over the house, pulling up on everything in site. You really are into everything. Danger is still your favorite.

Your parents have also noticed lately that you are becoming better at expressing emotions. For instance, if you are doing some activity, we can tell when you are enjoying it, and when you are not. It is more than just happy, content and angry, which are pretty much the only expressions you have had up to this point in your development. That has been really neat to watch unfold.

You are also SO observant. Your parents can't sneak anything by you. You don't miss a beat. Your object permanence skill is through the roof.

You are such a little adult.You are serious in everything you do. You are a serious learner and a serious player. You go full force no matter what. Your parents call you a worker bee. You are busy, busy all the time. It's one of their favorite personality traits of yours, because your parents are SO this way. It's another indication that you definitely came from Brian and Cami.

Preston, you are such a blessing. Your parents aren't going to get mushy, because after all, you're a guy. But really, you are fun, you are smart, and you are growing at the speed of light. You are turning into the most delightful little person, with the BEST personality and disposition. You light up whatever room you are in. You are your parents pride and joy. Happy nine months!