My mistake may have actually been a blessing!

Peter somehow made it to Kara's house yesterday without his pacifier. I try to keep one in the diaper bag at all times, but it probably got left in the carseat one day and didn't make it back into the diaper bag. Peter isn't as dependent on his paci as a lot of babies, but it definitely makes napping at Kara's house MUCH easier! He really didn't sleep all day yesterday without it. He got to help out with chores instead - vaccumming, laundry, etc. Kara said that she held him most of the day. When I finally got him at 4:00pm, he was exausted! He had a short catnap on the way home from Georgetown that kept him happy for a few hours until we had finished dinner. We started our bedtime routine around 8:30, and then it was off to bed. Peter has been waking up at least once a night for the past few weeks. He slept through the night in New Jersey, but he hasn't done it here. Well, last night he must have been so tired. He slept from 9:00pm - 6:30am!!! I had to go in and wake him up to get him ready for the day. Once he was awake, he was so happy. I kept telling him that he would feel so much better if he would just get a full night's sleep. So, although he didn't sleep well during the day (sorry Kara!), he slept great at night for me. :) Before sending him on his way this morning, though, I made sure there were TWO pacifiers in the diaper bag. I'm learning that a well-rested baby is definitely a happier baby!

4 Months

4 months - can you believe it? Peter is getting so big!! He has been doing great with the sitter, so that makes being back at work a little easier. I am still looking for a way to stay home next year, so hopefully that dream will become reality.

We celebrated Christmas with Papa John and Grandma last weekend. Peter got an exersaucer - a toy that will be a lifesaver as he gets older. He's no longer content just to sit and look at things. He wants things to make noise and move! The exersaucer will be great while I'm trying to get dinner finished or laundry started. Anything that keeps my sweet little boy content and happy is my new favorite toy. :)







This is an outfit Grandma Hazen bought while we were in New Jersey. He looks so grown up!


Well, that's about all the time that Peter is allowing me to be on the computer. We are going to Houston this weekend to visit Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Marc, Auntie Em, and various other people, so more pictures to come...

Who needs a waterpark . . .

when you can have a bathtub!!!

I almost put Peter to bed tonight without a bath, but I sure would have missed out on an exciting time! As soon as I took off his clothes, the fussiness was over. My son LOVES being in just a diaper, and he LOVES baths even more. He's always been good in the bathtub - he just hangs out and enjoys someone else doing all the work. Well, he must be growing up, because he has decided that he would like to have a part in all the work. He spent the entire bath grabbing at my clothes and splashing water all over the kitchen floor. He is learning cause and effect - he flails his feet and water lands all over Mommy, Daddy, the table, and the floor. Mommy and Daddy laugh, so he does it again. :)

After bath time, he actually let me put him on his tummy to rub lotion on his back. This is a first - he usually fusses when he's on his belly in the evenings. Tonight he showed off his head-raising skills. He really is getting strong! After rubbing lotion all over, I had to dress him. This brought on the fussies. I'm telling you - if he could go naked all day, I'm sure he would. Thankfully we live in a climate where he can spend most of his days in just a diaper. Our 3-week winter will be over soon, I'm sure, and he can go back to hanging out the way he enjoys - in the buff.

Peter has had a cold this weekend (he caught it from Dad), so he hasn't slept well the past couple of nights. Uh, make that two of us who haven't slept well the last couple of nights. I gave in last night and slept with him for 4 hours. He kept fussing when I put him down after feeding him, so I put him in my arm and we got in bed. He was asleep in less than a minute! Apparently he just needed Mommy. He's in bed now, so I'm hoping for at least a few hours sleep before work begins again in the morning. Goodnight!

Brrrrrrrrr...

Peter had to bundle up today - it was freezing when I put him in Kara's car! Grandma bought this carseat cover in New Jersey so Peter would stay warm while we were visiting there. It has been fairly warm lately, so we haven't had to use it here. It sure came in handy today. Isn't he cute? :)

Peter is getting so big! We had to move the straps up on the carseat. I also removed the headrest. He has been grabbing at toys and putting anything and everything in his mouth. He watches me as I walk around the room. He is quite observant. One of his new favorite toys is his Bumbo. He loves to sit in it and watch what is going on around him.

Well, he's asleep now, so I should be too. Although he slept through the night in New Jersey, he isn't sleeping through the night here. Hopefully that will be one of the next skills he masters. :)

Back To Work

Today was my first day back to work. It was hard to leave Peter, but we have a WONDERFUL sitter. He did great minus the fact that he only took a 30 minute nap. The day went by quickly, and I was able to pick him up by 4pm. Now I am counting the days until summer vacation...


Peter was wide awake last night, so we didn't get him down until around 11:30pm. Andrew finally had to hold him and sway to get him to sleep.




He slept until 6:30am when I went to wake him up.



I fed him and got him dressed. I don't think he was ready to get up!



Kara (our babysitter) picked Peter up at 7:10am. She picks him up on the way to drop her daughter off at kindergarten. After he was gone, I got dressed and went to school.

Look Mom! I Have Feet!!!

When we were in New Jersey, Andrew's sisters thought they noticed Peter looking at his feet. Well, here's proof that he has definitely discovered them! He loves to hold them while I'm changing his diaper. He is so helpful. :)

Home, Sweet Home

After a fun-filled and exciting two weeks in New Jersey, we are finally home. It was sad to leave, but after returning to 70 degree weather (in January!!), I know why I live in Texas. Just yesterday we were all bundled up. Today I had Peter in a short-sleeved onesie.

Peter did very well on his second flight ever. We noticed the infamous rumblings right before boarding, so we quickly changed his diaper and boarded the plane. After sitting on the tarmac for almost an hour, we were finally in the air. Peter slept the entire time we were on the ground and woke up just in time for take-off. I prayed that his little ears wouldn't feel the pressure, and God answered my prayers. While in the air, the infamous rumblings started again. This time it was a bit more messy. With Peter's diaper leaking on Andrew, we had no choice but to change him again - this time his clothes needed changing as well. I am so glad that he's still small! We were able to change him on our tray tables. :) Once he was changed and fed, Andrew stood with him until he fell asleep. Once asleep, Peter didn't wake up until we were safely on the ground in Austin. Once again, God protected his ears from the pressure changes as we descended.

We arrived in Austin around midnight, and a nice guy standing around baggage claim helped us get all of our luggage outside. We had 2 large suitcases, 3 small suitcases, a laptop bag, diaper bag, and small backpack. Andrew went to get the car while Peter and I waited by the luggage. We got everything loaded up and headed home. As soon as I put Peter in his car seat, he started telling his bugs all about his time in New Jersey. He was talking and laughing - it was hilarious! He did great until we pulled into McDonalds to grab a snack. At that point, he decided that he was hungry too, so he cried the rest of the way home. Once home, I fed him and put him to bed - it was about 1:30am by this point. He slept until 7:30, so I'm glad to know that his sleeping through the night isn't limited only to New Jersey!

Tonight is Peter's first night in his crib. We've had him in a bassinet up until this point. He was a bit fussy going down, but he watched his Sesame Street mobile for a little while and is finally quiet.

We will really miss being in New Jersey. It was wonderful getting to spend so much time with Andrew's family. Andrew's mom was such a blessing as she did all of our laundry while we were there. I spent two weeks basically relaxing - cooking, cleaning, and laundry was all done for me. Andrew's sisters enjoyed watching Peter for me, so I really had a restful time. We can't wait for our next trip up north.

Happy New Year!

I can't believe it's already 2008! We celebrated New Year's with some of Andrew's friends in a nearby town. Peter was actually awake, so I took his picture just as the ball dropped in Times Square. I have been thinking about resolutions lately. I really want to set some goals for this year and actually work towards them. After I've had some time to think, I'll post them. Maybe having them in writing will help keep me accountable for them. In the meantime, here are Peter's resolutions...



1. To sleep through the night consistently.


2. To learn to eat solid food.


3. To learn to walk.

I think those are 3 very attainable goals for him, don't you think?

2007 was wonderful because I got the best gift ever. Peter is learning new things every day. We were out to dinner tonight and he held and played with a toy for the first time. He has slept through the night for several nights now, and he is becoming quite the proficient little eater. It used to take me 45 minutes to an hour to nurse him. Now we're usually done in half an hour or less. He is "talking" up a storm, and he is getting the cutest little personality.

He's sleeping now, so I should probably get some sleep too. Enjoy these first pics of the new year!



This was just as the ball dropped and 2008 began. Oh, and just in case you're wondering...No, that's not Andrew's or Peter's beverage on the side table.


Celebrating the New Year with New Jersey friends


Peter and Paul, one of Andrew's friends from high school