The Weary Traveler

Christmas is my favorite time of the year...but it's also one of the most exhausting. We usually travel to see family. The weekend before Christmas, we went to Albany, Missouri to have Christmas with Poppy's side of the family. It's always fun to go, but it always seems like such a quick trip. This was the furthest Noah had ever been from home.

One of Noah's new favorite things to do is take off his shoes and socks...in the car, in his crib, wherever. When he got up from his nap in Albany, he had of course taken off his shoe. He had an imprint of a lion on his cheek from his Robeez...

Poppy & MiMi with all the grand babies (Taylor, Noah, Aiden, & Jenna)

Noah opening his presents

Aiden opening his presents (he was much faster than Noah)

Noah playing beauty shop (don't tell Greg)

Aiden & Noah in the bath tub (there was a lot of splashing going on...)

Matching Christmas Jammies

We had our Christmas at home in St. Louis on the 23rd. Noah got lots of fun new presents. The cats even liked some of them. They stole some of the balls he got.

Give me your best pitch!

Veeeeeeeery slowly unwrapping his presents... He would pull a little teeny piece of wrapping off and wait for one of us to take it from him. I think he enjoyed tearing the paper as much as he enjoyed the presents.

I love Christmas!

Tearing teeny pieces of paper off of a big present

Let's see how this thing works...

Noah with his new Ball Popper - Not too sure what to think yet...

Then on the 24th, we were off for our crazy whirlwind trip! First we went to MiMi and Poppy's to celebrate Christmas with them. MiMi said I just made Noah have naps the whole time we were there. (A boy needs his sleep!) The next morning, we headed to Grandma and Grandpa's. Two of Noah's cousins were sick and couldn't come. That night, we drove to Uncle Matt and Aunt Vicki's in Kansas City and spent the night.

We flew out of Kansas City to Denver the morning after Christmas. We weren't really sure what to expect with Noah on the plane. We had to get up pretty early to get to the airport, so by the time the plane took off, he was pretty tired. The flight was just under two hours and was totally full. Noah did very well. We had toys and snacks ready for him to keep him occupied. He thought the barf bag was the most fun "toy." He also found his banana very fun. We let him hold the whole thing like a big boy. It was very cute. I would have taken a picture, but I couldn't really get to the camera. He did sleep for a little bit on the plane. I was very surprised. He usually won't go to sleep unless we lay him down and leave the room. He's such a good boy!

We spent the day in Denver with our friends, the Kohlbeckers. They flew in from St. Louis as well. We went to Bass Pro Shops and the Aquarium.

Noah and daddy with a big moose at Bass Pro

Look carefully...There is a shark behind us!

By the time returned to the hotel after dinner, well, a picture is worth a thousand words...

Mr. Fix-It

Noah is 10 months today. Really, where has the time gone? It seems impossible!

A few days ago, I walked past the Christmas tree. Noah was laying near it with a package. He wasn't holding the package, but he had moved it. (It was no longer under the tree.) He looked at me and very, very slowly reached down to tough it. It's so hard not to laugh at him!

His other new favorite thing to do is pull the vent cover off. Yesterday, I heard him pulling it off. When I went to put it back, he had his arm down in the vent. Like so...

It's a little hard to punish someone so cute! So, I took a picture instead.

The monthly red chair pictures are becoming more fun!

Classic Noah Expression

So Cute!

Gimme that camera...

How big is Noah?

SOOOOOOO big!

Is it hot in here?

I neglected to tell a particularly funny story in my previous post... Friday night, we packed up in the car and went to Bass Pro Shops. We got Noah all bundled up; it was cold. About the time we got there, Noah started fussing. We got out of the car and Noah felt like he was a little warm. I pulled his hood back and his entire head of hair was totally soaked. We were a little embarrassed to take him in, but we did anyway.

It's All Fun and Games...

...until someone gets trapped in the basement. One night last week, I went downstairs to feed the cats. Greg wasn't home from work yet and Noah was playing in the sitting room. When I headed up the steps, I notice two little hands stuck through the cat door. I opened the little door so Noah could see me. I think it startled him a little. He pulled back, but didn't really back up. I couldn't get the door open because he was in front of it. I managed to get my arm out and move him enough to get through the door.

You will be happy to know the "sock bandit" was caught! Static electricity was to blame. Greg found my sock stuck to one of his shirts. Once he found it, I became obsessed with finding Noah's cute sock. I unfolded all of his pajamas, sheets, onsies, etc. trying to find it...nothing. A few days later, I was changing Noah's sheet and what did I find? The sock! I really thought I had inspected all the of the sheets when the sock was missing. Since his sheets are round and have elastic all the way around, things tend to get caught in there...

Noah is doing all kinds of fun things! If you ask him what a lion says, he roars. It's very cute! I'm working on teaching him baa like a sheep. He clicks his tongue, claps his hands, his favorite...spitting. We're trying to keep him from doing that. His newest trick: If I say "how big is Noah?" he puts his hands up over his head. It's pretty cute!

He's also figured out how to pull himself up. So far, he just does it in the bathtub. Where else??? It's pretty tricky to wash a baby who is trying to pull up. Our favorite: the bath time curly mohawk.

On December 9, our church had its annual Christmas Tea. It's always super fun. Each table has a hostess who decorates the table. All the tables are different, which sounds like it could be a little overstimulating, but it's really not. They're gorgeous. Everyone uses their china. Here's a picture of my table from this year. (I now have the centerpiece in my kitchen. Greg doesn't so much like it. It gets in his way.) And, Aunt Judy, mom, I used your "favorite" dishes this year.

Greg and I really like modern things. So, a traditional Christmas stocking will not do. I had a very fun stocking my friend Eryn gave me several years ago. But this year, I decided to make Greg and Noah stockings. I even made the pattern myself. (I'm a little proud of them!) I want to get names put on them after Christmas. Hopefully, you can tell which one is mine.

Here is a super cute video of Noah. It needs no explanation. But we already have a Tiger fan on our hands.

Yesterday, Noah was following me down the hall. (He still crawls army style.) He sounded like he was working extra hard at it. I turned around and looked. His pants were down around his ankles. When I put them on him, I knew they were a little big in the waist but thought they were okay since his shirt covered them... I tried to get the camera really fast, but he had them almost off by the time I got back.

Noah LOVES to pull the tags off of the presents under the tree. My mom told me I shouldn't have presents under the tree yet. But, I really don't want Noah under there anyway. At least with the presents there, I can hear something.

He also loves to chase the cats. They don't love it so much. Truman just runs when he sees Noah coming. Jinx lets him get right up to him before he runs off. Here's Jinx playing with Noah's balloon and Noah trying to pull his hair.

Noah has figured out if he bangs his head on something intentionally, it gets our attention. When he's done playing in the Johnny-Jump-Up, he grabs the door frame and bangs his head on it. Is that normal?

The Sock Bandit

What exactly happens to the socks that mysteriously disappear in the wash??? Noah and I each lost one sock in the wash. I've always been able to find them, but so far, nothing... Noah's were super cute too!

The Thanksgiving Tostada

Noah had a good first Thanksgiving. We spent it with some friends here in St. Louis. Noah was the hit of the party. We walked in the door and one of the girls took Noah and this is what happened...

Still the center of attention...

Noah wasn't really in the mood for a family picture.

Seriously, he wasn't in the mood.

I managed to "punch" sweet little Babs in the mouth... Greg told someone she was trying to take the last piece of turkey. She was washing dishes and I was trying to be helpful and pull her sleeves up so she didn't get them wet. It slipped out of my hand and I punched her in the face... I felt really bad.

Last week, Noah decided the burrito was for the birds. I'm so glad he did too! I thought I was going to have to make him a new one. They don't make one any bigger than what he has; his little toes were about to break through the end. So, as my aunt said: "Now he's a tostada."

Saturday, Greg and I went to the MU/KU game. It was miserable! When we left home on Friday, Greg checked the forecast. It was supposed to be 50 and sunny. We packed accordingly. It was 40 (if that) and snowy/rainy. We weren't dressed appropriately. The people we were with had an extra hat and blankets. If it hadn't been for that, I wouldn't have lasted.

The Bully

It's hard to believe someone so cute could be a little bully...but it's true. Sunday, we took Noah to our friend's house, the Hunters. They have 3 little ones: twin girls who will be two on Christmas and a little boy who is one month. They all had on these super cute little sweaters, so we put them in a chair to take a picture. The first thing Noah did when I sat him down was take Atley's lamb from her. Then Shelly put Canon down and Noah dropped the lamb and reaches over and pulls his paci out of his mouth. As you can see, Avery was very worried about it.

Avery, Canon, Noah, and Atley

Monday Noah had his 9 month check up. He weighs 19 pounds 8 ounces, which is only the 30th percentile. He's 29 7/8 inches long, the 95th percentile... Long and lean. He got a great report.

He's all over the place now. We're trying to teach him "No." He likes to spit when he's eating. We always tell him no. Last week, I was trying to change his diaper and he was trying to get away. So, I told him no. He immediately started spitting. He's associating, just not the way we want him to... He'll get it.

I gave him a few whole peas this week to eat. He mostly played with them. I put one in his mouth and he acted like I had just put dog poop in his mouth. He did eat a few.

Noah "eating" his peas

Noah in the bath

9 Months

Noah turned 9 months old on Tuesday. Can you believe it??? I certainly can't! I had the hardest time getting him to sit still for his picture. He kept trying to faceplant off the chair or to grab the camera. So, the picture isn't the best. But you can see all 4 of his teeth.

Deer season opened this past Saturday. The boys all got up at 4:30 so they could be on their stands by the time the sun came up. Monday morning, Greg got his deer. Over the past several years, Greg hasn't shot anything. So, we were very excited. It's a 9 point buck. Poppy even drove Noah and I out to see it. (Noah was interested in something else as you can see.)

Noah is all over the place! He's crawling...army style. He's getting pretty quick about it too. He likes to chase the cats. They LOVE that! They actually are really good with him. They usually just move when he gets close. Noah has managed to pull their hair. No bites yet. Noah loves to spit while he's eating. It's very frustrating. I need a bib when I feed him.

I've managed to loose the charger for the camera battery. I've look everywhere I can think to look for it. If anyone has any brilliant ideas feel free to share!

'Tis the Season!

I just love this time of year...fall, Thanksgiving, Christmas! They're all Noah's firsts! There is a radio station here playing nothing but Christmas music. Noah and I have been listening to it; it's our favorite! Starbucks has the Christmas cups and drinks, peppermint stick ice cream is back... What more could a girl ask for? Lower gas prices, perhaps! I'm in luck! It's down to $1.89. I can't remember the last time it was that low.

Noah got his second hair cut on Monday. He looks so handsome. The new hair cut and new teeth make him look so much older. It's a little sad. My baby is growing up. He did really good for his hair cut. We even had to wait about 15 minutes for someone else to finish up. He goes to the Hairy Elephant for his hair needs.

He's scooting more and more every day. Monday, I left him in his room playing for a little bit. I went back to check on him...only he wasn't in his room. He was in the office.

He loves to bang on the floor vents. They make a fun noise. Last night, he was scooting around in the sitting room while I was eating dinner. He was banging on the vent and the next thing I knew, he had the whole vent cover pulled out. I have no idea how he did that... I've come to the conclusion life as we know it is over. I knew it was coming, but it sort of snuck up on me...

He hasn't quite figured out that he can't always fit through spaces. Here he is trying to get between the chair and ottoman. It made him a little mad.

And here is he getting ready to have a bath. He LOVES his baths.

He has really great eyesight. He will find a teeny bit of lint on the floor and make a bee-line for it to push it around with his little finger. It's pretty funny.

Yesterday I was supposed to take a snack to Bible study. I made an Egg and Cheese Souffle. I got it all ready Monday night and baked it yesterday morning. Only it wouldn't bake. I did what any reasonable girl would do...I cried. Then I turned off the oven and got bagels and Bread Co. I was so disappointed. To top things off, it was closer to being done than I thought. I wanted to threw the dish and all in the trash because I was so upset.

He's been all out of whack because of daylight savings time. He's been waking up between 5 and 5:30 (before daylight savings time ended, he was waking up at 6 or 6:30). This morning, he woke up at 4:15. He was in there talking away and playing. So, I just left him thinking he'd eventually go back to sleep. It was dark and he had no toys to play with... He played for an hour. I couldn't believe it!

The Nursing Union Strike

A few months ago one of my good friends recommended this book called The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding. It has lots of great information in it. It's a ratherly lengthy book, so I've just read bits and pieces. There is a section that talks about nursing strikes. When I first read it, I thought I'm so glad that hasn't happened to me. It seems I spoke too soon... Noah decided last Thursday he was going to strike. He's getting his 3rd and 4th teeth and was biting me. He didn't like my reaction, so he went on strike. The book says the strike usually lasts 2-4 days and makes suggestions as to things to try to end the strike. We tried everything!! I dipped myself in sugar, I tried the old bait and switch method, we dripped milk into his mouth with a medicine dropper. Nothing was working. I even woke him up in the middle of the night two nights in a row thinking he would be so tired and he would nurse. Still no luck. On the way home from church today, he was falling asleep in the car. I worked and worked to keep him awake until we got home. He made it without going to sleep, but he was super tired. I decided I'd just hang over his carseat and see if that would work. (Usually, when we get him out of the seat, it kind of wakes him up.) It worked!!! It was no easy task dangling over the carseat. It was hot and rather uncomfortable, but it worked!!! I kept trying to tell him it would be easier and faster for everyone if he'd just nurse! (You can't reason with an eight month old.)

The Lion Cub

Noah dressed up like a lion for Halloween. He was the cutest lion I've ever seen. Our inspiration was his lion Robeez. We even taught him how to roar. His cousin Aiden was a lion cub too. Aiden's mommy, Ashley, and I had no idea we were both going to have lion cubs.

The friendly pirate, the lion cub and Audrey Hepburn

Who knew lions could play the guitar?

Noah's cousin, Aiden

If My Hot Dog Had a First Name...

Noah is visiting his MiMi and Poppy in Columbia. We went to have lunch where Auntie works (she was the best server we've ever had!). When we were leaving, we got the two little weenies all strapped in and ready to go. Here came the Oscar Meyer Weenie... So, out came the cameras and the boys! Some poor unsuspecting college student took our picture.

Then, we just had to go to the pumpkin patch... Aiden needed a pumpkin.

Pumpkins

Last weekend, we took Noah to the pumpkin patch. Mostly for our entertainment...or so we thought. There were TONS of people there and it was a really nice day. Noah picked out a little "Noah-sized" pumpkin. He licked it and everything. Then we got to the check out line which seemed to go on for miles. So, we decided we'd just get him a little pumpkin at the grocery store. (A boy needs a nap and all...) He cried when we took it away from him. We're so mean. He's totally attached to his pumpkin. He carries it everywhere. He has favorite toys, but not like this. If he sees it, he has to have it! It's pretty cute. It's getting very squishy from all the dropping and wallowing. I bought him a couple of replacements this morning...and we threw away the first. It was definitely on the verge of exploding on him. He doesn't like the new one as much, of course!! Too bad his first favorite thing was perishable.

He licked this pumpkin too. He thought he was getting a big one.

He's very big stuff!

Do I need a license to drive this thing?

The pumpkin he almost got...

Eight month picture in the red chair with, of course, the pumpkin.

Great Auntie Judy will be happy to know Noah LOVES mangoes (just like his mommy). He hates green beans. He's very smart. When he sees them coming, he closes his mouth and will not open it! Apparently, he can tell by the look and/or the smell.

Yesterday, Noah was playing on the floor in our room. He started fussing a little bit. I turned around and this is what I found... Of course, I had to run and find the camera before I helped him. (I'm so mean.) I have no idea how he got under there.

Here he is sending some emails...with his tongue hanging out (a common occurrence as of late.)