Christmas in October

So both my sister-in-laws are pregnant and due in late December/Early January.  We usually celebrate Christmas with Peter's family in Florida and we didn't want to give it up this year, due to the pregnant ladies not being able to fly.  So we decided to have Christmas in October this year.  All of us were there for a week and a couple of us decided to stay for another week.  

We got to hang out with my 2 year old niece and 18 month old nephew.  Things were definitely different this year with more kids being around - especially 2 toddlers and a baby.  More noise, more chaos, more mess...but definitely better.  There is just so much more joy with the kids around. 

  It was very hard to get all the kids in one picture...and all in a good mood.  :)

There are so many pictures I could share from the week (we were trying to take as many as we can since we're not together often), so here is just a glimpse of how the two weeks went. 

 

Even more to come...

Bumbo...

So it's a little early and he can only stand little bits of time, but Henry's been loving his Bumbo seat.  He watches me while I cook in the kitchen and his eyes follow me wherever I go.  It is kind of eerie to think of how much he's like me.  He can't stand to be left out or not knowing what's going on...  :)

Here are some even MORE recent shots of him when we were at the Jersey Shore. 

 

The Jersey Shore

A couple of weekends ago, we went to the Jersey Shore to visit our Duke friends, James and Kristin Chambers.  James was on Peter's team the first year at Duke.  Kristin and I randomly met on a walk with other Duke wives and quickly made the connection that our husbands knew each other.  We became fast friends and I was so thankful for her friendship during our time at Duke....and SO thankful we've continued our friendship since graduation.  She is one of the sweetest, most intentional woman I know. 

 

 We had the best time catching up and seeing a new part of the country that Peter and I had never been before.  Kristin's parents remodeled their beach house and they graciously let us stay at their place in Longport, NJ (thank you AGAIN, Hank and Geri!).  Henry was in the best mood and really gave a good impression to the Chambers and Kristin's parents. :)

 We actually came up with the name "Henry" because Kristin's dad and brother are named Henry.  I heard Kristin talk about the "Henry's" in her family over the 2 years at Duke and loved the name.  When Peter and I were coming up with names, I brought up Henry and we both agreed on the name fairly quickly.  It was great to introduce Henry to Henry.  :)

Henry even loved on Kristin's grandmom....you could just see the joy in her face whenever she held him.  :)

Saturday night, Kristin's parents graciously watched Henry so the four of us could go out.  It was so sweet of them and SO nice to go out.  It was Peter and I's first time out in awhile and we took advantage of it.  The four of us went for a nice dinner and even drove over to Atlantic City for a little bit.  Thank you Hank and Geri for the date night! 

James and Kristin - thank you for a WONDERFUL weekend...can't wait for the next visit.  We miss you already!

Henry at 4 Months....

We have been pretty busy the last few weeks and I haven't been able to post as often as I would have liked.  So over the next few days, I will be posting about our recent trips to Florida and Delaware, as well as the different things that Henry's been up to lately.

But before I post all of that, I wanted to show you Henry's 4 month pictures.  Henry was 4 months old yesterday and I can't believe how fast time as flown.  He's gotten SO big, although the pictures don't really do him justice!  :)

                                                4 Months                                3 Months

                                                4 Months                             3 Months

Out-takes:

Things Henry's doing at 4 months:

• He is "talking" like crazy!  I think he's discovered his voice and likes the sound of it.  :)  He'll lie in bed and just start talking (especially at 3 in the morning...which sometimes makes me laugh, but most of the time I just want him to go back to bed).
• He has been breathing more from his mouth (another new discovery) and he likes to hear himself breath out loud. 
• He has rolled over!  As of Oct. 10th, he has been rolling frontwards and backwards like a champ.  He's also been keeping his head up and playing on his stomach more than ever.  His neck muscles are really getting strong.
• He's grabbing more things...out of my hands, off of the ground, and anything around him.
• He's still not sleeping through the night - practically every 3 hours (like clockwork), but we're hoping he'll start sleeping in longer stretches soon....especially for my sake!
• He enjoying his first trip to the beach and the pool.  Henry was splashing with his arms and legs, loving the waves as they came up to his legs.
• He's using his exersaucer - he's using his feet to stand and is able to occupy himself for about 10-15 min. stretches. 
• Smiling and laughing more and more...can't get enough of his smiles.
• He's just STARTING to sit up...still falls alot, but working on it.  It was actually hard to get him to pose for the pictures this month because he kept wanting to sit up and wouldn't lean against the chair.

What I love... (part 2)

is snuggling with Henry and taking naps.  Everyone tells me this WON'T last and I need to soak it up while I can.  This picture is a tad bit blurry, but I love it.  

Good Morning!

 

Such a happy boy!
Don't judge the double chin...