Baby, It's Cold Outside!

With the sudden arctic blast, we have had to experiment with many different ways to keep Wade warm while travelling.
He has a heavy winter coat that is perfect if he is in the stroller or being carried. However, it is not the best option for him while in his car seat. The straps will not tighten at all around this huge coat.

He has several hooded sweaters that fit perfectly over an outfit and also fit well in the car seat. The downside to these is they are not heavy enough when he is out of the car seat.

So the option that has worked best for us this week while temperatures have been below freezing day and night is to layer his clothes, add a sweater and toboggan, and cover him with a heavy blanket. He actually seems to enjoy the snug fit he has in the car seat.

Lee has also had fun accessorizing this week. We had just gotten home from church in this picture, so he wasn't as bundled up as usual. For school, he has been wearing a toboggan, scarf, gloves, and his heavy winter coat. I giggle while picturing him undressing at school when he gets there.

Meanwhile, Wade just enjoys snuggling under his nice, warm blanket while someone warms the car and totes him where he needs to go.

We were already up and ready for church when the snow started falling. This is the scene we faced 2 1/2 hours later when we skidded home.

After our nerves were settled from travelling on the icy roads, we were thrilled to get home to this winter wonderland!

Playdate with Hope

Hope came to play with us today while her mom helped at the boys' school. Wade surprised her with a snowman shirt to match his. Our super-talented friend, Allison, made them. Check out her website here. http://www.mommamommacreations.blogspot.com/

I love the way he is looking at her in this one. He thinks she is here just for his entertainment.
Look at their precious little hands....delicious!
They look angelic here. It was very hard to get a picture of Hope looking at the camera, because she was smothering him in kisses the entire time. I saved her just in time from a reciprocal kiss from Wade. He grabbed a handful of her hair to pull her closer and was just about to slime her cheek.

Hope has such big plans for him. Today, she wanted to teach him how to eat skittles. After a quick lesson on "choke candy," I encouraged her to start with crawling. She spent the next 15 minutes crawling around saying, "C'mon Wade....follow me!"

Whatever they get into together in the future, you can bet they'll be having fun!

5 on Friday

Some friends started posting a "5 on Friday" on their blogs awhile back, and I thought it would be fun to do with our family too.

1. Matt enjoyed the Coon Supper again this year and had fun catching up with old friends and family that came from Mississippi and Georgia. He offered to bring some coon home to Lee, and Lee said, "No thanks!" He opted to watch the Titans game from home last night. I'm sure now he's really glad he did! He and Lee are spending the day together tomorrow while I finish our Christmas shopping. I can't wait to see what those 2 get into together.

2. This has been one of the hardest weeks I have ever experienced as a friend. I am a "fixer" by nature and have a really hard time knowing so many people I love are hurting and not being able to "fix" it. Please pray for me (and our MANY friends who are in my shoes too) that my friends see God in me as they seek my advice or simply view me as their confidante. And I assume that most of you who read our little blog know us well, so I feel open to ask you to please remember our friends who are hurting right now in your prayers. I borrowed this scripture from a friend's page that has been a comfort to me the past few days. "The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my ROCK, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. HE is my stronghold, my refuge and my Savior!" 2 Sam. 22:2,3

3. Buzz has not enjoyed the sudden arctic blast. I have to force him out of the garage in the mornings when we leave for school, and when we get home, he is waiting by the door to get back in. He pretty much stays indoors all day until time to go get Lee.

4. Lee is in full Christmas-mode! Almost everything he does and says relates to Christmas. He is full of ideas for crafts and sings Christmas music non-stop. A new favorite of mine is "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth...GONE!" Poor little guy. Losing teeth has long been on his list of things to accomplish in Kindergarten. Unfortunately for him, he doesn't have a single tooth loose. I have to admit that I am not sad that milestone has eluded him. I love his perfect little baby teeth and smile. He is concerned that there are no gifts wrapped under our tree. Hopefully I will get a day next week to get a lot of wrapping done while my little helper is at school.

5. Wade gave us a scare last night when he woke up SCREAMING. He was inconsolable with giant tears streaming down his face. He didn't have a fever, but he was definitely in pain. As a last resort, we took off his clothes and diaper to make sure he hadn't been bitten by something. We tried gas drops, which calmed him down a little, but it didn't last long. He couldn't seem to get comfortable, and when I touched his ear, he screamed out again. I thought he might have an earache, so we gave him some tylenol. He finally settled down and went to sleep while I was holding him. He was up off and on all night and just seemed restless. He got up with a messy diaper this morning, which never happens. Since he still hasn't had a fever and doesn't seem uncomfortable anymore, I now wonder if he just had a bad tummy ache. It was very hard to see him so upset and not be able to figure out what was wrong. He is napping on schedule now, so I think he is back to normal this morning. I hope he rests up today for our shopping extravaganza tomorrow!

8 Months Old

Your biggest fan continues to be your big brother. He can't get enough of you. He wants to be the first one in your room in the morning, the last one to give you a kiss at night, to feed you, to make you laugh, and teach you new words. You are even crazier about him and go nuts when you first see him after being separated. Now I tell you that we're going to school to get Lee as I put you into your car seat. You kick and squeal, and I feel confident that you understand where we're going. The teachers get a thrill out of watching your reaction each day when you first see him.

You are a great eater! You have eaten every fruit and vegetable possible with no allergies. You have cereal and fruit for breakfast, a jar of vegetables for lunch, and a dinner with vegetables and a jar of fruit with supper. This week, you had your first cracker and loved it. You weigh 17 pounds, 8 ounces. I think we will move you to an upright car seat soon. You keep trying to sit up in the carrier, and you don't fit in it as well with all of your winter clothes.

You chew on absolutely anything that gets close to your mouth, and you are as drooly as ever, so I feel like a tooth could appear any day. You like your pacifier a lot, but right now, you seem to be chewing it more than sucking it. I think you prefer your fingers, but I try to keep them out of your mouth as much as possible.

You are a very happy, social baby. The ladies in the nursery at church fight over you, and you love all of their attention. When anyone visits our house, you squeal or "cough" to get their attention. You are repeating a lot of words, although most of them are just one time. Words that you have mastered are "Bye bye, Dada, Mama, Buh-buh, Hi and Up." You have the cutest wave when you do "bye bye." It takes a long time to actually leave anywhere, because everyone wants one more wave from you. You can roll over numerous times to get to something out of reach, and just this week, you started scooting on your belly to reach something. Just when we thought the Christmas tree was safe.....

Smile Makers

This baby loves his food!I have a screen in my car that displays the name of the song that is playing and the singer. Today, I could hear Lee half singing/humming in the back. I asked what he was singing, and he said, "Living on a Prayer." I asked how he knew that song, and he said, "Ya know, I just love that (now squinting to read the screen) Bon Jovi."
I overheard Lee telling Wade that he had learned a new song in music. "Deck the halls with God Almighty. Fa-la-la-la-la..."

L-O-V-E

Matt fell asleep with Lee the other night, and I couldn't help but laugh at how they are laying exactly the same way on HALF of a twin sized bed.

I am enjoying the colder weather and getting to use all of Wade's cute sweaters and hats. He's not a big fan of a toboggan, but he doesn't seem to mind wearing a hood. I think he looks adorable in them!

We put our Christmas tree up the weekend after Thanksgiving. Lee especially had a good time hanging the ornaments this year. A few days later, I noticed something new on the tree....a birthday invitation had mysteriously appeared. When I questioned Lee about it, he said he thought it was just the right decoration for that part of the tree. So he put a hook in it and hung it.

Next, I found his toy camera hanging off the side of the tree.

These mittens are an ornament, but he stuck them on each branch of the tree like he was keeping them warm.

And finally, one night from across the room, something caught my eye on the tree that appeared to be a cowboy hat. Curiosity got the best of me, and when I investigated, I found a "Little People" sheriff stuck on the branch. Lee has made it a real adventure this year of finding all kinds of new "ornaments" on our tree. Some days, I find myself scanning the tree for any new treasures that he added.

Oh Lee!

This boy brings me more joy that I could possibly record. Here are a few funnies from him this week.

While watching the Titans game, a player for the Jaguars named Garrard made a touchdown. Lee saw his jersey and said, "Mom! Look at that man's name. It is Grrrrr!" With it being in all caps (GARRARD), it did look like GRRRRR.

While getting ready for school one day this week, I overheard him tell Wade, "I'm sorry I can't play with you right now. Mom says I have to wear clothes to school today."

In the past 3 days, our church lost 3 members. An elderly couple was murdered, and a 10 year old little boy died after battling a disease. Obviously our church service was emotional this morning. Normally, I prepare Lee when I know in advance that things will be different. I did think about it ahead of time, but I guess I wanted to shelter his innocent heart a little longer from knowing that bad things like these happen. As the service began, and emotions were high all around us, I encouraged Lee to start an activity from his backpack. (Usually, he isn't allowed to get an activity out until the sermon begins.) He got something out, but I could tell that his ears were tuned in to what was being said. Immediately, my mind started racing trying to prepare my answers to his questions that would surely come. After the service, we went to Sunday School, and I was thankful that I had an hour to get my thoughts together. When we got in the car, I was ready. I didn't want to be caught off guard later on, so I started asking him questions about Sunday School, hoping it would lead to his questions about the church service. He told me all about the fun things they did and what they'll be doing to prepare for Christmas. After he didn't bring it up, I decided I would. So I asked him if he had any questions about church. He looked wide eyed and said no. I was relieved that he wasn't as tuned in as I thought. We continued to talk about church, the Christmas decorations, Lottie Moon, etc. I reminded him how blessed we were to have such a beautiful church and a nice warm house to go home to, heat in our car, coats to wear, etc. He added to the list of things we were thankful for, and all was well. A few minutes later, his little voice said, "Mom, I'm roasting back here. Can you turn down the blessed heat?" And to think I did all of that fretting over nothing!

Lee's Message from Santa

http://magicsanta.ca/gateway.html?code=S2IHVT