Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!  Weyland had a very successful first Christmas, even though he had no clue what was going on.  Haha.  Weyland got hooked up.  So much so that David and I had to make room in his closet to put half of the toys.  But the older he gets the more I realize he could have 50 really cool toys around him but all he want is my bracelet or the remote.  The remote never gets old.  But the toy that lights up and says all kinds of things gets old really quick.  Yet we continue to buy you toys.  Hum.  We started out the Christmas holiday with the Smith's.  We stayed a night or two the weekend before Christmas to visit with my parents and my sister!  Page had yet to meet Weyland and both her and I were very anxious for her to meet him.  At last they meet!  Weyland was mesmerized by Page and her hands.  She signed to him the whole time and he just stared at her in awe.  It was so precious.  One night Page helped me give Weyland a bath and put him to bed.  Page read Weyland his stories and I have never seen him so still during story time.  He loved her all of her animation.  Weyland got to open all his presents from the Montefusco's, Page and Nana and Pa Pa.  And he made out pretty well.  Nana and Pa Pa are already doing what grandparents are supposed to do I guess, spoil Weyland.   And he also got to go downtown Fort Worth to see Santa and all the pretty christmas lights.
I can't forget to mention that Friday night I had several babysitters so I pounced on the opportunity and went and had dinner with the girls (Tiff, Ash, Linds and Rach).  I had such a good time.  I treasured every moment of being with my girl friends, talking about what girls talk about out at dinner (men),  having some wine and remembering what life was like pre baby.  It was awesome.  Thanks girls!

"Christmas morning" at the Smith's Christmas

Weyland loves his Aunt Page!

 Time for presents

Downtown Fort Worth

Admiring the tree

Story time with Aunt Page

After our Smith Christmas we made our way southeast to Lufkin for a big Cook Christmas.  This was the first Cook Christmas I have been able to participate in also.  It all starts at Mama Cook's house on Christmas Eve Eve where we gathered with all the Cook sibilings and their families.  Lots of cousins.  I'm not sure how many people were there, but it was a lot.  Significantly more than at the Smith's house.  We had a fish fry and ate lots of yummy food.  Gator balls, fried fish, boudan balls, hush puppies, lots of good stuff.  After everyone has full bellies we all gather in the family room to open presents.  And there are tons of presents.  It's a little bit of Christmas chaos, but all the kids love it.  After gifts and more food, the late nighters end the night with dominos.  42.  I've never learned so I opted out.  It was at this point I went home to put Weyland to bed and let David stay and catch up with his Aunt, Uncles and cousins.

 Weyland with Mama Cook

 Weyland with Pop

 ALL the presents!

 The Cook cousins and their families

Cousin Will

 Uncle Mike (the lone Longhorn of the family)

 Blake and April Cook

 Uncle Don and his grandson Jacob

Mama Cook and Pop opening their gifs 

Christmas chaos!

Cousin Lauren 

The next day, Christmas eve we spent recuperating from the Cook Christmas just relaxing at home with Mimi and Big David.  We went to a candle light Christmas Eve service that night, which was really nice.  It isn't Christmas with out a Christmas Eve candlelight service.

Christmas day started off fantastic.  Weyland let me stay in bed until 7, which was a Christmas miracle. Santa came and it was cold and wintery outside.  Then the rain started, then the wind, then the hail and then the power went out.  That's right folks, Christmas day and we lost power.  That means no yummy Christmas dinner.  At least we made it through presents and breakfast.  Then Weyland started to act funny.  I had seen this song and dance before and knew fever had struck.  Great.  No power and a sick baby.  Fever I could deal with, we are experts when it came to fever.  But the vomiting, I didn't know how to handle that.  Luckily his one episode of throwing up was his only one.  And all with no power.  In and out of the bath, diaper changes and temperature checking with no lights.  Not fun.  It was around 3 pm and all the lights in the house suddenly came on.  Hallelujah.  Another Christmas miracle.  Becky rushed to get her beautiful roast in the oven so we could some how still have Christmas dinner.  She did and we finally got to have Christmas dinner, which was delicious!!  You can't beat a prime rib roast.  Weyland's fever was still up and down but it finally broke sometime the next day.  But Santa as well as Mimi and Big David were very very good to Weyland.  At the end of it all we had a whole truck bed full of presents.  Half of them are currently in still in boxes in Weyland's closet.

Santa came!

Tissue paper was much more fun for Weyland than any of his actual presents

 Weyland's first camo!

We had such a great Christmas!  We thank you for all the gifts that Weyland received.  We are so blessed to have such wonderful family that is so loving and giving.

Seven Months!!

 Seriously where did the past seven months go?  It's hard to believe that you are seven months old already.  It seems like there have not been too many significant changes in your development in the past month, but as I write this I'm sure I will be retracting that statement.  Let's see, just because it's the most recent change we will discuss it first.  You are a total mama's boy now.  The minute I hand you off to someone, you start to wail and reach back for me.  Now, you would think that any mother would long for this, but when all you want to do is be held, I long for those breaks from holding you when visiting friends and family.  Recently during Christmas we were visiting family and many of the aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents got to look at you but not hold you much at all.  But I can usually rely on handing you off to Daddy without any protest, unless you are extra cranky.  But, I must admit that I do love that you love me so much.

You can sit independently now.  Much better than at 6 months.  You still aren't crawling but you are still extremely mobile.  I can no longer put you in your bouncer because you have figured out how to get out of it, as well as the bumbo.  You still like the swing, but I have a feeling it's only a matter of time before you figure how to wriggle out of that too.  Thank goodness for your jumper.  You are liking it more and more now, especially since you have figured out how to jump in it.  You roll, scoot, and arch to get where you want.  And you are pulling yourself up onto your knees now too.

You are a talkative little guy.  You have perfected "da da" and now you have started yelling.  It's not a mad yell, but that classic yell babies do just because they can.  Sometimes you do it to protest, but most of the time it's just because.  We have FINALLY taken the sling out of your bath and you are sitting up in your tub now.  We were really nervous about letting you sit up in the bath, so it took us a while to transition.

You are in lots of transitions now.  You are sitting up in the bath.  You are sitting in high chairs in restaurants.  It's time to leave the car seat in the car at the grocery store too, and let you sit in the cart.  But I haven't gotten the guts up yet.  Tomorrow's the day...I think.  You seems really interested in finger foods but you HATE texture in food, so I guess finger foods will have to wait.  It's this time in your life that I have to learn with you during your transitions.  Which is where all my other mommy friends come in handy.  Thank you mommy friends.

You are still breastfeeding, even though we hit a rough patch there for a while and I was having to supplement with a bottle in the evening.  You are pretty much back to your normal nursing now, which these days is only about 10-15 mins and it's a very acrobatic 10-15 mins.  You still love to eat solid food and I have started giving you meat. Pureed meat, yum.

I forgot in include your height and weight stats last month, and they probably haven't changed too much so I'll include them here.  You are tall and lean, like all the rest of your Cook cousins and your Daddy.  You weighed 16 lbs and you are 27 inches long.  You are in the 16th percentile for weight and the 67th percentile for height.  You are sleeping good these days.  We put you down by 8 and you usually wake up anywhere between 430 and 5.  But you usually go back to sleep for a little while after I nurse you.

Hearing you giggle is probably the funniest and sweetest noise I have ever heard.  Me or Daddy get you rolling and we both crack up hearing you laugh.  Although you never laugh at the same thing twice, so it's a challenge and mostly an accident when it happens.  We can usually get a guaranteed laugh out of you when you play with George, when Daddy takes a swig of his beer, go figure, or when Daddy does a funny dance.  That has to be my favorite.

Since it's hunting season and all, Daddy has been teaching you all about hunting and animals.  He likes to take you in the living room to look at all of his dear mounts.  You stare up at them, and your arm suddenly starts to drift up toward it to touch it.  Daddy can't wait to get you out there in the duck blind or deer stand.

He was very interested in the monthly sticker this time

Happy Thanksgiving!

I wasn’t going to post about thanksgiving because I did not do well in the picture taking department, but I figured I have to because it’s Weyland first Thanksgiving.  We hosted Thanksgiving at our house in Lawton so I was a little busy entertaining and getting dinner ready.  We were joined by my parents, who drove up from Fort Worth to spend the holiday with us.  As well as a few other military families, the Borrellos and the Holms.  They are both families we knew in El Paso and who also got re stationed in Lawton.  We were so glad they could join us!  I wish I had taken some pictures of the whole crew but I only managed to snap a few of Weyland after dinner was over, while the men were cleaning up.  Thank you boys!!  Over all Thanksgiving was a success.  We ate a ton and spent some great time with friends and family.  Now it's time to gear up for Christmas!!

Six Months!!

When Weyland was about 2 weeks old 6 months seemed miles and miles away, but now it's here.  How did that happen?  The days are so long sometimes, yet they seem to fly by faster and faster and I can't seem to get a grasp on how fast you are changing.  One minute I am looking at you saying, "I can't wait until you can sit up" and then the next day when you have magically gained the ability to balance on your lean little legs kicked out in front of you, I say to myself, "NO not yet".   I know I'm gonna be saying the same thing when you start standing, walking and talking.  I want you so badly to reach these milestones.  But as soon as you reach them I'm suddenly not ready.  Oh the woes of parenthood.

So what's going on with you Weyland...you are my little man now.  You are a real person who laughs and reacts and looks at me when I say your name.  You still love to eat.  After I nurse you we sit down to eat your solids and you can't get enough.  You get so excited to eat, you kick your legs and squeal.  Right now you pretty much eat anything I put in front of you, thank goodness.  I know that will change as you get older so I'm trying to enjoy it now.  You are sitting up now.  You haven't really figured out how to get there on your own yet, but you can balance really well when we sit you down.  I can sit you down and give you a toy and you go to town.  And I'm thinking you might be one of those babies who skips crawling.  You just like to roll.  When you lock on to something you want just a few rolls and you get there.  You love to chew on everything these days!  I'm pretty sure you are teething, but no teeth yet.  You also love to reach and grab everything in front of you including George and mommy's face.  Poor George.  And poor mommy's face.  I have several battle scars.  George is not such a fan of all the grabbing either.  He mostly just runs away. You are wearing 6 month clothes now and size 3 diapers when you're not in cloth diapers.  My stress about naps has now gone away.  It has taken me 6 months, but I have finally accepted that sleep is not something that comes easy to you.  You fight sleep about 80% of the time, but I have learned patience is the key.  You will fall asleep, sometimes it just takes you a little longer to surrender.  You are taking solid naps these days, sometimes they are an hour and half and sometimes they are 30 mins but they are naps nonetheless.  Your sleeping at night has improved as well.  You are finally sleeping through the night, for the most part.  But you are an early riser.  You have been getting up at 5 am lately, bright eyed with a huge smile on your face.  Lucky for me my favorite time of day is going and getting you out of your crib in the morning, so it makes that 5 am wake up a little easier.  It makes my heart melt to see you smiling up at me like I am just the person you wanted to see first thing in the morning.  Your new bff is your thumb.  You love that thing.  You pop it in your mouth any chance you get, especially when you are tired.  You still aren't a huge fan of being in your car seat.  But as long as you aren't tired you do pretty well.  Lucky for me we moved to a small town so getting from one place to the other never takes long.

We love you so much Weyland!  You are probably the coolest person I know.

By the way, we are all settled in in Lawton and are liking small town life so far.  If there was only a Target....

Our little Aggie

Daddy's future hunting buddy

 We still give in every once in a while and let you nap on Daddy

Bath Time!

Best buds...sort of ;)

Smiles for momma

 

 You talking to me?

I love Sophie!