Happy Anniversary!

Yes I know this post is about a month late, but better late than never right?  On Jan 30th, 2013 David and I celebrated our third anniversary of marriage.  It was actually our first anniversary that we have spent together.  Our first anniversary David was in Arizona on the border assisting the border patrol with his unit and our second anniversary David deployed to Afghanistan.  So, three years later on Jan 30th we actually got to wake up together, give each other a big kiss and wish each other happy anniversary.  It was awesome!  That day was a thursday so David and I spent the night in, ate a yummy meal that I prepared for us and drank some even yummier wine, Stag's Leap, courtesy of David and Becky Cook (thank you so much!).   That weekend we drove to Fort Worth, dropped Weyland off with Nana and Papa and got to spend our first baby free weekend together.    We had such a great weekend together!  We started off by seeing a movie downtown, something we had not done since before Weyland was born.  The Avengers was the last movie we saw together, just to give you a reference.  We saw Silver Linings Playbook and it was so good!  After the movie we checked into our hotel and then took a stroll around downtown.  It was really nice but also kinda weird having so much time to ourselves.  We almost didn't know what to do.  That night we had dinner at Bob's Chop House, in the Omni Hotel (the hotel in which we were staying... convenient right?)  It was very yummy!  That morning we got to sleep in and we didn't have to worry about changing a diaper or feeding a baby.  It was awesome!!  Although we were pretty anxious to get back home to get Weyland.  We missed him so much.  So after some breakfast at the hotel we sped on home to get him.  It's a funny thing about missing someone.  You are glad and appreciative of the break, but you can't wait to turn around to return to them.  While we were off celebrating Nana and Papa took Weyland to his very first trip to the Fort Worth Stock Show!  I went every year as a kid, so I was really glad Weyland got to start the tradition early.  I know he had tons of fun there!  So thank you Nana and Papa for taking him and for letting David and I celebrate together.

Can't believe it's been three years! Never gonna let you go!

The only two photos we managed to snap of ourselves.  Shame on us.

At the water gardens downtown Fort Worth

Ready for dinner

                               

Eight Months!

Weyland you are eight months old, which means only 4 more months and you will be a year old.  I could cry right now just thinking about that.  You are growing up so fast.  You are a totally different baby now.  You can sit up on your own now.  You are now able to pull up onto anything you can reach, which includes the ottoman, coffee table, you crib, the ledge of the fireplace, cabinets, the baby gate, chairs, well pretty much anything in our house.  This month you began the beginning steps to crawling, getting on all fours, rocking on all fours, moving your arms in front of you and then dragging your legs.  But about a week ago you finally figured it out.  You have instantaneously become a very mobile little guy.  Which I was totally unprepared for.   Sometimes if I look away for a few seconds you have turned the corner into the next room.  You are my little explorer now.  It's as if you can finally touch, feel and explore all those things around the house you have been looking at for months but have never been able to get to.  Needless to say we have baby proofed everything.  Oh and you have also figured out how to open cabinets, yikes!  You now have 2 teeth.  Your bottom 2 teeth came in pretty much back to back.  The first one showed up on New Years day and the second one was a few days after.  You are becoming more and more independent.  I can sit you on the floor and you can play on your own for a solid 20-30 mins.  I still like to play with you, but it's nice knowing that you can entertain your self for longer periods of time.  You love books!  Sometimes when I can tell you are getting a little bored I just sit you in my lap and we read a few books.  You love it.  Your Aunt Page gave me some sign language books for babies, with basic signs and you love to watch me sign to you.  I'm praying I can do it enough that you will catch on soon.  You also love to bang your hands or your toy on any surface you can.  I should just buy you some drums.  You also love to listen to Daddy play the guitar.  It'a a little trickier to do now, since you can crawl over to Daddy and bang on the guitar as he is playing it.  So most of your guitar listening sessions are done in your high chair now.  Or Daddy just lets you join in the fun and lets you bang away.  You are still a mama's boy, which is TOTALLY okay. :)  But thankfully it's only when you are really cranky now that you will not have anyone hold you or play with you except for mama.  For the most part you are a pretty laid back, happy go lucky guy.  You are not nearly as temperamental as you were when you were much smaller.  But you still have moments when your touchy more sensitive side comes out.  It's mostly when you are tired or when you get a little impatient waiting for your food or even when you don't get what you want, now.  Speaking of food, you are still an excellent eater.  I find that I have to make more and more baby food each week!  You are officially a meat eater now too.  You are trying to work on chewing chunkier food since you have a few teeth to work with now.  You are becoming more particular about food too.  You will eat any fruit I give you but veggies are another story.  If I mix them with fruit then you usually have no problem but on their own it's a struggle sometimes.  You like sweet potatoes, squash, carrots, and spinach (only cause it's hidden).  You are still nursing, which I am very thankful for.  You weigh about 18 pounds now (according to our scale at home), you are wearing 9 month clothes and a size 3 diaper (I've been on a cloth diaper strike these days).  You still LOVE your thumb.  It's your soother, your companion, and your best friend.  :).  You are more and more vocal  now too.  Your vocabulary now consists of da da, ma ma, ba ba as well as various other syllables.  Lately your favorite thing to do is to squeal.  It's almost as if you are testing your vocal range to see how high pitched you can get it.  It's pretty funny.   Bath time is something you are not as fond of as you once were.  It's very hit or miss.  Sometimes you love it and other nights you can't wait to get out.  The evening has never been your best time of day.  Sleeping is the same as bath time, sometimes it's great and other days its a struggle.  But at least your sleep at night has become consistent.  You will have one wake up around 3 or 4 to eat but then sleep till 7 most days (thank goodness).  Happy 8 months Weyland!  We love you so very much!

Loves that thumb

My happy little guy

Probably his favorite play spot, go figure

My view of Weyland these days

You still have such an expressive face.  I love it!

 Sorry Weyland, I couldn't help myself

 We finally gave in and gave him his own remote.  

I took a lot of video this month, so here is a little Weyland movie montage 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbdIJCV1lNI

Christmas Extras

Weyland's first time on Santa's lap

Decorating the tree

Admiring the tree

Some pictures from Mimi and Big David's visit the weekend after Thanksgiving 

Happy New Year!

We rang in the New Year just the way you would expect new parents to, a night at home with friends, games and champagne.  Rachel and Jim drove up from Lewisville to hang out with us in Lawton for New Years.  We got to spend all weekend with them!  Saturday night we went to the very disappointing Holiday in the Park in Lawton.  It was very underwhelming, but entertaining at the least. I only mention it because it was about the only picture taking we did the whole weekend.  Then we went home and ate some yummy chili.  

The next day we spent a relaxing morning at home and then Rachel and I escaped for a few hours to go and see Les Miserable while the boys hung out at home.  Don't feel sorry for them, they had lots of football to watch.  Les Miserable was amazing!!  And it was the first movie I had seen since Weyland was born.  I was due.  That night we ate dinner, put Weyland to bed, cracked a bottle of Champagne then busted out the Catchphrase.  We played multiple rounds of Catchphrase and went through a few bottles of Champagne.  I'm pretty sure we ended the night in a tie, but if you ask me Rachel and I won.  The boys were cheaters ;).  We even made it to midnight.  Yay for us!

Catchphrase!!

  Happy New Year!  

Thank you Rachel and Jim for making the two hour trek up to Lawton to spend the New Year with us.  We had so much fun with y'all.  Now we owe you two a trip to Lewisville.  Love you guys!

Weyland's first snow

While we were away for Christmas we were missing quite a snow storm in Lawton.  Lawton and the surrounding areas got around 4-5 inches of snow, so there was plenty there waiting on us when we got back from our Christmas travels.  I was not gonna miss out on a perfect Kodak moment with Weyland in the snow.  But it was so chilly outside this is the only picture we managed to get.

Houston, we have a tooth

Weyland started out the New Year with a bang.  Some time new years day I had my hand in Weyland's mouth, probably for him to chew on, and I felt something jagged on his bottom gums.  I couldn't believe what I was feeling.  Weyland has been a little extra fussy these days and that probably explains why.  Rachel and Jim came up to Lawton to celebrate the New Year with us, so they were witnesses to the whole thing.  That same day, Weyland was doing his old song and dance not wanting to take a nap.  So we were all sitting around watching him on the baby monitor try to "work it out", when all of a sudden he pushes himself up to a sitting position all on his own.  He has been able to sit up for a while now, but has never been able to get there on his own.  Needless to say it was a big day in the Cook household.  Guess it's time to lower the crib...again.