11 Months Old

Just thinking about what's going to happen next month makes me start to freak out. Really? He's almost one. My baby. My last baby. Let's change the subject.

So, 11 months. He's changed so much this month! He's yaking up a storm. His newest sound is WA!!! which I'm assuming is his version of Wade. He plays so well with his brothers and they are great with him... always making sure he doesn't get any of their little toys and put them in his mouth, etc. He'll hug them and kiss them and I just want to freeze each of those moments. Park has become quite the kisser - all open mouth and slobbery - the best baby kisses ever!

He dropped his bedtime bottle this month all on his own. Dropping that 4th feeding always makes me nervous because I'm afraid he won't make through the night. But a couple nights in a row he was drinking maybe 2 ounces, if that, so the next night we just skipped it! No problem. So now he's just eating regular meals with us.

No more bottles. No more swing. No more exersaucer. No more burp rags (YAY!)

But unfortunately he is getting more ear infections. He's had 2 this month already. He just went back in for a checkup after the first one and his other ear is now infected. So we're heading to the ENT on Monday to start discussing tubes. Jake got them at 13 months and it was an extremely positive experience so we're hoping they help Park out too.

Is he walking yet? Nope! The other boys walked right around their 1st birthday so I'm expecting him to do the same. He's cruising around on the furniture and will even get a little brave and lunge from couch to chair. Then he grins. He's started stacking blocks, putting lids on things, etc and he's really beginning to play with his toys. It's so fun to watch his little mind figure things out.

I love you little man. But I wish time would stand still!!

Christmas 2010 continued

Christmas afternoon we packed up the van and headed to Cedar Point's Castaway Bay as a final Christmas present for the boys. In spite of all the white, winter bodies in way too skimpy bathing suits... we had fun!!

Plus I learned 4 important things:

1. Remember the scene in the movie The Blind Side where the kid said something like, "I've never had one all to myself before".... and he was talking about the bed? Well, this is how the conversation went in my family. We check in to the hotel, get our room keys, haul all our stuff up the room, open the door and walk in. Jake takes a look at the room and the two beds and promptly turns around and asks Colby & me where we are going to sleep. Obviously, my 3 year old feels entitled to his own bed and thinks his big brother deserves his own too. Yikes. We've got some work to do.

2. Luggage carts make great room dividers. Just keep them in your room at night and throw one of those nasty hotel bedspreads over it. Instant sibling separation.

3. I'm not a huge fan of housekeeping in hotels. Especially if we're not there that long... how about I just call you if I need new towels? So on our way back to the room one day I grabbed another tiny bottle of conditioner off of an unattended cart in the hallway. And *wow* did I get the third degree from Wade. "Are you stealing that Mom?" "Why did you just take that Mom?" "Did you ask someone Mom?" A blubbered some type of explanation but in my mind this helped make up for #1. A little.

4. Hotel hallway floors are HARD. But where else are you supposed to hang out with you husband and eat your PB&J dinner after the kids are asleep? I refuse to eat in the bathroom. We've come a long way since our days of cruising the Caribbean. :)

Then we headed over to Toledo to spend a couple days with my parents and the Butlers. We missed my brother, Nathan, who had already gone back to Indiana. Nana & Papa wanted to take all the grandkids to Chuck E Cheese's one night... here they are with all 4 of them!

Christmas 2010

What a great Christmas! The boys had so much fun and they were even more fun to watch!!! We spent the morning reading Luke 2, eating cinnamon rolls, opening presents, and then we headed out to an indoor waterpark for 2 nights. This was a surprise for the boys and they totally loved it - I'll post some of those pics later!

The big boys opening the presents that they bought for each other

Wade & Jake's gift to Park

Presents from grandparents

Wade's favorite

Colby's present :)

Christmas Eve

The boys were so excited for Christmas Eve! In addition to the anticipation for the next morning, they also got their Daddy back that night. Colby was crazy busy during the weeks leading up to Christmas.

But all the nights working until 2am paid off because Eve(nt), the Christmas Eve service at Epic, was amazing! I was so proud of our church!!

The best daddy ever

Opening their one gift on Christmas Eve *pajamas*

Wade was a tad excited to get Phineas & Ferb PJ's

Can you tell?

Jake? Not so much. He didn't like his "baby" pj's.

I really didn't think he liked Phineas & Ferb that much. Nice one Kristen.

Park digging in.

We finally talked Jake into liking his PJ's. We told him that they would be Santa's favorite since they had a reindeer on them!

Setting out the cookies. We had no carrots in the house so the reindeer got some lettuce!

Christmas at Sparks

Sparks is the wonderful daycare where all three boys going during the 2 days each week that I work. Each Christmas they have an Open House and the boys love showing us around their rooms, their favorite toys, and their teachers. Santa even shows up too!

Here are some pics ~ Park's are priceless!

Park with his teachers
One of my very best friends, Shaina (holding Park), is in charge of the infant room.
I don't know if I could leave him with anyone else!!

Jake with Miss Luann and Miss Rachael

Wade with Miss Pam and Miss Samantha