8 Months Old

Friday, November 20, 2009
Today Layton is 8 Months old

8 months old! Crazy, but true. Our baby boy is turning into a little boy. It's very bittersweet. I love this stage, it's great. He's learning so much and he is watching everything you do because he tries to repeat many things that you show him. I will always miss the very itty bitty baby stage. I wish I could go back and do things differently. I'm sure every mom thinks that. That's why you are so different with your second child. I wish I would have breast fed longer. I know it was painful and a tragic thing for me but I now wish that I would have joined a breastfeeding support group. I'm sure Layton would be a different baby today if I would have continued to breast feed. He probably wouldn't sleep as well and he would be a lot more attached to me. So there are some positive sides to it not working out. I wish I would have cherished the middle of the night feeds a little more. He loved to be cuddled then and now he does not! I'm not a big fan of the teething stage. That's what we are in right now. He is a little more whinier now that he is teething. Not something I'm a fan of but I can handle it. He has changed a lot since last month. He's gotten a lot taller I think. He wears 6-9 month pants for the waist but he could wear a 12 month for the length. Here's a little more about Layton over the past month....

• He is fascinated with his tongue!!! This just started a couple weeks ago. He loves to stick it out all the time!
• He loves his exersaucer and jumperoo a lot now. He can really get the jumperoo going and he enjoys playing in his exersaucer.
• He drinks from a sippy cup. The only bottle he gets is usually at night before bed. Hopefully we will be rid of that by his 1st b-day!
• He's eating more solid foods like, grilled cheese, cheese cubes, pb&j, diced fruits, breads, and other fun things.
• I'm still making his baby food. The only thing I quit making was applesauce because it's cheaper to by the natural applesauce in the small containers at the store and it takes a lot less time then it does to make it.
• Still no teeth...but teething like crazy. I'm shocked they haven't popped out yet.
• He's starting to STAND!!! Lots of help still but starting to get the hang of it...YAY!!!
• No crawling for this boy, at least not yet. He will roll onto his belly and sleep on his belly but he's not shown to much interest in crawling.
• He loves hats!!! I'm so glad JJ and I started that early because he will always wear a hat and he never bothers it.
• He no longer uses his little tub that goes inside our tub. He's a big boy now and can set up all by himself in the tub!
• He naps well (usually) our morning nap is usually the best one, about 1 1/2 - 2 hr. then he will take 2 other short naps in the afternoon and evening.
• Sleeps through the night, he's been sooooo good at that since 6 weeks old.
• He still LOVES mickey mouse. He's going to have a Mickey Mouse themed first birthday! Watch out everyone I'm going overboard!
• He talks and talks and talks. Dada, JJ, bababa, ball, hi, gagaga, dododo, but...NO momma! What the heck! How do I get this child to say Momma???
• He knows some sign language. He will do milk and more. We are still working on all done, bath, and sleep!
• He dances a lot. Especially when there is music on.
• He's still in his chicco car seat. We are not quite ready to switch him to the car seat Tammy gave us. Maybe after Christmas he will be in a big boy car seat.
• He's made it 2 days in the church nursery so far!!! That was a HUGE step for JJ to let him finally go to the nursery! He did really well the first day but the second day he pooped out and was tired so they called us back to come get him. He almost made it the whole time, we only had like 10 minutes left of church.
• He loves babies and kids! He gets along with them so well. It's like he is mesmerized by their size and the face that they resemble him!

I'm sure I'm missing something but I think that is about the basics of Layton and our life right now! We are loving our little guy and every new thing he is learning! We can't wait for the holidays! It is going to be so much fun this year. I really think he is going to love the lights and the wrapping paper!!! Here are some great pictures for you to enjoy. Happy 8 months Layton!

I threw in some baby pictures for you to remember what he looked like then


And how much he has changed since then!

There he is, our little guy!!!

He was giving his zebra a pep talk

So silly

Giving zebra some lovin!

and he likes to lick him too!

Standing in his crib w/ a little help!!!

Happy Boy

Happy to be 8 months old

We just LOVE him!

Loves to make music!

That's his "not so" innocent face!

Gotta love that smile

and that hat!

There's that tongue hanging out!

Still baby blues...YAY!

Happy, Happy, Happy

Story time! Every night I set down with him and we read a couple stories. He really enjoys it, but now it was his turn!

Let me turn the page mommy

Now he's going to read to his friends!

Caught him in the action!

He's going to be a great leader someday

STANDING

Gotta love the progress he is making!

Can't believe my baby is growing up so fast.

"really mom, do you have to continue to take a million pictures of me? I only let my Auntie Megan do that!"

Reminiscing

Sunday, November 15, 2009
Our first trip back to Ball State

Yesterday JJ, Layton, my mom, and I all went to Muncie to visit Ball State. JJ and I hadn't been there since I graduated. After having Layton, we really haven't had time to go to any football games or just go and walk around. It was such a beautiful day out yesterday so we decided to make a trip up there. Plus I wanted to get Layton some Ball State clothes to wear since he doesn't have any. We had a great time. We walked around the campus. JJ went back to the applied technology building were he spent most of his time and I stopped by Cooper Science which ended up being my first home there for a while. We stopped by the bookstores and got some BSU gear for the family and then we grabbed some lunch at famous Schotty's. We really had a great time. It was fun to just go back to where it all started pretty much. Enjoy the pictures from our fun day.


JJ at the applied technology building


His famous area of work...Six Sigma, that wasn't there when he was in college but it was something he learned at Horton once he started his job.


Time well spent

I can't even tell you how many times I walked these halls seriously

Layton enjoyed his day! He had a good time seeing where mommy and daddy spend most of their time before him.

Oh, how I so do NOT miss that place!

We only had 1 year together at BSU until JJ graduated but we had some good times here.

Pretty

Goof Ball

If we would have only came a couple weeks earlier and the leaves would have been so pretty.

What a beautiful campus

Haha, well the baby hats don't fit Layton anymore!

Just a few fun pictures

Sunday, November 15, 2009
Fun Pictures

These are just a few fun pictures of Layton and the things he loves to do. Enjoy!!!


He loves to root on the Colts every Sunday!


They look like twins!


GO COLTS!

Biggest Colts fan, next to his daddy!

He loves bath time!

Gotta love a naked baby!

Loves massages with lotion too, but who doesn't!!

Getting so big!

I just love his expressions too!

He LOVES to eat!

Always a fan of something new

He loves playing with his doggie :)

That doesn't look like a face that is up to something does it!

Talking to Gracie, he loves to talk and talk and talk. (I wonder who he gets that from:)

Best buds!

Our first date with Baby Gabe!

Tuesday, Novemeber 10, 2009
Our first playdate with Baby Gabe!

Today Layton and I went to see Baby Gabe for the first time!!! He is home healthy from the NICU and ready for playdates. Well, not to many playdates quite yet but Layton and I were fortunate to be able to come visit. Emily looks amazing and she is like super mom. She does everything so perfectly and they have like the perfect routine. Gabe eats so well and is gaining weight like crazy! One day Layton won't look so big next to him, just give him time, he'll be catching up soon!!! Adam was home from work too so we got to spend some time with him as well. Also Laci from work came by too. It was so much fun just hanging out with everyone and holding little baby Gabe. I even got to bottle feed him (not that I am bragging or anything!) He is doing so well breast feeding too, you would have never known that he was a little bit early. Here are some great pictures of our visit. Look how much Layton loved him, it's so cute!



Isn't he so precious!


Little Baby Gabe


Best Buds from the start! Layton looks a little protective there!


He was so alert and attentive

At 8 months old, Layton wanted to hold him :)

Ok mom, I'll just pat his head then!

He really wanted to hold him, it was so cute.

They had matching outfits, unplanned at that!

Layton and Gabe having their first "Buds" meeting...Look what Layton taught him...

How to eat your paci!!!

He's so sweet, I just wanted to eat him up.

I love baby Gabe

Emily dressed him all up just for us! He looked like such a little man!

Look at his little feet

We didn't even prompt him to do this, everytime we put Gabe next to Layton, he wanted to kiss his little head!!!

Layton is telling Gabe all the fun things he's going to teach him!

I can see Best Buds in their future!

Gabe was such a good sport!

One day Layton won't look so big next to him!

Aren't they so cute together

He's just so handsome.

Laci, Emily, and Baby Gabe

Love him :)

And he was full of smiles too.

We LOVED our visit w/ Emily and Baby Gabe! We can't wait to see them again!

Diaper Cakes for sale!!!

Sunday, Nov. 8th, 2009
Diaper cakes for sale!

I've started a tiny business for fun and it seems to be working out quite well. I am making diaper cakes for baby showers. I started with Layton's (yes I made his own diaper cake for our baby shower!) and I really, really enjoy making them. It is actually therapeutic in it's own way and it makes me feel good when they turn out so cute. I've made quite a few so far. Different themes, boy and girl genders, and I can make so very cute neutral ones too if the sex is a surprise. I would love to help you make one if you have someone special having a baby that you would like to give it too. They really make a perfect gift and they are the talk of the shower. Prices vary completely depending on what you want. I can buy off of the registry and decorate it till it can't hold any more (like Emily and Gabe's!) or I can make it very simple and elegant/cute. All we have to do is talk about what you want, you can look at pictures and we can come up with some ideas. I am totally flexible. Below are some samples of pictures of diaper cakes that I have done for other people. I don't have all the pictures on here but I've done a couple more that turned out really cute too. Have fun and just let me know if you would like me to help you make one!!! 765-278-8689


This is Jamie Black's diaper cake that I made for her and baby Riley

The baby's room was done in puppy dog theme. I can make the cake themed around their room so they can use it as a decor too.

There are LOTS of fun things that you can add to them

This is Emily Johnson's baby diaper cake that I made for baby Gabe.

I went a little overboard with this one but it turned out SO cute. This one was my favorite.

She did a elephant/jungle theme so I tried to stick with that and I added a lot of toys too.

This is baby Kallie's cake that I made for Julia's shower.

Julia registered for the blanket and the elephant so I bought that and added it into the cake.

Her room colors are lime green and hot pink. I found some cute ribbon to go with those colors.

This is a cake I made for one of my mom's friends.

She did her room colors in pink and brown.

A little plain but VERY cute.


Back side

Lastly this is the very first one I did. This was Layton's diaper cake.


His room is done in a jungle theme so I bought jungle ribbon and a cute giraffe to go on top.

I still have it on his bookshelf. I love it.

BIG steps!

Sunday, November 8, 2009
A BIG step for Layton...

Today when I came home from Julia's baby shower I was surprised to find....Layton sleeping in his crib on his BELLY! That's right his BELLY. I couldn't believe it. You all know how much we have struggled with him and his insane dislike for his tummy. He hates tummy time, he doesn't play on his tummy, he doesn't sleep on his tummy, and he sure doesn't crawl because that would mean he would have to be on his tummy and he wants nothing to do with it. Just maybe we are making some progress. Maybe he will crawl, maybe he will just be a late comer. I sure hope so, I would love to see him crawl around. So...here is proof because I know you all wouldn't believe me!!!

Happy Halloween!

Saturday, October 31, 2009
Layton's first Halloween!!!

We had a blast dressing Layton up as Mickey Mouse for Halloween. Mickey is like his idol right now so it was a perfect fit for him. We didn't go tricker-treating since he still too small but we had fun going around to family and friends to show off his costume. We stopped by JJ's parent's and grandma's then we went to my cousin Bree's and then to my mom's to pass out candy and our last stop was to Megan and Jason's. I have to say, he was the cutest dang mouse I have ever seen! I hope you enjoy the pictures!!!



Isn't he so adorable!




Love that face!

My little mouse

Playing at Mami and Papi's

You can barely see his head!

Tricker treat

Mackenna Grace

Aaron in costume

Aaron and sis

Beautiful

Scary Kenna!

And Michael Jackson lives on!

Aaron, Anthony, and Alyssa

Jay and Kenna

Gotta love that pink bib!

Layton w/ Nanaw

So they are all getting along at this point. UNTIL....

Layton starts talking to much so Dani tells him to "Be Quiet"

I'm warning you boy or I'm going to knock you down

I'm NOT kidding!!!

And down he goes!!!

MOM HELP ME!!!

And back to being best buds!!

That's what my face would look like all the time if I had three kids at this age!

awwww...Dani and Layton making up!

snuggles!

Happy Halloween everyone!!!

Playdate!!

Friday, October 30, 2009
Playdate!

Tessa, Bri Oliver's little girl came over for a couple hours to play with Layton while Bri went to work. I got the joy of watching her and Layton loved it. He's adores kids and him and Tessa had a blast together. They played so well, which was suprising because they are both use to playing with their own toys and not sharing to much but we had no problems. Here are some pictures from our fun day!






Isn't she so cute.

Haha, his faces are so funny sometimes!

Seriously!

She loves to share :)

Fun Fall Day

Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Playing with leaves can be so much fun!

Today Layton and I spent the whole day together just the two of us. It's so much fun to do playdates but sometimes it's a blast it just being the two of us! We had a really good day together and since the weather cooperated, I decided to take him for a walk to enjoy the nice outdoors. Here is what we found along the way!!!



A trail full of leaves!


He loved them!


He was so interested at picking them up and looking at them.

I think he's going to be pretty smart and I feel like he might focus well too because his attention span is GREAT!

Full of leaves

Look momma!

Still gotta love those blues :)

Hard at work

He's talking to the leaf here, how cute!

ooooohh.

My little boy setting up all by himself and growing up so fast.

haha, I loved his face on this one!

Happy boy

I think fall might be his favorite season :)

Such a sweet little guy

7 Months old!!!

Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Our little boy is 7 months old!!!

I honestly can't believe I am saying this...Layton is 7 months old. Just the other day I was looking back at his baby pictures and I couldn't believe how much he has grown and changed! He is really starting to be a little guy and not so much of a newborn baby. We are working on all kinds of things right now.

Layton is finally setting up on his own!!! He will play w/ his toys on the floor without any trouble. JJ and I still have the boppy him just in case he falls over but he hasn't had to rely on it to much these days!

No we are NOT crawling. That's ok really. It's less I have to worry about him! He has no interest what-so-ever. So I'm not to sure if he will ever crawl. I guess time will tell.

He takes his milk from a sippy cup during the day. The only time we use a bottle is at night. We still have to warm the milk up, he's not a fan of warm milk yet, maybe when he gets a little bigger.

He's starting to eat more solid foods! He had his first pb&j the other day! He loved it. Small pieces with no trouble. He's still hasn't grasp the concept that he can feed himself. We are working on that one. I bought some puffs for him to practice with. I pour them out on his tray but he pretty much just likes to play with them!

Still loves bath time. Still sleeping through the night!

No teeth yet. He is teething but he doesn't show it to much. He really is a great baby and is rarely fussy.

Starting to stand....with help!!! Lots of help! But Jay likes to put him on the back of the couch and he will peek over, it's so cute!

Our new thing is, we are working on sign language. He is catching on quite well, hopefully soon he will be able to communicate by signing too!

He got his flu shot today and he didn't even cry! Not one tear, actually he smiled after it was over. I'm telling you, he is growing up.

He has been a true joy to our lives. I can't even imagine my life without him. Yes there are days when it's a lot of work. Especially the days I am in the kitchen making his baby food and he is screaming on the floor on his play gym. Sometimes I just want to say..."Don't you know I am in here making all this food for you!!" But instead I stop what I am doing and scoop him up in my arms and give him LOTS of lovins! He is totally spoiled!!! I'm anxious to see what the next month brings!
I will try not to make it so long between posts next time. We've just had a LOT going on right now. I appreciate all your comments and you reading faithfully. It's a lot of work to keep this blog going but I do it for you!

Enjoy these 7 month pictures!!! He's is SOOO BIG!





Mommy and Me

My little man

Sitting up playing!

Loves to play

My little 7 month old

That tongue hanging out!

Watch me dad!

SOOOO BIG

Our kiddos!

Playing together

Buddies!

Something about the tongue hanging out all day! I dont' know what it was!

To cool for school!

love that face!

Soooo cool

Giggling!!!

Push mommy push!

Weeee...

Loved the swing!!

What a shock

Monday, October 12. 2009
An unplanned visit to the ICU

This is not going to be one of my favorite posts to blog but I feel like it might help get my feeling out there and sometimes it's just better to see it to know it's real. JJ and I met when we were in youth group. Literally some of the best times of our lives thanks to our wonderful youth pastors PC (or Pastor Charlie) and Angie his wife. We have always been close to these two. So close that PC married us back in '05. They moved to Ohio a couple years ago and our lives have been so busy that we haven't had the chance to see them as much as we use to. Last year JJ and I along w/ my mom and bill went to see them around Christmas time when I was pregnant to catch up and to visit their church that they were attending at the time. We hadn't had the chance to visit since Layton was born but that all changed this weekend. We found out that PC is in the ICU in Ohio with double pneumonia and adult respiratory distress syndrome. My heart sank when we read Angie's blog. I was in shock, complete shock. JJ and I knew we had to go see him. So after work on Sunday, him, Bree, Ashley, and I loaded up and headed to Ohio. We slept in the ICU that night not wanting to miss a thing. Angie greeted us in the morning to give us all the news. Watching him lay there hooked to the vent, in a drug induced coma, unresponsive, was so scary. But there was a sense of peace the entire time I was there in his room. It was like God was saying, "It's ok, this is all just "stuff" it won't be here long. This is the way to heal his body and to make him well." It's amazing that someone who is unresponsive is still working. You will not believe that amount of people that are praying for PC and not to mention all the people that have restored their faith in God because of him. He has always been a leader, and inspiration, and man of God. Even unresponsive, he is still speaking to many hearts and teaching in the eyes of God.

I just ask that you keep PC, Angie, Justin, and Abby along with their families in your prayers. Angie does a wonderful job at keeping us updated everyday with his care and progress. They have had some good days and bad days but God is good and this will all just be a story that he can add to his many others.

I will try to keep you all updated.

Stay strong PC...We love you so much. We are praying everyday.

The Next Baby Gap Model???

Saturday, October 17th, 2009
Baby Gap Model??

We entered Layton into the casting call that the baby gap is having to search for their next baby model. Layton has such an awesome Godmother and to show her support she took some amazing pictures of him for us to use to enter into the contest. It really doesn't matter if he wins, we had fun entering and not to mention all the wonderful pictures I have of him thanks to Megan!!!

So your job is to vote for him everyday until November 17th. You do have to register, but that is only so they can keep track of how many times you've voted and to make sure that you only vote once a day. They won't send you silly emails or anything.

Here is how you vote...Go to,
www.gap.com/castingcall
When you get to the page they will ask you for his member name of ID number you can put in either one.
Member name is: laytonwilliam
or
ID number is...275053323
We have 4 pictures of him posted. You can vote for all 4 if you wish.

Keep up the votes! Maybe our little guy will be the "Next Baby Gap Model"

Love you all, Enjoy the pictures that Megs took!



Now doesn't he look just like the next baby gap model!

love that face

and those eyes!

Our little boy!

toes!!!

Haha, slobber in my face, gotta love it!

Slobber again, I guess that's what I get for throwing him up in the air!

Momma's boy

Loves to play with your necklaces and hair! Gotta love the hair pulling!

New House!

Tuesday, Sept. 29th
New home for my momma and Bill!

My mom and bill bought a new house! They are now living at Deer Path close to Verizon Wireless in the Noblesville area. They are no longer just around the corner from us but I think this house suits them a lot better! This is their first house together so they are pretty excited. The pictures that I took were of the house before it was completely finished. Now that they are moved in and settled, I will be posting some more pictures on of the final project!
Congrats Mom and Bill, I am so proud of you guys!

Enjoy :)



Standing in my mom and bill's room looking at the bathroom and the stairway.


Their bathroom


Master shower

Master tub

Looking out of their room

Upstairs

Looking at the other two bedrooms

They just got their yard put in the day that we were there taking pictures!

Standing in the living room looking at the kitchen.

Master bedroom

Upstairs looking down

Second bedroom

Layton's room :)

Looking out of Layton's room, Master bedroom straight ahead.

Second bedroom closet

Office room

Standing outside of the upstairs bathroom looking out.

Second bathroom upstairs

It looks really cute decorated!

Upstairs looking down at the family room

Standing in the kitchen looking at the dining room

Kitchen closets, pantry, laundry room, and outside doors

We took pictures right before the appliances got there. Don't worry I'm going back to take more pictures now that they are moved in.

Happy, Happy, Happy!

Staircase

Beautiful

Love it

Front door

Brand new homeowner!

Layton's first pair of Stride Rites

Wednesday, September 23, 2009
New Shoes!!!

Today Nanaw bought Layton his first pair of Stride Rites!!! Dr. Harper suggested us buying good shoes to help him stand. So as spoiled as he is, he got his first pair of stride rites. He loves them! Having a spring baby, you don't put shoes on them a lot especially when it's hot out. The down fall of that is, he doesn't like to wear socks and shoes! But luckily we put these on him and he liked them and he is starting to stand a lot better. Amazing what shoes will do!

Hey check out my new kicks!

So innocent (yeah right!)

Loves them


Spoiled little boy!

6 Months

Wednesday, September 23, 2009
6 Month Dr. Appointment

Today we took Layton for his 6 month appointment. Sadly he had to get 4 shots, 3 vaccines and 1 flu shot. Not our finest moment, he had about a 5 minute meltdown with lots of hugs and kisses and it will be ok's and then he piped back and was ready to go. He does so good. He really impresses me every time. Dr. Harper said he looks fabulous. Doing all the right things at the right time. He's eating great and he's not worried at all about his fluid intake. He's gaining weight and looks/sounds healthy so eat away he said. He just loves Layton. Every time we are there he complements him and he always kisses his head, it's so cute, he such a wonderful pediatrician.

So 6 months now...I can't believe it. He has changed quite a bit since last month. Here are so new trends he is showing us!

• He gives high five.
• He is starting to mimic us more and more. When we say, "Layton has a bad cough", he starts coughing. It's so stinking cute!
• He laughs a lot now. When things are funny he recognizes it and laughs and laughs.
• He is rolling more, especially for things he wants
• Still not a fan of tummy time. Dr. Harper said that's ok, he may skip crawling and go straight for walking
• He loves to say Dada. ALL the time, everyday. He talks a lot now and mostly he gaps but he loves to say dada! No mama yet, he hasn't even attempted it. You say, "Say Mama" and he says dada, frustrating but funny!
• He sleeps great. Naps well during the day. One short morning nap and a long afternoon nap. He's not real into rocking to sleep at night anymore, so after his bottle and bedtime story we say our good nights and but him to bed and he usually falls right to sleep.
• He loves his jumperoo!
• Plays with toys a lot better now, and he loves it. He moves them from hand to hand. He loves tags. We have a toy that still has the tag on it and if we took it off I don't think he would ever play with it again!
• He still loves to watch Mickey Mouse
• Loves to eat!!! He's had all kinds of things now. Carrots, peas, green beans, mixed veggies, squash, apples, bananas, peaches, plums, strawberries, blueberries, pears, potatoes, chicken soup, sweet potatoes. He likes it all, just not a fan of pineapple!! We'll try that later. And he still prefers rice cereal over oatmeal.
• Drinks from a sippy cup and a straw. During our plane ride he had about 6 drinks of my lemonade from my straw. Too smart!
• Still loves the tubby! Starting to be interested in toys during bath time
• Sitting up!!! With a little assistance but getting stronger everyday
• Still not holding his own bottle yet, maybe in the future!
• Started to dance! Whenever music is on you say "Layton dance" and he shakes his whole body!!!
• He is now....17lb 5oz and 27in long. That would make him 50% for his height and weight. I can't believe how big he is getting. But trust me JJ and I can tell because his carseat keeps getting heavier and heavier!

So many changes! I love sharing them all with you! But the best part about this month is the fact that Megan took his 6 month pictures!!! Let me tell you, he was horrible. He cried the entire time, so as you go through these pictures remember that because you can't tell it at all. That is how fabulous Megan is. She gets ALL the credit for this shoot because Layton made it a tough one on her and you can't even tell it. Thanks Megan I love you and I cherish these pictures from the bottom of my heart.

Enjoy!

What a smirk!

So curious

Backwords hat

Tired already!

Love that look

Our little tiger!

HAHA...love it

My favorite family picture

My favorite picture ever!

We were trying to cheer him up!

I think he looks like me here

Amazing Megan

I love this one too

Mr. Blue eyes

Adorable

Thumbs up

Looks like he is off the goonies!

Yep, that's about what it was like the whole time!

toes

Love my boy

Jay did so well trying to make him laugh

Layton's first plane ride

Thursday, September 17, 2009
Layton's first plane ride!!!

6 months old and here we go! Layton made his first plane ride this past week! Or should I say 4 plane rides. We were a little worried about the lay overs that we had, since we flew into a small airport in New York we had to make a lay over trip to board a smaller plane but we had no issues at all. JJ and I planned for this trip for months and I was a nervous wreck. We've never traveled w/ an infant obviously and we had no clue what to expect. Packing was the worst part. All you mommies out there know and can relate w/ me when it comes to taking a trip w/ an infant. You feel like you have to take everything because you never know what you might need. Well that is exactly what we did. Now most airlines charge you for every bag that you check, so we decided to ship some stuff in the mail to my dad's to make it easier on us carrying wise and cheaper too! With only "1" checked bag (that's right you all heard me, I only packed one bag for the three of us for 6 days) a small carry on suit case, a diaper bag and Layton's riding backpack, we managed to make it to and from New York with out any troubles!!! Another nervous feeling I had was not knowing how Layton would do on the plane. Being cramped in my lap, ears popping, bored, tired, hungry. All these things you can't plan for and it just drove me crazy thinking about it. On the way to New York he slept on the first plane ride from Indy to Phili and then we fed him during our lay over and we played a bit and then it was time to board our second plane and once again he napped during the entire flight! We got so lucky! Same thing happened on the way home too. He slept the first flight and on our last flight home he was awake the whole time entertaining us! We watched Mickey Mouse on our dvd player, and he played and talked a lot and before we knew it, it was time to land! We had so much fun, he makes things so much more exciting. Flying was never this fun before him!!! Anyway, here are some cute pictures of his first airplane/airport experience. Oh and by the way, the new airport in Indianapolis is awesome! The people that work there are so friendly too, what a great experience.


Layton in his carry me backpack!!!


Thank you SOOO much grandma and grandpa Slike. He loved the back pack and it was a huge help for us too. We love you both.


Wish Jay could have carried me too! Move over Layton, I'm getting in!

Plane ride!!!

He really enjoyed it

Family Vacation

September 17-22
Our trip out to New York and PA for a family visit

Here are some more great pictures that I took during our trip to see my family. What an awesome time we had. The only downfall was that it went way to fast. JJ and I prepared for months for this trip and I feel like it came and went like it was nothing. But the most important thing was that we got to see almost all of my family and we all had a really good time. Not to mention Marie got all of us kids and grandkids in the same location to get a family picture! Enjoy the pictures, it's only a small capture of all the fun we had. Miss you all already :(



Playing at g-ma Rie's and g-pa Dennis's


That blue outfit really makes those eyes pop out!!!


His silly face

Ok, these next couple of pictures crack me up. Layton likes everybody, we really haven't had any problems with him being scared of different people holding him...until now!!!

Sorry uncle bubbles, he will warm up to you I promise.

The best part is, the whole time Layton is crying...Uncle bubbles is smiling!!!

Way to be a good sport! It's so bizzare because ALL kids love uncle bubbles, but Layton had an issue for some reason!

Here is Layton's other Uncle, uncle Fuzzy!

They are both looking at the ceiling fan. I think Layton may have gotten his eyes from Uncle Fuzzy!

On our four wheeler ride. Noah led the pack

It's so nice and relaxing to go four wheeling when we are there. We have nothing like this in Indiana.

It was such a gorgeous day out too.

G-pa Rich and G-ma Jackie running into the back of Noah!

Love to ride

This is where my 7 year old nephew wants to build his house. He knows exactly how he wants it. He told me he has to have a wrap around porch all around the house so he shoot deer off of it whenever he wants. Yes he's 7...can you believe it.

Future home owner some day!

What a view, we just love this place.

My three sistas Diane, Tammy, Theresa (and baby Charley) and me!

This picture of us cracks me up. We were so prepared!

More family shots at Mackenzie's party

Noah playing with his friends Colby and Dillan

YEP...that's my dad!

Having a little too much fun w/ Mackenzie's b-day presents!

Little baby Mazey 7 weeks old

Loves his aunt Tammy, so precious

We miss her already

Renee w/ Gabi

What a face, too cute Layton

Another classic face! With a thumbs up at that!

Thumbs up dude

Party dress that aunt Theresa and uncle Joe got her

Love their faces!!!

My two favorite boys!!!

Mackenzie's Birthday Party

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Mackenzie's 4th Birthday Party!



This year my little niece turned 4!!! I can't believe it, time really has flown by. I feel like just yesterday she barely walking around and now she is dancing and singing, and she is so tall and beautiful. Since she has been born, I haven't been able to make any of her b-day parties and knowing this year that we were going to fly out to see everyone around her b-day I asked Tammy if she could wait on us to have her party when we were there. Thankfully everything worked out and Jay, Layton, and I got to share her special day with her. She is growing up so fast. She loves to watch movies, she would watch them all day if you would let her. I am guessing an actress is in her future because not only does she love movies but she is quite the little drama queen and she knows what she wants and when she wants it! Poor Noah, he takes her so well. You would think she is the older sister sometimes! She loves to dance. Tammy started her in ballet and dance class and she loves it. She is so girlie, I love it. If I could have a daughter, she is exactly what I would want :) So here are some great b-day pictures from her party for all of you to enjoy. Love you Mackenzie!





Opening Aunt Diane's present before they had to leave.


Two princesses :)

CAKE!!!

4 candles to blow out

So cute, I just love her

Such a little princess

It was so cute, she had the littlest blow ever, Tammy had to help her :)

Take two...

Ok, mom will help!

Yay!

Her Princess cake

Rob and Renee w/ Maddy and Gabi

Little miss Maddy

Now it's time for the best part...Presents!

She was nice at the beginning and let Noah help her.

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LOVES her movies
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Adorable

All three can help
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This present cracked us up, she would pull every single little piece of wrapping paper off before she even looked at the gift. I think she might have a little OCD in her!!!

I asked Tammy how long Christmas takes because this present took like 10 minutes to open. She said it's an ALL day event!!!

She loves clothes

Her first Penn State shirt. My grandparents would be so proud!!! We are all lovers of Penn State.

She is so cute, she loved everything!

Family Vacation!!!

Monday, September 21, 2009
Our first family photo

I am sure this happens with all families when it comes to getting a group photo of the whole family, its BIG work. As long as I have been in this family, I don't think we have actually had a group family photo. Now that we are all grown and most of us with families, Marie decided it would be a good time to get a photo since we were all going to be in the same state at the same time. It took a lot of work, but we all managed to show up and smile, and Aunt Debbie ended up getting a lot of good shots. Enjoy :)



Noah loves Layton. He is the best with him, we got quite a lot of pictures of the two of them this w-end! (I think Layton was demanding his bottle here!)


She's proud of that water! Baby Charley is only a couple of months until he/she makes the big enterance into this crazy family!!!


Thanks momma and dad for the wonderful dinner afterwords :)

Loves Aunt Tammy

We sure are going to miss her :(

There's my princess niece Mackenzie

Adorable, I love this picture

Dad w/ his two grandsons (we may be adding another one in December, I think Charley is a boy!)

Never too old!

The grandkids so far. Noah, Layton, and Mackenzie

Welcome to the world of Chris. He's always there to lighten up the mood a little.

I think he would have made a good girl!!!

Fun shot, the whole family

Another fun shot, Layton wasn't to good at looking at the camera, but at least he wasn't crying!

Mommy-to-be Theresa w/ baby Charley

Love these girls

So cute, I love their faces!

Dad and Marie w/ the grandkids

Dad and Marie w/ Diane and Tim

I know, they are a gorgeous couple

Chris and Tammy, Mackenzie and Noah

Family shot, Wonder why they are all laughing??!!


That's why! Leave it to Chris!

The two that made it all happen

Theresa and Joe, you can't even tell she is pregnant, she looks great.

The inlaws, don't they look good :)

3 best brothers a girl could ask for

Us w/ dad and Marie

Love my two boys

What a wonderful family. Next family photo will be when Layton is 10!!! So cherish this!

Dr. Visit

Monday, September 14, 2009
Dr. Visit

Today JJ and I took Layton to see Dr. Harper because he has been tugging and grabbing at his right ear for about a week now. Because of this, he has created a nice little sore in the inside of his ear from picking at it so much. I didn't think it was an ear infection because he didn't have any other signs of infection but since we are taking him to New York on Thursday I wanted to be sure nothing was wrong. Thankfully no infection! Dr. Harper said we have a healthy, wonderful, good looking baby boy! Since I have been so intently worried about him being slightly delayed in some areas I went ahead and asked Dr. Harper about sitting, crawling, and standing. Layton, thankfully is not delayed, I'm just a pushy mom I guess! Around 6-9 months we should start to see him sit more independently and Dr. Harper suggested we get a johnny jumper or an exasaucer to work on his leg strength. Thanks to Brooke we have a johnny jumper so I got it out that afternoon and put him in it and he loved it! So, over the next couple months he should start to become a little more independent....it actually makes me a little sad, my baby is growing up. We also got a weight while we were there and he weighed a whoppin....17lb 11oz!!! The homemade baby food is working!!! Here are some great pictures for you all to enjoy to see how he is progressing!



While I was trying to pack for New York, Gracie wanted to be sure we didn't forget her!


Here he is in his big boy jumparoo!!!

haha, loves to suck on everything!

A little interested

loving it, and gracie is not that far behind :)

umm...let me have that

workin them legs :)


He loved it :)

sitting up time

how precious. They really do love each other

They listen so well, for now anyway!

Layton don't you know you should wait a good 30min after eating before you play!!!

so cute

Little tipsy

I love my little man

lovey boy

sitting all by himself, yay!

smiles

supporting the Insinger Excavating business!