Bieber baby

Our Halloween approach this year was to keep it simple and use what you got.  And we've got a baby with Bieber hair.  Then I just fashioned some dog-tag necklace out of tin foil and put it on one of my necklaces.

 He's not going trick-or-treating anyways, as if he could stay up that long anyways.  In fact, yesterday he fell asleep for the night at 5:30!! Which is 4:30 after the time change this weekend...  I've never thought about and anticipated daylight savings time as much as I have this year!  We'll have to rework some things to make sure his night doesn't start in the afternoon.  I knew he was tired and figured it'd just be a quick snooze before bedtime-- but he stayed asleep for the next 7 hours. He had a long few days so he needed some extra sleep. And he still slept till 7:30am. I swear every week brings about a new "thing" concerning Obi that keeps me on my toes!  

 How do you think we did??  

Sister bride

What a FUN weekend!!  My sister's wedding was great and I'm excited to have a new brother-in-law! 

Post-wedding recovery this week includes lots of sleeping, house cleaning, and work to get over stuffy noses (all three of us!) and sore throats.

when it gets cold...

When it gets cold here, a few things happen...
... taco soup festers in the crock pot all day.
... candles smell like cinnamon.
... yarn and crochet hooks make their appearance after a long summer.


When it gets cold here, pumpkins get placed on the porch...

... I finally get to use that end-of-season clearanced heated blanket...

...and have a cat steal that blanket.

When it's cold here, slippers frequent our floors...

... and babies get stuffed in hooded sweater onesies.  

When it gets cold here... everyone gets a little more snuggly. 

... even the cat puts up with baby snuggles. 

(he likes putting soft things on his face :) 

When it gets cold around here... babies put up with frequent mommy snuggles.  

 It might be a long season for Obi.  :)

Fall fun

This weekend we took advantage of some amazing weather, and some local free fun at an orchard. Seems funny to do these family outings with just one child who could probably care less... but it was partly for me because I wanted to get pumpkins.  Turns out, I'm a pumpkin snob and did not want the lumpy bumpy odd shaped pumpkins there.  My proportional and beautifully colored pumpkins will be found soon...  Nevertheless, memories were made and I'm sure we'll go again!

Between being sleepy and sunny, Obi was clearly thrilled to be wedged between two pumpkins on prickly straw. 

Obi was kinda sleepy and loopy-- but he would not miss out on the tractor ride.  He loved it-- as much as a baby can love something :) 

Bad year for apple picking... spring frost and summer drought.  But the apple treats didn't disappoint.  Apple cider slushy, apple turnover, and caramel apples. 

I don't think I can snuggle him enough.  By the way-- he's 5 months old today!!!!

... And being 5 months old apparently means the perfect "tossing age" for dad. 

I think Obi likes it too!

funny baby

(Ok, I know I'm becoming the one who can't blog, post, comment, or whatever.... about anything but my baby.  But seriously, this baby is a large part of my life and he's adorable.  And you know you want to see it, right?? :)

He doesn't giggle, he grunts and growls. Is this the beginnings of raising a boy??

I don't know why Obi does this, but it's hilarious.  One thing that can typically ensure smiles and excitement is putting a blanket or something on his face and pulling it off quickly.  Lately, he's been doing this funny grunting thing where he holds his breath and acts like he's filling his diaper. And, that is quite possibly what he might be doing.  He went from having a few dirty diapers a day to now a few a week.  TMI? eh, baby poo is a part of my life now :)

Anyways, I feel like he only does this when he's super excited or trying to laugh.  I have almost an identical video of this from about a month ago where every time the blanket came off his face he got this look of shock and then did his little throat growl.

Funny funny child.  I'm loving this age, he gets a little more hilarious ever day!

the middle name-sake

Obi's middle name is Alan, after the grandpa he doesn't get to meet on this earth.  We visited Dad's grave on Labor Day and took some pictures.

This year was the 10 year mark.  A decade. Almost half my life.  Ughhh-- it's weird to think of it in those terms.  Last year I taught 10 year old kids who were so complex in their thoughts and lives... and all of what they know has occurred in the same time frame that my dad has been gone. 

It's hard.  Dad's first grandchild was born this year, and he has another daughter getting married this year....  Each milestone brings back that sting of death.  But then there's the joy when I look at life through the lens of hope.  And I rejoice in this hope of the glory of God. And hope does not disappoint because God has poured out his love to us through the Holy Spirit.  (Love me some Romans 5 and excited for our church to go through that book this fall!)

It's fun to imagine what he'd be like as a grandpa and how he would just love to take an "Obi-nap" in the recliner.  I'm sure he'd be introduced to his first BB gun even before my little brother was.

Adapting to change was the theme of my teenage years.  And we all love change, right? This concept of "change" is something I've thought about a lot lately in reflecting on how much my life has changed with the arrival of a little crazy-haired boy. I've reflected, and sometimes mourned, my former way of life before Obi.  I've come to the conclusion that we would be robbing ourselves of God's blessings by not accepting "change."  God gives us the grace and the tools to adapt to change as it occurs in our life.
I'm so thankful for my family and just last weekend I was able to spend time with ALL my siblings in one place.  That doesn't happen a lot anymore since we've all had different changes in our lives.  But I love the moments when (even though a lot has changed) it seems like nothing has changed at all.  :)

"four - months - old!"

Sometimes we sit around the house and fist pump while chanting "Four - months- old!"  It gets some pretty good smiles out of him.  And it is an achievement!!  For me, not so much Obi.  He just had to grow-- and I had to grow him!  

15 1/2 pounds..... 75th percentile  (exact same percentile as his 2 month weight!)

26 inches long........85th percentile

16 1/2 inches head circumference...... 50th percentile

This is a good picture to show that from month 3 to 4... his hands are usually in his mouth.  

 And the next pictures show that this boy is beginning to move! 

Here he is lunging forward...

And opting for some tummy time with his bear.   

His hair is as great as ever.  Yesterday I cut the hair of BOTH of the boys in my house.  I had better actually learn how to do that well...  

He still just rolls from front to back.  From his back, he rolls to his side in a cuddle position when he sleeps, but doesn't get all the way over yet.  

Note to new parents....   Doctor's ask you a whole checklist of things that your child should be doing.  I'm pretty sure it's designed to make new parents worry and think the worst. Ha!   But, as with anything, I'm learning that all is OK :) 

And, well, Obi doesn't giggle.  I don't think.  I don't know what his giggle sounds like!  He does a breathy/gurgle/growl noise.  And he's squealed a couple times.  But I really don't think I'd say it's a giggle.  He will, I know.  But that was one of the "checklist items" that he didn't pass.  

It's funny how the things that made us go "Quick, look!" "Did you hear that??" ... are now just normal. The cooing, squealing, batting at toys... are just normal now! 

And here are the first four months...  I like watching his thighs grow :)