Christmas!

Hunter's first Christmas was fun! We were very busy, but he was still able to get in all his normal naps. So, I was happy! We had a few before Christmas... on Christmas eve we spent the day with my mom just hangin out at Jen's house. We waited for Jared to get off work and then headed to St. Marie to have Christmas with the Yager family. We stayed there about 2 hours and then headed to the Herboth's for their Christmas Eve "open house". I enjoyed this day very much and we were blessed with many gifts!

Christmas day we got up early (well Hunter was up early, haha) and we had our own little family's Christmas. Then we got ready and headed to Jen's again to have Christmas with my dad that morning. We had a great breakfast and Hunter was able to take a morning nap while we were there. Then, at about 12 we went to Jared's Grandma's and had Christmas with his mom and family. We enjoyed a great big lunch and opened many gifts once again! Then at about 2 Hunter was ready for his afternoon nap so we headed home and got to enjoy some down time before going over to Donsbach's for the big Nuelle Christmas. We opted out of the gift exchange this year but a few people still got little Hunter something. We ate there, once again a great meal!

We were blessed with many gifts again this year! Hunter got lots of toys and new clothes! I can't imagine what our house will look like when we have other children! We definitely will need a bigger home in the future, haha.
Here are a few pictures from our Christmas'!

Table Foods

I was very surprised at Hunter's 6 month appointment when the doctor said he could start trying table foods! He still doesn't have any teeth yet though. So, this might be kind of hard! However, I have let him gum on a piece of pizza, some crackers, pudding, strawberry banana jello from Niemergs, he had some mashed potatoes and sweet potatoe caserole at Christmas, and a few others! He is quite the little eater lately! Today I fed him yogurt right when he got up, then he had his bottle, then about 11:00 he was gettin fussy and he ate a whole mashed banana with a little applesauce in it, then about noon when I had lunch he was acting hungry again! so, I gave him 2 icecubes of peaches! Then he had his bottle and went down for his nap! Still the only food he hasn't cared for was avacado so I'm really hoping he isn't picky and sticks to the way he is eatin now cause it's great! I am still making his food! I have been buying frozen bags of mixed veggies and frozen fruit too. I still can't believe how cheap it is to make my own food! I can't wait for him to get some teeth so he can try more things! The crackers didn't really go so well, he started choking so I think we will wait to do stuff like that until he can chew it!

6 month check up

Hunter just had his 6 month check up last week. He had a little flu bug so I wasn't sure if they were going to give him his shots or not, but they did! I chose NOT to get the flu shot. I am not big into the vaccinations... especially the un needed ones! He already had to get 3 shots and I just dont think mixing them at the same time can be good for them! We survived without the flu shot so that was our thinking on not getting it...and being a teacher I see a lot of behavioral and social disorders and I know the vaccinations are always a "possible cause"...

Anyways, he was able to get his shots even though he has been sick. He didn't have a temp at the moment... although the next day he was running a fever again but that could be from the shots too, who knows. We had a nasty diarrhea bug that hit him Monday night and lasted until Friday afternoon! Poor guy was havin some stomach cramps on Tuesday/Wednesday!!

For his weight he was 20 pounds and in the 79%. For height he was 28 inches and in the 90%. She couldn't believe how tall he was! That is why he is wearin 12 months clothes... he's chubby but not really that much. It's mostly his cheeks and his height!

We don't have to come back for another appointment until he is 9 months.. which will be in March.

New Traditions

I bought Hunter some Christmas jammies! I am excited to have our first Christmas as a family of 3! One tradition I want to start with our son and future kids is to open one present on Christmas Eve every year. We usually got to open one gift on Christmas eve when I was younger but it was just a random one. This tradition is going to be opening new pajamas! This will be exciting when he gets older and gets to wear his new pajamas to bed and plus then he'll look cute on Christmas morning in new clean jammies!

What are some traditions you had growing up? We had some odd ones, haha. For some reason we always got a pair of toe socks and had to take a picture with our socks on... toe socks? Are those even comfortable, no, haha! We also always read the Christmas story from the book of Luke before opening any presents. I love this tradition because it really reminds you of the true meaning behind Christmas! I absolutely HATE that it's become all about Santa and getting gifts. We plan on instilling the importance of giving and the birth of Jesus to our kids as the reason for the season!

One week till Christmas day! I can't wait! Tomorrow is my last day of work for 2 whole weeks :) I love being a teacher, haha! I wish Jared got more days off though! Being off together is so much more fun than being off alone; at least I have Hunter to spend the days with though!

I hope you have a Merry Christmas!

Christmas Shopping!

I took a personal day Friday and did a little Christmas shopping. I had already got most of my stuff online, but it just doesn't feel like Christmas if you don't get to go shopping and enjoy the hustle and bustle! Jen and I braved some mommy suicide and took ALL 3 Boys! We were a little nervous but they did very well and we are some quick shoppers! We left about 9:15 after trying to cram Hunter's car seat in the back of her SUV we finally made it. We stopped at Target and then just went to the mall. We were outta there by 1:30 and stopped in Tuscola. We took turns going in stores in Tuscola so we didn't have to haul the kids around in the rain, haha. I got to run into Carters and spent a little too much money for our little man. I am SO glad he's not a girl because I can't resist looking at cute clothes and the girl stuff is irresistable! Although, I would like a girl someday! :) We were home by 3:45! It was a great, much needed day off work! I am officially done shopping too! I just love this time of year! We didn't get Hunter a lot this year because he has everything he needs so we'll let the family spoil him. His gifts were new car seats, clothes and a few toys.


Here is a really cute picture I got of the boys holding hands in the car, HOW STINKING CUTE! They are going to be best buddies :) Carson already loves little Hunter.

New Car Seats

Welp the time has come where I can no longer carry big boy in his infant car seat anymore! I am a little nervous about switching him since he can't sit up that well yet but I figure if we go to wal mart or kohls we will just have to bring a blanket to support him a little more. That is what we do in wooden high chairs at restaurants so prob. not much different.

Basically, Hunter is getting car seats for Christmas from us this year, haha. They are expensive when you go for the good ones. I knew I wanted his car seat to recline so I had to do some research. I found a heck of a deal on Cyber Monday! The Safety First Alpha Omega Elite usually runs $180 and I got it for $90! I was trying to decide on that one and the Safety First All in One Convertible car seat which also was $180 regularly and on sale for $90. So I just got one of each! I really liked the all in one because it looked narrow, which would work well for Jared's vehicle. They both reclined, and the elite has bells and whistles like extra head rests, arm rests, cup holders, etc. So I kinda wanted that one as well. So, my plan was to put the elite in my car. BUT we also needed a cheap one for baby sitter's to haul around since my dad takes him to his house once a week and when Kay watches him she takes him to her house.. and Kate usually goes runnin errands when she has him too. A friend of ours happened to see a really nice one that reclined on the Effingham fb garage sale site that was used as a back up and only used a few times...regularly $150 for $40. So, we ended up getting that one because it reclined as well. I did not realize until I picked it up, that this was like the taj mahal of car seats! It was so wide and comfy looking. I decided since it was the biggest of the 3 I would just put it in my car instead of making the baby sitters haul around the big one!

So, I installed all the car seats today! We will see how big boy likes them! The truck back seat is pretty small so I was a little nervous it wouldn't work out but it BARELY fit! I told Jared I wasn't sure we coould have another kid anytime soon with that truck because it would be tight with 2 car seats back there...

Anyways, here is the elite car seat, the one we will let the sitter's haul around.. the other 2 are already installed.

6 months!

Our little guy is 6 months old today!

 

At 6 months Hunter is:

-wearing 12 months clothes

-wearing size 3 diapers

-weighing in at 20 pounds

-very tall! Not sure on his length yet but he even wore a

size 18 month outfit the other day.. he's going to be a tall kid!

-loving his food! He is eating baby food for lunch and supper

and eating 4-8oz bottles a day still

-grabs for everything and wants to put it in his mouth!

(He definitely knows what food is and is always wanting what people are eating)

-Favorite toys are jumperoo, any gummy teethers, and his light up dog piano

-sitting up for short periods of time- doesn't quite have it down pat yet but it's close!

-rolling from back to belly and belly to back

-sleeping all night from about 8pm-7am usually

-not really burping as much anymore. I usually just burp him once from each bottle

-nap time naps aren't really consistantly 3 hours long anymore. If he does one long one of 3 hours then his other nap will usually only be 1.5 hours... but USUALLY the shortest he naps is still 1.5 hours

-is such a happy and content baby! When he wakes up he will just lay in his crib and talk or roll over and look at his mobile go round and round

-laughs and talks a lot (loves to mimic when you talk to him he will talk back)

-holds his own bottle if it's down to 4oz or less cause its not as heavy, haha

-is getting switched to his big boy car seat this coming week! His little infant carrier is just too heavy to carry anymore. I ordered 2 really nice car seats that recline so he is gettin moved! They are also booster seats so he could technically stay in them until he weighs 80 pounds!

-Loves lookin at his daddy- anytime he's in the room he gets Hunter's full attention

 

Hunter, these last 6 months have flown by! I can't believe it's been half a year since you were born! You are such a joy and the best baby we could ask for. We love you baby boy!