Snow Day

Last week Louis' day care closed early one day so he got to come to work and play with mama! It was a fun afternoon. He crawled around and got to knock stuff off moms desk. He visited and played with the other girls in the office. It was nice having the little guy there.

Daddy time

In this pic Daddy is getting Louis out of his car seat and saying 'welcome home' after a long day at school. Louis is usually tired from playing with all the kids and is ready for dinner which means he's slightly cranky. Daddy always gets him out of his car seat and holds him while Louis adjust to being home. It so sweet. Louis couldn't have gotten a better papa.

Battling Pink Eye

Louis came home from daycare on Monday with some sort of eye infection. Luckily, the doctor called him in a prescription for eye drops which magically cleared them up in a matter of hours. Just a couple more days of the drops and he'll be back to 100%.

Here's a photo of his eyes on Monday when we got home. Looks bad, doesn't he?

Getting into everything

Now that Louis is crawling nothing is off limits. He get's into everything! Opens drawers, empties laundry baskets and trash cans, pulls everything off of the coffee table. You name it, he does it! I love watching him explore and go after new things. Most of our doors and outlets are already baby-proofed but I think it's time to get those baby gates up and get all the valuables put away.

9 mos check-up

Louis had his 9 mos. check up yesterday and everything went well. Plus, he didn't get any shots - which was music to my ears! Watching him get those dang things makes me feel so guilty. You know they hurt and they can't just get one shot - they have to get at least one in each leg - Ouch!

Anyway, Louis is growing. He is 19 lbs. and 31 inches long. Tall and skinny but we've heard that before :) I took this pic with my camera phone while we were waiting for the doctor to come in.

i'm 9 mos old

this weekend louis turned 9 mos old. he's doing so many things - crawling really well, starting to try and feed himself, putting himself to sleep in his bed. i am amazed at how quickly he's growing and how soon we'll be celebrating his first birthday. being a mom is truly an awesome job. i love it! and, i have a fantastic husband who supports me when i think it's time to try new things with louis. xoxo. feeling great about 2010.

a future thumb sucker?

I hope he doesn't suck his thumb to soothe himself. Lots of kids do but I'd rather he didn't. I snapped this photo of him watching tv and chewing/sucking on his thumb which he's been doing a lot more lately. I think he's probably just teething and he's never liked a pacifier so I'm hopeful this isn't a new habit.

A crawler, but not the creepy kind!

Louis has officially learned how to crawl. He's still perfecting this skill but he's come a long ways. At first he'd just get up on his knees and rock, then he would move an arm and leg forward but his head got too heavy and he'd lay down. Now, his arms and neck are strong enough that he's able to move his arms and legs several times before taking a break. It's so amazing watching him develop. Now, the hard work begins - keeping him out of everything.

Brace yourself.

Winter Break 09

Daycare has been closed all week so Louis' dad and I have split taking time off to stay home with him. Today, Louis is home with his dad. They sent me this picture of Louis playing. Looks like they're having fun while mom's hard at work.

swingin

Louis got a new swing for Christmas! He loves jumping in the doorway.

Digging for buried treasure's

Louis' new favorite thing is to dig through a basket full of toys looking for the perfect one to slobber on. It's like he's digging for a buried treasurer. He's 8 1/2 mos. old and so close to crawling. I've started rearranging furniture and moving everything up about 3 feet off the ground in anticipation of the day he takes off.

Merry Christmas

We spent quality time with family and friends and Louis got so many wonderful presents for Christmas including this BONGO! We are truly blessed. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
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It's Christmas eve....

All the stockings are hung by the chimney with care with the hopes that St. Nick will soon be here!

Merry Christmas everyone.

School

Louis' attendance at school recently has been hit or miss. It breaks my heart most days to take him to daycare but I think he really likes it and that it is good for him. As most kids do, he is beginning to get a little clingy and likes his mom to hold him which makes leaving him all the more difficult. However, I don't blame him! I remember how good it felt for my mom to hold me - so safe and comfortable perched high on her hip.

I pray that I am a consistent, loving and stable mother in every action I take. From leaving him at daycare in the morning to playing with him at home each evening -  Kids need that sense of security and compassion. I want Louis to be confident to explore the world around him and to take (safe) risks but I want him to do that on his own schedule not because the world thinks he should.

Let the Christmas Festivities Begin!

We attended the Spencer Family Christmas over the weekend in Lima. It was Louis' first experience with opening gifts. He loved the fire truck and blender his Great Grandma and Grandpa Spencer got him! We had such a lovely time with the family and ate lots and lots of good food too!

Looking forward to Christmas with the Greer's and Brown's over the coming days.

Kisses!

Louis gives the biggest, wettest, sloppiest kisses ever. Not sure that he actually knows what he's doing yet but he laughs really hard and just holds his mouth open big and wide waiting for you to lean in and get your kiss.

Stocking Stuffers

After work tonight Louis and I went to World Market to pick up stocking stuffers for his papa! We got several neat things which we're excited to give him. The best part of the trip though was being able to push Louis around in a shopping cart. Now that he sits up on his own, I can just pop him in the cart and go. While it doesn't look like it in this picture he's still pretty little and I had to stuff a blanket behind his back and really strap him in so that he stayed in place. However, he seemed to love it and I kept reminding myself to pay attention to what he was grabbing! I was so afraid he'd pull a shelf of glasses off or end up with some decorative holly berries in his mouth. We stayed safe and managed to get in and out in 30 minutes. Looking forward to a merry, merry christmas.

If you're happy and you know it -- Clap Your Hands!

Louis has learned to clap his hands! It's so cute. Sometimes he claps for no reason at all and then just laughs, other times he'll clap if you ask him to or if you start to cheer and say 'good job' to him. I love it! He is such a bright and happy boy.

Playing before bed

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Happy Holidays

Let your heart be filled with the magic of the season and may you and your loved ones enjoy peace, prosperity and good health in the new year.

Hugs,

Matt, Hanna & Louis Brown