A Crossroads Christmas

So it's untraditional, but our Christmas cake was just one of several firsts this year at the Kirkpatrick household. Obviously it was the very best Christmas ever because it was the first with our little snow angel, John Thomas. It was also the first time we had everyone over to our house for a major holiday. Jason's parents, my parents, my brother's family and my aunt all under one roof. I would say that it was a raving success. John Thomas has absolutely loved having all the hustle and bustle around the house. You practically had to wait in line to get time with him. He was content just hanging out in the kitchen or in whatever room the action was in.

The official Kirkpatrick Christmas portrait of 2010. I cannot even describe how blessed we are to have our family, our faith, our health, our friends, and our home.

The lil guy loves unwrapping presents! And between grandparents and other extended family, he racked up. We had to go buy a bigger plastic bin today to hold all of his new stuff. After everyone left last night, he just sat in the middle of all his new toys and you could see the excitement on his face.

Of course, we all unwrapped some pretty cool gifts. But the best gift of all is having a loving family to share the spirit of Christmas with.

I think JT would agree that the best part of the holidays was having all the wonderful company, especially his cousin Amelia. I wonder how we'll adjust this week with our abandoned house?

...And a Partridge in a Pear Tree

We have had a fantastic week here at the Kirkpatrick abode! First off, I only had to work two days this week thanks to some wintery precipitation. Trust me when I say that this teacher loves snow days as much, if not more, than any student I know. If that wasn't enough to make my week great, my parents showed up on Saturday afternoon ready to spend the holidays with us.
We had the Bradley's over last night for dinner, and I'm pretty sure that John Thomas spent the better part of the evening in someone's arms or lap. It's amazing how much a little one can really be the life of the party.

Anyone who has ever been to our house knows that our old couch was both an eyesore and a dog bed, so this weekend our shiny new furniture showed up. Chester, who is still mourning the loss of his old couch, has already learned to stay off the new couch (at least when we're around).

Our Sunday morning started off in the most beautiful way. My parents graciously agreed to babysit so that Jason and I could go see our friend, Sarah, in an amazing musical, Behold the Lamb of God. It was, hands down, one of the more incredible church experiences I've ever had. It was a wonderful reminder of what Christmas really is all about. I'm sure that's not what John Thomas was thinking about as he was climbing all over the gifts this week.

Under the Weather

This week was relatively routine until I got the dreaded phone call from the daycare on Wednesday afternoon. I couldn't have gotten to the daycare any faster and I am thankful that there weren't any speed traps along the way. The good news is that John Thomas is feeling much better now.
I hate when John Thomas doesn't feel well, but I made a list of the top five benefits of being able to stay home with my boy.
1. I get to spend oodles of time with John Thomas, including snuggling up for a morning nap together.
2. I can remember only wanting my mom when I was sick and I can't imagine being anywhere other than nurturing my babe when he is under the weather.
3. I don't have to wake up at 5:30.
4. I finally started wrapping Christmas gifts.
5. I get to take lots of pictures of our lil bear.
One of his favorite things right now is knocking over the "tower of destruction." He'll crawl all the way across the floor just to take out the stackable cups.

This is right before impact. I think you can see the anticipation on his face.

Leave it up to dad to discover the new found pleasure of knocking things over. Jason has had lots of time with John Thomas this weekend because I came down with a nasty stomach bug yesterday. I spent most of the day in the bed or in the loo. I couldn't even carry JT around without feeling like I was going to pass out. I'm feeling a little better today, but I think daddy is wiped out after having to care for his boy and his wife all day and all night. Jason definitely wins an award for "Daddy/Hubby of the Week." We've both decided that being a single parent has to be virtually impossible. Seriously, I can't imagine how one person could raise a child all by themselves (especially feeling the way I did yesterday).

It's not really a developmental update, but John Thomas has started taking a stow-away with him whenever he gets out of the tub. I guess he's trying to "hang on" to bath time just a little longer. He can also go from laying on the floor to sitting up all by himself. He doesn't just sit up from his back, he kind of rolls around to his belly, gets his leg under him and then pushes up.

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

It's really starting to feel like Christmas around here. Not only is nearly all my shopping done, we actually had snow flurries all day too! It was the perfect opportunity to try out John Thomas' heavy coat. I'm sure to my parents, who live in Wisconsin now, these flurries don't seem news-worthy. I only wish we could get a few inches more so I might get to extend my weekend at home with my cutie.
Besides the weather, our tree is fully decorated but without any gifts yet. We only had a few baby-friendly ornaments to hang on the bottom branches, so the tree is mostly naked for the bottom two feet. That hasn't stopped JT from shimmying up to it and checking out the lights and (plastic) pine needles.

Only twelve more days of school until Christmas break, but who's counting.

A Spoonful of Love

This was the first time the Kirkpatrick's got to spend Thanksgiving at our home as a family. Translation: We weren't in the car for hours, sleeping in someone else's bed, and eating way too much because we just can't stop. The embarrassing truth is that the only thing I cooked on this whole plate of yumminess was the green bean casserole. Although we missed seeing our families, we really enjoyed the time we had to spend together with just the three of us. For me, the best part of the whole Thanksgiving holiday was all the wonderful time I got to spend with John Thomas. We started off our break just right with a nap Wednesday morning. And let me assure you, it was way better than getting ready to teach first period!

Since there were only three of us, we had to take turns taking family pictures. I can't remember the last time it was 70 degrees on Thanksgiving, but I'm not complaining.

I am so thankful for all the boys in my life! My wonderful hubby, our snugglicious baby boy, and our spoiled doggy--Chester.

In the past month or so, John Thomas has really started filling out. I'm not sure how much he weighs, but I can't get enough of his chunky legs!

We've also discovered that JT loves kitchen spoons, plastic bowls and plastic lids. It just goes to show that you don't have to spend squillions of dollars on fancy toys, because he's probably going to spend more time playing with the box anyway.

Grandpa Danny also stopped by for a brief visit on his way through town. Chester always relishes the opportunity to snuggle up, but he had some stiff competition this time.

As you can tell, we also got our Christmas decorations up over the break. Please excuse John Thomas' bed head. Anyone who has ever seen Jason when he wakes up knows it must run in the family.

Our Lil Inchworm

I would love to be able to report that baby Kirkpatrick has mastered the crawl, but my conscience just won't let me. He is definitely on the move, but he looks more like an inchworm squirming across the floor. Albeit a very cute inchworm!Besides enjoying my weekend with the boys. I also started wondering how much harder next Monday will be after spending almost the entire week at home with John Thomas for Thanksgiving. I guess I should just be "thankful" that I get to spend some real quality time with him and the hubby.

As boring as it may seem, we've really spent the whole weekend playing and trying to enjoy the gorgeous weather. As you can see, he's learned to get into his toy box. It's pretty cute watching him rifle through the toys to find just the right one. Of course he is most fascinated by the box itself. Go figure. Don't tell him, but he may be getting a few wrapped empty boxes for Christmas this year because boxes (and cooking spoons) seem to be among the best entertainment this house has to offer.

I think Jason was ready to lug him around like a big boy. But daddy may have changed his mind when John Thomas decided to use Jason's hair as reigns. It was so funny to watch Jason try to get him down while JT hung on to a handful of hair with a vice grip. I guess if that's the biggest news of the week, we can't complain. Happy early Thanksgiving everyone and we hope that you get lots of yummy food and quality time with your loved ones this week.

Lucky Number Seven

I cannot believe that John Thomas is seven months old today! As I looked back on all his pictures, I'm amazed by how much he has changed, how his personality gets more and more distinct everyday, and by how much we love and adore him. Just seven months ago today, we experienced one of the greatest gifts God could ever give us, our son.
April 14, 2010 was a regular work day but certainly turned into an extraordinary evening. I must have had one of the easiest births for a first-time mom because I went from contraction to baby John Thomas in about four hours. It truly was one of the greatest days of our lives. And, even though I didn't get an epidural, I think back on labor with fondness (Is this crazy?).

One month in, we still had almost no clue what we were doing. But, everything we did, we did with love. From day one, everyone said John Thomas looks like his daddy. That's okay with me, because I sure think his daddy's cute!

I know it seems crazy, but we went to the beach when John Thomas was only two months old. We had an awesome time and JT spent most of his days in the portable swing resting in the breeze on the patio.

Although he had been smiling for a while, I finally captured a good one on camera when his was in his third month. It was also around this time that JT fell in love with the Baby Bjorn. Pretty much from three months on, if we wanted to take John Thomas anywhere, he wanted/insisted on riding in the Baby Bjorn.

I didn't realize that nearly every month we traveled out of town, until I looked back on all his photos. To celebrate his fourth month, we visited the grandparents in Wisconsin. Four months old and he'd already been to five states! I need a nap just thinking about all the traveling we did. For right now, I'd say he's pretty easy to travel with but it may be a different story when he starts walking and talking.

At five months, John Thomas was learning to master his Johnny Jump-up. Since I started work a few weeks ago, he hasn't been in it very much when I'm home because I don't want to put him down.

John Thomas has always loved hats, but in his sixth month he wanted to check out daddy's hat. He still loves to pet Jason's beard, which is really sweet to watch. It reminds me that my dad has had a beard my whole life and mom says that I used to pet my dad's beard too.

Speaking of my dad, as an early birthday present we had a surprise visit from Papa yesterday morning. He didn't stay long, but I know that both these two enjoyed every second of it. Seven months ago today, we started our family and it has been nothing short of amazing. I never knew I could love so much and I thank God everyday for the gift of our son.

Our Cowardly Cuddly Lion

I'd be lying if I said I didn't have an emotional week. I go back to work tomorrow and John Thomas will spend his first day in daycare. I know he's going to do great and I will eventually adjust to our new schedule. Moving on to more upbeat news...sort of. Our neighbors also have a fairly new baby boy named Dare. It just so happens that the zoo theme was so in this year for Halloween. John Thomas was a cuddly lion, but as you can see--he wasn't the happiest lion in the cul-de-sac. Though I'm starting to wonder if he just didn't want to share the spotlight.
We, meaning Jason, had to perform minor surgery this week. One of John Thomas' favorite rattles was nearly decapitated in the wash. Good thing ol Dad knows a thing or two about stitching things up.

We also had some folks over to celebrate the engagement of our friends, John Curtis and Brooke. They are a very cute couple and we couldn't be happier for them. Angelina never misses out on an opportunity to get some baby time in, since her little ones are a few years older.

John Thomas hasn't really had anymore developmental milestones lately. He's still doing the army crawl, still no teeth, and no words. Instead of learning to pull up, he has learned to pull down on the bumper around his crib, which happens to be incredibly cute. I couldn't leave you thinking we tortured our cuddly little lion all evening long. He was a good sport and as I predicted, didn't mind the costume so much when he was the center of all the attention. Maybe we're both going to have to make some adjustments when he starts daycare after all.

Happy Trails

So we got our family pictures back this week from my friend and gifted photographer, Sarah. We couldn't be happier with them! I think this is my favorite picture ever!Besides obsessively looking at John Thomas' new cute pictures, we had some time to get out an about this week. Of course we are still doing our daily walk and the leaves are in their prime this week, so it's absolutely beautiful. John Thomas had his six month check up this week as well. He now weighs just over sixteen pounds and is 27 inches long! We also met Sarah and Charlotte downtown for lunch one day. One of my new favorite restaurants is Coolato Gelato. They have delicious sandwiches, quiche, and (of course) gelato. I have a feeling that these two are going to be spending their fair share of time as playmates.

John Thomas has successfully developed a taste for peas, green beans, and squash. I think he's just going to eat anything we put in front of him. On the other hand, he hasn't taken as easily to the sippy cup. This was our third try this week and it was the first time that the darn thing didn't cause a fit.

For the first time in six weeks, we had a weekend without company or without going anywhere. It was wonderful! We decided to take our first family hike yesterday. We loaded the car, packed our lunch, and headed to Frozen Head State Park. It was a perfect day; great weather, great scenery and family time. As you can tell from the picture, I was in charge of scaring away the bears! Now you really understand how talented our photographer is. Due to the lack of rain this Fall, we were actually able to eat lunch where there is usually a waterfall. John Thomas had an awesome time. He loved just watching the leaves fall like snow when the wind would blow.

I couldn't resist leaving you with one more photo of our little snuggle bear. I hope it makes you smile too!

182 and a 1/2 days

While most teachers and students have been enjoying Fall Break this week, we've been celebrating John Thomas' six month birthday. I simply cannot believe our little snuggle bear is already half a year old! Moreover, I cannot believe I will be going back to work in two weeks. Please pray for me because I am already teary-eyed just thinking about it.

Gramma (i.e. my mom) was here most of the week. She spent lots of time playing and cuddling with JT. I know he loved every second of it. The only real change this week is that he started eating veggies. We started with peas and they were a raving success. I was mildly disappointed that he didn't even make a funny face.

Because the weather has been A-mazing, we've been able to spend lots of time outside. We take the blanket out and read or play and we are still going on our daily walk at Victor Ashe Park. We even met Sarah and Charlotte (i.e. Lo) at the park for a walk this week!

While Mom was here, she made a trip down to South Carolina to see my brother and his family. I think they had a blast and I hate that we missed out on all the fun. This is my niece, Amelia, living it up at the Columbia fair.

John Thomas had another special treat on his six month birthday, Mary (i.e. Aunt Mimi), stopped by to give him some love. As you can see, he really enjoyed the surprise.

I know he had a great week because he's gotten to spend time with both of his favorite grand mothers. What a lucky little boy! It's going to seem pretty quiet around here this week without all the company.

All Aboard!

John Thomas had such a fun weekend! We went up to the Bradley's houseboat on Friday and he stayed until this afternoon. Did you catch that? Jason and I had our first night without JT since April 14th. I only cried for 45 minutes after leaving the boat and then I was pretty good. I will say, he was definitely in capable and loving hands. Thanks Mom and Gay for doing such and outstanding job with our lil bear. But, we couldn't get to the lake fast enough after church today.

Surely you can't blame me for missing this little cutie in his hooded jacket with ears. I sure do love these guys!

In our absence, Captain John Thomas got to steer the boat. Mom (a.k.a. Gramma) thinks he's always in the driver's seat anyway. I think she's suggesting that he's a tad spoiled, but I can't help it. Mom and Gay vowed to keep the rest of their babysitting festivities top secret saying, "whatever happens on the houseboat, stays on the houseboat." Either way, I think they all had fun and all needed a nap on Sunday to recover.

My favorite thing in the whole world happens every Saturday morning. After John Thomas gets up around seven, I feed him, change him and we all get into our bed and snuggle. We usually go back to sleep together and I just can't think of anything in this universe that could make me happier.

John Thomas still isn't crawling, but he'll scoot towards Chester anytime he gets the chance. I think he even missed Chester while he was at the lake. On the other hand, Chester was savoring every ounce of undivided attention last night.

Lions and Tigers and Giraffes! Oh my!

We had an awesome weekend in Birmingham at the McCain's new gorgeous home! The weather was perfect, the company was great, and John Thomas got to do all sorts of really cool stuff. For one, he got to be one of the guys. Thanks Tommy for whipping up a yummy breakfast and grilling all those tasty wings. I know he really enjoyed spending time with Tommy and Stephanie, because he was handing out grins and laughter all weekend. Beyond the fact that Stephanie is a great friend and a really interesting person, she is also the zoo vet for the Birmingham Zoo. This has many perks. One, she has the keys, so we came in the back door for free. Two, not only does she know all kinds of cool stuff about animals, but they know her! Case in point--meet Jalil, who peeked over the fence to say "hello" to his favorite doctor.

Unfortunately for Chester, I don't think he'll seem as cool to John Thomas ever again.

We also got to go behind the scenes and visit some animals that, for various reasons, aren't out for the public. Is ironic that in this picture of John Thomas petting a chinchilla, I have at least ten chins? It was easily the softest fur I've ever felt.

As always, John Thomas was very interested in getting to know a pretty girl. Thanks Steph for being such a wonderful hostess this weekend.

We also got to go out to lunch as a family for the first time. I know we probably should/could have done it sooner, but I only had the best interest of the other diners in mind. JT did great!

Speaking of lunch, John Thomas had another first this week when he broke in his new high chair in order to eat (term used VERY loosely) cereal. As you can tell from the facial expression as well as the abundance of cereal on his face, he really wasn't sure about the whole ordeal. However, I'm proud to update that he is really starting to swallow his cereal now and we should be moving to veggies very soon.

I couldn't resist building him his first of many blanket forts. As you can tell from the picture, he enjoyed his new "crib" (like slang for house, but he's a baby and really has a crib...sorry for the cheesiness). Based on how chilly it was when we got back in to town today, he's going to be bundling up in his blankets real soon.