Santa's lap = Overrated!

So this was the first year that we took Easton to see Santa and what an adventure that was. When we first got there the line was not that long so we decided to wait. Previously we had decided that no matter what, crying or not, we were going to buy pictures....it was his 1st Santa pic, we had to!
So we stand in line and wait for about 30-40 min and are the next family to be called when, whoops!, the camera breaks and the computer freezes. No worries this can be fixed. After 20 minutes of calling support and getting a new camera we then get called.
I put Easton on Santa's lap and of course, as expected, he cries. There is no calming him down, just snap the picture. We buy the pictures anyway and hope next year will be better. He will be bigger and understand at that point...maybe!
With that said, Easton was 30 min late for his class party but still showed up. Things were wrapping up but he got to open a few gifts anyway!



Picture from school, not at the mall...

O' Christmas Tree

Last night we went and bought a Christmas tree...but not without first buying Easton a big puffy jacket. With 30 degree weather, just a sweater is not going to cut it.
Our first stop was to the church to support the Boy Scouts, and oh my, what trouble they were having. The trees were little and expensive. Our second stop was to our trusty source, Costco. This is the first year that they are selling trees and it is beautiful and the price is awesome! Thank you Costco!
We also haven't put a Christmas card together yet so that was in the works as well. I tried to bribe Easton with a cookie to get him to sit so we will see what the picture turns out like. He only bought it for about 1 minute and then knew it was a trick....smart little guy!

15 Months

Easton had his 15 month check-up yesterday and he was such a good boy! He falls asleep in the car and stays asleep while in the waiting room...perfect! No running around with all the other germy kids. I take him back and he wakes up right on time for the nurse to measure (31 inches) and weigh him. He is now big enough to stand on the scale instead of lay down on it and he acted like we do this everyday. Stepped up and stood still waiting for it to read 23.4 lbs.
We go back to the room and he is acting like the wild man he always is and playing with the trucks until he hears a knock on the door. He picks everything up and puts is away and wants to sit next to me on the big boy chair by himself. For a good 10-15 minutes while the doctor is in the room he is so quiet and patient and sooo observant to what she is doing. When she went to look in his mouth with the light, he actually opened up his mouth for her...and to our surprise we discovered 2 more teeth. That will be 12 total! He turned his head so she cold look in his ears....I was so surprised that my little, well big, boy was being so good.
As soon as she left, he hopped down and started being his crazy self and pulling all the drawers out and rearranging furniture and so forth. That is the Easton that I know!
He did get 2 shots (1 was the flu shot) but he only cried for 30 seconds.
Overall, the Dr said he looked good, sounded good and was growing at the same rate he always has....we must be doing something right! I love that little guy!

It's a...Girl!

Well soon to be at least! A week ago Darrell and I went to our ultrasound to find out that Easton will be the big brother to a sister in the Spring. What are the chances...besides 50/50?
We are so excited and can't wait to see her beautiful pudgy face. Easton will be the best big brother ever...her protector. We are still deciding on a name, so be patient. You will know soon!

Also since it has been awhile, lets update on the visit with Jon, Nicolette and Emmerson. It is always so nice to have them here and spend some time just doing nothing. All right we went to Pumpkinfest in Franklin and went trick-or-treating, dressed the kids up, but just hung out. It was nice to see the cousins interact and it gave us a crash course of what it will be like with another little one around. Easton was very interested in Emmerson and every time she cried or made a noise it alerted him and he wanted to know what was going on. He did try to sit on her a few times, but he just wanted to be close. He would get his face so close to hers and want to touch her. It really was cute!
The toys that he hasn't played with in forever became his new favorites again...because Emmerson wanted to play with them. His bouncy that he hasn't played with months became his new favorite...he doesn't even fit in it anymore, silly boy!

We will be going home for Thanksgiving which we are super excited about. Darrell actually got some time off....thank you! It is so important for us to spend time with our family during the holidays and we cannot wait to see everyone....xoxo!

News, Weather, and Stuff

Well work has been crazy busy but that is good.
The weather has been cold in the am and pm but leveling out in the afternoon which makes for nice walks. Too bad I have been working so I can't take advantage of those! When I get home it is too late and time to start our nightly routine (Dinner, Bath, Bed...Forget about anything else!). It always seems so routined! But it is what it is.
Easton has been very attached to Daddy lately and it is super cute. He will run up to him after a long day of school, snuggle so close to him in the morning and cry for him when he walks away. How did this happen and when did he stop being a momma's boy? Joking aside, it is nice to see them bond and it makes my job a lot easier.

Brrr!

This past week it has been very chilly. Nice, but chilly. In the morning it has been in the low 50's and by mid-afternoon in the 70's. Gorgeous! Fall weather is my favorite!
Easton has been enjoying the weather with the exception of his runny nose. My poor little guy! I hope he gets better soon because I think momma is starting to feel the effects.

Visitors

The month of October is going to be a busy one for us! Work for me is going to be slammed, which is great, Darrell is keeping busy his job and Easton is keeping both of us busy at home. He literally never stops going...even while he sleeps. Good thing he is cute! We also have some family coming to visit.

In 2 weeks we have Grandma and Grandpa Springer coming to visit and 3 weeks after that we have Aunt Nicolette, Uncle Jon and Emmerson coming for Halloween.

We cannot wait. We are going to try to coordinate the kids costumes so they match. Who knows what they will be? We are hoping to go to Octoberfest, visit the Pumpkin Patch and maybe go to Cheekwood and see the Scarecrow exhibit.

I always say this, but afterward, I will post some pictures. That is my new year resolution, ha.

"Surprise" or Not!

For those of you blog followers, friends and family, some of you may or may not know this, but in the Spring, Easton is going to have a sibling. Surprise! We are very excited and are happy to share the news with you if you do not already know.
We know that it may be difficult at first with two tiny tots, but we are very optimistic that things we be will great and they will good buddies!

Birthday Pics

I know that this is super late, but better late than never!

Cheekwood

So today, Easton started his new school, Cheekwood Child Development. I called to check on him and he is doing great. He is playing well, loved the playground, ate a great lunch and took a long nap. Good job buddy! They even said that he has a new BFF. I was so worried about how he would adjust and come to find out, he is such a big boy that he doesn't even need mom or dad to worry about him. It sounded like they were surprised at how well he was doing too. It has been a couple of weeks of Easton playing alone and not at school, that I bet he was just happy to have some friends to play with. I would say let's hope this continues, but I know it will. He loves being around other children, my little social bug.

Do we ever stop going?

Sometimes I feel that we never stop going and life passes by so quickly. Sometimes I think about how my life was so different before kids. Not necessarily a bad different, just changed or modified. When we moved to Nashville, it happened so quickly that before we really got settled in the apartment and our jobs, things were already changing. We bought our house, which is great, but next time we will do a little more planning and research. Then 3 months later we got married and moved into our house. 8 months later we were pregnant and 10 months later we had a beautiful baby boy. Now 1 year later, I wonder, where did the time go? So many good things have happened along with so many challenges. Every day I wonder how much more we can be stretched. And believe it or not, we are very bendy. It definitely surprises me, both mentally and physically. Having children is challenging and no one can ever really tell you the degree of difficulty that you will have.
Despite having said that, things are great! We love where we are in life and can't wait to see what comes next.

Birthday Party

On Sunday we had a birthday party for Easton. We celebrated with our family and a few friends. It was nice and quiet but Easton loved every minute of it.
I will post a pic from his birthday with him LOVING the cake. Let's just say he slept very well that night. He was such a good boy and got tons gifts. Thank you to everyone!

Almost "1"

In one week, Easton will be "1". I cannot believe it. Time has gone by so fast and there is so much that has happened.
Family will be here soon. Grandma Cindy will be here tomorrow and the rest of the family will be here Thursday. Yay! That is super exciting. We always seem to get a break when family comes in town....thanks!
Sad to say that Jon, Nicolette and Emmerson and Sarah and Ian will not be able to make it. We will miss them but will have to send them pictures.
So happy to say that we are going to Chattanooga for a night. Just the two of us, no babies allowed! It is just for one night but we are excited. I would be lying if I said that I am a little sad to leave Easton. He will be with Grandma Cindy but I have never left him alone. It will be fine!

Easton's 1 year Pictures

So yesterday we had pictures taken of Easton for his 1st birthday and they are amazing!
Here is a quick preview:

Thank you so much Brooke Kelly!

Almost 1

I cannot belive that Easton is almost 1. Where has the time gone? It is hard to imagine our life without him and how much we all have grown.
Here are few things that has happened in the first year:

1. Rolling Over
2. Sitting Up
3. Crawling
4. Taking Steps
5. 7 Teeth
6. Saying "Mama & Dada"
7. Experienced Traveler to Florida
8. Eating on his own (Solid Foods)
9. Drinking from his own cup

Our life is so much better with you in it Easton and I cannot wait to see what else you have in store for us!

Long Awaited but New Pictures

Here are some random pictures of Easton over the last month or so:

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

4th of July

Happy Belated 4th of July! Easton loved every minute of watching the fireworks at our friend Roger's house and did not even flinch at the loudest boom! He is so amazing and is such a trooper...thank you buddy! Being the party boy that he is he did not fall asleep until 9:30 (usually he goes down about 7:30 or 8) and when he did he had a death grip on the side of the stroller still trying to look out the side, he was just enjoying it too much! Anything outdoors and we are all about it....
Next week we will down in Florida to see family and we are sooo excited! We cannot wait to catch up with everyone and show Easton and his new skills off....you go buddy, show them what a big boy you are!
We promise to post ALOT pictures while we are down and have the internet EVERY DAY...I know can you believe it?

First Steps!

Easton has officially taken his first steps....not just one, but many! It was the cutest thing ever, and he acts like he has been doing this forever and it is not a new thing.
We just got done with bath time and he was playing in his room when all of a sudden he stands up and leans on his toy chest, then turns around and walks to the rocking chair ottoman. Both of our eyes got so big...he then laughed which made it all the better! Now he wants to walk everywhere. He will take 4 or 5 steps and then get a little wobbly but falls on his bum and does it again.
He is such a big boy and such a risk taker! He if can't reach something that we wants he will lean into it and fall hoping that he reaches his destination....not a good plan when he wants to go to the end table or night stand, ouch! But nevertheless he never cries just gets up and acts like it is no big deal.
His other new thing is he wants to fall off the sofa or bed. Yes, fall! Head first and you hold his legs while he goes down. He thinks this is the coolest trick ever! When he goes to the TV stand to open the sliding doors, as always we tell him "Uh, uh" and he continues to do it, but then when we pull him away, he kicks and screams and pretends to bite me, which I can't help but laugh at him. And then he will want me to hold him and tell him it is okay....what a trip!
I am so excited to see his personality grow but I am also very nervous that he will give Darrell and I a run for our money! Are we ready for this?

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to the best Daddy ever! We love you so much and Easton is very luck to have you as his Dad!
Let's make it the best day ever!
I Love You!

Random Updates

So after much consideration, Darrell and I are going to break down and get the Internet at home again. I know, craziness! We are tired of being out of the loop and want to know what is going on in the world again.
Also after Easton bit my finger yesterday, I realized that he has another tooth on the bottom! I cannot believe it....
We are going to FL in July and are so excited. We get to meet Emmerson and Easton gets to visit with Grandma and Grandpa, Nana and Papa, and all of his Aunt's and Uncle's...Yay! We are going to take him to the beach (if not too hot!) and also in the pool, his new favorite spot! We went to the YMCA and he LOVED it! I bet if I let him go, he would swim. But I am not ready to possibly let him sink to the bottom!
Easton has also become quiet the drama king....he will cry and throw a tantrum for just about anything. All you have to do is shake you finger at him and he will kick and scream. What have we produced...we were both such good children.
His second favorite toy is his shopping cart. Not because it is a shopping cart but because he can walk with it. We will go from one end of the room to the other and stop. He has not figured out how to turn it around and he gets so frustrated. We have it on video...another reason we need to get internet! I promise that once we do, there will be a massive post of pictures and videos!

Meet Emmerson Francesca

Welcome Emmerson Francesca to the world....We are all so excited to now have a baby boy and baby girl in the family. Easton is ready to roughen her up and show her the ropes!

We cannot wait to meet you!

Congratulations Jon and Nicolette!

Full Mouth

Just another update...Easton has 6 teeth coming in! I think it is time to start weaning him to a cup! Momma is getting a little nervous!

Pool Party!

So yesterday we had a mini pool party at our house...just the 3 of us! Last weekend we bought a patio set and this weekend Darrell bought a pool and boy, does it take so long to fill and once it is filled it is so cold. We had to dump a few hot pots of water in to make it comfortable. Easton loved it! We started out fully clothed (paranoid mom that thinks even with SPF 70 and an umbrella over him, he will still get burnt) but quickly undressed down to the diaper, which was pointless, then down to nothing. He was so cute...his little bum and all! He would not stop splashing around and I think this could become a weekend ritual. Why didn't we do this sooner? Just a little water, some sun and a nice cold drink...that is what it is all about! The only thing missing was family and friends. Maybe next time!
I wish our Internet was working so I could post some pictures...he looked so cute in this terry overalls. Maybe we should just break down and spend the $30/month so we can keep everyone updated!

Pictures

Here are some pictures of the last month or so...sorry it has been so long!

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Definitely a Vampire!

Just as I had expected, both of Easton's eye teeth are coming in. He will definitely look like a vampire. I sure do hope that some others come in!
Also he is pulling up like crazy! I can't believe how fast he is growing. It is hard to remember how little he once was.

Off to the races...

So within the last week Easton is really on the move. He is not up to a full crawl with his knees up but he can definitely get from point A to point B. He scoots so fast. We can no longer put him on the bed or ottoman to play, so it is all floor time, and sometimes that is not enough space for him. When I get ready in the morning I set him outside the door with a few toys and hope that he stays put for a little while. Before I know it he is latched on to my leg and crawling on the bathroom floor. Not really a place I want him to play!
Roxy is not much of an entertainer, she knows he will pull her hair, but she always makes him laugh and keeps him occupied for a few minutes. It is really funny to see how excited he gets when she is around and it always puts a smile on both mine and Darrell's face.
Also last week Easton cut his first top tooth. Still a little baby tooth. It is not his front tooth. It is his eye tooth...like a vampire! That will be funny once it fully comes in.

Sorry it has been so long since the last post. We have had a lot going go. The Internet is still not being hooked up (our choice...you have to cut $$ somewhere) and now the battery is dead. So what are you going to do?
I went back to FL with Easton for Nicolette's baby shower at the first of April and am still trying to play catch up! Easton was such a good boy and how he loved the attention from the family. Papa and Easton did a lot of bonding that week. Of course at the shower he just got passed around and slept for almost 2 hours after the festivities were over. He is a party boy! The shower was great and Nicolette is just the cutest thing ever!
We took Easton to Raindancer and introduced the first grandchild to the owner. Grandma Cindy and Grandpa Robert having been going there for years and took their kids there so it was very exciting to see how the family has expanded over the years.
Also on our trip Easton's 2nd tooth broke through. They are still baby teeth and not fully pushed through but they are hurting him like crazy.
Also he is going through this crazy sleep pattern where he wants to wake up every 3 hours. He also wakes up about 2:30am or 3am and wants to play for about 30 min. and then go back to sleep. This is not working for me. I am very sleep deprived. It would be totally different if he ate and then went back to sleep, but not lately. I hope this pattern ends soon!
If you didn't already know, Darrell has switched positions at work where he is not in Deli anymore but instead on the Front End. He now has to be in bed by 8:30pm and up by 2:30am. Crazy right! This has made things interesting around the house as well. Our already tight and compacted schedule has just become more tight and compacted. I didn't think this was possible. It will take time to adjust I suppose. But for the record...I am not a big fan, at all!
Other then the usual, that is how things are going. I hope to keep you updated on a more regular basis.

"Happy 80th Birthday Grandma"

So the family went to FL for Grandma's 80th birthday.  It was so nice to be home in the FL sun. It has been a few months since we have seen everyone and they have seen Easton.  He was only 3 months the last time and so much has changed.  We got to see Luka, who just turned 1, and Elizabeth who is only 3 weeks.  How adorable!  This is what life is all about....family! Everytime I am with them I am so happy, even though there is always confusion and chaos!  But that is family and it always is good in the end.  Easton was a little shy at first but warmed up after an hour or so.  Then he didn't want to leave.  Who would want to with all that attention?  He loved being held by Nana and Papa.  He got to see his Aunt Becca and Aunt Kellie too!

We also got to see Jon and Nicolette and little baby Springer (on the way).  It is always so nice to see them and get in some quality visiting time.  Nicolette is so cute with her little belly.  I don't think I was ever that little!  Oh well, what are you going to do?  

Easton was a good boy and played well with the kitties.  He was a little confused at first wondering why they didn't run around like crazy Roxy.  But he laughed like crazy at Holly. Hopefully I can get the video working to show you his laughing spree.

I promise to post more pictures as I know we are seriously lacking in that area.  I am working on it...but in the meantime here are some pictures of our trip!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

One little scoot....

So yesterday Darrell was home with Easton and they were playing on floor with his toys. Darrell left the room for a quick second and when he came back he discovered that Easton had scooted his body forward to reach his toy. How cool! We tried this out with him later when I came home and sure enough he did a little scoot. Now when I say little, I mean little and did take him awhile. He rolls a little to one side and pushes his hip in the air. It was super cute to watch him! Some times he gets too frustrated and just gets upset before he reaches the toy but soon enough he will be in full motion.

Growing Big

So it has been awhile since we last posted but we have been busy. Easton can now sit up on his own without falling over and he has discovered his toes. How cute! He also went to the Dr. yesterday and grew 2 inches. He now ways 17.3 pounds. He is a growing boy!

We are going to FL

So we are going to FL in March for Grandma's 80th Birthday. We are so excited. We get to see the whole family since we haven't seen them since Thanksgiving and we get to see Nana and Papa. We haven't seen them since Christmas. We will be staying with Jon and Nicolette and our little neice (due in June). Our little boy sure has grown since then. We are hoping that he will be doing something cool by then, maybe scooting or crawling or maybe even he will have a tooth by then. Who knows? Soon we will find out and we can't wait!

No WiFi

So it has been awhile since I have posted but we have been busy not to mention no internet. I feel so out of touch with the world!
Easton's cold is getting better and he starting to sleep through the night again. We went a few nights were he was waking up every hour and fighting to go back to sleep. That was rough but we are starting to get back in our routine.
I noticed the other day that Easton was looking at his toes and watching them wiggle. It was so cute! He was just staring and trying to take it all in.
Also he loves Roxy. He will just watch her run around and laugh and laugh. She is so fast that his head can't turn that quick and he loses her, but none the less it is funny to watch both of them! Of course Roxy loves the attention. We are trying to teach Easton to pet her and not pull her hair but we haven't quite mastered that yet. Roxy gets a little nervous when I hold her close while holding Easton. It's like she knows whats coming.

Achoo!

Easton has his first cold!  It is not bad and he is still eating and playing normally, but our little guy has a cough.  We are taking our vitamins and catching up on our rest, which I am so happy about, and trying to get better.  We are trying to stay away from medicine if possible.  We are using baby vicks vapor rub and using a vaporizer.  We will see as time progresses but I am sure this will work.

Our First Snow Flurries

Today was our first day of snow flurries. It was so exciting to see white on the rooftops and ground. It was only 12 degrees when we woke up and I was so excited to put Easton in his snowsuit and take pictures. He of course, being the good boy he is, cooperated very well. If you have been to our house then you know the pathetic tree we have in the front yard. The trunk of the tree is so small that it is impossible for anyone to lean on especially a baby. So I put Easton propped up against the tree, and he can sit on his own but only for a few seconds, to take his picture. I was able to snap one shot before he rolled down the little hill. I know this sounds awful, but it was hilarious. I actually laughed out loud. Because the padding was so thick he didn't feel a thing and was laughing about it. That was my first mommy blunder....whoops!

Before the roll....

After the roll and happier than ever!

A cousin to play with

We just found out today that Easton will have a little girl cousin to play with.  He will be her bodyguard and protect her.  We are all so excited and can't wait to meet her in a few months!

And so we begin...

As we begin the new year we also have a growing little boy. For the first time, I was feeding Easton and he did not want to eat. It took me some time to figure out why but I have to admit I was in a little bit of denial. He wanted to hold his own bottle and not have some one do it for him. It took Darrell making the bottle for him and me feeding him to accept the fact that he slowly is becoming more independent. I am not ready for this...he is only 4 1/2 months! But after him taking the whole bottle and then a nap, I just accepted it and moved on.