Racing through Life: This is Fun!

I started thinking about my previous posts and realized I've done a really good job at highlighting all of our struggles, which may seem to shed kind of a shadow on the whole parenthood experience. But in all actuality...IT'S FUN!

Life may finally be starting to "normalize" itself again. We're starting to find our "routine," and Squeak is just at a super fun stage!

I love watching him play with his hands.
I love watching him sleep.
I love when he falls asleep in my arms.
I love his ear-to-ear grin when I start reading him a story.
I love how he is constantly more aware of his surroundings.
I love seeing him and his dad together.
I love watching others enjoying and loving on him.
I love taking pictures of him.
I love putting him in cute little outfits.
I love family prayer time at bedtime.
I love the routine that he brings.
I love working with him on my lap.
I love that he's a content and happy kiddo.
I love sharing the excitement of Christmas (and other holidays) with him.
I love the extra bond that he has brought his dad and me.
I love his cuteness.

Life is so much FUN with our little Squeaker!

And speaking of life starting to "normalize" itself...I worked out the last three nights--Tuesday after he had gone to bed, Wednesday while he sat on the couch and cheered me on, and Thursday with his dad while he watched. After nearly a year of not working out, it feels AMAZING! And although I probably won't start running again until after I'm done pumping for Squeak, doing these workout videos gives me what I need to at least make me consider pumping past 6 months. I have been REALLY missing the feeling after a good workout, but didn't think I could get a good workout in comfortably until after I was done pumping. The workouts were fine with modified jumping jacks...oh, and push-ups pretty much stunk, but don't they always.

The first half of this month has absolutely flown by...which brings me to an update on my November goals:

Christmas cards are stuffed, labeled and stamped, and I finally finished our Christmas letter last night, so cards will go in the mail tomorrow (Monday, December 16). And all but maybe three presents were purchased and wrapped before December 1st.

December 10th we had our Parents As Teachers Christmas Party. Squeak got to make an ornament with his handprint on it (mom's supposed to make little snowmen out of his fingers, but that probably won't happen), we frosted a sugar cookie, saw Santa for the first time, and made some new friends. It was a great evening, but the next morning Squeak woke up with a pretty yucky cough, gosh darn it!

I'm kind of working backwards here, but I should probably mention one of our biggest events since I last wrote...Thanksgiving weekend at the Sand Dunes. My whole family (mom, dad, sister's family of six) and our little brother Trenton, enjoyed Thursday-Saturday at the dunes, and the weather was PERFECT! It was the first time three of my nephews had been, and the first trip Trenton got to drive a 4-wheeler, as he had previously just rode in side-by-sides. Trenton picked up on riding and shifting without a problem. Matt and I were proud parents...er...siblings! He did so well, that Matt felt comfortable sending him up Buttercup (one of the biggest dunes there). The first time he got a lesson in dune timing, the second time was a success, the third time was a success, but the fourth time he caught some air and when the 4-wheeler made contact with the ground, his face went forward in to the handlebars, which managed to get up under his helmet. He suffered a concussion and knocked three teeth loose. Thankfully his parents didn't close our match with BBBS the second they opened Monday morning. His mom did say, however, "If you break him you buy him...or I'll take Hayden in trade." Lol. We saw him later in the week, and he looked all healed up, and by a week later, you'd never known he was injured.

In case you're not on Facebook, I'll leave you with a few pics...