Christmas

I hope everyone had a great Christmas this year. Ours was awesome. We went down to Decatur for Christmas Eve and hung out with Cara's family. We ate dinner then went to church for the vigil mass. We were not too sure how Boston would do being as late as it was, but he hardly made a peep. He hung out with Grandpa in the back of church for a while, but did well all in all.

Churchin'


We spent Christmas day at home. Nearly all day. The only thing we got dressed for was to eat Chinese. We got up to open presents that Santa brought, took a nap, played with some toys and ate lunch, took a nap, etc. I wish everyday could be like that. We were planning on grabbing some groceries on Christmas Eve after church, but, of course, nothing was open. It all worked out for the best, though; we hit the Chinese buffet for dinner (which was the only thing open in town. And it was packed!

Presents!


I finished reading The Road yesterday evening. It's a Cormack McCarthy novel - the same guy who wrote No Country for Old Men. A man and his son struggle to survive in a post-apocalyptic, cannibalistic United States. The man does everything he can to be a good role model for his son while the rest of the world does literally anything possible to stay alive. It's not exactly the feel-good holiday novel of the season, but a great read if you're into that sort of thing.

My brother and his wife (who are expecting in July) are up from TN. We have a few more Christmas plans while they're in town, but other than that we're living up while trying to keep a low profile. I should probably try to get ahead on some school plans, but... Be sure to check the photo site (the link is at the top right) for more updates. Leave some comments if you're feeling spunky. Merry Christmas to all!

Santa!

We took Boston to see Santa this afternoon, and I'll have to admit - it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. He usually doesn't have much of a stranger danger syndrome, but we've all seen the videos of the kid freaking out as soon as he is perched on Santa's knee. Boston just sat the entire time with the "I'm just hanging out with Santa; no big deal" expression on his face. He didn't get upset until we put his coat back on him. That always makes him very angry. Hopefully next year with Santa will be just as enjoyable. We'll cross our fingers, anyway.

Baby Bath Time

Nothing is better than baby bath time. Although, I'm not sure what Boston likes more: taking his bath or just being naked. Here's the baby boy live in action. Rub-a-dub-dub.

Nighttime Ice Photos

Christmas Break!

Because of the big ice storm this morning Christmas break started a day early. Everything is still coated in a thick layer of ice. Luckily we're one of the few who still has power. I got to be Mr. Mom today while Cara went to Decatur to get her hair did. Boston and I have just been been hanging out and playing with Tater all afternoon. Definitely Gary is playing at the Brass Rail tomorrow, and the Big Band is playing in Columbia City on Sunday. Other than that, we're just laying low until Christmas...which is less than a week away! We hope all are doing well.

Like father like son?

What do you think? Any resemblance? By the way, the photo on the bottom was taken last Halloween while Boston was still a seahorse.

December 1st!

We had an eventful and productive weekend to start off the holiday season with cheer and jollity. Yes, that's a real word; I'm an English major. Boston and I visited Cara at the hospital on Thanksgiving since she had to work. From there we went to Mom's for some fried chicken action before heading down to Decatur to visit with Cara's grandma before she heads down to Florida. Boston ate some Gerber turkey dinner, which he thoroughly enjoyed. Saturday we spent the afternoon at Dad's for some ham and fixins.

I was proud of myself for getting the Christmas lights up over the long weekend. I strung the porch up like I normally do while Boston helped Cara put up the tree. Things are looking quite festive around our way of the woods. We also chose the first day of significant snow to get our leaf situation under control in the back yard. Leaves + snow = wet, soggy, and heavy. Only three more weeks until Christmas break!

Thanksgiving!

It's 4:05 on Tuesday afternoon, and I just got home from school. The Thanksgiving break has officially begun! Cara has to work on Thursday (booo), but we'll have the rest of the week/weekend together. We're heading down to her grandmother's in Decatur after she gets off work, but staying close to home otherwise. It will be nice to be able to hang out.

Boston has been a bit under the weather lately. He has been waking up with a stuffy nose of a morning and has had a fever off and on. It hasn't really affected his appetite, though. That kid loves his squash and bananas. He seem to have his favorites, but I think he would eat nearly anything.

I hope all is well with everyone. Have a great Thanksgiving, turkeys.

Congrats Corey and Sally!

My brother and sister-in-law found out they're having their first baby. We're all pretty excited for them. He seems to have a bit of babyphobia, but that is cured immediately after they plop the little guy (or girl) in your arms for the first time. Check out their blog for updates and whatnot. Congrats!

http://www.coreyandsally.blogspot.com

Fish Out of Water

Cara received a flyer in the mail a few weeks before Halloween from the photographer we used for Boston's baby photos. She was running a special on fall photos. Cara assumed that this meant pumpkins and the like, so she dressed Boston up in his lobster costume. It wasn't until she got there that she realized fall photos meant a tractor and leaves. I don't think a lobster's natural habitat is an Indiana farm under a John Deer and some leaves, but it turned out pretty funny. Maybe we'll take his Christmas photos in the lobster costume as well.

It's amazing how much of a difference there is between five months and six months. Boston is doing so much now it's hard to keep up. We're at the point now where we can't leave him in the room with a few toys because he will be destroying whatever paper we left laying on the floor clear across the room. It's a blast, though.

Eating Carrots


Peek-a-boo!


Jumping Bean


Drink Up!


Catching My Dog


Hugging My Monkey

Halloween

Halloween was awesome this year. Cara had an itinerary all mapped out so we could hit as many stops as possible when I came home from school. We started out in Columbia City and saw Mom at the bank. We moved on and said hi to Mamaw and Robert where Boston picked up a Snickers and a 3 Musketeers to munch on (in the wrapper). From there we went back to Ft. Wayne and saw Dad and Jan. It looked like E.T. with all the trick-or-treaters walking around their neighborhood. Next we drove down the road and saw the Pulvers. We stopped by to see Dr. Lewis (from Parkview) before heading home. By that time it was time for baby baths, so Cara took the pinchy lobster to Decatur on Saturday. Good times. I could be wrong, but this is probably the coolest lobster you have ever seen. And the great thing about Halloween with a kid who barely has two teeth: eating his candy. It would be stale by the time he reached the age to eat it all, so I'm doing him a favor, right? That's what I keep telling myself, anyway. Happy Halloween, everybody!

Zoo Day

Last weekend we used our Zoo pass for the last time of the season. The monkeys have no sweaters, and the lions have no scarfs. Therefore, they go inside...or vacation in Ft. Lauderdale. Wherever they go, their last hoorah in Ft. Wayne was great. We even got to see them feed the sea lions.

A couple weeks ago Dad and Jan went with me and Boston while I was Mr. Mom for the day. I think Boston liked watching the kids stroll by more than the animals. Playing with Grandpa is always a good time, too.

Pumpkin Patch

No fall season is complete without a trip to the pumpkin patch! We went to the Hilger's Fall Festival a couple weeks ago with Mom and Robert, Corey and Sally (my brother and sister-in-law), and Chad, Kristy, Lauren, and Logan (my cousins). We watched a pig and turkey race (two different races...those poor pigs wouldn't have a chance), chased some chickens around a barn, and swung on a rope tied to a gigantic pole. Ye-haw! Boston had a good time playing in the straw, Corey, Sally, Robert, and Chad had fun at the potato cannons, Lauren had fun on the zip line, Logan had fun at the bean bag toss, Chad and I had fun nearly breaking our ankles on the pole swing, Kristy had fun cheering on the baby pigs, Cara had fun taking photos, and Mom had fun on the moon walk...just kidding. As you can see, we all had a blast. It's always great to see some out of towners. We don't get to see Corey and Sally or Chad and his crew very often. It was almost hot, too. Great weather for some October farm fun. Check the photo site (link on the left of the screen) for more photos!

Just hangin' out

Hey all! It has been a short time since our last post and thought we would just post some pictures to show you all our big man. Everything is well here. He has his 6 month (yes, 6 MONTH!) appointment next week, so we will post all his new statistics. We are taking bets on how much he is going to weigh! :) Hope everyone is doing well! Love you all!

Homecoming Video

Here's a video of last Friday's homecoming festivities. The girls have a powder puff football game right after school on Friday before the homecoming game, and a group of guys always dress up as cheerleaders. They coordinate a "routine" and perform it as part of spirit week on Friday. The kids choreograph everything themselves and practice their routine on their own time. They also perform their dance at 7:30 am before school starts, so no class time is compromised. I was really impressed with what they came up with.

End of Homecoming

Homecoming came and went. Thursday was "Decade Day." I didn't remember to get a photo, but I wore my green Adidas jumpsuit, a big clock around my neck, and sweet purple jambox blasting RunDMC. Friday was "Blue and White Day," so you can probably guess what I wore. Yes, blue and white. As you can see from the photo, some kids really got into it.



Cara and I had a really great weekend all around. Boston stayed over at Dad and Jan's Friday evening while Cara and I went to the homecoming football game. It was standing room only (I guess it would technically be standing lawn only) and Carroll lost, but we still had a good time. Cara got to meet Max, the drug dog, so that was exciting. I played a wedding Saturday, but was home early enough to participate in baby bath time. It's become quite the nightly ritual.

Sunday we decided to eat breakfast at Cindy's Diner downtown before going to church. The place is awesome, and it was great sipping our coffee outside. Although it did get in the mid 80s later in the day, it was pretty chilly around 8:30 when the photo was taken, thus the long sleeved shirt and hat. After church we were able to make it down to the Johnny Appleseed Festival with Cara's parents before heading out to Columbia City to see some more grandparents.




It's crazy to think that we only have one more weekend before October creeps in. It's officially fall. We'll have to see if the costume we bought Boston last year will fit him. I'll keep you updated...

Class Color Day

Wednesday was class color day. Each graduating class has a particular color, and they dress accordingly. Some kids went all out and painted themselves one color from head to toe. It was pretty impressive. The staff members wore the official Carroll High School homecoming t-shirt with "Staff" written on the back. Not as fun as the other two days, but I still had the opportunity to wear a t-shirt. We hope everyone is doing great!

Construction Worker Day

Today we dressed up as construction workers for spirit week. The new addition to the school started in full force at the end of last school year and should continue through the 2010 school year. With all the new construction going on the student council thought it would be funny to dress up like the hired help. I'm not sure how funny they thought it was, though. Either way, it was an excuse to wear jeans and a t-shirt to school.



Also, here's the latest (as of an hour ago) Boston footage. It's no telling what the kid is going to think is funny from day to day. This time it was the towel dropping from the sky.

Crazy Head to Toe Day

The weekends seem to be getting shorter and shorter. I had a Greek gig on Saturday that took up the entire day. Cara worked Sunday, and I had a rehearsal in Columbia City. With that, we're back to the work week. Boston has been sitting up really well lately. He has the tendency to tip over if he gets too excited, but he's doing a great job. I'm also trying to convince Cara that he's saying "da-da." Right now it's more like, "ya, ya, ya, ya, ya...." and doesn't really associate what he is saying with me, but I'll take what I can get.


Friday is our homecoming game at Carroll, so there is a different dress up day each day this week to show our "school spirit." Check out my "Crazy Head to Toe" outfit. I showed school spirit and was able to dress a little more comfortably than I normally do. Win big.

Movin' and Groovin'

This kid has really been moving like crazy lately. Boston has been rolling over quite a bit and won't stop kicking his legs. He can also sit up by himself for a little bit before tipping over. Here are a couple videos that show off a very active baby. Don't forget to check out the photos page (the link is on the left of the screen).

Boston and Hank. BFF.


Boston Jammin'


Jumping Bean

Some new video!

As we posted earlier, Boston is now trying cereal. This video is of his first attempt. He now likes to suck his thumb after each bite...making sure he gets it all down. The other video was taken tonight. I started shaking the toy rings in front of him and he started going crazy. We have never heard him laugh so hard! Hope you enjoy! :)

Here are the stats!

We took Boston in for his 4 month appointment and, boy, is he getting big! He weighed 17 and a half pounds and is 26 inches long! He is such a happy man and loves to lay on the floor and play! Our doctor said we could start Boston on some cereal once a day. It has been so exciting to see him eat from a spoon! He seems to really enjoy it. Casey is back to school...a little adjustment for Boston and I. Everything is going well. Many of you know Casey was sick this last week....we appreciate all the love and prayers from many of you! Thank you for always thinking of us! :)

Mom is hilarious!

Apparently, Boston thinks his mom is quite funny. He's getting closer and closer to finding his laugh. He still hasn't figured out how to roll from his belly to his back, but it doesn't seem like it will be too long. Cara and I really have to be careful now that he is mobile, especially during diaper changes. Boston thinks it's funny to roll away when he gets naked.

Boston on the move

Don't eat my cheeks!

July 23

Boston has 10 new friends! In the past couple of days he has discovered his toes. He can't seem to stop saying hello to them, either. Hi, toes!



Apparently, Boston also loves the rain. Until he figures his laugh out completely, he has decided to squeal when he finds something funny.



Boston will be attending his first Definitely Gary show this weekend. We're playing at the main library in Ft. Wayne this Saturday from 8-9 if anyone is interested. They have a great outdoor setup for that sort of thing. Judging from last summer, it should be a lot of fun.

It's been too long!

We are so sorry for the delay in updates. It has been a crazy summer...I started back to work at the end of June, we went on vacation to Florida the first week of July, Casey's playin' lots of music, and are now starting to get back into the swing of things. Boston is now officially 3 months old and growing like a weed. He is doing so well! He is starting to learn that he has a laugh/giggle and it is music to our ears. We absolutely love to hear it! He's constantly cooing and has to be up and looking around, taking in the world. Here are some pictures from Florida and other random ones. How cute! Love you all!

P.S. Be sure to check out more pictures in the side link on the left hand side.

2 Months Old

Wow. We thought the first month went fast. Pretty soon we'll be posting pictures of a birthday cake with one candle sticking out of it. Things are going incredibly well (knock on wood). Cara has his feeding schedule down to a science, and we have been keeping a strict bath/feeding/story-time ritual. He has been sleeping from 8:00pm - 6:00am with no interruptions for a few weeks now. It's pretty awesome. Cara and I initially said it would be nice to have some time to hang out just the two of us, but we've been so tired from moving and shaking all day that we're ready for bed shortly after Boston goes to sleep.

Boston had his 2 month check-up today and measured in the 96th percentile for weight (weighing in at 14 lbs 10 ozs). When you look at the pictures, you can probably see why. His cheeks are sagging and he's developed a nice set of baby boobies. We were hanging out by the pool earlier today. It was pretty warm, so it probably seemed like bath time. I can't wait until he starts splashing around it. I plan on keeping the pictures and video coming. Since I'm off until the beginning of August you would think my days are pretty empty, but we seem to have no problem filling them up. I'll try to stay on top of things. Stop by for a visit any time!