Happy 5-monthiversary Jude!

Baby Jude, 5 months

You are 5 months old today, Jude! Happy happy day! This past month, you have been sitting up on your own more steadily, making some moves on your belly (rotating, scootching backwards a bit) and pushing up more with your arms when you're on your tummy. I predict that you will be crawling in the next couple of months! You rolled over from your back to your front at playgroup a couple of weeks ago, but haven't done it again since. I guess it's old news, now.

Whenever Liam hears that it's your monthiversary, he weasels into the photo op, too. ;)

You have grown bigger and healthier! You're 22.5 lbs now and 27.25 inches tall. You are still a happy and calm little guy. Your acid reflux gets to you sometimes and makes you sad, but you take your medicine like a good little boy and it makes you feel better.

Brotherly love

You just had your first Christmas here in Zionsville with our family and we all had a lovely time! You had lots of help from Liam opening up your presents and even more help playing with them. Your favourite thing to do is to bounce in your bouncer. You bounce back and forth on your feet and it looks like you're running. I bet you're going to run a marathon like your Daddy someday.

You also had your first parade, the Santa Claus Parade in Zionsville, and your first train ride on the Polar Bear Express. It was a busy month.

Cuddles with our fluffy friends

We've had a nice couple of weeks hanging out as a family over the Christmas break. Daddy has learned what an armful you are and can now understand why Mommy has such awesome pipes. ;) One sweet thing that you do, is you reach out and pat your Mommy or Daddy on our shoulders or faces until we turn to face you and you look deep into our eyes and smile. You're very gentle and sweet.

Next month is your half-birthday. We have to plan out what we are going to do for your special day. It will certainly involve cupcakes and a trip to the toy store, but as for the other activities, we will have to see.

Happy monthiversary, little bug.

We love you Baby Jude!

Love,

Mommy, Daddy, and Liam

Ring in the New!

2009 was an eventful year--it brought us our Baby Jude, some career excitement, and as Scott mentioned to me today, 10 years of our togetherness. (aw)

Scott and Becky and Xmas Jello Jiggler Heart

Our plans to ring in the new year this eve include some Chinese food, a bottle of wine, a movie and hopefully some soundly-sleeping children. (...at least when the good parts are on! Don't try watching the movie "Angels and Demons" when you have a child who wakes every hour or two!)

Everyone thinks you're so sweet, but there's a little troublemaker in there!

2010 is sure to bring us more joy and excitement as we watch our boys learn and grow, share our lives with our family and friends and explore opportunities career-wise and otherwise!

Happy New Year!

Love,

Becky, Scott, Liam and Jude

ETA: Our Chinese food was YumYum! :) Our fortunes were:

Jude's: You will be unusually successful in business.

Liam's: The only way to have a friend is to be one.

Becky's: Don't be hasty. Prosperity will knock on your door soon.

Scott's: You need not worry about your future.

Phew. I guess we have everything under control, then. All the best in 2010!

ETA again! (1/1/2010): We had leftover Chinese food tonight, with leftover fortune cookies, too and these were our fortunes:

Scott's: Time is the wisest counselor.

Becky's: Your present plants (not plans, plants) are going to succeed.

Liam's: Your dearest wish will come true.

Glad my orchid will survive, then. When we asked Liam what his dearest wish was, he said, "two houses." When I asked him who was going to clean these two houses, he said, "mens." Phew, thank goodness it's not me. It already takes me a day and a half to clean this one (with my helper), imagine cleaning two houses every week! Eeep!

Catching up

Well, at least you know that I'll be posting twice a month to celebrate my favourite boys' monthiversaries. Whew, it's just been busy AND with our friend Liam being so interested in playing on the computer, I'm lucky if I can even turn it on in the morning without it being the centre of Liam's attention all day. We had a computer abstinence week last week and that seemed to break the cycle a bit. Now all I have to do is hide the mouse ("quamma" is what Liam calls it. He sees it as another camera since it's always beside my camera on the desk). Liam has become quite adept at his computer literacy skills. He can navigate the internet to find Sesame Street and Thomas the Train sites and plays the games on the Thomas site with pretty good accuracy. One is an emotions game where he has to choose which tank has a 'sad' face. He can read the words sad, angry, happy, scared, etc. and pick the appropriate face. It's neat to see, but if he could, he would stay on the computer alllll day. Or at least most of the day with a few running breaks built in.

Liam playing with his Snowflake bear from our Polar Bear Express Train Ride

Jude enjoying his train ride

Figures. I had 5 minutes to post these last two posts while Liam was playing on my phone (I wonder who he called/texted today) and he caught me. He's now sitting on my lap and trying his hardest not to touch anything or he is banned from my lap. He's reading through this picking out everytime he sees his name. :)

The fam at the Polar Express

Anyway, things are crazy. I'll post more once everything has settled down. As it stands, we're leaving in a few days to drive home to Ottawa for Christmas if everything works out.

Well, Liam's now listening to NPR on my phone. Hm. I've never listened to NPR on my phone...

Merry Christmas!

Love,

b

Jude taking down Liam for all of those pokes in the eye

Happy 28th monthiversary, Liam!

Happy monthiversary, buddy! You're off to school today for the last day before Christmas break. You'll have a fun day for sure!

You're losing some of your cute words--"eatmoil" is now "oatmeal" but we still have "bullzeedoh" and "compeedu". :) You're reading words in books, cereal boxes, signs that you recognize. You've amazed the neighbours and you never fail to amaze Mommy and Daddy. You're a smart little bunny.

We love you. Enjoy your day.

Love,

Mommy, Daddy and Baby Jude

Happy 4-monthiversary, Jude!

Happy 4-monthiversary, sweet boy! You had your doctor's appointment today. You are a big boy! You weighed in at 19 lbs 13 oz, and 25.5 inches long. You also had some vaccinations today, which made you a little sad and a little sore this afternoon. So, you spent the afternoon spitting up and Mommy and Liam spent it dodging your aim. :( Poor little guy.

I was able to catch a good picture of you and Paulie before you started feeling yucky. Here you are--so smiley!

We love you, baby!
love,
Mommy, Daddy and Liam

Not to compare or anything...

I pulled up some pictures of Liam from when he was about Jude's age and here they are:

Liam, 3 months

Jude, 3 months

Liam, 3 months

Jude, 3 months

There is one difference to note: Jude's wearing clothes that you would see in Liam's nine month pictures. Let's just say that he's a little, um, stockier... ;)

I love my handsome boys!

love,

b

Happy 27th monthiversary, Liam!

Happy 2 years and 3 months, Liam! Hope you had a fun day playing with Mommy, Daddy, and Baby Jude!

Goofball

And Happy Birthday to Auntie Catherine, too! (AKA "Acaffin")

We love you, big brother Liam!

Love,

Mommy, Daddy, and Baby Jude