Birthday Boy!

We had a great time for Channing's 1st birthday! Our house was filled with family and friends. Here are a few pictures (I will post some more later too):

Channing's 1st haircut

Sorry for being MIA. We've had a lot of wonderful things happen over the past few weeks that I am just now posting. On November 17th was Channing's 1st haircut. Boy, that was an experience! Hopefully the next one will go a lot smoother!

Before

After

Halloween

We have an 11 month old dragon!

I picked up this cute dragon costume from Old Navy. I thought it was adorable and not your typical Halloween costume. We had a good Halloween. Mom and I went by my grandmother's (her mom) house to show her Channing's costume. Then we got pizza and went back to our house. We had left Gary and my dad to hand out candy. I have never seen so many kids!!! They were everywhere. I couldn't get in the driveway! We got back around 7 and dad had already handed out all the candy. We all headed out with Channing to take him down the street. I held him while we were walking and then let him walk up to people's doors with his bucket. He was so cute! We made it down our street and back before it started to slightly drizzle rain. He started getting fussy too. I imagine he was hot in that fleece material. I thought it was rather warm outside. Then it was time for a bath and bed.

These shoes are made for walking...

So...Channing turned 10 months old on September 19. He had an ear infection so we got to find out his weight and height at the doctor's office...22 lbs. and 29 inches long. I can't believe how much he's grown! He has been pulling up on & cruising around the furniture for a while now so we thought it would be just a matter of time before he took those first steps. He would try to take a step and fall. My mom bought him one of those walker and he can really move with that thing!

Well...he officially started walking on Sept. 24 and I got to see it! Too bad I didn't have my video camera. I went to pick him up at daycare and he took about 10 steps straight towards me! That was on a Thursday. My mom and dad said he should not be walking around barefoot...with the weather starting to get chilly and all. They took him that Saturday and got his first pair of "real shoes"--some Stride Rites. He wears a 6 W...big feet. They are so cute. It's been a couple weeks and now he is walking all over the place! He gets so exciting walking too...sometimes a little too happy and he falls down. He just gets right back up and starts walking again. Everyone keeps saying things like, "now he'll be into everything" and "you'll wish he hadn't started walking soon", but I love it! It's amazing to watch him and I enjoy him walking. He is such a character!

Carousel at the beach 9-10

Channing & daddy on the carousel at Barefoot Landing.

Will this sickness end?

I have been going through a tough week. I wasn't feeling so hot last Friday at work. I made a comment to my coworker that I hope I wasn't getting sick because my throat was sore all of a sudden. That night I started to feel worse. Late in the evening I had a fever and chills. My first thought was, oh no, this can't be the swine flu! I have too much going on to be sick! Saturday morning, my loving husband took care of Channing and let me sleep in...until noon. I had a runny nose, sore throat, raspy voice...I felt awful! That afternoon I felt better after downing some Tylenol Cold & taking a shower. We took Channing with his Nana & Pops to Northlake Mall for his first pair of shoes from Stride Rite (I have to post some pictures later). When we got back that night, I had a fever again. I took some Tylenol. I slept in most of the day on Sunday and went to the doctor on Monday. He said I have one of three things--strep throat, croup, or swine flu. Oh, great! They did a strep test and it was negative, which left croup and swine flu. The doctor said there was no time to test for swine flu and there wasn't really a test for croup. He said I most likely have croup but he' s going to treat me for swine flu as a precaution. He also said I couldn't return to work until Thursday! I have been taking it easy the past few days and have been taking my medicine. Hope I feel better soon!

Some beach pictures

Ahhhh...the beach

We are back from our beach vacation. We left on Saturday, Sept. 5 and got back in on Friday night, Sept. 11. I have to tell you, it was a much needed vacation. My parents joined Gary, Channing, and me at North Myrtle Beach (NMB) for the week. We had an awesome time! Mom, Channing, and I spent almost every day at the beach while the "boys" stayed in the condo watching TV, playing on the internet, or went out and about around NMB doing whatever! This was Channing's first time at the beach and he loved it! He enjoyed walking into the waves with me, playing in the sand, and watching the waves. I have videos and pictures to share later!

9 months old

I apologize I have been really slack about posting lately. I have just been so busy! Is anyone reading this blog anyway?? I don't have many followers or posts. Please let me know if you are.

Our little (well not so little anymore) Channing turned 9 months old on August 19. At his 9 month appointment, which wasn't until August 31, he weighed in at 21.5 lbs. and he is 29 inches long. He has accomplished so much in the past few months. He is crawling around everywhere, pulling up on furniture or whatever he can, standing on his own, walking while holding onto furniture and things with one hand, waving bye-bye, and saying "mama", "dada" and other gibberish. He loves taking baths, brushing his 8 teeth, and "reading" books. We are so blessed to have such a little sweet boy. We cherish every moment with him! I will post some updated pictures soon!

Summer photo session

We had a family photo session with some of Gary's side of the family back at the end of June and we just got our pictures back. Here are a few favorites that I want to share:

Pray for Stellan

I have been following an adorable family for quite some time now and they are in need of our prayers. MckMama's son, Stellan, was born with SVT...a rare heart condition. He is back in the hospital and things are not going so well right now. I can't image what they are going through. I know they will be trusting in God and looking to Him for strength. Please check out their blog and pray for Stellan and his family!

African thunderstorm

African thunderstorm

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dada

Channing started saying dada and now says it all the time. It is so cute! I got a little bit on video (sorry the quality is not great--used camera instead of camcorder).

What’s Your Baby’s Personality Type?

I took this quiz below for fun:

Your baby's personality is blooming during this first year of life. Take our just-for-fun quiz and get insight into your little one's personality type.

View >>

Here were the results:

The Laid-Back Baby: Lucky you, your easygoing baby goes with the flow and is quick to adapt to new situations. Because your child is so content, it’s important to seek out ways to challenge and enrich him during his first year.

Sounds like Channing!

Crawling!

Channing has been trying to crawl for a couple weeks now. He would push up on all fours (either knees or feet) but wouldn't move forward...just rocked back and forth. When he stood on his feet, we said it looked like he was doing the "downward dog" yoga pose. LOL

Well...he finally did it! And guess what day he started crawling on...Father's Day! Gary and I are so proud! It's funny to watch him crawl. We put some toys out of his reach and he starting crawling to get them. He'd stop just before getting to the toy and plop on his belly and try to reach with his hand. I managed to get a little video. Of course, he wasn't doing as much when the video camera came on.

Pool time

Our friends invited us to the pool Saturday and it was Channing's first time in a pool. Boy, did he love it! We had gotten him a turtle float with a shade...it's so cute! As soon as Gary got in the water with him,

he started splasing around! We'll have to go to the pool more often...he had a blast! He didn't take a nap all day, then finally passed out in the car of the way home. Sweet baby!

Oh no...

We decided to try out the biter biscuits since Channing is chewing on everything...not such a great idea! It was everywhere!

Vroom Vroom

For Christmas GiGi (my mother-in-law) got Channing a little red car that you can push around. The box said 9 months so it has just been sitting untouched in our living room. He is only 6 months old but sits up really well on his own and attempts to crawl...he can push backwards but hasn't figured out going forward yet. Shannon spent the night last Friday night and GiGi came over that Saturday to spend the day with us. She asked if we've tried to put him on the car yet and we responded that we haven't. Well...let's just say...he loves it!

We fastened the buckle and pushed him around in the house. He was having a great time! He even put his hands on the steering wheel like he was driving. I didn't expect him to sit still in the seat but he does. Ever since then, we've taken him out around the neighborhood almost every day.

Anniversary

Sorry I have been super busy the past week and haven't had a chance to post. Last Friday, June 5, was our 5 year anniversary. Shannon (Gary's sister) came over to keep Channing for a few hours so we could have a date night. We went to dinner, went to the mall to walk around, and just enjoyed spending some alone time together. Shannon said that her and Channing had a good time. He peed on her! LOL I told her he did that as a sign of affection...he has done it to me a lot in the past. I snapped a picture of Shannon later that night after she fell asleep in the recliner. Channing must have worn her out!

Splish Splash

The second attempt with the baby pool went really well! Channing was having a good ol' time splashing around. Here's some pictures of our sweet boy!

Thankful

Some of you know this, but for the newbies...here's a little background. Gary got laid off his job in August 2008, when I was 6 months pregnant. At first it was a little like a well deserved vacation to be home...then days turned into weeks, weeks turned months, and he got tired of being "stuck" at home. He looked everywhere he could for a job but was getting no bites. I took 8 weeks of maternity leave after Channing was born, and it was great with Channing & me at home with him during the day. We had some fun times together! When I went back to work at the end of January, Gary became a stay at home dad. He has enjoyed being home with Channing, but I could just tell that he really wanted to be at work. I think it's just a man's state of mind...they feel like they need to be the provider. After 9 months of being out of work, he finally got a job last week! Woohoo! Gary has been in such a wonderful mood the past week and a half since starting work...his spirits have been lifted! Thank you everyone for your thoughts and prayers as he was looking for a job!

New tooth!

Aunts are the best!

It's been a while since I could get on the computer to post...sorry! We went to Grandmommy's house on Sunday, May 24 to cookout for Memorial Day and had a great time...despite the rain that came that afternoon. Meredith and Adam bought Channing a baby pool that is super cute! We tried to see if he'd like the lake water but it was too cold. Meredith brought some warm water down in a bucket and filled up the baby pool but he didn't want to sit in there either. Shannon ended up getting in the pool with him...it was hilarious! Aunts are the best!

Go Knights!

We went to a Knights baseball game Sunday with my parents. We didn't expect it to be so cold...it wasn't when we left the house! I had put Channing in a cute short-sleeved baseball outfit. I didn't pack anything warmer for him to wear so we had to get a hoodie from the expensive fan shop - sigh. The smallest size was an XXS (2-4) but it was still cute on him. At least he'll have it to wear when he's older. We managed to make it to the 6th inning without rain then left early because the Knights were winning 5-2 by the bottom of the 7th. Go Knights! We had a great time and can't wait to go again!

I would kill for those pretty blues...

My mom got Channing a new hat and we tried it out on him Saturday! Mom put the hat on him and we put him in the Exersaucer while we were planting flowers outside. Cute! He has the prettiest blue eyes I've ever seen! A lot of people comment on his bright blue eyes! We can thank Daddy for those...we hope they stay blue!Later Gary took him for a walk around the block in the new jogging stroller (LOVE it!) He fell asleep holding his feet--it was so funny! I couldn't get a picture of him holding his feet but did get one of him asleep.

Catching Up

Sorry I haven't been able to sit down and write some new posts since last week. Our friend, Ashley came over with her baby boy, Landon (3 weeks older than Channing), Monday and the boys had a great time practically beating each other up...LOL. Let's just say they were a little excited to see each other! They were rolling around, poking each other in the eyes...all the fun stuff!



Monday was a big day!! Channing's first tooth came in on Monday too! It is so cute! He didn't even get fussy or anything...I have heard some horror stories of teething and we've been lucky so far! Now there are 2 more about to come in.
He has also started sitting up on his on! We went to Grandmommy's house on Tuesday after I got off work and Aunt Shannon (Gary's sister) took some really nice pictures! It was first time Channing sat in the grass and he did NOT like it. She managed to get a picture before he started crying.

Mixed emotions today

My heart is extremely saddened today. I have been following my friends, who I used to work with at CP Morgan, and their daughter, Kayleigh, since she was born last June.

Thoughts and prayers to the Freeman family today! Please give them the strength to get through the loss of their precious daughter. Kayleigh was God's precious gift! She is no longer suffering and is at peace with the Lord today in Heaven watching down on us! I can't even begin to imagine what her parents, Adam & Aimee, are going through. You can also check out their story on the upcoming show "The Doctors" that airs Wednesday at 3 pm on Channel 36 (6).

http://www.kayleighannefreeman.blogspot.com/

Baby Dedication

Here are some pictures from the baby dedication yesterday:

Mother's Day

Sorry I didn't get a chance to post something over the weekend. My mom's friend, Angie, got married on Saturday. Mom was the reception coordinator and decorated the reception hall. I went to help on Friday night; then I did all the wedding party and bride's makeup on Saturday! I was exhausted when we got home after the wedding Saturday night. I have to say it was beautiful and we got some really good pictures of Gary, Channing and me. I will post later!

Yesterday was my first Mother's Day! I am so blessed to have such a wonderful husband...he made me breakfast on Saturday and Sunday morning! I got the sweetest card from him and Channing! We usually go to the 8:30 am service at church but went to the 11:00 am yesterday because they had baby dedication and Channing was dedicated. He received a certificate and little Bible. The church had someone take our picture so I will post that as soon as I get it. We had my parents and practically all of Gary's family in attendance! I was so happy to see everyone! Lately, Channing has started this weird grunting thing...I don't know where it came from. During the service towards the end, he started grunting. It was so loud that several people turned to see what was going on. It was so funny and cute! After church we all went to eat at one of my favorite places - Jackson's Cafeteria. We used to go there just about every Sunday back in the day. It was yummy! It was great to fellowship with our family. I always enjoy spending time with them!

It was a great 1st mother's Day! Thank you to Gary (hubby) and Channing for making me feel so special! I love you!

Sharing some pictures of Channing with his Nana and GiGi!

Before I was a Mom

Mother's Day is in 4 days and it will be my first as a mom. This whole experience is still sometimes unbelievable. My mom emailed me this poem today. It really touched my heart and I wanted to share. Here it is:

Before I was a Mom,
I never tripped over toys
or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not
my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind
and my thoughts.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held down a screaming child
so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night
watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held a sleeping baby just because
I didn't want to put him down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces
when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small
could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom,
I didn't know the feeling of
having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel
to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond
between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small
could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night
every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth,
the joy,
the love,
the heartache,
the wonderment
or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much,
before I was a Mom.