Christmas, Birthday, and a New Year.... Oh My!

What a crazy couple of weeks it has been! We traveled to Louisiana to have Christmas with Jeremy's family and had a great time visiting with all of them. We had Christmas at Grammy and Gramps' house and enjoyed YuMmY Gumbo. Then all of The Hoods went to Houston to see Transiberian Orchestra (an annual tradition for me and Jeremy since we started dating, so it was nice to go with his family). We celebrated Andrew's birthday at Nanaw and PawPaw's. On Christmas Eve, we had lunch and Christmas at Mama and Papa Hood's house. And the finale, was Christmas at Nanaw and PawPaw's. All three of us were showered with gifts, love, and attention while we were there. We packed A LOT into the week we were there!

However, this is definitely a Christmas we will never forget... for several reasons:

~It was Andrew's 1st Christmas.

~Many of J's family met Andrew for the 1st time.

~The Hood HumBug Virus spread rampant through the family while we were there. Jeremy caught it the night of December 23rd and was sick through December 26th. Andrew caught it December 25th (and vomited through the night as we traveled back home) and had it through December 28th. I caught it December 28th and had it through December 30th. Almost everyone in the Hood Clan had it... it was awful. I haven't been that sick in a long time!

Poor Andrew was not really 100% on his birthday, and I was in bed all day with The Virus, but he did get to have some cake and open his Christmas presents from me and Jeremy the next day.

I feel like Andrew has grown so much through the month of December, physically and mentally. He is walking around holding on (but getting braver as he does so and letting go sometimes, just leaning against things), he says a few words (Nana for Banana, Elmo, Mamamama, and sometimes Hey... but that doesn't seem to really be at the appropriate time). He is really becoming a Mama's Boy, and likes for Mama to hold him and take care of him. He is very ticklish and laughs so hard. He now points to things that he wants, which is helpful to us. He enjoys turning on light switches, playing with cords, opening and closing doors and drawers, and taking things in and out of boxes or drawers. He got his first haircut in Louisiana by his Aunt Mamoo (Jeremy's sister). It was very traumatic and he screamed bloody murder the entire time. But, he looks very handsome now! He is eating almost all real "people" food now, which is so nice. He still loves to eat, especially fruit and bread. He is becoming quite "plump" in his belly. =) He is such a sweet and loving little boy, and we are so proud of him and continue to feel blessed to be his parents!

Now it is December 31st, New Year's Eve, and I am reflecting on the Year of Blessing that is ending, and the New Year to come. This has definitely been an AMAZING year, as we have watched our sweet, precious, little boy grow up. It has also been the HARDEST year of my life, as I have learned, through trial and error, to be the best parent I can be, and to take care of a little one. I am filled with joy, thankfulness, and love for my family (ALL of them), my career, my home, my health, and the many blessings that the Lord continues to pour on us, even though we in no way deserve them.

Happy New Year to all of you!

Love,

The Hoods

Eleven Months!

So I am late with this post, but things are busy in the Hood Household! My sweet Little Man is growing SO fast, it's hard to keep up with him (literally). He is crawling all over the place these days (still army crawling) and even pulling up on the couch and tables. He is such a good baby, eats well (pretty much all table food now--with the help of the baby bullet), sleeps all night (sometimes 12 hours on the weekends), loves to play and take baths, and laughs and smiles all of the time.

He is saying a couple of things right now, such as "Mamamamama", "Oh Oh Oh" when asked what Santa says, and "uuhh uuhh" when asked what a doggy says. He can also wave Bye Bye when asked to. I am amazed at how well he remembers and follows his routine; for example, after his night bottle, he reaches up to get his blanket from the back of the rocking chair, reaches for his paci, lays across me with his head in the crook of my arm, and goes to sleep with very little help (he listens to music and I rock him). He does have to "calm down' sometimes if he wasn't able to get all his energy out with play time or bath time, but for the most part, by about 7:30-8:00, he's pooped and ready for bed. He plays hard during the day and sleeps hard at night. I am SO thankful for that! He recently went through a spell where he would fight sleep and it would take me a while to get him settled and asleep, but he's doing very well now.

I can't believe how much upper-body strength he has. He can pull himself up almost anywhere, walks around a little holding on to things, and walks around the room with someone holding his hands. I don't think it will be too long before he is walking on his own. SO hard to believe!

One of his favorite toys right now is a red car that he can either ride on, or walk behind and push (which he can't do yet). He loves to have me push him around the house on the car, and he dances as it plays music (so funny). It has a seat that lifts up, so he will store his toys in there and take them in and out.

So far, Andrew has done really well with going out to eat. He can be a little loud sometimes if he is needing my attention, or if he doesn't have the food he wants in front of him.

Favorite Foods:

hot dog, applesauce, banana, bread, cheerios, sweet potato, corn, yogurt

He is really a good eater and isn't as picky as he was when we first started with table food. There are some staples that I know he will eat every time, but for the most part, he'll eat whatever he's given. And he WILL let you know when he's done by throwing it on the floor!

It's so hard to believe that in 20 short days my sweet little boy will be 1 year old. What a year... but more about that in the next post! Happy Holiday everyone. Love, The Hoods

Top 10

In honor of Andrew turning 10 months old today, I thought I would create this special list:

Andrew's Top 10 at 10 Months

1. Army crawls EVERYWHERE and gets into EVERYTHING.

2. Says Mamamamama all the time (melts my heart... even if it's not AT me).

3. Sings and Dances when music plays, or if someone sings to him.

4. Eats pretty much every kind of table food, all on his own, and drinks out of his sippy cup.

5. Enjoys reading books, especially turning the pages.

6. Dies laughing when playing peek-a-boo.

7. Still grins and goes hysterical when he sees or hears Mickey Mouse.

8. Loves to crawl toward cords, shoes, and door stops.

9. Sleeps with a blanket and paci each night, and doesn't NEED to be rocked to sleep, but I do it anyway. =)

10. He likes to lay on his back and belly and "spaz" with excitement so he can hear his voice vibrate. He thinks it's hilarious when any loud sound comes out of his mouth.

He is so much FUN and we are really enjoying this stage of life. I know it won't be long before he's pulling up on everything, and then walking around on his own. He's such a sweet baby and so easy-going. We are blessed beyond measure!

He is going to be Mickey Mouse for Halloween (of course), so I will post pics of him on Monday. =)

9 and Fine!

Well, this one really snuck up on me! My sweet baby boy is Nine Months Old! He is such a happy baby and we are having the most fun with him during this stage of life. Unfortunately he is sick right now with a cold, his first one yet (he had some type of virus a while back which gave him red bumps all over his legs and a high fever, but that didn't last very long). He is coughing, congested, and just all around doesn't feel very good. He's happy and playful during the day with Ms. Genia, which is great, but by the evening time when he gets home, he's ready for bed. He actually begged to get OUT of the bath tonight, which is not like him.

He still isn't crawling yet, but is working hard on getting into position. However, when he does get into position, he just falls on his tummy and rolls over to his back. He is just scooting and turning on his bottom to get where he wants to go right now. I know it won't be long though, and I'll be chasing him around the house!

Drew Man is still a very good eater. He is eating more table foods now: bananas, green beans, apples, carrots, baked potato, blueberries, grapes, and he tried grits, but did not like those at all (he actually made the funniest face with his nose scrunched up when Genia gave him some). He loves cheerios for a snack. He is using his "pincher" finger and thumb to grab food and can pick up most anything.

One of my most favorite things he does now is dance and "sing" to music. His Grammy and Gramps gave him a toy piano that plays songs. When it's on he just moves all over the place and laughs. It's so funny! His Nanaw also gave him a bunny (for Easter) that sings Jesus Loves Me. When I play it for him, he "sings" along with it.

I have completely stopped breastfeeding. I'm proud of myself for going 9 months and do feel like it was beneficial and worth it. Andrew has 3 bottles a day now (2 are 6 oz and 1 is 8oz). He just went to the Doctor this week (because he was sick) and weighed 19lbs 5oz; he's a growing boy! He has definitely gained weight since he's switched from breast milk to formula, but I think that's because he wasn't getting enough breast milk. That's the main disadvantage to breast feeding: you don't know how much they are getting.

He has started showing a little bit of shyness towards strangers now. At the doctor's office, he buried his head in my neck when he saw the nurse and the doctor. He has always been a really friendly baby, but I guess he's starting to learn the difference between strangers and people he knows. I love watching him learn! Speaking of that, Ms. Genia started some sign language with him, so I have been doing that at home, too. He knows the sign (or the word, not sure which) for milk and he gets SO excited when it's bottle time. It's so neat to watch him grow, change, and learn new things. He is also saying more sounds that are more word-like, and more sounds with consonants, such as Mamamamaa and Dadadadada, which we LOVE! =)

His favorite things: playing on the floor and taking all of the toys out of the basket, observing everything and everyone around him, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Sprout TV, fruit, bath time, his paci (he is REALLY attached to that now), rocking to sleep, moving his legs and hands non-stop, playing peek-a-boo, and turning the pages of his books.

We are so blessed to have such a happy, healthy baby!!

8 is Great!

Well, this one slipped up on me! My Little Man is 8 months old now. Time is flying, for sure. Now that I am back to school and only see Andrew a few hours a day, I feel like the days go by way too fast. The school year is going well so far and Andrew is still very happy with Miss Genia. He is on a great schedule and is truly an "easy" baby. (Ask me that in a few weeks when he's crawling all over the place!) I have to wake him up every morning (hate that) at 6:30am, he nurses a little bit (but is showing less interest in that these days), take him to Genia's, he eats breakfast, naps around 10am, eats lunch, naps around 2pm, has a bottle, and I pick him up around 4:45pm. He is always happy to see me, which is one of the highlights of my day. =) He eats dinner around 5:45pm, plays and snacks while Jeremy and I eat, takes a bath around 7-7:30pm, nurses again, and falls asleep almost instantly. Most nights we do not even hear a peep from him. He is such a sweet, happy little boy.

He is quite mobile lately, but not yet crawling. He rolls and scoots all over the place. He gets in the crawl position, but won't push up on his arms yet, so he just gets upset because he can't go where he wants to go. But I think he will be doing that very soon. He "talks" and laughs all of the time. He makes a Mamamama sound, which I love, and purses his lips and says Mmmmmm alot, too. He has started making sweet, soft sounds as he's falling asleep, too. He even likes to talk and make noises while eating. I think he gets most of that from his Mama--haha!

He still LOVES to eat and is eating a few more table foods now. He's had baked potato, bread, blueberries, carrots, cheerios, macaroni, watermelon, banana, grapes, and a pinto bean (just one--he didn't like that at all). He is willing to try anything, and makes really funny faces when it's something new. He is doing really well with picking up and eating his own food, but we can only give him a piece or two at the time because he will shove them all in his mouth at one time. He also likes some of the Gerber snacks (Puffs, Yogurt Bites, and Mum-Mums rice wafers). I think the boy would eat until he exploded; he never fills up.

He has 6 teeth already (3 on bottom and 3 on top). He was quite fussy when the first couple came through, but the others haven't seemed to bother him. You can see them when he smiles and it makes him look so much older. He is playing more independently now and still likes to watch Mickey Mouse. He has also figured out how to use the sippy cup, he just has to master holding it himself and not throwing it on the floor (which is where he likes to put everything while in the highchair).

I mentioned that he is not really that interested in nursing lately. I think he's so happy with "real" food, that he doesn't want to waste time with milk. Jeremy and I are going on a cruise in a couple of weeks and Andrew will be with my parents for a week. I have a feeling that will end my breastfeeding time. I will not try to pump while I'm gone (I tried to do that when we went to the beach and it was a total waste of time. I wasn't able to pump anything). It makes me a little sad, but since he hasn't really seemed interested in it anyway, it's not so hard to let it go. However, it really does mean my little baby is growing up.

Hope you all are enjoying your holiday weekend. Time to get some rest now, since Andrew won't realize tomorrow is a holiday and we should be sleeping late. He will be ready to eat and play bright and early in the morning!

Seven IS Heaven!

Happy 7 months to my sweet Andrew! Little Man is growing SO much and this is such a wonderful time in his life. My Mom is visiting right now (she is upstairs rockin' that baby) and we were talking this morning about how it would be great if he just stayed this age forever. His personality is developing, he laughs and smiles all of the time, he can't "escape" yet (well, not very fast anyway) and he can't talk back! The only thing I would change right now is his teething pain. His first tooth is coming through (it's so cute) and he has had quite a bit of pain with that. The teething tablets seem to help, thank goodness, but it just hurts my heart to see him in pain. He looks at me like "make this go away, mommy". Poor guy! Other than that, he's so much fun and such a sweetheart. =)

One of his favorite things right now is EATING! He loves food, but especially fruit. He gets some fruit with every meal and often enjoys "fruit pops" in a mesh bag (he sucks the juice). One of his "treats" each day is to have a fruit pop and watch Mickey Mouse. His sweet, little face just lights up when he hears or sees Mickey. It's so cute! He's eating solids three times a day now and has tried all fruits and veggies and has just starting eating some meat (mixed with veggies). He loves some turkey! =) I'm still breastfeeding him twice a day (morning and night) and enjoy doing that. It's a special snuggle time.

I have to start back to school Monday. I have mixed emotions on this. Of course, I will miss Andrew and being able to spend all day with him. I guess all moms feel that no one can care for them like they do! However, I do miss my friends and a daily "routine". My peace lies in the fact that Andrew will be with Miss Genia, who loves him, and he LOVES her! I can't tell you (well, if you are a mom, you know) what it means to know he is cared for and happy all day, even when I'm not with him. What a blessing she is! AND, I won't have to breast pump at work, so my day will be way less stressful than it was last spring.

Here are some of Andrew's current likes and dislikes:

LIKES: eating, sitting up to play, playing peek-a-boo with a blanket over his head, being with Mommy (he has started to "fuss" when I walk away or leave the room), the color red, Mickey Mouse, swinging, paci (this really helps him with the teething pain), rocking with Daddy (always a favorite), Clifford the Big Red Dog (Edee bought it for him), getting kisses on his toes, belly, and neck, seeing Mommy or Daddy in the morning when he wakes up (he gets SO excited), reading (more like chewing on) books, Mommy singing to him, fruit pops, baths (he loves to splash), and his exersaucer (so many fun things to do).

DISLIKES: getting dressed (especially the arms), waiting on his food (very impatient), and not being fed fast enough (he needs an IV).

As you can tell by the lists, he's a very happy baby. His reflux is SO much better now with the new medicine (Prevacid); he hardly ever spits up. We do have to make sure he sits up and is fairly calm after eating, but other than that, he's fine. He may also be growing out of that stage as well. Either way, it's a blessing!

He is becoming slightly mobile. He can roll all the way over, so he can roll across the floor if he wants to. I find that most of the time he's happy sitting up with his toys, but he's not afraid to go after something if he wants it.

Andrew was able to travel some this summer. He went to PA at the beginning of the month for Kevin and Chelsey's wedding, and then to Edee and Pop's while we went to the beach. His Grammy and Gramps also visited this month (he met his cousin Tyler for the first time, and played with Lena, Amy, and Lou who came down from NC). It's always great to share him with friends and family and know that others are praying for him and lovin' on him, too. We have such a caring, loving family and I know Andrew is blessed to have them all in his life!

1/2 Birthdays and Weddings

Summer is already half over and it has been BuSy! Little Man is now 6 months old and SO much fun. He is "talking" and laughing all of the time. He has the sweetest smile and laugh, it just makes me melt inside. He loves to play peek-a-boo with a blanket (he laughs the whole time he's under it while I say "where's Andrew"). He is rolling around on the floor pretty well and can sit up for a short while on his own, but will fall over eventually. I don't think it will be too much longer before he can sit up on his own. He still LOVES to eat. He really likes fruit, but will eat anything. His least favorite seems to be green beans, but as long as I give him that first (before the fruit), then he will eat it. The Bumbo seat has been a lifesaver for feeding him and for traveling. He can't quite sit up well enough to eat in the highchair yet, so the Bumbo is perfect for him. He is trying to lean over and grab things and get out of it, so we can't walk away from him while he's in it. He is grabbing for everything around him these days. He's so observant and curious; I love it! And, of course, everything goes in his mouth. He is going to the doctor for his 6 month check-up next week, so I will give an update on his weight and height after that.

Andrew has enjoyed being in the water this summer. He has been swimming at Miss Genia's a few times and did very well in the big pool (although he prefers to be held rather than sit in the float) and we have a small pool in the backyard we use quite often. I get in it with him and he loves to kick and play with his toys. He gets a look of such determination when kicking his toys around, it's hilarious! His favorite summer treat is an "apple pop". I cut up pieces of apple and put it in a mesh bag and freeze it. He loves to suck the juice out of it. It is the only thing that keeps him quiet and still for longer than a couple of minutes. Speaking of that, little man is on the move nonstop. He is constantly kicking his feet, moving his arms, or both. He has SO much energy! I think Mommy and Daddy are going to be tired once Drew Man can crawl and walk.

Andrew is now eating solid foods three times a day and I am only nursing morning and night. He has a bottle in the afternoon. It has been nice to make the transition from nursing so often to real food. I think we are both happier. I love nursing and am so glad I am able to do it, but it's nice that I don't have to be tied down to it all day. And, when I return to work in a few weeks, I won't have to pump---PRAISE THE LORD! That was so difficult for me and very time-consuming (I was pumping at work twice a day).

He is still sleeping through the night, which is wonderful. We start the bedtime routine around 8:30 (bath and nursing) and he is usually asleep around 9:30. He wakes up between 7:30-8:00. We are still swaddling him at night to help him sleep, so I don't look forward to breaking him of that, but he will outgrow his blankets soon, so I know it will be time. He still listens to "Forever Young" by Rod Stewart to fall asleep while I bounce him in my arms. He falls asleep pretty quickly most nights.

We took Andrew to PA for the second time this past week for my brother's wedding. We had such a great time and Andrew was wonderful! I can't believe how well he did being out of his environment for a week. He was up late every night, was in his car seat a lot, but was still a trooper. The wedding was beautiful and perfect! I was honored to sing in the wedding and my Mom played piano and sang harmony. It was so special for the both of us to be able to take part in the wedding. Andrew dressed up in his tuxedo onesie and was a big hit. I'm so proud of my little brother for growing up to be such a fun, loving, and kind person. He is a man of character and I know he will make a great husband. I'm also gaining a sister! Chelsey is so gracious, caring, sweet, and beautiful. I'm so glad to have her in our family; what an awesome addition! May God bless your marriage and family! =)