Joey: 3 Months

Joey is 3 months old! While he doesn't have a doctors appointment until next month and we don't have his exact measurements, we know he is around 12 pounds.

At three months Joey gets most of his sleep at night, going 8-10 hours between feedings. He's a bit of a night owl and likes to stay up until around 11 or 12 before going down for the night. We are working toward an earlier bedtime and hope that with his new routine this will happen sooner rather than later.

Joey started going to daycare at 12 weeks. He goes anywhere from 1 to 4 days per week and really seems to enjoy seeing Miss Barbara.

Joey is cooing and talking more and more. He is starting to really vary the sounds he makes. We are excited to hear this and look forward to him talking. Joey discovered his tongue in the last month. He sticks it out all of the time. We enjoy mimicking him with this - sticking our tongues back out at him and making noises. He smiles a lot and lights up when he sees us. Laughing is right around the corner - he is so close! We are tickling a little here and there to see if we can help squeak one out. He continues to be a busy baby. He loves his play mat and seems to look at it a little differently. He loves the colorful rings that Santa just brought him, loves his swing, Bumbo chair and still prefers to sit up. He is still quite the snuggler, which both mommy and daddy love!

We have noticed that Joey continues to be more alert daily. He is able to see more clearly and is fascinated to take everything in - it's a very cool thing to witness.

Priest Family Christmas

We were lucky enough to be able to spend time with both sides of the family around the holidays. Joe's sister Melanie hosted his side of the family this weekend. We had a blast visiting, catching up and spending time together. This was our third and final Christmas celebration. Here are a few photos.

Joey's cousin John opening his gift from us

Hanging with Grandma Pam

Daddy got to open Joey's gifts

Grandma and Grandpa opening their gifts

I snuck a couple of adorable photos of Grandma and Grandpa spending some quality time with Joey. They aren't the best quality, but too sweet not to post.



Christmas Morning

We had a fantastic Christmas morning. It was just the 3 of us and Joey slept until about 7. We fed him and started opening gifts with a happy baby.

Santa stopped by and left some goodies in our stockings.

Joey with all of his gifts - happy baby

Close up - love the smile

XBox Kinect makes daddy happy

Sweet gift from daddy - a locket with photos of my two favorite guys inside

Little man has some growing to do before he can jump in his jumper, but he was digging the new scene

Those were a few of our favorites. Take a look at the video of Joey opening all of his gifts - with a little help from mommy, of course.



Maternity Leave is over

Joey up, fed, changed and ready to go - check.
Diaper bag packed, milk ready to go - check.
Baby loaded in the car and off to Miss Barbara's with daddy - check.

Life as I have known it for the past 12 weeks is changing. Back to work I go. Yesterday marked the last day of maternity leave before I head back to work full-time. We made the most of the weekend, spending as much time together as we could.

Joey and I had some good times during the past few months - countless hours of daytime TV (The Today Show, Ellen, Rachael, Nate Berkus and even watching Regis say goodbye and the transition of the show to Live with Kelly), transitioning from Joey sleeping during the day and being awake for most of the night, lots of playtime, lots of love and getting to know one another.

I can't believe how much the little guy has changed over the past few months alone. It's amazing! I feel like it's just a sneak peak to what the rest of his first year will be like. I am so in love with the little guy and so grateful that I have been able to take as much time as I have. I would love to stay home with him every day, but back to reality I go.

And this morning, minimal tears as my two favorite guys headed out the door.

Visiting Santa

We took Joey to the mall to see Santa for the first time! He was such a trooper. We waited in line for almost 2 hours. The little man took a nap for most of the wait and woke up when there were only about three kids in front of us. He was completely refreshed, smiling and ready to go.



Next year we will go a little earlier in the season, that's for sure! All in all, totally worth it! It was an all day affair- shopping, eating and hanging out as a family. And the little man did marvelous.

Ready for some football!

We are ready for Big D to take on Big Blue! Joey has had a fresh bath and has his gear on (onesie, pacifier and bit), with his blanket near by. And now, we wait...GO COWBOYS!

Weekly wrap-up

This was a big week for us. I started back to work part-time on Monday and went into the office for the full day on Tuesday. Joey had his first day at Miss Barbara's house. They had a great time - I did not. It was a very hard drop off for mommy. I did better as the day progressed. Daddy picked Joey up and both were at home waiting for me when I got home. It was nice to have a little adult interaction, but very hard being away from my favorite little mister all day long.

We spent the weekend all together in East Texas visiting Joe's dad, aunt and uncle. Unfortunately Joe's mom was in Arkansas taking care of her dad. We're all hoping Grandpa starts feeling better - and we sure missed Pam all weekend. Joe hunted a few times, unsuccessfully, and we went antique shopping in downtown Mineola. We also picked up Joey's first Christmas gift. Great weekend!

This upcoming week is my last week working part-time hours. Joey gets to spend this Tuesday at home all day with daddy, which should be a great time for them both. Then Friday, visiting Santa and wrapping up our Christmas shopping. It should be a great week!

New Christmas Toys

Joe and I had a blast breaking into Joey's new toys and ripping them out of the boxes. We took video of him checking out his new work bench.

Smith Family Christmas Video

Here's a video from the Smith Christmas festivities. It's a little long, but the kiddo is cute in it.

Holiday Visit with the Smith's

This weekend my family came to town for a visit and Joey's first of three Christmas celebrations this holiday season. We had a blast and the time flew by! And, like every time they come to town, they brought rain. Doesn't sound like much, but we had the first soaking rain since like Spring time.

Here are a few photos from the weekend for all to enjoy.

Boys club - minus the baby

Love to talk to Great-Grandma

Getting rocked to sleep by Aunt Stephanie

Hanging with Grandma and Grandpa

Surrounded by all of his presents!

We had such a great time and are so blessed to be able to spend time with family. So glad they were able to make the trek down!

Our apologies to Cowboys fans

I mentioned before how superstitious I am, but Joey has worn the same Cowboys onesie for the past several weeks and they hadn't lost a game since this started. Not sure that we have anything to do with it, but I didn't want to rock the boat. Good, bad or ugly (maybe a little of each), they continued to win...until tonight. I am sad to admit, we did not have Joey in his onesie. I thought, it's Arizona - we're good. Right? WRONG!

As you can see, Joey is saddened by the decision and the loss as well. No excuses, just apologies. Especially to my Uncle David, who called tonight. The kiddo will be in the outfit every game, no matter what (especially next week against the Giants).

Busy little bees

My apologies for the lack of posts lately. Joey and I have been super busy! Between getting ready for Joey's first of three Christmas's/my family coming to town, Joey meeting his daycare provider and me getting ready to start back at work part-time next week, we've been all over the place. This munchkin is a trooper, until he's had enough, then he lets me know it!

Many posts will occur in the next few days, I promise. Here's a picture for those who have been dying to see one. Joey's in a little baseball outfit. It didn't fit during baseball season (would have been great to cheer the Rangers on in the World Series), but he's sporting it anyway because he looks so cute.

Joey: 2 Months

I promise not to say that the time is flying every month, but it is! Joey is 2 months old already.

At two months Joey is napping during the day less and less. He will go for 6-7 hours between feedings at night. He is more alert and loves to smile, coo and look around. He is a very busy baby. He loves his Bumbo chair and seems to prefer to sit up. He also loves his Infantino carrier - we can tote him anywhere in that thing and he is perfectly content. He prefers to sleep on his stomach and loves to snuggle.

Joey weighed in at 10 pounds, 1 ounce and is 22 1/2 inches long.

Thanksgiving Traditions

Happy Thanksgiving! This is one of many holidays that we will begin traditions to carry on for many years. And this year we have so much to be thankful for.

We started the day out watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in our pjs.

Watched all three football games. And yes, Joey had his Cowboys onesie on during that game. Then Joey and I met up with Joe when he got off work and had Thanksgiving dinner with some friends.

Note to self, don't leave the photo for the end of the night. The munchkin is less than cooperative. =)

Friends Already

Bailey has a friend. She is always around him. I hope she and Joey will be friends - even after he's mobile.

Today's Visitors

Joey got a visit today from his Aunt Kelley and cousin Ashlee! So glad to see these lovely ladies.

Chatty morning

Little man was having a chatty morning this morning. Usually he stops doing whatever he's doing as soon as I pull out the camera. This time, I got lucky.

Our big boy

Joey went 6 1/2 hours between feedings last night! Our big boy! I wish he would have been asleep during that time, but baby steps. It was at the start of his "awake time" which is between 11 pm and 2 am lately. We are working on getting that to be asleep time, but it's better than the 2 - 5 am that he used to be awake. Here is a picture of the happy baby after he woke up.

The holidays already?

Joe and I took Joey to Stonebriar Mall last night in hopes of seeing a lot of Christmas decorations and on the lookout for new stockings. I found some stockings online that I like, but wanted to do a little leg-work here first to see if I can snag some. Plus, it was a really good excuse to get out of the house and spend a little time together as a family.

I was disappointed to see not a single kiosk with holiday items. Really? Is this only something that occurs back home? That can't be. Am I too early? It's the week before Thanksgiving. I know it's a little early, but a lot of retail places have been decking out in Christmas garb since Halloween. This may be a little harder than I thought.

I've heard from others that another mall is all decked out already, but going as a family was half the fun. Oh well, we tried. We had fun anyway.

Too warm for November

It is so ridiculously warm here (again). So ridiculously warm that I had to turn the AC back on. Really, it's the middle of November! I took the opportunity to put Joey in a cute little short outfit. For those of you who think we have a thing for monkeys, I assure you we don't it's just a coincidence.

It never fails, this kiddo lives to sleep on his stomach. Tummy time always turns into Joey falling asleep almost instantly.

Look how cute those shorts are!

Good Luck Charm?

Call me superstitious but the Cowboys won last week and this week. Joey wore his Cowboys onesie for the first time last week and then again this week. I think he will be wearing it every Sunday - don't want to rock the boat.

Hanging Out

A little someone was getting impatient while I got organized after his bath. So, I set him down for a minute while I got myself together. Of course he's a natural - relaxing, watching TV.

Hard at Play

Someone fell asleep tonight while on his playmat. If you look closely, the mouth portion of his pacifier is in his hand.

6 weeks old!

Joey is 6 weeks old today! We are having strangely warm weather today, so I decided to put him in an adorable tank onesie. I was worried it would be too cold for him to wear it before he outgrew it, but we live in Texas - so a tank in November isn't out of the question.

Joey had an incredible night's sleep last night, so he's been in a great mood all day. He was hanging out with his head up looking around, so I thought we'd try the Bumbo chair for the first time. He LOVED it. While cooing, looking around and laughing, he also discovered his tongue. He has been cracking me up all morning.

Family Visits

This weekend Joe and I took little Joey for his first trip to East Texas. In honor of opening weekend of deer hunting season, we had to make the trek for Joe and his brother Ben to see if they could have any luck. This was also an excellent opportunity for Joey to meet some family members.

Meeting Uncle Ben & Aunt Shannon

Meeting Great Aunt Cathy

Meeting Great Uncle Brian

Hanging with Aunt Melanie

Cousin John holding Joey

Sleeping in Uncle Daniel's arms

Visiting with Grandma & Grandpa

Our little nugget is growing

Today marked a mini milestone for little Joey. He's officially in all 0-3 month clothes! First diapers and now clothes, this little guy is no longer a newborn. While it's a whole new wardrobe, I can't help but be just a little sad. I can't believe how fast he's growing!

30 Days of Thanks

In honor of November and the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, I thought it might be nice to recognize it this entire month. Every day this month I'd like to talk about at least one thing I am thankful for. Remember, this list is in no particular order, just what I feel thankful for at that given moment. I promise to keep this light-hearted and fun, while serious. I hope each of you takes an opportunity to at least think about what you're thankful for this holiday season.

1. I am not only thankful for the opportunity to shower today, even though it was at 5:00 this afternoon, but I am also thankful for my health. It is something we often overlook and maybe even take for granted.
2. My home and the shelter it provides. We have put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into this home and will continue to do so as we give it the TLC needed and upgrades we desire. I love our house and am so thankful for it!
3. The two men in my life. My husband has always made me feel like a lucky woman. He's the one person who truly gets me, grounds me and makes me a better person. Now I have two men in my life that I'm absolutely in love with. The birth of our son has made me love my husband that much more. I can't wait to watch our little man grow.
 

4. A little less deep, but still relevant - today I am super thankful of the ease of our stroller. It turns on a dime and folds up and down with one hand. With the numerous errands Joey and I ran today, I was super thankful for it!
5. Our family. Both Joe and I are lucky to have such wonderful families that love us. We are so lucky to have these people in our lives. From great parents, to siblings, to grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and so much more. We feel the love from so many and are so thankful for it.
6. I am so thankful for Joe's days off work. It seems we spend so much more time together in general now that I am on maternity leave, but I truly cherish the days we are able to spend off work together - no matter how many (or few) there truly are.
7. I am truly thankful for happy baby days. Joey loves his sleep and when he gets a good night's sleep, it really is a wonderful day for both of us. He's so happy and fun and everything is exciting to him. It's such a pleasure to watch. We have had a struggle here and there getting him to stay asleep. Last night was the first of hopefully many little victories and for that, this mama is grateful.
8. Today I am thankful for the Internet. To not only put my thoughts and words out there, but to help with the long restless nights and sometimes boring afternoons. With out this tool and distraction, I'm not sure what I would do some days.
9. I am thankful my husband is a "do-er." He has done so much work around the house and on our vehicles it amazes me. If he doesn't know how to do something, he's on the phone with his dad trying to figure it out or looking it up online. He has learned how to do so much and will at least give something a try before hiring it out. He has saved us so much money - and who wouldn't love that.
10. Today I am thankful for our day as a family. We spent a wonderful day together, just the 3 of us. Going to brunch, shopping and spending the day talking, laughing and just being a family. What a blessing!
11. In honor of Veteran's Day, today I am thankful for those who sacrifice so much to serve our country.
12. I am thankful for my clean house. It's so clean and smells so good. Makes me smile.
13. I am thankful for Skype. We are lucky enough to be able to talk to and see family and friends that live so far away. This helps us stay in better touch with the lives of our loved ones because visits aren't always possible.
14. For never having felt the pain of hunger. Joe and I have been pleased with enough food to keep us full and for that, I am truly grateful.
15. I am thankful for every morning that I wake up. Life is precious and I am grateful for each day that I am here.
16. My fur babies! They were our kids before Joey arrived and will always be our kiddos. We love all four of them.

Bailey & Jack

Sam & Abby
17. Our friends are an extension of our family. While most of our friends live so far away and it's sometimes a challenge to connect, we love you all dearly and don't know what we would do without you.
18. I love our vehicles. They are old, have high mileage and have needed their fair share of repairs, but I love them and am thankful we have 2 dependable vehicles.
19. I am thankful for the relationship we each have with our in-laws. Joe gets along with my parents beautifully and I adore Joe's parents. We couldn't ask for better in-laws and are truly grateful for that.
20. Today I am thankful for breathable bumpers. Joey never really slept well on his back and we decided to stop fighting with him and let him sleep on his stomach. With this change, we changed his crib bumpers out with the mesh breathable kind to protect him when he roots around.
21. My Infantino carrier. I don't know what I would do without this thing. It makes it so I can drag Joey all over the place and he is super content, falls asleep most of the time.

22. Not everyone is lucky enough to say this - I am thankful Joe and I have jobs and are able to support ourselves.
23. I am thankful for sleep. Joey went 7 hours between feedings last night, sleeping for the majority of that time. It feels good to sleep for longer than 2-3 hours at a time, something I used to take for granted.
24. Today I am thankful I get to start traditions with Joey on his first Thanksgiving Day.
25. I am thankful for holiday weekends. From family time to football to lounging on the couch.
26. I am thankful that my maternity leave has been around the holidays. I am able to take care of picking up Christmas gifts at a time when the stores aren't quite as crowded.
27. I am thankful that I am able to ease back to work. One more full week off, then two weeks of part-time work before I go back full-time. The last 9 weeks have flown by!
28. I am thankful for the relationship I have with my mother. We can tell each other anything and talk frequently. I value her opinion and advice and have leaned on her a lot over the past few months.
29. DVR has been a saving grace during maternity leave. I have been able to watch various TV programs during all hours of the night and this has saved me from poking my eyes out and pulling my hair out.
30. One of the most treasured items for baby - our Summer video monitor. I don't know what I would do without this. To be able to see what Joey is up to from our bed or from downstairs while in the middle of cooking, it has been a complete life saver and provided so much peace of mind.

Happy Halloween

Although Joey is too young to trick or treat, he's not too young to dress up for Halloween!

Hanging out with daddy

Our cute little monkey

Check out his tail!

Cute Halloween outfit #1

Cute Halloween outfit #2 - both thanks to Aunt Stephanie