Happy New Year!

Ok, ok, ok! Call off the dogs! I'll post, I'll post! I've been getting all sorts of comments about how my posting has fallen by the wayside. I know, I know. I'm a slacker. But I've had good reasons! We moved into our house and have been trying to get settled. And our laptop screen is dying so it flickers and is really hard to look at for long periods. And Joshua is on another sleep strike. And I'm just too tired. I realize that's not an excuse for you hard core blog followers (I'm looking at you, Jodi Rivera), but it'll have to do. :)

Ok, here we go....

Christmas was, in short, wonderful. We celebrated Christmas with the Nodine family first. Dinner was spectacular - prime rib, twice baked potatoes, sweet potato casserole, cherry pie...mmmmm! Joshua was showered with attention and wonderful gifts as well, but I think he liked the attention the most. :) Grandma got some fun pirate hats from the boys for future make believe play. Won't both the boys be the most adorable pirates on the high seas?!

It was a wonderfully relaxing evening and we enjoyed it more than any other Christmas in the past. See, in the past, we were always shuttling back and forth between Webster and Red Creek. Talk about tiring! But this year, we got to enjoy spending the day with our family and then we got to come home and sleep in our own bed. It was perfect.

We had fully intended to spend Joshua's first Christmas morning in his new house. But the best laid plans...you know how they go! We were just feeling too much pressure to be unpacked and settled and in the end we decided that we'd spend Christmas at nana's. Auntie Jodi was in town and the weather wasn't terrible...it was so nice! Christmas at nana's house was all about Joshua. Both Ben and I enjoyed watching Joshua take it all in so much more than we enjoyed opening our own gifts. Josh loved the lights on the tree (of course!) and loved tearing the paper on his gifts. He got really good at it too!

Merry Christmas, Joshua! from Jamie Nodine on Vimeo.


Of course, there were times that he thought that the paper looked so pretty he should just take a little taste of it....
Now, he's really into tearing paper. He loves tearing napkins, paper tablecloths, bills...whatever he can get his hands on!

Joshua was given really great clothes...and some fun toys...and some really beautiful books!The day after Christmas, Honorary Auntie Diana came for a visit and finally got to meet Joshua. He took to her pretty quickly and decided that he liked having Aunties...regular or honorary.

While Auntie Diana was here seeing our new little home, Tricia and Bill stopped by, and then my cousin Jon dropped in too. It was an impromptu housewarming party! Tricia brought food (she owns the yummiest bakery in Webster) and Joshua really enjoyed the cookie tray. Just kidding. He didn't eat any. But the rest of us did! Mmmmmm.

Joshua is changing every day it seems. He's getting so, so, so much better with his hands and can now grab anything he wants. It's funny to me that Ben and I get so excited about every little accomplishment. The other day, Joshua pulled my camera off the table. I caught it just in time, but what struck me was that instead of being worried that it would break, I was thrilled that he had been able to grab it so quickly. Josh loves to sit in his high chair and play with toys while I'm washing dishes or getting things done around the house. Of course, I don't usally get much done because I'm watching him play. He has also gotten really good at 'SO Big!'. You know, the game where you say, "How big is Joshua? SO big!" and he responds with throwing his arms up in the air. I tried to get a picture for you, but this is the best I got... When I asked him to do it again, this is the look I got...He was obviously not going to do it again. I'll get a better picture soon.

So that's it. You're all caught up. Happy 2009 everyone! It's going to be a great year. :)

ps...I shamelessly stole this from Amanda's blog because I loved it. It recaps the year pretty well I think.

1. Where did you begin 2008? Reading in bed in Virginia.

2 What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before? Had a baby, bought a house, and a bunch of other things that pale in comparison.

3. What was your status by Valentine’s Day? Married and hugely pregnant.

4. Were you in school (anytime this year)? Does the school of hard knocks count?

5. How did you earn your money? I lived as a kept woman. :)

6. Did you have to go to the hospital? Yep. Once for a very happy reason, twice for not so happy reasons.

7. Did you have any encounters with the police? Nope!

8. Where did you go on holidays? Holidays in the european sense of the word? Nowhere. Holidays as in Christmas? Home with our families.

9. What did you purchase that was over $1000? A house!

10. Did you know anybody who got married? Not this year.

11. Did you know anyone that passed away? Thankfully, no.

12. Did you know anyone who had a baby? Yes! Yay for Tori & Jay, Niki & Troy, Bekah & Dave, Rob & Lynn, Jodi & Jon, and Gina & David! I'm sure there are others I'm blanking on!

13. Did you move? UGH. Yes.

14. What concerts/shows did you go to? None. :(

15. Are you registered to vote? Yep.

16. Who did you want to win Big Brother? Seriously? Do people still watch that show?

17. Where do you live now? In a cozy little house with Ben and Joshua.

18. Describe your birthday. It was AWESOME! Photoshoot with Amanda, dinner out, snuggles with Ben and Joshua.

19. What’s one thing you thought you’d never do, but did in 2008? Hmmm...I'm sure there are things that I just can't think of now.

20. What has been your favorite moment? March 28, 10:33am.

21. What’s something you learned about yourself? I'm good under pressure and am a good mommy.

22. Any new additions to your family? YES!!! Why else would you be reading this blog?

23. What was your best month? March

24. What was your worst month? March

25. What music will you remember 2008 by? World Baby Celtic Lullaby cd.

26. Who has been your best drinking buddy? I don't have drinking buddies. But if I did, I'm sure Ben would be it.

27. Made new friends? Yes!

28. Lost friends? Only by moving away.

29. Favorite night out? Date nights with Ben.

30. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Happier
ii. thinner or fatter? compared to last December, I'm thinner.
iii. richer or poorer? my life is richer. My wallet, not so much.

31. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? March 28. It's the moment I became a mommy! I'll never forget that day. :)