8 things...

i was tagged by tricia to share 8 things about sutton. how do i narrow it down, when i could talk about him all day long?!

8 things about sutton

1. his morning lecture series - starting some time in december, sutton began waking up early (some days as early as 4:30, some days as late as 6:00) to "lecture" us on, i'm sure, very important topics. he just lays there babbling on and on...though it's really early in the morning, we have no idea what he's saying and he goes right back to sleep when he's finished, we think it's too cute to be upset with him about!
2. loves his mouth - since the day he was born, we've always gotten loads of compliments on how sweet his lips are. he must think so, too, because he is always playing with his tounge, sucking on his lips, and making kissey-face at us (especially when he is concentrating really hard!).
3. tasty fingers - along the same line as his lips, we knew he was sweet...but those fingers must be especially sweet! he loves chewing on his thumb and pointer finger. they are especially tasty for dessert after a bottle! i think it's so cute because some times he tries to fit his passy and fingers in his mouth at once...
4. hair - we're not quite sure what color it is - reddish, blondish, brownish - but i love how much he has! people say it looks red when i hold him :) i love to style it with a little lotion to keep it under control...he looks so handsome with a little part. he has these few un-ruley hairs in front that insist they stick straight up, though!
5. raspberries - that kid loves to blow raspberries! it's so funny! we can't help but blow them back at him, and i'm pretty sure he thinks this is a normal human form of communication :)
6. giggles - i love making him laugh! i could do it all day long. it's hilarious to see what makes him laugh and sometimes it's so easy like just looking over at him. he gets especially tickled when i pick him up from daycare! i tell him he must be delirious from sleep deprevation because he's just laughing hysterically that i'm there to pick him up (he doesn't nap well there...)
7. mr. nosey - that's his nickname at daycare. he fights sleeping because he has to see what's going on...how horrible it would be to miss anything! he'll even pass on the bottle to turn and see who's just walked into the room. his teachers say sleep has to sneak up on him :)
8. he makes my life so happy - i love every single bit about being a parent to this little guy. changing diapers, waking up early, extra laundry, soothing him when he's fussy, making up bottles, hauling a diaper bag and stroller everywhere...it's all wonderful because i'm taking care of this special person that God brought into this world and charged me and chris with taking care of

personal victory...

oh, and i wanted to share a personal victory for me...last night i went to the gym for the first time since i've been able to see my feet again! i was pleasently surprised since my gym had undergone a major renovation while i was away and i love it now! it used to be just the stinky old gym...but we're lookin' pretty high class now...maybe more motivation to go :)

i know it had been a while since i'd been last, but i try to give myself credit since my body has been through a lot in the past year:

• i gained and lost 35 pounds (okay...so i only lost 30 pounds so far!)
• my muscles, tendons and ligaments had all relaxed to jelly and were barely holding me together
• i suffered through more than 2 months of off and on sciatic nerve pain and physical therapy
• i hardly slept for 2 months
• i had major surgery to remove a 9lb4oz baby boy from my belly!

i praise God for how amazing the body is, though...especially a mom's body, so i won't complain that i have just 5 pounds leftover from the experience....and even more than not complaining, i celebrate what i look like now since it's the result of producing the cutest little guy around!

"For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful, I know that full well."

Psalm 139:13-14

happy valentine's day!!

valentine's day is well underway at our house with the morning starting with chris giving me some yummy chocolates and me giving him a giant bag of his fave...conversation hearts. sutton and i made his teachers sausage balls and a valentine card which they were really excited to see this morning. they are so sweet! they gave him a little book and some candy (well...i'm assuming the candy was really for mommy!) tonight we decided to stay in since we have a big weekend planned and we are all recovering from being sick, so i'm making a nice dinner and we'll watch our latest netflix movie!

our little family has been hit hard by this cold and flu season. first chris was sick, then chris was sick again, then sutton had the flu, pink eye and sinus congestion all at the same time, and then i got a sinus infection, too! i suppose this is all part of having our baby boy in daycare... my manager said his family went through the same thing with his first kid in daycare and likened it to the spanish arriving in north america and their germs wiping out entire populations of natives! so, at least we're still alive, i suppose!

sorry i don't have any family pictures to post (they are all kept on chris' laptop and on an external drive that i have NO idea how to access)...but i can point you to the professional pictures we had taken a couple weeks ago. sutton was about to turn 5 months old and before he grew up too much i needed to get some good baby pictures :) a person can only be so old before bare booty shots are no longer cute! the photographer we used, ashleigh peak, was so talented and so sweet! she's just growing her business, so please consider using her...and if you do, please tell her we sent you because we get a free present :)

sutton's baby pictures (enter the event id "cariealley")

ashleigh peak's blog

love to you all ----