First Kiss

A few weeks ago, we thought Moses had mastered the art of the wave. Since then, he has regressed and refuses to say "hi" and "bye" on command. It worries me a bit, but I'm sure it's just his stubbornness. Moses has a new skill (I am trying not to say "trick" as that makes him sound like a dog!). He will give kisses when asked. He'll even stop a tantrum to do it when asked. I'm sure the novelty of the kiss will end soon, but I'm loving it right now as only a mother could (if you watch the video, you'll understand what I mean!).

Moses passed the 9 month milestone on Thursday. He's 3/4 of a year old and growing so quickly! Well, I think he's growing, but according to the doctor's office he's shrinking. The nurse measured him at 27" in October and on Wednesday Moses was measured at 26.25" Aaron told me to chill out about the measurements, but it would be nice to know! He weighed 19.25 lbs, which is accurate. Obviously, the doctor wasn't too concerned since he didn't even comment on Moses's stats.

Moses is enjoying making loads of noises with his tongue. He continues to crawl and pull himself up on anything that will hold his weight. This past week he showed me his desire for independence (or maybe stubbornness?): He was trying to grab a ball (one handed) out of a toy basket and he couldn't quite get it. I thought, "He made a good effort, I'll help him out." I reached for the ball and as I did, he hit my hand, looked away, and pretended to be uninterested in the ball. So, I let go of it and watched him turn back to the ball and proceed to cup it between his fingers and wrist and pull it out. Really, Moses? I just had to laugh.

Here are some pictures. I somehow messed up with the sizes and can't figure out how to put it back. Sorry!

The above picture shows that he does have hair :-) It is starting to come in now, thankfully!

Happy 2010!!

Happy New Year! We spent our New Year's Eve in Gridley, ringing in the new year in style :-) Moses didn't quite make it until midnight (I think he was asleep by 8), but he was able to celebrate for a bit before his bedtime with Finn, Olivia, and about 15 other kids.

The kids were able to control the karaoke for a few songs before they all headed to bed.

A party's not a party without a good spread. Emily and I enjoyed the delicious food (above), as did Eliza (below).

We are so thankful for all that God has blessed us with in 2009 and are excited for what 2010 will bring!

Christmas Craziness

Moses was hit hard with a Christmas sprint this year. I say sprint instead of marathon, because we celebrate five Christmases in two days :-) Like most babies, Moses was way more interested in the tissue paper, ribbons, and boxes than the actual gifts when they were opened. Now, he loves playing with all of his new things. Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone for their generosity. Moses is one spoiled boy! Here are a few pictures of him enjoying his Christmases.

Moses with Micah (above) and Great-grandpa Meiss (below). Great-grandpa knew how to get Moses to like him the best. . . he was continuously feeding him Cheerios from a Chex mix bowl (yeah, there's no butter or seasoning on those, right? We can thank Great-aunt Sharon for the idea!)

Here Moses is thanking Great-grandma Meiss for the gifts (above) and hanging out with Grandpa Meiss

Moses with Great-Aunt Susan (above) with her kids looking on. Below, is a picture of the Dohner ladies.

Moses with Aunt Dawn (above) and helping his dad open one of his gifts.

Aunt Amy showing Moses his new toy? or maybe book? I don't know, but the red bow is fabulous!

The video below is of Moses opening his first gift of the holiday. He is sooooo enthused :-)

8 Months Old

Moses is now 8 months old! He seems to be learning new things every day. His eighth tooth finally came in this past week (he's been working on that one for about a month!). Slowly, but surely, he is figuring out the whole "waving" business. I tried to weigh him on our scale. It looks like he's around 19 lbs, so he's a solid boy. This weekend, we were able to finally meet Olivia Susan Hepp (8 weeks old). She's so adorable, Jen & Bryan! Jen is one of my cousins on my mom's side. She & Bryan work for Campus Crusade for Christ in Kansas City, so this is the first time Olivia has travelled to Illinois.

Moses loves to "play" with the baby in the mirror at my parents' house. Yes, he is laughing at the "other baby" & licking the "other baby" in the pictures below. It is just hilarious! Sorry, mom, I think those mirrors may have a few handprints on them now :-)

We are excited to celebrate Moses's first Christmas later this week. More posts to come!

Brilliant Boy!

Of course, Aaron & I think Moses is a genius! We've been trying to teach him the most basic sign language--"more." We have been doing it since we started feeding him solid foods about 6 weeks ago. We are convinced that he understands what he's doing. . . but you could probably say it is a little bit debatable. I noticed it on Sunday while I was feeding him, but only said something to Aaron, just in case I was being overeager. Yesterday, though, I picked Moses up at my mom's and when I walked in, she said, "I think he knows what 'more' means. . . watch!" Here is our proof:

Thanksgiving

Moses with his Great-aunt Marilyn and his favorite toy of the day. . .a plastic cup!

Moses celebrated his first Thanksgivings with the Meiss family on Thursday and the Dohner family on Sunday. I am a delinquent mother, and did not get any photos! Fortunately, Aunt Amy, Aunt Dawn and Great-aunt Marilyn sent me some. I don't know what I was thinking (I guess I really wasn't thinking at all!!). We had delicious food & fellowship. Moses isn't quite ready for the feast we partook in, but he enjoyed all of the attention he received. Thanks, Aunt Marilyn & Uncle Garry for hosting a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner!

The Fillingham sisters LOVED looking after their cousin Moses. They are definitely ready for a new sibling coming in February :-)