Fragile - Handle with Care!

We don't want to forget to pack this little guy!

Ms. Mommy Sling

My good friend Kathryn made this sling for me and Zayne. Wow - I love it! Anyone who doesn't have one of these with a little baby is missing out. It is so nice to be able to carry him around the house hands free. He loves to watch me work in the kitchen or pick up the house and now I can get twice as much done. Although, I was getting good at one handed sock folding :). Zayne doesn't realize it, but it is one of his Christmas presents. Kathryn has a little business selling these. They are way cheaper than what you can find them online or at the store and even better quality. Thanks Kathryn!

Kisses for Mommy

Zayne can give kisses - ok, so they are more like just open mouth slobbers, but he gets so excited about them. I will give him a kiss on his cheek and then ask him to give me one and put his little face up to my cheek. Once I get my kiss I look at him and tell him Thank You for the Kisses! and he gives me this huge smile. Talk about melting a Mommy's heart.

We are looking forward to Christmas and are working today on wrapping presents. We are also seriously going to start packing this week. Hopefully the process will go smoothly. We are not overly worried about it as we are pretty good at not keeping stuff we don't want/need, so we don't have excess clutter.

We hope that you all have a Wonderful Christmas celebrating the birth of our Saviour Jesus! From our blog/home to yours ~ Merry Christmas!

Moving... In more ways than one.

We had another yard sale yesterday and again huge success! I never knew yard sales were such a big thing here in FL. We had people lines up before our garage door even opened. Micah said he recogonized some of the people from the week before and even though it was all just the same stuff, they bought more. Who knows maybe they buy it and sell it later someplace else.

We are making long lists each day and getting lots accomplished. Micah is more productive than I am, but I do have a good excuse - see above pictures :).

We are looking forward to Christmas next week with Micah's parents. We have some special things planned and it will be nice to have some extra time with them before we head up to MI. We will celebrate Christmas with my parents in the New Year, hopefully in our new home.

Zayne is getting more and more active. He now likes stroller rides and laying on his belly. He also really likes his toys and gets this really concentrated look on his face when he is trying to reach or grasp something.

Today Micah went Mt. Biking and I am working on sending out the remaining Christmas Cards. We also have to get the house all cleaned up because we have some relators coming to look at it this afternoon. Next week we are going to be hitting the packing full force. I want to keep things as normal as possible until after Christmas, but there is still a lot we can do without tearing up the house too much.

Have a happy Saturday!

Story Time with Mommy

Zayne has started enjoying stories. He will sit through 2 or 3 short stories and likes to look at the pictures and reach for the pages. He is still a really happy baby as long as his basic needs are met. He is starting to be awake longer throughout the day and is so interactive. His little smiles and giggles just melt your heart. We are so thankful for our sweet little boy!

Garage Sale Days...

We are having a garage sale today. So far is has been a great success. We are more of the mindset to just "get rid of it" rather than make a big buck, but so far our running total is getting up over the 3 diget mark - yipee. Zayne and I are overseeing from the front window and making trips outside to charm the customers. It feels so good to be sorting, sifting, and simplifying our life right now. We will probably have another sale next week just to see if we can get rid of anymore. We are still looking for someone to rent or even possible buy our home. Please be praying with regards to that detail - now is not a good time in the market, but we are hoping it is in God's market.

In less than a month we will be in MI - AHHHHH!!! So, I don't do really well with change and pretty much since Zayne entered our lives everything we thought in our life that was worked out became unworked out. I have really been working at just resting in Jesus with everything, going with the flow and taking one day at a time. The hard part is, I liked my life here in FL. Although I miss my family in MI, I loved living in a warm climate, the friends we made, living by Micah's parents, the beach... oh the list goes on. I know I will be ok once we are settled and I can really see God leading us in everything - He has really given me a peace, now if I could only have a desire for cold weather... :)

4-Month Bundle of Smiles

Last Sunday we dressed Zayne up in his cute little frog outfit. This is the only outfit that Micah and I bought for him. He looks so cute in it. We took him outside for a few 4 mo pictures. He was so happy and just gave us smile after smile. It was such a painless way to get some super cute pictures of our little guy. We will probably be sending one of these out as our Christmas card. I went today to pick up some we had ordered, but they slaughtered the picture. It wasn't as if it was a bad picture and they didn't have much to work with - Seriously! Anyway I am going to get them printed someplace else and don't worry I didn't pay for them :).

Enjoy the preview!

Johnny Jump Up

This is Zayne in his Johnny Jump Up that my parents bought him. He is really starting to get the hang of it and loves it. It is so cute to see his big eyes look around at everything when he is in it. He doesn't quite have the bouncy part down, but he likes to rotate around and once in awhile will do a little hop.

Our packing continues... Micah is working out in his garage going through a bunch of stuff and then we are going to tackle the closets. We are hoping to rent out our house for a year so pray we can find a good rentor.

Last night Micah and I went out on a date. We dropped Zayne of with Gramma and Grandpa and went out to a fun barbeque place and then saw the new Bond movie. It was so funny because as we were driving we found ourselves tensing at every red light bracing for the cries from the back and then laughed when realized what we were doing. Zayne did great and gave Gramma and Grandpa smiles when we arrived and when we were leaving.

Bath time smiles and diaper changing giggles

So remember when Zayne used to scream all through his bath and cry through diaper changes? Well now they are pretty much the highlights of his day. As soon as you lay him on his changing table he gives out big grins and the other day I was cooing over him and he just started giggling away. Micah had told me the day before that he got him laughing when he was boucing him on the bed, but I didn't quite believe him. The sound is so cute and just makes you giggle right along with him. We still give him a bath each night and he loves to splash in the water. We had to move the ritual into the bathroom tub, because he was soaking the kitchen with his little antics. Above are some pictures of him enjoying his bath. Enjoy!

More Gramma & Grandpa

Micah's mom and dad tend to compete a little when we are over about who gets to hold Zayne :). As you can see Zayne doesn't really have a preference - he likes both laps a lot. Their house is still a favorite destination of Zayne's. He loves to sleep on their bed stuffed in between their pillows. He also has a little swing over there so he just feels like it is his second home.

On the home front. We have our Christmas tree up and a few decorations out. We are gathering boxes for packing and our moving ahead with our to-do lists. I went into work on Monday and said a final goodbye. It was sad to know I won't be back, but I really feel a peace about the new mission and job God has given me. I am excited about helping my husband and family with starting a new business and I am really thankful I won't have to leave Zayne to go back to work!
Winter-Wonderland here we come!

Nana Great...

When I walked downstairs at my parents house and saw my Nan standing their I couldn't stop the flood of tears. She is the best Nana a girl could ask for and it was so special for me to be able to share my son with her (thanks Mom and Oge for planning the suprise and Pop for letting her come!). She has such a gift with babies and Zayne took to her like he had been waiting his whole little life for her to arrive. Above are some pictures of us all together.

More Michigan Musings...

When we were in MI this time Zayne and his Uncle Luke totally bonded. Everyday when Luke got home from school or work, he would head for Zayne. Zayne loved hearing Luke sing and would just snuggle up and relax in his arms. It was so sweet.

This is my brother Micah holding Zayne. Every morning Zayne and I would make a visit to U. Micah's room. Zayne would sit on his chest and I would help Micah feel his head and little arms. Micah has always loved babies and Zayne is no exception. It breaks my heart that Micah can't really hold him or play with him like I know he wants, but it is so special that he can at least see him and be apart of his life. Micah is making amazing progress and it is just a matter of time before he is out throwing Zayne way to high in the air - I can't wait!

This is one of Micah's best friends Jessie. Jessie comes over at least once a week just to hang out with Micah and the rest of the family. He is sort of just another one of our "boys" in the family. I aksed Jessie if he likes babies. He gave me a doubtful look and said he didn't think he had ever even held one before. So, I took care of that and just plopped Zayne in his lap. The funny thing is, Zayne loves laid back personalities and Jessie is about as laid back as you can get. Zayne just sat content on his lap and I had to get a picture to blackmail Jessie's facebook account :).

This is Uncle Nate helping Zayne get dressed. Nate is a bit anxious for Zayne to grow up a bit because he has so many things he wants to teach him. ie - "how to beat up people and throw a foot ball." :) I don't think Zayne will have any problem with a lack of men in his life.

Untill tomorrow...

~Kara

Happy Thanksgiving!

We had a wonderful, relaxing Thanksgiving with just Micah's parents. After all the travel and unknowns we have had the last little bit, it was so nice to just have a slow, normal day. The food was awesome as well. Below is a picture of me taking WAY more credit for the meal than I deserve. Micah's mom prepared all the hard stuff and everything was delicious.

We had a Thanksgiving Trivia and a Crossword Puzzle race. This isn't me bragging or anything, but I won both games :). We also read some Psalms together on thanksgiving. It is so good to be reminded of God's blessings. This year we have one whole extra person to be thankful for. We feel so blessed to have our son Zayne. He makes each day and moment so special and sweet. He is really getting good at batting his toys. His attention span is getting longer as well. He made it through 22 Minutes of a Baby Einstein video with Daddy on Thanksgiving morning - so cute.

Psalm 100: 1-5"Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations."

HAPPY 2008 THANKSGIVING!

Home Again, Home Again

We made it back from MI early Monday morning. We had an exciting, suprising and productive trip. It started with some business meetings and more planning. We are working on securing a location to start a Pizza and Grinder resturant. We also looked at some houses to rent and found one that we really like. It is located close to the business and is similar in decor to our current house. It even has the same ceiling fan that we have in our living room - definetly a sign :). It is also right on the river and there is a nature trail right off the back yard. Nothing has been solidified yet, but we made good progress and feel good about things. Micah and my dad left last Sunday for a week of training in NC and they learned so much. I loved hearing about the amount of time Micah spent in the kitchen. He told me not to get any ideas though - the kitchen at home is still "my" forte :).

The day they left my Nana and Aunt flew in to town. I had no idea they were coming for the week - they totally suprised me! It was so fun to share Zayne with them both and just get to have lots of quality girl time. One night we rented a chick flic. It ended up being a dud so we turned it off and just talked and laughed. We had milk shakes each night and tons of yummy cooking.

Friday morning I had another fun suprise. Micah and my dad came home a day early and suprised us. I woke up to Micah coming in the bedroom. Zayne and I were so happy. Micah was afraid Zayne would forget him, but the next night the only person Zayne would calm down for was his Daddy. Friday night we had a family dinner and got to see the whole gang.

Some other highlights...

Luke shooting his first deer. Meeting Josiah's new girlfriend. Seeing Micah stand in his therasuit cage. Hearing Nate talk about how he creamed my Micah in soccer. Watching Nana give Zayne a bath. Eating Aunt Oge's oatmeal bread. Having my mom buy Zayne the sweetest little outfit that is warm and snuggly for MI. Hearing U. Luke sing and rock Zayne to sleep. Seeing Zayne "talk" to his U. Nate. Lots of memories all of them sweet and unforgetable.

I have lots of fun pictures from our trip and will post some of them soon. In the mean time, the ones above are just some cute ones of our precious little guy.

Learning...

Zayne seems to be learning new things everyday. He now loves to look at toys and will reach for them once in awhile. He smiles at ceiling fans, and lifts his head way off the ground when on his tummy. His little legs and arms move all the time - sometimes it seems he just wants to take off. We don't actually let him watch tv yet, but Daddy propped him up like this and the scary part is he looks like he knows what he is doing :).

Yesterday Micah and and I took off for a few hours to go to the beach and we left Zayne at Gramma and Grandpa's. He did great, although I was a bit nervous being gone from him. It is amazing how he consumes so much of our thoughts and time now. We can't imagine life without him.

Tomorrow we are headed back up to MI. We are seriously considering opening a business with my parents which would mean a move back to the arctic :). We are excited though and it feels like God is leading us this direction and giving us peace. We will be back in about a week.

Until then...

~Kara

Nature Walk

Yesterday we took Zayne on a nature walk. He fell asleep again in his little carrying pack. The first time we tried to do this little trail with him, he was only a few weeks old. It was our first time trying out the pack and when we put him in it he practically got swallowed up he was so tiny. We decided that time not to attempt the trail because he was so little. I think the pack is made for 8lbs+. Well now he is well over 8lb and fits in the pack just fine. We enjoy getting out with him and I think the fresh air is good for him.

Last night we went to Gramma and Grandpa Plimpton's for a yummy lasagna dinner. We all enjoyed it. Micah went mountain biking with a buddy this morning so it is just Zayne and I. We are having fun learning about new toys and working on our rolling over. He did it again for me this morning. I love the suprised look on his face each time he does it. I might not be able to post any pictures for a little while as our computer has been shipped away to get fixed. Hopefully it will be back soon because we have a bunch more cute ones.

~Kara

Granmma...

I thought I would post some pictures of Zayne with his Gramma Plimpton. They seem to be pretty taken with each other. Micah's parents live about 20 minutes from us and it is such a blessing to be near them. We love meeting them for coffee or just popping by. Zayne is really relaxed around them and always seems to just calm right down when we are in their presence. Yesterday we met them at Chic Fil A for the free chicken sandwich. Unfortunatly, I guess it was only at select stores and the one we went to wasn't one of them. Oh well, it made for a special time anyway.

Growing...

When we went to the Doctor's last Monday Zayne was 10lb 7oz and 22.5 in.

He is in the 25% and declared "perfect" by the doctor. Yesterday he rolled over for the first time intentionally. I put him on his tummy in his crib and turned his mobile on for incentive. He struggled for a bit and then did like a jump hop roll onto his back. He scared himself and started crying but then did it again later in the day with a little more grace. It is so cute!

On our way home from NC last week we stopped in Atlanta and climbed Stone Mountain. It was Zayne's first Mountain. He loves going for hikes in his little front pack and normally just falls asleep against Micah's chest. We got all sorts of comments from people going up the Mountain. Most of them thought it was great he was getting such an early start in the outdoors.

Today we are having a quiet day. We went and voted and are planning to get our free Chic Fil A sandwhich. I guess you can get a free coffee at Starbucks too.

Happy Voting!

~Kara