8 Months!

My Sweet Noah,

Your first Christmas has come and gone and it was a hoot! I had forgotten how much fun it is to have a little one around during the holidays. You did a great job "opening" your presents, (AKA, tearing the paper and trying to eat it. Then, getting mad when we wouldn't let you). After you opened one present, you would get so fixated on whatever it was that you could have cared less about opening the next. It was still so much fun to watch you! Out of all the many, many gifts you received, I think your favorite was either the package of spoons Auntie Kendra gave you or the lids to the sippie cups Mommy and Daddy gave you. Maybe next year we'll try filling your stocking with plastic tupperware ;)

Eagerly awaiting gift opening at Grandpa and Grandma Larson's

Spending some quality time with Grandpa Moes

Our little Christmas reindeer

Opening one of your million gifts

We all managed to get a plethora of Christmas celebrations in this year. We spent Christmas Eve with Daddy's family at Grandpa and Grandma Larson's, (your Great Grandpa Moes came for Christmas this year and you got to meet him for the first time), Christmas Day in Emmett at Great Grandpa and Grandma Gibson's house, had Christmas with Mommy's immediate family on the day after Christmas, and had our own little family-of-3 celebration at our house on Christmas morning. We were also able to facetime Grandpa and Grandma Vanderwall and Auntie Erin and Auntie Morgan on Christmas morning. Each of our celebrations were very special and we took approximately a billion pictures of you opening your gifts, playing with your gifts, eating your gifts, etc. at each and every one.

The cutest ring bearer ever!

Amongst other firsts in your life this past month was the event of being a ring bearer. Auntie Kendra got married to Uncle Nathan on the 15th. You and Joey, (Nathan's nephew), were the cutest little ring bearers a body has ever seen! You got to ride down the aisle in a sled pulled by the flower girl with Joey toddling behind. It was a priceless moment.


On the 3rd of this month Daddy took you in for your follow up hearing test due to mechanical ventilation at birth. You passed with flying colors! Yay! The nurse from the nursery at the hospital when you were born continues to be right: you are a rock star!

Mommy has been able to enjoy 2 weeks off work, savoring every moment I've been getting to spend with you. We have another week together before it is back to the grindstone.

You did get your first cold, (first ailment of any type since birth), this past week. I felt so bad that you were sick for your first Christmas. You had a pretty bad cough and a runny nose for several days. You also ran a fever for 2 days. However, you stayed your chipper, happy-go-lucky self throughout. The only difference we really noticed was that you wanted to be held more often and you slept, slept, slept like never before.

Our family took a trip back to JC Penney this month to get family portraits done. We are very pleased with the way they turned out. You seemed a little smiley-er during this trip than the trip for your 6 month pictures.

Lastly, in recent developments are the following: 1) you can now sit up like a champ!, 2) your first 2 teeth are in, (bottom middle), with 2 more, (top middle), following close behind, 3) you love pears, 4) you dislike rice cereal and oatmeal, and 5) you like to have your teeth/gums brushed.

You are getting so big so fast. It is so fun to watch you grow and become more independent and to witness all the new/1st time things you seem to be finding that you can do. Just try not to grow up too fast...it would do your Mommy's heart a world of good!