Riding in my new wheels

Fred bundled Ian up for a ride in his new car from Santa on Christmas morning.

Merry Christmas Ian!

Despite the look on Ian's face, he really did enjoy Christmas!

What a Christmas we had! We spent our first Christmas Eve as a family eating delicious food, drinking hot chocolate, watching The Christmas Story, worshipping our Lord during the candle light service, and simply enjoying the blessing of being together. We awoke Christmas morning with snow still on the ground and were overjoyed to see the sheepish grin across Ian's face as he looked at his new toys. He was cautious as usual when presented with something new, but showed so much excitement each time a present was unwrapped. He played for hours Christmas morning and cried with a heart-wrenching cry when we took him out of his new car for a nap. He loved his musical table, his new talking puppy named "Scout," and Noah's Ark as well. We couldn't have asked for a more wonderful Christmas and thank God for the gift of His Son.

Ian's Tenth Month

So many cool things happened this month with Ian. It was amazing to watch him take his first steps the week of Thanksgiving. And though he stayed a bit wobbly, he pulled himself up after each fall and continued making strides to walk. He learned to give "high fives" and started clapping whenever he heard music or the word "Yay!" We taught him the ever important "Touchdown Auburn" with his arms held high over his head which he does on command. He laughs uncontrollably anytime he hears Fred and I laugh, and we think he even has his own "fake laugh" just to get us started. Ian definitely knows what he wants and has no trouble showing his disapproval. But in his sweet little way, he easily turns his frustration into joy through his precious smile and playful spirit. Ian had his first Thanksgiving dinner, experienced his first Amarillo snow, and had his first visit with Santa this month as well. He's a growing little boy and continues to bring the most incredible joy to mine and Fred's life.

Ian's First Haircut

The finished product
Watching Mrs. Michelle cut his hair

Watching Daddy get his hair cut

Preparing for the big event

For months I've been giving Ian a comb-over due to the foot-long (no joke) strands of hair he's had on the top of his head. I tried to wait until at least a year before getting his first haircut, but the comb-over had to go. He sat so still in Fred's lap (and with the bribe of a biter biscuit which he thinks is a cookie) while Mrs. Michelle snipped a few strands.

Ian's First Christmas Present

Ian received his first Christmas present in the mail from Leigh Ann, Reagan, Charlotte, and John David this week. He had fun unwrapping and playing with his new toy!

Ian's First Visit with Santa

Ian saw Santa for the first time and did really well. Although he looks quite uncomfortable in the picture, he sat with him without crying. His expression seemed to say "You guys sat me in the lap of someone I don't know and then you walk away?"

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Fred and I kept to our tradition of decorating for Christmas the Sunday after Thanksgiving (once Ian was down for his nap). We drank apple cider, listened to Christmas music, and talked about our various ornaments over the years. Much to Ian's surprise, there were so many new things around our house to explore...especially the Christmas tree! Like most babies, Ian is mesmorized by the lights, the ornaments, and all of the sparkling that goes along with it.

Our First Amarillo Snow

We woke up this Sunday morning to a beautiful site...the snow was falling hard and continued to fall for most of the day. The snow in Amarillo is soft and light, unlike the hard, icy snow that tends to fall in the southeast. We bundled Ian up and drove around the city for a moment to take pictures and enjoy the scenery.

Ian's Walking!

Ian started taking steps this week, but we haven't been able to get it on camera. However, I finally managed to have my camera ready this morning. He tends to take several steps then sits down. Occasionally he'll walk across the living room but he still seems more comfortable crawling. Regardless, Mom and Dad are so proud of this huge accomplishment. Way to go Ian!

Our First Thanksgiving as a Family of Three

We had a great first Thanksgiving week with Ian. Papaw came for his first trip to Amarillo. He was amazed by the flatness of the Amarillo landscape and even had to stop on the side of the road and take a picture! We ate lunch with our dear friends Milt and Barbie Jones and Ian had his first Thanksgiving meal with turkey, his mom's homemade macaroni and cheese, sweet potatoes, and green beans. The big talk this week is that Ian took his first steps! We are so proud of him! We haven't been able to document this milestone because each time we're ready with cameras, he chooses to crawl! The 2009 Iron Bowl was quite the disappointment, but Auburn played a tough game and win or lose "It's Great to be an Auburn Tiger!"

Ian's ninth month

Holding his constant friend, "peanut butter"

As the months pass by, so do the changes that occur in this sweet little boy. For starters, he now has six teeth as his two front top teeth recently came in. Those teeth are on display in his big smile! Ian has completely mastered his crawling and initiates the game of chase several times each day. He even plays his own form of hide 'n seek: he crawls to a specific spot in the room and patiently waits to be found. When it takes too long, a quick squeal reminds us to find him faster! Fred installed a swing in a tree in our backyard that Ian could stay in for hours. He just seems so relaxed and peaceful when he's outside. He got to experience Halloween and the pumpkin patch this month and started to make small attempts with table food. The fact that he gags and vomits most of it is beside the point...During his nine month check up, he was called "tall and skinny" by our pediatrician. Fred and I got a nice laugh out of that description, seeing as how Ian has been on the "short and fat" end of the spectrum for the majority of his life! We're learning more and more about Ian, his personality, his likes and dislikes. It's amazing to see a nine month old have opinions! As always, we're thankful and feel incredibly blessed to be this amazing boy's parents.

Ian's first Halloween

We spent Ian's first Halloween at our church's Fall Festival. Though he was too young to actually participate in the activities, we still dressed him up as a sock monkey and strolled him through trunk or treat. He didn't seem too amused...as usual, he was quite and reserved in a new environment, but I suppose these early years are more for mine and Fred's enjoyment than for his.

Ian's eighth month

The "Crawling King"


It finally happened! Ian can crawl. That is the major milestone for his eighth month...along with cutting three new teeth. He nows scoots from room to room and we learned the art of "baby-proofing" our house quickly. Though it's made life a bit more hectic (chasing a baby takes more energy than we could have imagined), Fred and I love watching his curious spirit develop even more as he roams and explores every nook in our home. He stills likes waking up at least once throughout the night. I suppose he just wants to say a quick hello because he often falls back to sleep after a few minutes of rocking. And those four bottom-row teeth are just too precious. Those teething biscuits have really come in handy. As a family, we're assimilating to our new city and getting connected with our new church family. Ian's a big hit with everyone and has taken to several people in our life group already. We feel loved and blessed and see the joy of the Lord in our happy, playful son.