Uncle Will

The uncles are having fun being with sweet Connor.  They are so nice to him and it is fun to see them together.

 Uncle Will

Connor is learning how move so much!  He can shove himself backwards, but can't quite tuck his knees.  We try to help him and he just looks at us confused.  He wants to go places, but just can't get it yet.  Today I sat him on the couch to takes pictures of him.  He sat there for a second and then launched himself forward to get a magazine on the coffee table and whacked his head on the edge of it.  Now he has a nice bruise on his forehead just in time for all the pictures I'll be taking of him over Christmas!

Separation Anxiety

I'm typing this post while sitting inches away from Connor, expecting him to throw a fit any second because he is not pressed up against my body.  It's been this way ever since we got home from Thanksgiving and I'm not sure if it's that he got used to people holding him all time, got used to constantly being stimulated, or just is at an age where he needs to be sure I am with him all the time.  I can't help but think, "You sleep pressed up against my body at night and during all of your naps, why do you need me all the time during the waking hours too?!" 

It's not like this ALL the time of course.  First thing in the morning he usually gives me an hour of time where he plays quietly and I eat cereal and look at the internet.  Then after each nap he usually gives me at least a half hour or so.  And when Patrick is home, he entertains him as well.

 This is what Connor looks like when he's trying his hardest to get to me.

I have to admit that I'm having separation anxiety too.  Patrick is going on his first work trip next week for 5 days.  I decided to not go with him on this trip since it's a 6 hours drive, with Connor it would be more like 8 hours, and we have no idea how well Connor would do.  Last time we drove to Chattanooga he screamed himself hoarse for the second hour there.  Separation anxiety.  We decided that was too much for us to handle, so I'm staying in Madison for a few days by myself, and will try to drive to Chattanooga during Connor's first nap, which is usually about 2 hours.  Not totally sure if he will actually sleep the whole way, but I'm hoping he will.

So that's 6 days away from Patrick.  It sounds super yucky.  So yucky I've been avoiding thinking about it.  Separation anxiety.

Christmas!

I love Christmas time.  It's a definitely a love inherited from my dad who was a king of gifts and decorations.  I didn't get to decorate last year since our house was under construction and we weren't even in town for but a few days of December.  This year is different.  We're here most of the month, and I want it to be awesome for Connor's first Christmas!

My staging area was the guest room and since we had guests last weekend, it was the perfect motivator to get everything decorated.  We went to a local Christmas tree farm last Wednesday and picked out our tree, and I decorated it on Thursday.  I'm so happy with all my decorations!

 Mini tree with ornaments I made in college with my best friend's pictures

 Light up sticks and owl

 Bigger mini tree and my Woodwick candle

 Connor with his first tree!  Strangely enough, it is easier to see the ornaments in this picture than in real life.

 Entertainment center.  I made the garland especially for our living room.  In the middle is our Mario themed nativity I am in the middle of making.  The three angel cards are from a friend in New England who takes pictures of gravestones.

Hall bathroom

Thanksgiving, etc.

As always when there has been a long break in posting, it's hard to know where to start!

We went to Chattanooga almost a week before Thanksgiving, on Friday night.  Myers and Laura came with Lillian on Saturday and then Patrick left on Sunday so that he could work a couple more days before taking Wednesday through Friday off.  Parks and Liz brought Lily Kate, Charlotte, and Hadley on Tuesday.  We all left Mom's house the Sunday after Thanksgiving.

We had so much fun and got to do so many wonderful things around Chattanooga and spend lots of time with each other.  I do admit to not seeing the three oldest girls very much because they are mostly just interested if you will play with them, and that's almost impossible to do while taking care of Connor.  They all loved being with Connor and Connor and Hadley thought each other were pretty great.  Well, Connor thought Hadley was great.  I don't think Hadley has many people on her radar yet.

At the Pumpkin Patch Sunday

 Cousin bath time on Tuesday

 Creative Discovery Museum Wednesday

 In the infant play area at the Discovery Museum with Hadley, so fun!

 Connor and his great-grandmother Granmar

 Connor and Becca, Sani (my mom) and Hadley and Aunt Liz (Hadley's mom)

 Desperately trying to get the jingle bells in his mouth

 Lily Kate and Lillian

 Connor and Aunt Sarah

 Uncle Will, Lillian, Lily Kate, and Charlotte playing with an iPad

 Connor and Hadley doing tummy time

 Duel-wielding babies

 Sassy Charlotte at the zoo on Friday

 The monkey came right up against the glass to investigate the goldfish crackers

 Oh man, these girls are a handful

 Charlotte getting Connor to laugh

 On the "merical round" at the zoo

 Visiting Connor's great grandfather Grandaddy

 Lily Kate and "big buddy"

 Attempts at good little girl pictures in their awesome matching outfits

 Uncle Henry and Will with Connor

 Some of the best pictures ever of Hadley and Connor

Connor's Progress

Connor is starting to be really mobile.  He started out with his back to the pillow, scooted on his bottom to the edge, leaned forward until he was laying on his belly, then rolled over.

He still really likes going outside.  In this picture he's listening to the middle school down the road's marching band.

Recently we moved up a size in clothes, so Connor finally gets to wear his Name of the Wind onesie!  Name of the Wind is one of my favorite books, and the author is really into charity.  The profits from his merchandise go to Heifer International.  I think this paid for half of a goat!

Connor loves his paci.  Not to suck on, but to chew.  It's his favorite teething toy.

As I said in the last post, there has been a lot of gaming going on in our house.  Patrick went through a dry spell and all of a sudden, all the games he wanted came out within 2 weeks of each other.   Patrick played through Batman: Arkham City, Uncharted 3, downloadable content for Deux Ex, and is now playing Skyrim.  The last is a game that should last a long time, and is fairly fun to watch, so it's all good.  Connor loves to have the things we do, so we removed a battery from a controller and let him "play" (read: stick in his mouth) along with Daddy.

Right Now

By the time I get around to posting, I've usually come up with 3 or 4 different posts I can make, but simply haven't had the time or brain power to do.  Even as I type, I am holding Connor in one arm and trying to distract him from eating the power cable to my computer.  Next week is vacation, so maybe we can post more then.  Especially videos!  We take a lot of them, but Patrick's the one who knows how to upload them, so I have to wait on his free time, which has been lacking with the influx of video games in the last month.

Connor's dexterity has increase so much! It's amazing to see him be able to do things he simply couldn't do a week ago.  Tooth two is raising it's ugly white head and leading to less sleep for both of us, but it still makes me so proud to see them.

 

Saturday we took family pictures to use for our Christmas card.  It was an interesting experience since it was just Patrick, Connor, and I with the tripod.  We weren't super successful with the whole family pictures, but had some good ones of just Connor and me, Patrick and Connor and Connor by himself.  I'm excited to get them in the mail to see what they look like and send them off to all my family and friends!

None of these are the pictures we used for the card, so look forward to them!