Happy New Year!

Hello family and friends! It's Mom's first post. Thank you, Ben, for doing such a great job with this blog. I hope you don't mind if I post a few words. It's bath night, typically Dad's duty, so I thought I would take this opportunity to post. This might be a little long winded.

Since I've not yet blogged I really feel I could go on and on about the joys of motherhood and how it has been an amazing and unbelievable experience. Jude's birthday was awesome, really awesome! While a little disappointed (and maybe a little relieved) that I didn't get to experience the whole natural childbirth experience (he was breach and delivered via c-section) I will never forget how magical that day was. The "love at first sight" a parent has with their child cannot be explained. And he is growing so fast! Can you believe it'll be 7 months next week!?! Look how much he's grown!



Enough of the sappy mom stuff, on to the current events.

Christmas was wonderful. My parents and Michael, Jeff and Amy spent Christmas eve with us. We went to a beautiful Christmas eve service at Newstart and then back to our house for Christmas eve dinner. Grandpa Whitt read from the Bible, then read The Night Before Christmas and The Polar Express, as is the Whittington tradition. Jude put some cookies out for Santa and carrots out for the reindeer and then we were all off to bed. Wouldn't you know it, Santa came to visit over night! I was so thrilled to have my whole family, along with a visit from Aunt Marsha and Cousin Nathaniel, together on Christmas day. Jude was thrilled to play with the tissue paper and bows. We ended the night at the Whittington family Christmas party at my parents house with lots of laughs with the family and fun science with Grandpa Whitt.

On the 26th, we had some more visitors! G-pa, Mimi, Aunt Weej, Great Grandma and cousin Dale came to visit Jude. We had more food, gifts and good times all weekend long including a trip to Buckeye Valley High School to watch our cousin Lindsay Blue play basketball.

On the 26th Jude got something else for Christmas. . . a tooth! And now there is a second one popping through. Two teeth in one week; he's a little fussy but overall he's a champ. Also new this week. . .he is crawling (sort of). He gets up on all fours and moves his arms forward and his legs forward but the challenge seems to be doing it in sync. He can make it a step or two but that's it. Looks like Mom and Dad need to baby proof the house ASAP!


Grandpa Whitt and Grammy K got us a membership to the zoo for Christmas (THANK YOU!!!) so last Tuesday we thought we would bundle up and go see the lights. It started out great but we quickly found that we had a fussy baby on our hands and we had to cut the night short. Hopefully we'll have better luck next time.








Mimi and G-pa got us a coffee table that doubles as a toy chest for the family room (THANK YOU!!!). Looks like Jude loves it just as much as Mommy and Daddy.











I hope you all had a blessed and safe Christmas and New Year and I hope to hear from everyone soon! Here are a few more random pictures from all of our adventures this month. . .

Kisses from Mom Playing with the baby in the mirror

Christmas visit from Jamie and Todd

Great Grandma & Jude

Grammy K & Jude

Aunt Carolyn, Cate, Jude and Bella

Opening Christmas gifts is hard work!

Grandpa Whitt helping Jude with his new toys Jude's first wheels!

Jude loves playing with pots and pans

and he LOVES to listen to Daddy play the guitar!