Piper

 

In December we made the very difficult decision to re-home Piper. She needs way more exercise and stimulation than we were able to provide her. We found her a wonderful home in Ohio, on 5 acres of land, with a wonderful family. We are really sad, but we know it was for the best for us and for Piper. The family she went to is great and they send us updates on how she is doing.

 

She was such a great dog, she just needs way more than I can give her. I will miss my little teddy bear though!

We love you Piper!

Merry Christmas Week

I have so many photos to send out, I just have not found the time yet. For now, i leave you with this face..

 

Merry Christmas everyone!

Blogging for Books- God Gave Us Love

 

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

God Gave Us Love: As Little Cub and Grampa Bear’s fishing adventure is interrupted by mischievous otters, the young polar bear begins to question why we must love others… even the seemingly unlovable.
In answering her questions, Grampa Bear gives tender explanations that teach Little Cub about the different kinds of love that is shared between families, friends, and mamas and papas. Grampa explains that all these kinds of love come from God and that it is important to love others because…
“Any time we show love, Little Cub, we’re sharing a bit of his love.”
This sweet tale will warm the hearts of young children as they learn about all the different sorts of love, while the gentle explanations of each provide a valuable opportunity to encourage children to share with others a “God-sized love.”

My review: Another great God Gave Us book! I love the grandma/grandpa element of the story being told. I can see my sons grandparents sitting down and sharing similar things with him. This is a great book for preschool aged children to help them understand love and relationships. I recommend it for all of my mommy friends.

To purchase: http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781400074471

Blogging for Books- God Gave Us Christmas

 

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

Summary: As Little Cub and her family prepare to celebrate the most special day of the year, the curious young polar bear begins to wonder… “Who invented Christmas?” Mama’s answer only leads to more questions like “Is God more important than Santa?” So she and Little Cub head off on a polar expedition to find God and to see how he gave them Christmas. Along the way, they find signs that God is at work all around them. Through Mama’s gentle guidance, Little Cub learns about the very first Christmas and discovers that… Jesus is the best present of all.
This enchanting tale provides the perfect opportunity to help young children celebrate the true meaning of Christmas and to discover how very much God loves them.

My review: I just love this series of books. They are written with easy to understand concepts that will open up great conversations between parents and their children. As a Christian parent I think this book could be useful in helping to explain how God is the reason for Christmas.  The illustrations are vivid and appeal even to my 9 month old. I can not wait to read this to him for years to come.

To purchase this book please visit: www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781400071753

9 months old!

            

Thanksgiving was also Owen’s  9 month-day.

At 9 months he:

- Weighs 18.3lbs. He is currently in the 10th percentile for weight. The doctor says this is ok because he is so active now.

- Is 28.5 inches long- 50th percentile

- Head circumference is in the 50th percentile

- eats all of the fruits, all of the veggies, cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, chicken, turkey, beef, etc. He is such a good little eater- there is nothing we have found that he does not like.

- crawls, pulls up to standing, is starting to cruise around furniture

- really enjoys feeding himself

- is starting to lose interest in nursing- he now gets 1 bottle of formula a day

- gives the absolute best hugs and kisses

- loves when people pay him attention. He will make all kinds of noises until strangers will look at him and smile. He is very social.

Owen is at such a fun and playful age. He is so snuggly still yet very independent.

Yesterday I took Owen to a follow up appointment with the neurologist. I spoke with her about the use of his right hand (he is still not using that thumb as well as he should- and we are starting occupational therapy for it). She sort of rocked my world by saying that Owen most likely had a stroke when he was in-utero. They are scheduling an MRI for him in a few weeks to see if this is the case and how much damage was done. He will have to be sedated for this. I am so thankful we are going to get to the bottom of this- but it breaks my heart as well. Just keep us in your prayers.

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

We had a great Thanksgiving with neighbors and friends!

 

Owen tried turkey, mashed potatoes, bread, and cranberry sauce. He was a big fan!!!

 

We had some fun playing with our new camera after dinner. I am so in love with this shot!

Turkey makes Owen sleepy!

We also went to Virginia after Thanksgiving to celebrate with my family. I did not take nearly enough photos, but here are just a few.

 

With Grandaddy

 

With Grandma Jean!

We completely forgot to take any photos of my Moms side of the family! I have no idea what we were thinking.

We hope everyone had a great thanksgiving! This year we are thankful for our little boy and the job that he has brought to our lives.