Four Months

Today is January 10. We've been parents to this amazing little boy for four wondrous months.

Peter had his four-month doctor's visit Monday. He bravely got his second round of shots while I held him, poor little guy. Dr. Niu says all looks good (except for a bit of eczema we're treating), and that we can start him on solid foods. Not that there's much "solid" about it, but last night was his first rice cereal. I think only slightly more went into him than went down his chin and into his bib. But it was a good start. (Pics to come, with future meals.)

His 4-month stats: Peter now measures 2'2"--only four feet to go before he catches up to Mom! He is 15lbs. That's a bit under 90th percentile for height, 50th for weight, and 75th for head circumference. The boy's growing some brains in there!

And that's been one of the coolest things of these recent weeks--seeing his little mind develop as he begins to engage with his surroundings and discover the world. Peter, we're so proud of you and we love you so much and can't wait for the great adventures of learning and exploring we have ahead of us!

Catch-up Miscellanea

It was my intention to be more consistent on the blog this winter; I really wasn't. I had several little photos and anecdotes I meant to post, but didn't. So here, as I purge my "blog" folder, are some miscellaneous shots, random but at some point in the last few months considered blog-worthy.

First, from Tom's birthday a month and a half ago. Peter and I went on a secret excursion, stealthily sneaking past Tom's workplace to Whole Foods to get the last two items for the birthday goody basket we were putting together

As they say, a way to a man's heart is through his stomach (Doritos, European chocolate, SunSweet dried apricots, jerky, swedish fish, and Trader Joe's grade B Maple syrup--the good stuff.)
And the way to Leuka's heart is boxes and paper, so it was a win-win .

Birthday breakfast of course included bacon.

In other news, around the same time, some of my hair got whacked off. Thanks, Erin! And this other is just a good snapshot from any day: Hanging with Peter while still in pajama pants.

Here's Peter zonked out with his little rump in the air.

Peter in front of the Christmas tree

And trying out his new "activity mirror"

It did come out of the box slightly warped, which was good fun:

Rocking the new red hooded jumpsuit from Aunt Anne and Uncle Scott:

And some more...

 

Playing with his hands:

The Jumperoo

As promised to some family members, here are a bunch of shots of Peter enjoying his new Fisher Price Rainforest Jumperoo. More than you need to get the idea, but he's cute and I'm not feeling very decisive right now.

First, here's the overview shot. And yes, he's standing on the box for Tom's Modernist Cuisine since his legs, long as they are, don't reach the floor very well yet. We've since replaced it with a world atlas. 

 

Christmas 2012

Snapshot: As I type, it's snowing outside and Tom is sitting over on the couch poring over his favorite Christmas present, a massive cookbook called Modernist Cuisine At Home, figuring out a scrumptious dinner for us tonight. The Christmas tree's still glowing like a faithful friend; Peter is taking a nap.

[Warning: this is a long post with lots of pictures]

A few days before Christmas, I was looking around and waxing sentimental, imagining if I could capture and send a snapshot--all these little telltale signs of life these days--to the Katherine Reynolds of five years ago. The "2010: Our First Christmas Together" ornament hanging on the tree, and another one with a picture in memory of dear Grandma. The carseat and changing table over by the book case, the bouncy seat on the dining table, a play mat quilted by Nana spread out on the floor. At home in this sweet little townhouse in the middle of the day still wearing pajama pants, with this beautiful little boy in his blue fleece snowman pajamas. My life, my surroundings, my priorities (though not all of them) look very different than they did a few Christmases ago.

And of course this Christmas was very unlike any other, because we have our Peter and this was his first Christmas. Here are a few shots from it.

One of Peter's favorite new toys is a curly red bow:

It accompanied him while he was helping Mommy wrap Christmas presents...

 ...and even when it was time for his bath:

Christmas #1 (The 3 of us. We opened presents before the Christmas service on the 23rd.)

Peter's Big Gift:

Checking out the Rainforest Jumperoo (more pics on that later)

                           

The presents yielded much to touch and crinkle!

Helping Mommy open her gift from Daddy (Nice earrings, Mom, but I prefer my red bow.)

Christmas Eve, we traveled to Orange, where Tom and my dad bonded over iPhones.

Peter's Christmas pjs                              Asleep waiting for Santa...and Aunt Anne and Uncle Scott

Christmas morning--first to the Reynolds family gathering, where Peter met his cousins for the first time. This is Meghan (John's wife) with Fiona and Jackson, who is 4 days older than Peter.

With Oma:                                                                            His festive reindeer jacket:

                  

At Grandaddy and Oma's house we all received puffy coats!
                                                                           Here's my handsome husband...notice his new glasses?

                           

 Hanging with Aunt Anne and Uncle Scott. Poor kid got no attention in Orange.

And the next morning when we got up, SNOW!

 And before we headed North again, we got to share a quick lunch with Pop-Pop and my cousin Stephen, just in from Virginia Beach.

We headed back to Gaithersburg, braving the almost-freezing rain, the rush-hour/holiday traffic, and a bawling Peter for the last hour of the trip. We were relieved to get home, though less so when we found that our heater had died. :)      [It was fixed that night]

So, we bundled up. Here's Peter looking like he just came out of Orange, VA.

   

                   

And that was our Christmas! It was a sweet one over all, and the start of a new era of Christmases with our sweet boy and any other children the Lord gives us in the years to come. A Christmas-familiar passage from the prophet Isaiah says, 

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)

This Christmas, these words are doubly wonderful. Not only does the gift of our own sweet son give new weight and color to this passage, but also this: that the good news of a Savior born is even more precious to me with this new precious little soul who needs him as much as I do.