Monday, November 28, 2011

Giving Thanks

This year was the first Thanksgiving at the House of Larkin and I have to say, I was very nervous.  I have never cooked Thanksgiving dinner before.  I may have helped with some of the prep work here and there and I can make desserts.  But I've never been responsible for the whole meal before.  Being a perfectionist who worries too much about everything, it seemed a little overwhelming.  


As it turns out, it wasn't all that bad.  You can see from the picture above that this was clearly not a made from scratch meal.  Who tries to finish a marathon their first day in running shoes?  I had to be realistic in my expectations of myself.  I had time on Wednesday to do some of the prep work so that it was out of the way.  Then on Thursday everything just seemed to come together.  Taylor put our turkey in the smoker at about 4:30 Thursday morning and let it cook until about 3:30 in the afternoon.  It took a long time but it was quite tasty when it was finished.


Taylor enjoyed learning how exactly to carve his first turkey, and everyone enjoyed eating it.  Taylor's Grandmother was in town and got to meet Noah for the first time and spend some time with him.  I think it's safe to say she liked him just a little.  Overall it was a nice dinner that was not as stressful as I imagined it would be.  I can happily say that our first turkey day was a success.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Time Flies

I'm a little late in getting this up, but our little Noah is now two months old.  It seems crazy to say that.  The time is definitely going by quicker now.  At his two month check-up, he weighed in at 11 pounds 13 ounces and was 25 1/4 inches long.  This kid is growing like a weed!  He's already outgrown several outfits because he's just too long for them.  I know different clothing brands are sized differently, but I've already bought some six month outfits and he's not too far from wearing them.  We are going to have a tall boy on our hands!

Noah has changed so much this month.  He is much more aware of his surroundings and much more responsive.  He smiles all the time and makes the most adorable squeaky noises.  I'm convinced he's going to laugh any day now.  He is starting to tolerate bath time a little better and doesn't scream the whole time like he used to.  He has moved out of our room and is sleeping in his own bed now.  He's sleeping longer at night and has even given us a couple of nights of sleeping for seven hours straight.  We hope to see more of those in the near future.  He is holding his head up a lot better, although he's still a little wobbly from side to side.  He loves for you to hold him up like he's standing in your lap and will pretty much support his weight on his own.  He also seems to have discovered his hands.  He plays with them constantly, and will hold onto my hands or fingers more when I'm feeding him or holding him. 


We have not been actively trying to put him on a schedule, but he seems to have settled into one on his own.  He's really happy and wiggly in the morning and again for a long stretch in the afternoon.  That's when we like to get on the floor and just squirm around.  I can't decide if he's going to be a soccer player or a swimmer, but this child kicks his legs like crazy.  We already know he's going to be wide open once he starts walking.  


This second month has been a lot easier on me than the first.  We are much more adjusted to having our little guy around now, and have gotten more comfortable taking him out with us.  I have officially gone back to work, but haven't had to go into the office yet.  It will be a little more challenging once that happens, but we will work it out.  For a while it seemed crazy for Taylor and I to sit in the living room and think about the fact that there was this tiny person sleeping in the next room that was completely dependent on us.  Now it seems normal, and it seems strange to think about him not being here.  Getting up in the middle of the night is still challenging, as are those times when he's screaming in my ear.  But when he calms down and gives me that adorable grin, it makes it all worth it.  I love this kid so much, and I can't wait to see what the next month brings.