Merry Christmas

To say that we had a wonderful Christmas would be an understatement. It started early...as Archer is known to be an early riser. At around 6:30, everyone in the house was woken up by the two toothed monster with a grin on his face. It was as if he really knew something exciting was going on. After everyone made their way down stairs, we prepared to watch what Archer would do with all of his gifts. This was his first reaction when we sat him down in front of all of his presents:

I think he looks like a pretty happy little dude. He began to rip into his first gift (which was one of those old school fisher price telephones, you know...the one with a rotary dial? Santa HAD to get it for him...they are awesome!) He was distracted by the paper pretty quickly, so the rest of us took turns opening our gifts. Archer crawled around as we did this, and occasionally would open another one of his gifts. After we all finished with our gifts, we each took turns opening a gift with Archer. He got plenty of fun toys and lots of new clothes. I don't think we could have made a better Christmas for him. I am very much already looking forward to next year...not only because he will have more of a grasp of what is going on but also because he was SO MUCH FUN this year. After opening our stockings, we then loaded up the car and headed to Breckenridge for a fun little day trip. It was SO beautiful. Nick and I cannot wait to go back and actually attempt skiing and or snowboarding. Here are some pictures from the trip:

Oh, and yes...you did read correctly. Archer is crawling...all be it he is crawling BACKWARDS!! We have read that some kids do that and will figure out how to go forward once they get the hang of all of the movements. He may be going backwards, but I can tell you this for sure...he gets to wherever he wants to go! This leads to a VERY exhausted mommy and daddy. Archers furry brothers don't really know what to do either...they try to do what they can to stay out of his reach...but sometimes he gets a hold of their tails or ears. And who knows...walking is probably just around the corner...YIKES!!

Archer's first Christmas Tree!

I know I am sooooo very behind on this blog, but we have had quite the epic week. This week has been full of crying, teething...and a very sick puppy dog Buck. We started the week with little to no sleep, thanks to the beginnings of more teeth starting to try and push through Archer's gums. We still do not see any white yet, but his poor top gums are very bright red and puffy. He has had a rough time with it. As that started to get as under control as we could make it, poor Buck got sick. I will spare you the details of his disease because it.was.gross. Anyhow, after we managed to get Buck back on the mend the rest of the week and weekend went wonderfully. Nick and I went to his squadrons "Festivus" party on Friday night. We had a great time, and it was nice to get to know more of the people and their wives that Nick works with.

Saturday we spent finishing up all of or Christmas decorations. For the first time in my life, we have lights on the house and it is making me feel VERY festive. Nick did a great job putting them out. I will have to take pictures soon since we just completed it this weekend. We have had our tree for about a week now, but as I said I am VERY behind on my blogging. Here is a picture of Archer and Nick picking out the tree:

I will post a picture of the tree later when it is all lit up and beautiful! We are now just counting down the days until Christmas!!

Christmas Pictures

I am not the type of person who quits on a store/company after one bad experience. I try to give whatever location I have just had the bad experience with another chance. Why am I bringing this up? Well, we went yesterday to have Archer's Christmas Pictures taken at JC Penny's. The first time we went to this JC Penny's was for his Halloween pictures. I was very unhappy after I left because I felt like the photographer really didn't take any time to work with Archer. After one or two pictures of him not smiling, she seemed to decide that she didn't even want to attempt to get a smile out of him. This resulted in some not so great Halloween pictures. Even after this experience I decided to go back one more time. This time we had a different photographer and I thought for sure that she might be better. BOY WAS I WRONG. Again, she tried for a few photos but once she was not getting immediate smiles, she stopped trying. I know it is hard to get an eight month old to smile...but those of you who have met Archer know it is just not THAT hard. He is typically a smiley happy dude. But anyhow, this is the best we could do at JC Penny's:

At least he is still super cute. I will be taking more pictures of him in this same outfit to see if I can do any better. Hopefully the much anticipated Christmas card picture will turn out a little better.

Happy Thanksgiving!

It was so nice to come to GA to be with family and friends on Thanksgiving. We had a wonderful meal at Gee-Ma and Pop-Pops house and then went over to Great Aunt Lynn's to have dessert. Archer also got to meet his second cousin Madalyn. He seemed to really enjoy his time with her, as she made him laugh quite a lot. Archer had a HUGE milestone on Thanksgiving. He has begun to roll from one side of the room to the other. While we were at Lynn's house, Archer rolled from his cousin Mary Beth to Charmaine about 100 times. He seems to really enjoy his new found ability to be mobile. He has also started scooting backwards, so we are pretty sure that crawling is not to far away. Bring on the baby proofing when we get back home to Colorado!

Pikes Peak

We drove up Pike's Peak today. It was ABSOLUTELY gorgeous. I was worried about Archer's ears, but I talked with Archer's pediatrician who cleared him to make the journey. He just said that we needed to make sure he was able to clear his ears, so either feed him or have him suck on a pacifier. We did a combination of these things, and luckily we made it to the top with out any problems at all! We had an amazing time, and look forward to making the trip several more times. Here are a few more pictures from our trip.

TEETH!

Well...after many sleepless nights and lots of ibuprofen (both for Archer and myself) Archer now has two pearly whites! We first noticed two little nubs on October 25...and slowly but surly they have been making there way up through and are now starting to look like real teeth1 They took a while to break through, but you can certainly see that they are there. He is also working very hard on using them. He doesn't seem to like his food pureed any more...he would prefer chunks of things that he can mash himself. He is also very fond of Cheerios and sweet potato puffs. I have been trying to get a picture of the toofers, but that is proving very difficult! Since they are on the bottom, it is really hard to get a picture that actually SHOWS the teeth. I will keep working on it though and post it as soon as I can!

Swinging

Since Gee-Ma is in town, we have been doing lots of fun things. Today we went on a nice walk and then went to the playground while the dogs went to the dog park. They are right next to each other, so this is very convenient. I wasn't sure how he would react, but when we went to take him out of the swing, he hung on for dear life! I think he enjoyed himself. And yes, he is wearing his daddy's hat. I have yet to find one here that I like for him. BUT - - we are headed to the outlet mall before Gee-Ma leaves tomorrow, so hopefully we can find one there.

Happy Halloween!

Well, Archer made a very smashing Batman, don't you think?

He had a very low key Halloween, considering he is only seven months old. ;-) We went to Mrs. Helen's house to show off his costume (by the way, his costume was courtesy of his wonderful Auntie Sarah!) and then he came home and went to bed. He did manage to try and raid the candy bowl before all of our trick or treaters came and emptied us out! It was a very fun day, and we are already planning for what super hero he will be next year!

Seven Months Old

The big guy just keeps getting bigger and bigger! He is just a ball of energy and (most of the time) a whole lot of fun. So, what is he up to now?

-He is 24 lbs., 3 ounces, (98%) and 29 inches tall (89%). More proof that he is a big guy!

-His favorite pass time is playing on his ABC play mat with his millions of toys. He likes to throw, bang and generally make as much noise as is possible.

-He is now picking his belly up when he is on his tummy. He has been trying to gain balance on his knees, and does manage to either turn in circles or creep backwards.

-His food world continues to grow. He loves squash, bananas, peaches...anything that I can give him off of my plate he seems to think is amazing. He also loves cherrios. It is fun to watch him use his two fingers to pick them up. He is not a master at it yet, but he is getting there.

-TWO teeth have broken through. You can just see the white tops to them on his gums, but they are certainly there. This has caused a lot of rough nights for Archer.
-He LOVES to blow raspberrys. He started doing it to mine and Nick's cheeks, but now he has moved onto our arms and hands. The louder he can do it, the louder he laughs. Still ever the comedian.

We look forward to the holidays, as we just booked our tickets to Georiga for Thanksgiving!

Halloween Pics

Well, we went today to attempt to take Archer's Halloween pictures and JC Penny. It is too bad that the last thing that Archer wanted to do today was take pictures. Sadly, we only got a few good ones...but he is still a cutie. I am guessing that his teeth are very much bothering him. He has been in a funk for the past couple of days. Teething is really the only explanation I have for it. Here is one of the few that I liked / ordered:

Huge Update!

Okay...so I hope that if you are reading this, you have some time because this post is going to be quite lengthy! I have not been updating like a good little blogger recently because we have been so busy getting settled into the new house and most of our time has been taken up unpacking and exploring our new surroundings. We have taken quite a few driving trips around the area just to get a lay of the land. But since my last blog on for Archer's six month update, a lot has happened! Lets start with Archer...

Archer News - On October 8, we confirmed that Archer is now babbling "da-da" over and over again. He goes from yelling it to a very faint whisper. It makes Nick smile, although he denied that he was saying it for a little while, but on the morning of the 8th, Archer made it very clear to "da-da" exactly what he was saying! He is eating a lot more foods now, and we found out very quickly that the little man really hates peas! He seems to think they are quite nasty. We have tried them on several different occasions and I just don't think this is a food he is going to like. He does still enjoy his sweet potato, carrots, apples and pears. He is still trying hard to crawl with lots of bouncing and trying to drag himself on his elbows. Sleeping has been a tough subject. He goes from being a great sleeper for a few nights to hardly sleeping at all. We are trying to work out a schedule, and now that we are settled into the house I think (and hope) this will only get easier!

Colorado News - we LOVE LOVE LOVE it here. So far, Colorado has shown us that it has a lot to offer and I couldn't be more pleased. The scenery is beautiful...shopping is great and from the restaurants we have tried so far, dining seems to be wonderful. Our home on the base is just gorgeous. The dogs seem to be adjusting and are enjoying the full use of their back yard. Nick is learning his way around his new squadron, and we have a dinning out to attend tomorrow. Here is a tour of the house. Forgive me, because when I shot this, it was still a bit messy from the unpacking. Also, I didn't narrate because I think I have a highly annoying voice so enjoy! I also forget that I cannot rotate videos, so sorry you will have to watch it sideways!

Nick is Home!

After a very long 3.5 weeks, Nick has made it back from SERE! Archer and I got up early to head to Denver to pick him up yesterday. For the first time ever, I can safely say that I couldn't wait to get into the car and drive the hour and a half to Denver! And, seeing as I just drove in from Denver on Wednesday...that is really saying something! I guess we must have really missed Nick/Daddy!! Now on to unpacking more boxes and getting settled in.

Six Months Old

I know that I say this every month...but really...WHERE HAS THE TIME GONE?!?! Our little man is now six months old. He is just getting cooler and cooler by the second. It seems as though one day he is not doing something, and the next day he has mastered it! He still thinks he is quite the comedian and EVERYTHING is funny to him. He has found his toes which he likes to grab on to and attempt to put in his mouth. He is still in a phase where he has never met a stranger. He smiles at everyone and flirts with all the ladies!

Gone too long!!

Did we disappear from our little corner of the Internet? Just what on earth has this crazy Disney family been up to? Well, I will tell you...we moved and things have been CRAZY. Nick is still in Washington at SERE training, but for the past week, Archer and I have been doing some serious traveling. Lets back track a little bit...
Monday, September 13th - The Jones family had me over for dinner, making things a whole lot easier since I had packed up 99% of my kitchen.
Tuesday, September 14th - The UPack trailer was delivered. We had three days to pack up everything in the house and get it into the UPack trailer. Luckily, we have such amazing friends. Jared Jones and Gerad Gill came over to help me with all of the heavy lifting. The amazing Jennifer Gill also came over to watch Archer while I packed up odds and ends. We also went to Whole Hog for a big good bye dinner. Well, it wasn't so much a good bye as a see you later. I refused to say good bye to any of our wonderful friends. I know we will keep in touch and see each other again!
Wednesday, September 15th - I spend most of the day getting the rest of the UPack all packed up. I wanted to make sure that it was all packed and ready to be picked up the next day. That way I would be sure to get the trailer in Colorado by the following Tuesday!
Thursday, September 16th - UPack trailer is picked up and en route to Colorado. I also had the carpets cleaned and did last minute stuff to make sure the house was in good condition.
Friday, September 17th - We got up early to head to the Memphis, TN airport to pick up Archer's GeeMa. She was coming into town to help with the move and driving across country to Colorado. Later on that night, we picked up Pop Pop at the Little Rock Air Port who was also coming into town to drive Nick's bronco to Colorado Springs. I was SO happy to have so much help. I know I couldn't do this all by myself.
Saturday, September 18th - We hit the road towards Colorado! Our first stop was Wichita, Kansas. It was a rough trip, but Archer was a PERFECT ANGEL! He was patient and able to sit in the car (with many stops) and did not fuss TOO terribly much.
Sunday, September 19th - We leave early in the morning to hit the road to our final destination of Colorado Springs! Again, Archer was WONDERFUL in the car. I couldn't ask for a better trip. He seemed perfectly content with his toys and playing with GeeMa. We made it into Colorado Springs and got onto Peterson Air Force Base around 7 p.m. After checking into the lodge, we had a quick dinner and pretty much passed out.
Monday, September 20 - I checked into base housing and got the keys to our BEAUTIFUL base house. I couldn't be happier about the house, it is SOOOOO great!
After we got the keys to the house, we all headed over to get as settled in as we could. For the next three days, we spent moving into the house. The trailer was delivered and my mother in law and I unpacked the whole thing. We only had a few days to do so, because yesterday we got on a plane and headed to Atlanta to see friends and family. Again, Archer did great! I am looking forward to seeing everyone and having a nice time. This is the condensed version of the past week! More updates and pictures on the move soon.

Boo...

Well, today was a stinky day. We had to take Nick to the air port so that he could head off to SERE for three weeks. I know, I know - this is nothing compared to actual deployments but that still didn't make it any more enjoyable. All I can hope for is that the next three weeks fly by. I am thinking that it will, since I am having to pack the house then trek to Colorado Springs. After that Archer and I will be headed into GA for a week to see family and friends! This is something I am very much looking forward to. As luck would have it, I am not dreading this move quite as much moves in the past. Part of that has to do with the fact that my mother - in - law is going to be riding with me to Colorado. This is going to make things much easier, with the little dude and both dogs! Also, my father - in - law is driving the bronco to CO, so that is just WONDERFUL! Now...if only I can get this house packed up before the UPACK trailer comes on Tuesday!

1st College Game Day

What a great Labor Day Weekend we had here at the Disney house! Not only did we have Nick's parents here to spend some time with, college football started. We were SUPPOSED to be packing up the house, but I guess part of us knew that we would have to sit down and watch not only the Dawgs play, but also the Wildcats! It also gave us a chance to break out Archer's custom made game day onesie:


That is what he looked like for the UGA game...but thanks to Auntie Whitney, we were prepared for the Kentucky game:

As luck would have it, the College Football gods smiled on both teams. I overheard Nick tell Archer, "Both the Dawgs and Cats won buddy. That is pretty good for your first college game day!"

We did manage to get some packing done after the game. Not nearly enough, but Sunday turned out to be much better. Before we could get anything packed, we found out some WONDERFUL news. Our very close friends, the Jones Family had their new baby girl! Callie Ember made her appearance into the world early Sunday morning. We went and visited at the hospital and she is just a doll! Congrats to Kelsey, Jared and big sister Piper!

On Sunday, We did finish packing the office, storage closet and kitchen. Now all that is left is the bedrooms. Many many thanks to GeeMa and Pop Pop. They had to do a lot of hard work watching the little dude and keeping him happy while we packed. Just a short time left in Arkansas!

Lets Try Sweet Potatoes

What another big day. We tried sweet potatoes for the first time, and judging by the amount eaten (ALL OF IT!) I would say Archer is a fan of them! I was nervous about something other then the cereal, but luckily it does not look like we have a picky eater on our hands. I am not sure what we will try next, but hopefully it continues to be smooth sailing.

We also cannot wait for a very exciting weekend. Archer's GeeMa and Pop Pop are coming to visit! It has been almost two months since he has seen them. We are looking forward to a nice weekend of football and you guessed it...MORE PACKING! Only two weeks left here in Arkansas.

Climbing up Pinnacle Mountain

We had SUCH a fun family day today! The three of us joined up with the Jones family and took a trek up Pinnacle Mountain. It was a great day to do it, as the weather was quite a bit more mild then it has been. We got there at about 8:30 a.m. and started up the mountain. Nick had Archer strapped to him, as there would be NO WAY I could make it up the mountain with the little man attached to me. This was a huge milestone because it was the first time Nick had worn the baby carrier. They sure did look cute though! I took this pic before we headed up:

Our trip was quite remarkable for a few reasons. One - I have not done any very strenuous working out in over a year...being pregnant and then having Archer did not make me into much of a fitness freak. The fact that I made it all the way up and back down with out passing out surprised the heck out of me. Two - Piper made the trip. She may have been carried for a lot of it...but still, a two year old tackling that is pretty impressive. On top of that, she still managed to have energy afterwards to play on the play ground! Three - I was in the presence of three very impressive daddies and an amazing Nana. Nick had an extra 21 pounds strapped to him and didn't slip, fall or pass out. He also made it to the top first. Jared carried Piper for a lot of the trip and again, he managed to make it to the top with out one bad foot placement. Kelsey's dad also went with us, and he kept a watchful eye on his daughter, making sure she was okay the entire trip. Kelsey's mom also kept an eye on Kelsey as well as entertaining Piper!! AMAZING!!Four - and by far the MOST impressive, Kelsey made it all the way up and back down at NINE MONTHS PREGNANT! That chick is my hero!! I know there is no way I could have done it when I was nine months pregnant, so she deserves some kind of award. After our climb, we all went to IHOP which was much needed and DELICIOUS! Many thanks again to Kelsey's parents for treating us to breakfast! To end our day, we came home and had a nice family nap. It was a GREAT day!!

New Car Seat

As I have posted in all of Archer's monthly updates, he is a growing boy. This means that I have to be constantly aware of what the weight limits are on all of his baby gadgets. Seeing as he weighed in at 20 pounds, 9 ounces at his four month check up...I knew he would be waving bye bye to the 22 pound weight limit on his infant car seat. Soooo, after reading tons of consumer reports and doing lots of price comparison we bought him a snazzy new car seat. He will still be rear facing until he is a year old, but he is in a much bigger seat. He also seems to be more comfortable in this one. I was sad to say good bye to the infant car seat, as it is so very convenient to get him in and out of the car and into stores via his travel system or putting the seat on a shopping cart. This also brought up two other issues. Where will he sit when we go to restaurants? Should we buy a new stroller since the travel system is huge and he can now fit into a more compact stroller? The answers quickly came as we took a trip to Babies R' Us. We purchased a smaller stroller. Then we went to a restaurant for lunch and we had no choice but to put him in a high chair. Is he ready for the high chair? Not quite. He wobbled quite a bit in the high chair, but we made do for lunch. I am going to have to buy one of those high chair covers in order to help make him a little more stable. He did seem to think he was kind of a big deal in the high chair though!

New House

We found out two days ago that we got a house on base in Colorado Springs! We are thrilled about this, as the houses are BRAND NEW and gorgeous. Also, as luck would have it we happened to get a four bedroom! I quickly gave our friend Jennifer Gill a call as she was visiting family in Colorado to let her know the news. She was thrilled, and a little while later called me back to let me know that she was AT OUR NEW HOUSE! This made me think of how wonderful our friends are and how lucky we are to have them. Jen sent me a picture of the new house and gave me lots and lots of details. I was so thrilled that she was able to do that for us, and it made me all that more excited to move! This is a real first, because usually I dread moving...but this time seems like it just might be different. Anyhow, here is the outside of the house. I will have more pictures soon, as we will probably be moving in sometime in the middle of September.

Happy Five Months

Five months old and ready to rule the world! That is one really good way to describe Archer. He is becoming quite the personality and has an amazing presence. He is also a comedian. If you laugh at whatever he is doing, he usually will do it multiple times to see if he gets the same reaction. He also likes to laugh at himself. There are so many things that he giggles at that I wish I knew why he thought they were so funny. He is still very much in love with Buck and BeauLeaux. Luckily, they love him right back. BeauLeaux does not seem to mind when Archer squeezes his face or tries to go after his tail. The dogs are just really waiting for him to eat real food so that he can drop it on the floor for them! Here are some more 5 month updates:

Weight - Around 22 pounds
Height - 26.5 inches
Activity - Loves to jump in his jumperoo, is working on rolling from back to belly. There are attemps at trying to creep, as he rocks back and fourth on his elbows when he is on his belly. He is also sitting up by himself.
Eating habits - Has been eating cereal and is now eating 1 1/2 tablespoons twice a day. Still nursing five to six times a day.
Sleeping habits - Sleeps about six hours at a time and is still getting up once every night to nurse. I don't see this ending any time soon. Naps are a struggle as he does not like to take them at all!

In other news, we are starting to work on packing the house to move to Colorado Springs. We finally got dates, and our report no later than date has changed to October 29. We will be out of here before then, as Nick will be headed to SERE on September 10. I am starting to get VERY excited for this move!

Yummy Cereal

Well, we have been experimenting with baby cereal for the past couple of weeks. The APA says that you really shouldn't start feeding your baby solids until they are six months...BUT our little guy has quite the appetite. He would get hungry about every 2 to 2.5 hours. This is not normal. It was getting to feel like all I was doing was nursing him. He had also started watching Nick and I VERY intently at the dinner table and began to grab at things on our plate. SO, enter the baby cereal. The first time we tried it, things did not go so well. First daddy tried:
Then mommy gave it a go:But, most of the cereal wound up on Nick or myself. We waited for about a week and gave it another try. This time, success! He ate every bit of cereal and yelled at us in between spoon fulls. We could not get him the cereal fast enough.
It is hard to believe that he will be five months old a week from today. He changes so much and is getting more fun as each day passes. Who knows what he will do next??

Four Month Well Baby Check Up

We headed to the doctor bright and early this morning! We had an appointment on base at 7:30 a.m. I was dreading this one because Nick was not able to come with us and I knew Archer had to get more shots today. When we went in to see the doctor, everyone smiled and told me how cute the little dude is. This is something we never get tired of hearing, of course! He is the BIGGEST flirt, because he made eyes at pretty much every lady who spoke to him. I know, we are already in trouble! After getting poked and prodded Archer was given a clean bill of health and his measurements were as follows: 20 pounds, 9 ounces (95%) 25.5 inches (50%) and his head circumference was 42.5 (50%). We where given the go ahead to start veggies, as Archer has tolerated his cereal very well. We have to up his cereal intake to two times a day for a week and then we can add in veggies! After the appointment was over we took the terrifying walk to the room where the vaccines are done. Archer had to get three shots...and guess what? We have one tough little boy! After the first one was done he only cried for a second or two and then seemed to be over it...even as he got the other two shots! I was very proud of him and glad to have that over with for another two months! Here are a few new pics of the little dude...

Happy Four Months Archer

Four months old...CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!?!? We took him to take his four month pictures today. I know, you are supposed to do them at 3, 6, and 9 months...but I didn't do that so we are going to do 2, 4, 6 and so on. Anyhow, what is he up to now? Well, he giggles A LOT. He is still rolling just from belly to back. He has just started to try solids. We have been doing some experimenting with baby cereal. He seems to like it but is not really patient enough to wait for each spoon full! He is also quite the blabber mouth. Archer seems to LOVE to watch his doggies play. They, along with the television seem to be a great source of entertainment for the little dude. He also is a supported sitter now, which means he sits up on his own for a little while before he topples over. Anything and everything winds up in his mouth and he has started to learn to use his hands. His sleeping habits have changed, as he is no longer sleeping 12 hours at a time. He usually gets up once each night, has to eat and then goes back to bed. It has been an exciting time...and we look forward to what he will do next! He has his four month well baby check up and shots on August 3rd, so I will be sure to report what his measurements are then!

Lots of Giggles!

Archer has recently become quite the giggle box! While we were on our trip to Atlanta, we discovered that he finds the dogs playing just hilarious. His Aunt Sarah was holding him, and as he watched the boys wrestle and play...he giggled like I have never heard him giggle before. I had only been able to get a few chuckles out of him. But this was knee slapping, having a hard time breathing, tear in your eye type of laughter. I wish we had a camera at the time, as I thought this would never be repeated. I was SO very wrong. While a friend of mine was over, the boys did their usual playing and tussling on the floor. Again, Archer decided this was THE FUNNIEST thing ever. This time, I was ready. With my phone in hand, I was able to catch 43 seconds of this hilarity. I cannot get the video to work here on the blog, but as luck would have it, the giggles struck again today! This time, daddy was just TOO FUNNY for words...check out the video!

First Night in the Crib

Last night was a VERY big night for the little dude. He spent his first night in his own room and in his comfy crib. Originally, we had decided that we were not going to buy the crib until we moved to Colorado. This is because we did not want to move the crib and get it banged up. The problem came when Archer decided for several mornings in a row that he was going to cram himself into one corner of his pack and play. This cause me to be a little worried, as he looked so very uncomfortable. SO, with many thanks to Uncle Chris...we purchased his crib. After a hard day at work, Nick came home and put the crib together. I was so pleased once it was all put together:We put the bedding on and within about half an hour, Archer was ready to take his first nap in his crib! I feel like it was one of his better naps, seeing as it lasted the entire 45 minutes...which they seldom do! At around 8 p.m., Archer's self imposed bed time, we put him to bed. I was VERY worried. I didn't know what would happen, and was pretty sure that I would get no sleep that night. I was correct about this. When I did wind up falling asleep, I had terrible dreams of someone coming in to his room and taking him with out us waking up at all. Each tiny noise he made on the monitor made me want to go and check on him. It was rough. Archer however, had a great night. He woke up twice, which he usually only wakes up once...but I feel like two times was not so bad. Let's hope he keeps it up!

Happy Fourth of July!

Today, Archer celebrated his first Fourth of July! He had a wonderful day mostly hanging out with GeeMa and Auntie Sarah. The four of us took a trip to Discover Mills because I wanted to check out the Carters Outlet. I LOVE Carters baby clothes, and figured I should stop in there to check out some great deals. Of course, I was still on my mad hunt to find Archer a hat that would fit his little head. Every time we walk outside to go get the mail, let the dogs out or what have you, the poor little dude has to squint his eyes. He looks like he wants to tell me, "the sun is just tooooooo bright!" So, as luck would have it...the Carters store had just one Fourth of July hat left. It fit him PERFECTLY! Many thanks to GeeMa for buying the hat, since he needed it quite badly. Check out pics below! After our fun shopping trip we stopped by the Gele's house so that Archer could have another "play date" with his new buddy Tripp. (What is funny about this is Tripp was not even two weeks old at the time, so neither of them can really "play") after that, we packed up the Kia and headed to Snellville to watch Nick, Aaron, Matt and Steven do the fireworks show for the town. I was a little worried that this would scare Archer...but he actually LOVED IT. He was almost asleep when they started lighting, but he woke up watched for a little while before deciding to fall back to sleep. It was a very fun day, and the boys put on an excellent show! It is too bad we have to go back home in two days, but it has been an EXCELLENT trip!

Pool Time!

Well, today we had another first for the little dude! He took a trip to the pool! I am not so sure he knew what was going on...but for the five minutes he was in the water he seemed to enjoy himself. He kicked his little legs and looked like he was soaking up the sun! His dip was cut short by the fact that he found himself VERY tired. He fell asleep on my lap for about 45 minutes and then Great Aunt Lynn took him inside so he could dry off and eat. I am not sure that this technically counts as a first...seeing as he slept through most of his trip. At least we know he won't scream bloody murder for the next trip! Thank you to Lori Leigh for letting us spend time at her pool.

Three months old!

So the little dude is now three months old! He is becoming quite the personality. Archer seems to be a happy little man...exept at meal times. If he is not fed right when he is hungry he is MORE then happy to let you know about it. What is he up to lately? Well...he loves his hands. He has found them and thinks they are the best thing to suck on. He is not quite sure of any other function for them just yet. He chats with us a lot...I swear he says "uh-oh" or mimics me saying it. Either way, it is adorable! He has no problems rolling from belly to back. He laughs and it is the CUTEST giggle in the world. Nothing beats a baby who coos and giggles. The biggest thing lately is that I think he is becoming a little bit of a flirt! He makes eyes at the ladies and seems to prefer blondes. He loves spending time with daddy and playing on his play mat. We are very excited to see what comes in the next months!

No naps!

I realize that I cannot and possibly will not ever be able to catch up on this blog. Just when I think I have Archer scheduled during the day, he decides that he wants a different schedule! Luckily, his night time routine has not changed, so at least I can count on that! Here lately he has decided that he no longer wants to take naps during the day. When he does nap, it is for about 25 minutes...this is just enough time for me to accomplish NOTHING. Today was a perfect example. I put the little dude down for a nap and attempted a shower. Wouldn't you know it, as soon as I got my hair all nice and soapy...he started to scream bloody murder. I had to finish up my shower in world record time. It was rough stuff. Oh well. It is hard to believe that in two days Archer will be three months old! Time is flying by, but he seems to be doing more and more each and every day. Today I SWORE he repeated "uh-oh" back to me five or six times. I know it is probably just my imagination but it sure sounded like it! Watch for the three month picture coming soon!

Archer meets LaLa!

After three VERY long months of waiting, my mommy FINALLY got to meet her third grandchild. Nick and I had not seen my mom since last year when we went to Costa Rica. A year is ENTIRELY too long to go with out seeing your mommy! It was wonderful to get to see her and spend a few days with her. She had to do A LOT of traveling to get here from Costa Rica, and we really do appreciate it. My mom, known to my niece and nephew as LaLa (my niece could not say Abuela when she was little, so it turned into LaLa.) came in on Monday evening and was able to stay with us until today. A very short trip, but we are hoping that now that she has met the little dude, she won't be able to stay away for very long. I think the picture make it pretty clear how she feels about Archer!

Another Kentucky Trip!

If you are thinking to yourself, "Man, that Disney family sure does travel a lot." You would be 100% correct! We just got back from yet another road trip. We headed back to Louisville, KY for a surprise birthday gathering for Grammaw Disney. She is 80 years young today...and we all figured it would be a good idea to surprise her for her birthday. She had NO IDEA we would be in town and it made for a wonderful weekend. Here are a few pictures from the weekend.

Happy Birthday Grammaw!

First Well Baby Doc Appointment

Today we had our first well baby appointment. I was very happy because Nick was able to attend. I knew that Archer would be getting his first round of shots and felt very nervous about and knew I could not handle alone. The thought of someone sticking my precious boy with a needle scared the crap out of me. Anyhow, we went to the pediatrician on the base. She was very nice and made us feel comfortable. She checked Archer from head to toe. He weighed in at 15 pounds, 12 ounces. That little boy has certainly put on some weight. He is a far cry from the 7 pounds, 5 ounces he started out as! This put him in the 95 percentile for weight. He was 23 1/2 inches (50 percentile) and his head circumference was 41 centimeters (50-75 percentile). The doctor said he was perfect and that everything looked great!
Then came the shots........I knew this was going to be bad when the little boy who went in before Archer started screaming, I began to cry my eyes out. Archer was called into the torture room and received three shots in his poor little thigh muscles. Nick was at the ready with a bottle and just as Archer started to scream, Nick gave him the bottle. He took it for a few seconds and then became inconsolable for about 10 minutes. Luckily, we got him settled back down and I took him on a few errands and then brought him home so he could rest. It was a rough day for us, and one that I am not looking forward to repeating in two months. BOO shots!

Oh the month of May! Part One

Let me just start out by saying...WOW! The month of may was SUCH a busy one for this Disney family. I am very sorry that I have not been keeping up with my blogging, but over the various trips we have taken over the month of May I learned that MANY friends and family read the blog and seemed kind of perturbed that I had not been keeping up with it! So, from now on I am going to try a little bit harder.
As I was saying, the month of May was a crazy one. We began the month with a very fun Kentucky Derby party at our house. We had many of our Air Force friends over for the race. Nick and I served up Hot Browns, Benedictine Sandwiches and Derby Pie as well as a very yummy crawfish boil. Everyone seemed to have fun and it is probably a new tradition for our family.

Next, Archer and I left on May 8th to Atlanta for a whole week. Archer had his first plane ride, and it went amazingly well if I do say so myself. I spent my first Mothers Day with my adorable son and his grandmother. I also received my first mothers day cards from some amazing friends and family. A huge thank you to all who sent me cards. It really meant a lot on my newest holiday. The week ended with the spectacular wedding of our dear friends Whitney and Tyler Parker. We had a wonderful time, and were very sad to say goodbye to everyone. I got to see most of my family as well and it was great to spend time with my wonderful Aunts. Archer met a TON of friends and family members. Archer also finally got to meet his Papa. My dad was in town at the same time I was and was able to hold his third grandchild for the first time. Again, a huge thank you to all who made time to visit with us. Or should I say Archer? I know who the important one was!

I am going to divide the month of May into two different posts, as A LOT went on during this month. Here are some of the pictures from our first journey to Atlanta:

Two Months Old!

Archer is now two months old! He is doing very well and seems to be a very happy, healthy little man! He is growing like a weed and still has an amazing appetite! He is smiling up a storm now for mommy and daddy. We went to our first professional photo shoot on May 19th, and he did very well. What can I say? The camera loves this little guy! He is sleeping a lot better now, closer to six hours at a time with only one wake up for feeding. His naps are very iffy, because he likes to fight us during the day. I am convinced he just thinks he is going to miss something! He seems to be very social and does not mind when anyone holds him. He also went to his first rehearsal dinner for a wedding and his first plane trip to Atlanta! It has been a big month for him, and we cannot wait to see what he does next!

One Month Old!

It is hard to believe but Archer is one month old today! It certainly does not seem like it has been one whole month to me. I figure that is because I was kind of a zombie for the first two weeks of his life, so that is why it feels like it went by so fast. So what is he doing so far in month one? Well, he sleeps...eats...and poops a lot. He is starting to be able to see/ follow objects a little better. He also recognizes mommy and daddy's voice and responds by turning his head. He has got a pretty good schedule going and sleeps about four hours at a time at night, which mommy is VERY thankful for. Weight wise? Well, he is gaining weight by leaps and bounds. He is ten pounds last time we checked, four days ago...and I am sure he is quickly making his way past that. So far so good, but we still have a lot to learn!

First Road Trip to Kentucky

Well, the Disney family had another first this weekend. We headed out on our first road trip with the little man. I figured it would be a very daunting task, seeing as Archer is only 3 1/2 weeks old...but we figured why the heck not? Plus, it was wonderful chance to see Nick's grandparents as well as go to the Kentucky Derby Festival, something I absolutely love doing. I am pleased to report that Archer's round trip (16 hours of driving time total) turned out very well! He slept for most of it, which helped things. He did get fussy after about 5 or so hours so that seems to be his limit. I was very pleased at how well he did. He LOVED meeting his Great Grandparents and his Great Uncle Kevin. We had a wonderful weekend and hope to be back for a visit soon, next time maybe we will fly!

Archers First Doc Appointment / Bath

Well, after such an exciting week, and finally getting to go home with our baby...we had to say goodbye to the wonderful help / guardian angel of GeeMa. She of course did not want to go home, but had to. It is okay though, we will be seeing her soon for Easter! We also had to say goodbye to Nicks dad, as he had to head back to Louisville for work. Darn work taking everyone away! But, the good news is that Tia Melissa arrived early this morning to meet her nephew. She also came to help me out, but lets face it - - I know what her priorities are! After a little bit of sleep, everyone woke up the next morning so that Nick and I could go to Archers first doctors appointment. He had to have this to check his bilirubin levels for Jaundice. After a very thorough check up, his pediatrician said that he looked GREAT! He has put on 4 ounces and added two inches to his length. I was glad to hear this, because apparently we are doing something right! After his appointment, Nick and I where very daring and ran some errands as well as got lunch at P.F. Changs. Why did we do this? Well, I had an appointment with my OB later on in the day in the same part of town. We didn't want to go all the way back home (45 minute drive) just to have to come back. Everything went swimmingly until we actually got to my doctors office. Archer had enough and was hungry. Well...as I am not an expert yet at breast feeding, this proved to be quite a challenge. After a little bit of feeding in the waiting room...a small breakdown in the exam room (by me of course) and a clean bill of health from my OB...we headed back home...THANKFULLY. When we got back home, Melissa had done all of my laundry and even cleaned the bathrooms! What great help. She also cooked dinner and then took on the task of teaching Nick and I how to bathe a new baby. While this made me very nervous, she showed us how to do it and I think that I will be able to take on this task after she is gone. Here are a few cute pics!

Going home!

Our final night in the hospital was a doozie. Archer was finally allowed to room in with me! I was very excited to be able to finally spend quality time with our little man. He was hooked up to a pulse ox, which measures his O2 levels and his heart rate. This is what made the evening challenging. Every time the little man moved, the monitor alarmed. This went on ALL NIGHT LONG. GeeMa, (Nicks wonderful angel mommy) stayed with us for the last night in the hospital...and I am not sure she will ever forgive or forget that night. It seemed as though every time all of us would fall asleep, the alarm would go off. IT WAS A NIGHTMARE. A nightmare that was capped off the next morning after we found out that they did not even look at the report from the monitor and that it was really unnecessary for the little man to be released the next day. After a very long night and a sleepy morning...then what seemed like an ETERNITY later...the Disney family finally made it back home. Both Archer and mommy received a clean bill of health and sent on our way home. Many thanks go to Kelsey, Jared and Piper Jones for allowing us to borrow their mazda to get home in. It made for a much easier ride for me. The mazda has four doors, and I did not have to climb into it as I would have the Explorer or the Bronco. Now, the actual ride home itself was QUITE painful but we made it home all in one piece. We did discover that Archer does not like to be buckled into his car seat. In fact, he hates it. The only upside to this is that as soon as he is picked up in his seat and feels movement, he quiets right down. We are so glad to be home and finally start a somewhat normal schedule / life with our new baby boy. We also found out that Jeff, Nicks dad would be flying into town to meet his grandson. We look forward to his arrival later this afternoon. Then, tomorrow Tia Melissa will come to visit...after that Aunt Sarah and GeeMa come back for Easter and then finally Aunt Lynn and Lori Leigh will be here to visit. We are so blessed to have so much family coming into town!