It's a....!!

The night before my appointment, I couldn't fall asleep for hours it felt like. I was so excited, anxious, nervous. I finally fell asleep after midnight and then woke up at 4:45 to go to the bathroom and couldn't fall back asleep. Lucky for me I was wide awake and ready for the day! :) Hunter had his 12 month check up at 9am on the 23rd so I got him fed, dressed, and ready to go and off we went! He weighs 23 pounds 12 oz and was 31 inches long! He took his 3 shots and finger prick like a champ and then he was done thank goodness! We got home and then I anxiously waited until it was time to leave for my appointment at 1:30. On the way to the doctor's office, my stomach was in knots and I was starting to get nauseous from all my emotions. I was just ready to know! So we got there and got checked in and luckily didn't have to wait very long. I could feel my hands shaking because I was so nervous. lol! With Hunter's big ultrasound I don't remember being so nervous, but because this is our last baby I just wanted everything to be ok and healthy. The ultrasound technician asked us if we wanted to know the sex and we both said YES! at the same time so she put the wand on my belly and started taking some measurements. I could feel the excitement building as I tried to scan the screen to see what I could see. She scrolled down to try and find the sex and the umbilical cord was down there so she couldn't tell, but said she would be back at the end. I started to panic a little bit thinking that maybe we wouldn't be able to find out. I had thought I had caught a glimpse, but didn't see anything down there...I was trying not to get my hopes up though. So she got through the whole ultrasound, all the measurements and we saw the baby yawn and stretch..so cute, and then she said let's take a look again to see if we can find out the sex. She scrolled the wand down there again and viola...IT IS A GIRL!!! I immediately started crying...I couldn't believe I was having a daughter! I've always wanted a boy and a girl (in that order)since I was little and it was so amazing to me that I would be blessed enough to have 1 of each! The rest of my doctor's appointment went great. I gained 2 pounds (woot woot), my blood pressure was great, and the baby's measurements were about a week ahead and she looked perfectly healthy! What an amazing Christmas present!


So off we went to Babies R Us to buy Lily Mackenzie her first outfit! I'm glad I had a boy first and then a girl because I didn't realize how CUTE and GIRLY and LACY and POLKA DOTTY all the girl clothes are until now. (I tried to ignore the hundreds of girl racks because I was so jealous of all the variety) We already know the nursery we want. A picture of it is below. We are going to paint 3 walls solid colors and then the 4th wall we are going to paint polka dots that match the other 3 walls. I'm so excited!! When I say "we" are painting, it actually means Daniel...haha he is the best painter! :)



I love my family!! We are blessed beyond belief! <3

Hunter's Birthday Bash!

We celebrated Hunter's 1st Birthday on Saturday, December 12th and everything turned out fabulous! He played with his friends and then we opened presents and ate some delicious cake! He tried cake for the first time and it took him a while to dig in but once he did, he stuffed fistfuls of cake into his mouth. It was so much fun to watch him discover something new! We also took Hunter to get his 1 year pictures take and they turned out great too.



Hunter's schedule at 12 months goes something like this:

8:30am wake up and drink 7oz of WHOLE milk (woot woot!)
9-10:15 PLAYTIME
10:15-10:30 eat fruit and cheerios
10:30-1 NAP
1:15-1:30 eat vegetable and applesauce
1:30-3:45 PLAYTIME
3:45-4:15 drink 7oz of formula (going to be switching to whole milk on Sunday)
4:15-5:30/6 NAP
6:15-6:30 eat vegetable/fruit and cheerios
6:30-7:30 PLAYTIME
7:30-8 Read a book, Bath, Lotion, Pjs, 7oz bottle of formula (going to be switching to whole milk in early January)
8:15 BEDTIME!

What a day! Whew! We are slowly introducing whole milk and so far no allergic reactions and he LOVES it! By the beginning of January the plan is to get him on 100% whole milk (YAY for no more formula!! atleast for 5 months LOL!) and then once he is on 100% cow's milk make the switch from the bottle to the sippy cup. He currently drinks water out of his sippy cup, but he is still struggling a little bit to grasp holding it while sucking the water out of it. Hopefully he'll drink cow's milk out of it since he loves it so much. I can't believe my little baby that I brought home just a short year ago is about to turn into a toddler! W.O.W.! Everyday his fun personality shines through and let me tell you...we laugh so much here at the Morrison household because he constantly keeps us on our toes and does the most goofy things! Atleast once a day he will climb up in my lap and sit with me for a few minutes so I can get my cuddles in. I can't believe how lucky I am to be his mom!

I will be 19 weeks pregnant on Saturday and when I say this pregnancy is flying by that is an understatement! I can not believe I'm almost 1/2 way done with this pregnancy. Hunter is keeping me super busy so I barely have enough time to sit down and relax much less think about being pregnant. With Hunter's pregnancy I knew what was going on each week. I would read in the baby book about him growing taste buds or when he was able to move his fingers or what size comparable fruit he was that week. This pregnancy, I just don't have time to do any of that stuff. I did start to feel baby kicks this week and it is one of the most amazing things that go on while pregnant. For me, once I feel kicks it really brings on a strong mother-baby bond that will never go away. I will be one lucky lady if the 2nd half of this pregnancy goes as smooth as the 1st half.

Next week is going to be a HUGE week for us. Actually Wednesday to be exact. :) Hunter turns 1 on Wednesday and he has his well baby check up at 9am that day. I can't wait to see how much he has grown in 3 months, but I'm not looking forward to him getting shots. I HATE watching him get shots even though most of the time he has been a tough trooper. It just hurts my heart that he gets stuck with a needle or two. Poor guy, atleast I know the shots help him stay healthy! Then at 2pm, is the BIG ultrasound to find out whether a baby boy or girl will complete our family! I have been feeling like it's a girl from the beginning, but Daniel thinks it's another boy. The more I think about it, having a little brother for Hunter sounds like so much more fun. They can be rough and tumble together and share all the same toys and clothes and hopefully be close as they grew up. Now, I think MOMMA would LOVE buying all the pink, purple, polka dots, hairbows, and barrettes for a little girl, but I'm trying to not let my heart get stuck on having a girl, it's hard though. Soon enough we will know for sure and then I can start making plans for the nursery! I'm so excited! I keep repeating to myself that God will give me what I need not necessarily what I want so if I get another boy then I was meant to be a momma to boys and what could be better?! I'm hoping and praying for another healthy, happy baby because that is truly all that matters. Keep your fingers crossed that this last week doesn't drag by for me!!

Oh one last comment...I have never been the type of person to get Christmas done early and even last year when I was 9+ months pregnant in December I procrastinated SO bad....well this year I got ALL the Christmas shopping done and presents wrapped for family and friends before December 6th! So now, our tree is up, decorated, and with presents sitting underneath waiting for Christmas Day to arrive. I feel so proud! :)Now, next year with a 7 month old and 2 year old I probably will get nothing done so I'm just making up for it this year!

December 23rd is going to be a big day!!

Two wonderful things are going to happen on December 23rd...the first being that my little baby boy is going to be a 1 year old! Ahh can you believe it?! The next thing is Daniel, Hunter, and I will be finding out if we will be completing our family with a baby boy or girl! I'm so happy to finally know a date to look forward to seeing my baby bean!

My appointment went great today. I've lost another 3 pounds, but I swear I'm eating enough and taking my vitamins so I think I'm going to follow the same pattern with Hunter's pregnancy and just not gain the bulk of the weight until the end. My belly is getting bigger every day it seems like so I'm not sure where I'm losing this weight from...maybe my hips and thighs! :) Also, I talked to my OB about tying my tubes during my c-section since Daniel and I both agree that we do not want anymore kids after baby #2. She agreed to do it thank goodness! I was kind of worried that she would say no since I'm 23, but she said if that's what I wanted, I would have to sign a waiver and everything would be good to go! Although I love Hunter and future baby bean to the moon and back, 2 kids is plenty for us!

Hunter is growing like a weed! He eats everything we give to him...well everything except peas. He is eating more and more people food and enjoys every minute of it! He has been on the same nap routine for about 5 months now and recently it seems like he is trying to eliminate one of the naps. I'm not sure if it's his teeth bothering him or if he really is ready to just go down to 1 nap a day. :( I miss my little baby that would lay in my arms and fall asleep for a good portion of the day. I guess it's a good thing another little one will be coming home in just a few short months. I won't know what to do with myself once baby #2 is Hunter's age! What an exciting and fun time that will be. I can't wait to see how Hunter reacts to being a big brother!

24 days until Hunter's safari themed 1st birthday party!

Night Shift with my lil Scarecrow!

I know I'm a little late with Halloween, but it's been so busy around here since Daniel switched to night shift. My favorite lil guy dressed up as a scarecrow for the big event and helped me pass out candy to our neighborhood trick or treater's. He had alot of fun even though he got scared by an Optimus Prime costume, but only because the boy was wearing a mask that disguised his voice to sound like a robot. He looked at the robot, looked at me, looked at the robot, then back at me with the saddest looking face I'd ever seen and then the tears came. He loved all the other neighborhood kids though. We will most likely take him out next year (with 2nd baby in tow!) but thought this year with him just mastering how to walk that it would wear mom and dad out. :)

We are down to 3 bottles a day with 3 meals/snacks and I'm so proud of my big boy. He did great with the transistion and I'm hoping within the next 2 weeks, we'll take out another bottle so he'll be down to 2 a day. I'm really hoping between 12-13 months that he will transistion from the bottle to the sippy cup and we'll also switch from formula to cow's milk.

In baby bean news, I'm feeling fantastic!! Whew, I didn't think I would ever make it out of the nausea-exhaustion phase. After 8 long weeks, I've gotten some of my energy back and my appetite is slowly returning! With Hunter, I craved SO many spicy chicken sandwiches (it was ridiculous, just ask Daniel lol) and with this baby all I want is sour Skittles or any fruity candy. I also crave ice cold water, but I craved that with Hunter too. It's neat to compare the 2 pregnancies and to be going through this again. We can now hear the baby's heartbeat almost every night on our home doppler and I feel kicks/movement atleast 3-4 times a week. We should be finding out the sex in 5-6 weeks! I can't believe I'm making a baby from scratch, it's such an amazing part of life!

We made it through the first long weekend on night shift and now we only have 3 more to go! Actually, Daniel has training to become a field training officer Nov 16th-20th so he will be working days that week and will have off that Fri and Sat night so we technically only have 2 more long weekends to go! Woot woot! Hopefully in January when he goes back on day shift, we will be able to getaway for a night and just relax. I'm so excited because he said he would take off a few weeks when baby #2 comes in May. He was able to take off 3 weeks when Hunter was born to help me after my c-section and he pretty much took care of Hunter while I recooperated. Every now and then, I have little panic attacks of how in the world am I going to take care of 2 under 2 after a c-section. He always calms my fears and reassures me. :) So it looks like if all goes as planned, he'll be here for a few weeks to help me out with Hunter and baby #2. I'm a lucky girl! I LOVED the 3 weeks we got to spend as a family right after Hunter was born, we all got to bond and not worry about anything else. Hopefully, the same will be true with baby #2!

32 days til Hunter's safari themed 1st birthday party!!

Double Digits Baby!!!

Hunter turned 10 months old yesterday and it's amazing to me how fast the time has flown. I know every parent probably says that, but man I felt like I just gave birth to him! Hunter took his first step at 9 months 1 week and just 3 short weeks later he is walking all over the house! He can pull himself up and off he goes! He now eats 3 meals a day along with puffs, cheerios, pea sized peaches, pears, and bread. Here is Hunter's schedule at 10 months old:

7:30-8 Hunter wakes up and drinks his first bottle

8:15-9:30 PLAYTIME!

9:30 Hunter eats 1st fruit, puffs and/or cheerios

10-12:30 Nap

12:30 Hunter drinks 2nd bottle

12:45-3 PLAYTIME!

3-3:30 1st veggie and peaches

4-4:15 Hunter drinks 3rd bottle

4:30-6 Nap

6:15-6:30 2nd veggie, peaches, and puffs and/or cheerios

6:30-7:45 PLAYTIME!

7:45-8 Hunter takes a bath

8-8:15 Hunter drinks 4th bottle

8:15 BEDTIME!!

Starting tomorrow, we are going to try and eliminate the 4pm bottle so he'll only be drinking 3 bottles instead of 4 in preperation of eventually eliminating the bottle at 12 months. I can't believe in less then 2 months I'm going to be a mom to a 1 year old!! We took Hunter to his first pumpkin patch on Wednesday and he had so much fun! He picked out his favorite pumpkin and we plan to carve it tomorrow night.

11 weeks down, 29 (or less) to go!!! The first trimester is almost over and I couldn't be more relieved! This pregnancy is going by so much faster then with Hunter. I guess because my mind is so preoccupied with running around after Hunter. The nausea comes in pretty intense waves, and the anti-nausea medication my doctor prescribed makes me sleepy so I have to be careful of when I take it. The nausea has made my appetite decrease alot so at my appointment on the 21st I had lost 2 pounds and my doctor wasn't too thrilled. I gained weight really slow with Hunter in the beginning, but between weeks 28-38 I gained about 15-18 pounds (the bulk of my pregnancy weight) so this pregnancy seems to be going on the same path. With Hunter, I felt the first flutter movements around 14 weeks and this time around with me knowing what to look for, I have already felt flutters low in my belly. It's such an amazing process to create a human being from scratch :)

Daniel switches back to night shift on November 2nd, (booo!!!) but once he goes back on day shift in January, I'm trying to plan an overnight getaway for the 2 of us to relax and enjoy our time together before baby #2 makes its' entrance into the world. I'm trying to enjoy every second of the next week and a half because I know when night shift rolls around we won't be seeing that much of each other.

53 days until Hunter's safari animal themed 1st birthday party!!

Sunny days in VA!

Our life is getting more and more fun each month. Hunter continues to amaze Daniel and I with everything he is accomplishing. He pulls himself up to a standing position and will stand all by himself for longer periods of time. I can see it in his face that he wants to walk so bad so we continue to walk everywhere with him (while he holds our fingers). I definitely think he'll be walking in the next few months! Hammy boy LOVES food...he will eat almost anything we give him. He loves drinking out of his sippy cup and hopefully the transistion to removing the bottle by 12 months old won't be too hard. His top 2 front teeth finally popped through this past week and they are growing in so fast! I can't wait until they show up in pictures when he smiles. I bet he will look so much older with his front teeth chompers in. I am slowly starting to plan his 1st birthday party. I'm still in denial that the celebration is in less then 3 months. I really can't believe it. Where did my little baby boy go? He's grown into a rough and tumble infant soon to be toddler. Each stage is more fun then the last I think and he is such a joy to our lives. I have no idea how I lived before he existed. I think because we got so lucky with Hunter and his incredible sleeping habits and amazing temperment, this 2nd baby is going to give us trouble lol. Like the song says, whatever happens, won't last for long so I'm going to try my hardest to enjoy every second since baby #2 is our last baby. Kinda makes me sad to type that out. :( Now that Hunter's 1st birthday is fast approaching, that means that the holidays are almost upon us. I have figured out that the holidays are SO much more fun now that we have a child. I can't wait to start family traditions with him and our next baby. Ahhh I can't believe I have my own little family, it's incredible! For Hunter's 1st Halloween, he is going to be a scarecrow and what a cute scarecrow he is! (Pics coming soon) I can't wait to go pick out his first pumpkin and watch as daddy carves a funny face into it. I can't wait for Thanksgiving and especially Christmas now that he'll be able to tell what's going on more this year. (Last year he was 2 days old lol) I would just like to pause time for a little while to enjoy all these little moments, pretty please?!?

My first prenatal appointment went great. It was nice to see my OB again and to start this journey again. We got to see baby bean and hear the glorious sound of his/her heartbeat, it was amazing!! It made everything feel that much more real! I asked for some anti-nausea medication because I have been sooo much more nauseous this time around and it's pretty difficult to chase after a 9 month old while feeling nauseous 24-7. The anti-nausea medication is AMAZING and I feel so much better. We have already picked out names and if we have a boy he will be named Colby Allen and if we have a girl she will be named Lily Mackenzie. We love the sound of both of those names and think they go great with Hunter. I hope I'm able to love both the kiddos the same and be able to spread the love evenly. I love Hunter SOOOOO much, it's hard to imagine loving another baby as much as I love him, but I'm sure everything will come just as natural like they did with Hunter.

My new work schedule has started so now I'm off Sunday-Wednesday and I absolutely LOVE it!! I love being home with my baby boy and to be able to cook dinner for Daniel so we can all sit down and eat together. I can't believe I'm this lucky!

We go to Hunter's 9 month appointment tomorrow, so I'll update his stats then! I can't wait to see how much he has grown!

2 under 2--We are sooo excited!!

We just found out that I'm pregnant and expecting in May 2010!!! Ahh, I can't believe that happened so fast! I thought it would take us a few months to get pregnant, but sure enough after taking 3 tests...all confirmed my suspicions!! I should be due around May 15th, 2010, but I plan on having a second c-section so my doctor will probably schedule it around May 8th. I have my first prenatal appointment with the same doctor that delivered Hunter on September 23rd. I can't wait to see her face when she walks into the room. At my last post natal visit with Hunter, she told me that she thought I would be back before Hunter turned a year old and sure enough she was right! :) If everything goes as planned, the kiddos will be a little over 16 months apart, Daniel and I are going to be busy busy for the next few years!! My biggest fear at the moment is making it through the first trimester and trying not to get too run down with a soon to be walking infant. I have already experienced some nausea and a headache that lasted for about 10 hours regardless of the Tylenol I took. Atleast with the nausea, I know my hormones are being kicked up into high gear in order to grow a healthy baby. Now that I have been through one pregnancy, I know all of these symptoms and patience waiting for the little one's arrival is 150% worth every minute. We should be able to find out the sex at the end of December and I'm crossing my fingers for a little girl, but we would absolutely love a little baby brother for Hunter. I can't wipe a smile off my face even if I tried!! This feels so surreal to be going through this miracle process again!!

Flashback Fridays

Hunter is a little over 8 months now and it is hard to believe he is the same baby we brought home a short while ago. We won't know his exact weight until his 9 month well baby check up on September 28th, but I would guess he would be about 23 pounds and 30-31 inches now. When I see him in his crib he looks so big and long unlike the first time we laid him down in there at 4 weeks old. He was so tiny compared to the crib and was firmly stationed in the middle of the crib within a positioner. Now he has free reign of the crib and moves all over at night. My favorite time of the day is first thing in the morning. I will hear him babble to himself or playing with his feet. He will normally stand up and start hollering mamama or dadadada when he is ready to be picked up. When I walk in there, he will immediately put on a big toothy smile and giggle. It's the best thing in the world to feel irreplaceable.

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Daniel switches to day shift on September 2nd and I CAN'T WAIT!!! I hate going to sleep alone and hearing every little noise in the house and wondering what if. This October, Daniel will have been in the sheriff's department for 2 years so if he wants he can now transfer to another department. He's also taking night classes through the sheriff's department to further his college degree.

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Quick tidbit about me...my new work schedule will be starting September 12th. I'm sooo excited!! I'll be working Thu/Fri 11-8pm and Sat 9-6 so I'll be off Sun-Wed to spend with my baby boy and to have more sit down meals with hubs.

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So what's new with Hunter you may be asking...he has tried all stage 1 and 2 foods except for the meat in a jar. Meat in a jar makes me gag so we are planning on waiting until his top teeth come in a little further and then we are going to have Hunter self-feed himself chopped up turkey, ham, and chicken. He is also feeding himself pea sized pears, apples, cantelope, and Gerber puffs. He crawls everywhere and continues to climb on anything and everything. He can stand by himself for a few seconds, but hasn't taken any steps yet. I can see it in his eyes sometimes that he wants to move, but doesn't know how to. Toby and Hunter have such a fun time together. Toby gives kisses and Hunter is trying to learn how to pet nice. :) I can't believe that in less then 4 months, we will be celebrating his first birthday. HOLY MOLY!!! We are already starting to plan, but I know it will be bittersweet when that day arrives. My baby boy is growing up!!

Mommy Mondays and an Exciting Tid Bit

It's important as a mom to take some time out for ourselves every now and then outside of being a mom just so we don't lose who we are. Here are some things I did this week that were all about me :)

* I took an extra long, extra hot shower and didn't worry about poopy diapers or pureed peaches

* I went to the grocery store yesterday all by myself. Now this may not seem like such a big deal, but it is a 30+ minute process to get myself dressed, Hunter dressed, Hunter's diaper bag packed and then to get everything and everybody in the car...it's definitely an adventure. Yesterday, I was able to just grab my purse and hop in the car...so nice! :)

* I slept in until 11am last week. I felt like a new woman!

* I read Cosmopolitan front to back all in one sitting while drinking some wine :)

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Hunter is a crawling maniac...he is getting into everything and is wearing momma out! He is also pulling up on everything including our furniture, our stairs, and the fireplace. This totally freaks me out because I'm afraid he's going to smack his face or bust his nose. He stood up by himself yesterday without holding on to anything and I was so amazed! He is getting so big right before my eyes and it's the most unbelievable thing I have ever seen. I can't believe he is my son! <3

So onto the exciting info...Daniel and I have decided that we are going to try to make Hunter a big brother. :) There are several reasons why we want to add to our family:

* I think having a close aged sibling will be a blast.

* When we are done washing bottles and changing diapers I want to be DONE! I don't want to stop for a year or so and then do it all over again.

* We currently have a swing, jumperoo, and bouncy seat in our living room and I want to be able to put them away for good instead of putting them away for a year and pulling them out again.

* I want to get back in tip top shape, but don't feel like I can until after baby #2.

Whether we have a boy or a girl, we are done after baby #2. I've always wanted 2 kids...a boy and a girl, but if I don't get my girl I won't be too heartbroken. I love my baby boy and I think it would be awesome for him to have a brother. I just want a healthy baby...that is the most important thing to us. Soooo wish us luck and send lots of pink baby dust if you have any!! :) <3

Before I was a Mom....

This is a poem my sister-in-law sent me and I thought it was beautiful and summed up my feelings perfectly! I thought I would share...

Before I was a Mom
I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.
Before I was a Mom - I had never been puked on. Pooped on. Chewed on. Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.
I slept all night.
Before I was a Mom I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests. Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried. I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.
Before I was a Mom, I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put them down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.
Before I was a Mom -I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.
Before I was a Mom -I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom.

Friends, Fun, and the Sand

Hunter's 7 month birthday strolled around yesterday and I'm starting to feel like my little baby isn't such a baby anymore. He has started to crawl and shoots across the room so fast I can barely blink. He has even started to pull up on our entertainment shelves and almost gives mom a heart attack. If we didn't know when the right time to babyproof would be, now is the time!

Hunter has been making friends like it's going out of style. While most of his friends are girls, he is still a self professing momma's boy. He first met Aryanna when he was just a few months old, but they have grown to be best buds. They have met up at the park and at each other's houses to exchange information on how to drive their parents crazy :) Aryanna was born January 20th, 2009. Next, Hunter met Caitlyn which is my friend's daughter who just moved to VA from CT. Caitlyn was born on December 10th so she is an older woman lol Now that the babies are starting to get more mobile it is so much fun to watch them interact. Caitlyn and Hunter met at the library last Tuesday for a storytime date, but unfortunately Hunter was a grumpy pants because he hadn't had a nap. Hunter and Caitlyn are meeting up at the zoo on Tuesday. It's nice knowing other moms with babies Hunter's age. It helps to pass the time while Daniel is working and to help get Hunter socialized. The weekend of August 1st, Daniel and I are taking Hunter to Washington, DC to meet about 10+ babies that are all around the same age as him. I have been on the What to Expect When Your Expecting message boards since I first found out I was pregnant with Hunter. Those girls on December 08 are fabulous!!! I can't wait to meet them and their sweet babies.

So, I remember when I used to think that Hunter was a daddy's boy and I would have a hard time making him smile and getting his attention. Well, now I have no complaints :) Hunter reaches for me all the time, constantly smiles at me, and makes me feel like I'm one of a kind. He always looks for me if I get out of his eyesight and has actually cried when I leave the room. I now know what people are talking about when they say, be careful what you wish for. I feel like I can't get anything done because he requires so much more attention and interaction nowadays. I savour every minute of naptime lol :) Now don't get me wrong, I love him with every inch of my heart and I do not take any day for granted with him. He is officially my lil boy sidekick :)

Daniel and I took Hunter to the beach for the first time on Monday. He loved the sand, but didn't really like the waves or the water. I think the waves scared him and the water was much colder then his bath water. We would sit him down in the sand and his toes would start wiggling deeper into the sand and as I watched him all I was wondering was what was going through his brain. It must be so neat to be a baby and discover things for the first time. Next thing I knew he was trying to take a nose dive in the sand to get as big a mouthful as he could. Luckily, I was able to catch him and sit him back up, but after that his hands were constantly going up to his mouth with handfuls of sand. I love being able to share these firsts with him.

Daniel and I have our monthly date day planned for August 9th. I can't wait!!! We are going to Busch Gardens (an amusement park) for the whole day. Last year at this time when I got the free tickets from my job, I was pregnant so we didn't go because I didn't want to walk around in the heat and not be able to ride any rides, but this year I'm going all out!! I want to ride as many rides as I can as many times as I can and scarf down on some delicious amusement park food! MMM MMM MMM
Ya know I always have to end my blogs on a sappy note, haha!!!
Hunter has taught me so many things since I had him. He has taught me to stop and smell the roses (or to try and eat them) and to just enjoy each day. He has taught me patience and how to love completely unconditional. He has made me realize how selfish of a person I was before he came into my life. He has taught me how to laugh at myself. He makes me feel like a supermodel when he looks up at me with his big brown eyes and can't seem to look away. He has taught me how to love his daddy more then I ever thought possible. I stare in amazement at him some days because I never could have imagined a baby would have had such an impact on my life already. <3

Looking back...

I have been so emotional these past few days since Daniel has gone back to night shift. It really makes me appreciate the time we get to spend together and makes me feel lucky that I'm not raising Hunter on my own. I have been reminiscing of the past couple of years...what a difference 24 months has made. I remember going into ultra wedding planning mode after Daniel and I got engaged and feeling like our special day would never come, but when it arrived, it flew by. What a happy day that was! Our honeymoon was pure bliss. It was our first vacation that we took together and it was so awesome to be a new twosome and be exploring a new place together. When Daniel and I came home from our honeymoon we moved in together and what an adventure that was! We learned a ton of stuff about each other and it was the most fun I had ever had. That October, Daniel became a sheriff's deputy and what a handsome man he is in his uniform. :)Before our 1st wedding anniversary I found out I was pregnant and I soon came to realize that it would no longer be about just me and Daniel but that we would have another person to think about and be responsible for. I could have never imagined how Hunter could have changed my world. We bought a heart doppler and constantly circled my belly trying to find a heartbeat from about 8 weeks on. At about 13 weeks pregnant, we heard our baby's heartbeat for the first time. I cried and cried, not believing that I had a living being growing inside me. At 20 weeks, we found out we were having a boy and I could not have been more excited. We bought our first house and went to town decorating Hunter's nursery. I knew the bedding/theme I wanted for his room the minute we found out he was a boy. The good news is that the room turned out gorgeous the bad news, atleast for Daniel, is that I wanted him to paint stripes on the wall in several different colors. Daniel had helped his mom paint some rooms at their house, but this was our first painting project that was for our house. I had never painted anything before and because I was pregnant, I didn't want to be exposed to the paint fumes too much so Daniel did a ton of the work. We had to tape the stripe outline for each individual color, paint the stripe, let it dry, remove the tape and then repeat all of those steps for each color...I think there were 4 or 5 colors total. It took forever, but when he was finished, it took my breath away and I couldn't believe our baby was going to be able to enjoy something we worked so hard on. We welcomed our son 2 days before Christmas during a scheduled induction because my doctor predicted him to be a big boy. My original due date was December 31st. As Daniel and I drove to the hospital early on December 23rd, I remember thinking this was the last time we would be a twosome. Forever from that moment on, we would be a mom and dad and nothing could ever change that. I think about that drive often, not because I miss our life before Hunter, but because before that day I only knew Daniel as my best friend and my husband, now he is the father of my child and because of our love we brought such a perfect little boy into this world. After 14 hours of labor we welcomed our son by c-section. I remember asking Daniel if he had heard Hunter cry and he said yes and then a moment later I saw this dark haired baby boy come around the sheet and he cried this unbelievable cry like he knew I was listening for him. Tears streamed down my face and it was like time stopped...I couldn't believe this beautiful baby was mine!

And now my baby boy is almost 6 and a half months old. I can't believe it! What a journey the last few years have been and I can't imagine what the future has in store for my family. We are blessed beyond belief! If you made it this far, thank you for reading my sappy story. I'm really not normally this emotional, but having a baby really puts life into perspective and makes me appreciate all the small things in life! I have the best family, friends, and life I could ever imagine!! <3

Night shift stinks......

On July 3rd Daniel will start his night shift for 2 months. He will be working 6pm-6am and unfortunately we are pretty much on the opposite schedules when he works this schedule. He only works 15 days out of the month so it's not so bad...I know, I know...cry me a river right? haha...it really does suck though. Even on his days off, his schedule is screwy because he's trying to catch up on sleep. I miss him alot on this schedule, but I know the trade off is he doesn't work 15 days out of the month and he will switch to day shift in September...it seems so far away, but I know Hunter will keep me plenty busy. We are extremely lucky in that my mother in law watches Hunter while Daniel and I are working. I can't say enough how much I love that she is able to watch Hunter and makes me feel so confident and secure when I have to leave for work. I was a daycare baby because my mom was single and had me and my brother to care for so we are very blessed that we have her to take care of Hunter and we also save a ton of $$$. I'm hoping to get new hours in my job that will allow me to work 3 days a week instead of 5...still waiting on the final word, but hopefully soon my hours will change.

Ohhh, so onto my favorite subject!!!! :) Hunter continues to find ways to melt my heart everyday. He has started to lift his arms when he wants to be picked up and I think it's the sweetest thing to be the "favored" lifter of Hammy. Although he does it to anybody that walks by lol, when he does it to me, he looks at me with his big brown eyes and just gives me this grin like he knows I'm his mom. I freakin' love it! How did I get so lucky? Also, there have been several times when I'll go pick him up from his crib and he is up on all fours rocking back and forth, back and forth. I swear he is going to be crawling pretty soon...he just hasn't figured out how to move his limbs in unison to get himself forward. He pushes himself backwards while on his belly and he will scoot himself forward, but hasn't figured out the crawling concept yet. I think it's time to babyproof the house!

Half way to a year old!!!

Yesterday was Hunter's 1/2 birthday. We celebrated his milestone with 1/2 of a birthday cake that was decorated by me and Daniel. I also wanted to celebrate it because I think Daniel and I have done a great job of raising Hunter for his first 6 months of life...we actually survived the newborn stage. lol I feel like since having a baby, Daniel and I have become an even better team working together to make sure Hunter's needs are taken care of.

Hunter had 2 teeth pop through on the bottom right before his 6 month birthday. So far, teething hasn't been too bad. The extra fussiness only lasted a couple of days, then the teeth popped through and he has been fine ever since. Other milestones include sitting up by himself for long periods of time and he now rolls from back to belly all the time. The only problem with these accomplishments, while I'm estactic that he is growing up, it's bittersweet because he doesn't seem to want to be held most of the day. He would rather be sitting up on his own or in his jumperoo. Hunter has started to notice our dog Toby and he will sit and laugh hysterically as Toby walks by. It's so hilarious...I wish I had Hunter's sense of humor, my life would be much simpler. I have a feeling as Hunter gets older and is able to run around with Toby they will become best buds. :) Today when I went and picked Hunter up after he woke up from his nap, we both sat in the glider and stared out the window as he non stop chatted my ear off. He'd put his fingers in his mouth and blow, getting spit everywhere, then he would take his fingers out of his mouth and rub the baby goo all over my face kind of like "Here mom, these are so much fun". Then he snuggled into my chest and gave me the sloppiest kiss when I least expected it and it made my day. These are the moments that make me LOVE being a mom and make all the frusterating times disappear.

We are getting ready to start vegetables this week. I think we may start with carrots or squash first...I'm so excited to see how he does with different foods and sad all at the same time. Time really flies and I'm trying to soak up everything that he does because it seems like everyday he is doing something different and cooing a different sound. It's such a miracle that he is in our life and I'm in awe everyday of the things that he is capable of. I LOVE MY BABY BOY!!!!!

My big boy turns 5 months old!

5 months ago today my little man was born....wow, how time is flying! I can remember vividly seeing him for the first time. Nothing will ever be able to compare to the moment of pure bliss when I held my first born son. I love him like no other and would do absolutely anything for him. The saying is true that once you have a child, it's like having your heart live outside your body. It's such an awesome feeling to be able to provide 100% support and love for such a tiny being. This is the hardest most rewarding job in the entire world and I wouldn't trade all the trying times for anything! Hunter's new acomplishments include sitting up all by himself for minutes at a time, eating rice cereal with a spoon, and scooting on his belly in circles and small spaces. He is a jumping bean machine. He could sit in his jumperoo for hours playing with and talking to his favorite toy attachment "Mr. Bug". Poor Mr. Bug is saturated with so much saliva, he had no chance :) Although I would like to believe that Hunter will forever be a momma's boy, he is proving to be a daddy's boy more and more each day. He adores Daniel like there is no tomorrow. I will be with Hunter all day long pulling out all my bag of tricks to make Hunter laugh or even give me a smile, but as soon as daddy walks in the door, Hunter's face lights up and he immediately has a huge grin on his face. I have a feeling as Hunter grows up he will be just like daddy and will want to do everything daddy does. What an awesome experience to be able to sit and watch the bond Daniel and Hunter have. Now, I will say that when it comes time to cuddle and be soothed, Hunter looks for his momma! He is such an awesome snuggler, I know I will miss these days when he gets too big to be held. Some mornings I will lay Hunter beside me in bed and we will just stare at each other and coo, giggle, and talk together. This is one of my favorite parts of the day. He tells me about how much he misses me at night while he is sleeping, how he thinks Toby is the most hilarious doggie, and how much he loves to grab his toes. I tell him how wonderful he has made my life, how much me and his dad love him, and how I can't wait to teach him everything there is to know about life....we have such a good time. :)

On another note, we have made some improvements on our house that makes me so proud of turning a house into our home. We bought new carpet and a new dryer when we first moved in back in September. Most recently, we got new windows installed. They look gorgeous...I call them HD windows since they are so crystal clear....and they have already saved us about $100 on our electric bill. We bought 2 new storm doors, 1 for the front door and 1 for the back door, should be arriving any day now. We bought a new dishwasher and it's so quiet compared to our old one that I swear was older then I am. We laid down grass seed about 2 months ago so now we have new lush green grass in the backyard. The last few projects we have to do is put a rail post on our front porch stairs, purchase new countertops for the kitchen, and finally replace our chain link fence (yuck) in the backyard for a wood private fence. I love how our house is starting to feel personalized and reflects our style more and more.

So as you can see, lots of exciting stuff going on in the Morrison household right now!

Teething!!!!! Lord help me!

Hunter has been teething for the past few weeks now. His extra fussiness, constant drool, and pulling everything to his mouth is crazy! I am so happy that I have Daniel here to give me breaks and take a breather. Though he is challenging at times, at 4 months old my lil man is smiling, laughing at us constantly, cooing, rolling over, exploring his toes and most recently blowing raspberries. He sticks out his tounge and blows, spitting bubbles everywhere lol :) He amazes me everyday how much of a personality of his own he is getting. He is at times shy with his coy smiles and other times he squeals and laughs with delight. He fills our house with laughter everyday and gives us reasons to act goofy and say silly things in the most outrageous voices. It's hard to believe that 4 months has already passed. I hardly remember the days when we first brought him home and were brand new first time parents. I can't imagine life without him and thank God everyday that we are so blessed to be living the life we have.

Daniel and I are going out of town for our first overnight date to celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary on May 11th-May 12th. We are visiting another bed and breakfast and I'm really excited. I'm starting to get more and more anxious as the trip gets closer because this will be the first time I will be leaving Hunter overnight. He will be staying with my MIL and so atleast I know he will be safe and loved while we are gone. I know it's just one night away from him, but I already feel guilt. I guess it's a mom thing because Daniel hardly seems as worried (or atleast he doesn't show it)...I always worry enough for the both of us :) All in all, I know we need the time away together so I'm trying to prepare myself. Wish me luck that I don't cry leaving the driveway lol

My first blog :)

Welcome to my blog!! My name is Courtney and I'm 22 years old and I'm married to a great guy and most importantly an absolutely wonderful father, Daniel. We started dating on January 5th, 2002 during our sophmore year of high school. We later got engaged on September 23rd, 2006 at a beautiful bed and breakfast in Staunton, VA. A trip that was planned completely by Daniel. He put my engagement ring in the bottom of the glass I was drinking out of and I drank the entire drink without noticing the ring was there, duh! When I took my last sip, I heard the ring cling and the next thing I know Daniel is down on one knee. I will never forget that day! We got married on May 12th, 2007 in my dream wedding. We got married on a deck overlooking the ocean with 100 of our closest friends and family. We honeymooned in Gatlinburg, TN where we rented a gorgeous cabin in the woods, I hope to go back there someday. About 5 months after our wedding Daniel started to work for a sheriff's department in one of our local jails and I continued working part time at a cable company and going to school full time. We enjoyed our first year of marriage as a happy twosome and then on April 24th, 2008 everything changed (in the best way possible). I had noticed some changes in my body and immediately suspected I was pregnant so on the 24th of April I took 2 pregnancy tests and before I could even set the tests down on the counter, both were positive. Daniel was so much more calm then I was, I couldn't think and felt completely overwhelmed. I wanted to finish school and buy a home before having a baby. Ol well, everything works out for a reason :) After about a week, everything sunk in and I realized I had always wanted to be a young mom and was excited from then on. When we found out we were pregnant we were in a 1 bedroom apartment so I knew we needed more space. We started looking for houses in August and on September 25th, 2008 closed on our first house!! It's 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths and has a fenced in backyard, it's big enough for us to grow our family in. I love being a homeowner!!! 3 months after buying our home we welcomed our first child, a son, named Hunter Allen Morrison on December 23rd, 2008. He was 8 pounds 4 oz and 21 inches long and he is the most beautiful baby boy I have ever seen. (I'm pretty biased though) My life will never be the same and I'm enjoying every minute of it. I'm more in love with Daniel then I ever have been because he helped me create such a beautiful boy. I'm really excited to see what the future holds for us!