Collier is 9 Months Old! (What?!?!)

Maybe it seems like this month flew by because I just got around to writing Collier's 8 month post, or maybe is flying because we're having so much fun!  Either way, our little man is now 3/4 of the way to his first birthday (keep it together, Adrianne...)

Sweet Collie-Bug,

This month, you have become SUCH a big boy!  We've stayed busy with all sorts of Christmas fun, and you've spent some serious time being sick.  The week before Christmas, you had a tummy virus, and followed that up with an ear infection, which we had to treat with antibiotic shots, poor guy :(.  Through it all, you still managed to bring so much more joy to our sweet Christmastime.

You have kept very busy over the past month, perfecting your skills of crawling, and pulling up on anything that will stand still.  Playing is serious business for you, and you work very hard at it.  Your current favorite game is hiding and waiting for us to say "Where's Collier?" before you pop out with a big smile on your face. You also think it's awesome if we hide with you--silly boy.  You also love Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (one of our go-to helpers in the car.  Yep, we're those parents.  Not sorry at all. :), and you think Cheerios make the world go round.  You love music and books are your favorite toys.

You also have mastered object-permanence.  Whenever we leave the room, you clearly know that we're still around, and you will go looking for us, or fuss for us to come back.  You've learned to wave "bye-bye" and are trying so hard to say words--you say "ba-ba" when you see your bottles, make a "boo-" sound when you have a book...but your favorite "word" must be "oooo"; you say it all.the.time.  You have two teeth (on the bottom), and are working hard on the top two as well.  You're also getting better at "cruising", and walking holding onto a toy or our hands.  In fact, you decided to stand up all by yourself for the first time while we were snapping your 9-month-old photo.

Look ma!  No hands!

Collier, you fill our days with so much joy, and give us purpose like we've never known.  Thanks for letting us be your family.  It must be time for me to wrap this up, because you are waking up from your nap. :)

We love you!

Mommy and Daddy

Collier's First Christmas!

This year, our Christmastime celebrations lasted for a full week.  We had visitors, we traveled some, opened lots of presents, and ate WAY too many goodies.  What a wonderful time!

We started off with a visit from my Dad and Step mom (Collier's Grandpa and Nana), and my stepbrother Joel, on December 22nd.  Collier was under the weather during their visit (poor little dude), but we still managed to have a great time!

Grandpa and Nana brought Collier a motocycle.  So fun!

Grandpa is so silly!

 We celebrated Christmas Eve and Christmas morning, just the three of us (and Avery, of course), starting some new traditions.  We read the account of Jesus' birth from Luke, and then "Twas the Night before Christmas", followed by "It's a Wonderful Life" and some hot cocoa.  On Christmas morning, we celebrated Jesus' birthday with some funfetti waffles (our Birthday obsession.  So delish!  Find the recipe here.  The only change I'd suggest is to reserve about 2 Tbs of cake mix, and make a confectioner's sugar glaze with it to pour over the top.  Yum-o!).

Santa Came!

Not feeling so great, but still managed to take his new walker for a spin!

Avery knows how this Christmas thing is done

 On Christmas Day, we headed to Chattanooga to spend some time with Chris' side of the family.  It was wonderfully loud and crazy. :)

Collier and his G.G.

Collier and Callie

On the 26th, we visited the aquarium in Chattanooga with Papa and Gram.

Mommy's sweet boy

Papa and Collier checking out a BIG tank at the aquarium.  Collier said "Oooooo" at every.single.one. :)

Spending some quality time with Gram.  

Our last celebration was December 29th and 30th, when my Mom and her hubby Bob (Collier's Mimi and Papaw) came to visit!

Someone's feeling better!  (Three antibiotic shots later...)

Collier loves his Mimi and Papaw

Papaw and Mimi brought Collier a bear that sings Carols

What a great Christmas with our sweet family!

Gearing up for The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Let it be said, Chris and I LOVE Christmastime.  I start listening to my favorite Christmas CD's in November (like..November 1st).  There's egg nog in the fridge from Thanksgiving on (that's Chris'...I think its gross).  Hallmark movies rule the TV, and all sorts of other fun things.  We were so excited to share our favorite traditions with Collier this year.  Even though he may not know what's going on, he is definitely paying attention.  So, we were very purposeful about trying to explain everything to him--the significance of giving gifts (because Jesus was our best gift ever), decorating the tree, who Santa is, what happened at Jesus' birthday, and so on.  Some important things to note:  "Oooooo" became C's most often used expression (every time we turned the lights on the tree), we are NOT ready to be friends with Santa, and "The Little Drummer Boy" seems to be his favorite carol, with "Jingle Bells" a close second.  Here are some highlights leading up to Christmas at the Cowans' house.

Putting lights on the tree

Santa's Little Helper!

Collier LOVED putting the little ornaments on the Advent Calendar every day.  He'd  take it out of it's little pocket and hold it towards the tree.  So cute!

Watching the Christmas Parade in Chattanooga with Eli, Callie , and Brady

Clapping for the lights (apparently they were doing a good job ;)

Our Christmas-fied House

We visited the Chattanooga Choo-Choo to see Santa

Eli, Brady, and Callie loved visiting with Santa...

Collier did not.

We had so.much.fun this Christmas.  Something about having a child gives you new eyes this season, and we loved getting to experience the magic anew.  Merry Christmas, y'all!

8th Months Old

Collier,

So....you're actually NINE months old now, and here I am writing your "8 months old" post.  Whoops!  Just chalk it up to the fact that I'm spending so much fun time playing with you, that I haven't made much time to blog.  I think you'll forgive me.  :)

Oh sweet boy! 

You so SO SO busy.  Keeping you from diving in the floor was quite a task this month!

And...you need to stand up everywhere

There we go!  And, you look a little scared.  Sorry. :)

Your 8th month was a big one.  You spent your days happily eating everything in sight, and playing with anything you could get your hands on.  Some important milestones to note:

1st time crawling (forwards...you had backwards down for awhile)--November 13th
1st tooth (bottom center...followed by its neighbor the next day)--November 13th
1st time pulling up--November 16th

You had a big few days, there, Collier!  Daddy and I are having so much fun trying to keep up with you these days.  Love you so much,

Mommy and Daddy

Walkers' Weekend!

Have I mentioned that we are beyond blessed?  We have such amazing family and friends, that it sometimes blows my mind!  We were reminded of this a few weeks ago (the first weekend in November) with a wonderful visit from some of our best friends, Dusty, Leslie, and Davis Walker.  We went to college with Leslie and Dusty (Dusty and Chris are fraternity brothers, Leslie and I are sorority sisters), and we got married and had babies within weeks of each other.  They are seriously some of my favorite people ever--true genuine friends, super fun to hang out with, ridiculously funny, and they share our love for coffee and lazy mornings.  In addition to being awesome friends, these two are crazy talented photographers.  So, we worked in a visit with a family photo shoot; our first since Collier was a newborn.  Leslie did an amazing job of capturing some memories with our sweet family, and we had a great time!

We are totally those people who put their babies in the tub together.  :)  They had an awesome time!

Just one of the awesome shots Leslie got...how crazy is this cotton?

It's really been 10 years?!?!

When my friends from high school started making posts on facebook about planning for our 10 year reunion, I couldn't believe it.  How has it already been a decade?  When I really think about it, so much has happened over the past 10 years, and I'm just not the same person I was then.  I'm pretty sure that's a good thing.  When I was 18, I was....well, a normal 18 year old.  Selfish, short-sighted, and (dare we say) with a tendency to make bad decisions.  The experiences I've been blessed enough to have over the past 10 years--college, getting married, working, becoming a mother--have shaped me into...well, into a grown up.  God has truly used the past decade to shape me into someone that I am much prouder to be, and He's continuing to work me into the woman that He wants me to be.  And I don't think you could pay me enough to go back and be 18 again (well, the flat tummy might be nice :).

Blast from the past!  My senior yearbook photo

At any rate, we jumped at the opportunity to take a road trip to NC to visit with old friends, and catch up with new ones (Collier-sized ones!) over the last weekend in October.

Ready for a road trip!

We stopped at Cracker Barrel (we made it an hour from the house.. :) where Collier was verrry popular. Fish fry night, plus small town equals a dining room full of Papas, Mimis, Grandmas, and Grandpas who were more than willing to make funny faces at Collier. We then did our modified bedtime routine (bath with a wipe, pajamas and nursing) in the parking lot, during which C decided to pee all over our front seat of the car, and laugh about it. ;)

Collier slept well in the car, and we arrived in Shelby around 2 am. Suffice it to say that we haven't stayed up that late on purpose in quite a while!! We had a great day on Saturday, and I got to catch up with some girlfriends from high school over lunch at Bridges BBQ (for those of you who aren't aware, BBQ is quite an art form in NC--there's "Lexington BBQ", with peppery vinegar-based sauce, "Shelby BBQ", with a sweeter vinegar-based sauce, and "Eastern NC BBQ", served with white cole slaw). I had a wonderful time catching up with Morgan, Lauren, Lindsey, and Maureen. Collier had a great time getting to know Miss Josie Kate--Lindsey's adorable daughter, who's exactly one month older than Collier is. We joked that they were on a date.

Lindsey and I, with Collier and Josie Kate

Some good lookin' Golden Lions:  Morgan, Lauren, Lindsey, me, and Maureen.  How I loved catching up with these ladies!  

On Saturday afternoon, after a nap with daddy, we met another sweet friend, Caroline, along with her hubby Andrew, and their 2 year old, Bradford. Caroline was my first friend in Shelby; we met at vacation Bible school the summer before 5th grade. It is so sweet to be able to see old friends and catch up!

Since the actual reunion party had been cancelled due to lack of participation (boo), we spent Saturday night with the Mullens, including a great dinner, and a rousing game of 5 crowns. I lost horribly (and was admittedly not the greatest sport about it), but we had a great time!

Maureen was one of my truest friends all throughout high school.  I can't count the number of hours I spend at the Mullen's house!

Collier loving on his Aunt Reen

On Sunday, we drove back as far as Knoxville. We had hoped to visit the zoo, but the weather didn't cooperate, so we just puttered around. We lived in Knoxville for 5 years, and it's strange how much it still feels like home. We spent Sunday night in a hotel--Collier's first time in a hotel room. He loved the mirrored closet doors and made lots of friends at the continental breakfast. Another bright spot is, after 7 months, we have finally figured out how to work our pack and play. :)

Enjoying some hotel-room cartoons

Guys!  We have got to get some of these for our house!

We loved taking our time getting back home, and were able to meet my grandparents, Collier's Great-Grandparents, for lunch on Monday.  

All bundled up for our lunch date!  It was cooold!

All in all, we had a wonderful road trip, and mini-vacation!  It was so great to catch up with old friends!

Happy Halloween!

Cutest sea turtle ever

We had a low-key Halloween, since the little man doesn't eat candy.  We went to a fall festival at my school on the 30th, and carved a pumpkin and handed out candy on the 31st.  Of course, we couldn't miss the opportunity to introduce Collier to some Halloween traditions, so I took the little sea turtle to "trick-or-treat" at Daddy's office, though.  He got some yummy baby snacks. :)

Halloween just isn't complete without some skeleton jammies.  If only they made them big enough for Chris too...

Pumpkins are delish, apparently

Collier was very interested in the pumpkin, and wanted to check it all out.

It was only a matter of time until he tried to eat the pumpkin goo.  Don't worry, we didn't let him.  Shortly after this photo, Collier realized that the pumpkin goo was cold, and he was covered in it, and he didn't want to be anymore.  So Chris finished the pumpkin solo.