...twentyeight...

Wow. So... I never thought that any year could beat my 27th... but my 28th was pretty awesome. I have been so stinkin' blessed. I don't even know when to start.... Well... here are my top 5 highlights from my 28th year of life:

5. Getting to stay home w/ Jude...
4. Seeing my family grow and grow and grow (Ary, then Jude, then all the Beaver Clan, then Braylon!!!)
3. Making AWESOME lifelong friends- (HT peeps holla)...
2. Seeing God do HUGE things in the life of my family...
1. Jude William

...that's amore...

Jude thinks Riley is a pretty funny lady! :D He hearts her.



(Do not judge my make-shift play area... the boy SERIOUSLY gets into EVERYthing!)
...and...be prepared for another blogamania day!

...single parent...

So. Derrick was gone all week at a conference in TX. That left me to be a single mommy to Jude. It's not the first time DLo's been gone...but it's the first time he's been gone when Jude has a personality- you know what I mean- he's not a newborn blob that just lays there! Anywho. Wow. Props to you single parents man... By Friday, I was ready to cry! I just needed a break...someone to watch JW be fussy while I ...just disappeared for a while!!!! DLo got home late last night...I'm SO glad he's home...and I'm looking forward to "getting away" next week!!!

Well. We had quite a busy week, Jude and I, without our daddy. We got a lot of stuff done...and I'm very proud of my boy for being pretty good with mommy! (Although, he has been boycotting a nap each day...which mommy does NOT approve of!) I have to thank my girlfriends for being so awesome- especially my HT gals, Eileen, and Lindsay... I would NOT have survived this week w/o you! Let's see... Eileen came over Tues night for ladies night... we ate lots of junk food and watched our vampire boyfriend... Wed- I had lunch w/ Cortney and watched the boys play, then dinner w/ Amy and the girls before HT... Thurs- So. I'm a wee bit outrageous (dunno if you knew)...and decided to do a project while DLo was gone... paint Jude's room. Nutz. But...w/ the help of Violet watching Jude in the morning, my dad running out and getting more paint for me in the afternoon, and Lindsay playing w/ Jude in the evening- I got it ALL done!!! I pretty much rock. j/k... seriously- all props go to those gals for watching the boy while I finished! So now his room is pretty much complete...just have a few more decorations for the walls! Then Thurs night, Amy A. came over for Grey's night (our weekly date)... Fri was survival day for me... I just... had to get through the day! Our day consisted mostly of mommy trying not to cry...Jude doing the crying and the not sleeping thing... and cleaning! I cleaned when Jude took a nap... a short short short nap... and watched the Office Season 4! But... Friday was ALSO the day that Jude started crawling for the first time!!!! YIPEE!!!! The cutiepie has been up on all fours for a while now...and has been a champ at going backwards...but forwards was always difficult for him. Well- yesterday morning, I decided to try to get him to come to me...and HE DID! I couldn't believe my eyes...and just started clapping and cheering....and sobbing! HAHA! I couldn't stop crying...I was so proud of him...and so sad to see him growing up! It happens way too fast!!! (Here's a video of him crawling...it's towards the end...and it's not alot...Jude seems to know when mommy has the camera out... hmm)

Anywho... Derrick finally got home at like 10pm or so... I was SO glad to see him...I really did miss that man! I'm very excited to spend next weekend w/ him and the boy! PTL for days off!!! :D Anywho- here are some pix of JW's room...

TAG!

Directions:
Open up the 6th picture folder on your computer.
Post the 6th picture in the folder and tell the story of it.
Then tag 6 of your friends.

Now. I'll have you all know...that I regularly dump the pictures off my computer! I know, I know... but I take a zillion each month!!! And I need as much memory to edit my KLP pix as possible!!!! So each month, I burn my pix on a CD. I know...Lame. So.... I'm cheating... Here's the 6th picture in the 6th folder on my CD's...



















This is a picture of.... MULAN. It was taken in June of 2005, when Derrick and I went to Disneyland to celebrate the 50th anniversary of DLand. It was SUCH a fun trip that particular time... we stayed at the Grand Californian for like 4 days- which is THE best hotel to stay at... We had such a relaxing time... We even spent one WHOLE day doing nothing but trying to find all 50 of the hidden Mickey's (that had 50's on them).

I thought it kinda lame that the picture didn't have either DLo or myself...so below is the 6th picture in that folder that had one of us in it... :)














Now...I tag: Jaime, Love, Jessica, Katie, JGumm, and Stacey

...brave...

So. I watch Rileyface every Mondays. It is SO much fun to watch her and Jude play together! They are finally at a stage where they don't just sit there and stare/smile at each other... they actually "share" toys (which usually consists of Jude ripping whatever is in Riley's hands out) and grab at each other (which also consists of Jude taking Riley's socks off and/or hitting her across the head- he gets in trouble alot on Mondays!)

Anywho- It's pretty easy. Their schedules usually work out so that they play, I put them down for a nap, feed them, and repeat! I got it in my head recently that I should start doing an activity with them. Oh. My. Word. Please please please do NOT let me get these kinds of ideas in my head!!! :D

So. Valentine's Day is comin' up... (in case you men forgot- hah!) I thought it would be cute to fingerpaint w/ the bebes. Yes. You heard read right! It actually wasn't too bad... except that the fingerpaint was very light...but even that was okay- b/c it's VERY difficult to get a 7month and 9month old to open up their hands to get a handprint!!! HAHA! (I know you experienced moms are probably LOLing at me... sigh...) It wasn't nearly as messy as I would have thought and ended up being a piece of cake to clean up too.... but let me tell you... I was EXHAUSTED by the time I was finished!!! :D

Here are some pix of our fun:

...appt...

We went to Jude's 9month well check appt yesterday. Oy. The boy is large.

His stats:
Weight- 28lbs 13.5oz: 100%+
Height- 31.25in: 100%+
Head- (Forgot measurement): 90%

Jude was SO good with all the poking and prodding and measuring and laying down and getting nakie and everything! I was so proud of my boy! Dr. says he's doing great! :D

...nine...

Ugh! He's nine months old today! What in the world?! It's so not fair how looooooong nine months feels when you're pregnant...and then it flashes by in a blink of an eye when your lovebucket is here! NINE MONTHS! Jude brings Derrick and I SO much joy....there is no greater thing in the world than to watch Jude be smooshie w/ Derrick....or to hear his sweet voice say "mamamaamamama" or "buhbuhbuhbuhbuhbababa".... or to watch him smile or laugh... Derrick and I love that boy so much...and we feel so unworthy for God to bless us with such a terrific child!

Anywho... So... Jude still isn't crawling...but homeboy can get AROUND! He's able to sit up from a laying down position now...and sometimes it looks like he's on the brink of going forward....but I think Jude knows that he can get from point A to point B quicker by rolling!!! Lets see... any new Judy news...?

um...uh... He is getting molars!!! MOLARS!!! I was brushing his teeth w/ the lil finger brush about a week ago and I was curious at how his front teeth had grown- so I used the finger brush to prop his mouth open (b/c those suckers HURT when he chomps down) and felt around...and was SHOCKED to feel some ridges towards the back of his mouth!!! The boy is SUCH a trooper. Hasn't complained or acted different once! I can imagine that it's pretty painful- I looked today and I can see them coming in and his gums are bright red and swollen!
:( Little Lover!!!!

Let's see...what else... I think I posted pretty much everything a few blogs ago... I did forget to mention how much I LOVE when Jude plays w/ his hair/scratches his head when he's relaxing or tired! (I totally do the same thing!!!) Um... we're supposed to have a well check visit this week to find out his "stats"... but I can tell you right now- he's taller/fatter than most 9 month olds!!! I've been frantically shopping bargains (Carters/Children's Place have had great deals) for next winter...but I've been at a loss at what size to buy!!! Jude's in 18month clothes right now!!! EIGHT.TEEN.MONTH! I KNOW, RIGHT?! I never EVER would have thought it... I mean... Maybe starting to put him in 12month...but 18?! And it's not just b/c he has a big belly- the length of the pants are just eversoslightly too long. Unbelievable! :D

He's doing this cute thing now too where he wants to give a high5- and he puts his arm up in the air- but tilts his head and rests it on his raised arm... way cute! Um... I'm still waiting to see his gorgeous face on Regis and Kelly's beautiful baby contest page... I think the contest may be rigged b/c... COME ON! It's my JUDE! (totally not biased at all or ANYthing!)

Anywho- I better go get smooshie w/ my babydaddy...

Jude-
Thank you for being the cutest kid ever! Your dad and mom are so proud of you and love you so very much. You have brought more joy to our lives than we ever thought imaginable. I am SO very blessed to watch you grow everyday. I love staying home with you and experiencing all the new things you learn. You make my heart melt...and I hope that one day, when you have a child of your own, you will understand how much you mean to your mommy and daddy!

Thank you for my son, Lord... I pray that you help me and Derrick to raise him to be a man who loves You and serves You...I pray that you gives us patience and wisdom. Help us to be a good example of a marriage and of Christ followers. Thank you for allowing us to parent him... we are so blessed...