The Kraus Family: November 2012

Greg and I have an abundance to be thankful for this year. We have an amazing family and great friends. We were able to spend Thanksgiving in Pensacola with my family this year. It is a tradition (started by my sweet Papa) that everyone takes a cernal of corn (the same ones we have been using for the past 20 years thanks to my thrifty Auntie K) and says one thing they are thankful for. We used to take and say two or three things we were thankful for, but our family is so big now that we each come up with one (no pressure). Some of the things people were thankful for were family, health and God's grace. I obviously had one thing in mind to choose this year...yep, you guessed it...my son. God's faithfulness to me on our journey to start a family has proven overwhelming. Brody is such a sweet reminder everyday that God is with us, that he hears us when we pray, that he is the author of life and that ultimately he is in control. I'm so thankful for so many things, but I've learned that sometimes it's the things we have to wait for that we appreciate the most. Brody's first Thanksgiving was a great one full of great family time, playing cards and eating too much. Brody was able to meet almost my entire extended family which was in and of itself a blessing to me. The time went by so fast that I didn't get near as many pictures as I wish I had, but here are the ones I took followed by the ones we had taken by our sweet friends the Johnsons.

In case you have not figured out by now, I'm a little biased and just a little obsessed with my son. He is precious and if it's even possible, he grows sweeter and more fun every day. All of that said, yes I will continue to freak out about how fast his life is going by and how it is so very sweet and at the same time sad that he's growing up. Now, with all of that out of the way...Brody is three months...yes, that's right...three months. Seriously, where does the time go?! Brody's last month was a good one with several milestones. He is still on a three hour schedule...remember? Eat, play & sleep. Brody is still awake for such short ammounts of time, we have to soak up every stinkin' second he's awake (although, who doesn't LOVE a precious, sleeping baby?) Brody is still only awake for about an hour (inclulding feeding) and then will take a two hour nap. Yes, my son sleeps for 10 hours a day! No, not every nap is perfect and not every nap is always two full hours, but it is pretty dang close. His naps are taken either in his crib (currently only the first nap of the day), on his tummy on a blanket on the floor (most of his naps), or on mommy or daddy's chest (like I said, who doesn't love a sleeping baby?). So, you might think with all that sleeping going on during the day that might effect his night time sleep, but somehow (mommy's genes?) Brody is a serious rock star when it comes to sleeping at night too. He sleeps from 10:30-7:00 without a peep in between.

Brody is getting better at (and enjoying) tummy time and therefore can sit up better on his own. We did try the bumbo for the first time and we're not quite ready for it yet, but will be soon. He is smiling a lot more, which is sometimes just in response to us smiling. And he actually laughed for the first time! I think it just might be the cutest laugh e-ver. He's been to his first Insula (our Sunday School class' name) playgroup, been out to lunch with mommy and her friends for Mrs. Sarah's birthday, had family outings with mommy and daddy, went to the nursery for the first time, been to his first birthday party (Happy Birthday to cousin Jordan), and "experienced" his first Halloween. Man, this little bit has been busy in month two. It's fun to see him become more aware of his surrounding and more responsive. He currently loves "his" song...mommy & daddy singing Brody Bear to the tune of Row, Row, Row Your Boat...yes, we do sing it in a-round. He also likes Baby Baluga (he pretty much has to like this song since he is part Tallman) and patty cake. His favorite "Buddy" is still the fan, but he does still also like the knob on his dresser. We're trying to get him to "play" more with his actual toys, but he still often cranes his neck around the toys hanging from his play mat in order to see the fan. What can you do? He's a man who knows what he likes. And speaking of things he likes...his hands in his mouth. He loves to suck on his hands and has totally begun to drool. He has several knicknames which include, Little Man, Brody Bear, Little Bear, Brod, Brodymeister and I often refer to him as Mommy's Sweet Boy, My Little Love and My Little Hot Potato (because of his body temperatue). We have no stats (weight or height) from month three since there is no wellness exam and we don't own a scale, but he seems to be growing from the workout he is giving my arms. He is currently wearing size 2 diapers and anywhere from 3-6 months in the clothes department. Brody is our sweet miracle, angel baby and we love him dearly.