25 things

There is a "tag" going around on Facebook of 25 random things about yourself. I thought I would post mine here as well...

1. This is the first time in my adult years that I have not cut my hair short right after growing it out.

2. I just bought a cool club chair at Target for $57

3. I want to own a business

4. I want to live in Mexico at some point in my life...maybe I'll own a quaint little hotel or coffee shop

5. the only Def Leppard song I know is "Pour Some Sugar on Me", and I turn it up LOUD when it comes on the radio.

6. I can be a bit OCD at times and cannot stand clutter

7. I secretly liked my husband 9 months before we even started "talking", and I have to give credit to my Kate for setting that "talking" in motion

8. I like to write but have not let myself explore that part of me in quite a while

9. I am beginning to be interested in taking good pictures

10. I enjoy decorating but wish I had more money to do it

11. I want to run a half-marathon before I have another baby

12. I really like being a mom. I wasn't sure if I would or not

13. I like going to the rodeo. Bull riding is my favorite rodeo event

14. I was in a pageant in high school - I was first-runner up.

15. I was rear-ended one night because the person behind me was concerned about a blind man walking in the dark (he was walking down the street that we were driving on). My response = blind men are always in the dark

16. I wanted to major in biology in college until I made a D in my freshman biology class

17. I think my husband is way smarter than me. He likes to read brainiac stuff, and I like to read magazines

18. paul told me to write this "I think my wife is way prettier than me"

19. I never eat all of the food on my plate. I always leave at least one bite

20. my favorite food is mexican food. I could eat it every day

21. I am always really cold when I first get into bed, but I get really hot after I fall asleep

22. I am 4 years older than Paul. Sometimes that makes me feel weird. But I wouldn't change the fact that I am married to him

23. I spent 5 years working with college students, and I loved it.

24. I don't particularly like to grocery shop. I would rather get some coffee and walk around the grocery store very slowly

25. my favorite part of the week = saturday mornings cuddling with Jonas

8 month pictures

8 months

Today, January 20, our little boy is 8 months old. In the past month, he has mastered pulling up on anything and everything. He has begun doing a little bit of "cruising" around things. He crawls so, so fast...especially if he is on a mission. He really likes to play with balls. He tries to carry them as he crawls. He loves to play on the floor, and loves it even more if we play with him. He has found where we keep the pacis, and always goes straight for them...he'll have one in his mouth, and one in each fist. He laughs so much and gives the sweetest little smiles often. He loves his mama and daddy - that is a pretty great feeling! He still only has two bottom teeth, but we really think the top ones will come any time now. He has become quite the little eater. He eats 2 things of veggies and 1 thing of fruit in addition to some cereal every day. He has decided that he would rather have a bottle. He talks constantly, and we always have great conversations. He has a certain little yell when he is not satisfied with something. He is looking more like a little boy and less like a little baby. It is always a huge mix of emotions...sad that he is growing so fast but loving the stage he is at and just savoring it. Jonas is such a joy and delight. He is so easy going and is rarely fussy or difficult. Our friends have all warned us against having more children! We cannot imagine our lives without him, but at the same time we've only known him for 8 months. We have been so, so blessed.

At 8 months, Jonas weighs 16 lbs, 6 oz. We forgot to measure him today...we'll find out tomorrow how long he is. 8 month pictures to come.

picturepalooza!

Most of these pictures are from Christmas, and they are all a bit out of order...I didn't want to move them around because I always end up getting mad at the computer when I do that. Enjoy!

Jonas LOVES his Christmas present from Grandma and Grandpa Snow

Christams night with the wire tree at Gram's house

Jonas with his great Grandma and Grandpa Raatz (Paul's grandparents) on Christmas Day

us on Christmas Day

This is our view most of the time...Jonas is always on the go

Jonas and Mama on Christmas Day

trying to get a picture of Jonas in front of the tree on Christmas Day. He was taking all the ornaments off instead.

With Gram Maney opening presents on Christmas Day

Us on Christmas morning. You can tell we were all VERY good this year!

Jonas' stocking. Santa had come!

Christmas Eve

Another one on Christmas Eve. Gram Gram gave him the cute hat.

and another

Jonas and Daddy hanging Jonas' first Christmas ornament on our tree at home

our tree at home

I love my new big boy bath chair

I got a bad cough and had to get breathing treatments so I don't get RSV again

I got to go shopping at Babies R US with my gift card

mom and dad got to go shopping with their Christmas money too...I really like their purchase!

Mama putting me to bed

with Daddy at the Houston Zoo

things I'm enjoying these days...

- my son's HUGE grin when he sees Paul or I
- my new coat I got for Christmas
- Potluck...that's our small group's name (we eat a lot)
- the Wednesday night girlies
- our new TV...totally superficial, but we were able to upgrade the 27", $200, Daewoo (did you know they made TVs?)
- my husbands ingenuity. He got 50% knocked off the new TV
- "conversations" with Jonas
- my new waistline (can I say that here?) which also means new clothes
- our home
- being together as a family
- figuring life out with Paul
- warm soup
- peppermint mocha cream for my coffee
- Jonas' personality
- getting organized
- Paul making Jonas belly laugh
- taking pictures
- steak salad (thanks to my sister-in-law, Rachel)

seven months

As always, this is a little late but Jonas is seven months old...can you believe it? He is cuter than ever. We were in Dallas on the day he turned 7 months, so he had his first stay in a swanky hotel (which by the way isn't as fun as it is when it is just Paul and I) and got to see his friends, Jackson and Eli. In the past month Jonas has become so mobile! Here are a few of his latest tricks:

- CRAWLING everywhere
- pulling up on anything he can reach. We've entered the world of "no, no" and not reacting too strongly when he falls
- eating veggies. His favorites are squash, carrots, and peas.
- He weights about 15 pounds and is 27 inches. We are excited that he finally doubled his birth weight!
- he also had his first real illness. Jonas had RSV and felt yucky for about a week. It was fun that he wanted us to hold him a lot since he has become a little more independent lately.

this is one of Paul and his college friends with their son's Jackson and Eli

we often see this when we go in to get Jonas from his bed