A New Sweater!!!

Ian got a package from Grandpa and Nina today! It was the first time he really seemed to enjoy opening up a present. He played with the wrapping, ribbon, and tissue paper for quite some time and loved the crinkling noise that the tissue paper made. Thank you Grandpa and Nina!!! We love you and miss you tons!

ABCs

Tim's Grandmom Chapman , also known to Ian as Grandmama, made Ian a quilt when he was born. Actually, she made it months before Ian was born and before she even knew I was pregnant, in hopes that a great grandchild would be born. We decided to hang the quilt in Ian's room. He absolutely loves it. Every morning and evening we lay on the bed under the quilt and sing our ABCs. He loves looking up at all the colorful letters. Enjoy the video- and please excuse Ian's nose and outfit. It was just one of those days.

Here are pictures of Ian when he was only 2 weeks old receiving the quilt. I can't believe he has grown so much so fast.

Recently we have been spending a lot of quality time at home as a family. I am not sure if it is the sickness that has infiltrated our house, our desire to stay in out of the cold, or the fact that we are trying to save money so that we can spend it all on our basement when we take it back in March, but we have not gone out in a REALLY long time. I have also been working a ton lately so every moment Ian is napping, I am at my lap top. Oh, and we got P90X and have been slaving away to get beach bodies before we go to Mexico next week. Luckily I have had some play dates with Jamie and Isaac, and a drink with Kathleen to get me out of the house. And luckily for Ian we have a front load washing machine and a bathtub!

It has been a rough last two weeks. I am not going to lie. First I got the flu, then Ian got the flu, then Ian got the stomach flu, then Tim got the flu...and really, that I could all handle, but then I got the stomach flu, and then Pippin got the stomach flu, and finally Tim got the stomach flu. It was rough. There were a couple bright spots in those two weeks though- especially when my sister Sally, her husband Seth, and their two kids Cate and Will came to visit. We had such a special time. Ian loved having two other kids around the house and spent most of his time staring at them and especially watching his older cousin Will walk all over the house. We spent a windy day at the monuments and on the National Mall. We also went to zoo, which was where Ian first got sick. Sally and I (with Seth's help) made beef bourginoin and profiteroles for the guys for Valentines Day. We took several neighborhood walks to the park and daydreamed about Sally and Seth moving to DC.

Ian at Seven Months

Ian, as of February 8th, is now seven months old. I really can't believe it. Time has gone by so quickly. As I always say though, this is my favorite stage yet. I can actually make Ian smile, I know where he is ticklish, and he responds to my funny faces and noises. Although not quite crawling, Ian loves spending time rolling around on the floor. He currently moves backwards, not forwards, so I often find him under the couch or bed. Ian's new favorite food is Cynda's mom's applesauce. He loves it. He finished an entire container in less than a week. I am trying to supplement with store bought applesauce but I know it just isn't the same. Mrs. Worthington's was a pink color and smelled so fresh!

Ian's new favorite toy is the washing machine. I now know why we have a front load washing machine. I used to hate it. Now I love it. I place Ian in the johnny jump up in front of the washing machine and he is good to go for the entire cycle. Talk about multi-tasking. Amazing!

The biggest highlight of Ian's day is when his dad comes home from work. If he was crying, he stops. If he was cranky, he puts on a happy face. He loves to sit on the bed and watch Tim walk around the bedroom, hang up his tie, and change clothes. It is fascinating.

Ian Finally Meets a Stewart!!!

Last Monday, Ian finally met a Stewart. We were so excited when we heard that Laurel Stewart, Tim's cousin from his mom's side, had an interview in DC. She stayed with us for a night and got to meet Ian. We had a great time catching up and hearing how all the Stewart's are doing. Laurel is such a smart beautiful girl who is currently a senior at UNC. We hope she lands a job in the DC area!!!!