Splish Splash Brady's taking a bath

We have sleet!

It sleeted today!  There is no school today, but I don't care because I don't have to go there anymore!:)  We did our own Christmas pics this year for our card, here are a few from the many.

     aaachoo!  Little Bradford is cute even when he sneezes!

Good buddies!

                                                 

Brolly loves any snow/sleet/ice. He loves to run around the yard trying to bite it off the grass! He is so funny! Here he is in front of the Christmast tree asking, "Haven't I been such a good boy this year?"

Here are a few shots of Brady in his new little coat!  He looks like such a big boy!

In addition to my last post on tradition, I am super thankful to have parents on both sides that do not pressure us to be here and there but let us make our own decisons!  I have friends who are not so lucky and that have parents that say that's not fair you saw them more lately etc.  Andrew and I are also conscious of how much we are with each family, but both visit often (mostly to see Bradford) and we want to see both equally frequently, so to my parents and in-laws alike THANK YOU!!!

TRADITION!!!

Since blogging is so much more fun than cleaning, I figured I would blog instead!  Way to procrastinate from the Christmas that threw up in the guest room...I just keep running from it!  Those of you that have been reading and know me know I love my house to be clean but I am learning to not let those things stress me out and to just enjoy the moments with Andrew and my little guy:)!  It is making life much more enjoyable.  Lately when he has been fussy I almost get irritated because it is so not like him to be this way, so I just tell myself, it is just a moment.  This will not last forever!

Tradition is changing!  Last week I would have told you I hate this because now that I have two families I hate missing out on celebrations and Thanksgivings etc.  I realize though that we can not be everywhere at once so I have had to learn to live with it since I have been married the last four years.  The first year we stayed on the road Christmas eve with one family Christmas day with another driving back to Cary for Thanksgiving dinner after having Thanksgiving lunch in Shelby.  It was WAY TOO MUCH!  The quote that you can't be an expert in a lot of things just one or you can't be a jack of all trades.  Bear with me I promise it relates......we would rush in and have a little time here and a little time there, but really no quality time anywhere! It was not working for us so now we do Thanksgiving and Christmas every other year.  For instance we did Thanksgiving this year with Andrew's so we are with mine at Christmas.  But then we still always see the other family just not ON Christmas day.  We have for my entire life gone to Virginia to celebrate Christmas with my mom's side and Hickory with Andrew's side around Christmas.  Well it is getting tough because last year I did not make it to Shelby at all and because everyone is in all different directions we will not all be in Virginia to celebrate this year. 

Over the last week though I have realized it has to change!  We have a baby now and it will change more next year. This year he has no idea so we are not staying here Christmas day but eventually I will want him to wake up in his own bed on Christmas day.  This is also the first year we have not driven all over creation, and I thought I would hate it but it is actually quite relieving!  We get to do a big family Christmas at our house with Andrew's family and I am so excited!  I think it is going to be so much fun!:) We will still be seeing the entire Virginia crew just not with all my sisters etc. but I am realizing I still get to see everyone I normally do at Christmas and that is a reason to be thankful!

We are pretty much done with Christmas shopping it is all different this year being in a house with a little one it is all so exciting!  Andrew and I do not care as much about gifts esp. him (the shoes,watches and gadgets:)) don't get me wrong he still likes all those things but now he is more about Mister Bradford!:)  He is such a proud papa!!!

You better watch out, you better not cry!

Santa Claus is coming to town!  With it being that time of year I have been thinking about all the preparations that need to be completed before Mr. Claus's big arrival.  A Christmas tree needs to be put up and decorated, the house needs to be decorated and the annual Christmas Card needs to be mailed out!   A tree will hopefully be put up this weekend and all of the decorations are out of the attic to start decorating the house today.  I am so excited about Christmas with a little one this year even though he won't know any different this year. 

Shutterfly is a great place to find a gift for all your holiday needs!Christmas photo cards are always fun to send and receive from friends and family in the mail during the Christmas season, to see fun family photos of others!  They have all kinds of creative gift ideas.  We love the custom photo books you can create as well as puzzles and calendars!  It is a great way to make a gift for anyone that might be hard to shop for!  Who doesn't love a photo of themselves, let alone in creative ways as these!  So do not hesitate any longer log on to Shutterfly now to start and finish your holiday shopping and Christmas photo card needs.  In the mean time the Bost Family looks forward to receiving your Christmas card in the mail! 

ALL BLOGGERS: They are offering 50 free Christmas cards.  To check out the promotion follow this link!
I am so excited to pick out my Christmas card, so Shutterfly here I come!

I love the fun and bright designs there are to choose from!

Thanksgiving has come and gone!

We had a good Thanksgiving visit with Andrew's family and are now gearing up for Christmas, trying to get the house deep cleaned this week to decorate for Christmas, I am doing most of my shopping online this year!  It is so much easier that way. 

We got to spend some time with friends we do not see very much and I went shopping for me! It is such a rarity these days!!  Andrew and I are going to run a 5K in March with Allison (andrew's sister), I am so excited b/c it is more motivation to lose that baby weight, and I am well on my way, as well as for Andrew to get fit:)!

Little Bradford loves talking now (wonder who he gets that from) and we went to the doctor for a suspected ear infection today but just a cold.  He weighs 12lbs and 4 oz WOW he is getting to be a big boy!  He is such a little joy for us.  All his Cary grandparents couldn't get enough of him, he was so good and handled all the passing around like a champ.  It has been rough getting back into gear at home though from all the going we did while there and this little cold he is fighting.  Sleep is much better here and he is resting up!

Thanksgiving is on it's way!

We have been very busy, either one or both of us doing something a lot of nights...so Thanksgiving will be some good down time to spend as a family.  I have to say with holidays we switch off every other year for Thanksgiving and Christmas who we spend it with.  It makes me sad because we are missing out somewhere with great people.  Brady will be spending his first Thanksgiving with the Bost/Madesian/Beezer family! We will get to see Andrew's parents and his mom's sisters, their family's and Great Grandma Marilyn!!!  It is nice they all live in Cary so it makes it easy to visit everyone!

Brady and Bryana

Sleeping sweetly

He is growing like a weed and getting bigger everyday.  He stayed in the nursery at church for the first time this past Sunday and they all just loved him, of course what is there not to love right?  Last Friday we went to the zoo with friends and had a late picnic lunch before heading back to town and that was really fun.  
Bradford has been working very hard on tummy time and has mastered the push-up very well as you can see from the photos!                            

 

 

If the polar bear can do it so can I! 

I finally got the birth announcements all sent out and we are starting to get ready for Christmas or at least my brain is!  This will be not only Brady's first Christmas but also our first Christmas in our home so I am sure it is going to be an enjoyable time to come!

 

One of my new favorite activities is napping with my bitty guy!

A few days later Brady got caught sleeping with another woman!

Trying to keep up!

Things are starting to get really busy, I can feel the holidays right around the corner!  We have had a busy last couple of weeks.  A lot of family has been down to visit,  all immediate family members have been seen in the last couple weeks which is great because Bradford is growing and changing so much.  Last week I was feeling a bit under the weather, and Brady a little too.  Andrew rarely gets sick and he went to bed early one night and was done, so with him working that is a good thing!

Brady dressed up on Halloween but didn't get very excited other than wondering why the doorbell was ringing so much!  I must say he was super cute in his pumpkin costume though!  We also carved pumpkins!

We have experienced the baby blowouts in their truest form now.  Andrew bought newborn diapers when the boy is in size 1.  So we used them up but it wasn't always enough room for what was coming out.  Therefore there were three blowouts in a row!  It was a very exciting night to say the least.  I am DONE with the cloth diapers.  They used to be so easy but now the covers or anything just don't seem to fit his bottom right anymore, I have tried every which way to fold etc.  I have changed countless outfits since Sunday and last night I reached my MAX!  So they will be picking them up tomorrow and that will be the end of that for now!

A few weeks ago we went to Matt and Beth's wedding.  It was absolutely beautiful!  Everything was so simple.  It was outside in her parents backyard.  It looked like something straight out of a magazine, all the details with lights and lanterns strung throughout the trees, antique tablecloths, creme soda and root beer out of bottles, etc.

 Aunt Allison

 

Andrew and Matt childhood best friends

We love being a family!!!

Last weekend we went to the pumpkin patch to try and take the infamous Halloween costume pictures of our Little Pumpkin!  Round 1 was not so successful but here are a few pictures from it.  We also went to Stillwater Farm where I give horse lessons and walked around and enjoyed the beautiful day!

 One of Bradford's new favorite things is sitting in his Bumpo.  This little guy doesn't want to miss out on anything, and loves sitting up and seeing everything going on around him.  He is still small for it but it makes him feel like such a big guy and my goodness he is so cute!!!:)
 

Last week I was also feeling a little rundown so we stayed at the house most of the time so here we are having Mommy and Me time.

Loving my life today and always

Last week I went to MOM'S (Moms Of Many Seasons) for the first time and it was great.  I am learning how to be comfortable in this new role and God has been teaching me a lot of exciting new things through it.  I had started to realized that I need to slow down and was trying to do too much running around and not taking in enough of the moment!  I would get frustrated about having to stop in the middle of doing something because I was getting very task-oriented. At MOM'S she described how some of us are like a colicky baby with God kicking and screaming and wrenching around instead of being quiet and still and settling down in our Father's arms.  God had already been piecing this together for me.  Zephaniah 3:17 says "...He will quiet you with His love...".  That hit straight home to my heart!  Ever since then my heart has been at peace and I have not been frustrated and have been able to let some things go and really didn't feel like I was doing anything that really was making a difference. Now I really take time to enjoy the little moments that I have with my son every day.  I saw that nothing is going to be forever! 

With starting to go to MOM's we are really getting into a good groove with each other, I am loving every minute of it and feel incredibly blessed!!!  Friday Andrew went to Kentucky for the weekend and Sandra came to watch Brady and hang out!  We had a great afternoon and I got to give a horseback riding lesson. The first one since June actually.  It was so much fun and I realized how much I missed it.  I had five students before and they all want to start back with me; through that God was like Caroline you are serving these little girls and sharing your love of what I have created with them.  I really truly LOVE TEACHING LESSONS, and all the details are working out for it to happen:)  Tuesday night I needed a break and went to get coffee with Becca.  Andrew happily watched Brady (such an awesome Dad/Hubbie) for me and I realized it was the first time he had watched him on his own.  I called to see how everything was going and he didn't answer his phone.  I started to panic when I realized that is actually a good sign that everything was great.  I returned home to Andrew lounging in bed with the computer  and Brady asleep beside him in bed! He had slept the whole time I was gone so precious!!! And thanks to Daddy for giving me a much needed break:)

Wednesday morning we went for a walk at 6 AM and I got him all bundled up it was cold that morning.  At first he was not too thrilled with idea, but once I assured him he would stay warm and that his hat wasn't dorky he agreed that he would be okay, and he was!

 

 Here are a few cute pics from bathtime of our little frog!

Saturday my friend Becca and her dog Otto came over to hang out and they spent the night we talked and went shopping, watched movies and ate lots of junk food.  The perfect weekend!  Brady's personality is really coming out now; specifically over the weekend, he is smiling and cooing and just wiggles with excitement when he is happy.  It is the cutest thing ever. 

Another thing I am going to now is Mommy and Me through the hospital there are moms I have met at both so that has been fun getting to know people and make new friends!

Last night we had  a babysitter for the first time!  I really wanted to head back to the business meeting and really missed it!  I found a babysitter on Sittercity.com where I used to have a profile to get jobs my self.  That is where I found Christy!  She is a freshman doing veterinary medicine and is super sweet.  It was hard leaving him with a real baby sitter but he was great as he usually is and she loves dogs.  What more could I ask for right?! haha   I kept my phone clutched between my hands IN CASE she texted me and needed anything which she didn't!  I just felt like I left a piece of my heart behind and missed him so much!  I have left him before but this was real babysitter time; so all is well that ends well:)

5 Weeks Old

Brady is officially 5 weeks old as of yesterday!!! So hard to believe...Sunday we had  a wonderful time with Andrew's parents and sister that came down to eat lunch and hang out for the afternoon.  Brady got loved on a lot by everyone!

 Grandma and Aunt Allison with the man of the hour

 Pappy and Pop

 please no more pictures...

Monday we went out and ran a few errands and got to see Aunt Beth and her friend Amy and her son and nephew who are both super cute, and last night Ashley my roomie from college stopped through for a couple of hours with her mom and Jacob!  I am always excited to see this bunch, it's such a rare treat!  Jacob was so enamored with Brady and it was adorable.  That is great since his little brother Thomas will be here around Christmas.  He did This Little Piggy went to the Market it was a really cute moment.

 Forever friends 

Jacob and Brady