Christmas Marathon Weekend

Christmas weekend was a marathon of family gatherings for us. We celebrated Christmas six times before it was all said and done.

We're thankful to be part of such great families that just keep growing! (The Rosenberger side will have two more babies in 2011!)

Isaac at 8 months

Isaac is now 8 months, and he has officially turned the corner into "older baby" stage. Even though he isn't fully crawling yet, he is very interested in the world around him and reaches for everything. He now realizes when he is being put down to play so Mommy or Daddy can do something else (and often cries). Isaac is showing preference for toys (Noah's toys are better, of course) and foods (anything green like peas or green beans is only eaten with many tears). He also knows when he is awake, he wants to play. None of this being put down in a carseat, stroller, or swing business! Isaac eats three meals a day along with 5 feedings, but he definitely looks like a peanut to me! He is starting to "talk" a lot, babbling sounds like "ba-ga-da-ma."

He's still a happy little guy most of the time.

Over Christmas he was held so much. He was passed around from person to person and didn't seem to mind one bit!

Uncle Eric getting some practice feeding a baby...

snow!

Thanksgiving Photos

We're so thankful for our house. We have space to invite others over more frequently. We were excited to host Thanksgiving at our house this year.



Jill, why are you smiling so big???

Me with 7 month old Isaac

Lots of little cousin playtime. Why they are all playing with a baby doll is beyond me...

The little kids had to eat in the garage. Noise stays outside and easy cleanup! :) And yes, we put a heater out there.

Grandma Judy feeding Isaac some sweet potatoes. How Thanksgiving-appropriate. :)

Paul is home from college and requesting extra time to sleep. Christine is checking out the black friday ads.

Grandpa Gary finds time for a nap on the couch.

Once he wakes up, Paul and Noah destroy the couch and construct a fort.

A heated game of Dutch Blitz... Ok, maybe not that heated....

Isaac gets to eat again.

Mark and Noah cuddle up with Noah's blankie to watch a movie, Marley and Me.

Isaac is eating again. All this kid does is eat....

Mesmerized by the movie

Hang out time.

fun with wrapping paper

Noah got into a half-used roll of wrapping paper, unrolled it, and proceeded to tear it apart. So instead of trying to salvage the roll and re-roll it, we played with it! I wrapped HIM up in the paper! He's wrapped up all the way to his feet, so there was much waddling like a little penguin. (He's not smiling in this pic, but there were plenty of giggles!)

Isaac is 7 months

Happy 7 months to Isaac!

He's a happy, smiling, giggly kid. He "talks" a lot now, saying "ma" :) "ah" "ga" "da" and the like... He loves chatting with anyone who will listen.

This is how he wakes up from naps: always smiling!



He is now sitting up pretty well on his own. He still falls over sometimes, so we don't usually let him sit up for long without a Boppy pillow around him. (Gotta work on those core muscles, Isaac!)

Isaac and Noah are becoming best buds. Noah sometimes feels threatened when Isaac plays with his toys.... I keep telling him that this is only the beginning!

Isaac now travels from the house in a cocoon like state. He has a tiny hole to peek out from his cozy carseat. Most of the time we are able to skip putting a bulky coat on him, and this keeps him warm! Isaac is really getting heavy in his baby carseat. We know the time is coming in just a few months when we will probably have to move him to a bigger rearfacing carseat (which is Noah's current convertible carseat).

We haven't seen any real signs of crawling yet, but Isaac definitely kicks and flails his arms to reach for his toys. He does scoot a little and manages to get stuck under things such as the couch.

A new thing Isaac has done the past month is to start eating baby food. Until now he has been exclusively breastfed. This month he has now tried brown rice cereal, mixed vegetables, carrots, corn, sweet potatoes, and a tiny bit of bananas.

However, his number one favorite food is Cheerios. He's working on that pincer grasp (first finger/thumb) but until then, he takes fistfuls of cheerios but only about 1/4 of them make it to his mouth.

Here is Isaac's first attempt to drink from a sippy cup. He didn't get much.

As of this week, Isaac now has THREE teeth!

Video: Noah and Benny fixing things

Noah and cousin Benny both enjoy working with their little play tools. I thought this was cute when they were playing together one day and both "fixing" something.

Noah's Bedroom

Since we bought a foreclosed house, oftentimes there is plenty of work to be done to bring the house up to the position of a standard house on the market. Like most of the rooms in our house, Noah's bedroom was a sloppy paint job that needed to be repainted.

Before.


Before. Why did it need to be repainted?

Before. I don't think the previous owners knew to take off the outlet covers before painting....???

Before. And maybe they didn't realize there are angled trim brushes or even tape for painting straight lines....

Jason starts the endless process of mudding holes and dents in the walls.

He then sands out the spots so we can prime the walls. This turned out to be quite a big job.

Jason puts down tape on the trim for a clean line. Notice that we do take the outlet covers off.

The new paint is dry, and Jason hangs the blinds. The new paint looks the same color as the old paint, but it wasn't really that close. The new paint is more aqua.

After. Carpet is cleaned, curtains are hung and Noah's room is back in order.

The project cost was relatively low: the cost of primer and paint!

Tips to Start Running

If you are interested in trying out the sport of running, here are some tips to help get you started. (Keep in mind, I am still much a novice runner myself.)

1. Determine your motivation. Identify why you want to run. If it is simply weight loss, unless you are amazingly self disciplined and have a great accountability system, more than likely you will quit. You have to have a reason that is more meaningful and more long-term. For me, I started running to do something good for myself and give me a break from being with my kids all day.

2. Set a goal. Do you want to run one mile? Or a 5K, 10K, or half marathon race? Sign up for something so you have an authentic purpose to motivate you. Then tell everyone you know that you are going to do it. (It's really hard to back out on it when everyone knows!)

3. Make a plan. Print off a training plan such as the Cool Running Couch to 5K training plan or search online for other training guides. Hal Higdon has a great beginning guide to a half marathon. Figure out what days of the week and what times you are going to dedicate to running and exercise. Write it down on your calendar like any other appointment. That time is officially reserved for running.

4. Find places to run. In mild or pleasant weather, many people find running outdoors to be an enjoyable activity. In extremely hot or humid weather or cold weather, some people prefer running indoors on a treadmill or an indoor track. Check out Map My Run to plot out the distance of your possible outdoor routes. Ask other people where there are trails, tracks, or other places they enjoy running.

5. Buy a running item. Whether it is new running shoes, music for your iPod or a pair of workout shorts, knowing that you have invested financially in your endeavor should motivate you to go use that new thing!

6. Track your progress. Log your runs. You can use a Word document, Excel spreadsheet or numerous websites such as Active Trainer and Map My Run. Get excited as you see your mileage increase and your pace improve!

7. Get a support network. Surround yourself with positive people who will encourage you and motivate you to keep working at it. If you don't know any runners, get online and find running groups in your area that meet occasionally to encourage each other and run together.

Final Tips:

• Stretch before and after runs. This will reduce injury!
• Try to do a cross-training activity at least once a week such as biking, swimming, dance class, etc. Also work some strength training into your routine if you have access to weights.
• Slow down!! Run slow enough to carry a comfortable conversation. If you are huffing and puffing the whole time, you are likely running too fast. This might mean you need to run at a much slower pace than you think you should. Fear not, over time, many people get faster.
• Do not compare yourself to other people. Someone will almost always be faster than you. Just be who you are and be proud of yourself for getting out there and doing your best!

Never give up. If you want to do it and set your mind to do it, you can do it.