A Very Merry Christmas

I just wanted to share a few holiday photos...

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS!!

Time Flies!

Hayes is 3 months old today!!! Yes, I guess I'm to the point where I have to keep track of his age in months, not weeks any more. To me, this is yet another reminder of how fast the time is passing! Hayes and I are celebrating by hanging out at home in our pajamas. No better way to spend such a dreary, rainy day.

I took this photo this morning while he was playing with his toys in his bouncy seat. He stopped when he saw me and gave me this sweet smile...

This was taken a few days ago when he was checking out an ornament on our tree.

I hope everyone is having a good time getting ready for Christmas! I'm looking forward to doing some baking this weekend. Now if I could just decide on a recipe...

The Real Reason

I love the Christmas season! The gift giving, the decorating, the baking...but most of all I love that it's all about Jesus! We are honored that Hayes was asked to play baby Jesus in our church's Christmas program. Seeing him wrapped in swaddling clothes made me think -- isn't it amazing how God, who is so mighty and powerful, chose to send His son as a helpless little baby, dependent on his earthly parents to meet all of his needs? We are blessed to have had this experience and consider it an excellent reminder of the reason we celebrate Christmas.

Christmas Card Coming Soon!

Well, I finally finished my photo shoot with Hayes for our Christmas card picture. Thankfully, Hayes was very cooperative and patient with his picky mommy. The type-A in me really comes out during times like these. I admit I'm hard to please, and I'm very critical of my photography. After all, you only get one chance to send out your son's 1st Christmas card, right? But, all in all, I had fun and I think the photo turned out so cute!

Look for yours in the mail soon...

Hayes' New Friend

I'd like to introduce Cole Daniel Townsend - born today, weighing 9 lbs 12 oz & measuring 20 3/4 inches long! Proud parents are my friends Jennifer and Daniel, and big sister is 2-year-old Payton. I saw them at the hospital today, and they are doing very well.

(And, yes, Jennifer had a c-section!)

A Walk with Hayes

Hayes & I had a nice walk after lunch. I've missed our walks lately. Thankfully, it was sunny today so it didn't seem as cold, but I still bundled him up the best I could. He loves his Baby Bjorn carrier, and he was content to look around and suck his thumb.

Wow! Only 23 days 'til Christmas! And I haven't finished decorating! I'm so excited to celebrate Christmas as a parent. I know Hayes won't have a clue what's going on this year, but I look forward to it anyway!

Visit from Family

Blaine's family is in town for the weekend, and Hayes got to meet his cousins Alexandra, 4, and Elisabeth, 2, for the first time. He loved all of the attention!

Alex & Hayes

Hayes with Elisabeth & Aunt Angel

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm glad we have this holiday to reflect on everything we're thankful for. This year it has a whole new meaning for me - my first Thanksgiving as a mommy! God has been so good to my family, and I feel extremely blessed.

Blaine, Hayes, and I had Thanksgiving lunch with my mom, my aunt (Terri), and my grandfather. We enjoyed the visit! And, of course, Hayes got plenty of attention!

Happy Thanksgiving from the Montgomery family!

9 Weeks Old

Hayes is 9 weeks old! He’s been spoiling us for a couple of weeks now by sleeping 8-12 hours at night. And now that his sleep schedule during the day is more regular, he is such a content baby. He loves spending time outdoors, so we’re trying to squeeze in as many walks as we can before the winter comes. He has so many cute expressions, and I think his smile gets sweeter every day!

I've Been Tagged

I've been tagged to play a game called 4th and 4th.

Here are the instructions:

1. Open your pictures folder

2. Go to the 4th folder

3. Open the folder & pick out the 4th picture

4. Share the picture & what is means to you or what is going on in the picture

This led me to the folder with my vacation photos from the Florida Keys in August 2007. I love so many of these pictures that I couldn't share just one, so I made a collage (thanks for the idea, Carly!) of some of my favorites. Now, about the pictures...

What a memorable week! I went on this trip with Blaine & his parents. We spent one day in Key West, and visited the Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory - I could have stayed there for hours photographing the birds & butterflies! We went on several scuba diving trips, and we caught lobster for the first time (which we ate for dinner that night). And the sunsets were amazing...

8 Weeks Ago...

It's hard to believe that 8 weeks ago I was 41 weeks pregnant sitting in my hospital bed with so many thoughts and emotions running through my head - wondering how long I would be in labor, anxious about the delivery, excited to see what my baby boy would look like, nervous about becoming a parent, hoping I would be a good mother.

Now that seems like so long ago! Motherhood is such a joy, even with its ups and downs, and I love every minute! It's wonderful to see this child growing and experiencing things in his small world. And when he smiles at me...oh, it's one of the highlights of my day!

We spent Hayes' 8-week-old birthday mostly hanging around the house. We ventured outside for a walk this afternoon. Blaine carried Hayes in his infant carrier, and I took this photo when we came back inside. Poor baby was exhausted!

Catching Up

I just want to share a few photos that most of you have not seen to get you caught up on Hayes' first few weeks.....

Our first family photo

Blaine & Hayes

One of my favorites - taken the day we left the hospital

Sleeping in his crib

Hayes' first tub bath!!

Getting warm after his bath



Cute little grin

Me & Hayes

Another one of my favorites - Blaine & Hayes

2-Month Check-Up

Hayes had a great check-up with his pediatrician this morning! He weighs 10 lbs 15 oz and is 23 inches long (that means he has gained 2 lbs 11 oz and grown 2 inches since birth)! He is still in the 50th percentile for weight & length, so I guess he's the size of an "average" baby his age but he just looks so much bigger to me! Dr. Myers said he is a perfectly healthy baby with great hair! :)

My First Blog!

Well, I’ve done it! I’ve joined the world of blogging. Not so much because I believe I am an extremely exciting person or a skilled writer, but because I think this is a great way for me to share our happenings with family and friends.

My precious Hayes is now 7 weeks old, is growing fast, and is smiling and cooing more all the time. He's had pretty bad reflux over the past month, but I'm hoping the worst is behind us. We have an appointment with his pediatrician tomorrow - I'm anxious to see how much he weighs now!

Check back later for updates....