Malachi at 3 months!!!

Malachi At 3 Months!!!

I know I skipped 2 months but January was a crazy month.  Malachi continues to amaze us every day. He continues to grow by leaps and bounds and is changing daily.  We decided that we weren't ok with giving Malachi all of his required shots at once, so after much thought and prayer we decided that it would be best to give him his shots but just spread them out.  So I have to take him back this week to have the second shot given that we skipped at his two month check up.  I can't wait to see how much he has grown since January, I know it is a lot.

Since Malachi was about 2 and 1/2 months old we had to start putting bibs on him during the day.  One night while giving him a bath I noticed the area around his neck and chest was red and irritated, I decided that was because of all the DROOOOLING he has been doing lately.  So here is our first official day of needing a bib.  I thought it was a perfect one for this occasion.  It's hard to see but it says FROG DROOL on it.  Go FROGS!!!

Also around this time Malachi totally surprised me one afternoon and rolled over in his crib.  I was so excited I screamed and ran and got my phone.  I called Justin first, of course, and he started laughing.  Then I sent a text message to the grandparents.  I then ran to get the video recorder and tried to get him to do it again, and guess what???  He did!!!  I am trying to get a video posted but I am not having much luck.  I will try again later.  But for now here are some pictures of him.  These were right after he rolled over.  He was so proud of himself and he stretched.

Malachi has also learned to stick his tongue out on que.  He has been trying since he was about 2 months old, and he has learned do to it finally.  When I am not paying enough attention to him, or so he thinks, he will start sticking it out back and forth real fast and laugh.  I can't believe how big he is getting.

His Aunt Paige thinks his facial experssions are hilariously and I must agree he is looking at me here.  This is just one of his many silly faces!!!

Malachi, our daily routine looks something like this...

8:00- Wake up time- we let Molly outside, feed the fish, get a clean diaper, and I make your bottle while you are playing in the floor.  Sometimes in the morning you are so happy and smiling so much you have a hard time eating.  You always wake up in the best mood though!!
8:30- Swing time!!!  It's a little odd though, this is really the only time you like to be in your swing. 
9:00- This is when we rock for our morning nap time, right now Mommy is still taking advantage of this nap time and me and Molly take a nap on the couch while you sleep in your crib.  You are still not a big napper, most of the time you sleep an hour or so, every once in a while you will take a 2 hour nap or so.
10:30- you like to play on your Baby Einstein Mat on the floor while I make your bottle
11:00-clean diaper and feeding.  For 30 minutes or so you sit in my lap and your bouncy seat to give your morning lunch time to settle in your tummy.
12:00- it is more play time, you and Mommy also have "school time" we are learning sign language and we read books too.
1:00-sometimes you take another little nap here
2:00-another clean diaper and afternoon lunch with more play time.  We have begun sitting you in your Super Activity Seat and you are doing pretty good.  After a while your little head gets a little tired from holding itself up so we play more on your play mat.
3:00- you take another short nap
4:00- more play time and stories
5:00-this is the time you have your pre-dinner dinner
5:30-6:30- depending on how long you slept at 3:00, you take a pre-nighty-nite nap until Daddy gets home.
6:45- Daddy and you have special time in the bath.
7:00- Mommy and Daddy have dinner
7:30ish- now it's your turn for dinner, after you eat it is time for bed.  Sometimes you let Mommy rock you to sleep, others you want to just lay down on your own.
11:00- me and you have our special time in the middle of the night, you get one last dinner, we like to call it your post dinner dinner
11:30- you are officially down for the night!!!!

Malachi your Daddy and I love you so much and are so excited to see all the milestones you are reaching.  When you are on your tummy you are trying to get up on your knees already.  I know it is very early, but it is crazy too!!!

Here are some other pictures of our sweet little man who has worked his way into so many lives!!!

Malachi's First Valentine's Day

Malachi's First Valentine's Day

I know we are going to have a year of firsts with our little guy and we celebrated another one recently.  Malachi's First Valentine's Day!!!

Justin and I have celebrated Valentine's Day a little differently since we got married.  While we were dating he would take me out, but once we were married we decided it was kind of silly so we stay at home.  Every year Justin cooks dinner on the grill.  We have steak, baked potatoes, salad and rolls.  We say every year that we're not going to do presents and I always hold up my end and he always brings me something home.  Every year I can expect a box of Godiva Chocolates, flowers, and a piece of cheesecake from Salt Grass.  It is a great night every year.

Well this year Justin totally fooled me.  We were down in Granbury on Sunday the 12th and didn't leave until 6, he told me we would need to swing by Hulen Mall to pick something up on the way home.  But he knew I would tell him it wasn't a big deal and let's just go home.  Then we went shopping on Monday night at Wal Mart, and I saw chocolate covered strawberries, knowing there wasn't a Salt Grass around.  He got this look on his face like uhoh I screwed up.  I told him it wasn't a big deal and we moved on.

Well low and behold when he got home on Valentine's Day he brought me in some beautiful flowers, and he asked me to go to the car and get something for him while he played with the baby.  Now, I thought this was odd, but went on out.  In the seat of the car was my bag of Godiva and a to go container from Salt Grass.  I have the best husband ever.  He bought all of these things on Thursday before and had been keeping them at his office.  Even after 7 years of this tradition he still finds ways to surprise me.  I love him so much!!!

Malachi is truly a blessing to our lives and we are so glad he is here, we wanted him for so long.  But I had a dilemma???  What do you buy a 2 and 1/2 month old for Valentine's Day?  Well, I was at Hobby Lobby the other day and found an adorable little giraffe.  Well that is what he got.  I was given a bunch of themed bibs from a friend at school and didn't have to buy one for Valentine's Day.  I was so excited.  He was pretty tired by the time the pictures came around so he wasn't having much fun.  But at least I got a few.  You can see the different bibs I had in the pictures.

All in All it was another fantastic Valentine's Day in The Bowden House!!!

Here are the pictures



Bittersweet

A Bittersweet Day

Well, the day finally came that I have been dreaming of since I was in kindergarten...I have an amazing husband an adorable little boy and I am at home.  For those of you who know me, know that I have been teaching for the past 7 years.  Since I was a little girl in Kindergarten I have always said I would teach until I had kids and then stay at home.  After months of prayers we finally got to make my dreams come true!!!

Justin talked to his boss a few weeks ago and it was determined that I would be able to stay at home and we would be moving to Granbury soon.  We found all this out on a Thursday evening and the next day I was in Flower Mound talking to my principal.  I was very grateful for the experience and time she gave me 7 years ago.  I was only 20 at the time looking for a job, and it was very difficult to find one, but she gave me the chance I needed. 

We have begun the process of looking for a house in Granbury!!! 

I had lots of great students and parents over the years and will truly miss that place, but I know that I am where I am supposed to be right now and couldn't be happier. 

Malachi's Finished Room

Malachi's Room

Malachi's room was finished before he arrived, but I haven't had a chance to post the finished pictures.  So here they are!!!!  I am very proud of it.  I designed and did it all myself.  Well, Justin did help paint it and put the mural up, but the idea was mine.

This is the view from the door

His giraffe and curtains

We bought this picture right after we moved into the house and have been storing it since then

I painted the letters for his name.  I tried several different ways, I think they turned out great!!

His bed, and yes that is a TCU mobile.  We bought it about 7 years ago right after we got married.  It officially started our Bowden Baby Box. 

This is his mural.  I absolutely love it!!!

This is his nightstand.  The girls on my team decorated our shower with these wooden blocks.  I have had fun placing them in his room.  The top words say New Bundle.

We do lots of reading around here.

All 7 cousins together after Jayden was born

I love my glider.  It has a gliding foot stool as well.

This is his dresser/changing table.  It has lights at the top.  His name is spelled out at the top, and then the word boy is on the next shelf.  The basket on top is from my class.  They filled it with books.

This basket was from my mom, sister, and sister-in-law.  It was filled with clothes and such.  These are just some of his giraffes.  What amazed us, was not one giraffe was duplicated.

I absolutely love his room.  I couldn't be happier with how it turned out.  For the month before he was born I would go in it frequently each day and just sit.  Before we went to bed each night I made Justin go in with me and we would talk about what parenthood was going to be like.  Our dreams finally came true!!!

Christmas With The Autry's!!!

Christmas with the Autry's

Christmas at my parents house has developed into a crazy and exciting experience over the last 6 years!!!  We went from a family of 5 to a family of 15!!!  I truly enjoy Christmas at my parents even with all the craziness.  I have enjoyed watching our 5 neices and nephews over the past 6 years just waiting for our child to join in on the fun.  Well this was finally our year.  We enjoyed lots of great snacks and family time.  Here are some pictures from our first Christmas as a family of 14.  (Baby Jayden wasn't here yet)

Brandon helping Davee

Peyton with his nightlight that Mimi made

Reagan and her new robe

Davee and her vacuum

Payton is such a sweet patient little boy

Paige and Granny

Bryson loves dinosaurs

Reagan and her nightlight

Daddy watching his family

Preslee and her robe

Brandon and his Elvis keys.  I have had these for 5 years and finally remembered to give them to him

Willie's Christmas present.  We bought him a subscription to a hunting magazine and it hasn't come in yet

Brandon and his gun cleaning kit

Ashley Marie

Daddy aka POP

Mimi and Malachi

Willie and Bryson

Mom and her new sock monkey pj's



And that's a wrap!!!!

The Woes of Breastfeeding!!!

Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding has been a difficult task in our house from day 1.  Malachi latched on the first night perfectly, but the next couple not so much!!!  Well by the time we were home he was getting better at latching on.  With in a week he was latching on perfectly every time, but another problem developed.  Malachi was absolutely starving.  I was not making enough milk to sustain him.  This was such a disappointment. 

After talking to several lactation consultants and doing everything absolutely possible nothing was helping.  I took Fenugreek, drank Mother's Milk, pumped every two hours, ate healthy, and drank a lot of water.  I was eventually making about 5oz a day, which was only one bottle for him a day.

Well after 8 weeks, I have exhausted all my options and instead of increasing my supply it has started decreasing the last two weeks.  The last two days I have pumped less than an ounce.  Our breastfeeding days have come to an end.

This makes me incredibly sad and disappointed but there's not much more I can do.  I have to tell myself that at least he got 8 weeks of breast milk.

I am going to start making his formula.  I am hoping this will make me feel a little better about the whole breastfeeding thing.

To those moms out there that can breastfeed, please enjoy every moment!!!!!

Christmas At Our House

Christmas With the Bowden's 

We truly enjoyed our first Christmas as a family of three this year!!!  

Our First Family Christmas Picture

My wonderful parents came into town on Saturday, December 17th, to watch our sweet precious boy, so we could go shopping.  We hadn't been alone with each other since Malachi was born.  I absolutely missed my little man, but enjoyed the night out with my wonderful husband.  We started the night off right, by enjoying our absolute favorite Mexican Food of all times, ANAMIA'S!!!!  After a delicious meal we headed off to do our shopping.  We had to buy for him and a few others, but only got his shopping completed.  I finished the rest up later on.

I had so much fun wrapping presents this year.  I think it was because I was wrapping presents for our first child???  But who can be for sure???  Here is the first present I wrapped, and of course it was for Malachi. 

The finished product.

And another one.

This is probably the smalled present I have ever wrapped.  We got our brother-in-law a Bow Hunter's Magazine subscription.  I was told it would be delivered by Christmas, but of course it wasn't.  So I wrapped a small note explaining what his present was.  It was about 1 square inch.

Christmas Eve

We spent Christmas Eve as we always do...with my in-laws.  We have had this tradition since before we were married.  We go over to their house around 3:00 and stuff ourselves with great food and drinks.  This year was especially fun because of course we had our new addition.  My father-in-law experimented with a new menu this year.  We had an outstanding pork tenderloin.  Justin and I decided that it was to become a new tradition. 

We had a great time and enjoyed being with family.  Malachi got some awesome presents from his Papa and Gramie (aka Nana and Numpy)!!!  Those names are a story for another day.  He was given his highchair, which matches his pack and play, a very cool jumper that turns into a very cool activity table, some old school wood puzzles, and several other fun things. 

Justin got a new hunting coat, thermos, and bullets for his new 357.  I got a working train.  I have always wanted a train to put around the Christmas tree!!  This one puffs smoke, has a bell, and a whistle.  I also got the 7th season of Everybody Loves Raymond.  I love this show and had all the other seasons.

I tried to take pictures but soon found out my camera battery was dead.  Luckily we had my mother-in-laws camera, but I haven't been able to get pictures from her yet. 

To end the night we made our cinnamon rolls, packed up, and headed home.

When we got home, Malachi and I made our first batch of Christmas cookies for Santa Claus.  This was a very special time for me, because I have always wanted to make Christmas cookies with my own kids.  Here is Malachi and his Daddy helping with the cookie cutters.

Here's Malachi with the finished cookies.

I have dreamed for years about all the Christmas traditions I would want to start when we had kids.  Along with the cookies on Christmas Eve, I have wanted to start a PJ tradition.  I want all our kids to get a pair of Christmas PJs to open on Christmas Eve.  This was Malachi's first pair.  They were soooo cute!!!

Here is a picture of our 'Den Tree' before Santa arrived.

Christmas Morning

Santa came!!!

Christmas morning was a little different this year then years past.  We woke up to find Santa had been there.  He had eaten the cookies we made and even left us a note.

Here's a close up of the note.

 Here are some other pictures from our Family Christmas Morning

Justin's Christmas Present

Malachi's First Car

Malachi checking out his presents

The Aftermath

After baking

After icing

The complete breakfast, a Christmas tradition in our house

Christmas Part II with the Autry's to come at a later date!!!!