2 months old

playing dress up with his bear outfit

canine brother Canyon

cousin Ben

Aunt Anne Marie (Ame) and Uncle Alden

cousins Sydney and Avery

Bishop is 8 weeks and 5 days old today! His personality is showing more and more everyday and he is so strong. Ever since he was born he could hold his head up and move it from side to side to everyone's amazement. I'm certain that he will be crawling and walking well before he is expected to. I was walking by 8 months so he just might follow in my footsteps. He has so much determination already. I joked with mom when I was pregnant that I wanted to have him in time to be a libra because libras are suppose to be laid back and calm but he had plans of his own and ended up being a scorpio which are said to be high maintenance and strong willed. So when he gets mad I say that its the scorpio in him coming out. It really doesn't matter to me I will love him no matter how he behaves. He is great when we go out in public. He is a regular at Starbucks and has been to the movies and church several times and always acts like an angel. We have discovered the bouncy seat and he likes it so much better than the swing so I can actually take showers when I want to now and I don't have to wait for Jeremy to get home to hold him. The Baby Einstein videos are starting to capture his attention also. But he still mainly just wants to be held and he loves being in the baby bjorn too. Mom just ordered me a carrier similar to it but better from babyhawk and I can't wait until it gets in. It's a little more stylish and comfortable. I never could get the hang of the slings even though Kathleen swears by them. He would just sink into it and I would worry that I was going to smother him. I think he prefers to be able to move his arms and legs too. He is really filling out and starting to get a little belly. He now weighs 13 pounds! We got a video camera for Christmas from my parents (thanks mom and dad) so we can capture everything now...not that we haven't been already with our cameras. Jeremy makes me send pictures to him during the day so he doesn't feel like he's missing out. I'm starting back work next month and even though I'm looking forward to it I am going to miss Bishop so much. It's only 2 days a week and an occasional 3rd day so its not as bad as it could be and I'm going to feel better knowing that our parents will be watching him and not a stranger. We are so lucky to have such a wonderful family who loves Bishop so much. It's so cute to see Jeremy's little brother and sister, who are only 8, and my nieces and nephew with him. He loves his Aunt Ame who can put him right to sleep and Avery, his 3 year old cousin, tries to nurse him. She'll pull down her shirt and rest her chest on his head. It's hilarious! I'm sure that she'll love that story when she gets older and Bishop and Ben who just turned a year old will be, as Leslie Kathleen's father-in-law said, "thick as thieves" when they get a little older. It will be so much fun seeing them all grow up together.

First Christmas!

We just celebrated our first Christmas with Bishop! He slept through most of it with no idea what he was missing. We didn't do santa this year because there was an hour and a half wait and I figured he could care less since he is only eight weeks old. His Pa was a good stand in though with his santa hat. Next year I'll be more prepared and get him to the mall early. He looked adorable with his little romper that has a reindeer on the butt and we got him his first Bible that has thick pages so we don't have to worry about him tearing them out.

Jeremy and I splurged on each other this Christmas because we figured that after this year we are going to be more focused on making it fun for Bishop. So I got him a mountain bike that he's already been riding all around the neighborhood like a little kid and he got me a necklace and ring, but not that kind of ring. ;) They are both so precious to me. The necklace has Bishop's name on it and the ring has a beautiful handwritten quote by Rumi going around it that says; A mountain keeps an echo deep inside itself. That's how I hold your voice. Needless to say I got teary eyed when he gave it to me. He is also getting me a cleaning service to start coming to the house which is priceless. But the best present of all was Bishop! Having him here to share Christmas with makes my favorite holiday a hundred times better. It will be so much fun to see the excitment on his face when he is older and understands it and I hope that I can do as good of a job as my parents did in teaching him the real meaning of Christmas...the birth of Jesus!

Six Weeks Pictures

Here are some pictures taken today on Bishop's six week birthday by his Aunt Kathleen. She did such a beautiful job and was so patient with him.

5 weeks pics

Bishop had his one month appointment this week and he weighs 10 lbs and is 22 inches! I wonder if he'll be a chubby baby like his daddy was. :) He started smiling this week too!

Forgiveness

Now that I'm home from work on maternity leave I've been trying to get into some healthy and productive routines so I don't just stay in my pajamas watching TV all day. One thing that I've started doing is listening to sermons that I've downloaded onto my phone. So every day I set aside time to rock with Bishop and read, listen to music or one of the sermons. I love this time with him and now I look forward to it every day. The other night I listened to a sermon about resentment that really spoke to me. I am guilty of being resentful and I struggle with letting things go and forgiving people and I probably worry too much about people that haven't forgiven me too. But I know that once you do there is a peace that comes over you and a weight is suddenly lifted. After all who are we to judge we are all human and make mistakes but when you hold onto resentment it's as if you are saying that you are better than that person. It becomes a control issue. It can make you feel good about yourself and powerful to hold things over people and not allow them to experience your forgiveness. A sad part of it is that usually the people you are resentful towards you once loved. In the end it's actually you that suffers and becomes bitter. It's not healthy to hold onto so I'm letting go of any resentment I carry and I pray that God gives me strength to forgive those who have hurt me and that I am in return forgiven by those I have hurt. Life is too short and I don't want to waste it being bitter.

One month old today!

My sweet baby boy is a month old today! I can't believe how quickly it has flown by and how much he has grown. I feel like it was just yesterday that we brought him home. He is so much more alert to his surroundings now and doesn't sleep constantly like he used to. He is still a little on the fussy side or as I like to say he just has alot of personality but he is a sweet baby who loves to be held and cuddled. In fact the most challenging part this month is that he ALWAYS wants to be held even during the night so it can be hard to get things done. I know I should enjoy it now because there will be a day where I wish he would let me hold him more. This past month has been better then I could have ever imagined and he has added so much happiness to our lives. We feel so fortunate to have him.

I'll pass on the turkey this year.

I went nine whole months without eating turkey so I wouldn't give Bishop any bacteria from it and I craved it the entire pregnancy so as soon I had him I ordered a turkey sandwich at the hospital and I have had one every day since not to mention all the ground turkey I eat to substitute for ground beef. I was so happy to be able to have it again until I turned on the TV and saw that horrible interview with Sarah Paline at a turkey farm with a turkey being decapitated in the background. I can't get that image out of my head and it has ruined my love for turkey! What was she thinking doing an interview there? After all the controversy of her hunting moose this was the last thing she needed for her public image and why couldn't that farmer have politely waited until her interview was over to butcher that poor turkey? So it looks like I'm back to being a vegetarin until I can get over this. Bummer!

Bishop's Birthday!

Motherhood

It's been a little over three weeks since Bishop entered the world and I already can't imagine life without him. People told me how life changing being a parent is but it's something you can't understand until you hold your child for the first time. I have never loved someone so much in my life. I am so grateful to be his mom even when he wakes me up screaming at two o'clock in the morning. Every pound I packed on (all 65 of them) and stretch mark I got was worth it. I feel as if my life is complete with him in it like he is what I've been missing. It can sometimes be hard to understand why things happen in your life and why you choose the paths that you do but becoming a mom has helped me to see that everything happens for a reason and there is always a greater plan for you.