Thanksgiving for 3+

Thanksgiving 2012 for the Kingstons was spent in Williston. Scott's company, Vision Oil Tools, puts together a company dinner and my lovely husband volunteered me to help cook and get everything ready. 

Which actually turned out to be quite nice. 

Jack and I went to staff house five - an old church renovated into a very large house. It's beautiful. So we baked pies and cut up potatoes Wednesday night.

Thursday Jack and I went back to the house and helped get the rest of the fixin's ready. We served 60+ people that day. 

Sometimes its hard for me to be away from the family I grew up with. I missed Thanksgiving at my aunt Sheila's house and the company that comes with that. I missed going to my brother's place and I missed seeing my grandparents. 

This Thanksgiving I was thankful for knowing and experiencing that family extends farther than our blood ties. I am grateful for sweet, caring people who are ever-welcoming of Jack and I. And that no matter where we were in the world, I got to spend that day loving on and showing off my sweet boy and then snuggling with my husband. 

I am blessed beyond measure and am so grateful for where we are and everything we have been given. 

Jack LOVED this little four year old. Brody was showing Jack one of his toys. Jack would watch his every move. 

A lot of the guys who had to work Thanksgiving were away from their families. Both of these have little ones of their own at home and were suficing their kid need by playing with Jack. This is my favorite picture of the day :)

My little gremlin decided he would take this day and start crawling up on things. 

And then we tried to take a nap.
It didn't work out too well. 

Seven months of Jack

.... was a week ago. Oops. Better late than never.

So much has happened this month. I do believe this will be the month of your life that you hit the most milestones and grew up the most. You are so heavy. It's hard for me to pick you out of bed and cary you for any length of time (plus, I get super sweaty lugging your little heater body around.) I love you at this age so, so much. You have a little personality, yet I can distract you with ANYTHING. Like a roll of toilet paper or my nose. You have a little attitude already, screaming when I take something away from you that you're not supposed to have. Discipline has started. But it's hard to spank those little hands for grabbing at a cord when you're looking at me and smiling. It's going to break your mama's heart, but I want you to grow up to be a respectable young man. Please just mind your mama, little baby. We love you so much.

Weight 

Y0u're a whopping 23.5 pounds! (I said last month you were 24, but you must have been 21-22 then.)

Diapers 

Still a size 3. Slimming out a bit perhaps. 

Hair

Your hair has grown so much this past month! It's a light brown and so fuzzy. I like to spike it up after your bath or swipe it to the side for a more dignified look :) I can't wait until you have a full head of wonderful locks. 

Clothes

I've packed your six month clothes away... and most of the nine months, besides a few pants. You're wearing 12 months in most things now. 

This months firsts

>You started sitting by yourself early this month! This has been the greatest thing for me. It's so much easier to set you down now. 

>You now have four teeth! Two bottom and half of the two top ones. I believe you're getting more, you've been having some sleeping problems lately. 

>First ear infection. It's so sad to see you grabbing and pulling at your ear. We've been to the walk-in clinic in Williston twice now. You've had the infection for two weeks now. I hope you get better soon. 

>I'm not sure if you're ever going to crawl in the traditional sense. But you're a belly crawling machine!!! You can get anywhere your little heart pleases. 

>We celebrated your first Thanksgiving here in Williston at staff house five, helping cook for 60 + Vision employees and oil workers. It's good for your mama to find a sense of community and family here. 

You like

>Opening and closing cabinets and drawers. 

>The vacuum. Who needs a dog when your baby chases the vacuum?!

>Banging things. Your hand on the floor or table, your mini pumpkin on the floor, your feet on the counter. You love noise. 

>When daddy comes home. I swear he brings home this hyper energy for you every night. You just love your papa. He's the only person you'll sit and snuggle nicely with on the couch. 

You don't like

>The same thing for too long. Short attention span. 

Mom loves

>When you flash your beautiful smile at me. Your whole face lights up and it just brightens my day. 

>Snuggling with you and you run your hands all along my hands and arm and face. You have the sweetest, softest touch. 

>That you're a content, happy baby. I hope our home is always filled with love and closeness so that you can feel like you can remain this way. 

Dad loves

>When you rub your eyes when you're tired. 

>When you crawl on him like he's your own personal jungle gym. 

Sometimes I get a glimpse of you and think I can see what you'll look like when your older. Then my minds rolls and I think of what kind of a boy you'll be and what sports you will like, if you will be creative like your mama or rough and tough like your papa. I like to think that between your dad and I, we have it all covered - sensitive to realistic, left brained and right brained, tall and short. I pray that you will be well balanced. I pray that we will raise you in a way that is good and pleasing to the Lord and that you fear Him. I pray that you find your own way to show love and be loved. I pray that we, as parents, will see you for who you are instead of who we want you to be. I ask for strength to be hard and soft at the same time so that I am able to discipline you and show you love all at once. I am so blessed to have you as my baby. You really are the joy of my life. Daddy and I love you.