Christmas and now New Years

As you can see from the slideshow we had a wonderful Christmas at Justin's parents. We got to see tons of realtives and eat some super yummy food. Thanks Julie! Clayton got a ton of new toys and is having so much fun playing with all of them. Christmas seems to just fly by.

We are off to Galena tomorrow for New Years!!! Clayton can't wait to see Nana, Papa, Aunt Ellie, Aunt Anna, Uncle David and long lost Uncle Danny! :) I am sure Clayton will be doing some sledding, Justin will be snowboarding and I will be RELAXING! (I have 3 books to read) Yippee!

We hope everyone has a wonderful and safe New Years!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone! We are up bright and early this morning so I thought I would post a couple of pics! Hope everyone has a safe and wonderful day!

Clayton Christmas morning, waiting in the bedroom to go see what Santa brought.

Clayton having a last minute discussion with Santa on Christmas Eve. His shirt says "Dear Santa, I can explain". Thanks Super Aunt Jane.

What a big boy!

Clayton has discovered that it is a lot more fun to sit at the kitchen table in a chair than in his booster seat. He knows he still has to sit there for dinner, but usually before bed he climbs up in a chair and wants a snack. It is sooooo cute. I had to go get my blood sugar checked this morning for my pregnancy and when I came home, he was sitting in the big chair eating breakfast. Oh, time goes to fast. I told Justin next thing we know he will be eating us out of house and home!

Thank you Great-Grandma Willy

Clayton's Great-Grandma Willy had this snowman and wasn't using it anymore. Oh my, Clayton LOVES it! Every morning we have to make sure Mr. Snowman is lit up when he gets out of bed. He can tell you where his nose is, where his hat is, etc. Gotta love the simple things. Thanks great grandma!!!

My New Job-Working at a Prison

Ok, so I am not going to really work at a prison, but I want to. :) Thompson, IL not far from Galena is getting all the terrorist prisoners. After having my mom and dad here for 4 days I would be willing to work there if we were closer to Nana and Papa! I miss you guys already! Not sure how my co-worker felt this morning when I got in the car to carpool to work and I was crying! :) I know she understands though since she is far from her family too. Some days it doesn't bother me, but with the holidays coming and not being with my parents for Christmas, plus my "condition" as my dad calls it, I am a mess.

I didn't do a good job of taking pics while my mom and dad were here, but Clayton had sooooo much fun staying home with them on Monday and Tuesday. So much so that he is reaching for Nana and Papa instead of Mommy and Daddy! They took wagon rides, played with Clayton's new chalkboard, he took naps and rocked with Papa, got anything he wanted from Nana (including her yummy pancakes), and so on. Plus his second favorite dog dog Aunt Ellie was there. I know he is going to be sad when he comes home this evening and everyone is gone. We can't wait to see you guys for New Years and Aunt Anna and Uncle David! Thank you soooooo much for all your help around the house and with Clayton! We love you tons!

The Story of the Christmas Tree

This is the picture story of the Murphy Christmas Tree 2009!

The Christmas Tree came in and Daddy and Clayton checked to make sure it was straight.

Clayton did quality control to make sure the tree was in good shape.

The ornaments came out and Clayton saw a ball, a ball that should be thrown on the floor. Oops!

Keely opens her eyes to say, "Ha, wasn't me"

No mom, I am not making a mess of knots with the beads.

Daddy and Clayton put up their barrel of Jack Daniels ornament from Lynchburg.

Mommy was given until noon, at which time this is what happened to my help when the Bears came on.

Half time! The star goes up.

Not a great pic with the glare, but the Murphy Christmas Tree is up!

(Mommy was busy being OCD about the lights and beads, plus she was still in her pjs, so pics with her have been edited)

Clayton's Friend Kate Turns 1!!!!!

We had tons of fun at the Beelers tonight for Kate's 1st Birthday party. Clayton always loves to go there to play because they have all kinds of fun toys. It was great to see everyone too. Happy Birthday Kate!

So not only was it really cute that Clayton was pulling Kate around the house in the wagon, but also pretty impressive. Clayton is about 9 months older, but only weighs about 2 pounds more than Kate.

Kate and her bike

Not a good pic of Clayton, but this was the tricycle that he got Kate for her birthday.

Christmas Tree O Christmas Tree

We set off today to go cut down a Christmas tree. I thought this would be a fun tradition. We went out to a farm, got our saw and began to search. Ok, so maybe I was delusional or maybe it is ok to go look and then end up buying the pre-cut Fraser fir. :) Yes, we did look, but I am fairly picky when it comes to a tree and am a tree snob that likes Fraser firs! We did have fun, and Clayton liked touching all the tiny trees. In the end, great morning and we have a beautiful Christmas Tree! Now, Clayton is taking a nap and Keely is on her way to the dog park to play!

The Murphys with our Christmas tree! Hey, someone cut it down right!

Clayton and Daddy posing like this was going to be the tree. :)

Clayton searching

Still searching

"Ok mom, lets get the one you like."

Let it Snow!

Ok, so by the look on that face maybe we aren't ready for snow??? Clayton got his snow boots from Lands End in the mail this week and he has been testing them out. It will be so fun for him to play in the snow this year. I am not sure what he will think of it. As I type there a a few flurries coming down so maybe we will know sooner than later.

We had a fantastic Thanksgiving this year in Galena! So much to be thankful for. We got to spend time with Clayton's great grandparents, grandparents, super Aunt and Uncle, second cousins and of course Aunt Anna and Aunt Ellie! Clayton loves Nana and Papas new house. There is so much to get into, like spices and Tupperware! Clayton even got to try out the whirlpool tub. (He was not a fan of the jets going) My mom had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner for us as usual. Dad, started up the fireplace which was a great treat. Anna and I just feel like Galena was and always will be our home! Yes mom, we know, we all need to move North!! :) Love you guys tons and thank you for making the holidays so special!

We have a fun weekend planned, getting our Christmas tree, going to Kate's 1st birthday party and finishing our Christmas decorating. I can't get over that I am 23 weeks today! Our little one is very active! I love feeling little buckeye. Clayton now comes over and pulls my shirt up to give the baby a kiss and hug! Sooooo cute! I guess I should mention he also pokes at the baby, much more the reaction we would expect! :) Hope you all have a great weekend!

P.S. I added some more pics to the Thanksgiving slide show today!

Pictureless Post

So usually I don't post if I don't have a picture, because I know that is what most of my family wants to see. But, I only had my phone when we were out and about this weekend and it is not working at the moment to download pictures. Hopefully I will get that taken care of this week. We had an awesome weekend! We had dinner with some friends on Friday night. We are so lucky that Clayton is very well behaved when we go out. Then on Saturday the weather was great so we went to the park. Clayton got to play on some cool tractor equipment and then we all took a "hike" with Keely. Clayton loved throwing rocks in the creek and we got to see 2 deer run by. I am almost done with Christmas shopping and I got all the Christmas decorations up too. I usually have a rule that nothing can go up before Thanksgiving, partly because I love the fall and I hate that Thanksgiving almost gets overlooked as a holiday. This year it will be nearly impossible for me to make the switch over Thanksgiving weekend so I broke the rule and got it done. I am ready to print our Christmas letter too. I don't know what got into me, I think I feel the need to over achieve while I can. We will have to see how things go next year when I have two little ones. :)

We are headed to Galena on Wednesday for Thanksgiving. We can't wait to see everyone and I am sure we will have lots of yummy food to eat at Nanas! I love the holidays and getting to spend more time with family!

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

P.S. Clayton wanted me to mention that he is proud of his Papa who got a 8-point buck this weekend!!!!! Clayton can't wait to hunt with Great Grandpa, Nana and Papa.

What a difference a year makes!

One year ago on November 6, we took Clayton for his follow-up at Children's Hospital. He was about 7 months old. Today we took him for what could be his last follow up at Children's. It is amazing to see the pictures below. He has grown into such a little man. Everything went great at his check-up and they said his physical and developmental progress is awesome! The occupational therapist said he had very high cognitive abilities. I call that being a stinker and knowing what he wants when he wants it! :) We are so proud of him and how well he is doing. He amazes us everyday! We even got to see one of his nurse practitioners up in the NICU. I still can't say enough about St. Louis Children's Hospital and their staff. To have access to one of the top 5 Children's hospitals in the country was such a blessing. I never wish the experience on anyone, but if your child had to be anywhere that is the place to be.

We have another nice weekend at home planned. We are having dinner with some friends tomorrow night, and then I have a big list of To Dos for Saturday! Including getting outside if it would quit raining for 5 min.

Clayton at SLCH, November 2008

Clayton at SLCH today!

Yikes, I was tired and hungry after all that testing and visiting!

I needed to get some pictures up. Aunt Anna has been bugging me. :) Clayton is just too funny these days. He loves eating with a spoon like a big boy, which you can see leads to more on him than in his mouth!! We also finally switched his car seat to forward facing this week. We were trying to follow the new guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics and keep him rear facing for as long as possible. His legs finally got too long. I have to say it is nice to be able to just turn around and see him and give him what he wants. I think he was a little weirded out the first couple times. Different perspective.

It is incredible that I am already halfway through my pregnancy! Time flies. I know some people think I am crazy, but I do love being pregnant. I love that I can now feel our little one squirming around in my belly. No, I am not going to tell you the sex of the baby! :) Justin, Clayton, Keely and I are the only ones that know. Keely tells me she could be bribed with bones and Clayton says he wants cash if you want to know.

We had a nice relaxing weekend at home and have another weekend at home next week. We were excited to see Stephanie and Craig on their way through for a wedding. Keely got to go to a dog park on Saturday. There is this awesome place out in the country that has a huge piece of land including a pond that is fenced in. There was another Weim there and Keely had sooooo much fun running around. We even got close to getting her to go in the water, but she just went up to her chest and then decided that was enough. We are going to take her again next weekend if the weather permits. I will try to get some pics.
Well, everyone have a great week!

Do I look like trouble?

Using my spoon!

Sitting in my car seat facing forward for the first time!

Fun Fall Day!

So fall does exists! We had a great sunny day in St. Peters. Clayton enjoyed playing in the front yard with all the leaves. I still can't get over how big he is getting. He has such a personality and is jibber jabbing constantly. We had our big midway ultrasound yesterday. I will be 19 weeks this weekend. We were very happy to see our little buckeye movin around and everything is looking great.

We have a fun weekend planned. Clayton and I are going shopping with Megan and Kate tomorrow. Then we are having Justin's family down on Saturday for his birthday! I am sure there will be lots of pics to post! Hope everyone has a good Friday and weekend!

Playing Peek-a-boo with mommy!

The leaves are eating me!

The boys getting the mail.

I think he thought he was going to pick it up.

Go Bears!

After a great weekend with family, we made it home in time to go to BWW and watch the second half of the Bears game. We have been lucky this year and this was the first game we couldn't watch at home. Because if course everyone wanted to watch the Rams, a team that hadn't won a game this year play the Lions who aren't much better! Anyway, we had fun and Clayton got to do his touchdown move a few times! Go Bears!

Clayton doing TOUCHDOWN!

Must have been a tense moment.

Ok mom, no more pictures!

Happy Halloween!

We are enjoying another Halloween in Savoy, IL with my sister and brother-in-law. (Ok he isn't my brother-in-law yet, but I am just going to pretend because I am sick of waiting. Love you David) I think we have started a tradition of coming here for the holiday. Saves us all on buying candy too! Clayton decided he wanted to be a dinosaur/dragon this year. He was sooo cute. Anna, mom, Justin and I all went to the Illinois vs. Michigan game and had a good time. Thanks for the win finally! Anna and mom made yummy soup for dinner and we have just been hanging out. Hopefully there will be some more good football tomorrow when the Bears play! Hope everyone had a happy and safe Halloween!

Trick or Treating at Aunt Anna and Uncle David's

Clayton with Nana and Papa

Clayton with Aunt Anna and Uncle David

Since mommy and daddy don't allow candy yet, he got some fun Halloween treats like a tractor from Nana and Papa and a slinky from mom and dad.

3 Wonderful Years of Marriage +1!

We are having a great fall weekend in Galena! We came up for my Grandma Willy’s 90th Birthday party and to spend time with my parents and Aunt Anna.

It is hard to believe that three years ago this week Justin and I got married here! It was such a wonderful day!! I have always loved the fall, but having our anniversary during this season makes it even more special. I know I have said this before, but I am so lucky to have such a wonderful husband! Justin treated me to a wonderful dinner on Wednesday night and Clayton got to spend time with his St. Louis Grandma, Dianne!

So I have heckled some of my friends who blog about having times that they don’t post anything for awhile. Also known as blog slacking. This seems to be a sign that someone is prego. Well, of course I have been trying to be consistent with my blog in order not to get called out, because I AM PREGO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yep, we kept it a secret for quite awhile and now I am in my 16th week. We are so excited to be adding to our family. I am due April 2. (Do you like how I just slipped this into the post:) I haven’t even been able to talk to everyone, so I thought I would get it out on the blog. Clayton is excited to be a big brother, ok, he has no idea, but I am sure he will be excited. Keely on the other hand has been sleeping more and is already pouting about another addition to the family. :) I am feeling a ton better now that I am out of the first trimester, and can't wait to start feeling the kicks! Hope everyone has a great end to the weekend!

Wonderful Surprise!

What a wonderful surprise! Super Aunt Barb and Super Uncle Dale surprised us on Sunday and stopped by on their way to Mt. Sterling! It was so great to see them. Clayton thought Super Aunt Barb was a little weird at first, but once I explained that she was related to Nana everything made sense. He loved Super Uncle Dale and wanted to go with them to Mt. Sterling and help milk cows. :) We love having visitors!

Here is a pic I got of the three of them! Hope we can make it out to NC sometime soon! Love you both tons!

My 1st Haircut!

Clayton has pretty fine hair like his mommy so he really hasn't needed a haircut even though he is almost 18 months. We trimmed his hair ourselves for Shannon's wedding, but we finally decided he really needed to go somewhere and get it cut. He went to Great Clips where Daddy gets his hair cut. He was sooooo good and sat still the whole time. We were very impressed. After we left we went to the park to play. It is really nice out today. We just wish the weather would have been better this weekend so Clayton could have gone to the football game with us. Not that any child should see the football that Illinois has been playing. J He hung out with Grandma instead. We had a nice weekend in Champaign, but wish Aunt Anna and Uncle David could have been there. I told Justin it might be a good idea to swap houses with people every once in awhile. It is really relaxing when you have a weekend when you can’t really do any “housework”. Anyone interested in this, say in Hawaii????

We hope everyone has a good week. We get to stay home this weekend so we are hoping we have good weather. Plus, Clayton, Kate, Megan and I are going to the Apple Orchard/Pumpkin Patch on Thursday!!! Enjoy the pics below.

Before Pictures

Right before the haircut.

In progress

Clayton on some kind of animal at the park.

Not sure about going down the slide again.