My last blog told you all about our very unwelcome visitor...the flu. That ended about a week and a half before Christmas (Merry Christmas to us!) and we got to enjoy our first Christmas with Spencer and some much needed family time. First up on Christmas Eve we did the Bolt/Burns/Monie/Aunt Nancy Christmas at Mo and Papa's house. We had a GREAT time! Spencer got to see everybody, and got lots of presents. He got so many clothes, which was awesome because he's growing out of everything so fast. He also got tons of toys to play with...and by play, I mean put in his mouth. He also got a new book from cousins Kate and Nancy, which he also puts in his mouth. Ray got a lot of clothes too, and NEW DRESS SHOES!!! YAY!!! The soles of his old ones flapped with every step he took, so the new ones were much needed and MUCH appreciated. He does NOT put those in his mouth. I think I got the best of the night though. I got TWO COATS!!! One from Chuck and Emily, and one from Monie...one yellow and one pink! I was so excited! I asked for both, thinking they would pick one, but they picked both! I could not have been more thrilled. I also got a beautiful dress and some other knick knacks, none of which I put in my mouth. It was GREAT! But better than the gifts was spending time with the family. We had so much fun, and it was great for Spencer to experience that tradition for the first time. By the time we got home he was soooo tired he went right to sleep. It's a good thing too, because the next day held more fun!
Daddy had the camera.
Spencer playing with one of his many new toys!Christmas day was so special. Spencer slept all night and woke up at about 8am. I went and got the camera, and Ray went in and got Spencer and brought him into the living room. We were much more excited than Spencer was at first. Eyes half open and looking like a zombie, Ray brought him to the tree to see all of his gifts. First were the ones from Santa! He got a gumball machine that when you push the handle down, balls roll down the inside and come out of the hole at the bottom, all while playing music. He LOVED it! He didn't want to stop playing with it. And by playing with it, I again mean putting it in his mouth. Next was his phone, which lights up and teaches letters and numbers. He loved this one too, and again, 'played' with it. Then came his presents from Mommy and Daddy, which were wrapped. He started 'playing' with them before they were even unwrapped! His first present was a bunch of links which were PERFECT for the way he likes to 'play' with his toys, yet not so perfect for Mommy who gets to clean up his toys. He also got a 'tool box' with blocks inside in different shapes and matching holes on the top for him to put them through. He hasn't 'played' with that one yet, but it's in our arsenal for when he gets tired of his old toys.
Spencer coming into the living room on his first Christmas!
Face plant!
He likes his phone!
He REALLY likes his phone!
Spencer opening his first present...sort of...After everything was open and we played for a while, we had breakfast, and then Ray had to go to work...I know, BOO! Spencer and I headed over to my parents house to spend Christmas day with them. Much to our delight, Ray ended up getting off early, and we all got to spend most of the day together. That night we had dinner with my family and opened stockings and presents. For Christmas from my parents we all got a super awesome gift, a CRUISE!!! We set sail in March to the Mexican Riviera, and we couldn't be more excited! Spencer also got some clothes, a walker, and one of his favorite toys, a crinkle book. We ate, played games, and had a great time. Christmas was busy and fun, and it went by way too fast, but Spencer loved it. His first Christmas was perfect, and I can't wait until next year!
The cutest little boy in the world playing in his new walker!After Christmas came what we thought was going to be a quiet New Years, but it just so happened that New Years Day was the day my dad came home from the hospital. He went in two days earlier with chest pains. The day after he was admitted they did a heart cath and found some blockages, one of which was 100%. We were blessed that he went in when he did, otherwise he would've suffered a likely fatal heart attack, and that's just not acceptable. Instead, they put in another stint, cleared the blockages, and now he's home and doing just fine. God is SO GOOD!
Soon after my dad came home, my mom decided she wanted some of the attention. She hasn't been feeling well for a while, so they finally decided to do a test on her gall bladder, and discovered that it needed to come out. The surgeon didn't have an opening for a consultation for two weeks, so she was going to have to wait to even SCHEDULE the surgery. By the end of that week, she had declined so rapidly that they decided to squeeze her in for a consultation the following Tuesday. They consulted, and scheduled the surgery for the following Monday, which was yesterday. The surgery went well, and she is now at home recovering.
As for the Bolt house, Spencer FINALLY cut his first tooth! He's been teething for what seems like the entirety of his life, and he finally broke one through his gum! His bottom left tooth made its debut Sunday January 24th after two very long days of screaming and chaos. Late Friday afternoon he started to get super fussy and refused to go to sleep. By nine o'clock, mommy was about to lose her mind. I decided to put out an S.O.S. on Facebook since many of my friends are mommies and daddies and have been through this before, or are going through it now. I got a few suggestions, but the one that worked was to lay him in his crib and turn on the hair dryer. I was skeptical at first because he already has a sound machine that plays white noise, so I didn't think the hairdryer would make any difference, but boy was I wrong. It took a few minutes, but he finally went to sleep. For two straight days, this was the only thing that would calm him enough to let him sleep...that and a Motrin drip. Now that the tooth is through, the screaming is done and life is back to normal, whatever that is!
We've had a rough couple of months, but the next few promise to be much better. First February, which brings a trip to Ohio to see my aunt and uncle. Next is March, which brings our second anniversary (WOW time flies) AND our CRUISE!!! April brings my birthday, and May hopefully brings my new niece or NEPHEW. Spencer wants a boy to play with...no pressure Molls!
2010 promises to be a GREAT year, and I can't wait to see how it unfolds!
