Thanks for the Memories 2009

My dear sweet baby A.J.,

In just a couple of hours, the clock will strike midnight and we will say goodbye to the year 2009, welcoming in 2010. You, thankfully, have been asleep for a few hours now and with any luck will not wake up until the new year is at least 6 hours old. Before you went to sleep for the night, I made your daddy take this picture. Our standard self portrait, the last picture of our family taken in 2009. The grown ups look scruffy (we're on vacation after all), the baby looks dazed, and you can see that taking down the Christmas tree is still on the to do list. This is us, right this very minute. And I would not change a thing.

I'm not sure I've ever loved a year the way I loved 2009. The first six months were full of challenges and anticipation. Daddy and I went on our last vacation just the two of us (for a while anyway). I got my gestational diabetes diagnosis and learned how to give myself insulin several times a day (good thing you helped me get over my fear of needles). We spent lots of time picking out the things we would need for your arrival. We took the hospital childbirth class and tried not to worry that we would forget the important stuff when it was time for your arrival. We celebrated the birth of babies that will hopefully grow up to be your good friends (Miri, Nash, Charlie, and Charlie). Mama turned 30.

And then June came. You arrived and our world changed more than we could have ever imagined. We weren't quite sure what to do with you when they first sent us home from the hospital, but thankfully we are quick learners. You threw us a couple of curve balls there in the beginning with the jaundice (you spent a couple of days on the baby tanning bed) and then the seizures (you looked so tiny in that hospital crib). Your first week felt like it lasted a month, and there were moments that I wasn't sure I was smart enough or strong enough to be your mama. I know you won't remember those early days, but I will never forget them.

Now, you are approaching seven months old. You sleep in your own bed. You're experimenting with big people food, putting those two teeth of yours to work. You are so close to crawling and sitting up all by yourself. You smile and laugh all the time and I am so proud to be your Mama especially when someone comments on what a happy baby you are.

You are always up for an adventure and I can just imagine all of the adventures 2010 has in store for us. This time next year you'll be walking and talking (at least a little bit) and you'll have a new cousin to teach all sorts of tricks. I'll probably be here writing you another letter talking about how much I loved the past 365 days. And I'm sure I'll make Daddy take another silly picture of us just the way we are.

Happy 1st New Year baby boy!
All my love,
Mama

The first of many family Christmas self portraits

Rest assured, there are plenty of "real" pictures of us together. But this one is just us. Our crazy little family of three with our signature self portrait.

Wishing all of you a happy, safe, merry day of family friends and love.
Happy Birthday Baby Jesus!

Our Santa Baby

We have no doubt that A.J. will not remember any of this year's Christmas activities. But we also know this is a year we will never forget. A year to continue old traditions with the next generation. A year of firsts for all of us. A year to be thankful.

Santa came early for the Homburgs.

World Tour Wrap Up

Hello All! A.J. here!

I'm happy to report we all survived my big world tour over Thanksgiving.

It was a little touch and go towards the end (whose idea was it to put me in the car for TWELVE HOURS in one day?) but we all had a great time visiting!

Here are a few pictorial highlights from the trip (see that big word I used there? Mama helped me out!)

Tennessee:

Mama and Daddy took me to Panera where they would not let me have a bagel, but they did let me cuddle with Miss Janelle. She is one of Mama and Daddy's former brides and one of Mama's good friends. I like her very much because she is a good snuggler and she has long hair which I enjoyed pulling on very much!
This is Auntie Lee Ann. We stayed with her in her beautiful new condo while we were in Tennessee. I wore my sweater with the penguin in the pocket just for her because she likes them. She was so nice to us. She let Mama and Daddy sleep in her bed, and she let me take a bath in her tub!

I also got to spend some quality time with my girlfriend Allie. She is almost exactly three months younger than me. We actually went to Disney World together when we were still in our Mamas bellies. We go way back! We are already planning our next big adventure together in January 2011 when Allie's Mama is going to run a marathon and a half marathon in two days. My mama thinks that's a little crazy, but it's still a good reason to go to Disney World!
While we were in Knoxville, Mama took me to visit the station she used to work at. She let me sit on the set, but kept repeating over and over "A.J. you do not want to work in television. The pay is terrible and you don't get to have a life. You will be much happier if you grow up to be the pilot of Air Force One." Okay, Mama. Whatever.

This is Miss Erin. Let me tell you a little about Miss Erin. She is crazy, just like my Mama and my daddy. She carries around a BIG camera (again, just like my folks) and she takes lots and lots of pictures. When I first met her I tried to pretend I didn't know how to look at the camera, but I finally gave in and let her take some pictures of me. You can't see them yet because Mama says it's a Christmas secret. I'll spoil part of it for you though...I'm really cute. Pretend to be surprised, okay?
Before we left Knoxville for the next leg of the world tour, I met my new friend Sydney. She's got a few months on me and man is she cool. She has more teeth than me, and as a result she gets to EAT REAL FOOD. I watched her have dinner and I was very jealous. She also gets around much better than me. I'm hoping the next time I see her I can show off some new
skills.

Virginia:
We spent a LONG time in the car on our way to Virginia, but when we got there I was very excited to see my Goofy Grandpa. He made me laugh even though I was a little tired and crabby.

I was also quite happy to find that my great Aunt Lorri spared no expense in her kitchen...including an olympic sized sink! Perfect for taking a bath!
Gradually, over the course of my stay in Virginia, all of these people showed up. Mama says I am related to all of them. I think she's right because they all seemed a little crazy to me.

Michigan
On our way home we stopped in Michigan where I got to see my Grandma and Grandpa Homburg AND I got to meet my great grandma! It was very fun but I was very tired of traveling and also working hard on cutting my second tooth so I wasn't the best company!

Indiana:
Technically we only drove through Indiana, but we stopped for gas in just the right spot so I could see my Auntie Stacy! Please ignore the irate look on my face. I believe Daddy snapped this picture right after Mama made some comment about getting back in the car.

So there you have it! My world tour in a nutshell. Mama says everyone needs to move closer because she can't do another trip like that ever again. I think she's just being overly dramatic. It wasn't *that* bad. I mean I know she went partially deaf from my screaming for 3 hours in the car one day, but I'm sure she'll regain most of her hearing.

On that note, I'm off to get dressed for my big evening with the Ossmann family. Something about presents! See ya!

From Ours to Yours

We have so much to be thankful for this year, our first as a little family of three.
A.J. is thankful for lots of arms to hold him as we celebrate the holiday with extended family.
Mama is thankful that morning sickness won't disrupt Thanksgiving dinner this year.
Daddy is thankful he can watch the Lions play the Packers because the Amidons have Directv at the farm.

From our little family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving!

November is a busy month

Hi Guys! A.J. here!

I may only be 5 months old, but I'm already learning that the holiday season means things are really really busy. We're only half way through November and I've already been very busy. Here's a peek at what I've been up to:

Visiting Miss Sara: Mama and I drove down to Brown Deer to celebrate Miss Sara's new engagement. Mama is always telling me what a funny funny girl Miss Sara is so the moment I saw her I decided to show off my ability to giggle. I think the giggling made up for the fact that I made a really stinky diaper at her house!

Showing off my new tricks for Grandpa Mark: The last time he saw me, I was only a week old and, honestly, a pretty boring kid. I mean, I tried to stir up some drama with my visit to Children's Hospital, but when it comes down to it newborns just don't do much to entertain their visitors. Now that I'm 5 months old, it's way cooler to hang out with me (if I do say so myself). I showed Grandpa how I like to sit up, stand, and play in my exersaucer. I also smiled and giggled at him a little bit which I'd like to think makes up for the beard pulling.

Snuggling with Grandma Joan: Mama had her wisdom teeth pulled last week and Grandpa Mark and Grandma Joan's visits timed out so that they were each here to hang out with me while Mama recovered. Grandma Joan and I spent lots of time snuggling while she was here. You see, I started getting a bit fussy a couple of days into her visit. You might be able to guess why by the fist shoved all the way into my mouth in that picture up there. My first pesky tooth decided this was the week it wanted to really try to come in. That tooth made me crabby and tired and fussy. It also made me want to stay up all night to snuggle with my Mama instead of sleeping. Good news though! As of this morning, the tooth is in!! It's not hurting me nearly as much as before, and last night I actually slept 7.5 hours straight which I haven't done in a week!

So, there you have it! I've been a busy boy the past few weeks! And life isn't slowing down any time soon. On Friday we are packing up the car and starting a really big road trip! We're going to visit Mama's old friends in Knoxville before we head to Virginia for Thanksgiving with Mama's family. THEN on the way home from our big adventure, we're going to stop in Michigan to see my Grandma Kristine and Grandpa Fred. It's going to be a crazy couple of weeks but I'm really excited!

Catch ya on the flip side!

Halloween Costume Test Drive

(Alternate title: My mama has lost her mind, please send help!)

Hey folks, A.J. here!

I come to you with a terrible tale of humiliation and torture. You'd never know it by looking at my mama, but she has an evil streak. Sure, she seems like a good parent. She keeps me fed and changed and happy most of the time. But this morning, she showed her true colors.

I present to you Exhibit A:

Do you see this?? Mama says all babies dress up for Halloween. I don't know what "Halloween" is, but why on earth is there a BANANA on my head??
You put a banana on my head and then you want me to smile??? What is wrong with you woman?
Perhaps if I put on my really really cute face you'll take pity on me and get me out of this getup!
No? I have to stay in this thing? And wear it again this weekend? That's it. I've lost the will to live.

Psst...

Hi Guys! A.J. here...

Guess what?

I'm teething.

I'm not quite sure what that means but I do know that it makes my mouth hurt. And it makes me drool a lot. And it makes me prefer cuddling with my mama instead of sleeping.

So Mama says she's sorry that this blog hasn't been updated in a while but she's going to do her best to get some new entries up this week.

In the meantime, here are a couple of pictures to remind you all that I'm still really cute...

Someday We Will Tell Him...

Someday we will tell him why this day is important. We will tell him about the people who went to work one day and died just because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. We will tell him about the police officers and firefighters who went running in while everyone else was running out. We will tell him about the heroes who gave their lives to help strangers.

Someday we will tell him that Mama worked in t.v. back then and talked to congressmen as they were being evacuated from the capitol. We will tell him that there was a lot of work to do in the newsroom and no time for tears even though we were all scared. We will tell him that Mama's coworkers will always be some of her closest friends because of what happened on that day. We will tell him that his Grandpa Mark was in the hospital that night and Mama talked to him on the phone for a long time when she couldn't sleep. We will tell him how quiet it was for a few days when no planes were allowed to fly.

Someday we will tell him how the world was different in the days after 9/11. We will tell him how people from different faiths all came together for candlelight prayer vigils. We will tell him about the flag pins, and the fundraisers, and how the people of East Tennessee raised enough money to buy the Freedom Engine, to replace a ladder truck that was crushed by debris.

Someday we will tell him that a few weeks later our country went to war. We will tell him that brave men and women left their families to go protect our freedom. We will tell him that some of those brave soldiers didn't get to come home. We will tell him that the ones who did come home were thanked and hugged by strangers in the airport. We will tell him about the yellow ribbons and the care packages and the parades.

Someday we will tell him all of these things, but not today. Today we will cuddle him a little closer, and give him a few more kisses. Today we will be thankful for his smile and his laughter. Today we will pray for the wisdom to raise our little boy in this scary world.

Someday we will tell him to never forget.

My First Labor Day Weekend!

Hey everyone! A.J. here...

Being an almost three month old, I didn't really know what Labor Day weekend was all about. Here are a few things I can now tell you about holiday weekends.

It means:

• An extra day at home with Daddy.
• A smaller crowd at the Farmers Market (and no Auntie Barb...so sad)
• Lots of editing for Mama since Daddy was around to hang out with me.

Here are some pictures from my first three day weekend:

Saturday, we went to the Farmers Market without Auntie Barb (SAD!) The market was pretty quiet since a lot of people were out of town for the holiday. I was also bummed that Daddy refused to share his fresh hot donuts with me. They smelled really yummy!

Sunday I had a fun date with my Auntie Trish. Mama and Daddy had an engagement session to shoot, so I spent the morning with Auntie Trish and Lauren. I had so much fun that when I got home I had something to eat and then slept for almost three hours!
Monday was my extra day with Daddy (it came at a good time, since he's going to be on a business trip for most of this week!). Since I'm getting to be such a big boy, we all went to Babies R Us to buy me a special chair so I can learn to sit up! Mama took some pictures while I tried it out:
I'm still a little wobbly, but I'm really excited about looking at the world from the upright position!
Mama also took some other pictures of Daddy and I playing together. Mama says please excuse the piles of laundry on the couch. There was lots of cleaning going on this weekend too!

I bet you didn't know I was SUPER BABY!!!

That's about all I have to share today. Auntie Barb is coming over for dinner since Daddy is out of town. I hear the girls are having stuffed chicken breasts and Greek Salad. I have a feeling they are not planning to share with me. It's rough being the baby!

Love,
A.J.

It's Great to be...

A FLORIDA GATOR!!

Hi Guys, AJ here!

I'm very excited to be wearing my orange and blue on this college color day. Mom says we wil send these pictures in with my college application to be a part of the University of Florida class of 2031. We're hoping this improves my chance of getting a scholarship to help with out of state tuition.

Hey, maybe Tim Tebow will read this blog and send me an autographed football. How cool would that be??

Happy Labor Day weekend. And remember, if you're not a Gator you're.....

GATOR BAIT!!!!
(P.S.- I'm still working on my game face. Mama says I have plenty of time!)

Trying Video

Just a test to see if this works

Thirteen Thursdays

At one week old:


At 12 weeks:

He's a keeper :)

September 2nd: Another Then and Now

Hey guys! AJ here!

Did you like yesterday's pictures? Wasn't it cool to see how much I'm growing? How about another comparison?

Here I am chilling in my playmat when I was just about 6 weeks old:

That was the first smile Mama ever caught with the camera. Six weeks later I am smiling every day...


As you can see, I still love my playmat!

September is here!

Hi guys, AJ here!

Mama says she can't believe it's already September. This is the month I turn three months old! It's also the month of my daddy's birthday AND my first plane trip to Colorado. We are all very excited about the month ahead.

Our first day of September was pretty boring. I spent a lot of time in my swing while Mama tried to get some editing done. While I was swinging, Mama decided to take a picture so everyone can see how much I am growing and changing every day.

Here I am in the swing when I was just about 2 weeks old:

Now, here's what I looked like swinging this afternoon at almost 12 weeks old:

Pretty crazy, huh? I'm really getting to be a big boy. Ignore those scratches on my face please. My fingernails grow quickly and sometimes I scratch myself before Mama gets a chance to trim them!

Okay, time for a quick snack before bed!
Night!

Just Ducky

Hi Peeps! (Peeps...ducks...get it?)

AJ here... Just checking in to let you all know that everything is fine here in the jungle. We're still working on find a routine.

Well, actually, I think our routine is just fine as it is. I wake up, mama feeds me, then we play, then I sleep in her arms, then I wake up when she tries to put me down for a nap, then I eat and play some more. Sounds great right? Mama seems to think she needs to "get things done" and that I need to "nap in my crib" but I'm pretty sure she doesn't know what she's talking about.

I mean really...look at how cute I am all wrapped up in my ducky towel. Why on earth would she want to put me in my crib when I'm clearly quite comfortable sleeping in her arms?

So, if you're checking the blog for updates, or waiting for an email or a phone call from my mama....please be patient. She can only do so much in those 15 minutes I will sit in my bouncy chair.

Love,
AJ

Happy Two Month Birthday Little Monkey

How is it possible that you're only two months old? As I type this with you laying on my chest (which isn't easy by the way) I really can't remember what it felt like without you in our family. I'm pretty sure I slept more, and I know for a fact that I was able to take longer showers, but that's about all I remember.

Even though it feels like you've been with us forever, I remember the day you were born like it was yesterday. I remember when I found out you were a boy, just like I thought. I was so excited to finally have my Anderson James. I remember telling you that I saw you when you were just a follicle! I guess that's one of the perks of the fertility treatments we went through to bring you into the world. I really can say I knew you from the very beginning!

Your daddy made fun of me in those first couple of days because I just kept saying you were amazing. I used that word over and over because it was really the only way to express the way I felt when I looked at you in my arms. Two months later I'd say the label still fits. You amaze me, even at 3 in the morning when I'm changing your diaper with my eyes half open. Your smile makes me forget that I'm tired. Your daddy will tell you that's pretty amazing since I'm normally very grumpy if I don't get enough sleep. You amaze me when you fall asleep laying on me in a position that looks anything but comfortable. You especially amaze me with your uncanny ability to poop right after bath time. :)

In honor of your two month birthday, I thought I would document a few details about your life right now...

At 2 months...

• You weigh 11lbs 13oz (55%)

• You're 23.25inches tall (65%)

• Your head is 40.cm around (72%...big head big brain right)

• You are becoming a great sleeper giving us six straight hours on most nights and sometimes even 8 hours.
  
• You still sleep at night in the pack and play next to our bed. I love having you close, but I won't miss all of your loud sleeping noises when you move to your room.
• You are swaddled by Daddy every night at bedtime. We call him the swaddle master because he does a much better job than mama.
  
• You take one good nap a day in your crib. You go down anywhere between 10:30 and 12:00 and you wake up between 1pm and 3pm.
  
• You catnap during the rest of the day in the carseat or the swing, or your very favorite place....on mama's chest.
• You started smiling at 6 weeks and now you smile every day. You're especially smiling in the mornings, which makes it a little easier for Mama to wake up.
• You love to be in the car, but would prefer it if we could run through stop lights and never had to stop for gas. Sometimes I hear you sigh happily when we accelerate onto the highway. Even at 2 months you have a need for speed.
  
• You get two bottles a day so we can give you your anti seizure medication, but other than that you are exclusively breast fed. Like a typical breast fed baby, you look at anyone holding you as a potential food source and you get a big smile on your face when daddy passes you off to me to eat.
  
• Your opinion on baths seems to be changing. Daddy made the water a little warmer and now you seem pretty content to hang out in the sink for a while. You still hate the getting out and drying off part though.
  
• You spent your first afternoon away from Mama and Daddy on 8/2. You hung out with Auntie Trish so that we could shoot an engagement session.
• 80% of your clothing is monkey related.

Until next month...here are a few pictures from your two month birthday...

We love you little monkey man!