Garrison is 6 months old!

Just a bunch of randoms as Garrison is turning 6 months old! So far the only thing we can't feed him are peaches. Odd allergy huh? The Dr said we can try peaches again in a couple months. We gave him peaches for the first time this past weekend and immediatly afterwards he was so fussy. He just cried and cried and nothing would calm him down. His eyes were a little puffy and after he woke from his nap he had small hives on his face. Poor little guy!! Here is a picture of Garrison snuggling with adam. Notice how red his little cheeks are, he just didnt feel well the rest of the afternoon. No more peaches!!






He sits up really well, he is a little wobbly on his own, but for the most part really impresses us. Its amazing how fast they learn and how time just flies by. I know it sounds so cliche but it really is amazingly true!






I went through his dresser and closet this past weekend and boxed up all the clothes he has outgrown. Some of the outfits he wore the most made me want to cry! They were so tiny! So far I haven't thrown anything away, but I know that I will have to eventually or move into a much larger house! Especially after Christmas, we have no clue where we are going to put all his new gifts! Garrison still hates being on his stomach! Put him up on his feet though and he tries to walk. He already understands the concept of putting one foot in front of the other. We are still having to give him nutramigen as his tummy can't tolerate anything else. Any fruit or vegetable we give him he gobbles up! This past weekend adam was feeding him and turned his head away for a second and Garrison grabbed the spoon and put it in his mouth backwards. Pretty smart kid!! He loves Mum-Mums. The first time we gave him one and it was gone he threw a big fit! I think he just wanted to show us his temper :) I think in a couple months we won't think this is so cute anymore. Last night I gave him a sippy cup with water. He grabbled the handles and pulled the cup to his mouth. I had to help tip it over, but he understood exactly waht the cup was for. A little later he got excited and was flapping the cup around and poked himself in the eye with the cup. It just broke his heart, he made the saddest face and screamed for a couple of minutes. It really is amazing how much he has learned in 6 short months of life. He continues to amaze us daily and fills our home with so much laughter and joy. What a great blessing 2008 brought to the Bal family!

Last Friday we had a Christmas dinner with all the mommies and kiddos. We attempted to get a picture of them together, outside of their high chairs, and that was a disaster. When one kid would sit down, we would have to chase another one down. Needless to say, our only good picture was either them in a highchair or us holding them. :) Maybe in 5 years we will get a good one! Koren is 18 months, Madison is 22 months, and Camdyn is 19 months. We will surely have lots of fun times while our babies are growing up!

Well baby visit

Garrison had his dr appt today. He is 5 1/2 months weighs 16.3 lbs and is 26 1/2 in long. Growing like a weed!! He got his polio vaccine and didn't cry for too long. I just had to distract him after it was done. Usually his shots make him sleep all day long! He is still having problems with his left tear duct, it is blocked. If he hasn't "out grown" it by next month the Dr. will send us to a pediatric eye dr and they may have to probe it. It doesn't bother Garrison but i have to clean his eye all the time and sometimes when he wakes up his eye is matted together. Poor baby. :( The Dr. said he thinks his cheeks doubled in size :) What do you think?? This was Sunday night after his bath





This is his newest toy that he normally likes to play in. This past saturday he did not want me to clean house, he wanted me to hold him....such a little actor already....

Another semester of graduate school complete

One isn't necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can't be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest- Maya Angelo

This past week, I finished my Marketing Management class. Since I had Garrison, I decided to take this semester easy, only attempt 3 hours. To make the adjustment of being a mom, a student, a wife, and an employee. Needless to say I have been exhausted and stressed. Almost every graduate class I have had thus far there is some sort of group project included in our learning. This class proved no different. This was actually a very fun and helpful class but the experience was ruined by my group members, well a couple of them. I think I ended up doing about 50% of the project myself, bc other members of my group felt C quality work was all they were willing to put forth the effort in. Graduate school is a choice. I made the choice to further my education and I actually enjoy the learning process. I don't understand those who join graduate classes only to feel it a burden in their life. My professor agrees with me as it appeared several groups had this problem. I guess I am just excited that this class is over with, that I can focus on the upcoming holidays, but I eagerly await my grade. I will continue workin on my masters degree, adn I'm sure I will have several more experiences like this, but the end result will be worth it....well I hope :)
Hope everyone is getting ready for Christmas, and more importantly remembering what Christmas is all about. XOXO. Les.

Pokeno Girls Christmas 2008

So I have a wonderful group of girlfriends that get together once a month and play a game called Pokeno. It is amazingly fun! All of our husbands or boyfriends of course make fun of us, but we love it!! We got together last Friday and had our Christmas party. Jamie was a great host, we had mexican food and frozen margaritas..yum! Here are some pics from Friday night.

Update on my lil Garrison

Garrison was 5 months old at Thanksgiving. I can't believe how fast time goes. I enjoy every second with my new little family. Garrison can sit unsupported now but after too long he topples over. He talks up a storm too. I am just waiting and of course coaxing him to call me mama!! Several people have heard him say mama and dada although it's still babble, I don't think he really knows what he is saying yet.

4 1/2 month check up

This is lil man chillin at the Dr's office. We took him on Friday and he weighs 14 lbs 13 oz and is 26 in long. He is still in the 90th percentile for height and 50th for weight. He loved the mirror and really thought his own reflection was funny. He was playing on his stomach and tore the paper on the table to pieces and when I tried to make him stop he threw a fit. Uh oh...his temper is already coming through!

cereal time

We are starting to give Garrison cereal every afternoon, he is really getting the hang of it. The first time I tried, he got fussy after a couple minutes, I think because he didn't understand. Now it's another story. He basically attacks the spoon as soon as we get it anywhere near his mouth. He is really messy except I think Adam only adds to the messiness bc he doesn't try to clean up he just keeps giving him more and more. Garrison has such chubby cheeks that sometimes I have to push on his them just to make sure he has swallowed and isn't hording the food in there!





A couple weeks ago, Garrison and I were visiting with my sister at my papa's house. I laid G on the floor and we were letting him play on his back, when he was just about to roll over for the first time onto his stomach. I got really excited and screamed and scared him so he didn't make it all the way over! OOPS!! He didn't try to roll anymore for a couple of days...I guess I taught him that was no good!! Next time I will have to remember to only get excited AFTER he has achieved a milestone. He is 18 weeks now and rolls from from to back and back to front like its nothing! I can't believe he is getting so big! :(

wreck em texas tech!!

Adam and I decided to cook out and have our friends over for the Tech vs. UT game and of course the majority of our friends, in the Dallas area, have jumped on the ever popular UT bandwagon :) We had a fun night with our friends and really enjoyed getting to rub it in that Tech WON!!!!!! We are ranked #2 now and couldn't be more excited!! Garrison's bedtime is 9pm, I have no clue how he slept through all the yelling and screaming going on in the living room, but he didnt wake up once!! So far in his life Tech is undefeated!!! WRECK EM TEXAS TECH!!!! Miami here we come!

Garrison's first Halloween

YES...I am well aware that my blogging skills are not up to par....I will get better!! PROMISE!! Even though Garrison was really too young to enjoy Halloween, I still felt it my parental obligation to dress him up! And since he is too young to suggest a costume, I got to decide all by myself!! Adam of course wanted him to be a pumpkin, but I vetoed this idea! They don't make alot of costumes for baby's unless you want to put them in a sac type costume, so this was a little big on him, but still adorable. Let me introduce....Garrison the Giraffe....

Wylie had a trick or treating event downtown so we went to that with some friends, then over to grandma and grandpa's house for a visit. The next night we took Garrison to his great-grandpa Bob's house and then went to dinner with Aunt JoJo at chilis. These are some pics of Garrison's friends, Superman and Miss Butterfly.

14 week check up

Friday we went for Garrison's well baby visit, he is 14 weeks old! He weighs 13.2 lbs and is 25 3/4 inches long. His weight is in the 50th percentile and his length is in the 90th percentile. The Dr. said well he looks just like his daddy....like I haven't heard that a hundred times already!! :) Guess that just means we get to try for another one who can look like a mama...not anytime soon of course! I do have one friend, Jordan, who keeps saying he looks like me....she must be buttering me up! Love ya girl! Poor baby got two shots and he was not a happy camper on Saturday!

So funny story about adam....Adam loves being home with garrison during the day. He really enjoys his alone time with Garrison. However, from time to time I have to remind adam certain tasks of parenthood. For example, Adam picks me up from work and we are on our way to the Dr. We are talking and what not and so I ask Adam what he dressed G in for the Dr. He says oh I didn't have time to change him. Which means for our 11am Dr. appt, our son, is still in his footed pajamas!! I say it's ok, I think I have an outfit in the diaper bag, I will just change him real quick when we get there. I look at Adam who has this silly grin on his face. He says I forgot the diaper bag. OMGosh I could just die. We are taking our son to the Dr in his pj's and with no diaper bag. The Dr will take the diaper off when they weigh him, so now we have to put the same diaper back on! All I could do was pray he didn't have a dirty diaper. I really debated just waiting in the car and not going in with them!! HAHA...Adam goes "So I guess this will be on your blog, huh?" Well of course!!

just plain sad

Today we laid my Papa to rest. He passed away sunday morning, 10-5-2008. I'm sad, my heart just hurts. How do you say goodbye to someone who has been in your life since you were born. Someone who you cherish, someone who was perfect. I was with papa saturday afternoon until about 930pm at the hospital. I knew he was ready to go, he was in pain and suffering. I actually prayed for the Lord just to take him and end his pain. He answered my prayer and my papa went quietly in his sleep with my dad by his side. Im sad that Garrison will never know how wonderful he was. Every picture we looked through of us growing up my papa had two or three or four grandkids piled in his lap...reading us a book...feeding a babydoll....or just loving us. I guess Bryan has our papa now, but I wasn't finished with him here. I know that is selfish but I miss my papa. I miss you papa and until we meet again my heart will ache

3 months old!!! Oh my!

i cant believe our little man is already 3 months old!!
he loves to chill in his bumbo
Here is our first time to try out cereal. It was more like milk than cereal, bc I just wanted to see how he would do with it. He got the hang of it quickly, bc he started opening his mouth when he saw the spoon coming. It did confuse him though bc after about 5 "bites" he got fussy. We will try it with a thicker consistency one day this week.
Everyone comments on his LONG eyelashes, so this picture really shows them. He has mama's eyes.....what a stud! :)
im so hood
looks like he has a tooth in this picture but that is just a reflection off of a spit bubble....he loves to blow bubbles and is infatuated with his tongue!

We will miss you tamina!!

The Bal household is sad as one of our best friends has decided to move to houston to be with her boyfriend. While we are extremely happy for Tamina, I am still a little sad that she will be so far away! We had a little get together at Becky and Keiths and also all went to dinner before she left. Good Luck Tamina and we already miss you!!

Update on my Papa

Two weeks ago my papa fell getting out of his truck, luckily he was with my uncle Larry, and not alone. He broke his hip and had to have a rod and two pins put in. They were worried about how well he would do through the surgery but he made it through. The Dr. was really pleased. There were so many friends and family with us through his surgery, it was very emotional. After the surgery, the Dr. came in to talk to us, and couldn't believe how many people were there. He said we really packed the house and it was the biggest crowd he had seen! Of course, anyone who knows him, knows how stubborn he is and he refused to stay in bed or ask for help. They transfered him to rehab but he is now back in the hospital. He is very dehyrdated and lethargic. He is just not himself and very confused at times. He wont eat or drink anything except corn bread and buttermilk. :) Please pray for a full recovery for him as he has a long road ahead. Papa seems to really enjoy it when I take Garrison up there for visits. He just waves to him and says Hi Big Boy! It is cute.

My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. (Psalm 62:1-2)

Family and Friends at the hospital

JoJo
Cheryl
Natalie and Jason made it in from Lbk
Jen
Grandpa and Garrison
Tamina
Grandma and Garrison

LOL...yes Laci holds Garrison now!

Krystal

Uncle Cody with Garrison

Cody and his girlfriend, Whitney

Cindy and the Janaks came for a visit

Aunt Amy

right before I was due...my mom liked to sneak pictures of my HUGE belly

I'll get better at this I PROMISE!!!

9 weeks old
9 weeks old, going out to meet tamina

who me?!

Garrison and his great grandpa, 4 weeks

long and skinny

i dont like bath time!!

Mr. Dimples

First bath. He hated his bath at first, but now he enjoys it and splashes around

this is my fav pic! 10 weeks!

10 weeks

10 weeks

so far I have been a really BAD blogger!! Garrison is 11 weeks old and I am just now getting his pictures on here!! At his 10 wk dr appt, he weighed 11 lbs, 8 oz and was 23 1/4 in long. He is a healthy boy!! He looks just like his daddy, as you can see! Garrison is a very easy and laid back baby. He is sleeping in his own room and crib now and sleeps so well. He goes down around 930pm and wakes anytime betwen 3am-6am for a feeding, and then goes back to bed. Usually I can get him to stay asleep til 9-10am!! He loves to sleep! We are lucky :) At 4 weeks, he started smiling at me. At first I thought it was gas smiles but he would smile the most when i would make a face back at him. Adorable!! He holds his head up on his own and loves to be standing on his feet!! He hates tummy time, so i have a feeling he may hate to crawl but will walk early. We are really enjoying him!! He has already been to a game and watched mommy play softball!