Four Months

George is four months today!

It seems like the biggest changes have happened from months 3 to 4.  We've gone from this tummy time:

To this:

We've gone from leaning:

To sitting up:

We are even starting some rice cereal!

George isn't quite sure what to think about eating off of a spoon, but he did like the food part.

The biggest change in the last month is that George sleeps through the night, every night now.  As I type those words, I am silently praying that it won't jinx us for tonight.  But if you have kids, you know what a life-changer it is when your infant sleeps through the night.  

Happy Four Months, George!

Lately...

The holidays are over, and when I was teaching, January and February were always my least favorite months of the year.  But it has been warm enough during some of the recent days to start using our new Zoo Pass!  I've also gotten to practice using my new lens- thanks Mama Zo & Pops!

We had to say goodbye to some of our dear friends, Bradley and Sara.  They are going to the Ukraine to be missionaries, and I know the Lord is going to use them in eternal ways in the lives of the people there.  If you are reading this, take a minute and pray for them.  We are going miss them so much over the next three years, but it is so encouraging to watch people do what the Lord is calling them to do.

 George and one of his many girlfriends, Becca.

Oh, Sara Cordell.  I miss you so much already!

This past Saturday, Clay, George and I drove to Nashville and back in a day.  In my mind, the two trips would be George's two, 2-3 hour naps.  The trip up there was perfect.  He slept the whole way, and even let us have some Baja Burrito!  The trip home was a little trickier, but he was such a trooper!

One of my dear friends, Mandi, is expecting a little girl in the next few weeks.  I was so glad to get to celebrate her as she gets ready to become a mom!

 FRA friends, just missing Evan and Caleb!

George and Rhonda had an immediate love!

I have been itching to get George in the doorway jumper.  I just know he is going to love it so much, but he just hasn't been big enough yet.  So we've gone from this...

To this...

Comparing these pictures makes me realize how much he's grown!  Goodness gracious I love that little face.

Happy New Year!

2011 was one of the best years yet in the Cochran house.  I thought I'd do a little 'year in review' as we get 2012 underway.

January

This time last year, we were ringing in the new year with our dear friends, Claire and Grady.  Just 16 days later we would find out that we were expecting a baby!  What a difference a year makes.

February

We hibernated in the month of February.  Clay was in the thick of his last month of grad school, and I was in a math team haze.  You read that right- math team.  There was a good bit of morning any-time-of-day sickness, and a lot of math team tournaments.  But before we knew it...spring had sprung.

March

We had a girls' weekend in Seaside with the Lee's for Spring Break.  Seaside is truly one of my most favorite places, and I love being able to go a few times a year.  This year my cousins, Anna and Mary Alice were both pregnant, along with me.  So what did three pregnant ladies do at the beach?  Ate a LOT of gelato.

Our family does the annual Rumpshaker 5K in honor of my sweet aunt, Marianne.  Marianne does so much for our family, so it is special to get to honor her.

April

April was a busy month.  We started with a visit to Rome, Georgia where Clay went to school .  I love getting to go to Rome, and I also truly love Clay's friends from college.  We got to celebrate his friends, Bryce and Anna, as they were getting ready to be married!

We also celebrated our nephew, Chase's, first birthday!  We love him so much- and it was such a fun birthday party.

At the end of April, we had a tornado come through our neighborhood.  Thankfully, there were no injuries around us, but the damage was, and still is, extensive.  Our house was spared, but our neighborhood has not looked the same since then.

May

Just after Mother's Day, my sweet grandmother, Mimi, passed away.  She had fought through so much, and she was ready to be with her husband, Jack.  We just celebrated our first Christmas without her, and she was missed by everyone.  I know she had a much better view of the craziness that went on this year than she has in the past few years, so I'm sure she enjoyed it!

  

May was a big month for Clay.  He finished his Master's Degree in Environmental Management from Samford.  I was so proud of him- because it was so much work, and took a lot of sacrifice on his part.

We celebrated our nephew, Rogers' , first birthday.  As I look back at these pictures- I can't believe how much he's changed!  He keeps me in stitches, and Clay and I love him so much.

At the end of May, we went to Charleston for a visit with my college friends.  I miss my friends from college so much, and wish we got to see everyone much, much more.

June

We celebrated our third anniversary with dinner at Highlands.  Every year with Clay just gets better and better.

July

We planned an anniversary/last-trip-before-George getaway to Blackberry Farm.  It was my most favorite vacation we've been on together.  Clay taught me to fly fish, and we ate more calories than I'd ever care to count.  It was such a special time together, and I hope we can go back one day.

August

August can be summed up in one word...HOT.  As mentioned to me by several people (even strangers in the gym...or Edgar's) I became one large pregnant lady.  

We also went to my 10-year High School Reunion.

September

September became a waiting game for George's arrival.  We were so excited when he decided to come!

We didn't really do much else other than try to figure out how to become parents.  I'm not sure much has changed even now, but we are loving every second of it.

October

We took George to pick out his first pumpkin at Murphree's in Cahaba Heights. 

November

We found out that George is going to have another cousin coming in July!

December

I've already posted about Christmas, so now I'll tell you something frivolous we've done with our time.  We have gotten slightly totally sucked into Lost.  I am so thankful (mainly for Clay's sake) that we are just now finding it, and all of the episodes are already out.  I can't imagine waiting week-to-week for a new episode.  Clay will probably be embarrassed that I'm admitting this on the blog, but admitting you have a problem is part of the process, right?

Happy New Year!  I hope 2012 is off to a great start for you.

Christmas Day

  George's Christmas present to us was sleeping until about 8:30am Christmas morning.  

He slept so long that I think he woke up and was afraid he had missed Santa.

  

 We tried to tell him that Santa had come..and then he changed his tune when he saw his present.

 Dad took him for a spin in his new Radio Flyer Wagon!

 A few family pictures before heading out to the Cochran's house. 

The theme of Christmas 2011 on both sides can be summed up in one word: BABIES.  There were a lot of babies to be held, and not a lot of hands left over to take pictures.  I'd say that's a good sign of a blessed family.

 All the Cochran kids and grandkids lined up before presents!

 Hank had a big secret for George.

 There were six kids under the age of 18 months at the Howell Christmas.  They were moving so fast that I only was able to take a picture of the ones who were sitting (or helping others sit).

Here is George's wagon from us, filled with all of his gifts from grandparents, aunts, uncles, Great Aunt Marianne, and everyone in between.  The economy was definitely stimulated by the Cochrans and Howells.  George will grow to love all of these toys in the coming months, and we are so thankful!  

We are most thankful for the love and friendships among our family.  We are thankful to celebrate our Savior's birth with such dear people to us.  

Joy to the World, the Lord is come!

I hope you had a Merry Christmas, too!  

Ours was my most special Christmas yet.

Christmas Eve

Now that Clay and I live in Birmingham, any holiday of the year is spent right here in town.  I love that we get to see our families for every holiday year-round, but especially for Christmas and Christmas Eve.  We started Christmas Eve with a lunch in Springville with the Cochrans.  

 Granny and George after lunch.

 George with his first stuffed Santa- thanks Granny!

After lunch, we came home to re-group and get ready for church for Christmas Eve service.  When we lived out of town, we were never able to go to our church on Christmas Eve.  Cahaba Park is such a blessing to us, and we have loved being able to worship with our community for Christmas.

After church, Clay and I had a spaghetti dinner with my family, Wes, and our neighbor, Grady.  Here's my Happy Birthday, Jesus!  cake.

 When it was almost time for bed, Dad and George went outside to look for Santa.  George says he saw him, but Clay wasn't so sure.  Not sure you could doubt that sweet face, though.

 Time for the first gift of Christmas!

 We read The Night Before Christmas...

and Clay ended it with the Christmas story in Luke 2.