Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! I know-- I'm a little late with this...

2007 was a very stressful, eventful, and blessed year for Robert and I. We lived apart (in two separate states) until the first of June. Then my pregnancy that had been going along so well became very difficult as I became high risk. We were blessed with our beautiful baby boy five weeks early, which was the best moment in our lives as well as the most difficult time of our lives. I have had such a hard time getting past all the pain that I went through when he was in the NICU. Any mother who has experienced this can attest that this is very difficult. I have had so many people tell me to basically get over it because now I have a beautiful, healthy son. I know they mean this with the best intentions, and I really do feel blessed, but it's still emotionally very difficult to "get over."

Anyway, 2007 also brought us great joy, not only with the birth of our son. We also have started a new life together in southern New Hampshire. Our home truly feels like a home, whereas our house in Ohio always just felt temporary. I look forward to a wonderful new year and wish all of our family and friends all the best!

Now for an update on Matthew Anthony-- this is for my mom since I haven't updated this in awhile...

Matthew is 5 months, 9 days old and is changing and growing right before our eyes. He holds his head up so well and rolls over all the time. In fact, we have to check on him when I put him in his crib at night. He seems to roll around in the crib and end up sleeping on his belly. He is also starting to kind of crawl. He looks like a little inchworm, arching his bottom in the air and scooting a few inches. I'm hoping it will be awhile before he starts crawling. I know he will be all over the place. Haha!!

Robert and I are really excited because we have several visitors coming to stay with us in the next few months. Robert's good friend, Mike, is flying in from Ohio next week to come skiing. (I wish his wife, Katie, could come too.) My aunt and uncle who live in Washington, D.C. will be flying in for President's Day weekend. Robert and my aunt are going to go snowboarding. Also, I have booked my flight to go to Tennessee. It will be Matthew's first time flying, and I am extremely nervous!! We don't go until the end of April, so he will be close to 9 months by then.

Here are some recent pictures of Matthew. The first picture is Robert carrying Matthew around in a carrier (Snugli). Matthew loves for daddy to walk around with him in it. I think it's adorable! He has to wear a bib because he drools so much. We think he is teething. The next picture is Matthew playing in his exersaucer. He only likes to play in it for 10 minutes or less at a time, but he's still a little too smalll for it.