Bodhi's First Christmas

After finding a few new Christmas outfits, we were all ready for the big days! Here is what we did:
On Christmas Eve, we started off by running a few errands. From going grocery shopping (Dad and Bodhi stayed in the car while Mom ran in quickly) to visiting friends (Dan's Flying buddy, Rainer, and his wife, Nancy, finally got to meet the little guy), we had a whole bunch to do! Then, we went to the 4 p.m. church service, with Grandma and Grandpa Meyer. Many people commented on how sweet/beautiful/handsome Bodhi is, and we couldn't agree more--what a blessing he has been to our lives! Before the service was over, both Mom and Dad were a little sappy (Mom cried during "Away in a Manger")! After church, we went over to Marilyn and Dave's to celebrate with the Linde's, along with Karlin, Lee, and Duncan. We ate a great meal (Elk meatballs, mashed potatoes, green beans, and croissants, along with Marilyn's Scandinavian homemade goodies (lefse and rosettes) and Karlin's homemade cherry pie. We opened gifts, then took some fun family photos; Bodhi was a little tuckered out--he slept through almost all of this! Then, we stopped by Great Grandma and Grandpa Meyer's, where Bodhi got to meet Uncle Dave and Aunt Linda, along with Uncle Don. On Christmas Day, we went over to Uncle Tom and Aunt Joni's house, along with Great Grandma Meyer; Grandma and Grandpa Meyer; the Spencers (Brooke, Matt, Gavin, Owen, and Hayden); Heidi and Jeremy; Jeff, Susie, Baxter, and Sophie; the Websters (Tammy, Nick, and Zack); Dave, Linda, and Mike; and Don. After eating a wonderful lunch (we had a choice of a fried turkey (courtesy of Jeremy) or a grilled turkey (courtesy of Matt), veggies (like mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, brussel sprouts, sauerkraut, and fresh veggies), salads, and yummy breads and desserts (lemon poppyseed, pumpkin, kuchen, pies), we had the gadgets and games gift exchange; we ended up with a George Foreman Grill--very nice! It was great to chat with Brooke and get some great parenting tips--thanks, Brooke! After heating up some leftovers for dinner, we headed out to Grandma and Grandpa Meyer's to open up some presents, then we went home for some much needed R & R!

Top 5 ways...

...I'm like my daddy:
5. My appetite (hey, a growing boy has got to eat, right?)
4. How I love to always be moving (even though when daddy does this, it can sometimes drive mommy crazy!)
3. My love of baths (after the first one, I really seem to enjoy the water!)
2. Tall (or maybe long?), dark, and handsome :)
1. How I love my mommy so much!

...I'm like my mommy:
5. How much I love naps!
4. How I love being around people and checking everything out!
3. How I love cuddling, and being held and hugged
2. How I smile all of the time (even though it's supposedly because of gas)
1. How I love my daddy so much!

Baby Dan

Here I am at 1 hour old. Maybe we look a little alike. With my mother passed I do not have a lot of info to share about me as a baby. Its hard to here all the stories about the other kids my age when I do not have much to add. I was eating cereal at day 3 and check out those hands. My dad says I was a very pleasant baby. I think he has some selective memory loss cause I am such a good kid now

Cobbler fan!

Last night, Bodhi went to his first basketball game. He cheered for his cousin, Zach, who plays for the freshmen Red Cobblers team. We sat in the stands at General Beadle with Grandma Karen, Grandpa Roger, Aunt Tammy, Great Grandma Charlotte, Great Grandpa Nick, and cousins Nick, Mike, Val, and Taten. Central defeated Spearfish, and Bodhi did a great job of cheering on the Cobblers--that could be him on the court some day!

Certificate of Birth

We received Bodhi's birth certificate in the mail yesterday, only there was one slight problem--they spelled his name incorrectly! Instead of Bodhi, they write Bophi for his first name--yikes! After making a phone call to the Vital Records office in Pierre, though, I think we got everything straightened out...we should be able to get a birth certificate with the correct name on it on Friday! Good thing--I don't think Bophi really fits him!

Swingin' away

Oh so sweet! Bodhi took a little time to relax today, after losing his umbilical cord stump. Now he can take a real bath--no more sponge baths!

McDonalds

Bodhi has already made a trip to Mc Ds .

Here he is ready for the trip. Heather reminded him many times that this will Not be his favorite place to dine.

A week With Bodhi

Dan Says: Wow what a week. Now I dream of sleep while I sleep. Is that normal? I cannot believe that Header and I are parents. It hits me at odd times. Last night we tried to drive home from Gma's house and it was a full on blizzard. I was in full panic mode because of my two very precious passengers. I have never had the deep feeling of responsibility that I had last night.
Heather's new favorite past time is watching Bodhi sleep. He is a little angel while he sleeps. He needs to try some more sleeping at night! The time has flown by and I cannot remember when I have smiled so much in so little time. Xmas is right around the corner and I hope everybody can give Bodhi a hug for a present. Heather did let me go Elk hunting last Sunday with my father and Marilyn. Thanks Dear!

Heather Says: Being a mom is absolutely incredible! Just like everybody says--you never know how much you can love someone until you have a child--how true this is! We've had quite a few doctor's appointments since we've been released from the hospital, mostly just to check on his biliruben count. It was 20 at the highest; last time we went in, it was down to 14. Fortunately, we don't have to use the bili blanket any more; as long as he continues to eat (Dan already says that Bodhi's eating us out of house and home, and I am constantly reminding him that we're feeding him breastmilk), pee (this is what caused us to spend an extra 10 hours in the hospital--Bodhi wouldn't pee after his circumcision until we took him down for an ultrasound on his bladder--sorry about the mess, ultrasound tech!), and poop (you've gotta love dirty diapers--dad is slowly adjusting to not minding changing them), it should take care of itself! He's almost back up to his birth weight (10 lbs., 4 oz.); at our last appointment, he was 9 lbs. 11 oz.--mommy's not-so-little boy! Yes, Bodhi does like to sleep during the day, but I remind everyone that it's hard work being so gosh darn cute! He doesn't like to sleep at night, unless he's in bed with us. We're still trying to figure out what to do to help him sleep for longer stretches at night, instead of waking up at least every hour. When he is awake, Bodhi is very alert, checking out everything around him. He loves to go in his swing, be held by all of those who love him, listen to music (especially 80s punk rock, as his dad says, and his mom's singing), and read books. His big canine brothers (Gary and Chuck) are slowly adjusting to having him around the house. They love to smell him and try to get away with giving him kisses whenever they have the chance. I know that they'll love having him around as he gets older and can throw treats to them! We're moving out of the newborn clothes (which I never thought would fit him, because he was measuring over 9 lbs. at 35 weeks; they were never quite long enough for his tall frame) on to 0-3 months, and out of the newborn diapers to size 1. He's already got great control of his head, lifting it up and moving, it around, and his arms are very strong! When he's hungry, he does the hip hop hurray dance (you'll have to google this song if you're not familiar with old school hip hop), and his cries start out sounding like bird squaks. I absolutely love spending every minute with him, and I feel so fortunate that I have 8 weeks off to spend with him!