Christmas with the Duttons!

Christmas with the Murrays!!!

Christmas 2009

Pryce with Santa 2009

Luke and I took Pryce to the Choo-Choo to get his picture made with Santa. We weren't sure how it would go (and were more concerned as the child in front of us pitched a fit), but Pryce was SO good! He just giggled while he sat in Santa's lap. It made me so proud for some reason (I teared up a little).

Pryce's First Christmas Parade!

The big Christmas parade downtown was unfortunately at the same time our Sunday School Christmas party. Turns out I was a little sick and didn't get to do either one. So, on Sunday, we took Pryce to the Ooltewah parade (which wasn't exactly the same as the downtown parade...it was mostly advertisements for local businesses and lots of Brownie and Scout troops). It started with police motorcycles and lots of sirens, and Pryce got scared when he heard them and cried. I hope we'll be able to see the downtown parade next year!!!

Roll Tide!

This hasn't been quite the way Luke imagined SEC Football season this year. No doubt we are glad Alabama is up for the National Championship, but we haven't exactly watched every bit of every game this year. Luke LOVES having Pryce around to watch the games with! Roll Tide!!!

Pryce's First Snow!

Last Saturday (12/5), we woke up at our usual 6:00 am (early for a Saturday) to a nice surprise --- it was snowing! We were so excited that Pryce would get to see his first snow already!!! Still, it was a little too cold to have him out in it for very long, so we bundled him up and went out long enough to take a few pictures. Luke got some great shots of our house and our street in the snow too. We had to put socks on Pryce's hands (he doesn't have any mittens). The snow quickly melted...maybe we'll get more this winter & maybe it won't come on a weekend!

Ready for Work!

Yesterday morning started off great! Pryce slept until after I was out of the shower & then he watched Sesame Street in the bathroom with me while I got ready for work. We usually get ready a few minutes early, which gives Luke and I a little time to play with Pryce before my mom comes over to keep him and we head off to work for the day. Just as Grams (my mom) pulled into the driveway, Pryce sort of coughed a little (I was holding him), and then seemed like he was a little choked. So, Luke came to the rescue, swooped Pryce out of my hands, turned him on his belly (which made Pryce face me) and was patting his back to stop the choking. It was really the perfect storm....out comes what seemed like gallons of puke right onto my hair, my sweater, my pants, my face. It literally was dripping from my hair. Luke tells me just to wipe it out of my hair so we could leave for work....yeah right. I did my best to rinse it out, re-dry my hair, and change clothes before having to head out the door for work. I knew parenthood would be difficult, but I really never thought I'd go to work with puke in my hair!!!

Pryce's 6 month checkup

Pryce had his six month checkup this morning, and was such a trooper with his shots! He got four today, and had already stopped crying while the nurse put his bandaids on! He was 20.8 lbs. and 28" long (he grew 3" since his 4 month appointment)! He was in the 90th percentile for height, 80th percentile for head circumference, and 95th percentile for weight....our little linebacker!!!

We're having so much fun watching Pryce grow and learn new things. Right now he loves the Backyardigans, loves to bounce in his activity jumper, and loves to buzz his lips (I've cleaned more spit off of everything lately!). He's sitting up pretty well and is rolling from his back to his tummy and vice versa.

He's such a good baby, and Luke & I are so very fortunate! Our cup runneth over...

Halloween 2009

Pryce was a monkey for Halloween. I think Luke and I had a better time than he did (he kept getting woken up from his naps....and was just a little cranky). We went to mom & dad's house to 'trick-or-treat' and they gave him a book and a snack ball (since he can't eat candy yet). Then, we went to dinner, stopped by Kacy & Nick's, and headed home. We got home a little later (8:00), so we pretty much put Pryce straight to bed. Can't wait until next year!

Pryce - 6 months

Pryce continues to grow faster than we even realize. It's amazing how quickly he can make our day with a little giggle or grin --- we're so fortunate to have such a happy baby! He's basically a pro at eating now. We have gotten through the vegetables and are on to fruit. He hated squash, loved carrots, sweet potatoes, green beans, and even tolerated green peas! We did prunes last week (I figured it would be the worst of the fruits, so we did them first), and have determined that they will be on reserve should he ever needed them (we've cleaned up more poop than we could even imagine)! We're having a blast & are loving every minute!

Playing with Parker Allen

Our great friends Robbie, Stephanie, and Parker came through Chattanooga this weekend & stayed with us on Friday night. It was great to see them again (we last visited them around 6 weeks ago). Parker and Pryce had fun playing in the crib this morning together. We are so blessed with such great friends & are so glad they came to visit!!!!

Sick Baby

Around 2:30 am on Wednesday morning, I woke to feed Pryce & was really hot. Turned out I had a fever of 101.3. Luke and Pryce headed for the guest room, I took Tylenol & headed back to bed. The next morning I didn't have fever and felt fine, so I went ahead to work for a meeting that morning. I left after the meeting & went to the doctor. Tested negative for flu, and left with a prescription for some antibiotics to treat a viral infection. Pryce went to my mom's on Wednesday & Thursday, and he and Luke slept in the guest room both nights. Since I didn't have a fever on Thursday, things were back to normal. On 5:00 am Friday morning, Luke woke and discovered Pryce was burning up. He had a 101.3 fever. Mom and I took Pryce to the pediatrician's office at 10:30 (fever still high) where he tested positive for H1N1. We just couldn't believe it!!! For a 5 month old that doesn't go to daycare, is rarely out and about, and we're always so conscious of washing hands, etc. We sure could use some prayers!!!! Pryce hasn't had a fever since around 8:30pm Friday night. He's such a good baby.....smiling even when he's sick! We're praying he continues to make a speedy recovery!

There's a First for Everything!

Luke, Pryce, and I ventured to Madison to spend part of the weekend with our dear friends Robbie, Stephanie, and Parker! It was so great to get together with them even if it doesn't look like Parker was very excited. Pryce reached & found Parker's hand when we were taking their pictures, and it was so sweet! It was Pryce's first football game (Alabama vs. VA Tech) & he made it all the way through the first quarter before falling asleep!

Pryce took his first dip in the swimming pool (well, we dipped his toes). Took some pictures in his little swim trunks.

Another first --- eating well from the spoon! Pryce had his 4 month checkup (which unfortunately also meant more shots). He weighed in at 17.9lbs and is 25" long. He didn't cry much when he got his shots...just fell hard to sleep for a while. The pediatrician has told us to thicken up the rice cereal, and Pryce seems to LOVE it! If he does good with that for 2 weeks, we'll start him on yellow veggies!!! I can't believe he's old enough to be eating baby food --- my how the time flies!

Pryce - 4 months

Pryce makes us laugh every day! He is starting to make sounds, and we come up with our own translations. My mom thinks everything he says is 'Grams'; I think it's 'Mommy'. This past Sunday night was the first night Luke and I truly felt like we didn't really get any sleep. Amazing how that passy jumps out so often during the night!!!! The next morning he fell asleep slumped over (see above) in the chair with Luke (they watch TV together every morning before work).

Pryce - 4 months

Pryce started solids today! We started out trying the spoon, but he just wasn't sure about it. We ended up finishing it out in a bottle. Then, we went to eat with his Grams & Granddaddy, and went up to the top of Raccoon Mountain. The weather was gorgeous today!

Pryce - 15 weeks