MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

This year was really special because it was Ryan's first Christmas! Adam and I really enjoyed seeing Ryan with all of his presents. We were very blessed to have such wonderful friends and family who gave Ryan so much! We couldn't have asked for more. Thank you to Everyone!!!

We usually start celebrating the holiday on Christmas Eve when we go to my Aunt's house to exchange gifts with my cousins. Unfortunately, I had to work one of my very long, 16 hour shifts on Christmas Eve so I didn't get home from work until midnight. Adam and Ryan went to Adam's parents for the evening and relaxed.

Christmas morning, we woke up and opened the gifts that we got each other. Ryan had gifts from us and Santa Claus. Adam and I did most of the unwrapping because Ryan still really doesn't know what's going on. Most people were telling us that their children were more interested in the paper and boxes rather than the toys, but Ryan really enjoyed his baby grand piano that he got from Santa.

Then, we went to my parents house for lunch and exchanged gifts with them. Ryan got so many toys and clothes it was unbelieveable. I think that more than half of the gifts under my parents tree were for Ryan. It was Great! Later, we went to Adam's grandparents for dinner. They had great food and, of course, more gifts for Ryan!

The next day, we went to have lunch at Adam's parents house so we could have a small Christmas with them. They gave us Ryan's next step carseat which was very helpful. Overall, we had a great CHristmas and we hope that yours was very special too!

Yay for Black Friday!!!

I can't even explain how much I loved shopping on Black Friday this year! My Cousins and Aunts made it so much fun and I love spending time with them on this day! This year was extra special because it was the first year that we had shirts made for our speical day. My cousin Kim designed shirts for us to wear. The front said "A Pease Tradition since 1984," and the back said "We'll shop until YOU Drop!" I'll have to admit that we looked awesome! We were the best dressed family in T-shirts and jeans that were out shopping that day!

I woke up around 3am, got ready and picked up my sister by 3:45am to meet my cousins at 4am. We went to Walmart first and waited in line for a short time when we realized that there was no way we'd bet the deals because there were just too many people. We went to target next, which opened at 6am, and we were towards the front of the line. Once we got through the doors, my sister, my cousins and I all ran to the toy and electronic section to get the good deals! All of us made out really well saving a bundle of money!!!

We went to Toys R Us, the Marley Station Mall, Walgreens, Michaels, Marshalls, and Kohls. In between shopping at these stores, we met my Nanny for lunch at the Olive Tree and we went to Happy Hour at Glory Days and Bill Batemans. We had a blast! I ended up getting home around 10:30pm, which totals about 18 hours of shopping! It was such a fun, but exhausting day!

I saved a ton of money and I had a FABULOUS time with my family, which made shopping in the craziness of Black Friday all worth it!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope everyone had a fun, enjoyable holiday. I really enjoyed spending time with all of my family. Adam, Ryan and I got ready and did a little cooking in the morning before heading to my parents house around 2pm for dinner with my dad's side of the family. We had great food! It seemed like everything was cooked just perfectly! We ate, watched a few football games, socialized, and ate some more!

Then around 5:30pm, we headed over to Adam's grandparents house for round 2. However, we were both so stuffed from our first meal that we really didn't eat anything but a piece of pie. I truly was thankful for the family we have, that loves us and that we can spend time with. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

9 Month Check-up

Ryan had his 9 month check-up at Dr. Gordan's office last Friday. He weighs 21 lbs. 10 oz. and is 29.5 inches long. He is still in the 90th percentile for his height and has dropped to the 75th percentile for his weight. His head circumference is 46.5 cms, which is in the 75th percentile.

Ryan just recently started crawling all over the place using his hands and knees. He had been doing an army crawl for about 2 weeks now. Today was the first day that Ryan pulled himself up from a sitting to a standing position on his own. He loves to move around, look at and touch things around the house. We really can't leave him alone anymore. He stands up and walks around the living room, as long as both hands are holding on to some piece of furniture. He seems to be loving his mobile, carefree life!!!

Ryan is still eating about 4, 8 oz. bottles of formula a day and will eat baby food at least twice a day. He doesn't really have a favorite, but we know he hates peas! He has also been doing really well eating small things like cheerios, which dissolve quickly. It's so cute to watch him use his little pincher fingers to pick up each individual cheerio! He is sleeping through the night consistently. His bedtime is around 8:30pm and he usually wakes up anywhere between 8 and 9am.

Ryan has been so fun and enjoyable to watch. He's growing up so fast, it's hard to believe we will be planning a 1 year birthday party in about 2 months!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Halloween was definitely different this year. Usually, we sit at home and watch all the little kids in their costumes come to our house. This year, we were the people knocking on doors saying, "Trick or Treat!" We didn't exactly go Trick or Treating, but we did get Ryan dressed up and we visited some close friends and family.

This was Ryan's first Halloween and he seemed to think we were crazy for putting him in this costume. Ryan was a SKUNK! He was the cutest skunk I've ever seen! Ryan looks a little confused and mad in the pictures, but he was just adoreable. His friend Carter, who is 4 months younger, also dressed up as a skunk. We had a great time and I hope you also had a safe and Happy Halloween!

Ryan Update!

Our lives are slowing down a little after all the excitement that happened in September. We've been able to rest and relax, and we've been enjoying watching Ryan grow. Ryan is getting so big, so fast! He will be 8 months on Sunday, the 19th. It's hard to believe that in just a couple of months we will be planning his 1st birthday party!

Ryan is getting his 5th tooth in! Unfortunately, we are still working with him on sleeping through the night. When he's teething, he seems to wake up once and then go back to sleep almost immediately. When he's not teething, he will usually go several weeks without waking up during the night. We are looking forward to the time when Ryan has all his teeth! He's been eating one fruit, one vegetable and still drinking about 3, 8 oz. bottles of formula a day. He will feed himself the bottle if we place his hands around the bottle for him. We like that!

Ryan started talking a little more. He says "da da!" He hasn't learned to crawl or walk yet. He will just spin around in a circle if he's laying on his belly. It's still nice that we can put him in one spot and we know he's gonna stay there. We aren't too concerned that Ryan isn't crawling yet.

Here are a few pictures that have been takeng recently. Check back in to see more!

Welcome Clare Susan Protani!

This past Friday, I got a call saying that my cousin Elizabeth was headed to the hospital to have her baby. They started the induction process Friday morning and little Clare Susan made her way into the world around 6:45am Saturday. She weighed 7lbs., 7 oz. and was 20.4 inches long. Mommy and baby were both doing well and they were able to come home from the hospital on Sunday. They are now enjoying their new, little addition to their family! Congratulations Nick and Elizabeth! We Love you!

Wedding Weekend Extravaganza!!!

This weekend, we went to Pintail Point in Queenstown to celebrate the Marshall wedding. Friday morning, Adam woke up early to go golfing with the groomsman and some of John's other friends and family. I arrived later that day in time to get ready for the rehearsal dinner. Friday night, we ran through the wedding walk with the bridesmaids and groomsman and then sat down for a delicious, catered meal! Later, we hung out at the hotel with the bride, groom and wedding party. We had a ball!

Saturday was the day of the wedding! The guys got up early to go clay shooting and the girls met at 11am to get our hair and makeup done. I'll have to say that every girl looked beautiful! The wedding started at 5pm and it was lovely. The ceremony site overlooked the water and the weather cooperated.

The reception soon followed and it was a lot of fun! We were all there to celebrate and we sure did! John and Tracy took dance lessons together before the wedding, so their first dance was choreographed. It was very elegant! They danced to At Last and did an amazing job. I honestly didn't know that John had it in him, but he showed up every guy on that dance floor!!! We ate dinner and the crab cake and filet mignon dinner were delicious! They had a live band so we all danced the night away! Adam even danced! I couldn't believe it! We had a great time!

After the reception, the wedding party and some friends and family went to the Jetty Dock Bar to continue the night. We had our last hoo-rah with the bride and groom before they headed to the airport! We are so happy for you and we want to say CONGRATULATIONS MR. AND MRS. MARSHALL!!!

Bachelor/Bachelorette Party!

This upcoming weekend, both Adam and I are in our good friend's wedding. John and Tracy will be tying the knot at Pintail Point on the Eastern Shore. So, of course, with every wedding there comes a bachelor and bachelorette party! This past weekend, Adam and I were celebrating John and Tracy's last big night out as single people! The guys played paintball early Saturday morning, had a cookout and then took the party to Georgetown. The girls first went to have dinner in Annapolis and then took the limo to Baltimore to finish the evening! We had a great time and are looking forward to the wedding this weekend!!!

Teething Update

Ryan is getting so big, so fast! I can't believe in just 6 months we'll be having his 1st birthday party. He has become very interactive so we have been enjoying him and his new personality lately! We haven't been thrilled about those nights that he's kept us up because he is teething! Ryan got his bottom 2 teeth about 1 month ago. His left top tooth came through about 2 weeks ago and his right top tooth soon followed just a few days later. His sleeping pattern through all this has been very sporadic. Sometimes he wakes up around 4:30am and will then fall back to sleep until 9am after he gets a bottle. Other times he will sleep straight through the night until 7:30 or 8am and want to stay up until nap time. Ryan teething hasn't always been the easiest, but we're enjoying watching him grow more and more each day!

Ocean City, 2008!

We had a relaxing time at Ocean City this past weekend with our closest friends Matt and Alley. Adam and I left early in the morning on Thursday to avoid the Bay Bridge traffic. Matt and Alley joined us early Friday and we all spent the day at the beach. It was Ryan's first time playing in sand and touching the ocean water. He liked it all! We had a great time! We spent Saturday at the pool. Ryan can't get enough of swimming in the pool. He kicks his feet the whole time. He looks like a little Michael Phelps in the water! We really enjoyed ourselves and we can't wait to take Ryan to the ocean again next year.

Happy 1 Year Anniversary!

Adam and I had our 1 year anniversary this past Monday, August 18th. Unfortunately, I had to work 16 hours on Monday, so celebrating was put on hold. Last night, Mrs. Sharon watched Ryan for us so that we could celebrate at the Melting Pot, my favorite restaurant! The dim lighting, quiet atmosphere, excellent food, delicious wine and fantastic dessert made for our first, very romantic anniversary. I'm looking forward to the many anniversaries we will celebrate together!

6 Months Old, Already!

Ryan turned 6 months on August 19th and I can't believe how much he's grown! I've recently been looking at a lot of pictures from my baby shower and the videos that were taken at the hospital when Ryan was born, and it seems like it was yesterday when Ryan first made his appearance. Time has flown by so fast! Adam and I went to Ryan's 6 month checkup with the pediatrician today. Ryan is right on target for what a 6 month old's growth and development should be. Ryan is in the 90th percentile for his height; 27 3/4 inches long! He's in the 75th percentile for his weight, weighing 19 lbs.,5 ozs. And I know everyone's been saying that Ryan has a big head. Well, Ryan is in the 50th percentile for his head circumference. It may look big, but it's actually in proportion to the rest of his body...HaHa! Unfortunately, Ryan had to get 5 shots and 1 oral vaccine today. He handled them like a champ! Ryan is sleeping great! He goes to sleep between 7 and 8 every night and sleeps till 7-8 in the morning. He does have 2 teeth that are coming through. It doesn't feel pleasant when he bites down on your finger anymore. Ryan has been a true joy in our lives and we are so excited to see his growth over the months and years to come!This is a picture of Ryan in the hospital on the first day he was born. It's amazing how quick they grow!

"I've gotten so big! See my Nemo sticker! I was a good boy at the Doctors!" -Ryan

Baby Shower!!!

Earlier this evening, I went to my cousin Elizabeth's baby shower. She's due September 20th and we are all anxiously awaiting for her daughter's arrival. Nick and Elizabeth know they are having a girl, but are keeping the baby's name a secret. We are all so happy for you both and we want to say Congratulations!!!

Ryan: 5 1/2 months

Ryan is getting so big! For those of you who haven't seen him in a while, Ryan is 5 1/2 months now and is in the 75th percentile for his height and weight. We go to the doctor in 2 weeks from today for his 6 month checkup and shots, so I'll update you on exactly what he weighs. Ryan has become very vocal. He talks to himself and others. We love making him laugh! Ryan has started sitting up on his own. He will sit up on his own for maybe 5 minutes before falling over. He looks so grown up! He is also eating baby food now. He's tried green beans, peas, and sweet potatoes and loves them all! Ryan has 2 teeth coming through on the bottom middle mouth. Ryan used to sleep from 8pm until 6am, but since he's been teething, he wakes up around 3:30 every night and then will usually sleep until 7 or 8am. We really can't complain about his sleeping pattern. It really has been very nice! Keep checking in to get more updates on Ryan's development!

Our New BLOG!

Hey Everyone,

I'm excited to say that we have started a blog about our family and events that happen in our lives. I've been pressured by my cousins to start a blog and well, here it is. Also, Adam and I recently realized that we do have a lot of family out of town, that hopefully we'll see before another 20 years pass by, and they may be interested in how we're doing. So this is my attempt at "blogging." ENJOY!