A Big Boy Seat for our Big Boy!!!

Keegan's last Christmas present from me and Drew was a new carseat. He was just getting to long for his current seat so we used the excuse of Christmas to get one. While Drew was assembling the straps and hooks, Keegan of course had to take full advantage of the box that the seat came in-right of passage for children of all ages.

The cutest peek-a-boo eyes ever!!!

Dad did a good job at putting everything together and Keegan fits perfectly. Getting him in and out of the new seat will take some practice, and I look forward to turning him to face forward soon, but I know he's gonna love seeing the world around him.

A Very Merry First Christmas

We had without a doubt, no questions asked, hands down, the BEST first family Christmas EVERRRRR!!!!! From the food to the company to the mass to the presents to more food, it was all wonderful! We truly were all spoiled by our family and friends and Keegan made off like a bandit. He wasn't fully aware of what was going on, but he was certainly having one with all the toys as they were unwrapped and opened and assembled. He got everything from clothes, to new spoons, to toys, to riding and walking mobiles, to books, books and more books (we like books). He even got a rattle from Costa Rica!!! I look forward to the Christmases we have in our future where he (and future children) will run down the stairs/hallway to see the gifts under the tree and the breakfast on the table and the stockings hung with trinkets and goodies overflowing from the rim. I anticipate the excitement on their faces and the memories we'll prove through pictures and videos. My ghosts of Christmases past have served me well, as the spirits of Christmas present make my heart smile and swell as the hopes for adventures of Christmases yet to come make me excited just thinking of them.

I hope you enjoy this small showing of what a wonderful first Christmas our little man had!

"Let me at those presents Ma, I'm ready!!!"

I got new bath toys- I'm soooooooooo excited!!!

Getting some help from Dad...

They finally let me play with something. Thanks Gma & Gpa Case for my first computer station!!

Thanks Santa, and Mom and Dad and grandparents, and aunts and uncles and friends and family for such a wonderful first Christmas. I've got enough toys to last me a year, or at least until my birthday in March, and will be terrorizing my folks for sure as I run around the house on my new bug-mobile! Can't wait to get going....so I'm off.....see ya!!!

Santa & Keegan

Keegan met Santa Claus today!!!

One of the banks downtown has been open the past several Saturdays and had a Santa on hand for people shopping downtown to come visit. For a small donation to the American Cancer Society, you could have your picture taken with Santa, and we were allowed to use OUR camera, something the 'Mall Santa' doesn't approve of.

I was worried that there would be a long line and since we were already pushing into Keegan's naptime, I was only dreading how today might go. But we walked right in, no line, and right up to Santa's Throne. A quick visit and a dozen pictures later, we were on our way home. It was clear that it had been a very long day for Santa, as evident on his face, and that he was ready for some hot, buttered something or other. But even if Santa wasn't his jolly ol' self, we sure enjoyed dresing our little man up- in a hand-knitted sweater by his Great-Nana Pat no less!

One more bearded man down, no sweat!!

My Favorite Time of Day

There are a lot of times throughout the day that I really enjoy. I love when Keegan wakes up in the morning and I go in to see him standing up in his crib with his hair going in a thousand different directions with nothing but a smile on his face. I love picking him up from daycare and seeing the excitement on his face when he hears me call his name. I love after dinner when he just wants to crawl all over us and wrestle around the living room. I love putting him in the bath and watching him have so much fun with all of his toys. But by far, above all else, my favorite time with Keegan is when I rock him to sleep.

I love holding that little boy against my body as I watch him slowly let go of his day and slip peacely into dreamland. I love that he finds me comfortable and safe enough to just relax and let it all drift away. I love the feeling of when he is finally asleep and I can hear his little breaths and see his little chest rising so effortlessly. This is my favorite time of day, and no matter how many times I go in to check on him, to give him more bottle, or to give him his pacifier, I love that in that moment, I'm the only thing he needs.

Sweet dreams, my perfect little boy. Mama loves you!!

9 Months and a Few Rough Days

We had Keegan's nine month appointment yesterday and it went pretty well. Drew and I were making bets with each other as to how big our little boy would be. With as big as my arm muscles have gotten over the past few months, I was guessing he would be close to 21 pounds...Both Drew and I were over!

Weight: 19 pounds 6 ounces (40%)

Height: 28 1/4 (50% a big increase from last time)

Head Circumfrance: 46 cm ( 75 % not a surprise, have you met his dad?)

Everything was going fairly well. Doctor was very impressed with his growth, his continuous babbling, and of course his cuteness. Problems arose when they went to check his hemoglobin levels. Not only could they not get his needle stick points to stop bleeding, but his iron levels were really low. They had to stick him a second time, getting another low reading, and then stuck him a third time to give him his next hepatitus B shot. Needless to say he was not a happy camper.

Because of his iron count being so low, our doctor sent us to the hospital today to have another blood sample taken. I was the most nervous and anxious that I can remember being in the last 9 months. Drew went with us and Grandma Ardele met us in the lab. She basically hand-selected the best nurse there to do Keegan's tests, and it all went smoothly. Keegan certainly didn't like the needle stick in his arm, but the nurse and her aid (who helped me hold Keegan still) were both wonderful- we got it the first time and didn't have to do mulitple sticks. Keegan recovered quickly and was excited about the heart-shaped, plastic slinky he got at the end of it all. Ardele put Keegan's test to the top of the pile in the lab (it helps when Gma runs the place) and she called me with better numbers within hours. A bit later, I got a call from the pediatrician saying that Keegan's results came back normal!!!! She told me that the routine screens they do in their office don't always come out the best, but she was confident that the hospital did their job well, and that, most importantly, we wouldn't have to put Keegan on any kind of supplement!! YEA :)

What a relief. I had so many emotions all at once in regards to all of this and hardly any time to process it before it seemed over. We still have to have Keegan retested and make sure he's eating his leafy green (pureed) veggies and that he always stays hydrated. It's been a scary last 24 hours, but I am so grateful to have such a strong, wonderful family to stand by me and help me to be the best parent I can be. I know we'll have more hiccups along the way, but I know we will all make it through ok :)

Keegan's First Turkey Day

We had a wonderful Thanksigiving with many different members of our families. We spent the actaul Turkey Day in idaho Falls, as we usually do, with Drew's family. We always enjoy playing cards, making turkey sandwiches, shopping the Black Friday ads and then braving the crowds and the weather to try and find the year's latest must haves. We got a lot of shopping done then enjoyed a hot breakfast with the aunts, sisters, and cousins. I really look forward to this day every year, because of the time spent together.

We also celebrated my 28th birthday on Thanksgiving this year. I got my first "Happy Birthday Mommy" card and it was wonderful!! I just felt bad that my little man was stills suffering from a head cold- I'm really ready for it to leave him alone.

Coming home we stopped in TF and had lunch with my mom and Butch and his family. His two boys adn their wives and kids provided an afternoon of entertainment for all. It was a nice visit.

We always love going away and visiting our family, but man is it nice to come home to our own beds and routines!! It was fun to share my favorite holiday with Keegan and I enjoyed shopping for his first Christmas gifts. I can't wait to experience the next holiday with him. Hoping you all had a wonderful Thank-Filled day with your loved ones. We are so blessed to have you all in our lives and we hope we express our gratitude for your love often. Happy Thanksgiving!!!

8 Months & A Week

Things about Keegan:

~He has started crawling. He's been toying around with the idea of crawling for several weeks now but finally has it down. He likes the army crawl, but I am sure that he'll be up on all fours in the near future.

~He finally has a tooth. After not getting a lot of sleep on Friday, I caught glimpse of his bottom, right, front tooth on Saturday morning. We're giving him teething pills that seem to be giving him some comfort, so we'll see how long it takes for a few more to come in.

~He's starting to eat cereal- real cereal, not baby ceral. We've been giving him cereal called Gerber Puffs, which come in different fruit flavors, and he loves them. He picks them up between his cute little fingers and he figured out very quickly where they needed to end up. Drew said he scarfed half the container tonight- maybe not a complete container, but he really does like them!!

~With all his crawling and rolling, we did have another first over the weekend...while crawling over dad in bed Sunday morning, he rolled a wee bit too far and found himself rolling off the bed. Luckily, one of our decorative pillows was on the ground, and he landed on that, but it was still scary for everyone involved. He wanted to cuddle for a few minutes, but then he just wanted to go play. I know that there will be many more falls, and bumps, and bruises, but the first one will always seem the scariest. We'll all get use to it.

~I'm very excited that the first thing he's really learned from me is to make boat noises with his mouth. You know when you flick your finger over your lips and make the litte motor boat noise? Well, I taught that to Keegan and he does it all the time- he has made it a complete game. We'll be driving to work in the morning and all of a sudden he justs starts doing it in the backseat and Drew and I just laugh- next? Drew is teaching him to clap. I'm hoping after that he'll pick up on the vacuuming!!!

He really does change and grow and learn something new everyday. We're having so much fun with him, and I'm really looking forward to celebrating the holidays with him!!

Gigi Judy

My mom has enjoyed many weekend visits with Keegan. She comes and helps me with projects around the house, plays with Keegan, cooks dinner for us all.....wouldn't you have fun? Mostly I think she likes that Keegan's hair looks just like her's first thing in the morning :)

But I do think she's kinda jealous that she can't wear footed pajamas!!!

Keegan's Big Boy Seat

Keegan has finally outgrown his little Bumbo seat so we were forced to upgrade to an actual high chair. Since we don't have a ton of extra space in our dining room, we decided to go with a space saver model that straps into one of our dining room chairs. The original idea was that we could all sit at the table this way for meals...but that was just an idea. All in all, Keegan really likes his seat and enjoys reaching for his own food, as you can see below. I'm sure he'll be ready for steak and potatoes next week!!

Rub a dub dub, a Surprise in the Tub!!

I walked into the bathroom the other night to see that Drew had not gotten Keegan completely undressed for the tub. I grabbed his hat and walked it into the other room to put it away, and by the time I came back....

.....This is what I found. Bathtime is always more fun when you have a buddy, right?!?!

Clean Up

Over the past few days, Drew and I realized that Keegan was not going to keep his toys in his "toy box"!! He's so proud of himself- Look ma, I can spill 'em all by myself!!

So while getting the tires checked at Costco this afternoon, and only needing to buy milk, Drew and I found this great toy organizer....and then some really cute hand puppets that all look like safari animals (the giraffe is our favorite-see link below and you'll see why)...and then a few other things :)

But Keegan loves it. He likes the bright colors and has already started trying to figure out how to get the bins out of the shelves. He got a toy out of a bin,played with it for a few minutes, and then PUT IT BACK IN THE BIN!! It was crazy. We all sat there stunned at what he had done all on his own. He is so amazing! I can't wait to see what he grows up exploring, and wanting to study and do... He amazes me everyday with his wit and sense of humor and attention to everything around him. I cherish his accomplishments and offer praise as often as I can. And I'm sure I'll reward some of those accomplishments by filling up the rest of the bins on the shelves...stay tuned, it probably won't take me long. After all, have you seen what Costco sells when you're only looking for milk?!?! :)

Halloween-ing

Keegan the Giraffe got to celebrate his first Halloween this year. I was so excited to find his costume at the kid's consignment store- and even more excited to find it for $8.99!! Everywhere I looked there were the same five baby costumes and all for stupid prices. I was resolved to fins something for a better deal. Most people will give me a hard time for putting my child in secind hand clothing when I refuse to wear it, but Keegan will have no idea- so don't tell him!!

We started at my Dad and Ardele's house, stopped by the Ellseworths, and decided that Missie's house would be the last stop due to a particular giraffe getting rather sleeping. We had a great time and I think Keegan might have had some fun too. Excited for next year when he can participate a little more and really see what fun the holiday can offer!!

Moving on...

This morning we realized that some of Keegan's toys are no longer size-appropriate for our growing boy. We started looking at old pictures and can't believe how much he's changed! After a little re-arranging, and a few tears, Mama and Daddy cleaned, un-screwed, bagged up, and put away some of the boy toys. The swing that Keegan spent so much time in seemed to be our saving grace for several weeks when he was colicy and had acid reflux- we were so grateful to have it, but it's no longer needed. So, the baby bouncer and swing are safely in the attic and will await the arrival of their next tenant- so they'll be there for a little while :)

Saturdays with the Cases

This is what you get when the baby gets us up early and no one actually gets dressed on a Sunday morning at our house. We all get a little CRAZY!!!

Nap Time

This precious little face is what I saw when I went to get Keegan up from his nap this morning. He can now roll over back and forth and we often find him on his tummy, bunched up in his covers in his crib. When I came around the corner into his room today, I saw these cute little eyes starring back at me. He thought he was soooo funny!

Can you tell which side of my face I slept on, Mom? Now let's go play!!!

Pumpkin Patching

Let me start by saying, "NO", this is not Keegan's Halloween costume. I found it at the local children's consignment store for $2 and I knew I could find SOME embarassing moment for him to be in it. Two weekends ago, we had just the right excuse.

We went to the Botanical Gardens for their annual Fall Harvest event. They had vendors selling hand made, home baked items; a small corn maze; tractor rides; food; a pumpkin patch and all their scarecrows up for viewing. I couldn't help but think that this would be the perfect day for our new outfit.


We had Keegan in our backpack carrier the majority of the day, so no one could see the face on his outfit, therefore assuming that he had to be a Halloween Carrot...I don't know about that!

I would pay MUCH more for this little prize punkin'!

We had a wonderful time at the gardens and got some great treats and some great pictures to bring home. Now, we just have to wait another two weeks before Keegan can show off his REAL Halloween costume... much cuter than this cutest pumpkin!!!

No Sew Home Decor

I got a great pattern from a friend who made a banner for her son's first birthday. It was so simple that I had to try it. All I used was:

5- 18'x21' fat quarters of corresponding fabrics

spray adhesive

grosgrain ribbon (3 yards long, folded then pressed in half)

liquid stitch (coolest stuff ever)

pinking shears

I sprayed the wrong sides of the fabric together so that both sides showing was the right side. Then I traced a triangle about seven times onto each of the five fabrics and used my pinking shears to cut them out. I then used the liquid stitch to adhere the sheared triangles to the ribbon which I had already pressed in half. With the fabric and ribbon I had, I was able to make 2-9 foot banners, which was one more than I thought I would get. My next plan is to make a smaller one so that I can use it as a Christmas tree garland- perhaps after that will be a blue and orange something to hang from our blue and orange pop-up tent...hmmm, I like projects!!

Changing of the Guard

Over the past two weeks I've made two decisions in regards to Keegan's diet.

1) My ability to nurse him is not keeping up with the amount of food he is trying to consume. He wants to eat 6 or 7 ounces at a time, and with all the water I drink and food I eat, I can't seem to have enough to keep him happy.

2) I'm ready to be done nursing and have my body back. I've been sharing my lunch hour, my waking hours, my soreness, my aching back, all with my little boy in hopes that he would get from me what he needed. At six months of age, the doctors say he has indeed gotten what he needs. I'me ready to wear blouses to work that I don't have to worry about nursing in. I want to get our of nursing bras. I want to eat onions and peppers and not be worried about whether they'll affect him.

With these two points being made, Drew and I have decided to move away from nursing and start Keegan on a formula only diet. He's been responding to it very well and he's been sleeping longer at night and doesn't fuss as much during the day. I was worried that he would reject the formula, but he's being a tropper. Now, I just have to put in the work to get my body back to where it was before Mr. Man showed up so that I can give him the next best thing: a healthy, happy Mama!!

6 Month Stats

We had Keegan's six month doctors appointment this week and boy has he grown!! He weighs 17 pounds, 2 ounces, which is in the 50%. He is 26 incehs long, the 25th% and his head is 44 centimeters, the 60%. He responds well to the doctor poking and proding and she said she wouldn't be surprised if he started crawling in the next month!!!

There are several new things going on in our house these days in regards to our little man. He was having a hard time rolling from his back to his stomach and it seemed that overnight he had figured it out. This weekend we were hanging out in the family room and at one point Keegan was here, and not a few seconds later......


He was over here!! Yes, he is UNDER the coffee table. I was laughing so hard, he thought he was pretty funny. Now he rolls everywhere!! I can't put him down on his back for more than two seconds and he's rolling to his back. Drew went to go get him up from his nap this morning and he was chilling on his tummy in his crib, playing with his bedding. Funny little boy.


Now that he can also SIT UP on his own, I decided I wanted to change up our bath routine. I was familiar with these bathtub seats but was having the most difficult time finding one. Finally, while looking for something else at Walmart this last week, I found one. So after getting that and a collection of really cute bathtub animal toys, we were set.


Needless to say, he loves it. He loves sitting up and really being able to splash all he wants, and he loves the new toys. Of course, he picks them up and they go right in his mouth, but that's what makes them fun! I knew he would start growing up and learning all these new things, but I didn't know it would happen this fast. Slow down just a bit buddy, Mama has to keep up!!

Out & About

Now that Keegan can sit up in his stroller we wanted to get him out so that he could really see what our neighborhood looks like. It had cooled down a bit last week so we grabbed the dog and the stroller and we were off.

Come on Kyrie, let's go!!!

Keegan Case, Baby Explorer

The Greats

While driving home from our holiday weekend, we stopped in Burley to visit Drew's Grandma Lennox and Uncle Reid ( his Dad's mom and brother). Keegan had met them once before when he was two months old, but he was much more animated this time so everyone had a great time.