Kinda old, but wanted to share!

Noah and his first apple! Now that he has teeth (just noticed his third last Thursday) he is enjoying "real" food. It's still scary, he's not sure what to do when he has stuff in his mouth. But he's working on it. The apple was fun because it's big enough we don't have to worry about him choking on it, but he likes to scrape his little teeth across it. Here are pics from his first apple. Enjoy!

Getting decked out for the holidays!

With the help of our little elf!

Yes, he's all boy!

Justin's dad has reached a milestone. He is retiring from teaching!! So, for his retirement party (and his birthday which is later this month) he wanted to go to Hooters to have wings...so just about the whole Snyder family headed to Hooters this past Saturday night. It was fun! And I think Charlie enjoyed himself! Hooters is not about the girls anymore... I know so, because we had a preggers waitress. It definitely made me laugh! Poor girl!

Grandpa with Landon and Noah- the boys first Hooters visit!

Noah and Aunt Leah

Charlie doing his Hooters Retirement dance!

My wolf packer!

He is too cute!




Passed out in the car!

In the mist of updating!

I have been adding pics to many of the past posts. I have so many pics that I want to put up but they don't fit! I'm going to have to add some to post just to have them on the blog! Go back and see the newly added pics. I hate that I haven't done this sooner- I've just been crazy busy! Now that school is slowing down, I hope to be a better mommy! Enjoy!

Here is a video I wanted to share. Noah is definitely in the stage of object permanence- if you couldn't tell! If you can stand it, the best part is at the end...we have the smartest baby- he's definitely the best!!

Almost there- yet, not sure if I can make it...

So this week has definitely been trying- I know, it's only Tuesday. My final oral exam/ master's defense is Thursday. It is really really really hard to find the time to study and be a mommy and wife at the same time. I have found that no matter how much I want to be a good student, being a good mommy triumphs it! So finding the time to actually study and study in peace has been a challenge. Justin has been a great husband and daddy and has taken over many of my duties since Saturday. He's tended to Noher and helped keep the "other" kids happy too. I'm sure Noah doesn't understand why I have been "absent" for much of the past few days. Night time is still "our" time. Justin has a hard time getting Noah down to bed. I joke that it's a mommy thing, and it does make me feel good that he wants me :). But last night was especially hard. Around 3:30PM my mom called me to ask some "vet" questions about our family dog, Jazzy. Apparently when my little sister got home from school to let her out, Jazz went out but laid down in the grass and wouldn't get up...not even cheese would get her up. So she stayed outside. I called Danielle and asked her some things...being a vet tech I knew right away it was not good news. Jazz was pale and not looking good. I had mom make an appointment at the vet. When my step-dad got home he and Willie (a great family friend) loaded Jazz into the car. She was still unambulatory. The kids said their good-byes (not knowing it would be their lasts). I unfortunately did not get to say my good-byes. Around 7PM my step-dad and mom called to tell me the bad news. She was bleeding internally (I had unfortunately already suspected it and told my mom to be forewarned about it) and they made the choice to put her down. She was our family's first dog. Not my first, but my first true love. We had a special connection...I know it's probably funny to those who don't have pet, but she definitely had/ has a special place in my heart. Needless to say, last night was a hard night to study. I will definitely miss my Jazz....so that leaves the rest of today, tomorrow and Thursday morning to catch up on study time. It has not been easy, nor do I recommend it- but I will be so grateful when I am done and have my Masters!! Now, if I can only make it to Thursday...if I were apt to having panic attacks, this week would be one big attack! Please pray that I make it!! And for Jazzy,you were by far the best dog I have ever had; I love you and miss you!!

Thirty-two things that change when you have a baby

I receive emails from several baby sites- for the most part, they are very helpful. Usually they have recall information, what your baby should be doing this week, coupons, etc. Most of the time they are good but sometimes not so much. This one article really caught my eye. Most mommies will definitely agree with these! Enjoy!!

Thirty-two things that change when you have a baby
by Rebecca Woolf

What changes when you have a baby? A better question may be: What doesn't change? Here, writer and mom Rebecca Woolf lists her most notable post-baby observations. Then scroll down to read our favorite comments from readers about how their babies changed their lives.

1. You finally stop to smell the roses, because your baby is in your arms.

2. Where you once believed you were fearless, you now find yourself afraid.

3. The sacrifices you thought you made to have a child no longer seem like sacrifices.

4. You respect your body ... finally.

5. You respect your parents and love them in a new way.

6. You find that your baby's pain feels much worse than your own.

7. You believe once again in the things you believed in as a child.

8. You lose touch with the people in your life whom you should have banished years ago.

9. Your heart breaks much more easily.

10. You think of someone else 234,836,178,976 times a day.

11. Every day is a surprise.

12. Bodily functions are no longer repulsive. In fact, they please you. (Hooray for poop!)

13. You look at your baby in the mirror instead of yourself.

14. You become a morning person.

15. Your love becomes limitless, a superhuman power.

And from our readers...

1. "You discover how much there is to say about one tooth." — Ashley's mom

2. "You finally realize that true joy doesn't come from material wealth." — Anonymous

3. "You now know where the sun comes from." — Charlotte

4. "You'd rather buy a plastic tricycle than those shoes that you've been dying to have." — Sophie's mom

5. "You realize that although sticky, lollipops have magical powers." — Roxanne

6. "You don't mind going to bed at 9 p.m. on Friday night." — Kellye

7. "Silence? What's that?" — Anonymous

8. "You realize that the 15 pounds you can't seem to get rid of are totally worth having." — Brenda

9. "You discover an inner strength you never thought you had." — Ronin and Brookie's mom

10. "You no longer rely on a clock — your baby now sets your schedule." — Thomas' mom

11. "You give parents with a screaming child an 'I-know-the-feeling' look instead of a 'Can't-they-shut-him-up?' one." — Jaidyn's mom

12. "Your dog — who used to be your 'baby' — becomes just a dog." — Kara

13. "You take the time for one more hug and kiss even if it means you'll be late." — Tracey

14. "You learn that taking a shower is a luxury." — Jayden's mom

15. "You realize that you can love a complete stranger." — Dezarae's mom

16. You find yourself wanting to make this world a better place. — Arizona

17. If you didn’t believe in love at first sight before, now you do! — Ciara

Fall time pics

We took Nohie for some fall pics. They turned out really good! He's so photogenic. The photographers always comment on what an easy baby he is to take pics of! Just one more reason why we love him so much :)! Enjoy!

Rough Week

Last week was pretty rough. It all started on Friday. Friday was the day we picked up the little girl puppy. That was not the rough part. After picking up the pup, Mom and I picked up Noher and headed to the house. Mom stayed at the house for a while hanging out (she had not seen Noah for a few weeks and I think was in withdrawal plus she didn't want to leave the pup). Noah was super tired and feel asleep in my arms. I hadn't seen him all day so I held him instead of lying him down in the bed. When he woke up 1 hr later he was super hot. I assumed it was just from cuddling. Mom left and Noah went down for the night. He went to sleep as normal, but woke up at 1:30 (not normal)...and didn't want to go back to sleep. Finally, he did for an hour and was up again at 5 (which was the same time I had to get up b/c I had to work- 7AM-2PM at the vet). I didn't want to leave him b/c I just knew something was not right. I hoped it was just b/c he was teething. I told Justin to take his temp and to call me later in the morning. Justin reassured me everything was good- he's such a great daddy! I called several times throughout the day. By the afternoon his temp was up to 102.0F. I got home and we took a quick 30min nap together. He woke up and just wanted to be held. Justin said all he did all day was sleep. He ate and fell asleep on me again. He was so warm. Justin had a meeting to go to at night and headed out at 5:30. When we woke up, Noah was burning up so I took his temp again...it was up to 104.3F and I was worried! I called Justin and told him and called my mom for moral support. I was so upset. And poor Noah was not happy either. I took off his clothes (down to his diaper) and held him and sang to him while Justin called the after hours number (he had turned around to head home- which I was very thankful for). After talking to the after hour doc. She advised us to use Infants Motrin which lasts 6-8 hours and is stronger than the Infant Tylenol which we had been using. It seemed to do the trick. His temp did go down, but as soon as it wore off the temp climbed right back up. Poor baby ate a total of 16 oz and a little cereal all day- he noramlly eats 30-40 oz a day. We knew something was worng. That night he slept a little better. Sunday was a little better too. Justin sent me pics throughout the day while I was at work. I hated to be away! He ate better and wanted to play Sunday. On Monday I took Noah into the doc. His temp was much better and he was his happy self. But, the doc did find he had a double ear infection- ouch! She gave me a script for antibiotics and said we could use Benadryl at night to help him sleep. We started on the antibiotics Monday afternoon. And the Benadryl was tried that night too- it worked until it wore off, then he was up. I must have picked up something in the docs office because I started feeling bad Tuesday. By Wednesday I had spots on my throat...growing up I got strep every December without fail! Well, I went to the doc on Thurs and sure enough, I had strep. It was pretty scary though, b/c the doc was initially worried that I had mono. So much went running through my head. As a mommy, I'm not allowed to be sick. Especially with a virus like Mono. How would I take care of my baby? Thankfully, all the mono tests were negative! I started on antibiotics too :)- I was thankful that Noah was already on antibiotics, so that he would not catch the awful strep! Needless to say, it was a rough week!!
Our sick baby!

Sick Mommy!

Puppies?

A few weeks ago, one of Justin's student dogs had puppies. It was a Jack Russel Terrier who was accidentally bred to another JRT. My mom has wanted one of these little dogs for a very, very long time! So, I said she should get one for the kids for Christmas. Justin and I were going to keep it until Christmas. Our family dog Jazzy (who is a border collie mix) is getting older and after talking to my step-dad it was decided it would be a good idea to get another pup while Jazz is still around to "teach" it the way of the family :). Well... Mom, Justin and I went to pick out the perfect pup. I told mom a little boy would be best since Jazzy is a girl but she fell in love with the girl pup. She was so sweet- and the only girl of the litter. So we took her home. Mom didn't want to leave her that night :)- but she did. She made the kids clean the house on Sat. and Sunday I took the lil girl over. I know, so much for Christmas...but honestly, she's too cute not to have around! Noah fell in love with her too- and she LOVES Noah! It was even more funny that Justin loved her! I kept saying- we don't need another dog...but when I dropped her off I was sad. The next day, I told Justin maybe we do need a pup....that's all it took. The next day Justin brought home a little boy. He LOVES Noah too! It's definitely going to be Noah's puppy. He is super sweet- not as smart as the little girl, but we'll work on that :). When he first came into the house, he was terrified. We took him out of the carrier and he climbed into Noah's lap. It was so sweet. I guess Noah looked more safe than us big people. We got some super sweet pics. And Yes, we named the lil guy...ARK :)!
Noah and Abbi (mom's puppy)

Meet Ark.

Ark LOVES Noah!

Happy 1st Birthday Katherine!

Saturday we attended Kathrine's birthday party! It was a lot of fun! Jacob and Jennifer live on the top (literally) of Beech Mountain...the car ride was not too pleasant (Justin forgets I'm not accustomed to the winding roads of the mountains...I guess it's a good thing I went on an empty tummy!) They had Katherine's party at the Fire Station. Justin was sure the party started at 1PM... we arrived to an empty Station...the party wasn't until 4PM. So we called Jacob (who thankfully lives less than a mile away- because I was NOT going to make the trek back down the mountain just to return 3 hours later...not to mention there is NOTHING around to past the time). Luckily Jacob was home so we headed to see the birthday girl early! It was nice to have the extra time to spend with them. We had not seen them since our Gatlinburg trip. It was also nice to be there early because we were able to help set up for the party. And the kids got to spend some extra time together. Which brings me to the funniest part (well, kinda funny but sad too)...while I was helping Jennifer set up decorations, food and what not, Katherine was "playing" with Noah. Now, Katherine stays home with Jennifer and doesn't play with many other kids. So her playing consisted of banging Noher on the head with HIS toys :). He didn't cry, fussed a lil, but I wasn't too worried about it. Then Jennifer gave Katherine a book- hoping that would curb her interest in beating her little buddy...wrong. She took it and clobbered him in the face...this did not make him too happy and he did cry. I picked him up and he was fine again. Well, so I thought. Finally, the guest arrived and we began to eat. Justin was holding Noah and I noticed he had something on his little lip. Upon a closer examination I noticed it was a big blueish purple mark....little Katherine had bruised Noher's lip. Jennifer felt awful. The funny part of the whole story is that Noah's first injury was by a girl- hehehe. It looked awful and quickly became darker and darker. But it really didn't seem to bother him. He ate and drank like nothing was different. Poor lil boy! But we did enjoy our time with the birthday girl and Jacob and Jennifer!

Katherine eating her cake.

Nohie's black lip :)!

Noah and his new friend...

We went to Justin's parents this past weekend for Halloween! It was a lot of fun! Noah made a new friend :)... Christen has rescued/ adopted this little baby kitten, Rocki. Rocki was a kitten to a semi-feral farm cat. The cat left her kittens. When Christen got to them there were only two still alive. She tried to rescue them but unfortunately, the other baby did not make it. BUT, the good news is that Rocki is doing great! She has had this baby for a week, and you can see a big difference- this little girl is FEISTY!! Her and Noher had a GREAT time together and I think Rocki enjoyed Noher's toys too :)!

Pace and Roxi loving each other!

Noah and Roxi

Noah and Roxi on the couch- She was attacking him, and he wanted down. He ended up knocking her off! It was too cute!! Sorry the video is not the best quality...

7 whole months!

Yup- one month closer to being the big ONE year old! As I say every month, I cannot believe it! He is getting soooo big! This is such a fun age too. His personality is really blooming! And his decisiveness is also blooming :) he is getting a little attitude. It's actually funny at times- but he will let you know what he thinks about everything! Changing his diaper and clothes are becoming a work of art- we have to see how fast we can do it- otherwise he is done! He is so wiggly, at times it's almost impossible to do it. I guess it's a good thing he likes to be naked- LOL! AND he's FINALLY cut his FIRST TOOTH!! YAY!! After several LONG months of drooling, drooling, drooling, chewing on everything and did I mention drooling? He has finally cut his first tooth! I do have to say that I will miss his gummy smile! With teeth he is definitely going to be more like a lil boy than a baby. Here's what he's up to at 7 months!
Noah's 7 month pics! Hope you enjoy- he's so good with the camera! And we got him sporting his baby's first Thanksgiving outfit- such a cutie!!






Noah at 7 months:
-Still no strange anxiety! He is happy with anyone and anything as long as he is getting attention. And we LOVE it!
-Will put his arms up to be held or reach for you to be picked up. Too cute!
-Still gives the best "Hugs" and "Kisses"
-Has started on fruits
-Still has not met a veggie (and now fruit) that he does not like
-Eats cereal (with fruit mixed in) in the AM and Veggies for dinner
-Has started using sippy cups; however, I'm still trying to decide which one/brand I like best
-Loves to sit up. At times would rather be sitting playing with toys than bouncing or playing in his exersaucer
-Still grunts when he wants to be heard
-Still no interest in tummy time- but talked to his Dr. about it and he said once babies are able to sit unassisted there's no use in tummy time...YAY! And Noah says YAY too!
-Of course has a tooth :)!
-His hair is getting so light, and still growing! Everyone said he'd lose his "birth hair", but he didn't! He's going to need a hair cut before too long... the birth hair is creating a sort of mullet- it's kinda cute, but I cannot bring myself to cut it just yet...
-Gose down between 7-8PM and is up at 7AM
-Still loves the bath! Has been filliped to the other side of his bathtub- the big boy side for big boys who sit up all by their selves :) and LOVES playing with bath toys (and eating them too!)
-Still a good car rider- and we're going to have to get a bigger boy car seat soon!!

I'm sure there's more- he's growing so fast, as I remember, I'll add :)!

First Halloween!

Noah was so cute! He went as a dinosaur! And the cutest I must add! We headed up to the mountains for his first Oct. 31st! He was very festive all day sporting his cute "This is my costume" orange onzie! At night we headed to Grassy Creek Baptist Church for some fall festivities. Aunt Christen helped Noher play some games and win some fun prizes. I think he had a great time!! He's growing up so fast!!

Here are "professional" pics of Noher in his dino outfit! He's the cutest!





Sporting his "This is my Costume" onzie! Too cute!

Noah and Aunt Christen!

Can it be...6 months already...WOW!!

Our little cowboy is 6 months :). Justin wanted to get some pictures of Noah with his cowboy hat on before he outgrew it. They turned out great! Noah, as usual was wonderful with the camera! He's such a great baby and a real blessing! We can't believe he's 6 months already- it's past so fast!








Noah at 6 months:
-Goes down around 8 and sleeps until 7AM
-Still loves everyone!
-Loves to play in his exersaucer and jumperoo (goes back and forth)
-Loves to stand (as you can see in the pics)- we're afraid he will be walking before crawling- he HATEs tummy time and lets you know!
-Eating cereal in the morning and veggies at night
-Has liked all the veggies we've introduced him to so far
-Rolls over to his belly and gets concerned- but does better with tummy time if he is the one who put him in that situation...again, decisive baby :)
-Is starting to hold his bottle
-Started introducing the sippy cup- not sure what he thinks of that yet :)
-Still a good car rider- probably going to have to get a big boy car seat soon (we're probably going to invest in a convertible car seat that will last him through booster size- I'm big on rear facing as long as possible and 5 point harness as long as possible)
-Loves to talk, grunt, babble- it's funny b/c Justin and I are relatively quiet and he is sooo not :)
-Sitting up on own very well and he loves to be upright!
-Still gives the best "hugs" and "kisses"!

6 month check up stats!
-22 lbs and 10 oz (I know big baby!)
-28.75 inches (I know long baby boy!)
Is off the growth charts for both height and weight but is in the 75% percentile for head circumference (I'm not sure exact measurement on that though)
-Dr. said he looks great! Said he was sitting up really well and said that makes tummy time obsolete! YAY for Noher- since it's not his favorite activity anyways!
-Gave Noah a book- Noah enjoyed it...eating it that is :)!
-Had Hib and Prevnar- was sad but did relatively well (with the encouragement of a bottle!)

The big 5! Months that is :)!

Noah is 5 months old! So hard to believe! Here are his 5 month pics- enjoy!







Noah at 5 months:
-Started preschool (one day a week for four hours and seems to love it!)
-Eats cereal in the morning (is starting to like it more)
-Still goes down ~8-9 and is ready to get up at 7AM
-Has not met a stranger yet- smiles at everyone!!
-Is starting to sit by his self (still a little wobbly but working on it)
-Loves his "daddy hold"- Justin can get him to go back to sleep in the middle of the night with a special "daddy hold"- it's so sweet!
-Has tried some veggies but sticking mostly to cereal
-Starting to grunt when he's "telling" you something
-Becomming very decisive :)- he'll let you know how it is!
-Still loves the animals, noticing the birds more
-More into TV- Noggin is the best for when I'm getting ready in the morning (thanks Leah and Aaron for introducing it to us)!
-Wakes up talking and always in a good mood!
-Good at napping at home, not so much other places
-Still a good car rider (thank God)
-Good at holding and playing with toys. Which is good because he gets board in the car but I can had him a toy which occupies him for a while!!