Nolan’s first year

It is so hard to believe that it has already been a year since Nolan was born. What a year it has been. Filled with so much change, sorrow and triumph. Nolan is doing great. He is walking all over. He recently decided that he would rather walk than crawl, although he does still crawl it is becoming less and less often. Nolan has 8 teeth now, four on bottom and four on top. Nolan weighed 19 lbs 7 oz at his 12 month check up on September 6th. I think he has both gained weight and grown taller in the last two weeks as his clothes seem tighter and his pants shorter.

Nolan continues to go to daycare, since he is 1-year-old and walking he has moved to the “transition” classroom. I think he is really enjoying it because he has been worn out the last few days. The group of  12-16 month old kids goes outside two times a day and they have a more rigid schedule. The classroom has 8 boys (no girls). I think the teachers probably have their hands full! Since starting daycare in July Nolan has been in an almost constant state of sick, battling off a cough here or a fever there. He just finished a medication for bronchitis. Poor little guy had a nasty cough. Right after that he got a case of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease which was going around at daycare. It was awful. He had a fever and he obviously felt terrible for a few days. He was not allowed to go back to school until all the spots had cleared up and so Nolan and I spent 4 days at home together.

Nolan had a great birthday party on August 25th at our house in Wichita. It was a lot of fun, Nolan was surrounded by his family. My brother Craig and his wife Lindsay made an awesome train cake. Nolan of course got tons of toys and clothes. So far I think his favorite new toys are his duplos that grandma Debbie and grandpa Ed gave him. Aaron just couldn’t resist getting Nolan started with his own ipod. It is not a new ipod, we have had it for several years, Aaron just got a “baby-proof” case for the ipod so that Nolan can play games on it. Nolan does not yet understand, but I am sure he will soon.

After Nolan’s birthday party we also had a 35th Anniversary celebration for my parents. It was fun. Most of my dad’s family was able to make it in to Wichita for the celebration while some of my mom’s family made it down.

On August 18th we had pictures taken by Stacie Strong. They turned out great. Aaron and I couldn’t be happier (unless the wind wouldn’t blow my hair 🙂  Stacie always does such a nice job and she is so easy to work with. Thanks Stacie!

I started classes at WSU again on August 20th, it is already going quickly. I am trying to stay focused and on track. I am so happy that I only have in person class one evening this semester. I end up getting to spend more time with little Nolan which is wonderful. I also started my new job on August 14th! I am now a para educator at Cessna Elementary school in south-west Wichita. I am working with the 1st grade. I am have already started teaching lessons. I think I am really going to enjoy this year.

Aaron is continuing to spend the majority of his time in Sharon tending to farming operations. Luckily we have managed to see each other about every weekend; which makes the separation a little easier on Nolan and me. Aaron recently participated in the Kansas Auctioneers  Championship Contest at the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson, placing 5th. I had looked forward to watching Aaron compete, but with a sick little one at home, I was not able to make the trip to Hutchinson.

11 months old!-WALKING!

 

Nolan is nearly a year old! Where has he time gone. Nolan continues to be very active! He is a super fast crawler, he crawls on his hands and feet. He must think it is faster than his knees. He took his first steps (that I witnessed) on July 18th!

Nolan has many “words” now he says mama and finally decided to say dada after holding out for many months. I think that really felt good for Aaron to finally hear Nolan say dada. He also says baba and ooooooo.

When we went in for his 9 month appointment (which didn’t happen until he was 10.5 months old). He weighted about 19 pounds and was 29 inches tall. Although he is only wearing 9 month clothes the doctor says that she doesn’t see any reason for concern as he is obviously a very happy and BUSY baby.

Nolan has two teeth on the bottom, which you can see in some of his pictures. In the last month he also got two teeth on the top. I think he may have a third breaking through on the top, right side. He has been a little fussy lately and I think it has to do with breaking all those teeth through.

Nolan’s favorite game is peek-a-boo he loves playing with anyone who will join in. He also enjoys giving hugs and snuggling when he is sleepy. He even snuggles his stuffed animals.

Nolan started daycare at the beginning of July. It has been a smooth transition. He enjoys the other kids and loves all of the toys. He has only cried one day when I was dropping him off. The ladies all seem to enjoy him as well. He gets to see cousin Kylee everyday now too as she attends the same center. Last week he had an incident involving another child…Nolan got bit on the forehead by another little boy in the class. Thank goodness he was okay.

I just completed my first semester of graduate school at Wichita State University. Only 16 more months until graduation! Once I finish I will have a Master’s of Arts in Teaching-Early Childhood Unified which will qualify me to teach birth-3rd grade. I will be starting up classes again on August 20th.

It has been a difficult summer for the Traffas family. In June we lost Brian, Aaron’s dad. He was only 59 and passed much too soon. I never imagine that Nolan’s first harvest would be Brian’s last. I continue to pray for strength for his children and for Marilyn to make it through this difficult time. Aaron will be taking over the farming operations. So Nolan and I have not seen much of Aaron in the last couple of months. As Aaron plants the fields we are living in Wichita and trying to go about our business as usual and seeing him whenever possible. Aaron is happy to get the opportunity to farm his father’s and grandfather’s land, he has always said it is his dream job, of course he never thought this is how it would happen. I know Aaron was really looking forward to moving home and farming with his dad.  I think it is bittersweet for Aaron.

On July 8th Nolan was baptized in Sharon at St. Boniface church. It was so nice to be surrounded by family as Nolan joined the catholic church. We got some very cute pictures of Nolan and Kylee in their black and white outfits.

We finally got moved into our new place in Wichita. We could not have done it without lots of help from our families. Thank you so much. This place is so much better than our duplex was. There is plenty of space for Nolan to roam and I don’t feel so cramped.

In the coming months we are going to be a busy bunch. Part of the requirements of the Master’s program is that I have at least 20 hours per week in a classroom setting. So I am leaving the job I have had for the last 3 years in hopes that I get a job in the next couple of weeks at a school. If I don’t get a job I will be volunteering in a classroom.  The classroom hours are of course in addition to WSU course work. Aaron will continue to spend most of his time in Sharon planting the wheat. And Nolan well he will be walking and playing and learning all day. We are planning his 1st birthday party for the end of August in Wichita. This year has absolutely flown by. Aaron and I are so lucky to have not only each other, but our wonderful, happy, healthy  little boy.

 

 

Harvest!

Harvest is upon us! The Traffas men started cutting on May 25th. Aaron said he doesn’t remember starting harvest before the beginning of June in previous years. So it is a special year. It is of course Nolan’s first harvest! He has already had his first ride on the combine. And as of yesterday his second. It has been quite a busy time around Sharon. Nolan is staying with Grandma Marilyn while Aaron is in the field.  I am commuting to work each day from Sharon to reduce the amount of time Nolan has to spend in the car. We are so lucky to have so much help with Nolan. Erica has also been home studying for her NCLEX test (licensing test for Nurses) and helping watch Nolan.

Nolan is growing up so quickly! He is now 9 months old and crawling everywhere. He often crawls up on his feet rather than just using his knees. It is adorable. He is pulling up on EVERYTHING; in turn he is also falling down more and bonking his head on everything.  Nolan has started waving. Aaron calls it the motorcycle wave because his hand is in a fist and he just rotates it to wave. Nolan grabbed Grandpa Brian’s heart after he had been working in the field all day and Nolan crawled over and raised his tiny right hand up and gave him a wave. After a long day’s work I think that was a wonderful welcome home. Most of the time Nolan waves at people including people on TV, but sometimes he also will wave at toys. 

Nolan has decided that solid food is not so bad. This is such an exciting thing to report! Nolan has started to show a lot more interest in eating solid foods. I had read some advice that said to let him have his own spoon during feedings. I couldn’t believe that this simple change reduced his frustration and enable me to get him to take more bites of food. He is not consuming a lot of food but just that fact that he is interested in eating is such an improvement over last month. On May 12th I noticed his first tooth coming in, it was the lower center right side tooth and just a day or two later the left side started to break out of the gums too. Now he has two little teeth on the bottom. Nolan is so independent when it comes to eating he just wants to do it all himself. So we have given him more of an opportunity to feed himself with some fruits and veggies. He loves to gnaw on apple slices; using those two tiny teeth to the fullest. He has also tried sweet potato cubes, watermelon and a little bit of an ice cream sandwich. He seems to respond so much better to things he can pick up and eat than trying to feed him with a spoon.

We have had so many things to celebrate lately. Andrew graduated from the University of Missouri at St. Louis as a Dr. of Optometry and Erica graduated from Bethel College with her BSN-Bachelor of Science in Nursing! I am starting classes next week at Wichita State University!  Oh what a busy month. What would be do if life slowed down?

Holly finished her first year teaching at Junction City Middle school and will start teaching summer school next week. The theme this year is the Olympics, which is pretty fitting for Holly because she loves watching the Olympics. I am so proud of her and can’t wait until we are both teachers and have our summers free to spend time together making crafts, baking tasty treats and sewing fun projects.

Stand Up, Sit Down….

Nolan turned 8 months old on April 27th;  this year is flying by! Nolan is crawling all over the house. Figuring out new ways to baby proof everything has just about become a hobby for Aaron. He and Nolan continue to spend their days at home together. Erica comes over and helps out with Nolan when she is available. Nolan is crawling and pulling up on furniture and has even started to take small steps along the furniture. It is very fun to watch him learn how to use his body. He first stood up on his own (pulling himself to his feet) against the mirror in his play area on April 27.

We have continued to (try to) feed Nolan solids. However he has decided that he is not really that interested in eating any of them. He starts out very happy and excited to eat when I put him in his chair, but then once we get down to the actual putting food in his mouth, well that is when he starts getting upset. It doesn’t seem to matter what we are eating cereal, veggies or fruits; he usually ends up trying to hold the spoon and finger paint in any of the food that drips on the tray. It is quite an ordeal, but I am trying to stick with it in hopes that he will start to like it.  Sometimes I think he knows he will get to take a bath right after dinner so he just cries and then we go take a bath. He LOVES the bathtub. He plays with his bath toys chasing them all over the tub and splashing and kicking the whole time. I am really looking forward to going to the pool this summer with him.

Nolan does not yet have any teeth. Which is fine by me as long as they decide to come in at some point. 🙂 He has been battling a cold for the last week which has made him a little fussy and I cannot tell if he is over the cold or if he is starting to teeth.  Although I have though he was teething since he was about 5 months old!

He doesn’t yet have any real words but he seems to be doing a little more experimentation with sounds than he was before. He still screams but usually only when he is really happy and excited.

There are so many people and places I want to see this summer, I hope I find the time to do so. At the beginning of July we are planning to have Nolan’s baptism ceremony in Sharon at St. Boniface, the same church Aaron and I got married in.

At the end of April I found out that I was accepted in to the Early Childhood Unified-Master of Arts in Teaching program at Wichita State University . I am very excited to get started! This program is an 18 month program that starts in June 2012. So back to school I go. I will most likely be leaving my job at TFI in the fall to start working in a school, preschool or childcare center, which is part of the requirement of the ECU-MAT program. I know it is going to be intense but I really look forward to being a teacher and working with kids. I especially like the idea of have my summers free to spend with my own little one.

This summer is going to go so quickly I just know it! The next two weekends we are celebrating the achievements of Andrew and Erica! Andrew has finished the course work at University of Missouri at St. Louis  to be a Doctor of Optometry while Erica has completed her  Bachelor of  Science in Nursing from Bethel College.  I know they have both been waiting for the completion of these degrees and we are very excited to share in their achievements!

Aaron is becoming increasingly obsessed with improving his golf game. I can’t blame him for wanting to get out and play 18 holes after spending all week with Nolan. Aaron’s most recent upgrade to his equipment included a new driver. From what I have heard he seems to be pretty happy with the results.

Harvest is coming, probably early this year. I was driving down by Winfield yesterday and some of the wheat fields were already turning gold. Aaron always looks forward to heading down to Sharon and cutting wheat. It will be fun to get Nolan out for a quick photo with the combines this year.

Aaron and I are trying to find a different place to rent. Since we are not planning on staying in Wichita too long after I graduate from WSU we don’t think it is in our best interest to buy a home. So the search is on for a rental house. We actually like the place we are in right now but the floor plan is not great. So hopefully we can find a set up that will be more conducive to “Daddy Daycare”.

 

 

7 Months

Nolan is growing and changing so fast! The month of March flew by so quickly. Aaron had to travel almost every weekend this month so Nolan and I had a lot of time to hang out at home together. Nolan is able to sit unassisted and play with his toys for several minutes. He is also trying very hard to crawl. He has not figured out that he needs to lift his head while moving his legs, but that doesn’t seem to slow him down. I think he may end up with rug burn on his face soon. He is mobile enough to scoot reach or roll to  get just about anything he wants. Of course the things he wants are usually not this things we want him to have, including our cell phones, remotes, computers, cords etc.

Nolan cannot get enough of my necklaces, I think he believes I wear they as a chew toy for him. So each day when I get home from work I have to remember to take them off before he gets his slobbery little hands on them.  Nolan has tried a few new foods. He is still just eating one solid meal  a day in addition to his milk. We usually feed him in the evenings so that he can have the necessary bath right after he eats. So far he has not complained too much about any of the vegetables he has tried.  Nolan loves bath time, he enjoys kicking and splashing in the water. As long as he has his squirting toys he is happy the whole time. I am trying to get him used to water and make sure he is not scared of it, because I am hoping to take a “Mommy and Me” swimming class this summer.

Nolan has his first round of antibiotic a couple of weeks ago. We took him in to the clinic because he had a fever, cough and runny nose.  As it turns out he also has a slight ear infection. He just finished his antibiotic and is doing much better; but there for a few days he really struggled. His temperature topped out at 102 F.  Which was very concerning, but with a little Tylenol and forcing him to eat it came down.  It was so hard to watch him not want to play or eat.

So glad is his back on track. While Aaron was in Indiana my mom was on Spring Break so she got to come up to Wichita and spend a couple of days with Nolan while I was at work. I was so thankful we didn’t have to take him back to the daycare center for the whole time Aaron was away. I think Nolan like the center just fine but that is where I believe he picked up that nasty cold and I just wanted him to stay healthy for awhile before having another sickness.  The rest of the time Aaron was gone Nolan got to play with cousin Marissa as she was on Spring Break. It was so nice having family watch Nolan.

Once Aaron finally got home from Indiana Nolan and I were so happy to see him. Nolan just smiled and wanted to play with his Dad and I think Aaron wanted the same thing.

I am looking forward to April so that we can have more family time! I also hope this rain lets us so we might be able to take more walks. Nolan loves taking walks, he likes to look at the trees and hear all the sounds of the kids around the block playing. I enjoy the walks just daydreaming about when Nolan is running around kicking a soccer ball like the kids in the park. I know those days are not too far off.

 

 

6 Months!

Nolan is quite the little rolly pully!  He has been able to roll over for a couple of months now, but just recently he has started to do it with purpose. He is reaching for toys and playing. We really have to watch him when he is on the floor, he is able to make his way around by rolling and scooting towards toys.

Last week  Nolan realized he was able to see himself in the mirror while he sits in his car seat. (We have a mirror on the headrest, so he can see his face from the front seat.) Then the other day Marilyn (Nolan’s grandma) and I were shopping and as we were looking at the meat in the meat case, Nolan started jabbering and smiling. It took a second for us to realize he was seeing himself in the mirror above the meats. So cute!

As Nolan has reached the 6 month mark it seems like he has really started understand so much more of what is happening around him. He is able to sit up on his own while playing with toys. He continues to enjoy the jumpers, it is fun to see how much he has grown taller. He can reach the ground now without a pillow under his feet. Aaron and I are looking into buying a kid corral/play pen for Nolan. With his new-found ability to scoot and roll we are starting to get a little worried about him pulling on cords and rolling into sharp edges in the house.

He is growing so fast! On Thursday (March 1) we have Nolan’s 6 month check up. He will be measured and weighed and get his vaccinations. It is always fun to see how much he has grown since the last check up. I don’t think Nolan will weigh quite as much a cousin Kylee did at her 4 month appointment on Monday. She weighed in at over 18 lbs!  I think Nolan will be between 16 and 17 lbs.

We have found a daycare center that will allow us to bring Nolan in for occasional care. This is great for when Aaron has to travel out-of-town for work. Nolan has been there one time so far. It went very well all of the teachers were very nice. Nolan will get to go back to the daycare in the next couple of weeks as Aaron is traveling quite a bit in March. It is nice to have this option available to us. It is also a great reminder of how much money we are saving by having Nolan stay home with Aaron during the day. We have a really great situation.

5 Months


Nolan's first foods

Nolan is five months old already! He has been growing so quickly. Recently we purchased two exersaucers Nolan loves them. He now spends his time jumping up and down and exploring all of the attached toys.  He enjoys spending more time on his tummy and he is getting closer to crawling everyday. The thought of Nolan crawling is both exciting and frightening.  Aaron says he will have to spend a whole day baby proofing once Nolan is mobile.

Nolan continues to roll over but not very frequently, he tends to just get frustrated and rub his face into the ground if he doesn’t want to be on his tummy anymore.

We had some pictures taken at JC Penney’s on January 25th. They turned out so great!  Nolan is such a happy little fellow. We also invited cousin Kylee to take some pictures too!  They could not be cuter! It is so fun having the two little babies to play with each other.

Nolan tried solid foods for the first time on January 26th. As most parents know the first “solids” are not very solid at all. Nolan took to it pretty well, but of course ended up with about half of his meal on himself and hopefully half of it in his belly. Each time he seems like he is doing a little better at keeping the food in his mouth. He is already reaching for the spoon and trying to feed himself

Nolan is currently fighting off his first cold. Poor little guy has had a stuffy/runny nose and a hoarse voice. He has been handling it pretty well; he has not been too grumpy but his appetite has been altered. Hopefully he will be back to himself soon.

Nolan got to go to his first show. Aaron played at Buster’s in Sun City on February 4th. Nolan Loved it, he sang right along with Dad. Everyone there was more focused on this two foot tall little guys standing on the table singing than on Aaron. It was adorable!  Nolan sang until he just couldn’t take it anymore, then he quickly fell asleep as Aaron continued the show. It was a fairly good turn out. This is the first time Aaron has been back at Buster’s since it is now under new management.

Nolan is such an easy going little guy. Every day Aaron and I remind each other how lucky we are to have this wonderful little guy in our lives.

 

Nolan’s First Christmas

Christmas 2011

Nolan has discovered his feet, so needless to say we are always having to check to make sure his little feet are still covered.  Except when we go to Grandma and Grandpa Traffas’s house where grandpa like to take his socks off during play time. This month has been very busy and fun for all of us. Nolan rolled over for the first time from back to front (assisted by kicking my leg) but completely on his own from front to back a couple of days later. He wasn’t sure what to think of flipping over like that. Nolan continues to be a very vocal baby. He likes to hear himself “talk” which is more like a yell/scream. He can now grasp and hold on to toys, he also likes to chew on everything!  He has started to be able to entertain himself for short periods of time with his toys. Nolan is also able to sit up assisted and unassisted very briefly. He has started to enjoy tummy time and will stay on his tummy for longer amounts of time before becoming upset. He has started to make crawling type motions of moving his arms and legs, however he is still to flat on the ground to really make much progress in moving from one place to another. One of Nolan’s favorite activities is looking in the mirror at himself and or the person holding him. He loves to see that smiling baby in the mirror. He often wants to talk to that baby too. It is absolutely adorable!

He really enjoys reading books and helping turn the pages. Christmas was fun, Nolan even tried to pull the paper off of a couple of his presents. I can’t wait until next year when he knows what is going on. The Traffas Family Christmas was really enjoyable, it is funny how much of a difference two little babies can change the dynamic. We snapped some great photos of Nolan and cousin Kylee on Christmas Eve in the presents. Nolan has started to see Kylee, sometimes if she starts to cry he will make a pouty face and start to cry; I think he is worried about her or annoyed by her, I guess I can’t know which. Kylee is a beautiful little girl. She is growing so fast. Although Kylee is two months younger than Nolan she is nearly the same size as our little guy. She is not yet very active though, Nolan on the other hand never seems to stop moving. Constantly kicking his feet and swinging his arms.

Nolan has started to not sleep as well as he was the last couple months, I am not sure what the cause of this is. It is possible that he has started teething, but I am not sure. He does not have any teeth visible yet but he certainly wants to put everything in his mouth which is constantly slobbery.

At his 4 month appointment Nolan weighed 14 lbs 6 oz and was 25 inches long. He is growing so quickly! Our doctor said that he is ready to start solid foods, so we are considering starting that in the next month or so.

Over New Year’s we  had the Poe Family Christmas. It was so nice to see my family and to let them all visit with Nolan. It is so fun now that he is more expressive and interactive. I know that Julianna (7 years old) and Gabriella (4 years old) (my brother Craig’s daughters) had a lot of fun playing with him. It was nice to ring in the new year as a family.

I hope everyone had a wonderful family filled Christmas. May 2012 bring much joy to you and yours.

I think we went a little overboard on pictures this month!

 

3 Months!

Nolan is 3 months old!

Nolan is growing and learning so quickly!  He is already 3 months old.  November was a busy month for the Traffas Family. We celebrated my 27th birthday on November 8th, Aaron and I went out to dinner at a restaurant we hadn’t tried before; The Newport Grill. It was great, wonderful selections of entrees, delicious desserts and custom-made cocktails!

Aaron has been tirelessly working on finishing up the recordings and artwork for his CD. It is currently at the disc maker and should be shipped soon to make it here by Friday December 9! Aaron Traffas Band’s CD release party is December 10th in Manhattan at Bobby T’s. I am so excited to see the finished product.

On November 21st I returned to work at TFI Family Services.  So far I feel like things are going well at work. I haven’t cried yet. Nolan and Aaron are trying to find their rhythm at home.  Some days  are great while others I think Aaron get a little stressed.  As any person providing childcare would feel. Luckily Nolan is a very good baby and most of the time is very easy to get along with. We are all just settling into our new schedules and seeing if this is going to work for us long-term.

Some of the  developmental milestones Nolan (as a 3 month old) is currently working on include:

  • He is able to focus on and follow a moving object. Watches faces intently-Yes, Nolan loves to watch everything going on around him. One of his favorite things is watching his mobile. He looks at the little animals above his changing table very intently too.
  • Settling into sleeping, eating, and waking patterns and can sleep longer.-Sort of, he has started to take a longer nap in the afternoons and eats every 3-4 hours.
  • When held in a sitting position he can now hold his head up.-Yes he can, he has good control over his head almost all the time with the exception being when he is sleepy.
  • Lifts head and chest while lying on stomach-Nolan is able to do this, however he does not like to do tummy time very much so, he get frustrated quickly.
  • Will now notice certain objects of interest and swipe at them with his hands. He just started swiping at objects in the last week!.
  • Can now push down on a hard surface when being held in a standing position. Yes Nolan pushes down and makes little stepping movements when supported in the standing position.
  • Can kick quite strongly now as his knee and hip joints become more and more flexible-YES-Nolan has been doing this for a while, he enjoys laying on his back and kicking his legs and swinging his arms.
  • He is developing intellectually and begins to laugh out loud. –Yes I think so, he enjoys interacting with us and smiles and “talks” to us, I don’t know if it would be considered a laugh though.
  • Spontaneously smiles.-All the time, especially in the mornings and when he wakes from a long nap or finishes eating.
  • Turns head and neck to find the source of a sound. –Nolan is very interested in figuring out where sounds are coming from. He will turn his head back and forth trying to figure out who is talking or making noise. Sometimes he gets upset if we turn him away from the TV and he can still hear it. He will turn his head back and forth vigorously searching.
  • Holds hand open. Yes he no longer has his hands balled up all the time.
  • Can grasp and shake a rattle. Yes he can, however we don’t give him any rattles just yet, as he doesn’t really have control of his hands and he tends to hit himself in the face with his hands. He does grasp our fingers and shakes them. Recently he has started exploring how his fingers taste. Constantly sucking on his hands exploring the sensations.
  • Can roll from front to back-Not yet, he doesn’t like to spend much time tummy side down. But he does seem like he is getting closer to rolling from back to front. He arches his back and get up on his heels.  I think this is something he will continue to work on this month.  Nolan also is very interested in what is above him, meaning above his head (out of view) when lying down. He tilts his head up and tries to look at all the thins that he can’t see, whether it be people toys or yes sometimes that darn TV.
My favorite time to spend with Nolan is having conversations. He loves “talking” to people it gets him so excited. Since birth he has made noises, I think this little guy is going to be quite the talker when he can get his point across.  When Nolan cries it is not really like most babies cries, he kind of just yells to see if you are paying attention then stops to see if you are going to fix his frustration. He is absolutely wonderful. Aaron and I often wonder how we are so lucky to have such a great little guy.
I can’t believe November is already gone. We had an enjoyable Thanksgiving break spending time in Smith Center, Sharon and Belle Plaine. In Smith Center Nolan met his Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Hundley (my mom’s parents) for the first time along with many great aunts and uncles and cousins. Aaron unfortunately did not join us as he had been fighting off a cold. On Friday we headed to Sharon,  it was nice to see Aaron’s family. During the dinner there was not any one point when everyone was at the table. Having two babies under 3 months sure does change the dynamic.  Finally on Sunday we headed to Belle Plaine to see my Dad’s extended family. Nolan had a great day and enjoy visiting with lots of cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents. We are so blessed with great families and I always enjoy Thanksgiving as it is the best time to celebrate family and what we are thankful for. This year there is no question Aaron and I are so thankful for Nolan coming into our lives and turning everything upside down…and we LOVE it!
I am so happy we found the time to make it over to Pratt this month to have Stacie Strong take some family pictures of us. They turned out great and I can’t wait to get my Christmas card put together featuring these pictures.

Happy Halloween!


Happy Halloweeen

Nolan is already two months old! I can’t believe how quickly he is growing. He is getting so expressive. He smiles all the time. He has started to “talk” back when I talk to him.  Currently his favorite thing is his mobile in his crib. He lays in his crib and listens to the music while watching the dinosaurs go round and round. He  kicks his legs and waves his arms in enjoyment. It is really fun to watch him enjoy it so much. Nolan also enjoys listening to Aaron and me read him books.


Nolan went to the doctor for his two month check up and everything looked great. He weighed 12 pounds and was 23 inches long.  He has started to out grow some of his clothes now. Nolan got his first round of vaccinations at his two month appointment. He handled them pretty well only crying a little bit, however the next few days were a little rough. Nolan had a fever and was pretty uncharacteristically cranky.  I think he is about back to his normal self now, thank goodness.

October has been another busy month.  We have watched all of the KSU football games.  Even heading up to Manhattan to enjoy the atmosphere for one of the games. We did not make it up to the stadium, but enjoyed hanging out with family. Aaron has been busy recording a new CD at Green Jeans Studio in Wellington. The CD should be ready for purchase by December.  I know this has been a dream of Aaron’s for a long time. I am so glad it is finally coming together.

Aaron and I have really enjoyed watching Nolan grow and change over the last two months.  On October 26, 2011 Nolan’s first cousin on the Traffas side was born.  Andrew and Megan Piester welcomed Kylee Rose Piester to the world at 3:55pm, she weighted 7 pounds 15 ounces.  Kylee has a full head of dark hair.  She is very beautiful. Kylee seems to really like to suck on her hands, it is so cute to watch. Everyone is home and doing well. It is going to be fun watching Nolan and Kylee grow up together.

We are looking forward to November which brings Diane’s birthday on the 8th. Aaron is playing at the Vickie Lackey Funraiser on the 12th. We are very excited to get some family photos taken by Stacie Strong on the 19th.  And of course Thanksgiving at the end of the month.  The one thing I am not really looking forward to is November 21st, it will be my first day back to work. I think I will miss Nolan so much. The current plan is for Aaron to watch Nolan, which will make it easier, I hope.

Happy Halloweeen