Baby Rhys!

I am an aunt again, and James has a new boy cousin! Rhys Riley Williams was born October 20th, at 18:18! 9 lbs 3 oz, 21 inches. Mal is just the PERFECT baby-making machine because she literally laughed this big boy out! Now how come my epidural didn't make me giggly?!? Rhys is so adorable and we can't wait to meet him! Congrats Chris, Mal, Ella and Eli!! Welcome to the family Baby Rhys!

On other news, we went to James's 4 month check-up for his helmet. From the get-go, we were told that 4 months was all it would take to have James's head reshaped. However, it has been 4 months and we are far from over! In fact, his head hasn't changed at all in over 2 months! I am more than frustrated and can't help but wonder if I should have trusted my instincts and gone with a different doctor who uses more modern measurement techniques (like scanning his head, instead of chasing James around with a plastic measuring device trying to measure his head by hand!!) Keep in mind, this is the same doctor who mistakenly put our helmet on a different baby and we had to get a recast of James's head and wait for a NEW helmet to arrive. Anyway, we are keeping him in this helmet for awhile longer. We are getting a second opinion on Monday, so we will see what the verdict will be from these different doctors. Who knows, maybe this doctor actually knows what he's doing (shocker!) and James's head is just being stubborn. One thing is for sure, though. His helmet makes for some funny bed head!


I have been dying for more people interaction, so I was excited to see that some girls from my church were having a Girl's Night. Our ward is HUGE so I haven't been able to consistently meet a lot of girls, so I decided to go! It was so fun just to be out and meet new people. I can't believe how much I miss talking to girls everyday! That's one thing I didn't realize I would miss so much about teaching! It's just not nearly as fun talking to an 11 month old. I am constantly chatting with him, and all I'm getting in return thus far are blank stares. I wonder how much he's taking in?

Have I mentioned how utterly excited I am that it's fall and finally starting to cool down here? I have loved our daily walks and showing James the colors of the leaves, which of course he tries to eat. I am so excited to cook my chili, make homemade cornbread, and then try out a new recipe I saw online for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread. Can't it just stay fall year round?





What can I say? He's got attitude.



Happy Halloween!

RIP Suede

A few weeks ago we had to put Suede down. He was having major health problems and didn't want him to suffer. The first time I met Suede, I was woken up late at night by my parents placing a little brown ball of fur on my chest. I remember being SO excited just to get home from school everyday to get to play with our new puppy! I have many fond memories (and some other not so fond memories...) of this lovable dog! He has been living with my parents in Oregon, so I didn't get to see him that often, but it was a blast having James play with him last time we visited. I am so glad we got to see him one last time!

Miss you pup! See you in heaven!

Crowns, Cavities, and Crawling, Oh My!

Seeing how it has been a few weeks since my last post, I figured I'd better document what the DeBeikes family has been up to lately! James and I are now in a good routine everyday of eating, sleeping, walking, cleaning, and cooking. It's all very glamorous, I know. We are currently sharing 1 car, so most days Chris takes our Hyundai and James and I stay home, going for long walks around our complex. I am LOVING fall right now! It's been so nice to go outside and watch the leaves falling and all the Halloween decorations. Sometimes, it's the only thing that calms James! I think he is getting more teeth, which has been making him more clingy and fussy than normal. Taking walks always does the trick.

During his naps, I have been reading like crazy. Not a surprise there, I know. I am seriously addicted to reading! I just finished reading The Host by Stephenie Meyer again, and WOW. That has got to be one of my favorite books. I forgot how captivating it is. I'm now on the prowl for another good book. Any recommendations?

It has been so much fun watching James grow everyday. He loves being upside down, thrown in the air, and is turning into a picky eater. He just doesn't like to eat much if it's not his bottle. I'm not letting him off that easy though and will keep at it. He is a pro at standing up on anything and cruising along furniture. He can stand on his own for about 3 seconds before falling, but he doesn't seem to be in any hurry to actually try walking on his own yet. He LOVES climbing up on anything though. His favorite thing to do is crawl on my leg and stand up. He just stands there, clinging to my leg. Of course, it's always when I'm trying to cook, which makes moving around a little difficult.

James is constantly chatting. He says "mama" all of the time, and that's about all I can understand. He even talks to his books. He adores sitting with a book in his lap, with his nose literally in the book. His nose touches the book and his fingers stroke the colors, my guess is that he's trying to get the pictures to move like some of his musical books. It's funny to watch. With everything he does and loves, though, it never lasts for more than a minute. It is exhausting, as I'm sure all mothers can attest to. He is quite the active child!

We went with an good friend to visit Snow Springs and to say hi to everyone, and I had such a great time. It was my first time going back since I quit in May, and it was great to see everyone again! The weirdest part was knowing that my classroom wasn't mine anymore! I peeked inside and felt a lot of sadness knowing that wasn't my personal space anymore. I even got to see some of my old students! This was their first time meeting James, so it was fun to watch their reactions towards him. All in all, it sure did make me miss teaching, but when I look at James and think about all we do together everyday, it doesn't ever make me regret my decision to stay home with him. I think my teaching experience will just make me a better mom and help me keep the right perspective.

My teeth have been putting up a ruckus lately, so I went to the dentist and found out that I have 6 cavities and a broken tooth in need of a crown. Ugh! Have I ever mentioned how much I despise going to the dentist? I mean, most people hate the dentist, but I REALLY hate the dentist. Maybe it's because I've always had bad teeth, so dentist = pain. I currently have a temporary crown in place, and go in next week to put in the permanent crown and complete the fillings. I can hardly contain my excitement...

Next week we also go in to have James's head re-evaluated. It's been almost 4 months, which they said should have been enough time fix his head shape. However, last month when we went for a check-up, James had had zero change from the month before. I still haven't seen too much recent change. His head is still very flat in the back, and when his hair is wet you can see how his hair line is still shifted over. Fortunately, it's not too noticeable when his hair is dry. My guess is that we still need to be in the helmet for at least another month or two. Boo!

Happy Halloween!