6 MONTHS OLD!!!

Beckham is 6 months old today! Time is flying by WAY too fast. I am SO incredibly blessed to have this sweet, precious boy in my life, I just wish there was a way to slow down time a little bit. Normally 6 months would be no big deal, but when I look back at the tiny little baby I had, to the big boy he is turning in to, it makes me a little sad. I always knew the first year was packed full of huge changes and accomplishments, but I never realized they would be so bittersweet. Don't get me wrong, I am SO thrilled when Beckham starts doing something new for the first time. I love those "milestones" and I look forward to many more, but I also know that with each passing day he gets further and further away from that tiny, helpless baby I brought home from the hospital. There are times I just want to hold him and cuddle him like I did then, but now he only lets me do that for a short time, or when HE wants to be cuddled. And THAT makes me sad. But I guess that's motherhood.

Ok enough of that! As you can see, Beckham is sitting up on his own now. He's been sitting for several weeks now, but just this week, he can sit without bracing himself. We have started some solid foods, Just bananas, peaches, cereal, and tonight sweet potatoes (as you can see all over his face). He's not a huge fan of any of them, but peaches seem to be his favorite. I am making my own baby food, too. I barely cook for Josh and I, why in the world I think I should make my own baby food is truly beyond me, but it just feels right. He loves playing in his exersaucer and his jumperoo. And we are working on the typical baby sounds like "ba", da", and "ma" right now. He loves music and Baby Einstein DVDs (we only let him watch 1 a day). And he is rolling all over the place now! When I go in to get him out of his crib, he's usually at the opposite end and all of his little stuffed animals are all over. I guess we will be "baby-proofing" the house soon. Oh my...say a prayer for us!

Not much going on...

Truly. It's been a little boring around here. We all seem to be back in our routine after all the traveling we did. Beckham is such a great little boy! He really falls back into his routine pretty easily. I would love to report that he is sleeping thru the night, but I'd be lying! He does great until 3:00am and then he wants to be in bed with us. I have no idea how I am ever going to break him of that. I have no one to blame but myself. But all rational and good parenting go out the window at 3 am when you have to be up at 5 am to go to work. So I won't be winning "Mother of the Year 2007". I think I can live with that.

We had a visit from Josh's grandpa last week. It is so fun that Beckham has 2 Great grandparents that have been able to meet him. What a blessing! He got to spend a few days with him since my mother in law babysits for me. I think they enjoyed eachother. Here are a few pictures.




Grandpa, Daddy, and Great Grandpa with Beckham


Great Grandpa and Beckham

Uncle Ben and Beckham

CUTEST LITTLE BOY EVER!!

LOOK AT THAT PRECIOUS FACE!

Just an update...

Well the last couple of weeks have been a little busy in the Faris house. Memorial Day weekend Josh had to be in San Francisco for a trade show. So I thought it was the perfect time for me to tag along. So we packed up and headed for Cali. Yes, Beckham too. It was interesting traveling with a 5 month old. But he was SO good!! He slept the WHOLE way to and from San Fran. It was great! The time change got to him a little, but overall he did wonderfully!

San Francisco was great! I love the weather there. I know a lot of people complain that it is too cold and foggy there, but I love it!! 65 degrees and slighlty overcast works for me. Saturday night we went over to Sausalito and ate at a restaraunt on the Bay. Sunday we drove up to the wine country and did a little wine tasting. Then Monday we headed home. Quick trip, but very fun!

Then we packed up again and headed to Arkansas the following Thursday. Josh's parents rented a cabin on Lake Greeson. It was great. Josh's parents, us, his brother Nick and his wife Jesse, and his brother Ben and his girlfriend Amy all spent the weekend just relaxing. We played games, ate way too much, took naps, and basically just enjoyed the eachothers company. Thanks Jeff and Reta for a GREAT weekend!!!

Beckham has been a little out of sorts since we haven't been home a lot lately. He's a little fussier these days, but I think getting back in our routine will help. He went to his new babysitter for the first time today, and I am proud to say, he did great! She said he just played, and laughed, and ate and slept. All the things a baby should do. I am thankful to have found her. I am praying it continues to be a good fit. He's only there 1 day a week. The other 2 days he is still with my mother in law. I coudn't ask for a better situation! Except of course being able to stay home full time. I am still praying about that one!

Here are a few picture from the lake. Enjoy!

 

LOST!!!

Ok, what's the deal? Just when I get bored of this show and ready to give up on it, the finale hooks me all over again!! Did ya'll see this? I hate that for 3 seasons now there have been NO answers, and then BOOM out of nowhere....ANSWERS! But not really. It ended just when we were getting somewhere. And now it doesn't start back until 2008! Stupid show!

But the silver lining is that my FAVORITE show of the summer is back tonight!! SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE!!! Yes, you can make fun of me all you want, I don't care!! I absolutely love this show! It is WAY better than American Idol! Check it out...you'll be hooked!!

Mother's Day....



Well it was my first "official" Mother's Day on Sunday. It's crazy to think that Last year we found out on Mother's Day weekend that I was pregnant, and now we have the sweetest baby in the world! Where did the last year go?? I've decided that time goes by a lot faster now that I'm old. I remember when I was a kid, it took FOREVER for Christmas to get here. And now, I can't believe that we are almost half way through 2007! I mean, before you know it, the summer will be gone, Halloween, then Thanksgiving, then Christmas, ......Whoo. Sorry, I digress.



Anyway, back to Mother's Day. I had a great one. The best gift of all was that Josh came home a day early from Las Vegas. He was there for 2 weeks! 2 weeks is such a long time for him to be gone, especially now with the baby. The first few days were ok, but as time went on it got harder and harder. But thanks to great family and friends (shoutout to the Cox's for keeping Buddy for a few days!) it wasn't terrible. But I was SO surprised when, after being gone all day, I called Josh and he told me he was at home waiting for me!



In true Faris fashion, (neither Josh nor I are great about waiting to give gifts. We just get too excited!) Josh gave me my gifts on Saturday night. He got me a Paula Deen cookbook, autographed by the queen of southern cooking herself, a pair of slippers, some great Jo Malone perfumes, and a ring that I told him I wanted. Sweet husband! But more importantly, Sunday we got to spend the WHOLE day together! We got up early, I made breakfast (yummy omelets) and we just kinda vegged all day. Very relaxing! Then Josh also took Monday off and watched the baby for a little while so I could get some errands run.


Sadly, Tuesday got here way too soon. I am fighting a cold, and because I let Beckham sleep in my bed with me the 2 weeks Josh was gone, I am fighting getting him back in his crib too. So far, the cold and Beckham are winning! But I will not give up! Just have to start all over again :(
I can't blame anybody but myself though!


Here are a few new pics.

ETHAN POWELL
For everyone who has been keeping up with Ethan Powell, I just saw on his website that there is a Bone Marrow drive this weekend here in Dallas. Here's the info if anyone feels led to participate.

Dallas, TX- Saturday, May 19th, 2007

Location: Baylor University Medical Center

4615 Greenville Ave Dallas, TX Time: 8:30am-11:30am

For more information contact: (214) 820-4279 or (800) 4-BAYLOR

ethanpowell.com for more info

Please keep praying for this precious baby!

THE LATEST VIDEO...

Beckham is at such a fun age right now! He is 4 months old, and everyday seems like a new discovery for him. He loves music. He has just found his feet in the last few days. And his voice too! He really loves the sound of his own voice! And his "tickle" reflexes have kicked in, and, well...take a look at the video!


Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos

GRANDMA, BECKHAM AND THE FLOWERS...

This weekend Josh's Grandma and Aunts were in town from Virginia. We had so much fun! It is so special that Beckham was able to spend time with his Great Grandmother! She is absolutely adorable!

One funny story...
Now Grandma doesn't here too well these days, and she was asking my mother-in-law what type of tree was in her backyard. Here's how the conversattion went...

Grandma: What kind of tree is that Reta?
Reta: It's an Oak.
Grandma: A Maple?
Reta: (louder) An Oak!
Grandma: A Birch?
Reta: (even louder) AN OAK!!
Grandma: Oh...

I'm still not sure she ever heard what type of tree sits in Reta's backyard. But that's ok.

Monday afternoon we went to the Dallas Arboretum. It was a perfect day! I am definetly going to make it a point to go there more often! Here are few pictures from our day.


Grandma and Beckham


Beckham looking so precious in his hat!


All the Girls!!


Grandma lookin' SASSY!

EASTER 2007

In my family, any holiday is a great excuse to get together and have a little fun. Easter is no exception. So yesterday Josh, Beckham and I packed up and headed over to my sister's house. My favorite part about these times is I get to play photographer and take pictures of my favorite kiddos. As I have said before. I LOVE being an aunt!! My nieces and nephews are precious to me! So of course I have to share them with everyone. And yes, there are a few of Beckham in there as well!!

View full size

Here's the latest video of Beckham. Look how much he's grown!!!

Memory Lane....

I was just looking back at some pictures of the day Beckham was born. I find myself doing this quite often. He's just growing so quickly!!! Somedays I feel like time is on fast forward. Especially since I only have 1 more week of work left. I don't want to seem like I am not grateful for my time, I truly am! But it has gone by way too fast. I am not ready to venture back to the daily routine of work yet. I have so enjoyed just being Beckham's mom, that I am not ready to be a dental hygienist again! I still pray that Josh can one day find a job that allows me to stay home. But until then, we are still extremely blessed!

Friday, December 29, 2006

UPDATE....

The acclaimed Ferber sleep method lasted a total of...TA DA...45 minutes! Yes I caved! I went in and picked him up after 45 minutes because I just couldn't take it anymore. So what's next? I have NO idea. Last night he had one of his worst nights yet. I think I may have traumatized him by Ferberizing him! He didn't want to be anywhere but in my arms. As soon as I picked him up, he was fine. I'm afraid and am creating a MONSTER!! A cute monster, but none the less, a monster!

So for all of you moms in Blogland, PLEASE tell me what you did that worked! I need some advice!

DR. FERBUR.....I DO NOT LIKE YOU!!!!

Ok, so Beckham is not the greatest sleeper. I have known this for quite some time now, but have chosen to ignore it because I have been on maternity leave. Well, maternity leave is coming to a halt in 2 weeks (I am SO sad!!!), and I have got to get this precious child of mine in some sort of sleep routine, otherwise, I will be walking zombie at work. And that's not a good thing when you deal with sharp metal instruments in people's mouths.

So the method that is suppose to work is the Ferbur method. Dr. Ferbur method is this in a nutshell:

1. You place the baby in his crib when he's tired, but still awake.
2. You kiss him, tell him you love him and goodnight, then leave the room.
3. He will cry, but wait 5 minutes before going back in the room. Then go in, tell him you love him, and say goodnight. 60 seconds or less.
4. The baby will cry even more!! This time you wait 10 minutes and then repeat the same routine.
5. Continue this in increasing 5 minute increments until the baby has fallen asleep. And each time the baby cries louder, and louder and louder!!
6. This is suppose to go on every night for up to 4 nights. Supposedly by the 4th night, he's got the routine down, and goes to sleep all on his own.

Sounds easy right? UH UH!!! There is just something in this new mom that so desperately wants to go pick up her son, love on him, and let him fall asleep in her arms. I mean, that's what a mom does right? We nurture, we love, we calm, we kiss boo boos, etc... I know that in the long run, I am doing us both a favor. He will learn how to fall asleep on his own and self-soothe, and I will ultimately get good sleep for the first time in 3 months! I know this in my head, but it sure does make my heart hurt to hear those screams. And I feel like I am lying to him every time I go in there, tease him with a little love, then leave abruptly just to hear him scream and cry louder. Dr. Ferbur has obviously never been a mom!

So, I am trying this method, but I am hating EVERY minute of it! We'll see how long it lasts...

Since the last one went so well....here's one more. Thanks Uncle Nick and Aunt Jesse for my Mavs gear!

It's Video Time!!!

Since Uncle Sam was so generous to actually give us some of our money back this year, we decided to buy a camcorder to record all of Beckham's cuteness! He's beginning to get more animated these days, so here is our first adventure into the video sharing world....hope this works!

Here are the latest pics! He's getting SO big!! He holds his head up for longer periods of time now, he's awake for longer periods, and he's officially out grown newborn diapers! He needs to slow down a little for Mama's sake!!

KYLE OGLE....

Kyle is the son of the Dr. I work for. Many of you have heard me talk about Kyle, and ask for prayers for him. About 10 years ago he was diagnosed with rare form of cancer called Synovial Cell Sarcoma. Since then, he has fought hard and put all of his faith the Lord to heal him.

He's had some rough times lately, but I wanted to share his recent entry on his blog. He's an amazing man with an amazing story. You can access his blog thru a link off of mine. Take a look at his family pics!


This is Kyle posting – I gave Darla the night off. We got really good news today – the tumors did not grow (and just might be a tad smaller)! Stable disease is a good thing – especially when it has been on a war path as of late. We are really on cloud nine! We will be sticking to the same regimen - I got more poison today (round 3 began). It is so humbling to have so many people praying and thinking of us. I am selfish, so please do not stop!
So many of you wonder and ask why would I keep this up? Why keep fighting? Why go through all this? Why the silly grin attitude? Am I sick in the head, too?
The reason I fight is in the pictures attached to this website. I have three unbelievable reasons. Hey, I gave my right arm for them! I will never give up. My job while I am here is to take care of them. Until God tells me different, this is where He wants me. I will run this race with everything I have, all the way to the finish line. But when I do break that tape, I will burst forth on the other side victorious.
I am going to drop a bomb on everyone here, you have been warned. Bad things are going to happen to you in this life. You will have troubles, and it won’t always be easy. And you know what really stinks - nobody gets out of this alive. Every one of us is “circling the drain”.
How can a guy that has lived so close to death for so long always have a smile like the cat that ate the canary? Do I like pain, suffering, and watching my family suffer through this with me? I have been given a gift, at a young age I had to come face to face with my mortality. What an incredibly humbling feeling, but what freedom. Life is a terminal illness. We all have it, and we all have to deal with it.
The second bomb is coming now, beware. People always make the statement, “Why do bad things happen to “good” people? It is just not fair.” I have news for you, there are no good people and the fair is a place where you eat cotton candy and go on cheap rides. We all can put on a good act, but when it is just you looking in the mirror, are you really ready to say that you are good people? Have you done enough?
I hope that my life and the way that I live is an example of my commitment to Christ, but I know even on my best day I am a sinner. The wages for these sins is death. Not just of this world but eternal separation from a loving God, who by His nature is JUST and must punish sin. The bad news/good news is that there is absolutely nothing that I can do to wash these sins away. I cannot earn my way to heaven. I have looked in that mirror a lot over the last ten years, and although I have seen a lot of changes, there is absolutely no way I am ready to put my faith in the guy looking back at me. I know his past. Nothing, Nothing, Nothing I can do will make these sins go away. So what is the sacrifice that will pay for these sins? Did God provide a way out?
Who is good enough without His grace? Was David? Was Moses? God said no. Hey, if these guys, biblical heroes, are not good enough, how am I going to pull it off?
There is only one man, one person who lived a perfect, sin free life. Jesus Christ, The Lamb, is the only man who qualifies. Nothing you can do, except ask Him to save you from your sins will do. His life is the only acceptable payment for our sins. The greatest gift God could give. True, free grace. So that none of us can boast of our own greatness. We have to hit our knees, come to terms with our depravity and need for His grace. We are just dogs begging for scraps, dead in our sin. I came to this point at seventeen, kicking and screaming the whole way! God opened my eyes, woke me from spiritual death, and I gave my life to Christ. I did nothing to earn it, it was His grace. Free to everyone.
We all know that we are going to die. So we all have a decision to make. Are we going to put our faith in our own sacrifices or His? You have to make a decision on Christ. Yes or No?
As for me, I think I will put my money on the guy that healed the sick, raised the dead, fed the thousands, walked on water, and most importantly….
walked out of His grave three days after His death on the cross.
“He’s alive and I’m FORGIVEN!”

RANDOM PICTURES.....



BUDDY LOVED THE SNOW TODAY!!



MORE PICTURES OF BECKHAM!!

I'VE BEEN AT IT AGAIN! I LOVE TAKING PICTURES OF BECKHAM! HERE A FEW THAT I TOOK. SO CUTE!!

SWEET BABY OF MINE!!

He's such a little blessing! I absolutely adore him! Even though I don't get very much sleep these days, I am confined to the house for another 5 weeks, and my body will never be the same again...I DON'T CARE!!! He is completely and totally worth it! I mean, look at him...have you ever seen a more precious baby? I apologize to all of you who hate "baby blogs" but I can't help but share my joy with everyone.

These days he is growing so big. He's over 7lbs now, I'm sure, and he's awake more often for longer periods of time. He lifts his head up for a few seconds at a time and turns to look at who's talking to him. He loves for you to sing to him. He looks at himself in his little mirror (thank you Uncle Darrell and Aunt Beth!), and he changes everyday. One day he'll be the spitting image of his daddy and the next he looks just like my baby picture.

Sometimes I can't believe how blessed we are to have this precious baby with us. He has certainly changed our lives!

Are my boys cute or what??? As many of you know, Josh is a huge Florida Gator fan, and they just won the National Championship last night. So we celebrated by putting Beckham in his "Little Gator" shirt. So precious!

BECKHAM JEFFREY FARIS

He's here!! Beckham was born on December 29, 2006. He weighed 6lbs 1 oz. and was 18 1/2 inches long. I think he's absolutely perfect!! But that 's just this mom's opinion.

Things have been a little crazy around here, needless to say. I mean, you think you have in your head at least a little bit of what to expect with a new born, but I truly had no idea! I apologize to all of those people that I rolled my eyes at when they said to get sleep before the baby comes. Because let me tell ya....I should have listened. And to all of those people who said it would change my life....Amen! It has! But it has all been worth it! He's just the most precious little boy!

I will try to post later with more updates and pics. We are still adjusting to our new routine around here....or should I say just trying to establish a routine around here. Unfortunately, blogging hasn't been penciled in the schedule just yet.