Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve is full of Denove Tradition.

First we go to Christmas Eve service and this year we were able to go to Chris and I's home church which was nice

Then begins the night of Seven Fish (an Italian tradition)

Dinner begins with the appetizers that contains homemade Calamari and Ceviche. As you can tell the kitchen is always full of people and laughter

Then after dinner it is present time. Kids go first and then adults. It was crazy having so many kids this year. To open gifts for our little one was such a fun experience!

The two Denove sons holding their sons

Nash loves his Christmas Trees

The night concludes for the kids on a Christmas Walk to find Santa...once Santa is found you have to race home and go to bed because he is on his way!

Baby Nash is 5 Weeks Old

5 weeks

It amazes me that we still have not reached your due date

You keep getting bigger and bigger and I want to keep you small

You are getting chubby rolls all over your body

Little munchkin we love you and so excited to spend the holidays with you

Sleep: Every week you seem to change your mind. Sometimes you are comfortable in your bouncer seat and sometimes you want to lay in this little cradle that your Auntie Holly gave us. I just never know where you want to sleep. Of course you love sleeping in our bed or in our arms and one of your most favorites places to sleep is on the couch facing the Christmas Tree. We have noticed that you do not like to sleep in the dark. Some type of light has to be on for you to sleep. Whether that is a night light, the TV or the bedroom light. It has to be on. You are still sleeping only 3-4 hours at a time and still like to grunt through your sleep. Every morning I will put you in bed with me and we will snuggle and sleep like that for a couple of hours. You are just too scrumptious and both your Dad and I love to snuggle with you.

One note: when you are really fussy at night and are tossing and turning if we hold one of your hands and you have a paci, you calm down right away.

Feed: You love your food. We are still breast feeding and giving you a bottle. I am so thankful that you will take a bottle. Your Dad does the 1 am feeding which allows me to get about 5 hours of sleep in a row. That is huge! You favor eating on your left side right now and tend to not eat on the other side. We are going to work on this. However, it does allow for me to pump on that side. You are still spitting up a lot. We keep you up right for about 15 minutes after you eat to help your tummy digest the food. The worst is when it is curdled milk because that does not smell good at all. You eat every 3-4 hours.

Weight: 8 lbs 14.5 oz....20% The doctor is very happy with your progress. It is funny how different your little body looks as you gain weight. I love to see the little rolls grow

Length:20 1/2 inches....15% Your little legs are short and are bowed just like your Dad's legs. You have his body! Your head is 14 1/2 which is 9% so right now you have a little head just like your Momma.

Milestone: You had many firsts this week.

• You are such a strong baby. When you have tummy time you lift your head 90 degrees and if we put our hand by your feet you will push against it with your feet and scoot on your tummy.
• You have started to really smile in your sleep along with making plenty of other faces.
• You experienced your first big rain storm. We were in a flood watch and it has rained non stop for the past 5 days. This is unheard of for So Cal.
• We went to the doctors for the first time without your Dad

Funniest Moment this Week: We went to the doctor this week and you have been real constipated for the past couple of days. He said that you probably have a lot of pressure built up in your tummy. So the doc did a rectal exam to stretch your bottom to help you go poop. When he pulled out his finger, poop came squirting out. All over the doc, the table and even a little on the floor. Your Dad and I were horrified that you had all that built up and it came out like that. The doc should have warned us....it frightened your Momma a little bit. But now we have to do the same procedure at home to help the build up. It has been funny to watch your Dad and I try to help you. We use a rectal thermometer and I just can not stay in the room because I just do not want to see you be hurt so most of the time I run out of the room. Your Dad has been so good. He has been helping you and now it seems to have helped because you are pooping on your own again! Good Job little guy.

Your favorite toy: You love the yellow blanket and still the Christmas Tree and lights. Also you enjoy your bouncy seat. You have started to like you activity mat this week also. You stare at your self in mirror.

Diapers: You are still wearing NB and the sensitive diapers. However, we are not going to buy anymore of these diapers because we are pretty sure you will grow out of these.

Mommy Moments: Your due date is two days from today. I cannot imagine you still being in my tummy. It has been so much fun to have you around and see you grow. I am so glad that God gave us to you early. Especially since you would have been over 9 lbs. I do not think I could have delivered you. Personally I could stare at you for hours while you sleep. I love to watch your face and see the different expressions that come about. You amaze us everyday little one.

iPhone Updates

I have never been one to take pictures with my phone. However, since Nash's arrival I have noticed that I have 113 pictures on my iPhone. So please enjoy some of my favorites.

Baby Nash is 1 Month Old

One Month

I cannot believe it has been one month. You amaze us everyday.

Anytime we are away from you we miss you tremendously.

You have completely changed our lives.

We love you munchkin!

Sleep: You continue to sleep anywhere between 3-5 hours a night. The only places that you like to sleep is in your bouncer, our bed, in our arms, and on the couch looking at the Christmas lights. Your grunting and billy goat noises have reduced to only a few an hour. Your Dad set up a night light that projects stars on the ceiling and walls. You love to look at the stars or if the TV is on, you like to watch the lights change on the ceiling or walls. I still wake up a couple times an hour to make sure you are still breathing. Hopefully, this will stop as you get older.

Feed: You continue to excel at breast feeding and taking a bottle. We had to go down in the size of nipples for the bottle because you were eating the bottle in too short of a time. We took you to the doctor because you have an umbilical hernia. The doctor told us it is from you being a preemie and your digestive system not being fully developed. He also told us that you are Lactose Intolerant so we have drops to help you with the lactose and for your gas. I have also cut out all cows milk from my diet. The Doc says you should grow out of this in the next couple of months.

Weight: 8 lbs 9 oz....that is almost 2 lbs in two weeks. You are getting rolls! I love to just squeeze your little chubby legs.

Length:We have our 1 month check up on Monday.

Milestone: You had many firsts this week.

• We went to Noni and Gramps this weekend for the first time. You loved it. Noni took care of you every morning from 4:45 - 9 while Mommy slept.
• You and I had our first nights away from Dad. I cried when your Dad left, but we did a great job. Your Dad missed you tremendously. Noni took care of you every morning from 4:45 - 9 while Mommy slept.
• I started exercising again. The first time was taking a jog/walk in your Bob. Your Dad said you looked like you were ready for Alaska.
• 
  Disneyland It was your first trip to Disneyland
  
• We gave you, your first medicine. Mylicon drops for gas and Lactaid drops for the lactose intolerance.
• You have started to coo. It is so fun to hear other noises than the animal noises you have been making.

Funniest Moment this Week: Noni had been taking you every morning while we were at their house. One night you were fussy around 3 am and Gramps came in the room and asked if he could watch you and help you get over your tummy issues. Well, when 4:45 came around Noni came into the room and started to freak out because she could not find you. She was searching under the covers and under the bed. She woke me up and asked what I had done with you. It was really funny.

Your favorite toy: You love the yellow blanket and still the Christmas Tree and lights. Also you enjoy your bouncy seat. You have started to like you activity mat this week also. You stare at your self in mirror.

Diapers: You are still wearing NB and the sensitive diapers. However, we are not going to buy anymore of these diapers because we are pretty sure you will grow out of these.

Mommy Moments:This was the first week that I felt completely helpless with how to help you. Your tummy had been hurting and I did not know the techniques to help you work through it. Noni demonstrated the different positions to put you in and how to pat you. Then I had to call the doctor and give you medicine for the first time. It did not make this Momma very happy. However, your tummy started to feel better and that made me feel better. I love you and hate seeing you pain.