Christmas Eve and Celebrating Jesus' Birthday {2014}

Christmas Eve 2014 was extra special this year! Normally, Colten goes down to Texas to visit his dad. He ended up not going down there this year so we were super excited about having Colten at home for the Holidays!

First we had a nice family followed by Christmas Eve Service at our church.

This was a church service we will remember forever. See, the kids always go off to Sunday School but not on this night. They were with us in the church. Tyler and Colten did really well. Morgan, she decided to celebrate her way. After we got her to calm down, she decided to write notes (about what we don't know) but overall she was so good and cute.

Dancing, twirling and basically being 3. It was absolutely adorable. As long as she was pretty quiet, it was o.k. Then it came time for us to hold candles. It was beautiful. Morgan wanted her own candle and after much debate, she decided it was o.k. for daddy to hold her candle for her.

We explained the nativity scene to the kids, showed them around and tried hard to explain that Christmas is about Jesus and not Santa Claus. It's hard these days to have kids understand this and we did our best but we know when they get older they will understand better.


After church service we hit the Fantasy of Lights in Evansville. The kids loved it but I think Colten is a little old for it now. Morgan was the most excited of course.

We went home, enjoyed hot cocoa bar and took a few pics of Ryker for his first Christmas Eve.

 

I knew this would happen. New bumbo. First Christmas Eve. Baby was tired!

 

Morgan left Santa some cookies and off to bed before Santa comes!

~ Our Shank Family

Ryker Wayne | 2 months

Ryker Wayne  |  2 months

How big is Ryker?

age: 2 months

weight:  10 lbs 1 oz

height: 21.63 in

clothing:  0-3 months & 3 months

Milestones:

You are now looking at us and recognizing us. You know where I am in the room when I talk. You have begun to play with your hands and feet. Not yet at the same time.

You have started making sounds. Its adorable. You coo and aww and we can't even stand it! Daddy and mommy just smile and laugh. I even caught it on video so we can look back when you get older.

A Day In The Life:

You continue to nurse and do so excellently. We haven't supplemented you for over a month now. Your growing like a weed and I love it but I miss how tiny you were when born. 

At around 6-7 weeks old, you were sleeping 6-7 hour stretches through the night. I love getting a good nights sleep! You sleep most in the morning, stay up most of the afternoon and take a long nap right before supper. You normally nurse 2-3 times before hitting the sack around 11pm. Then waking up hungry around 6 am.

You are my snuggle bug. You love attention. If we are not in the room you lay quietly and coo and play with your hands. The moment you hear us, you cry for us to hold you. It's the sweetest thing ever! "I'm here, come hold me".


Your Family Loves You:

Colten, your oldest brother, adores you! He holds you and babysits you in the afternoons and on the weekends when I need to do housework. He loves showing you his basketball, football games from his cell phone and absolutely just loves holding you.

Tyler isn't really sure what to think about you. Tyler is usually in his own world. Occasionally, Tyler wants to hold you but not too often. Mommy thinks its because you are so small still that he is afraid of dropping you or hurting you. I'm sure when you get bigger he will snuggle you too.

Morgan is not jealous of you by any means BUT she does crave my attention more than usual. She doesn't yet understand that you are tiny and I have to give you special attention. She does try to help out sometimes by giving you your binky back when it falls out of your mouth. I think its cute. You don't like it much though. She hasn't quite figured out how it fits in your mouth.

Daddy is your #1 fan. He changes your diapers for mommy. He holds you so I can cook supper. You two normally fall asleep asleep together on the couch. Mommy loves seeing her boys snuggle together.


Note From Mom:

Ryker, you are getting so big! I can't believe how much you've grown in this past 2 months. I love you! I've had the pleasure of staying home with you all of your second month as well. I couldn't be more blessed to be able to do so. I am looking at you staring at me. What are you thinking? Does it matter? YOU are the cutest thing I wake up to each morning...besides your sister :) I'm looking forward to month 3!!