A First Time for Everything

This was a week filled with first!

I got to visit with four friends and their babies this week (three of the babies I met for the first time).  It was such a blessing to see my friends happy and healthy and enjoying the new parenthood path they are embarking on with their husbands.  Janet and Kate with their first babies, Laura with her second, and Liz with her third.  Janet, Kate, and I have been friends since elementary school, I've known Laura since our days at Minnesota Bible College, and Liz and I have been friends since our sophomore year at Mayo High School.  I simply love this season of life and the opportunity to share in the joys of life, parenthood, and snuggling new babies:)

Luke had his first sleepover at a school friend's house for a birthday party.  Luke, Mason, and Charlie have become pretty good buddies between first and second grade and it's fun to see their friendship grow.  Part of the sleepover was going to The Lego Movie on opening night.  The sleepover went well and I did not receive a call in the night, even though I had my phone right next to me in bed:)  Thankfully he was only a few blocks away in our neighborhood, which eased my mind a bit too.

Nora spent her first night in a toddler bed.  Our crib converts to a toddler bed by lowering the mattress and removing the front crib panel.  We decided to make the transition now because she's starting to get pretty big for the pack-n-play she sleeps in at Papa's house four days a week while I work.  Now that we know she can handle the toddler bed at home, I think she can graduate to a bed at Papa's house too.  (The thought crossed my mind that this transition could possibly be recognizing a "last" as well:  the last baby in our family to sleep in our crib.  But, no definite decision on that yet:))

• A quick recap of the toddler bed transition:  We transitioned her crib Friday night, but she was put to sleep in her pack-n-play downstairs that night due to my bunco league being loud upstairs after Nora's bed time.  We moved her to her bed around 10:30pm and she continued sleeping fine until 11:30pm when she woke up with a scared cry (not sure if she was confused by the change or afraid of the edge of the bed being open???).  She tried walking out of the room a few times (while dragging her blanket and two favorite stuffed animals with her...it was really adorable actually:)) but we put her back each time and she was asleep by 12:30am.  We didn't hear from her again until morning.  Here's hoping the transition continues to go well!  

One of the last nights in her crib with her two
favorite stuffed animals and blanket (aka "B")

Checking out her "new" bed

Poser:)

When she was actually settling into bed for the first night

Brent and Nora had their first date night:)  They had dinner at Panera where Brent said Nora chattered away like they were carrying on a conversation.  Then they did a little shopping at Best Buy and picked up Culver's custard on the way home to share.  It was the sweetest thing to know they had such a nice time together and that I am married to such an amazing man who thought up the date himself and enjoyed every minute with his daughter:)

Heading out for their date!

Brent and I celebrated a belated holiday party with the branch he's been working at since October.  This was the first time I'd met some of the team members and their spouses.  We had a great night of dinner at Victoria's and bowling.

Bowling Competitors
(Brent beat me in all three games)