Holiday Update

Before we make the trek up to Massachusetts for Nathan's first Christmas, we wanted to share a few recent pictures. He's growing so quickly it's hard to believe how small he was when we brought him home. He's also showing more of his personality every day, which so far has been pretty laid back (although his legs and arms only stop moving when he's asleep). Anyway, we hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday season!

Aunt Melissa meets Nathan

Sarahbeth's sister Melissa came up from FL this past weekend to meet her new nephew for the first time.

Nathan was one spoiled little kid by his aunt as she was holding hime 24/7! Mom and Dad even had some time to go Christmas shopping and have a bite out while Melissa babysat .

First Thanksgiving

Nathan celebrated his first Thanksgiving this past Thursday. Nathan's still too young for turkey, but he seemed to enjoy himself. Here are some pics from the weekend.






















Someone partied like a rock star!

A New Arrival

Congratulations to the Browne family! Colton Patrick Browne was born to Trevor and Heather on Monday, November 24th. Mom and baby are doing great and will be home in time for Thanksgiving.

Although Nathan didn't get a chance to meet his newest friend, the parents were able to visit him in the hospital. Colt was actually born in the same hospital as Nathan, with the same midwife assisting. What a cute kid!

Sarahbeth and Neal holding Colton

8 Week Checkup

Nathan visited the pediatrician on Wednesday for his 8 week checkup and first round of vaccinations. He did pretty well with his shots (he must take after his father), and seemed more surprised when he got them than anything else. He is also growing fast - at 12 lbs 5 oz and 23 inches long.

Here are a couple of pictures from Wednesday - in his cozy clothes after we came back from the doctor, and later playing on his activity mat.

Smile for the Camera!

Things have been moving along fairly smoothly in the Roeschlein household. Nathan is growing out of more of his clothes every day, so we can't wait to see how much he's grown at his checkup next week. We'll keep everyone posted.

He has also started smiling more, especially when you smile at him. Here are a couple of pictures, including one where we caught him in the act.

Smile!

All dressed up

A little cross-eyed

Nathan's First Holiday

Halloween was last Friday, and of course we had to get Nathan dressed up for his first holiday. He seemed pretty comfortable as a pea in a pod, and fell asleep after about 5 minutes of being outside.

All dressed up

Too much trick or treating!

Nathan's First Month

Nathan is now over a month old! He's eating a lot and growing fast - over 9 pounds already. Every day is a joy for us here in the Roeschlein household.

Here are some pictures of his first month.

Visitors from Indiana

Nathan finally got to meet his Grandma and Grandpa Roeschlein this weekend. They made their way from Rensselaer, IN to see their grandson for the first time. They were also more than willing to babysit for an afternoon so Mom and Dad could go out to grab a bite. We sure appreciated it!

The Pumpkin Patch

We took Nathan to Belvedere Plantation on Sunday to their annual Harvest Festival and pumpkin patch. It was a little cool and windy, so he spent most of the time sleeping snugly in his stroller, until Daddy took him out for a couple of quick pictures.

Nathan & Clay

Nathan got to meet a new friend this weekend. Clay Morris (along with his parents, Josie and Bob) stopped by to see Nathan on Saturday. Clay was born about 3 weeks earlier than Nathan, and is growing fast. It won't be long before the two of them are running around together causing trouble!

Sarahbeth, Clay, Nathan, & Josie

The Dads

Back to Work

Neal returned to work full-time this week, and it has been an adjustment for all three of us. When he walked in the door that first night, Neal immediately went over to pick Nathan up, and Nathan promptly peed all over his pants. I don’t know if he was excited at seeing Daddy or mad at him for being gone all day!

Anyway, prior to Neal going back to work we were able to take Nathan on an outing to Huntley Meadows Park in Fairfax County. This is one of Neal’s favorite places, and he is excited to have a buddy to take for nature walks and birdwatching. Of course, Nathan slept the entire time.

Pat, Nathan, and Sarahbeth at Huntley Meadows

Our 5th Anniversary

Saturday, October 11th was our 5th anniversary. The time has flown by, and so much has changed for us in the last 5 years. Before Nathan joined us, we were planning a relaxing getaway to Costa Rica to celebrate. Instead, we had to settle for a nice dinner out at The Majestic in Old Town.

And here is what Nathan was up to while Grandma watched him for the evening:

Big Stretch!

Little Nathan loves to stretch - and he makes the funniest faces when he does it! Neal caught him on video when he was waking up for one of his many feedings.

Grandma Comes to Visit

Neal's mother Pat (aka Grandma Smith) has come up from Florida to visit her first grandson. Pat went from no grandchildren to having a grandson and granddaughter in the space of 3 weeks - thanks to Neal's sister Katie and her new daughter Haley.

Also, Nathan had his 2 week checkup today and everything is looking good. He's about 5 ounces over his birth weight, which is no surprise considering how often he is eating!

Somebody loves his Grandma!

Tummy Time!

Nathan got to use his Boppy for a little tummy time today. Mostly he grunted and worked at raising his head up while giving us his best Popeye impression (see picture on the right).

He's spending more and more time awake each day, and luckily, it's usually during daylight hours. It's amazing to get to see him with his eyes open, trying to make out the faces of these people who always seem to be holding him and taking off his clothes (which he doesn't really enjoy that much).

We've included another short video of Nathan and Mommy below.

Farmers' Market Day

Nathan made his first trip to the Alexandria Farmers' Market this Saturday. While Mommy and Daddy shopped for groceries, Nathan got to meet all of the farmers and vendors that Sarahbeth sees every week.

Shopping at the market









Mmm, arugula!

Sarahbeth, Nathan, & Sharon

A Walk Around the Block

Yesterday was a beautiful fall day in Northern Virginia, so we loaded Nathan up in his stroller and took him for a spin outside. I think he enjoyed the fresh air, because he basically slept the entire time. I know Mom and Dad enjoyed getting out of the house for a while! Take a look at our first attempt at some video of Nathan.

Nathan's Visitors

Thank you to everyone who has come to see our little man in the past week. So far, Nathan has met his Grandma and Grandpa Manning, Sarah and Sean Connors, Trevor and Heather Browne, and Ashley Wilson. We've enjoyed watching Nathan interact with our friends and family, so thanks again and we hope to see you soon!

Nathan's First Week

Nathan is now 1 week old! He's had a lot of firsts this week: his first bath, his first car ride, his first FSU game (which he didn't watch much of). After a little bit of an adjustment period, we're getting into a rhythm here at home. It still takes some getting used to trying to schedule everything in 2 hour blocks.

The topics of conversation have also changed in the past week. Neal has talked more about poop than college football! On top of that, it seems that everything in the house has decided to break down at the same time - the washer, the first floor toilet, our second car. Neal has been running around like a madman trying to get everything fixed and going back and forth to Home Depot. Oh well, when it rains it pours!

Here is a little slideshow of Nathan's first week:

Nathan's Arrival!

Well, it was a couple of weeks early, but Nathan Manning Roeschlein entered the world on Wednesday, September 24th at 7:39 PM. He came out at a healthy 7 lbs 1 oz and 20.5 inches long and sporting a full head of blond hair. Mommy and baby got to come home on Friday, and both are doing great! We're a little tired here at home, but we'll be sure to post more in the coming days.

What healthy lungs!

Sarahbeth holds Nathan for the first time

Hi daddy!

That car seat sure is comfy!

Finally asleep!

Babies, Babies Everywhere!

So who would have thought that the day after a long weekend, September 2nd would be the day that Neal and I would become Aunt and Uncle and our friends, Josie and Bob Morris would also become parents!

Haley Paige Werner is the newest addition to Katie and Jon Werner's family (Neal's sis and brother-in-law) and Clayborne Joseph Morris is the newest addition to the Morris family. As you can imagine, Neal and I are really excited to become aunt and uncle and we can't wait to show off the pictures! Haley and Clayborne are so cute and now share the same birthday. How cool is that!

LBR's Baby Shower

We had a great time at the shower this Saturday! Thanks to everyone who came including our family from far away. A special thank you to our hosts Melissa, Sarah, and Sean who made our first baby shower extra special. (Sarah- Guests are STILL talking about your cake pops!) More pictures and updates from the shower to come so don't miss it!

The two future grandmothers, Donna and Pat. LBR is going to be one spoiled little boy!!!

We were fortunate to receive some of the pieces to the crib as shower gifts including the mobile and the bedding set. (All of this stuff will help LBR sleep through the night, right??)

Hey, you gotta start them early and yes, we bleed garnet and gold! Our little one will be wearing his finest FSU duds as soon as possible. This quilt was made by Neal's mom and the track suit is also courtesy of Neal's mom- isn't it so adorable? (PS- In case anyone out there is wondering, the bear also received his very own FSU outfit.)

LBR's wardrobe could not be complete without a rock star outfit courtesy of Donna. Thanks to his dad, LBR will be rocking out to the Pixies and U2 lullaby CDs!

Last vacation before LBR arrives

To our curious fans out there, we know it has been awhile since the last entry. Neal and I took our final vacation last week to my parent's house on Cape Cod before the baby arrives. We figured now is the time to catch up on sleep and have some last minute fun!


We had a whale of a time! Neal and I ventured into Boston one day and boarded Boston Harbor Cruises for a day of whale watching. We were lucky enough to see five humpbacks that day which included this amazing up close and personal picture of a momma whale and her baby.

We had to include this gorgeous sunset taken from the neighborhood beach.

There was plenty of time for lounging in the sun. Neal was a brave soul and managed to swim in the brisk Cape Cod water. I also have give my mom credit for getting in too even if it was up to her knees. :0)

Check out Donna and John - future grandparents! More pics to come of Neal's family so you will have to keep checking back for the updates.