SNOW DAY!!!
Jonathan was not to sure of the snow but Gibbs was in heaven! It's so pretty! We have about 21 inches and more is coming! Merry (Early) Christmas! With this weather it's hard not to get in the Christmas mood! Enjoy the pictures and the video of Gibbs jumping through the snow!

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Jonathan Jack Dean!

A year ago when I was in labor I never imaged a love like this! God has given us this blessing to love and we couldn't be more thankful for him! We love his giggle, pout, walking/cruising, and even the way he spits out most vegetables on his high chair. We feel as if this year has flown by but can't really remember what we used to do with out him! Thank you Lord for making us parents and having us experience a love like this!

For Halloween this year we went to the UVA Lawn and met Daddy for a picnic dinner. For those who don't know what the Lawn is like on Halloween think tons of college kids spending a ridiculous amount of money on candy for the adorably dressed up children of Charlottesville! It's a really neat event that we have loved going to for the past years. There really are tons and tons of kids at this event. Jonathan was a Doctor like his Daddy with baby scrubs that said Doctor Dean on them and a little pager (Thank you Grandma Sue Dean). It was pretty cute and a very comfortable outfit for him to wear. Jonathan hung out with Lilly Kate (the adorable penguin below), and Robert (the UVA football player like his Daddy too!)Having a serious pregnant brain, I forgot my camera and thankfully I have wonderful friends who could document my child's memories! Thank you Christian and Lauren!

As you can see one of the Doctors in this picture is ready for a nap/vacation (which will begin in 5 days!)

This is one of my favorites. I love the huge grins on the Daddy's faces as they look at the future newlyweds!

What we have been up to

Here is what the Dean family has been up to lately.

Jonathan enjoying some nachos at Daddy's 5th reunion at Washington and Lee. Maybe one day we will be back to watch Jon-Boy play there as well! (but if he wants to dance or paint we will still be proud of him)

Jonathan helping Daddy with his Fellowship applications. We should know where we are moving next spring. Any prayers throughout this process would be so appreciated!

Jonathan lounging after bath time. We truly fall more in love with this smile everyday!

Jonathan decided he wanted to get up close and personal with Gibbs feeding. Gibbs really didn't know how to handle this situation.

Jonathan's younger sibling who will be making an appearance next May! I am feeling a little better each day but was pretty shocked to see how different this pregnancy is compared to last time. Jonathan is becoming more aware of babies lately and it truly brings tears to my eyes to think of how close these two little ones will be. God is so good to us!

Jonathan's First Hike

As you can see we tried out our new baby backpack this past weekend. We went up to the Shenandoah National Park and hiked Turk Mountain. Jonathan did great. He talked to us during most of the hike and loved being able to play with Mommy and Daddy's hair. Gibbs came with us and was beyond excited to lead the way! Most exciting moment of the trip happened on our way up to the Park. I was telling Peter how I would not handle seeing a bear very well when, no later than 30 seconds later, a small black bear ran out in front of our car. I screamed, Peter searched for the camera, Gibbs attempted to jump out window to play, and Jonathan sucked on his pacie. The view at the top was pretty amazing and we really could not have asked for better weather.

At the top! We are constantly amazed by God's Beauty that surrounds us. This picture looks a LOT more dangerous than it actually is. I was there to be the safety patrol. ha!

Another view from the top.

We just got back from a wonderful 2 week vacation! We spent time with my family at the bay and then more time with Peter's family at the beach! We are so thankful to have family who take us on vacations! Jonathan had a great time. He fell asleep on many of boat rides at the bay and loved hanging out in the pool at the beach. He turned 9 months old at the beach! We can't believe how fast time has gone by! He is eating all sorts of baby food, (although still not a huge fan of veggies), showing some signs of crawling (very small signs :), making more new noises and most importantly saying his first word "BALL!".

We were unpacking from the trip while John-Boy (my nickname for him) was playing on our bed with a ball he just yelled out "Ball!". Peter and I both turned to look at him and once again celebrated like he had just graduated from Yale! He continued to say his new word throughout the evenings. Like the love-sick new parents that we are, we grabbed the video camera and got it on tape! Needless to say, Dad is beside himself with his son's first word choice! It was Peter's first word as well!

Peter and Boy (my brother) on the Hobie Cat.

Us at The Red Roost (a yummy restaurant near the bay)

Part of my family at the bay. Gibbs thought now was a great time for a scratch!

Dean Family on the Bethany Boardwalk

Playing with Grandpa Dean's head was so much fun!

Jonathan is teaching Uncle Richie how to change a diaper! He was a pro!
I still can't believe how truly blessed I am to have this child as my son!

A week ago we went on our first beach vacation with Jonathan. The last week of Peter's Intern year, the hospital gives all of the pediatric interns the week off! It is tradition that all the rising 2nd year residents and their families go on a beach week. So this year we all went to Ocean Isle Beach in North Carolina. We had a blast and as you can see from the pictures Jonathan had a good time as well. At first he wasn't so sure about the waves, and was not a big fan of getting his feet in the ocean however, after awhile he became a big fan of the beach. Due to the fact that he is an early riser, we would take him on the beach early in the morning and take long walks on the beach together as a family. Jonathan fell asleep on either Peter or myself every time! In my opinion life doesn't get any better than when you are sitting on a beach, but with a sleeping baby curled up on you it is simply heavenly! I also highly reccomend going on trips with a bunch of pediatricians, LOTS of hands to hold and love on your baby!

Strutting his stuff in his beach gear!

Playing on the beach with Daddy. His laugh makes our heart jump!

Asleep on Mommy during one of our morning walks.

Big grin! Must have seen some beach babes!

Jonathan wanted to fit in with the crowd so we put him in his "Dr. Dean Scrubs"

Jonathan was fascinated with the stuff on Dr. Mabry chest, nothing like Daddys! ha.

Everyone loved holding Jonathan. It was a perfect vacation for Mommy!

Establishing the Friendship

Jonathan and Gibbs will look back on today and realize this is where their relationship started. Until today, Jonathan thought Gibbs was a black blur (similar to the ceiling fan) that occasionally wet his face and Gibbs thought Jonathan was purely a noise machine that took all the attention away from her. It is only a matter of time until Jonathan is throwing a ball for Gibbs.

Still pictures of the action;

The Beginning of Jonathan's First Summer

Jonathan before the planned family canoe trip. This might be the first time Jonathan has doubted his parents decision making.
The hundreds of spiders in the canoe cancelled the planned canoe trip, so instead Jonathan stayed on the shore with Mom and Aunt Emily (and showed Emily what he had previously eaten)Jonathan's first football run. 65 yards on a bootleg (just like his Uncle Richie in the big win overt Oakton 9/01), he was tackled and fumbled right after he crossed the goalline so the Touchdown counted.

Sitting Practice

Here is what we have been up to over the past couple of weeks! This is picture of sitting practice. He is so proud of his new accomplishment and we pretty much are celebrating it as if he graduated from Harvard!
Such a happy baby! He is such a blessing to our lives!

Jonathan is very thankful for the hammock Uncle Richie and Aunt Liz gave us. We put it up a couple of weekends ago and he really really enjoyed it. It's right next to the lake behind our house. He stayed in it for awhile and loved to watch Gibbs run underneath it. As long as we can keep Gibbs from using it as a doggie bed we will be ok!

Bath time has become our most favorite time of the day! Our dear friends the Hayes bought us the rubber ducky bathtub that is used to help transition little ones to sitting up while in the tub. Jonathan loves it!! He kicks his feet and giggles when we make the duck quack (which it really does). Everyday he is growing and changing. I know this may sound redundant but it truly is amazing how much our love grows for him daily! I love being a mom and really believe it's the best job out there!