Ready, Set, RUN

This little man is on the move.

Our house has become an obstacle course, for both the baby and us. Lots of crawling around, and weaving through discarded toys and still-unpacked boxes.

We moved. Again. Our new little place is great! For a few years each new move took us to a house was a little bigger than the last. Our last two moves have been just the opposite and we have downsized quite dramatically from the house we were in just a year ago. When I was young I used to dream of a big house with a big yard. Now I am an adult, with a child. I am the one that has to clean the house and take care of the yard...at this point, smaller is better. Much, MUCH better. 

 

"Love grows best in little houses, with fewer walls to separate. Where you eat and sleep so close together, you can't help but communicate. If we had more room between us, think of all we'd miss. Love grows best in houses just like this."

The Mister and I have been moving around for the past 11 years. We've gotten pretty good at it. But no matter how well a move goes, the challenge always comes in finding a place that really feels like home. Our last two places did not. It makes daily life that much harder when you never really settle in. This little apartment feels *right*. And while we have only been here for a month and we still have a lot of settling to do... the feel of home has already set in. We are comfortable here, and our attitudes and energy are better for it. 

These chubby cheeks and the handsome little fellow they are attached to are loving the new place as well. He is busy exploring his new world and trying out all of his new skills. He loves to spend  evenings chasing the cats while mom and dad chase him from room to room.

I get to see this happy little face every day. What more could anyone ask for.

Growing and Growing

It’s amazing how quickly time passes. My little guy will be nine months old in a few short days. At this point, being pregnant seems like it was a lifetime ago, some days like it never happened at all. His birth a distant memory. And yet, it has been less than a year. In a world where change and growth happen on a daily basis, I feel as if time moves both at a snail's pace, and at hyperspeed all at the same time.

Being a mom has humbled me. I am not wonder woman, I cannot do all the things I thought I could do, or wanted to do. I have not done a million crafts with baby hand and foot prints (but they have at daycare). I do not keep a spotless house (then again, I never have). I feel distracted most of the time and have trouble staying in the moment (I continually work on this). I sometimes worry about the things I am not doing. But at the end of the day I have a perfect little family. I have a husband whom I love, and who makes my life better and I have a son who is curious, happy, and healthy. They love me for who I am, not who I wish I was.

One of the things I wish I did better was document this handsome little guy’s growth. Before I went back to work (yes I am making excuses), I was keeping up pretty well with monthly progress reports and pictures. Now that I am a working parent, the time I have with my family is too precious and too little to spend posing for photoshoots or fussing over the perfect words for a blogpost. But, a couple weeks ago, when met with some beautiful spring weather, we all got outside for some fresh air, and we took the camera with us.

Month Five

“Whats this? It doesn't matter, I’ll just put it in my mouth”

This little porkchop is five months old! At his last check up he weighed in at 16 pounds and 8 ounces. Woah baby! And at 26.5 inches, he is in the 80th percentile for height. I am not sure where this tall baby came from, but I am thrilled at his progress, and a little bit proud that all of his gains have come from nursing exclusively so far.

January brought us:

Stability - he is learning to balance on his own while sitting and getting much less wobbly on his feet.

Hand to mouth coordination - its amazing to watch as this little one grabs onto his toys and leads them directly to his mouth. Not long ago, said toys took a much longer route that included a stop at the forehead followed by being dragged down the nose before finally reaching the mouth.

Reaching - he has started to stretch out his hands for objects beyond his reach instead of just grabbing the things that are close to him. He reaches for his favorite toys and increasingly the cats as they walk by. Which leads us to...

Kittens - he has become much more aware of the fuzzy little creatures that roam the house. He loves to grab onto their soft, warm fur and “pet” them when they snuggle next to us.

High chair - I’ll admit it, we eat dinner on the couch. It is home cooked and usually healthy, but we don’t eat at the table. Even if we wanted to the “cozy” little house we currently live in does not have room for a table. That being said, the little guy was introduced to his high chair this month. He loves it sit in it while I make dinner and see how many of the toys he throws will magically reappear when mom comes over. One day, in the hopefully near future, he will be able to put these skills to use while we all eat dinner gathered around the table.

Giggles - it is getting much easier to get these heart warming sounds out of my ticklish little cutie. Every once and a while these giggles are accompanied by a snort and I can’t help but laugh. Baby giggles (and snorts) can melt any bad day away.

Month Four

 

Our four month well baby visit is right around the corner (closer to five months, than four actually) and I can’t wait to see how much my man has grown. He seems to get bigger every day! This month has been filled with milestones and excitement for us as new parents. Our baby is turning into a tiny little human. He is developing his personality and learning new skills and tricks by the day. It is so much fun to watch him learn and grow.

December brought us:

 

Teeth! - my fears were well founded. This poor little guy has been battling tooth pain for about a month now. Some days are worse than others. Daddy has made a number of emergency trips to the store to try a new type of teether that might help with the discomfort. No teeth have broken through yet, but the way he is chewing it could be any day now

Voice - his cute little wonderful voice. It seemed that just overnight he decided that he was going to start talking to us. He is currently focusing on the volume bit, sometimes whispering, sometimes yelling. He is also very curious about the sounds we make as well, listening carefully and watching our mouths move.

Rolling - tummy time is one of baby’s least favorite activities. He always does really well, but he gets fed up easily. This month he showed us that even the small amount of time spent on his tummy was enough to learn the tricks. He rolled over about six times one night while mommy and daddy proudly cheered him on.

Sitting - laying down is for babies! my little one seemed to say. He tries to do crunches anytime he is on his back now. With the smallest amount of assistance from mom or dad he can pull himself right up to sitting. He is still a little wobbly at the top, but his strength and balance are coming in strides.

Standing - this little boy has some strong little legs and he loves to use them. The only things that makes him smile more frequently than standing is flying!

Grabbing - he has got hands and knows how to use them! Play time now involves an assortment of toys in all shapes and sizes. A squeaky rubber cow, wooden blocks, a stuffed elephant rattle just to name a few. He loves to grab on and try to fit each one into his mouth. His success rate on that still varies.

Friends - playdates with his girlfriend and holidays galore found little man surrounded by friends and family of all different ages. For an only child that stays at home with mommy most days, he did surprisingly well around so many people. I'd say he probably handled the crowds better than his parents.

Dealing with tooth pain and the cold that I so generously passed to him after the holidays have made December a month of crab-itude. I feel bad for the little guy. He doesn't know why he is uncomfortable and I can't help him. But, amidst all of his cranking and crabbing he still finds time to sneak in some smiles and giggles to warm my heart and brighten the mood. He is such a wonderful little man, I am so thankful he is mine!!

Great Minds

My mom is an amazing crafter! I owe my love of, and ability for, crafting to her. An added bonus of moving back home is craft time with her. She makes holiday ornaments for friends and family each year and this year I got to be on the creative end instead of just a recipient of a beautiful little treasure.

 
It's a funny story how we decided on the ornament to make this year...
I saw a cute ornament on pinterest (of course) of a snowflake burnt onto a wood cutting. I thought, "hey! this would be fun to do with mom!" The next time I went to visit she had three logs on the floor and she said to me "hey K! I've got an idea for ornaments we can make!"...Turns out great (crafting) minds really do think alike.

We decided to make a day of it and craft our little ornaments while she had time off. The project got off to a bumpy start. I woke to a text from mom saying she couldn't find her wood burner, but she was ordering a new one. Ok, well we can cut and sketch them today and finish them later. Before I made it to her house, I got another text "I found it!" Cool! We're back on track, I thought. When I finally made it to her house, baby in tow, more bad news...This is hardwood and the saw we have isn't the right kind so we have a limited amount of ornaments.

It turned out to be enough and the rest of the day went off without a hitch. The ornaments are darling and I loved spending a day crafting with my mom. I hope for many more days like this in our future.

Month Three

It is  simply amazing to watch this little man grow. Every day is a new adventure! I am in awe of the life that we have created and how perfect he is.

November brought us:

Normalcy - to some extent. The little guy and I have settled into a routine that works for both of us. Some days are better than others, but for the most part we've got it down. This stability helps him almost as much as it helps me. With at least some normalcy back in my life I am able to feel like a human most days.   

Snuggles - Part of this routine includes our mid-morning nap. After he eats his second breakfast of the day, him and I are usually able to catch some ZZZs on the couch. I love snuggle time with this bundle. It warms my soul.

A New Rattle - These little hands are loosening their tightly gripped fists and grabbing onto anything that comes within reach. We decided the step in the direction of motor control warranted a new toy...the ever popular rattle! This one lets him wind his fingers through the ends for easy grabbing and shaking.

The Library - The last time I went to the library was in Grad School. After moving back to my hometown and becoming a stay-at-home mom (at least temporarily), I decided it was time to head to the local library and get myself a card. We made it a family trip, hopefully the first of many. When the boy gets a little older we can take him for story time and to pick out new books to read. The Mister and I love reading and love buying books, we always have. I am hoping the library will be a good way for us to try out new books (especially for the little one) before we buy them.

Thanksgiving - This was the first year in a decade that neither myself nor the Mister had to work. My entire little family got to spend four whole days together for the holiday! I have always loved gathering at my Grandmother's for the feast and this year was the first in many that we have been able to attend, so my heart was happy. I got to work and crafted my little guy an adorable vest. Obviously I forgot to take any good pictures of it, so this one from my phone will have to suffice. But trust me, he was a dapper little baby!

On the plus side, I managed to snag this picture of me with my little man and my dad. Pictures of my dad are almost as hard to get as pictures of my husband!

To top it all off, the following conversation took place between my grandmother and cousin before we all ate dinner...  

G "We're going to be a little cramped" 

J "That just means our family is growing" 

G "Well the rest of you girls better take your pills!" 

My grandma has never been one mince her words!

and finally...

Teeth?!? - I thought we had a few more months before his little chompers started coming in...but it seems I might have been mistaken. He is exhibiting some tell-tale signs of teething. Hopefully we will know soon if that is whats really going on

 

Happy Halloween

As I am sure I have mentioned a number of times, we love Halloween in this house! I decorate the inside, the Mister decorates the outside, and we both decorate ourselves. This year we got to add a baby to the mix! And let me tell you...dressing up a little one is amazing! I loved every minute of planning and crafting. 

The Mister and I like to think of the perfect costumes throughout the year, modifying and changing our ideas right up until craft time. This year we cheated a little and reused our pirate costumes. But can you blame us? Having a two month old doesn't allow for a lot of time at the sewing machine

On Halloween, we all answered the door together. Because aside from dressing my own family, I love seeing all the little ghouls and goblins that venture out. Living in this small town, we don't get nearly as many as we did in the city, but they are adorable just the same. I love listening to moms as they explain the steps to newbie trick-or-treaters and hearing the little ones mumble our "trick-or-treat" as they hold out their little pumpkin buckets.

However you spent your Halloween, I hope you had as much fun as we did! Now it's time for this family to eat too much candy as we start planning next year's costumes and decorations =)

 

Is that not the cutest little tail feather you've ever seen?