Well, it happened. Daniel turned nine months old and I didn't have a heart attack.

Does this really mean in three short months that he will be a YEAR OLD?! 

NO! Not my BABY!!!

Yea, it really does mean that. And while part of me wants to somehow make him stay small forever, another part of me is really excited to throw his one-year-old birthday party!  Move over My Super Sweet Sixteen, Daniel's first birthday is coming to town.

Possible themes: The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Camping/Outdoors, or maybe we will just freestyle it and take all of the brilliant ideas off of Pinterest and combine them into one party. Thoughts?

So, our little man is growing up. He now weighs approximately 24 pounds and is 28 inches long. We have a doctor's appointment in May and I will have official stats for his ten-month-old post, then. He is still wearing 12-18 month clothes and I'm contemplating the switch to just 18 month stuff. His pants are getting a bit small, but have plenty of length to them--the typical cloth diaper conundrum. I may try to squeeze out a bit more time in the 12 month stuff.

We celebrated Daniel's first Easter this past month and, if you missed it,  you can read more about that here. We also have spent more time outside, enjoying a bit of warmer weather. Daniel loves going for walks in his stroller and absolutely adores the swing at the playground--hopefully we are able to get our swing up soon! I can't wait until the ground is dry and the sun is out more consistently. I'm looking forward to spreading a blanket under our maple tree and letting him play outside in the sun!

Daniel still hasn't figured out how to crawl forward yet, but he is doing a modified version. He will roll at an angle back and forth on his arms, which allows him to move forward a bit. I love to watch him process how to get to something--which currently just involves a lot of rolling. He still loves to stand at the couch or chair and play. He is figuring out that he can lift his feet and move if he wants to. If we are holding his hands, he may take a few steps forward, but after that, he prefers to just stand and look around. I'm really glad that he seems to be in no hurry to crawl/walk--it gives me more time to figure out how to baby-proof our house!

Hmm...what else. He still is eating two meals a day with bottles filling up his tummy in between. For my future reference, we are currently feeding him six ounce bottles and have been doing so for about a month. He still loves fruit and Greek yogurt for breakfast and we usually puree whatever we are having for dinner, for his dinner. He has mastered the art of picking up puffs and we give them to him occasionally so he can work on his fine motor skills. He also has been testing out his new front top teeth that have come in. With four teeth in total, he is learning the art of chewing.

His favorite things to do still consist of playing with his baskets of toys, jumping in his bouncer, or hanging out with Daddy. We are still at two naps a day--which vary in length and sometimes are whittled down to one long, late morning nap. He goes to bed anywhere between six and eight, depending on his naps, and wakes up between six and seven in the morning.

I feel like we really have established a good rhythm at home, and though things seem to change daily, I no longer feel anxious about taking care of Daniel. I am feeling more and more like myself and I think that Jonathan and I both are pretty adjusted to being parents. Everything may be new and unexpected still, but it doesn't seem to bring as much stress anymore. We love our boy and are so thankful for him. What did we do before we had him? I can't even remember. :)

Daniel: Eight Months Old

Our little man is eight months old. Can you believe it?! I know I can't. Jonathan and I were just looking at pictures of Daniel as a newborn and reminiscing. We both loved and missed that stage. But we are also enjoying how engaging Daniel is.

He is at that age where he seems to be doing something new everyday. While I was a bit curious to see if he would ever rollover (he wouldn't tolerate his stomach or back for very long), he now does it fairly often. He is a stomach sleeper and we usually find him on his back in the morning or after his nap. When he reaches for a toy and falls over from his sitting position, he is now decently content to roll around and play on his back or stomach.

That being said, he has also been getting up on all fours and rocking back and forth! I love watching him do it and when I praise him and get excited, he gets a huge grin across his face. He knows that he has done something special. He has been working on scooting backwards from this position and often gets his feet stuck under some piece of furniture and gets frustrated. Now he needs to learn how to go forward! I have a feeling we will have a crawler in the not so distant future.

Daniel still loves to eat and at his last doctors appointment, he was in the 80th percentile for weight. He eats a six ounce bottle every two hours and enjoys baby purees for breakfast and dinner. We usually do some kind of fruit puree mixed with greek yogurt for breakfast and for dinner it is a mixture of veggies and fruit. Sometimes I will blend up what we are having for him to try. He hasn't really rejected anything yet, but doesn't seem to enjoy avocados. Apparently he is like his daddy in thinking that they have no flavor.

He wears an assortment if 12 to 18 month clothing (mostly size 12 months for tops and size 18 months for his cloth diapered bottom). We have enjoyed a lot of hand-me-downs (thanks Cristale!) and recently he has started wearing crib shoes.

Daniel wakes up anywhere between six or seven and loves when both daddy and mommy come in to get him. We change him, feed him a bottle, and while we get ourselves breakfast, he will usually sit and play on his own. He loves the baskets of toys that I keep in our living room. I just pull one over and he digs through it playing with whatever he desires. Once he is bored with that, we usually feed him his fruit and yogurt breakfast and he will then play some more, jump in his jumper, or play in his exersauser until he is ready for a mid-morning nap (well, if he takes one that is).

After a nap that can last anywhere from thirty minutes to two hours, we go through the change, feed, play routine again. Then there is the afternoon nap around one that lasts for, usually, two hours. He is up at three and ready for a change, to eat, and (you guessed it) play. He loves when daddy comes home and usually bounces in my arms and smiles when he walks through the door.

Bed time is between six and seven depending on how his naps went for the day. We have been so lucky to have a good sleeper. Once he is down for the night, he is there for good. Occasionally he will wake up, but only needs his pacifier and his mobile turned on to go back to sleep.

Everyday, I enjoy watching him learn something new. Jonathan and I love comparing stories on the new things we see him doing. I know one thing, I'm going to have to baby proof this house very soon!!

SIX Months!

I have tried to write this post over and over again. I have started and stopped a dozen times, as what is in my head, won't come out and present itself into clear coherent thoughts. 

My baby is six months old and I still can't wrap my head around it. How has time gone by so fast?! 

It's as if someone has taken my post pregnancy self--the one that was innocently relishing in the smell of a newborn--and kicked her ahead six months. I'm dazed and in awe of the little man who sits in front of me. He sits up. He babbles. He smiles and flirts with anyone who will pay attention to him. He reaches for things. He knows who his daddy, mommy, and beloved puppies are. He. is. six. months. old. 

We are halfway to a year of being a family of three and I'm barely comprehending the fact that he is here and not still in my womb! 

Oh goodness. This mama is emotional just thinking about it! 

Daniel has been such a precious gift to us. There are times when I look at him and realize that what I feel for him, must be a minuscule sample of what God feels for us. The love. The awesome emotion that overwhelms and threatens to make your heart burst. How am I so deserving Lord? 

All I can say is that I'm trying to soak up every single moment with this boy. I feel as if I'm neglecting so many other things in my life at this time, but I can't help it. I want to spend every second I can with that smiling face. 

Thank you, thank you Lord. 

This Weather

Oh, this weather! I have been giddy about the weather that we are currently getting.

I missed the first storm of the season--we were out of town for Thanksgiving--so, this new storm is just what the doctor ordered :)

These are the days that I have dreamed about sharing with my children. Even though Daniel is still too young to comprehend the beauty of what is going on outside, I'm determined to share it with him.

We have played under the Christmas tree. He has watched me excitedly open the many packages of gifts coming in and then watched me wrap said gifts. We have snuggled and enjoyed lots of time curled up in our little house. Guys, let me tell you, this house becomes magical in the middle of winter. It is like a warm cocoon for my little family. We love it.

What I'm most excited about is the fact that they are calling for more snow!

More snow?! Man, I'm a lucky girl.