10 Months

Well my efforts to get a picture of you with your little bear each month have ceased!  With the holidays and moving, I can't seem to even remember what day it is.  Nevertheless, you are still almost 1!  This month we have enjoyed watching you cruise around the furniture and stand up on your own.  You really want to walk but you just aren't quite sure yet.  This was your first Christmas and we had a fun time watching you and your sister open gifts.  You wanted everything your sister opened and you were more interested in the wrapping paper than what was inside.

We have started the process of moving to Arkansas and you have adjusted well so far.  I was really sad to see your nursery go but you will have a fabulous big boy room soon enough!  You still only have 2 little teeth on the bottom but I am sure more are coming as you have been extremely fussy the past few nights.  You are a good eater and prefer baby food to formula any day.  You still love your paci and sometimes you have one in your mouth and one in each hand.

We said goodbye to your MDO teachers this month, Ms. Faye and Ms. Suzie.  We all had a good cry and they are going to miss you as much as we miss them!  You are such a good baby for them and all the ladies at the nursery.  I know they were sad to see you go too.  You are a loved baby!  I can't stand that you are growing so fast but I am enjoying each moment with you.

Love you much,
Mommy

9 Months

This month has been all about teething and being sick.  Whoa, what a month!  You just finished round 3 of antibiotics for a list of infections including 3 ear infections in the last 2 months.  Next step, tubes-just like sister had.  You have not been sleeping for anything!  I finally saw your first tooth coming in last night-finally!

You are incredibly active, climbing and crawling on and in everything.  You are learning to stand on your own.  You are so proud of yourself once you realize what you are doing.  You are sooo happy all the time.  You love to be tickled and daddy knows right where to get you!  You still adore your sister and watch her every move.  She is so sweet to you most of the time:)

I love the way you light up a room.  You are far from quiet, so everyone knows where you are at all times!

You love to rock, which I am grateful for. When you are super tired, you will let me rock you right to sleep.  Getting you dressed is still a task we are perfecting!  You can't be still for a second and it drives me crazy!

You've had some special time with daddy this month watching football and playing.  He loves the fact that when he holds you, you sit still and chill.  What's up with that buddy?

Sister gave you your first french fry this month, and of course you loved it.  Other than that, you still only eat baby food and Puffs which you could eat a whole can of if I let you!

I am really enjoying the holidays with a little one again.  Something about a baby and Christmas just seems right ;)  You love our Christmas tree a little too much so we've had to really watch you.  Thanksgiving was lots of fun with all the family at the farm.  We also had a chance to visit with Mimi and Granpa and Paw Paw.  You had a fun time with your cousins and enjoyed being outside in the leaves!

I do love everyday with you Nathan.  You are such a well adjusted child and love people.  You make waking up in the mornings such a joy.  I love you much.

Mommy

3 Years Old

I have tons of pictures to post but this will have to do for now. My little baby girl turned 3 this month and it is killing me!

Birthday Pancakes

The much requested Castle Cake

Somebody is 3!

8 Months

It has been tough to keep up with this but I only have a few months left until my little man turns one so why stop now?

Little Nathan,

Daddy's babies

Just a few weeks ago, we left you and sister with Aunt Phyl and Aunt Peggy while mommy and daddy went on a beautiful (much needed) vacation to Wyoming.  I was super nervous but you did great while we were gone.  Only one trip to the doctor :(  Looks like you had a double ear infection and needed lots of TLC from mommy when we got home.

You are surely getting more mobile if that is possible.  I put you down and turn around and you are no where in sight!  You eat about 2 jars of food each meal and still drink 4-5 bottles a day.

Making new friends with Lexa

You still wear 6-9 months but I can see you are about to need 9-12 any day now.  You love to play and love your MDO teachers, Ms. Faye and Ms. Suzie.  I love watching you grow and learn new things. You are so smart. It's so fun to watch you figure out how toys work.  You've had a few falls recently. The start of many, I am sure.

Getting Daddy's food

You have the craziest hair so I just go with it.

I love that you still let me rock and sing to you when you are sleepy.

Your sister is still you best friend, but I am not sure she knows that.

Did not want to cooperate for pictures this time

I looking forward to the holidays with you and watching you with all your cousins.  I love you little man, like nothing else! 

7 months-almost 8!

Little boy,

You are growing into such a big boy. You have been crawling and climbing on EVERYTHING! We finally put up your baby gate this week, whew!  Lots of changes came this month. You are standing up on anything you can grab a hold of. No teeth yet but you are a little drool monster.  Some of the things you love:

your sister
Daddy's tickles
balls
climbing on anything
your backyard swing
mommy to sing
FOOD

Things you don't love:

the carseat or the stroller
diaper changes or clothes changes (this is a nightmare!)

You still have tummy issues and have extremely bad eczema but we just finally got you some medicine.  You and sister both have a sinus infection and you have your first ear infection this week.  The doctors still think you have some sort of food allergy so they took more blood this week to check.

Here are a few pictures from this month:

Sweet, sweet Nathan I love you so! 

6 Months

Just Like Daddy!

Happy Boy all the time!

You love the playroom!

6 Months

Big Sister helping out as always

   

You are pulling up on everything!

Sweet baby boy,

What an amazing 6 months! Nothing has brought me more joy this year than watching you grow and learn the world around you. You started crawling this week and you love to play with your sister's toys. She is gracious enough to share them, most of the time. She does adore you and the feeling is mutual. Sometime when you are crying, she is the only one that can calm you and make you laugh. You two are going to have so much fun together, and probably drive me crazy too!

You still aren't a big fan of solids, but we are working into them slowly. You are over the bouncy seat and are on to being on the floor and into everything. I had to finally put the rail up on the crib before you crawled out! We just had your 6 month check up and you weigh 16.9 lbs. You are wearing 6-9 month clothes and hardly ever wear shoes-much unlike your sister! You just started Mother's Day Out at our church and the ladies there just love you! You are such an easy baby too, so I'm sure they don't mind that. Just a few things I love about this stage:
You get so giddy when you see your bottle-and you want to feed yourself every time!
Anything can make you smile
You are a squirmy thing when I try to change your diaper-it's almost impossible!
You are so proud of the fact that you can cruise across the room to get what you want!
Even though you are growing so much, you still let me hold you, snuggle and put you to sleep on my shoulder! I love you to pieces.

Love,
mommy

Pig Sooie

In high school I was a crazy FSU fan. I loved anything Florida State-including the cute quarter back Casey Weldon. I never knew much about football, but always wanted a team to cheer on. I soon fell in love with and married a Hogs fan and by default became a fan myself. My father in law coached football for 20 something years and Matt and his brother Jake played football well into college. So it was no surprise that our fall seasons would revolve around game schedules. Don't get me wrong, I love football. Matt and I even used to go on dates to Friday night games in the area. Nothing is more exciting than a good game with friends and family.
Here is one of the newest fans showing off her hog calling skills, thanks to her Uncle Jake.

5 months

Little Nathan,
You are a giggle monster! These are some of my favorite times with you! You have several tickle spots and your sister can make you laugh like no one else. You are rolling over everywhere and talking up a storm. It does seem cliche' but these 5 months have flown by! You still aren't a great sleeper at night, about 6 hours but I'm ok with that. I love seeing your smiling face every time I walk into your room. You just had a check up and you weigh 14 lbs and are 22 inches. You are short and stocky, like your grandpa Owens and great grandpa Landes. You are trying to sit up but a little top heavy still! You love to play in the floor, especially when your sister will sit and entertain you. You are grabbing at everything and are starting to grab your cute little feet! I've tried giving you some solids but they just all end up on the floor-but that's ok-we're still experimenting. You know I can't wait to see you grow up but right now I am just loving you to pieces.

Love, Mommy

Binkie for Bike

After 2 years, 8 months and 28 days, my sweet daughter decided on her own (with a little prompting) to throw her beloved binkies in the trash. It has been a looming battle we have not wanted to face but took the opportunity and bit the bullet, cold turkey. She immediately asked for a high five as soon as they hit the bottom of the trash can. I obliged with a smile and thought "I could be in for the longest night in history!". I explained to her that when daddy got home we would take her on a special trip to the store to pick out a new toy. She knew exactly what she wanted, a fast car! Here is what she came home with:



She has been riding this thing around the house like a pro! She is still learning to use the breaks, however!

The first night was a little rough. She slept with the bike in her room, but still asked for her binkie and said she couldn't sleep without it. It took a few hours but eventually we found her like this:
It has not been as bad as I thought, although nap time has become a constant battle of the wills. It usually doesn't happen without a few spankings and repeatedly putting her back in bed. She is doing well considering. I laid in bed with her the 2nd night and she tossed and turned and kept trying to find a way to soothe herself to sleep. She was so restless. Finally, I looked over and she was sound asleep.

This is a huge milestone for Sarabeth (and mommy and daddy). Although we are happy to finally break her of the habit, it's also sad to see her without it. Something about her binkie kept her a little baby in our eyes. I guess she always will be, but she is becoming more grown up every day. I am proud of her and I know this is just one of the many good choices Sarabeth will make.