A New Snack

So this afternoon.... when we were playing in the box and I was trying to fold laundry (right there, by the way), I reached into the dryer to pull some clothes out, turned around and before I could grab him, Brady had reached over into Georgia's food bowl, grabbed some of her food and put it in his mouth!!! Gross!!! Not only was I worried about what that might do to his digestive system, I was also worried about him chocking on those little pebbles of food! So, I pryed my fingers into his mouth and tried to dig the food out of the sides of his mouth. Just when I thought I had gotten it all, I see him chewing again... so I had to go in for a second time. He was not happy with me. I think I scraped the side of his cheek with my fingernail... but he got over it. It's much better than choking.

It's interesting that he didn't make any sort of face at the taste. Hmm..... I wonder if it doesn't taste so bad?

A Boy's Box

Brady was crawling around today and discovered Jeff's box with all of his BAR books in it by the kitchen table. It was about 6:15 and of course, I was looking for something to fill the last 15 or 20 minutes of the day while I attempted to fold laundry and get dinner started.... so we emptied the box and took it in the kitchen.

For a little while we played inside the box.... then we tried to climb on top of the box, and then we tried to pull up on the box... and then before we knew it, it was time for dinner! (Not before getting some pictures, though!) What a way to fill some time!!

Daddy Daycare

On Saturday night, I got to go on a "Mommy Night Out" to dinner and a movie. (We saw Bride Wars which was such a great chick-flick!) Anyway, it is kind of funny at dinnertime when there are like 8 of us and we all have our cell phones out on the table. Of course, mine rings halfway through dinner and it's Jeff - so ALL the girls at my end of the table were listening.

"What's wrong?!" I ask.

"Oh, nothing... we just wanted to say hi. We're in the wagon on a walk and then we're going to take a bath."

"Isn't it kind of cold for a walk?" I ask.... like any mommy would.

"Well, it's kind of cold... but he's got his puffy vest on. We won't be too long."

"Oh, ok, have fun."

I got off the phone and look at my girlfriends and asked, "Isn't it dark and absolutely freezing outside? It's 6:45 and they're on a walk!" They replied with the simple truth... 

It's Daddy Daycare. This is why a daddy is a daddy. They are fun. There are no rules... and they do things that mommies wouldn't do. This makes me love Jeff and the time that his little boy and him spend together. (And it helps that I get some girl time as well). 

When I was loading pictures onto my computer tonight... I came across these pictures that Jeff must have taken at their bath time! :) Too cute. Our baby is becoming more of a little boy every day.

Living with a Nine Month Old.

So, I've been kind of uninspired when it comes to photographs of my Little One lately. I got pictured out over the holidays, but was dying to get some "9 month" pictures of Brady. In hopes of doing so, I hauled my camera to our playdate at the mall and I'm sure the other Mommies thought I was so weird.... because I ended up with great pics of all the other kids, but not any noteworthy pictures of my own! (Feeling sorry for me, right?)

Anyway, we haven't been going anywhere special these days and of course, it's winter and everything is 'dead-looking' outside, so I had kind of given up hope of getting some fun pictures that captured Brady's personality at 9 months.... that was until the opportunity presented itself this afternoon!

Around 3:15, I heard the Bug waking up from his nap in the best mood... he was quite talkative to say the least. When I went in there, we were playing hide and seek and when I was laying on the ground, waiting for him to peek over the bumper to 'find' me, I thought... "this is it!" so off to grab my camera I went!

I think I got some fun ones! I also added some at the end of us trying 'real' bananas for the first time!  I'll put all the 'stats' and happenings at the end for those of you who are just in it for the pictures!

in this one, the Bug is out of focus, but i love it.

looking for georgia.

not so sure about the bananas

yuck! (he ended up eating all of them)

So at 9 months, we're at 19 pounds, 6 ounces. We're 28 1/2 inches tall and his head circumference is in the 40's somewhere. (He was moving around so I wasn't particularly paying attention to that number as much). He's crawling, pulling up, cruising and just now using a sippy cup.... but not for his formula. He isn't interested in that in the bottle OR in the sippy cup. Any suggestions? The doctor said not to worry about it too much, but I get nervous that he's not wanting more than 2 or 3 ounces a time when we were doing 8 ounces for times a day. I tried offering it in a sippy cup and we're onto the second kind... yet he doesn't want it out of that either! 

We got the okay to start trying some 'soft' table foods - so I did bananas today. I've tried stuff like crackers, bread and potatoes before.... but this was the first thing that didn't necessarily 'dissolve' in his mouth. He did okay after he got past the weird texture of it. They did kind of make a mess though - they got stuck on his clothes and stuff.... but Georgia sure had a fun time eating stuff that was accidentally dropped on the floor!

He is definitely a bundle of fun.... but a bundle of trouble too. He's starting to get into everything... and just yesterday he literally started to follow Georgia around. She's super sweet to him... but I can tell you was startled by the fact that he is moving. I'm trying to get a good video of the two of them together - but it isn't happening for me quite yet.

Playdate at Willow Bend Mall

This morning, in an effort to get out of the house and get the little Bug 'active', we met some of our friends for a playdate at the indoor playground at Willow Bend Mall. There are so many kids there.... and I was a little sad that Brady didn't want to get more energy out while we were there... but we did okay overall. I can't wait until our Bible Study starts up again so I can see these mommy friends more than once a month!

Hudson helping Anna with her toy

Miss Kyla taking it all in...

Mackenzie. I love this girl and her pink Uggs (not pictured). 

My Bug.

My Bug checking with me to see if it's ok to bang on the grapefruit.

Anna Hall playing with the huge grapefruit!

Brady also loved the grapefruit!

One of my very favorite pictures, EVER. 

Miss Kennedy Kate Brooks (I love her full name, don't you?)

Kate loves to hold hands.... and she kept trying to hold Brady's hands.

Baby Duke is HUGE!! (And of course I mean that in the best way!)

He was a premie and he's a month younger than B, but he's so much bigger!!

Pack and Play

I've been trying to 'train' Brady on the Pack and Play time for about 2 weeks now. Every day I try to put him in it right after he eats in the morning... that way I know he is WELL rested and WELL fed. How could he be any happier? It's normally his very best time of the day! He's been doing "okay" until yesterday when the instant I set him down, he started throwing his first 'temper tantrum'.

Oh my goodness. Kicking, Screaming, Crying for 10 minutes. (I set my timer, that's how I know). Before I took him out I made sure he calmed down. As soon as I came in there he started laughing and smiling at me (I knew that he was just fine in there!) So I was thinking that this is going to be a LONG haul trying to get him to do the Pack and Play over the next month or so.

But then today, it was like a dream. He played and played in there. He made the sweetest noises and he did it for (get this) 20 minutes!! I did the first 10 and he was doing great, so I added 5 more and then 5 more until I took him out! (I'd like to work up to 30 minutes, but I didn't want to take advantage of this wonderful attitude he was having today!) Yay! (I bet tomorrow it will be back to the temper tantrum!)

Boy, Oh Boy!

I came across these pictures tonight which were taken the week of Christmas and must have gotten lost in all of the Christmas hustle and bustle!!!

What a little BOY we have on our hands. He busted his lip open on the coffee table when he was trying to chew on it (something we've been working HARD to stop!) I saw him hit it pretty hard - in fact I think I was on the phone with my mom - and then he started crying pretty hard, but truthfully I didn't think it was one of the harder ones. I distracted him with some other toys and he was fine.

By the time I realized he was actually BLEEDING, he was totally over it!! Poor guy! (He looks like he's in shock, doesn't he?)

Seriously?

So, I knew the day would come where I cursed my desire for my little boy to crawl.... and it's here. Yes, I could not wait for my little boy to make his first move... to crawl, to learn how to get to sitting up on his own, to pull up. I was so excited... but it all came MUCH to fast!

Only a week ago were we enticing the Little One with puffs on the other side of the room. Only a week ago were we trying to show him how to sit up on his own.... and only a week ago were we encouraging him to pull up on our arms.

Now the day has come where he is crawling. He is pulling up. He is cruising.... and it all came in a week's time. I was thinking that we'd at least have some time to get used to the idea of him crawling before we had the crib lowering marathon going on. We lowered the crib last Sunday. Tonight we will be lowering it again. And I have absolutley NO idea what he used to pull himself up in the Pack and Play this morning! Now we don't take ANY naps because we are so excited about pulling up and crawling! Hopefully lowering the crib ALL the way will take care of this problem.

No Naps + Sick Mommy + Tired and Moving Little Boy + Rainy and Cold Outside so No Walk Today = LONG DAY!

First Wagon Ride

Jeff took Brady on his first wagon ride yesterday to give me a little break in the afternoon. I've been fighting a sore throat and two earaches for the past few days and am all doped up on DayQuil, and the Hubbs is trying so hard to keep me from going insane!! Thank you, sweet Jeffrey, for taking the Little Bug on a walk! He loved it!

Where's Georgia?

Today, Jeff dropped our sweet little girl, Georgia, off to be groomed at Pet Smart. He took Brady with him when it was time to go pick her up. (I noticed afterward that he did not have her leash with him so I have no idea how he carried a squirmy Georgia and a squirmy Brady to the car together!) Anyway - I proceeded to get these adorable emails from the Hubbs while he was out. I am feeling a bit under the weather, so it really brightened my day!

Entitled - "Where's Georgia? Not in here!"




"Not in here either!"



"Georgia where are you? Still not here!"



"Look, we found her!"

Husbands.

I was reading my new Parents magazine last night (thanks, Joanna!) and I came across this article entitled "I Heart Your Husband". It is written by a single mom - a mom who, it sounds like, chose to have a baby on her own - and she talks about how her married friends will call and complain about their husbands to her when she would give ANYTHING for a helping hand. It struck a cord with me ladies - because I think I complain (in my head or under my breath) a lot. 

(For example, yesterday, I wanted to get out and get some exercise and Brady was in his jumper and Jeff was watching T.V. I kept making snide comments like, "So, should I expect to see him in the same place when I get back?" and stuff like that. Shouldn't I be grateful that he cares to watch him at all???)

Anyway - here are the reminders that she gives on why you (we) should really appreciate your (our) husbands.

1. He lets you have a chance to sleep. 

2. He sets up the baby gear.

3. He helps things run smoothly (like changing the air filters, mowing the grass, etc). 

4. He gives great back rubs. (My man's been doing this a LOT lately!)

5. He's crazy about your kid. (How many of us can disagree with this one)?

Click Here to see the entire article. It's really worth the read - and put it all in perspective for me.

And for those of you who care - no, Brady wasn't in the same place when I got back. 

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION - 2009

This post is SO not original, I know... but Jeff and I were talking about it last night and I wanted to share. 

This week I made a long list of resolutions I wanted to keep.... of course they included things like sitting down to dinner NOT in front of the T.V. more than once a week, consistently taking a jog, being a better wife and mom and so on. (My favorite one was recycling and I even got my bin delivered on our front porch this week!) But when I looked over my list yesterday I was thinking that it all boils down to one thing:

Enjoying every single day for what it is and not getting so caught up in what tomorrow may or may not bring that I miss the treasures in the present moment.

Do I sound like a Hallmark Card yet? 

I just feel that for us, this year has a whole lot of things for us to look forward to... and Jeff and I are both beyond excited. However, looking back on my life, I've realized that so often I was so ready for the next thing or event that I missed out on enjoying the present. Brady is at such a fun age and I don't want to have any regrets about not loving each day to it's fullest! 

In the spirit of the New Year - Here are some pictures of how we spent our New Year's Eve. The Bug was not feeling well so Jeff and I had to ring in the official New Year here at home and we heard fireworks outside for what seemed like an hour but we couldn't see anything, darn!