Nine Months, a Fall Festival, and Halloween!

On the 27th, Jackson turned 9 months! Mama's been working so this photo comes a few days late...

Time is going so fast! On the day he was 9 months, we had our Fall Festival at church. It was so cold!

Jackson is way too little to know what's really going on, but he LOVED watching people and seeing everything happen. On Halloween he would yelp with curiosity and joy when a kid would come to our door. We walked to a few houses in our neighborhood, collecting a few pieces of candy. He wasn't going to eat it and Mom and Dad didn't need it. I wish I had a picture, though, of Jackson double-fisting two Tootsie Roll pops! We finally let him have a taste of a sucker and it was all over!

Holidays are so much more fun with you, little dalmatian puppy. We can't wait for the next couple of months although we're still trying to figure out how to keep the Christmas tree safe! At nine months...

• you are crawling everywhere pulling up on everything, and climbing stairs! Hello baby gates!
• you are 19 pounds and 12 ounces. You are in about the 50th percentile in length and weight.
• your naps might be getting a little better. Maybe.
• you have about one half of one tooth. That's it.
• you are still nursing about 90% of the time. 
• you love Sunday School. You sit at the table and eat cheerios and sing songs. You love your teachers!
• you are eating lots of flavors. You are picking up finger foods better and getting good at that sippy cup. 
• you love Baby Bookworms at the library. You love singing the songs and listening to the stories, but mostly you like watching the other babies.
• you make lots of noises...laughs and yells and what Dad calls your "velociraptor" scream. You especially enjoy testing out your noises during church. :)
• you love reading books. I love holding you in my lap and reading your favorite stories.
• you love bubbles.

We are loving every minute, Little Man. The next three months are going to fly by and before we know it, you are going to be a year old. I can't even think about it. You are the biggest blessing to us and I don't know hardly what we did or who we were before you. We love you, Little Boy, and can't wait for the next 9 months!

I Love October

Last October...

3 months before our "little man's" arrival!

This October...

It just got a whole lot more fun! 

Fall has really got to be the best time of the year. There is no pressure or time frames associated with Christmas. The skies are blue, the air is cool, and there is football on Saturdays. I would like to slow down time and make Fall last weeks longer!

This October also marks a year without our "fur-baby". It's till difficult to talk about our puppy without some tears. We miss you Bailey-boy.

8 Months

Because we were out of town, and because we didn't have room in the car for Mr. Koala :) this is coming a couple of days late. 

Baby Boy, at 8 months...

• you are finally getting your first tooth! We weren't sure it was ever going to come.:)
• you are crawling EVERYWHERE and pulling up to your knees. You're keeping Mama busy.
• you went on your first vacation! You loved the water and the sand and spending time with your great-grandparents and aunt and uncles. Wow, your personality really came out this week.
• you still don't love your car seat.
• you are a people person! You smile at everyone in the grocery store and if someone doesn't notice you, you practically stand on your head to get them to smile at you.
• you are still nursing about 75% of the time. You switch to a bottle very well and are very easy going.
• you haven't tasted a food you don't like but your absolute favorite is still avocado.
• you are starting to have a little separation anxiety. Makes Mama sad, but she's just going to the laundry room.;)
• you LOVE your Daddy and get so excited when he comes home from work. 
• you would forego any toy to play with an electrical cord.
• you are saying Mama and Dada in strings...mamamamamama/dadadadadadadada.
• we don't know why, but you have suddenly started sucking your thumb at random times. You have not done this until now and we hope it is short-lived.
• you are waving bye-bye! So cute!
• you are eight months and already taking the wheel! If you drive like Daddy...

You light up, Jackson, when we sing Jesus Loves Me. We hope and pray that you always know that and know that you are so special to your Mama and Daddy. Love you, Punkin'!

Lattes, candy corn, and...sand dollars?

What do pumpkin spice lattes

and candy corn 

have in common with the beach?

Usually, for us, nothing! However, this year we are taking our family beach vacation during the first weekend of Fall! We're leaving tonight and I can hardly wait. I haven't finished my packing yet (of course that's why I'm blogging) but there is so much more to take with a baby. Do I even have a swimsuit?? :) Happy 1st day of Fall tomorrow! 

A Little Bit Crazy...

I need some help, and I am going a little bit crazy. A mom needs some time during the day for some quiet, time to get things done, right? So here's the thing, Jackson.will.not.nap. He's a great sleeper at night. Goes to bed at least by 8 and sleeps until 7, 7:30. I try to put him down for a morning nap around 10. Some days are ok, but most days he may sleep for 30-45 min. Afternoon naps are the worst. I learned not to nurse him to sleep at night but sometimes that is all that will put him to sleep in the afternoon. Once I lay him down, though, those little eyes pop open and he starts kicking and crying. 

So here's my question...am I doing something that I need to adjust? Do you have any pointers? Right now it is 3:30 in the afternoon. He has napped for a total of 20 min today and is showing no signs of going to sleep but he is weepy and doesn't want to be put down. I've tried a modified cry it out method, with 10 minutes being the most time I've let him cry. He doesn't let up. Then, tonight when I go to work, he will be cranky and will make Daddy not so happy. He's such a good baby and I really have nothing to complain about, but he needs his sleep and a mama needs some quiet time, right?????? 

Happy Wednesday!

and your baby boy. :)

I can't imagine life without either of them. Love you boys!

Seven Months

I keep saying that at three months, Baby Boy, you got more manageable, but at six months you were so much fun!! At seven months, you are even more fun and an almost unbelievable blessing to us! At seven months:

• you are a strong sitter. 
• you get up to your hands and knees! From there you either slide down to your belly to get something you are after or push back to your bottom. You are going to be on the move soon!!
• you have learned that you can roll to get something you want.
• you are still nursing about ninety percent of the time.
• you love solid foods. new foods this month are carrots, blueberries, squash, avocado, cheerios, ritz crackers, grapes, and watermelon. Your favorite meal is bananas and avocado.
• you are picking up food and objects well although you have not completely developed your pincer grasp.
• you absolutely LOVE baby bookworms at the library. Seeing the other babies, musical instruments, and bubbles are your favorite!
• you continue to be an excellent sleeper. You average about eleven hours a night!
• you don't have a single tooth yet! That's OK, we love that gummy grin.
• you are a charmer. You have a smile for everyone.
• you save your biggest smiles for when Daddy gets home.
• you do NOT have a smile for the vacuum cleaner. You do not love that noise.
• So much of the time, you are content to roll around, kick, and talk in the floor. 
• you love to be around puppies and other babies. You will put your hand, gently, on a puppy or another baby's face and touch. You are so sweet.

Jackson, every time I put you to bed I pray that God keeps you in His arms through the night. You are unbelievably precious to us and we continue to marvel at the new things you do and the little boy you are becoming. I pray that you will grow, grow, grow, have fun, and find a million things to smile about. I also pray that we will learn to help you through your hurts and pains and help you to grow in a knowledge of Jesus and His love for you.