9 months!

We laughed more this month than we ever have!  Colby is such a funny boy.  And such a love.  And INTO EVERYTHING!  This was the last month of summer and Colby and I both were sad for Daddy to head back to work this week.  It will be fun to get back into some of our regular activities though.  And to get some cooler weather so we can actually venture outside for more than 5 minutes.

Favorites:

Macy: Poor Macy and lucky Macy at the same time.  She loves him so and just takes abuse after abuse.  I tell her to run away but she won't!  We are working on how to be gentle and sometimes he can.  Maybe it is because of all the yummy things he drops?  Really I think she just loves him and loves his attention.

Puffs/crunchies:  ADDICT.

Water: in a cup, in a bowl, through a straw, in a pool... anywhere :)

Outside even if just for a few minutes in this heat

Hanging out in just a diaper (whenever there is a fussy time, this fixes it!)

Exploring new places (friends' homes, daddy's classroom, tot spot at the children's museum)

Dislikes:

Having diaper changed (who has time for that these days)

Having clothes changed (it is not fun for things to go over your head!)

Being told no/stopped from messing with trash can/dog food/cables

Having his face and hands cleaned

Eating:
Nursing 4 or 5 times a day and solids 3 times just like last month.  He is just eating more now!  Crunchies/puffs are "desert." I know he is full when he starts dropping the puffs off of the sides of the high chair for Macy :)

Sleeping:
Going to bed at 7:45, nursing around 5, then waking up between 7 and 8.  Sometimes he doesn't wake up for that early morning feeding.  I love that uninterrupted sleep, but he sleeps later and seems happier if he does that early morning feeding.  Then the entire day goes better.  So I don't mind it so much! We also said goodbye to the pacifier to go to sleep.  Once he started pulling up on his crib, it would fall out of his mouth and onto the floor.  Then he would just get so angry that he couldn't get it!  But he didn't need it to go to sleep so I just stopped giving it to him.  Not a problem now!

Funnies:
When he plays with Macy he is starting to laugh and wrestle with her a little.

He has started some sort of head butting thing!  He means it to be affection but sometimes it hurts!  He also still gives us lots of kisses and spent most of our last Fort Worth trip trying to kiss Lexy.

When he's embarrassed or teasing he will put his face on the ground... and sometimes he'll even crawl with his face on the carpet like that!  Then he just looks up and grins.

We went to the doctor and Colby did really well!  He checked off all of the boxes he was supposed to except for "understanding the word no."  Guess we'll get to work on that :)  He is crawling all over, pulling up on everything, cruising furniture, and walking really well on his walker.  Still saying the sounds ma, ba, pa... daddy is working hard on dada. 

Weight: 21 lbs 8 oz
Height: 28 inches

I can hardly believe that C is 3/4 of a year old.  And so close to walking!  It continues to be the sweetest job to watch him grow and learn.  We are beyond grateful.

These days...

Celebrating with Aunt Missy as she starts graduate school!

Party in Lexy's crib

Playdate with Maggie and Lily... I promise he didn't make them cry!

Ready to play ball

Heading to check the mail in his car

Reading with Gran

Look at that cute boy... I'll give him a kiss!

Gran is a bad influence

Trying to give Lexy a kiss

Standing in his new favorite spot... window next to the front door

Flowers are so tempting! (at Great-grandmother's)

Fun with Pawpaw

Grandad will do anything for that Lexy!

Playing peek a boo barn

He got tired of Olympic coverage so he opened the cabinet and changed the channel!

Visit from Nana and Shelby

Showing Keny his favorite spot

8 months!

Really?  8 months?  That seems way too big.  I can't even handle it.  This month was another huge one with milestones.  Colby is loving summer and having daddy home all of the time.  He is definitely on the move!  Here are a few things he is up to.

New this month:
- Pulling up on everything!
- "real" crawling a little but then drops down to an army crawl
- more sounds... everything sounds like mama
- first steps with the support of a box and then with a walker
- still just two teeth but I am sure the top two are on their way.  He does this funny thing where he does his mouth like someone who forgot to put their dentures in :)

Sleeping:
Through the night.  Let's just all say hallelujah!  He goes to sleep around 7:30 or 7:45 and gets up around 7 or 7:30.  Two naps on most days.  When he learned to sit up on his own it really disrupted his sleep a lot.  As of yet that has not happened with pulling up.  He has only done it a little in his crib but gets down fine.

Eating:
Nursing 5 times a day and eating solids 3 times a day (we just recently added lunch).  He has a serious puffs addiction.  I often have to hide the container while we eat and those are "desert." When I pull out the container he kicks his feet and bangs on the tray.  The same foods are his favorites and in general he is just eating more.  I feel like we are getting in a rut so I'm looking into some finger foods and things we can try.

Favorites:
- being outside (swinging, swimming, going on walks)
- riding in his new car ;)
- exploring new places
- pulling up (funniest was when he pulled up on the refrigerator and then kissed his reflection, grossest was when I found him pulling up on the toilet!)
- I'm going to say me!  Daddy has always, and will always, be a favorite.  But he gives me kisses on the mouth but won't give them to Rick.  He hugs and loves on me all of the time but would prefer to climb on Rick.

I love that he is babbling more and laughing so much.  I know it won't be long until one of those mamas is directed at me.  I also don't know that it will be that long until we are seeing our first steps.  Impossible :)  He is still so affectionate and is a sweet sweet boy.  This is such a fun stage and we are loving it!

Road Trip: Last Stop San Antonio

The last stop of our road trip was San Antonio.  I moved to San Antonio after I graduated from Baylor and we stayed there for the first couple of years that we were married.  We love it!  It was fun to see some old places... but we were there to see our friends!  We stayed with our sweet friends the Youngquists.  Their son used to be in my junior high youth group and somehow he has grown into a man who just finished his freshman year at Baylor!  I am sick that I didn't get a single picture with them!  I guess we were too busy catching up and laughing to think of it.  While they were working and doing their thing, we took advantage of their beautiful pool.

 We also made a visit to the zoo.  It was so hot but we made the most of it!  C loved watching people as much as looking at the animals that he could spot.  Our favorite exhibit was this one with the hippos swimming.  So cool!

Colby loved rolling in his stroller... of course with his feet up.  He got lots of comments about this position but it didn't stop him.  One woman also referred to him as a girl!  That was a first and I'm guessing might be the last.  He looks more and more like a little boy everyday.

And now I will share what is now my favorite picture of all time :)  Something about the way that sweet boy reached out to hold my hand while he flashes that grin at his daddy MELTS MY HEART.

Colby was exhausted but we decided to take a quick trip on the train.  It might have been pushing it because he just laid on me and watched the world go by.

Our last visit was with three ladies that I worked with at First Presbyterian in San Antonio.  Kathy is the Children's Minister there and grew to be such a wonderful friend while I worked there.  Yvonne and Margaret were both administrative assistants while I was there.  Basically they ran that place and saved me a number of times!  It was a joy to introduce them to my sweet boy and catch up on their families.  Just like one of the MANY lunches we shared during my years at First Pres.

We had such a great trip!  Colby was a great traveler and it was so good to see friends and family... and a few more first for our boy!

Road Trip Part 2: Wildlife

After we left New Braunfels we headed toward San Antonio.  We didn't have any plans until dinner time though.  As we were driving down I-35 I saw a sign for Texas Wildlife Ranch and we decided to go.  I'm not sure how I never went there the entire time I lived in San Antonio.  I wasn't sure what Colby would think but he liked it.  He might have liked riding in the front or the animals... but he liked something!

Let's hit the road!

Not-so-sweet ostrich

Hello Mr. Goat

 

 While we were in the petting zoo area, the two llamas that were there decided to get a little frisky.  Or a lot frisky.  I am SO happy that Colby didn't know what he was looking at.  I'm thinking the she llama wasn't having it because they started to kind of fight and that was our cue to get out of there!

My first petting zoo was fun!

So glad we made the stop... what a fun place!

Summer Road Trip Part 1

We hit the road last weekend to visit some of our family and friends... because it's summer and we can!  First stop was Austin for a couple of nights with Papa and Mimi.  Colby's Papa is just as funny as his dad... or at least Colby thinks so :)  He laughed and smiled the whole time.  He has also officially hit the exploring phase so he did a lot of that.

A little reading with Mimi

A little golf with Papa

A ride in such a fun little car that they let us bring home!

He even got into a little trouble... flowers are so inviting!

Perfect sink for a bath!

We also went to visit Great-grandmother while we were there.  And she had the best toy EVER... a box!  It cracked me up because as a new mom I hadn't thought of that yet.  He loved it of course.

It even works as a hat!

Listening carefully

When we left Austin we headed to New Braunfels and had lunch with my Aunt Susan, cousin Sherry, and her son Henry.  So fun!  Again Colby explored and favorite treasures were found in the recycling bin.  Such a treat to see family that you don't see often enough!

Aunt Susan and Cousin Sherry

With Henry

Colby was so tired and of course I didn't take pictures until the end of our visit.  In both he's leaning toward anyone who he thinks might take him to a crib :)

We really enjoyed visiting with family for a couple of days.  Next stop... San Antonio friends and a little wildlife!