Half way to 1 Yr- 6 months Now

My 6 month old boy

The best part of this pic is if you enlarge it, you can see drool falling off his lower lip hanging all the way to his belly button :)

Man, am I falling more in love with this kid everyday! He has so much personality already and I feel like I get to know him a little bit more each day! 

He has changed DRASTICALLY since last month! Everyday brings something new!

Even since Monday for example, he couldn't sit up unattended, he would face plant on the carpet, but today he can sit and move and doesn't need to have us 'spotting' him.

There's nothing cuter than a baby sitting and playing! He's so big already!

He luvs his cereal and eating like a big boy with a spoon in his high chair! I was starting to get worried that he would never like it but all of a sudden one day he caught on!

He loves to help 

He is soooo animated now and getting better at expressing himself to us!

We gave him his Christmas present early....man has this thing spoiled him! It's taken him awhile to catch on to it...but he just started yesterday to bounce and jump and pick up his legs wildly :) At first when we put him in it he would fall back and his legs would come up off the ground and swing his arms for support and hardly hold himself up. This has helped with his strength and balance so much! He doesn't want to be put on the floor on his back or tummy any more batting at swinging toys like babies do...oh no...he only wants to be sitting up playing, grabbing, reaching, pulling and exploring how this and that works. He now uses both hands to hold an object and will reach out for it if you offer it to him. Everything still gets put straight in his mouth to see if its ok or not.

He still loves to go for walks and watch whats going on in the world around us

The best thing right now is nap/sleepy time. He lets us know with a little squeak when he gets tired and then will only fall asleep laying on our chest. He loves to feel Eli's beard and play with it and snuggle real close. 

My 5 month old

I can't believe how fast time has been flying! Each day has been getting more and more exciting with our little one. He smiles all the time! Still no laughs tho.... He grabs and reaches out with both hands for objects. He loves to touch our faces, arms and hands and he notices details all around him.  He stares at the computer when we scroll through it and loves to look out the window at the world passing us by.

I love how he talks and coo's all the time! This age truly is so fun! Eli and I are the best people in the world to e right now and it's so fun! He eats rice cereal and really seems to enjoy sitting in his high chair, helping me put the spoon in his mouth and getting to suck on the spoon!

He has the sweetest spirit ever! I luv him so much!

My 4 month old

Its weird, from month 2-3 we saw so many changes...now from month 3-4 not too many new things have come about...he's just fine tuning all his abilities! He talks a lot more now and louder! Especially when he wants your attention. For example, when gas is moving and he's about to poopie, he's hungry or tired. He talks real loud! He is sleeping 9-12 hrs a night and eats 6oz- growing every day!! He smiles alot more now and squeals (esp when he sees me after I have been working or he's been sleeping) but still no belly laughs :(

He is so smart tho, I believe we don't give him enough credit. He is fully aware of everything going on and what he likes and doesn't like. It was probably a month ago or so and it just hit me when I came home from work that he wanted me to connect with him. I came home and didn't say hi or acknowledge him and he was staring right at me as if to say 'mom, over here! i missed you!' It was then that I realized how important it is to hug and kiss him goodbye, goodnight and hello and how much he needs that from his momma. If Eli and I seem to be intensely discussing something, like married people do sometimes, the baby will start to whine and cry in disapproval. When nursing him, if I am talking too much he will latch off and look up at me until I stop talking then go back to eating and repeat this process if I continue to talk.

He is so inquisitive and curious about stuff- and he can hardly even coordinate his hands to make them go where he wants them to go yet! sometimes, i think i forget he's a baby tho, like today with his dump truck...he was having such a great time figuring out just what to do with it. He definitely can tell cause and effect and seems to love trying to figure out how stuff works.

 He pays attention to details now- cars driving by, the ring on my hand, people talking, expressions on our face- and he responds to it. He really seems to like to go out and about and do stuff- just stay active! That's why our afternoon walks are so fun, he loves to get out, look around, feel the wind and sun. Just go on an adventure! Today for the first time he held on to both sides of the stroller while i pushed him, (i will have to get a pic) kinda like he was just going for a ride and saying, 'giddee up momma! I got lots to see today!' Can't wait until he starts moving...i will probably loose my extra 20lbs from chasing him around trying to keep up!

He loves to play with his daddy!

Also, as you can see, we have started drooling.....a lot!

His fingers must taste really good because he is always shoving them in his mouth! He would like to probably start chewing on toys but he is still figuring out how to get them up to his mouth and keep them there. But he is definitely trying and exploring with putting his tongue on stuff, again he is very similar to a puppy at this age :) I put my finger in his mouth today for only the second time....haha. Its just really weird to me. And not to mention it took me a while to get used to his big toothless, gummy smile it kinda weirded me out at first....hahahaha...don't worry i am now in love with it :)

This pic says it all :)

True Love

All Smiles :)

Tonight I got a special surprise...my boys came and visited me at work! The part that blessed me so much was that Eli faced the baby toward me while I worked and he smiled soooo big and didn't take his eyes off of me. When I laughed, his whole body reacted in happiness as if he wanted to laugh too but just couldn't quite figure out how to yet. I couldn't have ever imagined being able to love someone so much and be so overwhelmed with my child's adorable-ness!

Look at that smile :)

Late Night

Last night was the first night we didn't get home until after 1am now that the baby is on an all night sleeping schedule. He did really good being patient with the diff surroundings while he was trying to fall asleep.

We were at a church meeting in Tulsa and sitting at a table eating with a group of people when Eli noticed the contents of E's poopy diaper running down his shirt. Needless to say my over preparedness and 50lb diaper bag came in handy :) I had extra outfits on hand and even had a spare shirt in the car for my hubby..pheww! We can laugh now about it, not so much at the time!

Here's what I woke up to next to my bed at 11am- a tired out little man:

Here's a pic from the other day after we had some play time, he had just decided he had had enough and wanted to sleep right now, amongst his dump truck and all:

Big kid tricks

So apparently E can roll over from his back to his stomach. We have never witnessed him do this yet...but we have walked in to find him on his stomach 3 times now in the morning after we put him to sleep on his back. Since the first month we have witnessed him roll from his tummy to his back (it might have been an accident bc he couldn't hold himself up) but never the other way. Can't wait to catch him in action sometime soon :)

My day

today was just an ordinary day- eli went to work 9-5 and i was with baby. but it was such a blessed day with him. more and more of his personality is coming out and i just love him so much. what did i do with my time without him? it's such a blessing to serve this baby as his momma. we got up, went for a nice long walk together, went grocery shopping, played on the floor, nursed him 4 times- all of this special bonding time. i so look forward to each day bc i discover something else about him and he discovers something new about the world around him. the last three months have flown by and he's not a little infant anymore, i think of him as a little baby now- not an infant. he's my little buddy and keeps me company. when he plays now, he likes to grab the toys hanging from above him and pull them down toward him- he's pretty strong!

i snatched a pic of him last night sleeping so silly:

here's how he used to always sleep, and still does some of the time:

I <3 him!

My 3 month old

This past month we have seen so many changes in our little one. He recognizes who Eli and I are and went through a couple weeks where he didn't like to be held by anyone else. He seems to be over that now again though, we will see for sure at church in the morning (that's always a good test).  But we definitely can calm him down quicker if he gets upset.

He started smiling and cooing, even squealing (which sounds like a squeak).  I can't wait for the day when I hear him giggle or laugh. He started drooling now so everywhere I go I like a bib on him and I need a burp rag handy just in case. I call him my lil "drool-ster". 

He started using his hands more, grabbing on to link chains and waving his hands towards objects to brush his hand by them (esp his elephant on the changing table). Tummy time and time on his monkey activity mat is so enjoyable because we discover something new and exciting everyday it seems like. He loves to kick his legs and push off of you or kick a noisy ball or rattle.

He's discovered he can hold on to both sides of his bouncy seat

AND

that if he kicks his legs really hard and fast, the seat bounces wildly!

If you pull the sting and make the music-be forewarned because when the music stops, he fusses for it again and again. but after 15min of the rattles in his face, he's had enough and will fuss until you take it off of his bouncy seat :)

He loves his swing and bouncy seat-

where before he couldn't stand the motion much less the lights and music

He easily turns to his side now to sleep and play with toys

The biggest change we have seen in him this month was right after he hit 12wks he started sleeping through the night!!! Hallelujah!! Like 8-10 hrs! One night he was waking up twice, three times and the next he decided to just keep sleeping!!! At the same time it seems he discovered he can roll on his side and pivot himself in a circle in his bed. It looks so uncomfortable how he sleeps with one arm dangling across his body and head arched back, but that's how he likes it :)

Everyday is a new adventure with this little one! He is ready to discover just a little bit more about the world around him and we are having so much fun introducing him to it!

Family Day

Today was a wonderful overcast day! I have started to wish for and love overcast days here in OK. Since we have had such an extremely hot summer, I am glad to get a break from the scorching sun so I can take my little one outside for an adventure. Even yesterday, it was beautiful outside but we were under a heat advisory of like 106. Today we went on our first family walk since the baby's now out of my tummy. We were styling with our awesome stroller. E seemed to love it and was asleep from all the excitement within a half hour!

He has started slobbering with drool now and soaks his shirts, so thank you to whomever invented the bib :)

Two babies

On Thursday I was able to babysit my niece for the first time :)

Eli was working, so I brought E along for the adventure.
Needless to say, I now take back my wish of ever having twins because two babies at once had me sweating! They were super good, it's just I wasn't expecting Ariel to take so long while eating, so I had two hungry babies at once! Eli tried to be very patient and just eat his hand, but that only kept him occupied for about 15min. I felt bad when I would be taking care of one of them, like I was neglecting the needs of the other one and not able to love on them like they deserved or I could be if there was just one of them. All in all, it was a super good time and I look forward to the next time these two cuzn's get a play date! (maybe next time Eli will be able to come with and help tho :)

Our Blessed Wknd

Words just can't even describe how awesome this last weekend was and how blessed we are. Our baby was dedicated to the Lord. What an honor to have Pastor Lee and Jan be the ones to pray over our family. It is so precious how E looks at Pastor when he's talking, as if he's taking in every word. It also was amazing having our families here for this special time and being able to spend such good time with them and the baby. Eli was blessed to be able to minister to the church for the first time. I am so proud to be married to a man that has given his heart fully to God to be used by Him.

 

Let's see if i can figure this out....

Its so important to me to try and be able to capture as many special moments these days that we are blessed with. It seems that the days are flying by so fast and I will love to look back and see how God has blessed us. And I want to be able to share all of these special times with our family and loved ones back in MN :) So here we go- lets give this a try!