8 Months

How in the world is Andy 8 months old?!  I can't believe it.  And yet, I can't really remember life before him.  (Or that I ever actually slept at night.)  Some highlights:

• Just barely started slightly scooting backward! (I don't think he realizes he's actually moving.)  He can turn a little too.  I was convinced he'd never crawl, but it looks like I might be wrong.  
• Is getting slightly better at eating solids.  I feel like the only two foods he'll eat without being tricked are oatmeal and pears.  We're also working on black beans, applesauce, bananas, and sweet potatoes.  He mostly blows those all over the kitchen, though. 

• I would be more worried about his solid food habits, but he still nurses a ton and his weight is pretty high--I would guess in the 21-22 lb range.  
• He is in 12 month clothes! All his clothes make him look so grown up now.  
• Sorry for the disgusting picture, but I have to document a big part of this month.  TONS of blowouts.  Every time he poops, it's a blowout.  He's struggled being regular now that he's eating solids. He even had his first (and hopefully only) suppository.  

• Getting better and better at standing while holding onto something!  He still falls over occasionally, but is getting consistently better.  
• Of course, the biggest "milestone" of the month was getting his helmet, which he wears 23 hrs a day.  I didn't prepare myself for it actually being an adjustment.  Luckily, he adjusted pretty well after a few days.  He doesn't seem to remember it's there and isn't as sweaty anymore.  I seriously think it's been much more of an adjustment for me!  I miss cuddling his sweet head and kissing his cheeks.  I hate feeling a big piece of plastic while nursing.  However, it's going pretty well and we haven't had any major problems.  It looks like he'll be wearing it 3-4 months.  Sad.  

• Still loves baths, his johnny jump up, his activity center, the swings, and any toy that makes sound and lights up.   He also loves random household toys like measuring spoons, highlighters, and drawstrings. 

 

• He is really starting to enjoy books more.  He lifts the flaps up on his books and gets really excited about them.  
• Loves pounding on the piano!  Naturally, we are thrilled and very proud.  The cutest part is that he stops to look at us every minute or so to make sure we're listening and we approve.  
• Loves peek-a-boo, pat-a-cake, itsy-bitsy spider, etc.  
• Has developed this fake cough noise he loves to make.  He does it constantly.  

• He is such a boy!  He loves being thrown around, airplane, spinning in circles...anything active!  
• He is so chatty and social.  It's fun to hear all the new noises he makes and the new sounds he learns.  He even imitates us sometimes.  
• He loves to knock on everything...the table, books, the door.  
• He has the sweetest giggle you've ever heard.  He has such a cute sense of humor.  It's so fun to figure out what will make him laugh.  
• Loves to be tickled.  
• Loves Baby Einstein!  This was discovered when our friends Matt & Andrea were babysitting and trying to calm him down.  They had a DVD and popped it in.  It mesmerizes him!  When I can't get him to calm down, I pop it in for a few minutes.  Here he is watching it: 

• An unfortunate development:  in addition to refusing bottles, he won't sleep anywhere but his room.  This really limits our previous babysitting trading arrangements!  Also, he's decided he only likes to eat in his room, in his rocking chair, in the dark.  Fantastic.  This means no more nursing on-the-go in the car or nursing at church.  He nurses every 3-4 hours during the day.  And every 3 hours at night.  I'm thinking he might sleep through the night when he's 2.  My mom informed me that's what I did, so I suppose this is karma.  
• We are convinced he's the sweetest boy in the world and can't believe how much we love him!  This really is such a fun stage.  It's definitely an easier phase than some past phases.  He can entertain himself and usually takes decent naps.  We love him!!! 

Baby Shower

About a month ago, my friend Kasee and I threw our cute friend Cami a baby shower.  It was so fun to celebrate her little girl on the way.  (Maya Vera: cutest name ever.)  The theme was "books & bows." It turned out great! (Mostly thanks to Kasee, who is known far and wide for her party throwing abilities.)

I was pretty proud of these cupcakes:

Playing a celebrity baby matching game!  Cami, the guest of honor, is on my left.

Hostesses! Me and cute Kasee.  

 

Saturday Outings

Lately, we've been taking turns planning our Saturdays, trying to do fun things other than errands and cleaning.  The more we see of Austin, the more we love it.  

 Old Settlers Park, feeding the ducks

 Austin Farmers Market

View of Austin from Mt. Bonnell

7 Months!

Our darling little guy is 7 months old.  I can't believe it!  He is looking more and more like a "big boy" and less and less like a baby.  We love him to pieces.  He is my little buddy, truly the light in my life.  (Cheesy, but incredibly true. )

• Still super smiley.  
• Still LOVES his Johnny Jump Up.  He cracks himself up and gets so into it.  He tries to jump everywhere now, even when he's just in our laps or something. 
• Still loves to swing at the park.  And go down the slide.
• Likes walks again.  Yay! 
• Is huge.  About 21 lbs.  In 12 month clothes now.  
• Loves to sing primary songs with mom at the piano.  (Or is it just me that likes this?) 
• Likes to sit in his new high chair.  
• Sometimes likes to eat oatmeal cereal.  He is very patient when we feed him--he puts his hands up in the air and just waits with his mouth open.  
• Makes the funniest face ever when we try to feed him something more adventurous like applesauce.  You would think we were feeding him lemons! 
• Loves his toys!  Especially his baby einstein ones that sing.  
• Has no interest in crawling.  I seriously wouldn't be surprised if he skips this altogether.  He still hates tummy time with a passion.  You would think we were torturing him by the way he screams.
• Can stand up and hold himself by grabbing the couch.  
• Must have someone in his view at all times.  He cries if he can't see anyone. 
• Still wakes up 3x a night.  (HELP!!!) 
• Still not the best napper, but I'm coming to terms with this.
• Is getting a bit better at entertaining himself.  I think he can use his hands and body a bit better, so he's less frustrated overall.  Usually, he's happy to sit on the ground and play with his toys for 30 min. or so.  Yay! 
• Is starting to like books!  Though he usually is mostly excited about trying to eat them, he does enjoy lift-the-flap books.  His favorite is called, "Where is Baby's Belly Button?"  He looks so surprised whenever I lift the flap.  Darling.  
• Got a big boy carseat and loves it!  It's so nice he doesn't scream when we buckle him in now.  
• Loves to be turned upside down! I say "uh oh!" a few times before...he knows what's coming and gets so excited.  
• Likes to be tickled and has the cutest giggle to go along with it.  
• Loves to spit and blow bubbles.  
• Still loves bath time!  He likes to play with toys in the tub.  He screams when we take him out now.  I think it's because he misses his toys?  
• Loves to play airplane and being thrown up in the air.  
• Has the sweetest blond hair.  It looks buzzed. 
• Has the most beautiful eyes and lashes.  People are always commenting on them.  
• Thinks it's hilarious when I throw my bun from side to side.  Or do anything crazy with my hair. Or do anything crazy in general.  He's probably the only one who enjoys my dancing.
• Loves peek-a-boo, patty cake, if you're happy and you know it, and itsy-bitsy spider.  
• And the big news: is getting a cranial band to help re-shape his flat head.  He'd better thank his kind parents one day for spending such an outrageous amount of money on a piece of plastic. 

He is so incredibly sweet and good natured.  We love him so much we can't believe it!  Picture overload:

 Oatmeal face!

 Playing with his buddy Charlie: (or more like staring at him)

 He loves when daddy comes home!

 His two favorite toys:

 Playing piano with his buddy Amelia: (he kept pulling her hair)

 Day at the park:

At the zoo:

 His favorite swing! Makes him happy every time.

2011 In Review

I know this is late, but I wanted to do a "year in review" post! We called it our year of changes. We went from students living in Provo to Texan "real adults" with a baby and a real job. Our year looked like this:


January
We found out we were expecting a BOY! I was still super sick, began my last semester at BYU, taught a ton, and started studying like crazy for my orals. Cam also started his last semester and took good care of his sickly wife.

February
I finally started feeling a bit better! Cam worked hard in school, I studied constantly, and we took a fun trip to Vegas with Cam's family to watch BYU play.

March
I passed both my orals! This was such an accomplishment for me; there were many times I literally didn't think I would pass. It felt so good to have them go so well. This is the month when Cam and I really started to wonder if it was the right thing for us to go to Palo Alto and for him to work for Ernst & Young. It was a really stressful time for Cam as he started looking around for other options.

April
I went on a super fun cruise with my mom, dad, Abby, and a bunch of my dad's family. It was SO FUN. The only downside was that Cam wasn't there. We stopped in Cabo and Puerto Vallarta. It was so nice to relax after all that studying!

While I was on the cruise, Cam got an offer to work for Dell. This was such a blessing! It really was an answer to our prayers. We knew it was the right thing, so we planned on moving to Austin, TX in the fall.

We both graduated with our Masters Degrees!

We moved out of our Provo apartment, our first home together, and moved to my Grandparents' basement in Holladay, UT. This was such a special time for us to spend time with them and get to know them better. They were so generous to let us stay there rent free.


May
Cam began studying for his CMA (Certified Managerial Accountant) and CPA tests! This was his major summer project. He passed the CMA first, and took 3 out of the 4 tests of the CPA the proceeding months. (He'll take the fourth one sometime soon.) He passed them all with flying colors! I am so proud of him--he had to juggle so much with having a new baby (that didn't sleep) and an emotional, needy wife.  I spent this month nesting and such. Our new doctor (the same doctor that delivered me!) was much more on the cautious side. He was pretty concerned about Andy's small size, so I spent the month going to lots of non stress tests and ultrasounds!

June
Cam went to Hawaii to sell security systems for a couple weeks. We were nervous the baby would come early. I think he got home the day I turned 38 weeks? Here I am at 38 weeks:

Then, on Monday, June 20, we experienced the birth of our beautiful little boy!

July
This month was spent trying to adjust to life with a colicky baby. We didn't sleep much. The month was also spent trying to help Andy learn how to nurse. It was such a relief when we could finally nurse confidently by the beginning of August!

August
Our month of celebrations! Cam and I both turned 26 and we celebrated our two year anniversary.

We also took a super fun trip to Jackson Hole with my family.

September
We began the month by blessing Andy on Sept. 4 in my parents' ward in Bountiful.

Then came the big move to Texas! All within a few days we moved to Round Rock, scrambled to find some furniture, and Cam started his new job. We feel so blessed. We love our apartment, our new friends here, and Cam loves his job.

October
I don't know if any main events really happened this month. We continued to adjust to Texas, our new home, Cam working, and me being a stay-at-home mom. Also, we took a Saturday trip to College Station to visit Cam's cousin. So fun!

November
We hosted Cam's family and cousin's family for Thanksgiving. It was a blast! We had so much showing them the Austin sights.

December
Most of this month was spent in Utah enjoying the Christmas season with family.

We had such a wonderful year, filled with incredible blessings from our Heavenly Father. We look forward to all that 2012 will bring!