11 Months!

Dear Precious Robert,

Mommy must start this post by apologizing to you for not being disciplined in recording our memories. Whether it's your monthly milestones on here or jotting down little things in our black journal, I feel like I am failing us. Not only do I want you to be able to look back at your story, but I want the chance to look back and remember everything too---every sweet, precious moment of it. Taking care of you and the house, as well as going to school full-time, seems to eat up every moment of my day, but I believe that this is important enough that I need to find a way to work it in too. I'm afraid that I'm so far behind that there is no way to catch up, so I'll just try to remember what I can and do better from here on out (sorry y'all, this may be long!). I love you more than life my little man and can't even believe that in one short month we will be celebrating your 1st birthday!

• You are currently 31in long and weigh 24.5lbs. You are above the 95th% in everything.

• You are pretty much in the same clothes you were last time I wrote. You wear 9mnth or 12mnth shorts, 12mnth to 18mnth PJS, and size 12mnth for everything else. We are starting to move to some 18mnth stuff though as you are so long.
• You can walk! (started at 10mnths 3wks)
• You have 5.5 teeth---top two middle ones, bottom two middle ones, the bottom tooth directly to the right of the middle two, and the other one popping up on the other side (hmmm, what are those teeth called?)
• You "talk" all the time. You say "Dada" constantly but I'm still not sure if you ever use it in context yet. You have said "Mama" 2 or 3 times in the last week and it makes my heart explode in happiness!

• You are doing very well in daycare. All the teachers love you & you seem quite happy to have the joy of freedom to play with pretty much whatever you want in a room.
• You have experienced being sick for the first time. You got a runny nose soon after starting daycare and after about a month it turned in to a sinus infection. We started you on amoxicillin but it didn't seem to help---you actually got your 1st ear infection while on it! You also broke out in a head-to-toe rash. We don't know at this point if it was the medicine or a virus, so we'll have to keep an eye on you in the future. Now you are on a new antibiotic (Cefdinir) and we are hoping it clears things up, although you started running a fever (for the 1st time since this all started) while on it and pretty much just want to sleep. You are super happy though when you're awake.
• You are pretty much always happy =)

• You have discovered that you can put thing "into" and "over" stuff. You enjoy emptying out containers just to put stuff back in, throwing toys into your playpen, and chucking shoes over the baby gates and into the kitchen. You are also a huge fan of the tupperwear cabinent.
• We bought you your first pair of shoes this past month. You don't like them yet.

• We took you to the park for the 1st time. You weren't very impressed by the swings but LOVED climbing and going down the slide.

 

8 Months

Wow baby, you are 8 months old now! You are getting sooooo big and learning so many things so very quickly. Did you know

• You are over 30in long and about 23lbs
• You wear size 12m onsies, 12m shirts, 12m pants, 12m PJs, and 9m shorts. What can I say, you're tall!
• You can not only crawl now, but pull up on things too
• You are eating more and more foods. This month we've been doing a lot more "adult food". Besides toast sticks we do potatoes, fish, chicken, etc. You've also had your first taste of ice cream, a tiny piece of bacon, and more. So far, you love it all.
• You have 2 teeth! Both of your bottom teeth came in this month. You actually did quite well with it (normally you hear horror stories of babies teething): you would become somewhat cranky and very clingy for a few days right around when they were coming in, take more frequent but shorter naps, and would slack off on ounces of formula, and then POP---there the tooth would be.
• You went to the beach for the first time! When we went to see family in South Carolina, Daddy and I took you to Pawley's Island. You were fascinated by the sand, including figuring out whether or not it was edible, and you loved the water too. Mommy's not normally a huge beach person, but it was soooo much fun with you =)
• You are talking more, adding some consonant sounds in with all those little vowels. You still haven't come close to uttering "Mama" or "Dada" yet, but what you do say is always entertaining (and usually loud---we need to work on our inside voice)
• You finally figured out about reaching your arms up or out to people when you want to go to them. It thrills us every time.

You have always been a joy, but it is so much fun to see the changes that you seem to go through almost daily. You are growing up so fast and part of me wants to find a way to stop it and part of me is thrilled at what's to come. We love you SO much little boy!

7 Months

Hello Robert. You are 7 months old now and you are getting to be such a big boy. It seems like each day reveals new skills and a new adventure. This month:

• You not only get on all fours and rock, but you've actually learned the "bear walk" stance and try to use it to get around. You're not quite crawling yet, but you are getting closer & closer each day.
• You can get yourself into and out of a sitting position.
• You are eating 3 meals a day of baby/finger foods. You still do not like peas, & we discovered you don't like broccoli either. You love all fruits, toast sticks, fish, potatoes & sweet potatoes. You eat pretty much everything enthusiastically.
• You have started waking up an hour earlier than we've been doing for months. Most of the time you're pretty content to play for a while in your crib though, and for this Mommy thanks you.
• You went swimming for the first time. I thought you'd have a total blast, but really you were pretty chill about it. You just floated around in one of those little sling things chewing on the green plastic shovel...

• The best way to entertain you is to throw a bunch of random toys/things into some sort of bowl or bucket and let you go at it. You LOVE to dump the whole thing out and then explore each and thing in it.
• You wear 12month PJs, onsies, & many shirts (though some onsies and shirts are 9months), and you have 9month & 12month pants. The 9 month pants fit, but some of them are short...
• You learned how to blow raspberries and have begun to "talk" quite a bit when you play.
• You are starting to show your stubborn streak more and more, but you are still always full of smiles and laughter.
• You finally discovered the baby in the mirror---and you like to try to head butt him (seriously boy, you're going to break the mirror...or your head)

I'm sure there's a million other things I couuld write, & perhaps I'll come back & post them at the end if I think of them. Mostly though it just seems as if time is flying by. You are growing and changing faster than I can keep up and I treasure each and every moment with you. I love you buddy, happy 7 months!

5 AND 6 Months

Wow, we did it---we kept a whole new little human being alive for 6-months!!! If you don't have children you might not realize what an accomplishment that is, but any parent can probably understand our elation. It's so crazy though to think that he's already 6-months. What a wonderful time it has been!

6 months:

• You weigh 21lb 4oz and are 28.5inches long.
• You wear clothes from 6-months (shorts) to 9-months (onsies & rompers, though you're quickly outgrowing those in length, & pants) to 12-months (PJs). Soon though you will be in all 12-month stuff. You're just so long!
• You eat a variety of baby food now: beans, squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, applesauce, & pears. Some of it I [Mommy] makes, & some of it is store-bought. Either way you like it---you just still don't like peas!
• You roll from back to front in nothing flat. It's actually hard to keep you on your back anymore. Which is funny, because you still get upset if Mommy lays you down on your tummy. Apparently only you are allowed to do that...
• You are still working on sitting. You tripod very well, but then you sorta just slowly fold in half, letting your tummy sink to your feet.
• You can get up on your hands and knees---AND you can rock! It won't be long I bet before you figure out crawling, and attitude wise you are more than ready to go.
• You finally take naps really well. It makes for a much happier afternoon for both of us.
• You outgrew your infant carseat & we had to move you into a convertible one. So far you seem much happier in it. Yay!
• You are such a people person. You smile & talk to anybody who even glances in your direction. Also, to stuffed animals =)

5 months:

• We don't see the pediatrician this month so I'm not sure how much you weigh & all, but I think you're around 20lb and around 28in
• You wear 6mnth clothes but are moving into 9mnth sizes (and are outgrowing 9mnth PJs)
• You tried food for the 1st time this month! You HATED peas but have liked green beans, squash, & applesauce so far.
• You have rolled over from tummy to back a few more times.
• You sleep ~12hrs a night
• You discovered your feet this month---and that you can eat them =)
• You tripod sit, but you quickly wabble & then fall down
• You drank water straight from Grammy's glass!
• You are fascinated by everything & have started trying to hold the book pages while we read each night
• This month you: had your first trip to Cabela's and had your first portrait studio pictures taken.
• You cover every inch of your crib at night you little mover & shaker
• You are generally happy but you are stubborn & quickly get bored (at least I guess that's what it is since you get cranky after doing pretty much anything for more than 5min)

Easter 2012

Sorry y'all, this is a pic-heavy post, but only because our boy is so cute that I couldn't chose just one! This was Robert's first Easter, and even though he won't remember it, we did our best to make it special. Below is a picture of his Easter Basket with it's many, many items from us, Oma/Opa, Grammy/Grandpa, & Aunt Annie. Because he's so little it's mostly full of stuff that we would need to get him anyway, but there are some extra's thrown in there:

So, in the basket (or around it) are: soft-tipped spoons, a teething "necklace", next size up pacifiers, a sippy cup, a camo bib from Cabela's, an adorable onsie, a pull-down jittery chick toy, some bunny ears, and two books. Whew!

 
As you can see above, he was quite taken with the jittery chick. Actually, he was happy with it all:

After breakfast & the Easter Basket, we all dressed up & headed to church, then spent the rest of the day with the Ryals family. What a great 1st Easter for Robert!

4 months

Ahhhhh, how on earth are you 4 months already?! Oh my sweet little baby boy, it is amazing how much joy you bring us each and every day. The last 4 months with you have been the hardest, scariest, most joy-filled 4 months of my life. It is amazing to watch you grow and change, and you've done a lot of both this month. This month you:

• Are 26.75in long & weigh 19.4lbs (in or above the 95th% for both)
• Wear size 3 diapers
• Have been ALL OVER THE MAP when it comes to bottles
• Added back in a 2:30a feeding for a few weeks
• More about bottles: You try to hold it yourself now, and sometimes succeed. I don't really let you though because I love our feeding times. You also talk around the bottle now, which is super cute.
• Try to sit up all the time. What you think you'll do when you get there I'm not sure, but it sure is cute to watch you strain against your stroller, swing, and carseat straps (and you'll have the most awesome abs ever seen on a baby)
• STILL don't like time on your tummy (or really even on your back) or naps, but we're working on it
• Have become much more vocal, both in "talking" and in complaining
• Have reached the stage where Mommy is not allowed to leave your sight or bad things (a screaming baby) will happen; related---sometimes Mommy is not allowed to set you down period.
• MIGHT be settling back into a routine after being off since Christmas (boy it's been a long couple of months): rise at 8a & take a bottle, 30min nap at 10, bottle at noon, nap at ~12:30p for 1.5hrs, bottle at 4p, 30min nap between 5p-5:30p, start bedtime routine at 7:30p, then a final bottle at 8p & Mommy rocks you for a while before bed
• LOVE going for walks in your new stroller
• Are starting to use your lovey (which Oma bought you)
• Wear size 9-12month PJs
• Wear clothes from 0-3months to 6-9months, depending on the brand
• On 3/6/11, you rolled over for the first time (from tummy to back)!!!! Mommy missed it though =( I'd left you on your tummy on a blanket while I ran down the stairs to throw something in the wash, and when I came back up you were on your back on the floor. SOOOOO exciting, and also so sad because I missed it. You haven't even tried to do it since.
• Have started chewing on your thumb and forefinger
• Have started rubbing your eyes and burying your head in Mommy's shoulder when you get tired. SO CUTE!
• Sit in a booster high chair, as long as Mommy puts some padding around you to help support you (there's a lot of extra space right now)

 So far you have proven to be very much like your Daddy. Things about you that are like your Daddy: Your looks (almost everyone says you look just like your Dad), the wrinkles on the back of your head, you get bored quickly, you like to be in the thick of things (Mommy likes to be invisible), you're hot natured, you get grumpy when you're hungry, you are ALWAYS moving, you are quick to laugh and smile, everybody loves you, you make Mommy laugh

Like your Mommy: Your eyes (some say), your button nose, the way your mouth turns down at the corners, you get grumpy if you don't get enough sleep, you love to observe, you love books (although so does Daddy)

Over the River and Through the Woods...

to Oma's house we go!

Yesterday little Robert and I took a road trip to South Carolina to visit Oma and Opa for a week (thanks for the ride Grammy!!!). It was a LONG day for the poor little guy. He spent 10 hours in the car, which is a lot when you're past the "put me in the car and I'll sleep" stage. He actually did amazing well...until the last 2 hours of the ride or so. And the last 10minutes was total "get me out of this seat NOW" baby. We were both thankful to be at our destination and had a great night getting reacquainted with Oma and Opa. Can't wait for the rest of the week!