8 months + 3 weeks

 Here what Arthur's been up to lately:

Climbing on me like a jungle gym

Eating a bunch, and looking so big

We discovered that the washing machine is awesomely entertaining in so many ways!

A nice fresh bump on the forehead from crawling into a sharp corner.  But still happy to be in the bath!

Had a few sickly days, which included lots of sweet cuddles, and also lots of tears, snot, and drool.  A few anti-nap protests.  I've felt like a walking Kleenex...and I've been changing shirts a lot...because he cries into my shoulders and it's just really messy, but oh so tender.

Pulling up, all day long!  Little tiny hairs on head.

Got dedicated at church!

Loves chicken!

He went from refusing any solid foods, to eating big (for a baby) chunks of grown up food within about 2 weeks.  Crazy!  At first I was so scared to feed him big food, but he's caught on so fast that it just feels natural.

Peek!

Learned how to turn on the faucet! Ruh roh.

Cutest trick of the week is WAVING!  He does it a bunch- when we put him to bed 2 nights ago, he smiled up at us and waved good bye!  PRECIOUS! He also waves when he wants something, like food.



The second video just shows his crawling, climbing, noises and sweetness in PJ's.

Crap you guys

Early December.  He likes to bang on the stairs with his hands and practice pulling up.

Arthur just started growing exponentially.  He's closer to being a one year old than to being a newborn!  He's almost been out of me longer than he was in me.  So, here are lots o' pics that I feel capture our current "moment," over the last 2 months.  Lots are blurry because that's the only option.  Either blurry pics, or no pics!  He's such a dear little adventurer and my love for him just explodes me daily.

He currently has a black eye from a fall, and practices waving quite often.  3 days ago he crawled onto my foot and said 'mamama' while I was cooking!!!  It hasn't happened since.  

After 2 months of not liking solid foods, he suddenly caught on at 8 months!  Now he's loving all the pureed vegetables and fruits I'm giving him.  I'm so proud. 

Just this week after learning to pull up to a stand, he's started taking a few steps while holding onto the coffee table!  Precious.  Oh, and when I say 'crawling,' I mean scooting, like an inchworm.  That's how he's gotten around quite well for the past month, but just last night he did some REAL crawling towards his Uncle Josh C. 

This was the day he realized he could sit up straight in his stroller, instead of lounging back.  He was pretty pumped about it. 

Typical baby post-bath happiness.

As of this week, he pulls up into this position all by himself!  HE'S SO BIG AND SO LITTLE AT THE SAME TIME!!!

Stuart said this is such a 'mom pic'.  True.

This is my view so very often.  He loves me and often just crawls toward me for a snuggle and a little encouragement before continuing on his adventures.  

Big day, learning to stand in his crib!  This was such a shock to see on the video monitor, and the next day he didn't nap because he did NOT want to lay down.  

Sneaky.

In December he learned to pull up to this position.  This toy is awesome.

A serious dishwasher fan. 

Cabbage patch, studying face.

It's so cute when he crawls right outta his pants.  See the pants, over there?

He's obsessed with crawling with this beloved ribbon in his mouth, or with anything in his mouth.  Like a puppy.

this is me loving him to pieces

6 months

I die when he wears this cardigan

Handprint sleep marks. He's a champ of a sleeper

Hey guys.

I don't really like blogging that much, but I do like looking back on my old posts- like a marker in time!  So this one goes out to the future me!  And anyone else interested :)

Rough Day. 

Flying!

This video was when he was on the verge of babbling.

Carrots are more fun to play with than eat.

Now he's babbling a lot! And laughing. And snuggling.

Looks like his dad's smile!

This last video was yesterday at our friend Rohan's house.  I wish I didn't have to sound like an idiot to make him laugh, but that's just how it works.  

2 Month Check-up

Hi friends!

This morning we took Little Boy for his 2 month check up. He is 9 weeks today!  At 12 lbs, 2 oz, he is in the 75th percentile for weight.  He's 22.5" long/tall (50ish percentile) and his head is 50th percentile as well.  Right on track, little buddy.  Babies in my family are traditionally short and plump but with Stuart's genes mixed in, my little man is more stretched out than I was as a baby.  No surprise there...

 I got such a kick out of dressing him is this little hooded track suit.  It was the 1st time I'd put him in a zipped hoodie and I just couldn't get over the cuteness.  This is my nervous smile, because I knew he was about to get his SHOTS!

He was being SUPER sweet, smiling and cooing at our doctor (who we LOVE, by the way).  After chatting thoroughly about life w/ a 2 month old, we had to expose those chubby thighs... I felt so bad about what was about to happen, since he was so happy!

He got Tazmanian devil and blue camo bandaids.  I've never seen him turn as red as he did from crying!  I immediately teared up right along with him.  We had to hold his hands, and I just watched his little face go from happy to totally dismayed as the first needle went in.  I hope he can trust us again!!  I felt like such a baby, but the nurse said every mom cries the first time. 

It broke my heart hearing him wail and then whimper like he did afterward.  It was pain + personal offense of the people he trusts betraying him.  (OK that's a little dramatic, but that's how it felt to me!)

As soon as the whimpering finally simmered enough, I nursed him and he fell asleep for the next 4 hours. 

He's been sleeping most of the day, and snuggly and whimpery when awake.  Poor little dear. 

I'm reminding myself it is way better than a hospitalized baby from the crazy stuff we are immunizing him from.

Somehow I have to accept that he will get hurt in life but I don't know how to make myself OK with that...

Holy Roller

 

"Let it roll, baby, roll" - The Doors

Thumbtown

Just because it's so cute, and I totally didn't see it coming.

Why is it so cute???
(I just realized this probably means he's right-handed!)

7.5 and so alive.

7.5 weeks, that is. It will be 8 on Wednesday.

This guy continues to shatter my heart daily with cuteness and sweetness. I actually love to hear him cry...partially because he doesn't do it very much, unless he just needs something. And I like taking care of his needs, so it works out!

As of week 7, he is more generous with his smiles. Before, you had to really work to get a smile, but now he will grant them unmerited. Again: heart-shatteringly cute. He is also talking more! I LOVE it. He seems to (try to) match the volume of his environment, as I learned from our visit with his 3 busy, talkative sweet cousins in Wilmington last week. Instead of being overwhelmed by their (high) amount of activity, he merely tried matched their level (although his voice is much tinier and delicate) with little 'oohs' and 'ahs' and various gurgly sounds with random consonants thrown in.

His next cute trick came with battle wounds:

And resulted in this:

So, the past few nights he has let us sleep even longer because his thumb seems to hold him over for a while before he starts crying! Nice work son. He actually went 11 hrs last night between meals, which is REALLY good for a 7.5 week old!!

I just love him to pieces and I think he's addicting. On Saturday, I was home alone with him alllll day. After putting him to bed for the night, I was surprised that I missed him!

He and Stuart are bonding in cute ways too. I'm excited for the day they can do manly things together. Whatever that may be...