So Long Swing, Old Friend!

B-Boy, age 6 weeks, in his beloved swing

This weekend, Neb and I packed up B-Boy's infant swings.

The "My Little Lamb" swing from Fisher Price was a godsend when we brought B-Boy home. It was snuggly and cuddly, and would swing either side to side or front to back. B-Boy was very colicky, and there were many nights (and days!) when the only time he would sleep (or stop screaming) was in that swing.

It worked so well, we ended up buying a second one for upstairs.

Add a running hair dryer under it to make white noise, and you have the formula for an hours peace, my friend.

Since B-Boy is so big, he has outgrown the swing. Actually, he outgrew it a few months ago, but I didn't have the heart to pack it up. How has he gotten so long as to be too long for his beloved swing? When he hit the 22 pound mark (the limit for the swing), I relented to pack it up.

And the sad part is that he has also outgrown his Exersaucer (again, too tall), and is almost too big for the Johnny Jump up swing in the doorway. It goes to 25 pounds, but the spring is almost completely at its max when he is in it. He just loves playing in it, and I have NO CLUE what we will do when he finally is too big for the thing. Any ideas?

I know some of you might think I am exagerating (ok, maybe just GranE), but to put this in perspective, this almost 8 month old has almost outgrown his 18 month old sized clothes. Yes, B-Boy is about to move into 24 month and 2T sized clothes.

And his diaper size? Currently he is in a size 4, but is close to moving up to a size 5. Again, he's not chubby or fat, he's just that LONG!!!

So we say goodbye to the beloved swing, and the tiny little B-Boy that went with it. Like it or not, B-Boy is growing up. Next up? Crawling perhaps? Neb is helping him learn how to get in to the position to crawl, and he has started rocking back and forth. We'll see how long it takes.

And me? I will try not to dwell on my baby boy getting older, or how he will never be this size again. I hope to cherish all the moments in the present that I can.

A Solid Update

B-Boy, like his Mom and Dad, is loving eating.

 

He is making his way really well through veggies and fruits. So far he has had:

• Green Beans
• Acorn Squash (still a big favorite)
• Peas
• Sweet Potatos
• Avocados
• Bannanas
• Apples
• Mangos

 

This weekend we introduced B-Boy to Mangos, and he loved them. Although a big drawback is that it clears out his digestive system. And not in a good way. But, they are Neb's favorite, so he was quite excited to introduce them to B-Boy. We figured if he disliked them that Neb could add the puree to his margarita... it's a win-win! Too bad for Neb, B-Boy inhaled them.

 

Next up? Pears.

 

So far all the solids that B-Boy has had were homemade. I am really suprised at how easy it is to make baby food. Plus, he gets fresh food with no added sugar, salt or preservatives. It feels good to know I am able to provide for him. Not to knock store bought food. I am sure he will be eating it at some point. But this has been fun, so I plan on sticking with it while I can.

 

Incidentally, B-Boy is doing great eating solids at the daycare, and we moved him into the highchair at home. He is doing really well eating there, and it is nice not having to bend over to feed him!

A Happy Anniversary

On May 19th, Neb and I celebrated our wedding anniversary.

It was our first one as parents. We opted to celebrate as a family.

For those of you who weren't there, or who don't recall, we got married on a Sunday. Which meant we had our rehersal on Saturday morning before a wedding that afternoon. After the rehersal, we had our rehersal brunch at Cracker Barrel. I have always loved Cracker Barrel... and given the early hour for a meal. we thought it would be an amusing place to host our friends and family.

So we thought it was fitting... to go there for our anniversary dinner. It is a good family restaurant, and we thought any issues with B-Boy would be forgiven. Plus, I was craving some good southern vegetables!

B-Boy was really good for almost the entire time. He sat in a high chair (fluffy cover from home included), and let us have a nice dinner as a family.

We got our dessert to go. Neb's favorite, Coca-Cola Cake. It is usually served with vanilla ice cream. Since Neb doesn't eat ice cream, I got to have it... and so it would not melt, I ate it there. It was delicious!

While I finished the ice cream, Neb played a game of  "stand up" with B-Boy.

On the way out, I got Neb to snap this photo of B-Boy and I...

All in all it was a great night, and I would not have changed a thing. Dinner with two of the best and cutest guys in the world, priceless.

Just a Swingin'

One Friday, not too long ago, I went to feed B-Boy at the Daycare. I am really fortunate that he is just up the hill at my work, in easy walking distance. I am even more fortunate that I get to go see him anytime I want, schedule permitting.

B-Boy's teachers like it too. B-Boy can sometimes be difficult to feed, and so if I feed him one of his two bottles, then they are free to do other things! One more thing you should know... B-Boy has a new habit of squealing at a very HIGH pitch, very loudly.Not only does it bother the humans in the room, waking all the infants, but it can summon dogs!

Ok, maybe not summon dogs, but it sure is close!

So as to avoid waking any of the other children, I took him outside to feed him. On this particular day, it was quite beautiful outside. We usually go to the atrium area inside the daycare, but on this beautiful day, I took him behind the daycare, where there are swings!

After his bottle was finished, we played a bit on the mat outside. But I just could not help myself. You see, I loved swings when I was a kid... and in grad school when I got really stressed, Neb would take me to a park to swing. It always made me feel better to pump my legs, feeling the air fly past my head, getting higher and higher.

And no, I did not jump onto the swing at daycare. I put B-Boy in it! It was the first time I had done that with him (I think he had played in the swing a few times with the other babies when I was not there). He adored it. Back and forth, faster and faster. And everytime he got close to me (I faced him from a bench to push him), he would break into a big toothy grin. (With the two teeth he has!)

Doesn't it look fun?

B-Boy's Mother's Day costume

I know, you have been waiting to see his latest costume. I have to admit, I was really excited about what I was going to dress him up as for Mother's Day.

Unfortunately, it did not work.

I had purchased a nice sized gift bag. I cut out holes for legs, and had tissue paper ready to stuff the bag with.

It was going to be adorable. My perfect Mother's Day present.

Only, I forgot to tell B-Boy it was fun. I made it as far as getting him IN the bag, but had to forget about adding the tissue paper...

Instead of going through all the details, I think the pictures will tell a better tale...

Well Mommy, THIS is different!

WAH!!!!

Let's just say he tore the bag to shreds in his... frustration - and leave it at that.

Riding in a Shopping Cart

A few weeks ago, B-Boy came out of the stoller, and got to ride in the shopping cart at the grocery store!

I had purchased a fabric cover to go in the cart. It is fluffy and has lots of loops to hook his toys to, which was a good thing, because sometimes B-Boy needs to chew on a giraffe or two!

B-Boy sat in the cart amazed. He kept looking around in wide eyed wonder. He did really well with his balance, and sat up the entire time, even while moving.

I think he was surveying his kingdom, taking in his subjects from a new angle. He even won over the cashier with his big blue eyes and toothy grin... well, two teethy grin!

I like this roller coaster Mommy! Let's do this again!

Sorry for the delay...

I have gotten several emails from folks wondering where my B-Boy updates are. This has been a hectic month, and I admit that I have not had much time to write.

But that doesn't mean that I haven't been snapping photos for you, because I have!

B-Boy is getting so big. I took him to be weighed the other day, and he is over 22 pounds! Yikes! And he is quite tall now.Which is a good thing because now B-Boy is standing a lot more. He needs to be helped, but he is enjoying being vertical. Because he is so tall, Neb and I don't have to bend over as far, which our backs thank him for!

On Mother's Day, Neb practiced standing with B-Boy, and he has been doing it ever since.

More to come, I promise!

My first Mother's Day

A coworker mentioned to me on Friday that not only will this be my first Mother's Day, but that this will be the ONLY first Mother's Day I will ever have. Which got me thinking, I better make the most of it.

I woke this morning thinking how lucky I am. Not only do I have the cutest and silliest boy in the world who makes my heart smile every time he grins at me... but I am also blessed to have the greatest guy in the world for his Dad. We are a small unit, but a good one.

Neb started the day making B-Boy's bottle (as he does every day), so I could get a few more minutes of rest. When he came back upstairs, he brought 2 cards from Hallmark (he cared enough to carry the very best) and a gift bag. B-Boy's card for me was just so sweet, with a Winnie the Pooh theme. I am happy to report I did not cry. Well, not until the second card... which was from Neb. It was incredibly sweet, and it did make me tear up enough that I had to wipe them away. Neb says he gets bonus points for that.

Then I opened my gift. Wow. Neb got me the most incredibly sparkley diamond earrings... just georgous. Since our wedding anniversary is a little over a week away, he splurged.

So sparkley. I love sparkley! We then headed downstairs for Neb to make us his WAFFLES! I love Neb's waffles... and not just because I don't have to make them. He got the waffle iron as a wedding present and has been making Belgian Waffles ever since. Yummy! All in all it was a great day. B-Boy took a nice long nap this afternoon, which gave me time to rest and stare at my pretty earrings. What a neat Mother's Day gift. Everytime I look at them, I will remember that they were from my very first Mother's Day.

But that wasn't my first Mother's Day gift. The first one came from B-Boy. It was handmade, the first thing he has ever made me. Ok, perhaps he didn't make it ALL by himself... but it was handmade. Literaly.

His teachers at daycare made a picture by putting paint on his hands and pressing them on construction paper, and turning them into flowers. I scanned it at my Mom's yesterday so that I could share it with you. And yes, his teachers did make me cry. Too bad I can't blame it on pregnancy hormones, can I? ;)

I think we have a budding artist... a picasso in the making. What do you think?

Seventh Month... Your baby should be able to...

So I was reading over the "What to Expect The First Year" book for the seventh month. The chapter starts with a list of what your baby should be able to do, what your baby probably can do, what your baby might be able to do, and what else is possible for the month.

I wanted to document this for where B-Boy is currently. The list below has check marks where he has completed that milestone. I'll revist the list later this month to see how he is doing.

By the end of the month, your baby

Should be able to:

þ  Sit without support

þ  Feed self a cracker

þ  Razz(make a wet razzing sound)

Will probably be able to:

þ  Bear some weight on legs when held upright

¨  Object if you try to take a toy away

þ  Work to get a toy out of reach

þ  Pass a cube or other object from one hand to another

þ  Look for dropped object

þ  Rake a raisin and pick it up in fist

þ  Turn in the direction of a voice

þ  Babble, combining vowels and consonants such as ga-ga-ga-ga, ba-ba-ba-ba, ma-ma-ma-ma, da-da-da-da

May possibly be able to:

¨  Stand holding on to someone or something

May even be able to:

¨  Pull up to standing position from sitting

¨  Get into a sitting position from stomach

¨  Play patty cake or wave bye-bye

¨  Pick up tiny object with any part of thumb and finger

¨  Walk holding on to furniture

¨  Say mama or dada indiscriminately

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Hola, hoy es Cinco de Mayo!


For all our gringo friends, that means Hello, today is Cingo de Mayo!

As Neb and I prepare a fine margarita, B-Boy wanted to help celebrate the holiday! So, he donned a cute outfit (thanks to Dad's help) and asked me to share the photos with you. For the record, Neb was the one who figured out how to get the mustache to stay put. He loves to deny his involvement in this... but I have proof!

B-Boy's trusty burrow Eeyore was by his side to help. He had maracas (baby sized), a serape (and one for his bottle), a sombrero, and a blanket from Mexico.

Ole!

Hee hee... mustaches tickle!

 Oh, and when he got to daycare, the teachers all giggled at his costume. The mustache was their favorite part. Heh heh. Thanks Neb!

Seven

Yesterday, B-Boy was seven months old!!! He celebrated by wearing his tie dye! Odd part about that outfit, Neb and I bought it when we Babymooned in Charleston last July. We bought it really big (size LARGE) so that the baby (we did not know if it was a boy or girl at the time) could wear it in August.

Here is Neb showing it off from our room

in Charleston in July 2009

Please note B-Boy wore it in April... yes, he is a big boy. For those of you taking notes, he is wearing 18 month old clothes. I think I mentioned that previously. Crazy.

I snapped some photos of him in his bouncer chair. He really has outgrown it. Good thing Neb liked that red andorandak chair- we bought it earlier this week. We still need to put it together, hence the reason he is still sitting in his bouncer.

Look how long I am Mommy!

It struck me how big he is, and I went digging for one of the first photos I took of him in that chair. Strange to see huh?

Taken October 11, 2009.

B-Boy was only 8 days old.

Mom, you worry me.

Seriously, put the camera away.

So happy seven months B-Boy. Before we know it, you will be one year old. Yikes.

B-Boy gets fed in the high chair

On Wednesday, B-Boy moved to a new chair to eat! He has been eating in the bouncer chair at home and at school. But not on Wednesday!

His teacher put him in the high chair at school. The chair is not very high, but it gets him sitting vertically to eat instead of on an incline. He sat up quite well, and really enjoyed eating his oatmeal there!

Mmmf...zis ish goodf!

Finally, she also introduced a cup to him at school for the first time. He drank his formula pretty well from the small, short cup. I was so proud of him!

What's this? Cool! No nipple to block the flow!

I like this!

Yummy!

The sweet potatoes continue to be a big hit. On friday, he also got acorn squash at school in his nifty chair. According to the teachers, he really enjoyed it. Good to see the sweet potatoes hasn't taken away his enjoyment of the squash!