Highlights: * Caleb’s 6th birthday! I know, six…! * Liam starts running * Caleb graduates from kindergarten (more photos to come) * We hosted the best Lego themed gymnastics party * BBQ season officially begun – as in BBQing with others… because really in our house it’s BBQ season 365 days of the year! * Ally did some fun photoshoots for Squishy Prints and the Squishy Prints website was relaunched. * There were several babies born to friends and neighbours * We got a decent family photo – finally!!
Happy Summer!
(and yay – all caught up in our four people monthlies!)
Happy birthday to my beautiful baby boy! It is hard to believe that a year has passed and you are already one. It’s been such an adventure for all of us.
This past month you have been gearing up for growing up. Mommy went back to work and that has been a hard adjustment for all of us… mostly me. You have coped very well. The first few days were the hardest, but you managed. In fact on one of my first days leaving you for 5 hours, you were so excited when picked you up that you ran five steps to get to me. You are getting so close to walking independently. You still prefer to crawl, but you can cruise the perimeter of a room just holding on to furniture and walls. You stand up independently all the time and will take a step or two.
This month you have been quite sick. Maybe you picked up germs for all the extra outings we squished in – to the park and Tumblebums. You have had constant runny noses and fevers. We found out the hard way that you are allergic to some medications. I apologize that today was spent running in and out of the doctor’s office and at the pharmacy. It was not the fun day that I had planned. And unfortunately the Benedryl you had tonight to combat the drug allergy has made you a little dopey. What a way to have a family party!
This first year of your life was definitely a rough go at times. You have battled gastro-reflux, terrible cradle cap, bad eczema, having to nap around your brother’s schedule, being exposed to every germ at the elementary school, and the dangers of having a big brother that loves you a little too much at times. We have had some bad sleepless nights, and cranky days together.
But throughout it all, your charming smile and infectious giggle, along with your driving independence and ability to observe and learn, have kept me totally in love with you. You have made our family so much greater than it was. I love you so much.
Happy birthday Liam Bean!
Love always, Momma XO XO XO XO XO XO XO XO XO XO XO XO
{12 month stats: 20lbs; can reach the top drawers; can say: mama/mom, dada, baba (brother), uh-oh, uh-huh, uh-uh (no); can sigh: more, milk, and bye; waves bye and points a things; claps hands and imitates with objects; blows kisses; crawls super fast; stands-up; goes up and down stairs; feeds self; drinks milk from a sippy cup; still nursing; 7 teeth; 2 haircuts; loves Elmo and Katy Parry!}
Welcome to the last month of babyhood. It’s hard to believe in one short month you will be a year old. Â You are now are now 20.4 lbs, and have six teeth, and it looks like seven and eight are on their way.
This month you learned to let go while standing. Â You will stand for longer and longer periods of time. Â You also learned to get up from the middle of the floor. Â You know how to squat down and stand back up too. Â You are very proud of these new skills and you will look around and wait for the applause.
Speaking of applause, you learned how to clap a few weeks ago. Â You can work a room and make everyone clap with you. Â You also learned to wave bye, and give a high 5… although you seem to reserve those for a select few. Â Sometimes you sign more. Â You are very good at shaking your head no, and you are still saying “up” and “mama?mom” – although not as much as the month before.
You have started to somewhat like drinking milk from a sippy cup.  Slowly we are weaning off nursing in anticipation of my return to work in a few weeks.  It makes me sad, but also slightly relieved.  You like to bite down -hard, as well as pinching and pulling.  I have almost weaned you off due to the sure torture you inflict on my boobs!
You have become very independent with eating and prefer finger foods more and more. Â Some meals you refuse to be spoon fed. Â Tonight you insisted on eating your spaghetti (tomato sauce, squash and all) with your fingers.
You are also growing more independent with play. Â After dinner you love to crawl up the stairs and cruise around the playroom and play with all the toys. Â You keep yourself very busy. Â You are also starting to “play” more outside too. Â You have inherited your brothers old tricycle and you can use your legs to push yourself. Â Caleb “rescued” you from going down the hill into the trees.
But the biggest thrill was today. Â I left you with Great-grandma, to practice for when I go back to work. Â Five hours later when daddy and I returned to pick you up, you got excited and you ran five steps independently from daddy to me! Â Yay! Â We are so thrilled that we were both there to witness those first steps. Â I have a feeling that you are going to be walking around everwhere at your first birthday party.
I love you little boy. Â You will always be my sweet baby bean.
Love always,
Mama
I can’t believe you are now 9 months old. You have been on the outside for as long as you were on the inside- plus or minus a few extra days! But no matter where you are, you always carry a piece if my heart. You are almost 18 pounds and 27.5 inches. And you are busy!
This month you have really started pulling up to a stand and cruising furniture with confidence. You will push things and walk, and you have been trying to climb.
You have started screaming when you can’t get what you want. Your little temper tantrums are nor so cute. You have also started to physically fight with your brother. You push at him, pull his hair and hit him. He’s been very patient with you, but I am waiting to see which if you gets the first black eye! Despite the fights, Caleb is still your favorite person. Every morning your face lights up when you see him. You follow him around and live to play with him. It’s so sad when he has friend over and you are excluded on the other side of the closed door.
You have made your own little circle of friends and seem to enjoy being with others more. You still prefer to stay by my side in unknown places, but you are slowly getting more independent.
This month we introduced you to dairy and you love cheese and yogurt. You also like to feed yourself! You love water too and are very good with your sippy cups.
We celebrated our first Christmas as a family of four and you were very unsure. You liked the toys, just not all the business of the season. You are very much like your dad!
Christmas was also a time for learning to sleep. I stopped nursing you in the middle of the night and with daddy’s help you learned to sleep longer without eating. So you now officially sleep through the night. You still have an early morning feeding, but will typically sleep an 8 hour stretch! Yay! Now we just have to work on napping IN YOUR CRIB!
You have grown up so very quickly these last nine months. It’s hard to believe we will be celebrating your birthday soon. Thank you for making me smile everyday! You light up my life little bean!
The last month has flown by in a whirlwind! It’s hard to believe the first 3/4 of your first year are done. You are now 8 months old, 18.5 pounds, and definate about what you want and don’t want.
You have become very clingy with me whenever we leave the house, and at times you don’t even want to go to daddy. People comment on how serious you always look. But I know the truth, and I know how giggly you can be. Your clinginess and stranger awareness has come at a bad time, however. It is the holiday season, and as eager as your brother is to jump up on Santa’s lap, you are not. In fact you screamed in terror and I had to nurse you to calm you down from the Santa visit.
You have recently gotten your top two teeth and as a result you have started grinding your teeth. It is a horrible sound and a bad habit that I hope you will stop SOON! You also have a bad habit of biting me when I nurse you. I have yelled and given you nasty looks. But I melt into your cuteness as soon as I look into those brown eyes of yours, and usually forgive you pretty fast. This has to stop NOW!!!
I am really looking forward to your first Christmas and all the magic and wonder that will fill your eyes and your heart. You love to gaze at the tree and all the lights. You have fit into our traditions nicely, and have made this holiday season feel extra special.
I love you little one. Even though my arms are tired, I love that you choose me to be the one you want, and that it’s my shoulder you snuggle against. You are growing up so fast, I am afraid for the day, your head will no longer be snuggled next to my heart.
Happy 5 months old! Five months…five… that is a whole hand – like the hand you like to shove in your mouth. Or the hand you use to grab fistfuls of my hair. The hand that holds on tight to your lovey (a Winnie the Pooh taggie blanket), that you snuggle with at night as you fall asleep on your own in your crib. That’s right, you now go to sleep by yourself in your crib – you have done this for almost a week now. Yay! I am so proud of you. Not so happy about the nap strike you are on though… (but let’s not archive that one for the memory book).
You are so much fun now. You make all sorts of goofy faces, and everything makes you smile and laugh. You love to laugh at your brother’s antics, kiss my face (it’s more like sucking on my chin), and play with your toys. You also love books.
You are on the move. You roll over very quickly and can roll half way across the playroom to get to your brother’s toys. On your tummy you pivot around in circles. You get up on your hand and knees and rock yourself, and then you start to inch backwards. It won’t be long until you are crawling!Â
You are growing so quickly. You are 16 pounds, 9 ounces and 25.5 inches long. You are starting to wear 6-12 month clothing already. You’ve almost outgrown the swing, and it’s been replaced by the jumparoo and the highchair. You love to sit and watch your brother and the big kids play. You are almost sitting upright independently on the floor. You love to pick things up and examine them.
I am sad that the first year of your life is almost over, but love watching your personality emerge everyday. I love you and all our moments together.
