ONE Year!

You are now ONE! All the cliches are true...This year has flown by. You are very mobile, but not walking. You can take a couple steps when prompted, but you'd still much rather crawl....you can get there much faster. When you want to crawl really fast, you put your head down....must be to avoid wind resistance. :) Your fine and gross motor skills have greatly improved. You love to empty things out and put them away. Your cup goes in the cup holder on your high chair tray and you want to put the lids on all the tupperware. You get very frustrated if you can't get the pieces to fit together. You can open up every door in the house including the front door and back slider. We've had to step up our lax parenting style, so you don't escape. You scream with joy and frustration...it's really loud! You still don't like the car...pretzel sticks, cheerios, and pinwheels (baby crack) make it somewhat tolerable. Your car seat is still rear facing, but we debate turning it around daily. On your 366th day of life, you had your first taste of dairy....1/2 teaspoon of cow's milk. WIth your daddy, Aunt Erin, and Papa Whalen's dairy allergies, we held off as long as possible. You handled the 1/2 teaspoon like a champ, so we moved onto one teaspoon the next day, then one tablespoon, then an ounce, two ounces, etc. You are now drinking full cups of cow's milk without any sign of allergy. That's not to say you actually like milk, but this was true of mommy milk as well. Most days, we have to strap you down in your stroller and cruise around the block in order for you drink your cup. And even that's no guarantee. Despite my attempt to feed you a variety of foods, I think you're going to be a very picky eater. I'm hoping it's a phase....everything is a phase! Right?!? You got fitted for your first pair of shoes a few weeks ago. Your feet are extra wide and a size six. From what I've been told, that's gargantuan. You've learned to use these big feet of yours to climb up onto the couch and entertainment center. You're fearless! You're still in the 90% for height and weight at 25 pounds and 30.5 inches, but you're not the thug you once were. A year later, you're still my little love bug.

Eleven Months

You are almost a year old...This year has flown by.

You are a dare devil. You will nose dive off any chair, lunge for what you want, and climb up the stairs without any help. You love the remote control, the telephone, the stereo, and flinging books off the book shelf in the office. You throw temper tantrums worthy of a two year if you don't get what you want. Your food menu has increased from fruits, vegetables, and tofu blends to include turkey, chicken, pretzel sticks, and crackers. You don't like egg yolks or pasta. You'll spit both out. You no longer take a bottle, just a sippy cup. You've still never had formula, so we don't know yet if you have any of your daddy's allergies. You are starting to push your walking toy unprompted, but seem to be a ways away from walking. You can open and close doors by standing on your tippy toes and reaching for the handle. You really have to stretch, but you can do it. Your Papa Gaebel baby proofed the kitchen, which bums you out because you really enjoyed playing with the BBQ tools. You still have access to the tupperware and pots/pans, which you throw all over the kitchen. You've started pooping in the bath on a semi-regular basis...mostly on the nights when your daddy gives you baths. (You're a smart kid!) You have your mom and dad wrapped around your little finger.

And you're done!

Ten Months

Ok, so Colin is more like 10 1/2 months old...life has gotten a little busy. This working full-time thing is getting in the way of my blogging. Blah! (Eight more weeks until summer break-- woohoo!)

Colin is on the go. He's pulling himself to a standing position on his own, walking along the coffee table, and takes a step or two with his walker. He loves to play peek-a-boo and even pulls the blanket over his own face. He's starting to say dada and mama with more consistency...unfortunately, I think I hear dada more regularly. (Kevin had spring break a couple weeks ago, and I think they secretly worked on it.) He loves Cheerios. People say everything is a phase. I would call this phase in Colin's life the Cheerios phase. I find them everywhere. Luckily, we've had a break from the teething, but that hasn't stopped him from chewing on everything. He was chewing on his crib like a little beaver (unfortunately, there are teeth marks to prove it), so his cute little bed now has not so cute rail protectors. He went to his first major league baseball game last month and got to meet his Uncle Rick and cousins Seamus, Jack, and Brendan. His latest and greatest trick...giving real kisses. You pucker up, ask for a kiss, and he leans in and brushes his (open) mouth against yours. It's the best! :)

Nine Months

Happy nine (and a half) months Colin! You are (army) crawling all over the place, into everything, love to open and slam doors/drawers, and can sit up from a laying down position on your own. You like your toys, but love Guinness's toys. You shriek when you're excited, wave your arms, and pant like a puppy. You can pull yourself up to a standing position, which prompted your dad to lower your crib mattress to the bottom level. You now have six teeth-- two bottom and four on top. You're eating a bit more finger foods-- cheerios, pasta, banana. You were sick for the first time with the stomach flu. You're now feeling better, but no longer sleeping through the night. You love playing patty-cake and continue to put everything in your mouth. We're working on waving good-bye....you're not so sure about it. You love to ride on dad's shoulders (or the dog), be pushed on the playground swing, and crawl after the vacuum cleaner. You respond to your name and love when we sing to you (I think you're the only one who likes to hear me sing!). You weigh almost 23 pounds (90th percentile) and are 29 inches tall (75th percentile). You're almost perfect...If only you'd sleep through the night again!!! :)

Eight Months

Colin is excited to share that he's now eight months old. His newest trick...clapping as we say yaaaayyyy! Our baby boy is on his way to being a little toddler. Colin loves to scoot (not really a crawl yet) to wherever Guinness (the dog) is so he can pet him and slobber on him. Thankfully, Guinness doesn't mind. He absolutely loves bath time; he splashes and laughs the whole time. He now has three teeth, which has put a little damper on his happy disposition and his sleep habits. Blah! He is a mama's boy, which while flattering, is a downer at 2am when he only wants his mommy. It looks as if the top tooth is one of his side teeth. Either that, or we'll be able to drive a mack truck between his two front teeth. We're already ready for "teething" to be over, but apparently it's a long, long process! Even so, one of our favorite things is opening the door to his room and hearing Colin begin to flop around and laugh in his crib as he gets excited to see us when we turn on the light. This weekend, we dropped the crib mattress one level just to be on the safe side. We won't be surprised to find him trying to escape one day soon.

Seven Months

At seven months, Colin...

- Jumps up and down like crazy on our laps and thinks we're his personal jungle gym.

- Transfers things from hand to hand and bangs them around.

- Grabs at everything including the video monitor cords sitting on top of his crib...We found those IN his crib. Apparently, they make a pretty good snack!

- Sits unsupported for long periods of time and plays with his toys independently.

- Steals toys from his cousin, Avery.

- Rocks back and forth on his knees, scoots backwards, and rolls everywhere.

- Is getting his two bottom teeth.

- Tries really hard to sit up while laying down.

- Likes to lick the coffee table, the dog, the couch pillows...pretty much anything and everything.

- Yells for his solid food if we don't feed him fast enough.

- Sometimes drinks from a sippy cup.

- Still sucks his thumb.

- Smiles at everybody and has yet to develop stranger anxiety.

- And no longer has a bald spot on the back of his head. :)

Six Months

At six months, Colin wants to put everything in his mouth....My cell phone, car keys, t.v. remote, fingers, hair...you get the idea. If it's not within his grasp, he now lunges for what he wants. He will often miss grabbing his intended object and sit there wondering what to do next. He's not crawling (and probably not even close), but he does roll, pivot, and somehow maneuver himself all over the place. Last week, we left him to play on his quilt in the family room and came back two minutes later to find him six feet away laying smack in the middle of the wood floor. Oops! He's started eating a bit of solid food. We're taking things slowly. We first started cereal, but that didn't end so well. Five days of no poop and then BAM! Yuck! So we put an end to the cereal and started up with green vegis...so far that's worked out a bit better! He's moved from the infant car seat to the toddler car seat and infant bath tub to a big boy bath seat. Our little man is growing up. It's so cliche, but wow does it happen fast!

Five Months

At five months, Colin...

- Has discovered his toes...He'll suck on them while getting his diaper changed.

- No longer takes the binky on a regular basis...He prefers his thumb.

- Is exclusively breast fed, but did get to suck on a carrot for the first time.

- Rolls and rolls, but mainly in one direction.

- Prefers to sleep on his side, but has learned to sleep on his stomach as well.

- Loves to dance with his daddy to Bruce Springsteen and his Uncle Tim's songs.

- Doesn't just talk anymore, but SHOUTS!

- Pulls at my hair and anything else he can get his hands on.

- Weighs just under 21 pounds

- Prefers to stand or sit rather than being laid on his back.

- Goes to sleep between 7-7:30 and sleeps until 6:00 the next morning (We're so thankful!).

- Lights up when he sees his daddy's face.

- Likes to read eat books.

- Is a very happy baby.

- Gives sloppy, adorably wonderful kisses.

Four Months

Four months is really a fun age! Colin is turning into a little person...He's no longer a baby blob! He's alert and much more aware of what's going on around him. He'll seek out Kevin or I and give us a big goofy grin. He's grabbing at things and now regularly rolls from back to stomach....At which point he gets frustrated and starts crying! (We'll roll him over to his back and he'll roll onto his stomach again. It's a never ending battle!) No teeth at this point...still lots of drool! (As you'll see in the pictures below.) He talks and laughs a lot! He loves to stand on our laps and sit up. At 19lbs, 11oz and 27 inches long, he's still off the charts and wearing 9 month clothes. It is very cliche, but he is growing up too fast. We're really excited for all the upcoming holidays and events....We can't wait to celebrate with him!

Three Months

My lil chunker weighs 19 pounds...Crazy! His cousin Carter weighs 22 pounds....He'll be three in November. Soon Colin will be giving Carter his hand-me-downs. :) Have I mentioned recently how appreciative I am to have all of Carter's old clothes? I am so thankful! My kiddo has a closet full of clothes thanks to Carter and his second-cousin Nolan. This last weekend we got out the 6-9 month boxes and they actually fit! I love all his "new" things!

At three months, Colin loves to stand up, play peek-a-boo, and stick his fist in his mouth. He talks non-stop and laughs at our silly faces. He also drools a lot! It would be really gross if it wasn't cute baby drool! Ok, so maybe it's gross to everyone else!?!?

Day care is going well...He smiles at Miss B when I drop him off in the morning. I love that he loves her, but it makes me sad. I feel like I'm in jr. high...I want to hate her....If only she wasn't so nice and great with my baby boy. She treats him like family and showers him with love and attention. That's all I can ask, but I still feel miserable dropping him off and picking him up. Hopefully it will get easier. It's only been a few weeks. I need to start buying lotto tickets.

Two Months

Colin is now (over) two months old. We call him many things...little man, baby boy, love bug, big boy, smiley face, moose, tank, and chunky monkey. Many of his nicknames stem from how big he is growing. At his two month appointment he weighed 17 lbs and was 25 inches long. Both measurement are off the charts...He's bigger than 100% of babies his age. Regardless of his measurements (because really, who cares?), he's healthy and thriving, and that's the important part. He's also smiling....a lot, which is absolutely the best!

Colin, Carter, and Avery

At his two month appointment, he also received his first set of shots. I struggled with this a lot...I realize that the medical community has found no link between immunizations and autism, but there's been enough hoopla about it to mess with my head. Also, my mom chose not to immunize me as a child, and I've suffered no repercussions. I talked to friends and educated myself before Colin was even born. I could have done more research, but at some point my brain shut down, and I stopped thinking about it. Then his two month appointment was suddenly here, and I realized I never really made a decision. We were there at the doctor's office and I just went with my gut. I feel like I took a leap of faith that everything is going to be ok. So at his two month appointment, Colin was poked three times and received one oral medication. Kevin held him down (I love my husband!), and Colin handled it like a champ. I still feel nervous...I still wonder if I did the right thing...I still silently exhale every time he smiles hoping that's a sign I haven't lost him to that horrible disease.

Colin resting after his appointment. His daddy was MY hero for holding him while he was poked on the top of each leg. He received super hero band-aids, which coordinated with his outfit. :)

One Month!

So the lack of sleep and the busy life of a newborn are starting to catch up with us. The time and desire to blog have fallen to the wayside. I knew I'd fall off the blogging bandwagon...just wasn't sure it would be this soon. :) Here are a couple pictures of our 'lil man on June 26...his one month birthday.

Striking his GQ pose

It's exhausting being this cute

"Help Mom! I'm falling"

The best part of being a month old...cuddle time before naps/ bed. He snuggles his body, so his head is resting right under my chin. So sweet! Also, I love it when he wakes up from his naps, arches his back, stretches, and sticks out his lower lip. Makes my heart happy. The worst part...that would still be his gas issues. When he's awake, he's constantly red faced, grunting, and trying to work something out. I hoping he doesn't have Kevin's dairy allergy, but I've officially committed to cutting out all dairy from my diet just in case (I'm going to three days! WOHOO! Seriously people...it's really hard!) For the first few weeks of his life, I convinced myself that cutting back was good enough...I'm definitely not going win any "Mom of the Year" awards! Oh well!

Toot Toot!

Colin is now three weeks old! His biggest obstacle as a three weeker- gas! This kid has some major toots...I feel so sad for his little tummy. Everyone says things will get better over time and we've received some good suggestions from Colin's Aunt Colleen and Aunt Ashleigh on how to help him feel more comfortable.

He's now on a fairly consistent eating schedule of every three hours and we're "working" on the sleeping bit. Overall, he's still getting up every three hours or so at night, but he did let us sleep for five hours straight last weekend. (Kevin said that was the best Father's Day gift ever!) Although he loves having his hands up by his face, we went back to swaddling him because his startling reflex kept waking himself up.

Last weekend, Colin got to meet his Great-Grandma Gaebel and Great-Uncle Herb. These two people mean so much to me, and I was really excited to introduce them.

He also got some boy bonding time in...While "us" girls went to my cousin Meghan's baby shower, the boys (Kevin, my dad, Uncle Grant, Carter, and Colin) hung out at the house. It was my first outing away from Colin and while it was a little tricky trying to arrange feeding times, it was nice for me to "escape" for a little bit. I go a little stir crazy at times being so house bound.

Two Weeks Old!

Check out our big two-weeker! He's had an "exciting" couple weeks. He's now eating and "sleeping" in 2 1/2 - 3 hour chunks of time. He had his first sponge bath, outing (to Babies 'R Us of course), and stroller walk. He also had his circumcision completed, which didn't go completely smoothly, but is now healing nicely. He's had lots of visitors including his "Aunt" Emily, his Nanas & Papas, his Aunties and Uncle Grant, Jenny (Connor's mommy), and our favorite neighbors Tracy, Ryan, Steph, & Scott.

He now weighs 10 lbs., 11 oz....up 4 oz. from his birth weight and 12 oz. in one week. He has also grown 2 1/2 inches and is now 22 1/2 inches long. We still try to squeeze him into all his cute newborn sized clothes and diapers, but they are quickly beginning to look like muscle shirts and speedo swim suits. He's also found his lungs! While he still makes cute squeaky noises, he will now let us know when he's really mad! He smiles a lot in his sleep (which melts our hearts), and we can't wait to see more "awake" smiles in the coming months. Most importantly, we still think he's adorable and love him to pieces!