9 months!

My 9 month old has been keeping me on my toes. Connor is constantly on the move unless he is sleeping! He is into everything and I can barely keep up. My parents got him a walker and he loves zooming around the house in it. He bumps into the wall and furniture constantly and just laughs his head off! He loves to clap when you ask him too. He is no longer in an infant car seat, which makes me sad. He is just so big now. He LOVES all food, whether its his baby food, baby finger foods, or some of our food he loves it all. He is like a garbage disposal. I feel like he is always hungry, but that is because he is just so mobile.

We celebrated our first Thanksgiving with Sean's dad and had a great time. We got our house ready for Connor's first Christmas, which we also celebrated with Sean's dad and our best friend/Connor's other uncle, Karim. Connor got a ton of stuff and we had to make our game room, officially Connor's playroom. He has enjoyed all the toys, but still rather play with things he's not supposed to. Why is that? It is so annoying, we can not leave anything on the floor or in reach of his little hands. Poor Chloe, her food and water dishes are up off the floor until Connor goes to bed. A few ornaments off the tree were broken. My cell phone charged was almost completely destroyed. I feel like I have a puppy, I am constantly saying, "Connor, no!" That will probably be his first word, no!

In between Thanksgiving and Christmas my parents came to visit. We had a great time and Connor was again, super spoiled. I am so looking forward to my parents moving here eventually, I hate being so far from them, I miss them constantly.

Starting in his 10th month, I have to give up napping with my baby. Pretty much daily I have had Connor napping cuddled up with me, and I usually sleep too. He is starting to be too dependent on me, so I have to make the transition. He sleeps fine in his crib at night, but not at nap time. We also have to transition him away from bottles by 1 year. So sad how fast this is all going by!

8 months!

Holy moly, Connor has learned so much in the past month! He is crawling all over the place and pulling himself up using anything he can to help! His favorite thing to utilize is Chloe's cage. It is truly amazing how much can happen over just a day or two. One day he was barely scooting around the room and the next he's the fastest crawler around. We had to quickly baby proof and keep a constant eye on him at all times. The days of laying him down and putting laundry away or running to the restroom and him being in the same spot is completely over! He doesn't stay still unless he's sleeping! I really can't complain because I LOVE this stage. It is so much fun to see him so engaged and excited about everything. He is so happy all the time, and I really think it is because he is finally mobile.

We had to lower his crib all the way, and he still is able to pull himself up. We had to find him some crib toys because he kept pulling down the sensor monitor and setting it off in the middle of the night. Boy was that scary the first few times, now he has some other things in there to keep him occupied. He still sometimes pulls it down, but not as often. He has been sleeping really well lately. He finally has started to go down right away again, there was a 2 week stretch where he would scream bloody murder for about an hour. I think it was a little separation anxiety and the fact that 4 top teeth decided to come in at the same time. I am sure there will be more set backs, but for now we are so thankful to be out of that stage!

I am busy planning his first birthday party. I've gotten lots of things done and still have lots more to do. Sean and I finally agreed on the theme, which will be dinosaurs. The cake and smash cake has been ordered and paid for. The invitations are picked out, as well as the favors, decor, and the onside he will wear. I am trying to get the guest list together, I don't want it to be so many people that he is overwhelmed, but we have lots of family and friends who I know want to be part of it.

We have still been enjoying Little Gym, as well as Keller early childhood PTA, play dates with the grapevine colleyville southlake moms league, and library story time. Connor and I have a very busy schedule, and I wouldn't change it for anything. He really seems to enjoy our daily routine together and the activities that fill our days up. People ask me if I ever go crazy being at home, the answer is NO, not one bit. I love every single second of every single day. I look forward to our morning cuddle sessions, our daily activity (whether it be errands, little gym, play dates, or other activity), and our afternoon nap. I of course clean, do laundry and cook dinner in there as well.

I'm still selling my usborne books and more. Things are going ok. For the amount of time and effort I put in, I can't complain. I plan to increase the amount of work I out towards it as Connor gets older. The best thing of all is all the books I now have for him that I've gotten for free. He really loves being read to, the touchy feely and noise making ones are his favorite. He even knows what part of the page to touch to feel the different textures!

Monday we had his 9 month check up. The doctor was very impressed with his development, all is on track and he's even a little ahead of some of the milestones. I've always been a little worried since he was a month early. He's 19.8 pounds which put him in the 48th percentile and 28 inches which is in the 35th percentile! His poor head is only in the 17th percentile.

7 months!

Connor is now 7 and a half months. He is so interactive and intrigued with everything. He loves to see new things and put them into his mouth! Even Chloe, he has tried two or three times to get a piece of her in his mouth, but she is too fast and gets away. He is starting to pull himself up and is almost crawling! He is rocking back and forth and scooting, he just needs to put all the motions together and off he will be. He can now take finger food and feed it to himself. He loves all foods still!

We left Connor with grandpa art for a night while we went and stayed the night at winstar. We got massages, saw Blake Shelton(again), and caught up on some sleep. The night went well and grandpa art said he'd do it again!

We went on another airplane ride, this time almost a four hour one to Boston. He got so bored and wanted to roll and romp around, needless to say I think our flying days are over for a while. It was a great time in Boston though. My parents and brother and sister-in-law were all there. We ate a lot, did some touristy things, saw some family, met up with old friends, and I got to get some closure at my grandma's grave. She died 8 days before Connor was born so I had to miss the funeral. My parents graciously took care of Connor while Sean, my brother, my sister-in-law and I all went out and about. We went to downtown and hung out there. We also went candle pin bowling and miniature golfing. It was a nice time, but we were glad to get home and get on or back into his routine.

Unfortunately his routine got out of whack again, poor guy got an ear infection and hand foot mouth disease. The ear infection was fixed pretty fast due to the ear drops and antibiotics, but the hfmd is a virus and it just has to run its course. He did get some lidocaine mouthwash to help him eat, since he was refusing everything. After 4 days he is just now starting to get back to his oldself. I also got the virus, but just the fever and the sores in my throat. Poor Connor had blisters all over his hands, feet, mouth and throat. It completely wiped us out and of course Sean was at conference so we were left to fend for ourselves. Seeing his sick was the worst thing ever, I just felt so helpless and all I could do was cuddle him. I did cuddle him nonstop and now he is having a hard time being away from me! I hope he breaks himself of that soon or we will be in for some tough times.

My usborne business is going pretty good. I had an opportunity to go to a pediatric therapy staff meeting. I met some people and sold some books. I have handed out some catalogs and met some people who say they are interested in hosting a party. So we will see if anything comes of those. My mom comes in Sunday when Sean leaves for Chicago, so I am excited. We always have a great time!

Over half a year old!

It makes me sad to say that Connor is closer to being a year old then he is to being a newborn. I love how fun and interactive he is now, but I do miss the days he was less mobile. He rolls all over the place and I can't take my eyes off of him for a second. I used to be able to put him on his play mat and do a few things and he would be in the same spot, but now not so much! He rolls half way across the room. We are going to start baby proofing very soon.

Connor loves solid food. He likes all vegetables, with sweet potatoes being his favorite and peas being his least. He also likes yogurt, which is what he has for breakfast. He is not a fan of any of the cereals, so our pediatrician recommended yogurt. We will be introducing fruit this week and I am sure that will be a big hit. He has now started to sip a little water out of a sippy cup, but enjoys throwing it on the floor more than he likes drinking out of it! He eats a few puffs every now and then and mum mums, though he doesn't swallow much of it. He just likes to hold it and chew on it, then drools most of it out.

He can sit up for a decent amount of time, but wobbles over still. He loves knocking over blocks when you build towers with them. He thinks bubbles are pretty cool, especially when they pop as he tries to touch them. He likes his Elmo and likes watching Elmo videos on YouTube. If this keeps up, Elmo may be his birthday theme.

This Wednesday we are starting Little Gym. I am hoping it will be fun for both of us and we can meet some more local fiends. I also joined Keller earlychildhood PTA and will go to the first meeting on the 18th. They have lots of events that sound so fun, including mom's night out.

I had my Usborne books and more party yesterday. Not a great turn out. I was pretty bummed when only 5 people showed up. I invited 45, I had 11 respond yes, 8 respond no, and 2 maybes. They are great books and I was excited to share them. I didn't sign up for this to make money, I just fell in love with all they have to offer and wanted to see some friends and share it. Maybe when Connor gets a little older and I have more time I can make try to do it again. I plan on keeping the site up and will network and try and book some parties through other people I meet, but I think my days of having my own parties are over.

Saturday we will be going to our first movie post Connor. We are using a girl from TCU to babysit that our good friends recommended. I met her and instantly liked her. She seems amazing and has been babysitting for quit some time. Hopefully she will like Connor and we can use her on a regular basis!

Six Months, ALREADY?!

August 25, 2012 at 5:40 p.m. Connor was officially six months! I am still in shock by how fast everyday goes by with him. Even though it is pretty much the same routine day in and day out, it does not get boring and just flies by. He weight 17 pounds and 14 ounces and is in the 50th percentile for weight, he is 27 inches long and is in the 70th percentile for height. My little baby, is not so little anymore. He is looking more and more like a little boy instead of a baby. It makes me a little sad, but I just love the stage he is in now. He is so vocal and smiley all the time. He likes to knock over blocks, jump in the jumperoo, listen to songs, read stories, take baths, eat solid foods and his bottle, and just be around people. He loves to look around and take everything in. He can sit up now on his own for seconds at a time. He also knows the word jump, he will do it when you saya it! He is officially on formula now, I weaned him and it actually went easier and faster then I thought it would. I made it to my goal and I am proud of myself. I never loved nursing and am not sad at all about giving it up.

 The pediatrician told me I now have to let Connor cry it out. He was sleeping the majority of the night with one feeding in the middle, but the doctor said he no longer needs it and six months is the time to let him soothe himself. The first night I let him cry for about 30 minutes and went in and consoled him, but did not give him a bottle. He woke up a few more times, but went back down. Last night he woke up at 4:30 and went right back down himself, until 6:10. I then gave him a bottle and he went back to sleep until 7:45. We will see how tonight goes, it has been hard not going to him the minute he cries, but I trust and love our pediatrician so I will do what he says.

Ladies and Gentleman - We Have Teeth!

Yes, you read the title correctly, our little Connor Blake is getting his first tooth at 5 months of age! He has been handling it really well, just a few fussy spells here and there, but nothing to terrible. He is getting into anything and everything he can grab. He loves using his hands to hold things and try to shove them into his mouth. My hair is one of his favorites, I have just decided to wear it pulled back until he gets out of this phase. If we are eating and one of us is holding him, he grabs for the plate, the silverare, and the food itself. Mealtime has become kind of a pain, especially at restaurants since he refuses to be in his carseat if he is awake. He wants to be out checking out all the action. Sean and I have to take turns between eating and holding him, but we don't mind too much.

My mom was in town Sunday through Wednesday, while Sean was in California. We had a great time together. Connor adores her and she was such a big help to me. She took care of him during his one night time feeding and I got to catch up on some sleep. She and my dad are coming back August 18th, so Sean and I can attend a concert and stay the night in Dallas. This will be our first full night away since Connor was born. He will be 6 months on the 25th, so I finally feel comfortable leaving him that long. I am also in the process of weaning him and just feeding him bottles. So far he has been doing pretty well.

In other news, I am now an Usborne Books and More Consultant. I am really excited, and a little bit nervous. I have always wanted to try selling products, I just never knew what type. I knew make-up was not my thing, I could not get super excited about any of the jewelry lines, and I lovce Scentsy - but I know too many people who sell it. Well, Aunt Beth, Uncle Jeff, and Cousin Katie gave Connor "That's Not My Puppy" and "That's Not My Dinosaur" books, which he and I both love. I googled the books to see what other ones were out and I realized I could actually sell them! Usborne Books has books, games, activities, manipulatives, and more for babies all the way up to middle school. There are some really fabulous products I wish I had known about as a teacher. I plan to have my first party the second week in September. My website is up and running and I am hoping I will have a few people want to book a party as well. You can earn lots of free books, which would be great to add to your little one's library or save for gifts for the fast approaching holiday season. Here is my site, please check it out and if you have any questions let me know!

http://t3288.myubam.com/

First ear infection!

Last week our little guy was just not acting right. His sleeping was non existent, both at night and during the day. I called the doctor and we found out he had an ear infection. He was given ear drops and antibiotics, and they worked like magic! He also had to be prescribed Prevacid for his acid reflux, since the Zantac was starting to not work. It took about a week and his sleep is finally getting back on track.

He is now over 16 pounds, which amazes me. He has tripled his weight in 5 months. I am hoping this slows down or we will have one massive 1 year old. He is still getting rice cereal and we have found a formula that he tolerates. I am still breastfeeding the majority of the time, but it is good to know he will take formula.

He is really such a happy boy. He is always smiling and laughing, which makes the days so much fun. We are starting to get a nap routine going, and that is making him much happier. It is also helping with his sleeping at night, we had 8 full hours last night. He ate and went back down for another 3 hours. I am hoping this keeps up!

Sean is leaving for California this weekend and will be gone until Wednesday....what does that mean for Connor and I? Grandma is coming! I am so excited to have my mom come here and be with us for the entire time Sean will be gone. We are going to have so much fun, and I am sure Connor will be spoiled!