10 Months Old

Even though I only just posted Ian's 9 month photos, he is actually 10 month old today.

Ian has two bottom teeth.  He is still a chubby boy at just under 21 pounds.  He is doing new things every day.  He waves (when he feels like it), he pulls up on EVERYTHING,  he puts all kinds of things in his mouth....food and nonfood alike.  He is loves to say "dada" and is beginning to say "mama" more and more.  He also says "bababa", and "yayaya" a lot.  The only thing he is actually labeling is the dog.  He will reach for Gauge and say "dot" or "doot".

 He is really starting to explore his world.  He loves to feed the dogs and throw his cup or spoon on the floor.  He likes finding out what different sounds he can make when pounding on things and has recently begun to take out bowls and pans that he can access.  He has also recently discovered the stairs and he LOVES to climb.

His newest thing is pushing buttons on the radio......

and dancing.

He also likes to let go of things when he is standing and often forgets to put his hands down when he is falling.  Most of the time, he is pretty chill about his bumps and bruises, but he scares his mommy.

 We absolutely love this crazy, silly, messy, and active boy!

9 Months

 

Here are some (increasingly hard to take) pictures of my adorable, chubby, 9 month baby boy joy.  Holy Moly, this kid is on the move!  He went from inching around just before my last post to flying down the hallway in a matter of days.  He can also pull himself up to stand and he is beyond proud of himself!  He giggles and talks and screeches to himself as he discovers new things.  Currently, his favorite things to crawl to are the mirror at the end of the hallway, the bathtub, his bin of books that he can dump out and the windowed back door.

 He LOVES bath time of any kind, but he really loves the kitchen sink.  He has figured out how to turn the water on and off and pull the drain plug.  He has also figured out how to scoot around the sink or tub to make some pretty big waves. 

He pulls to stand on almost everything.....and hits his head on almost as many things.  He should probably be wearing a helmet at all times, but we haven't actually done that to him yet.

 He is a little ham.  He loves to bang things, drop things off his highchair and feed the dog.  He has some bongos and a baby piano (as well as many other toys) that he can make all kinds of noise with.

He loves to take Daddy's slippers, and anything else that isn't a toy.  He has a bit of a temper too, throwing himself backwards or "jumping" up and down when he is upset.  He is most upset when something is taken away from him and with having to get dressed....as evidenced by all of the pictures of him without clothes on.

 

Wiley

Have you ever loved someone so much that you did something that was painful for you, but you knew was better for him/her?  In this case, "someone" isn't a person, but a dog who thought he was a person.

I got the news two weeks ago that Wiley had passed away.  It wasn't a surprise, but still very sad.  I had spoken with Chad a few weeks before that when he called to inform me that Wiley was showing signs of kidney failure and likely only had a few weeks left.  He would have been 14 this summer.

Wiley was a true "Once in a lifetime" dog.  The cutest puppy, the most photogenic dog, running buddy, barn companion, chaser of fly swatters, racer of snowmobiles, human like car passenger, super swimmer and most of all lover of the outdoors.

Wiley went with Chad when we got divorced.  Because he really was my dog first, I got him shortly after Chad and I started dating, it was my decision to let him go.  It was a difficult decision to make and I surely missed him, but it was the right decision.  Wiley adored Chad and followed him everywhere, hoping to go walking in the woods or for a ride in the truck.  Chad gets the winters off and only works a 4 day week the rest of the year and was sometimes able to take him to work.  I knew Wiley would be happiest.

Chad has sent me pictures over the past 6 years.  Wiley had another GSP brother who he loved and ran with until his arthritis wouldn't allow it anymore.  I was well aware that the time was near for Wiley, but it was still hard to get the news.

Wiley, I hope that you are forever running, swimming and chasing birds as fast as your spotted legs can carry you!

8 months

So hard to believe that our baby is already 8 months old (closer to nine months since it took me so long to get this post up).

Ian can roll and sit easily and gets up on his hands and knees.  He can make some forward movement, but he really can't go anywhere yet.  It won't be long though!  


Ian says "dadada"  all the time.  Once in a while, he will say "mama", but is seems like a bit of a game to him.  He is also beginning to say "ba".  He prefers to scream and growl, then smile and giggle at himself.

He weighs 19.4 pounds and has one adorable tooth that arrived on Christmas.

Ian is a happy, silly little boy with the best giggle.  His favorite things are his animals, especially his dog Gauge, being outside, and eating.

We love you Ian!

Ian's First Christmas

Making memories,
Beginning our own holiday traditions,
Creating, giving, savoring,
Singing, worshiping,
Thankful.

Our year of firsts with Ian.  His first Christmas, our first holiday without power.
Our goal for this family and Christmas is to not get caught up in the rat race of holiday shopping, huge gift giving and overspending.  We want to celebrate Christmas for the birth of Christ and give to others at the same time.

We are keeping our own gift giving small and meaningful and home made if possible.

We didn't make it to the Christmas Eve service at church this year because of the power outage and cold temperatures.  We did enjoy Christmas music and have dinner by candlelight.  We also opened a traditional "shoe" present from the wooden dutch clogs on the stairs.

Ian enjoyed his gifts and wrapping paper more than I thought he would at such a young age.

Our power came back on Christmas morning after being out for 36 hours.  We were so thankful.  It was a nice gift and allowed us some time to relax and enjoy each others company while Ian napped.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

We are officially on Christmas break and I can't wait to spend the week enjoying time with my family.  For anyone who didn't get a card this year, I am really sorry, I didn't have enough printed.  Maybe I will be more prepared for the holidays next year. 

Here is what it looked like.  We think he is pretty cute.

 

Merry Christmas!

7 Months

Ian is seven months old and is loving the holiday season.  Mostly, because that has meant more time with mommy and lots of new things to look at and taste.

He is a great eater.  He loves spinach, carrots, squash, sweet potato, and any fruit.  He still doesn't have any teeth, but sports a pretty sweet old man grin when he is being silly.

Ian sits up on his own with only the occasional crash.  He wants to be on the move so badly, but can't quite figure out how to go forward.  He rolls quickly and easily and reaches for anything that catches his eye.  He makes diaper changing seem like an Olympic sport.

He has really found his voice and is working on different sounds and volumes.  He loves to shriek, giggle and say "dadadada".  He still loves Gauge and now tries to grab him any chance he gets.

He started swimming lessons in November.  He is a great sport with the cold and the noise at the pool and even seems to enjoy going under.  He also experienced his first snow this weekend.  He looked pretty cute bundled up in his snow gear, but he wasn't really sure what to think.

We are looking forward to Ian's first Christmas and many more firsts to follow with this sweet, chubby boy!