Ten Months.

He:

- is basically as mobile as it gets without actually walking. He crawls as quickly as the speed of light, pulls up and cruises around while holding on to things.

- is a cautious little guy. I keep trying to get him to walk or stand just holding one of my hands, but he'll try to sit down instead of doing that. At least he knows his boundaries and limits?

- cannot handle being 'fenced in.' If I try to create a baby-safe (not baby-proof) area, he whines and cries until he can roam free. He doesn't actually get into much trouble roaming and it makes him far happier (ie: easier for me), so I oblige. He's ten months old and we've already given up on the idea of baby-proofing. J-j-jaded.

- can most often be found holding on to the side of his crib and jumping up and down on his mattress after he wakes up. It's pretty much adorable.

- continues to overlook his toys in favor of ANYTHING and EVERYTHING else. Alas.

- is still 50th percentile is height (29 inches) and weight (22 pounds) for his age. After growing so fast and breezing through his outfits, I'm sort of glad that he's going to be able to wear the same clothes for a while, since we already have SIX boxes of clothes he's grown out of.

- got a new stroller. Hurrah!

- has his own version of baby signing: when he wants to nurse, he pulls down the front of my shirt or hugs my boobs and buries his face in them. It's quite charming in public.

- still doesn't exactly have a schedule.  It's a day-to-day exploration of how much he'll want to nap and eat. I am honestly amazed by parents who give their babies three meals a day, nurse them every three hours, and have naps at 10 am and 2 pm. I just...am far too lazy for that. He has a bedtime that we stick to (except if we want to go somewhere at night, which we've been doing...most nights lately), so there's that. Some people might say that I am not giving my child enough structure, but I say I would likely go insane if I had to plan everything around when Gabe is napping or his bedtime, and Gabe needs a sane mother more than he needs a rigid schedule. (I am not saying my way is better, Some People. I am saying it works for me. I feel like I have to clarify myself a lot lately. I don't think I'm a better person than anyone.  Except maybe Casey Anthony. I encourage you to find out what works for you and do that. We can still be friends. Promise.)  (I was just kidding about Casey Anthony. She might be a better person than me.)

- sleeps through the night most nights (he'd just started to do this last month, but I forgot to tell you.) I never thought I'd get to sleep seven or eight hours a night. HALLELUJAH!

- has been wonderfully affectionate lately, what with the kissing and the cuddling.

- is just FIFTY EIGHT days away from being an entire year old. It's both insane, exciting, and makes me weepy. No more baby! :(

I: 

- made my first 'mom friend' at a park. We went out to coffee and baby storytime at the library. I want to blog about making mom friends. Because, dude.

- am really good at saying, "I'll blog about that," then failing to. Oops. I currently have half a dozen posts in draft, which I never do.  (I'm more of a blog-and-post-right-now, then a scheduled-post kind of blogger. It's sort of how I am in everything, actually.)

- bought Gabe's first birthday present! A set of five wooden toy cars from Etsy. I may not have any birthday party plans, but I have a toy that I know he is going to LOVE and it's handmade and not plastic and I AM SO EXCITED YAY.

- have been completely swamped (in a wonderful way!) with design work this month. So many blogs, invites, and resumes have been designed! I also have mastered WordPress. Word.

- have officially been living in the same place for more than a year - which I can't say has happened since...2002. Yes. I have moved my things every single summer since 2002. I'm elated to not have to deal with boxes and U-Hauls and unpacking. We love our apartment and expect to be here for a few more years, until Mike is done with school.

- say, "I need to do yoga" nightly. NIGHTLY. And, yet, I am not really working out. Unless you count some walks and doing The 30 Day Shred...once every 30 days. Ha. Is that not the way it works?

- have had a really full social calendar this summer. It's wonderful. But also tiring. But mostly wonderful. I have great family and friends. Perhaps we were all hibernating in the winter.

- tried on one of Gabe's t-shirts last night. Mike dared me to. I have no idea why I'm including this in Gabe's monthly update, except that it's a perfect illustration of Mike and I as both parents and spouses. (It fit. But just over my boobs. My wimpy arms even fit through the arm holes. It's slightly stretched out.)

- have never felt more special than when Gabe said, "Mama," grabbed my face with both hands and kissed me right on the lips. I love when he calls me Mama.

His "Hey Mama!" smile and pouty-lipped-model look.

The many feet, teeth, and goofy faces of Gabriel.

Handsome dude and completely flummoxed by the 10 Month sticker.

Obsessed with the toothbrush. And tolerating yet another attempt at a mama-Gabe self-portrait.

Corn on the cob, cuddling with Lion, and a Lion portrait.

His "Oh, heeeey" look, "How can you expect me to sit in this chair when ALL MY TOYS are right below me??", and naked on a hot July day (teeny tiny pecs!).

Eight Months.

He: 
 

- has changed and grown and developed so much this month.

- is  around 20 pounds and 28 inches long. He's officially tripled his birth weight!

- can pull a five pound weight toward himself. That's nearly a fourth of his weight. He's like a little ant baby. (See also: pulling every cord out of every electric outlet he can get to. That's safe, right?)

- is quite entertaining – he shakes his head no, blinks when we clap, and gives us kisses. Last month, I mentioned his new penchant for attacking us with his mouth wide open. He grabs our face with both hands, pulls us towards him, and gives us a nice, slobbery kiss. And then my heart explodes.

- loves himself. Looking at himself in the mirror, on Photo Booth, and in videos.

- (speaking of videos) does this adorable thing where he shakes his head whenever we play music:

Techno Baby. from Ashley Marie on Vimeo.
How awesome is that?

- prefers standing to sitting and thinks he can walk. See?

Gabe Takes a Walk. from Ashley Marie on Vimeo.

- has figured out cause and effect. Pull on the cord, the toy comes closer. Hit the toy, the mirror spins. Bang the spoon on the bowl, it makes noise.The only one he hasn't figured out is throw this toy, can't reach it. It's fun for all!

- has mastered the scoot. It looks like the worm: push up, flop down, push forward, repeat. He scoots down the hall to the bathroom when I'm in there. He scoots out of our bedroom while I'm getting dressed. And he scoots over to Mike's guitars constantly.

- really likes books, particularly touch-and-feel books. He also enjoys eating paper.

- likes to pull his own hair. Little crazy baby. Maybe he thinks it's a touch-and-feel book.

- has a favorite toy: a wooden spoon. He's a big fan of all sorts of spoons, really, and we even found one in bed with him once. He's also a big fan of guitars, and he has a little ukulele of his own.

- has been on a fussy kick lately, and I am not a fan. I keep thinking he's bored. Is that weird? Perhaps he's teething. Or beginning to experience separation anxiety. Or just hastes his mother. I DON'T KNOW. (Also: has stopped napping for two hours at a time. Happiness! All around!)

- can take baths in the bathtub now - no more baby tub for this kid. Watch out, world.

- figured out how to go from sitting to crawling, so combined with the worm - he's basically mobile. Crap.

I:

- have been working out daily, and it feels amazing. It feels amazing to sweat, to wear something I can't nurse in (for once), and to work hard at something and accomplish it. Oddly, after giving birth, I seem to be able to push myself to run farther, lunge deeper, and try harder than I have before while working out. Perhaps I'll be able to push myself to run a half marathon this fall?

- booked our first family vacation to Asheville in three weeks! First hotel stay with Gabe. First road trip (more than the 2.5 hours to Mike's parents) with Gabe. I'm nervous, but also so, so excited. Last summer, we couldn't do much traveling since I was fairly pregnant, so we're planning to do as much as possible this summer. Whee!

- haven't done any 'baby proofing,' and am not really sure what this entails since we'll just move stuff out of his reach (like...all the crap on the kitchen floor he keeps trying to eat) and it's not like he'll be in the other room playing while we work. We don't have stairs and the kitchen cabinets are retro metal cabinets that I can't even open them easily.  I haven't thought about it much until now...thoughts?

- am realizing more and more that I cannot compare him to other babies, and that no parent feels 100% confident in themselves. We're all just trying to not screw up our kids too badly, and are worrying about their weight gain/hitting milestones/sleeping. Anyone who's figured it all out? Is probably bluffing. 

The Worm: Step 1

The Worm: Step 2

Touch-and-feel goodness.

Hooded towels are serious business.

What? Just chillin' with my sippy.

Seven Months.

He:

- officially got his first tooth a few days after he turned six months old. It was a terrible experience for everyone, and I'm hoping he never gets any more teeth. (Though I suspect the top two are on their way.)

- is the 75th percentile for both weight and height (around 19 pounds and 27 inches). Chunk. Er.

- is obsessed with mirrors now - he could spend hours in our bathroom with its giant mirrors, giggling at himself.

- looks like a little man instead of a baby, or so we're told by just about everyone. 

- sits well without any support. He hardly ever tumbles anymore, which means lots of independent play time. Woo.

- prefers standing to any other position, but can't really stand without us holding his hands. Lord knows he tries, though.

- isn't bowlegged anymore! Babies are born with bowlegs, since they're crammed in there, but they gradually straighten out. And has looooong legs just like his papa.

- loves peek-a-boo and has developed object permanance. It's pretty much the most fun ever. I hide, he looks behind the chair/Mike/door for me. I pop out. Giggling ensues. I hide again. More looking. There's Mama! Giggling. And so on.

- is a happy, happy little guy. He smiles at strangers now, which is quite charming.

- loves food, but not if it comes out of a jar. He's a picky little foodie, preferring to eat our food instead of purees. He eats lots of squished up beans, tiny pieces of spaghetti, mushed up peas, and so on. It's much less work, anyway.

- got his first sippy cup. He prefers to take sips from my glass of water, naturally.

- got crayons and a coloring page for the first time at a restaurant.  I couldn't stop laughing about it. A seven-month-old? Crayons? Hahahaha.

- sleeps better now that he's not teething (hurrah!) but isn't sleeping through the night yet. (Most commonly asked question EVER EVER EVERRRRR). It's actually okay, though. I think it's pretty typical for breastfed babies to go four hours at most. (Don't tell me otherwise, please. I like my happy little bubble of coping.)

- does this thing lately where he grabs my face and pulls it toward him and puts his open mouth on my face. (Most often grabbing an ear and some hair to get a good grip on me.) He isn't hungry when he does it, so I tell myself that he's learning how to give us kisses. :)

- is on the verge of crawling:

Step 1: Get excited about your potential for moving forward to your goal (toy/laptop/iPod/mom). Step 2: Do the plank. Step 3: Get on your knees and rock back and forth, hoping to move forward. Throw your body forward. Step 4: Get upset because you cannot figure out this freaking crawling thing UGH.

I: 

- find myself loving each stage of Gabe more than the last. I get nostalgic before time has even passed, missing his babyhood while he's still a baby.  Some days, I get an overwhelming urge to just record everything about Gabe so I never forget how adorable he is. I want to pause time at this perfect age. On those days, I take a lot of photos and videos.

- still think mornings are the best time of day. He's been waking up much earlier (around 7 instead of around 8:30), but he lies quietly in bed until we wake up, then giggles and smiles at us. The best way to be greeted in the morning, I think.

- was asked already, "Are you still breastfeeding?" like Gabe is a three-year-old or something. Ha. Seriously, though, nursing is going great. I love it, Gabe loves it, and I'm expecting to go for another year. It's so, so convenient, it burns calories, comforts Gabe, and it gives me some nice happy hormones.  For a while, I struggled with being the sole provider of Gabe's food - it felt somewhat limiting (Mike handing a crying Gabe with a "I think he's hungry" for the billionth time). But, I now think of it as something special that I get to give him, instead of viewing it as an obligation. We're hoping to go on some road trips and camping this summer - and nursing makes traveling a LOT easier. Nothing to pack, wash, or prepare food-wise. (Though, the rest of traveling will still be difficult. 12 hours in car? Are we too ambitious?)

- am so looking forward to this summer. I'll get nine weeks off (unpaid; I can't have it all!), and it's going to be so much fun to spend lots of time with Gabe and Mike. I also love that we're starting to make plans for our summer. Whee!

- find that it's getting (finally!) much, much easier to get lots done with a baby. Like I mentioned,  I did some major decluttering and organizing this week, which feels so good I can't even explain, you guys. I feel lighter and my apartment feels happier. I've also been cooking and baking more. Yum. And yay.

 - adore this baby more than anything ever in the history of the world and still take entirely too many photos.

"He-ey." Mr. Big Eyes.

'What the heck is on my legs?'

Baby TV - he is uninterested in real television, but entranced with the iTunes visualizer.

Long bebe.

With my parents year-round Christmas tree in the background (turned Easter tree currently...)

Classic Gabe.

Still using our Moby. (Though I am so petite and he is so big that our faces end up smashed together. Hehe.)

'Get this sticker offfff'

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. Beautiful boy.

Six Months.

He:

- is eighteen pounds (aka: how much I weighed at one year.)

- is more fun than EVER. He’s always been a happy, giggly baby – but Gabe and I spend 20 minutes some nights, post-PJs and pre-bedtime, just laughing. Airplane, silly faces, and raspberries. I love that boy so much.

- is getting stronger and more mobile: rolling (using his gym to help him) and sitting (only if you give him something to do) and scooting in circles. And when we let him push off against our hands, he scoots towards toys. He’s also gotten up on his hands and knees a few times and has even scooted backwards doing this (much to his chagrin). Mobility is coming. And. I. Am. Scared. I ask Mike daily, “What will we doooo when he can crawl around?” as I eye the piles of folded clean clothes we have yet to put away and the plants on lower shelves.

- is in the throes of teething (I felt the very, very tippy top of a little tooth!), which means he’s had some uncharacteristically fussy days and far too much crying for no reason. Poor little guy.

- was chewing on my sunglasses fervently yesterday, but kept gagging himself with the ear stem, so I took them away. He started gnawing desperately on his car seat buckle.

- is super wiggly and active. It’s like he’s discovered his own power this month and is getting adept at squirming to make diaper changes more difficult and doesn’t really snuggle anymore. Sad face. I read a study that has fetuses that are more active than usual often become babies that are more active than in typical. Considering the ultrasound techs constantly told us how wiggly Gabe was and the fact that my ribs were bruised from his heels, I think we have a wiggler 4 lyfe on our hands. Yikes.

- still has no favorite toys – I hear others talking about their babies’ favorite toys and how they’ve had to buy multiples of those toys for fear of losing them….and Gabe just will play with anything. No special toys – my hand is as interesting as a stacking toy or his raspberry teether. Perhaps it’s because we’re sort of unintentionally doing the whole attachment parenting thing, which supposedly makes attachment to objects less common than attachment to people. Or maybe he’s just still too young.

- is not a champion sleeper at night. He goes to bed between 6:30 and 7:30pm, and wakes up quite a few times during the night before he finally wakes up for the day around 6 and 7:30am.

- naps well during the days, though, with about three naps ranging between 30 minutes and two-and-a-half hours. Most days he’ll give me two two-hour naps and then one 45 minute one. Yes, ‘give me’. Because it’s a gift.

- is a little daredevil already. He gets bored and whines until we start throwing him around or something. His favorite lately is being flipped upside down from airplane super fast. He lives on the edge.

- has started to realize that whining can get him his way. This is dangerous, friends.

- [ETA:] tried his first foods this month. He is very interested in the idea of food (grabbing at our plates, leaning towards our plates or cups with his mouth open), but not always good at eating it. We're opting for him to just eat our foods instead of doing the whole cereal and purees thing. Partly because it's easier and partly because it's supposed to help him be a less picky eater. So far, he's 'tried' naan bread, applesauce, lentil soup, baba ghanoush, strawberries, blueberries, crackers, tofu, tomato, rolls, pea soup, and raw carrots. Not the typical 'first foods,' and we have to watch him closely to make sure he doesn't bit off more than he chew (literally), and lots of these things he's only had a tiny taste of, since he's more interested in food than actually eating it. It's nowhere near supplementing his regular nursing, but it's been fun!

-[ETA:] was baptized on February 27th. :) I'll write an entire post about it soon, but: yay!

I:

- am transitioning easily to work and being gone from Gabe a few more hours each week. It makes it easy that Gabe is spending those hours with Mike or my mom, both of whom absolutely adore him.

- got a picture message of Gabe from my 16-year-old brother on Monday, and found him take care of Gabe when I arrived at my parents. Seeing as how he is pretty anti-baby, it melted my heart just a little. My entire family is getting to spend more time with Gabe, which I love.

- was concerned at first when my milk supply finally evened out this month – after months of being used to having more than enough, I finally have just the right amount for Gabe. It was disconcerting at first and pumping takes longer now, but it’s so, so much more comfortable to go longer without nursing or pumping. Plus, I fit into some tops again. Whee!

- will always treasure the way he looks and feels in my arms after he’s fallen asleep while I rock him. My heart literally flutters, his chubby little hand resting on my chest and his sweet little lips smooshed together. Although I’m not always great at being present, I try to savor these moments.

- do wish Gabe would sleep more during the night, but also appreciate (so much!) those hours I get in the evening after he’s in bed to try and catch up on life. I don’t often succeed, but that is another story.

- found our ‘photo shoot’ this month more difficult due to the combination of squirminess and teething-induced unhappiness.

- am procrastinating moving Gabe out of our room. I just love, love, love having him so close to me. I know he’d likely sleep longer at night if we moved him out, but...but...he loves being near us and we love having him close. Perhaps we will just keep him in there. :)

Practicing his skillz.

My favorite little face.

Eyes on the prize.

Success!

'Dis is my belly.'

Such concentration. :)

My tooooes!

My dear little Gabe,

It has been the greatest honor of my life to be your mom these past six months. I have enjoyed every single minute – even the minutes that involved tears and your famous lip pout. How are you still so lovable even when you're sobbing?

You are truly the sunshine in our days, and you bring us more joy than I could have ever imagined. You were born cute and every morning you wake up, your dad and I tell you that you’ve gotten even cuter since the night before.

I love how quick you are to smile. I love how you excited you are to nurse when I come home from work, chowing down excitedly, then stopping after a minute or two to smile up at me. I love to see you learn and grow each day.

I love the way your arrival has made your father become an even greater man. He is so in love with you, Gabe.

I wake up each day thrilled that I have he sweetest, most adorable baby boy in the world to play with and take care of.

I love you so much.

Five Months.

He:

- weighs 17.25 pounds, which seems like a lot since he was born at 6 lbs 13 oz.

- is starting to act like he's going to roll from his back to his front. Which will cramp our stick-him-on-the-couch-while-we-make-coffee style.

- is able to entertain himself for about 30 minutes at a time, (which is wonderful for me!) with toys. He plays with toys! I still can't get over it.

- loves the hand-me-down walker. (Yes, we have a walker. I know, I know. Unsafe blah blah blah. But we have no stairs and he can't even make it move on our carpet, so it's basically an exersaucer thingamabob.)

- hates lying down and prefers to stand, or sit, if he must.

- is almost done with the pacifier (yipee!), but hasn't shown much interest in sucking on his thumb. Ah, well. 

- is on the verge of growing out of his 3-6 month clothing and size 2 diapers. WHAT.

- napping a bit more regularly and for long periods during the day. Mostly one-two hour naps. SUCH a relief after months of all 20-30 minute naps.

- nurses like a champ, and often. He prefers to forgo the bottle when I'm at work for a few hours and then nurses like a madman (madbaby?) when I come home. It's sort of cute.

- doesn't sleep through the night, although that is everyone's favorite question. I'm fine with it and will not be crying it out anytime soon. Thanks for the suggestion, though. ;)

- is getting STRONG. He's got the cobra pose down, yo. 

- decidedly has his father's toes. 

- is one happy little baby.

- prefers us and our apartment to strangers and new places. Our little homebody. (Though, he'll smile and charm away if we're holding him. Like, at church. He's always looking around, all smiley-like, "Hey, everyone! Look at me! Aren't I cute? Pay attention! But, DON'T HOLD ME, YOU CREEP.")

- loves rattles and other noisy things. 

- has his tongue sticking out 90% of the time.

- has his first iPod app. Oh, to be a baby in 2011.

I:

- am two pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight! It's taken a little while to get here (and almost no commitment on my end. And some chocolate chip cookies and toasted almond frozen yogurt. I have no regrets. Stop judging me.).

- wish nursing tanks came in petite sizes. All of my look like maternity shirts.

- have started working out again, but have put my running plans on hold for now. I'm happily using the elliptical and walking on the treadmill while Gabe plays beside me on the floor and I take full advantage of the cable in the exercise room. 

- have packed up three boxes of Gabe's outgrown clothing and find myself both sad and dreaming of being able to use them someday again, which surprises and scares me.

- miss yoga.

- hate buying batteries, so all of the toys we have sound like drunken, warbling birds. It's creepy.

- am still struggling with having a messy apartment, unfinished projects, unanswered emails, and not enough time to bake constantly. Babies take a lot of time. Who'd've thought?

- adore my son and feel like I know him better each and every day.

- am lucky to have a husband who actually does half of the parenting and domestic-y things. Yay for not living in 1950!

I like to chew on stuff now.

Baby barista!

The curly eyelashes every girl dreams of. :)

Yo!

Little puppy boy.

Yep. I'm that mom. Nekkid baby photo!

Looong, curvy toes. No more cute baby toes. Boo.

The baptism outfit that wasn't. Sadly, I don't think this will fit in 4 weeks. Maybe if I don't feed him? :)

Little reader. :)

Time with Daddy in the morn.

Walker, Texas Baby.

That is one awesome potbelly.

Big eyes.

Dang, I love him.

More. +