10 Months: Busy?? Us?!! Nooo.....

I feel like these two pictures epitomize what Anthon's last month has been better than any cute/posed picture will. Actually, when I get to explaining more about these pictures, you'll understand why a cute/posed picture wasn't really possible anyways.

 

Picture #1 (From Above)

Getting Anthon dressed has turned into a much longer process. Here's a play-by-play for you.

Let's set the scene:

Just outside of the bathtub, where I'm attempting to put lotion on him before putting on a diaper.

Also, let's have you open this song in another tab and have it playing the background.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=20&v=4Diu2N8TGKA 

 

-I lay Anthon on his towel, handing him a toy I hope will keep him occupied long enough for me to get him lotioned up.

-Anthon is occupied for 2 seconds. Which (remarkably), is long enough for me to get his legs, feet, and bottom lotioned.

-Anthon rolls over and stands up, bouncing up and down as he looks into the tub at the toys he just finished enjoying a bath with

-I lay him back down

-I hand Anthon the toy from before again, which he tosses to the side after another brief moment of being entertained

-Oop--I was too late, Anthon may have the toy in hand, but he's already managed to roll over and sit upright.

-Anthon reaches up, wanting me to hand him the wipes container on the back of the toilet.

-I hand it to him

-He's occupied for Another two seconds, during which I manage to lotion the top half of his body

-'Okay, now for the diaper....'

-I lay Anthon on his back and try to quickly open up the diaper (thinking to myself, as I often do-- 'dangit! why did I not do this before I laid him down?!')

-In the time it took me (maybe 1.3 seconds) to unfold and open up the diaper, Anthon has rolled over and is now analyzing an escape route; he's noticed the bathroom door is just slightly ajar. He's leaning his head past me and starts to make a go for the door

-I put him back on his back

-I latch on one of the diaper straps

-Anthon starts to roll over again.

-I give up on that approach--the rest of this diapers going to be attached in motion. Anthon knows that having a diaper on (latched or not) means freedom is near--this is when it's always hardest to keep him still

-I stretch the second diaper strap as he is rolling over, while trying to hold him still enough to make sure it actually latches on right

-It latches.

-As he crawls away, I straighten out the diaper over his butt (it is caty-whompus due to his last roll mid-diapering).

-He pulls open the door towards him and goes through the cute process of figuring out how to get his little self far enough out of the way for the door to open while still actually opening it

-I pick him up, taking him to the other room to finish dressing him

-I set him down on the floor while I grab his clothes.

-He's off. He's grabbed a book and is turning through it's pages.

-Luckily, slipping his head into the headhole is the easy part; no extra limbs or restraining necessary--I stretch the hold big enough and slide it down onto his neck.

-Book still in hands, I steal away one hand to put through one arm hole. He's always really helpful with this part and puts his arm right through the hole.

-Attention lost. Onto the next activity.

-Anthon crawls over to a bin of toys and pulls out a few, while looking up at me with a huge grin on his face

-I shake my head at his insane cuteness amidst making mom work so hard and take a deep breath

-Anthon gets tired of toys and makes his way to the trash can to try to pull it over

-I pick him up, grab his blanket (which often helps him stay in one place for longer) and sit him down just long enough to pull his other arm through the remaining arm hole

-With an extra second or two, I pull his onesie down over his tummy

-This is another one of those "FREE AT LAST!" Moments. I think it must feel as if he's fully clothed at this point....

 

He's actually not.

 

-Anthon sticks his head into his blanket and his head into the air, giving me JUST enough time to snap one of those tricky buttons on the bottom of his onesie. He was only there for a second, but I moved quick, so I managed to get one.

-Anthon crawls away

-I crawl after him, bending over trying to button his remaining two buttons

-I realize the first buttons aren't lined up correctly

-I unbutton them as he crawls

-Anthon sits up and looks at me, after which he pushes on my legs and arm to stand himself up and lean on me

-YES. I have access. I keep him upright as long as I can and manage to button two of his little bum buttons

-Two out of three? I'll take it. (You learn quickly after a few of these experiences that third buttons are really not the most important things in the world)

-Anthon has located his pacifier on the floor across the room.

-He sits back down and sets off crawling, determined.

-He gets to his bink, sits up, takes a deep breath, and looks at me, feeling accomplished as he smiles and fumbles to turn the bink around in his hand and insert it into his mouth.

-Okay. Just his pants left. This is usually the easy part

-I crawl over to Anthon, sit cross-legged, and set him on his bottom in my lap.

-I scrunch up his pant legs and put his feet into the holes

-Again, he's really good at this part and straightens out his legs for me

-He then leans to the right over my right thigh and places his hands on the ground, ready to crawl again

-I pull his pants up over his little bottom

-And breath a sigh of relief.

-Done.

 

Anyone who thinks being a mom isn't time consuming or a full-time job has never dressed my ten-month old.

 

If I could post emoticons, I would insert a smiley face laughing so hard it's crying here.

 

Picture #2 (from Above)

Walks go like this for us these days. Visual stimulators aren't quite cutting it these days. So, we got on walks and veer off paths and roads, letting Anthon feel poles, trees, cars, leaves, and really...anything else that strikes his fancy.

 

Tell you one thing, homeboy's going to have one heck of an immune system by the time he turns one.

 

Having a mover for a baby helps you learn to not take a few things for granted:

1. UNblurry pictures (almost never happen anymore)

2. Pictures where Anthon ISNT right up in the lens of whatever you've got, be it a camera or phone

3. Pictures with your babies full face in it. (You've got to hold the phone/camera away; as you'll note from the pictures above, I haven't mastered 'no-look' picture taking)

4. Caring about lighting. haha. Lighting? Yeah...if the picture isn't blurry and you can see Anthon's full face clearly...it's pretty much a winner.

 

Milestones

-FOUR teeth! His top two side teeth came through!

-Pulling himself up to a standing position

-Crawling (He's converted over to big-kid crawls, rather than his army crawl that he loved so much. Granted, he still does that sometimes)

-Waving bye!

-SAYING bye!

-Turning pages in books

-Playing chase with us!

 

Likes:

-all things food: especially graham crackers, mango, and the same Gerber snacky things, CHEERIOS

-Having his back drawn on after he's in his crib but before he goes to bed

-Watching Shasta

-Being with people

-Playing with dad (or mom, but especially dad)

-Being with mom after naptimes/waking up (these are the times he's stillest I cherish them! I let him keep his blanket with him for a little bit and he'll just sit on my lap as I talk to him and/or stroke his little head :)

 

Dislikes:

-being alone

 

Oh, by the way....

Anthon doesn't do well with

-Dairy

-Soy

-Eggs

ha... So I haven't really been eating those either. Eggs were a recent discovery. He does okay with those if I eat them, but he gets a rash if he eats them.

Poor little man :(

 

Needless to say, life with little man is a ball of fun. He's lively, smiley, and is just so much fun. Life is busy, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

Part-way through the dressing process.. 

 

Stripes on stripes are an 'in' thing now...right? ;P

 

 Graduating to the 'car(t)seat)

 

Our little trouble-maker

As pictured before...some extra layers beginning to grace the body of our little man on walks..

When dad wakes up late and Anthon wakes up early... :) 

We are happy.

I am loving my husband and loving our little man!

 

Lake George, Kellie, and Mis Padre

Well, folks, my last few walks have been a little longer. You know what that means--the leaves have started falling and it officially takes me twice as long to walk anywhere, what with leaf-crunching detours and all...

I'll admit, as much as I like the Fall, the it much more foreboding in New York, knowing that it is a stepping stone toward winter.

That being said, we still have some eighty degree days this week, so we're just going to pretend it isn't actually that time yet.

Okay, that's a lie...there's no pretending. Our morning walks already involve both socks and light jackets for Anthon. I can't quite pretend that away, sadly. That being said, there is still something magical about the brisk air as fall approaches.

Seeing as Anthon's ten month birthday is tomorrow...I'll save those updates for an Anthon post, and use this post for catching up on some of our summer fun. Namely, some Lake George trips and my Dad and Kellie's visit

Lake George

Okay, so I've always been a beach lover and a heat FEEN. In highschool, naps on our tramp in the blazing sun were my favorite. It wasn't unheard of for me to use a blanket either, regardless of how hot it already was. Humidity or no humidity, I love the heat. Accordingly, I have love New York in the Summer. I don't mind humidity at all--in fact, I kind of like it. Which is weird, I know. But I digress.

Matthew and I took a trip to Lake George a few weeks before my Dad and Kellie got here, and then I went again with them when we did. It's a gorgeous lake with a few beaches, paragliders, shops, some restaurants... just fun! I loved it. Matthew liked it because if we're close to a beach, it's another selling point on warming me up to the idea of staying here for the long hall.. haha.

Some pictures from our first trip..

 

I don't think it would matter how upright any stroller was, I think Anthon would find a way to sit straighter, and more far forward than it. haha. He was on the edge of his seat the whole time and loving it.

That husband of mine sure makes our stroller look good ;)

Okay, this picture (and these next few) were from after it hit nap time. You can see it on our poor little man's face :(

I think it was mostly just because he was tuckered out, but Anthon was really scared of the waves and wasn't a fan of the water either :(

 

I think this is the first crying picture I've posted. It just breaks my heart to see him cry. Just looking at that crying one seriously hurts my heart!

 

Yes, that is one tired baby. And, Parenting 201...If you put sunscreen on the back of your child's hands... it's going to get in his/her eyes when they start rubbing them. SO sad!

 

Trip #2 (A few weeks later)

 

My dad hanging out with little man.. hehe, you've got to love that cheeser grin in the bright sunlight.

 

 

Oh my gosh. I LoVE his little face in this picture. Anthon loves bottles.

 

Shady...but you get the picture.

Pun intended.

Sometimes it's still a little weird to me that I have a child. Like, it was such a foreign thought to realize that a) Kellie is an aunt, b) She is pushing around a stroller with a baby in it, and c) oh wait, that's MY baby! haha..That might not make sense how I typed it...but you get the idea. Sometimes it's still weird.

 

 

Sometimes Anthon takes his own pictures. Other times, I take them.

 

It was such a fun day. As you can see in the last two pictures by Anthon's outfit and stickiness, it was a little warmer than our first trip.We also stopped for some snow cones. OH, and, as an extra day-maker, the girl who worked there was Russian! Words can't really express how happy it makes me when I randomly meet Russians and get to talk to them...

She was adorable and such a sweetheart.

 

And...onto some pictures from

My Dad and Kellie's Visit...

As I'm looking through these, I'm realizing I don't have that many from their trip... but it was SO fun to have them here. They spent a few days in New York City and then were here for (I think...) four days. We didn't realize they were staying so long and loved every second.

 

Breakfast with Grandpa.

I thought my dad was just eating a tortilla and I was amazed at how much Anthon liked it. Come to find, it was coated with peanut butter. haha, that made a lot more sense.

Just hanging out

 We went out for burgers and fries. Matthew's dad's nickname for Anthon is Tator Tot, so we snagged a picture for him :)

 

We had a pool day (or...more like 40 minutes, since it started to pour rain :) But it was sure fine while it lasted

When neither of you have done your makeup and its smudged from the night before, sometimes you decide it's better to be looking at the cute baby rather than to include your face in the pictures...

I swear, he was very secure.

Also, he's graduated to a bigger pair of swim trunks :P hahaha. That being said, they really weren't as tight as they look here. 

 

And...some backseat fun with Aunt Kellie..

 

It is truly sad that summer is coming to an end. But, that being said, we still have lots of walks and time outside before it gets to be too cold. For that, I am eternally thankful!





 

Trips, Family, and the 9 month mark

Okay, where do I even begin. The last month was jam-packed with two trips to Lake George, a visit from my dad and Kellie, 3 weeks in Colorado with Anthon for Kellie's wedding, a 9 month appointment, and probably much more. I think this is another post where I'll mostly just let the pictures do the talking and I'll throw in some comments here and there. That's always good in theory...I think I have way to much to say for that ever to actually be the case.

That  being said...I started this post over two weeks ago and still haven't managed to finish it. I am determined to post it by tonight. This means I'll really be skimping on words. And probably pictures as well. Actually, I might have to just do a separate post with our Lake George and Colorado trips.

What can ya do! Also...Excuse the typos; I likely won't have time to proof-read this tonight... Here goes! :)

The month of July, I discovered our fancy camera. We received it as a wedding present, but I hadn't braved using it; I attempted tackling the user manual one day and then put it away again for a very long time. As it happens, there's an automatic option. Halelujah! lol. It's a good thing Matthew had a photography friend give him a how-to in fancy camera use for real picture taking.

And that Matthew is far more patient than me...

Anywho...here are some fun ones around the house that I took. I decided it's probably a good thing I didn't start using this sooner. I could sit and take pictures of him all day. Every day. But, really.

 

 This one kills me..

 

  Our boy LOVES rubber duckies. When we first show him we have one for him, he'll get up on all fours, squeal, and rock back and forth while smiling excitedly.

It is SO cute.

 

 

I took this first batch before my trip to Colorado. The second batch was after. As you can tell from the pictures, his mobility increased ten fold in that month or so.

 

 

I also learned that it's no longer easy to take a picture of him with a stuffed animal of my choosing. There was a day when I could hand him a toy or stuffed animal or set it next to him and snag a picture or two (or twenty). Now a days, if Anthon does deem a toy interesting enough to play with (which he didn't...as you'll notice in these pictures..), it barely stays still long enough not to be blurred in any picture.

 

 

 

This is how pictures usually end up going these days...

bahaha

 

 In other news...

Anthon's toy chest/ottoman gave him whatever incentive he needed to pull himself up to a standing position.

 

He LOVES this thing.

Bummer I hadn't figured out how to turn out the flash yet on this picture..but oh well.

Sometimes I take toys out and set them on the floor for him, but I think most of the thrill is standing and pulling them out, as he seems to loose interest in them once they're out. He stands here for what seems like forever reaching for things. He often balances his stomach on the side while he reaches in to pull things out or touch them. He's only went in headfirst once as a result...

He LOVES being outside.

The only downside to walks is that, about ten minutes into them, he starts turning around and trying to get to me. I've decided someone needs to invent a stroller with a swivel chair--because really, I'm sure he'd get tired of looking at me the whole time, but if he had the option to do either at will...it'd be money :)

This is usually the face he makes mid-raspberry blows.

 

Landmarks:

Anthon has started crawling-- He's been army crawling for ages, and still prefers it. But he's now does a few 'big kid crawl' strides before breaking into his army crawl--or when avoiding a cold floor.

TWO teeth!-- Thankfully, he doesn't use them often.

 

He slept through the night--, not once--not twice--but THREE times in Colorado! Sadly, it was short-lived. I say sadly...but, to be honest....I kind of missed him those nights! By the time he wakes up, if feels like it's been SO long since I've seen him last.

I know that sounds ridiculous.

But, it's true. And this is my blog. So...I can say it.

 

Stats from our 9 month appointment:

 

Sidenote: I LOVE that Matthew has a job that let's him take medical time off to come to appointments with me. It is so fun having him there :)

...umm....I misplaced the paper from our doctor's appointment, so I'll insert this part later. But, in short, he's only put on about a pound since our last appointment, he's a little lower in the head circumference department, and is...taller. (I don't remember any details about height...)

Sad and wanting me to pick him up. Our appointments never seem to jive with nap times :(

On the bright side, no shots took place at this appointment! It was such a happy surprise!

 

Favorite things:

Graham Crackers--we discovered these in Colorado and he is IN.LOVE.

 

Any kind of food--I never realized it, but Anthon opens both his mouth and eyes incredibly wide while he waits for an approaching spoon full of food. haha--my family all cracked up watching him eat and I guess I had always just assumed all babies ate like that..

Being BUSY--little man is a do-er. He loves to be going, touching, moving, and partying.

Rubber Duckies--I'll let the pictures with the rubber ducky do the talking on this one (if you missed them, scroll back up...). He gets SO excited everytime I whip that little guy out.

Mirrors: I have to be sure he doesn't pull my mirror down on himself (I've caught it midfall a few times already), but he loves it.

(note the rubber ducky in hand)

 

Bath Time--he has started pulling himself up to a standing position in an effort to speed up the process of getting into the tub

Mangoes--Mango pits. Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em. He LOVES, I mean, LOVE them. It's about the cutest thing you'll ever see to watch him try to keep hold of those slippery things though.

Mom--he's got a thing for me. After naps, if Matthew goes to get him, he'll usually about gives himself whiplash trying to turn around and see where I'm at or get dad to walk out to find me. He does fairly well with new people (especially post-Colorado trip), but, if he sees me, he's making a beeline for me or starts whining to either be by me or held by me. So, I'd say he does best with new people (and anyone) when I'm not around.

Dad coming home from work--I swear, it's the highlight of every day for him. I think it's the most excited he gets. If he's in his high chair, he's rocking back and forth smiling, if he's on the floor, he's doing the same.

His Blankie--this guys still a favorite. Anthon will drop any toy to pursue that blanket. I haven't tested it with food--but I think it would even trump his salivary pursuits.

All things Red and Pink--those are just the colors he is drawn to, of all of them!

Crawling on me--if he wants to go somewhere, there's no going around mom. He crawls over my legs at least eight times a day. It's cute--he usually breaks his fall with his forehead as he transitions from my legs back to the ground--sometimes gracefully, sometimes not-so gracefully.

Wandering away before he's fully clothed--

 

Fun Things that Only Anthon Does:

The opening eyes and mouth thing when he eats

Downward Dog Sitting--I posted a video to facebook and instagram, but Anthon learned how to sit by putting his head on the ground, bum in the air, and then walking his feet closer to his head until his center of gravity transitioned to his bum, which then swung down to the side and ground--landing him in a sitting position. He by no means needs to do this anymore in order to sit, but he still puts head on the ground and bum in the air sometimes before sitting and it cracks me up.

Giggles at Bedtime--this kid is still so stinking slap happy at bedtimes. Sometimes I'm not sure if it's him that's giggly at bedtime, or if I am the one getting him giggly. I really do think it's his mood that usually comes first though.

Reaching for the camera when you're trying to take a picture of him. Okay, maybe more babies do this, but I just love his faces when he does..

 

Here's a picture on Anthon's actual 9-month Birthday.

We are just eating little man up. Really, we are. I'll write another post about our Colorado trip and fun things from the Summer. For now, this will have to do.

 

Dang, our kid is sure cute :)