Sneak Preview: My "Sitting Up" Photos

Once again, Rita Lawrence of Bitsy Baby Photography captured gorgeous pics of Austin.  Austin was teething and very cranky on picture day.  In spite of that, Rita worked her magic.  We are so appreciative of Rita's talent, and so blessed that she shares it with us.  Enjoy this sneak preview.  The gallery of photos will be available in another week.
 

When I Grow Up

The Open Road

Crib Notes - Week 35

I got to spend Saturday with Daddy while Mommy went to her photography class.  Daddy and I had a great guys day out.  Daddy gets a little more stressed than Mommy when I'm fussy, so I made sure to be really, really good for him.  I took really good naps and ate really well.  He took me on a stroller ride so we could pick up his drycleaning.  We played the "thank you" game where I had Daddy things over and over and over.  I was glad to spend time with Daddy because once Mommy got home, we took Daddy to the airport.

Daddy had to go to Brussels this week for a NATO conference.  I love spending time with Mommy, but we sure do miss Daddy.  Mommy doesn't have any work for me to play with in the mornings.

I started eating my spinach so I can be strong like Daddy. Daddy is the strongest person I know. I like my spinach...at least when it's mixed with pears and peas!  I don't like the spinach Mommy bought that is just mixed with potatoes.  Yuck.  And I don't like that canned chicken and sweet potatoes either!

I got to go to Uncle Don's birthday party this week.  Mommy let me stay up past my bedtime so I could entertain Don, Faith, and Melissa, but she made me go to sleep before everyone else arrived.  I didn't mean to go to sleep.  I wanted to stay up so everyone else could dote on me, but I guess I must have gone to sleep.  I remember Mommy rocking me in the bedroom with the party sounds in the next room, and then I woke up in my own bed.  I'm not sure how that happened!

I just realized last week how exciting it is when Mommy picks me up from daycare!  I was always glad to see her, but it's different now that I'm older.  Mommy came in last week, and I was sitting up in my highchair.  I can sit there all by myself now that I'm so big and strong.  She didn't see me, but I saw her.  I threw my arms out and squealed.  I was so happy!  And this week, I was hiding in the corner (Mrs. Fran sits me up surrounded by pillows so I don't hurt myself) when I saw Mommy come in.  I screamed and giggled and talked to her.  I got so excited I nearly fell over.  She scooped me up and then sat me back down while she was talking to Mrs. Fran.  I didn't get nearly enough Mommy hugs, so I grabbed her sleeve and pulled until she put me in her lap.  Ahhhh, much better.

Crib Notes - Week 34

Wow.  For some reason, it is still light when I go to bed this week.  Daddy said we had a time change, but that's kinda silly.  Time always changes.  Time is different every minute.  I've tried to stay up until it's dark, but I play too hard at Mrs. Fran's.

It is getting warm!  I love warm weather.  Mommy and I get to go out in the stroller and take Nemo for walks.  We walked for nearly an hour this weekend, and I loved it.  I talked to Mommy about all the things we were seeing and helped her keep an eye on Nemo.  While Mommy and I were taking a walk, Daddy got to take a ride on his vroom vroom.

I love sitting up in my stroller because I can see everything!  Do you know how much there is to see at the mall?  I helped Daddy shop for ties.  When Daddy wasn't looking, I tried to pull all the ties I could reach into the stroller.  When Mommy came to find us, I was happily munching on a tie clip that I pilfered from one of the ties.  Apparently, chewing on pilfered tie clips is frowned upon in this establishment.  Mommy has a lot of rules.

Mommy fixed me up my very own place to play so I didn't fall over and didn't need her sitting right beside me.  It worked really great until Daddy needed to do laundry!

Mommy gets to go see Mrs. Rita this weekend to learn how to take better pictures.  Hopefully, Mrs. Rita will teach her how to take fewer pictures!  I can't believe Mommy is going to see Mrs. Rita without me, but she says I get to go see her in another week to get more pictures made!

Maternal Musings

Dear Mom,

I wanted to send you a very belated apology for falling and cutting my chin open at the pool when I was a toddler.  I can only now begin to understand how your heart must have shattered into a thousand tiny shards, and I'm so sorry for causing you that pain.  I haven't yet figured out how to protect Austin from ever getting hurt, but I'm working on it.  I'm not sure I could handle it.

I love you,

Whitney

When I Grow Up

Super Austin!

Crib Notes - Week 33

Have you ever had a cookie that was so good that it melted in your hand?  No, not in your mouth, in your hand and on your face and on your bib and on your lap and...  If not, you are missing out!  Go to the store right now and get a box of teething biscuits!

I'm working on getting strong.  Daddy keeps encouraging me to stand up, and I can do it, too.  It's just not easy to predict when I'll choose to sit down.  Or which direction I'll fall when I start to sit down.  Daddy says I have to keep up with Kayla.  She was born a few days before me and has been standing up for a month or so.  Show off!

I love playing with my blocks.  Now that I can sit up like a big boy, I can have so much fun sitting in the floor with Mommy.  We play blocks.  Mommy tries to read while I try to chew on the book.  I play with my puppy - the stuffed one.  When I'm on the changing table, I play with Mr. Giggles and my soft gorilla.  If Mommy sits me up, I love to grab for the bottle of lotion.  And I love to play with my hangers!

I'm starting to help out around here.  Daddy goes to work every day, and I always help him.  Daddy keeps his work in his front shirt pocket.  He says he needs his work to get into the building and get on the metro.  I don't know what that means, but every morning when he picks me up, I get his work out.  I know he appreciates the help.  I LOVE Daddy's work.  Daddy's work is fun.  I hope he enjoys it half as much as I do!

I also help Mommy out.  Mommy has this plant with way too many leaves on it.  I work very hard to help de-leaf that plant.  Every time we go by the plant, I try to grab a leaf.  Mommy really appreciates it, I'm sure.

I also helped Daddy to take a nap one afternoon.  He thought he was doing it for me, but I knew he needed some rest.  All I had to do was lay really still and pretend to be asleep.

Night Night, Mommy

Austin had one of those no-thanks-I'll-do-it-myself-Mommy kind of nights.  He just wouldn't fall asleep while I was rocking him.  He was very calm and content...but awake.  I put him in the crib.  He looked at me and sighed.  A few minutes later I watched him (on the monitor) roll over onto his left side and go to sleep.  I'm so thankful that he can put himself to sleep, but I treasure those quiet moments at night watching him sleep in my arms.  And I find it bittersweet that my little boy is big and coordinated enough to sleep on his side.

Maternal Musings

The top 3 topics of conversation for new parents in no particular order are sleeping, eating, and pooping,

Over Rover

Playing with my Blocks

I think Daddy has been feeding him nails!

When I Grow Up

Office Hours

I Love Being Your Mom

Dear Austin,

As you grow up and start questioning things, I expect you will  ask if I like being your mom.  Most kids wonder about that at some point.  The answer, my dearest son, is a resounding, heart stopping, earth shaking YES.  More than anything I've ever done, more than any role I've ever played, more than any job I've ever had, I love being your mom.  God created me to be your mom, and he created you to be my son.  I won't be perfect, and I'll make mistakes.  However, I will always love you more than words can ever describe.  And if I had the choice to make again, I would choose to be your mom a thousand times over.

Love always,

Mommy

Maternal Musings

Why, with all the bright, colorful, fully researched, interactive toys within reach, does a baby always want the one thing they can't have?  And how do they know what the one thing they can't have is?

Blocks



Check out my cool hair!



Ohhhh....puppy!



Better than carrots!

Bath Time for Baby

Cute...



Cuter...



Cutest...



Cuterest...



Crib Notes - Week 32

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Last week I had it kinda tough.  This week was Mommy's week.  She slipped when giving me a bath and hurt her ribs.  I'm sorry it hurt her because I'd really like to see her do it again.  Mommy was in the floor gasping and crying...and it was the funniest thing I've  seen in 7 months!  I was in the bathtub, and I couldn't stop laughing.  Even when Mommy told me I shouldn't laugh at her, I couldn't stop.  I'm really sorry that Mommy was hurt.  She's such a good Mommy, she didn't even let me know.  She still got me out of the bathtub and carried me around.

Papa Shoe calls me a little thief because I steal everyone's heart.  Well, I'm learning how to steal my food and keep it for later.  Mommy gives me cheerios.  They are super hard to pick up and once I get them, I don't always want to let them go.  I palm them and steal them away from my tray.  This week, I got one and held onto it while Mommy changed my clothes and nursed me.  She didn't find it until she changed my diaper!  I even snuck one past Mrs. Fran this week and held onto it until Mommy came to get me!

I'm also learning to use a sippy cup.  I like chewing on my sippy cup, but the whole drinking thing?  I'm still figuring that one out.

I have finally (Mommy's word, not mine) learned to roll over.  I don't know what the rush was, but I decided I was ready.  I can roll from my tummy to my back any time I want to.  I still can't roll from my back to my tummy, but that doesn't bother me.  I don't like being on my tummy, so why would I want to learn to roll that way?  My big brother makes it look easy...

I can also sit up like a big boy...and I should have learned to do that sooner.  I love sitting up.  I can grab at all my toys and help Mommy turn the pages of my book.  "Turn the pages" is the same thing as "chew on the pages," isn't it?  I can sit up without help.  It's good to have Mommy, Daddy, or Mrs. Fran close because sometimes I get a little off balance.  Once this big head starts moving, it's hard to stay upright.

Daddy's Idea of a Good Teething Toy





When I Grow Up

Gone Fishin'!