11 Months

Having a five year gap between my children allowed for a certain amount of forgetfulness to seep in when it comes to the challenges of a mobile baby. To help illustrate exactly what I mean, a list of Connor's FAVORITE things:

1. Electrical outlets.
2. Wires.
3. The dog's water bowl.
4. The dog's mouth.
5. Flip flops.
6. Teeny tiny Legos.
7. China cabinet.
8. Toilet seats.
9. Trash cans.
10. Toilet paper roll.

My job as the mother of an 11 month old is really just to keep him from impending doom. All signs I suppose that he's growing up. Waaah!! On the positive, he's still a very happy little baby ...





...and quite the little heart stealer.





I love watching him experience all the new "firsts" of life. Like, first swing at the park.



This was a fun day for everyone. We met up with a few friends and the older kids ran wild.



Since last month, he's moved to a rear facing convertible seat in my car. I miss the infant bucket seat already because he slept like a champ in it. Dan still uses it in his car since he's still just barely within the size limits. I meant to take comparison photos from when we first brought him home from the hospital to now, but I forgot in those early days. I did find a few iPhone shots though. This is the progress from four days old to 10.5 months. Yikes!



Everyone asks if he's walking yet. No, not yet. But he's pulling up on anything he can and loves to do the zombie walk while holding our hands. I'm ok with that. I can only imagine that list above is going to grow once he's on two feet.

Here we are, closing in on one year. Man that happened fast. I don't think I posted the chair photo for last month, so this is it - 10 months to 11 months.




(a little under the weather here, but still smiling!)

Stat update thanks to a pedi sick visit: 21 lbs. 2 oz.

4H Fair

In my race to get caught up on photos and blogging, I managed to skip an entire set from my camera. The county fair rolls around a couple of weeks before school starts, so these are a little out of order, but better late than never. I had taken the day off and happened to drive past the county fairgrounds and saw the carnival rides. So I emailed the mom of one of Evan's friends and arranged to take the boys for a few hours of fun. They had such a blast! Looking back at these, it really makes me miss summer!







Two buddies scoping the territory.

Evan: First Day of 1st Grade

I'm going to blink and he's going to be going off to college. But here we are again, another first day of school post!





Evan was pretty excited after having met his new teacher and scoping out his new classroom and desk at his school's open house night. The school and classrooms were decked out in baseball themed rooms and hallways. For a boy who loves baseball, this was a pretty big hit!







I swore I wouldn't cry this year, you know, being a 1st grade parent and all. THEN, his Kindergarten teacher from last year came up to him for a reassuring hug and I found myself getting all weepy again. Today he told me he wanted to go to college to be a teacher; no doubt influenced by some of the great teachers he's had! Just don't grow up too quickly little man!

Veronica, 7 Months

I forgot to post some of the photos I took earlier this summer of my friend's little girl, Veronica. Dresses, and hair bows, and flowers! Not a world I'm used to at all, but oh so cute!







And just like Connor, she has a pretty sweet big brother.

Ten Months

My plan to take 9 month photos of Connor was delayed by all the busy activities of summer. So they became 10 month photos instead. I took them at the worst possible time of day - late morning - which resulted in a somewhat tired (and not-as-smiley) baby, and in photography terms, not the best lighting. But because he's in them, I still love them.

What's new at 10 months? MOVEMENT. Holy schmoly. He has that scoot crawl down to a science. He's pulling up a little more, but is fine and content with the crawl most of the time. He will hold on to our hands and "walk" and get a huge kick out of himself doing so.

I should be thankful I got ANY photos at all that weren't just of the top of his head as he crawled towards me!









See that nice bruise on his head? I'll edit it out of the final photo, but it is so representative of this age. He crawls, reaches for a toy, loses his balance, then bonk. Poor baby.

My parents were my photo assistants for the day (and the only reason there were smiling pictures - grandparents are funny!).



He's playing with my Dad's baby rattle. Seventy years old! Who needs modern toys?







Ok, mom, I'm done.