Now you're 8 Months!

8 months

Time sure flies when you are having fun, and everyday with you is fun! This month, you got to experience your first Millsaps Homcoming. Maybe next year you can taste all the good food! We even had our picture made with the Major, and I hope that you will fall in love with Millsaps just as I did.

You now have your two bottom teeth in, and I think your top two will be in within the week.

You experienced your first Halloween! You were the cutest little dragon!

You have gotten very active. You love to play with your toys, but your favorite toys are still the remote control and momma and daddy's cell phone. You love your Sophie because she makes your baby gums feel better, and Freddie the firefly is still a toy that will keep you occupied for a little while. You love chewing on the chew toys attached and the bright colors are fun.

You started crawling this month! Even though you don't pick your stomach off the floor, you can still get around pretty well. You move your arms and legs in the crawling motion; you just don't want to hold yourself up! Because of this, Daddy had to baby proof the house. He put locks on the cabinets, and we plugged up all the electrical outlets. We even rearranged the furniture so you would have a lot of space to play!

You pulled yourself up from sitting to standing for the first time. You are still pretty wobbly, but you love standing.

You helped Mommy celebrate her 28th birthday. We went out to eat with Grandma and Grandpa You had your first hibachi dinner. You weren't a big fan of the habatchi, but don't worry, you have more opportunities to grow to love it like your momma does!

We got to visit Oxford for Misty's birthday. You had fun hanging out with Aunt Misty and Uncle Dustin. We went out to eat, went shopping, and got to watch Penny dog do her training. You loved seeing all those doggies play together!

You had your first surgery, and you were a champ through it all. Your doctor said it would be worse for me, and he was right. You were back to your happy self the very next day.

You are still a nursaholic, and I hope that does not change any time soon. You might wake me many times during the night, but I am cherishing every time because I know that these moments won't last forever.

I love you to the moon and back!

John Warren is 7 months!

Wow John Warren! You are seven months old...well, actually 7 months and 10 days if you want to be technical. You are growing so quickly. When we went to the doctor on the 10th, you were 28 inches and 18 pounds!

Your first tooth finally broke through around 6 1/2 month. It took a few days for it to break through completely, and now you have sparkling white tooth staring at me every time you open your sweet little mouth. Your second tooth broke through your gums a few days after your 7 month birthday! You have been such a good little boy and haven't bit mommy even once. :)

Your personality is growing. You are the sweetest baby. You love to be hugged and cuddled. Your baby kisses are my favorite. You love to touch everything. Last night, you even grabbed my sweet potato and ate part of it. You love playing with an empty or full water bottle, and if you want something that I take away, you will show it by letting out a little fuss.

You love eating, but you would rather me hold you and feed you than sit in your high chair. You love potatoes, sweet potatoes, peaches, pears, apples, bananas, and sweet peas.

Bath time has become playtime for you now! You love to play with your little ducky and your light toys. You will pull up on the side of your baby tub and love to grab at the metal parts of the tub. You like to eat the rag and drink the water, so I have to be careful and watch you very carefully!

My favorite part of the day is coming home to you because you always greet me with a huge smile. Sometimes I even get squeals of joy when I walk through the door. I hope your enthusiasm for seeing me never changes.

Even though you aren't crawling, you started pulling up right at 7 months. When I'm on the floor with you, you crawl all over me and pull yourself up so that you are standing. Now, you want to pull up on everything! You have become quite a handful, and we love it!

Mommy still nurses you, and you love that time that we spend together. Many days you spend much of the afternoon and evening nursing. I love holding you close and knowing that I'm providing for you and giving you a healthy start. You are only going to be a baby for a short time, and I want to do everything that I can for you. There is absolutely, positively nothing in the world that I love to do more than nursing you.

Squash Puree

Tonight John Warren had squash, and I'm happy to announce that we have our first veggie that he likes! Granted, this is only the second. Carrots did not go over too well last week, but we are moving in the right direction.

I held out the empty spoon and John Warren opened his mouth so I knew that he wanted to eat. I put just enough on the tip of his spoon that he could get a little taste. As I moved the spoon toward his mouth, he opened in anticipation. He cautiously closed his mouth testing the food for the first time. I watched and waited wondering if the avocado fasco would occure again. It took only a moment for him to decide that he liked squash, and he opened he mouth telling me to give him more!

Ingredients you need:

1 organic yellow squash

1 ounce of breast milk

Equipment you need:

a machine the puree (I use the Baby Bullet.)

storage containers

a steamer

Directions:

Wash and cut your squash into thin slices.

Place in the steamer and steam until soft.

Let the squash cool and then mix with the milk and puree.

Pour into storage containers and freeze and/or serve immediately!

John Warren is 6 months!

Happy 6 months to John Warren!

You are six months old now...actually six months, one week, and two days. I'm sorry that I've been procrastinating this blog, but you are keeping your mommy pretty busy!

You started eating baby food on your six month birthday. You had pears as your first food and you loved them. When you can talk, you have to remember to thank Daddy for picking them for you at your great granny's house. Since your pears, you have eaten carrots which you don't really care for, one bite of avocado which caused you to spit up, and peaches from Mamaw's which you love! I'm crossing my fingers that you like squash because that is what I am cooking for you tomorrow!

You love spending time with your great mamaw and papaw. You especially love to watch Papaw wave. You even try to do it back!

Mamaw sings her Bye-Oh Baby song, and you love it. I'm glad you do because she tells me every time about how I never liked her song when I was a baby.

You starting sitting up around 5 1/2 months--I was trying to get you ready for your 6 months pictures. Now you are doing pretty well sitting by yourself. You love to play with your toys while you are sitting up. If there is something that you want, you go for it now. Your favorite things to grab are the computer and remote control.

You still haven't cut any teeth, but they are getting ready to break through. You drool like crazy and put everything in your mouth! Your feet have even made it to your mouth now. Your big toe seems to be the favorite. You aren't crawling yet, but you are trying to learn how. You push up really well but haven't figured out how to pull your knees under you at the same time. You mostly push yourself backwards.

You still love to drink your mommy's milk. I guess after six months of being exclusively breastfeed, you have gotten attached. You wake up about every two hours during the night and won't go back to sleep until you nurse. You really only eat once; all the other times you just comfort yourself back to sleep.

You have learned how to give Momma sugar! I love to get sweet baby kisses from you. We take turns. Mommy gives you sugar, and you give me some in return. On the day your turned six months and we took your pictures, you reached for me for the first time, and Aunt Misty got a picture of it. Like I said, when you want something or someone, you will go for it. Yesterday, you were playing in your pack-n-play and started pulling up on the side. You didn't stand up but you were trying.

You love Teaka, and when she walks past you, you want to grab her more than anything, but she is too smart for that and knows to stay away. You love reading books and singing songs. When you got your shots you were in the 60th percentile for your head circumference, 50th for your weight, and 95th for your length. Daddy is keeping his figures crossed that you will be taller than both of us!

Every day you grow in both mind and body. I see you changing all of the time, and I am completely amazed by the miracle of life that God has given us. We love you sweet baby boy!

My Mommy Book

Do you ever flip through magazines, find great stuff, mark the page, and never look back?

I know that I do that, and it's because of this that I have begun my own Mommy Book. Basically, this is a three ring binder where I will store all of the interesting magazine finds that I happen upon while perusing my favorite magazines--Parents/Parenting. I am currently sectioning my book into the following categories:

• Important food articles/information
• Recipes (baby food and family)
• Cool baby products that I want to buy
• Easy, at-home exercises (especially to lose baby weight)
• and interesting articles that I might want to read again

I have already made three recipes, and I must say that they turned out awesome! I'm getting really excited about setting a good example of healthy eating habits for John Warren.

POOP Happens...

literally...and it was EVERYWHERE...so it all started like this...

I got home from work, and I was completely overjoyed to see my sweet little John Warren. After Mamaw left, I stripped off my dirty work clothes and got ready to nurse my little booger. He ate well, and when he was finished, he was quite content, so I decided to glance at my online classes before heading my visit my mamaw and papaw. While I'm reading some discussion board posts, I hear some noise...a very familiar sound...the sound of John Warren dirtying up his cloth diaper. I think to myself, "I'm so glad he is doing this now before we leave," and almost as quickly as the thought had come and gone, I feel a warm liquid on my leg. I glance down to find a pool of yellow, slimy liquid on my leg. I'm stunned for just one second before I realize that John Warren's BM is so monstrous that it is leaking out the side of his diaper onto not only my leg but all over him and on my sheet!!!! Startled, I exclaimed, "Oh no, John Warren," as I jump from my position and run to the guest bathroom. I grab a baby towel and wash cloth, and after removing John Warren's baby tub from the bathtub, I jump in the empty tub. I carefully unbutton his cover and place the dirty dipe into his baby tub.

I fill the tub with water and wash John Warren from the waist down and remove the excess stool from my leg. At this point, I start to drain the water, so that he can have a proper bath, and I realize that his soap is in the master bath where he took his bath with me last night!!! UGH! So I grab his towel and dry him enough to walk across the house where we finally arrive at my tub. At this point we are not too dirty anymore, so I run us some warm water and we both clean up with baby soap! We streaked across the house one more time to get some clothes for John Warren and then again to get some clothes for me.

John Warren sat in his Bumbo patiently waiting for me to put clean sheets on the bed.

After this ordeal, I deserved an award/reward:

Gotta love this boy! I can't believe how well I handled this situation. God sure does prepare you for motherhood in many more ways than you can even imagine. God is so, so very good!

John Warren is 5 months today!

What a change! This little man is growing like a weed!

4 months

5 months

You are five months today! You are getting bigger and bigger by the day! You need to be strapped in your nap nappy now if I'm not right by your side because you will wiggle your way right out of it! Your sweet little smile still melts my heart! And for some reason, I want to kiss your little toes uncontrollably.

You have learned how to jump in your jumperoo that we bought you when you turned 4 months. You love the lights and the songs that it plays--"on the farm." You wore yourself out so much today that you decided to take a little nap!

This face looks like the face of an angel. How can a person be so sweet? This is the most beautiful sight in the world!

Four days ago we went to meet your little friend Mackenzie, and I dressed you in my favorite onesie. It says, "Mommy's Little Guy." That's exactly what you are!

You are still looking like your dad...a lot!

You have found your feet now, and you love to pull them and play with them anytime you are on your back.

Just this week, you started practicing your push ups. You are getting those little arms ready to hold your weight when you crawl across the floor.

You are also pulling your knees under your body. If only you could get those arms to push up at the same time you pull under your knees. You are working hard on these skills, and I know you will figure it out soon enough! Daddy and I love watching you grow and get stronger!

Maybe the most exciting thing is this! You rolled from your back to your tummy for the first time when you were four months and two weeks old. Now you can do it whenever you choose!

You still do not have a tooth, but I know it will be here soon because you like to chew on everything.

Mommy has been working for two weeks now, and you have started staying with your mamaw during the day.

You have had a little sleep regression though and have been waking up every two hours for the past two weeks.

You are still only eating mommy's milk, but at the end of this month, you will be ready for babyfood.

You love to play now while you nurse and you will grab my hand and squeeze and then let go. We make it a game where I do the same to your hand.

You are interested in everything now, and you get easily distracted while eating, so I try to keep it as quiet as possible.

You are now and always will be the apple of my eye!