9 Months

Trying to get the kitty. Notice the purse of his mouth...he knows he probably shoudln't be doing this!


After bath he watches his "Your Baby Can Read" video. He always comes out of getting dressed with Daddy with something odd to chew on. This night his hair brush!


Starting to stand up on the swing.

Baby blue eyes! They are so intense. I really can't do them justice. I really need to have Katie (www.howiwonderphotography.com) come and do pictures again!




This post should actually be titled "Bumps, goose eggs, and scrapes"! At 9 months there is no stopping Pres. He is walking from furniture to furniture and loves when you hold his hands so he can walk wherever he wants. We had his 9 month check up today and it was a doozy. He has grown 4 inches since his last visit! He is not a chunker at only 19 lbs, but the doctor assures me that he is just right. He had his first flu shot today. It did not go over well. He is a fighter and a screamer. The poor sweet nurse. She takes it so personally when he cries. She has to give him a hug afterward. My concern was for the next little boy coming in. He heard Pres screaming and tearily told him mom "mommmy-the doctor must be bad, she made the baby cry." Poor thing looked terrified to go into the room as we were coming out.

This new adventure in walking has brought about a scary new chapter for us...lots of boo boos. I have used more bactine this week than I have done in years. He will just let go and try to walk. He then lands hard which ever way he falls. Yesterday it was on the baby gate. He scraped his chin pretty badly on the way down. He's a champ about the wounds though. He happily sits on the counter top while I clean and put medicine on.

We have officially ended the crying at strangers! Whoo-hoo! This is such a blessing. He now gives great big smiles to everyone who talks to him. I think he has finally realized that he likes the attention. For this reason he loves Home Depot and Publix. The sales associates at both of these stores tend to be a bit older and have a BIG thing for babies. They give him all of the cooing a little baby could ever dream of!

Funny things to remember for Pres:

You love to open and close-doors, drawers, lids, toys, books...it's rather annoying, but you love it so!

You call the cats in the cutest way...you smack your lips together and then twist your sweet head from side to side waiting for them to come.

You now will blow kisses and do it at the most random times-you literally melt me at the sweetest times.

You love to play outside as I am weeding. Occasionally you will eat the weeds!

You bang things together- your favorite are golf balls banging on the TV, wall, floor...

You have your first full tooth in and you spend all day running your tongue over it!

I know I am forgetting some things, but that is the beauty of the blog- I can add to it at any time!

Daddy teaching Pres about Sunday lounging!

8 months

Aren't we quite the pair?! This is what I look like after chasing you around all day!




Here you are chasing after a kitty in this picture! Notice the intent look on your face!

I don't even know where to begin. This past month has brought about so many changes. Some have been good...others....not so good! I think the best way to go about this is to just write this blog to my beautiful baby boy.

Dear Pres,

You are now 8 months old and it is hard to believe you used to be so tiny. Your hands and feet are HUGE so it’s clear that there will be a lot of growth in the next few weeks. You have finally cut your first teeth. Your daddy and I didn’t think you would ever get them. They are both on the bottom and they look so cute when you smile. You keep running your tongue over them and grinning as if you can’t believe they are there! Every day you show me something new. It’s amazing. You have completely figured out all of our baby proofing methods so I am in the process of moving furniture to cover any outlets you can get your little hands on. It won’t be long before you can climb over the baby gates too. I see you working on it throughout the day. You start by standing in front of it, then proceed to throw one knee, then the other against it trying to use your fat little toes to climb! Just yesterday you discovered the toilet paper. I came into what I thought was a Preston proof bathroom, to find you with toilet paper stuck in your mouth and the rest of the roll in your lap. You just grinned at me and all I could do was grin back. It’s not your fault it is so irrisitable!

You are coming into your own with your attitude as well. You make it very clear (through much grunting) if you don’t or do want to do something. Sometimes it’s hard for me to tell if the noise means you like it, or you are irritated with it. Just like your daddy, you have a low tolerance for failure. If you can’t get something right away, you grunt at it, then bang it or throw it depending on the size. When you get too frustrated, I have been putting you in your crib for what I like to call “refocusing” time. You calm right down and snuggle up to your blanket. You are going to be quite the handful my little one, and I look forward to the challenge!

You are taking lots of side steps and going from one piece of furniture to the other. Yikes! I am not even used to you being such a good crawler and now you are trying to walk!

You are starting to become more and more friendly. You will easily smile at anyone now, but you are VERY picky about who can hold you. I joke that you are like the dad from the movie Meet the Fockers ( I am sure your daddy will show this to you when you are older). He had his “inner circle” and you certainly have yours! Just this week, you’ve allowed your Grandpa Mike into you “circle”! You now reach for him to take you and say words to you. For some reason any word that Grandpa Mike says to you, you find it hilarious! For me, it is so special to see you interacting with him. Your inner circle now consists of me, your daddy, Dyer, Grandma Vicki, and Grandpa Mike. As you can see, you really are very picky!

There are so many things to share that I don’t know what to share and what to leave out. I love everything about you. I love how you wiggle your hands and feet when you like something or want me to pick you up. I love how you knock all of your books off of the bookshelf to find the ONE book you want me to read to you. I love how you will crawl up to me, jump in my lap, and bury your face in my shoulder. You are such a sweetie! I love how you will lean back when I am holding you and look at me intently, then give me a big grin. I wonder what you are thinking when you do that. I love how you will giggle in the swing. I love how you get so excited when it is time to eat. You attack your food with such gusto that many times you gag yourself on the spoon! I love how you smack your lips together when you really enjoy how something tastes, BUUUUUUTTTTT most of all, I love how you have completely changed my life. You have given me the best gift in the whole world, and that is motherhood! Thank you my boogies! I love you!

Love,
Mommy