Jay's 11 Month Update

Whelp. Here we are, folks. Almost through these monthly updates and my little one is practically driving a toddler. Every day it seems like he becomes a little more of a boy and a little less of a baby. Proud doesn't cover how I feel when I watch him.

This daily scene tests my OCD issues

Jay is real close to walking on his own. He stands on his own for quite a while before slowly sitting down and crawling to where he wants to go. We love to go out on the sidewalk with his walker and walk up and down and up and down. Mundane activities like this would normally make me want to take a nap, but with him I find them so much fun. He gets so excited being outside stopping every so often to clap for himself and yell at Hagen.

This month Jay got FIVE, count them, FIVE teeth. Needless to say, we had some long days and nights but it seems like we are through the worst of it... until he gets his molars which I hear make the first teeth seem like a cakewalk. He looks so old now with those teeth!! And, um.. by the way... totally didn't realize that you should start brushing the baby's teeth as soon as they come in. I don't know why I just assumed that maybe my breast milk would do that? It does everything else!!!!!

Since the weather has warmed up, we have been outside a lot lately and I went out and splurged on a baby pool for him (not pictured) and he lovesssss it. Best $12 Ive ever spent. He is going to be a serious water baby.

I can't believe we are almost through our first year. What a blessing this has been in our lives. Im so thankful God chose such a sweet, smart, relaxed little boy to be ours.

Happy 11 Months my baby!! We love you!

Jay's 10 Month Update

You know when people turn, say, 27 and they think "I might as well be thirty!"? Yea, I'm feeling like that with my little boy. He might as well be a year old now. What?? 

He LOVES messing with Hagen

Jay has gotten really good at standing up and walking (while holding onto things). His favorite activity is crawling into our bathroom and getting into my nail polish drawer- heaven! He yells and laughs at the bottles while he picks them up and examines each one. 

He's really starting to teethe now, so we have had some rough days. It looks like he's going to be one of those kids that gets like 10 teeth at once. Awesome. I had a dream the other night that I woke up and he had a mouth full of teeth. It was creepy, but I'm sure he will look adorable with little teefers. I will miss that sweet gummy smile, though. 

His love for his daddy grows every day. He can be in the grumpiest mood, and Scottie comes home and he's like a different boy. He cracks up at almost everything he does. It makes my heart so happy to see the two of them together. 

Happy ten months, bud! 

This was his reaction when we first started these pics.
Did I mention these were getting tough
to take?

Jay's 9 Month Update

Who knew having a 8+ Month old could be so exhausting?

Everyone but me? Oh, cool. 

I have seen the most change in Jay this month since he was

first born. He has gone from army crawling

to legit crawling and pulling up on 

everything in our house and standing on his own (kind of).
Can you tell how much busier I am now??
Hence the extremely late update this month.
My Bad.

He now eats all sorts of things (basically whatever we are eating). 

He drinks from a straw sippy cup and has started to

be a lot more vocal. He loves to say "dada" 

at everything. I don't think he knows

what it means yet, so Im holding off on 

saying those were his first words. Sorry Scottie. 

I THINK I'm seeing a little tooth coming in, finally. 

Evidently, Scottie and I were both late to 

get teeth and it seems like

Jay is definitely taking after us. 

Before our walk...

After the walk...

Since Jay has been a mover and a shaker

this month, I haven't had very much time

to take my usual pics of him. Im too busy making sure he 

doesn't eat it when he stands

against different household furniture pieces. 

I put him in the Church nursery for the first time this month. 

I know. Im late to that party, but I'm 

also a new mom who gets anxiety thinking 

about him not being watched every second. 

He's done pretty well (that's what they tell me, at least). 

I know it is good for him to be around other little ones,

but I will admit I had to fight REAL hard

to not cry right in the middle of the nursery

when I dropped him off for the first time. 

Oh mommyhood, you have changed me so much. 

Happy nine months to our crazy, sweet, determined

little boy. We fall more in love with you

every day!

10 Things You Need After Your Baby is Born

Okay. I'm a planner. Professionally and personally... I plan the crap out of things. For that reason, I have recently started to think about the things that I will need next time around when I have another babe. Don't get all excited, friends, nothing's in the works or will be for a while, but like I said... I plan. 

Moving on... 

Here's the thing, when I was pregnant with Jay I spent every spare minute reading books and blogs on what i would need in the first month to "survive." Some things I read were not at all useful and others saved me. There were a few, though, that I wished I had and NO ONE told me about. I say no one with confidence because I'm pretty sure I read every blog on the web. 

So here they are. The ten things that I will be sure to have after my next baby is born: 

Image Via Google

1- Blowup Donut

Yall. This one is serious. Maybe I was at a real crappy hospital and they didn't offer them, but yours is amazing and will. If that's the case- congrats. If not, buy one of these for the day(s) following your baby's birth. I don't think it's any secret that hospital beds aren't comfy and your lady area is not feeling the greatest after giving birth, but for some reason I didn't think of this until it was too late and I was sitting on a concrete mattress for two days.  

Image Via Google

2- Your Own Pillow

See above. Hospital beds suck... 

Image Via Google

3- Soft Toilet Paper

Again, the kind the hospital has is like sandpaper. I get it- hospitals are meant to keep us alive and healthy. Not make us feel like we're at a spa. It is nice though to bring this along and ease the discomfort some. 

Image Via Google

4- Super Maxi Pads

You're gonna leak all sorts of things. Don't ask questions with this one. Just buy the damn pads and wear them. 

Image Via Google

5- Boy Short Underwear

You need some undies that can hold those extra super maxi pads and granny panties aren't really my style. I picked up a pack of 5 from target and they worked just fine. 

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6- Built-in-bra Tanks

Almost all the blogs I read had nursing tanks on their list sooo I bought them... I spent like $20 for each one and realized after about a week that I could have saved a lot of money by just buying the tanks with built in bras and pulling them down on whatever side I was nursing. Live and ya learn, ladies. 

Image Via Google

7- Zip Up Sleep n Plays 

If you'd like to buy some footsie pjs for yourself, by all means, go for it. This one is for your baby, though. When your newborn is... Newly born (?) they're going to need their diaper changed a lot. Nothing's worse than being sleep deprived and trying to re-button a onesie in the middle of the night only to realize you missed a friggin snap!!!!!! Save your sanity and get zip up sleep n plays.

Image Via Google

8- Adan and Anais Swaddle Blankets

This one is for anyone in a warmer climate. We got a lot of these and are still using them 8 months later. Jay hated to be swaddled so we didn't use them for that but I would use them as a car seat cover if we were in a store, a blanket for him when he was in his swing, a nursing cover, etc. I was so paranoid about him overheating when he was little so these were the only blankets we used for a while. 

Image Via Google

9- Protein Bars-

The first month that Jay was born I was so exhausted that the thought of even microwaving food made me want to cry. Maybe your newborn will be a fabulous sleeper and you will be back to your old refreshed self soon after they're born, but if not, have some protein bars to grab in the middle of the night or day to help you between meals. 

Image Via Google

10- Water Bottles-

 Again... You're exhausted. Take the lazy way and get a big pack of water bottles because getting a glass out of the cabinet and filling it with water is SO much work (I'm not being sarcastic... That's a lot of effort...). 

I hope these will help you in your first few weeks with your babe. If not, and I'm one of those blogs after you have a baby where you say "I'll never listen to her again!" Then I'm sorry and I owe you some diapers (not really). 

Good luck and may the force be with you =)

Jay's 8 Month Update

Gosh, it feels like I blinked and my little baby has grown so much. 

This month was lots of fun because it was Jay's first Christmas. I made sure to decorate my house as festive as I could because Jay will notice, of course! Scottie put up lights outside because we thought Jay would love it... I tried to tell him that Jay also loves when I buy new shoes, but he didn't fall for it. We had a long Christmas day going to both Grandparent's houses, but Jay was a trooper with only one very short nap in the car for the day. He got so many great gifts, but his favorite toy is still anything that has a tag attached to it. Figures. 

Santa came =)

...he approved

Jay's Aunt Collins is leaving for a year long missions trip in a few days. He's going to miss her so much!! 

Is there an army crawl race we can enter him in? If so, he will smoke everyone! He can stand up on his own now and as of just a few days ago can also pull up on his own. Wahhhhhh! 

The whole separation anxiety is getting real in this house. If I walk out of his sight he freaks. Its awesomeeeeeeeeeeee. 

Jay is officially a fan of food now. He LOVES extra steamed broccoli & mashed potatoes among many other things. We're trying those puffs now, but he has briefly choked on a few of them which has almost made my heart stop, but we persevered. 

We are so blessed to be able to watch Jay grow and learn every day. He is just the BEST. 

We love you, buddy!