Baby's First: Molar and Standing Up

Poor kid. V was sick with the stomach flu, had a growth spurt, and popped two teeth all in one week. No wonder he was under the weather for so long...Then a few days ago, I noticed a molar had come through too! He's getting a mouthful of teeth. Just another sign my little boy isn't going to be little for much longer...*Sigh* They grow up too fast.

He also learned how to stand up from a seated position without pulling himself up on something. He's THISCLOSE to walking but is still hesitant to take that first step. It'll come soon enough and I'm feeling weird about it. I want him to walk because it's getting harder for me to carry him everywhere but it's another milestone towards independence. Does every mom feel this way or is it just me?

Happy Belated Mother's Day to all the mommy's out there!

Baby's First: Bear Crawl

It's V's latest trick to get from point A to point B by bear crawling. It's the funniest sight-this little boy on his hands and feet with a bulky cloth-diapered bottom stuck high in the air. It won't be long and he'll be walking on his own. In some ways, it would be nice but I don't know how ready I am for that just yet...

In other toddler news, V now has five teeth. The third top one popped into view just the other day. Gotta watch out cuz he thinks fingers and toes are pretty good for chewing on. With those teeth of his, V can get a pretty good chomp! Ouch!

Baby's First: Birthday

It's so hard to believe that V is already a year old! Crazy how fast that time went... This past Sunday, we had a bunch of people over to help celebrate V and L's birthdays. It was fun to visit with everyone and see V playing with his cousins. We got the addition done enough for the kids to play in so that was nice. After a frantic week of building (I helped insulate and sheet the interior of the addition), cleaning, and cooking, it was quite wonderful to simply sit and visit with everyone. V was happy as a clam chasing after cousins and trying to snitch pluggies from them. (He lost his a few days ago.) He even got to enjoy his first piece of cake! I was tired at the end of the day but it was worth the effort. Now all I need to do is have some more company over before the house turns into a disaster area again.

Baby's First: Tooth and Standing Up

Okay, well it's not exactly his first standing up but he's getting better at doing it on his own. He also mastered crawling forward. It's hilarious. He either can't get a bent leg out from under his belly or he does his inchworm imitation. V can get around everywhere in the house which means I am now on Red Alert when the woodstove is lit (which is all day now that it's winter), busy keeping little fingers out of everything they shouldn't be in, and constantly picking dust bunnies off of his clothes. Honestly, he finds all the dust that I somehow miss. I should just stick Swiffer cloths to his clothes and let HIM do the dusting! :) The tooth makes for interesting exploration as well. Everything he can get his hands on goes into the mouth. For some reason, V thinks that he has only three senses-touch, sight, and taste. First he spies a toy and after hurriedly scrambling to get it, he pokes the object of interest with a finger to ascertain if it moves. Then he grabs it, bangs it on the floor in exuberant fashion, and pokes some more. Finally, V decides the last thing to do is to stuff it in his mouth and slobber all over it. Oddly enough, he won't chew on the things he's allowed to-teething rings, chew toys, pacifier... It's everything else.

Speaking of chewing, I'd better go rescue the stuffed animal from Jaws right now.

Baby's First: Crawling and Talking

Yep, my little nine month old boy is crawling. It's so cute because he pushes his bum up in the air to get on his knees and then 'inches' like an inchworm. What makes it especially hilarious is that he can only go backwards! The look of puzzlement when he finds himself backed up into a corner gets me giggling every time. He can also scoot forwards on his belly and while sitting up if he has something to grab onto. His latest trick is to attempt to pull himself up using the furniture. This has resulted in a few tumbles and bonked noggins, but that doesn't deter my intrepid little man.

He's also so very proud of his ability to talk. His extensive vocabulary includes lengthy words like Mamamamamamama and Dadadadadada and AAAAHHHHHHHHH! The latest addition to V's word bank is Uck or Ucka (as in Yuck) and he will proudly proclaim "Uck" before wrinkling his nose and snorting. It's his latest trick and he does it to make Mommy laugh. Seriously though, since most of his babble is still just babble, I've been working on baby sign language with him in hopes that some of it will stick. He sees me sign Milk when I give him a bottle (open and close one hand into a fist as if milking a cow) but it's like working with Pavlov's dogs... I sign Milk and he starts smacking his lips...

Baby's First: Creeping

Yep, my little man is scooting around now. He can't quite get to his hands and knees but V still manages to move around the house. Time to baby-proof the bookshelves and sweeping the floor multiple times a day. Time to figure out how to keep V away from the door and the bathroom and from under the bed. Time to wonder where the last eight months have disappeared. He is no longer content to stay in one place. All too soon, he'll be walking. 'Dada' is his favorite person at the moment (unless Mom has a bottle in her hand) and the dog is a really interesting animal that he can watch for hours. He loves his oatmeal and banana for breakfast, eats more than I do some days, and is already what's on Mom and Dad's plates tastes better than his own food. Today he's creeping and scooting and almost, but not quite crawling. I just hope he's not walking tomorrow.

P.S. For those who are interested, his last doctor's visit showed that he is following his growth curves for height and head circumference but had a VERY large jump in weight. Doctor was quite pleased.

Baby's First: Sleeping through the Night

Well, that 7 hour night was a one-time-only deal thus far but a greatly enjoyed one for me. At least his 'short' nights are in 4 hour stretches and I am not getting up every two hours anymore. Now if only he would let me put him down more during the 'awake' periods during the day. So far today-20 minutes in the swing and five minutes on his infant gym. Such is Mommyhood I guess.

Baby's First: Road Trip!!!

Headed to the UP with my sister for the weekend because I didn't want to spend the weekend alone while the hubby headed west for a ski trip. (I would have joined him but figured the other gals going along wouldn't appreciate a crying baby at 4am and I don't downhill ski.) V was pretty good for the trip-pounded down 5oz bottle AND nursed (twice) before we left but slept til Duluth. Ate then slept til Houghton. Wish he slept that long and that well at home.:) Sister's kids were fairly good, too, so the trip went by quick. Hope the return trip is as good.

Baby's First: Chore Time & Snowshoe jaunt

Yep, I did chores for the first time last night. It was kind of fun to be back out in the barn again. I am quite rusty with dipping, wiping, and putting milkers on though I can still take milkers off reasonably quickly. Now, I bet you are all wondering what about Vern. Well, he was out there with me. Before I get shocked expressions from everyone reading this, I did have him fairly bundled up. Three layers of clothing, four layers of cozy blankets,and he was in his car seat in a playpen set eight feet away from the cows. He loved it! Slept right up until his daddy walked in to help with milking. He woke up because he was hungry so I went in and fed him. Worked out well all around. I am hoping to get back into the swing of things now that I know Vern will tolerate the noise of milking but I do have some limits. I won't take him out in the barn if it's below freezing and I am not doing morning chores yet. It will be a while before I am doing chores more than a few nights a week, but with Spring fieldwork and planting right around the corner, it won't be long before my help will be much appreciated.

Also a first for Vernon-snowshoeing. Lanny and I went out for a short stroll (stroll being an understatement) this afternoon. Lanny had Vern bundled up in the frontpack and zipped his jacket around both of them. It was a funny sight to see him all bundled up like that! (Shoulda taken a picture...) Even though I've been taking walks on nice days, I was stunned at how terribly out of shape I am! I had trouble keeping up with Lanny even though he had the bigger snowshoes AND Vernon strapped to his chest! Still, it felt SO good to get out and enjoy the warm weather. It was nearly 40 degrees and the snow was just about perfect for snowshoeing. I can't wait to go again!

Baby's First: The Chiropractor Appt

Things I Learned Today:
-Baby is capable of sleeping through my appointments

-Baby is wonderfully silent and cooperative when being undressed in a Dr. office

-Baby is interested in room decor until range of motion is checked. (Note to self: Bring earplugs next time...)

-Baby settles down on drive home until car is possessed by the electrical demon and stalls out. (Note to self: Feed baby as close to appt time as possible and try to keep car in motion at all times. Also, bring baby Tylenol to next appointment just in case.)

-My worries that Baby isn't getting enough to eat are unfounded. He is 7lb 9 oz and ~21 inches long. He gained 11 oz and grew ~1 inch in 11 days. Must be doing something right after all. :)