Summertime

. . . means letting yourself go a little crazy once in awhile. Or letting your Mama go crazy. . . same thing. 

10 Months

Holy Crap Handsome, (first, do me a favor and forget that Mama used the word 'crap' right there, k?), you are ten months old already. I know I say it every month, but this past month has really, truly, been the best of my life. You have grown so much and I have fallen so in love with my little boy as your personality has started to show. I cannot look at you without smiling anymore (okay - unless you're being a really big fuss bucket). This was a very busy month, so I'll jump right in . . .

* You weigh around 24.4 pounds. You are a heavy little booger to carry around, though it is great for toning my arms :) You now wear a size 4 diaper, size 12-18 month tops, and (if we are honest) 12-18 month pants are laughing at your thighs. Oh the thighs . . .

Huckleberry Justin

* Your development has EXPLODED this month. Last month we thought you were not going to crawl, and in the course of two weeks you started to army crawl, regular crawl, clap your hands, and pull yourself up. It has been crazy to watch you learn so much. You are now into everything and I cannot leave you alone for more than ten seconds. Your favorite things to go for are the night light in your room, Izzers' dog dishes by the kitchen - I can't tell you how many time I've pulled dog food out of your chubby little hand, though none has made it to your mouth, thankfully; the caddy with your old bath supplies in it, and the safety gate at the top of the stairs. If I need to do something, I will pull your pack n play over, put some toys in it, and hope you are entertained for a few minutes.

Another option for 'Count the things wrong with this picture' game. Such trouble . . . 

* Your aunts taught you 'No No No' - whenever we say that you shake your head back and forth smiling your handsome little smile.

Thank heaven for shorts season - so much easier to fit the thighs. 

* You now eat everything. Well, apples and eggs are iffy, but other than that - everything. We gave you beef, pork, chicken, and turkey, along with some kiwi and canteloupe to gauge your readiness for table food. To explain how well that went - here is the list of food you had at daycare today: peaches, cheerios, bananas, chicken, bread, corn. Yesterday?: cereal, pears, cheerios, baked beans, bread, pineapple, ham, animal crackers.

So, it has gone well and you have yet to refuse anything. You got itchy after eating a little egg (who knew they were one of the most common food allergies?), so we're holding those back, but otherwise you are eating whatever daycare gives you.

Ahhh  - finally, linebacker food . . . 

* Last month we moved into our new home and you have done great. You are now in your own room (cue sobbing from Mama), but you have done no worse than before. You still wake up once or twice a night - why dude, why??? Mama and Dad need sleep :)

* You have gotten two more teeth in the last month and are working on another one - perhaps why you have not been sleeping well. Two of the top four are in - though not the middle two - they are both to one side, which makes me think of a vampire (I roll with Team Justin ;) ).

* Hallelujiah - We have not used the nebulizer in three weeks. Your health has been noticeably better with the warmer weather and I am all too grateful for that. It is wonderful to see you breathe easily!

You mean I'm not supposed to eat the $19 sunscreen? What? 

* You enjoy bath time even more now that you are in the big tub. We put you on a little frog bath mat and spend the rest of the bath trying to keep you on the mat. You are usually too busy chasing the floating toys to sit still, but you will manage to do so to splash the water everywhere - seriously, I had to change shirts once.

* When I pick you up from daycare, and you see me you get the biggest smile on your face and let out a little excited squeal. This is the BEST part of my day.

Bet you five dollars I can pull myself up on this ottoman (I wouldn't bet against him - have you seen his thighs?)

* You enjoy spending time outside and we have set up your little pool. You are a little fish - you love the water!

( How to fill baby pool: Step 1: Move pool on deck near kitchen window. Step 2: Open kitchen window and pass kitchen sink spout (I feel like there is a better word for that but it escapes me right now) through window. Step 3: Turn on water to warm and put a few inches of water in the pool. Step 4: Put on flannel, hunt a squirrel, and drink some cheap booze around a fire because you just entered Redneck-ville) It is official - Justin is embarrassed of his parents at age 10 months. 

* This past month you really started to correlate 'Mama' with me and 'Dada' with Daddy. You will often say 'Mama' after I pick you up - you know exactly how to make me melt :)

* You are, really, a flirt and a social baby. You smile at everyone. I have yet to find one person that you will not smile for - but you smile the most for the ladies - heaven help us. You do not yet fuss over toys or protest something being taken away as long as you have something else to do.

You can flirt all you want Handsome, but remember you can't date until you are 25 ;). 

* The curl in your hair has come out and there is no stopping it!

Just in case you were wondering if his eyes were still blue . . . 

* This month you added "Baba" to your vocabulary along with 'Mama' 'Dada' and 'Lala'.

I really feel like I have missed a lot in this post, so be prepared for edits, additions, and general blog mayhem in the next few weeks. We love you Justin - so much and hope you always know that. It sounds sooooo corny, but I never thought I could love anyone as much as I love you. I could be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder - I pray constantly for your safety. You are an amazing addition to this world and I am so grateful that I get to be your Mama. :)

Mama is going to lose it

Seriously, my little Handsome has just taken my breath away this week - he has grown up so much in a few days and I am afraid if I blink if I will miss something.

I may have nearly cried after I realized he could do this . . .

My baby is a genius. Three days ago he wasn't doing that - clapping. Two days ago he started clapping out of nowhere. Yesterday - he clapped at just the right moment in this song. I have sung it before, many times, but he's given me that 'Mama, don't sing' face - you know, the one everyone else does ;)

I am such a proud Mama :)

Pardon the poor quality - I don't know what is wrong with my Flip. 

My Baby Can Read!!

Ahhh, it's about time the Tall Ones updated my subscriptions . . . I need to know about all of the current food deals if I'm going to be a linebacker. 

Oooo, ice cream . . . 

Awwwwwwww stinky - I can't read. 

A Moment in the Hunt Household - Time To Move

(Yes, this is a post that should have happened about 4 weeks ago, but the Hunt Family has been a bit busy since the 9 month post. . . We hope we didn't lose you, dear reader, and plan to make it up to you in the next few weeks. We'll use the blog as a reason to continue to postpone the unpacking of stuff in our new home - Baby Daddy)

(Scene: Hunt Household (Apartment style living yet))

 Did you hear what the Tall Ones are doing?

 I hope the answer to that question is 'Buying Justin and Izzers more puffs.'

 No.

 Peanut Butter?

Pea-na what? (No, Justin has not peanut butter yet - Baby Daddy)

 Must not be that then. . .

 Guess not. Ever hear of Rocky Balboa?

*cricket chirps*

 The man with the Eye of The Tiger? The Italian Stallion?

 The Tall Ones bought a horse tiger hybrid pet?? Great, they don't give me enough attention as it is...

 No they didn't buy whatever it is you are trying to think of. . .

 Then why the Stallion Tiger talk...

 Forget about the nicknames. Just remember the name Balboa.

 Why? Are we going to cross the Isthmus of Panama?

 What. . .?

 According to Wikipedia. . .

 No. Stop.

 *Whimpers.*

 Balboa is our new home. Or as the one with the great toys on her face calls it 'Casa Us.'

 New home? New neighbors to bark at? New yards to run through? (Tail wags). We better get packing.

 I'm already done. . .

9 Months

Tank has nearly been out of my uterus as long as he was in it. And Thank God we did not need to refer to him as 'Tank' pre-birth. Ouch.

Our little Handsome is now 9 months old and is becoming so fun and troublesome. Here's the monthly rundown:

Size - At Justin's 9 Month Appointment we learned he is 22 lb. 14 oz. heavy (a good half pound lighter than we expected) and 28.75 inches long. Both are around the 75% for little boys, so he is growing well - not too big, just big :) He is wearing size 12-18 month clothes (though a pair of 12 - 18 month jeans I tried last week were a little tight around the thighs) and we just switched to size 4 diapers :)

One of my favorite Justin photos yet - an outtake from this month's photoshoot. I believe he was mid-sneeze. It makes me laugh every single time I see it. 

Baby Daddy dressed him this day. Could you tell?

Food and Drink - Justin has had pretty well every Stage2 food offered. New this month were apricots, cherries, bread and raspberries among others. And, shocker - he eats them all. We have given him more finger foods - bread, fries, chicken, and crunchies. We introduced a sippy cup and even tried putting diluted apple juice (which I hear is crack for babies - well, that and Fruit Snacks) in it, but to no avail - it is still merely a teething toy for Justin. Justin seems to eat a lot of orange vegetables - carrots, squash, sweet potates, corn, mixed veggies - so much so that we've been telling him he's going to turn orange. Sure enough - his pediatrician commented today that he was a little orange - all the carotene in your diet. Our goal in the next month is to start lots of table foods and transition away from little jars of food.

What? There is sweet stuff inside this? Oh wait, I don't care . . . nom nom nom nom 

Sleep - Another crappy month. Confession time - I am a deep sleeper, Baby Daddy is not. Baby Daddy wakes up when Justin so much as farts so he is up when Justin is up. Sometimes (okay, most of the time) I sleep through it. Remember when I said I wouldn't let my baby cry it out? Yeah, I lied.  I'm looking into Mr. Ferber. He has not had to 'cry it out' yet and I soothe him in less time than he recommends, but as long as it works and Justin knows that I am there for him, I am okay with it. I think Justin's problem is that he wakes himself up at night and can't put himself to sleep again. We've started putting him to bed awake, but drowsy, so he falls asleep in bed and he has slept through the past two nights. Here's hoping it continues to get better - for Baby Daddy's sake ;)

Would you be able to sleep if you had all of these toys waiting for you?

Toys and Games - Justin loves to take all of his toys out of the container one by one, study each one and set it aside for the next grab. He plays with his toy car dash complete with horn, wheel, and rearview mirror (which we often set on his walker so it looks like he is driving ;) ), puzzles, and his walking toy the most. He also loves to be in his walker - seriously, what would we do without that thing? He likes when I sing 'If you're Happy and you Know it' - especially the 'stomp your feet' part. He will play peek-a-boo with any cloth we give him, even a baby sock. though he usually just lifts it above his head and drops it. Sometimes we have to pull it down but he always smiles and laughs. He also loves to grab long hair (mine) and glasses (no one is safe). Hopefully the weather continues to improve so we can spend more time outside in the next few months. 

OMG NEW TOY!!

Development - Justin does not crawl. I would not at all be surprised if he skipped it. He still does not like being on his tummy, though it seems his favorite thing to do is go from sitting to his belly - yeah, figure that one out . . . He is standing steadily when holding onto something and has started to let go and try to stand on his own, and to pull himself up. We have to move the crib down to the low setting when we move. He also has discovered how to pull the cabinet drawers out so that he can get leverage to stand and tried to knock Izzers' bowls over. He has been clingy on only a few occasions, but has started to pull himself into our arms if he is sitting - which melts Mama's heart.

This is his excited face - like when he sees a bunch of Puffs. It is accompanied by jumping. 

Speech - Justin is a talker - shocker: another thing he gets from his father. His daycare teacher says he talks a lot for his age. He has 'Mama' 'Dada' and now 'Lala' down. 'Lala' is an attempt at 'Lora' - an auntie, but Justin has expanded this sound and named his new monky 'Lala'. I tried for 'Norman' - an offshoot of 'Nom' which Justin did to the monkey, but when asked what the monkey's name was he said very loudly, 'Lalalalalalala'. Okay . . . Lala it is.

I think he may get this face from me - but you'd have to check with Baby Daddy first to see if he will claim it. 

Events - Justin celebrated his first Easter this April and was showered with gifts by his loving families. He also had Cousin Annabanana's first birthday party, and was a great little boy for Mother's Day and Mama's birthday. For my birthday, I wanted fabulous pictures of our little Handsome and our little family, and Justin obliged for a little over an hour :) Hopefully I can get you a peek of some favorites soon :)

Forty-five pounds of baby = OMG. 

Showin off the proper colors . . .  

  

OMG PUFFS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Basketful of Harley, and his first pair of shoes :)

At Choung Garden for Mama's birthday. No, he did not try the Peking Duck. But he did learn the valuable lesson of letting the lady pick where to eat on her birthday :) He is going to be a gentleman, remember?

Chillin with Auntie Wiebs on Mama's birthday.