Gunner is 12 Months old!! [[late]]

November was a VERY busy month for our family {We welcomed our little girl into the world on November 1st} So I haven't had a lot of time to blog. I wanted to catch up on the blog though and finally am getting around to it. Here are the biggest update that you had during the month of October-November and into your first birthday :)

 OCTOBER UPDATES

- You loveeee dancing these days! You throw your hands up and shake your hips every time you hear any form of music come on (commercials on TV, music in elevators and especially when we watch Dancing With the Stars. You are the cutest little dancing bug!

- You got to try cake for the FIRST time this month! During your one-year-old cake smashing photo session you got to smash and EAT a cake however you pleased.. I was unsure if you'd like the cake at all or if you'd just sit there and look at it, but WOW - you destroyed that whole cake in about 11 minutes FLAT. It was so much fun watching you and now we all know your a huge cake fan like your mommy ;)

- You "snack" on your own these days. We give you your special bowl for snacks (that make it so you can eat your snacks by yourself without spilling them out - awesome!) and you LOVE it. You get all excited when we give you your snacks and you just run off and sit down somewhere and eat them. It's super cute seeing you eating on your own like a big boy. Next up: EATING on your own (right now you just want to shovel everything in at once)

- Speaking of snacks: you're on all the toddler graduate snacks and we both get a lot of fun out of buying new snacks to try. I think it's fun to have so many options for you to try and you of course enjoy anything that you get to eat (lol) You love the puffs, the cookies, the animal crackers, the yogurt melts (which daddy sneaks some of too) and we just got you on Cheerios! It's fun trying new snacks out and now we're finding snacks that we all can eat so we can slowly move you onto table food!

- You have a HUGE personality. Everyone comments on it and loves it so much. You are the funniest & HAPPIEST little boy I've ever seen. You are constantly laughing at everything and doing things to make people laugh and you ALWAYS ALWAYS have the biggest SMILE from ear to ear. It MELTS my heart... and just about everyone else that comes in contact with you<3

- You are a full on WALKING toddler now! You barely ever crawl and you are always trying to get down in stores and restaurants now so you can walk around on your own. It's the most amazing things seeing you horizontal and walking ALL the time now. It's still so weird seeing a little boy your size (you're pretty tiny my love) just walking around the house like a big boy!

- You can stand on your own now and hold your balance. You used to have to pull yourself up but not you can fall down, stand back up by YOURSELF and hold your balance if you feel like you're going to fall down. You got it down now like a champ!

- You finally can fit into your shoes! You are currently wearing your size 3 chuck taylor shoes I bought you a few months back. I bought you a pretty awesome pair of shoes in every size from 3-6 so you'll have a fun pair of shoes for every size as you grow. This month you're in your all black chuck taylor hightops and they are awesome. You get lots of compliments when people see you in them. Such a cool guy.

- You're on Toddler MEALS now also! You aren't just snacking like a big boy, you're eating like one too! You eat the Graduates Mac & Cheese - NOT IN A JAR! It's in a little container you microwave and it's real pastas & cheese! You also like the Gerber Spaghettios and raviolis. Next month we will be introducing you to table food so this has been a way to transition you off baby foods all together.. SO CRAZY to think of a day where there are no bottles or jars!

- You eat a TON! Which, I don't blame you with all these new yummy foods you've been introduced too! You usually eat a whole jar of level 3 food plus a snack for each meal! Then you get a 4-6 ounce bottle with naps and bed time and for dinner you usually eat almost 2 jars of food and another snack. Not to mention the 3-4 snacks a day you get. You must be going through a growth spurt right now because you are eating and sleeping like a champ!

- You have a TON of hair now! Once it started growing, boy did it all come in fast! Its past your neck and onto your shoulders now. It's a really pretty dirty blonde color and has a lot of waves in it! Your daddy and I have been discussing your first haircut... but we're thinking we'll wait awhile. It's so adorable now that it's so long and you've got this whole "surfer guy" look with the waves and blonde locks. It's too cute to cut, at least for now we'll let it grow some more :)

- Oh yes, you have been introduced to sippy cups too and you LOVE them! You get your juice and water in them and I think you mostly just like that you can snack and drink on your own with your bowl and sippy cup. You leave them by your toys and just run over and drink and snack as you please and you do so well with them both! Sometimes you get a little too friendly and give all your snacks to grizzly but luckily you haven't tried to share your drinks (lol) 

Well buddy, there it is. Your 12 month of updates. Luckily I keep all these in my phone every month for when I can't update them on time, I always have them for when I can update them later. 

11 month old gunner!

11 MONTHS OLD.

my heart is preparing itself for next month's "big birthday blog" and for the dreaded realization that you, my dear baby gunner, are no longer a baby.

I've been telling myself for awhile now to just NOT think about it until it's staring me in the face - and that's my plan even now. SO, let's talk about how awesome you are at 11 months (and save mommy's meltdown for a later time, say... in about 27 days).

 

As hard as it is to admit - I really do love this age. You are so full of life and you are bubbling with personality! You make your dad and me laugh ALL day long. You crack everyone up with your personality and you're such a cool little guy. You're growing so fast that you literally are like a whole new baby these days, probably because you're not a baby at all these days. You're really a little boy now. And as hard as it is for mama to accept - it really is so much fun to watch and enjoy all these new experiences with you.

 

 

- you learned to play hide & seek this month - and LOVE it! You crack up anytime plays with you and you are constantly poking your head out or around things to get me to realize that you're playing with me. You just smile with this huge grin until I start playing back with you.

 

- You are crazy fast! Everyone comments on it and I swear you're like a little energizer bunny! Too fast for this (VERY PREGNANT) mama! I can't wait for your sister to be here so I have more energy to chase you around the house all day & night (even though I try now)

 

- You learned to climb up on the couches & think it's the coolest thing ever. Oh boy, talk about giving me a heart attack! As much as we try, we can't keep you off!

 

- You just learned how to wave bye-bye! cutest.thing.ever.

 

- You talk nonstop now. But not just random jibberish - you say things with meaning. You actually hold conversations with us in your own little language and just go on & on all day. I can't wait until you learn more words so I can find out all the things you're always talking to us about!

 

- You started WALKING. I can say that now because it's not just a couple random steps here & there - you can get up to 8 steps in a row now and walk halfway across the room! It just blows my mind! I have YET to get it on camera though because everytime you see me trying you plop down, laugh & crawl away. not cool. I'll get it on film soon though ;)

 

- You have graduated into "big boy snacks" - they even say graduates on them! I have so much buying you all the fun food these days at the store. I secretly have a weird addiction to raiding the baby food aisles just so we can try out all the big boy foods. We discovered gerber YOGURT this month and you cannot get enough. seriously, you eat 2-3 containers at a time and always cry when you finish the last one! You also love pretty much ALL snacks ever created by gerber. Yogurt melts, puffs (or mom's "puff medley" I make you of all the different flavors), cheese puffs, pinwheels - you love it ALL.

 

- you are quite the little eater these days! you can drink 8 oz at a time and still love your formula over all else. You eat level 3 foods (pretty much any/all of them now) and you'd snack all day long if we let you. You've got the appetite of a growing boy - but you're still quite tiny my love. it's pretty adorable though. dr says its just because you're so active - and active you ARE!

 

- you finally are holding your own bottle! I feel like you've actually known how to do this for a long time now and just didnt' want to do it - but now that you are doing it - you never let us hold it for you. It's a BEAUTIFUL THING. Car rides, stroller rides, EVERYTHING is so much easier now because when the bottle falls out, you just pick it right back up! ah, it's just glorious.

 

- We just packed up all your summer clothes and pulled out all your brand new fall clothes and I am SO EXCITED! nothing is cuter than a bundled up baby in sweats & hoodies. And I found a new obsession with baby gap sweats/sweaters - so you are one stylish dude now. Only problem - you can still wear 6 month sizes, so all your 12 month fall clothes are a big big on you.

 

- You started sleeping in two-piece pajama sets and OH MY GOD. I wish you could wear them all day long now they are so adorable. And the little thermal pants give you the cutest little diaper butt when you're walking around!

 

- You are an AMAZING sleeper. Definitely your dad's child. You go to bed around 9-10 every night and sleep until after 10am everyday. I literally wake you up to change your diaper every morning before I leave for work (so you don't leak through) and dad has to WAKE you up around 9 because you would just sleep all day it were up to you!

 

- With that, comes the bad part - you only sleep in YOUR crib. I don't know if it's your crib or your bedorom - but you seem to not sleep very well anywhere but your bedroom. I can't say I blame you - your dad and I have put a lot of thought into making your room "yours" and very peaceful for you. You have your comfy bed, your favorite stuffed animals, your blanket and pillow - and you have the special playlist dad made you that plays while you nap or sleep, and of course you have your special turtle that lights up your room in stars - As hard as it can be for your grandparents (since you don't nap when they baysit) it makes my heart happy to know that you love your room so much and are so comfortable in it.

 

- you learned to dance this month! And you LOVE it! It's more of a "bounce really fast up & down and laugh with your eyes closed" but it CRACKS us up everytime! Now anytime you hear music you look around for a minute and then just burst into laughter and dance!

 

- you LOVE: chasing grizzly and messing with her until she finally plays with you, getting past your security gates and crawling as fast as you can down the hallway (you laugh hysterically lke you just outsmarted us), bath time, snack time, cuddling with mom and dad on the floor (LOVE that your back into cuddling and snuggling)

 

-you HATE: your shoes and you pull them & your socks off within minutes everytime. hate getting your diaper changed (you still scream like you're being tortured), hate getting your clothes changed, hate security gates, hate when I leave the room (even for 5 seconds you have a total meltdown), hates when we take something away from you that you can't play with (instant meltdown)

 

 

 

Those are the biggest things I can think of. There are so many I am probably not even mentioning because you are just FULL of new things everyday! You're so much fun and you bring so much joy to your daddy & I gunner. We could sit at home and play with you on the floor all day & night (we actually kinda do for the most part) because you are just so much fun on your own. I couldn't ask for a more perfect little guy and you just continue to amaze us.

 

In the next month things are going to be changing and as nervous as I am to shake things up, I am so excited to see how you do with your new little sister coming. We have so many things to look forward to and now, they are just days and weeks away. Your big birthday party, your first time eating cake (& smashing it on camera), meeting your baby sister - and then right around the corner are all our favorite holidays. I am just so excited. You have honestly made our world so full of love and happines Gunner, I can't even explain it. You're perfect. And here's to your LAST month of "baby blogging" - next month you're officially a toddler!!

 

Love you always & forever, love mom.

 



Family & Maternity Pictures 9.28.13

We had our family/maternity pictures taken this past weekend and I am just so in love, I had to share! I've had TONS of photo sessions of Gunner this past year, but we have yet to do a family photo session- so this was extra special! Our first & LAST family photos as a family of THREE, as our little girl will be in within the next 4 weeks!

 

One of my best friends took these for us and did such an amazing job. She really captured some beautiful moments and it makes my heart so happy to see all the love in these photos and the love we already have for little McKenzie <3

 

 

 

 

 

&& just a flashback - Here's the maternity pictures we had taken for our Gunner man last year <3

My how much can change in just a short year!





TEN months old!

Woah, double digit months now!
It is all starting to hit me that my baby is not so much of a "baby" anymore. So many things in the near future just keep reminding me that he is growing up faster & faster everyday!

 

Gunner, my love, please slow your roll.

Though, I do have to admit - as hard as it is to watch you grow so fast into a little boy - everyday is more & more fun with you! You have your own personality now you just continue to grow into your own, and you're just so much fun!

The sweet side of you growing up - is all the new & fun things we can do together and you are learning to do on your own.

I guess this is the true example of a bittersweet reality.

  

But yes - in less than 2 months, you will be O N E.

A YEAR, not a MONTH.

A TODDLER, not an INFANT or NEWBORN.

I can't even process that. BUT, yet another "bittersweet" twist to that - is the sweet side of getting to order all your outfits for your upcoming photos & order all the decorations for your very FIRST birthday party.

 

It's all about flipping it to the sweet side, then this whole growing up thing is a much easier pill for your mom to swallow ;)

 

So here we are - your TEN MONTH blog:

 

Updates

 

- You love jumping! Anything you can hold onto (including mommy's hair, t-shirts or face) you hold onto real tight and just jump and jump. Most mornings now when we wake you up, you start jumping in your crib and laughing. It's pretty adorable

 

- You talk ALL THE TIME - your favorite words are "da-da, og og (dog), mama (only when you are crying or mad you suddenly remember this magical word that gets you whatever you want) and your newest and most recent favorite word is UH-OH! You say it all the time and it cracks us up! You seem to know what it means because you usually do it when we tell you NO to something or if you hit grizzly or fall down - you're quite clever.

 

- You've always loved toys but now you are starting to favor certain toys - and the toys are starting to show me how much of a BOY you are. Not a baby - but a BOY. You love your big tonka trucks and your john deer tractor the MOST. Anything with wheels and makes loud noises you will run across the house all day long - it's quite impressive actually how fast you run your cars around!

 

- You play WITH people now. You can toss a ball back and forth and love to throw (softball is definitely in your future with your strong throws) and you love to have us sit on the floor with you and watch you play. Now you do things and make sure we are watching before you continue onto something else. It's fun being able to play WITH you and you love nothing more than to do just that!

Oh! And you love to SHOW us how to do things like bang something on the other toy - and you are a quick learner if we show you how to do something- you pick it right up ;)

 

- You are STEPPING now! Everyday you're a little braver and take a step more than the day before. You can stand on your own and keep your balance for a pretty long time now! You'll be walking anyday now. [you're up to a 5-step record right now]

 

- You are quite the copycat now, or "mimick" I should say. Anything we say or do you just stare at us and try to do it too. You're favorite new tricks are HIGH-FIVE (only with dad so far) the lip trick (where you move your finger real fast against your lips and make the funny noise) or yelling matches (we start low and then go louder and louder until someone gives up, you usually win!) - LOL, as loud as you get, it is so cute I can't even get annoyed.

- You know how to give kisses and hugs now! They are totally your own style though, kisses are just kinda mouth-open-and-lean-into-land on your cheek kind, and your hugs are more serious and you are actually a great hugger. MELTS MY HEART!

- You are becoming a bit of a mommy's boy these days (I can't even act like I mind it) - you've always been a TOTAL daddy's boy - but now the second I walk in the door when I get home from work you light up and crawl over with your hands up to pick you up - and you won't leave my side until bedtime! It's the cutest thing E V E R! I do have to say though it's gets a little tiring when I need to shower or change clothes after work just because you have a total meltdown if I walk out of the room for .5 seconds - but I've just become a PRO at 5-second-changes and I shower after you go to bed now. Sacrifices? not really, I love that you actually miss me and show it and it makes my heart incredibly happy<3

- And lastly, as much as I hate to admit this, you do have a tiny bit of a negative update... my dear sweet boy, you now have discovred temper tantrums. yes, at a young age of 10 months old - you know how to throw a fit if you don't get something you want or get told no. We're currently working on this but I think it's just a sign that mommy gives you everything you want (softie) and dad has more control (toughie) LOL. When we're eating dinner you stand at my feet and yell or cry if I don't give you some of it - or if I take something out of your hands that you can't have or tell you no or really ANYTHING you don't like - you instantly start crying with snot and tears - total waterworks!
But you see, you do NOT do this for dad - only me. He'll just tell you "no gunner you cant have that" and you stop your meltdown and move on.. but me, you just keep it up until I give in or give you something else - so we are both going to have to work on this before it becomes a bit of a bad habit. Eek


And that's the biggest things - there's SO MUCH I could talk about because you just are such an active and learning boy right now. You are 100% boy these days - all you want to do is play with your trucks, yell at the top of your lungs (as a game) and run around and do everything on your own! You're such a little independent guy now, it blows my mind. I literally sit and just watch you for hours because I can't believe everything you can do and just how much you have grown. You are your own person now and have the biggest personality! Everyone talks about it and everyone loves it. You are the sweetest, funniest, most rambunctious and active kid and I would not change a single thing about you.

I can't wait to see what you learn in the next month!
And within the next two months we'll have your LAST TWO baby blogs!
&& we'll also have a new addition to our family to start blogging on too- your sister<3

Love always, mom

 

 



HOLY.MOLY.

So, it's no surprise or shock to say that TIME IS FLYING BY!

I feel like that everyone says that, but I had no idea just how fast it flies by, until I became a parent.

 

In a nutshell, this is my life right now:

Today Gunner is TEN MONTHS OLD. (yeah, seriously. blog coming later)

& tomorrow I am EIGHT MONTHS pregnant.
Hahaa, it's almost comical how CRAZY this all is.

 

With that, comes this:

**There are EIGHT weeks until my official due date (Halloween) - however not a single doctor or person I know thinks I will go full-term. So, that means possibly/probably even less time than that.

as well,

**There are NINE weeks until Gunner's 1st birthday party (we are having it the weekend after his actual birthday jussssst in case I may be busy- i.e. in labor!)

 

So - if that doesn't give you guys a minor insight as to

WHY I AM FREAKING THE HECK OUT RIGHT NOW -

here is my timeline/layout of events for the next couple months

[[until these two major events occur]], is looking like:

 

THIS WEEKEND (8 weeks left): my LAST free weekend. literally

Next weekend (7 weeks left): Our 4/d ultrasound of our little lady!! (very excited about this)) and one of my friend's baby showers following that.

Following weekend (6 weeks left): my baby shower! (which I have not done a single thing for yet!)

Following weekend (5 weeks left): Maternity pictures (still have no clue as to where we are having our photographer take them, or what myself or the Gunner or Rick are wearing) 

after that - rick's "man shower" I am throwing him. haven't done anything but send the invites, so it's too late to cancel that (I did consider it)

 

Following weeks: [[because now it is OCTOBER - aka our "due date" month]]

First weekend of October (4 weeks left): Gunner's "cake smash" photos for his birthday invites! Also planning a trip to apple hill that weekend to help "jumpstart" labor&delivery (last year we went and gunner came the following weekend!)

Following weekend (3 weeks left): First weekend of my maternity leave!

&& Karin's baby shower (which I'm helping to throw/host)

Following weekend (2 weeks left): Kristen's baby shower! Which I am also helping to throw/host!

Following weekend (1 week left): Gunner's 12 month photo session with Monica!

Following weekend (DUE DATE!): Halloween! & IF McKenzie is somehow not here yet - then I will probably just be preparing for the big day AS WELL as planning and finalizing all of gunner's last minute birthday details (because his party will be less than 2 weeks away)

 

So yes. It is understandable

WHY I AM FREAKING THE HECK OUT RIGHT NOW??

 

We still need to do pretty much everything to prepare for these 2 main upcoming events, so I'd say it's time to either find a genie and ask for a few wishes OR find my "supermama// super planner" hat and put that badboy on! Time is ticken and it's not slowing down anytime soon (trust me I already asked it to!)

 

Yikes!!

 

 

the life of an elephant.

literally.

the other day I was watching animal planet with Rick & Gunner and they started talking about elephants and their gestational period - quickly I caught on to the fact that they are pregnant for up to 24 months straight. I say I caught on quickly because I instantly thought to myself "wow that must be terrible"... and then my mind quickly connected the dots and I discovered that WOW - I am an elephant.

 

Granite, I was given a solid two month break in between my pregnancies - but yes, by the time I give birth I will have been practically been pregnant for 2 years straight (because let's face it 9-10 months might as well be a full year)

 

and let me tell you friends, I feel it.

40 weeks with close to no break stacked onto another 40 weeks - is T O U G H. not just because my body didn't get a chance to recover or regain any energy or "youthfullness" - but also because I stacked on baby weight on top of baby weight and feel like a beached whale, or an elephant in this case does feel about right also.

as if pregnancy is not hard enough on your body - I also have a beautiful little 9 month old who goes goes goes NONSTOP and always wants to play! And I can't ever say no (no matter how exhausted, swollen or achy I am) so I, also, go go go go - all over the house we both crawl and play all day & all night. when i'm not working 8 hours a day and commuting 45 both ways.

 

yes. it's hard. I just keep reminding myself thought that one day very SOON - I will not be pregnant anymore. and that thought alone is like christmas. better than christmas because it's not just one day or one thing - it's a whole WORLD of things I will be able to do again and have again: energy, weight loss, running, working out, drinking caffeine to help me through the workdays and long nights, sleeping on my side, sleeping on my stomach, being able to chase gunner around and not feel like i'm going to die, wearing NON maternity clothes, getting massages, painting my own toes, reaching my toes or SEEING my toes - the list can go on & on.

 

even though I can write a book on pregnancy right now and the woes that go with it - I can also right a book on how incredible life is a mom. and I, more than anything, just cannot wait to not be pregnant so I can have BOTH my little ones with us and I can give them my full body's energy at all times and be the very best mom I can be for them both.

 

I just can't wait.

10 weeks to go, or maybe even less!

 

then this elephant will be FREE from her pregnant body and back in full force!

Ahhh, just the thought of it is so nice.

 

 

 

 

& for a random bit of knowledge, I've included the top 10 animals with the longest gestational periods: (now I see also why sharks are so mean!)

 

-manatees: 13 months

-camels: 13-15 months

-giraffes: 13-16 months

-velvet worm: 15 months

-rhinoceros: 15 months

-walruses: 15-16 months

-whales & dolphins: 17-19 months

-elephants: 22-24 months

-Black alpine salamanders – 24 to 36 months

-Sharks – 12 to 42 months

checkups!

Yesterday we had checkups for BOTH our little ones. Gunner had his 9 month checkup with his pediatrician, and I had my 30 week/7 month checkup for little McKenzie & me. First time I have had to scheduled two appointments for TWO KIDS together, it was a little strange & a tiny look into the future.

 

I got off work at 12 which is always a great day!

I went home and met Rick & Gunner (he watches him during the days and works doubles on weekends) and we loaded into the truck and head out to our doctors office. Super nice that my OB and Gunner's pediatrician are all in the same building and only one floor apart - made it much easiser!

 

First up- Gunner's checkup!

First appointment he's had with NO SHOTS so he was one happy camper!

He's starting to recognize his doctor and really enjoy going to the his appointments. The nurses are always so nice and friendly and just adore him - so naturally, he's fond of them too!

And his doctor is the cutest little chinese lady and we LOVE her!

You can see by the pictures below Gunner did SO WELL! He's such a big boy these days it really does blow me away. He laughed and talked to the doctor and nurses through the whole appointment and just held onto daddy's hand (so mommy could snap all these pics and about 292890340 more)

 

STATS

-Gunner currently weighs 17.10 lbs (13%) a bit on the "petite" side she said but he has been on the smaller side since he was born. Partially because he's so active & partially because his parents are not very "large" either! hehe.

 -He is 28" tall exactly (24%) 

-His head measures 44.8 cm (36%).

Doctor says that Gunner is on the "advanced" side of infants because he is already walking so well and talking so much. She was really impressed with all his progress and how great is at communicating and interacting with people.

What can I say, he's pretty perfect ;)

 

 

 

After his appointment we got the paperwork to schedule his 12 MONTH CHECKUP - aka ONE YEAR appointment! That just blew my mind. We scheduled it for a week late because the week of his birthday is also the week of my DUE DATE (yeah, it's a bit comical) - so that's another thing that was a bit of a reality check for us. Two checkups today - two babies next time. WOWZERS.

 

 

 

Next up was mommy & mckenzie's checkup!

-heartbeat was healthy & gunner and daddy got to hear it too which was really fun (I usually go alone before/after work)

- we are both measuring & growing right along schedule

-since I did get pregnant SO CLOSE (as is insanely fast) I have a higher rate of going into labor early. And since Gunner was 2 weeks early - my OB wants me to start coming in every 2 weeks to monitor me in case of preterm/early labor. He said it's nothing to worry about now, but better safe than sorry - and I'm all about that! 

Otherwise though, mama & baby are healthy as can be and it's crazy to think I can count the number of appointments left on ONE HAND till my due date. Life's getting really, well, real.

 

And that was that!

2 checkups, 2 healthy babies & one BIG reality check- our life is flying by so fast right now and sooner than we can spell out B-A-B-Y we will have another one!