6 months!

Cheeky little boy!

I'm getting so big Mama!!

Well 6 months has come and gone and our sweet little babe just does not stop growing! The change between 5 months and 6 months has been such a big one! Little A is learning new noises (that high pitched squeal that only dogs can hear) and is turning into a very busy little guy.  His latest thing is panting like a dog (maybe been watching the pups a little too much!?). Our little one is sitting up on his own and grabbing anything in sight! He's not mobile yet but I am SO okay with that as it is nice to be able to plop him down with his toys and know he's certainly not going anywhere! Austin loves butternut squash and cauliflower and is also a huge fan of prunes! (little old person in the making hehe).  I just love to have him with me wherever I go and have yet to leave him longer than two hours with anyone (and that was only once while I went to the dentist...it was awful and I don't think I'll do that again for a while!). I think it is just so special and such a joy to have this little one with us wherever we go so that we can watch him learn and grow and we don't miss out on a single thing.

We have lots to look forward to in the coming weeks. The most important thing being a long overdue visit to Grandma and Gramps' in the Cariboo.  How exciting for Austin as he has not seen his grandparents since early July. Boy will they be surprised how much he has changed! Thank goodness for things like facetime and skype so that we can keep in contact with them often.  Also on the horizon is Austin's first holiday; Thanksgiving! That too will be spent in the Cariboo with Grandma and Gramps and I can't wait for Austin to enjoy his first holiday with family. What a lucky little guy.

Also, Austin's baptism will be sometime in the next month or two. We are meeting with the pastor at the church down the road from us this week and we are excited for this celebration. We think it is so important to teach your children about Christ (even if you do not attend church!), faith, and where we all come from. I remember reading bible stories with my own mama and I'm excited to do the same with Austin!

What a joy and blessing children are. We are so lucky and blessed to have such a healthy, happy little guy and could not be happier. Heres to the next six months baby Austin! Your Mama and Daddy love you so much!

Making Memories

It comes to my attention more and more now that I have a son that making memories are so important.  For example; this past weekend (made into a 5 day one for my husband), my husband, father, and brother took a trip to San Francisco to do some sightseeing and take in a football game. It may have been a bit expensive in the end but the memories they made will last a lifetime. It is so worth it to spend that money and time to do things like this as you just cannot get time back once it is gone.  They had a fantastic time, rented a very fun car, saw the sights, and enjoyed the football game (even if the Packers lost).  As we all grow older, get busier, and have families, it becomes increasingly more important to do things like this. This will be a trip they will talk about and have fond memories of for a lifetime.

This guys trip prompted my mother and I to do something we have never done before; take a trip just us (and tagging along is sweet baby Austin).  We will be heading to Maui in February and not only do my Momma and I get to spend some great quality time together, she also gets to spend a week with her baby grandson who she just doesn't get to see enough. I am so excited to be spending this time with her as she is not only a fantastic mom who is always there for us but she is my dearest friend besides my husband.  We talk everyday and although that is great, it will be so nice to spend a whole week with her! We will be making some fantastic memories, and Mom gets to be Grandma non-stop for a whole week.

So I ask you to please, take a day, weekend, or week out of your busy schedules and plan some quality memory making time. It is so important!! One day we will be old and grey, and these memories will be the glue that holds our lives together.  We can sit back, close our eyes, and remember such fantastic times with family and friends.  I am so glad my husband, dad, and brother got to have such a great time and I'm sure they are counting down the days until they can all get together and reminisce about it. Each one of them has told me over and over what an amazing trip it was and how they had such a great time. That makes me smile. So while Austin and I missed Daddy very much, we are so happy that he got to go and make some memories with his family, because at the end of our lives, those memories are all that we will have.

Where have the past six months gone?!

I am sitting here. My house is quiet and babe is asleep. I'm reflecting on the past six months and what a whirlwind they have been. We have such a perfect little boy to thank for our days just rushing by. It's quiet moments like these that I can sit back and realize just how blessed we are. God has given us such a wonderful gift in our little one and I thank him and pray for our little boy every day.

These six months have been such a joy, and I am so thankful to live in Canada where we get a year of maternity leave. We are just so lucky! I couldn't imagine not spending my days watching baby Austin grow and learn. We have definitely had our ups and downs along the way but it will be like that the rest of our lives as parents now.  I'm so looking forward to all the things to come but, little one, time can slow down now!

There are so many things for you to learn, and so many things for us to teach you! Daddy cannot wait to show you how to ride a bike, ride a quad, hunt, and play sports.  He cannot wait to coach you in sports if you so choose to do that! The world is yours to explore! Sometimes, when the house is quiet like this, I think of my own childhood. Baby boy, you are oh so lucky to have both sets of your wonderful grandparents to watch you grow! If your great grandparents were around today you would be such a joy in their lives. I know that they are watching you from heaven and are so proud! Grandpa Robin would have loved to get you out on the boat and fishing! And Grandpa-T would have been happy to sit and play card games with you forever (and teach you bad words in French). Enjoy your grandparents little one, they will be some of the most special, influential people that you will ever meet.

Here are Austin's 4 and 5 month photos. You could never tell he came a month early!

Well it has been quite a journey getting through these 6 months (however fast it has been).  We have had many a sleepless night (and day!). We are slowly but surely settling into a routine that he will change as soon as we have become accustomed to it I'm sure. 

Some of our favorite things for the fourth and fifth month are....

Bumbo chair!! We bought ours second hand but you can find one here and be sure to get the tray.  This has been a lifesaver since Austin has been wanting to sit more upright. I sit him next to me when I'm getting dinner ready, folding laundry, or eating dinner. And since starting solids last week we have been using it to feed him in until he's big enough for the high chair! Definitely a great buy and so worth it.

Baby Bullet!! This was given to us by my wonderful momma but you can get yours here. This has been great for making Austin's first foods. We skipped cereal all together as it was difficult to find one without dairy and I just think its more a filler than anything else.  We have made everything in here though and we love it! So quick, easy, and also easy to clean as all the parts are top rack dishwasher safe. If you have a regular Magic Bullet this will also do the trick, no need to go out and buy the baby specific one.  We also just use regular old ice cube trays to freeze our baby food in and then dump those frozen cubes in labeled ziplock bags! Easy peasy.

Johnson and Johnson Honey Apple Baby Lotion!!  I picked this up at Target down in Seattle. It smells amazing! I haven't seen it in Canada yet but if you do, please tell me so I can get some more!

Safari Jumperoo!! Ours was bought for us at Target in Seattle but you can find a similar one here. Austin loves to jump and bounce and play with the toys and has been in it since he was almost four months old. Definitely a lifesaver when this momma is trying to get dinner on the table or eat her breakfast.

Also, honorable mentions that you will here more about during the six month post. Munchkin baby feeding products like spoons and bowls, aden and anais muslin swaddles, and grobag baby sleep bags!

...more to come later. I'm just going to sit back and enjoy the silence for a little while longer....