9 Months Baby!

Holy crap. 9 months old today! As of a checkup (not his 9 month one) a week or so ago, he is about 26 1/2" long, and 18 lbs 11oz... his official 9 month appointment will be on Tuesday. So a gain of almost 10", and 14 lbs 9oz. Ha! So proud of this little bug :) Adding onto his 2 teeth from around 6 months, we have his top teeth coming in- you can see the one on the right is cut through, the left is nearing that point too- AHHHHH- teething sucks.

I will also observe that his ability to "play well with others" has not improved- well... maybe just with Nathan? He loves older kids, and has been increasingly more social with adults/strangers too- gaining a compliment yesterday about how good he is as he hung out with Dad at the "Pints & Pampers" party for Baby Girl Regan while I was at the lady's baby shower. But when it comes to sharing/playing with Nathan? This is what we get:

On to other randomness- I discovered an awesome use for some table cloths I found around the house- curtains! Kaely's room has had bamboo blinds in there for years, but the problem is that at night you can see right through them with the light on. I found some old cheap curtain rod from my apartment I had years ago, and spent $0.49 on new brackets to hang them, then dug up some leftover fabric that compliments Kaely's bedding... and voila! A nearly free solution- very cool :)

The other part of the table cloths I used for the bed/crib skirt I finally got around to making for Chase to match his quilt. Amazing how little time it takes to do when you actually sit down to do it...

Finally- I part with the classic "Chase" look when asked to share with Nathan ;)

Nature vs. Nurture? Hmmmm

Let GO!

Ahhhhh- yes, the word "NO!" is on the horizon... but as moms of babies know, up there is the phrase "LET GO!"- most often with hair pulling, pulling on the dogs, grabbing cell phones, cords, plates on the table of a restaurant, etc... It never ends! Ah, but I have found one way that he actually listens- kinda strange in a way- but usually towards the end of when he's nursing I notice him starting to drift in attention span- which usually spells trouble for an increased chance of being bit. So I ask him "Chase, if you're done, let go please!" - and damn if he doesn't actually do it- every time now- for over a week. My sister shakes her head laughing at his crafty ways- coincidence? Perhaps- but strange none-the-less. Now, if only he'd listen to the rest of the things I say....

I have a lot of making up to do since the blog posts have slowed waaaaaay down. Teething, holidays, school, etc has taken up so much time and energy that to sit still and have enough brain left to write has been difficult. Luckily Kaely has been helping a lot with keeping Chase entertained, because let's face it- Mom's are boring :)

We've also been experimenting more with table food, since that's sooooo much more interesting than anything served on his own spoons. So from matzo ball (chicken) soup, to steamed broccoli, rice, gnawing on a carrot (I make sure he can't snap off a piece on this- it's more for a teething toy), etc... he loves it all!

 (broccoli & rice)

My sister has also generously donated to the "spoil the boys" fund- aka, the growing pile of toys over here- plus the grandparents have snuck a bunch over too- from the "Crawl Ball" to the fishing set by B. toys (I LOVE this toy brand- the first set by them was the squishy blocks, now they carry a whole line at Target) I don't know what we'll do come Christmas/Birthday- although we have been having a blast playing in the toy sections now at the store. I'm sure the associates hate us, turning on every toy out there (bouncing Tigger, dancing Mickey, this awesome vtech Monkey toy, etc)... but hey! It's fun :)

Speaking of trips to the store- yes, I am "that" mom that tortures her child for the sake of a laugh (yes that's a turkey on his head) Sorry. I couldn't help it- the "dollar spot" at Target has these ridiculous Thanksgiving hats, and I had to... after I attempted to snap the pic (not that he would sit still- hence why it fell over his face), a mom was behind me with her little girl, and started laughing- she said she was glad she wasn't the only one who did that- she said she was guilty of taking pictures and sending it to everyone- at which point I turned around with the phone in my hand smiling- guilty as charged ;)

With our teething issues, naps and sleep are beyond necessary, and have discovered that he prefers to sleep on his side/back now (I still put him on his back- but he moves everywhere)- and inevitably he has his feet/legs hanging out the crib. Did I write the other day about how he got his leg stuck in the slats? (I'll have to check), but his monster thighs got wedged in the slats since he was having a fit- I worried for a minute I was going to have to cut the crib apart. This kid! Never a dull moment... even in his sleep :)

Standing Tall

I'm not sure if I'll be regretting encouraging Chase to start the walking/standing along the furniture yet or not :) Just one more way to get into things, and we know he doesn't need more ways! It is crazy how "grown up" he seems now, just hanging out standing there, or sitting around playing with toys. Hard to believe how much has changed with him since 8 months ago. After challenges with his bath tub, I thought we'd try to put him in our big bath- but that backfired as well, too slippery for him to sit up on his own (since he refuses to sit still), and ended up just laying around splashing with both legs until I was drenched. What a goob ;)

I also thought that maybe he would be a great baby to employ for companies who develop those "baby proof" or "child resistant" containers/lids/etc. He tackled yet another one today- I had him sitting on the counter in front of me while I brushed my teeth (I was basically holding him), and he grabbed ahold of the mouth wash... two seconds later he managed to get the lid off and spill minty fresh liquid all over the counter. ARG! So now we have Tylenol, mouthwash, vitamins, and any regular things like the lids to the Puffs... nothing is safe! Just a lesson in never believing the quality and safety of something when in the hands of a baby.

Praying for a good night's sleep- as we've been waking up 3-4 times a night lately- stupid teeth! The upper right tooth is catching up to the upper left one, so they are timing it to break at the same time- creating a crazy baby. Extremely happy and laughing one second, to crying and reaching for me the next. Kind of bizarre- and a little scary- just holding onto the temporary part of this all... If your baby does not have teeth yet- ENJOY IT! :)

It's FALL!!!!!

YAY! First day of fall- officially! Nevermind the high of nearly 90 degrees. Since my sister has been here for the past month or so, she made it a point to get me motivated, and initiated the revamping (well, beginnings of..) the yard, and decorations for fall. At first I was more concerned about the cost of trying to put everything out, but her stubborn insistence and enthusiasm won me over. Let me tell you how interesting walking around Home Depot with two babies and two shopping carts is...

A few scarecrows, trays of flowers, and a ton of misc. house stuff that has been long overdue on accomplishing (i.e., water filter for the fridge, blinds for my bedroom, replacement smoke detectors, etc)... and we were on our way. Of course my sister went back later on her own and picked up mulch, more flowers, Indian corn, and other decorative things as well... What a difference it makes in how I feel about the "home" -not just a house. That, and the "smelly-good-things" we plug into the walls that make the house smell less like dog & baby... :)

(the scarecrows represent Nathan, Kaely, and Chase- in that order ;) )

Saving the actual "Halloween" decorations for another week or so- but I LOVE it! I revamped an old Christmas wreath I had, and turned it into my funky fall wreath. Even a tiny bit of cool air embraced us as we walked the dogs last night- WAHOO! Fall is on it's way- even if the calendar says it's already here ;)

Just a couple fun pics of the boys...

BOYZZZZZZ!!!!!

Oh boy... now I know why having a boy made me nervous- it is exhausting!!! Kaely has her mouth and drama to get her in trouble- but Chase? He is in to EVERYTHING. This is before any actual crawling or walking too- I am truly S.O.L. hmmmm...

Over the past week I've been working around the house to get things organized, cleaned, and all that good stuff, and Chase has taken advantage of that opportunity, and my distraction, to explore- increasing his speed to which he finds things to get into.

This is from when I had cleared out my bedroom to clean up and get all our furniture put back in- I was trying to fold laundry and he thought that all the wall/cable outlets would be the best toys EVER! So I thought by making a "buzzing" sound (like electrocuting?) it may startle him and discourage him from playing with it... uhhhhh... backfire!!!!

This has made us do some serious baby-proofing shopping sprees, and I'm still constantly going around trying to figure out what to put where and how to make things safer for him. But man, if he doesn't find a way around everything! I'm beginning to see why moms that have more than one boy are a little loopy... no offense- but you all know it's true! Constant heart-attacks, close-calls, and never-ending energy (on the boys' side!)... sheesh! Am I really cut out for all this???

Some of his favorite places to get into trouble:

Following the dog(s) around- poor dog constantly gets up and moves, and he still chases her around (backwards)... I swear...

This was him last night, as he rolled under the recliner- looking up at me like he's cute or something- how dangerous is that???

 Or, as always- has to roll over to the tile portion and play with the highchair and/or the dog dishes- GROSS

Ones I did not capture was chasing after him as he rolled over to the side table where I keep my laptop plugged in- I caught him pulling on the cord as the laptop was precariously hanging off the side of the couch begging to land on his head- I SWEAR! This has happened twice now...Then there was him going after Monopoly, he got his mind set on it, and I caught him right as he was pulling the whole box off the shelf- which was wedged in between other games too-UGH!

Thing is, I don't leave the room- I just usually am doing dishes or cooking on the other side of the kitchen island, so he makes full use of the "blind spot" that is the island, and rolls his little butt everywhere that I can't see in those few seconds. This is why he gets confined to the highchair or exersaucer... 

Then of course our Home Depot shopping trip for all the lovely baby-proofing (and Fall/Halloween gear)... downtime anyone??? 

And he keeps on the clown act- cracking all the parents up as I walk Kaely to school- this is his usual manner of "sitting" in the stroller- always with his foot kicked up... Is this a sign of things to come? Crap.

But, at least by the end of the night, when everyone is fed, clean, and ready for bed, I can appreciate all that the day has brought- especially when everyone's asleep! Haha... Too sweet they are :)

Resigning...

I believe I am officially resigning to the fact that Chase's first word is "Dada." All he has said this past week is variations of Dad, and when Dave tries to get him to say "mama" - he just shakes his head, smiles, and says "dada" - UGH! haha... oh well... he has been talking quite a bit lately- the words are bound to tumble out.

We've also been able to see his top teeth about to break through the gums. It's in a different place than I expected- on the front of the gum rather than the ridge (not sure what I was thinking), so when I saw the white come through, it took me a minute to realize those are teeth! I can even see the sharp points of them, it just hasn't cut the skin yet. Poor kid.

Food has been fun lately- he wants everything- and me being so busy has made it a bit tough, but glad he's enjoying it. We've spent the past week moving furniture around as we make some changes with the place down South, so this Friday/Saturday has been nothing but driving, packing, moving, unpacking, cleaning, organizing, etc. Hence why no posts all week... I desperately need a hot bath to work on all these bumps, bruises, and torn up muscles :) lol

Fortunately Chase has been taking everything in stride, and been quite the character through it all, so he saves us from wanting to scream half the time, all by looking up with his mischievous grin. I absolutely adore it!

Happy Sunday!

Side Effects May Include:

Exhaustion? Problems sleeping? Irritability? Memory problems? The list of side effects could go on like a pharmaceutical commercial- but- quite simply- parenthood. I'm lucky I can lift my fingers to type I'm so exhausted today- I keep thinking "maybe something's wrong"- I need different vitamins or a better diet- but ultimately I think it comes down to the day-to-day routine of running around.

This week's chore list included getting started on the Halloween costumes (since I am known to procrastinate)... then add in rearranging rooms, furniture, making curtains, then having a birthday dinner thing for my sisters (so lots of cooking ahead tomorrow)... well, I just can't move! I am still sticking to walking to get Kaely, and that doesn't help the energy- actually, it is supposed to- being active and all, but I am so stinking excited for Chase's 1st birthday so he can wear a helmet and be able to ride on a bike with me. I am kind of tired of the walking bit... it's a big Christmas/Chase bday wish list for me- one of those bike seat thingy's that sits in between the seat and the handlebars (rather than behind the seat/parent). I have all sorts of ambitions riding a bike. Hmmm...

Anyhow- the finished versions of the costumes are still waiting until the week of Halloween- I realized the hard way that although I thought Chase's might be too big- I may have the opposite problem.... he's a little snug in it- uh oh... I may be taking photos a month in advance just in case! And I have to say I'm kinda partial to the hairy caveman look on him :)

Then, with all the rearranging of things, I had to put Chase somewhere while I did laundry on his bedding and all that good stuff, so I borrowed my sister's air mattress, figured, eh, it's something while I'm trying to get stuff done. I kept checking on him, and he ended up rolling off and giving up - falling half asleep up against the wall- poor baby! Tonight is the first night I have him in his own room. I have no false beliefs about keeping him in it all night- but going to start working on the whole idea of sleeping through the night :) I'm excited to at least have the room functional.

My thoughts go out to all on today, September 11th- the 11th anniversary of that date- can it really be??? At least a bit of distractions can keep us moving forward though... Here's to a new day!

Boys Will Be Boys

I think about this every time I see Chase & Dave together, or Dave & his brothers, or his dad & him, or brothers, or Chase... any of the mix makes me smile, shake my head, and go- Oh Boy!

I find it entertaining to watch Chase & Nathan developing this relationship too. It's so stinkin' different from girls. I never believed the differences to be as pronounced as they are. Honestly. Especially being a tomboy myself... but... boys are just wired differently- from birth. Insane. The hands-on- must-touch-everything-and-everyone - very physical, and bullish... oh! and the discovery of what lies within the diaper??? Hahaha... I just raise an eyebrow and look to Dave - saying- hey- this is your area of expertise as he gets older! (sorry Chase if you're reading this 20 years from now as I'm embarrassing you) ...

But- I am the ultimate double-standard, hypocritical, foot-in-my-mouth mother. I distinctly treat Chase differently than I ever have Kaely, and am already starting on the "stop babying him!" fight. As well as the "let him run his head into the leg of the table" (as he 'shrimps' backwards), or "teach him to fall on his own" (with a little padding behind him)- because I don't want a mama's boy, or a sissy boy, or a crybaby. Sorry. But I don't! I can't stand (no offense) guys who are overly sensitive (damn, I just jinxed myself here), or at 30+ years old have to run to mama because some hurt their feelings. Yes, there is a time and place for everything, but no! I want him to learn independence, strength, and how to roll with the punches. Hmmmmm- tough love anyone?

So, the experiment is the mix of Chase & Nathan together, seeing how nature vs. nurture, and all that good stuff plays out. Without fail, the boys always display their own personalities very strongly, and as they get older and bigger find new ways to interact :) Love it! We've got our hands full for the next decade or two...

Honey-Do

Yep, the good ole' Honey-Do lists that bounce around... over the summer this list tends to compile and grow on its own while the heat beats down on us... fortunately, Chase & I woke up today to weather that was tolerable and beckoned us to the outdoors. With that led random tasks like pressure-washing the driveway/sidewalks, mowing the lawn, and looking around at all the future weeks of projects ahead. While the idea of sleeping in and enjoying a lazy weekend is tempting, it is just not realistic! Oh well :)

Instead, we worked half the day, and have left the other half to our college football playing... Complete with a trip out for wings- yummy! Chase got to wear his "Chucks" - if only for the first and last time (his poor fat feet!) ... too stinkin' cute :)

Simmering September

First, I can't believe it's September already, much less 5 days into it. Whoops... It's hot, humid, and crazy as always! Labor Day has come and gone, we laid low, turned on the grill, and that was about it. No crazy beach or park outings, it's just too darn hot! I am seriously counting down for cooler weather- my energy returns, and enthusiasm to boot. I have GOT to start working on these Halloween costumes, but it's hard to imagine Halloween when it's mid-90's currently. Thinking a monkey costume for Chase is a given ;)

As uneventful as the past few days have been- we still have some humorous moments- including:

Shaving the dog- okay, this looks sowrong in so many ways, but not having her long hair floating around the house- and the end of summer to survive...

Then there is Chase who decided he doesn't feel like sitting up now- and rebels against the Boppy pillow my sister set beside him to try to help keep him propped up. He simply "shrimped" his way out of it. LOL.

AH- then the crazy  boys attacking. Nathan is so "hands on" - and Chase just sits and observes him- until he comes flying at him trying to touch, whack, lick, whatever... lol. The two of them are clowns, I swear.

Lastly- the Nathan video- this kid gives Mick Jagger a run for his money on weirdo tongues... I thought it was strange when he was a newborn, but now? hahaha... very alien-like...

Baby's First Game Day!

Little did I know when writing about our excitement over the beginning of college football season, that we would be heading up north to Gainesville for Chase's first Gator game :)

Since Dave & Chase were just laying around watching The Pink Panther on his phone, I had to agree that getting out of the house and at least being in town for the game was good for us!

So don the cap and off we go! A short brief tailgating before the game, and trying to endure the 90-something degree heat- ugh! The game fly-over happened as we were walking towards the stadium- crazy loud!

 Oh, and Ben Griffin stadium is the only place I've ever seen charge an infant for the price of admission- even the airlines don't do that yet, really??? Whatever. It was still worth it to be in the stands and get him started young. The crowds and noises didn't faze him, at least until he fell asleep, then everytime the crowd cheered or announcer came on, it startled him... otherwise- a true champ!

Granted, it wasn't the most impressive game as the Gator's rebuild the team, but... at least they won! Here's to our future Gator- the boy is not allowed to slink out of going to college, may as well go to a good one :) To 3 generations of Kaz boys...