BAM! Just Like That, We Are 18 Months Old.

I say WE are 18 months old, because well...first of all, our little guy is 18 months old, but our family is 18 months old too. AND if you can do math and read the previous blog, it has been 6 looong months since we last blogged. Apologies. We've been busy.

And really, now that I get this finally posted, we are nearly 19 months old...sheesh

January and February

January and February meant snow was still on the ground. We ran outside every chance we got. We became very fast at putting on jackets and shoes and grabbing Toby and heading out for a walk in the sunshine in the wagon.

Toby loves to ride in the wagon with Grant, right up until he sees another dog or person he wants to say hi to. Then he jumps out and saunters over. 

In Jan and Feb we weren't walking too much on our own just yet. We could couch-surf and get around, but I wouldn't say walking just yet.

This table was and still is our favorite place to sit and play with toys. It makes for a good cave and train depot. 

March

March brought us a huge 15-month-old growth spurt. Check out the picture of Grant in the back of the truck. (We loooove Dad's truck!) This picture is from the beginning of March, compared to the picture down the page at the end of March. I think sometimes we put him to bed and when he wakes up he is measurably taller!

Sweet sweet face. Watching our favorite monkey, Curious George.

Chair, milk, and George.  Don't bother me, I'm watching. And yes, yes you see patches on his knees. He wasn't totally walking yet and was still getting around on his hands and knees sometimes. He wore holes through his pants, but since he was so close to walking, I bought patches and patched up his pants as fast as he could wear them out.

I swear he grew a longer neck overnight. 

March also meant it was our 11 year wedding anniversary. We did what any couple would do and packed up the kids (biped and quadruped) and went to the park. 

Look how much taller he is, just at the end of March. Scroll back up to the picture in the beginning of March (I'll wait). Yup, we keep feeding him and he keeps growing. 15 months going on 10 years old. 

April

In April the sun came out, the flowers bloomed, baseball started up again, and all was well with the universe. 

Walking!!!! We started walking!!! Check out this link to see some fantastic walking, and one excited mom. https://youtu.be/FTRuqd-DjG8

Sunday night baseball, Cardinals vs. Cubs

Still loving to play in Dad's truck, and getting bigger by the minute! He has yet to actually ask to drive it, thank goodness. 

April's great weather brought us to the park on many occasions. Our after-park ritual includes everyone in the back of the car for water and snacks, and so mom can pick dirt, plants, bugs and whatever else off us before we climb in the car. I used to pack separate snacks for both the biped and quadruped, but since they share and share alike, now we just have group snacks for everyone. 

May

Along with May came the sun and heat. It still quite comfortable to be outside though. 

Grant quickly learned how to relax by the pool. We are now professionals in how to play with the water table and plastic pool in the driveway.

Uncle Jason came for a visit! We had so much fun hanging out with him.

We have also realized how much fun a shower can be. Mom likes it because it is much faster than a bath, and Grant likes it because you can run around under water and still manage not to get wet. Mostly he likes to close the door and then bang on the walls for a bit.

Big thanks to Kyle for building Grant a sandbox frame! 

I didn't really want a sandbox on the ground, especially between all the rain we get and the animals and bugs that could climb inside. I saw this idea to get a large tote box instead and build a frame for it. Thankfully, Kyle is a building genius and after I showed him a picture of what I was looking for, BAM! he built it. 

We get haircuts with Dad now at the big boy haircut place. Here we are having a snack outside waiting for Dad to arrive for our appointment. 

Warmer weather means lots of backyard fun. Grant took to the idea of bean bags fairly quickly, although his distance could use some work. He settled for carrying them all to the other side and dropping them in the hole.

June

 Grant surprises us every day with what he understands, what he can do, and how he communicates back to us. We were outside playing in June, and I was turning on the hose. I told him to grab the end and fill his water table with the water when it came out. I turn on the hose,turn around, and this is what I see. 18 months going on 10 years. 

Toby wasn't happy with the towel I set out for him, so he waiting for the proper opportunity to steal my chair.

Twice a week we have co-op babysitting at our house so another mom and I can go to boot camp together. We have a babysitter come over and Grant gets to play with his new friend while we work out. The babysitter taught them to put the chairs by the window to sit and watch the birds and animals in the yard. Now Grant does this by himself, and he always takes both chairs over. Sometimes he lets us sit in the empty chair, sometimes not. I wonder who he is saving it for - or who is sitting there already?

Grant loves Dad snuggles.

Grant truly has a love of life and fun. He is happy to entertain himself with toys and books, and loves to color at his table. He loves to be outside and to go the park, but also sit and snuggle for a good book or Curious George cartoon. He is a smiler, a giggler, and is starting to show that he is a funny guy with a great personality. Every day is like meeting an old friend and still learning something new about them.  I love spending every minute with my little guy.

More fun from July coming soon!

Until our next adventure, keep on smiling, snuggling and smelling the world around you!

Big hugs,

M, K, G & T

Best Time Ever!

7 months is the best age ever!  Wait, scratch that.
8 months is the best age ever!

Every day is now the best day ever.

What have we been doing lately?  Having fun! Grant is 8 months old and learning so much. I feel like we try something new every day. I can see him watching me or Kyle, see his wheels processing how to do it, and by the next day BAM!, he shows us he can do it. It seems like every time he wakes up from a nap he is older, wiser, and a little taller. A few days ago he got excited at something and started clapping his hands. I got so excited I cheered him on and of course scared him so he stopped. Lately, we have been mostly just playing with pieces of banana on our high chair tray - more like fingerpainting than anything else. Then all of a sudden, time stopped and he used his finger and thumb to pick up a piece of banana and eat it. I must admit I got teary-eyed and smiled at him and he looked at me like "Dude, mom, it's just a banana. Get a grip."

Family pic, July in CA

This summer we have been keeping busy with growing, seeing the world around us, visiting friends, swim lessons, library story time, and as always, playing with Toby. Grant changes so much every day. It's amazing what he picks up and can understand and then recall the next day. Just the other day at a friends' house Grant was playing with a ball with holes in it. The daughter picked up the ball and looked at Grant through the holes, which set him off giggling. Now, when he picks up the ball at home, the first thing he does is look at the world through the holes.

7 month Fun

Hanging with Dad at the beach house

Bath time!

The Grandmas bought him a new beach hat. He had to turn it around to be serious and play with his new toys.

Fun times with Uncle Jason.

8 month Fun

Good morning. I don't want to play. I'm just going to lay here for a while.

I reject your tummy time and play with my toes instead!

Why play with the mobile the right way when you can use it as a leg press instead?

The many faces of our favorite little guy.

I have 8 teeth now! 4 on top and 4 on the bottom. I eat the food mom gives me, but some times I am not too happy about the flavors. I have just recently figured out how to blow all the food back at Mom. I laugh and Toby thinks it's funny.

Toby is very interested in bath time. Clean babies are fun to give kisses to. Toby also likes to play in the water, and can jump in when the time is right.

This picture? It has no caption except ADORABLE CUTENESS.

As for Toby, here he is right next to Grant. 

Whatever Grant does, Toby is there.

Pulling the toys out of the toy box all by myself.

Where Grant goes, so does Toby.

Waiting patiently to steal some toys.

The toy battlefield is rough. Every now and then you lose a good soldier to the other side. Here, Toby has captured Sophie the Giraffe. Sadly, after several failed rescue attempts, she did not make it home.

Every now and then Toby takes a break. Usually, when Grant naps, Toby is right there with him. Not today. Today he took a break and jumped up in the adult chair and took a well-deserved rest.

While Grant is not crawling yet, he is doing everything but. He scoots backwards, spins around, and loves his saucer. He and Toby are now partners in crime and play games while Grant is in the saucer. Toby will come close enough for Grant to get him and then run away, or Grant will run around the saucer and stop in the same spot at every revolution just long enough for Toby to give him a kiss. When he spits out his binki, he has mastered the art of slowing down just long enough for us to hold out his binki and he will bite is as he runs by. We are having tons of fun with our little guy.

For some giggles, here is fun on a swing! Click here.

For more youtube fun, grab yourself a beverage, sit back and watch more videos. Search under "Mandi Comer Sabie".

Until our next adventure, keep on smiling, snuggling and smelling the world around you!

37 Weeks Down...OR...21 Days Left!!!

37 weeks! I'll say it, HOLY CRAP. It seems as though 37 weeks overall has flown by, but there have definitely been days and weeks (especially in the early beginning) that have seemed to crawl along.

Now, I believe in Karma, Good Luck, and Mother Nature, and you may as well throw the Softball Gods in there too, although I feel they are in cahoots with Karma and Good Luck. I know enough not to go against them or complain when really I have nothing to complain about and there are definitely others who have had worse. In that spirit, I have had quite a delightful 37 weeks of being pregnant. I have no complaints. I do have sore hip joints at times and problems breathing every now and then, but when I step back and realize I am GROWING A HUMAN, then it all falls into perspective.

I say "growing a human" instead of "having a baby" mostly because to me, having a baby sounds like you are throwing a party. "Hey! We're throwing a party Saturday night, want to come?"  "Growing a human" to me makes all the aches, the discomforts, the hey-I-didn't-know-my-stomach-could-stretch-like-that and everything else all make sense. While I am not one of those mothers who feels "at one with their child in the womb", I definitely can't wait to meet the little guy and get to know him and see his personality. I want to show him the world and teach him everything I know, but at the same time sit totally quiet and just stare at him in awe as he figures out the world from his own perspective. Oh, and play in mud. There will definitely be mud.

While we are talking about it, let's talk numbers. Close friends want to know how much extra weight is in there now? I would love to know how much weight everyone gained and where they started and finished, just because I find it interesting from a learning perspective. When I started boot camp in September of 2012, I was a pudgy out of shape 170. By March 2013, I was down to 150, and that's when we got pregnant. Now, 37 weeks later, I'm up to 187, but feel so much healthier and in better shape than I ever did at the pudgy 170. Doc has approved me to keep going to boot camp as long as I feel good doing it. We shall see how long I can last!

I also believe in putting good out into the Universe, and while I'm not totally excited to show tummy pictures, I am definitely one who loves to look at other ladies' pregnant bellies. In the effort to even it out, here are a few pictures from start to today. Sorry about the messy bedroom, but it is my favorite mirror to use for the pictures. And no, I am not sucking it in or sticking it out in any of the pictures. Ready? Here we go!

12 weeks

17 weeks

  

20 weeks - when we found out the little guy was a little GUY

22 weeks

 

23 weeks...and Toby

 23 weeks on a date with a boy!

 28 weeks at the baby shower in CA

35 weeks dressed for boot camp. Running out of things to wear.

 Decided against the long sleeve shirt as it kept riding up on my tummy. Had to improvise to keep my arms warm in a t-shirt. My latest invention - Arm Socks!

37 weeks - looks like half an egg shell on sitting on top of where my abs used to be.

 Same 37 weeks, just with a belly button sticking out.

 Same 37 weeks again, but the top of my belly has dropped, while the bottom is fighting to stay in place. Little guy definitely has not dropped yet.

Recently we were treated to quite the delight when our friends Ryan and Cari held a co-ed baby shower in St. Louis! They are tremendously generous hosts and have a flair for throwing great parties. They took what little information we had on the theme of the little guy's room - red and blue, letters and numbers - and turned that into a Dr. Seuss themed shower! Below are a few pics of their beautiful home, fabulous food, and lovely decorations! Note - it was in November, otherwise known as Movember, so yes, Kyle has a mustache. Ryan and Cari are also great to have around because they never take a bad picture!! Love those two so much. I can't wait for them to meet our little guy.  I must say, after seeing these pictures, they definitely put how much my tummy has grown into perspective! This is the end of week 33 and the start of week 34, but I definitely didn't feel as big as the dress makes it appear. Oh well! More room for those fantastic cake pops!!

 Ryan, Cari and us. Those two always take good pictures!! Love them. 

 Boot camp people, and yes, they ate all the goodies too!

 Adorable front door decorations

 Table of games. I actually won the price game! My prize? All the baby stuff we guessed the prices on, woohhoo!

The cookie station - which really, how can you go wrong? 

The fabulous cake pops, Thing 1 and Thing 2 style. YUM!!

Thank you so much to Ryan and Cari, not only for the lovely shower, but also for their friendship. They are wonderful people and we love every minute we spend with them.

Until our next adventure, keep on smiling, snuggling, and smelling the world around you.

Big hugs,

Mandi, Kyle, Toby, and the little guy