One Year!

My 1st Christmas

My sweet little boy, it is so hard to believe that one year ago you were born! This has been the most amazing year my little boy. This month your personality has been such a joy. You are so sweet and still very happy.  You are starting to have conversations with us. We don’t know what you are saying yet, but you definitely have something to say! We had such a good time relaxing with family over the holiday break. We got to sleep in and snuggle in the morning. We also went on several walks in sunny cold weather. I thought that you would fall asleep on our walks, but you are usually too busy looking at everything to sleep.

We spent Christmas in Eugene and North Bend. I love seeing you interact with our family. All of the kids, especially James, are so sweet with you! I wish we got to see them more often.

Unfortunately you are not happy when you wake up anymore. You always used to wake up with a smile. Now, pretty much every time you wake up you are crying. It is very sad, and I hope you get out of this stage quickly.



Getting ready to read

You are starting to talk more. The other day you sat down with a book and read it out loud to me. It was so sweet. When we are driving home you sometimes yell at me to make sure I know you are still there. You are repeating words that we say and sometimes saying things, I think. Daycare seems to think you are talking, but I still don’t think you are using any words consistently. However, you are understanding a lot. You are consistently waving goodbye. Shawna taught you to say Yay and raise your hands above your head. It is so cute!

Right now you love being chased! On Monday I chased you into the dining room and thought I had trapped you. I asked you where you were going to go, you looked at me and dropped to the ground and headed under the table, laughing of course! Such a problem solver! You still like climbing the stairs, but this month I have taught you how to crawl down the stairs. I am so happy that you have learned how to do this.



My first drum lesson

This month you got you eighth tooth. I think you are getting some more, because the drool has started again. Your hair is getting quite long. It curls up over the back of your t-shirts. I love it. You’ll probably have to get a haircut pretty soon, but I am going to put that off as long as I can.

Thursday was your birthday, but we didn’t really do anything special, well besides a mega trip to Costco in preparation of your party. We had a wonderful party on Saturday. So many friends and family came to celebrate you! Your grandpa and I made a piñata for you. Abu made Grandma’s apple cake and she and Ryan decorated some very special cakes and cupcakes for you. We had a delicious lunch of enchiladas, rice, beans and salad. After many of our friends left, the family stayed around relaxing and playing games. It was a great party and a fabulous weekend! You are a special boy and our friends and family definitely showed you lots of love this weekend. We are very lucky!

Makin' Music

Likes: being chased, grabbing Frida’s legs, climbing on everything, getting my credit card out of my wallet(which I can’t find at this moment), and dance parties          

Dislikes: Getting your diaper changed, waking up, getting your nails cut

 

 

 

11 Months!

Another Happy Morning

As we get ready for Christmas I can’t help but think about last year and the fact that we had never met! This has been the most amazing year, you are almost one! For most of this month you have had six teeth, three on top and three on the bottom. But they don’t line up. It is so cute! You have had one on the left top and one on the right bottom. This week the right top finally started to come in. You also finally started using your teeth. You still rather stick the whole thing in your mouth rather than bite off anything, but you at least you are chewing your food now.

Trying to get downstairs.

This month you really got your balance. You walk around just like you have always been doing it, except when you start laughing. You frequently laugh so hard that you fall on the ground! It is hilarious. You have also discovered crawling up the stairs. If we have the gate down for one minute you are headed up stairs. This is particularly dangerous because you start laughing, and for you laughing equals a loss of balance.

You recently learned how to get off the bed and couch without any help. This means you are not “trapped” on the bed any more. This morning you woke up, slid right off and ran out the door! You are also getting taller and can now grab things that you couldn’t last month. Your favorite thing to grab is an iPad! This morning your dad set mine on the shelf and then when he turned around you reached up and grabbed it! It did hit you in the face, but you didn’t seem to mind. You sat down and started touching the screen waiting for something to happen.

Happy to be out of the rain.

We met Grandpa, Abu, Maggie and Daniel at the coast a couple of weeks ago. We celebrated Abu’s 60^th birthday! The weather was horrible, so we mostly just hung out.  You had a good time relaxing with your family.

Hat Hair!

This past week you came down with croup. Luckily you didn’t really act too sick, but you sounded horrible. The sound of you struggling to breath is very scary. But after lots of hot showers and going to bed early you are back to your wonderful self!

Likes: Dance parties in the living room, eating everything, chasing Frida around the house, getting face to face with me and then laughing, and laughing when I blow kissed at you through the car window.

Dislikes: taking naps, holding still while we change your diapers.

10 Months



My happy baby

Last Saturday you turned 10 months old! Every day you look more and more like a little boy and less like a baby. You have been speeding down the sides of the couches. On November 2 you finally let go of the couches and took two steps towards your daddy. I think we were so excited we scared you! We are just so amazed at everything you do. Last Sunday, after hanging out with your cousin Corbin, you just started walking. We call it the “zombie walk,” because of your arms up and out in front of you. It is so sweet. In just a week you have gotten a lot more balanced and we know there is no stopping you now.

Your 1st Halloween with
Grandma Lynne

We celebrated your fist Halloween this past month. The celebration consisted of dressing you up, taking some pictures and passing out a little bit of candy. Grandma Lynne came over and we just hung out trying to keep Frida calm as people knocked of the door.



With Grandpa wearing your 1st
pair of mittens

Two weeks ago you and I went to Portland for a little mini vacation. We got to hang out with Jill, Eddie, and baby Max on Friday and then spend the rest of the weekend with Grandpa and Abu. It was a beautiful fall weekend. We walked around a little but mostly just hung out eating delicious food. I was so proud of you for trying new foods. You loved tabouli and every other new flavor you tried.

This weekend we celebrated your 1^st Thanksgiving. We were so happy to have Les, Elvia, and Corbin visiting. You and your cousin had fun playing together. It is too bad that they live so far away.
 

You and Daddy with Uncle Les
and Corbin

You are teething and got a little virus this week. On Thanksgiving you had a temperature of 103. Luckily it went down fairly quickly and it didn’t seem to affect you too much. There were a couple of difficult moments. It was really sad when you were crying and tossing around. You don’t have the words to express yourself, so you were just crying with such a sad look on your face. We are so happy that you are back to your smiley self. I see tooth number 5 popping in and number 6 is about here. We’re hoping that you won’t be bothered by them too much.

We love you baby boy and can’t wait for winter break so we can have a full two weeks of spending all day with you!

 

Likes: playing peek-a-boo, the freedom of walking, being tickled on the feet, counting to 5

Dislikes: being put down for a nap, diaper changes.

A Little More about Month 9



Four teeth and covered in drool!

I forgot to mention a couple of important details of your ninth month. You finally have four teeth! The top two came in and the drool dried up for a few days. It is back, so some more teeth are probably on the way. You often stick your thumb in your mouth and feel your teeth. It is very cute.



Peeking at me from behind the couch.

Our new favorite game is when I peek out from behind the couch. I’ll say your name looking over the top, then duck down and then peer around the side. You laugh and laugh. Sometimes you fall down you are laughing so hard!  You are so sweet and make me so happy.

Getting ready to walk.

Last weekend we got you a little car that you can walk behind and push. We can’t believe that you are about to walk! My amazing boy, you are growing so fast.




9 Months

Today my baby boy you are nine months old. You have grown a lot this month! You were sitting playing in the living room the other day and when I looked at you and I couldn’t believe it has only been nine months since you were born, you looked like a toddler not my baby. You are getting so tall that you can reach up and grab toys, books, and papers, all of which you promptly put in your mouth.

This month you have really started eating solid food. Beans continue to be your favorite food, of course! But so far you haven’t turned away any food that we've offered you. This week you actually used a spoon by yourself.

 

The last weekend in September you and I went to Eugene for your cousin’s birthday. You loved getting to play with James and well as hang out with your grandpa and abu. We stopped in Portland to eat lunch with Jill, Eddie, and sweet little Max. I thought that a two hour break would help you make it home happy. I was wrong. You fell asleep just outside Portland and made it until Olympia. That seems to be your limit. When we got home your daddy came out to get you, I grabbed my bags and then came in. Inside you were laughing and swinging your shirt around, happy to be out of the car and playing with Dad.

For some reason this month you have decided that you don’t really like taking naps. What this means is you are frequently tired when I pick you up in the afternoon. You frequently fall asleep in the car, so I will drive home slowly weaving through the neighborhood letting you sleep. On Friday I stayed home with you. We slept in until 7:30, which was very nice, but you only slept 45 minutes that whole day. Luckily it didn’t seem to bother you until 8 at night. This is just another example of how you are such a good happy baby.

When you get excited you grab one of your left fingers with your right hand and shake your arms up and down. It is so adorable!

 

Likes: eating everything, peeking in and around chairs, dancing, being tickled, splashing in Frida’s water dish

Dislikes: Having your nose wiped, being woken up (same as last month), long car rides

Waking up the last week of September ~ Happy



Waking up mid October ~ Still happy!




8 Months

Last Monday you turned 8 months old. Another month has flown by. This month I had to go back to work. It was a challenge finding the right place for you to go during the day, but after some stress, and a couple of tears (from me) we did it. You have a wonderful daycare close to the house. I think the transition was more difficult for me than for you. After spending everyday with you for the first 7 and a half months of your life, if was hard to leave you with someone else. You didn’t seem to have much trouble adjusting. You love playing with the older kids and are usually excited when you arrive in the mornings. They love you too. Rebecca says you are one of the happiest babies she has ever known!

Since school has started the whole family is adjusting and figuring out our new routine. It has been a little challenging at times, but I think we are getting it. We get up around 5 am, Daddy usually takes you to daycare in the morning and I get to pick you up in the afternoon. We hang out in the evening and then you go to bed between 6:30 and 8:30. We’re working on getting more consistent with a bed time.

 

You are getting taller and seem to be losing a tiny bit of your chub. You love to crawl over, on and under everything! You had your first big fall this month. Well actually you didn’t fall very far, but you had a big bruise. Unfortunately I think you are going to bruise like me. You were sitting down at daycare and were turning to watch another kid when you leaned and just fell. Luckily you didn’t cry too much and the bruise didn’t last very long.

You have started eating solid food. I think beans are your favorite, but I could have guessed that! You often make faces when you taste a new food, but then you reach for more. You are getting better at feeding yourself but are working on picking things up with your fingers.

You still only have two teeth. The top two are bothering you, but they are still below the surface. Some days it looks like you have two blisters in your mouth. I hope they come in soon because they are making you cranky! But even a little grumpiness can’t change the fact that you are still the sweetest little baby with the best smile.

 

Likes: Crawling between the couches and under the chairs and tables, singing songs, watching Mommy and Daddy dance around the living room, dumping the laundry basket

Dislikes: Having your nose wiped, being woken up

Seven Months

1st time riding in a cart.

Rowan, every month you become more and more amazing. There were a lot of developments this month! The last week of June you were in the living room talking to Grandma Lynne and I came in to see you just sitting there. I was so surprised! There was no stopping you after that. You stared crawling across the room stopping to sit up and make sure we were watching. If you see something across the room that you want, either me or a dirty shoe, you squeal and then crawl as fast as you can until you get there. The next week I was watching you crawl and you went right up to the couch and pulled yourself up! I couldn’t believe it. The problem then became getting down. For two weeks you would pull yourself up on something and then wine until someone helped you down. Well this week you learned how to sit back down after standing up. For a day you would stand up then sit down over and over.





1st time brushing your teeth!



The other big development is you now have two teeth! As they were coming in we had a couple of cranky evening. You also started waking up during the night again. Hopefully we can get back in to a sleeping routine before the next tooth decides to come in. You seemed interested in my brushing my teeth so we started brushing yours. Of course you think it is funny!

Last week we took the train to Eugene. I’ll admit that I was nervous traveling alone with you, but I shouldn’t have been. You did great. The train wasn’t too full so you got your own seat. You woke up around Albany and weren’t too happy. Luckily the guy sitting in front of us was happy to talk to you smiled all the way to Eugene. We got to spend the week with Grandpa and Abu.  You also got to spend quite a bit of time with James. You could play soo much more with him this time than you could just three weeks earlier. He was happy about that!

Last weekend we headed to the coast for the Mejía family reunion.  You enjoyed meeting so many family members and playing with your cousins. It was so nice getting to relax, play games, laugh, and enjoy family time. Everyone thought you were adorable!

You are still not too interested in eating solid food. You still think everything is funny, and have the best laugh! Your daddy and I love to make up silly songs to entertain you.

Likes: Chasing Frida around the living room, being tickled, besitos, standing up, brushing your teeth, eating books

Dislikes: Being alone, long car rides, me not letting you stand in the bathtub