1/2 of a year already!

Little G turned 6 months last Saturday, he keeps me so busy that I'm a week late with this post! He's 27 1/2" long & 16 lbs, 8 ozs. He got his first virus a few weeks back and lost almost a pound, but he's been gradually getting it back.

He has such a personality! 

Not only is he hitting all of his milestones, but he's also hitting all of his 9 month milestones as well - I think we have an over achiever on our hands. He can go from laying on his back to sitting up in 0.5 seconds and is walking everywhere in his walker... even running and turning sharply - he chases the dogs all over the house! He also sits up all on his own, for as long as he wants. Last week started crawling forward (finally after doing it backwards for some time) and gets better (and faster) every day!

GG is grabbing anything he can get his hands on as well. If we're carrying him in a store we have to make sure to keep him away from the shelves. He can be a little stingy with his smiles though, unless you're a pretty girl. Yup, he's already a huge flirt!

He has a huge love for animals just like Chris and I. He's also really starting to enjoy visits to the zoo to watch all of the animals!

He has started "sharing" his food when you ask him for a bite and he's beginning to give mommie kisses nowadays. His favorite food these days? Big people food! He'd rather have real mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans, mac'n cheese or bread any day. He still gets baby food, but he's started blowing it out some of the time. He typically gets baby food three times a day, big people food with two meals and then he's still drinking lots of formula throughout the day. My little man loves to eat!

He has three favorite toys: a Grover remote, his blue owl (lovie) and a round teether.

Me & Bobby McGee can still get him to sleep, but not always, however, if I'm playing any type of mellow indie song it will get him to sleep in no time. He still fights to stay awake at nap time... almost every time!!

Barney is his favorite thing to watch on t.v., Phineas and Ferb is second best. I've recently introduced him to The Nightmare Before Christmas (being the huge Tim Burton fan that I am) and he's begun to like it pretty good too.

If I had to guess, I'd say giraffes are high on his list of likes. When he sees one in a store (pillow, toy, plush, ext) his eyes light up, he gets excited and tries to go for it! Yup, that's my boy!!

Still going on the potty the majority of the time. When he was sick he had diarrhea and that's been the only time, with the exception of one accident, that he hasn't pooped in the potty. We're getting much better at catching him before he pees and getting him to the potty.

He's trying to pull up on everything and wants to walk so bad he can't stand it. He has a large red ball that he's recently used to take two steps... alone, without our help!!

4 Months!

Our little man turned 4 months on Monday! He's 27" long & 14 lbs, 15 ozs.

He is developing his personality and we're loving every minute!  He's hitting all of his milestones along with some he shouldn't be hitting yet. After his doctor's appointment yesterday we went baby food shopping - he got the okay. I started him on sweet peas last night, mixed with his oatmeal somewhat. He wasn't too sure about it to begin with, but he warmed up to the different taste quite quickly.

GG can't sit up unassisted yet, but he's working on it. He's been rolling over onto his tummy for weeks now. He found his toes a few weeks back and won't leave them alone. They're the next best thing when a toy isn't handy and sometimes he prefers them instead.

If he has something, you're not getting it without a fight AND he's becoming very opinionated. Oh, and if he sees something he wants he's not afraid to let you know - with a quickness! So watch out world!

Oatmeal is still his most favorite thing to eat for the time being. That may change now that he's getting more foods, I'm sure it will. I think he's going to love food as much as me! He already mmmm's and makes other "this is yummy" sounds when he's eating.

His alligator has been demoted, Mr. Moose is currently his favorite.

Me & Bobby McGee (Janis Joplin) is still the only thing song I can turn on that can not only calm him down, but get him to sleep as well. He's been on a kick lately, especially when we're in the car, where he loves for me to sign to him. His favorite song is Father Abraham and he wants to hear it over... and over... and over... I am SO unbelievably tired of that song!! I've tried others, but he cries until I go back to it. Gosh, I love this little bugger so much, even in all of his moodiness.

Building a Tribe.

Hello again friends. I hope Father's Day was wonderful for all of you out there! We took a family picture to commemorate the day - same as we did on Mother's Day!

GG is growing like a little weed! It blows my mind that he's getting so big. In exactly one week our little man will be 2 months old. It's so crazy!! I love that he's cooing more and making eye contact. He's also just started flailing around a lot. Oh, and he's so close to laughing out loud. He tries so hard to laugh and talk, but not much really comes out yet. While I do miss him being a tiny baby I'm thrilled that his personality is beginning to come out.

Now to the real meaning of my post: Building a Tribe. If you've never heard of Tara Wagner you should check her out. I have been inspired by her for a long time now. She has some amazing ideas not just for parenting, but for being a spiritual, functional, happy woman. One of her stances is that every woman needs a tribe. It wasn't until I became a mom that this actually hit me. I suddenly have this realization that I need other women, specifically other moms, that I can connect with. I need other women that carry some of the same ideals and parenting styles that I myself have. I wasn't raised in the way that I want to raise GG and I know that there are going to be times that I need advice and guidance. I would also like to be there to advise and guide other women when they need it. I want a tribe. I currently have my husband, Chris, my "person" Jenna and a few other good friends, not to mention some wonderful family members, but I need so much more than that.

After searching around, getting the word out and sharing what I was looking for in a mommy group with no luck I have decided to build one.. ergh.. start one I should say. I've begun a facebook group and am so happy to see it growing! I cannot wait for our first meet up/play date. I'm not only excited to be finding like minded mommies, but I love the idea of GG getting friends out of it that he can grow up with!!

Someone... quick, stop the clock!

The only thing that stays the same is everything changes everything changes.

 I cannot believe that a month and nine days has gone by since GG entered this world! A week and a half ago he'd already grown out of his newborn clothes and moved up to the 0-3 months ones. I'm almost 31, so I've had a handle on just how fast time goes for many years now, but THIS!?! This has pushed it to a whole new level! Where did my teeny tiny little newborn go?

GG spent his first week in the hospital, on the third day he was transferred to the NICU for observation. There was risk of a seizure, which in newborns can be very dangerous. We are so lucky and blessed that he got to come home exactly 7 days after his birth! I cannot get over how much he changes on a daily bases. I still stare at him for hours and find it hard to ever put him down. Sharing him is tough, but I know that if others love him even half as much as I do- it would just be plain cruel for me not to let them spend time holding him and loving on him. Besides, I can still watch him when someone else is holding him!

GG has colic along with a few sensory issues. The sensory issues have been gradually getting better, the colic not so much, but we deal the best we can - even if it means mommie has to stay up most of the night rocking our little man. I know that this is just phase in his life that, like that teeny tiny little newborn we use to hold, will be gone quicker than we can imagine. I'm trying to cherish every single second: from the nasty poops, the sleepless nights, and all the amazing things in between because once this is gone, there's no getting it back!

So many times in the past I've been told, as I'm sure hundreds of you have - "It's different when it's yours."  As cliche as it sounds, it's true. I love my nieces and nephews and I never would have imagined that I could love any child more than I love them and maybe it's not that I love GG more, but it's on a completely different scale. I love him with every ounce of my soul. I can't remember what our lives were without him in it.