Simon [9 months]

The big NINE MONTHS.  This might not seem like a huge milestone to you, but it does to me.  I remember folding and putting away Simon's 9-month-sized onesies when I first organized his dresser, thinking that they were absolutely huge.  Now, those huge onesies are in the 'wearable' rotation and fit him perfectly.  Nine months means that it has been 3 months since Simon began [successfully] eating solids, so it's probably time for us to venture out from fruits and veggies a little bit to trying more "Big Boy" foods, like cheese, meat, and possibly a few grains.  And most importantly, 9 months means that we are 3/4 of the way to Simon's first birthday, a day that will make me smile with pride and cry like a baby.  This child has now been outside of my uterus for as long as it took for him to grow inside of it, and my mind has seriously blown while trying to negotiate how time flew by so quickly.  Nine months is now here, and we definitely aren't able to turn back!

playful boy

investigating the shiny band-aid

fever baby

Our big boy continues to grow and change.  During his 9th month, teeth #5 and #6 made their debuts in the middle top row, leaving a toddler-like smile on my baby's face.  We met Simon's new pediatrician at his 9-month well baby checkup, the first doctor's visit that Daddy unfortunately was not able to attend with us.  The little man weighed in at 18 pounds and 5 ounces (about 12th percentile) and measured 28.8 inches tall (about 59th percentile).  Simon didn't have any shots during this visit, but did have his hemoglobin checked (which came back negative).  He handled the test like a champ and was rewarded with a shiny, silver band-aid wrapped around his pricked finger.  The scheduling of this visit came in perfect timing with Simon's first fever, which hit while we were in Tahoe, two days before his appointment.  Our little angel threw up, had a 2-day temperature above 100 degrees, and had bouts of sleepiness and lethargy.  As a mommy, it was so sad seeing my baby not feeling like his usual happy and playful self and not being able to do more for him than give Tylenol and lots of snuggles.  I was relieved that the fever had passed by the time we saw the doctor, and was glad to know that his pediatrician wasn't concerned with what was apparently just Simon's first tummy bug.

new jumperoo

first shopping cart ride

cloth diaper baby!

As our boy quickly became a crawling machine, we had a difficult time keeping him safely in one place (i.e., away from the entertainment unit, out from behind the couch, off of the banister-free stairs that we've yet to figure out how to block off).  Because at this point his swing was only being used for climbing, I decided that it was finally time for us to upgrade to a jumperoo.  We had originally received the exersaucer from our Babies"R"Us registry during my pregnancy, but ended up returning it to help afford other items we were in greater need for after Simon's birth.  After lots of searching, I found a Fisher-Price Rainforest™ Jumperoo™ on Craiglist in great condition and scored it for only $35!  Simon loves it and is already an experienced jumper thanks to his doorway jumper, which he's long since become too tall for.  The jumperoo has three-position height adjustment, so this will grow with him as he continues to become taller.  I also recently decided that Simon was big enough to try sitting in the front of the shopping cart.  We made our first attempt during an evening shopping trip to the grocery store and he was perfect!  The different perspective was captivating to him, as he barely made a peep the whole time and couldn't stop staring at everything around him.  And while we're on the topic of new additions and big changes, I am happy to share that we are now a cloth diapering family!  I'd like to write a separate post about this if I ever have the time, but for now I will just mention that I was interested in cloth diapers during my pregnancy, but it wasn't something we were able to begin immediately.  So far, we've had a great experience and I'm loving the change we've made!

catnapping next to Dad

sweet snuggles

a late-night snooze

We are at the heightened state of separation anxiety with Simon, which has led to complete and utter refusal from him in regards to sleeping in his crib.  Because the phrase "co-sleep or no sleep!" is so unbelievably true and as working parents Eric and I are in desperate need of rest, Simon made the return to our bed and sleeping in my arms all night long.  His constant noise-making and tossing and turning quickly began keeping Eric awake all night, so my poor husband started rotating between sleeping on our bedroom floor, the couch, and the living room floor.  On the morning that Simon turned 9 months, Eric was sleeping downstairs and the most horrific, it-happens-to-everyone-at-some-point thing occurred in the middle of the night: Simon rolled off of our bed.  He woke up crying; I began screaming; Eric was up the stairs in two strides; and I was traumatized for the rest of the day.  I was absolutely terrified of letting this happen again, especially without Eric being in the bed with us, but there was still no getting Simon back into his crib.  So, I decided to try sleeping with Simon on the floor in his room.  I made us a nice, little bed with several blankets and pillows and Eric tucks us in every night, putting up the baby gate in the doorway for safety.  It's cozy most of the time and I surprisingly sleep pretty well (as does Simon, too, when he sleeps!), and Eric has been able to return to our bed.  While it's not a long-term solution, it's mostly working for now.  On the unfortunate occasion when Simon refuses to go down with me, Eric will take a shift so I can catch a couple hours of sleep in our bed as he walks around with Simon in his arms or in the Ergo until the boy falls asleep or finally gives up fighting and passes out on the floor.  I very much miss sleeping in the same room as my husband, but we've agreed that for now we have to make this sacrifice in order for all three of us to sleep at night.  We remind ourselves that this phase won't last forever, and any good night's sleep we can get is a reward in itself.  I also try to take comfort in the fact that some day--sooner than I expect--Simon won't want to sleep or cuddle with me anymore, so I'm trying my very hardest to cherish this time while I have it.  When he sleeps well, I absolutely love snuggling with him, and deep down I'm honestly in no rush for my baby to grow out of wanting to be held by his mommy.

 Mommy's little pumpkin

hayride with Daddy

Simon-o-lantern!

The weekend before Halloween, Eric and I took Simon to The Pumpkin Farm, a family-owned pumpkin patch that is right behind our house and just a short walking distance from our front door.  I was so excited to share this Fall festivity with our boy and appropriately dressed him up in a Jack-o-lantern body suit.  The three of us did the hayride on the tractor around the property and Simon was entranced by all the new sights surrounding him.  We looked at crafts, treated ourselves with a bowl of apple slices and caramel sauce (just plain apples for baby!), and set out in search of some pumpkins.  I sat Simon down on the ground in front of a batch of beautiful, orange gourds for some photos and his 'boy instincts' quickly took over, as he dove his hands right into the piles of hay beneath his knees.  Eric and I just stood back and watched with enjoyment as Simon was fascinated with the straws of hay, picking them up and waving them in the air.  With his face covered in dirt, he then began playing on the large pumpkin nearest to him, which to me clearly indicated that it was the one to come home with us.  On our way out, Eric remarked that when we return with Simon next year, he will probably be big enough to play on a few of the many attractions that The Pumpkin Farm has set up for children.  Either way, I look forward to continuing our pumpkin patch tradition with our family for many years to come.

The Muppet Family

 our Animal

 trick-or-treating gang

Celebrating Simon's first Halloween was such a complete joy for our little family.  With a tip from a fellow mom on Facebook, I purchased Simon's and my Halloween costumes from Costume Express back in May during a major clearance blowout where costumes were clearanced down to between $3-$8.  I scored an adult Miss Piggy and 6-12 month Animal costume for $15 including shipping!  All that was left was to get a Kermit shirt for Eric, which I easily found on eBay in early October for $7, and green pants (actually scrubs) and hair color which totaled roughly $13.  I was so in love with our family costume, which was quite a hit while we trick-or-treated.  We were happy to be invited trick-or-treating with our friends, Taylor and Stephanie, who just bought a house one neighborhood over from Athena's parents.  Since she and James were out with Lilly near her parents' house, they were able to meet up with us in one big, happy group.  Justin came along in costume, and my dad also joined in to witness Simon's first trick-or-treating experience.  Our boy was fantastic and didn't fuss one single bit.  I carried him the entire way (we walked for about an hour and a half), and Eric joined us at every doorstep, proudly kneeling down to Simon's level and handing out his pumpkin bucket for treats.  We were surprised at just how much loot our little Animal earned and loved the reactions our costumes received from the candy-givers.  We had such a blast spending the evening with our friends and their children (as well as all of the grandparents in tow!) and we hope to be able to trick-or-treat with our friends and their wonderful families again next year.

 handsome boy

 beautiful Lake Tahoe

Mr. & Mrs. Eric Veater

As I briefly mentioned above, we traveled to Lake Tahoe to see our friends, Eric and Meko, get married at the beautiful Edgewood Tahoe golf course and country club.  This was Simon's second trip away from home and first stay in a hotel.  We got a room at Mont Bleu (none of us were impressed with our stay here and would not recommend this hotel), where the wedding party and most of our friends stayed, and mostly spent time together alone as a family on Friday night since we were the only ones who brought their child.  Eric, Simon, and I got dinner at Cafe del Sol, one of the casino's restaurants, and hung out in our hotel room watching TV and relaxing.  The morning of the wedding started off a little rocky with Simon's fever, but after a few phone calls to the nurse practitioner we decided to still try going to the ceremony since we'd already made the trip.  While he was a little fussier than normal, Simon actually did great at the wedding despite not feeling his best.  He gave smiles and tolerated being held by some of his aunties and uncles, and a couple nursing sessions and doses of Tylenol got us successfully through the reception.  We had been so close to going home and missing the entire event, but our boy ended up being a tough little champ.  It was so beautiful sharing in the newlyweds' special day, and we look forward to bringing Simon back to Tahoe for a second, hopefully illness-free trip.

chillin' with Cho-Cho

big boy bath time

meeting Elle

Life with our little monkey never includes a dull moment.  He is loved by us so much and clearly has lots of love for us as well.  Simon also has bunches of love for his Cho-Cho, who is still babysitting while Eric and I are at work.  The two of them have such a special relationship and really enjoy their time together.  In light of Simon's fall off of our bed, my dad began teaching Simon how to get down from the furniture safely by sliding down on his tummy.  He picked up the skill in no time at all and it's the funniest thing to watch him do!  And speaking of special relationships, Simon was just finally able to meet my friend Chelsea and her daughters, Emma and Elle.  Chelsea moved to Texas with her family back in January before Simon was born and was recently back in town visiting with her girls.  Being pregnant at the same time (Elle was born about 2.5 months before Simon), Chelsea and I had spent time together talking about pregnancy and all things baby.  As Elle was baby girl #2 after big sister Emma, Chelsea was a wealth of knowledge for me and had lots of valuable information to share as I prepared for Simon's arrival.  Getting the babes together and spending time with Chelsea during her trip home was very special for me.  It still surprises me after 9 months how much life has changed and how our priorities have shifted.  Mommy dates and family time have become among my most cherished moments so far during parenthood, and I excitedly look forward to thousands of more special moments to come.

Simon [8 months]

 

This beautiful boy is 8 months old and quickly becoming less of a baby and more of a Big Boy.  He melts my heart with every little look, his chatty baby babble, and his interest in everything around him.  Adored by everyone who knows him and loved like crazy by his goofy parents, Simon is truly living the life.  It still seems like it was only yesterday that he was sleeping in my arms all day rather than always climbing out of them.  Our son keeps our lives fun, exciting, and interesting; and while every day isn't the easiest, his smile makes those difficult days worth it all.

 

standing pro

 

sitting practice

 

cutie patootie

 

Our monkey is a mobile machine!  His favorite activity during the last month was still playing on his swing, using it as a support for standing rather than a seat for swinging.  He managed to turn on the music by himself a few times, by sheer coincidence I think, and would get really excited and stare at the red light next to the power button.  While most of the time we catch him sitting on his knees, Simon is also continuing to improve his proper sitting skills.  He sometimes needs support to sit for longer periods of time, but it shows that his trunk muscles and balance are getting stronger and stronger.  For the second time, Simon sat on the scale all by himself (weighing in at 17 lbs. and 3.5 oz.) when we went to his new pediatrician's office.  Eric's benefits kicked in on September 1st, so we switched Simon from my Kaiser insurance to Eric's Blue Cross Blue Shield plan to save money.  With BCBS, Simon will now see Eric's childhood pediatrician!  We did not get to meet with the doctor for our first visit, but the nurse practitioner and office staff were very nice.  Our first appointment with his new doctor will be next month at Simon's 9-month well baby checkup.

 

working on balance

 

growing in the crib

 

first shoes!

 

As I mentioned before and evidence by the previous month, this kid can stand up all on his own and absolutely loves to do so.  Completely fearless, Simon looks for anything and everything to use to pull himself to his feet.  It's become a little scary when he uses an inappropriate object to support his weight, (i.e., the car seat, a leaning baby gate, his unlocked swing), but he can be very determined and will always go for it.  The one occasion when Simon stood and scared me to death was the morning he pulled himself up into a standing position in his crib; this boy is so tall that when he stood, more than half of his torso was above the crib railing!  I watched the entire thing happen on the monitor and dashed up the stairs to his room as quickly as possible, fearing that his body would at any minute propel over the railing and down onto the floor.  Thankfully, I scooped him up into my arms before he could even entertain the idea of throwing himself overboard, and Eric was tasked to lower the crib mattress as soon as possible.  Simon is still so big that even with the mattress at the lowest position, Simon is at mouth-level with the crib railing.  With that danger now mostly out of the way, we are encouraging Simon to stand outside with the addition of his first big boy shoes.  I figure that the extra padding of the sole will give him more support, and of course help those pesky little socks stay on his feet and keep those toes warm as the temperatures begin to cool.

  

cauliflower face

grilled zucchini goodness

 

homemade apple sauce

 

Simon continues to do well with Baby Led Weaning.  He's become very fond of avocado and carrot, and over the last month we introduced cauliflower, zucchini, and apple.  When we first gave cauliflower to Simon, Eric had accidentally overcooked it, causing the floret to crumbled right in Simon's hand and get all over the high chair more than in his mouth.  When Simon first tasted zucchini it was grilled with the skin on, so he only sucked the juice off of the meat since he wasn't able to bite through the skin.  Finally, we had greater success with apple; when we went to Apple Hill for Eric's birthday, I asked Eric to make a quick apple sauce for the trip so Simon could enjoy an apple treat along with the rest of us.  All it took was peeling, cutting, and boiling the slices from one apple, then mashing them up after it was finished cooking.  Being the first food that we prepared to spoon-feed him, Simon did great and loved the sour sweetness of his apple sauce (which tasted bland to me since we didn't add anything to it).  As we are still dedicated to BLW, we now give Simon raw apple slices and he eats them like a champ.
 

campfire cuddles with Mommy

resting in the tent with Daddy

our family - Union Valley Reservoir

 

The big event that happened last month was Simon's first camping trip!  Eric, Simon, Courage, and I along with James, Athena, and their daughter, Lilly; Jordon, Brianna, and their dog, Minnie; Ashley and Taryn; Justin; and Brett and his girlfriend, Maggie, and friend, Andy spent the last weekend of September camping up in Polluck Pines at the West Point Campgrounds in the Eldorado National Forest.  Our campsite was just a short walk to the beautiful Union Valley Reservoir, where we took many pictures and enjoyed the great view.  Simon absolutely loved being outdoors all weekend, and never seemed to mind the cold day and nighttime temperatures.  He ate a couple meals in his high chair, cuddled quietly with us at night in the tent, and was so incredibly happy during the entire trip.  Eric was mostly thrilled about having the opportunity to take a cozy afternoon nap with Simon in the tent, something that has never happened at home.  Courage was quite well-behaved as well, as this was his first camping trip with us, too.  We really had a great time and enjoyed the relaxation, the beautiful scenery, our yummy campfire meals, and the good company of our friends.

 

with the big boys

playing with "Cousin" Lilly

Auntie Thena's birthday

 

We went over to James and Athena's home for dinner to celebrate Athena's 29th birthday.  Since Eric and I have been trying to feed Simon solids more often, we brought his high chair with us so he could eat dinner while we enjoyed our meal.  Being the first time that Simon ate at someone else's home other than ours, I was a little worried about him being willing to sit in his high chair instead of on my lap.  As always, Simon ended up behaving wonderfully and ate his carrot and zucchini very well all on his own.  After dinner, we enjoyed visiting with our friends and Simon played with Daddy and Lilly.  It makes me smile just how much Lilly adores Simon; she is always excited to see him and wants to hug him and interact with him immediately.  Having been friends with Athena since we were in 9th grade, it is really special to me to be able to have our little families spend time together and our children socialize and play.  Despite their age difference, I hope that Simon and Lilly will grow to be sweet friends.

 

Simon's first football game!
 

cozy with Daddy
 

with Mommy's coworker, Terryl

 

One of my former students who is now a 9th grader in high school invited my coworker, Terryl, and I to come watch his football game at Del Oro High School.  I thought it would be fun to make it a family affair, so Eric and Simon joined me at the game.  Terryl and I ran into two of our other former students, so I was thrilled to have Simon with me to see everyone.  No stranger to spectating, Simon really enjoyed watching the game and talking up a storm.  It was one of the first chillier evenings of Autumn, so unfortunately we weren't able to stay until the end of the game.  I was so happy that we were able to make the time to go to the game, and I was so grateful to have my family with me.  Watching the football game made Eric and I so excited for when Simon is older and hopefully interested in sports.  We plan to support our children in participating in team sports and extra curricular activities to the best of our abilities.

 

skilled self-eater

first date with Bliss

 

snuggly sleeper

Eric and I continue to fall head-over-heals for our darling son.  A part of me wishes that I could keep him from growing right before my eyes, because time just seems to be moving way too fast.  With each day, Simon becomes more and more independent; whether it be with eating, moving, or playing; we love to see what he is going to do next.  Jen and I recently got Simon and her new baby girl, Bliss, together for an outing, and it blew me away looking at Bliss, remembering like it was only yesterday when Simon was a newborn.  I know I will feel a sense of nostalgia every month for the next several years to come, but it almost breaks my heart that my baby is already growing up.  On the other hand, it seems as though we've hit the 8-month sleep regression stage, as my big boy has out of no where decided he doesn't like sleeping in his crib as much anymore.  Maybe this is his way of agreeing to slow down on growing up?  The exhausted side of me isn't so sure... I guess you win some and you lose some!

eric [28 years]

 

Three weeks ago, we celebrated Eric's 28th birthday.  While the celebration wasn't quite the hoopla as last year's was, we had a great weekend with our little family and our close friends.  Eric's birthday fell on Sunday, October 6th, but we planned a trip up to Apple Hill on Saturday the 5th.  Our friends James and Athena with their daughter, Lillyan; Taylor and Stephanie with their children, Christian and Farrah; Jordon and Brianna with their dog, Minnie; Nick and his girlfriend, Lilia; and Justin all joined Eric, Simon, and me for a wonderful day of sunshine and sweet treats.  Apple Hill is an annual destination for us each Fall, but this was the first group trip we had done with all of our friends in 7 years.

 

with the birthday boy

 

the whole gang

Our group hit Eric's and my three favorite orchards, plus the always amazing Jack Russell Farm Brewery.  We gorged ourselves on all of Apple Hill's best staples: pie, cheesecake, beer, cyser, and the most delicious apple milkshake ever imagined.  To Eric's disappointment, Fudge Factory Farm was closed at High Hill Ranch, which means we will definitely have to make another trip back to pick up some delicious fudge.  We didn't leave empty-handed, though, as Eric purchased some fresh Fuji apples from Kids Inc.  Simon was awesome the whole day, aside from fighting his midday nap with strong determination.  We had so much fun sharing the day with our son and showing him the wonderful sights, smells, and sounds of Apple Hill in Autumn.

Daddy's birthday breakfast

We began Eric's birthday on Sunday morning with opening his present.  Eric had been wanting new non-stick pans for a while, and I found a 12-piece set for him that he was really excited about.  He also got birthday cards, one signed by me and one signed by Simon.  We then had breakfast and I made peanut butter morsel pancakes with chocolate milk for the birthday boy.  It was a beautiful morning, so we enjoyed our meal outside on the front porch with Simon in his high chair.  We spent the rest of the morning relaxing and unwinding from the previous busy day.

birthday dinner at Blue Nami

Lester and Benjamin stopped by for a short visit in the afternoon to give Eric his birthday cards and present: The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, the full chronology of The Legend of Zelda video games and stories.  Eric has barely put this book down since he got it, clearly making it an awesome gift from his dad and brother.  In the early evening, we went to dinner at Blue Nami in Orangevale, our first visit since this location was remodeled.  Simon was a champ in his high chair with his own meal brought from home, as Eric and I dined on our favorite sushi rolls.  At the end of our meal, I informed our server about Eric's birthday, and she brought him complimentary mochi with a birthday candle in the middle.  A few of the ladies sang "Happy Birthday" to him and we enjoyed our beautiful dessert.  Everything about Eric's first birthday as a father was happy and wonderful, and we were so thankful to have a fun-filled weekend as a family of three.