Over the weekend, surrounded by family, we celebrated C's baptism. He was such a little rockstar the entire day, and we are so proud of him. I had been talking about baptism with him throughout the week, and when Sunday came around and he got all decked out in his little white suit, he knew the day was going to be special.

Under more typical circumstances, we likely would have had C baptized a little sooner, but being transplants to the area, it took us some time to find a church we felt was the right fit for our family.  For us, the choice came down to the simple fact that there is a strong membership of younger families and many children who attend our church, along with a relatively active church community with opportunities to get more involved if we so choose. There is no right or wrong age for a person to be baptized, and after attending the required baptism class  earlier this winter, we had C's special day put on the calendar.

The morning service started just as C would have otherwise been clamoring for a nap. Luckily, we had opted for the 'kids' service for his Baptism, and there were many many kids in attendance, so the little bit of fussing he did do was hardly an issue. More than anything, C enjoyed watching all of the other kiddos as they stood up to speak, sing, and sit in the pews next to us. Distraction from no napping at its finest!

One of our favorite traditions at church happens during baptisms when the pastor invites all kids in attendance to come up and watch. It gives them a chance to be part of the experience since they likely don't remember their own baptisms. Because of it being a cherub choir day, there were many many kids who wanted in on the action. C, of course, took it all in stride, and was perfectly content being the center of attention. I expected nothing less out of our little guy!

Another particular favorite moment - the 'Simba'. After being baptized, our pastor lifted C up above his head and walked up and down the central aisle of the sanctuary. He even popped him into an older woman's arms for a moment in celebration. I happen to know he pumps the iron at the gym, so the fact that C is a bit of a load didn't deter him. When he passed him back, he said 'he's a heavy little guy isn't he!?'. I dare you to take me on in an arm wrestle! C, of course, thought this was all pretty neat, and thoroughly enjoyed all eyes on him...and perhaps more importantly, his eyes on everyone else. Perfect vantage point for the people watching he can't get enough of.

Lord,

We bring this miracle to you so fresh from heaven and ask that you would hear our prayers 

and share our joy this day. Pour your Holy Spirit into this tiny heart and wrap your loving arms

 around this special child. May your grace freely shine into this precious life, 

and in all the days ahead let this heart rejoice in living as your own forgiven child.

Here we are with C's godparents/sponsors Aunt H and Uncle T. Most of the rest of our family was also able to make the trip to join in celebrating C's special day. Such a lucky little guy!

The Lord watches over you -

The Lord is the shade at your right hand;

the sun will not harm you by day,

nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all harm -

He will watch over your life;

The Lord will watch over your coming and going

both now and forevermore.

Psalm 121:5-8

After the church service, everyone reconvened back at our place for a little celebration party to commemorate the Baptism. I had lots of fun planning and getting everything ready for what was technically the first 'planned party' that we have held at our home since moving in. Can't think of a better occasion for celebrating! We dined on lemony chicken & orzo soup, kettle chips, grapes, and a party platter of subs from Jimmy Johns before diving into the most delicious champagne cake for dessert.

An Irish Blessing

May the road rise up to meet you,

May the wind always be at your back,

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

and the rains fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of his hand.

Suit // Socks // Shoes

PARTY SOURCES:

Dishes & Serving Pieces // Glassware // Table Runner // Chargers // Drink Dispenser // Banner - Homemade // Glass Cross // Frame // Baptism Saying - Homemade // Flowers - HyVee Floral // Champagne Cake - HyVee Bakery // Baptism Invites/Favor Tags // Favor Bags

One more 'Simba' just for good measure.

God Bless This Child

May the Lord give His angels wings to watch over you and guide you in all your ways.

Psalms 91:11

Carter: 8 Months

I officially have no idea where month seven went, and can't believe we already have an eight month old at home! Last week, I spent an afternoon fighting back tears packing away all of C's six month and even some nine month sized clothes into storage as he's outgrown all of them. He is barely fitting in his 12 month PJs these days, and at T's latest 'at-home' measurement last week, C was coming in at 30 1/4 inches for height. This puts him way off the charts for height at his age. I suppose this only proves the theory Gpa T has about C being an expensive little fella with how fast he's been flying through the different sized clothing in his wardrobe. 

 Growing like a weed aside, C has been such a happy baby this month (aside from a couple of meltdowns over the holidays from his sleep schedule being messed with), and has the cutest little personality. He LOVES to watch what's going on around him, and gets so excited that his smile practically jumps off his face when T walks through the door in the evening after getting home from work. I occasionally get the really excited smile after he wakes up from nap time, but usually when I pick him up in the morning, he just sees me and cries. The moment when he sees me is generally the same moment he realizes he's got a wet diaper and may very possibly be starving.

8 MONTH FAVORITES

Dad coming home from work

Bouncing in the Jumparoo 

Food - green beans and bananas are favorites!

Trying to drink from mom's water glass 

Swimming
Storytime and helping turn pages

Looking at himself in the mirror

8 MONTH LEAST FAVORITES

Learning to use a sippy cup 

As soon as C spots a sippy cup with formula, it's like we're coming at him with swords. If there happens to be prune juice in the cup, he has been willing to try drinking that...so maybe all hope is not lost. So far, formula is a definite no go though...try try again...

MEMORIES & MILESTONES

C has finally figured out how to roll over both directions from his tummy. He has yet to figure out rolling from back to front, but he's been starting to think about it when he spots a toy that is just out of reach. Also new this month, starting to sit unassisted for short periods of time, and finally starting to put some weight on those thunder thighs of his. WooHoo! I'm not convinced this has anything to do with his physical therapy and baby 'workouts', so much as it has to do with finally getting a handle on his size and realizing how he needs to balance in order to stay upright. I'm guessing that the numerous hours he spends in the jumparoo, and playing with his new activity cube are likely a huge help here too.

 Did I mention C has a new theme song? After realizing how thunderous his thighs have gotten, we decided to play him Thunderstruck by ACDC. He absolutely cracks up when he hears it, and it's pretty much the funniest thing ever watching him belly laugh through the entire song. On the standing front, he has quite the little lead bottom and hasn't figured out how to stand up straight yet, so practicing standing has been very hard on my back. Favorite place to practice? Standing in front of the mirror looking at himself of course...he thinks it's about the greatest thing ever, and when he sees himself, he gets the most adorable smile. Must know how good looking he is!

Swimming Lessons! C loved the water soooo much on our vacation back in November...still working on that blog!...that we decided to get him into swim lessons at the YMCA. Obviously, there isn't a whole lot of swimming he can do on his own just yet, but he is completely consumed by watching the other slightly older babies/toddlers and seeing what they are doing. For anyone wondering, the Bedell Family YMCA offers parent-child swim lessons for kiddos who are six months-three years old. We just missed the age cut-off for lessons last fall, but are having lots of fun this time around. C has been loving 'jumping' off the wall, practicing his kicks, and just getting to splash around and watch the other kids. No worries that it has been about -20 outside each and every lesson we've been to so far, and has taken twice as long to get him ready beforehand and showered and clothed afterwards than the actual lesson itself. It wears him out, and it gives him a chance to interact with some other kids that are about his age, so I'm calling it a win-win. I have a hunch we will be spending many many hours at the pool in the future!



I haven't mentioned our daily schedule in a while, so thought I better now. This has been pretty much the same since about 5 months, give or take, with the introduction of solid foods.

8 MONTH SCHEDULE

8-8:30a.m. // Wake up, eat breakfast (usually milk, oatmeal, and a fruit), then play quietly for a while learning new things by himself while mom tries to catch up on some housework, blogging, or emails. On physical therapy days, it's a mad dash out the door after breakfast, and if C isn't too tired afterwards, we may try to sneak in a few errands before returning home for nap time.

10:15a.m. // Story time in the nursery, by 10:30, it's time for a nap.

Noon-12:30 // Wake up from nap, time for lunch! After milk, we usually play for an hour or so before having a smorgasbord of veggies and a fruit for an afternoon snack. If we have any errands to run, or any hopes of getting outside, this is when it has to happen.

3:15p.m. // Back to the nursery for story time and by 3:30 it's nap mode.

4:30-5:15p.m. // Wake up from nap time, Dad's almost home. Have dinner, milk, oatmeal, and either veggies, fruit, or both. After eating, better watch out! It's play time! Jumparoo, activity cube, more stories, trying to learn how to use a sippy cup, watching dad lift, watching mom cook, sitting at the table with mom & dad for family dinner, working on sitting or rolling...you name it, anything that involves spending time with mom or dad.

7:30p.m. // Let's get ready to wind down for the day! Time for PJs a few stories, and a final meal of milk before calling it a day by 8pm, 8:30 at the latest. Still sleeping through the night for now, but guessing that may change once that first tooth decides to make an appearance!

'Isn't it funny how day by day

 nothing changes, 

but when you look back, 

everything is different...' 

C.S. Lewis

Six & Seven Month Favorites

At long last...our six and seven month favorites!

Ingenuity Baby Base 2-in-1 Booster Seat // This baby base is used on a daily basis in our home. It has better back and side support than a standard high chair, tray storage underneath, and has a removable seat insert so that it can grow with baby. It is portable and can also strap onto the top of a chair at the dinner table if you opted not to get a regular high chair.

BEABA Babycook Pro // I've had so much fun making fresh baby food for C, and this kitchen tool has made it so easy. It steams and purees food all in one utensil cutting down on extra dishes, and makes just the right amount to have some leftover to freeze. Did I mention it only takes about 10-20 minutes? Now that we are branching out from oatmeal and incorporating more fresh veggies and fruits, I've been enjoying perusing several baby food cookbooks for inspiration. No clear favorites yet, but I'll be sure to share what I think of them as I start making more interesting recipes than single ingredient purees.

NUK Mash & Serve Bowl // This little bowl has become a staple in our kitchen. Great for mashing bananas, avocados, you name it. The masher works infinitely better than a fork for getting the right consistency for a newly minted solid foods eater with no teeth. 

Fisher Price Rainforest Jumparoo // C LOVES to bounce around in the Jumparoo. It took a while for him to warm up to it and build up enough strength to be able to hold his head up for longer than five minutes, but now that he can, he thinks this toy is just about the greatest ever. It's so funny to watch him bouncing around. Pure joy!

Sophie The Giraffe // Yes, our kid has Sophie. One of T's patients so kindly asked 'Oh, your kid has Sophie, the $20 teether, too?' when T mentioned the toy by name after recognizing it in the grips of another babe in his office the other day. $20 aside, Sophie with her squeaks, chew-ability, and many angles for small hands and mouths to explore, has become a big time favorite in our house.  In my opinion, worth the whole $20 for how many hours it has occupied our little man. 

Skwish Stix Ball // This ball is all about discovery. It squishes, rattles, and rolls, and C gets a kick out of trying to throw it and figure out how the bungee cords work.

Sassy Baby Disposable Diaper Sacks // Now that we have firmly established three solid food meals a day, diaper changes have moved from what T & I termed the 'popcorn stink' of an exclusively breastfed-based diet to just plain awful smelling. These bags are scented like baby powder, and do a wonderful job of containing the stink without having to purchase that ugly diaper genie and storing dirty diapers for days and days before it gets full enough to empty. Diaper bag sized packages are also available.

Jellycat Cordy Roy Fox // At this age, many babies attach themselves to something that makes them feel secure. For many, that's a favorite blankie or baby doll. For our little guy, it may just be this adorable fox. He gets the biggest grin on his face and reaches for it immediately when he sees it coming. Since we don't let him sleep with blankets or stuffed animals in his crib yet, it's hard to know if this will become the item we can't leave the house without, but for now, it's on the favorites list.

Books // I'm not sure if C has specific favorites, but I can tell you that when he's in a chewing read-it-myself mode the Amazing Baby Feel & Learn book has occupied the need. This and his Jellycat Fishy Tails books have been favorites for reading on his own, while some of our favorite board books to read are Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, The Pout Pout Fish, Little Blue Truck, We're Going On A Bear Hunt, Room On A Broom, Goodnight Moon and anything that has a good cadence. We added many new books to the library over the holidays, so it's been fun to discover some new stories and switch out some that we've memorized over the past several months.

Six Month Photos

In December, we had C's official six month and family pictures taken. After several weeks of patiently, or not so patiently waiting, we finally received them back about a week ago, and many of you will be enjoying one of my favorites used on our New Years Cards this year. Here is a glimpse at some of the others I thought turned out especially well. Now if I could just decide which ones to order for our gallery wall!

The day of pictures was a bit snow-covered and chilly, so most of our photos for six months were taken indoors where it was nice and toasty. C was in a super happy mode this time around compared to his three month photos, and we had no trouble getting him to crack plenty of those adorable smiles with a little help from his favorite 'cha' sounding words. When it's 'chilly' outside, you might 'ah-choo' and decide to have some 'chili' with 'cheddar cheese' and 'pepperoncinis' on a 'choo-choo' train to 'Chattanooga'. Or...if you have a baby that thinks 'cha' sounding words are hilarious, you might get really good at inventing tongue twisters! Since these pictures were taken, sadly, he has decided that 'cha' sounding words aren't as funny, so for nine month photos, we will have to come up with something else to crack him up.

Thanks to our lovely photographers at Emery Photo + Design for capturing these memories for us!

...A good life is a collection of happy moments...