The week in pics

We read:

We played:We had our 1,593rd photo shoot:

We laughed:
We cried:

And we let Daddy get us dressed one day:

(FYI: that hat is supposed to fit a one year old child! Give it up for that noggin!)

5 1/2 month update

I can't believe Banks is almost 6 months old. I know "they" say it all the time but time really is flying by. I am really liking this age. He's so interactive, laughs and smiles all the time, and is really starting to show his personality. He's working on sitting up by himself; we practice all the time. He's gotten to where he'll watch me walk out of the room and start crying when he can no longer see me. Then when I come back in he's fine! Maybe the start of separation anxiety? He still hasn't rolled from back to front but he tries a lot. I made a MAJOR mistake the other day and left him unattended in his boppy on the couch. I turned my head for like two minutes and he had rolled off the couch onto the floor and was screaming bloody murder. I ran over to him, crying myself, and scooped him up. He was absolutely fine. I think it just scared him (and me) more than anything. Consider that a lesson learned. Here he is attempting another send-me-to-the-hospital maneuver. No worries...he's strapped in at all times now.

He's doing great sleeping on his stomach and it's the cutest thing when I go in and get him and he's pushed up on his arms peering over the crib smiling at me to come and get him!

"Is it time to get up yet?"

"Come and get me!!!"

He sleeps with his knees pulled up and his little booty up in the air. It's precious. And during the night he inches his way along until his head is in the upper left corner of the crib. It's how we find him EVERY morning!

He's making so many new noises and has started to mimic noises we make. I'd swear the other day he said "hi" back to me. We're on a definite four hour schedule and it's making things so much easier! He's taking two 2-hour naps and I'm loving having some extra time to get things done! He's sleeping 12 hours at night now. Some of his favorites include: the song The Wheels on the Bus, playing with his feet (and pulling his left sock off), pulling my hair, and putting his own paci in his mouth (this one I'm very excited about...now if only he could find it on his own to put in his mouth). Since my last post, he's mastered the green beans and now peas. I just made sweet potatoes and I think we'll try them next. Then I'm planning on trying avocados with him. I know it's not your standard baby food but I've been reading how healthy they are for bambinos and all I have to do is mash it up for him.

I'm planning a half birthday party for Mister. I mean, you only turn a half of a year old once...why not celebrate!?!?! We're just inviting a few of our family members over for a Cookout and Cupcakes. A LONG time ago my mom gave me a make your own postcard kit (you affix a picture to the front of the postcard) and I had never used it but I had this great idea to get pictures of him with a cupcake to send out as the invitation. If only things would work out like I have them planned in my head. He immediately demolished the cupcake. It went straight to his mouth and Matt and I had to do a quick sweeping out of his mouth or he would have surely chewed and swallowed the bite he got. Either that or save it in his cheeks until he is the cupcake-ready age! I didn't get a picture that suited me so I ended up picking a favorite picture from each month and sending one to each family member. Then I'll use the pictures as decoration for the party.

"I know you don't think that's going to stay there, do you?"

"Hmmm...what is this thing?"

Getting closer...

Jackpot!

I told you he demolished it! Matt and I enjoyed cleaning up this mess!

Adventures in baby food making...

It's been a while since I made a post about cooking. Honestly, I just haven't done too much of it, you know, with the holidays and all. I started off the new year with a new challenge...making baby food. I decided when I was pregnant that I wanted to make Banks' baby food when the time came. I don't know...it just seemed like a homemakery thing to do. I almost feel like Diane Keeton in that movie where she makes baby applesauce. I decided to start him on Butternut Squash. First of all, I've never purchased a butternut squash much less eaten one. I cut it in half and put about an inch of water in a Pyrex and baked it until the skin was puckered looking. Then all you do is scoop the meat out and puree the you-know-what out of it. I feel pretty confident that it was a success though! The carrots, on the other hand, were not. I steamed them and accidentally forgot about them until I smelled this terrible burning smell and realized all the water had steamed out of the pan and burned everything up. So aside from my little mess up making baby food has been pretty fun! Not to mention it's cheap!

Butternut Squash

Carrots-take two

I made green beans yesterday and it was a bit more of a process; mostly because I had to strain them. Somehow, chunks of pureed green bean ended up in my hair and I wore them to Bible Study that night. Oh they joys of motherhood. Banks seems to like his veggies. His tummy seemed to have a little more trouble with the carrots. I'm not sure if he spit up more (it's still a HUGE issue for us) or if it just annoyed me more because it's now BRIGHT orange. And that's not the only thing that is now orange but for his sake and yours I won't discuss that grossness.
Green Beans And just because I think this picture is funny...Banks has started turning his paci on it's side and chewing on it. If he's not teething then I don't know. He constantly wants something hard to chew on. Well, really he wants to chew on anything...including the side of my face and my neck!
Anyway, if you're interested in making baby food just know it's easy and cheap! I've been using a webiste for guidance and there are some fun food combos for when Banks is a little older. You can check it out at http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/