HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It seems so hard to believe that one year ago, we put hands on my growing stomach...wondering if a little son or daughter would be joining us, and what he or she would look like...tossing names around in anxious anticipation of our little one.

Now, here he is...crawling around and smiling up at me!

What an amazing year full of blessings! We have a new home (and many new things inside), many new friends, and a wonderful "new" son. All I can say is, I am so thankful for all of the many little (and not-so-little) things that have made 2007 a great journey.

So, here we go, 2008! There are still many things to wonder about...and I look forward to the adventures that every day will bring...

I couldn't end this post without thanking YOU...

I know there is a combination of family and friends reading this (and some friends that are family!), and I want to say I am so thankful for each and every one of you! There have been words of encouragement in times of need, a smile to brighten the day, and many gifts from all. I don't think I could count my blessings...I would never finish! How wonderful God has shown himself through all of you in our life.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Come on baby, let's do the twist!

...the Ian twist of course! It's the little "twist" he's added to the crawl!

I could be spared much time and effort by simply posting a video of this crawl...but I don't have the video in the correct resolution (yet), and hope to capture at least some of the hilarity in words for future entertainment! :)

Ian's crawl has developed in a predictable yet altogether unique progression. For example, he has followed the developmental milestones to the letter (being "ahead" on just about all of them)...holds head up so many degrees by such-and-such week...lifts stomach off floor for a few moments...kicks feet behind him, etc...

His first method of propulsion was of course the low-crawl. BUT, he only pushed off with his right foot. Hard to move in a straight line when you're only using force on one side!

Then, he begun pulling both knees underneath himself and holding his weight for a few seconds. Next came the "rocking" - the little bottom bouncing forward and back accompanied by squeals of delight at his new skill. He really enjoyed this movement!

I think it's safe to say that most things we learn as little babies are the direct result of experimentation/accident. Crawling for Ian appeared to fall in this category. He would be laying there kicking his feet, or rocking back and forth...and a look of complete and utter surprise would cross his face when he discovered he had moved forwards!

Of course, the phase of accidental movement quickly turned into more coordinated and purposeful locomotion! As I had mentioned before, this was to be expected, but with a unique Ian twist!

(...and it goes like this...)

From his knees, he will pull one leg forward...then, as he is moving forwards, he kicks the opposite leg straight out behind him and then sets it down again. He repositions his arms, pulls the other foot underneath himself...and suddenly locks both knees with his bottom straight up in the air. He will wobble there a moment, then lower himself...and start back over again.

It is so hilarious to watch his bottom hovering straight up for those seconds in between bursts of forward momentum.

The more he is crawling, the more he actually does so in a "correct" manner. Of course, he can do the twist as long as he wants. It's quite entertaining for mommy!

And, I will try my best to stop laughing and take some video!!! :)

SEVEN MONTHS OLD!

I am again slow, but I'm sure you're used to that by now! I'm trying to keep up with this, as many have suggested, it will do well to copy directly into a baby-book at some point in the future.

Growth is still fast! He has gone from 19 lbs. to 20 lbs. and length is still up in the air...I will definitely need to do that later this week...

-Graduated to size 4 diapers, and is wearing very few clothing items in the 6-9 month range, we've graduated to mostly 12 months, and a few 18 months.
-MASTERED THE CRAWL!!! In a short month, Ian went from push-ups, to scooting, to a crawl!
-Tries to "clap"...which really just looks like hands flapping against eachother!
-Pulls himself up onto objects waist high or lower (his waist level, not ours).
-Favorite toy is daddy's picture! He can be surrounded with a whole pile, and go straight for it!
-Will put a toy inside of a container, then pull/dump it out again. (As long as his focus allows him to complete the task).
-Attempts a pincer grasp for miniscule objects...usually small bits of trash on the floor!
-Much of the time he is constantly seeking movement - he's a boy on the go, go, go!
-Diaper changing time has become baby-wrangling time...as twisting, turning, kicking, and other physical maneuvering now requires much more strength (and patience) to stop!
-Obviously recognizes an object that has been removed from his possession, and will continue pursuing it even when a replacement is presented!
-LOVES to go for a walk in the stroller and take in all the sights. Kicks his legs when we stop to indicate he wants to keep going!
-Starting to show the first signs of separation anxiety from mommy. I'm a preferred person! :)
-The "blow in the face" reflex (there is probably a scientific name for this, if you find, let me know) is fading away.

Ian has had many firsts this month, but for sake of getting this post up before he turns 8 months old, I'll post now without it! I've had this one saved "in progress" long enough! :)

Straight...

You put him on the floor, and it's amazing. He always crawls straight!

Straight towards the fireplace...
Straight towards the Christmas tree...
Straight towards our shoes...
Straight towards that speck on the floor...
Straight towards the outlets...
Straight towards that appealing tangle of electrical wires...
Straight towards TROUBLE!

I am so glad that child-proofing the house is something I won't have to worry about that much when I get home. Thank you, Barb!

I can't wait to see what sort of trouble he'll be getting into at home! Now that he is mobile and figuring things out, he is so much fun!

:)

First Tooth!

So, the long wait is over!

Ian has officially cut his first tooth!

I have noticed over the past few weeks, he has been drooling a lot less, so his swallowing is developing. However, he still would gnaw away happily at times on anything soft he could shove into his mouth.

I have learned to tell the difference between baby exploring the world by putting everything in his mouth...and teething baby in pain, shoving things against his gums for soothing comfort.

Teething has consisted mostly of drooling, gumming, and slight whining sometimes. For the most part, he has been so happy and oblivious to the whole process!

Tonight, he was playing on the floor with Aunt Conni, and he grabbed her hand and shoved it into her mouth. She gasped, "Oh is that a tooth?!" I instantly turned all excited, and sure enough, it was! Ian was completely unappreciative of our, "Let me feel!" attitude about the momentous milestone. He twisted and squirmed and fussed at our creative attempts at glimpsing the tiny white bud. It's sharp though, you can definitely feel it!

So there I was, transformed into a giddy mother excited about the first tooth! If it was earlier in the day, I would be on the phone calling everyone to share in the excitement!

Truly what a blessing it is to be a mother and experience such wonderful moments as these!

SIX MONTHS OLD!

SIX MONTHS

OK, so I am a month slow, but better late than never!!! It's been a hectic and wonderful past few weeks visiting family and friends! We certainly have kept very busy!

Ian has grown from 17.6 lbs. to 19 lbs. and since we were traveling, I did not get a length measurement! But, we know he's growing!

Milestones this month:
-Still in size 3 diapers, and wears size 9 months clothes and some 12 months!
-Has highly developed coordination to sit for as long as he wants to!
-Entertains himself for up to 30 minutes at a time with toys.
-Flaps his hands in excitement, and just for the sensation of it!
-"Ageee" is a new spontaneous noise he says when he is full!
-Is drooling a lot less! He is learning to swallow some of it back!
-Will transfer toys from one hand to the other.
-Favorite toys are ones that make crackling sounds or that he can shake and will rattle.
-Is now using rolling as a means of movement across the floor!
-Has improved his hand/eye coordination, and will look, then grasp small objects!
-Hair over his ears is now starting to curl up a little bit!
-Gives "hugs" and "kisses" purposefully!
-Will scoot towards an object to grab it.
-Lifts his knees off of the ground in a "pushup" position for a couple of seconds!
-Shows marked preferences for music...and the order in which it is played! He prefers choir music and classical!
-Coughs as a form of attention getting!
-Continues to try bits and pieces of new foods, but is more interested in playing with food than eating it.
-Is simply delighted at Kiki and Sera! He will laugh when he pets them, and at their moving around!

FIRSTS:
*Cold: he got a small case of the sniffles! He was so cute, wanting mommy a lot, but still very cheerful through the length of the bug!
*Trip to D.C.: what a fun visit with Aunt Kathy!

OF MENTION:
~ Ian travelled in the long car ride from Jacksonville to Atlanta admirably! He slept much of the time, only cried when he was hungry, and amused himself with toy after toy that I handed him from the front seat!
~ Say goodbye to the car-seat hooked to the stroller, he prefers to be facing out and about to observe the world around him!