Life As We Know It: May 2011

Yeah, I know it's been a while. A long while actually. This blog started out as an online diary of sorts, somewhere to put my thoughts down and forever be there for me. Even though it has been so long since I've updated, I still look at this as a diary and I need to update it, even if nobody reads it. I need to remember these things and this is the only way I know how to get this stuff down permanently. This will be a long entry but I figured since it's been so long, the best way to give an update is a month by month one. I will have to do multiple posts to get everything in, so sorry for having to go backwards! Here goes, picking up where the last entry left off:

October:
After that first week of the new daycare, things started getting easier and much more comfortable. Austin seemed to really enjoy his new school and new teachers, and I was getting to know everyone and was starting to enjoy it myself. Austin started eating a little bit of table food while at school, although it was hard for me to just dive in and start feeding him anything and everything so I was very cautious about what he could eat. We lowered Austin's crib this month, which was kinda depressing seeing how much he's grown! He's holding his own bottle pretty much all the time now. He's gotten to where when he smiles for the camera, he squints his eyes shut and gives you the biggest, cheesiest grin ever! His 9 month checkup was on October 21 and he weighed 18lbs 11oz and was 29 inches long. He had his first Halloween and we didn't do any trick-or-treating, but we did get to dress him up in a super cute elephant costume! He has had an elephant collection going since before he was born, so it only seemed natural that his first costume would be an elephant :) On Halloween, Austin was dedicated at church. Unfortunately, my mom and brother were sick with the stomach flu so they did not get to come. My best friend Jenn, Justin's parents and grandparents, Justin's cousin and her son were all there to celebrate with us. Austin did great and even hammed it up during the ceremony. He had the entire congregation cracking up with his ham face all over the big screens. Since I was holding him and couldn't see his face, I had no idea what everyone was laughing at! We had the family come back to our house for a BBQ lunch and it was a really nice gathering for our family.

Look at that belly! :)

9 Month Picture

His Ham Face

Is this not the cutest elephant you've ever seen?!

At Austin's Dedication

November:
Austin learned how to clap his hands and started doing so on November 2. It is the cutest thing to see him learn new skills. He is crawling everywhere and getting into everything. He got to experience his first fire of the winter, which fascinated him. He stood in front of it just watching it for the longest time, while his little cheeks kept getting redder and redder. Finally it got hot enough to where all of a sudden he just stood there and started screaming and crying! It was so hot it started to hurt but it was like he was so confused, he just stood there not knowing what to do! Bless his heart, it was funny but at the same time it wasn't! Austin had his first ear infection this month. I got a call from daycare about 9:30am and they said he was running a very high temp. When I dropped him off that morning he seemed perfectly fine, but when I picked him up I have never seen him look so pitiful. It just broke my heart. We went straight to the doctor where we got his diagnosis (his weight was 19lbs 60z), and then came home where he slept on my chest for the remainder of the day. Since he has gotten bigger, Austin has never been one to fall asleep on you (which kinda sucks b/c sometimes I'd give anything for him to just snuggle up on me and fall asleep!). We knew when he did that he must be feeling bad. It hurt to see my baby so sick, and feeling his skin on fire from the fever. Luckily after a day or so of antibiotics, he was back to normal, but I will never forget how pitiful he was that day. He also had his first Thanksgiving. We did our usual this year and went to my grandmother's for lunch and then drove to Hattiesburg on Friday for the weekend to see Justin's grandparents. Austin did great and really enjoyed his first Thanksgiving dinner! Until that evening that is.. Austin hadn't been asleep long before he woke up whining. Justin went to check on him and over the monitor I hear him say "Holy crap!". I went in there to see what was going on, and poor Austin had puked all in his bed. That Thanksgiving food was just too much for his little tummy so little buddy just threw it up.