11 Months

I know this is late, but what a month it has been.

We all went up to visit my parents over Labour Day weekend. It's become a bit of a tradition; not only is it my parents' anniversary (28 years!) but it is also the Pleasanton Highland Games, which are always fun. I love the music, and the food, and the shopping! Plus, I usually get to see my old Scottish country dance teacher and some people from Highland classes too. This was the first year G was with us, and it was quite an experience. G doesn't like the stroller, and it was way to interesting there for such silly things as naps. Eventually, he did succumb to a nap, in the middle of a Celtica concert. They were not amused by this fact, considering that their goal is to be as loud and as rock as possible, but I still bought the CDs because they are like magic aural sleeping pills for G. James went back to Orange to work a two day week, but I was lucky enough to stay up north with my parents and see some friends of mine.

When James got back, we went on a retreat/mini-vacation to Beckwith Camp and Conference Center in Fairhope, Alabama. It's the camp that James grew up at, and it was a nice little break. It was the first time we'd ever left G overnight, and it was a bit rough. I kept waking up in the middle of the night, though that might be attributed to the bed. The town itself was cute; lots of walking, an independent bookshop, a used bookshop, a bead store and a YARN store!! We had so much fun: I was invited to go paddleboarding one morning (and didn't even fall), we walked around camp and found lots of frogs, went kayaking another morning, drove into the outlets one afternoon, and were able to meet James' parents and brother for lunch out last day. It was fun, but after 5 days and four nights, I was so ready to see my baby boy again. I missed him so much.

After 7 hours driving home with him, not so much. Just kidding, but really, it was a rough drive. He was teething worse than I've ever seen when we left him with my parents. A few nights, he even slept in just a diaper because, even with the Tylenol, he was burning up. I don't think I've ever seen him so fussy and irritable before, even with all the tummy problems. And for all that, the tooth didn't even break through! Since then, another tooth has come through and the tooth in question finally broke the surface, but man, I'm not looking forward to another year and a half of this. Other than that, it's been a really quiet month for us, with not a lot going on.

G:
-is so long! It's like he grown more every day! He's even lost most of the little baby rolls. (Mind you, he's still too short for the 9 month pants)
-can drink assisted out of a cup!
-has drunk through a straw
-waved goodbye for the first time (Italian style, toward himself)
-is starting to cruise around regularly, and considers any moment not moving a moment wasted
-has pretty much moved beyond puffs and purees, though sometimes more texture weirds him out.

Little Moments:
-I made a few meals' worth of pasta stars and sat down to eat some myself (it was only 10 am, and I pulled some aside for his lunch). I was sitting on the kitchen floor, and he had pulled himself to standing on me, hands on my shoulders, eating off my spoon, even though his face was maybe 6 inches from mine.
-G has a breakfast buddy at daycare that he eats breakfast with every Wednesday and Thursday morning. He gave another little girl a kiss, and the next day, his breakfast buddy kept ignoring him and taking his toys away! Already a heartbreaker...
-Pulled himself up on the bottom shelf of the fridge and stood there, staring into it. So like a guy!
-He fed me a puff at church one week!
-Mom and I were at Costco and put little glasses on G! He looked like Harry Potter! SO CUTE!

Lounging at 11 months old. Holy smokes!

He's comin' to get you!

Goal Update

This was supposed to autopublish on Sept 2...obviously, that did not happen...
A few months ago, I posted about my goals. I thought an update was in order to see how I'm doing.

1) To update the monthly blog post within a week of the 14th, complete with photos.

Well, I've done it at least once. It really is finding the time to upload the photos that throws me off. The post is usually written and waiting for the photos to be added. I'll have to be a bit better...maybe uploading as soon as I take them?

2) One other bog post per month, going back to the roots: recipe, craft project or book review.

Well, I have quite a few craft posts lined up and ready to go. They're waiting on photos (see a trend?) or for the actual project to be completed. So I think I can definitely mark this one as done! Yay!!

3) Weight loss and exercise. 10-15 lb less by October and 30-60 minutes at the gym twice a week plus dance.

I still haven't been cleared for dance by the PT, but I've been working on getting to the gym. I read it takes 66 days to get into the swing of exercising regularly, and I'm definitely not there yet, but I am trying. I'm up to 35 minutes on the elliptical each time I go, going 2+ miles! As far as the weight loss, it's not really going at all. Since I stopped pumping I've also stopped losing weight. I'm not sure I can meet my goal by October, but I'm not going to give up! After all, I lost the pregnancy weight and more before the 1 year mark and I'm determined to get healthy (plus the really adorable pair of jeans that I can't quite fit into yet are goo incentive too)

4) Choose at least one new recipe per month and make it, taking pictures along the way and posting. Work up to one new recipe a week.
Wow. Well, considering that we're still cooking and eating well after 8 pm, the weekly new recipe is a bit too ambitious. Hopefully moving the playard into the kitchen so G can be safe while I cook will help, but this is something I really want to try. I have so many new recipes from Better Homes and Gardens I want to try!

5) Choose at least one craft project per month and FINISH it. (Take progress pictures if possible!)
Um. I'm trying! I'm actually really working pretty hard on my crafting right now! And I've finished at least two since I posted this! Yay me?

6) Unpack the boxes in the bedroom and get that bathroom up to scruff by September 1.
Well, I did half of this! The boxes in the bedroom are unpacked and mostly put away. The bathroom is not going to be organized by September 1, but it's so much better than before! And it will get done!

7) By November 1, unpack and paint the middle bedroom, reorganizing and setting up the crafting area.
Haha. Well, I still have another month, right? I am doing my best, but other things (like sleeping, eating and bathing) keep getting in the way of my good intentions. We really do have to paint though...

8) Floss nightly. 
I wish I brushed my teeth nightly. TMI? Well, I usually fall into bed and I'm terrified tat the light being on/any noise in our en suite bathroom will wake the baby. But again, I should be better.

I'll let y'all judge if telling someone has kept me more accountable. I think so--a few of the things I've actually accomplished to the best of my ability or at least semi-accomplished. And posting it here has given me a bit of a kick to accomplish these things. So, I'll keep these goals for now since I haven't gotten into a routine with all of them, and we'll check in in another couple months!