8 Months and A Happy Thanksgiving

Well, well, well, he's 8 months and officially on the move!  His crawling would be accepted by the army but Kona hates it.  Kona never leaves my side now because he's scared of the hair pulling that comes from the little dude crawling around on the floor. 

The top picture is one of the few I got that didn't have Kona in it.  I'm interested how these pictures are going to go from now on.  Now that Keeton is a wiggle worm, I'm not sure how I'll get him to sit still...

We've had a great month!  A busy month but a great one.  Keeton is officially awesome!  Being his mother is an incredible blessing.  I love watching him learn and discover, I love how his eyes get big and those hands start to shaking (picture jazz hands) when he sees something new or "interesting."  The best part is when he gets upset for what seems to be no reason just to discover that he just wanted to snuggle.  I am completely in love with this little gift that is Keeton. 

Well Thanksgiving was pretty great!  One of our favorite Texas families decided to pick Denver as there Thanksgiving vacation.  Since Matt and I now own our first house, I took this as a chance to host the Thanksgiving feast.  I was really nervous but really all the cooking wasn't near as bad as I expected.  Oh and incase you were wondering, my turkey was very moist!  HA. 

This is Ashton.

Taylor and Matt in Breckenridge

The feast!  Including, carmel apple cheesecake and pumpkin pie!

The Texans!

And of course KEETON!

So I'm reading a devotional called One Thousand Gifts (it's based on the book of the same name) by Ann Voskamp.  Its a great read about finding everyday graces.  She asked the question "Why don't I keep more of an eye on the number of His graces?"  This Thanksgiving and Advent season I am trying to stay focused on all of the things I have been blessed with, even the things I would not necessarily consider something to be thankful for.  It's soo easy for me to forget to be thankful for things other than Matt and Keeton.  It's easy for me to take for granted that God gave his son (which this year means more than ever now that I understand the love between a parent and a child) to set me free.  He gave me Hope.  This season I hope that I'm able to stay focused on these things rather than the craziness that the season brings.  I hope that my family will feel peace, calmness, security and love as we celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace.

Anyways, I leave you with a few more pictures of my adorable little boy! 

Not so sure I approve of Keeton playing Call of Duty

Maybe my new favorite picture...

I know these are all over pinterest, but Keeton kept crawling over to this ball of lights so I figured I would give it a try.  I had no idea it would turn out soo great. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trick or Treat

Keeton experienced his first Halloween and well I'm not so sure how he felt about it.  He wasn't crazy about all the children taking all his candy and he wasn't so crazy about the huge monkey face blocking his view. 

We started the day with coffee with a friend but after that we just cleaned house and passed out candy.  We did end the day with some of our favorite young life folks and a scary movie.  Of course Keeton was super brave and thought the movie was dumb so he went to bed but the rest of us spent the hour and however long, jumping, screaming and sitting on the edge of our seats.  It was a pretty fun night.

I am thankful that Keeton is too young for candy because I'm not ready for halloween candy tempting me everyday.  I should probably enjoy this relaxing halloween because sooner than I want to admit we'll have halloweens full of hay rides, super hero costumes, and entirely too many sweets!

Till then, enjoy some pics of this adorable monkey!  (Thanks Nonnie for the awesome costume!) 

He kept pushing this monkey off the bench, thankfully it never busted. 

I just loved all the padding in his belly!

Working on his sitting up

The tail, probably the best part!

Month 7

Well as you can see this picture is old, Mississippi State is now 7-2...which is ridiculous but we won't even go there!

Keeton is at month 7 and is finally sitting up really good in this chair!!  This month has been great, and like the lady told me at Joannes when I was 9 months pregnant and ready to explode, each month is better than the last.  He gets a little more fun, a little cuter, and his personality shows a little more every day!

Keeton Updates:
      Sitting up!  He can't sit up on his own but once he's up he can handle it for a few minutes.  Still not crawling but trying, pretty dang hard.  I'm assuming that since he would rather be snuggled and lay around that I've been blessed with a calm, laid back, snuggle bunny child and that he'll stay that way forever!
      Eating a ton!  He has about 29 ounces of formula along with cereal, fruit and veggies.  He's also growing like a weed.  I measured him, which we know probably isn't accurate, and he was about 29 inches long!!  Luckily he grew so that all his fall/winter clothes fit!
     Sleeping better now than ever before.  He's averaging 12 hours at night (most nights without waking) and three naps during the day.  I'm one happy momma now that he sleeps some during the day.
      He's discovering everything!  He rolls around trying to find toys, yes that's rolls not crawls.  He grabs everything, toys, pacifers, kona, daddy's beard, and momma's hair.
      Still trying to get those bottom teeth out...if you've been counting, this has been going on since JULY!  That's 4 months!  It's crazy.  No one ever told me that it could take that long.  He chews on everything, drools, fusses...  I'm soo ready for these teeth to show up! 
      He's starting to get mad when you take things he wants away from him.  If I take a toy away, there is crying.  The other day he even cried when I stood in front of the tv!      

 Keeton is still a laughing, smiling, crying, cutie! 

This past weekend I spent my first weekend away.  I got the opportunity to do work crew for the weekend at Younglife's Crooked Creek Ranch.  Work crew is made up mostly of high school students with a few leaders sprinkled in, we spend the weekend serving meals, cleaning dishes, and anything else the kitchen needs done for the weekend campers.  It's crazy how much work it takes to serve 600 kids meals but it's also crazy how rewarding it is to do so.  I love that Younglife puts so much effort into serving students meals.  The students sit at round tables with their leaders and are served delicious food family style....seriously it's delicious!  Its crazy to think but their are actually students there that don't get three meals a day, nor do they get three sit down meals with family, Younglife makes sure that they get that while at camp.  I loved being apart of that this weekend.  God is good y'all...seriously!  Anyways, while I was there Matt was home with Keeton.  I'm pretty sure they had a good weekend, even though football put a downer on it.  I loved being at camp but it was weird not being at home.  I didn't realize how much I missed Keeton till I saw some of the Younglives girls (Younglives is younglife for teenage mothers) with their babies.  I may have shed a tear!  Anyways, we do it again next weekend so I'm assuming it will get easier. 

Well here are a few pictures for your viewing pleasure...

Everything goes straight in the mouth

Aren't they cute!?!

Playing in dirty snow, at least it isn't yellow...

He's so tall right!?

May have shared this one before but who cares...

The family!

whoa...half a year!?!

Now that we are about 6 days till Keeton turns Seven months, I thought I would fill you in on how he's doing...


This isn't a very good chair picture and for that I'm sorry....but his sign says

*  He loves his "brother" Kona.  When I say this I am completely serious!  He laughs at Kona when Kona is being bad, he watches every move Kona makes and smiles his biggest smile when Kona licks his toes (disgusting).  It's soo funny to watch Keeton watch Kona.
*  Has his daddy's temper.  This is not even a joke!  He is trying to crawl and I must admit, he almost has it figured out but while trying he gets soooooo mad!  He starts crying, not fussy crying but yelling crying.  It's kind of funny...
*  He is loud like his momma.  He has really discovered his voice and loves to use it.  He basically screams.  Lately he's even discovered growling.
*  Still teething but no sign of a tooth.  So when I said this we were still having all the fussing and drooling that comes with teething but still no tooth has broken through.  Well in the last two weeks the front two bottom tooth have decided they are almost ready to appear...almost.
*  Loves to laugh.  This boy is a laugher but again his laugh isn't a chuckle but more of a happy growl.
*  Survived his first cold.  THANK THE LORD!  I didn't think I would make it.  I was super sick and I tried not to let Keeton catch my cold but of course he did.  Taking care of a baby while being sick is anything but fun.  

This month has been soo fun!  At his well visit, Keeton weighed in at 17 pounds and 12 ounces (55%) and he measured up to 27 1/2 inches (85%)  so he's still a long skinny baby (which still blows my mind).   He's trying soo hard to crawl as well as starting to sit up, well sort of.  I expect by month 8 he'll have both down pretty good.  He's such a great baby!   He travels well, sleeps all night long, isn't super fussy, and you can take the boy almost any where.  I am definitely one proud momma!

We went to Texas this past month and Keeton was able to meet soo many of mine and Matt's favorite people!  He also got a visit from Matt's parents and sister while we were in Texas.  My parents flew into Denver the weekend after we got back and were able to stay with us for a week.  It's been a crazy month but definitely a good one.  I felt very blessed this month, overwhelmingly even.  It was great to surround Keeton with people that love him.

I'm sure there are a million other things Keeton has begun doing, or we find entertaining but for now I'll just leave you with some pictures.

BABY TOMS!!!

Breakfast with some of my favorite FRESHMEN!

Lillie (born the day before Keeton), Ryder, and Keeton...BFFS even if they don't know it

Keeton and I with Claire and the Senior girls!  Yes I realize Keeton looks frightened, but what guy wouldn't be around all that beauty!?

Baby sweaters and yellow cords....

I love that little boy!

More baby sweaters and that sweet smile!  I seriously love this little boy!

My parents and Keeton in the mountains during their visit.

Well it's been a great month!

Now onto month seven....

5 months

Well we are officially 5 months and two days now!  I figured I would go ahead and fill you in on how awesome my child is...

     Well Keeton is definitely a growing little dude.  I put his weight at 16 pounds and his height at 26 inches, well this could be slightly more but it's hard to do these things by myself.  When we were at the doctor for his 4 months visit he was 15 lbs and 4 oz.  So yes he probably weighs slightly less than 16 but my scale doesn't show ounces.  He was also 25 3/4 inches when we were at the doctor but in the past week he out grew some more pjs that fit when we went to the doctor so I'm assuming again.  Anyways, he is in the 45 percentile in weight and 75 percentile in height, which seems about right since both of his parents are tall and skinny HA! 
      He is also one heck of a sleeper!  Sleeping about 12 hours every night!!!  YES, i said 12 hours!  Who said parents never get to sleep...now having time to do things during the day is a little different story. 
     WE ARE OFFICIALLY EATING VEGGIES!  He ate his first sweet potato last night.  He absolutely loved the brown sugar and cinnamon...ok that was joke.  I was pretty nervous about starting solids too early but he has been eating them like a champ.  I should have known since being pregnant was the only time I've ever truly LOVED steak!  I guess I need to remember that he is a boy and boys like to eat.
      We are also rolling over but for the most part only in his bed.  He's pretty funny how he does it since he only uses his butt to control the roll, no arms and very little leg movement.  
     We are teething but who knows when this tooth will come in.  I can feel it some days but other days its like it slides back down or something.  He's doing really well with it though, not too fussy.  It does cause him to drool like crazy.  He is literally always drooling.
     Anyways, this past month has definitely been the best so far.  He's soo fun to be with!  He's become a little flirt with his sideways glances and shy head turns.  He loves when you throw him around or blow raspberries on his belly.  He absolutely adores Kona, laughing every time kona licks him (which is something i hate, dogs mouths are gross).  He likes listening to stories, going on walks, watching baby einsteins and little einsteins (i know i'm a terrible mother for letting him watch it), and he loves being outside.  I still have my moments where i think "how on earth will I ever make it through the day" but he's definitely the greatest little blessing God could have given Matt and I. 

They love each other.

Does it get any cuter than this??

And his mouth found his foot

I don't know about you, but this definitely makes me want to eat sweet potatoes..YUM!

I might have already added this picture but he loves this thing so we'll just add it again...

Well if you find that you just love that baby and want to come babysit, you just let us know!  We are dying to see batman but I will not be taking a 5 month old to a movie.  That's the disadvantage to moving I guess, it takes forever to find babysitters...  Oh well, thats my one complaint for the day.

I hope to have more to share with you soon but for now I have a very talkative baby that is just waking up from his nap...

Life

How crazy is it that my son is almost 5 months old!?!  "I ... can ... not ... be ...LIEVE ...it!" (said in the voice from Quincy on little einsteins) 

 Here are a few pictures to cover some things that have happened in the past two months...


Since Matt was in Europe for Father's day we celebrated a few weeks later.  It was a great relaxing day!  We went to brunch as well as an art festival.  At home, I made a banner and a few tie decorations to put on cupcakes and presents and of course I made the boys have a little photo shoot.  I loved a lot of them but I believe these are my two favorites. 

 

A weekend or so later we headed up to Trail Ridge Road.   It was a fun day and we saw some incredible fews as well as MOOSE!!  I was pretty excited about the moose especially since I thought there were no moose in Colorado.  I have pictures of the views and what not but have decided to add those to a blog post on its on incase you are just here to see my stickin cute baby!

and this is how we eat on the road...

If only he still had a beard...

My happy little man! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another weekend we drove to the top of Mt. Evans.  That was an amazing drive as well but there was a crazy thunderstorm going on so we had to move pretty quickly.  I can't wait till Keeton is a little bit older because we are absolutely dying to hike!  Anyone have any recommendations on a good kid carrying pack (i have no idea what they are called)???  

Not very often we get a picture of the three of us...

Oh how I LOVE the moby wrap!

This weekend we took Keeton to the zoo!!  Denver has a pretty nice zoo and now we are officially members so I believe they will be seeing a lot of us.  I'm not sure how many animals Keeton actually looked at but I'm pretty sure there was a bear, gorilla, and maybe a couple of monkeys.  He did really well and even without taking any naps, he stayed in a great mood! 

Again, I LOVE my moby wrap!

Too busy staring at animals to smile for the camera!

OH MY!  Yes that bear is eating something that looks entirely too much like a baby in my opinion.

Still thinking about that bear...

Well, I do have more things I want to share but that will have to come at a later time.  We are loving our new life in Colorado as well as being parents!  God has blessed us in ways I never expected. 

By the way, please be praying for me as I find my new role in Douglas County Young Life.  I am looking forward to sharing Christ's love with high schoolers again but I am super nervous about how this will look now that I have a whole new job of raising a little boy.  In the past, it was easy for me to just go where ever they were or needed me to be but now it won't be as easy.  Also, since we have no babysitters things are a little tricky.  I'm really hopeful though and after meeting the teams from the area last night, I feel really up to whatever challenges God lays our way. 

 Well, let's hope my next blog will come sooner rather than later...