2 year well check

I can't believe I just typed '2 YEARS'!!!  We took you to the doctor a few weeks early though, because I like to combine visits as often as possible and Addie was due for her 9 month check-up.  You're hitting all the correct milestones.  The only small concern was your speech.  But the doctor spent the whole time talking to you while I was filling out some paper work, and when I mentioned you not talking much, she was surprised because she said her interaction with you seemed fine.  We won't be doing any early intervention with you because you really do know lots of words and you understand others just fine.  You just talk when you want to, and now, when you have to, because I make you talk when you want something.  And fortunately for us, you have an uncle who is a speech therapist and he more than doubled your vocabulary in less than two days.  So, we're all convinced it's there, you just use it when you feel like it.

You are 33 1/2 inches tall.  You weigh 26 lbs.  And your head circ. is 47 1/2 cm.  All about the 40th-50th percentile, I think.

You're becoming more and more attached to your snuggle buggle. You even stood by the washing machine today and watched it getting clean.

11 months

Oh sweet boy, how are you almost ONE!?!

New things you're doing (and not doing) these days...

You've had a few days of skipping your late nap. You sleep in later on these days and I can't decide if I like my mornings to myself better than I like my afternoon break. So far, not so much. But it's harder than I thought to make little adjustments that make you do what I want you to do. HAH! Especially with about 3 appointments a week, that are usually at different times every week. Considering all of that, you really do quite well.You're willing to try lots of different foods. New stuff this month- fresh blueberries, home made banana bread, pinto beans, grilled cheese sandwiches (you LOVE those), bagels and cream cheese, spinach chicken alfredo, tortillas, zucchini and tomato casserole, cucumbers, gold fish crackers, toast and jam (you've had bread and jam but after the introduction of grilled cheese I decided to toast the bread and it was a hit), Jell-o. You seem to be enjoying vegis more too. I give you green beans, carrots, peas, and a few others regularly and you seem to like them all. I told dad, you eat solids so well with no teeth, I wonder how fast you'll eat when you have some chompers?! That's right, you're my 11 month old 'all gums' baby! We've started calling you 'gummi-gar' the past few days. Something funny I've noticed about feeding you. You like food cold best. Even if its just slightly warm you take it out of your mouth, look at it, and put it right back in. I know it's not too hot, but it never fails.When you're trying something new and you like it, you say, "mmmm!"

You've met some new babies this month and I've been happy to see how well you do around them. You smile and laugh when you see a baby and you try hard to touch them. The moms don't seem to mind you snuggling up to their babies, but I'm still really watchful because you don't quite understand "be gentle" yet. It makes me hopeful that you'll enjoy being around lil sis.
You've started a new (somewhat dramatic) behavior from time to time. When you're tired or hungry, you belly flop and face plant into the carpet and groan. It's pretty cute, but it surprises people sometimes- you don't seem to mind who's around when you do it.

You've started letting go of whatever you're using to assist you in standing. Sometimes you wobble for a second and grab back on. Sometimes you lose your balance and squat or fall. You remind me of Bambi learning to stand/walk. It's pretty cute! Still no steps, still no rush from me!You stick your tongue out a lot and roll it.

You wave 'hi' and bye-bye'. (kind of) You get it right for about two or three seconds, then you turn your hand and wave at yourself.

You've started tilting your head from left to right and giving me a darling little smile when you do it...kinda like you're up to something. (here's the tilt minus the smile.)You shake your head 'yes' and 'no'. Usually when you see someone else do it, and you do 'no' when you're full.

You throw everything out of your crib when you're having a hard time falling asleep. Blankets, stuffed animals, pacifiers, bottles. You even have a mirror with velcro straps that's strapped to the side and you've figured out how to unstrap it and you throw that out too. And even your pajama pants, you have two pairs of PJ's that are just loose enough that you've learned how to take them off and throw them out too. Sometimes we come in and put everything back in for you to do it all over again. Sometimes you fall asleep shortly after clearing out your space. I love coming in and seeing a little sleeping/half naked/defeated baby, and the floor covered with stuff.

You seem to miss the helmet during your one hour daily break. You lightly pat your head with a bit of a confused look on your face. It's so cute! And there's been a couple times where you pick it up and try to push it back on your head! Yesterday marked 2 months in the helmet. I'm hoping we've reached the half way point, but we'll have to wait and see.

I'm seeing so much more personality these days. You surprise me and make me laugh everyday.
You love being chased and playing peek a boo around the couch. You're a little speedster. Never quick enough to escape being caught and smothered with kisses from dad and I, but pretty dang quick. And you laugh and shriek when we change directions and surprise you. When you know you've been caught, you turn and dart right towards us, like its your turn to chase us.

You're smiling on queue most of the time. Although, I use the term 'smiling' loosely. As soon as you see the camera or my phone and I say "smile!", you stop what you're doing and give me this scrunch face cheeser. The pictures don't capture all its cuteness. Most of these were taken this morning at breakfast. I was having a little too much fun with it. I've been working on stuff for your birthday party this week. I remember when you were tiny, thinking about your first birthday and how it seemed so far away, now it's in a month! Your grandma and grandpa will be here from Utah and you even have some family coming in from Colorado, just to celebrate YOU! You're so loved, and so easy to love.Your Grandma White gave Grandpa this tool belt, tools, and a kids work bench for his birthday on Sunday. She told him it was 'From Garrett', and I said, "what she means by that is, 'For Garrett'." And you loved it!
Happy 11 months, sweet boy!

8 months!

You're 8 months old as of yesterday, and every month I wonder when I'm going to stop saying, "This is the funnest age!"

Here's a few things by numbers that have brought us to the 8 month mark:

• You've flown in an airplane 7 times.
• You've had 2 hair cuts.
• You've been to 6 states.
• You've fallen off the couch once, almost 5 or 6 times.
• You've had your neck and head worked on approx. 60 times. (at $30-$40 each, but you're oh so worth it!)
• You've had 2 head shape checks with 1 more coming later today that will determine if you'll be getting a doc band, (head reshaping helmet).
• You've had 3 colds, 2 really mild, and 1 not so mild.
• You've tried at least 20 different foods, and by the look on you're face with just about every single one, I bet if you could talk you'd say, "I could take it or leave it." The only 2 you love that I consider consistent exceptions are peaches and pickles. But oh well, you're still growing.
• We've taken you "swimming" twice, and we're looking forward to a summer full of pool time.
• You've moved (as in, new home) once.
• You've pooped in the bathtub twice. Yuck. Dad cleaned it up once and Grandma Greenhalgh took care of it the second time. But still, yuck.
• You've been to Disneyland about 6 times and we've taken you on 3 or 4 different rides.
• You've been to 2 zoos.
• You've been on 3 road trips.
• You've been to 2 funerals, 2 weddings, 1 anniversary party, 2 baby showers, and lots of birthday parties.

A couple other fun mile stones that happened this last month are, pulling yourself up to standing in your play crib, in plastic bins, on furniture, and by pulling up on our legs. You shriek and laugh all the time when you're standing.

You've also officially crawled. You still do a lot of belly flops and scoots, (that you've been doing for a month or so) but you finally figured out the knee/hand/forward motion, and you're all over the place now. Dad and I are baby proofing the house this week because you have begun opening drawers and cupboard doors. We're also checking the floor and vacuuming more, because even if you're surrounded by a hundred toys, you still crawl around until you find the tiny paper clip buried in the carpet and put it in your mouth.

You're also figuring out how fun peek a boo is. You love when people do it to you and you've started doing it yourself. If you're standing between my legs, you'll put your head down and then pop it up over and over and look at me and laugh. So cute!

You've become a bit of a momma's boy. Or I guess the official term is 'separation anxiety'. You reach for me a lot, and sometimes fuss when I leave the room. You eventually warm up to everyone, but I really don't mind how much you want to be with me.