Griffin is Seven Months Old!

Where do I even begin?! Over the past month, Griffin has changed so much that I can hardly keep up! He's just going to have to s.l.o.w. d.o.w.n, that's all there is to it. :)

I am ecstatic to report, however, that his official first word was "Mama"! He said it for the first time on December 26, 2011, just a few days after turning six months old. Although it was a day late, I'm marking it down as the best Christmas present EVER!  It makes me smile every time I hear it!  The word "ba ba" came shortly after, along with the new trick of moving his mouth as though he's saying "mama", but not making a sound. Odd, I know, but so funny!

Another big milestone this month was the grand entrance of his very first tooth.  It's a little more visible each day, and I know that only means there are more on the way!  Moving on up to the world of finger foods, we've added teething biscuits to his list of favorite foods.  He loves to chew on it, then take it out and look at it!  He's still pretty rotten about holding his bottle, but every once in a while he decides to give Mom and Dad a break!

While we're at it, we might as well add another milestone to the list... he's started pulling himself up to stand.  He's not exactly "cruising" yet, but sometimes he gets brave and waves one arm in the air.  It scares me every time, but he's doing great so far!  A few nights ago, he pulled himself up and started digging in his toy bin.  He was pumped to find a few toys and books he hadn't seen in a while!

He's SO close to crawling, but hasn't quite figured out how to go forward.  For now, he scoots, rolls, and drags himself forward, sideways, and backwards. He's already more "mobile" than what I'm ready for...so I can't imagine what life will be like once he finally takes off!

We've had an exciting seven months so far, and are loving every minute with our amazing little man!  We love you, Griffin!

Houston....we have a TOOTH!!

So this is teething?!  It's no wonder Griffin has been cranky whiny restless screaming for a bottle at 3am wanting to snuggle (that sounds better!) lately...apparently there's a tooth to blame!  I knew this day would come, and as much as it saddens me to say it, this morning I was able to feel the sharp little edge of his very first tooth poking through his gums on the bottom, left side.  Yes, the same sweet little gums that I cherish so much when he gives his big 'ol gummy grins, have been invaded.  I haven't been able to snap a good picture of it yet, because he's guarding it like a precious gem (probably because it's still swollen and tender)!

I have to admit that I sat and had a good cry this morning after realizing the inevitable...my baby is growing up.  He even looks older today.  It sounds crazy, I know, but it's possible that I have been refusing to accept the fact that every milestone he reaches is just one more step toward becoming a grown boy.  Even as I blog, or write each accomplishment in his baby book, it never really dawns on me that I'm writing about his journey from infancy to childhood...and documenting everything that makes him less of a "baby".  But this morning, as I cried, I noticed him watching me with his big, sweet eyes.  And as he reached out for me, bouncing up and down in his seat, saying "mama mama!", I picked him up and remembered just how blessed I am to be able to stay home and witness every milestone in my baby's life.  Each day I'm with him seems to pass by in the blink of an eye...and before I know it, he will be grown and have a family of his own.  But until then, I'm going to cherish every gummy (one-tooth) grin I get.  :)

I read this quote on someone's blog recently, and I loved it so much that I had to re-post it...

Young boys should never be sent to bed, they always wake up another day older.

Tiny Dancer

It's always fun to get Christmas presents in January, and Griffin recently got to open one from some of our family that lives in Ohio.  Needless to say, it's one of his favorites!  It's an activity center, with all sorts of bells and whistles on the front where he can sit and play...and the back is a walker, that plays music as he pushes it forward.  Since he's not quite walking yet (thank goodness!), someone has to hold on to the toy as he stands behind it to keep it from moving forward.  He loves the music that plays when it moves...so much so that he dances a little jig each time he hears it!  Thanks, Amy, Tom, and Mallory!

Six Month Shots :(

Our little squirt went for his six month well visit and was once again bombarded with needles (YIKES!).  This time the nurse threw in a finger prick, but it didn't phase him!  He was more interested in the bandaid she put on his finger :)  Doctor Badger applauded Griffin's development, and was impressed by his ability to sit up on his own so well.  Griffin loved showing off his "bouncy" skills...something he does almost every time his feet hit the floor!  I'm always anxious to see how he measures up, and this time around, his numbers didn't change much.  He weighed in at 16lbs 15.4 oz, which is around the 32nd percentile.  His length was 25.8 inches, which falls in the 19th percentile.  His head, however, is in the 78th percentile at 45 cm in circumference.  All the comments about being so cute must be going straight to his head!  :)

Happy New Year!

My, how things have changed!  This time last year, Josh and I were entering the year of the "unknown"...as we (tried to) prepare for the arrival of our first baby.  The year 2011 was jam packed with exciting new experiences that have forever changed our lives.  Needless to say, we celebrated New Years Eve "Family Style" this year, at a little get together with our several of our other "mommy and daddy" friends.  We had a great time visiting with everyone and snacking on yummy food.  Griffin's buddy Kaz was there, and both little guys were hamming it up as usual, sporting their cute New Years duds...

 We called it a night and made our way home before the clock struck midnight, thinking that Griffin was ready to hit the sack.  Little did we know, he was determined to stay awake long enough to see the ball drop in Times Square! 

Happy 2012!