babies | baby | family | fun | Uncategorized

Graham is 9 months!

By on July 22, 2013
So this post is super late. I’ve been busy chasing a baby around! Let me see what I can remember about your 9th month Mr. Graham…
9 months! You’ve been outside of my tummy longer than you were inside! And oh how much you’ve grown. You are 20lbs 4oz (69%) and 30in long (95%) with a big old head in the 96th percentile!! Gotta be big to hold your big brain. 🙂

 

I’ve been dressing you each day in a 9 month outfit, just to wear them one last time. They’re getting pretty tight – on to 12 month clothes! You’re still in size 3 diapers.

 

You eat like a champ. (Can’t believe you once were a tiny little thing who wouldn’t eat!) You have 4 to 5 bottles a day of 6 to 7 ounces each. And we’ve moved to three real meals a day. You love feeding yourself, so we mostly do finger foods. (Steamed veggies, cut up fruit, small soft pieces of meat, string cheese, etc.) We’ve also practiced with a few of those food pouches. They’re convenient when we’re on the go. And you love love love puffs!

 

You’re starting to throw fits when you don’t get your way. Luckily you’re pretty easy to distract. (And you look adorable, even when you’re crying!)
When we went to the doctor for your 9 month appointment, she was concerned you weren’t pulling up yet. She said she’d give you until 10 months and then she might have us do some physical therapy. (Same thing happened when you didn’t want to support your head.) Well wouldn’t ya know, the very next day you started pulling up. Stinker. 🙂
You are a friendly baby – you let anyone and everyone hold you. Sometimes I wish you were a little more attached to me, but at least I don’t have to worry about you crying when I leave you with your grandparents and drop you off in the nursery at church.

 

Showing some Waumba Land spirit!
P.S. This is one of my all time fav pics of you. 🙂

 

You love your dada. You say his name ALL the time. You only say mama when you’re upset an whining. (Gee, thanks.) We went to visit him at work this month and you loved playing with his calculator. Are you going to follow in his footsteps and be a CPA?

 

We’ve always called you “busy boo” (as well as a million other nicknames) and this month you’re really living up to that name. You play play play all day. Toys are ok, but you really like remotes, cell phones, cords and the dogs. You’re keeping me on my toes!
Helping fold a mountain of laundry.
We tried out Gymboree early in the month. (They offer a free trial class.) It was alright. I think we both enjoyed the “mommy and me” water aerobics class we were taking more. And the price is def better for the water aerobics. (Gymboree is expensive!) And, not gonna lie, the clown mascot kind of freaked me out.
You love to play in your baby pool on the back porch.

 

Oh my goodness – can this pic be any more adorable?!?!

You also love swinging in your swing. Sometimes it’s too much fun and it wears you out. 🙂

 I swear we normally put clothes on you when we take you outside!
The baby pool pic and the swing pic were from the same day.

You saw your first Laser Show. I was afraid the fireworks and loud music would scare you, but you loved it! You were mesmerized the entire time.

 

We finally installed your “big boy car seat” (after letting it sit in the box in our kitchen for a month).

 

 

It’s getting a little harder to go out to eat with you. You want to play with everything on the table.
Eatin’ Cherrios with chopsticks!
You had your finger pricked at the doctors. You were NOT happy about it. And then you stared at the band aid for 20 minutes trying to figure it out.
What a fun month! We love you Busy Boo!
 

 

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babies | baby | blogging | Uncategorized

The Breastfeeding Diaries

By on July 17, 2013

Julie over at The Girl in the Red Shoes is an awesome blogger with the cutest little boy that was born just 3 days after Graham. I love reading about her life and seeing her little guy grow. She has a series on her blog called “The Breastfeeding Diaries.” All the stories are great – very encouraging to new moms. Today, I’m guest posting about my breastfeeding experience on her blog. (My first guest post!) Hope you pop over there and check it out!

 
 

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job | recipe | summer | Uncategorized | workplace

Pinto Beans and Cornbread

By on June 29, 2013

All through college, I worked at Stone Mountain Park’s Historic Square as a southern belle. Hoop skirt and all!

I worked along side some pretty awesome people. One lady in particular I will never forget. We called her Miss Ruby. Miss Ruby was an older woman who could be a little intimidating at first, but once she decided she liked you, she’d baby you like the great southern mama and grand-mama that she was. I can’t remember how many children and grandchildren she had, but she always bragged about them – she was so proud of them all!

During the years that I worked with Miss Ruby, she’d always station herself in the cookhouse. She’d come in early in the morning and get a fire going in the hearth. Her star dishes were pinto beans and cornbread, cooked in cast iron in the fire of the cook house. Whoever was visiting the attraction that day could stop by and she’d give them each a small helping of pintos in a Dixie cup and a slice of cornbread on a napkin with a smear of butter.

I loved to stop by the cookhouse and have a taste too. It was the BEST afternoon snack in the middle of the summer. That salty/savory taste was just what I needed after sweating all day long in my period-appropriate dress and hoop skirt. The cookhouse had been updated with air conditioning, so I’d stand next to the air vent and let the cool air go right up my hoop skirt. Classy, right? Miss Ruby would give me a big helping of pintos and cornbread. I’d crumble the bread into the beans and dig in. Something about those salty beans and the buttery cornbread really hit the spot on hot summer days.

I decided on Monday that I wouldn’t be considered a true southern woman until I’d cooked some pintos and cornbread. I tried out Paula Deen’s pintos recipe (except I cooked mine on the stove) and the Pioneer Woman’s cornbread. Very tasty, but they didn’t compare to Miss Ruby’s.

 

Miss Ruby passed away when I was in college. She worked at Stone Mountain for many years and a few of us attended her funeral. There were so many people there – I know she was well-loved by all.

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Rhea Lana’s Children’s Consignment Sales

By on June 24, 2013

I LOVE shopping for clothes for Graham. Like I mentioned in this post, we were blessed with so many hand-me-downs from friends that I really haven’t had much of an opportunity to buy clothes that I’ve picked out myself. And on the rare occasions that I do buy something, I’m always shocked at how those seemingly affordable baby clothes add up. Especially when I think about how fast Graham grows out of his clothes.

This past spring, I heard about Rhea Lana’s Children Consignment sales and decided to check one out. I got the CUTEST outfits for Graham – and I save mega bucks shopping consignment. The clothes there look brand new and they have the brands that I like to buy.

The fall sale is scheduled for July 21st – 25th and I can’t wait! Not only do they have great clothes at Rhea Lana, but they also have TONS of toys and other baby items at a steal. The hubby and I love to take Graham to Toys-R-Us and pick out all the things we’d like to buy him. But we always leave empty handed because I know I can get the toys much cheaper at a consignment sale.

Rhea Lana has sales all over the country. Check them out!

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