Our Little Ham

I have tried to update Collin's blog at least once a month. I try to note his growing milestones and record his funniest and precious moments. My plan (along with keeping the memories for myself and our loved ones) is to have his blog printed one day, to give to him so he can share it with his family. I realized how important something like this could be when I was pregnant... constantly going through my own and my husbands baby pictures (whatever I could find), trying to dream up what our baby boy would look like and what kind of temperament he would have. I have gone from marking milestones in his Baby Book to trying to make a Photo Book to have published later on (still may make this happen). But I have to say, his blog has been the most fun for me. I love sharing it as I go along.


So far, this Summer, Collin has been proving to be much like his momma... a mosquito magnet. He doesn't seem to mind, though. He's very much an outdoors boy. Which boy isn't? My mother said she used Skin-So-Soft to keep the bugs off my skin. Recommended by my pediatrician and completely safe for delicate baby skin. Hmm... anyone know an Avon Lady??

One of Collin's favorite places to be is Gamma and Ganddad's back patio. Tommy and my Dad have hung a swing for him from one of their oak trees. Mom has been working tirelessly on her garden and Coy pond. The chiminea, when lit, fills the air with pinion wood smoke. And if Dad's grilling wings, the smells are mouth watering.

Meet Fred. Patron Saint of Day Lillies and Earth Worms.

Ladies and Gentlemen... may I introduce "The Boss".

Mmmm....... YUM!


Beautiful Gamma. She taught me how to be a mother.


Note to self... Collin bites.




Though my pictures may not do my mom's garden justice, you can see it's beautiful. She's kept it going for quite a few years, perfecting a little at a time. This is where my Grandma's ashes are. It is her legacy to leave to me.. and God willing, for me to leave to my son and his family. Now... I need to learn to garden!


Blowing raspberries with Ganddad.



My father... let's boogy!



Big boy is getting so strong. He'll be walking in no time!



We could do this all day. What's more fun than blowing raspberries?

Collin has grown so very fond of his Mimi and Papa. Mimi has a talent for making him smile. Actually, she has a talent for making anyone smile. We love Mimi.

Watching the Tony Awards.

She also has a beautiful yard... lots of room to play!! Perfect for little boys, pugs and big boys, too!


Swinging with Mimi.



This was another day... but way too cute not to share!

Collin is still not really crawling, yet. Still scootin' around on his tooshie and wallering around on the floor. But you can tell he really wants to crawl. He's got the motivation... most of the time.

Under the coffee table...

As much as I want to, I cannot seem to get my head straight on fixing healthy meals beyond baby food. I tried Tuna Helper and he loved it... though it gave him horrible diarrhea along with a pretty bad diaper rash. Now I'm gun shy. I should have known better... I felt horrible. Now that I know he loves Tuna, I should try to find a way to cook it that is not out of a box and wont hurt his tummy or tooshie. If I can't get this meal thing figured out before too long, he'll be the only baby food eating teenager in school.

Collin still doesn't say much, except "Momma". He used to say "Dada"... for about a week. But now.. he'll say "Momma" over and over again. Well, he also growls, spits raspberries, and yells. We spend quite a bit of time growling at each other. He also loves to act like he's coughing... yes, he's acting. He thinks it's funny!

There was a time when Collin had eyes only for his Momma. Now, there are times when he wants his Daddy and no one else. There were a couple of times I took it personally, but it's absolutely adorable when he reaches for his Daddy. What a pair they are!




I can't believe Collin is already 8 months old... he's such a ham. We love him so! He's growing too fast, though. Will I still be saying that when he's a teenager? Hmm... probably!

7 Months, 7 Teeth and Many Kisses!

I wonder, sometimes, if I've ever known a happier baby than Collin. Oh sure, he has his moments (like any baby does)... he is most impatient when he is hungry. He will sit in his high chair and yell at me in his 'Pee Wee Herman' voice all the while I'm fixing his meal. Lord forbid I feed him too slow! In fact, meal times are quite a production... after each bite, he looks at me excitedly and says "Mmmm!!!!" and takes a big gulp of water from his sippy cup.

I discovered, recently, that he has successfully learned to feed himself with his spoon. I actually load the spoon up and he snatches it from me by the handle and shoves it in his mouth. From that, he'll either try to keep it and play with it or throw it on the ground... what a goob.

Here is my only concern.. he is grabbing the spoon with his left hand. My dad has said more than once that he believes Collin is going to be a 'south paw'. Neither Tommy or I are left handed.. how are we going to teach him how to write? Throw a ball? Looks like I'm going to be doing some research!


When I was pregnant, Tommy and I were trying to come up with a cute theme for our new baby's bedroom. I came up with Rubber Duckies, Dr. Suess and Puppies... but Tommy liked Monkeys! Today, Collin's room is filled with Monkey's other Safari Animals and quite a few Teddy Bears. Collin loves them all, but he has one toy that he simply cannot do without.


You got it.... his Monkey! It was my mother-in-law, Deon, who gave this monkey to Tommy for the nursery while I was pregnant. This is a very special monkey... one that we must never leave home without. Collin is very meticulous with his monkey. Let me tell you, this is serious business. No laughing matter. He carefully chooses his favorite paw to suck on, which is the right paw, of course (as you can see in the picture). And he sucks, sucks, sucks... yes, he sucks on the left paw, the ears and the nose as well, but it's not his favorite. Can I say, this is the most smelly, disgusting thing?? The monkey's extremities have developed sort of a hard 'coating' from being mouthed, slobbered and spit up on constantly. So, we named him 'Krusty'. Once a week, when Collin's not looking, I try to shove Krusty in the wash. When Krusty comes out of the dryer, he's always so soft, fluffy and he smells wonderful. When Collin reunites with him, he is joyful at first... he pants, reaches out and opens his mouth real big for a nice slobbery kiss. Much to my demise, Collin notices his Krusty is not "krusty" anymore. He looks at me and frowns, as if to say, "Momma, you ruined my monkey!"


Collin is getting so close to crawling. I can tell he really wants to. He has finally started putting his weight on his knees and his arms at the same time! It will be any day, now. He's gotten so good at 'wallering' around on the ground and he's much more comfortable on his tummy. Looks like I have some baby-proofing to do! I need to get the floors extra clean, get the wall plugs out and pack up the baker's rack (the one thing I worry could really hurt him).


All I've ever wanted was a child that would be as affectionate with me as I would be with my child. And boy, were my prayers answered! Collin loves to hug, kiss, flirt and snuggle. I was reading my baby book that my mom wrote in for me.. she said that when my daddy would come home from work I would reach out for him from my mom's arms. When he would come close, I would turn away real quick with a big smile... being "bashful". We would do that over and over again, until my daddy finally grabbed me and we hugged, kissed and played. Collin does the same things! He loves to play the "bashful" game!

As far as our little family goes, we are doing great. Tommy is finally working somewhat normal hours, which is so great. He comes home in plenty of time to play a little with Momma and his son. Then he makes a bottle, rocks him in his room and puts him in bed. Before, he would get home after Collin was already down for the night. What a wonderful way to end the day!

Pickles

Sunday was my first Mother's Day! I have to say, it felt great. First, we went to church... We normally leave Collin with my mom on Sunday mornings. It's just easier to pay attention to the service when he's not there. And here's why... We arrived a little late and had to find a pew towards the front of the sanctuary. He flirted with every pretty lady that would smile back at him... showing off his puffy cheeks and toothy smile. Very distracting. Keeping him quiet was sometimes an interesting task... Collin has learned to use his voice. He loves to squeal and scream and laugh, all the while flopping around with his arms and legs so vivaciously he is making the pew shake. We find if we can keep him occupied with whatever is nearby.. a piece of paper, a cell phone, a key chain.. he'll hunker down on the item as if exploring it and chewing on it is a very important job. He got lots of laughs, at least... I just wish I remembered most of the sermon!

We then went to Mimi and Pawpaw's house for traditional egg dish, cinnamon rolls and Mimosas. It had been a while since Collin and I have been around that side of our family. He wasn't his usual "jolly" self, but he had missed his morning nap, so it was understandable that he was subdued. All in all, he did fantastic... especially after missing a nap and being around a bunch of people all day.

When we got home around 4:00pm, the three of us got in our jammies. Collin and I snuggled up and took a nap in our big chair. T'was a great day.



So, today is May 11th... Collin is 7 months old! It doesn't seem like it's been near that long. I know I keep saying that. I just didn't expect this first year to go by so quickly. And now, it's more than half over. I just watched a video of the first few minutes of Collin's life. It was the first time I'd watched it, really. It was a little tough for me to see. He was hooked up to many sensors, an i.v., and under a lamp with an oxygen "helmet". He couldn't be held, swaddled or comforted. I couldn't be there to kiss his little nose or sing him to sleep. Thankfully, it didn't last for more than a few hours and I was reunited with him by midnight (maybe about 6 hours after birth).




Hmm... on to the present! Collin has officially started talking... He says "Mamma", and sometimes "Mammammamma". But before he really started saying my name, he said "Dadda"... but mostly "Daddaddadda". He, of course, has other things to say... "bah" and "gah" and random growling... along with frequent squealing, of course.



I had decided to introduce Collin, finally, to his bears. Most of them are bigger than he is. I placed Collin on the floor of his bedroom and seated a few of his new "buddies" around him in a circle.


He was amazed... to him, this was probably the most exciting time of his life. He went from being an only child to having a room full of friends!


There was much "flopping" and excited squealing going on at this moment. It soon became serious business once Daddy joined in the club...



And then.... I got just a little too close to his bears. I must not have understood what an important and private meeting this had become.. Mommies not allowed!!


He sure told me! Now, I know better than to interrupt his meetings.


When it comes to Collin's appetite, he's sort of like a garbage disposal. He really enjoys eating. And although his doctor told me the more solids he eats the less interested in his formula he will be, he is just as interested in formula as he ever has been. Collin is a HEAVY baby! We are all sort of complaining about back pain.

Here are some new pics... Yesterday, my bestie and I gave the little guy a pickle spear. Collin. Loves. Pickles.