11 months old!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZLibXIRcaA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9i7Q1yHyEQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Va1nT1aDx_g

Our baby is almost a year old! It's so hard to believe that I was due this month last year.

Peyton gets more personality by the day. More than his mobility this month, his social skills have developed. He continues to test his boundaries and definitely does things he's not supposed to for attention. He's destroyed 2 lamps in his room. Those little hands are fast and accurate as was demonstrated the one morning he ended up with OJ all over his head from him grabbing my glass. He's got a toy box in the living room and his favorite thing to do is empty it and throw everything across the room. He's got a pretty good arm. He's talking more and more. Not always real words, but you can tell they are real to him. I caught him "singing" the other day to himself. He's very expressive with his facial expressions too...especially those eyebrows. Anyone who's seen the face I'm talking about would agree. It makes everyone laugh. When we go out he is still initially shy, but is starting to wave and "talk" to people he doesn't know now, as long as he gets Mommy's look of approval first.

Peyton's not walking yet, but he tests his balance. He can stand without holding on to anything for about 10-20 seconds before he falls. Just like crawling, I think it'll just happen one day. The child does not sit still for 2 seconds when he's awake. He has learned to do lots of things that teach me that just when I think the house is babyproofed, it's not. He can climb the stairs, but can't safely come down. He climbed up on the couch the other day with the help of something on the floor that he figured out how to use as a step stool. His new thing is pushing his toys across the room while crawling on his knees and putting toys in other toys. I guess that means the boy needs a dump truck. Maybe for his birthday...

That's pretty much it. Next month will make me cry. Our baby will be one. Zack and I are getting him a little cake and Grandma and Aunt Cathy will be in town to celebrate. We love that baby boy!

Peyton's first Mardi Gras

For the past week we've been in Lafayette, LA celebrating Mardi Gras and introducing Peyton to his Daddy's relatives. Wow, did he meet a lot of people. He was a trooper the whole time and seemed to really enjoy being around lots of other kids and new faces. He definitely liked the attention. And all this while he was sick with a runny nose and cough (which we now know is an ear infection).

We stayed with Peyton's Parrain and Aunt Jessica. He got to meet his cousins, Averie, Marie, and Baylor. Also, he got to be reunited with Aunt Jessica's parents, Chris and Richard. The first night they had dinner at their house and Peyton also got to meet PawPaw and Nanny Bobbie. Even after traveling all day he was happy as a clam to be passed around.

Thurday, for lunch, we ate with Mrs. Connie, Daddy's Mom's childhood friend. We also made plans to get Peyton's first haircut from his PawPaw (the pics are so cute, he was so good). He also met MawMaw (his great grandmother). She was in love, as was expected. She gave him a little radio she got from the casino and a piggy bank full of coins (we haven't checked our luggage yet to see if it made it or got smashed on the trip home). Miss Margaret, MawMaw's friend was there too. This was the day Gwen and Philip got in from Texas too. I can't remember if Tiffany and her friend Holly came that night or the following day, but they were at the house too. It was crazy full.

During the day on Friday we headed to Pizza Village to have lunch with MawMaw and as a surprise, Uncle Ricky and TroyAnn, Uncle Earnest, and 2 of Ricky's sons showed up too. We got a picture of the whole Roger clan. On Friday night our friends Ben and Rachel came, but didn't get in until really late. Peyton got to experience his first Mardi Gras parade on Saturday, when we headed to Carencro for the block party at Aunt Sandra's house. Uncle Fred provided the music. This was Peyton's longest day by far, but he only fussed for a little while because he was hungry. We got tons of beads that day, and Peyton made out with quite a few toys as well. We danced and ate and had a good ol' time. Peyton got to meet Joshua, Daddy's cousin Jodi's son, who is 6 months old. Aunt Jessica's sister and her 2 kids came in on Saturday from Florida. Talk about a full house. Saturday night we stayed in because after getting home from Carencro, Peyton's cough got bad. Poor baby couldn't catch his breath and actually ended up throwing up because of all the drainage that was running into his tummy.

Sunday he was no worse for the wear and we had a bonfire at Chris and Richard's property that night. He was content sitting in the sling on Daddy all night.

We finally went to Cajun Field on Monday to watch the parade. It was fun, again, keeping Peyton content in the sling. He met so many more people these last few days, that I can't even begin to think who they all were. Peyton did us the favor of being a good boy and going home with Aunt Jessica so we could have one night to ourselves. Tuesday was Mardi Gras and we were again at Cajun Field. This was the longest day by far without anywhere for naps. He finally gave in a napped in our arms briefly. By the time we got home, he had his second wind and was happy, playing, and entertaining everyone.

The whole trip was so much better than I could've ever anticipated. Peyton loved meeting everyone and was so good considering how little sleep he got the whole week, and I think everyone loved meeting him. He's quite the little charmer when he wants to be. He didn't even fight bedtime, which surprised me with him being out of his element. Runny nose and all, he had an exciting week. He comes home with multiple gifts as well. A Mardi Gras outfit from Aunt Sandra, a Superbowl champs outfit from Gwen, a Saints outfit, bear, and telephone from Aunt Janet, money from Mrs. Connie, and the little radio and bank from MawMaw.

Thanks to everyone for the hospitality. Peyton is truly blessed to have such a great extended family.

10 months old today!

Here we are, 2 months away from 1 year! With increased mobility and increased intelligence comes increased mental fatigue for Mommy and Daddy. Peyton is testing us. His favorite "test" is to sit in front of the fireplace hearth, and act like he is going to climb up. Then he makes sure we are watching and tell him no, and he shakes his head side to side in the "no" sign and then, with one last glance to make sure we're still watching, he books it up and grabs the fireplace screen. There are days when he will repeat this process over and over and over. He knows all the things he is not supposed to get into and those are the first things he goes for when we turn our heads. I can't believe how fast the kid can crawl. He's getting really fast at cruising on the furniture too. With this speed comes lots of falls and tears. He has no regard for what is safe when he gets it into his head he should be able to do something. It's making his mother a nervous wreck!

In other news, this month I don't have to say we think he's teething, he is! The first tooth has been cut, but is barely in and is still bothering him a lot. It is causing a ton of wakeful nights, making for a crabby baby and a tired Mommy.

Peyton has more words daily. "Up" is his favorite. It has multiple uses. "Pick me up," "take me out of the car seat," "go upstairs," "get me out of the high chair." His second word is "mama." Sometimes in the middle of the night he doesn't even cry, he just says mama over and over. If mama does not come, then the screaming commences. He also says "dada," "bye bye," and multiple other sounds that sound like he is really trying to say the appropriate thing.

Next week we go to Louisiana so Peyton can meet the rest of the Johnson family. Hopefully he'll fly as well as he has on past occasions. I hope they all realize Hurricane Peyton is on the way!

Until next month...

9 month update

Wow, it feels like I just did the 8 month update on here. Peyton had his 9 month check up today and weighs in at 18 lbs 6 oz and is 27 1/2 inches long. He still has a tiny head in the 6th percentile, but I think that is what makes him look like a little boy vs. a little baby. Still no teeth. The girls in the doctor's office are in love with him. Grae, the PA that sees him, thinks he'll be walking before our 12 month visit, and we agree.

So Peyton can get around with the greatest of ease these days. He crawls FAST! He can stand up using just about anything for leverage, from the couch to a door to the wall. He loves to walk across the room holding our hands. We have to keep an eye on him at all times . Turn around for a second and he's gone and getting into something he's not supposed to be. We've put latches on all the cabinets, padding on the fireplace, and fixed up all the outlets. The biggest thing is still the stairs. We have awkward stairs that you can't really put a gate on so we're trying to teach him how to do them correctly in case he somehow got to the stairs without us seeing him, but I don't see that happening.

Peyton's first Christmas was awesome for both him and Mommy and Daddy, oh, and of course Grandma, who spoiled him rotten. He surprisingly unwrapped his presents and actually liked the toys, not just the boxes and paper. My favorite pic is one of him seemingly reading the directions of how to install his swing. Of everything he got, he plays with the peg board with the hammer and the plastic blocks, the most.

On top of his first Christmas, he also had his first cold, which he proceeded to spread to the whole family. Since then he's had a hard time getting back into a sleep routine, but it is getting a little bit better.

For the next 6 days I will be alone with him for the first time. I'm a little nervous about how I will ever get any meals made or cleaning done, but who knows, it might actually be better than when Zack is here.

Hard to comprehend, but by the time we go in for Peyton's 12 month appt there may be a little brother or sister on the way that we'll have to start a new blog for.

8 months old-how time flies when you're having a good time!

8 months sure does fly when you are having fun! Peyton is becoming more of a joy by the day. He's 18.2 lbs according to the Wii. From his new set of words (baba, mama, dada, buhbuy) to the squeals at the top of his lungs, to the new skills (crawling, scurrying up mommy's lap, downward dog, imitating, pulling to stand and cruising along the side of the playpen or crib, going from tummy to sitting, and ever improving fine motor skills) he's a miracle and a joy to watch. With the development of all these skills comes some frustration for him. He gets mad when he can't do something which leads to more fussiness than normal, but he's still a great baby. Couple that fussiness with possible teething. Yes, I know I say that every month in my update, but it has to be soon, right? He's 8 months and is still toothless, which is fine by me since I am still breastfeeding. The good thing is that in the past week we seem to be getting back on a waking up only once a night routine, which is making me happy. The trip to Florida, the time change, and a change in weather really threw him for a loop. I think the humidifier is helping a lot.

As far as eating goes, Peyton is an awesome eater. The only thing we can't get him to eat so far is meat, but I'm sure if we try it mixed with something he likes he'll enjoy it too. I still make all the baby food which is supposed to make for less picky eaters, so we'll see.

Another thing we are proud of is our skills as parents with "elimination communication." I know it's a foreign concept to most, but it is a means by which you follow your baby's cues in order to toilet them instead of having them go in a diaper, so that when potty training does occur it's easier since they already know the potty is where that happens, not a diaper. I'm happy to report that we catch "poopoo in the potty" 95% of the time and he does #1 in there after naps and in the morning. Even if potty training is still difficult, this time, learning how to communicate with Peyton even without words, has been time well spent. Plus, he seems to enjoy it!

My favorite thing that Peyton is doing now is giving me kisses. It is the sweetest thing and makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, and usually left with a very wet cheek:) As of now, he'll only do it to me, but he seems to be a pretty smart cookie and will probably start with Daddy soon too. He also loves to laugh and smile. My least favorite thing is that he gets into everything he's not supposed to. Gone are the days of sitting him in the living room while I run to the kitchen. He's across the room lickity split trying to get some cord, the dog's bone, a shoe, lick the sliding glass door, climb on the brick fireplace, or any number of other things he shouldn't be getting into. Those things are way more fun than toys.

I'm so looking forward to Peyton's first Christmas. All of his presents are bought and Grandma is coming from Florida. I'm sure he'll be much more interested in the paper, bags, bows, and ribbon, than the actual presents, but it'll be fun to start experiencing Christmas through a child's eyes again.

So I guess that's it. It's a lot. Each month more seems to happen in the span of a month. So in the words of Peyton, buhbuy.

7 months update

So I can't believe it. Today Peyton is 7 months old. I had every intention of weighing him today on the Wii, but with the people here doing the windows I forgot so I'll have to add an addendum later. We love that little boy more every day. He's changing faster than I ever imagined. His personality is blossoming as are the skills he's able to perform. He's been on the verge of crawling for a while now, but is much more interested in standing. In fact, today, his 7 month birthday, he pulled to stand for the first time by himself in his crib. I sat him down in there with the side down to do something and the next thing I knew, he was standing up. Other things he does routinely now is going from sitting to his stomach, but he can't get from his stomach to sitting yet, is a very adept roller at getting from one place to another, and he plays really well by himself and enjoys the toys that make music when he pushes buttons or anything he can gnaw on.

He still doesn't have a tooth, but continues to act like he's teething, drooling like a mad man and chewing on everything. His new favorite toy is an old cell phone he can chew on. It's the only way I can keep him from insisting on mine. It's amazing to watch him discover new textures. The other day he discovered the bricks on the fireplace hearth and the tile, both which he rubbed his hands across for a good 10 minutes a piece, just exploring.

We went to Florida in October and he got to experience the beach again as well as the pool. It was a much better experience at the beach than when we were there in June since it wasn't hot, but the ocean was too choppy to take him in. He loved his new raft in the pool, but it was too cold out to go in very much. He was a very good baby to me on the airplane and in the airport since I was traveling alone and very stressed about it. I got many complements after we landed that I had the best baby on the plane. In the airport he showed off his new mimicking skills and entertained a couple that, ironically, are expecting a baby girl that they are naming Peyton too. He started really squealing on that trip too, as well as waving hi to my family.

So that's all I can think of that has happened this past month. We are starting to baby proof the house with crawling seeming like an imminent occurrence, but he would much rather be walking, it seems. Life is about to get really exciting.

New videos on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxtC8NmD0Yo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=av5WbwaIDhc

6 Months Old!!! Half a year, can you believe it?

Today Peyton went to his doctor's appt. for his 6 month checkup. He was 16 lbs 6 oz. and 26 1/2 inches long. He hasn't grown much in height, but he's chunked up so much. There have been lots of changes in his life in the last month. He sits VERY well now and will sit for hours playing with his toys on the floor or watching Sesame Street. He gets around the living room by rolling. It's amazing how quickly he can get across the room that way. He's getting pretty close to being able to belly crawl too. We've introduced solid foods which he took to very well. He loves his rice cereal and so far the only thing he has completely rejected is peas...go figure. It made me sick to my stomach just smelling them when I was trying to feed them to him.

Sleeping on his back is a thing of the past. Yes, we still put him down on his back like all the experts say, but it takes less than 2 seconds for him to be flat on his stomach. He sleeps in some of the most awkward positions, but most of them are exactly like I sleep. His naps have, for the most part, greatly increased in length to 1 1/2 hours to 2 instead of his previous 30 minutes or so, which is great for me getting things done around the house.

He's now able to go hiking with us in the backpack. We went up to Kenosha Pass to hike with our neighbors and their son and both boys ended up falling asleep in the packs. Boy did it look uncomfortable, not to mention that it was about 45 degrees and it rained on us. The backpack is so much more comfortable to hike in than the Baby Bjorn.

Peyton has probably begun teething. He is suddenly waking at night again even though he's been sleeping through the night for the last 2 months. He gnaws on everything and bites his bottom lip, which is so cute. And he drools...man does he drool. I love his toothless grin, but I wish this tooth would come in so that he's back to his normal happy self.

So that's that. Half a year old. Seems like just yesterday that he was born and now we're thinking we need to baby proof the house sooner than later because he will be crawling soon. This age is so much fun, his personality is growing by the day. We love that little boy!