Makin' some scrappin' progress

Some of you kind readers have expressed some interest in seeing my scrapbook pages, so I thought I'd post what I've been working on over the last couple of weeks.  I've tried to pick up the pace so they may not be as intricate as I've done in the past.  Also, I've been experimenting with how to best upload them, so some of them got messed up in the process (of the scanning).  Enjoy!

Finding out I was pregnant (first page of the album):

Lindsey Rabon maternity photo shoot

CHS baby shower:

Tea Party Shower:

Decorating onesies at the tea party shower:



My new reality and Nine month milestones

Wow- a couple of weeks makes a TON of difference in the life of an infant! One minute we are celebrating the fact that he's crawling and the next minute we are chasing after him trying to keep him safe!  Needless to say, Eric and I have been busy babyproofing.  We got the gate installed at the bottom of the stairs- and have an ottoman blocking the top of the stairs. One problem is that the first step is wood (while the rest are carpeted)- I'm not sure why, really, because the floor is carpeted.  Caiden loves to crawl over to the step and stand up so we are worried that he is going to fall and hit the wood.  So, being the overprotective parent that I am, I went to JoAnn's Fabrics today and bought some foam and fabric so that I can cushion and "upholster" the step.  The other problem is that the spindles are iron- which is very aesthetically pleasing, but not very soft.  Since he uses the spindles to pull up and gets his precious little forehead so close to bashing into them, I went to Lowe's and bought these foam pipe cover things. This part probably won't be very pretty- but oh well!  Here's a pic before I do any of my craftiness.  I'll post another when I'm finished.

you can see I already put the foam around the spindles

We also moved the coffee table out of the room completely.  I might try to cushion and upholster it too eventually, or maybe just leave it out of the room until Caiden goes to college :) So now Caiden can pull up on the sofas, and whatever else is available.  Here are a few pics from his antics today. 

this basket works nice to stand by

he thinks he's ready for a walker- I'm not so sure

after he pulled it down on top of him- at least he laughed

don't mind the laundry- I can't wait till he can fold the towels :)

And down he goes...

As you can see there were a few tumbles and I can only expect there to be many more.  My hope is to cushion their blow just a tad! I have been amazed as I have watched him develop over the last couple of weeks.I can just sit and watch him as he looks at a toy and analyzes it, turning it over in his hands trying to figure it all out.  Eric thinks he is going to be an engineer because he is fascinated with buckles :) Every time he gets in his high chair or car seat he looks for and grabs the buckle. I get so proud every time he does something new, but it also makes me a little sad because he is growing up so fast. I can still remember the tiny little newborn in my arms just staring up at me!  Luckily for me, he is still a cuddler and a mamma's boy so I get lots of hugs and kisses! 
Here's his nine month milestones:

• weight: 17 lbs 5 oz (4th percentile)
• length 28" (44th percentile)
• Stands while holding onto something
• Jabbers or combines syllables- says da da da da, and na na na na
• Understands object permanence (looks for a hidden toy)
• He just starting putting the puffs in his mouth himself and can feed himself a Baby MumMum
• Loves to eat- I've been making a lot of his baby food- at first he didn't like it, but he's eating now just like the jars. It's hard to say if he has a favorite because he just loves food.
• Cereal: rice, barley, oatmeal, wheat, millet? ( it was in a turkey dinner)
• Veggies: green beans, peas, carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, white potatoes, spinach, broccoli
• Fruits: apples, bananas, prunes, mango, papaya, pear, pumpkin, avocado peach, blueberry
• Proteins: turkey and lentils

Eric and I have been trying to find a church home for quite some time now, and we have recently decided to become members of The Hills Church of Christ. This is a big step for us and we are very excited about it. In the Church of Christ, they don't do baby baptisms- you make the choice to be baptised when you are older. This is very different from my Lutheran upbringing. Last Wednesday (Jan 19) the church held a baby dedication for all the babies born in 2010 and we were able to be a part of it. There was a nice reception and with the baby  photos in a slide show and on a display. Each baby received a ceramic cross and children's Bible and the Elders of the church were there to pray and bless each child and family individually. Then during the service all of the families went up on the stage to receive another blessing from the church.  Here are some photos.

This was way past Caiden's bed time, so he was struggling a little

I leave you today with a video- Caiden had a little lesson on cause and effect.  I used my regular camera instead of the video camera- I guess I turned the camera sideways- so you'll need to turn your head to watch it :)

 

Back to Normal

As much as we enjoyed the holidays, we were glad to get back to our normal routine.  Caiden and I are still going to Stroller Strides most days of the week!  I feel like I will be in pretty good shape for skiing in February! At home we have been exploring his new toys he received for Christmas.
Also I converted his play mat into a tunnel.

 Eric got Caiden his own remote control since he likes them so much.  It speaks English, Spanish and French!

I tried out the cupcake maker by making some muffins.  They were good but I think I should have filled them more because they were itty bitty. I'm going to try some cupcakes or brownie bites for a playgroup we're going to next week!

I've been trying to work on my scrapbook when I can.  I'm doing a pregnancy album and one for Caiden's first year.  My goal is to have both of them done by his birthday so I've got to pick up the pace. 
Here's a sneak peek of what I have so far:

The biggest news I have to report is that Caiden is CRAWLING!!! He has been army crawling on his belly since Christmas, but this week he finally started to get up on his hands and knees!  We are so excited for him, but this means that our weekend plans now include installing a gate and other baby proofing tasks!

 He does this pose quite a bit.  It looks like he in the starting blocks.  Maybe he'll run track?

Here is a video I took of him.  I haven't learned how to edit my videos, so please ignore the dumb person talking in the background :) and the long length.

I'll finish today with a video that will hopefully make you smile.  He was playing on the computer, as he loves to do, and he was hitting some button that was making a funny noise.  Needless to say, he thought it was funny.

8 month milestones, Christmas Cheer and more!

Just before Christmas, Caiden turned 8 months old!  What a fun age!  He is so inquisitive- wants to touch EVERYTHING! He is really starting to talk to us and has more facial expressions. He really loves peek-a-boo and it's so cute to see him try to look around whatever is blocking his view. He loves to hug and kiss and I think he understands the word kiss because he will usually give me one when I say it :) Since we don't see the pediatrician until next month, I just have estimates for his size.  I'm guessing about 17.5 pounds and 28 inches??  Here are some of his milestones:

• says "dada" . He does usually say it when Eric is around, but I'm not quite convinced that he knows what it means
• passes objects from hand to hand
• army crawls
• rocks on his hands and knees
• stands while holding onto someone.  He loves to stand.  I actually don't think he will crawl long- but rather go quickly to walking.
• he is starting to experience stranger anxiety. He still loves to get people's attention and smile at them, but he's started to want momma more when someone else is holding him
• he has 2 teeth now- the bottom middle
• We've started given him teething biscuits and little puffs to practice with more solid food.

He was intrigued by the sticker!

We had a wonderful Christmas this year!  Caiden and I went up to Kansas City (Lee's Summit) the Wednesday before Christmas and Eric came up on Thursday.  On Christmas Eve, as is our tradition, we went to my aunt's house to celebrate with my dad's side of the family.  I don't have too many pictures because I was video-ing and we had our hands full unwrapping gifts, but my dad is supposed to send me his pics (hint, hint). Here is one though with my dad and my nephew Ethan playing with Caiden.

We are at my mom's house on Christmas morning and celebrate there with my mom, my step-dad Geno, and my sister and her family.

Caiden on Christmas morning getting ready for breakfast!

yes, those ARE zebra jammies!

Caiden loved the boxes and tissue paper!



Santa brought Caiden a "Sophie the Giraffe" teething toy!  Yum!

A new toy!  It's a Leap Frog Fridge Farm.

This is a plate I painted using Caiden's footprint

We were all very blessed to receive wonderful gifts but I wanted to mention a few of the highlights. Caiden received some cute clothes, jammies, new books and of course, fun toys!  He also got an awesome bookrack from Pottery Barn Kids for his room.

I got a Magic Bullet (to make baby food and salsa) and a cupcake maker.  I also got a membership to the zoo and the botanical gardens so Caiden and I will have lots to do this spring!  From Caiden I got a beautiful heart diamond necklace! After we opened our gifts,  my grandma, aunt and uncle, cousins and step-sisters all came over. It was definitely a house full- especially with all the kiddos included.  It was nice to see everyone and catch up!

Eric had to leave Sunday so he could go back to work on Monday, but Caiden and I stayed a few extra days. On Tuesday, Mom and Geno took us to Crown Center and Union Station. It was lots of fun walking around and seeing the holiday cheer.

When Caiden and I got back to Dallas the weather was so nice!  I decided we needed to try out the zoo membership so Eric, Caiden and I went on Thursday!

We had a low-key New Year's Eve at home with a little champagne at midnight!  2010 has been such a wonderful year for us, I'm interested to see what 2011 will bring.  Eric and I feel so blessed to have Caiden in our lives now and we enjoy every minute together as a family. 

Prospero Año Nuevo!