11 Months Old

We are so very close to hitting that one year mark! At 11 months my baby boy seems so old to me. :( I am determined to keep him as my little bitty 6 pound 13 ounces baby boy forever but he is growing and changing so quickly now. I am constantly thinking back to where we were last year at this time. Last December we had the little scare that put me in the hospital for a night.  I ended up getting steroid shots for Austin's lungs, and it landed me on bed rest for a few days. Last December was my amazing baby shower, the last few weeks of school before break, and we were preparing for our last Christmas without children. We were anxious and excited to meet our little love. Now we are spending December celebrating the season with our baby. Praise God for this awesome miracle.

 

This month Austin is...

*very vocal (Dada is still the only "real" word we hear but lots of jibber-jabber all day long.)
*still not walking (He cruises around everything and lets go and stands alone for a few seconds (30 max) at a time. He doesn't want to hold your hands and try to walk or to be stood up in the middle of the room. He wants to do it all on his own.)
*eating great (Our boy eats pretty much anything we give him. Fruits and crackers are his favorite and he does NOT want to eat any baby food or anything you feed him with a spoon. He wants to pick it up on his own.)
****Do you sense a theme...Mr. Independent is what we have this month.
*size 9 month and 12 month clothes
*finishing the last box of size 3 diapers and then moving up to size 4
*sleeping good (He still takes two naps but either the morning or the afternoon is getting shorter so maybe he will cut one out soon.)
*cutting two more top teeth (Again, they are coming in at the same time.)

One more month until we have a one year old! WOW!

Hi Mom!

 

Getting Sleepy

 

No more pictures please.

 

I love these two!!

Playing outside with Daddy

 

A day at the park

{I wrote this post at the end of November and am just now getting around to posting it!}

This week I am off work!!!!!!!!!!!!!  YAY!!  That makes for one happy Mommy!  I have not had a day off since school started and I was desperately needing a break.  I have been counting down the days for quite a while now!  Nine days at home with my boys is heaven in my book.  And to make it even better, the weather in Texas this week is simply beautiful!  I know it is winter in most places but this week in Texas the temperatures have been between 55 and 80...that is PERFECT in my book. 

The other day we decided to head to the park for the afternoon.  When we first moved to Frisco, Tayt found a park about 5 minutes from our house that we LOVE!  The park is amazing.  It has a huge wooden playground, a splash pad, picnic tables, bathrooms, a large pond, walking trails and a wooded area with trails all through it.  We have been coming to this park for a while.  Tanner loves it because once we are out on the trails he can be off his leash. 

We came to the park to walk a lot when I was pregnant.  We would walk and talk about what it would be like to bring Austin there some day.  I vividly remember the Monday before he was born.  I went to the doctor that morning and she told me that I was 4cm and 80% effaced.  In her opinion I could go into labor at any time and might not make it through the day!  I was ecstatic.  I was off work that day, MLK Jr. Day, and Tayt and I jumped in the car and headed to the park.  We walked and walked and walked in hopes that it would bring on labor.  Well it didn't work that day and we went back on Saturday, January 21st.  I went into labor at 4am on January 22nd! 

Anyway, we LOVE this park and think Austin enjoys it now too.  This week we put him in the swing for the first time.  He loved it but loved watching all the kids play even more.  It will be so cool to see him playing on the playground, fishing with Daddy and chasing Tanner on the trails next Spring!

Here are a few pictures from our day at the park this week!

 

 

 

 

Catching Up

I'm way behind on blogging, so I am going to attempt to catch up in the next few days.  My posts will be out of order, but I don't care.  I just want to get them all out there! 

So stay tuned for some new posts!

December 22nd

Today Austin is 11 months and I will have his monthly post up soon....well honestly it won't be until after Christmas! I have not had time to blog lately but now I have two weeks off work and hopefully I can get caught up soon. Until then....Merry Christmas!

10 Months Old

Today, Thanksgiving Day, our little turkey turned 10 months!  He is by far our greatest blessing this year!  We thank God for him every day!

Things are getting a little wild over here since our boy is more mobile.  Check out what's happening this month....

*first cold/cough-lasted 10 days/sleep was off/a lot of snot/called dr at day 8 and they told us to just ride it out
*first cut-right next to his left eye/cut it on a pot he pulled out of the kitchen cabinet and was playing with
*first busted lip-It bled for 1/2 the day and made Mommy nutty worrying it was worse than it really was.  Thankfully Daddy calms us all down!  Busted it while standing up holding on to the table in the living room.
*Top 2 teeth in now.  That makes 4 total.
*Standing up and letting go with one hand but not interested in trying to stand by himself.  He is totally content crawling super fast and cruising around the furniture.
*Baby proofed the house (plugs and locks on all cabinets)...again, thanks Daddy!
*We are hearing a few "mama's" in the mix now but mostly just when he is fussy.
*LOVES bath time.  He knows that when he finishes dinner we go right to the bath.  He starts to smile and bounce as I carry him back to the bathroom!  He is now laying down in the tub and splashing around with his arms and legs.  He loves to have the water running and sits right next to it and puts his hands and his rubber ducky in the running water.
*Likes sleeping with his bunny Wilson and blankets!
*Claps a lot, especially when we cheer, "Yay!" and clap too and almost always when music is on.  Again, he is has great rhythm!
*Waves occasionally.  Mostly just at Daddy!
*Loves riding in the cart when we are shopping!
*Favorite foods this month: #1 CRACKERS, #2 pancakes with berries

Country Boy!

This picture is to remind me not to buy a ton of toys for Christmas.  He is happy playing in the kitchen!

Pancakes with berries!

Top Teeth!!

Moving from the chair to the table...TROUBLE!

Watching Daddy put up Christmas lights!

Hi Sweet Angel playing outside!....5 seconds later he tried to eat that leaf, then cried when I pulled it out of his mouth!

Entering a New Decade

As much as I tried to just skip over my birthday or pretend that I wasn't reaching a major milestone, everyone around me just wouldn't let that happen.  So, on November 4, 2012 I turned 30!  Yes, that's right, I entered a new decade and can now kiss my 20s good bye. 

Before I reflect on turning 30, I feel I should take a minute to look back on my 20s....

When I turned 20 I was in Lubbock, partying like a college kid.  I was dating Tayt and celebrating at my Raiders Pass apartment with my sorority sisters and several other friends.  There was alcohol that I was not "legally" allowed to drink, I wore a crown thanks to my Zeta sisters, Texas country music played in the background and there were boys drinking syrup from the bottle in my kitchen which eventually turned into one of our guy friends running head first into our laundry room doors and breaking them in two.  Yes, that pretty much summed up my 20th birthday and much of my early 20s in college.  Are you impressed I actually remember that night?  It is a little foggy but you get the point!  It was the time of my life!

By my 24th birthday I was a brand new teacher in my very own classroom teaching 3rd grade.  I was making amazing new friends and starting the career I had always wanted.  Tayt was finishing his last semester at Tech and that winter we moved in together in McKinney, TX. 

The year I turned 25 I got engaged, planned a wedding, got married, moved to Allen, TX, continued to teach and floated on cloud 9 as a newly wed married to my very best friend.  My last name changed from Bohne to Todd and I took on a new role as a wife.  We lived in a little apartment and both worked full time.  We will always remember this time in our lives as we were just starting out in the "grown up world".

At 27 we bought our first house in Frisco, TX!  We spent many weekends at Lowes and doing little projects around the house.  Luckily I have a handy husband and a dad with a lot of "buddies" that could help us fix things up just way we wanted....well, within our budget at least!

Six months after my 28th birthday we traveled to the Bahamas to celebrate our dear friends' wedding.  We also conceived our first child that week!  We came home and made the decision that Tayt would quit his job and go back to school full time to begin nursing school.

At 29 I became a mother.  My life changed forever and I will never be the person I was before that day.  I am a new woman now...I am Austin's Mommy.

Now I am 30.  I am a daughter, sister, wife, mother, friend, cousin, niece, granddaughter, teacher and a Christian.  At times I feel like I am pulled in several different directions at one time and thankfully I have a husband and a family that will bring me back to reality and remind me of the important things in life.  (Yes, I admit that at times I can be a little over dramtic/emotional/sensative/stressed.)  Life can get hectic with a husband that begins nursing school in two short months, a baby that will be 10 months old next week, 22 second graders that make me want to pull my hair out some days and burst with pride and love other days, a family that loves me unconditionally and friends that will be there by my side no matter what.  So tonight I take a minute to breath and remember that my life is great!  I am beyond thankful for the blessings God has given me and that is all that matters.

So as I enter this next stage of my life I plan to work on my relationship with God, be a better wife and mother to my husband and son, call my friends more just to talk, tell my parents how much they mean to me, hang out with my brothers, give to those in need, be the best teacher I can be, cook more, read more, pray more, see more, travel more, drink more red wine, love more, laugh more and just be.  Because life is short and life is beautiful and I love my life. 

So, cheers to ME and cheers to turning 30!

Tales of an Elementary School Teacher

Today was an "interesting" day at school.  One of those days that makes you say, "really, did she/he really just say/do that".  Not to say that most of my days aren't like that, this year especially, but today was unusually odd.  My kids were off from the get go.  They were talkative, more so than usual and just silly.  Which makes me think that I need to go outside and check the moon...it's probably full.  And the weather is about to change on Sunday so that could be it too.  If you didn't know it already, it's not just animals that get wacky when the weather changes, it's small children too. 

Anyway, back to my day...

One of my students was absent yesterday and when I saw her this morning I asked her where she was.  She told me that she had been to the doctor to check to see what kind of allergies she had.  I asked her what the doctor found and I KID YOU NOT, this is what she told me..."I am allergic to trees and grass" (okay, that is normal) and then without a breath she said, "and Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday."  Ummmmmm...WHAT?  I calmly said, "you are allergic to the days of the week?"  And her response was, "and Spring, Summer and Fall too.  But NOT Winter."  She said the last part with a big sigh of relief.  Alrighty then.  Go do your morning work!  And the best part of this story is that she was TOTALLY SERIOUS!!  For some reason she comprehended that she is allergic to a few days of the week and most of the seasons.  

Later that morning another student asked me what time lunch was.  Mind you we have been in school for 11 weeks now and have been going to lunch at the same time every day since school started.  I asked him if we go to lunch at the same time every day or if we go to lunch at different times on different days.  (Sarcastic I know, but I couldn't help myself.)  He told me that he thought we went at different times and then proceeded to guess the time...10:30? 12:00?  (Our lunch time is 11:45am.)  I told him to go check the schedule that was posted in our room or ask a friend.  He turned and asked another 2nd grade teacher that was standing in the hall near us.  "Do we go to lunch at the same time every day or different times?"  (He had forgotten his original question and was now fixated on finding out if our lunch time changed each day.)  The other teacher told him that it was the same time each day.  He proudly marched back over to me and announced that our lunch time was at the same time every day.  "Well, thank you for letting me know!"  And off he skipped, happy as a clam.

I watched another student run smack into a small, newly planted baby tree at recess.  She didn't see it, she said.  You didn't see the newly planted tree, with bark circled around it and a brightly colored flag tied to it???  Nevermind, go play.

Someone wrote me an "I love my teacher!" note and another student offered to give me a bite of her half eaten Cheeto.

So, YES I am drinking red wine tonight and giggling to myself about my crazy day.  Don't you wish you spent your days with seven year olds???  Beats working in a cubicle in my opinion.

Videos (9 months)

Here are a few videos from the past month.  This is a little glimpse into our day! 

(Please excuse my voice in the videos!!)

 

Learning to Walk (first time with the toy walker)

 

Bath Time

 

 

Just Playing (in his room after a bath)

 



9 Months Old

It took me 9 months to "bake" my little muffin and now I have spent 9 months watching him grow and change into an active, happy, sweet baby boy!  What an amazing 18 months it has been.

We saw Dr. Nail this month and Austin got an A+ on his report card again!  Dr. Nail was impressed by his development both physically and socially!  Here are his stats...

Weight: 19lbs (38%), Height: 28in (34%), Head: 17.3in (20%)

Physical Exam: A+, Normal

Development: Excellent

**And, as you can see from thess pictures, he is very active.  I could NOT get him to sit still and smile so I just decided to document our active 9 month old!!!

 

 

 

 

I feel like I say this every month, but 9 months is a fun age.  Austin is busy, busy, busy and never in one place for very long.  He is learning new things almost daily it seems and Tayt and I are in constant amazement.

 

Here are some new developments at 9 months...

 

*pulling up on things and walking while holding on (couch, table, play walker)

*waving

*clapping

*talking: "dada", "baba", "ah", "yeah" and lots of other sounds that we haven't quite figured out yet

*getting his top 2 front teeth
*eating whole foods and baby food (new foods: pasta with red sauce, spaghetti, lots of fruits, peas, carrots, crackers, cereal, rice)

 

He is still an excellent sleeper and eater and I hope I can always report that.  He is pretty much always happy, laughing and smiling which makes us happy, laugh and smile! 

 

I love being "Austin's Mommy" more than anything else in this whole world.  I tell him how much I love him all day long and I hope he understands what I mean.  I can't wait to hear him say it back to me!  YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE AUSTIN THOMAS TODD!! xoxoxo  Happy 9 months! 

 

 

He's In!

Tayt was accepted to nursing school!!!!!!

I couldn't be more proud of my husband.  He has worked so hard this past year and truly deserves this opportunity.  It isn't easy to "start over" in your 30s but he did it and has been incredibly successful!  (Not everyone aces classes like Anatomy and Physiology I and II, Microbiology, Chemistry and much more.)  School will start in January and we are all breathing a big sigh of relief.  We honestly stalked our mail lady for over a week until she finally delivered the letter.  ;)

 

Way to go Tayt!  I can't wait for you to begin this journey.  I know you are going to rock nursing school!  I LOVE YOU!

P.S.-Tayt turned 31 on Tuesday, October 9th!  Happy Birthday my love. 
Here are some pictures of this awesome man of mine....



Garrett and Cynthia's wedding in the Bahamas! (May 2011)

Our Paradise

Sarah and Craig's wedding in Houston (September 2011)

Less than 24 hours before he became a Daddy!  We were burning down a dead tree in the backyard to pass the time! haha

About 6am...waiting for Austin! (January 22, 2012)

Daddy and Son

One of my favorite pictures of them!

Tayt and Garrett at Possum Kingdom Lake back in the day!!

Band Days (or Nights) at Adair's

Shots!!  (Cheers to you Tayt!!)

 

8 Months Old

My mom made the comment last week that this has been a fast 8 months, much faster than 8 months of pregnancy.  I couldn't agree more.  It's hard to believe it is September (October on Monday), we are heading into fall and soon it will be winter.  Austin hit some big milestones this month and is keeping us on our toes all day long now.

 

 

 

Here is a bulleted list of month 8:

• Cut his first teeth!  The two bottom teeth came in on the same day.  We had seen a little white under the gums on one side and I thought he was about to get one but they actually both came together.  He doesn't like to show them off and gets mad when you try to reach in his mouth to feel or show them.  I guess I can't blame him!
• Standing up and taking steps side to side while holding on to the couch or coffee table!  He pulls up to a standing position and stands on his tippy toes!  He gets excited and bounces around and then falls but he is getting stronger.  Last week he started side stepping while holding on!
• Crawls like a pro!  Very fast!
• Wears size 3 diapers.
• Wears 6-9 month clothes.  (He still wears some 3-6 month pants because his waist is small.)
• Sleep:  2 naps/12 hours at night
• Eating 3 meals a day:  rice cereal, fruits (whole and pureed), vegetables (whole and pureed), meats (pureed), yogurt snacks, puffs, Gerber cookies, cheese puff snacks.
• Drinks 4-5 bottles of formula a day but he is not drinking as much now that he is eating more.
• Had his first cold.  We think his got it from Daddy.  Both of my boys were snotty and stuffy for a few days.  He slept with a humidifier, had some Tylenol and cuddled with us.  That all seemed to help and he is feeling good now.
• Likes: playing, listening to music, eating, taking baths, going for walks, laughing, being outside
• Dislikes:  anyone touching his teeth, when someone takes something away from him that he shouldn't have, baby food with little chunks of meat/veggies (stage 3 meats)

You are our greatest gift Austin!  Thank you for making every single day amazing!  We love you!!

 

 

Eating "big boy food"...bananas and green beans. 

(More ends up in his lap than in his mouth but he is having fun trying.)

 

 

 

 

 

He LOVES bath time and is a total water baby!

 

Play Time!!