Happy 11 months!

Wow. In 1 short month I will have a 1 year old. I have so many mixed emotions about this. As I sit here I remember this time last year I was working 1 day from home because I was so uncomfortable. I couldn't wait to meet Gabriel and was counting down the days. Now, I sit here, not wanting to count the days.

This month Gabriel got sick...again. This is the 3rd ear infection & cold and he also came down with a virus and got his first fever. Scared the hell out of me, as it was 102.3 at it's highest. Joe was out of town again, so it was a very stressful time for us.

Gabriel is eating a lot more table foods, but still taking in about 24oz of breastmilk in addition to the baby purees and table foods. He has a healthy appetite, but when he's not hungry anymore he knows to push away the bottle/spoon/fork. His new favorite food loves are strawberries, blueberries, grilled cheese, waffles, meatballs, rice.

He still isn't walking, but constantly pulls himself up. He tries to let go and stand without support, but quickly falls. He'll get the hang of it, we aren't pushing it. He's a bigger boy and has a lot more weight to hold up! He is a master at climbing the stairs (thanks Titi Alyssa!) and will go for them at every minute. Don't turn your back for a second!

This month Gabriel has started saying a few more words other than mama, dada, daddy. He says "Go" (says this while climbing the stairs), "yeah", "hey", "hi", "nana", and "gog" (dog). He always makes the same sound when he sees Lola the cat, but I don't think he really knows what he's saying.

Next month he will be 1. Wow.

1st Birthday Party Sneak Peeks!

Gabriel is turning 1. What? Yes, Gabriel is turning 1. I've been planning this party for ohhhhh 3 months now. I'm doing a ton of paper crafts and well, non paper crafts too. See, the thing is, I have a Cricut. I'm slightly obsessed with it. When I say slightly, those of you who know me know that I really mean it rules my world :)

Anyways, because I have the Cricut, it's super easy and quick for me to make paper crafts. That, coupled with my Xyron (a sticker maker), has made me into a paper craft super hero.

Ok, the theme of his birthday party is....Football (what else, right?)! I custom designed his invites in Photoshop Elements (with the help of my friend) and did all the paper projects and had assembly help from my sister in law (Gabriel's Godmother). I did cupcake flags, a banner, gift bag tags. I will be cutting out cupcake wrappers and I have to do the centerpieces, both of which will be the subject of the next sneak peek post. I've also gotten a custom shirt made for Gabriel to wear on his big day and I am making a photo book as a guest book.

So, now that that's all been said, here's what you are looking for...the pictures :) If anyone has questions on what cartridges I used, what paper, etc. just let me know. You can leave a comment and I promise I'll get back to you.