Today, exactly 1 year ago, at 1:51am, my beautiful baby boy was born. The first time he was placed in my arms I fell in love. He was/is a perfect mix of both myself and Joe. It's hard to believe a whole year has passed us, it seems like yesterday I was pregnant, getting admitted to the hospital, and giving birth.
This past year has changed us so much. Both Joe and I have grown as a couple and as parents. Today is not just a celebration for Gabriel, this is a celebration for our family.
We have endured colic, breatfeeding troubles, illness, every milestone imaginable, teething, sleepless nights, and then sleeping through the night. We have watched our son grow into an amazing little boy, filled with such love and happiness. When he smiles at you it melts your heart. He gives hugs and you just don't want to let go. His vocabulary just keeps growing. Soon he will be walking and talking even more.
This year has been one hell of a ride, and we cannot wait for many years to come. We love you so much Gabriel!
Monday, June 13, 2011
Saturday, May 14, 2011
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.
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.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
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.
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.
Monday, April 25, 2011
The story of the falling apart house and the great purge....
The past few months have been hell here at the house. One thing after another has gone wrong. This is where our story begins...
2 months ago Joe and I decided to replace the rotting deck that started to collapse at Gabriel's baptism party last August with a stamped concrete patio. We began getting quotes and all was on track. One of the concrete companies was out one Saturday morning and when we went outside we discovered shingles littering our lawn and deck. We immediately knew our worst fear had come true. We needed a new roof. Now, let me just say we knew that within 5 years of moving into the house we would need to replace it, but we thought we had at least 1 more year left. Nope. So, instead of a beautiful patio we got a beautiful new roof.
Now, you would think that dropping that kind of money would ensure nothing else would go wrong, right? WRONG. The next thing that happened was our front load Kenmore washer (which came with the house) started staining our clothes with mold & mildew. Gross. Soooo, you guessed it! New washer. I found a Whirlpool Cabrio at the Sears Outlet with just a few scratches on it for a great price.
Oh, and I forgot, before the washer incident Joe put 2 new tires on my car. This is a yay and boo at the same time. More money spent, but it had to be done.
Now, in addition to those 3 things you would think that 3 bad lucks = a break for us. WRONG. Our water softener broke. Luckily it was just a seal that had to be replaced, but the service call was outrageous. Ugh. But at least my water isn't hard anymore!
Now, 4 things wrong. We are done, right? You guessed it, NOPE. About 5 months ago our bathtub spigot broke. It was an easy fix that my dad took care of for us. This bathtub is in Gabriel's bathroom, so it has to be in working order because the bathtub in our master bath is a jacuzzi tub. Not really easy to bathe a baby in there. Well, late last week it started dripping. The drip turned into a stream. The stream turned into scorching hot water pouring out of it. My brother was in town for Easter so him and my dad came over. We had no access panel. They had to cut a hole in my linen closet that butts up to the tub. There were no shutoff valves. They had to hacksaw my pipes and cap them off so I could have water in the rest of my house. My dad has to bust away 15 year old tile and I somehow have to find matching tile to fix that area after he puts a whole new faucet, spigot, shower head, and drain on. Now, I originally wanted all new to replace builder grade crap, but because of the lack of access panel that never happened. Now I have no choice. The tub isn't fixed yet. Hopefully within a week or 2.
Now, because of all that, and the accumulation of baby stuff in the basement, the great purge happened. I have no before pics of the basement because Joe started it while I was taking Gabriel to daycare, but the after's are pretty amazing. So, thank you for reading all of my bad luck, here's some pics for you!
2 months ago Joe and I decided to replace the rotting deck that started to collapse at Gabriel's baptism party last August with a stamped concrete patio. We began getting quotes and all was on track. One of the concrete companies was out one Saturday morning and when we went outside we discovered shingles littering our lawn and deck. We immediately knew our worst fear had come true. We needed a new roof. Now, let me just say we knew that within 5 years of moving into the house we would need to replace it, but we thought we had at least 1 more year left. Nope. So, instead of a beautiful patio we got a beautiful new roof.
Now, you would think that dropping that kind of money would ensure nothing else would go wrong, right? WRONG. The next thing that happened was our front load Kenmore washer (which came with the house) started staining our clothes with mold & mildew. Gross. Soooo, you guessed it! New washer. I found a Whirlpool Cabrio at the Sears Outlet with just a few scratches on it for a great price.
Oh, and I forgot, before the washer incident Joe put 2 new tires on my car. This is a yay and boo at the same time. More money spent, but it had to be done.
Now, in addition to those 3 things you would think that 3 bad lucks = a break for us. WRONG. Our water softener broke. Luckily it was just a seal that had to be replaced, but the service call was outrageous. Ugh. But at least my water isn't hard anymore!
Now, 4 things wrong. We are done, right? You guessed it, NOPE. About 5 months ago our bathtub spigot broke. It was an easy fix that my dad took care of for us. This bathtub is in Gabriel's bathroom, so it has to be in working order because the bathtub in our master bath is a jacuzzi tub. Not really easy to bathe a baby in there. Well, late last week it started dripping. The drip turned into a stream. The stream turned into scorching hot water pouring out of it. My brother was in town for Easter so him and my dad came over. We had no access panel. They had to cut a hole in my linen closet that butts up to the tub. There were no shutoff valves. They had to hacksaw my pipes and cap them off so I could have water in the rest of my house. My dad has to bust away 15 year old tile and I somehow have to find matching tile to fix that area after he puts a whole new faucet, spigot, shower head, and drain on. Now, I originally wanted all new to replace builder grade crap, but because of the lack of access panel that never happened. Now I have no choice. The tub isn't fixed yet. Hopefully within a week or 2.
Now, because of all that, and the accumulation of baby stuff in the basement, the great purge happened. I have no before pics of the basement because Joe started it while I was taking Gabriel to daycare, but the after's are pretty amazing. So, thank you for reading all of my bad luck, here's some pics for you!
This will be my sewing table/desk. I'm going to tackle sanding it, painting it, and adding new hardware.
I also added a few things to Gabriel's room. I've had the growth chart for a while (Land of Nod), and got 2 new prints. One is a vintage football program from the OSU v UM game and the second I stumbled on at Home Goods without even looking for it. Great find :)
And the shower/tub....I'll post pics when it's done. Hopefully within the next couple of weekends...
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Happy 10 Months!
I swear I just wrote Gabriel's 9 month review, but here we are once again. Today my not so little guy turns 10 months. 10 MONTHS?!?! Hard to believe this time last year we were having our baby shower, anticipating his arrival. Each day that goes by he changes so much. We have learned that he is very scared of men, with the exception of daddy, our daycare provider's husband, and his grandpas. He crawls like a madman, never sits still, loves standing, cruising the furniture, playing with all of his toys, and most of all is now obsessed with Baby Einstein. He is so funny, he talks to the puppets and waves to them. The hippo puppet says "BAH" and Gabriel now associates "Baby Einstein" with "BAH". When we go to switch to the Blu Ray input on the tv he gets so excited and starts yelling "Bah! Bah!!" He's so smart :)
This month Gabriel has begun to wave all the time. He understands "Hi" and "Bye". He knows when we get to daycare to kiss mommy and wave to her. When we get home from daycare he helps close the door, waves hi to the house, and his room, and Lola. We have started on table foods with him in addition to his purees. He likes to throw the peas, but not eat them. He loves stuffed cabbage, meatballs, rice, greenbeans, ritz crackers, chicken, pot roast, potatoes, carrots, and sweet potatoes. He's still drinking about 20-24oz of breastmilk in addition to his solids.
We had another cold and caught an ear infection very early on. Daddy stayed home with him for a day and they had a lot of fun together. Daddy accidentally gave him prunes for lunch and that coupled with antibiotics made for an interesting day...haha :)
Gabriel loves his bath and if you aren't playing with him in the bath he will throw his wet bath toys at you. Because he loves his bath so much we are planning on signing him up for a parent/baby swim class when the next session begins.
In 2 months my baby will be a year. His birthday party planning has been on going. It's just so hard to believe that in 2 months I will be the mom to a 1yr old.
This month Gabriel has begun to wave all the time. He understands "Hi" and "Bye". He knows when we get to daycare to kiss mommy and wave to her. When we get home from daycare he helps close the door, waves hi to the house, and his room, and Lola. We have started on table foods with him in addition to his purees. He likes to throw the peas, but not eat them. He loves stuffed cabbage, meatballs, rice, greenbeans, ritz crackers, chicken, pot roast, potatoes, carrots, and sweet potatoes. He's still drinking about 20-24oz of breastmilk in addition to his solids.
We had another cold and caught an ear infection very early on. Daddy stayed home with him for a day and they had a lot of fun together. Daddy accidentally gave him prunes for lunch and that coupled with antibiotics made for an interesting day...haha :)
Gabriel loves his bath and if you aren't playing with him in the bath he will throw his wet bath toys at you. Because he loves his bath so much we are planning on signing him up for a parent/baby swim class when the next session begins.
In 2 months my baby will be a year. His birthday party planning has been on going. It's just so hard to believe that in 2 months I will be the mom to a 1yr old.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Happy 9 Months Gabriel!
Wow, it's been 9 months since my beautiful baby boy arrived. It's so hard to believe that 3/4 of the year has gone by. During those difficult first few weeks I never thought we would get here, but sure enough we did.
I've been so bad about documenting everything here, but no worries, Gabe's baby book and scrapbook are filled up with all the details of his first year (and more!).
My 8lb 9oz miracle is now roughly 23lbs (we'll get the offical number on Thursday). He has learned to roll over (2mo), sit unassisted (5mo), crawl (6.5mo), pop 6 teeth (starting at 7.5mo), and now pull himself up to stand (8.5mo). He just started saying "dada" and "dadeeeeee" and has been saying mama for a few months now. We have gone through sleepless nights, cluster feeding, to sleeping through the night, to sleep regressions due to teething.
Day 1 started our amazing journey of parenthood. Each and every day this sweet little boy teaches me something new about being a mommy and about myself. I have stopped caring about me and only caring about him and his happiness. I have learned so much about Joe in this time that I never knew, even after 9 years of being together. I never knew he was so patient. He can soothe a screaming baby like a pro. During those rough weeks when Gabriel had colic and I needed a break he was able to somehow calm him down when I couldn't.
So today, on the day Gabriel turned 9 months old, my sweet boy was a mess. The stupid time change screwed him up, and that along with teething just made for a crazy day. However, today my son reached for me and hugged me and wouldn't let go. Today, my son looked at his dad, recognized him, and said "Dada!". Today, we are one month closer to his 1st birthday. Parenthood is life's biggest and greatest experiment, and today I can say I think our experiment is working amazing.
I've been so bad about documenting everything here, but no worries, Gabe's baby book and scrapbook are filled up with all the details of his first year (and more!).
My 8lb 9oz miracle is now roughly 23lbs (we'll get the offical number on Thursday). He has learned to roll over (2mo), sit unassisted (5mo), crawl (6.5mo), pop 6 teeth (starting at 7.5mo), and now pull himself up to stand (8.5mo). He just started saying "dada" and "dadeeeeee" and has been saying mama for a few months now. We have gone through sleepless nights, cluster feeding, to sleeping through the night, to sleep regressions due to teething.
Day 1 started our amazing journey of parenthood. Each and every day this sweet little boy teaches me something new about being a mommy and about myself. I have stopped caring about me and only caring about him and his happiness. I have learned so much about Joe in this time that I never knew, even after 9 years of being together. I never knew he was so patient. He can soothe a screaming baby like a pro. During those rough weeks when Gabriel had colic and I needed a break he was able to somehow calm him down when I couldn't.
So today, on the day Gabriel turned 9 months old, my sweet boy was a mess. The stupid time change screwed him up, and that along with teething just made for a crazy day. However, today my son reached for me and hugged me and wouldn't let go. Today, my son looked at his dad, recognized him, and said "Dada!". Today, we are one month closer to his 1st birthday. Parenthood is life's biggest and greatest experiment, and today I can say I think our experiment is working amazing.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Craft room updates
Our basement is my craft room. My husband was so thoughtful to suggest making it my craft room a few years back. Since having the baby I haven't been able to use it as much, but now that he's 9 months old (WHAT?!?!) and I've started planning his 1st Birthday Party (again WHAT?!?!?) I need the area to be very organized for all the crafting I'm doing. I had some storage stuff, but went to Michaels and picked up a few additional pieces. The storage system is great, you build it and you can stack them together and create a whole organization system. Plus, I really wanted to reorg the area because I got my brand new beautiful Cricut Expression to replace the Personal I have! Now, on to the pics!
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