Ella's Kitchen

9/30/12

Lately we have become big fans of Ella's Kitchen. They make really yummy, organic, preservative free, and easy to use baby food. On day's that we don't have anything "Augie friendly", you get a packet (half for lunch and half for dinner). You yell at mama a lot less in the evenings now that you get to eat people foods. You still nurse all day and night, but this is a fun new time that we have together. Until the time comes that you learn how to pincer grasp things and put them in your own mouth, I feed you from the spout on the pouch. That is our favorite part! Low mess, and you get to nurse still. Hehe : )

BTHO Arkansas

9/29/12

Today was your first ever Aggie game! The others you have been asleep for, so this was an exciting day for papa and I! I think you were a good-luck charm, because we totally embarrassed the little piggies. You had to nap by halftime, but I still think it was all you!

Lilly Kiss

9/28/12

I believe this may have been your first non-cousin girl kiss. We will blackmail both you and Lilly with it in the years to come : )

Stuck Kitty

9/27/12

Today when I sat to give you some post-nap cuddles, Gremlin decided to stand her ground (or sit her ground) instead of moving when I came to sit. Bad choice, kitty. She got stuck behind me, and as a lesson in subordinance, I let you "pet" her for a while before I leaned forward to let her go. Hehe.

Honk, Honk! Beep, Beep!

9/26/12

Today while I was cooking dinner I heard an unfamiliar sound-- "Honk, Honk! Beep, Beep!"

You had crawled squiggled your way all the way across your baby-cage and found a new toy to play with! My goodness, you are getting big. 

The Beauty of Life

9/26/12

Today's picture was not supposed to be of papa kissing you when he got home from work. It was supposed to be of you playing with the ducks today at the creek, but none of those pictures turned out. You see, today the ducks decided they didn't care that we had bread; they were NOT getting out of the water. You decided that you would rather eat dirt and sticks than look cute for a picture. Mostly, they turned out bad because the camera would only focus on the plants around you and so you were fuzzy in most of them. Mama was a bit peeved. Then, papa came home. You were in your "kitchen helper" watching mama make dinns and he came to kiss you. I snapped a picture really fast, and realized that if the point of this project is capturing the beauty in everyday life, then this was it. Not some dumb 'ol, uncooperative ducks. This was it.

Flip Flopper

9/24/12

For a while now you have been able to flip from your tummy to your back, but recently you have added flipping from back to front to your skill-set. They told mama that it is safer for babies to sleep only on their backs, but I guess now you are making your own decisions about how to sleep. I laid you down for a nap and came back to this. I never could have known how proud such seemingly simple things could make me until I became your mother. My little flipper...

The Big Orange Pumpkin Patch and More

 9/20/12

Always smiling when you wake up.

9/21/12

We went to the Big Orange Pumpkin Patch farm and had a fun day with friends!

 Thanks for the great shot, Emily : )

Hay ride! 

9/22/12

You look so proud when you do big boy things, especially when they are with Papa.

9/23/12

Mosby finally realized that if he wants to play with you, he needs to get down on your level. Before this he either ignored you or slapped you in the face with his tail (on accident). Tilly is still insane and not to be trusted alone with you, but I think Mosby is getting the hang of baby lovin'.

Papa Builds a Patio!

This weekend Forrest has begun construction on our new patio. He should be able to finish up next weekend. I helped a smidge while Aug was napping by hauling some bricks around. Boy are those suckers heavy! Here are the "before" pictures, which are really the "during" pictures...

Stay tuned for the "afters"!

Toy Time

9/19/12

Today we spent a lot of time in your baby-cage playing with toys. I am with you every day, so sometimes it takes me by surprise when I realize you've grown up enough to play with so many new things! You were crawling (slithering?) over to things, honking, beeping, and ringing all the knobs and buttons. Of course, since I am your mama, I think that means you are a genius! Play on, my little genius-bear. Mama loves to see you grow.

Butternut Squash

9/18/12

Today you tried butternut squash. You seemed to like it, but your "eating skills" are still a little lacking. You just want to nurse the spoon, or you try to grab my food-covered fingers and nurse them. You are VERY interested in food, though, so I suspect you will get the hang of it pretty quickly. Right now I just give you a try of something every few days-- maybe once a week. You have become aware of what is "food" and get upset if anyone eats in front of you without sharing. Sometimes mama gives you a small taste or a lick if it is a "pure" food (like a soft, plain fruit). Your favorite thing is to grab my water bottle and try to sip the spout whenever I take a drink of it while holding you. When you see it you lunge toward it with both hands and an open mouth. You are stinkin' adorable. 

Foul Fowl and Some Thankful Thoughts

     Today I got out of the car for our morning stroll around the duck pond to find a new chill in the air. Instead of putting Aug in his stroller, I strapped him to myself with the carrier and we shared a little extra (and much appreciated) body warmth. Due to the extra-cozyness he fell asleep about half a mile into our walk, and so I sat for a while on a bench. We sit on this particular bench frequently, because it is the spot in the park where the mama duck and her duckling like to rest, and not the side where the evil goose troop stalks around. I dislike foul fowl. I would not be surprised if church scholars found out that Genesis was improperly translated and it was actually a goose in a tree, tricking a woman. Terrible, hissing, mean, long necked, green-pooing things. Here is proof that they want to attacks us and, subsequently, feast on our eyeballs. Bleh. Anyway, I sat on our bench while Augie slept, his head resting on my chest and my hand covering his little ear to block the wind, when I noticed the mama duck was taking a nap next to her duckling. I wondered what she thought of her remaining little thing, as the others had been taken from her over the course of the summer. I do not care to think of what happened to them. Makes me sad. I became acutely aware of how thankful I was for my sweet little person, and thankful for the cold weather months of the year. I believe that cold weather brings out an extra bit of love in people. You want to be closer, mover slower, and enjoy the warmth of the living things that are left in your life, those particularly dark and frozen months. I am incredibly excited to snuggle in our family bed on the cold nights-- Zipping Augie into fleece pajamas and sliding into bed next to him, and then an hour or so later getting the extra bit of body heat from the Papa coming into bed last, as he always does. Then, waking up in the morning and staying in just a few extra minutes to chat with one another, and tickling the little person between us, because we just hate to open the covers and let in the chilly air.

     The moral of this tale is to be ever-thankful for your loved ones, because you never know when the water-foul will rise up and begin the usurpment.*

*Yes, I know usurpment it not a word, but Forrest was not here to ask what a better word would be.

Papa Got an Eye Hurt

9/17/12

This morning we had to take Papa to the ER and found out that he had two scratches on his cornea. The only good news was that he stayed home with us because of it, and we have had a very cuddly family day. Today has been overcast and you have been so good and sleepy, along with your Papa. I love cuddle days, and I think you made his eye feel a little better. 

Laundry Day Nap

9/16/12

This morning, even though it is Sunday, I had to do the wash. You got poo on the comforter, spit-up (a lot of it) on the sheets, and the bed pillows were in your pack-n-play, so you got to take a nap with the clean laundry. 

Bath Time

9/15/12

You get a bath every single night, because it is just so fun. You only get soaped and lotioned every few nights. You love getting rubbed with lotion, and mama loves how you smell like an orange creamsicle. 

Riding Like a Big Boy

9/14/12

Lately you have been able to hold yourself up well enough to ride in a shopping cart like a big boy! We took a little trip to Joann's today to use a coupon that was going to expire. You had an amazing time, since there were so many patterned fabrics to look at, and old ladies to flirt with. You refused to smile for any of mamas pictures, and preferred looking away at distractions, or making silly duck faces. My favorite is when you look up from the cart, give me a big, drooly grin (SO proud of yourself), and I lean down to smother you with kisses while you giggle. 

New Toy, New Skill

9/13/12

Recently your papa found you a nice, big, colorful, safe baby-cage on Craigslist. Since you are furiously working on your mobility skills, we thought this would help to keep you safe for moments when mama needs to shower, cook hot things, or just take a minute to regroup. One of the panels has buttons that play music. I sat you in front of them today and you had a ball and kept yourself occupado (that is Spanish, for occupied) for a little bit. Win, win!

Nice Weather

9/12/12

Today we went outside for a little bit because the weather seems to be getting nicer every day. I sat you in the grass/dirt (for the first time, ever, I believe) and you immediately rubbed your hands against the ground, and ate some dirt. This is your dirt eating face. 

I've Been a Terrible Blogger this Week!

This past Saturday we took a trip to Eustace-town!

 9/8/12

Your Auntie Stu had a wonderful time snuggling you, and clearly you were not to upset about it either. 

Granmunnah showed you Benny, and you really wanted to tear his ear off, and tried to do so, to his dismay.  

Then you were pooped and took a nap on some wonderful bosoms, quite similar to your mamas.

9/9/12

You are getting very cheeky and LOVE being as independent as possible these days. "Look mama, I can sit!"

9/10/12

Wyatt and Melissa came to visit us for a few days while Papa is on a work trip in Las Vegas. You two were so squiggly in Melly's arms that it was so hard to snap a shot!

9/11/12
Lately you will take any chance you can to grab at mamas food and drinks, so we decided to find you something to play with at the baby store. It turned out the spout on the sippy cup I found leaks too fast, so I put your milk in a bottle, but you were just as happy to hold it. Like I said-- really trying to be independent. I am trying hard to hold off on giving you food regularly, but it seems like a cruel world to see people eating all the time and never partake...we will see.

This Week in Augie-Land

9/5/12

Here you are wearing your knee-protectors. These sweet little leggings keep your knees from getting red while you try to crawl.

9/6/12

I thought about it, and if you can sit up OUTSIDE the bathtub, why not inside! You were so proud when mommy let you take a big-boy bath!

9/7/12

Lately you have decided that the best way to become mobile it to grunt, throw up your arms and legs, and hope for a miracle. Papa and I think this is hilarious. Well, I think it is hilarious, Papa just hopes you know something we don't and you are the "next step in evolution"...

More Pool Time

I am happy to say we are getting in every little bit of pool time before the weather cools down. Today we went to Emily's house and you played in Lilly's new pool! 

Mommy forgot her suit so Emily was glad to hold your sweet little naked self.

9/4/12

Then Mama let you dry off in the warm air. You have glorious rolls of chub. 

A Little Catch-Up!

Here are the last few 365 pictures I have neglected to post...

9/1/12

I snuck out of bed to capture this one. I *lovelovelove* how you always go straight for Papa's beard first thing in the morning.

9/2/12

The Sophie squeaky toy is currently your fav. I thought you'd fall in love with some sort of plush toy, or blanket, but you love to nurse on this little giraffes feet. When you squeak it, the dogs go NUTS!

9/3/12

Papa and I love to laugh at all of your "creative" sleeping positions.