Good gosh, 2 months since last post!

Bad mommy. Bad mommy. No wait. I'm a good mommy. Just a bad blogging mommy. Sometimes I lie in bed at night composing my blogs. I'm usually high on "my baby is so wonderful" after checking in on his innocence, either sprawled without a care in the world in his crib, or heaped up in a little baby mountain of baby tush and baby snores and baby softness. But a  computer is never nigh...even if sleep isn't either.

So at last, it's now his 8-month post. I was going to do a 7-month, and SHOULD have done a 7-month, but this time of year in wedding season is something fierce to contend with, especially as a mom now. So this will have to do.

Overall, OMG I LOVE MY KID. Like LOVE in a way that isn't definable by a dictionary. "A mother's love" doesn't suffice. And when I think that this is how strongly I feel...after only 8 months of him in this world... I feel like I might fall to my knees under the weight of years and years of this love.

Of course, he's super easy right now. And I mean it. He's a gem. There are babies out there who cry a lot and fuss a lot and wear out the parents just by virtue of demanding a lot of excess efforts in soothing. But not my kid. I am one of the lucky parents who has been dealt the best egg and sperm combination thus far.

When Weston cries...I don't mind it. In fact, call me odd, but I kinda like hearing it because it means he needs something...me...to make him feel better. I feel needed on a different level. We can get through days sometimes without him so much as making a cry-like peep. Now that he's more mobile, and wants to Go-go-go... he is starting to whimper and shriek when I make him hold still for a diaper change. But seriously...changing his clothes and diaper is the hardest thing about him right now. I'm sure it's all set to change here soon, but let me relish this pride via a bit of blog-bragging, k? Because it's short-lived, I know. AND because the 2nd kid is going to come out with horns and tail.

For now, I shall enjoy my giggly, halo-donning ball of huggable and kissable goodness.

PERSONALITY, LIKES, DISLIKES:

sense of humor gone mad...
I can already tell that Weston has a good sense of humor. I mean, it's a given. His parents are freaking funny, after all. But sometimes I really do think he GETS what is funny. Other times, I'm amazed that he is laughing. He laughed tonight because I started scratching my leg. But he also laughed in a 6-minute conversation with me...he'd say "hhhhmmmm" and I'd match it. then he'd shriek and I'd shriek. Then he'd say, "ahhhh" and I'd say "ahhhh." Then he'd laugh. And I'd laugh. He'd laugh harder. Rinse and repeat. It was amazing to be communicating with him on such a primitive level. haha

When I take him up stairs or down stairs, if I add a tiny bounce to it and say, "wooosh" or something similar, he lets out a small giggle. Kramer licked Weston's oatmeal-covered spoon and Weston cracked up. I do the monkey dance and he's beside himself. (so is Neil when that happens, so maybe I'm just a great simian-impersonator.) And there is a video down there of him in teh bathtub...getting squirted. The squirting is funny to him, but then something happens that he actually laughs at in a different way...






(He loves this hand-me-down dog from his friends, Tommy & Sammy)


He gets really excited when he has laundry that is in piles taller than he is.


more giggles in case it doesn't get old for you! ;)

This is the most recent... from two nights ago. He was slap-happy. :)

playfully fun...

Two games that we play with him, nothing major needed. 

1) This video is of something we discovered long ago...Weston doesn't get mad if we take something away IF we make it a game. So now we make it a game even if we don't give a darn whether he has something or not. He gets that we're teasing him. I  love it. Here is one small example, though it's funny when we do this with is pacifier in and out of his mouth, etc. 

2) This game started while he was in the Pack N Play. I was on the other side of the mesh. I smooshed my face into it and had my hands up on the sides of my face. Weston reached out to touch my palms with his palms. I moved my hands. He chased them with his. And so the game began. Now we play it outside of the pack n play...in the tried and tested "high five, down low, too slow" way. He gets a kick out of it.

go-to songs
I take a lot of pics of him (duh!) and had to figure out early on how to get him to smile if he's in a somber mood. Singing does the trick. It even works in the rare times he's crying. He'll usually stop immediately and laugh. His favorite songs these past two months: KNICK-KNACK PADDY-WHACK (taught by Grandma G) and THE ANTS GO MARCHING (taught by Grandma H). He also still likes my nonsensical made-up version of "Beep-boo, bop-boo, a beep-boo, a bop-boo, a boppity-boo-boo-boo a beep-boo." Go, me. Nothing like a timeless classic unique to only us. ;)

Kitty cat excitement
Yep, everyone's heard the stories about boys and their dogs. Well, I think there is something special festering between Weston and Kramer. Sometimes, Kramer's ambivalence shocks me; it's as if he's actually grown used to Weston. But I guess just as Neil and I have been with Weston every day, raising him and watching him grow, Kramer has been along for the ride. As soon as Weston could roll over, Kramer has been more aware of Weston's location. He's on edge, but he still comes near. In fact, if I sit on the floor with Weston, Kramer comes right up, sprawls out, usually turns his back to Weston, but starts purring. I pet him and Weston does too. Well, "pet" I use liberally. For a long time, he just grabbed fistfuls of fur (as noted in the last post) but we've been chanting "nice touches" and exemplifying the way in which we'd like him to make contact. It's kinda working!! Until Wesotn squeals with glee and then Kramer books it. Only to come back a few minutes later because he's not wanting to miss out on anything.

This video is from a month ago... when Weston's excitement was at a high.

Oh and then there is the incessant game of "I'm going to grab his tail." Let's not forget that. The pic on the left though...that is how I spend my mornings. My own Breakfast Club. :)

Let's not forget his love of Peek-A-Boo, too! ;)

EVENTS:

First plane ride!!!

Over Labor Day weekend, we bared our courage once more and took Weston on a plane trip to Latrobe to visit Neil's parents (it was his first time meeting his grandma C and only second time seeing his Uncle Steve and Grandpa Dino!) I admit, I was overly anxious about doing it. But not because I was worried he'd cry or be a pain in the booty...but more so the logistics of everything: packing, carrying lots of things through the airport, navigating a stroller down stairs to the tarmac for the itty-bitty connector flight, feeding him on somewhat of a schedule, getting him to nap reasonably, not getting too uncomfy with him in my arms for so long, etc. But OMG. The flight really couldn't have gone any better. The first leg of the trip was uneventful. He fell asleep for an hour of the 90 minutes "in air." The layover was brief and a bit rushed, but the 2nd flight to Pittsburgh was short...and too short! Because everyone around us was in love with our son! (I hate direct attention, but apparently I love indirect attention when it's aimed at my son. Probably like most moms. haha) The man and woman behind us were our parents' ages and proclaimed they were sad unemployed grandparents, begging us to let them hold him. And they took a pic with him! They said he "made" their business trip more pleasurable. ha. And he was batting his eyes at a pretty girl sitting across from us. And the elderly woman, too! Neil and I were basking in parental pride since he was so well behaved, smiley and enjoying being the center of attention. The trip back to KC a few days later went just as smoothly other than a 2.5 hour delay. Neil and I got cranky ,but our Westie-roo did not. He even earned his first "wings" from United. Though i want to cry because I can't find them. :(  

(NOTE FOR FUTURE SELF WHO NEEDS TO REMEMBER HOW WE DID THIS: we checked one bag each, carried on one rolling suitcase, a diaper bag and a bookbag....and gate checked his stroller. We borrowed the car seat from a friend in Penn and had it installed in the car that was picking us up.)

The actual time in Latrobe went well. I think all the Hebranks were pretty enthralled with our giggly, laid-back boy. Even Steven held him. And then gave him right back once he squirmed.

 

 Oh! Here is Brian, Neil's good friend! and his doll, Vivian, with Neil and Weston!

First wedding
Sept 15, I shot my cousins's wedding in Fremont. Since my whole family was invited, Weston went as a guest. It was his first wedding! A bit bummed I was working it (only because I didn't get to partake in his "first" one as a guest, too. haha) but I did manage to dance with him to the CUPID SHUFFLe at the end!! Here are a few pics. He was such a trooper. Took a quick nap and made it till 930!

First official playdates!!!
Since he can finally sit up... he can finally have play dates where at least he's not a lump on the log! Evan is 7 months older than him, but Gina (his mom) and I hope they will be besties. How cute are they??? Something for all the ladies here: dark and cherubic, and blonde and dollesque.

Zach might be forcing this "hug" a bit...but it was funny no less. 

Neil's friend at work had a baby 20 days before we did...though we were both due the same week. So here is Weston and Caleb... Caleb is 3 weeks old...but Weston is the monster-sized baby. Loved this video of the two of them. :)

First shopping experience
Finally can go shopping without the carrier!! HE did great in the cart! Other than dropping a burp cloth in the back corner of the store... (he found he could push it out through the leg holes) ... only to have it brought up to me while checking out by a little girl. HOW SWEET?! haha


First doll!
Speaking of sweet little girls. Cailin, my niece, LOVES WESTON. I love that Temple keeps him at the forefront of her 3.5 year old mind. She cherishes him when they are together. And she can make him laugh soooo easily. Oh, and she got him his first doll. She said, "it will make him FREAK OUT!" LEt's just say Weston was receptive of it, and Neil..didn't freak out either. ;)


Mom, Temple and I had some fun making up a caption to this one (from the wedding.) I don't know specifics, but I think Cailin had a mischievous idea and Weston (you know, cuz he wears a halo) was objecting.

DEVELOPMENT:

Kisses: Mid-August (6.5 months), Weston started giving me kisses. He has given them to Neil, too, but not liberally as he does to me--when he wants to. His kiss of course is open-mouthed, wet and he likes to plant it on my cheek as he says, "ahhhh." (His version of "mwwwahh!")  I'll take it. I noticed he will do this in excess when he's overly sleepy or cranky but we're not in a position to put him down for a nap (such as in the middle of church or a photo shoot, ha). It's like his way of bribing me to get him to his crib. But other times, we just do it to one another over and over before he goes to daycare. Mornings like that make me want to go to daycare with him. :( Or wait, what am I thinking? Just keeping him home would be more fun.

Clapping: He IS able to clap, though he is not doing it on command yet. It's more of a spontaneous "YAY! I'm a lucky boy" kind of gesture.

hair is growing--though my baby boy was never bald, because he has such fine, blonde hair, he often was mistaken for a chrome dome. But here is a pic of some of his growth...though now it's even a bit thicker. :) I like to put a tiny bit of lotion in my hands and "spike" it up after a bath. He always looks so fresh, clean and fluffy. :)




Eating
One of my favorite things to do thus far was to feed him puffs. Watching him try to get one in his mouth is quite entertaining. It'd get stuck to his palm and he'd not nkow it. He'd put it in his mouth only to find it on the backside of his fingers a few seconds later. Or my favorite...he acted like he was chewing but his mouth was empty--the puff was stuck to his chin. And Neil and I would just laugh and laugh and he'd look at us like: these two are idiots! Wish I'd have had vide of THAT!

So he's eating baby food still...and cereal. He's flat out objected Stage 3 foods. He can't do the texture I guess of smooth AND chunky at once. He literally vomits.
Just this past week, I gave him tiny pieces of steamed broccoli, cauliflower, artichoke and mushroom. He explored it all and handled them well. Score. Also, avocado was much more of a hit than the last time we gave it to him. I think finger food meals are in the near future!!!

P.S. I order all my baby food (we do SPROUT and EARTH'S BEST, mostly) from Diapers.com. I usually place the order at 9 or 10 p.m. and I'm not joking...it' shere the next afternoon. That's easier than shopping in store!! SCORE. (free shipping too)

(NOTE TO FUTURE SELF: His eating schedule is--
6:15 a.m. 1/3 c oatmeal mixed w/ water; one jar of baby food (fruit); 4-6 oz formula in bottle
10:15ish a.m.  6 oz bottle
noonish 1/3 c oatmeal mixed w/ water; one jar of baby food; 2-3 oz of sipped water from a cup
3:15ish 6 oz bottle
5:30 p.m. 2 jars of babyfood...sometimes puffs to snack on while we eat dinner
7 p.m. 4-6 oz formula in bottle before bed

Napping:  He tends to take a 45 min nap in the morning before his bottle and then again in the afternoon...anywhere from 1-3 hours. (At least until recently...) Now, he seems to be loading up a bit more in the morning and taking a short one in the afternoon. Not sure what is ideal. Napping isn't really all that convenient unless you're home and need to get stuff done. haha

bath time upgrade
We've bumped him up to the duck bath tub within the big tub. Since he can sit on his own, I like that it's soft and padded so if he falls, the sides might cushion it. He likes to get on his knees and try to touch the faucet.


YAY! HE LOVES PICKLES!!!




skydiving--I thought this antic would disappear once he learned to crawl. And though he doesn't do it as often now, he still will whip it out and I love it just as much.


scoot/army crawl/full crawl
So maybe I should have led with this..but he now crawls. Started officially last Sunday...that would be 7.5 months. He'd been army crawling for a month or more...This is his inchworm. The precursor to the all-out crawl.

But now he's all about exploring anything and everything. Sometimes he keeps his tummy off the ground, sometimes not. I of course suck and haven't gotten a video of him doing the real thing.


sitting up in sleep
Can you imagine being a baby..and your'e so helpless...and then suddenly one night in your sleep, you open your eyes because you are now sitting up. In  your crib. in the dark. Yeah, totally happened to Weston and resulted in him crying until I got there. He held his arms up, a blanket was in his mouth as he sucked on it for soothing...and I comforted him until he fell back asleep. Another photo-worthy moment. Darn darkness. And nighttime bedtime etiquette. ;)

standing up on his own
YEP. Crib has been lowered after this just happened 6 days after he officially crawled. DARNIT. I thought we'd have some time yet. ha.



babble

And additional photos....

Aug. 11...we went to the balloon glow...

this is his serious, ponderous expression that I've fallen in love with. He's not pouting. He's just thinking. haha

 

 

 

 

 

My letters to Weston have been getting more and more sentimental as his personality is forming...as my visions of him growing up become more real...as my role as a mom becomes more defined and more cherished. I am SO thankful that I bit the bullet with having a kid. SO THANKFUL. :)