Talk about the struggle...

When is the right appropriate time to hang up your Christmas lights? Halloween is over, November is here, and I'm already in the Christmas spirit. Usually, I break out all of my Christmas decorations on Black Friday. Except, this year, one month is NOT enough. Christmas is my all time, favorite holiday. Ever. 

via GreenJazzFace

I'm pretty sure that I'm going to put up my Christmas tree this weekend, too! It's happening, folks. I'm going to be one of THOSE people! I have a baby to celebrate with for the very first time and it's so exciting. What's better than family, food, and fun? Oh, and Jesus, too! He is the reason for the season, after all.

My husband told me that he is going to clean out our fireplace one day this weekend and that got me so happy for the upcoming cold weather season. Warm pajamas, fuzzy socks, hot chocolate, and cuddling next to a warm fire. I can't wait! My countdown has officially begun! 

Shadow Box for Baby

I've been wanting to put together a shadow box for Aiden ever since he was born. I knew it was something I wanted to do, but I had to wait until I found time to buy a box first. I kept putting this off and forgetting about it entirely. 

I mentioned to my mom recently that I needed to get it done and she brought a shadow box for me to use! I opened it up and was super stoked that it had magnets instead of pins! This way I could present all of the items without anything showing. I saved all of the items I wanted to add and quickly collected them. It took me all of about five minutes to set this shadow box up. 

I saved his newborn coming home outfit that included a matching onesie, hat, and gloves. I added the hat he wore immediately after birth, his hospital bracelet, and a newborn diaper. I wanted to remember (and never forget) how tiny my little guy was as a newbie. I never would have thought about saving his last newborn diaper though, thanks for the tip mom! I have the card that the nurses used in his bassinet in the nursery that I might go back and add later. I didn't think about it at the time!

I'm not sure where she got this specific shadow box, but wherever you are shopping, look for one that uses magnets. This helps keep your box clean looking. I also chose not to add any scrapbook paper to the background. I felt like the burlap fabric that it came with looked nice enough and that saved me time and money.

Did you put together a shadow box for your babe? What did you include in his/hers?

7 Months

Here I am again, posting another late monthly update of Aiden. Shame on me! I blame it on school. My time management and procrastination is getting better though. And, I really miss blogging. So, I'm coming back with a vengeance.

The main thing that has changed this month for Aiden is the fact that he learned how to pull up to stand and he can stay standing as long as he is holding on (for dear life.) He learned how to do this a few days before he turned 7 months old. Sometimes, if he sees something just out of his reach, he can walk and hold on to something to go get it! Holy crap! Also, he has officially mastered crawling! He is so fast, too! He steadily surprises me with all of the new things he is constantly learning! What will it be next? Standing on his own? Walking on his own?

Sleeping patterns: He is sleeping about 8-10 hours a night, which is fabulous, waking up anywhere between 8-9am for his first bottle of the day. It seems like he was sleeping a lot lately, and now I know why. He plays so hard and wears himself out! He's also been doing fairly well with his naps in his own crib. For the past few months, I've been making him take all of his daytime naps on his own. My hopes for this is that whenever I'm ready to kick him out transition him to his crib at night, he will be comfortable enough to do so. I'm crossing my fingers!

Eating habits: He is eating anywhere between 6-8 ounces 5-6 times a day. He gets an eight ounce bottle first thing in the morning. We fell of the solids bandwagon there for a few weeks, but we are back in the game! But, now when he gets solids, he will drink his normal 6 ounce bottle right after! We introduced Gerber 2nd foods like sweet potato and corn, chicken and vegetables, pear and pineapple, and apples and chicken. I'm pretty sure he likes apples and chicken the best! We also got different kinds of puffs that kind of look like the puffy Cheetos's. I'm not going to lie, they all taste pretty dang good!

Accomplishments: Aiden is an official "crawler!" And he can pull himself up and stand next to anything he can get a grip on!

Places I went:  He sits up in the buggy at the grocery store like a big boy! He has a convertible car seat, and he sits in a high chair at restaurants now!

Special memories: Seeing Aiden pull up to stand and even try to take a few steps. He also can find his pacifier in his sleep and put it back in his mouth, which I think is absolutely adorable. He is just growing up so fast!

Likes: Sitting and standing up, petting the puppies, "telling stories", cuddling, playing with his feet and sucking on his big toe. 

Dislikes: He hates anything that involves being alone and he can't sit still for anything. He is his father's child.

No wellness visit this month so these measurements are by me and I consider them good estimates. I can't wait until his 6 month visit to see how much he has truly grown!

>>>>> 7 Months <<<<<

10.01.13

Height - 29 inches long

Weight - 18lbs 8oz