Colton at 9 months!

It just keeps getting better. Each age definately comes with its own set of challenges but the love I feel for my family and my little guy is so worth it. I always knew I wanted to be a mother and desired greatly to have children. I feel so blessed to know that this is just the beginning. Granted, I wil not have 10 kids unless I have to adopt all of my nieces and nephews after a tragic accident or something, but to know that this is just the beginning to a life with my family is pretty awesome.

One cool thing is that he plays more independently :-) which is great for a work-at-home mommy. We have playdates all of the time here with friends and are still settling in but will have a great little home here real soon. I can't believe where life takes you as you do your best to reach for more and trust in the Spirit.

Some things that Colton has liked to do this month are:

• climb in/on anything
• shut doors
• follow you to the bathroom and bang on the door till you open or stand there till you are done
• swing at the park (1.5 hours last week)
• play peek-a-boo
• eat more finger foods (LOVES Olive Garden's breadsticks :-) and is a bread snatcher. If you have some in your hands and Colton is near, it's his...
• smile and laugh
• won't take a a pacifier anymore really - got sick and couldn't breathe through his nose and since then doesn't really take to it
• has been taking ONE NAP during day....are you kidding me? When I just put him in his crib he usually just cries or maybe falls asleep. I sure hope this is a phase...
• loves to go on walks and play outside
• he is loves to open cabinets, get into the crackers and animal cookies and make messes wherever possible
• BITES EVERYTHING including mommy all the time
• yeah and SILENCE = BAD NEWS!

Oh how life wouldn't be the same withouth him! :-)

Colton at 8 months!

It hasn't been that long since I have blogged. has it? Well, I do have a good excuse. Our little family has moved from Utah to Mississippi while Dusty attends Ole Miss pursuing his PhD in biology. We have loved our new place (minus all of the BUGS...well, actually Dusty loves that!). Colton and I got to spend a week + at Grammy and Grandad's and play with his cousins and have a great time! Every single day he was doing something new. He was such a fun little guy but he did have a few hard days of teething. His top 2 teeth came in while we were there and it really hurt him. But he did create a new little smile (probably because of his swollen gums) where he scrunched up his face like a pig to smile. It was SO cute!

Of course we had a blast. It was like one day he was standing up a lot holding on to stuff, the next day he was standing with no hands, cruising across the couch etc. He did NOT want to go to sleep when everyone was up...especially the night we had a sleep over with Blake and Eli. He refused and when I took him out of the room he wanted down and crawled so fast over to the boys on the air mattress and played till 1 am!! It was so cute!!

He started to eat chunky foods, stand, cruise, crawl FAST, really mimic you, click his tongue, takes baths sitting up, loves to play games and be tickled....I can't even remember everything. It was just a whirlwind of things that he did new everyday. No wonder everybody tells you to write things down. I always gave my mom flack for not remembering stuff but now I understand what sleep deprivation can do to you. And she must not have remembered because she did it 5 times!

It is such a joy to have Colton in our family. His energy is contagious! I love his laugh, his energy, his NEED for fun :-), his decision making skills - he knows what he wants; we'll leave it at that!, he LOVES to be with people and play with kids. I think he is going to be a great helper! He always wants to be right where I am and doing what I do. He loves to go outside and on walks, in stores or out to eat. We already have a few out to eat stories that are pure comedy....

We love you, Colton! Happy 8 months!

Colton at 7 months!

Someone has been pulling himself to standing postion. He wants to "cruise" so bad but just isn't ready for that. He falls when he tries to take more than one step.

He likes to be tossed in the air and play "super baby."

Just kickin' it outside with mom and dad. He loves to be outside and explore.

Mom in her new duds Dusty bought her for their anniversary. Sorry if you get blinded by my whiteness. I need a tan in a bad way...

Giving mommy a break and watching Baby Einstein. He loves those shows.

Having SO much fun!

Played till he dropped!

Having fun in the high chair with mommy!

We sometimes wrap him up like this while mommy gets breakfast ready. He is up early and watching his early morning cartoons. He loves to watch TV....

Having a fun ride on daddy's shoulders

Another night Colton wouldn't go to sleep. He was up till almost 1 am. We turned on his favorite movie, UP, and he was giggling, laughing, oohing, rolling around...everything but sleeping. He was being so cute we were having fun staying up with him and just laughing.

This is the first little thing I have with his teeth marks in it. So cute!

Colton in his 12 month clothes! Such a big boy!

This was the first time that Colton really took to crackers. I had only tried it a few times but this time he was picking it up and putting it right in his mouth. Such a pro!

Colton loves the camera and he loves to chase me when I have it. He will crawl real fast and then pull up onto his knees and reach for it--every time.

He chews and sucks on his thumb all of the time now. I think it's more of a chewing to relieve teething rather than comfort but it's darn cute when he does it.

So. As you can see Colton has been a busy little bee. He is just growing up so fast. Month by month just flies by. I only have 6 more days in Utah before we head down south for school. I just feel so many things and am excited for the adventures ahead. I get to see Angela in a few short days and I am so excited to see her and see my old KY friends and introduce them to Colton. He is such a cutie. Everywhere I go I at least have one person tell me what a doll he is and I NEVER get tired of hearing it. Colton loves people. He is so down with life. He just is so precious to me and I love him so much. Here are a few things about my handsome man in month 7:

• he is pulling himself into standing position....you heard me! He did this the first time the other day and now won't stop.


• he is SUCH a FAST crawler. Colton will crawl to me and giggle and crawl real fast if I get down and tell him to come to mommy


• he picked up brocken cracker pieces on his high chair tray and it took him two tries but now he eats them pretty good. it's so funny b/c he will put it in his mouth and then get a funny face as he chews like he forgets what he's supposed to be doing


• he still loves to sing Itsy Bitsy Spider
  
• he is in love with Ellie from UP and Word Girl from the cartoon
  
• he loves to take walks and eat grass and laughs real hard when neighbor friends throw grass in his face (seriously I have never heard him laugh so hard)


• he is getting those fingers busy with everything. each day i give him 2 household objects to play with besides his toys and he loves to explore them, eat them and throw them 50 times


• he had a pool party play date and got to eat his first official whole fruit popscile and loved it. he just had to get his water warmed up before he had a good time. what can i say, the boy knows what he likes.

I love Colton so much. I am thankful for every dayI am given with him and so grateful to be able to be called his mother. Mothering is hard but OH so fun and worth it. I love you, Colton.