Bear in a Bucket

Who doesn't love a baby in a bucket? I saw this idea on Pinterest and decided this would be our 2011 Christmas card. There were too many cute shots to choose from so this smitten mama had to share!

6 months...a half birthday!

We've made it! Barrett is halfway through his first year. It's shocking to think that at this exact time six months ago, Grant was watching our newborn get his first bath & shots in the nursery as I happily wolfed down a well-deserved dinner of Chinese food. The night of Barrett's birth still makes me giddy with excitement and thankfulness. In fact, I'd happily do it all over again for the moment I laid eyes on my sweet baby boy.

Some noteable developments of the "Big Bear":

*Barrett has officially cut his first teeth. He has his front two bottoms. He had a couple of grumpy days, but nothing compared to the horror stories I've heard! Nothing a couple of (glorious) teething tablets can't fix.

*Bear is sitting up on his own and starting to reach for toys in front of him.

*Now when he floats on his back in the pool or bath, he kicks like a crazy baby. His kick is pretty strong, which means the bathroom ends up getting totally soaked. And he does it all with a huge smile on his face.

*Barrett has added sweet potatoes to his list of foods. And HE. IS. NUTS for them! He gets excited and starts flapping his arms when he sees the good stuff come out. He opens his mouth like a little baby bird and lets me know how delicious it is with lots of "hmmm's".

*We bought Barrett an exersaucer from another mom on Facebook. She bought it in 2006 and this Baby Einstein piece-of-heaven was in great shape. $20! Bear loves "going to his office" and working on different toys and puzzles. And it buys me enough time to take a quick shower or make a meal. Win-win!

*We seem to have FINALLY moved away from swaddling the boy. Horray! We've been told by several people for the last two months that it was time to give up his cozy wrap. Well, it's fair to say that Grant & I now appreciate Bear's strong will. We tried to force the issue and he made us pay with many angry nights. We gave in and let the little man run the show with his beloved Miracle Blanket...out of sheer exhaustion. Then out of the blue about two weeks ago, Barrett decided to put on his big-boy pj's and skip the swaddle. What a relief to see him curled up in his crib with sweet little clasped hands. Phew! Glad I won't have to swaddle him at 16...

*Finally, our boy's sense of humor seems to get bigger every month. Barrett likes to pick up on any audience and run with it. He spits when he's happy and if he gets a laugh out of it, he'll wiggle his eyebrows and continue to do it. In public, he'll watch for strangers to check him out and then he'll start gabbing at them and rolling his tongue. Little clown.

Here's to the next half of one amazing year!

Snapshots of Thanksgiving...

Bear's First Thanksgiving! Poor, decked-out baby...Bear with Uncle Chris...

Our Thanksgiving Table with Barrett, Erin, Chris, Grant, Laura, Ryan, Mom, & Dad...

Mommy & little turkey...
Bear & Aunt Cookie...

Bear Teeth

About 2 weeks ago, Bear's bottom two teeth popped through. For moms who have been through teething-torture, this picture speaks for itself.

Outdoor Bear...

Bear rolls...

This video was taken back in October, but the rolling hasn't slowed down! This is a more controlled version of what I usually see. He's fast and will take off without my being ready. I guess this is just foreshadowing of what's to come in the way of mobility!

5 Months!

Yesterday our big dude turned a whopping 5 months! He was lucky enough to see all four grandparents, two uncles, and his Aunt Cookie to celebrate. He is still the life of the party--talking so loudly at times that you have no choice but to be quiet and listen to what he has to say. He loves to flirt with anyone who will give him a moment and is still very into the ladies!

Here are some new developments in the life of Barrett:
-He now sits in his big high-chair and eats cereal and butternut squash.The squash was quite a shock to his little baby tastebuds. The first time he tried it, he made a horrible face, shuddered, gagged, and then spit it out violently. The more I keep at it, the less he seems to hate it. What he'd rather have is the taste of icing his great-grandpa gave him a few weeks ago or the little nip of icecream that his G-Dad gave him yesterday.
-Barrett has been rolling back to front and vice versa for several weeks now and loves to roll all the way down the room. I'll put him in one spot, look away for a moment, and he'll suddenly be in a totally new spot. As a result, Barrett now has a playroom where he can roll to his little heart's delight! He is also playing with the idea of sitting up. I prop him up and he'll look up proudly at me for a few moments before he keels over to one side.
-Barrett has taken a huge interest in our dogs, lately. He will reach for Tex and grab his head. He loves to have Tex lick his hands and feet, though I try to keep dog-kisses away from his face. He also seems to love my sister's dog, Gabe. Gabe is a well over 100 pounds and a snow dog. Every time Barrett sees Gabe, he squeals in delight and laughs. We're not sure why Barrett is so crazy for Gabe but it's really fun to watch.
-Barrett now seems to buy into the excitement of his daddy getting home from work. He can be completely tired of my face but the moment his dad walks in the door, his eyes light up and he's got a million things to say.
-Barrett is now kicking and splashing during his swim lessons. He has gone under a couple of times and doesn't seem to be phased. He still has the most killer backfloat in class. I can barely get the kid to look at me during class because he's so absorbed in kicking and chasing balls in the pool. He also seems to have a crush on his teacher and a few girl-babies in the class. Go figure...

Barrett gets more fun every day and I'm eager to see what month #5 has in store for both him & us!