10 months!

Prior to April 6th, I wondered what it would mean for me to have a ten-month old. Three words. Busy little clown. I am constantly chasing, redirecting, and laughing at Barrett. A day at our house is never dull! Heart-stopping as he climbs and grabs? Yes. Dull? No time for that!

*Barrett went from occasionally pulling up in his crib to pulling up on everything in sight. He loves to cruise around from place to place. Oh the view from two feet!

*Barrett has transformed his army-crawl into a classic hands-and-knees crawl. From time to time, he'll drag one leg behind him, which G-Dad has coined the "crippled lamb" crawl.

*Bear's hair has grown like a weed in the last month. He has those sweet baby curls in the back and on especially humid days, his whole head gets a bit unruly. It works well with his wild personality.

*Barrett, always the chatterbox, seems to understand more when we talk to him. He says "hi", "bye" and will finish the phrase "let's go" if I start with "let's". More than once, I've answered my cell phone with "hey", only to hear a small voice say "hey" from his high-chair. Hearing Barrett chat it up never gets old!

*We are starting to receive Bear-kisses, which leaves big drool spots on our cheeks, chin, and mouth. He can be quite affectionate!

*Barrett took his first carousel ride at the zoo last weekend when his Aunt Caitlin and Uncle Duke came into town. The movement of the ride seemed to make him more sleepy than excited.

*Bear still loves to eat and discovered how yummy and fun spaghetti can be. He also likes cheese ravioli, hasbrowns, flatbread, and drinking from my cup of water (which quickly becomes his cup with all the floaties he leaves). Barrett would always prefer veggies and fruit to anything else. I'll take that!

With every day that I survive my little tornado, I grow more crazy about him. We hit the jackpot with this kid. :)

Bear in the Bluebonnets

It's true!

Look out ladies!

So glad he chose to eat something other than a bluebonnet. Phew!
Those big brown eyes already get him out of lots of trouble!

Mama and baby Bear.

Hanging out with Dad.

Those eyebrows are from Barrett's G-Dad. They both use them when they're deep in thought.

Mr. Charmer

And he's off...

What a nut...

9 Months!

You know it's been a trying month when I blog about my 9-month old two weeks after the fact! Barrett has experienced the usual kid-illnesses since January (colds, ear infections, etc.), but this month has been a doozy! The last two weeks have been an ugly combination of cold, stomach bug, and an asthma diagnosis. Top all that with teething, blend, and you've made one miserable baby and a concerned, sleepless mama on the side! I am constantly reassured that this kind of thing is normal in the life of babies so in keeping with that idea, let's get back to routine with Barrett's monthly "check-up".

*Barrett is still army-crawling, but now loves to pop from his belly up onto his booty. He thinks this trick is especially fun in the bathtub where he is almost certain to give me a heart-attack.

*Barrett would rather crawl than pull up on furniture, though he is quick to pull himself up in the crib when Grant gets him up in the morning. He loves his daddy!

*Barrett's favorite new sounds are anything starting with "B". He has said "bye bye" several times and will copy me when I say "ball"...while playing with a ball, of course. Mostly Bear just loves to shout "bah bah bah" when he's happy or wants attention.

*Our little comedian has quite an impressive "fake laugh" that he'll demonstrate to get himself into just about any conversation.

*My hungry Bear continues to discover new foods. He loves fish, noodles, watermelon, pancakes, lima beans, and raspberries. He is guilty of using his cutest face to get frozen yogurt out of anyone within eyesight. He has also enjoyed chocolate cake, courtesy of Aunt Cookie. Go figure...

*Barrett now has 8 teeth, a perfect row of 4 on top and bottom. They make him look like a big kid! From the looks of it, he's working on #9 and #10. The poor guy can't catch a break!

*Bear has bumped up his swimming from 2 to 5 seconds under water independently. I have high hopes for him this summer!

*Barrett spent his first full weekend with just his daddy at the beginning of March! I was lucky enough to fly out to Houston for some time with my best friends. Bear spent the weekend taking walks, meeting friends for play-dates, and visiting aunts and uncles. He was so happy when I got home and wouldn't stop touching my face and staring at me. The house was much more clean than I expected, but Grant was just as tired as I anticipated. I'm so thankful for his willingness to play Mr. Mom and give me a breather!

Though it's been a trying month, I am constantly reminded of how blessed I am to be Barrett's mommy. Even on his most sick or grumpy day, those brown eyes reminds me that I've got more love to give than I ever realized.

8 Months!

8 months is here! And the changes still continue amaze me...

*Barrett still prefers the "army-crawl" method, but man, he is fast! He can follow me around the house or quietly sneak off to play with the kitchen cabinet doors or hide under his crib.

*The dude can now stand up and hold onto the side of the crib or couch while I spot him. He's not pulling himself up, but I fear that's not too far off.

*Bear eats more than any baby I've seen! He loves to wake up and get right down to business with a banana and a bottle. From there, he eats his way through the day and our kitchen. He loves strawberries, blueberries, whole black beans, entire avocados, peas, carrots, cheddar cheese, and cottage cheese.

*Barrett is very vocal with his food, especially in the morning. As I start handing him food, he likes to say "Mmmmm!" with every bite. He's even watched me take a bite of my breakfast and then made the same sound.

*I'm losing my baby who loved being fed just last month. I'm now hardly allowed to feed him with a spoon at all. We're doing mostly foods that he can pick up and feed himself. If I try to feed him and he's not interested, I get growled at! Which means, Bear is now learning what a firm "no" means from Mommy & Daddy.

*At swim lessons, Barrett is now going under water for two seconds by himself. I'm not even holding him! He wears the cutest baby fins and he kicks with all his might! He comes up smiling and ready to do it again. I have an 8-month old FISH!

*Bear also loves to hang upside down. He sees his Sug as his own personal "Six Flags" and will throw himself back when she holds him because he knows she'll swing him around by his feet. He is a total boy and loves it.

*While riding in the car, Barrett enjoys "singing" to the radio, especially when Brad Paisley comes on. Barrett rolls his tongue and makes all kinds of high-pitched sounds and then goes silent when the radio is turned off.

*Bear officially has six teeth and is currently working on his top front two. He is a drool machine!

The nicest thing my husband has ever said...

"It's fun watching you as a mom. You know how cool it is to watch someone do what they were born to do? Like watching Dirk play basketball or Ben Folds sing? That's what it's like watching you with Bear."

Wow.

Barrett's Dedication

In the middle of January, family and friends gathered for Barrett's dedication at our church, First Baptist of Hurst. While Pastor Jeff carried Barrett around the sanctuary and spoke to him about the meaning of his name, a slideshow played pictures of Barrett. (Please excuse my funky hair. That was my poor attempt at curling it. I've since cut my hair from the shame of these pictures!) Pastor Jeff spoke about the correlation between Barrett's name, meaning "strong and courageous", and the man of God he will become. He also shared the life verse that we gave Barrett. "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8

Pastor Jeff asked us to accept the call to raise Barrett under God's direction. He then asked the church to support us as parents.

Barrett's Preschool Director, Kellie, presented us with a brick that has the word "Promise" printed on it. On the back of the brick is the verse in Deuteronomy 6:6-8. "Write these commandments that I've given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night." Barrett also received a New Testament Bible.