15 Months

Spring is here and my Little Man is walking around.... FINALLY! It took him a while to get the courage, but he is now fully walking around on his own. He's still struggling to stand up on his own, but he will crawl over to something and pull up and start walking again. It's so cute!

Jeremy and I are enjoying a "Staycation" at home this week during Spring Break while Andrew is visiting his Edee and Pop. I sure do miss him, but I know he's having FUN and being spoiled rotten. But that's what grandparents are for! =)

Andrew continues to grow and change each and every day. I feel like almost daily he is doing or saying something new. He is still a very good eater and sleeper, and I'm SO grateful for that. Here are some of the highlights:

Words he's saying:

Trash

Truck

Bus

Gross (so funny when he says this)

Bath ("baa")

Clock

Hey Baby

Bye Bye

Juice

What he's doing:

Walking

Dancing

Clapping

Singing (he makes noises during the song like he's singing)

Gives "Love" (hugs)

Tells a Secret (he puts his ear up to your mouth)

Drives a boat in the tub ("vrooom, vroooom")

Begs for the refrigerator to be opened (LOVES to eat/drink milk)

Pushed every button and turns every knob he can get his hands on

Cuddles with his blanket

Lays his head on you (shoulder, leg, etc) when he's ready for a nap

Has to have "dip dip" for chicken (ketchup, ranch, or any sauce)

Life with a 1 Year Old

My sweet little boy continues to grow, learn, and change every day! He is still so much fun and we are enjoying our little 1 year old. Here's what he's up to right now (13 months):

What he can say:

Elmo

Dora (that came out of nowhere because he doesn't even watch it)

Bye-Bye (and waves)

Light (and points to either a light or the light switch)

Mama and Dada---and really means it

MiMiMiMi (milk)---he no longer has the bottle, so he really means milk and isn't asking for the bottle

AnJew---his name =)

Nana--Banana

Manana--More Banana

Things he recognizes and points to (in books or in real life):

Ball

Banana

Elmo

Boat

Flower (and he smells it)

His nose and feet

Socks

Book

Milk in his cup

Shoes

Pants

Brush and Comb--and will brush his hair with it

Mickey Mouse

Fun Things:

He dances all of the time and loves music.

If you ask him to smell something, he will scrunch up his nose and sniff---so funny!

Go get the ball and toss it to you (he has good aim, too)

Waves and says Hey or Bye-Bye

Combs his hair

Wipes his nose with a tissue

Takes off socks (usually on command, but many times just because he wants to)

If you tell him you want to tell him a secret, he will lean in and put his ear to your mouth

If you ask him to give you a "kiss" or "love", he will lay his head on your shoulder

I'm sure I'm leaving out some things, but I wanted to highlight a few neat things he's doing right now. Of course, the credit goes to Miss Genia, who teaches him pretty much everything he knows. She is so sweet to him and is still our "angel" who blesses us by caring so much for our son.

Christmas, Birthday, and a New Year.... Oh My!

What a crazy couple of weeks it has been! We traveled to Louisiana to have Christmas with Jeremy's family and had a great time visiting with all of them. We had Christmas at Grammy and Gramps' house and enjoyed YuMmY Gumbo. Then all of The Hoods went to Houston to see Transiberian Orchestra (an annual tradition for me and Jeremy since we started dating, so it was nice to go with his family). We celebrated Andrew's birthday at Nanaw and PawPaw's. On Christmas Eve, we had lunch and Christmas at Mama and Papa Hood's house. And the finale, was Christmas at Nanaw and PawPaw's. All three of us were showered with gifts, love, and attention while we were there. We packed A LOT into the week we were there!

However, this is definitely a Christmas we will never forget... for several reasons:

~It was Andrew's 1st Christmas.

~Many of J's family met Andrew for the 1st time.

~The Hood HumBug Virus spread rampant through the family while we were there. Jeremy caught it the night of December 23rd and was sick through December 26th. Andrew caught it December 25th (and vomited through the night as we traveled back home) and had it through December 28th. I caught it December 28th and had it through December 30th. Almost everyone in the Hood Clan had it... it was awful. I haven't been that sick in a long time!

Poor Andrew was not really 100% on his birthday, and I was in bed all day with The Virus, but he did get to have some cake and open his Christmas presents from me and Jeremy the next day.

I feel like Andrew has grown so much through the month of December, physically and mentally. He is walking around holding on (but getting braver as he does so and letting go sometimes, just leaning against things), he says a few words (Nana for Banana, Elmo, Mamamama, and sometimes Hey... but that doesn't seem to really be at the appropriate time). He is really becoming a Mama's Boy, and likes for Mama to hold him and take care of him. He is very ticklish and laughs so hard. He now points to things that he wants, which is helpful to us. He enjoys turning on light switches, playing with cords, opening and closing doors and drawers, and taking things in and out of boxes or drawers. He got his first haircut in Louisiana by his Aunt Mamoo (Jeremy's sister). It was very traumatic and he screamed bloody murder the entire time. But, he looks very handsome now! He is eating almost all real "people" food now, which is so nice. He still loves to eat, especially fruit and bread. He is becoming quite "plump" in his belly. =) He is such a sweet and loving little boy, and we are so proud of him and continue to feel blessed to be his parents!

Now it is December 31st, New Year's Eve, and I am reflecting on the Year of Blessing that is ending, and the New Year to come. This has definitely been an AMAZING year, as we have watched our sweet, precious, little boy grow up. It has also been the HARDEST year of my life, as I have learned, through trial and error, to be the best parent I can be, and to take care of a little one. I am filled with joy, thankfulness, and love for my family (ALL of them), my career, my home, my health, and the many blessings that the Lord continues to pour on us, even though we in no way deserve them.

Happy New Year to all of you!

Love,

The Hoods

Eleven Months!

So I am late with this post, but things are busy in the Hood Household! My sweet Little Man is growing SO fast, it's hard to keep up with him (literally). He is crawling all over the place these days (still army crawling) and even pulling up on the couch and tables. He is such a good baby, eats well (pretty much all table food now--with the help of the baby bullet), sleeps all night (sometimes 12 hours on the weekends), loves to play and take baths, and laughs and smiles all of the time.

He is saying a couple of things right now, such as "Mamamamama", "Oh Oh Oh" when asked what Santa says, and "uuhh uuhh" when asked what a doggy says. He can also wave Bye Bye when asked to. I am amazed at how well he remembers and follows his routine; for example, after his night bottle, he reaches up to get his blanket from the back of the rocking chair, reaches for his paci, lays across me with his head in the crook of my arm, and goes to sleep with very little help (he listens to music and I rock him). He does have to "calm down' sometimes if he wasn't able to get all his energy out with play time or bath time, but for the most part, by about 7:30-8:00, he's pooped and ready for bed. He plays hard during the day and sleeps hard at night. I am SO thankful for that! He recently went through a spell where he would fight sleep and it would take me a while to get him settled and asleep, but he's doing very well now.

I can't believe how much upper-body strength he has. He can pull himself up almost anywhere, walks around a little holding on to things, and walks around the room with someone holding his hands. I don't think it will be too long before he is walking on his own. SO hard to believe!

One of his favorite toys right now is a red car that he can either ride on, or walk behind and push (which he can't do yet). He loves to have me push him around the house on the car, and he dances as it plays music (so funny). It has a seat that lifts up, so he will store his toys in there and take them in and out.

So far, Andrew has done really well with going out to eat. He can be a little loud sometimes if he is needing my attention, or if he doesn't have the food he wants in front of him.

Favorite Foods:

hot dog, applesauce, banana, bread, cheerios, sweet potato, corn, yogurt

He is really a good eater and isn't as picky as he was when we first started with table food. There are some staples that I know he will eat every time, but for the most part, he'll eat whatever he's given. And he WILL let you know when he's done by throwing it on the floor!

It's so hard to believe that in 20 short days my sweet little boy will be 1 year old. What a year... but more about that in the next post! Happy Holiday everyone. Love, The Hoods

Top 10

In honor of Andrew turning 10 months old today, I thought I would create this special list:

Andrew's Top 10 at 10 Months

1. Army crawls EVERYWHERE and gets into EVERYTHING.

2. Says Mamamamama all the time (melts my heart... even if it's not AT me).

3. Sings and Dances when music plays, or if someone sings to him.

4. Eats pretty much every kind of table food, all on his own, and drinks out of his sippy cup.

5. Enjoys reading books, especially turning the pages.

6. Dies laughing when playing peek-a-boo.

7. Still grins and goes hysterical when he sees or hears Mickey Mouse.

8. Loves to crawl toward cords, shoes, and door stops.

9. Sleeps with a blanket and paci each night, and doesn't NEED to be rocked to sleep, but I do it anyway. =)

10. He likes to lay on his back and belly and "spaz" with excitement so he can hear his voice vibrate. He thinks it's hilarious when any loud sound comes out of his mouth.

He is so much FUN and we are really enjoying this stage of life. I know it won't be long before he's pulling up on everything, and then walking around on his own. He's such a sweet baby and so easy-going. We are blessed beyond measure!

He is going to be Mickey Mouse for Halloween (of course), so I will post pics of him on Monday. =)

9 and Fine!

Well, this one really snuck up on me! My sweet baby boy is Nine Months Old! He is such a happy baby and we are having the most fun with him during this stage of life. Unfortunately he is sick right now with a cold, his first one yet (he had some type of virus a while back which gave him red bumps all over his legs and a high fever, but that didn't last very long). He is coughing, congested, and just all around doesn't feel very good. He's happy and playful during the day with Ms. Genia, which is great, but by the evening time when he gets home, he's ready for bed. He actually begged to get OUT of the bath tonight, which is not like him.

He still isn't crawling yet, but is working hard on getting into position. However, when he does get into position, he just falls on his tummy and rolls over to his back. He is just scooting and turning on his bottom to get where he wants to go right now. I know it won't be long though, and I'll be chasing him around the house!

Drew Man is still a very good eater. He is eating more table foods now: bananas, green beans, apples, carrots, baked potato, blueberries, grapes, and he tried grits, but did not like those at all (he actually made the funniest face with his nose scrunched up when Genia gave him some). He loves cheerios for a snack. He is using his "pincher" finger and thumb to grab food and can pick up most anything.

One of my most favorite things he does now is dance and "sing" to music. His Grammy and Gramps gave him a toy piano that plays songs. When it's on he just moves all over the place and laughs. It's so funny! His Nanaw also gave him a bunny (for Easter) that sings Jesus Loves Me. When I play it for him, he "sings" along with it.

I have completely stopped breastfeeding. I'm proud of myself for going 9 months and do feel like it was beneficial and worth it. Andrew has 3 bottles a day now (2 are 6 oz and 1 is 8oz). He just went to the Doctor this week (because he was sick) and weighed 19lbs 5oz; he's a growing boy! He has definitely gained weight since he's switched from breast milk to formula, but I think that's because he wasn't getting enough breast milk. That's the main disadvantage to breast feeding: you don't know how much they are getting.

He has started showing a little bit of shyness towards strangers now. At the doctor's office, he buried his head in my neck when he saw the nurse and the doctor. He has always been a really friendly baby, but I guess he's starting to learn the difference between strangers and people he knows. I love watching him learn! Speaking of that, Ms. Genia started some sign language with him, so I have been doing that at home, too. He knows the sign (or the word, not sure which) for milk and he gets SO excited when it's bottle time. It's so neat to watch him grow, change, and learn new things. He is also saying more sounds that are more word-like, and more sounds with consonants, such as Mamamamaa and Dadadadada, which we LOVE! =)

His favorite things: playing on the floor and taking all of the toys out of the basket, observing everything and everyone around him, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Sprout TV, fruit, bath time, his paci (he is REALLY attached to that now), rocking to sleep, moving his legs and hands non-stop, playing peek-a-boo, and turning the pages of his books.

We are so blessed to have such a happy, healthy baby!!

8 is Great!

Well, this one slipped up on me! My Little Man is 8 months old now. Time is flying, for sure. Now that I am back to school and only see Andrew a few hours a day, I feel like the days go by way too fast. The school year is going well so far and Andrew is still very happy with Miss Genia. He is on a great schedule and is truly an "easy" baby. (Ask me that in a few weeks when he's crawling all over the place!) I have to wake him up every morning (hate that) at 6:30am, he nurses a little bit (but is showing less interest in that these days), take him to Genia's, he eats breakfast, naps around 10am, eats lunch, naps around 2pm, has a bottle, and I pick him up around 4:45pm. He is always happy to see me, which is one of the highlights of my day. =) He eats dinner around 5:45pm, plays and snacks while Jeremy and I eat, takes a bath around 7-7:30pm, nurses again, and falls asleep almost instantly. Most nights we do not even hear a peep from him. He is such a sweet, happy little boy.

He is quite mobile lately, but not yet crawling. He rolls and scoots all over the place. He gets in the crawl position, but won't push up on his arms yet, so he just gets upset because he can't go where he wants to go. But I think he will be doing that very soon. He "talks" and laughs all of the time. He makes a Mamamama sound, which I love, and purses his lips and says Mmmmmm alot, too. He has started making sweet, soft sounds as he's falling asleep, too. He even likes to talk and make noises while eating. I think he gets most of that from his Mama--haha!

He still LOVES to eat and is eating a few more table foods now. He's had baked potato, bread, blueberries, carrots, cheerios, macaroni, watermelon, banana, grapes, and a pinto bean (just one--he didn't like that at all). He is willing to try anything, and makes really funny faces when it's something new. He is doing really well with picking up and eating his own food, but we can only give him a piece or two at the time because he will shove them all in his mouth at one time. He also likes some of the Gerber snacks (Puffs, Yogurt Bites, and Mum-Mums rice wafers). I think the boy would eat until he exploded; he never fills up.

He has 6 teeth already (3 on bottom and 3 on top). He was quite fussy when the first couple came through, but the others haven't seemed to bother him. You can see them when he smiles and it makes him look so much older. He is playing more independently now and still likes to watch Mickey Mouse. He has also figured out how to use the sippy cup, he just has to master holding it himself and not throwing it on the floor (which is where he likes to put everything while in the highchair).

I mentioned that he is not really that interested in nursing lately. I think he's so happy with "real" food, that he doesn't want to waste time with milk. Jeremy and I are going on a cruise in a couple of weeks and Andrew will be with my parents for a week. I have a feeling that will end my breastfeeding time. I will not try to pump while I'm gone (I tried to do that when we went to the beach and it was a total waste of time. I wasn't able to pump anything). It makes me a little sad, but since he hasn't really seemed interested in it anyway, it's not so hard to let it go. However, it really does mean my little baby is growing up.

Hope you all are enjoying your holiday weekend. Time to get some rest now, since Andrew won't realize tomorrow is a holiday and we should be sleeping late. He will be ready to eat and play bright and early in the morning!