And we like to call this...

...LBB's pucker sound.

He was enjoying a bowl of applesauce at lunch today, when I tried showing him how we say "Mmmmmmmm" after we eat something we like. What LBB took from my demonstration was a very unique, very adorable, pucker sound. He covers his bottom lip with his top and sucks air in really fast to make a sound that now follows every bite of anything he eats that he likes.

He finished his applesauce, but not until a pucker sound was made...after every bite.

Then at snacktime, while he was munching on his Sesame Street crackers and I was making dinner, I heard a sweet little pucker...after every cracker.

That boy makes me laugh so much! Everyday at lunch it is something new...for a few days after Thanksgiving, he was adament that we had a "toast" (clinking our glasses together) before each sip. Yesterday, he decided that he would pull his bib around his head in a sort of lion's mane kind of get-up that was followed by a peal of laughter. And then today with the pucker noise. :)

Oh! And one last thing...LBB had his first sippy of whole milk today! Our plan is to have him completely off formula (we bought his last can and it is almost gone) by his first birthday, so we wanted to get him used to the milk before the formula was all gone. So far, so good! At lunch he took a few sips and only drank about 3 ounces of it...but at dinner, he drank the whole sippy! Yay! I also decided to get some Chocolate Ovaltine as a nice treat for him...especially since it has 12 vitamins/minerals and is 20% or so of his daily iron, so it makes me a little less worrisome that he is getting all his nutrients. (And with no caffeine you can't go wrong.) :) He hasn't had any yet because I want to make sure that he gets used to the milk taste...but I know he will love it when he gets it...he's a chocolate fiend. Well, any sweets for that matter....

One week...

...until my LBB turns 1.

Wow.

I still can't believe it. Only 1 week...that's 7 days. 168 hours. (Well, even less as I write this.) 10080 minutes. Until my little guy celebrates his first birthday. :)

I'm happy about it...who wouldn't be?!?! But, there is that little part of me that already misses those days of cuddling and napping and just lots of snuggling. Now it's move, move, move...LBB is a very active little man, and there isn't a waking moment that he isn't on the go. Such a funny little man! And it's funny...there are some days that I wake up, go pick my sweet little wonderful boy up out of his crib, and am convinced that he grew up a little overnight. Thankfully, I'm not crazy. Dear Sweet Hubby will say something before I even mention it to him. :)

And speaking of on the go...LBB is this close to walking! Yesterday he walked about 6 feet across the room before he plopped down. He's walked a few feet here and there, but he is standing a lot more on his own now, which is a big improvement! I don't think he'll be walking by his first birthday (although I originally had), but I would put a little money down saying he will be by Christmas. :) It seems the only time he wants to walk is when there is trouble to be had. LOL.

*yawn* I think I'm going to end this post here...LBB had a pretty bad head bump yesterday(he's a-ok though, so no worry now!), so, following the nurse's instructions, I slept on the couch and he in his playpen. However, when LBB sees someone, he will not go back to sleep. Translation: This Momma is running on 3 1/2 hours of sleep or so...and my brain is letting me know it! Have a good day everyone! Tomorrow I plan on posting...but don't hold me to it. ;)

BabyLegs

I just have to share one of my new favorite things. :)

They are called BabyLegs (click here for the website) and are amazing. LBB has recently discovered that he is getting quite strong, and that diaper changes can get a lot more interesting when he puts up a fight...so this Mommy finally made the decision to pick up a pair of these little adorable BabyLegs that I'd been eyeing for a while.

And I am oh so glad I did! They are lifesavers! They take that extra, difficult step of pants with a wiggly baby who needs his diaper changed! And, I've been looking at the website...you can use them for an extra layer under pants. Use them to make a short sleeved shirt long sleeved. Use them on babies, use them on toddlers. Use them for potty training (look at the picture on the website...ingenious!)

I am so in love with these adorable little things! I'm going to order a few more pairs over time because Target only carries the print we got LBB. There are a few pairs that I love on the website. They are the FROST , GOAL , and TRAIN. Aren't these all just adorable?

OK...I just had to share them. :) They are a definite must-have for us now. (And secretly I'm hoping that at some point we have a girl so I can pick up some of the ruffly little ones. ;) But that's just between you and I. Shhhhh!)

Our Family Snowman

Dear Sweet Hubby was in charge of building. LBB and Mommy were in charge of assemble his face. And Cat #2 was apparently in charge of acting like a freak and being extremely scared of the large, white, round frozen man standing outside our patio door. :)

What fun it was building our first snowman...LBB kept watching Dear Sweet Hubby as if he was trying to figure out why Daddy was rolling giant balls of snow around the yard. He did have fun helping me go through the freezer and fridge to discover things that would be good for our friendly snowman...we wanted things that would be fairly bird and squirrel friendly, so we chose strawberries for eyes. A carrot for a nose (of course.) And peas for a smile.

One thing this Mommy did learn was that a "snowman building kit" is a necessity. I am going to assemble a freezer bag with goodies to decorate a snowman with. So, I'm making a mental list of things to add to the bag, and then we will always have it handy. :)

The thing I love about our snowman is that there is so much love in him...even LBB got into the act at the end a little by patting the snowman's base. :) Such a sweetheart.

The Chipotle Charmer

This evening Dear Sweet Hubby had to take a 30 minute drive up north for work, and as suggested but his district manager, took us out to dinner. :) What a nice little treat! So...of course...we went to Chipotle, our favorite.

We pulled into the parking lot, and seeing that it was 5:30 on a Friday night (what were we thinking?!?!?) the line was growing and growing. But, diehard Chipotle fans that we are, we got out and headed inside. I grabbed a seat while Dear Sweet Hubby stood in line.

Our seat happened to be right next to the line, which, hindsight being 20/20, is not the place to sit if you want a LBB to focus on eating. :) While we waited for Dear Sweet Hubby to get the food, LBB pulled out all his "charmer" tricks.

He smiled. He giggled. He chattered. He waved hi. He showed his dimples. And, he even held a few people's hands...he is a little social bug when he is around adults. He made "friends" with a few people, got compliments on his Ohio State Buckeyes sweatshirt (a gift from his Great Aunt), and flirted with the manager as she stood behind the counter. Crazy kid.

He is such a charmer, it is absolutely adorable. :) And a little comedian too. Ah, my LBB, how we adore you so. :)

A story of my day...

Hi! LBB here.

My mommy said I could write a little bit about my day so far. It's only morning still, but it's been a very fun day!

I woke up bright and early at 5:45 am because my kitty knocked something really loud over in the kitchen. But I got to see Daddy before he left for work, so I am glad that she woke me up! I ate breakfast while Mommy read me a Bible story and read a Bible verse to me. Then I watched The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That and it was one I haven't seen yet. They were talking about animal tails. I like to pull my kitty's tail even though Mommy says I can't. Kitty doesn't seem to mind. I know my kitty's name, but I like to call her different names because it is funny. I call her Abby (that's my PaPa and GiGi's puppy) and "Bird". Kitty doesn't seem to like it.

Mommy made me take a nap, but I only slept for a little bit. Mommy says that since I am still sick I should be resting more, but I don't want to rest, I want to play and have fun. After I woke up, we got ready for the day, and Mommy and I went for a walk because she says we've been cooped up in the house for too many days. I don't like being sick because we don't go outside very much. Our walk was nice. On our way out I ran into the apartment manager and she said she really like my snowman. She is nice. My mommy hasn't written about our snowman yet, but she said she will soon. We walked across the street to the store so Mommy could get her soda. While we were there I met someone's Grandpa. He talked to me and even gave me a quarter for my bear bank. He did a magic trick with the quarter...I don't know how he did it, but it was pretty cool. He was very nice.

When we got home I had a snack and a sippy, and Mommy let me check my facebook page. GiGi put a Sesame Street video up of the two headed monster brushing his teeth (my Mommy says click HERE if you want to watch it.) I thought it was really funny. That is what I am watching in the picture at the top of the page. I like to brush my teeth. Mommy has to help me a little to make sure I get all the spots, but I do a pretty good job on my own. Right after we watched the video that GiGi posted, Mommy saw that it was time to watch Elmo's world. I like Sesame Street, but I don't sit through the whole show, so we just turn the tv on around when Elmo's World usually comes on. But we turned it on a few minutes earlier, and got to see my favorite music video. I watch this on the computer usually, but it was even better on the tv! Mommy also said to click HERE if you want to see it.

That's my day so far. Mommy is making me take a nap now, so I've got to go! Have a great day everyone!

One small step for mankind...

...is apparently one GIANT leap for a 25 pound little boy. :)

I would've sworn months ago that LBB would be walking before his first birthday. But, now that his first birthday is only 20 days away, I wouldn't put betting money on it. He can do it, because we've seen him take 3 or 4 steps here and there...but he just doesn't want to do it. And when he sets his mind on something, he sets his mind on something. :) He's a bit stubborn that way.

Last night, LBB was standing with only one hand lightly resting on Dear Sweet Hubby's chair, and Dear Sweet Hubby handed LBB his sippy. LBB took it, held it with both hands, stood there while he was drinking it, and then even bounced around to the Christmas music for a few minutes. And then...he realized he wasn't holding onto anything, freaked out, and plopped right down.

Now we can't get him to stand for anything. :) But, I do have a feeling he is getting close. Once in a while he will hold onto something with just a fingertip, and look as if he is contemplating whether or not he wants to go for it. One of these days I know he'll just get up and go...but until then he is going to be extremely stubborn about it all. :) I have to remember that he will walk when he is ready...until then he is going to do what he wants in the mobility department!

Oh...and speaking of sippy's, did I mention that LBB is completely bottle-free now? All sippy's, all day. Yay for LBB! (And yay for Mommy...bottles take so much time to wash!)

And can you believe, only 38 days until Christmas!?!?! WHOA! I've been a busy little bee getting ready for Thanksgiving, LBB's birthday, and Christmas...and now I've really got to get my bottom in gear! LOL!

SNOW!!!

When I was still pregnant with LBB, Dear Sweet Hubby read the book "Snow" almost every night. LBB loved it then...he'd immediately start bouncing around in there. :)

So, of course, when we found out we were to get lots of snow this weekend, Dear Sweet Hubby pulled out the book for bedtime story last night. :) And when LBB awoke this morning, he got to see big, fluffy, beautiful flakes floating in the air and white all over the ground. Needless to say, LBB has spent much of his morning thus far in front of the patio window watching the snow.

And, even more adorable, he spent a bit of his watching time with Cat 2 while reading his "Snow" book.

How sweet is that?

Ball

My LBB is a smartie. :)

This morning after breakfast, we were working on say "ball." And he said it! The best part, he associated it with a ball! He kept rolling the ball, and then when I picked it up the first time, he pointed at the ball and loudly proclaimed "BALL!" What a smartie pants! He got a kick out of being able to say it too...he just kept sitting there giggling everytime he said it while he held the ball.

What a big boy...this Momma is feeling very proud today!

WHAT?!?!?! One more month...

...until I'm the momma of a 1 year old? I need a pause button on the remote control for life. ;) It goes much too fast.

And LBB is growing much too fast. I think he's taken leaps and bounds just from last month. sigh. And along with the leaps and bounds are less cuddles, more play, and more exploration. He's getting so big, and is beginning to need me a little less each day (in his opinion...I disagree. It's still a very big world out there.)

*LBB had went to the doctor a two weeks ago or so and weighed in at 25 pounds 2 ounces! Wowza. Just last month he was 23 pounds 11 ounces, so that is a definite growth spurt. There are some days he wakes up and I swear he grew over night.

*LBB loves trying new foods...the only foods he's shown a dislike for are BBQ sauce, hard boiled egg yolks, and cheese. He'll eat a few cheesy things now and then, but give him a bit of cubed cheese and he is not a happy little man. He really likes spicy foods, but we do try to limit it so it isn't too hard on his little tummy. :)

*Stands by himself once in a while. He did it in library story time...stood there in the middle of the class for easily 3 minutes. Since then he hasn't done it. I've noticed he will do something to show us he can do it, and then wait awhile before it gets placed in his routine. :)

*And the same goes for walking...he's taken 3 or 4 steps by himself a few different times. But in general, he doesn't seem that keen on it. I know he'll do it in his own time...for now, he seems really happy crawling.

*Can say MaMa, DaDa, Nom (when eating), BaBa, Baa (usually when looking at sheep), and is beginning to say Abby (PaPa and GiGi's puppy.)

*Points when he wants something. He is usually very enthusiastic about this!

*Waves hello and goodbye...but he definitely likes "hello" more than "goodbye." He only waves goodbye when he is really in the mood to!

*Reads books like crazy...this isn't anything new, but we easily read at least 5-6 books a day. He is a definite bookworm!

*Loves to help and do what Mommy and Daddy do. He likes to clean. "Vacuums" with his puppy vacuum. Tries to clean the litterbox and toilet...both definite "NO's". Helps load the dishwasher (he puts his kitchen cabinet utensils in there. Cute.)

*Loves fingerpainting, coloring, playing with his Schleich animals, and looking at his Hot Wheels. He is beginning to put blocks together, but really likes taking them apart. :)

*Gives lots of kisses!!! So so so sweet. However, sometimes it is accompanied with a nibble. That's not so sweet.

*Claps for himself. Raises his arms and smiles when he does something good like "Hooray for me!" and like to put one finger up like "I'm number 1!" He's a pretty confident little guy...I'm proud of him for that!

*Likes other kids, but is also a little "eh" when it comes to playing with them. Sometimes he has this look like "I really don't want to play with that person." Usually that look occurs when there is a book in his hand.

*LBB is also learning to share. :) It's the sweetest thing...he will hand us his sippy. Share a piece of his food. Give us a toy. But sometimes he is also very selfish...I think that's all part of toddler-hood. :)

I know there is more. But life is super quick and I sometimes forget to write things down. ;) I got this nice Baby's first year calendar from my mom when he was born and it is practically empty...I'm going to have to try to fill it out from memory and guess on some of the dates. Oy. Silly procrastination!

My little monkey...

LBB loves to climb. He loves to swing. He loves to hang upside down.

And he LOVES bananas.

Ever since the day we first introduced them all pureed and in a jar, he couldn't get enough of them. He eats banana cookies. Banana puffs. Banana Pudding. And...his favorite of all?

A banana cut up into bite size pieces.

Every.

Single.

Day.

I'm not joking...this has become a staple in our lunchtime preparation. If he doesn't get a banana, you can tell he is frustrated. It's funny, because two weeks ago, we had bananas in the house on occasion, and usually I swiped them and froze them for baking before anyone else could get to them. :) Now, it's a whole different story. I know that from this point until LBB grows out of his banana craze, I will always have to have a bunch of Bananas.

The plus? At 19 cents a banana, that is one snack I can enthusiastically feed LBB...that and the fact that it is super healthy while he thinks it is super sweet. All I can say is that I've hit the jackpot. :) The banana jackpot, that is.