Visiting Colson...

Tonight, we went to Tammy & Jayson's (SIL & BIL) for dinner and so that the boys could play.

 I'm sure you can remember me talking about my nephew, Colson. Tammy found out she was pregnant with him on our wedding night and I can remember being SO excited that I would soon be an aunt! Gage and Colson are 6 weeks apart in age and COMPLETELY opposite. It is so funny to see them together because when I say opposite, I MEAN OPPOSITE! Colson is very quiet, very bashful, he goes to bed early, he's a picky eater, and he doesn't know what to think of Gage. Every time we are around them, he looks at him like "Dude, why are you so dang loud?". Despite the definite differences, they played really well together tonight! They were chasing a ball here...looks like they were racing!  

At home, Gage has several walking toys, but he won't ever walk behind them. I saw this toy sitting there and decided I'd stand him up behind it. I was shocked when he started walking around the living room! YAY little man! It won't be long now!!!

Colson has the same 4-wheeler that Gage has. We sat both of them on it together and they were a hoot! Colson grabbed Gage's hand and pulled it around his waist, as if he was helping him hold on. What little dolls!

Aren't they just too sweet?

Right before we left, we found them both behind the chair "talking". I'm sure Gage was probably doing most of it! He's the "mouth of the south"!

I'm so glad we were able to get the boys together tonight! Thanks to Aunt Tam and Uncle Jay for having us over!

Lazy weekends...

For the past few days, I have spent most of my time at home with this little monkey! Daddy has been working a lot of overtime so Gage and I have been home alone. I can remember a time in my life (actually, my entire life until Gage was born) I would have been extremely angry to have been at home for 2 days without leaving the house. I was such a busy body and sitting at home simply wasn't up my alley, and the thought of nothing to do would have put me in a deep depression. These days, however, things are completely different. The fact that we had nothing to was music to my ears, and I loved the fact that we didn't have to get ready to go all weekend long. I mean...I LOVED IT!

It seems like overnight, Gage decided to start getting into EVERYTHING! Last week, I could somewhat keep him contained in one room. He would sit in the living room and play with his toys for hours without even making a peep. This week, he won't stay in the living room for 5 minutes without getting into something he isn't supposed to. I have a feeling my hands are going to be full with this child ;)

As much as we enjoyed being in the house all weekend with nothing to do, it was nice to get out today. Michael took Gage to Bridget's this morning so I could start getting the house ready for Christmas. We are having some family over and the house looked like a tornado had passed through. I spent the day cleaning house, washing clothes, running errands, etc. Thank Goodness all that is finished and we are ready for the Holidays at last!

Catching up...

It is amazing how in just a weeks time, babies can change so much. It seems like I missed an entire month of his life, and it was only 6 days. I've been spending the past few days catching up...it has been SO much fun! When I was a kid, I had a swing like this one at Nana and Papaw's house. This one is at their house also, and Gage LOVES it! I think he would stay in there for days if I'd let him!
Michael has a million ball caps, but his favorites are Hurley hats. While we were gone, we found this one for only $3! Gage had to have it!! Aren't they something? I just love this one! He is such a ham...but maybe I'm a little partial!
We spent the day with Rance on Friday. It was a beautiful day, so we were able to get out and enjoy the weather. Gage loves sitting on Rance's tray so that he can reach the joystick that makes the chair move. It is so sweet to watch them play!

Friday night, Gage decided he would try to look out the window at the dogs. He couldn't make it all the way up but once I sat him up there, he was in Heaven! He sat there for probably 30 minutes looking out the window!

We had some special friends come over last night to watch the Razorback game. I will post about our night soon!

Nana's Boy...

I'm not too sure if I've ever told you before, but Gage has a soft spot in his heart for his Nana! Every time he is with her he spends the majority of his time belly laughing at her and with her! Last week my Mom took Nana and Papaw back to Texas for the rest of Papaw's Parkinson's surgery (he is much better by the way)! When they came back home, they stopped by our house to give Gage his gift. I have been wanting these boots for so long it isn't even funny! They are the cutest things and I think he likes them! Perhaps this is why he has that soft spot I was speaking of? I always take him to visit on Friday afternoons because I normally don't work a full day. I think this is one of his favorite times of the week! She lets him get away with EVERYTHING!!! He is also a pretty big fan of his Papaw! Before Papaw had his surgery, his hand shook constantly as a result of his Parkinson's disease. Gage watched his hands like it was the neatest thing he had ever seen. Now that his surgery is done, his shaking has stopped completely! For everyone except Gage, this is a wonderful thing!

My little Big Boy...

Isn't it funny how when we become parents, we get excited about things we never thought we'd be getting excited about. I can remember before Gage was born I would think to myself, "that goofy lady is excited about her kid doing that?", or "is she really crying because her kid is getting his/her first haircut?". No offense to those who did that, but I still don't understand that ;) Maybe it is because I cut hair all day and it is no big deal to me. Anyway, back to what I was saying. It seems like every day Gage is learning something new. Something bigger, better, and lots more fun!

Over the past week or so he has changed so much it seems like. He is constantly saying DADADADADADADA, instead of just the normal baby "cooing". It is really sweet, but I keep thinking, "come on son, say MAMAMAMA for once". I suppose I'll forgive him for now, but I hope Mama comes soon;)

He has been trying really hard to sit up lately. He does really well for a minute or so, then he falls on his side. I'll bet it won't be long and he will be sitting all by himself.

Until about 3 weeks ago, he hated to be on his tummy...now he won't stay on his back. We have to be more careful about where we lay him now because he rolls all over the place. He looks like he is 5 in this picture :(

He has really started playing with his toys a lot more lately. We lay him in the floor with them every night and let him play. He LOVES it and seems to have a lot longer attention span than he did a month ago. He still doesn't play with the same toy for long, but he doesn't have to...his Grandma's bring him a new toy every day it seems like. If it keeps up, Mommy and Daddy are going to have to buy a bigger house!

MeMe bought him these rings and plays with them every day. Is it a rule that every baby has these or what? I remember my brother having them when he was a kid. They are only like $5 and I swear babies love them! It is so funny how kids will play with simple things like rings and cardboard boxes for hours, but they are bored with things you spend a lot of money on. There's no doubt that changes throughout life ;)

Granny Peg and Paw brought him this new toy the other night. He loves all the noises it makes!

Nana and Pawpaw brought this ball back from Texas for him. It rolls on its own, and it won't be long before he will be chasing it around the house.

Grams brought him this car last week. It is so cute and does some pretty neat things! It is a jumper, a walker, and a stationary entertainer! What will they come up with next?

He took his first "sit up" bath last night and I'm pretty sure he loved it! He made a HUGE mess around the kitchen sink, but it was all worth it to see him have so much fun!

I thought I would share this because it is one of the only pictures I have of my Dad and Gage. I think it is so sweet how he snuggled up with his Pawpaw! They will be big buddies one day I'm sure!

Catching Up...

Sadly to say...I have lots of catching up to do. I have been so busy around here lately, and I tell myself every night, "I have got to blog", but I never do! I'm going to do better...promise! Sorry for such a long post...hopefully you enjoy all the pictures!

Saturday Mom and I took my Aunt Vicki (Rance's Mom) to paint pottery. She has been staying home to take care of Rance since his accident and hasn't had time to get away. We had so much fun and can't wait to go back!

I painted a candy bowl for our Halloween candy. It has Gage's footprints on the sides that I made into little ghosts. He curls his toes all the time, so this wasn't easy!

I made his hand print on the inside for a cat! I'm pretty sure we had black paint everywhere after this little adventure! I think it is going to be so cute! What do you think?

Sunday we had some family come home from Chicago so we had a small little reunion. I love family time and this is why...
Kyle and Gage had lots of fun with Papa's hat! He couldn't figure out what in the world was on his head!

Rance took him for another ride on his wheelchair. Gage thinks Rance is so funny! He just stares at him and laughs constantly when he's around! I just love this one of Rance playing with Gage's hands. It is so special to me!

Gage loves his cousins! As you can tell, they love him too!

Here he is with his bunny. I haven't taken one of these in so long. Gosh he's getting big...and so handsome! Maybe I'm just a tad bit partial!

My Pawpaw is having brain surgery this week, so he and my Nana have gone to Tyler, TX for a while. He has Parkinson's Disease, and the only doctor that will perform surgery is there. I am so worried about his surgery, but I know it is the best option for him. Please keep the 2 of them in your prayers! This was taken last week before they left. Nana has called me numerous times to make sure Gage remembers her. Of course he does! This one is for you Nana!! We can't wait for you and PawPaw to come home!

Relaxing and Visitors

Gage and I have had another Sunday. At home. With nothing to do. And guess what else...we love it! Michael is playing softball today, so Gage and I have been at home doing a whole lot of nothing. I've picked the house up and done some laundry, but other than that it has been a pretty uneventful day. We did however, have a few visitors. As a matter of fact, this weekend has been full of visitors!

Kyle came by yesterday to visit with us (by us, I mean Gage) ;) He stayed for the majority of the day, then we all went to eat at our favorite...Las Palmas! Kyle is my cousin, and happens to think Gage hung the moon! It is so sweet watching them play! I have a feeling Kyle and Gage will be BIG buddies one of these days !

My Dad stopped by this morning to see us before he goes on his big trip in the morning. He's going to Portland, Oregon for some sort of haul. He is a cattle farmer, so I assume he's hauling cattle to Oregon? Who knows. You can't ever tell about Pawpaw! He's always into something! He stayed for a while and played with Gage while I picked up the house a little. It was nice to have him here, and we can't wait until he is home from his trip. He will be gone for 10 days :(
MeMe also stopped by today...toys in tow! It is so funny how before I had Gage, she would always be buying me something. Well, I don't think she has bought me anything since Feb. 27th (Gage's Birthday). She came in this morning with a huge box of diapers and 2 new toys for her "Angel Boy". Here they are playing. Isn't it sweet! By the way...I wouldn't have the gift buying any other way. She is such a blessing to us!!!

Meet, Dot!For quite some time now, I haev had full intentions of introducing Gage's furry friend. Her name is Dot! How original huh? She is a green polka dot silky with an elephant head attatched. Gage loves her! A few weeks ago, we lost her somehow and it was a minor tradgedy in our house. Mom and I found her at TJMaxx a few months ago, so we knew there would be no chance of finding another. Luckily, Michael and Gage left her at Big Daddy's and we finally got her back! Isn't this a sweet picture of "Little Man" and his baby?

5 Months

So, now that I have Little Man in bed for the night, I can finally update! Wow...that is about all I know to say for sure! Where have the past 5 months gone? It seems like yesterday we were starting to put cereal in his bottles, and now, he's eating baby food! He is wearing size 3 diapers and 9 month clothes. It absolutely blows my mind how much bigger he has gotten in just the past month. I just simply don't know what has happened to my tiny little baby :)

Anyway...enough pouting! To be quite honest, although I am saddened by the fact that Gage is growing up on me, he has developed quite a little personality! He smiles constantly and laughs in between smiles ;) I am so happy to be spending my time with such a happy little boy!

He has been doing so well with his eating since we started him on fruits and veggies. He usually wakes up around 7am and takes a 7 ounce bottle. Goes back to sleep until about 9. Eats 1 jar of fruit and 1 jar of veggies at Noon. Takes another 7 ounce bottle around 3. Eats another jar of fruit and another veggie around 7. Takes another 7 ounce bottle around 9 and goes to bed for the night.

Here lately he hasn't been sleeping all that great. He was doing so good for a while, but he has started tossing and turning in the night. He is still sleeping in his Pack 'n Play in our bedroom, but I think the time has come for him to go in his own bedroom. I am having such a terrible time with the thought of it, that I haven't even attempted yet. I think he would do much better if we went ahead and made the move. Michael happens to snore...A LOT...and I'm not too sure that he isn't waking Gage in the night. I guess we won't know until we try, but I'm just nauseated by the thought of him being alone in the other end of the house. Am I crazy or is this just normal?

We are in the market for a new Video Monitor, but not sure on which one would be best. Any suggestions?

I guess for now, I will leave you with a picture

...or two!

A weekend of Changes...

Notice any changes here? Michael had to work all day Saturday, so Gage and I spent our day at home relaxing. While he was napping, I sat down at the computer and browsed the internet for a while. I have been contemplating having a new header and layout made for my blog, but to tell you the truth, I am just too tight! So...I just made one myself. It is by no means a "professional" job, but not too bad for my first try - I don't think!

When Michael and I first got engaged, I started a scrapbook of our lives since we met. It goes from our first date to our Wedding Day. It turned out really nice, and I'm glad I have it, but...it took FOREVER to finish. As a matter of fact, I spent the first couple of months of my pregnancy finishing it. All that being said, I played around with the idea of making Gage one when he was born, but wasn't sure when I would ever have time with a new baby. Because of the fact that I knew it would be worth it when I finished, I went ahead and started one. It makes a huge mess, costs LOTS of money, and I just simply don't take the time to drag everything out. So, to make an even longer story shorter, I have decided to do it all on my computer, print it out, and put it in the scrapbook! Hopefully it goes well and I'll have scrapbook pages to share soon!

For months now I have been wanting to buy Photoshop to be able to edit Gage's pictures. Once again...I'm just too tight. Well, I finally broke down and spent the money, and I'm so happy I did. It is a lot to learn and certainly not easy to figure out, but I'll get there eventually. These are my first two photos to edit. What do you think?

Not so much Sunday

We have finally had a weekend with NOTHING to do! I have not left the house since Friday, and it feels oh so good! I can't tell you the last time this happened...maybe never! We have spent the entire weekend in our "jammies", napping, playing, and eating.

Speaking of eating...Gage has been doing so good with his solids! He LOVES fruit, and he is starting to get better with veggies. I think he gets this from me...I hate most vegetables! I really don't want him to be a picky eater, and it looks like he won't be. He doesn't turn down too much, but he WILL NOT eat green beans. Can you blame him? We still have a little problem with messes, but it'll get better ;)

Gage has started playing his exersaucer a lot this week. He will sit in it for 20-30 minutes before he gets tired of it! It is so cute to watch him play with all the toys! He never stops "talking" the entire time he's in there!

He finally rolled over this week! I was beginning to think we were going to have to start therapy ;) Michael was with him when he did it the first time, so I didn't get to see. We tried to get him to do it again, but he just looked at me like, "Mom, I can't roll over under pressure"! I'm still so proud of him!

Isn't this the cutest thing? I love to watch babies play with their feet!

We have absolutely nothing to do for the rest of the weekend, so maybe I'll be back with more pictures! Until then, see you later Alligator!