Sawyer 9 & 10 Months

I have fallen of the blog bandwagon' a bit in the last month...so I'm doing Sawyer's 9 & 10 month update together instead. 

Where has the time gone? How is my baby boy in the double digits of months already? Seriously 2 months until his first birthday?! I feel like we just brought this little guy back from the hospital, like...yesterday! 

Height/Weight: Not sure, we skipped our 9 month check-up...but you feel quite heavy to lift ;) 

Eating: You're eating about every 4 hours still. You have started to use your fingers more to eat food. Cheerios are your favorite thing in the wold. I think you might turn into a cheerio soon because you could just keep eating them! You're  a big fan of peas and carrots as far as veggies go. Last week, you decided that you didn't like avocado (weird since you loved it before) and I think you have a sweet tooth like mommy because you're all about the fruits (applesauce, banana, mango, etc). You've tried chicken a few times and seem to approve. 

Sleeping: You've dropped one of your naps, so now you nap 2x a day. Once in the morning for about an hour and then a longer one in the afternoon for about and hour and a half. You still really thrive on your nap routine and become a monster if you miss one or become overtired! ;) Every time I come in your room to pick you up, you're standing in the crib peeking out at me. 

Clothes: 9 month clothing is a bit too tight in the length, so we've moved on to 6-12 months clothing. It fits you pretty comfortably at the moment. 

Likes:

• Cheerios
• Everything that's NOT a toy
• Cruising around 
• Hiding under tables
• Standing up 
• Bath time
• Chasing balls (I think you're hanging out with Winston and Oliver too much ha!)
• Stroller rides
• Making silly screeching noises to get mommy or daddy's attention

Dislikes:

• Being overtired
• Getting your face wiped off 
• Sitting in one place for too long (this should be interesting for our plane ride back to the states....)
• Cheese (are you really my child?!)
• Going down for naps 
• Being away from mommy (breaks my heart leaving you in the morning for school)

New Developments:

You're a speed demon! If I turn around for a second and look back, you're already in a different room. I feel like daddy and I spend 95% of our time chasing you around the apartment.   

You've also started pulling yourself up and walking along the couch. At first, I was VERY nervous because you weren't very stable and had a few tumbles. Now you've figured out how to gracefully get down (you put a knee down to the floor and then the other one). 

The top two teeth have made their grand debut... you were a trooper about the whole ordeal. They are about halfway through, you look like such a big boy now. 

Shutting doors intrigues you, also making me nervous, luckily I found a door stopper to put in our doors so you can't shut your fingers in them. Today, you started to cry/whine because you couldn't shut the door because of  the stopper... sorry buddy. 

My Wisconsin Summer Top 5

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Lately, I've been counting down the days until summer vacation. Our last day of school is June 13th, and we hope to fly back to the states the very next day. Don't get me wrong, I love our life here in China... but there's something magical about a summer in Wisconsin. Here are my top 5 things that I'm looking forward to (other than of course spending time with my dear sweet family and friends!)

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5. midwest courtesy/friendliness.

Holding doors open. Waiting for your turn in line. Waving other drivers or walkers to cross the street. The friendly driver "wave." Strangers that ask you how you are and say hello.

It's the little things. They go a long way. It's funny whenever I return to the states, I find myself in my "China mode," trying to beat someone in line, looking 2839283 times before I cross a street, etc. It is a happy surprise when strangers are courteous. It honestly brightens my day (what "bucketfillers" as I would say to my 2nd graders).

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4. food.
Need I say more? Ok really though... I can make all of the recipes that I miss while living in China with ease and for a fraction of the price. I mean it costs almost $8.00 for a bag of chocolate chips here, about $7.00 for a bag of shredded cheese, which by the way is imported from guess where? Wisconsin, go figure.  Also, I can get everything I need for groceries in 1 glorious trip instead of 5+ trips a week to different stores to find ingredients.  There are a few restaurants that I can't wait to visit as well. My husband might be living at Chipotle. If you ever want to know what to get him for a gift? There ya go. My husband is easy to please.

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3. target.

Does it really surprise you that this makes #3? Let's be honest, Target rocks, seriously. All of life's problems seem to melt away as soon as you walk through the door (until your husband asks what you bought and all you have to show for it are 1-2 puny bags $100.00+ later, whoops.)

Target, until we meet again, I'll be dreaming of your shiny, red carts and your aisles upon aisles filled with goodies that I clearly NEED to have in my life.

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2. driving.

I haven't driven a car since summer 2012...it's been a while. There's something liberating about driving in the summertime, windows down, radio turned up playing catchy songs. Maybe I'm painting an unrealistic picture now in my head now that we have a baby.

Reality: Probably trying to turn the radio louder than our crying baby in the backseat.  A baby who is not used to riding in car seats since they are pretty much non-existent in China...oh this should be a treat.

                  

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1. our soon to be cabin.

If we ever close on our house... sheesh! We are supposed to close this coming week and sign all of our papers at the embassy in HK (please cross your fingers for us). Apparently, we make life more complicated since we live overseas. I am ecstatic to have our own place on the lake. I cannot wait to wake up every morning with my little family with a view of the lake.

So many plans, so little time. Here's a bucket list that I've started.


-plant sunflowers.
-swim everyday.
-take walks.
-explore with Sawyer. (leaves, squirrels, rocks, worms, everything!)
-bonfires. (at least 3x a week)
-s'mores. (what kind of bonfire is it without gooey, yummy s'mores?!)
-waterskiing. (Maybe try to slalom successfully this summer? )
-stargaze. (we can actually see a clear sky...something I do not take for granted anymore living in China)
-picnic in our yard.
-bbq.
-host sawyer's first birthday party.
-outdoor movies.


What are you most looking forward to this summer?

Sawyer: 8 Months

We officially have a 8 month old baby on my hands, yikes! :)

Height/Weight: Daddy took you to the doctor this week and you are 9.4 kgs= 20.7 lbs and about 70 cm long (27.5 in).

Eating: You're eating about every 4 hours. Your eating schedule is about the same as it was last month except you are eating a bit more solids. You have 2oz of solids (give or take) at every meal and are eating like a champ.

We also introduced eggs (yolk), mango, watermelon, kiwi, green beans, and puffs. Last night you ate a few puffs all by yourself after you proceeded to wipe pumpkin literally all over your face. Lately, there has been a lot of food flinging during mealtime...luckily you have your very own clean up crew (aka Winston & Oliver).

P.S. Peas are one of your new favs, which is hilarious because you weren't a fan last month.




Sleeping: You're still taking 2-3 solid naps per day and you really depend on them, so I try to plan things around those times. If you miss a nap, you are not a happy camper! At night, we have the same bedtime/sleep routine as we've had, and it's been going well for the most part.

Clothes: Same as last month. 6-12 months or 9 month clothing at the moment.

Likes:

• Eating (haha)
• Remotes, phones, computers...basically everything that you SHOULDN'T have, you want to play with
• Drinking water out of a cup 
• Watching the dogs play and trying to get in on their action
• Your jumperoo 
• Bathtime
• Being thrown in the air
• Hitching a ride on daddy's shoulders

Dislikes:

• Being overtired
• Getting your face wiped off 
• Sitting in one place for too long
• Green beans (hoping this will change by next month!)
• Being in hot weather
• Not being able to get what you want (aka anything you can't reach or something someone else has)

New Developments:

You started crawling! It takes you a bit of time, but you are on the move and we have been busy trying to contain you to certain areas. This weekend, we will have to officially start "babyproofing," especially all of daddy's fancy schmancy tech gear. When you see something you want, there's no stopping you! 

Showing off your new skills 

(and yes... we put a mattress pad in the living room)

Bros for life 

You and your Péngyǒu (friend), Anika.