11 months

Hello my little puddin'!

You are 11 MONTHS OLD! Wowzer! That one for sure snuck up on me.

It may have been the fact that you spent your 11th month pretty much SICK! If it wasn't a fever, it was puke. If it wasn't puke, it was a severe sinus infection. You were pitiful. Poor baby. Being a daycare baby has definitely taken a toll on you.

It all started at Thanksgiving. We made the long trip to KC to see Nana, Aunt Kristin, Uncle Aaron, Ethan and Ansley. On the way there you tossed your Cookies and continued to lose it everyday until we left. You managed to get Nana, your cousins and Dada sick too! Daddy barfed in a target sack on the way home. Lovely huh? We did manage to have a little fun though. You loved following your cousins around the house and playing with them.



Another mention this past month besides your mammoth sickness was your

HAIRCUT!




Daddy and I put it off long enough but when you started to have a rat tail we realized we were borderline bad parenting and whisked you to a salon. You were great! You sat in Daddy's lap and let the girl trim and cut. What a handsome little man!

I can't believe you are almost a year old. Your communication skills are starting to really form and I can see your personality blossoming. You point at everything that interests you. You love Mickey Mouse, Santa, and eating puffs. You wear a size 3 shoe. You mimic Daddy and I when we shake our heads back and forth, you love to clap and dance. You are Awesome!

Truly Truly Awesome!

I love ya,

Mama

10 months

Keet,

You are 10 months old today!

My baby-not so much a baby these days! As I type this you are walking around the living room with my flip flop in your hands just searching for something to get in to. This is your M O these days. You are either hitting buttons on the DVR, Changing channels with the remotes, trying to tip over the floor lamp, chewing on cords, pulling on blinds, opening cabinets and pulling things out, putting your hands in the toilet, eating the covers of books, banging on the computer keys, unrolling the toilet paper...

and the list goes on and on.

I love you dearly but this has become frustrating. Especially now that you are an official walker. I definitely thought I would have more time before having to chase you around the house but during your ninth month you just took off. Don't get me wrong, I am sooo proud of you. I love it when people comment about how advanced you are. My heart swells with pride:)

I am noticing that you are getting a teasing personality. We are introducing the word NO to you lately but you don't care at all. All we get is a little grin and you finishing what you started all the while saying "no no no".

You went through a big eating transition this month. We are trying to give you more texture and solid foods but you would constantly gag and refuse to eat. I think it may have been due to either sickness or teething because just in the last few days you are letting us try more things. What a relief.

Honorable mentions:

-You have 2 bottom teeth and I can see the little tips of both top teeth.

-You must dream about Mama at night because you say my name all night long in your sleep.

-You have started dancing (marching) to songs.

-You love when I brush your little teeth.

-You got a big boy carseat and fall asleep everytime you are in it.

-You kick the soccer ball around the house like a prodigy. It's weird!

-Visited a pumpkin patch, did a vision walk with daddy, spent the night with Nan and Pop

-Tucker is your best friend at daycare

-Enjoys Mickey Mouse clubhouse

-You rub your belly when we take off your shirt.

Keeton you are an amazing son. Again, I am so proud of you and all you've accomplished in the last 10 months. Daddy and I find ourselves, on a daily basis, talking about how amazing you are and how lucky we are. There was once a point when we didn't know if we would ever have you in our lives and we would daydream about having a child. I want you to know that you are so much more than we ever dreamed about-so much more than ever imagined.

I love you and so much more,

Mama

Monster Mash

This was Keet's first Halloween and he was too cute! This has been the year of the monsters for him being that his nursery is monsters and he has clothes with monsters on them and monster toys. We thought it was only fitting to dress him up as a little monster!

The past couple of Halloweens, Jason and I have been in KC and celebrated over at his brother's house where they have massive amounts of kids come to their neighborhood and we sit and watch our niece and nephew run around handing out candy and being cute. Last Halloween I was pretty preggo and I think I ate more candy then handed out;) We definitely missed hanging out with them.

Since Halloween fell on a Sunday this year, my sister's town celebrated trick or treating on Saturday. Jason made me promise him he could watch his precious MU tigers football before we took Keet trick or treating. (obsessed??) My sis made chili and it was sooooo good! My nephews were batman, robin, and superman (baby). I just love being around my family. The hustle and bustle of the kids running around and all that yummy food. Keeton love being around his cousins. I feel like his mind is working and learning the whole time we are with them.

So we thought My brother in law's neighborhood was bad...at one point I thought I was in a horror movie where all the zombies are walking up toward you. It was CRAZY!!!!! So many kids were brought in by the truck load. I wish I had taken a picture. My 4 yr old nephew Griffin definitely takes after his aunt coco and jj. He was in character the whole time. He would fake punch innocent kids and lift up lawn chairs and tell everyone how strong he was. It was hilarious.

I think Keeton had a good time walking around the yard and just staring at all the kids. I was glad I picked that costume because it got pretty cold. My little monster was a hit!

First Halloween...Success!

Holy Cow...

IT'S A GIRL!

Isla Marie Harper

Walking in Memphis

7, 8, 9 months old!

Dear Keet,

Oh boy! Since my last post for you, so much has happened in our lives. I guess that is why it has taken me so long to update.

I will give an abridged version of your 7th and 8th month:

Living with your Nan and Pop was awesome and overwhelming at the same time. You really learned to love them during that time. I was proud of how well you seemed to adjust to all the craziness.


The countdown was on to moving into our new house and I was looking for a job everyday. It was so difficult and daddy and I were STRESSED!

It's so crazy though how things just work themselves out. A job seemed to fall out of the sky about a week before we moved that was a perfect fit for mama and was close to where we would be living. What a relief. We packed up and moved to Southaven, MS.

As soon as we moved in, you just started growing up too fast! You sat up from laying down into a sitting position, then started pulling up to anything you could. You realized you wanted to MOVE so you began hopping on your bottom across the floor. When you decided that wasn't good enough, your hopping turned into a "crawl". You drag that right leg behind you. It's weird but you are really fast. During your 8th month, daddy propped you in a standing position and you stood there...on your own. From then on you would stand for longer and longer each time then plop down on your rear. It was so exciting to see. Occasionally you would try to take a step and we would cheer and clap! Daddy and I are watching you everyday get braver and take more steps between us. I love how you take risks and love to learn. It's obvious that your motor skills are advanced. You must get that from daddy;)

Not only are you on the move, but you are talking up a storm. Mama, Dada, NeNe, Byebye...those are your faves.

I can't believe how you have gone from little baby to little boy- Like a flash before my eyes!

Other Happenings:

You started daycare! (Not only does mama miss you everyday but this daycare is not ideal-we're looking for something better)

You had strep throat! (You were pitiful and had to go through 2 rounds of antibiotics)

We went to the Memphis Zoo!

Nana came to visit from KC for daddy's white coat ceremony! (boy were we proud)

and the biggest news of all...

You are going to be a BIG BROTHER!

We were STUNNED with this news. This surprise seemed to come at the worst time that it could. I cried and cried and worried and felt so sorry that you would be robbed of your babyhood. I couldn't believe that I had just become a mom and now I was going to be a mom of two. I never imagined that this would be our lives. But ya know, again, life just works out the way it should sometimes. You and your sibling will be 14 months apart. I am beginning to feel this little one move in my tummy and it reminds me of your little jabs and kicks. I didn't know you then like I do now. You are what your daddy and I live for these days. A perfect gift. I am excited to add to our family. I am sure you will be a great older brother. Things will be a little crazier, louder and I will add to my list of worries. These challenges are becoming the norm in our life and another hurdle to overcome. It's tough but I say BRING IT ON!

I love you Keeton,

Mama

6 months

Keeton,

Happy Birthday to YOU! 6 months honey...WOW! I couldn't be happier to be your mama.

This was a busy month and you were a trooper through it all.

First, Daddy and I packed up your room and road tripped it to Jonesboro. I was a little worried about this transition but you proved to be pretty go with the flow.

We have been staying with your Nan and Pop this month while we wait to move into our house in Southaven. It may seem a little crowded at times, but you have been having a blast with Mama's family surrounding you. You have loved being able to grab Graham's glasses, get kisses from Griffin and poke out Greer's eyes! You are getting a LOT of attention and not complaining at all.

The next big thing this month is that you are a true WATER BABY! We took you swimming with our dear friends Mrs. Mikcca and Lillie.

I was kinda nervous the first time putting you in but you took to it like a fish. All smiles and splashes. I can't believe how much you have continued to enjoy it every time we take you.(I guess I should have known since you love bath time so much...duh) This is a pretty conservative experience for you since you are still so young and can't go under yet. I look forward to next summer when you will be twice as big and twice as brave. Hopefully you will jump in to Mama!

Everyone knows that you are a 24/7 smile bear but this month we discovered...TEETHING! eek! We've been saying since you were 3 months old that you've been cutting teeth but nothing like this month. I feel so bad when I see how much it irritates you and that you get no relief.

Bibs have become your uniform because of the water hose of drool that is constantly leaking from your mouth. It's gross. I see little bumps on your bottom gums and I hope they break through soon.

This month you helped Daddy celebrate his first Father's Day.

In honor of this special day and to declare his infinite love for you, Daddy did something that no one expected he would ever do. He got a Tattoo! It is your first and middle name in my handwriting. Daddy never wanted a tattoo but when you were born, he said it was the only thing he would ever want to tattoo on his body and he did it. He is so proud to be your Daddy!

We decided to go back to Kansas City for your 6 month appointment and shots since we don't have a new doc for you yet. It was a great visit. Your Torticollis worked itself out. Dr. Blum was very impressed to see you sitting up on the exam table. He thinks you will cut those teeth soon. You are in the 28th % of weight, the 61st % of height and the 72nd % of HEAD! ha ha. The doc gave us an outline of how to start you off on baby food and told us we could start giving you water in a sippy cup. Your Nana Patti came to your visit to support you during your shots. Your Daddy held you and you only cried out for a little bit. That didn't keep Nana and I from tearing up. While in KC, we had to let you show off your swimming skills!

Other notable observations:

*Your hair seems like it is getting longer

*We fed you rice cereal a couple of times. So far, not loving it!



*I have to cut your toenails and fingernails every 2 days because they grow so fast.

*It seems like you may have discovered your private parts...and you like it:)

*You can officially sit up by yourself.

*Your eyes are STILL blue

*You are showing signs of wanting to crawl

*You have babbled both MAMA and DADA (can't describe the feeling...)

*Blowing bubbles with your tongue is one of your fave past times

*People are starting to say you look like me again.

*When all is said and done and you have finished rolling around your crib at night-you end up on your stomach.

*You are a toe sucker

All in all, this has been a superstar month for you! Being your Mama is something amazing everyday! Because of how fast you seem to be taking things in and learning, I find myself visualizing your future so much clearer. I feel like your 1st birthday is right around the corner. This is bittersweet because I am looking forward to so much but can't help but want to hang on to these last moments of "baby". You are far past the days of laying quietly looking up at Mommy and Daddy observing our faces-You want to JUMP and STAND and ROLL.

Sad but Happy times indeed.

You have taken off little Keeton...don't look back!

Happy Birthday son,

Mama