7 months pictures...

I never got around to getting his 6 month pictures in his blue chair...I guess working full time and him being a busy baby does not leave a lot of extra time.  Here are his 7 month pictures.  It is getting increasingly harder to keep him still, and he loves paper, so that made for an interesting session.

I took these pictures one night before bed time.  I think he looks so cute in his little pj's!!

June Top Ten List

June 2011

Some of my friends do a top ten list for each month for their children to document what they are up to every month.  Since Austin is starting to do more, I thought I would start a top ten list this month.  

1) Annabelle..Austin loves our dog, Annabelle.  She tolerates him.  Most of the time, she will lick his face just to get attention.  Sometimes, she will stand too close to the exersaucer and forget that he can reach her.  He will grab some of her hair.  We are trying to teach him how to pet her instead of grabbing her.  He will start into a giggling fit sometimes just by seeing her-and all she is doing is standing there.  I hope once he gets older that she will love him as much as he loves her.

2) Two teeth…Austin got his first two teeth while we were at the beach in June.  For the most part, it was not too bad.  He only seemed to have a little discomfort.  They are so cute-they look kind of crooked…like a V. I will try to take a picture and post it if he will let me.

3) Taking naps in his crib….I know this sounds like a basic thing…but we have spoiled our little one for the last seven months.  After losing one child, I have probably overcompensated with Austin by never wanting to put him down.  His sweet nanny spooled him, too, and has held this sweet angel for every nap for the last three months she has kept him.  At his 6 month check up, the kind doctor told us that was a thing of the past.  It took Allen keeping him one day to let him cry it out.  He now takes two good, long naps a day IN HIS CRIB!

4) Swimming…We went to Destin for a week in June, and Austin loved the water.  We had taken him to our neighborhood pool a few times.  He loves this little boat we got him where he can float around and watch the other kids.  He will play in the water and splash for hours at a time.  

5) Making different sounds…he has discovered his teeth, and he makes an "S" sound sometimes.  He also says some things like "Ah Gee". He is starting to say Da.  I am trying to teach him Mama to no avail.  My mom and I always say "Hi-di-do-dee" to him when we see him.  The other day when I went in to get him after his nap, he said "Hi De De" to me.  It made me laugh.  

6) Exersaucer….We borrowed some exersaucers from some friends, and Austin loves them.  We let him play in one in our bathroom in front of the mirror while we get ready, and he loves looking at himself.  He has figured out how to rock in it, too.  He loves playing with the toys on there and just have a different perspective.

7) Baby Food…Austin is slowly but surely getting back into eating baby food after getting over his stomach virus back in April.  His favorite things are homemade squash and sweet potatoes. I tried making applesauce, but it was too chunky.  He loves applesauce though.  He had yogurt for the first time, and he liked that, too.  He's not a big fan of fruits.  He likes vegetables best it seems. He really is not that into baby food though.  He'd rather just have milk.

8) Playing on the floor with toys….Austin has pretty much outgrown his play mats.  He ends up rolling off of it, so we have started putting him on a blanket on the floor with some toys around him.  He loves the independence.  

9) His cousins….Austin has had lots of time with his cousins in Nashville and Birmingham this summer.  I am hoping he can see his Charlotte cousins soon.  He loves watching Olivia, Will, and Meg entertain him.  All three of them love holding him, and they are so sweet to him.  HIs Birmingham cousins are so sweet to him, too.  We had the treat of Rachel, Allen's sister's youngest child, spending some time with us in Destin and riding home with us.  She was the baby whisperer and finally got him to take a pacifier.  She was great with him.  He loves being entertained by Michael, his girlfriend, Hannah, and Julianne, as well.  He even enjoys watching Minnie, their dog.  

10) Fans…..Even at almost 8 months old, this boy still LOVES fans and overhead lights…when we walk in a room, he will quickly spot the ceiling fan or lights and stare at them.

One thing he does not like..is strangers, which I am ok with!!  He really just does not like it when people come up to him and get in his face or try and hold him..can't say that I blame him.  When people try and hold him, he will grab on tighter to whoever is holding him and give a look of panic or burst into tears.  

Pool

I love the pool!

Baptism

Austin joined his brother as a man of God on Sunday, June 12th.  He did so well!  I only got one comment that SHE will be a beautiful homecoming queen...because apparently, he was waving when he was paraded down the aisle.  He wore this gorgeous gown that Olivia, Meg, and Will all wore.  I am so glad it fit him.  He was so good during the service, and he fell asleep in my brother's arms right before he was baptized!  We had such a great time with our families!

 Meg wrote a prayer for Jackson that was so sweet.  My sweet friend, Sallie, and her family were kind enough to think of Jackson and bring this sweet bouquet for his grave. So thoughtful.

I don't know if the video will work....but this is Austin swimming.

Wal Mart, Sippy Cups, Corner Pub, and other firsts

I forgot to post his 5 month picture I took!  He is getting so big the month card won't fit on the chair with him!

Here is a picture of Austin while we were at Center Hill:

Here is Austin using a sippy cup for the first time.  He's getting the hang of it.

We took him swimming for the first time.  We didn't get any still photos-just videos.  Here is a picture of him before we left for the pool:

Here is a picture of Austin in the shopping cart for the first time...in Wal Mart of all places.

We went to Corner Pub for lunch with the cousins the other day.  This was his first time to sit in a high chair!

6 months old!

It has been awhile since I updated the blog!  A lot has happened!  Austin is now 6 months old, and he weighs over 18 pounds!  He loves to roll over now, but he still prefers being on his back.  He was loving his rice cereal and homemade sweet potatoes until he got a nasty stomach virus that lasted over two weeks.  We are easing him into eating again, but he is not really into it.  Hopefully he will come around.

We took a few days to get away and went down to Allen's parents' lake house in Alabama.  We had a great time visiting Auburn for a day and eating at some of our favorite restaurants.  The Wednesday we were there, a tornado came through that completely destroyed the house.  Thankfully, Allen was smart enough to get us all out of the house , including Annabelle, the dog, in time.  We went to their friends' house for shelter.  They were such a sweet couple.  We ended up spending the night.  Their house was only about a half mile away, but it was untouched.  

Here are some updated photos:

Plate

Every Sunday either before or after church, we go and spend a few minutes with Jackson.  Jackson's ashes are buried in the Columbarium at our church.  They finally put the plate on his spot.  I thought it was going to be very emotional to see...that it would really show the gravity of the situation-that he is in Heaven and not here on Earth.  Actually, it made me proud to see my son's name finally on the spot where he now rests.  We miss him every day.