Colin at 8 months

At 8 months (um...wait? where did the year go?), Colin has changed so much. I feel like I need to keep a piece of paper with me to make a list of everything new he learns daily. Here's what I can remember:

-He got his first tooth at 7 months. At 7 and a half months, he got his second tooth. Both are the bottom front teeth. He hasn't been too cranky, thankfully. Hopefully it stays that way.

-He's can pretty much sit up unassisted. He does fall over but it's usually when he tries to look around and loses his balance.

-He's eating about 4.5 ounces of baby food every day. We're working on food with texture. He's had fish, toast and pancakes. He LOVES pickle spears and can take small bites of them but usually he just sucks on them.

-He's consistently sleeping all night finally. We had a rough week a few weeks ago but he was working on that second tooth so that was expected.
-He took his first "big boy" bath the other night. It was a "big boy" bath because it was the first one where he wasn't in his infant tub. He did so well. He sat up all by himself and played with the washcloth and his rubber ducky. I may have shed a few tears.

-He has definitely found his voice. He screams with joy when he's playing with his toys and when he sees Mark and I. He gets especially excited when we pick him up from daycare. He "talks" to Mark and me when we talk to him. It's really cute and melts my heart. I can't wait to hear him say actual words. It's safe to say I'm conditioning him to say my name. I always say to him "say mom, mom, mom". Knowing my luck he'll say "dad" first!
I am genuinely enjoying this stage of his life. He's such a joy. I love watching him discover new things and figure things out on his own. I have to remind myself that I need to stop helping him when he's reaching for a toy or putting the spoon in his mouth. He has to figure things out on his own and I have to figure out how to let him!

Not a fan of pictures

Sitting up!

First Fourth of July

Can we skip August?

August is coming...in 8 short days. I'm dreading it. Here's why:

-Mark leaves for a work trip. He'll be gone during the week. Which means I'll have to figure out how to get myself and Colin ready alone and make it to work by 7 AM.

-Mark's gone for pretty much the entire length of the Iowa State Fair...which means I'm going to miss it.

-Colin turns 9 months old on the 25th. Which means he'll be one in three freakin' months! Where the heck has the time gone?

So if time could just skip right over August, I'd be totally fine with it.

PBWL - An update FINALLY!

So this morning when I stepped on to the scale, I was expecting to see the number I've seen for as long as I can remember: 138.4. Seeing the same number over and over and over again was getting old but I just kept reminding myself  "You're maintaining, not gaining. That is a victory.".

As I was getting set to repeat that sentence to myself for the millionth time, this popped up on my scale...

{136.4}

WHAA?! Two pounds?! I can't believe it. THAT, my friends, is a victory :-)

Now let me tell you how I did it. I've started running. Not far, not fast, just running as far as I can for as long as I can.

Remember when I said I started going to the gym with a friend three times a week? We were doing so well, running on the treadmill and lifting weights. But recently some illnesses (mine and hers) have come up which hindered us keeping up with our schedule. I have been itching to test out my new {acutal!} running shoes and since I couldn't get to the gym, I decided to put my fears of running outside aside. I packed up the fam and we headed to Gray's Lake to walk/run the trail. Once I got a taste of outside running, I. Was. Hooked.

I've always heard running outside is harder than on a treadmill. It was quite the opposite for me. Running on concrete allowed me to run at my own pace and distance instead of "racing" the person next to me. I ran over half a mile - without stopping or walking - for the first time in my entire life. On the treadmill, I was constantly watching the clock instead of listening to my body. Outside, I just run. I push myself to just make it to the next tree, next fence, next driveway.

It's a glorious feeling to push yourself out of your comfort zone. I highly recommend you all try it :-)