8 Months Old and Lovin' Life

Happy 8 Months to you Braden!

Bad Aim

Brady will be 8 months old tomorrow...crazy, I know...but I decided to start him on some finger foods this week which to my surprise, he absolutely LOVES! I'm loving some finger foods too, b/c picking up little pieces of cereal and feeding himself will entertain Braden for minutes upon end which gives me some time to actually attempt to cook dinner. He's done really well w/ picking up the cereal but as you can see, his aim still needs some improving. Also, it should be noted that suddenly he and Tyson are so much better friends. Who doesn't love some sweet potato puffs?

I made cookies again

I remember in the early weeks after Braden was born when I was completely and utterly overwhelmed w/ caring for a new baby and at the height of exhaustion that my mom said to me "One day you'll feel like making cookies again." And I remember in that moment thinking..."Yah right, I'm never going to have time to shower again or put on makeup or comb my hair and brush my teeth, let alone make something recreational like cookies." And finally 8 months later, I got out all the stuff and during Braden's afternoon nap, I whipped up a batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies. As we approach the 8 month mark next week of living with a baby, I feel like we are starting to return to normal...well the new normal at least which revolves around early wake-up calls, evenings at home from 7pm on, scheduling my day around naps, bottle cleaning sessions every night, normal discussions with my husband of dirty diapers, teething biscuits and what kind of baby food I made today and all the things in between that happen when you live and care for a baby. Boy has life changed, but has it changed for the better. Austin and I have said a million times that we don't remember what we did before we had Brady and although every day presents some kind of challenge, I like the new normal and I'm glad that I feel like I can tackle life again and take time for myself like baking cookies (something I did so often before I had a baby). Well, here's to the littlest Madison:

Meet Brown Puppy

Meet Brown Puppy! This is Braden's new best friend and constant companion. For months I've been placing Brown Puppy in the crib when he sleeps and next to him while he's taking his bottle in hopes that Braden would become attached and find comfort in him. Since he doesn't take a paci and doesn't suck his thumb, there's not much else that can soothe my little man except for me or his bottle. Soooo...after months of bringing Brown Puppy around, it looks like the two are best buds these days. Every night before we go to bed, Austin and I creep into Brady's room to kiss his little head and say our goodnights and every night the past few weeks we've found Braden grasping Brown Puppy's leg or sucking on his nose. It is so sweet and I'm glad that Braden has found something that comforts him while he sleeps. I took this picture during his morning nap today:

Nap Buddy

This morning I decided that since we were expecting a big snow today and I had nothing that really needed to get done that I would crawl back in bed and take a nap with Braden. I rarely do this since I so look forward to nap time so that I can have a few minutes to myself to get some things done...but I couldn't resist today. He snuggled so tight and fell quickly asleep and I must say that as I felt his little breath on my eyelashes that I found myself thanking God for the miracle and blessing that he is to me. He's going through some serious separation anxiety these days and cries through his time in nursery at both church and the YMCA today and as frustrating as that is sometimes since he's wanting my 100% attention at all times, I can honestly say that I love the fact that when I walk in the door, he reaches for me and instantly stops crying. As inexperienced as I feel as a mother so many times, I find great joy in knowing how to comfort my baby and dry his tears. So until we pass through this stage, I will continue to hold my boy close and try to not take for granted all the times he wants to just sit on my lap or grab my face or just be close. This too will pass way too quickly...

So, I took this picture yesterday afternoon...it was noon and Braden had been asleep for well over 2 hours and I had to go wake him up so I could get him to take an afternoon nap, but when I walked in the room, he was knocked out w/ his feet propped up on the bumper pad. I took a few pictures w/ the flash on and it still never woke him up. I guess the boy was really tired.

A Good Day

After some really fussy days from tooth number 2, Brady returned to his normal smiley self today. We spent the morning laying on a blanket outside looking up at the sky and then after a 2 hour nap, Brady and I met my friend Ashley and her 6 month old son Bo for lunch and then came back and sat outside again. I brought Braden's swing outside on my deck and he had a blast swinging and watching Tyson run around the yard! He sat in there for about 30 minutes (which is super long for Braden to sit in one place) while I read a cooking magazine and dreamed about all the things I probably should be cooking. I've been so lazy about cooking lately. We've had way too many "fend for yourself" nights around here and it's my goal this week to actually cook every night this week. We'll see how that goes. Here are some pictures of my sweet baby enjoying himself outside today.

Messy Thursday

Why is playing in your food so much fun? (I promise we don't do this all the time, but sometimes its so fun to watch Braden play with his food when he's done eating...he loves to smear it around his highchair). I wish I were amused so easily!

All cleaned up...