NOLAN at 1 YEAR!!!

NOLAN'S 12 MONTH UPDATE:

Weight: 21 lbs, 10 oz (Measured at Dr. Appt. 10/15/13)

Height: 31.8" (Measured at Dr. Appt. 10/15/13)

Clothes Size: 12-18 month

Diaper Size: 4 (Huggies Snug & Dry)

Sleeping Patterns: Nolan is sleeping through the night (8:00PM - 6:00 or 6:30AM) consistently now... he still wakes up occasionally in the middle of the night due to teething.  He is taking consistent naps now too - one in the morning for about 1-1.5 hours and one in the afternoon for about 1.5-2 hours.

Milestones: Teething: We still have only 8 teeth - That last teething spell did not produce anything yet...  Nolan is WALKING!!!  He took his first steps at 11 months & 1 week.  Over the past few weeks, he has really started to walk quite a bit and I would now say he walks about 70% of the time and crawls 30%.  Eating and feeding himself is still going well... He loves most fruits & veggies that we give him and and really likes chicken and cheese. This month we have gradually dropped all of the bottles and as of this weekend, he is drinking out of a sippy cup only.  Nolan has also transitioned from formula to whole milk and I think he likes it a lot better.  Nolan still babbles a lot and has really learned to call us when he wants something... he will say "Momma" or "Dadda" and then when we answer him, he starts babbling like he is talking to us... it is too funny.  He is really into EVERYTHING now... He has learned to take everything out of the media cabinet in the den and loves to hide the coasters all over the room... His favorite hiding place is under the rug - I found 5 under there last night! When Nolan is playing, he is really learning to use his toys the way they are made for - He now rolls the car toys on the ground into of just throwing them or chewing on them... This may seem small, but for some reason it make me realize how quickly he is moving from a baby to a little boy :).

Favorite Memory this Month:  Watching Nolan learn to walk.  The first steps he took were on Sunday, September 7.  He took 4 steps toward the phone that I was holding while talking to Josh.  Grammy was there and she started screaming "He's walking!!"  We were all so excited and Nolan did not even realize he had done anything :).  Over the next week he took little baby steps and continued to get braver until now where he is walking all over the place!  He even tried to run a couple of days ago... I am not ready for that!!

This past year has been the most life-changing, challenging and rewarding year of our lives.  I never dreamed how much I could love our little boy.  Nolan is truly a joy and a precious gift from God for Josh and I.  We are so blessed to be his parents and can't wait to see what this next year has in store.

We love you, Noly.  - Mommy & Daddy

Mommy-cation/Work in COLORADO

Last month, I had the opportunity to do some contract work for the firm I used to work for in Birmingham.  They needed me to travel to Ft. Collins, CO and finish shopping for and install accessories/artwork in a student housing development near Colorado State.  Make some extra cash/take a Mommy-break = WIN:WIN!!  The cool part is that this is actually a project that I did before I left the company and so it felt good to see the finished product in place without having to sweat to put it there ;).  Also - my sweet Mother In Law flew up to take care of Nolan while I was away.

Here are some pics of the finished project - 

Nolan at 11 Months

NOLAN'S 11 MONTH UPDATE:

Weight: 21 lbs (According to our home scale)

Height: 29.5 " (According to me trying to measure)

Clothes Size: 12-18 month

Diaper Size: 4 (Just switched to Huggies Snug & Dry)

Sleeping Patterns: Nolan is sleeping through the night (8:00PM - 6:00 or 6:30AM) consistently now... he still wakes up occasionally in the middle of the night due to teething.  He is taking consistent naps now too - one in the morning for about 1-1.5 hours and one in the afternoon for about 1.5-2 hours.  He just started teething again in the last week and so he is waking up again in the middle of the night... sigh.

Milestones: Teething: We still have only 8 teeth but I think #9 & 10 will show up any day now.  Lots of drooling and waking up at night. Nolan is crawling and pulling up and will even stand for a few seconds without holding on.  Still no interest in walking yet.  Eating has really changed a lot this month... He really wants to feed himself most of the time.  He likes to pick up cut up pieces of fruit, scrambled eggs, peas, carrots, pasta & has even tried blueberry muffins.  He usually eats a few bites of meat from our plates too.  Nolan still babbles a lot but has really reverted back and is not really saying many words - I think he is too busy trying to figure out how to get into everything.  His favorite thing to get into this month is Daddy's closet... he likes to rearrange Daddy's shoes.  He can really understand a lot of what we are telling him now.  ("Grape" - his favorite food, "Ball" - his current favorite toy and "No" - and most of the time he listens :).  He still waves "Hello" and gives kisses on the cheek. He has also learned to make noise with his hand over his mouth.

Favorite Memory this Month:  Playing ball with Nolan.  He has a big beach ball that we roll around the Den.  He will go find it if we ask him and roll it to us... he is actually really good at it.  :).  Becoming such a little boy... We love you, Nolan!  Can't believe we only have one more month until a year.

Nolan at 10 Months

NOLAN'S 10 MONTH UPDATE:

Weight: (Need to Measure)

Height: (Need to Measure)

Clothes Size: 12-18 month

Diaper Size: 3 (Pampers Swaddlers) - Will be switching to size 4 with the next box.

Sleeping Patterns: Nolan is sleeping through the night (8:00PM - 6:00 or 6:30AM) consistently now... he still wakes up occasionally in the middle of the night due to teething.  He is taking consistent naps now too - one in the morning for about 1-1.5 hours and one in the afternoon for about 1.5-2 hours.

Milestones: Teething: We now officially have 8, almost 9 teeth and will soon have 10 - this month has been rough as far as teething, but Nolan seems to be feeling much better now..  Nolan is crawling and pulling up EVERYWHERE.  His favorite spot to pull up now is on the media stand in the den... he loves to turn the Xbox on and off since it lights up and makes a cool sound.   Eating solid foods is still going great.  He can now pick up several foods to feed himself but likes cheerios the best.  (We are currently working on keeping the food on the tray instead of throwing it on the floor.)  Most of the time, he still prefers to be spoon fed.  Nolan is very vocal and can now say "Dada", "Mama" & the beginnings of "Uh-Oh".  Nolan loves to clap and will start to clap along with me to "Patty Cake."  He can now wave "Hello" and "Goodbye" and loves to wave at anyone who will wave back.  Nolan also loves to give us kisses on the cheek.

Favorite Memory this Month:  Watching Nolan and Josh interact.  Nolan absolutely loves his Daddy and is so excited everyday when he gets home.  He is now used to the routine/time that Josh gets home every day and starts to look for him when it is time.  Josh is an amazing Daddy and loves to make Noly laugh.  It melts my heart.

We have a busy couple of months coming up - I am actually going down to Tuscaloosa next week for some contract work (furniture install) for my old company... Josh's mom is coming to visit and watch Nolan during the day.  We then have a trip to Chicago planned to see the Adams', Labor Day weekend, Josh's parents coming to visit at the beginning of September, a trip to Asheville, a trip to Jax at the beginning of October for a wedding (that Josh is officiating), Nolan's first birthday party (which I have started planning) and Josh and I are planning a quick trip to Savannah for our anniversary.  All of this happening this end of summer/fall and not to mention finishing rebuilding the deck and completing our dining room/living room updates and we should be quite busy.  Oh yeah, and of course there is football :).  Hopefully we will get some interesting blog posts coming up.

NOLAN AT 9 MONTHS

NOLAN'S 9 MONTH UPDATE:

Weight:  19 lbs 11 oz - 40th percentile (measured at Dr. Appt on 7/5/13)

Height: 29.25 inches - 80th percentile (measured at Dr. Appt on 7/5/13)

Clothes Size: 6-12 month, 12 month

Diaper Size: 3 (Pampers Swaddlers)

Sleeping Patterns: Nolan is sleeping through the night (7:30PM-5:30 or 6:00AM) consistently now... he wakes up occasionally in the middle of the night due to teething.  He is taking consistent naps now too - one in the morning for about 1-1.5 hours and one in the afternoon for about 1.5-2 hours.

Milestones: Teething: Two bottom teeth came in at 5 months and the four top teeth are working their way in now... two came in last weekend and we have two more to go any day now - Nolan and Mommy are ready for these teeth to be in!...  Nolan is crawling EVERYWHERE.  I did not realize how quickly he would start exploring and getting around once he got the hang of crawling.  He is now also able (as of two days ago) to pull up in his crib to a standing position.  (We had to move his mobile last night as he could touch the bottom of it).  I have not seen him pull up on anything else, but I am sure it will be soon.  He is even getting brave enough to stand without holding on to anything for a few seconds.  Eating solid foods is still going great.  We have introduced some puff crackers (Gerber) this month that he has learned to pick up and feed himself with.... I have tried giving him bananas as well and he just played with them and squished them everywhere... Nolan is still very vocal and babbling a lot... he is constantly learned to use more inflection and thinks he is having conversations with us.   He has even really started to show a lot of expression in his eyebrows which we think is hilarious.  Nolan also learned to clap this month and does it quite frequently.  The other day I was trying to put him down for a nap and thought it was asleep in my lap in the rocking chair and then all of the sudden he started clapping - nap time was done I guess :).  He is also starting to wave a lot when he sees one of us or anyone or really anything he is excited about.  We are working on getting him to officially wave "Hello" and "Goodbye."

Favorite Memory this Month:  Watching Nolan learn to crawl.  He loves exploring new things and I love watching him learn.  It is slightly bittersweet though as he is definitely becoming more independent now that he can really get around on his own.  Our little man is growing up!

Nolan and I have officially survived our first month at home together!  It is going great - with lots of adjusting (mainly on my part) - but, I would not trade this job for anything in the world :).

NOLAN AT 8 MONTHS

NOLAN'S 8 MONTH UPDATE:

Weight: 18lbs 5 oz (measured at Dr. Appt on 5/28/13)

Height: Larger than 26" I am sure... PJ's starting to get tight!

Clothes Size: 6-12 month, 12 month

Diaper Size: 3 (Pampers Swaddlers)

Sleeping Patterns: Nolan is sleeping through the night (7:30PM-5:30 or 6:00AM) consistently now... he did get thrown off when we went home to Florida this month, but when we are home he sleeps for 10-11 hours straight - YES!

Milestones: Teething: Two bottom teeth came in at 5 months and no new ones so far - at his last Dr. Appt. she said that the top 4 front teeth are looking like they will be coming in very soon...  Nolan is very close to crawling - he likes to get on all fours and rock back and forth.  Eating solid foods is going great... Every day he typically gets 3 solid food meals including two of the following: oatmeal cereal (likes this much better than rice cereal), bananas, pears, peas, green beans, apple sauce, avocados, sweet potatoes, peaches, squash, carrots and blueberries. Nolan is even more vocal this month.  He has officially learned "Dada" and "Mama" and "Baba"... Not sure he always knows what he is saying to the correct person - but it is still pretty exciting :).  He has also learned to shake his head "No" which he loves to do frequently and thinks is very funny.  Baby proofing is about to in full swing... Nolan has learned to open the kitchen cabinets (while in his scootch buggy) this week and just this morning he got up on his knees and was looking over the edge of the crib - time to lower it!

Favorite Memory this Month:  Visit to Jacksonville for Memorial Day weekend and Nolan's first trip to the beach.  Growing up in Jax, we went to the beach all the time - something I definitely took for granted.  It was great to be back and watch Nolan put his toes in the water and grab a hand full of sand :).

Last Friday was my last day at work... so this is my first week at home with Noly.  It has gone great so far.  We are still trying to figure out the balance between staying too busy/not getting too bored :).  So far we are having lots of play dates, walks with Molly and trying to work on cleaning out closets.  (Nolan is a huge help, let me tell you.)

NOLAN'S 7 MONTH UPDATE

NOLAN'S 7 MONTH UPDATE:

Weight: 18lbs (according to our scale at home)

Height: Larger than 26" I am sure... PJ's starting to get tight!

Clothes Size: 6-12 month, 9 month

Diaper Size: 3 (Pampers Swaddlers)

Sleeping Patterns: I am don't even want to say it for fear I might jinx it... Nolan has slept through the night (7:30PM-5:30 or 6:00AM) for 5 nights in a row!!  Josh and I are stoked.  He is still sleeping on his tummy a lot.

Milestones: Teething: Two bottom teeth came in at 5 months and no new ones so far...  Nolan is still rolling all over the place and grabbing for EVERYTHING.  No drink or phone or ANYTHING else is safe :)  Eating solid foods is still coming along... Every day he typically gets 2-3 solid food meals including one of the following: oatmeal cereal (likes this much better than rice cereal), bananas, pears peas, green beans, apple sauce, avocados, and sweet potatoes.  When we first started him on solids about 6 weeks ago, he was ravenous - acting like he could never eat enough.  That has slacked off a bit... and he is starting to get pickier... the Doctor said he probably went through a growth spurt and now he is just not as hungry.  Nolan is a lot more vocal now... he likes to sit and just babble or talk to us... he definitely thinks he is having a conversation.  We are starting to really work on those syllables with him... Usually "MaMaMaMa" or "DaDaDaDa" depending on who is with him :).  He is also starting to learn lots of funny things to do with his mouth and when he learns something new, that is all we see/hear for a few days: Example - "Blowing raspberries" or "Fish Face".

Favorite Memory this Month:  The "Scootch Buggy" - This month Josh's parents and grandparents came to visit and brought along a walker for us to use.  Nolan LOVES it - He can navigate it so well, forward, backward, making 3 point turns.  His favorite thing to do is to chaise Molly around the house in that thing... Lucky for her, the floor transitions between rooms keep him from following her everywhere.  It really does seem like he is scooting along and when my friend, Liz told us about her family's term for the walker, we instantly adopted it.  Now anytime that Nolan sees it he wants in it and we all say "Time to SCOOTCH!"

Update on me staying home... A couple of the projects I was working on for my job got delayed until later in the summer and so now I will be working through the end of May instead of June.  I am ecstatic :).  Countdown until Nolan and I stay home: 4 weeks from TODAY!!

But until then... I am off to Tampa next week for my LAST furniture install with Capstone... surprisingly, it is actually bittersweet... I really have loved my job and the opportunity I have had to travel the country with them, but it is definitely time to move on and start this new chapter in my life.

NOLAN'S 6 MONTH UPDATE

NOLAN'S 6 MONTH UPDATE:

Weight: 16lbs 14 oz

Height: 26"

Clothes Size: 6-12 month, 9 month

Diaper Size: 2 (Pampers swaddlers - will be switching to size 3 with the next box!)

Sleeping Patterns: Nolan is still typically waking up one time a night to nurse... Although, we did have about 4-5 nights this month where he slept all the way through the night.  We have determined that giving him a bottle with a little bit of formula mixed in before bedtime encourages him to eat more and sleep longer.

Milestones: Teething: Two bottom teeth came in last month and we think he is working on the top ones now... he is back to acting fussy, drooling a ton and rubbing his gums.  Nolan is rolling all over the place... he uses this as a means to move across the palette (or room) to  get to something he wants.  He has started to bend his legs underneath him and get into crawling mode so we are thinking it will not be long!  He has also started sleeping on his tummy a lot at night - we still place him down on his back and then he rolls all around trying to get comfortable... quite funny to watch on the monitor.  Eating solid foods is still coming along... Every day he typically gets 2-3 solid food meals including one of the following: oatmeal cereal (likes this much better than rice cereal), bananas, pears & peas.  He gets very distracted while eating... constantly trying to watch everyone and everything going on.  At home he has to know where Molly is and what she is doing at all times.  At daycare they call him "Mr President" as he is the oldest baby in his class now and likes to sit at the front of the room in the feeding chair and watch everyone else in the room.

Favorite Memory this Month:  A couple of weekends ago we drove to Dallas for the weekend so that Nolan could meet my Dad's family - My grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and cousins.  It was so great to see them interact with Nolan and we got lots of great pictures as well.  Nolan was so excited to play on the palette at Grandma & Grandpa's house.

We love our sweet & curious little boy.  It is so much fun to watch him grow and learn each month.  I am officially starting the countdown until I get to stay home with Nolan: 2.5 months!  I gave my notice to work for the end of June and so it will be here before we know it!

NOLAN'S 5 MONTH UPDATE

NOLAN'S 5 MONTH UPDATE:

Weight: ?? Will find out at check up in 3 weeks

Height: ?? Will find out at check up in 3 weeks

Clothes Size: 3-6 month/6 month and even some 9 month

Diaper Size: 2 (Still using pampers swaddlers) -

Sleeping Patterns: Sleeping was touch and go this month... Nolan started waking up several times a night again... it took us a while to figure out that he was teething!  (At 5 months and 4 days, his first tooth came in and then he immediately was back to his normal sleeping pattern of waking up only once a night :)

Milestones: Teething: Two bottom teeth are officially in.  Rolling over from back to stomach and now also from stomach to back very easily.  Loves to shake rattles/toys and has also started throwing toys or other objects across the room... Occassionally when he is in his swing and we think he is going to sleep, he grabs his pacifier and swings it around and then we hear is land across the room :).  He is starting to sit much better and balance himself some.  We introduced some solid food this month too - so far he has tried rice cereal and bannanas.  He wasn't exactly crazy about either - but seems to be getting better at keeping some of it in his mouth. 

Favorite Memory this Month:  Some friends here in Huntsville let us borrow one of the jumping chairs that you hook over the door frame... they look kind of crazy, so I wasn't sure about it.  We put him in a few times and he really didn't know what to do and would get bored/upset after a minute or so.  About 2 weeks ago, Nolan started trying to jump anytime he was standing (while we were holding him of course) - so, we decided to try the chair again.  He loved it.  Now it is part of our nightly routine.  I LOVE watching him smile and laugh while he jumps in the chair.  Josh and I usually join in the jumping too... yes, it is as crazy as it sounds - but so fun.  :)  "JUMP, Nolan, JUMP!!"

Once again I can't believe how fast Nolan is growing so fast that I feel like when I blink, I miss something.  I am so fortunate to be Nolan's Mommy and I love him more each day. 

Two Valentine's

So last year, Josh and I celebrated our 10th Valentine's Day together... count em... 10!!  I feel old.  We have lots of great, funny, nerdy and even lovely memories together... we have never made a huge deal out of Valentine's Day... except maybe our first one together when we were in highschool and Josh took me on a picnic and made me cupcakes :).  

Here are a couple of flashback pics from Valentine's Day in college: Freshman year... I was at Florida and Josh came down to visit for the Day. (Yes, those are Christmas lights in our Dorm Room... my roommate Tasha and I were awesome, don't be jealous.)

Junior year at Florida... we took swing lessons at RUF... Don't we look like we know what we're doing ??? NOPE.

I certainly wouldn't trade the time I have spent with my first Valentine for anything - I love you, babe.  I am so incredibly proud to be your wife and I am so thankful for the wonderful husband and father you are.

But now... I have another Valentine that shares my heart :).  

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY EVERYONE!

NOLAN'S 4 MONTH UPDATE

NOLAN'S 4 MONTH UPDATE:
Weight: 15.1 lbs (55th percentile)

Height: 25.8 inches (75th percentile)

Clothes Size: 3-6 month/6 month and even some 9 month

Diaper Size: 2 (Still using pampers swaddlers)

Sleeping Patterns: Sleeping much better this month!  Usually goes to sleep around 7:00-7:30pm and wakes up around 7:00am in the morning.  He typically only wakes up only once in between around 3 or 4 am.  Sometimes, he doesn't wake up at all... but this has only happened a couple of times.

Milestones: "Talking" and laughing a ton - he is really starting to communicate with us.  Rolling over from back to stomach a lot... but not stomach to back yet.  Puts hands together and grasps lots of things - toys, mommy's hair, pacifier, blankets, his feet, etc. He still loves to lay on his playmat and bat and grab at toys.  When he is on a flat surface, he usually rolls up into a ball so that he can grab his feet... then we starts rolling around like a roly poly - hence, we have started calling him Noly Poly.  Cheesy - but, it fits!  We have also started to try to get him to sit up more in his bumbo seat and he is holding his head up really well - he just does not like to be confined and tries to roll out of it... not good, I know.  I think we are in trouble. :)

Favorite Memory this Month:  This month I don't have a particular favorite memory... but more of a collective one... after starting daycare at the beginning of January - I love picking Nolan up and bringing him home to spend time with him before putting him to bed.  Josh and I sit and play with him for about an hour before dinner and then putting him to bed.  It is such a special and sweet time.

Nolan officially started daycare this month and it is going really well!  I am so relieved... it makes it so much easier knowing that he is being well-taken care of and is really liking it there.  He has developed a sort of schedule during the day which I think is helping him sleep better at night.  He seems much more social and loves to look at and talk to the other babies in his class as well as any other adults/kids when we are out in public.

His 4 month check up last week went really well.  Ok - here is where I am going to be "that parent" who brags about what the pediatrician says about their kid.  She said that he was "very advanced" in his ability to move around and hold his head up.  Maybe he will be an early crawler/walker?  :).  She said we are free to start trying some solid foods this month - but I think we are going to wait a few more weeks until he can really sit up well.

Once again, I feel like Nolan is growing and changing so much every month!  It is so hard to believe that he is already 4 months old!  (More like 4.5 since this blog post is a little late... eek!  I need to get better at this.)

HAPPY APPY

This month has been a whirlwind... Nolan started daycare and I am back to the wonderful, busy, crazy world that is my job as an interior designer.  This year I have a whole new set of projects that are once again spread all over the country... Fort Collins, CO, Tampa, FL, Carbondale, IL and Boone, NC. 

This week I am getting ready for a presentation for a clubhouse that I am working on at our property in Boone. It will service students who attend Appalachian State University. I have done a couple of idea boards for the furniture and accessories in the clubhouse - what do you think?  I have to present them tomorrow so we will see what the powers the be think.

One thing that I love about my job is working at colleges all of the US.  It is fun to dive into their culture and learn about their traditions.  These clubhouses are no small undertaking... you may recall the one that I helped install at LSU in Baton Rouge a couple of years ago.  There is lots of art, furniture, accessories, wall fillers and the like that all have to be selected, purchased and installed by yours truly.  This will be the first clubhouse that I will be solely responsible for... somehow up until this point I have managed to avoid them primarily worked on residence halls on campus that are not as heavily decorated.  I am sure it will be fine... I am just feeling a little overwhelmed at the moment.  We will see how it turns out...  Stay tuned.

Nolan is 3 Months Old!

NOLAN'S 3 MONTH UPDATE:
Weight: 13 lbs. 8 oz  (Found out at the Doctor on Monday)

Height: Will get measurement at 4 month check up

Clothes Size: 3-6 month... depending on brand

Diaper Size: 2 (We still prefer the pampers swaddlers... so glad we switched to size 2 this week.  Size 1 was getting a little tight!)

Sleeping Patterns: Was sleeping 6-8 hours on the first stretch at night until he got sick last week... now we are all over the place :(

Milestones: Nolan finally laughed!! Still smiling a lot, pushing head up while on tummy, starting to show interest in rolling over... not there yet, grabbing a lot more items - pacifier, toys, still Mommy's hair, will imitate facial expressions, able to focus for longer periods on activities, toys, people, etc. His favorite thing to do now is lay on the playmay gym that Mimi got him for Christmas... he looks to kick and grab all the toys and look around at all of the animals and patterns.  Everyone is saying that he is really starting to look like Josh - and we think those baby blue eyes just might stick around!  Although, after taking this picture today, I think he looks like my Dad. :)

Favorite Memory this Month:  Nolan's laugh!!  It happened when we were headed home to Jacksonville for Christmas.  We drove half way and stopped in Macon to spend the night in a hotel (first for Nolan) and when we were in the room unpacking, Josh got Nolan to laugh when they were playing.  We were so excited!  It has happened a few more times... such a sweet sound.

We had a wonderful trip home to Florida and then to North Carolina visiting family and friends.  Nolan got to meet even more of his adoring fans and he loved every one of them.  :)

At the end of our trip, Nolan experienced another first - well, we all did.  Our first family cold!  We all came down with it pretty bad by the time we were heading home, which made the car ride so much fun.  I took Nolan to the Doctor when we got home and she diagnosed him with the RSV virus which is a severe cold that can linger for weeks.  Poor buddy!  It breaks my heart to see him so sick - not to mention the sleep we are all losing :(.  I think we are on the up and up though - hopefully by this weekend we will all be well.

I was able to postpone going back to work until next week as Nolan was not allowed in daycare until next Monday - I am so thankful for the extra rest and time spent with my little man!  Leaving him will still be very difficult, but we are trusting God is his plan and timing for our sweet little boy and our family.

I already feel like Nolan is growing up too fast!  (I know every parent says that...) I look back at the first few month pictures that we have taken and I see a huge difference...  He is starting to develop such distinct characteristics and a personality to go with it!  As much as I hate to see him grow up, I look forward to how much he will grow and change this month!  We love you, Nolan.