11 months old

 

Zander, you are now 11 months old.  I can hardly believe it.  These last 11 months went by so fast.  I am both happy and sad.  I am happy that God blessed us with the most precious and beautiful baby boy in the world.  And I am sad you are almost one.  Zander, you are growing up way too fast.

 

 

Here is what you have been up to in the last month:

• You took your first 4 steps last week, and have tried a few more since then. 
• You hate to wear shoes, and aren't that crazy about socks either.
• You wear mostly 12 month and 18 month clothes.  18 month pants are way too big on you, and never stay on.  You still fit in come 9 month clothes and the outfit you had on today is 9 months.
• You still wear size 3 diapers, but you wear size 4 overnight diapers when you sleep.
• You haven't said anymore words since your first word, but you do growl well.
• You are eating more and more regular food, and I am determined not to buy anymore baby food.  This is what you eat: peas, pears, peaches, mandarin oranges, meat ravioli, macaroni and cheese, saltine crackers, animal crackers, graham crackers, and applesauce.  You do not like green beans yet, but I am working on that.  You also do not like Cheerios and puffs.
• You love to smile and laugh and you do that often.  You laugh at almost everything.
• You crawl really well.
• You pull up on things really well.
• You like going in the kitchen cabinets.
• You still take 2 naps almost every day.
• Your bedtime is usually around 7 p.m.
• We ordered your first kid's meal at a restaurant today, macaroni and cheese with applesauce.
•  You give kisses and they are wet and slobbery.  But your mom and dad love them.
• You still have only 6 teeth.

Zander, your mom and dad love you very much.  We love watching you grow up. 

Wordless Wednesday

Editing Photographs

I have been editing photos tonight when I should be sleeping. I have a lot to learn, and man editing is a lot of work. I mean A LOT of WORK. Here is some of what I did.

This is the BEFORE picture, untouched.

This is one of the AFTER ones.  I think I messed up his skin tone.

And her is another AFTER picture.

Which one is better?  Let me know what you think!

Now I must get some sleep because I have to work in the morning.

Kisses

Zander now gives kisses, and they are big wet, slobbery kisses. As most young children do, Zander gives open mouth kisses. Today all three of us, Zander, his daddy, and I, were snuggling in bed. Zander kept going back and forth between me and his daddy giving both of us kisses. He was kissing my whole face, and when he was done kissing me my whole face was wet. I just love his kisses, even if they are big, wet, slobbery kisses.

In the last couple of days, Zander has been making this face (the kiss face) all the time, but not when he kisses you.

A New Bible Study and Spending Time with the Family

Today my husband and I went in two different directions. My parent's needed more help with their new house. They are moving out of their rental house at the end of February and work needs to still be done at their new house. We found a babysitter for Zander the last 2 Saturdays so we could help them. Last Saturday I worked, and Jen and Sam watched Zander for us so my husband could help at my parent's new house. We decided that only Brian would help today, and I would take care of Zander. My brother, his wife, and my nieces and nephew came in from Fort Wayne last night to help as well. Zander and I hung out with my mom, and my nieces and nephew, Alyssa, Julia, and Tyler. Zander and I went over to my parent's rental house to have breakfast with them. After breakfast Zander, Alyssa, and Tyler went to my older sister, Abby's house for a bible study. We picked up my friend Jen, before heading to Abby's house. Alyssa and Tyler came along to watch Zander while we had our bible study. Julia stayed behind with Grandma (my mom) to do some shopping. Julia's birthday is in 8 days and they went shopping to get the rest of her birthday present. At the bible study we are going through a book called "Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul" by John and Stasi Elderedge. I have read this book and it is a very good book. I am looking forward to the bible study with these women.

After bible study, we met my mom and Julia at Tyler's Tender for lunch. Zander rode the train for the first time.

Zander looks like he is having fun!

We had a late lunch, and by the time we got back, it was time for my brother and his family to head back to Fort Wayne. Brian came home shortly after that, and we hung out together at home the rest of the night. We decided to watch the movie, The Couple's Retreat after Zander went to bed. I fell asleep shortly after the movie started, as I usually do. I guess I'll watch the rest of it tomorrow.

Living the boring life

Zander and I didn't do much today, we just hung around the house for the most of the day. I played with Zander and I cleaned. We had dinner at my parent's house. My mom wanted to see Zander today, and since our small group got cancelled she invited us over for dinner. Every Thursday my mom and dad have dinner with 2 of their friends, Carl and Kathy, and then play cards. Each week someone else cooks. My mom invited us over. Kathy cooked today, and boy was it yummy. She made so much food that I felt like it was Thanksgiving, but we had chicken instead of turkey. She made chicken, mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn, artichoke dip, and homemade rolls. She even made blueberry pie, cherry pie, and chocolate eclair cake.

This morning Zander woke up with a black eye. He has black and blue marks on his left eyelid. I can only notice it when he closes his eyes or looks down. My poor baby. Yesterday while we were at my parent's house he fell and hit his face on a chair. I didn't think he would get this.

His first black and blue eye, but I'm sure it won't be his last. Boys will be boys.

Busy Day in Africa

Three years ago, we started this day earlier, as most days in Kenya started for us. After breakfast we headed to another compassion project. As we pulled up to the project, we were met by many children all singing the Kenya welcome song to us. It was really amazing. At the project the kids did some drama and singing for us, and then we spent the rest of the morning playing with them. We jumped rope with them, blew bubbles, painted their faces, hula hooped, and just had a lot of fun running around and playing with them. As I walked into the church at the compassion project, I met this little girl named Vivian. She became really attached to me and did not leave my side the whole time we were at the project.

Here is a picture of Vivian and I.

The Deliverance Church we visited at the Compassion Project

The gates opening to the project, and the kids singing for us.

After we left the Compassion project, and I said goodbye to Vivian, we headed to lunch at this wonderful outdoor restaurant.

Under those umbrellas is where we ate.

The Compassion Staff from Kenya and Colorado

After lunch, we headed to the airport and boarded small plane to another part of Africa to go on a 2 1/2 day safari.

Okay, not that small of a plane, there was 40 in our group!

This was our plane

Me and one of the Kenyan Compassion Staff Members before boarding the plane

Boarding the plane to our Safari

The airport at the Safari place, we literally landed in a field

My roommate after we landed

Entering our Safari Camp

They gave us a yummy drink when we entered the camp. We were finding out our roommates for our stay at the Safari camp.

This is the tent we stayed in. These tents were really nice tents. They had beds, showers, and bathrooms in them.

Linda and I stayed roomies

Esther was our other roommate for the Safari. Esther was one of the Compassion Staff members in Kenya.

After we put our bags down in our room, we went on a few hours of the safari. We saw so many animals on the first time out, and we stayed out until the sunset.

This was one of the first animals we saw.

The people in our jeep.

Our jeep driver the first night of the Safari. We loved him.

Another First

I am so excited. Zander and I went to MOPS today. For the first time ever, in any nursery setting, Zander was fussy. Even the nursery workers said that he is usually not fussy, but today he was. I think he was tired. After MOPS we came home, Zander ate, and then he went down for a nap. After Zander's nap, we went over to my parent's house and visited with my mom and my older sister, Abby. While we were there, Zander walked for the first time. Zander took 3 steps today. I am so excited about this. It is funny, because I was just talking about the fact that I don't think he will walk for a while because he loves to crawl. He proved me wrong. Here is a video of his first steps.

Sorry about all of the screaming, I was just very excited. Thank goodness we baby proofed our house!

No more cold

Today was a mellow laid back day for Zander and I. My husband on the other hand has been working like crazy today. He started at 7 a.m. this morning, and is still not home. He is not sure when he will be home, he says it may not be until 10 or 11 p.m. tonight. I was looking forward to having him home tonight. He didn't know he would be working this late; he is training the new guy. But the good news is that since his company hired someone else, he will get days. Yeah, I am so excited about that. He has been working mostly afternoons since September. I will be very happy when he goes to days. Don't get me wrong, I am very grateful that my husband has a job. I wouldn't mind if he worked evenings, or even nights. I am just thankful he is working. My husband was out of work for 10 months, and I am grateful every day he works.

Zander and I just played around the house today, and he was so good. The last week or two he has been fussy at times. I think he was sick and teething. He was perfect today. He didn't fuss at all today. He was so happy and smiley; I wish I had gotten some pictures of his smiley face today. He laughed and laughed today over pretty much nothing. He laughed at me a lot. He would be playing with his toys, and then would turn to me and burst out laughing. It was adorable! I love that kid so much.   He ate really well too. He didn't eat a lot of table/finger food today, but he ate peas and green bean baby food. Usually he doesn't eat peas and green beans very well. Zander has been eating more "real" food lately. He has eaten meat ravioli, apples, peas, dried fruit, plums, a little banana, french fries, saltine crackers, and of course graham crackers.  Zander must be over his teething and his cold.  I didn't hear him cough at all today. 

And since I didn't take any pictures of Zander today, I thought I would post a couple pictures of my husband on our date this past Friday night. 

No, he is not playing peak a boo with Zander, or me.  And he is not crying.

He is hiding from the blinding flash of my camera. (or that is what he says at least)