Hope Still Flies

This dude is constantly cracking us up. 

 

January was more of an icky month for us. Started off all right, but then Thad came down with some sort of either sinus or ear infection... that cleared up with antibiotics. A week after finishing the antibiotics he came down with the flu. That stuff is no joke. It struck fast and hard. He was fine when we dropped him off at daycare one morning, and had a fever over 101 by noon. He (and I) have been through a round of Tamiflu, and though he's hanging onto his cough, he's doing a lot better. (I also caught the flu a few days after starting Tamiflu, but thankfully I was just super sick for a couple days. Feel really bad for the people that have that junk for a week and a half!)

After consulting with the state, it was figured out Thad couldn't start the one's room until closer to 11 months... Well he officially started about a week ago. He's having a bit of a rough transition. He still doesn't do great with new places and lots of noise, and this involves both. He's getting there though, I think. Hopefully. He's adjusted to their schedule well (breakfast, lunch, nap, snack) and is still happy as can be when we get home. But he's definitely still shy. He'll run around the house talking and yelling and if someone he doesn't know well comes in he just stops. Poor dude.

I also gave him his first mini haircut last weekend. His baby mullet was out of control. It's only slightly better now... but his hair doesn't stick out the sides of his head so much.

He is a walking machine. Also a head-bonking machine. Already been thankful more than once that we put bumpers on the coffee table. He prefers to walk in stores now, usually helping to push the cart. Or rip sale signs off the bottom shelf (sorry, Target!). Also at Target it wasn't super busy and he took off a couple times and thought it was hilarious when I'd chase him. So, that's starting.

We're very ready for warmer weather... he loves being outside. We've had a few days in the 60s, and we went to the park one day. He loved it all. Swinging, sliding, playing basketball. Going to need to invest in some outdoor toys for our tiny bit of yard I think.

So we're now really close to his first birthday. The year has absolutely flown by. I think we're probably not going to do a big birthday party. Does that make me a bad parent? I really didn't have any growing up... occasionally my parents would take me and my friends some place cool like a Wizards game, but I don't feel like I missed out on much. Since he won't remember it anyway... I think I've decided to do his birthday photoshoot the weekend before his birthday, hopefully involving a smash cake. Then the Friday after he turns one he has his doctor's appointment, and I think we're going to try to go somewhere and do something with the three of us... just not sure what yet. Aquarium? Some place he can climb on things? I dunno I dunno...

Check out this kid. How ridiculous. And busy. All the time.

More new firsts, all the time. Including this morning, when, in a two minute span, he clapped his hands on his own (but won't do it when we ask), and decided to climb the stairs. Climb them like he's been climbing them for weeks? Which he definitely couldn't/wouldn't do yesterday. What even. Anyway... This past month included Christmas... My favorite time of year. Michael and I didn't get him much because we knew we had several Christmases to go to and he'd be getting plenty of toys. And now our living room looks like a toy store. A very unorganized one. We're going to have to make an Ikea run one of these days to get a toy box.

As usual, reminded that Christmas is my favorite holiday. The feeling of all of my family being together and enjoying each other's company is like nothing else. Games, food (oh so much food), and just all around love. I wish I could just spend a few days at my parent's with all of my family playing games and eating too much food.

One thing I wasn't quite prepared for that's gotten worse is Thad's shyness. I was hoping that since he goes to daycare it wouldn't be so bad.. and maybe it's not as bad as it could be... but as of late he really only wants to be comforted by me when I'm around. If he knows I'm around he'll cry, eventually screaming with big crocodile tears. Breaks my heart way worse than I thought it would. Most mornings I can get him playing with Michael and then sneak out, but I guess he's starting to be sad when Michael leaves him at daycare, too. :( I felt especially bad at Christmas, when he wouldn't want anyone else to hold him. Even Michael. I know he'll grow out of it, but it's still hard now. We get pictures of him being all happy and playing and then we take him out and he's just quiet and clingy. Makes a liar out of me. Punk.

He gets very quiet and cautious when in a new place, or when people he doesn't see often show up at ome. After about 15 minutes he starts to loosen up but he still stays close. Makes going on dates hard. Plus, his top two teeth are trying to come through. I've been able to see them for over a week now but they still haven't broken through! Poor kid.

The other big news is that he's starting to transition to the one-year-olds room at daycare next week! I was caught a little off-guard because, well, he's only 10 months. But they have twins starting in the infant room next week and want to get a couple babies moved up. So T and his friend Joe are heading up. He's walking more and more and they think he's ready. I can't believe we're already here? It feels like it was just last month that he started daycare (though our bank account will happily tell you differently)

(we bought a new humidifier and had to move his end table around to this side of the crib. I was too lazy to unplug and move everything. And reset the clock.)

Also. The only way to get him to sit still on his back on his rug is to give him something to entertain him. Which, recently, has been the radio. Say Anything, anyone?

Nine months, how is he so big already?

At first it seems like he hasn't changed as much in the past month or two as he did early on, but I see his six month pictures at work and I realize that's not quite true, he's still changing so much it's crazy.

This month was quieter in terms of our busy-ness, which was definitely welcome. There was a visit from my parents, which I always love... meals and visits with friends... visit from my brother-in-law... all great times!

Of course, his first Thanksgiving! We stayed home and had my brother over for turkey, potatoes, corn... and ChikFilA pizza. Thad enjoyed turkey, and especially his roll. It was nice having a low key day and weekend. Especially because he's still been sick. His cough went away with his antibiotics last week, but it's kind of come back again, and he still can't get rid of his nasal congestion. It doesn't bother him at all, thankfully, it's just pitiful sounding. Hoping it's allergies, and once he turns one he can take some medicine and clear it out. We've been steering clear of church just in case he's contagious... the last thing we need is to make more babies sick... I've been listening online, but I miss going.

Sometimes I forget he's still so young. It's easy to try to make him grow up faster, but I don't want him to at the same time. Aghhh. He's also still so people wary. Even if he knows them and it's just been a few weeks or more since he's seen them. He eventually warms up but yeah, definitely shy.

Hiiiii.

Months! And also the approximate number of times Thad tried to jump out of his chair.

 I had to ask Michael to help out with the rug picture. There's no more laying on his back. Ever.

At 8 months...

Pictures that describes Mr. Thaddeus perfectly these days...