Samson : 1 year

Age : 1 year ... the fastest 12 months of my life, which is why I always have had trouble getting to these monthly updates in time. I'm not kidding guys, I'm pretty sure I've got gray hairs now. #motherhood

Height : 32" ... maybe? Samson hasn't his 13 month appointment yet, so this isn't official by any means. 

Weight : 24 lbs. Future football player, for sure. 

Clothes : 12-18 months, size 5 shoes

Diapers : Charlie Banana Cloth (Size M), Honest Diapers Size 4.

Eating : Table food and whole milk. No more bottles for this guy. We started dropping bottles as soon as he turned one and transitioned off of them pretty quickly. The last (and hardest) bottle to eliminate was the mid-afternoon one, but Samson must have decided one day that milk from a straw cup was good enough & that was that.

Sleeping : Not the greatest. We got used to Samson putting himself to sleep and soothing himself back to sleep if he woke in the middle of the night. Everything changed when tooth #1 arrived. We worked really hard to get Samson back to sleeping through the night, then tooth #2 came and messed things up again. But, he slept 7p-7a last night, so I can't seem to find any reason to complain today ;)

Pacifiers/Soothies : Still relying on MAM pacifiers and I'm not sure that any of us are willing to give those up anytime soon. He loves his mint blankie, but has recently started preferring the throw blanket we keep on the glider in his nursery, which is way too big for him to sleep through the night with. 

Milestones : 1st tooth and 2nd tooth came about 1 month apart. Tooth #1 came the same day Samson started walking (just after 11 months) and the 2nd came about a week after his birthday. Walking and/or running. Baby headstands. Can "play" the kazoo and recorder (thanks Grandma & Grandpa West). First Christmas and first birthday just weeks apart meant lots of opening presents. 

Likes : Chasing Cash, playing fetch with Cash, snuggling in between momma & daddy, watching music videos (specifically Maroon 5-Sugar and Bruno Mars-Uptown Funk), helping daddy play guitar, clapping, making noise with the kazoo and recorder, walking everywhere, hugs (the BEST hugger), applesauce, black beans and most importantly crackers.

Dislikes : Diaper changes. Getting HANGRY. Skipping nap time.

Disclaimer : Getting this one done with just days to spare before Samson is 13 months. It is next to impossible to get pictures of Samson (sitting still, without a pacifier) now that he is walking, so I've had to give up on that cute monthly montage, but I'll fill the void with a few action shots!

Last picture before his birthday!

First picture as a one year old!

Samson : 11 months

Age : 11 months ... I have to back track a bit, because we've had a pretty busy month!

Height : 31" (ish)

Weight : 22 lbs (ish) ... He feels likes a bag of bricks!

Clothes : 12-18 months

Diapers : Charlie Banana Cloth (Size M), Honest Diapers Size 3, although the next bundle will have size 4 diapers because we're having trouble with night time diapers holding enough.

Eating : So much! He still loves bottles, but we are down to 6 oz/3x a day. Loves all food.

Sleeping : Samson had a bit of sleep regression with his first cold (and his first tooth, but that's for next month's post) so he sleeps 7:30-6:00 right now, but wakes up a a few times a night. It's rough for every one involved. Thankfully, he goes back to sleep easily and naps really well during the day. (And FYI, as of right now, more than halfway to 12 months he's getting back to the awesome sleep that we we're used to).

Pacifiers/Soothies : Loves his MAM pacifiers and we always panic when they all seem to get lost at the same time. He sleeps with his mint blankie at nap time and night time. Thankfully travels pretty well at night now as long as we pack his beloved blankie.

Milestones : Walking around furniture, chatting up a storm even if nobody, including Samson, knows what he is saying (distinguishable words: papa, mama, baba, papa), clapping.

Likes : Playing with other kids, sharing, tickles, playing with Cash, long walks in the stroller, books, all sorts of noisy toys, drinking from straws and cups.

Dislikes : Diaper changes, I'm telling you... it's the end of the world!

Holiday Spirit

The count down to Christmas is on! We've already watched a few of our favorite holiday movies and made a few of our favorite holiday treats, but what we're really excited for this year is Samson! Last year we were anxiously awaiting his arrival and couldn't even imagine what having a little boy crawling around the Christmas tree this year would look like. Samson decided to up the ante a bit for us by reaching a few exciting milestones during this very special season. 

Last Friday, after sustaining an accidental boo-boo courtesy of his furry brother Cash, Samson decided to turn everyone's frown upside down by taking his first steps! I was on the phone with my mom when I set him down, he stood right up and walked straight to me, arms up and ready for a hug!  I'm pretty sure I melted in to a big, proud, emotional momma puddle. 

Walking solo wasn't the only exciting thing Samson had in mind though. This morning, I went to pick him up from his crib after his nap when I noticed his big gummy smile had a little something extra to it... his first tooth! 

We had a few fun props that were left over from a Christmas party we had for the student workers in Aaron's office last week. I thought they would be perfect for our little elf and his trusty side kick. Taking pictures of Samson and Cash is hard enough... add  sparkly hat (or antlers) and it's a whole new struggle. However, the out takes themselves are funny enough, hope you get a kick out of them :)

                                                   

Christmas Wish List

So we have really lucked out in regards to not be bogged down with too many toys or baby things. Part of that might be that Samson is still young, part of that might be that he has a lot of cousins so my mom and dad don't feel obligated to buy him all the things, and part of it might be that I've been trying to adapt the phrase "quality not quantity." Just don't look in the guest room closets... or the attic. Seriously, don't.

It's Samson's first Christmas and he is at such a great age to enjoy it. Opening presents, playing with new toys, and pulling all the ornaments off the tree is all going to be epic fun for our little stinker. We hope Samson grows up to know plenty fun family traditions that really impress on him the magic of Christmas. And since we really, really want to impress on him the absolute JOY that Christmas is really about celebrating the birth of our Savior, we hope that we can keep Santa Claus in check. Something he wants, something he needs, something to wear, something to read. Plus, a few fun extras :)

Lollaland Lollacup - One of the cutest sippy cups I've seen. Samson loves straws now and I think the weighted straw would help since he is always tipping his cup. I love the built in lid for tossing it in the diaper bag.

Footed Pajamas - Samson is about to grow out of his 12 month jammies, we're in need of a 18 month stock up around here. Bonus points for animal feet!

Converse Chuck Taylors - Since Samson is getting ready to walk he needs some shoes for when we are out and about. We just picked these up at the mall this weekend and they are SO cute. I can't wait until he wears them!

Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Phone - I don't know how much longer we can hold out on toys that make noise, Samson loves playing with them when we go down the toy aisle. Plus, maybe he'll stop snatching our iPhones (here's to wishing!)

BabyLit Sherlock Holmes and The Jungle Book -  Books are in surprising short supply around here. BabyLit books are twists on stories that use various subjects like colors, shapes, and sounds to introduce little readers to classic literature. Samson loves playing with books and being read to. These would be great books to add to our collection.

Fisher Price Classic Toy Xylophone - Looks just like the Fisher Price toys I had as a kid! Samson loves playing with Aaron's guitars and I bet he's going to love making some music of his own.

B. Zany Zoo Activity Cube - I have been eyeing this toy for Samson before he was even born. He is the perfect age for it now and is old enough to really like playing with all the different activities.

Imaginarium Stacking Rings - Samson is really getting in to stacking... and knocking things over (and putting things in, taking things out... the boy loves both order and chaos).  I'm trying SO hard to keep our house as free from the onslaught of shiny plastic toys for as long as possible. If there is an option for a wooden toy, sign us up.

I'm hoping we can make something for Samson this year too. This mama loves a good project and I'm pretty sure that Aaron actually enjoys helping with my crazy ideas and plans. I think that would be a fun tradition to establish ... homemade is really special if you ask me. I'm dreaming of finally getting around to making that teepee we've been talking about for a year now. A little something like this one from House of Jade interiors would look great in the playroom.

Playroom : House of Jade Interiors

Samson : 10 months

Age : 10 months

Height : 30" (ish)

Weight : 20 lbs (ish)

Clothes : 12-18 months. We recently went on a shopping spree to replace some of his smaller clothes and I went with the next size up, so they are a bit big on him.

Diapers : Charlie Banana, 1st medium setting. Size 3 Honest diapers.

Eating : 6 oz/4x a day. He loves to have breakfast, lunch, dinner and occasionally snacks with Aaron and I.

Sleeping : 7p-6a. Nap time has been shifting a little bit lately. Some days its a 2 hour nap before lunch time, some days it's an hour nap before lunch and dinner.

Pacifiers/Soothies : MAM pacifiers (down to 1, we keep losing them!) and green blankie at nap time and night time.

Milestones : Crawling, super fast, with his belly off the ground, says "ma-ma" and "pa-pa" now (pretty sure he means puppy), first night being put to sleep by grandma and grandpa when Aaron & I were out of town for my best friend's wedding, started throwing with pretty awesome accuracy, dressed up like a lumbar jack for his first Halloween, and got to eat lasagna for the first time.

Likes : Trying new foods, sharing his toys with Cash, sharing his pacifier with Aaron & I, being outside, throwing, peek-a-boo, shoe strings, tags, furry stuffed animals (or Cash), bath time, Sesame Street.

Dislikes : Playtime interrupted by diaper changes, when the remote gets taken from him, the stairs being barricaded with a baby gate, being prevented from doing anything detrimental to his well-being (Boys!)

Favorites : Month 8 & 9

Non-Slip Socks - When the weather started getting cooler, socks became a more regular outfit staple for our typically barefoot boy. Non-slip socks can make the difference between tiny feet safely walking the perimeter of the room while holding walls/furniture or sliding and crashing down. Samson was in need of a sock upgrade and we made sure to get the slip resistant variety.

Plum Organics Pouches - While I typically make homemade purees and Samson eats a lot of finger food, sometimes nothing can top the convenience of ready made baby food. We always have a pouch in the diaper bag and several stashed in the pantry for any sudden outbursts of hangry. For beginning eaters, squirt food on to a spoon for meal time and the pouch can be resealed and kept in the fridge between meals. For more independent babies the pouch can be given directly to little hands. Simple ingredients, easy to read label. A win.

Nuby Sippy Cup - This was one of the first sippy cups we tried for Samson. While we are getting ready to transition to some hard topped sippy cups and cups with straws now, this was a great introduction sippy cup. We skipped over the first nipple like top and went straight to the spout. It has been dropped and chucked from the high chair and stroller with minimal leaks. I like that it has a cap, so it can be tossed in the diaper bag for on-the-go use. The handles make it easy to use for little hands. Definitely recommend it.

That's Not My Goat - Samson is obsessed with this book. Aaron's family came over several weekends ago and Aaron's grandma brought this for Samson. It was the first time he unwrapped a present, which he went crazy over, and the first time he really cared one bit about a touch-and-feel book. Now it's pretty much the only book he is interested in. His favorite page is a definite tie between the rough nose (velcro hooks) and the fluffy beard (faux fur) which he insists on trying to put in his mouth.

Graco Convertible Car Seat - I didn't like this seat at first. It was easy (for Aaron) to install but, no matter how I adjusted it I just didn't feel like Samson was secure. Now we have the infant inserts removed and the non-rethread harness at level 1 and I finally feel like he is safe when he's in his seat. The seat itself is a great design and Samson loves the built in cup-holder for stashing his stuff. It has a rapid remove cover which I'm sure will come in handy as some point. You're able to machine wash the cover without uninstalling the car seat. Perfect for a messy boy! I did a lot of research online prior to going car seat shopping, but when it came down to it, my top picks (Britax Marathon, Maxi Cosi Pria and Peg Perego Primo Viaggio) were just a little out of budget since we wanted to buy two seats. Maybe not my top pick, but a good contender if you're looking for a budget conscious seat.

Jersey Leggings - Old Navy is a super convenient store for us and we shop there often. They often have great sales and deals (Super Cash) which keeps us going back. These pants fit really well and are super soft and comfortable. I'm not a huge fan of baggy/loose pants on Samson, so these are a good substitute for casual pants for a little boy without crossing the too-tight threshold.  When cooler Indiana weather arrived, I needed an alternative to onesies and rompers for a comfy, no-fuss outfit. We may or may not have these in almost every color.

Summer Infant Silicone Bib - Skip all the other bibs (actually don't skip these if you have a newborn) which are impossible to get clean quickly. After a meal or snack I snap this off Samson, rinse it off in the sink and let it dry. I wash it thoroughly every night after dinner. No seams, no crevices, no stains, no left over mess.

Bright Starts Teething Rings - Although Samson still has NO teeth, he's been teasing us for months. Right now he doesn't seem to have a preference whether these are room temperature or fresh from the fridge. But, I'm sure when he really does start working on teeth he'll really love them. For now, he likes carrying them around and gnawing on the textured surface. Super cheap and cost effective.

Samson : 9 months

Age : 9 months

Height  : 30"

Weight : 20 lbs of love

Clothes : 9 months - 12 months

Diapers : Charlie Banana medium setting, Size 3 Honest diapers

Eating : 6 oz/4x a day, 3 little meals. Favorite foods: peas, black beans, apples, chicken, cheese and pretty much anything we let him feed himself.

Sleeping : 7p-6a, and usually 2 naps in between.

Pacifiers/Soothies : MAM pacis, green blanket when he sleeps.

Milestones : Crawling all over the place, pulling himself up everywhere, taking little steps holding on to furniture, climbing up the stairs, lots of chatter: the only distinguishable things we hear are "dada" and "baba," his first boo-boo (fell and hit his noggin on the sliding glass door), and transitioned into his big boy car seat.

Likes : Feeding himself and concurrently flinging food from his highchair, strings and tags, shutting all the doors, playing with the doorstops, leaves, pulling himself up to look out the window with Cash, and gleefully shouting as Cash barks at the end of the day when dad comes home.

Dislikes : Being still... we've taken a break from weekly pictures for the time being, being protected from major catastrophe like crawling up the stairs, crawling off the couch, etc., and being stuck in his jumper, pack & play or car seat when he'd rather be exploring.