does this make me look fat?

* 9 Months *

weight: 23 lbs - 85%

length: 29 3/4 - 95%

lets be honest who really cares about the head circumference?

as you can see our little man has dropped in weight from the 95th percentile to the 85th! 

the strict diet and cardio routine we have him on is really paying off. 

you can tell by the picture above how slender he is looking! ;-)

a little bit country.....

This post just would not seem right if i didn't give a shout out to my friend who is more then just "a little" bit country! She would be so proud of my little country store outing!

(its you amgar, in case you weren't sure)

I have always wanted an excuse to go see the spring chicks, and now that i've got a little dude, i can totally justify an outing to the local country store for no other reason then to get my country on and soak up the simple things in life. 

Gabe couldn't get enough of those little yellow puff balls, at first he wasn't sure about them but then he wanted to "cuddle" them. however, to avoid a scene from Of Mice and Men, we observed the {do not touch the chicks} sign.

you know your in a country store when the cost to ride the mechanical horse is a whole 10 cents! i mean one measly dime, are you kidding me. i felt like i was ripping someone off. i gladly dug through my wallet for the silver. Of course i couldn't catch a smile on camera, but he loved the ride.

as we strolled through the country store i found myself wishing i owned a pair of cute cowboy boots. i've always thought of myself as.... a little more "rock'n roll, if you will, but lately i wish i could slow down time, because it seems to be rocketing past me at a break neck pace. Gabe is already 9 months old, he has been out of me for as long as he was in me, and THESE past 9 months have seemed like the blink of an eye, compared to the prior 9. So for now the only thing i can think to do is adopt the country way of life, it seems slower and calmer and those are two things i could handle a little more of.

.... and a little bit Rock n' Roll!

you can still be country and wear an AC/DC hoodie and monster energy motorcycle beanie right?

its always the same question...

.... what is your favorite stage?
and up till now, the answer has always been. "this one"!! i've loved every stage of "Gabes growth and development." But these past few weeks... my answer is about to change! so go ahead ask.....
Q: so what is your favorite stage so far?
A: this one.
Q: i thought your answer was going to change?
A: this is also my least favorite stage.
Q: huh?
A: .....

Gabe turned 8 months old and has been going non-stop. i swear he learns something new everyday.

 But... he has been sick a lot as well! The RSV bug found us at our house and he was not a happy little guy for a few days. this is him cuddling up to his mamma at the doctors office at 8 PM. he is such a sweetie!

he is really good at playing by himself...

but he is curious about everything. and i mean everything....hahaha! 

... but then sometimes, he doesn't want me out of his sight, so he is right there being my little "helper", making my 2nd job as {maid} a little more difficult.

 he finally started flipping himself over and sleeping on his belly, i love the butt up in the air, isn't that just the most classic sleeping pose of all time. 

 he started "parallel" play. you know when they just sit by another kid and they take each others toys, but just play by themselves. 

{my smart friend tiffany taught me that term} 

and that just happens to be her delicious little paisley "playing" with gabe.

 Oh, and Yes!!! thats a tuxedo T-shirt. he likes to party, what can i say.

he is supposed to have "stranger danger" but he pretty much just gives you the death stare if he isn't sure about you. this is his Great Grandpa Wilson. he knows him, he is just wondering why he has more food on his face then he does.

he still loves the bath, i've given him a wash down in the kitchen sink a couple times and he LOVES it, splashing and making as big a mess as possible is his goal!!

...goal....achieved!

he started drinking out of a straw, today actually, and it was so stinking cute. he was so proud of himself.

 he's started to eat a few little finger foods, and has even managed to get a cheerio in his mouth on his own. although it takes about 5 tries to find that little "O" in his big fist and get it into his face.

he LOVES his dog. oh my heck, he just see's bo and starts laughing. in turn, it makes me laugh. He has not learned to crawl quite yet, but any day now he will be on the move, changing that poor dogs lazy lifestyle as he knows it. 

Q: i thought this was also your least favorite stage?
A: he is just so much work right now, he wants to be able to do things on his own, like crawl around but cant yet, he is sleeping less, which means he is awake more! and so i have to entertain more, sing more, play more, i feel like a one man primary song broadway musical somedays. and its exhausting. I know all you moms out there with older kiddos are just thinking.. "exhausting, you don't know exhausting" and i'm sure you are right, but as for this moment in my life. this little 8 month old is running me ragged! So like i said, its my most favorite and my least favorite all at the same time.

is that crystal clear?