11 months old

Age: 11 months

Weight: Approx. 23 1/2 pounds

Height: Approx. 29 1/2 inches

Not a whole lot new to report these days. Corbin is still thriving and growing bigger by the minute. He seems to be developing so fast, and I think he is getting a little frustrated because his body can't keep up with everything his mind wants to do. Sooner than later, though, he will be running around doing everything he wants to do. (Yikes! I don't know if I am ready for that!)

He is walking around everything and barely needs to hold on any more, but still isn't too sure about walking holding on to someone's hands. I think he likes the comfort and support of a stationary object.

He is impossible to photograph because he just doesn't want to sit still, so I have a feeling that the quality of our pictures in general are really going to suffer. I'm just hoping I can start to capture his charming personality in candid shots instead of the stationary photos I've been so used to taking.

He is really starting to be more open to different foods and can really handle almost any texture so we have been offering him all kinds of foods these days. I've enjoyed baking him all kinds of healthy, kid-friendly dishes and once I can convince him to take a bite, he usually realize that he likes them and will devour the whole plate.

I can't believe this is my last monthly post before he turns 1! Where has the year gone?

On to double digits!

Age: 10 months old

Weight: 22 1/2 pounds

Height: approx. 29 inches

This kid won't stop growing! I swear he is getting taller by the day. His weight gain has almost completely stopped and he is just becoming more of a little boy every time I look at him.

He has gone from just standing, to walking around everything he can get his hands on. He has also gone from having only his two bottom teeth to six teeth! Two on the bottom and four on the top which all popped through within just a few days of eachother.

He is the funniest kid you will ever meet and is just full of personality. Other than that, things have been pretty standard around here. His language is developing rapidly and he is babbling a lot now. He loves to flirt with every woman we see and is going to be trouble when he gets older I can already see it.

9 months in, 9 months out!

Age: 9 months

Weight: 22 pounds, 1 ounce (75th percentile)

Height: 29 1/2 inches (90th percentile)

Our chunky monkey isn't so chunky! Okay, well maybe he is still a little chunky, but now that he is on the move and totally unstoppable, his weight gain has really slowed down. You can really see it in his face too...I mean, he actually has a chin and a neck now!

Corbin is developing faster than I can keep up these days. He is now pulling himself up to standing, and wants to stand at everything. We went to a Mariner's game and he stood up facing backwards almost the whole time. I think we are still a ways away from him standing alone or actually walking, but it's fun to see his development and confidence grow every day.

He is really starting to babble and talk now, saying "mama" all the time. While they say he isn't meaning me/mom when he says it, sometimes I wonder otherwise. He is picking up other sounds too and is throwing some "papa"s and "baba"s into the mix. I have a feeling it's not going to be long before he starts making sense of all this language stuff.

I'm starting to give up on all of this pureed baby food and just work on feeding him small pieces of steamed veggies, fruits and meats. He seems to really enjoy eating when he can feed it to himself. While my kitchen gets destroyed with every feeding, as long as he is getting some in his mouth and the much needed nutrients, that's all that matters. The good thing is, the pediatrician isn't worried about him eating 3 full meals of solids (I mean ... look at the kid ... he obviously isn't starving!) so we are just going to keep working at it and letting him get the hang of feeding himself. He is learning to chew better with each feeding too, so that will help avoid choking and open the door to trying other foods and textures.

Other than that, we are full steam ahead in planning Corbin's first birthday party! We feel like if we get the plans underway now, and take it at a good pace, we will avoid the family catastrophe come the beginning of July when all the plans will be finalized. So keep July 9th clear on your calendar because this is going to be one party you don't want to miss!

(Can you tell these pictures are getting harder and harder each month? This kid won't sit still!)

8 months and counting ...

Age: 8 months

Weight: Approx. 22 pounds

Height: Approx. 30 inches

He just keeps growing and growing! I swear every morning when Corbin wakes up, he has gained a pound and grown an inch! I feel like he is so much more of a little boy now than a baby. While I love watching him grow and develop, I get a little sad that these months are just flying by.

Corbin started crawling this month and now he doesn't want to do anything else. He is such a fast little bugger and is already looking so much skinnier. His new favorite thing to do is crawl over to the back sliding glass door and look out at the dogs. We are working on him understand what he is allowed to play with and what he isn't since it's impossible to keep everything out of his reach.

I keep working on introducing more solid foods, but this kid just isn't having it. While he obviously isn't starving from a diet of just breastmilk, I know he could use the additional nutrients he can get from food. I'm lucky if I can get him to let me feed him 3 meals a week, let alone a day! We are working at it and trying to figure out what the best approach is, but I will definitely be talking with the pediatrician about this at his 9 month check-up.

His sleep is ... well ... the same as usual. We go through good spurts and bad. Between his teething and having a cold off and on, you never know if he is going to sleep all night or be up every hour. And now that he can crawl and sit up, he wakes up and pops right up into a sitting position and just yells. Usually he will just lay back down on his own, but sometime we have to go in and remind him that it's still time to sleep and lay him back down.

Other than all of that, he just continues to be one happy little guy and amazing me every day with the new things he can do.

(these pictures are getting harder and harder to take now that he can move on his own!)

(And here is that pouty face he give me when I won't let him crawl away)

Happy 7 months, little man!

Age: 7 months

Weight: approx. 22 pounds

Height: approx. 29 inches

So much has happened in a matter of one short month. Corbin went from just being able to roll over from his back to his belly, to eating solid foods, sitting up unassisted, rolling over from his belly to his back, and getting his first two teeth. I can tell that crawling is in his very near future too.

As for other accomplishments, I'm happy to say his sleeping habits are much better now. He is taking a good long nap in the mornings (usually around 2 hours long) and an hour nap in the afternoon. He sometimes takes a short nap in the evening too depending on how the day goes. This is such a nice change from his earlier naps of 30 minutes flat every hour or two. While he is still waking up a time or two at night, I know this will get better over time as well.

Corbin has also been eating solids regularly, but I feel like I'm a little slow at introducing new foods. He isn't too crazy about this whole eating thing ... either that or he is a picky eater already. He's tried sweet potatoes, peas, avocado, carrots (which he LOVES), broccoli, apples, pears (which he HATES), banana and peaches. I have so many tasty recipes I want him to try, and hopefully love, so I should probably pick up the pace at introducing new foods so we can move on to a more exciting menu.

Corbin has become such a goof ball lately too. He laughs all the time, and has also figured out how to growl and squeal. It's so fun to play with him when he gets going. He literally will be rolling on the floor laughing.

The months are flying by way too fast and I have a feeling I will have a mobile little kid very soon and be wondering where my little peanut of a baby went.

Half way to 1!

Age: 6 months

Weight: 21 pounds

Height: 28 1/4 inches

Holy moly Corbin is 6 months old! And he is the happiest 6 month old I have ever seen! This kid is always laughing and smiling these days. It's hard to have a bad day when he gives you that big gummy smile of his.

He is working really hard to figure out this whole crawling thing. He can get the arms up, and the knees under, but not both at the same time. We have a feeling he will put the two together any day now and then there will be no stopping him.

He has recently begun rolling over in his crib, and while I have a feeling this is going to be helpful for him to get more comfortable and sleep longer at night, right now it's frustrating for him because he either gets himself smooshed against one side (thank goodness for breathable bumpers) or he gets to his belly and then can't roll back to his back when he wants.

Speaking of sleep ... he has decided that come midnight, he only wants to sleep in one hour spurts and has been waking up ALL.NIGHT.LONG. While its definitely a step in the wrong direction, I am assuming its only temporary. Everyone has their reasoning as to why he might be doing this: developmental spurt, hunger, loneliness since he doesn't see me as much during the day. Whatever the reasoning might be, I'm hoping he starts sleeping longer at night for all of our sake!

Corbin also got to taste his first tastes of something other than milk. We tried out some rice cereal and sweet potatoes. I think he is still trying to decide what he thinks about these new flavors. We are in no hurry to get him eating more solids, but it's been fun introducing these to him as once he is on the move he is definitely going to need these extra nutrients to fill his belly.

AND...he has FINALLY mastered the bottle! Thank goodness for the patience of my best friend Ashley. She and her sister have been working with Corbin at daycare and now he takes a bottle like he has been doing it all of his life. Now maybe Brian and I can go on a date or something. Gasp!

Are his rolls getting smaller?!?! (and yes his legs are really that long ... I didn't stretch the picture)

Do you think he's saying "Mom...quit puting me in these onesies that are 3 sizes too small!"?

Here's his new favorite smile, with his bottom lip sucked in.

Now I'm off to start planning his first birthday party! and no I'm not kidding! Mark your calendars for July 9!

Corbin is 5 months old

Age: 5 months

Weight: approx. 20 pounds

Length: approx. 28 inches

Our baby is getting so big! And while he is growing up ... and actually starting to thin out ... he is still Mr. Serious when the camera comes out.

While we don't have a well-baby check up with the pediatrician this month, I can definitely promise you that Corbin is growing big and strong. But even more than that, his cognitive development is at full speed. He is discovering new things and developing in new ways every day.

He is rolling over constantly now from his back to his belly, but is getting frustrated because he can't quite figure out how to get back to his back. He is also talking up a storm and can recognize his own name and will look at you if you call him. His most recent discovery, though, are his feet. He is constantly grabbing at them and trying to pull them into his mouth.

He does this the most during diaper changes and bath time. Its pretty funny to see his little face as his concentrates so hard on these tasks. He is also playing with his toys and loves to discover new things that I put around him. He is so intrigued by everything right now.

It is so fun to watch him grow and develop, but its going way too quickly. I can only imagine how much he is going to change in the next few months. It seems like he is doing something new every day.

He is still napping and sleeping very well, but our biggest battle these days is trying to get him to accept a bottle. He knows what he likes and what he is used to and isn't too fond of our attempt for him to get his food from somewhere other than me. We are working with him every day at this and hopefully he catches on soon. If not, I guess in a few weeks its time we start introducing baby food so he might just skip the bottle all together.

Corbin turns 4 months!

Age: 4 months
Weight: 19 pounds
Height: 27 inches long

Where have the days gone? Corbin is well on his way to many new milestones. He is still sleeping like a champ at night, is moments away from rolling over consistently from his back to stomach (he has done it a few times both ways, but hasn't mastered it just yet), and is starting to show the signs of his two bottom teeth making their move to the surface. He is SO close to sitting up on his own too.
He is completely off the charts in both weight and height now, which makes him perfectly proportionate, and just one big baby. It's funny because Brian and I think he has thinned out so much lately and people laugh because he is still quite the chunky monkey.
I think he is going to be such a happier baby once he can move around a bit on his own. He is always wanting to get to his toys or change positions and gets frustrated when he can't do it on his own. And he HATES laying flat on his back for more than a few minutes. This kid wants to move, and I have a feeling once he can, he won't stop. We can already tell we have quite the dare devil on our hands and foresee many bumps and bruises in his future.
He is still only napping for 30 minutes at a time, usually 3 or 4 times a day. And with him getting into the whole "4 month wakeful" phase, he is fighting me tooth and nail when it comes to napping on his own. He just wants to stay up and play, but when he gets overly tired, he is no fun to play with so I eventually have to win the battle and get him to sleep.

And this post wouldn't be complete without sharing these pictures. I don't think any explanation is needed.

Happy 3 months Corbin!

Age: 3 months

Weight: Approx. 18 pounds

Height: Approx. 25 1/2 inches

The months are just starting to fly by! Corbin is 3 months now and with the holidays approaching, I have a feeling I will blink and it will be time to start planning his first birthday. He is really growing up so fast and is developing quite the personality. It's so nice to now feel like he understands me and will laugh and "talk" with me. He even sings along with me in the car. He is smiling all the time and is just the happiest little thing that I can't get enough of! And he is starting to take a liking to toys that he can hold on to and shake to make noise.

Corbin is able to hold his head up steady when being held, but is still a little wobbly when he is sitting in his Bumbo seat, which he has just started doing. He is starting the initial movements of figuring out how to roll himself over. And if you prop him up on pillows, like he is in his picture, he always flexes his little ab muscles and flings himself forward, trying to sit up on his own.

Also, as of his 3 month birthday, we are putting him down in his crib in his nursery to sleep at night. (this is HUGE considering he wouldn't sleep without being held for the longest time and has always slept in our room at night.) He has yet to sleep through the night, but I am not expecting him to just yet and am grateful that he is only up 2 or 3 times at night (over a 11 hour span) to eat and then falls right back to sleep.

We are such proud parents and it's hard to picture life without him now. I have a feeling the fun is only beginning with him too, and look forward to all his big milestones that are to come!

(When I take his month pictures, I probably end up with about two dozen, just trying to get the perfect shot. During the process I tend to capture some of the many faces of Corbin. I've decided these "blooper" shots need to make the post as well so I will be including a few of my favorites from now on.)

Hamming it up for the camera ...

And this is a face I see all too often ... I think he's saying "Enough with the pictures already!"

2 months old!

Age: 2 months

Weight: 16 1/2 pounds (off the charts)

Height: 24 1/2 inches (95th percentile)

Corbin has been growing so fast! It's hard to think that just a couple months ago he was a mere 8 pounds. He is developing into such a little man and is getting to be a happier baby by the day. We don't have any type of schedule right now, but I see him starting to work in that direction. The one thing I can't quite figure out though, why he will only nap for 30 minutes at a time. Seriously ... it will be 30 minutes on the dot, whether he is in his crib, the car or his swing. I can usually get him to sleep longer in my arms, but then I can't get anything done. Especially now that I am working part-time from home, I need to be as productive as possible! He is sleeping much longer most nights, but we are still getting up a few times to feed ... but I'm not complaining!

Corbin is starting to be able to hold his head up really well, both while being held and while on his tummy. I have a feeling we are going to see lots of development from this little man very soon.

Corbin is 1 month old!

Where did the days go? I feel like our little man is growing up so fast and it's only been a month. While he might not be growing up fast, he is definitely growing fast. We had his one month check up and he is in the 95th percentile for height and OFF.THE.CHARTS for weight! We have a tank in the making! He weighed in at 13 1/2 pounds ... which means he is gaining more than a pound a week. While I would much rather him be a chunkster than not gaining enough, this kid eats more often than I ever expected.

Everything else looked great at his appointment. I talked with the pediatrician about his fussiness (okay, total purple-faced screaming) again to make sure he looked him over real good to rule out anything else. He says everything looks good and that its either a reflux thing or just a high maintenance baby. I'm also working on cuting out dairy to see if that helps at all ... but its SO hard to do.

I have faith that things will just keep getting better as we have good days more and more often. And I'm finally starting to understand his cues better so that helps.

So we have one month in the record books. It feels like just yesterday we were checking into the hospital, anticipating his arrival. We couldn't love him more and look forward to all the things he has in store for the future.

And here is one more picture of our chunkster ... he is the silliest little man.