It Seems Like You Change Everyday!

Everyday I look at Dane and ask Dave, "Can you believe how much he has changed?" I always say, "This has been the best month with him. If I could pick any month to stay home and spend every minute with him it would be this month." Dave always reminds me that I said this the last month also.

We have our morning routine down pretty well. Lately we have actually been having about 10 minutes of free time in the morning before we need to leave. Yesterday while I was packing my lunch I set Dane in the living room with his favorite new toy and I turned on one of his Baby Einstein DVDs. He is sitting up so well these days. I can't believe how big he looks!

He really loves his Baby Einstein!

Since Dane is not in the infant carseat with is cozy cover anymore we have had to start putting jackets on him. Aunt Amy and Aunt Katie found him a cute little jacket. I can't believe he is big enough to be out of his carseat and wearing a jacket like a little man.

What a cutie in his little hat and jacket!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAMA!

Today is my Mama's birthday! I love her very much. These are just a couple of reasons why she is so great!

• She gets so excited when she sees me so I always give her a big smile and talk to her a lot.
• She sings to me and makes me smile and laugh.
• She loves to feed me when I visit her.
• She rocks me to sleep
• She lets me spend the night at her house and will come cuddle me in the middle of the night if I need her.
• She gives my mommy advise when she needs it so that I will grow up happy and healthy.
• She makes everything so special.

I am so lucky to be her grandson!

Last night we went to Uncle T.J. and Aunt Ashley's house for Mama's birthday dinner. We hung out and I got to spend time with Mama, Papa, Aunt Amy, Taylor, Delaney, Aunt Kara, Uncle Steve, Claire, Uncle TJ, Aunt Ashley, Aunt Katie, Tom, and Great Grandma Butler. Dinner was great, then we opened presents, and had birthday cake.

Getting so excited!
The babies playing with Mama
Aunt Amy, Tom, and Aunt Katie

Playing with Daddy

Aunt Katie feed me my bedtime bottle

Getting So Big!

At Dane's 6 month appointment he weighed 19 lbs. We knew it would just be a matter of time until he outgrew his infant seat, which had a weight limit of 22 lbs. We have had the convertible carseat since mid-December. The carseat sat in the basement in the box just waiting to be used.

I was holding on to the infant seat for a couple of reasons.

• My little guy still had a couple of pounds until he reached the weight limit and why rush it, he is still a baby.
• The infant seat has this great fleece lined cover that stretches over the entire seat. It has a little hole for his head with a little cover that you can open up when in the car and just flip down real quick when you get out. It kept my little guy so warm.
• Dane almost always falls asleep on the way home from daycare. Dave usually meets me in the garage and carries the seat upstairs where Dane will sleep for a bit longer.
• I loved being able to have Dane in the infant seat when I went shopping or we went to dinner. It was so easy to just plop the infant seat onto the cart at stores and put it in the booth next to us at dinner. He could easily eat in it and drink his bottle while we ate.

Well lately when I would go to put Dane in the carseat he would try to sit up which made it very difficult to get him buckled in. He would also grab the handle with his hands and try to pull himself up. When I would put his little cover on I could see his feet poking the bottom of it, just trying to come out. Then my hip started hurting. I noticed a trend....a couple of snow days when we stayed home and no pain, Dave's days off when I didn't have to carry him into daycare and no pain, Monday and Tuesday when I carried the infant seat with Dane in it out to the car and into and out of daycare....major hip pain.

So I knew it was time.....I was still sad when Dave told me to come to the garage and see the new carseat he had put in my car.

I have to say he looks quite comfy.....but so big.

On Friday it was a new experience for us both as we headed to daycare. I usually can carry my purse, school bag, and his bottle bag on one arm and his infantseat in my other hand. Since I had to carry him, which I really needed two hands for, I made one trip to the car with all of our belongings. I came back and got him out of the exersaucer, found a jacket for him (which we never needed because he always had his cozy cover, and carried him to the car. I think I might have accidentally bumped his head on the ceiling of the car putting him in. He seemed to love it. He was looking all over the place. I guess he can see quite a bit more.

I will say that when Miss Sue met me at the door I think we both almost cried he looked so big being carried into daycare for the first time.

Happy Birthday Claire!

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY CLAIRE!

My sister's little girl, Claire, turned 1 on February 15th. Saturday we headed to St. Louis for her "Cupcake" birthday party. There were lots of kids and lots of family there to celebrate. We had a delicious lunch, then the kids decorated cupcakes.

The Birthday Girl

A dress to match the theme of the party
She loved her cake!

Hanging out with Mama and Great Grandma before the party got started.

Dane was so excited to get a cupcake.

Aunt Tammy feed Dane his first cupcake! He loved it!

He kept wanting more!

Dane is giving a hug to the birthday girl!

Great Grandma and Dane

Trey is always wanting to hug Dane. Dane has just started to give hugs back, which Trey loves!

Uncle TJ and Dane hanging out at the party

The party wore out Dave and Trey. They took a nap at my mom and dad's after dinner.

Dane is 7 Months Today!

I can't believe Dane is 7 months old already! He is getting so big!

• Unofficially he is weighing about 20 lbs.
• Wearing size 3 diapers
• Wearing 6-9 month clothes
• Eating oatmeal with fruit or cereal with fruit for breakfast, fruit for lunch, and a meat mixed with veggies and fruit for dinner. Plus still taking 6 oz of formula 4 times a day.
• Uses his sippy cup, but still prefers his bottle
• Holds his bottle so well
• Sleeping from about 7:15 p.m. until about 6:30 a.m.-usually sleeping through the night, though occasionally needing mommy or daddy to come comfort him.
• Started rolling from back to tummy in the middle of the night and sometimes sleeping on his side. He likes to sleep with his face buried in the mattress, I don't like this so much.
• Celebrated his first Valentines Day
• Gave mommy her first "Happy Birthday Mommy" card
• Had a very mild case of RSV
• Enjoyed several snow days with mommy (Though, as much as we enjoyed them we are ready for warmer weather)
• We can see the very tip of the first tooth coming in
• Enjoyed his cousin Claire's First Birthday party
• Moving to a bigger carseat anyday now....my hip is killing me.
• Hair is starting to grow
• Started to wave and will sometimes give fives.

Looks like such a big boy when he sits up

Can spin in a circle on his belly, but not crawling yet!

Chews on anything!

Loves his cousin Delaney and loves to watch her play her Nintendo DS

Rode in his umbrella stroller for the first time

Has sooo many toys. He is so happy when he plays. He laughs and talks the whole time.

Loves to play with his feet

Loves to play in his exersaucer. He looks so serious reading the little book. He is so big there is no more swing. He will sit in his bouncy seat while I get ready in the morning, but it won't be much longer until we have to put that away.

I pull out all of these toys every afternoon after work and usually at some point he finds the empty basket more interesting.

Before we go to take a bath I always tell him, "Ok, time to pick up our toys and put them away." I pick them all up, talking to him the whole time about pulling his toys away and he usually just gives me a big smile like, "Sure, whatever mom."

Loves to spend two days a week with Daddy! (Especially on this day when Daddy let him stay in his PJs ALL DAY!!) When mommy asked why he was still in PJs Daddy said, "We didn't go anywhere and just wanted to be comfy."

We can't believe how fast the time is going. He is getting so big and we are having so much fun! We love you Dane!

My Silly Little Man

I love listening to Dane wake up. He rarely cries. He will laugh and coo in his bed for a good 15-20 minutes after he awakes up. When I go in to get him I turn on his little lamp on his dresser and call out, "Good Morning Dane." It is funny because when I get to his crib his eyes will be closed while he adjusts to the light and he will have his arms held out for me.

When I went in to get the silly little guy this morning this is what I saw....

one little foot had somehow found its way out of the sleeper.

When I said to him, "How did that little foot get out?",

he held it up in the air as if he was showing me. What a cutie!

***It did just so happen that I was snapping some pictures of the little guy before bed last night and left the camera in his room. I don't usually greet him with a big flash every morning. Good thing I had it with me this morning though.

Valentine's Day

Dane celebrated his first Valentine's Day at daycare by taking some treats and Valentines for his friends. He came home with quite a few Valentines and treats as well. Dave was quite excited to pick out Dane's Valentines. He found some Car Valentines that came with pencils.
Saturday morning we headed to St. Louis to celebrate Valentines Day with family at my parent's house. My mom had the house all decked out in Valentine's Day decorations. She even put a chocolate heart at each place setting.

The kids were very excited about having a candle lit at their table.

In just a couple of years they will have more little ones to sit with!

Dane ate before we did, but he sat with us at the table anyway.

Mommy and Dane

Claire giving hugs to Dane!

Getting ready to open Valentines

Dane had on a Valentine shirt passed down from Trey.

Trey loves to see Dane in his old clothes.

The Frost kids all dressed in their Valentine's Day colors!

Hanging out with Aunt Katie and Aunt Amy

Opening Dane's Valentines

Playing with his Valentine Bear

Wanting to move so bad!

Trey with "My Baby Dane" as he calls him

Today we are spending Valentine's Day at home. It is cold and snowy out so Dave is making dinner for us and we are going to stay in and stay warm.

Dane has had a good time playing with this Leapfrog Frog.

This little frog used to be Trey's and Aunt Amy found it the other day and thought it would be perfect for Dane. It has lights and makes noise! That is exactly what Dane loves!