One Year!

 *You weigh 18 lbs and 12 oz. You mostly wear 6 month clothes, and you are still in size 3 diapers.

*You are starting to eat more and more table food. You love mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, any kind of bean or pea, noodles, mac and cheese, and saltine crackers. Your little face just lights up when you see a cracker! Mommy tried to give you scrambled eggs the other morning and you made the most AWFUL face when you tasted them. We are going to keep trying though!

Mema and Pa feeding you.

*You have officially been bottle free for 3 weeks. During the day you get sippy cups with either whole milk or water. Mommy nurses you in the mornings and at night.

*You sleep from about 7:30 p.m. until about 6 am, and take one nap a day from 12-2 (ish).

*Your favorite toys are cell phones, remote controls, and anything of Kyndalls. She is wonderful about sharing her toys with you.

*You are the definition of a “momma’s boy”. I’m not going to lie. I LOVE it! It sure does hurt daddy’s feelings though! I know it won’t last forever, there will come a day when Mom just won’t be as cool as Dad. But for now, I’m enjoying every second of this attachment.

*Mommy and Daddy haven’t seen you stand up by yourself and balance, however, your Pa and LeLe have seen you a few times! Your hands always go straight up in the air!

*You are a little charmer. You love to shrug your shoulders and smile really big when people say hello to you. It is precious.

*You have FIVE teeth. Two on the bottom, and three on top.

*You will say "Dada" all day long, but very rarely do we get a "Mama." That just makes them that much more special!

*You still absolutely LOVE taking baths! You like to sit in your bathtub and put your hand under the faucet. While you are taking a bath, Mommy will hold up your wash cloth and let the stream of water fall. You always try to grab the stream of water. You never get frustrated. You always laugh so hard when your fingers can’t grab it.

Yes, you are taking a bath on a Dora bathmat. This was at Pa and LeLe's house. You and Kyndall love taking baths together. Sweet kiddos!

*You are pulling up on EVERYTHING. You will walk down the couch, around anything. As long as you can hold on you will walk around.

*You can clap, nod yes, and shake your head no.

Mommy LOVES this picture of you and Kyndall.

*You love to laugh at Kyndall. Several times over the last month we have put your car seat in the back by Kyndall. You two will laugh the whole time we are in the car. I love it!!!

Sweet hugs for Kyndall Grace

Bear,

How are you already a year old? You are growing up so fast. You are so much fun. I cherish every second of time I have with you. I love our morning cuddle time. My favorite thing is probably when I pick you up from daycare and your face lights up when you see me walk in. I love you so much Collin. I can’t believe you are one. You are such a sweet boy!

Love,
Mommy

11 Months (11-7-11)

I’m VERY late posting this. It’s been written for a while, but not posted.

*Collin Bear, you are on the move! You will crawl anywhere we will let you.

*Your sweet open mouth kisses are the greatest things I’ve ever had. I hope you never grow out of that! You are so lovey. You make Mommy SO happy!

*Pulling up on things is easy for you and you love to stand up and bounce. Mommy and Daddy call it your “dance moves”!

*You have 3 teeth now...two on the bottom, one on top. You are SO close to getting the second one on the top!

*You still sleep okay at night. Mommy has been trying to keep you awake until 7:30pm. If you stay up until then (that’s a BIG “if”) you sleep much better at night. However, if you fall asleep before then we can pretty much guarantee you are up at least once that night.

*You take 1 nap a day. Mommy wishes it was two naps. You moved up to the “Infant 2” room at daycare. They only have one time for naps (12-2) so that is when you nap! On the weekends though, you take a morning nap and an afternoon nap.

*You sleep in your crib every night (at least part of the night). When mommy comes into get you, you will be standing up just smiling at me.

*You are still eating that baby food like crazy! You are still nursing every morning and night. You aren’t taking bottles very well at daycare during the day. Mommy is considering giving you milk very soon!

*You love to play with Kyndall. You two are the sweetest kids ever!

*You are still in size 3 diapers and are wearing 6-9 month clothes!

Daddy, Collin, and Uncle Brock

*You started clapping by yourself a few weeks ago. It is precious! You also shake your head “no” when someone does it to you. I just hope you don’t start saying “no” with it!

*You can say… Ma-Ma, Da-Da, and Bye.

*You still love bath time. When we are over at Pa and Lele’s house in the evening, you will take your bath with Kyndall. She loves to be a helper and give you the toys in the bath.

Bear,
I love you so so much! You are so much fun! I can’t believe you are almost one year old. I can’t imagine life without you. You are so sweet. I love every second with you!

I love you.
Mommy



10 months

*You still sleep okay during the night, you go to bed between 7:00-7:30 each night, and wake up around 6 the next morning. Lately, you have been waking up during the night but Mommy thinks its because your teeth are bothering you. Hopefully we will get back to sleeping all night very soon!

* I picked you up from daycare the other day, and this is what you looked like! :) Your teacher gave you a mohawk! You looked precious. Your teacher (Ms. Shelby) loves you very much!

*You are still doing good with your naps. You take a nap in the mornings around 9, and then another afternoon nap around 1.

*You still love your baby food! Mommy tried to give you “chicken noodle dinner” the other night and you made an AWFUL face! We will keep trying that! We are getting closer to being able to have table food! You have always loved peas however, lately you won’t eat them! You turn your head and refuse them.

*We haven't tried a lot of table food yet. You have only had mashed potatoes and pinto beans. Snack time is your favorite time of day! You have tried puffs, Mum-mum’s, and yogurt melts. You love them all.

*You are still wearing size 3 diapers, and you are wearing 6-9 month clothes comfortably.

*You are starting to copy Mommy and Daddy when we make funny noises. You can smack your lips together after we do it to you.

*You are army crawling everywhere! You can get anywhere you want to go. You have just recently started going from a crawling position to sitting on your bottom. When Mommy comes to get you out of your crib after you wake up, it is so strange to see you just sitting there in your crib! We will be lowering it very soon!

*You aren’t brave enough to pull up on too many things yet on your own, but if Mommy or Daddy are there you will pull up on anything!

*You cords, electronics, and pretty much anything that is dangerous to you. I think all babies go through a stage like this, but you are keeping Mommy and Daddy on our toes!

*You have two precious teeth on the bottom.

*You are still nursing twice a day during the week (mornings and night), and 3-4 times on the weekends. Mommy still pumps bottles for you while I’m at work for you to have at daycare.



Collin,
You are such a precious little boy. Your Daddy and I are incredibly blessed to have you as our son. I enjoy spending time doing anything with you! I love you sweet boy.

Mommy

P.S. You sure are growing up fast. Can we slow down just a little bit?

9 Months

Collin Blake Jackson, You are NINE MONTHS OLD!

*You weigh 17.3 lbs (10th percentile) and are 27 inches long.

*You still wear size 3 diapers.

*Wearing mostly 6 month clothes.

*You are still nursing 2 times a day (morning and night) and having 2-3 bottles of breast milk while you are at daycare. We have filled in with the occasional formula bottle. Mommy just can’t pump enough for you some days!

*You are consistently eating baby food 3 times a day. Mommy hasn’t found any food that you don’t like. Yay!

*You started “army” crawling a couple of weeks ago! You can get anywhere you want to go! It is very strange to put you down somewhere and you not be in that exact spot when Mommy gets back!

*One day shy of your 9 month birthday, your first tooth FINALLY broke through. It is on the bottom on your right hand side. I’m sure the one next to it is coming soon!

*We are trying so hard to get you to understand a sippy cup. Three more months of bottles, and then it’s going to be ALL sippy cup. So get ready little man!

*You can say “da-da” and “ma-ma”. Thank you Collin, for finally saying “ma-ma”!

*Your favorite toy right now is a stuffed Ducky. You seem to love ducks right now. Mommy and Daddy have started planning your birthday party. We see a duck theme coming very soon!

*You sleep great at night. You let us know every night if we are just a few minutes late putting you down to sleep. You love your bedtime! We are having some trouble with naps. At home, you do wonderful! A long morning, and a long afternoon. However, at daycare there is just too much going on for you to get two good naps. Mommy is happy with one!

Before Shots:

And After:

Collin Bear,

 I am so proud to be your mommy. I have no idea what I did to be blessed with such a wonderful son. You make my day great with just one smile. I am trying my hardest to be the best Mommy I can be. I love you, my little sunshine!

-Mommy



8 Months!

Dad helping out with the pictures!

It is getting harder to get your picture! You are way too interested in the blocks!

*You weigh around 16 lbs. Still no clue how long you are.

*You are still wearing 3-6 month clothes. Size 3 diapers

*You went “swimming” for the first time this month. Daddy got in the pool and held you for a little bit. You LOVED it. Sorry about the pink hat… it was your Aunt Tori’s when she was little. Mommy forgot your hat at home. I won’t forget it again! Promise. Your favorite part was when your Papa Jack put you up on the side and let you kick in the water. You would have sat up there forever if we would have let you.

*You are sitting up by yourself! You're not 100% stable all the time, but you are definitely doing it by yourself. Honestly, you would rather stand up than anything.

*You even sat in a high chair for the first time this month. Mommy took you to eat at McAlisters with our good friend Robin! She is having a little girl in a few months. This is the best picture Mommy could get!

*You're not crawling yet, but I think it is right around the corner. If there is a toy out of your reach that you want, you will stretch your little body as far as you can and then whine when you can't reach it. You also get up on all fours and rock back and forth. Usually followed by a nose plant!

*You absolutely LOVE remotes, phones, cords, anything that you aren’t supposed to have. We are already having to baby proof everything!

*You love food!!! You have tried just about everything- except peaches. Mommy thinks they smell weird. Maybe we will try them soon. You have just recently tried vanilla pudding custard with bananas. It is your favorite by far!! You attack that spoon before Mommy can get it to your mouth!

*You still nurse about 2-3 times a day. You have to bottles at daycare (of breast milk). You also eat 3(ish) things of baby food while you are there. You have started eating some snacks. Mum-Mum’s are your favorite, with Strawberry-Apple or Sweet Potato puffs coming in a close second.

*You still sleep about 10-11 hours at night. Bed around 7:00 and up around 6:00. You usually nap 2-3 times a day.

*For some reason you have taken a big liking to your paci. I have no clue why- maybe you are getting a tooth? You have always been so indifferent about it. But now, you prefer to have it. I hope it’s not going to be a problem to break that habit!

*You still love to splash and kick in the bathtub! We have turned you around in your baby bathtub so that you are sitting up and not laying back. You seem to like it. Ducky has made some special appearances during bath time. Of course, he goes straight to your mouth!

*You want to touch everything! And after you touch it, you study it, then it ALWAYS goes straight in your mouth. For example, the other day Daddy had a drink from Sonic in his hand while holding you. It took you all of 5 seconds to grab that straw! Everything just fascinates you.

*You babble occasionally, we have heard all kinds of sounds- “ba ba, da da” Daddy swears you are saying “Da Da”. It is precious.

Collin Bear, we just love you so much. I love how much you have gotten attached to your Daddy. I can already tell there will be great times ahead for you all together. Nothing makes me happier than to walk into your room at daycare and those little feet start to kicking when you see me. Mommy loves you SO MUCH.

Seven Months!

*You weigh around 15 1/2 pounds I have no idea how long you are because you will not stay still long enough for me to measure!

*You aren’t crawling yet. When we lay you on your tummy, or you roll to your tummy, you push your arms down and stretch your back out. If only you would get your knees up under you, you would be in the perfect position to crawl! Maybe by the end of the summer?

*We are working on sitting alone. You do well for a few seconds, but loose your balance and fall. You have done a couple of nose dives! (oops! Sorry- Mommy wasn’t fast enough to catch you!)

*When it comes to clothing, you are all over the board! You wear some 0-3 month stuff (shorts mostly), you wear 3-6 month onesies, and you have some outfits that are 6 month. All of your 6-9 month clothes are WAY too big!

*You are still wearing size 3 diapers.

*You are such a happy baby! You very rarely cry. You start to get a little fussy the closer it gets to bedtime. You also lose patience with Mommy when I take to long getting ready to nurse you.

*You are sleeping great! A couple nights of “Cry It Out Boot Camp”, and you are sleeping better than ever! You go down around 7:00-7:30 each night and wake up around 6. You are taking around 3-4 naps a day. Two long and two short cat naps.

*Every morning you wake up around 6 am and I nurse you. You have two 5 oz bottles (that Mommy has pumped) during the day, and baby food around lunch time. I nurse you again when we get home. Then, you eat a veggie for dinner around 6:00. Most of the time, you like to nurse just a little more before bed at 7:30 pm.

*You love your food. You lean into the spoon just as fast as you can. For breakfast you like fruits with rice cereal mixed in. You aren’t very fond of the fruits with oatmeal- I guess the texture is weird. You also like just plain fruits like bananas and apples. For dinner, I haven’t found anything you don’t like. You have tried: carrots, sweet potatoes, green beans, and squash.

*One of our favorite things is when Mommy or Daddy is holding you and someone smiles really big at you. You turn and bury your head into our shoulder. You smile so big! You have a cute little shy side to you! You always turn back around to see if they are still standing there though!

*You still love to put EVERYTHING in your mouth.

*You love it when people sing to you. Your favorite song is still “You are my Sunshine.” It is precious how you stare at Mommy when I sing it to you.

*You have started reaching for people (mostly for Mommy and Daddy), but you reached for your Great Grandpa Poppa the other day. It made him smile so big! Speaking of your great grandparents- Your Daddy’s grandparents (Granny and Poppa) gave you a BIG present on the 4th of July. I will be blogging about that very soon! You are loved so much!

*You are still a very content baby, unless you're tired or hungry.

*You LOVE Kyndall! You will follower her with your eyes all around the room. I can’t wait till you can play with her. She loves you VERY much. The first thing she always asks me when I see her is “What’s Collin doing?” Precious.

*When you're nursing and Daddy comes into the room and starts talking. You completely stop eating to focus on him. Then when he leaves you go back to eating. Sometimes we have to kick him out just so you will eat again! You love your Daddy!

*You like being outside. Pa and LeLe have a swing in their backyard. If the mosquitoes aren’t too bad we like to go out there and swing. It will be super nice when the weather cools off a little bit.

*You started Day Care this month. It has been REALLY hard for Mommy. You seem to do great with it though. This past week you even got a “cheerful” on your ‘report card’ as Daddy likes to call it.

*Daddy has also started picking you up every day. This gives you both some quality time together. Daddy picks you up everyday around 3:30 and takes you home.

Collin,

I have no idea how our lives were fun at all before you. We love to watch you grow and learn. You are developing a wonderful personality. You are just the sweetest thing ever. We love you very much!! You are now closer to being one year old than you are to being a newborn. I’m not sure how that has happened so quickly, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

I love you,
Mommy

6 Months! (6/7/11)

Stats:

Weight: 14 lbs 9 oz
Height: 26 in
Head: 16 1/2 in

*Collin bear, you are such a happy baby! We have had compliment after compliment on how great you are. You love to see new things. You just stare for so long.

*You are still not a great sleeper though, We are determined to get this fixed though. Our doctor told us it is now time to Cry It Out. You would think that Mommy would be having a hard time with this, but to tell you the truth… it’s your DADDY! He can’t go 10 minutes without coming and picking you up. Mommy is going to have to have a nice long talk with Daddy about this. I need you to sleep through the night!

*You nurse 2-3 times a day. Mommy is still pumping at work for you to have bottles during the day.

*You are still a little thing!! We still have 0-3 month clothes that fit you! Mostly just shorts though. The rest of your clothes are 3-6 months.

*You are wearing size 3 diapers.

*We give you rice cereal with fruit mixed in every morning. You seem to like it okay. We figured out that you don’t want it right when you wake up though. You like to eat it after your morning nap.

*You can pick up toys off the floor. You can change them from one hand to the other, and you ALWAYS put whatever is in your hand into your mouth.

*We just started putting you in the jumparoo. You aren’t sure how to figure it out. You curl your toes up and just kind of sit there and play with the toys around it. When Mommy bounces you, you don’t mind it. Hopefully you will figure out the bouncing soon.

*You're still not sitting up on your own. We are working on this. When you are in your bouncy seat you pull yourself up toward the toys as if you are trying to sit up. You love your bumbo. Maybe you will be sitting soon.

*You still love bath time. You make the funniest sounds when we first put you in the water. Your Daddy loves to watch you!

*No teeth yet... I don’t know what is taking so long. You drool and chew on anything you can get your hands on.

*We love it when you talk to us. I could listen all day long. Your voice is so sweet.

*You also are laughing lots more. I have gotten it on video several times. I will never get tired of hearing that laugh.

*Your legs are so strong. You have just recently starting being somewhat of a wiggle worm! We can be holding you and you will try to walk up us!

*Unless you are tired or hungry, you are happy and content.

Sweet baby boy,

You are the light of our lives. I can’t imagine our lives without you. You are growing up so fast! I can’t believe you are half a year old. You are developing the cutest little personality. We love you so very much.

Mommy and Daddy

Five Months (5/7/11)

How is it possible that I have a…

FIVE MONTH OLD?! Holy Moly.

According to our scale at home, you way 14.4 lbs. You aren’t still enough for Mommy to get a measurement of your length. We will just have to wait for next month when we have your checkup.

Collin, you smile all day long! You could not be more precious.

You wear mostly 0-3 month clothes still, but are starting to fit into 3-6 months too.

You are wearing size 2 diapers.

You love to play on your mat. Mommy loves it that you play with all of your toys so well. They keep you busy for quite a while!

You are rolling around like crazy BOTH ways! We are so proud of you! Many times when you go to sleep on your side, you roll to your stomach. You sleep better on your stomach than any other way.

Speaking of sleep, we have kinda gone backwards in your sleeping pattern. You were doing so well. What happened??? You lay down every night between 7:30-8. You usually sleep until midnight with no problems. After that, however, you want to see Mommy every 3 hours. Ugh. Collin Bear, Mommy needs sleep!

You love sitting in your Bumbo seat and looking around. You also still like your bouncy seat!

I think you are getting a tooth very soon. You are a drooling fool!

He has had his eye on those blocks for a while.

I'm waiting for the day when he reaches and pushes them all down!

You love music. Your favorite song right now is “You are my sunshine”. Mommy sings it to you every morning.

Oh, bath time. You love love love it. It is such an adventure. You love to kick and splash.

You do very well with naps during the day. A short morning nap around 9, a short nap around 12, and a longer nap in the afternoons.

No solid foods yet. We are very close though. So get ready…

You are still strictly on breast milk. Mommy still pumps at work, and nurses you at night and in the mornings.

You are very indifferent about your paci. You LOVE your fists. You have started loving to suck on just two of your fingers.

Notice that hickey on his arm?! Yes, he sucked on his arm so much that he gave himself a hickey.

We had a talk about those!! I told him that hickeys are gross, and illegal in our house! Haha!

You are such a squealing, talking, coo-ing, professional. It is so cute. You ‘talk’ to Mommy the whole way to the sitters house in the mornings.

Collin, you love to cuddle. I hope that never changes. I could cuddle with you all day long every day. The weekends are so special to Mommy. I feel like I get to spend so much quality time with you. You are the best thing that has ever happened to us. We love you baby bear.

Mommy and Daddy.

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4 Months! (4/7/11)

Your stats:

*weight: 12 lbs 3 ounces
*length: 24 inches long
*head: 14 3/4 inch

 
Collin Blake,

You were actually 4 months old earlier this month, I wrote this a few weeks ago, but didn't post it. This has been a rough month for Mommy. I went back to work, started leaving you every day with a sitter, am away from you for 9+ hours a day, and have been battling some severe anxiety and depression.

We did take your 4 month pictures. You weren’t as cooperative this month as you have been in the past. It might have been because I took them after your doctor check up! Mommy made a mental note not to try to have a photo shoot after you get shots!

Your 4 month appointment was very eventful. If your Daddy hadn’t been there with me, I probably would have lost it. Your Daddy is such a great Daddy. He was there rubbing my back after you were given your shots. That hurts me probably just as much as it does you.

We were actually given some news during the appointment that upset Mommy. I’m sure is very common, but Mommy took it pretty hard.

- You favor your right side. So as a result, the right side of your head is “significantly flat”. So, we are propping you on your left side to try to fix the problem.

- You were supposed to be getting vitamin D drops. Mommy was not told this, so I didn’t know. You are now getting them put into a bottle every single day. We tried to put them directly into your mouth, but despite how wonderful they smell, they taste AWFUL! I don’t blame you for gagging!

- Your car seat was in the wrong spot in the car. Your daddy and LeLe worked so hard to get that car seat base into Mommy’s car. Then when we were taking you home from the hospital the nurse moved it to behind the drivers seat. The worst spot you could have been. So, we are now riding with you in the middle.

- Your “private area” had some problems as well, but I won’t display your business for everyone to read. I am happy to report this is much better now!

- Mommy was also upset because you haven’t met some of your milestones yet. I know it’s just because you were born early, but after getting all of the news above, I just couldn’t take much more. I had to answer “no” to a couple of milestones that most 4 month olds have already done.

Mommy is very hard on herself. She is working really hard on this. I just want to be the best mommy I can be for you. I try to be perfect, when perfect just doesn’t exist.

*You are still wearing size 1 diapers. You fit comfortably in 0-3 month clothes.

*You are still only eating breast milk. Mommy pumps at work. You take bottles during the day and I nurse you at night.

*You are smiling like crazy. You are such a happy baby. You are happiest right when you wake up. Mommy is not a morning person, but you have changed that! I can’t help but smile when you do.

*We are going to hold off on the rice cereal for a while.

*You coo, squeal, and laugh all the time now...especially when you are on your play mat or laying on mommy and daddy’s bed.

*You aren’t a huge fan of your paci. You like it sometimes, and other times you don’t.

*You LOVE your fist. Sometimes you try so hard to get both of them in your mouth at the same time.

*You go to bed every night between 8 and 8:30. You usually sleep until around 3:00. I feed you and you go right back to sleep until 6 when we get up for the day.

*You LOVE bath time. You actually cry when I take you out. Mommy used to put your bathtub on top of the counter in the bathroom, but you kick so much that water was going all over the mirror. So now we put your bathtub down inside the big bathtub.



**You are the sweetest baby boy ever. People still tell us all the time how cute you are. I love you Collin Blake. I couldn’t be more happy that you are in my life.

Three Months

Happy THREE Months Little Man!

-We don't have a 3-month checkup, so I don't have "official" doctor's office measurements, but Daddy got on the scale and then back on while holding you. By our scale you weigh 11.4 lbs.

- You have found your fists! You love to lick them and suck on them. I hope that doesn’t mean you are going to be a thumb sucker!

-You love to smile! You also “talk” to us. It is the sweetest sound Mommy and Daddy have ever heard!

-You love it when we un-swaddle you, you do the cutest little stretch and smile so big.

-You wear size 1 diapers.

-You still wear some newborn clothes but they are getting too short for you. Soon it will be all 0-3 month clothes.

-You love bright lights. You love to look at the spot lights on the ceiling at church! You have been to church with Mommy and Daddy, but haven’t stayed in the nursery yet.

-Along with the bright lights you love to look at the tv, computer screen, or anything that lights up!

-You love your changing table. We could lay you on your changing table for hours and you would just smile, kick, and play.

-Every day I feel like you learn something new!

-You are still sleeping in your cradle in mommy and daddy's room at night. You are taking your naps during the day in your crib. Mommy isn’t ready for you to sleep in your room at night yet. Maybe soon?

-Mommy loves it that you wake up every morning when Daddy leaves. You snuggle with Mommy in her bed for a little while.

-You are sleeping 7-8 hours a night waking up just once to eat, usually around 3. Mommy loves this time with you when everything is quiet and dark. We get some great cuddle time in!

-Mommy finally found a bottle that you can take. You are doing so great with it! Mommy is going to continue to pump bottles for you during the day, and nurse you at night. You haven't had any formula yet!

-Mommy has to go back to work in a couple of weeks and is dreading it so much!

**We love you so much Collin Blake! I can't believe how fast these first three months have gone. You are the light of our lives and can't imagine anything without you. You are the cutest baby ever!!