11 months!

How did we get here!?

I'm in shock, denial and disbelief that my little baby boy is 11 months old and that this is the last monthly update I'll do before he loses a digit and turns the BIG 1! The only thing keeping me from crumbling into a hot mess of tears is the fact that Tristan gets cuter, more entertaining and more amazing every single day.

I guess that's the universe's way of showing parents the silver lining of our babies growing up so quickly. And to say they grow up quickly is a major understatement.

(He's as shocked as we are!)

I'm trying to find the pause button on life, but I'm not getting anywhere! Instead, Tristan is growing up and advancing at lightning speed. I think this may be one of the biggest jumps yet.

In addition to being our monthly photo prop.,sheepy (or lamby, depending on the day) is also Tristan's favorite snuggle buddy. They sure make a cute pair. :) 

And now just some snapshots of our little smiley ray of sunshine:

I wish I had time to post 1,000 more pictures of his adorableness!! (I know most of these are the same picture with a different outfit, but these are the easiest to quickly grab from the 9,000+ on my phone. Note to self: sort pictures.)

AND NOW...

AT ELEVEN MONTHS, TRISTAN...

...is full-on walking (and practically running).
 

...sleeps through the night (although I'm still very hesitant to say that out loud for fear of the jinx).
 

...figured out how to use remotes and knows to point them at what he's using (TV, ceiling fan).
 

...is not a fan of the car seat, too restrictive for this busy boy!

 

...is a world-class snacker. Favorites include Goldfish, Nilla Wafers, apples and Puffs.
 

...loves to play outside! 
 

...still isn't a fan of diaper changes (once again, too restrictive). 
 

...has a great appetite for baked beans, potato salad, and yogurt.

...enjoys playing with blocks and gets a big kick out of knocking them over.

...loves playing with balls and putting them into things.

...knows how to go down steps, and wants to practice this skill often!

...gets enthralled with Baby Einstein's Old MacDonald, especially the piggies in the mud!

...mimics actions of those around him. 

...is destructive! Isabel Blooms are not as solid as one would think. ;-)

...is obsessed with coffee cups and the Keurig noise.

...gives THE GREATEST hugs EVER.
 

...still laughs and smiles ALL THE TIME, including in his sleep.
 

...loves hearing his own voice, especially in the tub (must be good acoustics in there)!

 

 

...can open and close a door for 30 minutes straight, it's very entertaining!
 

...can find his nose.

 

 

...still has only two teeth! We keep wondering when they'll have kids. :)

...is the cutest sleeper in the whole wide world!

 

 

...drinks out of a sippy cup, but prefers to drink through a straw.
 

...is very GQ with his model style.

 

 

...shakes his groove thang with head rocking and booty dropping.
 

...makes the world a better place.
 

...is our best accomplishment to date.


...is loved more than he could ever possibly know.

10 months

We've hit double digits...

 

 

 ...and with it has come double awesomeness!

 

This kid is the absolute best, and just when I think he can't get any better, he goes and does just that. I wish I could freeze time with him, but on the other hand, I love to see what each new day brings.

AT 10 MONTHS, TRISTAN...

...HATES diaper changes.

...does not enjoy getting dressed.

...LOVES balls!

...is walking a lot on his own and well! He can make turns and walk the entire length of the hallway/room.

...has CRAZY hair. I try to tame it, but it has a mind of its own!

...can show you how big he is ("How big is Tristan?" Arms shoot up!)

...is his own biggest fan, and claps to show it. ;)

...babbles all the time, especially in the bath tub.

...is obsessed with stuffed animals!

...has yet to consistently sleep through the night.

...isn't a huge fan of table food, but thoroughly enjoys Nilla Wafers, Ritz crackers, pretzels, soda bread, Puffs and  has tried pizza, tacos, noodles, egg rolls, pancakes, all fruits and veggies, ham, chicken, etc. Milk is still his favorite.

...waves hi and bye!

...is intrigued by computers and phones (and always wants to close the laptop!)

...wants to be Daddy's player #2 when he's playing video games.

...loves climbing on people.

...thinks everything belongs on the floor, especially the kitty bed on the couch.

...has THE BEST eyebrows ever, and shows all expressions through them.

...is extremely ticklish!!

..."mows" the floor with his activity walker, head down and all business!

...climbs and plays on the stairs all the time.

...always knows where to find the ceiling fan!

...flirts ALL THE TIME and pretends to be bashful while doing so.

...has the most perfect smile and the best laugh in the whole wide world.

...is the greatest baby in the universe (and beyond!)

...for a small guy, he's a big deal.

 

It is beyond belief that our little bundle of pure joy is 10 months old. My life has been forever changed and my heart has been stretched to the limit with the love this face brings me. We are lucky to be his parents, now if only he'd listen when we tell him to stop growing up so quickly!!

(And because I'm a slacker at posting pics on the blog, feel free to check out his daily photos on Instagram - @365daysofTMax!)


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8 Months!

8 MONTHS OF FUN!

I thought I was going to be able to make a great, thorough post today while Tristan napped, but as soon as I got to the computer to get to it, he woke up from his (much too short) nap. Story of my life with my non-napper! So, I'll give a quick recap of our amazing little man at 8 months and hope to post more pics when if he takes an afternoon snooze. :)

AT 8 MONTHS, TRISTAN...

...has officially moved out of the infant room at daycare. (They called it a "promotion", I called it a reason to sob.) Goodbye Turtles, hello Ducks!

...is almost walking. Unbelievable, and we are so not ready!

...crawls, climbs, stands, dances. If it's a form of movement, he's doing it nonstop! Not much different than his life in utero, it all makes sense now!

...has ONE TOOTH! And it's a sharp little sucker. It seems as though more are not far behind!

..."talks" a lot! "Uh uh uh" is his go-to phrase, but he does say "mamamama" a lot, too. I, of course, think he's saying it to me, Ian thinks it's a coincidence.

...still LOVES his auntie kitty, Lexi. And really loves pulling her bed off the couch and onto the floor, even if she's in it.

...is getting much better at sleeping through the night (teething nights aside, but those still aren't bad), yay!

...is not winning any nap champion titles. Cat naps are his favorite.

...weighs in at approximately 21 pounds and measures about 27 inches (informal measurements, don't quote them).

...eats like a hungry, hungry hippo. He's had all his fruits, veggies, oatmeal, puffs, mum-mums, Ritz crackers and Nilla Wafers. Luckily, the milk consumption has gone day a little, less pressure on working/pumping mama!

...is awesome at giving high-fives, and gets the biggest kick out of it, too!

...has a heart-melting smile on his face all the time (and if he's not smiling, he's usually making some sort of hilarious facial expression with his amazing eyebrows).

...laughs with the best belly-laugh in the world!

...loves to grab the remote and video game controller to be like daddy.

...still loves bath time, but wants to stand up and make it difficult!

...has crazy hair, doesn't care! And is quite the blonde boy, so unlike mama!

...loves to play with his toys more than ever, especially the musical ones.

...blows kisses! (Still a ladies man flirt!)

...still looks like his daddy, but often matches his mama. :)

...has his own Instagram account to feed Baba & Papa's #Cube. (@365daysoftmax if you want to see more photos, much quicker to post them there than on the blog these days!)

...is growing up WAY TO FAST, but makes each day better than the last!!

And a few videos to end the post with a smile:

Laughter is contagious.

He pulls left.

Hollly, Jolly 7 Month Old!

 Oh, by golly, we have a holly, jolly 7-month old this year!

 
 

I am in utter disbelief that my little baby is now closer to being a 1 yr old than he is to being a newborn. That revelation is both terrifying (how are the days, weeks and months flying by so quickly!?) and exciting (he learns something new each day and is so full of personality, we never know what tomorrow will have in store!) Words truly cannot explain how amazing, fantastic and awesome these past 7 months have been (or should we say 6, the first month's learning curve was steep and life wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, it was hard work...but still totally awesome and totally worth it). 

Love is simply not a big enough word to describe how I feel about this little boy. I often think my smile is going to swallow my entire face, my heart is going to leap out of my chest into his chubby little hands, and my arms are going to scoop him up, squeeze him and never let go. His face melts my heart like nothing else can and his smile sends tingles of pure love and adoration throughout my entire being. It's one of those feelings that despite there being millions of mothers and fathers in the world, I cannot fathom anyone loving their child as much as I do. (I realize this is totally not true, but it's that kind of love....you think to yourself, surely no one else in the world can feel the way I do!) And I now wonder if this is how my parents look at me?? Surely they don't, right? It's insane, that's the only way I can describe it. I am insanely in love.

While I long for the days of him fitting snugly in the crook of my arm and sleeping so soundly on my chest, I anxiously greet each day with wonder of what he'll do to make my life even more complete. For instance, the smile he greets me with each time I open his car door now is such that I would stand there for days on end, just opening and closing that door with him. That smile of recognition and joy did not exist on that tiny baby I enjoyed back in June, and that's what makes me more excited for the future than too nostalgic about the past. As the saying goes, the best is yet to come. But what's come and gone is pretty fantastic, too. With that said, here's what's gone down since last month:

AT 7 MONTHS, TRISTAN... 

...has perfected crawling.

....pulls himself up on just about anything he can.

...gets SO proud of himself for standing up!

...absolutely loves "Bath Time!" (both the book and the actual time in the bath)

...has eaten rice cereal, oatmeal, peas, carrots, green beans, squash and sweet potatoes.

...does not like green beans! 

...survived (and rocked) his first airplane ride to Vegas.

...weighs about 20 lbs. 

...is a big fan of his furry siblings.

...walks along the stairs while holding on, impressive!

...has started sleeping through the night, 5 in a row is our record!

...is still working on getting that first tooth (which will likely derail the accomplishment above!)

...has his daddy's hazel-green eyes.

...is turning into a blondie, and the mullet is filling in!

...thinks fish-face is very entertaining.

...loves musical toys and things that make noise.

...is a mama's boy, but is quite fond of daddy too.

...makes the world a better place by being in it. :-)

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!!