Field of Dreams

Yes, THE Field of Dreams (as in, the movie with Kevin Costner Field of Dreams). Leslie lives 10 minutes away...so of course, we had to visit. Here is Nathan in front of the welcome sign.

Sitting where the little girl fell off the bleachers and choked on a hot dog...

In front of the house.

THE Field.

"If you build it, they will come." Nathan and I coming out of the corn...

The Backyard of Backyards!

This is the backyard of Nathan's 2nd cousin, Leslie, and her family. They honestly live in the middle of a corn field (which was beautiful!!!), and have this HUGE backyard, obviously. Along with the two very patient dogs that Leslie has...Nathan was in Playground Heaven!

Vacation Recap

So...Nathan went on his first roadtrip! Last Friday we drove to Dyersville, Iowa to visit my cousin and her family. She just had her 7th kid (yes, SEVEN!), so you could imagine the playground that was for Nathan! He LOVED it!

He was a very, very good boy on the 8hour roadtrip. He only REALLY got fussy one time. The rest, we were able to stop often enough for him to stretch his legs and "run around" a little bit. I was very suprised and a bit nervous that he would hate every minute of it and an 8 hour roadtrip would turn into a 15 hour, two day event. To prepare, I had tons of somewhat healthy snacks, lots of new toys and books (yeah $1 Stores!). It helped A LOT that someone was sitting in the back with him at all times (my Mom and brother went too), mostly it was me because Zane wanted to drive...so I was able to entertain Nathan for most of the time. He did sleep when it was his normal naptime, which was nice. :)

The only real issue Nathan had was his new surroundings. He tended to be extremely clingy to those he knew well (i.e. me...or Grandma or Uncle Zane), and didnt sleep all that well (meaning woke up at 5am!) while there. BUT, that is to be expected in a different time zone and surrounded by 7 other kids!

After Dyersville, we drove down to Nauvoo for a couple of days then on home to Louisville. We got back in Louisville late Monday night. It was a great trip! I have TONS of pictures...:)

4th of July!

Hope everyone had a good one!

(Thanks Nan and Paps for taking this picture!)

Too Cute to Handle!

Caught!

Summer Company!

Grand Dad, Grand Mom and Nathan

Grand Mom and Nathan

Last week began our three week summer company extravaganza! First Jonathon's Mom and Step Dad (Grand Mom and Grand Dad to Nathan) came in to spend some time with us...then on Wednesday, my Mom and brother (Grandma and Uncle Zane to Nathan) come in for a couple of weeks. It is a nice change of pace with company around, and Nathan surely enjoys the nonstop attention! :)

MMMM, I feel...HUNGRY!

So, as I have mentioned, Nathan LOVES books. However, there is one book that the only thing he likes to do with it is eat it. I am not sure what it is about this book that tastes so good, but it is the only book out of his entire collection that he eats!

(Notice the missing bottom tab. He. Ate. It!)

Baby Steps...Head First!

Nathan taught himself how to go down the steps...head first! We of course have not let him try this tactic out on the big step leading upstairs, as surely he would learn real quick why going down the steps head first is not the brightest idea!

(P.S. Don't mind the drool and the big drool spot on his shirt. The child HATES bibs, yet is a drooler!)

Diaper Acrobatics

Apparently, somewhere/sometime, in the last couple of months Nathan has decided that getting his diaper changed is no longer an essential, but a game. The MOMENT he sees me get the diaper and the wet wipes out, he starts crawling away as if to say "chaaase me!". Which of course, I do, because...well...he stinks!!! ;)

Once he is caught, he lays there long enough for you to get the pants/shorts and dirty diaper off, only to immediately flip to his tummy and crawl away again. He does not seem to care if there is still stink on his cute little bum....he just wants to get away and be Naked Nate again.

Getting a clean diaper back on him is the ONE thing that just about sends me over the edge! ;) Especially when he has the hint of a diaper rash and he lays there long enough to get the Desitine (or however you spell it...the white, sticky, creamy stuff that takes away diaper rash) smeared on his rump, and THEN crawls away, getting white, sticky, creamy stuff all over everything.

He does this with a HUGE grin on his face...and a giggle in his gut. His game of choice, for sure.

10 Months

Really? For real? Nathaniel Charles Ice...is he REALLY 10 months old, already???? I think I say this every month that passes...how does the time go so fast, yet continue to move even faster?

Nathan has mastered pulling himself up on things...even the wall. He is just now starting to show a little interest, or ability rather, in taking steps while holding on to someone's hands. He does KIND of cruise...but it is not all at once and he definately doesnt quite realize he is doing it. He does stand alone for a good 15 seconds then either sits down or grabs on to something. The crawling thing though...he has got that down pat, and he doesnt seem to be doing the "anyone seen the bridge" anymore. Only when he is in a really goofy mood...

Which...GOOFY! His personality is so entertaining! I keep joking to everyone that Nathan is going to be the kid in the back of the classroom eating glue....and I say that not being mean or saying that he is "weird". He just has a great sense of humor that I can totally see him being the class clown. He makes himself laugh, or he makes funny faces and sounds. He grunts and yells and "ooohs" all day long. Just watching him is completely entertaining and enjoyable!

All boy! One of Nathan's FAVORITE games is to drop something and then pick it up. He likes it when you pick it up for him, but he certainly isnt against picking it up himself....even if he is already on the floor and he just drops it from there. He will first drop it, then look at you and say "Ooooh. Ooooh?" as if telling you that he dropped it, then asking where it went. He then looks at the object and grunts and breathes real hard as if he is physically working hard to pick it up. Once he has it, he says "Aaaaah!" claps his hands, then proceeds to drop the object again. Sometimes, he will manage to throw the object and crawl through his entire minefield of dumped toys to get it, grunting the entire time....as if he were in a war zone, dodging bullets to get to where he needs to be. I am not quite sure what is going on in his mind, but it is obvious that the imaginiation is working overtime!

Books. Still in love with the books! If it were for the little Gerber cereal puffs and books, Jonathon and I would not go out to eat...ever, and I wouldnt be able to get through the grocery store or Target! He LOVES books. Pop-up books! Elmo books!

He still loves chasing the cats...and the cats are still trying to figure out when this little human being is going to leave. ;) Ahh, the cats love him...:) They are fascinated by him, and will sit on the outskirts of the room, just watching him (until, of course he sees them and makes a b-line to them...and the chase begins!).

He hasnt started talking yet, with the exception of "mama" and "dada" and "babababa" and "mmmmmm" and the afformentioned "ooooohs" and "ahhhhhs". I havent been real diligent in saying things like "up" or "out" or "more", etc...but I have started trying to do better at that.

Nathan LOVES to growl! He growl sings to his favorite songs, or will growl crawl around the house.

He just started waving goodbye yesterday. :)

And...he dancy dances!

Picture of the Day

Summer Lovin'...

In our neverending quest to find things to do...here is Nathan enjoying his afternoon "snack" while enjoying a hot summer day, in the shade. He had just finished splashing in his little pool...naked (Naked Nate, of course!). :)

Happy Father's Day!

Mommy, I don't Feel Very Good....

Last Friday, Nathan woke up from is afternoon nap as usual, and was a little fussy and within 20 minutes he had thrown up a few times and was extremely clingy and lethargic. All he wanted to do was sit on my lap and play with the phone. The duration of the evening consisted of him throwing up a couple more times, acting like he was feeling better, eating a little bit and throwing up a couple more times in his crib. Saturday he didnt throw up any, but just wasnt hungry for anything...and you could tell was just a little under the weather. Poor little guy had a little stomach bug. Luckily he is on the road to feeling better and is eating normally for the most part and is back to his goofy self :)

As a mother, it was very hard to watch your child throw up and be scared like he was. He had no idea what was going on...and I remember being young (not that young obviously), and being scared of the whole throwing up thing and the ONLY thing that made it better was my Mom being there. Even now, my first instinct when I dont feel very good is to call my Mom and get some Mom Sympathy. How awsome it is to now be on the other side of that...and comfort instead of being comforted.

Rejection of the Sippy Cup

Houston, we have a problem. Nate Dawg no longer likes the sippy cup...well, okay he liked it for about 2 weeks and now he doesnt want to have anything to do with it. I have tried different cups, and nope...just not interested. Weening him from his bottle is going to be interesting. Actually, I think we could just take away his bottle now and he wouldnt notice except at bedtime...but with him still being required to get as much formula as he is, it is a little tough to do that...especially now with the Sippy Cup Rejection.

Hmmm....I'll keep ya updated. :)

Bad Mother

Nathan in the ZONE.....




With all of Nathan's crawling around and need for one on one attention (which I really don't mind, he is a good boy and doesnt get into anything he really shouldnt), there are times when I just need 30 minutes of Not Being The Sole Source of Entertainment Time...SOO every once and a while I will break out a video for Nathan to watch while having a snack. This allows me to be able to go down and get the laundry or do some dishes or just eat lunch without having him crawl up my leg. Again, I do LOVE seeing him smile and making him laugh and just watching him all together, BUT there are times when I just need a little few minute break. Thus I break out the video. Now I say I am a bad mother because there are all these articles and studies about little kids, under 2, watching tv, especially in boys...and being linked with autism or A.D.D. So, I KNOW it isnt real great for him to be set in front of the tv. I also don't want the tv to be the babysitter or relied on at all, nor do I want an inside kid who doesnt ever want to do anything but watch tv or play video games. Anyways...

I will say that I can see a HUGE difference in Nathan when he is watching tv. (For the record though, he will only sit and watch the Baby Einstein Van Gogh video. That is the only one he will actually sit and watch, anything else or any other Baby Einstein video, he could care less about, the tv might as well be turned off.) The moment he hears the music he knows he sits...and don't even try to talk to him or get his attention because he is so zoned out he isnt listening to anything but the music on the video. Even snack time in front of the tv is not snack time because he just sits there, with his hand planted in his bowl of cereal and doesnt move for 20 minutes....while it is very cute and funny, it is also something to take note of the televisions affect on him. Interesting....

Curious Like a Cat...

Hmmm...The cats go through there, can I?

I KNOW I can fit...

Hmmm, maybe this way will work?

Nahhh....Look what does Mom have??? That flashing light thing that!

I couldnt quite capture the fullness of Nathan's attempt to go through the cat door. He tried and tried for a good 15 minutes. He would shake the door to see if it would move or if he could break through...it was quite entertaining. I just hope he doesnt figure out how to stick his head through, because I think it could fit, but I dont think we would be able to get it out without.

What A Pro!

No Explanation Needed...

California Dreamin'

Nine Month Stats...

So we had a Doctor appointment this morning and here is how he weighs in:

Height: 30 in (90%)
Weight: 22 lbs 10 oz (75%-90%)

Not too shabby. He has definately slowed down, so he isnt "WOW HE IS SO BIG" anymore. :)

Doc said he has a heart murmur (or however you spell it), but it wasnt anything to worry about. He likened it to a freckle on your bum, and you dont really notice or care that its there until (unless) it starts looking like something more than just a freckle. He said most kids grow out of the hear murmur.

Other than that, all stats pan out. He is great on iron and all other nutrients. Red blood cells were excellent....perfect bill of health!

I can't believe that his next well check is at ONE YEAR OLD! That is amazing to me! My boy is almost a toddler! Bittersweet.

Anyone Seen the Bridge?

Haha...Jen...I LOVED that! Yes, he has perfected the Anyone Seen The Bridge crawl, especially on the hardwood floors.

NINE Months!!!! (yesterday, of course)

(yes, he is posing for the camera!)


And once again, he has hit another milestone birthday! Nine months! WOW! He has now been in the world as long as he was in the womb. That is nothing less than amazing! He is rockin' and rollin' these days, and has pretty much tuckered me out! I was tired when he was born and the crazy weeks following his birth, but either I have forgotten what tired is...or keeping up with him is way more tiring than keeping up with a newborn!

The thing is, is that Nathan doesnt really crawl everywhere. Like he rarely attempts to go down the the stairs (unless he is chasing the cats), he doesnt really get into a whole lot (though it helps that our house has yet to be FULLY decorated and we dont have a bunch of stuff that he can get into...except Daddy's Office, which he never goes in, unless we are with him), nor does he crawl off to unknown spaces. He is very content to just crawl to me and then crawl up my leg for me to carry him around with me. I just dont think crawling is fast enough for him, nor is he content on being 30 inches (or however tall he is now...Doctor's appt next Friday will tell). He wants to be up...seeing everything that we see. If I sit on the floor with him, he is content...I think because he doesnt feel like he is missing anything, but when he is on the floor and I am up and about, he is missing out. It is very sweet and very promising that he is so inquisitive and curious. I also think that he doesnt enjoy crawling on the hard wood floors...;)

He still LOVEs books and his favorite is the Elmo book "SOOO Big". Its a pop up book at the end and he gets real irritated if you dont go fast enough to get to the pop up part.

He LOVES Jack Johnson! and he has started to "dancey dance" to music he likes. He just bobs his head a little or bounces his knees.

He puckers his lips when he eats fruit.

He chases the cats, and they are learning the name of that game!

He pulls himself up in his crib and we have had to lower his crib so he doesnt jump out. I will say that as bittersweet as it is to see him grow up so fast, one of THE most precious gifts is to go into his room after his nap and see him standing there waiting...he ALWAYS has a HUGE smile on his face and a little giggle in his belly.

He babbles and growls and says "ooooh" a lot!

He likes standing on his head to see what the world looks like from upside down. He loves it even more when someone makes him do a somersault!

He is learning to stack and to dump things out. He has also perfected the "Impatient Swipe" of his toys while waiting to be fed in his highchair.

He pulls himself up on the couch and the bed frame, and doesnt really show any interest in cruising...OTHER than he forgets he cant balance without holding on to something so he often times just lets go trying to go somewhere...and he falls. If I had to bet...I would say he will be walking by the time he is a year old, or very shortly after.

Nine months!