11 months!

Michael, my sweet, sweet Michael. My have he grown quickly. Too quickly. Michael is almost 1 year. It's hard to believe. This has been the most exciting year of my life. Every day has been a new adventure and my how much has the little one learned. It's amazing. It's almost like you can watch their mind working on trying to figure out how to do something new. Michael is walking all over the place and it really is funny to watch. He reminds me a lot of a drunken sailor. He uses his right hand for balance so it's always in a fist and held up at his side and the left arm just flails away as he walks to wherever he wants to go. We are still in a size 4 diaper. I thought about switching him to a 5 because I don't like things to fit just right, to me just right, is just to snug so I like things to be a little loose. Well I tried out a size fit and instead of being a little loose Michael went for a swim so I decided to hold off on the 5 for a while. Michael is in 18 to 24 months size clothes, 24 months/2T. He hates drinking water on his own but if it's from my bottle or from my glass with ice he's right there gulping it down. I have been a nervous ninny with introducing real food to Michael. For some reason I just don't want to cause havoc in his tummy until after he's a year old. I want to make sure his system is ready, well I wanted to anyways. My hubby's parents were here visiting for about a week and well, Michael tried a lot of different things. Not only because of my in laws, but because I thought, well what's it going to hurt, a little of this and a little of that. Well a little of this and that caused a lot of gas in the little ones tummy and I couldn't figure out what was wrong until it just finally dawned on me. I haven't had to deal with his gas issue since he was 3 months old. Not much has really changed from him turning 10 months to 11 months except we are off the bottle, and he's walking. My next post with be the big 1, literally!

Costco

Have I ever mentioned how much I love Costco? Well I do. I love the prices and the value. I also don't understand why I wasn't a member before Michael came along lol. Diapers are sooo much cheaper at Costco, and you get sooo much more. The number one reason I love Costco is because of their formula. For 10 months of Michael's life I was a stay at home mommy meaning we were a one income only family trying to support 3. I don't know about you but I sure couldn't afford a 30 dollar can of formula on my own. A friend told me about the Kirkland brand and they were the same, so I compared and for the most part they were. So for 20 bucks I got 2 cans of formula instead of paying 25 for just 1. Michael has been on the Kirkland brand his entire life except the one month we were out in Ohio (my aunt brought me enfamil ). I think Kirkland is right up there with the name brand stuff. My only guff is that the kirkland formulas powder is a little thick compared to the similac or enfamil power. Those ones are super fine and don't fome up the bottle, but other than that, I think its great. And I haven't gone down to wic to try and apply for that, because then I know I would get coupons for the more expensive name brand stuff, and I know that I can get by, and that there are more needy people out there than me. Anyway I am going off into a whole different subject. So it's getting to be birthday/holiday/fall/winter season so toys and coats are out for purchase. I knew we were going to have to get Michael a coat and I have been looking at the used baby clothes stores but wasn't really finding anything that I liked or didn't think it was a good deal. Well let me tell you. We went to Costco and my hubby picked up this really nice red jacket and it was only 20 bucks! I was like I like that one, but then I saw a darker blue with some thin black stripes and really liked that one so we ended up getting this thick terrific winter jacket for 20 bucks. I walked around and started talking with my hubby that the jacket was going to be great for really cold days but wouldn't it be to much for not so cold days. My hubby agreed and we ended up finding a carters reversible jacket for 17 bucks! Man it feels like winning the lottery, haha, I know its sad, but when your on a budget and can't afford a whole lot and find great things like this, you get excited, what can I say? Anyways so we got the two jackets, and of coarse I still looked around and found mittens! These cute black mittens, with the softest lining. I had to have those to. 11 bucks. Good deal. I know this is a ramble but I was just feeling happy about my find and wanted to share.

~Excitment in the air~

Bear with me, this post is a bit of a ramble *Sigh* A little over a month, Michael will be one, ONE! Holy moly where has this year gone? For months I have been dreading this, because my baby will no longer be a baby but a little boy. I can however say that the dread has gone away and my excitement has come full force. I am so excited for his big day. So excited to relive my memories of the day he blessed us. I am so excited for his first birthday. The planning and trying to figure out what to do and where to have it. Today I finally got some things ordered and where we are having his party booked. I wish we could just do it at our house but we hardly survive in here let alone a whole truckload of people.

I took Michael to Cafe' Sip N Play today and met another mommy who had a 9 month old. Michael and him played and it was super cute to watch. They would both squeal with excitement and then their arms would start flying and the smiles, oh the smiles :) But besides that, haha, off track there, another mommy came in with her little girl and then I saw the car seat she was carrying with the most precious cargo, a newborn, ahhhh. Now usually my heart aches because of how much I miss Michael being so small and how much I wish I would have wrapped myself into that stage more, not that I already wasn't, but just enjoying and remembering every moment. Well today my heart didn't twist, my throat didn't dry up, and I didn't get choked up, instead I thought isn't she adorable? looked at Michael and said "That's what you used to look like, so tiny, but your a big boy now, your almost 1!" I was so proud of myself for being able to stand my ground and not emotionally break down seeing a "newbie" I know I am not the only one in the world who feels like this I am sure, and I am surprised at how many people can control these feelings of wanting another "little one" until they know the time is right and not just having one to handle their feelings.

So anyways the planning is officially started, the date and time is set! Now just got to gather decorations, and figure out if I want to attempt to make Michael his first cake or have someone make it for me, and then presents, ahhh what do I get the little one. He loves to make noise and loves to dance and loves to push things around and LOVES TO BOUNCE, is there a gift that combines all those into one, maybe two? I may sound crazy but I want my son to have it all, to enjoy life, and I know that he doesn't need presents to be happy, but I want him to look back when he's older and say my mom really cared about my happiness, just thinking about it warms my heart :) Ok I'm done rambling my odd thoughts

Say Wha???????

Michael cracks me up, and I mean really cracks me up. I have said that he talks and talks and when he opens that mouth you better be listening, cause it's serious and important :) My brother watched the little man while I was at work today and when I returned the little munchkin was asleep on the couch, looking so peaceful. My brother and his girlfriend shared that he had just fallin asleep and that he was very active the entire time. I told him to go on and they both said that he was just non stop talking, that his eye brows would kind of angle when he was on a role, and if they looked away for a second he just got louder like HEY LISTEN TO ME! Haha. I am going to try to record him talkin away so you can share this joy with me. I really wonder whats hes talking about and whats so dog gone important. I look forward to when he is older and those babbles are actual words, that should be exciting.