*eIgHt eXciTiNg mOnThS*

That's right! Connor was officially 8 months old on Sunday, March 20th.  I'm a little late with this update because I have been sooooooooo sick, but that's a completely different post entirely!

So many exciting things to share about our eight wonderful months with our little blessing!


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Dear Connor,

We have had the best eight months with you!  I will never forget the first time I laid eyes on you!  From then on, I have just loved on you and loved on you!!! Here is a picture of us in the hospital.  Of course, Mommy is loving away on you.  When you were itty bitty you would just lay on Momma and let her love away! Now, you are too busy for that.  You are very curious and like to learn, so that means you don't have much time to be cuddled.  When Momma tries to cuddle you, you usually wiggle your way out!  You are quite the wiggle worm now!  However, sometimes you still let Momma cuddle you.  You let me know when you are ready for cuddles, too! If you want to be picked up or Momma walks away and you don't want me to, you scream at me to let me  know it, and you raise your arms up to tell me to pick you up.  I LOVE it when you do this!!! I don't want you to outgrow our cuddles!

This is you and Daddy only minutes after you were born! He was sooooooooo excited that you were finally here!  You and Daddy have a very special bond!  You say, "Da-Da," all the time!  Daddy thinks it is hilarious that you say Da-Da more than you say Ma-Ma.  I told him it was because Ma-Ma is harder to say.  So, when you decided to wake up at 5:30 on a Saturday morning, and we could hear you saying "Da-Da" over the monitor, I told Daddy that you were calling his name and that he better go get you.  hehe!

I have so many things to tell you about all that you are doing at 8 months old!! So, here are EIGHT things to share:

1.  You absolutely LOVE bath time! As soon as you hear Daddy turn on the water, you start kicking your legs and don't stop! It makes is a challenge for Momma to get your clothes off!  You LOVE being a naked baby!  It means that it is bath time!  Once you are in the water, you don't stop kicking the WHOLE time! You splash and splash and splash! Usually the bathtub starts out pretty full, but once you are done kicking, there is only about an inch of water left.  A lot of it ends up on Mommy and Daddy or on the floor!  You think it is soooooooo funny, too!

2.  You DO NOT like your changing table at the moment.  It doesn't matter what you are on it for... a diaper change, clothing change, lotion, or the like... you DO NOT like it, and you let us know!  We have tried giving you toys and singing to you, but you STILL ABSOLUTELY DO NOT like your changing table.  Hopefully that changes by nine months! ;)

3.  You LOVE puffs! They are your first "solid, solid" food.  Your favorite flavor is the banana/peach combo from Plum Organics.  Mommy thinks they are pretty yummy too!  When you first started eating them, you would get frustrated because you had a hard time using your thumb and pointer finger to pick one up out of Momma's hand.  You figured out how to just bring your face down to Momma's hand.  It worked out much better for you! LOL  Now, you are a pro at using your thumb and pointer to pick up your puffs!

4.  You have SUDDENLY become a paci baby!  That's right! As soon as you got your first tooth, you wanted a paci and you haven't put it down!  This is a shocker for Momma, who desperately tried to get you to take a paci for about the first 3 months of your life.  Now you love to sleep with your paci!  You have no interest in it during your playtime... only for naps and bedtime!

5.  You are now in a big boy car seat in Mommy's new "mom mobile!!!" That's right, Mommy got a new ride for her 26th birthday, and you got a new car seat!

This is mommy's new ride!  You like it because you have a lot more room now!

Here you are all snuggled up in your big boy car seat FACING BACKWARDS in our new car!!! You even have a paci!!!  There is emphasis on the 'facing backwards' because several people on facebook thought I put you facing forward when I posted this picture.  They are silly because they know what a worry wart I am!!! You will be facing backwards until you are AT LEAST two and hopefully longer! Your seat has a 40 lb. weight limit while facing backwards, so you will be RFing until then! The American Academy of Pediatrics recently came out with these new recommendations.

6.  You suddenly have 4 teeth! Yes, FOUR, teeth!!!  We went from zero to four teeth in about two weeks, so you've be quite the grumper sometimes.  But, that's okay.  Mommy would be a grumper, too, if she were teething!  You like to use your new chompers to eat puffs!  Soon you'll be able to eat even more yummy foods!  Mommy learned the hard way that you won't be able to chew on my fingers anymore! Your chompers are razor sharp!!! OUCH!

7. You are trying awfully hard to crawl!  I'm sure its pretty hard to lift up 22 lbs!! You aren't quite there yet, but you still get to where you are wanting to go.  You wiggle, squirm, roll, and scoot until you get to your desired destination!!! So, Mommy and Daddy have started on the baby proofing that needed to be done!  Pretty soon you are gonna take off, Mommy feels it coming... real soon!

8.  You LOVE being outside!!!! The weather has just recently become warm enough for us to venture outside with you.  You thought your stroller ride was the greatest thing EVER until your Mamaw put you and Tyler in the wagon together!  You both LOVED riding in the wagon!  You squealed and clapped your hands because you liked it soooooooooo much!  Here is a picture of you and Tyler enjoying the wagon.

You and Tyler look sooooooooooo much ALIKE, and you both absolutely LOVE to be outside.  Here you are enjoying your wagon ride at Mamaw's.

Mommy and Daddy have had the BEST eight months with you, and we can't wait to see what all you have in store for us.  We love every minute we get to spend with you, which never feels like it is enough!  You are such a HAPPY baby, and love to learn.  We are soooooooo blessed that God chose us to be your parents!  We thank Him everyday!  I think you're pretty excited we're your parents too... see:

We LOVE you to the moon and back a million times!  Happy 8 months Bubby!!!! WE LOVE YOU!
XOXOXO
Love,
Mommy & Daddy

~A 7 1/2 month update~

That's right... so many new and exciting changes in the Shacklett household that I couldn't wait until 8 months to update you!  Where shall I start!?!?!

1.  Connor has learned how to clap! It is absolutely precious and he really gets going when he's super excited about something!!!  Check it out:

What makes it super adorable is that he doesn't clap palm to palm yet.  He claps hand over hand! hehe!  This picture doesn't do the cuteness factor justice!

2.  Connor is OFFICIALLY saying "ma-ma!"  I can't even tell you how much this made my day... my week!!!  He will even repeat "ma-ma" after I tell him to say it! Needless to say, Ma Ma was very excited about this new development!  Hopefully soon he will connect "ma-ma" to the real Ma-Ma!  On a separate note...  Why is it that babies always say "da-da" first????  Connor has been saying "da-da" for months... and the Da-Da's always think it is SO HILARIOUS that babies say "da-da" before "ma-ma!" I'm sure it has something to do with the syllable "da" being easier than "ma." hehe!  I don't have a picture or video of this yet. It's on my to-do list though!  Instead, I'll share some of "Ma-Ma's" favorite recent pictures! :o)

This is my "what is that!?!?!?!" face.

Ma Ma LOVES these BIG blue eyes!

This is my sweet Bubby, mid-giggle!

Ma Ma LOVES this onesie!  If any of you know the Justin Timberlake song, "I'm bringing Sexy Back," then I'm sure you think this is hilarious too!  "I'm bringing chubby back! Those girls won't know how to act!" LOL!!!!!!!!

 3.  Bubby OFFICIALLY has his first tooth!  (I feel like I'm saying officially a lot in this post, LOL!) That's right... we have our first chomper!  Connor was super fussy in church on Sunday. So, I took him back to a Sunday school room to feed him and let him play.  Well, this didn't do much to improve his demeanor.  I was thinking he may just be really tired.  He FINALLY fell asleep in the truck on the way home.  3 1/2 hours later (yes... you read that right! 3 1/2 hours!) he finally woke up from his nap.  If you know Connor, then you know 3 1/2 hour naps are unheard of.  I kept checking on him to make sure he was breathing! LOL!  Anywhoo, he woke up with a TOOTH!  I've tried to get of picture of this toofer, but he has been very uncooperative so far.  I'll keep trying!  On a good note, one tooth through, and ONLY about 20 more to go! LOL!

4.  Bubby's personality is really starting to shine at 7 1/2 months old!  He absolutely cracks me up all the time!  One of his new favorite games is to throw his toys off of his exersaucer and then to look and see where they land.  It is so cute how he looks over the edge of the exersaucer to see where it landed... then, of course, he looks up at you with those big puppy dog eyes as if he is saying, "Mommy, please pick up my toy for me so I can throw it on the ground again."  Check it out:

Isn't this too cute!!??!!

5.  For Christmas, one of the gifts from Connor's Mamaw was a hamster in a ball that rolls around on the floor.  He thinks it is HILARIOUS!!!  He cackles and giggles out loud and watches where he goes! It is priceless!  I'm sure he will be crawling after him soon!  Here is Connor's new friend:

Oh... the hamster is NOT REAL... I repeat... NOT REAL! LOL

Dear Connor,

We all love how you keep us entertained and on our toes! We can't wait to see what you have in store for us next! We LOVE watching you grow up!  WE LOVE YOU BUBBY!

Love,

Mommy and Daddy



7, yes SEVEN!!!!! Months

I feel like every month I post about how I can't believe my Bubby is a WHOLE month older!!!! LOL  But it is sooooooooo true.  I really can't believe how much time flies.  I'm sure that any of you readers who are parents understand!  James and I are BEYOND blessed to have such a wonderful, happy, healthy baby boy.  I thank God everyday for such a great gift! Some aquantiances I have found out today during an ultrasound that their baby has some complications/defects, and it has really weighed heavily on my mind.  They aren't sure of the extent of the complications yet... they have to see a specialist... they could be fixed easily with surgery, or it could be more serious.  Its so sad, and really had me thinking about just how precious each baby is, and how LUCKY I am that Connor is healthy.  I absolutely cherish every moment I have with him!

I can't believe this was 7 months ago!!!!

This is me just after they started the pitocin drip to induce me.  I didn't know what a rough 19 hours I was in for!!! LOL

This is Connor James meeting his Papaw Benham for the first time.  I LOVE this picture!  It looks like Connor's opening his little mouth to talk to his Papaw, and those little eyes are just taking everything in! So sweet!

Connor was offically 7 months this past Sunday, on February 20th.  He has been cracking me up at this age.  Everything he does is so cute and funny.  Today, I got out one of the canvas bins we store his toys in, and he turned it over and practically sat in it taking one toy out at a time.  He was so funny examining and eating each toy and then moving on to the next!

Connor went to the doctor two days ago for a fever... turns out he had a touch of a virus, but he is doing much better now!  He weighed 21 lbs. 13oz.!  Nice and healthy... and even didn't gain but a few ounces from his 6 month appointment!  On the way home, however, I noticed that his baby carseat has a weight limit of 22 lbs!!!! Eeek!  So, needless to say, we will be switching to his convertable carseat this weekend!!!  I was hoping for it to be warmer before we switched so I could continue to use the JJ Cole "bundle me" insert, which keeps him warm and toasty.  I don't want him to freeze when I take him in and out of the car in the mornings! :o(

My bubbly 7 month old LOVES peek-a-boo!  I wish I had a video to show you what he does, because its hilarious!!!! I will have to try to make one!  When James jumps out and says peek-a-boo, Connor jumps a mile-high like you scared him to death, and then he giggles and squeals!  It is priceless!  Look for a video in the future!

I had Connor in his exersaucer next to me playing in the kitchen a couple of days ago while I was putting away and organizing his baby food drawer.  I started taking out pouches of baby food and placing them in the drawer when he started screaming in protest!  I thought he was just fussing, but each time I put a jar in the drawer he freaked out!!!  He started leaning over the edge of the exersaucer trying to reach out for the jars!!!  It was so funny! He was trying to tell his Momma he wanted some food!!! So, we took a break and he got some yummy apples and strawberries!  LOL

Bubby is becoming VERY moblie! I am going to have to do some major babyproofing soon!  He army crawls across the carpet and rolls to what he wants.  He even turns in circles on his belly! LOL My pediatrician was pretty impressed with how moblie he was.  He says that chunkier babies have trouble sometimes, but once they are on the move... you better watch out! LOL

Here's a picture of my ADORABLE 7 month old!

Happy 7 months Bubby!  Mommy and Daddy love you to the moon and back!  You are our world and everything in it!  We love you!!!! xoxo

Connor's first Valentine's Day!

Connor ABSOLUTELY LOVED his first Valentine's Day!  He had a great time, as you'll see in the pictures below. :)

First, Connor and Daddy surprised Mommy with Valentine's Day cards!  This one is from my Bubby! I'm sure you can tell it was from him since the corner of the card has been chewed on! LOL.  He even helped his Daddy write on the card!  James then surprised me with a Valentine's Day outing! He secretly arranged for Connor and his Nana to spend some quality time together while we went to the movies! This is the first time we have been to the movies since Connor was born! It was about time! hehe!  We saw Adam Sandler's new movie, "Just Go With it." It was hilarious! I highly recommend it!  Wasn't that sweet of James to plan a date for us!!!!

Isn't it cute?!?! From my little boy!!!

This is where Connor helped Daddy sign his name.  James later informed me that it was mostly Daddy signing while Connor tried to chew on the pen! he he!

Then Bubby got his first Valentine's Day card and goodies from Mommy and Daddy!  Is this not the cutest FIRST Valentine's Day card ever?!?!  Look at the baby monkey in the diaper with a paci!!! Too cute!

He loved reading, I mean eating, his card!

Connor's card for Daddy! He helped Momma sign his name!  Look at his little hand reaching out to give Daddy his card!

So ADORABLE!

I struggled with what I should get my Bubby for his very first Valentine's Day!  He's too little for candy, so I settled on books!  When looking for the perfect Valentine's Day books, I couldn't decide which of these I like best, so I got him all 3! LOL.  That's okay, because he LOVES books and being read to!  I got him 3 books all about how much we LOVE him!  He got "Mommy Hugs," which is about baby animals and their mommies.  Then, he got "Daddy Kisses," which is all about baby animals and their daddies.  Lastly, (and my personal favorite) was "Love from my Heart to a Sunggly, cuddly Little Boy."  It is the sweetest book!  I think its Connor's favorite too! ;o)

Here is my little stud muffin modeling his Valentine's Day outfit before we are off to daycare.  He knows how to work it! lol

I LOVE this one.  It is so funny! Look at that face he's making and how he's pulling up his pant legs!  Eat your hearts out ladies! HAHA

That's right.  He's my little hunk-a burnin' love.  I'm sure all the ladies at daycare were fawning over him! LOL


HAPPY FIRST VALENTINE'S DAY BUBBY!
YOU ARE THE BEST VALENTINE EVER!

"Holiday, oh Holiday"

To say that I LOVE holidays is an understatement!  I love them all... Christmas, Easter, Valentine's Day... etc.  So, I plan months in advance of how to introduce each holiday to my Bubby.  After all, it is his first year experiencing all of these fun traditions!  And... there are sooooooooooo many holidays in the spring that I am looking forward to!  First, Valentine's Day, then Saint Patrick's Day, Easter, and MY VERY FIRST MOTHER'S DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My To Do List is as follows:

Valentine's Day... check!

St. Patrick's Day... check!

Easter.... still working on it!

My bubby is too young for eggs, chocolate bunnies and the like, so I've been trying to figure out what the Easter Bunny will bring him.  While searching for great basket stuffers I came across the CUTEST basket!  I couldn't resist...

His is the one in the middle... and of course it says Connor, not Jacob.  So far I have a book for his basket... Peek-A-Boo Peter Rabbit. Bubby LOVES peek-a-boo!   I LOVE getting him a new book for each holiday too.  He LOVES to be read to.  Let's hope he keeps of love of books later... it will make teaching him how to read soooooooo much easier ;o)  If you have any great ideas for Easter basket items for a 9 month old, let me know!

You are my "I LOVE YOU"

Dear Connor James,

Thank you for snuggling with me.  I know you are beginning to get too busy for cuddle time with Momma, so I appreciate your sunggles today!  You will ALWAYS be my baby boy and the center of my universe!

Mommy was sleepy too! LOL

You are my "I LOVE YOU!" 

Love,
Mommy
xoxoxoxo

6 month Check-Up

Wow! I am soooooooooooo behind on my posts.  Last week we went to Connor's 6 month check-up!  My Bubby is DOING GREAT!!! So exciting.  He has met or exceeded all of the milestones a 6 month old should reach. He is sitting up all on his own and trying very hard to crawl! He makes his way across the floor, but I wouldn't call it "crawling" yet. LOL  He weighs in at a very healthy 21 pounds 5 ounces and was 28 and 1/2 inches long!  He was in the 97th percentile for weight and the 95th percentile for height.  I LOVE every ounce of my cute little guy!

Check out my little Uof L Cardinal:

Look at me sit up and play!!! :o)

Don't you want to squeeze those cute little chubby cheeks!?!?!

Eyebrow raise in full effect.  "What is this thing in my face???"

Totally uninterested now! LOL

Look at those cheeks! Momma can't get enough!

Let me help you with that, Mom!  I bet cameras are tasty!

***I would just like to say, on the note of weight, that my baby is perfectly healthy.  Some people have made comments to me hinting that my baby is overweight or overfed.  Usually I don't say anything, but I currently feel in the mood to vent. :o)  First of all, my doctor is the only one qualified to make that judgement.  What many people do not know is that Connor started out over the 100th percentile for weight when he was born.  Not only has he decreased a few percentage points so that he is actually on the charts now, but he is also proportionate to his height.  My doctor would be more concerned if he was the 97 percentile for weight and the 50th percentile for height.  My nephew, Tyler, was just as chunky as Connor, but once he started moving (crawling, walking, etc) he really slimmed down.  So, Connor will too.  What IS important is that my baby eats a healthy diet.  I have made sure to give him as much breastmilk and healthy, organic foods as possible.  I'm even making some baby foods!!! I know, shocker!!!!  LOL So, before you judge me, or my baby, make sure you are qualified to make that judgement.  Or, better yet, we could all support each other as we raise our babies and accept that while we all parent differently, we all have the same goal.  ;o)