Next phase: Sippy Cup and Finger Foods

Today River finally started sipping from his sippy cup. We have tried 3 different kinds and been working with the straw kind most recently. He has never shown any interest in "sipping" just chewing. Today, I handed him the straw sippy cup just to let him play with it and see if he would drink from it. Well, as always, he wanted to chew on the straw. I decided to sip from it while he watched to see if he would mimic me (he has been doing a lot of mimicking lately!). I was shocked when I handed him the cup back and he went to sucking on the straw instead of chewing! Then he drank from it several more times. I am so proud of him!

We have also upgraded to the high chair at restaurants and he loves it! He feels like he is part of the group sitting at the table. Last Saturday night we went to Logan's Roadhouse with MaMa and PaPa. River sat in the high chair and had the best time. We tied a toy to his high chair cover because he likes to play the game of "I drop it and you pick it up". He couldn't figure out why when he dropped his toy it didn't hit the ground and it just dangled from his chair. He would lean over and look at it and pick it up and try to drop it again. Then he would just stare at it and look at us. He is so cute! I also bought some puffs cereal that he can eat at the table. He liked playing with them and could pick them up. He couldn't quite figure out how to open up his hand to place it in his mouth. The puffs we placed in his mouth though he really liked.

My baby boy is growing fast.

4 day weekends are wonderful!

I have enjoyed a 4 weekend and head back to work tomorrow.  River spent the night with Nana and Pap on Thursday night.  Friday I was off and I ran some errands and got some things done that are hard to do with River.  I took Callie and Bobbie to the vet, washed the car, went to Walmart, AND got a hot stone massage!  The massage was wonderful.  Nick gave it to me for Christmas.  I really enjoyed it.  Friday night we ate in Palestine with Nick's family for Kathy's birthday.  Friday was also Dad's birthday.  Saturday we just stayed around the house and I worked on cleaning out River's closet.  It's crazy how fast he outgrows things.  I put a large tote in the attic with things he has outgrown.  Crazy how fast time goes! Saturday night we went to the Neeley's for pizza and a movie.  We enjoy spending time with them so much!  Sunday we went to Waco to see Jeremy and Meredith's new house.  Tyson and Jenna also came to visit for the weekend from Big Spring.  It was great to see all of them!  Today was a "get back to normal" day for River and I.  I wanted him to get back in routine from being out late every night this weekend and catch up on his sleep.  And he did.  He slept until 9 this morning and took a 2 hour nap and 1.5 hour nap. 

River

River ran a fever on Saturday and Sunday, but really didn't have any other symptoms besides a stuffy nose.  He felt good today and didn't run a fever.  The last couple of nights we have had to give him a bottle at night.  He hasn't really eaten good during the day, so I guess he is waking up hungry.  I hope we are not starting a bad habit of feedings at night.  He hasn't had feedings at night in a long time.  He is so fun and Nick and I feel so blessed every time we look at him.  Tonight we took the middle insert out of his bathtub.  So instead of leaning back, he can sit up and play in the water with his toys.  He loved it! 

Nick

Nick is getting geared up for stock show season.  Nick loves the stock shows, but it does pull him away for several nights from now through then end of March.  He is usually extremely exhausted by the end of it.  Usually I try to go as much as I can, but this year it will be a little more difficult with River.  River and I are planning to spend a couple of days with Nick in Fort Worth, 4 days in San Antonio visiting Angie, and I don't think it is going to work out for us to go to Houston this year.  

Nick and I have also started budgeting.  We feel like we need to be saving more than what we are.  We have started using mint.com, which is awesome.   We just started this month, so we are still tweaking it some.  Hopefully, it will help us to save up better than what we have been and to be more conscious of where our money is going.

This morning, while River was napping, Nick and I went outside and took pictures of all of calves from this year.  Hopefully, we will be able to sell some of them.  He posted the pictures on facebook to "advertise".  

Pictures of River

River playing in his crib while I clean out his closet

River just woke up from a nap!  Check out his hair part! haha!

Smiling and playing in his bouncer

Eating lunch at Rachel's house

Bath time!

River is growing fast!

River turned 8 months old a couple of days ago!  Wow!  Where did the time go!  He is so much fun! 

Christmas was awesome this year!  We had 7 Christmases between mine and Nick's family.  I was able to make every one of them, which doesn't usually happen because of work.  Have I mentioned how much I love working only 30 hours a week??  I had a week off for Christmas and it was so great!  River was loved on so much everywhere we went and also very spoiled being the only baby.  He even started fake coughing to get more attention!  River loved the Christmas tree.  He didn't try to go after the tree until the very end.  Our Christmas card this year was the best yet!  Rachel took our pictures and they turned out so good.  You can see some of the pictures at the bottom of this blog.

The week before Christmas he got sick with RSV.  He was wheezing, coughing, and having difficulty breathing.  We took him to the doctor and got a nebulizer for breathing treatments and an oral steroid.  He hated the steroid and vomited a lot the first time we gave it to him.  The first time he took a full dose, Aunt Sa Sa went crazy in front of him to distract him from the awful taste.  She had rattles, toys, and was singing!  It was very funny, but he took his medicine and didn't gag!  Yay!  From them on it became easier and easier to give it to him.  It was only 6 doses, but seemed like much more.  He is feeling much better now, but is still coughing some.

He is not sleeping through the whole night, since he has been sick.  We had many nights of staying up while he was sick and taking the steroid.  Hopefully, he will start sleeping through the night again very soon!

River got so many toys and cool things.  He loves anything that lights up and makes noise.  He also loves anything he can shake that will rattle.  He received lots of books and some clothes, too.  He has really enjoyed playing with his farm from Auntie C and Uncle Bo Bo, his rocking horse from Aunt Barbara, a horse that sings Old MacDonald from MaMa and PaPa, a choo choo train from Aunt Sa Sa and Cassie, a sit-to-stand toy table from Nana and Pap, a basketball goal from Gran and Grandaddy, a singing dog from Memaw and Grangy, and much much more!! 

He still doesn't have any teeth, but he drools and chews all the time.  He also still isn't crawling, but is rolling EVERYWHERE.  He tries to get up on all fours, but doesn't go anywhere.  He sits up by himself really good.  His favorite word is still Da Da and Nick loves that!  He has starting resting his head on my shoulder before naps and at bedtime and I think that's the best thing ever!  He smiles all the time and laughs at almost everything.  He is starting to wave bye bye, but sometimes it's more of a "hello."  He loves playing peek-a-boo and sitting in the floor playing with all his toys.  He studies each one and seems to really work on his toys.  Nana and Pap said that watching him is just like watching Nick as a baby all over again becasue they act so much alike.  He has started throwing "mini fits" when you take something away from him that he isn't supposed to have (like my iPhone) and when he you lay him down for a nap and he's not ready.  He throws his feet up in the air and hits the bed as hard as he can.  :)  He loves his paci and cow blankie at nap time and bedtime.  He loves trying to get Nick's pen out of his shirt pocket and then gets upset when Nick takes the pen away.  He loves riding the bucking bull and horsie (Nick's knee) and spurs and kicks then the horsie/bull stops bucking. 

He started formula a few days ago and takes it as good as breastmilk.  I was afraid that he might not like the taste after having only breastmilk for 8 months and was hesitant because of the reflux and spitting up issues that he has had.  He is just taking one bottle of formula a day right now.  I wanted to be sure he liked and tolerated it before I started decreasing my pumping.  He hasn't breastfed in over 3 weeks, but I am still pumping.  He also isn't taking his Prevacid anymore for reflux. 

Nick and I are doing great and enjoying life with River.  Nick's busy time of year will be here in a few weeks.  I am not looking forward to him being gone so much.  I don't think I will go to the Stock Shows as much this year because of River.  River and I are planning to go to San Antonio with him, so we can visit Angie.  We will also probably go to Fort Worth for a couple of days.  After the Fort Worth Stock Show we are going to Great Wolf Lodge with my family for Dad's, Cassie's, and Nick's birthdays.  Another trip we have planned will be in April.  We are going to Fort Worth to get together with all of my friends from pharmacy school.  In May, we will be going back to Lubbock for Chelsey and Kinsey's graduation from Texas Tech.  That will be a fun weekend.

I am headed to play Bunco tonight with a group of girl friends.  Nick and River will have the night to themselves.  I'm sure they will have fun!

We will be planning River's first birthday party before long...

River's first book of prayers

River's new over night bag

River is 8 months old!

Picture on the front of our Christmas card

Mommy and River

Daddy and River

He is so cute!!

Our Christmas tree