Do the doo...

Fen's got one heck of a mohawk...
 
 

Fender Loves Momma...

Daddy jokes, but really...he's nearly half my height already. :)
 
 
 
 

Amarillo by morning...

Fender and I spent a fun, quick weekend in Amarillo with his Grams (my momma). He took very well to flying. He was up, flirting with all the ladies, the whole flight getting there, and slept the entire flight coming home. He got to play with the dogs, swim in the baby pool, sat patiently in Granmama's arms while she and I had pedicures (oh how nice!), and slept through Transformers at the drive-in.

His 9-month check up last Thursday was great. He was 29 1/2 inches long (90th percentile)and weighed 22lbs 6oz (76th percentile). He just had one shot (Hep B) but then they had to draw some blood...OUCH...somehow they found his little vein in his arm and drew two viles of blood. He didn't like that at all! But when it was over and he was still crying I looked at him and said, "Sweet Fender Boy, the bad part is over. Now you are just crying to cry. So stop it." And he did. It was so cute. The nurses all laughed. He really is such a good little boy so far. Except he rarely smiles for the camera. He'll be laughing and smiling so big, but the moment you bring up the camera, he stops to stare. Oh well...he's still our cutie pie.

Here are pictures from the drive-in. That's our white car and Fender is asleep in the backseat of the first picture.

Fender's First Fourth...

Today Fender is 9 months old. We spent some time visiting our friends and their precious two month old boy named "Finn." Then stopped by for a visit with Grandma and Papa. The rest of the day was lazy, which is always fun too.

Tomorrow Fender has his 9 month check up and immunizations. I sure hope they go as well as the previous rounds have gone. And then, Fen is off to Amarillo with his mum (that's me) and Auntie L to visit his Granmama for the weekend.

Happy Fourth of July everyone...
 

Spotlight...

Since Fender was dwarfed a bit by the flagpole in the last picture, here's a couple more close up.
 
 

On my own...

Here he is...not even nine months old yet and he's eating by himself and playing the piano on his own. He is growing up so fast.

 
 
 
 

Hawaii Pics are two posts down...

If you want to see our pictures from Hawaii, scroll down and click on the photo of us wearing our leis.

Country living...

At 8 1/2 months, Fender's eating schedule is still the same with basically three meals a day plus a snack. He eats a stage 2 food then follows it with a 6-8oz bottle of formula. Tomorrow I plan on getting more stage 3 foods because I can tell he is beginning to want just a little more than we have. In the morning, he typically gets oatmeal cereal for breakfast so that he is sure to get all his iron. For a snack he eats little veggie wheels, made of carrots or apples and such and he can feed them to himself. Sometimes he gets juice (100% all natural) from a sippy cup, which he drinks down well if someone holds the cup for him. He drinks well from regular cups too for that matter, but just not to the point of holding them himself for a drink. Unless it is his bottle, of course. He holds that very well now.

He falls asleep about 9PM, typically near the end of his last bottle and pretty much sleeps through the nights until 7AM. And still only gets his 1 1/2 nap each day. It works for him and it works for me. :) Especially after those first 6 1/2 months not sleeping through the night.

He crawls very well now but much prefers to find something to pull up and stand next to and is even able to walk along holding on to things a bit now. He is also beginning to balance very well and tests himself by letting go of things and standing by himself for several seconds at a time. He also claps his hands together from time to time and he knows what to do if you ask him for a "high five." :)

I can't quite understand anything he tries to tell me, but he still makes "buh" sounds and "muh" sounds even a little "muh muh", but not directed at me per se. He also started a "huh" and "puh" sound today and has been heard to say "dah dah."

I dont' know his hight and weight at the moment, but will get that at his 9 month check-up. He is a very happy, healthy baby boy and makes us happy and proud every day.

So...I think that about covers Fender's latest accomplishments. Here are some pics at Papa and Grandma's house this past week. While mum and dad were away, Fender played. The day before we left, Fender got to meet his newest cousin Claudia Magdalene Cotten (only 3 months younger) and her big sister Julia Paris helped me feed him lunch.

One week in Oahu

Okay...hope this link works. If so, it should get you to our Hawaiian photo extravaganza. I ran out of steam on the captions tonight but I'll try to work more on them over the next couple of days as I have time. You can also see my quick, no frills, recap of our trip at my travel website (see link at the left of this page).

One week in Oahu, Hawaii - June 2007

Vacation

Here's a few pictures from our vacation, but first we had to say goodbye to Fender...




After Mom cried the entire flight, we made it to Honolulu Monday night.



Here's some pictures from our hiking excursion...






...and here's what we were hiking to...


We miss the little guy. We were told he's clapping his hands and saying mama while we are away.

First pool day...

Like father...like son...

I love these pictures...

Bookcases, bottles, and Bye-Bye

Fender's bookcase and story collection...


Holding his own...


And his first real sounding word..."Bye Bye" as you will hopefully see in a video coming soon.