Sick and a Helmet Update

If there's one thing you can say about our family, it's that we like to share.  Andrew is no exception to the rule, so when he got a nasty cold, he decided to give it to Sam and me too.  He's a little more whiney and clingy, but is handling it like a champ.  It has, however, made for some very boring days.  Normally, we try to go out every day.  Sometimes we go to play dates and sometimes it's just running errands, but we both do MUCH better when we get out of the house frequently.  Well, aside from his helmet appointment yesterday, Andrew and I haven't left the house since Sunday.  I think it's safe to say that we're both suffering from cabin fever, but I think the worst is over.  Hopefully he'll be feeling well enough to go to his gym class tomorrow!

Andrew had a helmet appointment yesterday.  Much like his last scan, there wasn't much difference.  It's common around this age to have progress stall.  They just don't grow as fast as they do when they're little.  That being said, the doctors are VERY pleased with his progress.  The asymmetry in his head is within the normal range.  They gave us the option of stopping the helmet altogether, or having him wear it for naps and nighttime.  Sam's in Canada, so I had to make the decision myself, and I decided to keep going with the helmet.  It doesn't bother him at all and there's still a chance his head could get even better.  We'll do this for six more weeks, until March 14th, then we'll be done for good!  I've also grown attached to his helmet, so I think this will make it a little easier for me to transition too!

Because he's been sick, it's been hard to get some good photos of his head without the helmet.

I think our next concern is getting him his first haircut.  The hair over his ears is really long and messy looking.  I'll have to wait until Sam gets home for that though.  I think he'd kill me if Andrew got his first haircut without his dad.

And then here's some proof that Andrew's starting to feel a little better.  It's the first time he's laughed like this in days!

Random Funnies

Just a silly little video of Andrew playing in the living room.  He has this little plastic man that came in a toy from Grandma, and he LOVES knocking it around on the floor.  

The Baby Gym

While Sam was out of town, Emily took Andrew to a baby gym (otherwise known as "awesome place with all kinds of things to climb on and through, bounce on, or get lost in").  He loved it so much, they decided to go back when Sam was in town.

That was today.  And Emily wasn't kidding: Andrew LOVES this place.  He had just woken up from a not-long-enough nap when we got there, so we thought it would be short-lived until he became  unhappy.  Well, that never happened...he spent the whole time laughing, giggling, chortling...whatever you want to call it.  He had a blast.

In addition to just playing, many of the setups are made for teaching and learning.  They even get into some of the science behind why a certain obstacle or activity helps the baby develop senses and skills.

They were running some specials for signing up, so we signed him up for the first month of "classes" which also includes some free-play time on other days.  Safe to say, this will probably be a frequent visit.

Below are a few pictures and videos of Andrew playing.

9-month Photos!

Can you believe it?  Andrew is nine months old already!  It's hard to believe that it's been nine months since this little guy was born.  It goes so fast!   But, enough of that...on to the pictures!

He really likes the camera...and wants to play with it. Or eat it.

January Photo Dump and STANDING

It's been a crazy week here in Atlanta.  Sam is out of town for work for another week, so Andrew and I have been hanging out by ourselves.  We've been trying to fill the days with fun stuff to do, like going to baby classes, story time at the library, and the aquarium.  Unfortunately, that means that I don't always have a free hand to take cute pictures to share with you.  

Whenever Sam is away, I do my best to send him cute and funny pictures of Buddy throughout the day.  It makes him happy to be a part of what we're doing, even if he's on the opposite side of the country.  Here are a few pictures and videos I've sent to Sam over the past week or so.

Andrew playing with a new toy from Aunt Shannon and Uncle Dave, and his cousins Ben, Chris, and Nate.  

The other morning, Andrew woke up before I had a chance to get ready for the day.  I put him on my bed and played a Baby Einstein to keep him happy while I got dressed.  Well, apparently he just wanted to be in our bed instead.  He passed out for another twenty minutes!

Andrew and I went to a benefit for a friend last week at a local pizza place.  He is getting to the age where he'll sit nicely at the table, as long as you have a full stash of Cheerios.  There is nothing this kid won't do for a Cheerio. . . . 

Just hamming up in the bath, his favorite place to be.  

 Andrew making funny faces during dinner. 

And a new development, as of today, is that Andrew is standing all by himself!  He's been doing it for 10-15 seconds at a time before he sits back down, but he's getting a lot more stable!  Again, because I'm all by myself this week, I'm having a hard time getting a good video.  I'm too busy making sure he doesn't fall and hurt himself to pull out my camera and start filming.  This is the best I could get today, but I'm sure there will be many more to come!