Maybe Halloween Ghosts?

Tis the season for everything creepy crawly. Spiders, ghosts, goblins, zombies (mostly I just like having the excuse to eat candy all night as I pass it out). I do think Nathaniel might be getting a case of the *creepies* He doesn't seem scared by the life size witches at Home Depot... so I didn't think he would get the *creepies*, but over the past couple of weeks he has woke up a few times crying in the middle of the night. He is a GREAT night sleeper so this is very unusual. We can't find anything different - no new sounds, no new lights... so we aren't sure why its happening. Maybe he is teething a bit more? Maybe he is having a little gas from drinking cow's milk? Maybe he is starting to have some dreams? OR maybe it is civil war ghosts from the Battle of Franklin.... BOO!

 

I'm not sure. We are putting on our best detective hats and trying to figure it out. When he does wake up - you can snuggle with him - he falls asleep - then you lay him back down. (I just love when he falls asleep on my shoulder. Those little hands are usually holding your arm or your hand and you can feel his little breaths... its the best. Those people that co sleep might have the right idea because it is pretty darn cool!) Anyway, last night he cried 3 separate times. We decided to bring him down and let him sleep in the pack n play by us. I know I know some of you probably think that was a bad idea. I actually wasn't sure either, but I figured if it was something temporary one night of extra love won't hurt... now night after night and we'll have to change our approach. He proceeded to stand in the pack n play and talk to us for about 1/2 hr in the middle of the night. He didn't cry or whine, he just talked. While I was falling in and out of sleep as he carried on the conversation he eventually laid down and fell asleep. He woke us up with some 'heys' in the morning. It was like old times before we moved him up to the crib.

 

He hasn't woke up tonight so let's hope he sleeps as "snug as a bug in a rug". A saying by the way that originated in the 1700s. While it means warm and cozy now.. it used to mean being secure. Ben Franklin used it in a letter and was thought to have created the saying and gets the credit a lot, but there is rumor he was not the first.

 

Maybe there really are some civil war ghosts... hhmmm

 

Nate Note(s): He loves the orange lights Kevin put up for Halloween. He crawls over to the front door every night and basically insists you take him out to look. We just keep telling him ... wait until you see the Christmas tree! I did say 'crawls' ... that kid just doesn't want to walk yet. He is walking one handed with his walker now though. He expertly cruises all the furniture too. We don't really push him to practice walking and figure he'll get it on his own time. Plus, having a wobbly one year old just sounds dangerous on the wood floor so I'd like to put it off as long as possible (maybe I'm the problem) ;)

Here You Go

 

Nathaniel has a new thing he does A LOT. He hands you whatever he is holding 'Here you go'. If he is playing with his new egg set he will hand you one. If he is playing with any of his toys he will hand you one. He will hand you a book to read and then grab one for himself. If he is eating he wants to give you a taste of his squished up piece of fruit, bread or whatever. I've noticed he tends to give you the one he doesn't want. If he hands you one he wants he actually will take it back. The dogs love this new behavior since he now holds out food to them. It is impossible to keep the dogs away while he eats now. I mean they are dogs. If someone is going to hand out food you are going to be there for the taking. Nate hands Mocha his dog toy to chew on even. The problem with this is that he kind of shoves it in his face. Luckily Mocha just moves over a bit. Besides not understanding *gentle* with the dogs, Nate hasn't quite learned distance yet. He will try to hand me something from across the room - when I don't grab it he kind of looks disappointed.  He always looks quite pleased with himself after you take his gift ;) 


Nate Note: Nathaniel was standing by the coffee table and Mocha kept walking right by him ... over and over again... Mocha had a toy in his mouth and wanted to play I guess. What was cute though was that Nathaniel would laugh out loud every time Mocha rubbed up against him as he walked by. It was a tight squeeze and he just thought it was so funny. The more Nate laughed the more Mocha would walk by him.

 

Here are some FALL pictures

 

A first glimpse at his Halloween costume

He looks like he was trying to be scary like the ghost :)

    

Holy Super Stink, Batman!

 

Do you remember when Robin would say this to Batman? It was always,"Holy _____, Batman!" I can't wait until Nathaniel likes super heroes. That will be something me and him can bond over that Kevin has zero interest.

 

Well, the Hahm household has taken it up a notch in bad smells. There is the usual dog smells, the usual burnt toast or baked fish smells, the usual husband smells ;)... but I never would have guessed how smelly that little boy has become. Everything smelled good around here UNTIL the introduction of cow's milk. Wowza! We have always either thrown the diapers away in a diaper genie thing in our bedroom or in the trash. We have never ever ever skipped a beat. The poops, while still poops, didn't really smell that bad.

 

That has all changed, now you can smell when he has gone from a different room. Poor boy! Then after you hold your breath while you change it you can't escape the smell. No matter where you put it, it follows you. I feel like a have a life size poopy diaper puppet following me around - like a sesame street nightmare!

 

Stupid cow's milk. Right now he is about 60% milk 40% formula. Does that mean the stink factor will increase proportionately?? "Holy Super Duper Stink, Batman!" I'm hoping that this is just his digestive system getting used to the new proteins and minerals and soon it will settle down. Otherwise, I might have to put a changing station outside or put that white stuff under my nose that they use on the crime dramas.

 

I am hoping this is normal since the smell is the only weird thing (I might put in a little call to the pediatrician just to be sure). I mean when picking up the dog doo is a breath of fresh air in comparison to Nathaniel... it is a strange day :) I'm not at all sensitive or easily grossed out either, but boy o boy. Kevin has even accused me of not changing his diaper and waiting until he got home so that he'd have to do it. But NO WAY! I wouldn't even be able to hug that kid if I left him in his dirty diaper. I think Nathaniel is just so smart already that when I tell him 'Wait to do #2 until daddy gets home' he listens, it is our little deal.

 

Side Note: Nate is really going to love this post later in life hahaha

Nathaniel's Nautical First Birthday

I realize this is 'old news' now, but I wanted to make sure I blogged about it for Nathaniel's sake. I kept putting it off because I figured it would take me awhile to capture what I wanted to remember. Now that it has been 16 days I barely remember what happened ;)

 

I'll try to summarize and keep it concise (hahaha.. we will see if I'm capable of that)

 

The Birthday weekend started off with Kevin's parents arriving from Wisconsin for the big event. They were moving back to Florida for the winter and we are pretty conveniently located about midway. Nathaniel always loves all of the attention he gets from Grandma Hahm! I took advantage right away of Grandma/babysitter and ran out to do some last minute errands for the big 1st birthday.

 

I came back to a SUPER DE DUPER shocking surprise. I walked in holding some bags and looked over to say HI to everyone and then practically gave my self whiplash as I did a double take and saw that my dad was sitting there. I was very excited to see him and have someone on my family's side here to celebrate the big day too. It was very cool. I get a little homesick for my peeps during these special occasions (well lots of other times too) and it just felt nice to have him here. I know it was hard on my sis and mom not to be here :( Why do I live in TN again... hhhmmm??

Grandpa Davis (my dad) and Nate

 

Kevin and Grandma and Grandpa Hahm (Kevin's parents)

 

Ok back to the PPPARRTTY

 

The theme I chose (with some discussion with my sis) was a navy blue and yellow nautical theme.

Sailabrate!

 

The decorations and appetizers fit this same theme. Kevin's dad did an excellent job of hanging all of the blue and yellow balloons. The balloons were tied with twine so it looked like nautical rope. I made a banner of Nate as he grew through the year. Kevin's mom (besides helping out with Nate and lots of other stuff) helped to wrap the mini candy bars in yellow striped paper, set up the main appetizer table and make the blueberry/pineapple parfaits... get it... pineapple is yellow and blueberries are blue :) haha. Gourmet popcorn in blackberry (navy blue) and movie theatre butter (yellow) popcorn, crab dip, crackers and cheese and caprese skewers filled the rest of the table.

 

 

 

Nathaniel opened his presents before cake. When I say 'opened', what I mean is I opened them and tried to keep him interested in what was going on. He basically crawled away and was more interested in other stuff, lil stinker. He received so many great gifts from everyone. Music starter set, a vacuum that throws balls, a pull along dog, big blocks, a book, a puzzle, a golf starter set, a plush chica, Bouncy Tigger, his very own ride-in truck with gas pump, an outside sport/slide set, chirping eggs, a green bay shirt (my AZ peeps better send some AZ gear haha), a picture album so Nate can always look at pictures of family... and I'm sure I'm missing stuff... but you get the point... he got SPOILED!

 

 

 

Ava and Nathaniel hanging in the NEW truck Grandma (my mom) gave him.

 

 

Then it was time for SMASH cake. I had never heard of SMASH cake until I moved to Tennessee, but I think it has more to do with me not being around kids than living in TN. Basically a SMASH cake is a mini cake just for the 1 year old to smash all over himself. Nathaniel is a bit cautious with stuff so I wasn't sure if he would actually dive in.... but he did. He wasn't completely covered, but he did a good job of trying to turn himself into a blue smurf using the frosting. He especially loved when we sang happy birthday. He smiled the entire time we sang. He liked the attention :)

Smash cake on the left

Before Cake
 

Mid Cake

Post Cake 

His party was on the 29th so on the 30th (his actual birthday) he had a strawberry shortcake to celebrate his birthday. This is a tradition on my side of the family. My mom had it on her first bday, I had it on mine and now Nathaniel had it for his first birthday. He really liked the strawberries. It was the first time he had them. The Packers won on the 30th too so that made Kevin and his parents very happy! (of course Nathaniel was wearing his new packers shirt he got for his bday)

 

 

 

It was a festive birthday filled with great memories and people. I can't believe how much Nathaniel has grown this first year. It is truly fun to watch a baby turn into a little boy. I just love every day with this little guy. Happy 1st birthday Nathaniel. Mom and Dad love you more than you'll ever know (..."I love you to the moon and back"...)

 

 

Bounce Seat Picture

Remember my post a bit ago about withdrawal from using the bouncy seat?? I didn't have a recent picture of him in it so I took this picture of Nathaniel just a day or so ago.  His feet actually touch the ground now... I'm still freaking out about how I'm going to replace this gem.  He took a couple of naps in it this week alone! 

 

 

What sound does a cow make?

 

MMmmmmoooo. Yes, this is a common sentence in our household. Actually I think I *MOO* most during Old McDonald had a Farm. The big thing about cows these days is that Nathaniel started drinking milk. He passed that big first birthday so we started to transition him to milk. I always think that it is funny that at a year they can have milk. As if their digestive systems magically change on their birthday and they can handle a lot more stuff. I assume some testing etc. went into determining this special year milestone. Probably tests showing how efficiently the body can break down certain proteins and minerals. I decided to slowly transition to milk instead of going cold turkey. I figured this way if his digestive system seemed irritated I could back off a bit. I went with a 50%formula/50%whole milk mix. I do still heat up the formula portion so the mix isn't cold. I figured I'd slowly transition to the *cold* temperature of milk too.

 

So far he hasn't skipped a beat. His diapers have been a little more inconsistent, but I'm hoping they will start to follow a pattern again soon. I probably could have went cold turkey since this kid doesn't seem to ever be bothered by much, but I was gun shy. I'll probably go two weeks with a 50/50 mix and get to a cold temperature by the end of the second week.

 

The part I haven't transitioned him from is using a bottle. He mostly just plays with his sippy cups. He knows how to use them (including a straw), but would rather chew on them or bang them on the table then actually drink from them. I did try using one in place of a bottle a week or so ago and he threw it on the floor. Yes, that was some real attitude indeed! Instead of forcing it, I figured I'd wait until after the milk transition. Yep, I sort of wimped out and decided what is a few weeks?? (I may eat those words when he is 4 still using a bottle)

 

One thing that is super annoying about the whole milk I bought is that it is in a carton. Seems innocent, right? Well, for some reason I always dribble some on the counter and down the side of the carton. It is hard to pour 2 oz. into a bottle. (or I am just horribly uncoordinated). But EVERY single time I'm wiping down the counter and the side of the carton. Oh yeah and I can't believe how thick whole milk is... wow is that stuff thick!

 

In honor of Nathaniel starting milk make sure you put on your best milk mustache/smile and *cheers*

1 Year Appt

 

The stats.

9/30 - He was born and was 21 inches tall and 8 lbs 7 oz
10/11 - He was 11 days old and was 21 inches tall and 8 lbs 9 oz
10/24 - He was 3 and 3/7 wks old and was 21 3/4 inches tall and 9 lbs 9 oz
12/1 - He is 2 months old and 24 inches tall and 11 lbs 10 oz

1/20 - He is 3 1/2 months old and 25 3/4 inches tall and 14 lbs 8 oz

3/30 - He is 6 months old and 27 inches tall and 17 lbs 4 oz
6/28 - He is a lil under 9 months old and 28 3/4 inches tall and 20 lbs 12 oz
10/1 - He just turned one and is 30 3/4 inches tall and 22 lbs 11 oz


Nathaniel had his next big appt - his one year appt. He of course got more shots. 

 

 

Side note: They have a chicken pox vaccine.  I told Kevin those must be pretty new since we didn't get those.  The nurse then said she got one. That is when I realized she must think we're old.

 

Ok, back to the appt. He seemed to rebound well from the shots and didn't cry for very long. He was back to his happy self pretty quickly. We even went out for dinner afterwards at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel with Kevin's parents for their last night in Nashville. Nathaniel had to get his iron levels tested again since they were low last time. This time he met the min. requirement so we can stop giving him the vitamins with extra iron. I was happy his level went back up. He didn't like the finger prick and the blood collection very much. I played the Hot Dog song from the Mickey Mouse clubhouse on my iPhone and the whole world got a little brighter :) 

They performed an eye test. It was this weird camera looking thing that had bird sounds so that he would look straight into the machine. They measure a few things and look for disease or something (I'm not entirely sure what it all covered), but I do know everything came back looking good. If I remember I am going to ask for the details at the next appt. just for my own curiosity. Usually I'm better about getting all the details, but just wasn't on my game I guess!

The rest of the appt was pretty standard and everything looked great. Yay!

 

 

I was thinking back to our very first appt with him. We were so tired and so new to everything - it was a blur. He seemed so fragile. I shed some tears when he got his first shots (now I'm a trooper and I look away and just cringe). Those big tears, that I rarely see, make me so sad. It is crazy that it has been a year and how much more confident we are as parents and how *not* confident we are for the next year :)

Shoe Saga Part Deux

 

I chose the phrasing 'Part Deux' not because it means the number two in French, but because the Urban Dictionary defines it as a superficial, unnecessary, or overly bad sequel to a classic film. I feel like this Shoe saga is a bad sequel.

 

Here is the brief continuation of the shoe saga: Nate versus shoe. This kid is still running around without shoes. The new super cute pair is just too hard to get on too. I realized I had given up even trying to get them on (I must admit I gave up pretty easy) so a new strategy was definitely needed. The last thing I want to do is waste money and these shoes were just going to waste. The lady at the store could get them on 'Why not me' and Kevin can sort of get them on after a bit... Owell - The new strategy was simply to find an easier to get on shoe. I decided to exchange them for a pair with two velcro straps instead of one. There wasn't nearly the selection to choose from, but we got a pair of blue and red sneakers. They are still the Step 2 early walker type that help him feel the ground better. I was able to get the shoes on Nate at the store so we will see. The new pair is 1/2 size bigger so I guess that is good since these should last a bit longer.

 

Wish me luck or else Nathaniel is going to be that kid that has black feet in the store YUCK! hahaha ;)