Practice makes perfect.

After many frustrating nights of sitting down to blog without any pictures of me with my baby, I ordered one of those cords with a shutter release button.  Best $8.97 plus shipping I've ever spent.

I had the wrong lens on to be so close, and clearly need to set up on the tripod* a little better, but I'm still happy to have some sort of pictures with my boy!

The tripod was my daddy's, and makes me smile every time I look at it.  My dad was a professional hobby starter.  Jack-of-all-trades yet master-of-none.  When he passed away we found nearly everything HSN had to offer, including a spray tan machine, along with everything related to his many undeveloped hobbies.  Photography being one of them.

Mommy and baby.

Hardin and I had a big ole' day.  We played, and played, and played, and played some more.  Jason went to the PGA Championship in Atlanta and we went to Ft. Yargo park in Winder.  I'm not sure which place was hotter, but I am willing to bet me and the H man had the most fun.

We explored all over the huge grounds in the jogging stroller, played by the lake, scouted 1st birthday party pavilion spots, went down the slide for the first time, looked at snakes in the aquariums and topped it off with a Popsicle on the way out.  Gone are the easy days of a sitting baby, he wanted to touch EVERYTHING, and now he knows how to get to it.  He was so hot and sweaty by time we left and it just made me smile.  Nothing says successful trip like a red faced, wet headed little boy. 

We followed up with grocery shopping and extra long naps.  Now the boys are in bed and I'm working on making my list for the beach this weekend.  We are only going to the Georgia coast for three days, but the way I'm looking forward to it you'd think it was Costa Rica for a week.

His hair is a mess here because he'd been wearing a hat all day, I took it off to put on sun screen, and left it laying on the kitchen counter.  Mom thinks the old hair is brown, but the new hair is coming in blond.  I don't think there is enough of either to really tell yet! 

Daddy and baby.

Jason had a par three gold tournament at 4 today, so we met a bunch of folks playing in it and their families at the pool beforehand.  Hardin had fun watching AJ and the triplets swim all over the place, and of course eating lots of snacks poolside.  It's always fun for me to listen to Jason making plans for him and Hardin later on.  He's always talking to him like H really understands what he's saying.

Other than that we've just been chasing our boy around the house.  This week he moved on from the army crawl to a full force real crawl.  He really just goes from one place to another to pull up.  The pulling up is fine, but he's very clumsy at getting back down.  I can't turn my head anymore! 

Can't complain.

The last few days have been a little different around here, but I can't complain.  Saturday night through Monday night, if I wasn't changing a diaper, I was wondering if H was ever going to sleep through the night clean again.  Bless his sweet little heart, he loves his sleep, and was not happy to be up getting changed.  He went right back down Saturday and Sunday nights though.

Then there was Monday night.  After a change around 9, he went right back down.  Then around 11:30 he got up and started circling his crib.  Then he'd fall and laugh.  Then he'd play with Doug.  Then he'd repeat this number, all the while talking and singing as loud as he could.  He's very proud that he has learned how to cruise around that crib!

He wasn't fussing, so I knew he didn't need to be changed and I just let him play.  He repeated this number a few times throughout the night.  Jason doesn't understand the concept that when he's not sleeping I can't sleep.  Jason can sleep as long as he's not fussing. 

I think I may be more of a baby when I don't get my sleep than actual babies are!  I was cranky.  And lethargic.  And teary like a pregnant woman.  I would have paid good money to crawl up under my desk yesterday and take a nap.

Low and behold he was back to his sweet little sleep self last night and went down like a champ tonight.  So really, I can't complain.

I'll tell you one thing though, he's getting sweeter by the second.  It's amazing how much more emotion they show at this age.  We are all loving every second of those cuddles, hugs and kisses.  And don't even get me started on when you sit down to rock him at night.  Our routine is bath, bottle, brush teeth, and then rock while we sing him a couple of songs.  As soon as you turn the light off he hugs your neck and nuzzles his little head on your chest.  Melts my heart that one.  

This is him doing the thing where you breath out humming and move your finger up and down on your lips to make a funny sound.  He uses his entire hand.  He's also proud of this.  

On the go.

Yesterday I had a light day, so I took the little man with me to work for a while. He explored everything, flirted with the girls and demonstrated his army crawl for his first non family audience. They were equally as amused as we are. The boy sure makes crawling look like a task equal to climbing a mountain. Mom came and rescued him around 11 and then I slipped out around 3. That's what I call a fun Friday!

Today we met Jason at the Peppers house after the dads finished playing golf. Folks are always commenting on how much I cover the boy up, so today he sported short sleeves and no hat. And because of that we spent most of the time in the shade. Joby was nice and brought one of the big umbrellas to the side of the pool. I really don't think of myself as terribly overprotective, but that silky soft baby skin makes me so nervous!

He is getting a lot better about smiling out in public. Until a few weeks ago, he was 90% poker face. Now he smiles and laughs all the time... as long as no strangers touch him. His Mimi says Jason was the exact same way. About the army crawl too.

Thanks Mimi!

Hardin got his very first birthday present today, his Anywhere Chair from Mimi! It is SO cute and he just loves it. Unfortunately, I believe he thinks it's a Hardin Launcher, because he keeps trying to stand up and run from it. He did sit for a while though and clapped his hands. Thanks Mimi!!!! We all love it. And of course H loved the box too!

Hardin's 9 month well check was today and he's looking great. Length is 28 inches, 50% percentile, weight is 20.5 pounds, 50% percentile, and his sweet little head is 19 inches, 95%. Height and weight are right on track and his head is still a little large, but it is growing along the right curve, so no worries there.

I am not sure what has gotten into him the past week, but all of the sudden he is MUCH more ambitious when it comes to getting around. Until now, he literally would sit in the same place on the floor forever. Now he's pulling up and scooting around like crazy!

She never lets me photograph her.

But today I did anyway. Over the last 9 months, I have hundreds of images in my head of my mother with my baby. I'll cherish them forever, and I want Hardin to have them too. Since tears are already running down my cheeks, I won't elaborate too much. But let me just tell you, these two have so much fun together and I am not sure who loves the other more!