Then and Now

Wow ... our little early turkey is a growing boy! Happy Birthday Hunter! We love you!

***Birthday and party pictures coming soon!***

11 Months

**I know this entry is a little late, but I wanted to post something. Better later than never! Enjoy!**

In just one short month Hunter will be a year old! When I think about it I get a little teary eyed, but at the same time I am so thankful Hunter is a healthy and a very happy growing boy! This month Hunter has been showing his independence ... which I guess is a part of growing up. Being a little more independent made this month's photo shoot a little more interesting that any of the others.

We have a crawler!!!! That is right, Hunter is officially crawling!!! It is so crazy that once he got the hang of it he has not stopped! He is everywhere and anywhere! He really has not been interested in his toys much at all. He is more interested in moving from couch to couch, from the living room to the kitchen, from the kitchen to the hallway, from the hallway into the bathroom ... oh no not the bathroom! He has seemed to pick up a little more speed with more practice. Getting pictures of him crawling was difficult! I would snap the pic and he would be gone.

See what I mean :-)

Hunter is also "talking" more. He is very fond of saying "ba ba ba ba". Although I swear I have heard him say "mama", "dada", "hi" and "I love you" - well that is what is sounded like anyway. Here is a short video of him "talking". The way he moves his little mouth is so cute!

Another talent Hunter has acquired is pulling himself up to stand. He is getting a little brave about letting go. I am sure before we know it he will be standing all on his own.

Well it looks like my next post will be when Hunter is 1 year old. Wow that still sounds so weird. Seriously, where did the time go?!

10 Months

Hunter is the big 1-0! He is a growing boy! At his last appointment he weighed in at 23lbs! He is right on the growing track for a full term 10 month old. Developmentally he is reaching some big milestones. He is an amazing boy!

Here are a few pictures from our monthly photo shoot.

By far THIS shoot was the hardest........


But SO much fun!!!

This past month has been full of rainy days. When the mosquitoes were not out Hunter and I would sit on the porch and watch the rain. He really enjoyed this. Soon enough I am sure he will not want to sit and watch the rain but run right into it!

Hunter also has a new passion.....BOOKS! He loves to look at the pages and touch the pictures. His books have now claimed 2 shelves on the aquarium cabinet. They are just at the right level for Hunter to grab and enjoy!

Hunter is still trying VERY hard to crawl. He is almost there! He can get up on his knees and rock, but then falls to his belly.

He is a pretty good "scooter". He has no problem at all "scooting" around on his belly. He is able to scoot to his books and the entertainment center ... which is NOT baby proofed. There are pictures and other things Hunter likes to get his hands on.

Hunter has been exploring a variety of different finger foods. He occasionally picks it up with his fingers, but most of the time he picks it up with his palm. He will get a handful of what ever he is eating and MAYBE one will make it in his mouth. Here are a few pictures of the finger foods he has tried this month.....

Peas

Spaghetti O's

Bananas

Veggie Puffs
(The first thing I have found that Hunter does NOT like.

He would put them in and spit them right back out.)

Animal Crackers

Ice Cream Cone

Just for fun here is Hunter's all time favorite game to play at his high chair .....the dropping game.

This month Hunter celebrated his first 4th of July. No fireworks this year. The mosquitoes have been horrible so it kept us inside ... maybe next year. Hunter had a very special patriotic shirt(thank you Mimi) that he wore. He sure does look good in red, white and blue!

As I close this blog entry, I leave you with one of my favorite pictures of Hunter. Hunter is starting to notice our cat, Snickers. Here is a picture of his little face lighting up as she is walking by ..... this poor cat has no clue what is in store for her in the future.

Like Father Like Son and 9 Months Old

It is so hard to believe but Hunter IS 9 months old! He still looks a lot like his daddy and occasionally he looks like his mom. He has a very sweet and loving personality. He is a very happy little boy who loves to smile....or stick out his tongue!

Here are a few more pictures from our 9 month photo shoot. This one was much, much harder than any of the previous months. This boy is quick!

This past month we also has some professional pictures taken of Hunter. The day before his pictures Hunter found his tongue....so we have lots of pictures of him sticking out his tongue. But the photographer did get some great shots of Hunter's handsome smile too.

Just for fun is one with his tongue...

He is such a silly boy!

Hunter even got to take a special picture for Father's Day!

Hunter just loves his Dad. He is always so excited to see him. Hunter is very lucky to have such a wonderful Dad! I know Hunter will have a very special and lasting bond with his Dad. I look forward to watching that bond grow!

Hunter's biggest accomplishment this month is he is a little bit more mobile! He likes to scoot on his belly .... mostly backwards. He is trying so hard to crawl!

Hunter is starting to explore new foods. Anything that is mashed up we usually let him try just a little. Some things he has tried are mashed potatoes, potato salad, pudding, avocados, fruit and snow cones! Yes snow cones! His favorite so far is cherry ... just like his dad! We have this WONDERFUL little snow cone shop nearby. I stopped by there a few times a week when I was pregnant with Hunter ..... maybe that's why he likes them so much! :-)



Besides snow cones he LOVES puffs. They are little cereal looking snacks that melt in his mouth. They are really good practice for chewing and picking up. When he first started eating them he would automatically open his mouth when he saw the container. He just recently started to pick them up on his own and put them in his mouth.

"Mmmmm...puffs!"

Now that summer is here and when it is not raining it is too HOT to do anything outside ... so we have to be creative indoors. After doing laundry one day I decided to put Hunter and some of his toys inside the basket. He liked this ... and it kept him in one place for a while!

Hunter also likes to play in his crib with some of his stuffed animals ... especially Mickey!
Since Hunter is NOT a big fan of his Froggie Kiddie pool when it is filled with water. We decided to move it indoors.

Hunter also spends lots of time reading or eating books.


He also LOVES to cruise the hallway in his jeep.

"Beep! Beep! Coming through!"

When we do spend time outside, Hunter likes to sit under the trees and play with the grass and watch the breeze in the trees. I am sure once the weather is a little more bearable and the mosquitoes are gone Hunter will spend a lot more time outside.

Wow...what a month! I close this blog with a family picture of Hunter, Ryan and I. This was taken Father's Day weekend.
Every single picture we took of Hunter he had his tongue sticking out .... just like his Dad :-). So we thought we would take a silly portrait.