fleece is neat

In the pictures from Palmer's 8 month post, he is modeling a dino camo print fleece "soaker" from Cottontail Babies. This goes over a fitted diaper like a traditional waterproof cover would. The nice thing about fleece is that it is breathable so air can circulate to baby's skin, unlike waterproof covers. (Fleece is considered only water resistant because it can leak when compressed against a very wet diaper underneath.) We, however, have had no leaks whatsoever with our fleece soaker! I recently ordered more fleece from Cottontail Babies in the form of "longies". These are fleece pants that serve the same purpose. They make Palmer even more snuggly, cuddly, and cute!!!

Wondering what the heck a fitted diaper is? I'll try and post an explanation and some pictures of my small collection soon.

8 months

Palmer is 8 months old today (or as Tyler put it- 2/3rds of a year)! He is so happy lately and loves to grab and chew on anything that is semi-dangerous/not meant to be a toy. It's fun to watch him sit on the floor and, after he very intentionally selects which toy he wants to pick up, he twirls it around in his wrist, inspecting it from various angles. He is also getting good at making noise! He bangs his toys together, or shakes them vigorously if they have a jingle bell or something inside.
I have to remind myself that I can sit him on the floor in the kitchen now if I want to free up my hands for transferring laundry or other things like that. He has a strong torso and can usually right himself if he gets leaned too far over one way, but an occasional topple usually ends in tears. I think crawling is still a ways away, but that is just fine with me! A stationary baby is a baby that's easy to keep track of :).

He knows a lot more about his surroundings now than he used to. Anytime during the day that I walk him through our master bedroom toward his nursery, he fusses because he doesn't want to take a nap yet! When Tyler gets home from work, Palmer is often in his Bumbo on the kitchen counter. When he hears the door open he whips his head right around to see who's comin! Of course he is blissfully happy when it's Daddy coming to see him.

Palmer is sleeping on average about 11 1/2 hours, going to bed at 7:30pm, waking at 4:00 to nurse, and then it's back to sleep until 7:00am. This is SOOOO much nicer than the hourly wake-ups we were experiencing a few weeks ago! He is eating three pretty hefty solid meals a day, including the newly introduced nectarines and green beans. Eating is his favorite thing to do I think, so when he's in that Bumbo- you'd better have some sort of spectacular distraction planned, or get that boy some food!

chomper update

Here's the picture I promised of Palmer's little teeth!

chompers

Palmer has two teeth! His bottom middle-left tooth started coming in Wednesday September 7th, and a few days later the one just to the right of it appeared too. He wasn't especially fussy the days the teeth appeared, so I guess he's handling it well! There may be more on the way, because this morning he was loudly complaining (not quite crying) and refusing his breakfast at first. We tried putting him down for a nap, but he wasn't sleepy, so something just isn't quite right!
This picture is the day before his first tooth came in- see all the white behind the gums and how it's kinda red around the front teeth? I haven't gotten a picture of the teeth yet, but I'll work on it. He has loved eating mostly everything I've given him, so I was very surprised at his utter disgust with mashed avocado. He was very happy to mash the avocado slices with his fingers, but was literally GAGGING when he put it in his mouth. I thought avocados were bland, but apparently they are repulsive to no end! We caught one of the milder reactions on video.

Sooner born, Sooner bred

Two weeks ago, Palmer made his first trip to the University of Oklahoma campus in Norman, OK. We had lunch at Victoria's, the restaurant where Tyler and I had our first date! They make yummy pasta in-house. Both of Palmer's aunts (Adrienne & Lauren) met us there, plus his Uncle Nate, and the Dions! After lunch we took a HOT stroll around a very crowded Campus Corner, and ultimately ended up taking refuge in a BARELY air-conditioned McDonald's across town so I could nurse Palmer. Needless to say, my visions of a leisurely afternoon taking pictures under shady trees on campus were squashed by the 100 degree + temperatures. Bummer!

Here is one of the measly two pictures I took the whole trip. Good thing it's a cute one!

Our sweet baby went back to Edmond with Aunt Lauren & Uncle Nate while the rest of us tailgated and went to the season opener football game against Tulsa. OU won- woohoo! From what I heard, Palmer gave his aunt and uncle a bit of a rough evening, but after a good night's sleep he was as charming as could be the next day (which, of course, was blissfully cool and breezy!). Palmer loved watching their dogs, Obie and Harrison, play around. The Enabnits always feed us well while we're there and we had a great time visiting!

new sling!

I recently got a Seven sling that only cost me shipping through a promotion online. They are normally around $40 (which they are NOT worth)! For older babies like Palmer, you wear them on your hip, but it can hold much younger babies in a cradle position. This will come in handy for baby #2 eventually!

It slides pretty far up his back so I don't have to worry about him throwing his body backwards like babies are known to do. It is a comfortable sling, but does limit how much you can move your arms since the baby is in front of one (in the hip hold) and their weight is distributed across the opposite shoulder. This is true of most slings, I guess. It is VERY sleek and portable since it folds up about as small as a pillowcase. Unlike my Moby and Baby Bjorn, I could tuck this in my purse, no problem. Oh, and the prints are super cute!

If you buy a Seven sling, make sure you take the measurements as described on their site before you order. I have heard of lots of people having size problems, but mine fits great! I'm excited to use this more since it is so easy and quick to put on. Overall, I would say if you can get this sling with the shipping only promotion ($11.95 I think)- go for it! DO NOT pay full price though- it's just a glorified loop of fabric!

special adoption event

Penny, Polly, and Pluto will be there along with lots of other sweet kitties and doggies! Please spread the word to your friends and family and encourage them to adopt an animal in need. (For a reduced adoption fee!)