Our McGuire Family

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Gage - Eleven Months Old

11 Months Old!

I could start with another line about how we are so close to you turning a year old. Yes, I'm sad about the fact that my baby is getting so big (and you are!). I'm also humbled by your presence every day, happy to witness all of your milestones and growth and blessed that you were give to your dad and I as ours. We love you so very much, and the last 11 months have been such an adventure and we wouldn't have it any other way!

We won't go back to the doctor until after your first birthday, so the following are just guesses:

Height: 30 in.

Weight: 23 lbs.
Diaper Size: Size 4

Clothing Size: 12 month and a few 12-18 month clothes

As usual, you were a busy boy this last month; here are a few of the things you have been up to:

You got to play in the snow for the very first time! We didn't really have great snow pants and shoes for you, nor did we have a sled, but we made do with what we had, and who knew that a plastic tote could also double as a great baby sled (sorry, mommy was too busy pulling the "sled" so I didn't get any pictures with you in it)!!

Snow baby!

It was freezing, but we had fun playing out in the snow!

We had planned to go to Great Grandma and Grandpa Hurley for family Christmas, but bad weather prevented us from making our trip the weekend before Christmas. We were bummed that our plans didn't work out, as you haven't seen that side of the family since cousin Julie's wedding in June!
We got to celebrate your first Christmas, on Christmas Day, at home this year, which mommy was so grateful and excited for. Even better, both sets of grandparents and Uncle Corbin made the trip up the Kansas City for the day. Needless to say, you were one spoiled little baby. You got a lot of John Deere green, farm animal related toys and a brand new car seat!! After opening some presents in the morning, everyone gathered in the dining room for lunch (soup was on the menu) and then afterward, the rest of the gifts were opened before nap time. Here are some of my favorite photos and videos from the day:

Opening your first Christmas gift, wrapped specially by Grandpa Blow with a feed sack and bailing twine!

Daddy and Uncle Corbin

Grandpa and Grammy McGuire

The center of attention!

Grandpa Blow helping unwrap

The best Christmas gift we've ever received

Merry Christmas from the McGuire's!

Happy baby!

Christmas reindeer from Great Grandma Hurley

You loved hugging on your reindeer

Opening your new car seat! Notice the outfit change courtesy of Grandpa Blow.

First Christmas!

I'm so grateful that we were able to have such a wonderful Christmas day, because the rest of the holiday break did not go as well. About 4 am the next morning, you woke up screaming bloody murder, which is so unusual for you, since you ALWAYS sleep through the night. When daddy and I went in to check on you we found that you were burning up with a 104 degree fever and wheezing and acting like it was difficult to even catch your breath, which scared us both to death. We called the nurses line our pediatrician uses after hours to find out if we needed to take you in to the emergency room. They told us that a fever at that level was not high enough to need to go to the ER, but we should watch you closely and take you in to the doctor when they opened later in the morning. We were able to rock you back to sleep for a little while but we could tell that you were miserable. After taking you to the pediatrician later that morning (and thank goodness our primary doctor was in the office!) we learned that you had RSV. Not only were you not feeling well, but also highly contagious, which meant we had to cancel our Christmas plans in Wichita, as we didn't want to get cousin Declan sick. You spent the next few days wanting only to be held by mommy (all the time). I can't say that I really minded, as it had been a while since you've been the snuggly, sit still baby. I'm so grateful that you were only under the weather for a couple of days, but it was definitely no fun to see you sick and miserable. Poor thing sounded like a 2 pack-a-day smoker!
Since our holiday plans were canceled and you were so contagious, we spent most of the Christmas break stuck in the house. By the time New Year's rolled around, I think everyone was ready to get back to our normal routine! We tried to entertain ourselves as best as we could in the mean time. We assembled some toys you got and you even tried to help!

Gage helping mommy put together toys...

After seeing that video, Grandpa McGuire was ready to come up to Kansas City and rescue you from your mean mommy!
You and daddy did go back to Mulvane the first weekend of January (without mommy since she had to work) for a make-up visit, which I think made Grammy and Grandpa really happy :). I can only image how spoiled you were during your visit!
You have quickly mastered the art of cruising the furniture in the house. You also love to take your push cart for a spin around the house and pull up on the doors and windows to look outside. To say that you are active may be an understatement, but it is so much fun to watch you develop some independence. Here's a video of you taking your push cart for a cruise:

Gage cruising and talking to the dogs

You son, are quite the talker. Your favorite thing has been to squeal loudly (in the ear piercing range), but still no mama. I'm (somewhat) patiently waiting for it! Something new you've learned this month though is to blow kisses, and it sure does melt my heart pretty quickly, it's so darn cute!

Blowing mommy kisses

You are starting to experience more foods this month and we are working with you on feeding yourself small things. For the most part you are still eating the food that mommy makes for you (though toward the end of the month we've had to start using more store bought food because mommy hasn't had much time to make more food). We have let you try eating small pieces of cut up chicken, steamed mixed veggies and bananas. Needless to say, our first attempts have not been all that successful (outside from puffs and crackers) but we will continue to work at it.
You are on a pretty regular schedule at this point where are you are eating four times a day. We have cereal with fruit for breakfast, and then what's left of your 6 oz bottle. You will eat 4 veggie cubes or 3 veggies and one meat for lunch and around 6 oz of formula. You get a 6 oz bottle and a yogurt for your late afternoon snack when you are at daycare, and then will have 3 or 4 veggie or fruit cubes for dinner. Sometimes a dinner we may supplement a cube or two with table food.
Nothing has really changed in the sleep department, you sleep between 11 - 12 hours at night, but only take an hour to hour and a half nap during the day. You seem to be in a pretty good routine at this point though with your schedule and do pretty well with it, which we appreciate!
No new teeth this month, but I'm sure there will be more coming soon! So far (knock on wood) you've been a champ through the teething process.
You continue to show more personality each day, and it's fun to be able to see how you act so much like your dad and I already (whether that's a good thing or not can be debated :). The one thing we do know for sure is that you are ornery, and you know it! I don't think we'll have too many dull moments with you.

Here are a few more of my favorite moments from this month:

Such attitude

Happy baby, even with snot running down your face!

Talking to Duke through the window

Love that smile!

Here are a few outtakes from your 11 month photo shoot. I had to bribe you with toys to even get you to sit still.

You can just see the ornery in that smile!

Making faces

Cheese!

Entertaining himself the camera lens cap

Gage, our ornery little man, we love you so much buddy!

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Gage - Ten Months Old

10 Months Old!

We're now into double digits, has it really been ten months already?

We won't go back to the doctor until after your first birthday, so the following are just guesses:

Height: 29.5 in.

Weight: 22 lbs.
Diaper Size: Size 3

Clothing Size: 9-12 month and 12 month clothes, with a few nine months tops and PJ's

As usual, you were a busy boy this last month; here are a few of the things you have been up to:

You did quite a bit of traveling this month, some of it planned, some of it not. Right before Thanksgiving, your Great Grams passed away, so we made an unplanned trip out to WaKeeney. We are happy for her that she is no longer suffering on this Earth but we all miss her dearly (especially daddy). We feel fortunate though that she had the chance to meet you at least once.

Just barely three months old in this picture, on our way home from Denver

First meeting with Great Grams, barely 3 months old

We spent Thanksgiving with Grandpa and Grandma Blow at the farm. You are still working on feeding yourself, so it was fun to give you some of the Thanksgiving trimmings on your tray and watch you try to eat them. I won't say you ate much of it on your own, but it was fun to watch the faces you would make as you tried everything.

Yum...Turkey and Green Beans and Sweet Potatoes

After Thanksgiving at the farm, you and mommy stopped for a quick visit for the Reed family Thanksgiving. It was so fun to see all of the babies running around and how big that side of the family has gotten. We even managed to get a great grand children picture with Great Grandpa Reed. He even mentioned how much Great Grandma would have loved to see all the grandkids. Bittersweet for mommy, for sure.

Reed family Great Grandkid picture

The second weekend of December, Daddy had his company holiday party, so you spent Thursday through Saturday at the farm with Grandpa and Grandma. I don't know who has more fun when you go to visit (my money is on Grandpa though!). You got to help Grandpa feed the bucket calf and help Grandma in the house. You were certainly spoiled while you were there!

Helping Grandpa feed the bucket calf

As you are able to get around the house with ease, we find it harder to keep you out of things, including the cupboards and drawers. Your favorite to play in is the cupboard with the tupperware and lids. You could probably entertain yourself with the bowls and lids for hours if I would let you. The only downside is you leave quite the mess in your wake to pick up!

Whatever it takes to get ready in the morning

One of your favorite activities after getting into the tupperware is to put one bowl under each hand and scoot them across the floor as you are crawling. The noise is somewhat bearable, but at times it does sound like nails on a chalkboard. You think it's hilarious.

Cruising with the tupperware, one for each hand

You are starting to work on what I will call "cruising". You will pull up on the coffee table and start walking around the edges. You get quite the grin on your face when you do it too, like you are so proud of yourself. No more hiding things on the top of the coffee table anymore!
You are starting to babble more and more, though I wouldn't say you've exactly said your first real word yet. You are getting good at saying "da da da" though not directed at anything in particular. I'm still waiting to hear my first mama!
Mommy is still making most of your food, with the exception of any treats or to go meals you get. Your favorite is still probably sweet potatoes, though you are getting a lot better about eating meats, particularly when they are mixed in with a vegetable. You started eating yogurt this month, which seems to have gone well, and you love it! This has become your routine afternoon snack after nap time. You still love Cheerios and crackers, which are probably your favorite.
You have gone through a phase this month where you seem to refuse whatever meal we have prepared for you, especially if we give you snack before to entertain you while we're getting breakfast or dinner ready. I'm not sure if it is a stubborn streak (where you want to do it yourself) or if you are filling up on snacks first and then aren't hungry for dinner. We've cut back on the puffs and Cheerios though before meals and that has seemed to help.
At your 9 month check-up, the doctor told us we could start letting you have small amounts of milk from a sippy cup. So we went ahead and gave it a try, starting small with just an ounce of milk in a sippy (and you didn't even drink the whole thing). The next day you were really fussy for daycare all day and ended up with a really back diaper rash. Probably not surprising since you are still on sensitive formula since the regular milk based formulas seemed to upset your tummy early on. We have decided we won't be trying milk again until after your first birthday
You are still eating four times a day. We have cereal with fruit for breakfast, and then what's left of your 6 oz bottle. You will eat 4 veggie cubes or 3 veggies and one meat for lunch and around 6 oz of formula. You get a 6 oz bottle and a yogurt for your late afternoon snack when you are at daycare, and then will have 3 or 4 veggie or fruit cubes for dinner.
You are our still our good nighttime sleeper, going down for bed between 7 and 7:30 pm and waking up around 7 am. Naps on the other hand are not your strong suit. You have completely cut out your morning nap at this point, and are now only doing one afternoon nap starting at 1 pm. You'll typically sleep for about 2 hours at the most, and for the most part seem to be handling it well, though there are some days I think you probably needed to sleep for longer!
You broke through two more teeth this month, one on each side of the top front teeth. I'm pretty sure that explains a lot of the whining and short naps we've seen this month. Plus, the new teeth are helpful with chewing the table food we try with you.
With Christmas coming just around the corner, mommy wanted to make sure that for your first Christmas, we also got a picture of you with Santa. Mommy's company sponsors the annual Holiday Express train at Union Station each year, which includes a chance to sit with Santa. The first night the train was at the station, mommy's company sponsored an employee event to give the children a opportunity to meet Santa and see the train. You weren't sure what to think of the big guy in red, but you didn't cry when you sat with him, so I would call that a success!