Nine Months.

I am extremely behind in this post. Leave it to me..I can't do anything on time. Just when I think I'm not going to blog anymore I get an email from someone asking me where I have been and why I haven't written in awhile. So here we are.

My little man is growing up before my eyes. He is a ball of goofiness that makes me smile everyday.

The last few months have been a complete whirlwind so instead of boring you all to death with my words I will just overload you with Tanner cuteness.

Motherhood is something I will never understand. As cliche as it sounds, it changes me everyday. I am constantly reminded that this life, my life..is not about me. My time here on this earth was created for a purpose and I don't want to waste a single day of it. Just when I think I am pushed to the end of myself God extends His grace and I am reminded just how weak I am without His strength.
I am nothing, He is everything.
Being a wife and mother has changed me in every way possible and even on the hard days I remember that it is all a gift. I am blessed to call Tanner my son. I am blessed to care for him every day, wipe away his tears and snuggle him close when hes sad. I am the first person to see his smile in the morning and the last one to kiss his cheeks at night. I am blessed to watch him grow and learn new things every day.
It is all a gift. One that I take for granted so often and for that I am ashamed.
I complain about being tired, that I no longer have "me" time.
Then I look down at my little boy and remember that being a mom is not a hobby, it is my calling.
One I am honored to have. 

So through my continual sleepless nights, being sick, poop, puke, piles of laundry, countless dishes and the "woes" of being a stay at home mom I will never forget that this is my gift. 

To be thankful for it all, always.

Eight Months

I am such a procrastinator.
Its a terrible habit, one that I will probably never change.


What has happened during month 8:

Tanner now CRAWLS! 

Finally after 2 months of belly crawling and getting up on all fours the little man took off one day. And he hasn't slowed down since. He now pulls himself up on all furniture, walks across the couches and this week we introduced him to his walker and it is his favorite thing. 

 This is my everyday view. 

Tanner chases me around the house and the second I stand still he is standing giving me those big eyes of his wanting me to pick him up.
Could you say no to that? I have a pretty hard time.

Tanner learns new things everyday and once again its been such a joy to watch and experience life with him.
He has started giving open mouthed kisses now but only when he wants too, babbling and talking all day, eating lots of new foods, and is understanding the word "no".
Tanner now plays Peek a boo and when you chase him he will screech and crawl towards the couch or hide his face in the carpet.
He makes Kevin and I laugh constantly with his completely goofy personality.
He is finally a two nap schedule and that has made life much easier for mom.
No matter what we do he still refuses to sleep through the night but I am confident one day it will end. Right? :) 

December has been such a crazy month filled with new changes around every corner. This little man helps keep me grounded. Being his momma is an everyday reminder of a much higher calling and it is an honor being the one who gets to do it.

Seven Months

As always, I'm amazed.
Tanner is 7 months old and I have no idea how that happened. 

I am late in writing this post, who has time to blog these days?!?!

Tanner weighs 15.8 pounds putting him right in the 8th percentile. He is our little peanut.
Height was 27inches putting him in the 60th.
:)

 Things we want to remember from month 7.

 He continues to move around doing "The Worm" but he crawls a little more each day. I keep thinking that he will just start crawling but he always drops to his belly and flops around. I'm not in a big hurry but it sure is adorable watching him crawl.

 

Tanner started pulling himself up on everything he can and his favorite activity is standing. He prefers it above everything. We try to read him books, sit him up so he can play with toys but he would rater climb all over you or stand while hanging on to you.

 

He loves to be outside but its more work than fun for mommy because he pretty much shovels grass and anything else in sight into his mouth. 

Tanner is still getting up multiple times a night and naps are still a challenge some days  but we are continuing to be consistent in doing whatever we can as parents to help him. 

We are both pretty tired, but he makes it worth it.



Tanner makes us laugh. All day. He is full of personality and I have a feeling that will never change.
This month he has started with a little bit of stranger anxiety here and there but for the most part he will still smile at almost anyone and will let anyone hold him.
He does get scared of loud noises and is gets very scared when he even sees the vacuum but secretly I find it sort of adorable because he leans his head into my chest and cuddles me for a long time. 

Tanner eats 3 meals a day and loves to pick up food and feed himself. I'm not sure if any of it goes in his mouth or just on the floor but either way it keeps him entertained and happy which makes for a happy momma.

Tanner continues to change me every day and I am finding more and more that being a parent is no easy task. Bringing home a newborn now seems like a breeze compared to this energetic boy that I have to discipline and teach about life. Remembering what an honor it is to be his mother is what helps me through my days of exhaustion.
I also am amazed at how much fun we have every day.
We love to sit on the floor playing, reading books and singing songs.
My days may be exhausting but they are never boring.

We are so excited to enter the Holiday season and celebrate this year as a family of three.

Happy Thanksgiving friends.
I am so thankful for you.

Half a year.

 Happy 6  months to my happy little man.
He continues to change every day and never ceases to make us laugh constantly.
Tanner is full of personality and loves to be the center of attention. 

At his last appointment our little peanut weighed 15lbs and was around 25 inches.

What we want to remember from month 6

 yes, my toilet paper photo bombed this picture..but I caught him in a still moment so here we go.

 Tanner does everything he can to try and crawl but no matter how hard he tries he just can't quite figure it out. Usually his attempts turn into something that looks very similar to the dance move "The worm", and I absolutely die laughing.

 His faces.
This kid makes the best faces. He stares at most people with such intensity and never misses anything that is going on around him.

 That smile.
Tanner loves to smile and will do so for just about anyone. I love how happy he is (most days) and that I can always count on a big grin from my boy. Its one of the best parts of my day.
And also, those neck rolls? are you kidding me? :)

 He is still full on teething and must put everything in his mouth.
This month has definitely had some really rough days because my almost always happy baby
turned into a monster.
We had a few very long days and hard nights but thankfully tooth number 1 popped its way through the surface and we are happy again...till the others come.

 I can't quite tell you what it is but I love everything about this picture. I was looking at it knowing that someday I won't remember him ever being this small. Some day those tiny, perfect little fingers will turn into the hands of a man.

 Such a personality.

 That curled up lip..he has done that since he was very tiny and I finally got it on camera.
I love it, I love him.

 Month 6th has definitely brought out even more curiosity in my already curious boy. I love watching him take in this big world and try to make sense of it all. I love watching Tanner pick up a new thing and examine every inch of before trying to determine what he should do with it. Which of course always just leads to the mouth. Trying to see life through his eyes has been such a blessing as a mom. I definitely need to take more time to examine the things around me, God has given us so much on this earth to enjoy.

 Almost sitting up.
Tanner can't quite sit up without someone being close to catch a tumble but he is gaining balance every day. We practice through out the day and he makes me laugh because he has no interest, sitting is very boring to Tanner when he could be moving!

This weekend we dedicate our sweet little boy at Church. I have been praying over my son since before he was born but the heaviness of raising a child is one that can sometimes be overwhelming. Today as I watched him play I prayed that God would use these precious hands for His glory. Above all else I pray that he grows up loving the Lord above all else.

Tanner still does not sleep well. In fact he sleeps horribly. :)
We have tried the many "methods" people suggest but this week the Lord has really convicted me to be using that time to pray for him and his future. 

Tanner brings us so much joy and I am constantly amazed that God choose Kevin and I to care for him.

Tanner's life verse

Isaiah 41:10

 fear not, for I am with you;
    be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Right in front of us.

I've always heard people say that God uses their children to teach them about, well about everything. The minute I found out I was pregnant it became evident that God would use this child to reveal Himself in big ways in my life.
It's impossible to have a child and NOT learn from them.

Well, for the first time God used Tanner in a very specific way to teach me something that I guess I've been dealing with and didn't even know it.
His faithfulness amazes me everyday. 

It was a normal morning, me trying to hold my eyelids open so I could see well enough to lay Tanner on the floor while I made my breakfast and prepared the coffee. I put the blanket down (which is pointless because he doesn't stay on it) got out all of his favorite toys in hopes he would be amused long enough for me to accomplish my tasks. 
Instantly I watched as my son slightly glance at his bright, new, baby toys and then proceeded to do his version of army crawling towards the computer and cords across the room.
He isn't very fast yet so he grunts and squeals while doing his very best to get to the one thing hes not allowed to touch in the room.
I sort of chuckled and placed him back in front of his toys.

 Again he instantly spun around and diligently moved towards the computer.

After having a small lesson in "no touch" I moved him back in front of his toys and showed him those were the toys he was allowed to play with.
Again he wanted nothing to do with his toys and started his mission towards the computer.
And in that moment as I watched him head towards the computer God so clearly showed me an ugly picture of myself.
How many times in life does He place beautiful blessings right in front of me and I barely glance at them while I head towards other "things" of this world. How often does He bless me simply because of his unconditional love and yet I ignore those only to run after the things He instructs me not to touch.
I picked up Tanner, asked forgiveness to God and thanked Him for reminding me that I have so many things in this world.
Thankful.
He has commanded me to be thankful. 

And not because of the many blessings I have but because He died on the cross and through Him I have victory.

I have a feeling this will not be the last time God will use Tanner to reveal sin and even when those moments are uncomfortable, I am so thankful He is faithful to teach me every day.

.

Five months

 I don't know how this has happened. My itty bitty, tiny, squishy little boy is now
5 months old.
I can't believe he has been in our life for 5 months.
What an incredible blessing! 

What we want to remember from month five:

Tanner is absolutely full of life.

 He makes us laugh all day long.

 I started noticing him grabbing and fussing when Kevin and I ate so this month we have introduced some solids to him. We have been taking it very slow, never pushing and only doing one meal a day but he has adjusted very well. The first couple bites he still looks at me like I am feeding him the worst food ever but then kicks and screeches in between each bite.

 When Tanner was born he was such an easy, laid back baby and I would have never guessed that he would be this very active, always on the go child.
Tanner LOVES people. When I take him to the store he stares and smiles at anyone that will notice him.
He definitely has my personality there.
He thrives on people interaction and it is a daily struggle for me to get anything done because he hates being alone.

 This week Tanner has been desperately trying to army crawl. He can get his feet going but can't figure out how to put his arms in front so he sort of drags them along. He rolls all over and then grunts and tries so hard to get where he wants to go, and then screams because he gets so frustrated he can't get there.

 He is still not sleeping through the night, waking anywhere from 1-3 times wanting to nurse.
Thankfully this week he has only gotten up once a night, I'm praying this trend continues.

 Naps are also a struggle. He is just not a good sleeper. So we do what works for us with his naps and someday I pray he will take at least 1 decent nap a day.
For now, I'm doing my best not to be frustrated or take any of this time for granted.
I know I will never get any of it back.

I say it on every post, but I really am so thankful for this precious baby. Motherhood is the hardest job God has asked me to do and it takes daily prayers and a whole lot of grace.
I love watching Tanner grow and change, but it has just hit me lately how fast each moment passes. 

I'm so thankful I have him to take on this life with and Kevin and I can't wait for whats next.

Four Months

Summer is almost over.. I remember sitting in this exact spot the week Tanner was born thinking about how time was moving so slow but before I knew it summer would be over and I would have a 4 month old. Well here we are, summer is almost over and somehow, someway I have a 4 month old.

crazy. 

 Things we want to remember from Month 4 :

 New Zoo:

 We decided to take Tanner to the zoo! What a fun zoo and what a fun day! We were able to pet the giraffes, watch the monkeys play, see the cutest baby monkey ever, watch the penguins waddle and see the coolest looking red panda ever. Kevin and I have always loved the zoo and this one met all of our expectations. Its a beautiful zoo filled with fun animals. I can't wait to take Tanner when he will be a little more excited. :)

  

 Crabby cakes:

 This month has brought some terrible crabby moments and continues to do so. I think he has started teething and what an adventure. Good thing hes so darn cute.

 First sickness.
Tanner had his first ear infection so we did a lot of snuggling and napping.

First Tick:
Though a very long story for a completely different day I found a tiny tick on Tanners eyelid. I had to take him to the dr where we had to strap him down, numb his eye and try and remove the tick. Thankfully the doctor was able to get it without sedating him. They took some blood ( what a miserable experience) and we are waiting on the blood results to see if he has Lymes. I'm not to worried about it..it sure was an adventure though!

 Kevin and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary. We are so thankful to have Tanner this year.

Tanner loves bath time! It is by far one of his favorite things!

 Tanner is continuing to be a busy little boy and one day I went to the bathroom and came back to find him stuck under the chair! Of course once I knew he was ok I laughed and snapped a picture.






Tanner keeps us laughing all day. He is full of character and this month has definitely been one of my favorites but I'm pretty sure I say that each month.
:)


I'm so thankful for this little man and all that he teaches me every day.