Tag Archives: memories

19 Memories From My 19th Month Since Going Dad

Ugh, it’s this time again already? Stop growing, Avery, not all of us want to get older! Plenty of memories being made daily in our home, and we’re loving every second of it!

Who am I kidding? That’s a quasi-lie, and I bet any parent knows what I mean. That poop in the morning that filled the entire diaper to where no white cloth was exposed? Yeah, we didn’t love that. Crying about something and we have no idea what for….nope, could do without that too.

Such is toddler-hood I suppose, so we’re making the most of it. I’ll cut right to the chase and get started with my list of memories this month, number 19….ay de mi! <—-Thank you, Spanish teacher in high school, for saying this 100 times/day.

1. Mommy and I have been waiting for you to actually get into books and sit all the way through as we read to you. Now, you’ll sit for not just one, but you’ll go and get another after we are done….and then another, and another, and well, we read to you a lot.

2. Your infatuation with lights has been around for a while, and now you’re a pro at turning them off and on too. Of course, the touch light in your room is the coolest because it requires no switches and you can reach it yourself.

3. Also, as seen in your video above, you no longer need us to read to you as you obviously know how to get into a good book by yourself.

4. At our neighbor’s, you decided to sit and play right in the water run-off where you had your first experience with a water gun. You weren’t sure what exactly to do with it, but really hated having to leave it there when we left. Don’t worry, we’ll be getting our own soon enough. 🙂

5. I think you dancing has come up in my previous memories posts, but you continue to amuse us with your expanding skills. Pecking like a chicken and spinning are some of your new moves. Must be from your mom. 😉

6. At another neighbor’s house, we stopped while walking one day and you kinda played catch with your peer, Tanner. His Daddy is a huge baseball fan and I expect you guys will play catch a lot more as you get older. You got a few good throws in too!

7. Since I have 19 of these things, I’m bringing up your dance moves again. While your motor skills have increased, your coordination still has some catching up to do. No worry, you take it all in “stride” quite well.

8. You have grown fond of having a spoon during meal times, but rarely ever use it to eat. Instead, Mommy and me still mostly feed you with our utensils, or you grab food right off of them. And of course, goat cheese is pretty much a daily thing we know you’ll eat.

9. We went to Nana and Papa’s house for a fun little cookout where you kept your cousins Taylor and Ashlee busy playing. You also brought back your demon face in full force which made it difficult to get a good pic with you and Nana.

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10. While there, you got to see your aunt Lindsay and even put away the demon for a real smile. I think she appreciated your kindness.

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11. This past month, we finally took down the baby prison play area in the living room which gave all of us more freedom and less obstacles to step over. It’s amazing how much bigger our home feels when not filled with gates.

12. With our new space, I thought it would be worth trying to make a couch fort just like I used to do as a kid. Turns out, I need to work on my fort building skills and she might need to be just a little bit older. Or destruction is just her way of saying “Your fort sucks, Dad!”.

13. As I said before, you love sitting down with us to read a book, and you walking backwards to sit down in my lap has become one of my favorite times. Instant stress relief!

14. Before the Texas heat hit us, I took advantage of the cooler weather for a few babywearing walks with you. It had been awhile since I last walked with you in our Onya, but to see you running up to me with a smile when I get it out is priceless. I will never forget these times, sweetie.

15. Now that the heat is here, so are the flies…inside our house. They have me swatting at the air constantly, and you’ve caught on. Now you will point at bug flying and say “fly” and then clap your hands just like I do when trying to kill the pests. You do this at dinner in your high chair and anywhere in or out of the house. It’s cute and hopefully you’ll be a great little helper soon.

16. Swimming has quickly turned into a fun activity for you and we’ve already gone more than last year alone. That’s not saying much, but I know we’ll be there a lot this summer, just throwing you in the air (maybe too high) and kicking your legs to make big splashes.

17. This month we celebrated getting rid of your baby bottles! You weren’t too keen about it the first day, but quickly caught on to the “big kid” leak-proof sippy cups. You made sure to savor every last sip of your last time to use the bottle though.

Milk Life, Feeding America, #MilkDrive

18. With the introduction of your new cups, I now have another person to make a daily green smoothie for. I wasn’t sure how you’d take to them when I gave a few sips, but you quickly signed for more and I knew it was time. Now you down one with Mommy at night and I save extra for you to have in the morning. I’m not sure, but I think they make you a little happy.

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19. And finally, to end this month’s list of memories, it’s apparent you are a growing girl. No longer is anything safe on our kitchen counter as you can reach up to the edges quite well. We have to be careful it’s nothing dangerous on the end, but it is sometimes nice when you can get your own drink. Not so much when you try to put it back and it spills though.

If it wasn’t for Instagram, I may not be able to remember these memories, hence why I have so many pictures from my account. I’ll have to keep the Insta-pics going for next month’s 20 or my old 31 year old brain will have trouble thinking on its own.

After 24 months, I will have to find a new way to capture my monthly memories, maybe with a top 3, but until then, I’ll be back next month on the 15th to share my top 20.

What memories do you have of your kids from the past month?

18 Memories From My 18th Month Since ‘Going Dad’

The months and memories have been flying by, and now we’re a year and half into this parenting gig. From what I hear, it only gets better with time, and so far, I would have to agree.

What’s better at this point; saying “18 months” or saying “a year and a half”? I’ve heard people refer to their kids’ age up to 24 months and that’s the max for me.

At 2 years, I’d say we can get rid of the months reference. Or maybe it would be cool to go retro and use weeks. Maybe even put 104 candles in a cake for their 2nd birthday. Actually, it would be 104.355 candles.

2 Years to Weeks Calc

Anyway, I’m still not feeling well from my butt issue the other day, so lets get on to these memories.

1. Avery, Mommy and I have known you were crazy for a long time, but now even the way you fall asleep has reached a new level of crazy.

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2. Your crazy sleep position was the same day you had a mystery rash that didn’t seem to bother you but looked horrible. Luckily, it came and went away within a couple days.

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3. That rash appeared the same time you became really ill with the highest fever to date. We missed seeing our crazy little girl run circles around the house, but it was kind of sweet to have in such a cuddly mood.

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4. You figured out your diaper a few months ago, but never repeatedly pulled it off until recently. When it’s just you and me, your diaper stays put, but when Mommy comes you, you go right for those snaps. No matter how many times we put it back on, you just undo it right away. So we’ve taken to duct tape diapering which proves quite effective despite the trashy look.

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5. I had a NuttZo tasting party for our neighbors to try all of the delicious varieties, and you took advantage of all the samples with gusto! I’m surprised there was any left for our guests!

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6. Rain has taken over pretty much the entire month, but we didn’t let it stop us from our daily walks. I even wore you in the Onya NexStep baby carrier which had been a while since the last time we walked with you on my back.

7. On our rainy walks, we found and rescued several turtles, big and small, by returning them to one of the lakes in our neighborhood. You’re still not sure what to make of them, but we have plenty of time for you to get the turtle experience. Except for the last one we saved, he almost bit off my fingers!

8. You’ve exclusively had Mommy’s milk and water for drinks until this past month when I introduced you to Zevia. I explained how it’s a great treat to enjoy after playing under the hot Texas sun or anytime really, and how it’s worlds better than other sugary or artificially sweetened alternatives. Obviously, you like it and will be enjoying Zevia with Mommy and me for a long time to come.

9. One day, during lunch, I picked your nose. Then I posted it for the world to see. You can hit me for this later.

10. Turtles aren’t the only wildlife in our neighborhood. We have been watching these 8 goslings grow into the full-grown geese that they are as we pass them on our daily walks. The Mommy and Daddy aren’t too friendly as seen when they stick their tongue out at us. but you can’t blame them for being protective. Just so you know, I’d stick my tongue out at people to protect you too!

11. I found my old boots I had as a kid and, like any parent would do, we put them on you to take pictures. The results were pure cuteness as always. You also seemed to enjoy the clunking noise you made when walking.

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12. One of the days that gave us sun instead of rain happened to be on the weekend, and Mommy had the awesome idea to bring you to a splash pad. It was your first time and although you weren’t too interested in the actual water part, we had fun slinging you around in the water.

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13. During dinnertime, where we usually take turns feeding you with our utensil or putting food for you to grab, we gave you a try at using the spoon yourself. After a few fumbles, you successfully brought food to your mouth several times! Yay, trial and error!

14. A current favorite of yours for breakfast is sliced banana with NuttZo. You are practically crying with impatience the moment I show you the banana, but once you get that first bite, it’s bliss!

15. Keeping still is not your forte, but running around and playing with several toys at once is. I’ll go about my business cooking our next meal or washing dishes as you go crazy all around me. Of course I’ll stop to read a book or three and throw the ball too!

16. Right after writing a post about your bottom lip, you went and busted the thing while playing with Mommy’s sweater. That was your first of many more to come, I’m sure.

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17. Mommy had a blast with you bouncing on our bed and trying to take pictures of when you were 6 months old. Turns out, you’re a little more mobile than you were back then. But still freakin’ cute as ever!

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18. You have a growing collection of balls that I’ve been finding on our walks and they provide plenty of entertainment for you at home. You’re even learning how to put them all in your basket when done. They usually come right back out, but it’s a start!

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The fun times just keep getting more and more interactive as she grows. I remember when Avery was just 6 months old, someone told me how it starts getting really good at 18 months. Now that we’re here, I’m excited to see this for myself since she’s already fun as it is.

Maybe actually talking or at least being more clear about her wants/needs? Yeah, I know, doubtful. Guess we’ll find out now!!

When did you start using years instead of months to give your child’s age?

What’s something noteworthy about your kid from this past month?

 

 

17 Memories From My 17th Month Since ‘Going Dad’

The memories never stop for a parent, that’s a-pparent (bada boom!), but I’ll have to eventually find a stopping point for these posts. Hopefully I’ll make it to 2 years/24 months before figuring something else out.

Anything past 24 is, if not already, pressing the attention span of any readers. Not that I care that much when it comes to this post since it’s about my memories!

Avery, after 17 months, here are some memories you’ve given Mommy and Me so far…

1. This month, you’ve started grabbing on to a blanket draped over the top of the rocking chair in your room when Mommy nurses you to sleep. Every night, as I kiss you goodnight and wait for you and Mommy to get situated before I turn out the light, you instinctly behind you and grab a hold of the blanket. It leaves us with a big grin each night.

2. When we workout in the garage, you like to mimic us with your wooden “barbell” by doing overhead presses. Your form needs some work, but we have plenty of time for that.

3. You’ve had crazy legs and feet for a long time now, but this month you started romping around or kicking the air as you shake your head make some sort of gurgle noise. It’s cute most of the time, but I’ll admit to getting annoyed from it some times. And I know Mommy does NOT appreciate it when you kick the air with her chest “in your way”.

4. We’ve been somewhat sticking to baby-led weaning for you, feed you a lot more with a spoon and fork too. After getting frustrated by not being able to use the spoon yourself, we gave it to you for your first try. You kinda used it, but then cheated to actually eat the food.

5. Britax and our Dallas Dads Group hosted a fun event at the DFW Family Expo where you ran like a wild child around the expo. Even as we held you for a picture with very kind Kate from Britax, you flipped the camera the bird.

6. We bought a pink Radio Flyer tricycle for you several months ago and finally busted it out this month. You quickly took a liking to your trike, and love when Mommy and Daddy push you. Maybe you’ll learn to pedal soon! Until then, keep ringing the bell!

7. I took you to the new Trader Joe’s that just opened nearby for your first visit one Saturday. I remembered how it’s nothing special and probably won’t go there anytime again soon. I even got hit in the parking lot to top it off. But hey, always fun to experience something new with you!

8. We had another Dallas Dads Group meet-up at the same bounce house, Jump For Fun, that we went to before. You were more active than before, but I still had to carry you over plenty of the obstacles. You were, however, quick on your feet in the basketball area.

9. Everyone knows you’re not scared of our vacuum, but I’ve had to pull the little Dust Buster out a few times which sends you in a screaming frenzy. You outright HATE the thing! Even your caterpillar can’t ease your fears.

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10. Now that you are fully capable of holding your own bottle, you are becoming quite skilled at setting it down and picking it up without spilling. You don’t even need your hands! Except for when you clap for yourself, which is always.

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11. Going to the park/playground/back yard is always fun to watch you explore, but you don’t care so much about the equipment. Instead, you’d rather throw dirt or mulch around, which always gets caught in your hair.

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12. Speaking of hair, you have developed some crazy curls it seems like over night. They are in full crazy-curl-mode right after nap time and typically stay that way until your bath. Have to share a front and back view here…

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13. Our neighbors, the Dunn’s, have two little girls, Natalie and Zoey, that you have been playing with more often than before. Okay, more like all of you run around in the same area, but it’s great to see you somewhat social. Natalie is only a few months older than you, and Zoey is several years older. You always have fun over there and even tested out their new trampoline. We hope you grow up and become good friends since their parents are great people and their Daddy, Jason, is a fan of scotch just like me.

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14. You are still rocking the NuttZo world and gobbling everything up I put it on or cook it into. From the oatmeal I make for you and Mommy to simply on top of banana slices, you easily make it disappear.

15. Turtles are nothing new to you since you were crawling around them a year ago, but we recently found and rescued a baby one together. We called him “Little Leo” like Leonardo from the Ninja Turtles.

16. Your vocabulary has increased to include a simple “Hi” which you know makes you cute. So now, when I have to get on to you, you just look at me, smile, and say “hi”, and madness magically disappears! Damn that cuteness!

17. Last year never happened, but this year we set you in the middle of a bluebonnet patch for the obligatory bluebonnet photo session that every kid in Texas has to endure. You were in a stranger’s front yard, but just be glad it wasn’t the side of the highway like a lot of families use!

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I’ve been told by several other parents that 18 months is when it starts to get fun. Judging by the fun we’re already having, I look forward to what she’ll be doing another month from now. It’s all happening so fast, and I’m glad to share it with my two beautiful girls!

boba, babywearing, family