garrett is 10 months old!

i feel like every month is just flying by now...that we're just simply *too* close to his first birthday! (which i have already started planning!) garrett was 10 months old yesterday!

this month we had a trip to NC to see beth's family, numerous outings to the park, a visit from grandmom & clay while brian was in CA. garrett started saying "uh oh!" & "Hu" which is short for Huck (our dog) - he says it every time huck barks or scratches @ the door, when he points to huck! he plays little games with us, like peek a boo. he loves to fly around here in his walker - chasing us or being chased by us! he loves the animals in the murals in his room now - we point to each one when he wakes us & say what animal it is & the sound it makes (he especially loves brian's pig noise!).

he also discovered that he can *look* under a door, as well as stick his hand under some - like from the main bathroom into the potty room! ha...despite being moderately disturbing, it's pretty funny to see those little fingers trying to figure out where you went & get into where you are! garrett's also cruising around *everything* in full effect...plus, every now & then he simply stands on his own!

clay, garrett & emma...this was like wrangling cats! it's the best pic i got of them all weekend!

garrett with grandmom & papa.

@ a local pumpkin patch (practicing for our *real* pumpkin patch visit on monday!).



one set of garrett's halloween PJs...he's a spider baby!

this picture was nearly impossible to take - he is FAST!

i can't believe i got one that's *remotely* good!

i love fall

i love fall. it's pretty much always been my favorite season. i love the crisp feeling in the air. i love pumpkins. i like halloween. i like apples. i love festivals. i love pie. i love the cool nights. i HEART the amazing afternoon weather, particularly in the south - the right mix of sunshine & cool breeze, with the leaves starting to find a tint of orange, red or yellow. & this year, i love fall even more b/c i see it with garrett. he will be ten months old tomorrow. & as each day passes, i love & enjoy him more. we've spent so many days @ the many parks around our house in the last few weeks! this afternoon we hit another one...he loved swinging, climbing through the giant tunnels & then i just threw down a blanket & he played with toys & watched the bigger kids.

today. i love where i am in my life right now. & although, there are surely days where i miss all that my old job offered me...i wouldn't pass on what this time is offering me today. this afternoon - what it gave me. moments with my son. my sweet, beautiful little man. as we contemplate a second child, i realize that the alone time i have with garrett now will subside when baby #2 one day arrives. i realize that my time with baby #2 will also never really be this way...he/she will (almost) always have garrett & any subsequent siblings along. so in this season, i'm also grateful. for the days of solitude i have with garrett. my (not so little) baby!

getting so big

today we had a play date @ our friend kelly's house! chase was born a few days before garrett, so it's been fun to sort of see how the boys are developing alongside one another!

the photos above were taken today (the boys @ almost 10 months)...the photo below taken @ around 1.5 months! oh my...i think garrett's finally gaining on chase in terms of weight! they're so much fun now!

as long as

it's hard to believe that garrett's been *in* the world as long as he was *in* my belly! despite not really leaving the house today (we're in a gas shortage here, people!) garrett & i found plenty to do & went in the backyard to play & i was struck by how big he looks in his little jeans & polo.

his new thing is "uh-oh!" - think he picked it up from clay last week when he as playing with garrett. sometimes it comes out "uh uh uh uh uh oh!" - it's so sweet! hope everyone's having a great week!

i love this boy

 

my nephew is a little man...and yet all fun, crazy boy! he has been here visiting this week with my mom & i've had so much fun. his personality is just so engaging & joyful! i love the time i get to spend with him...which isn't enough!

this week...i went for a run & clay accompanied me on his bike...we went to the soft play area @ the mall where he showed garrett how to scale the slides! (& garrett can do it now!)...yesterday we went to a park & he & i went on a 5-mile bike ride while mom & garrett waited for us back at the park...

last night i taught him how to play a dice game (Fill or Bust!) & if he starts running a dice game in his neighborhood later this month, don't go blaming me - the kid's a natural - naturally lucky with the dice, that is!...& today we went to another park for playgroup (clay & mom came along!) & C was so fabulous with G & the other little baby that was there - C is so fantastic with little ones, btw - he's totally entertained G this week & it's been a HUGE help & so neat to watch!...tonight it was more dice & then we made cupcakes!

quotes from clay this week:

"aunt beth, you don't weigh that much!" - in response to my saying i didn't think a balance beam @ the park would hold me.

"one day girls are going to want to dance with me. & that's fine. as long as they're sexy girls." - in response to me dancing with him in my kitchen tonight. i'm *still* laughing @ that one!

"you know the best part about being here aunt beth? my sister's not!...oh, and seeing garrett!" - hahahahaha! completely unprompted...i think he was happy to escape my 3-year-old niece for a few days on a special trip with grandmom to atlanta!

poor clay...aunt beth said he could lick the frosting spreader & then she mashed it on his face! :-( i offered to let him get me back & he wouldn't do it! ugh...his daddy would've NEVER passed on that offer when we were kids!

think that clay is a budding photographer! he took this picture of garrett earlier in the week...does it even look like him? he was laughing so hard @ clay!