Our Lil' Punkin

Logan had portraits taken last Friday because I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to get some good shots of him in his pumpkin outfit. I just really can't do him justice yet with our new camera. I'm still learning. I do take plenty of practice shots, but I don't have the lighting and backdrop that really makes a difference.

It was so funny, because Michael bought the little brown shoes Logan's wearing a few weeks ago, but we had never put them on him. We put his outfit on and we both had a shoe, trying to get them on. They almost wouldn't go on, but we were determined and all three of us were laughing by the time we got them on.

This was one of the first pictures the photographer took. He was in a pretty good mood, but tired because he didn't want to take a nap that morning. How is it that babies know when they really NEED to take a nap because they have a big day ahead and they refuse?! Anyway, the first few came out pretty cute.

This is one of my favorites. :-)

I think he was starting to get tired of being photographed here (or the hot pumpkin suit!), but it still made for a very good picture. The photographer called it an "eyelash" shot. Whatever you call it, I think it's precious.

My favorite things

In response to Alice Ann's blog from almost a month ago (yes, we've already established that I'm behind) here are a few of the things I've grown to appreciate since becoming a mom.

• HGTV, especially House Hunters and Property Virgins - they come on every night and I watch them after Michael and Logan go to bed :-) - I'm hooked!
• DVR, so I can watch Desperate Housewives in one sitting
• Parents magazine, along with Better Homes & Gardens and Southern Living - the best for parenting tips and recipes
• Anita soft cup nursing bra and Blue Canoe Jane's bra top - I searched high and low and these are by far my favorites
• Lansinoh nursing pads
• Like Remica said, the Boppy has gotten a lot of use at our house, too; I caught Bailey (one of our dogs) snoozing on it this morning :-)
• Nurse n Glow nursing pillow - for nighttime and early morning feedings in bed; it was great until the LED's (I think that's what they are) started going out
• Our new Maclaren Volo stroller - it's perfect for walks, is lightweight, and can zip through a crowd of people (trust me, Michael tried it at the zoo the other day)
• Graco Pack n Play - Logan slept in the bassinet part for several months in our room and still plays in the play pen when I get ready in the morning if he's up

The pack n play also keeps Bailey from obsessively licking Logan

My favorite baby things:

• Philips Avent iQ Electronic Bottle and Baby Food Warmer - it's fast and the formula usually ends up the right temperature; Logan even knows what the beep means when it's ready
• I have to agree with AA and Remica on the pump; mine is the Ameda Purely Yours Double Electric - it was cheaper than Medela and worth it's weight in gold, no telling how much money we saved on formula!
• Pampers diapers and Huggies wipes; we tried Huggies diapers and they aren't bad, but I think Pampers are still our favorite
• Aveeno diaper rash cream; it's the only one I've tried that doesn't stink and isn't as messy as some
• The bouncy seat and play mat before Logan could sit up on his own and now the walker and jumperoo - they keep him entertained while I get chores done
• Kozy Pal cart cover - it fits on all shopping carts and restaurant high chairs and keeps the germs off and gives the seat a little padding
• Gerber fruit puffs - these things are life savers when we are out to eat and Logan wants what we're eating; they dissolve, making them a good first finger food for learning to chew
• YoBaby yogurt - Logan will eat almost anything, but he loves his yogurt; when he's tired and fussy from teething sometimes this is all he will eat!
• Avent pacifiers - I think most moms probably think "my baby won't use paci's", but, yes, at 3AM, you tend to change your thinking and do whatever makes baby happy
• Johnson's baby Q-tips - they are big enough that they won't damage baby's ear canal, but go far enough in to clean little ears; we just discovered that Logan sits so still when I use them because he finds it relaxing - I've found my new secret weapon!

Logan's first Canton trip

We took our first trip to Canton as a family a couple of weeks ago. Well, I go every year with my parents and Logan went last year (in utero), but it was Michael's first time to go with us. I think I had the most fun, but Logan didn't seem to mind being along for the ride. He had it made, as you can see, with Ellie to entertain him, to boot.

He was good, for the most part, and didn't try to climb out of the wagon. He loves to play with Ellie's leash.
He even kept his hat on. I was so proud of my little guy!
Here he is all dressed up in his new pants and crocs (please make a note; he's got shoes on!), ready to go shopping. It was pretty chilly in the mornings, but by lunch he had the pants and shoes off. At least he wore shoes for a little while...
Poor Logan was exhausted by the end of the day. Looking cute and riding around in a wagon or stroller all day is hard work, you know. But, I have to say, he was a really good sport.

Logan's 9-month checkup

I can't believe Logan is already 9 months old, but the calendar doesn't lie. Actually, he's almost 10 months, but I'm a little behind, so humor me. We went for his 9-month checkup about a week after he actually turned 9 months. I wasn't dreading this one since he wasn't due for any vaccines. He ended up getting a flu shot, but one shot is better than four, right?! His weight is still on the low side (5-10 percentile), but his height and head circumference are at 25-50 and 75 percentiles, so that's good news. He just has a high metabolism, I guess! The doctor said it is fine if he stays in that percentile as long as he doesn't drop off the chart next time. She told me to put butter in his baby food :-0 and to come back in a month for a weigh-in. I have yet to spoon feed saturated fat to my baby, but he has tried avocado and loves it. I feel better about that since it's high in calories and fat, but it's unsaturated fat, which is exactly what he needs. I also put a little extra formula in his bottles. He doesn't look underweight to us, and he's otherwise healthy and happy so I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing for now.

9 months is also when they take blood and test for common issues, one of which is anemia. Nana Kay took Logan to get his blood taken a few days after his checkup so he didn't have to get pricked twice in one day. She said Logan sat in her lap and the nurse raised his foot and pricked his big toe. He didn't cry! Then the nurse squeezed his toe to get a sample into the glass slide things they use and said, according to my mom, "this is usually the part babies hate." And he still didn't cry! He just watched her do her job. He's so curious and is just growing up so fast.

Here Logan is in the parking lot of the hospital trying to pull the band-aid off already.

Needless to say, my mom let him pull it off and then took it away. I had warned her about band-aids, after reading an article about a 5-month old who swallowed one. Then, what did I do? I left his band-aid on from his flu shot until he took a bath and didn't even think about it! To my credit, it was on his leg and it would have been pretty difficult for him to get it off himself and he wasn't nearly as interested in it as he was in the one on his toe. But, regardless, I'm going to try to follow my own advice a little more closely in the future, especially that about safety.