twelve months.

Well, I guess I should post Franz's 12-month update now that he's 13 1/2 months. I cannot believe that I am the mama to a one-year-old! I'm still not used to it. This big boy has learned how to walk in his 12th month; his first steps were taken when he was just 11 1/2 months old. I was a proud mama when that happened.

Thinking back to a few weeks ago, he's been starting to leave little messes around the house everywhere he goes, and says even more words now, his favorite being "pumpkin!" (puh!), right in time for Halloween. Every time he sees a pumpkin, he'll shout "Puh! Puh!" It's pretty much one of the cutest things I've ever seen. And speaking of Halloween, that was his last first holiday. He loved it, mostly because he got to hold a king's scepter (he was Max from Where the Wild Things Are). He loves to growl at himself in the mirror, and says hi!

At 12 months, Franz...

• wears size 5 diapers, and 24 month sized clothes. He wears clothes made for babies twice his age.
• stood up on his own.
• took his first steps and can walk!
• loves to eat, especially bread.
• still has poof on the back of his head. I'm not sure that his hair will ever lay completely straight.
• has 7 teeth.
• nurses throughout the day and the night.
• still doesn't sleep through the night.
• loves everything he can't have and throws a fit if you won't let him have it.
• gives kisses.
• loves cars and books mostly.
• sleeps in his crib for the most part.
• learned how to clap his hands.
• learned how to say "turtle" perfectly.
• loves to be outside.

I feel like this boy got a whole lot more crazy/mobile/messy/whiney the minute he turned one. Some days it's hard to keep up with him (especially since I haven't had decent sleep in over a year), but boy, do I love him. It's truly insane to me to think about the amount of love you can feel for someone when you thought you already knew how much you could love. It turns out my heart is a whole lot bigger and can hold even more love than I ever thought before having Franz. This mama thing is alright.

...

eleven months.

It's crazy to think that my little baby will be a year old in less than a month. I remember when he was a newborn and time went by soooo sloooow, especially those nights. And now here he is, eleven months old, almost a one-year-old. I can't believe it.

This little boy is so funny. Throughout the day, I'll just look at him while he's in his own little world, talking to himself or playing with a toy or a book, and just laugh, because he is so funny. And then he'll look up at me and laugh back. One thing I love about this fiesty kid is that, while he's stubborn and strong-willed and has an attitude, he is all smiles and laughs all the time. He smiles at strangers with his signature "hey!" and looks for any opportunity to laugh, whether it's trying to get me to chase him down the hallway, or making papa do a dance for him while he's in the tub, this boy loves to laugh. It brings me insane and pure joy.

One thing also worth mentioning is that he loves to nurse. Loves it. Like, he still nurses 4 or 5 times a day, and 3 or 4 times at night. This kid loves my boobs, and I don't see him weaning in the near future. And because I'm going to let him self-wean, I joke that he'll probably be done breastfeeding by the time he enters Kindergarten (and a part of me knows that it probably isn't a joke).

At eleven months, Franz...

• crawls, and crawls fast.
• is getting 4 new teeth all at once. One on each side of his top and bottom front teeth.
• wears mostly 24 month clothes and will be in size 5 diapers when the rest of the size 4's are gone. Seriously.
• is getting long hair, which I refuse to cut, and it's laying straight down now, except for the part on the top of his head.
• is fascinated with pumpkins and fire (from our candles) right now. Happy Halloween!
• loves reading books (I've caught him looking at the pictures by himself quite a few times) and loves helping you turn the pages when you're reading to him.
• can say "mama", "papa", "more" (muh), "book" (buh), "bum bum" (buh buh), "pumpkin" (puh), "puff" (puh), "turtle" (tuh tuh), "toys" (tuh), "monkey" (muh), "duck" (duh), "rawr", "ball" (buh) and "bear" (buh). Not only does he say these words, but he knows what each one represents. He knows that is he says more, we'll give him more food (so mealtimes are spent saying "muh muh muh muh muh muh muh!"), and he knows that bum bum means diaper change, and he knows that the pumpkin on our bookshelf is a "puh." I know this is ordinary for his age, but I am so proud and so impressed!
• just got over his third cold to date. I feel fortunate that he hasn't had more colds than that. I've read that the average amount in the first year is five.
• has discovered the wonder that is opening drawers and cupboards and pulling everything out.
• loves pizza. He is our son.
• hates bibs. This may have something to do with us never putting them on him.
• has lately started to make a kissy face (or a duck face) and say "ooh! ooh! ooh!" when he's excited or wants something.
• has learned to clap! And it is precious.
• still doesn't sign, but the fact that he says some words now makes my life easier.
• can't say his C's or K's. So when we ask him where his car is, he says, "bah".
• gets ornery and clingy when he's tired. It only took me 11 months to pick up on my child's cues. No big deal.
• still doesn't sleep through the night, but is starting to wake up less and less (slowly, but surely) and is easier to put to sleep most of the time (we rock him until he's almost asleep and then put him in his crib).
• loves raspberries blown on his tummy, and loves being tickled. A guaranteed laugh with those.
• gives hugs and kisses on demand... most of the time.
• loves Zac's fox shirt and our Audrey Hepburn poster. He gives the fox kisses without fail, and says "hiiii" to Audrey whenever he passes her.
• can stand up by himself, but gets nervous and sits back down whenever he does.
• cruises along furniture like a pro.
• still sleeps on his belly with his bum up.
• loves playing with the tub's faucet when mama's getting ready, as well as the toilet paper, the toilet, and the bathroom garbage.
• bites everything he can get his mouth on. Books, toys, tables, the tub, but thankfully, not people.
• loves being scared.
• loves his binky. I don't see him weaning off of that any time soon either.

This boy. I can't even. He is so special to me. I can't wait to celebrate this last year with him in our lives! It's been such a good one.

ten months.

Oh dear. My boy is 10 months old, and is getting into everything there is to be gotten into. But I freaking love it. He's so much fun, and as my late Grandpa Earl would say, is such a character. He's started growling recently. Half of the time it's because he's mad, and the other half of the time is because he likes to growl. He can pull himself up onto just about anything (but his favorites are the coffee table and the dining chairs--side note: he got a black eye/cheek today because the chair he was pulling himself up onto fell on top of him. He screamed harder and louder than I've ever heard him scream, and I was shaking, and my mama heart broke into pieces), and reaches for your hand if he wants help up, or if he wants to walk to somewhere else, or if he wants to sit down (still working on going from standing to sitting by ourselves over here).

Oh this boy of mine... he's the sweetest boy I've ever known. If you ask for a kiss, he'll stop what he's doing, lean forward with his mouth open, and plant a big wet one right on your lips. He occasionally gives loves, where he rests his head on you and simultaneously melts your heart. He's starting to snuggle more, especially in bed (sometimes, after a middle-of-the-night feeding, he'll go from position to position trying to get comfy, and about half of those positions will involve snuggling me or Zac), and he sleeps with his little bum up in the air. Oh, and he's learned to crawl! Actual crawling going on over here! Until he realizes that he's much faster when he army crawls, and then plops down on his tummy and army crawls the rest of the way.

At ten months, Franz...

• looooves food. It's really his favorite thing. There is no food that we've given him that he hates, including lemons (no sour face whatsoever).
• is somewhere around 25 pounds, and 31-32 inches tall.
• is starting to fit into some 24 month clothes, and still wears size 4 diapers.
• has started patting things with his hands, and will pat/hit stuff if you do first.
• grabs his penis at every. single. diaper change.
• loves baths, and hates getting out.
• has 4 teeth now! His top front teeth came in and are the cutest.
• eats every 2 1/2 hours on average, including at night.
• co-sleeps with his mama and papa, and loves it (we do too).
• naps in his crib.
• loves being scared and frowned at.
• has started doing this thing where he gasps a long, high-pitched gasp whenever he's excited. 
• pulls up to standing on anything he can.
• crawls with his belly off the floor.
• loves books, cars (loves to push them around on the floor), and recently, his monkey toy that Zac does voices for. 
• is starting to try and say words we say. For example, when we say "monkey," "moo," "mama," "milk," and "more," he'll say, "ma!" Today I caught him saying "duh!" when he picked up his toy duck. 
• when asked where something is ("where's your car/book/etc?"), will look at it, crawl over to it, and pick it up.
• recognizes the signs for milk, more, eat, and book, but hasn't signed them yet.
• has started to curl his legs like newborns do, and it makes me want to snuggle him all day long.
• is the raspberry-blowing king.
• freaks out with excitement when Zac gets home from work.
• loves to jump on the mattress in his crib.
• gets excited when he sees people, but especially babies and kids. Still loves to flirt and smile at anyone who will give him attention.
• eats more regular foods than purees. We're starting to feed him stuff from our plate. Tonight was mushroom stroganoff!
• loves to be held. This boy needs physical touch, and cannot get enough of it. I absolutely love it.
• still has poofy hair that stands straight up.
• is a mama's boy through and through.
• doesn't mind car rides, and goes into his carseat easily (knock on wood).

I keep thinking about how he'll be a year old in less than two months, and have to pinch myself, because there's no way it's been almost a year already! I remember when he was brand new, thinking that waiting until he was two months old (to get him on a schedule) was forever away. I miss those newborn days (I've admittedly been baby hungry since Franz was 4 months old), but I am eating these 10-month-old days right up! He becomes more and more like a kid and less and less like a baby each day, and while it makes me sad, it's crazy fun to watch him grow up and teach himself new things. This boy is getting to be pretty funny, and makes me genuinely laugh every day. I love that he's mine.

...

Outtakes, because this little boy is getting to be a wild thang:

... 

nine months.

^^^This is what his face looks like when he rolls his tongue.

These last nine months have flown by. It's hard to believe that we're coming up on one whole year with Franz in just a few months. How do I have a 9-month-old?! Franz's personality has always been big and present, but this month it just exploded. Lately, he's been talking back to us with tongue clicks, raspberries, and rolling his tongue (a new trick he learned a few days ago!).

I feel like this is the month when all of our hard work of trying to teach him the names of things has paid off. He's starting to recognize things we see and talk about every day. For example, we read him books about farm animals (cows, chickens, horses, and ducks, etc.) and make the noises they make. We went to the farm a couple of days ago and showed him the cows and mooed at him, and you could see things start to click in his little head, like he was thinking, "Oh! I know what that is!" He also loves to watch the slide show of our recent family pictures (I'll be sure to post those soon!) on our screen saver, and gets extremely excited when he sees his mama and papa and even the little baby he loves to play with in the mirror. It really just melts my mama heart.

At 9 months, Franz...

• still only has his 2 bottom teeth, but his 2 top ones should be coming in any day now. They're so close!
• is an army-crawling fool. He's so efficient and so fast! 
• has started getting up on his hands and knees, and rocks back and forth. He's THIS close to crawling. 
• still doesn't sleep through the night. In fact, lately, he's been waking up 6 or 7 times in an 11 hour period, so that's fun. I'm convinced it's a mix between teething and his [very minor] ear infection.
• still wears mostly 12-18 month clothes, but is starting to fit into some 24 month clothes. What the crap?
• still wears size 4 diapers.
• is 24 pounds & 10 ounces and 31 inches tall. I see 1-year-olds his size walking and running around. It's weird.
• is a huge flirt, and smiles at almost anyone, especially if they aren't paying attention to him.
• loves solids, and is starting to eat more and more (like homemade pizza crust!).
• is fascinated by cars, birds, door stops, buttons, cords, our bathroom scale, and anything shiny.
• growls when he's mad. And sometimes just for fun.
• loves to put things over his face, and then gets really excited and breathes heavily. This morning, it was one of Zac's dirty socks.
• loves to jump and jump and jump.
• can pull himself up to standing while holding onto my hands, and grabs my hands all the time because he loves to stand.
• fell off our bed and skinned his nose (hence the red nose in these pictures).
• sleeps in our bed 80% of the time, and sleeps in our room the other 20%.
• is getting better at taking naps (but maybe it's because I rock him to sleep... just waiting for the right moment to start sleep training him...).
• prefers regular cups for drinking, and sippy cups for playing with/chewing on.
• favors his mama over his papa, and always reaches for me when Zac is holding him (and I am eating it up!).
• is very clingy. He needs to be held every minute of every day, it seems like.
• is really cuddly and touchy feely in bed at night (and just in general). He loves snuggling up close to me or Zac, usually so our noses are touching, with a hand on our face or arm. This is why I'm okay with co-sleeping. :)
• smiles the biggest smiles and gets really excited when Zac comes home from work. I think it's the best part of Zac's day. 
• is starting to put himself to sleep at bedtime. He used to do this, but then stopped all of a sudden, and is now slowly starting it back up again. If only he'd do it in the middle of the night. :)
• gets at least one compliment everywhere we go about how cute he is or how awesome his hair is. I am not exaggerating. It makes a mama proud!
• gives the tightest hugs to his mama almost every time I pick him up, especially when I pick him up from his nap.
• will sometimes give you kisses when you ask for them. Open-mouthed goodness!
• can say "naynaynay" (his favorite), "nanana", "bababa", "mamama", and "dadada".

This baby is a dream. He is so much fun, and keeps me so busy, now that he's a pro at that army crawling. It's so much fun to talk to him and watch him pay attention to what I'm saying. I love to see him take in the world around him. Things that I think are boring and mundane are incredible to him. We watched tractors dig up dirt across the street for a good 5 minutes today, and he was in awe. He can watch cars pass by one by one and still think it's the best thing ever when the next one comes. I love seeing him learn about how this world works. I'm learning that each new stage brings a whole slew of fun things with it, and even though the last one was pretty good, the current one is always, somehow, even better. Being a mama is pretty good, especially to this little boy.

...

eight months.

My baby is eight months old! And he is soooo much fun! There's never a calm moment at our house, unless he's sleeping. His little personality is just bursting at the seams, and he's quite a funny little dude. Lately he's been scrunching up his nose and making his mouth into a tight "O" shape, and it's the cutest thing. He also just recently found out how to army crawl, and now between rolling and army crawling, he's officially going everywhere and getting into everything. He's keeping me busy.

At eight months, Franz...

• still has only his two bottom teeth.
• started army crawling.
• still doesn't sleep through the night. He wakes up at least 3 times a night.
• says "nanana," "bababa," "dadada," and "mamama." 
• can click his tongue and smack his lips.
• loves solid foods (purees), mostly for the spoon, and just started eating puffs a few days ago.
• still wears size 4 diapers and size 12-18 month clothes.
• weighs about 24 1/2 pounds, and has really slowed down with his weight gain.
• loves baths but hates being dried off afterwards.
• got his first owie--a scratch on his big toe--on the day he turned 8 months old.
• laughs like a fool when you tickle his thighs, ribs, lower belly, and back.
• loves to stick his fingers in your mouth, and loves when you pretend to bite them.
• will lunge toward someone with his arms out if they ask to hold him.
• is so happy and so smily.
• is more clingy than usual, and would be held all day long if I'd let him.
• sleeps on his belly.
• loves everything shiny: sequins on my clothes, jewelry, zippers, etc.
• loves buttons, including belly buttons!
• also loves glasses, and pulls mine and Zac's off all the time.
• gives the best, open-mouthed kisses.
• loves the outdoors, even though it's blazing hot. We get the mail together every day.
• gets mad when you're eating and he's not.
• loves to drink water out of his sippy cup and out of mama's glass.
• really only cries when he's being put down to sleep, and when you put him down when he's being clingy.
• prefers to play with all of his toys at once, scattered all across the living room floor, than just one or two toys.
• loves to bang things together to see what sound they make: his binky on the bars of his crib, one of my bracelets on the tv speaker, a wooden block on another wooden block, etc.
• gets so excited when he sees Zac's face when he comes home from work. We're talking flailing arms, a big grin, and pushing mama away so papa can hold him.
• still has that sticky up hair, although it's barely starting to lie down.
• loves books, and is starting to realize that you can read them instead of eat them (but still loves to eat them).

Each stage that Franz goes through is my new favorite, so of course, 8 months is my favorite so far. He's so much fun to play with and I don't have to worry about breaking him; we can be a little rough with him and he actually thinks it's hilarious! He knows his mama and his papa, and gives us sweet kisses and holds onto us while stroking us with his finger. It melts my heart every single time. I love this beautiful boy of mine.

...

seven months.

Franz turned seven months old last Friday the 13th! Seven months with this little dude. It's going by way too fast, and I can't believe how big he is. The sounds this boy comes up with are ridiculous. Yesterday he was growling. Sometimes, when I put him down for a nap, he cries and blows raspberries at the same time. I don't even know. He's hilarious, and has me cracking up every day.

At seven months, Franz...

• can sit up by himself.
• laughs at everything, and smiles even more.
• just wants to be held. All. day. long. (Not complaining!)
• is still a horrible sleeper, but is getting better at falling asleep by himself.
• has to be swaddled to sleep.
• has finally learned to roll from his tummy to his back. He did it a few times before, but now he does it consistently. He'll roll onto his tummy to grab a toy, and then roll onto his back to play with it, and repeat.
• loves every food we've given him. So far he's eaten brown rice cereal, oatmeal cereal, apples, carrots, sweet potatoes, peaches, green beans, mangoes, and plums. I think he's allergic to the mangoes and plums though.
• has the most fuzzy, sticky-uppy hair that always gets him compliments.
• is the biggest flirt. He'll stare at people until they look back at him, and then give them the biggest smiles.
• loves baths, and loves splashing.
• knows when he's about to be breastfed, and does excited/anxious moans leading up to it. He would breastfeed all day long if I'd let him.
• takes 3 or 4 naps a day, usually about 40-50 minutes long, and if we're lucky, one will be 1 1/2 hours long.
• holds out his arms and leans toward you if you're going to pick him up.
• has learned to click his tongue and smack his lips, because Zac and I do it to him all the time. He associates clicking his tongue with Zac, since Zac does that to him, and has associated smacking his lips with me, since I do that to him.
• has slowed down growing for now, and has been wearing the same clothes for a few months now. Anything from 9-18 months, and size 4 diapers.
• is somewhere between 22 and 23 pounds (that's a complete guess; he hasn't been weighed since 6 months).
• sits in a convertible car seat now when we drive in the car, since the infant car seat was getting too small for him. 
• loves things that he cannot have, like car keys, jewelry, and our food.
• swam for the very first time in St. George and absolutely loved it (too bad I hate swimming).
• says da, ma, pa, and ba, among other things.
• loves to be sung to. It either makes him beam ear to ear, or makes him crack up. His favorite song is "One Tin Soldier" by Coven.
• still sleeps in our bedroom at night, only because it's easier to attend to him when I'm half asleep and totally out of it. 
• naps in his crib, and won't nap anywhere else. Boo.
• has never been babysat. I've literally spent all my time with him since he's been born. Too much anxiety for this mama to leave her baby right now. Maybe when he's a toddler. ;)
• loves to jump when you stand him up, and loves the jumperoo (still).
• has never watched TV or played with my phone, despite the comments telling me to "never say never" and "you'll change your mind when you're exhausted and out of ideas to entertain him with."
• loves being outside, and loves the grass.
• loves running water, and tries to pick it up, and gets confused when he can't.
• looks just like Zac did when he was a baby. As much as I'd love to claim it, all that cuteness comes from his papa, except for his feet and that tongue that sticks out all the time. Those are aaaall me. :)
• went to his first concert. Van Lady Love at the Rooftop Concert Series a couple of weeks ago. Although he was wearing earmuffs the whole time, he rather enjoyed it.
• got both of his bottom teeth! As if he couldn't be any more adorable... ;)

I know I say it all the time, but I freaking love this baby. I cannot even explain it, but I'm sure all the mothers know the love I'm talking about. I have so much love for this little human that sometimes I think I might explode. He makes me so excited, so frustrated, so tired, and so happy. I cannot believe he's mine, and that I've had him for this long. He makes my life better and more meaningful, and fills it with so much joy. I love watching him grow up and get smarter and more clever and creative as the days go by. He's such a sweetheart!

...

six months.

It's happened. My little baby is half a year old. I can't believe how much he's grown and how much he's learned and changed in the last six months. 

In his 6th month, Franz...

• has ALMOST learned to sit by himself. He can go for a few seconds at a time, but always falls over eventually.
• babbles all day long, and has learned to say, "dada," and says it all the time. Dadadadadadadadadadada.
• loves to jump in his jumperoo (that JoJo let us borrow!). Also loves to put his feet on anything and everything and try to jump off of it, even if he's lying down.
• is laughing a lot more. The things that make him laugh the most are tickling his back, neck, thighs, and armpits, playing peek-a-boo, fake laughing at him, and eating his tummy.
• is the worst sleeper ever (he's been waking about every hour at night lately and refuses naps unless he's in the stroller or boba carrier).
• smiles at just about anything.
• plays this game where he puts his burp rag over his head and waits, excitedly, for us to pull it off.
• pants like a dog when he's excited.
• has hair that sticks straight up, and always gets compliments on it.
• loooooves to be held and loves the boba carrier. He's starting to put his hands up when you reach for him.
• is crazy about solids. So far we've only fed him apples and carrots, but he loves them (apples more than carrots... I think my dessert craving when I was pregnant got passed on to him). And he tries to eat everything we're eating.
• is starting to get his two bottom teeth! They're not quite here, but should be here any day now.
• does a pouty lip and cries when he's scared--see last picture above (things that scare him: random sounds that we make and the blender).
• tries to crawl, but he doesn't quite know how to get his legs to cooperate yet. He can scoot a few centimeters, though.
• is 21 pounds and 10 ounces, and 28 inches tall. He's a big guy, just like his papa was.
• wears anything from 9-18 months in clothes, and size 4 diapers. Seriously.
• loves baths, and loves to splash! I'm excited to take him to the pool in a couple of weeks.
• had his second cold and his first flu, all within a week of each other. Add two doctors visits and one ER visit in the middle of the night, and that's how the last part of April was for us.
• is fascinated with books.
• has started rolling over onto his tummy in his sleep, and then sleeps face down, and scares the crap out of his mama. He's also started sleeping with us in our bed once or twice a night. I can't say I'm upset about it, especially when he falls asleep with his hand on my face.
• has started chewing on his feet.
• gives really tight hugs and really wet kisses that are the best things ever.

This boy is full of personality. He's so fiesty and so sweet. When I was pregnant with him, I just knew that he would be the type of person who kinda marched to the beat of his own drum, just by his kicks alone (is that weird?). And I was totally right. It's incredible to me that his personality is coming out, and how I can see what kind of person he'll be. I am so lucky to be this boy's mama!

...

five months.

This fifth month has been my absolute favorite so far! Franz's little personality is coming out, and it's so much fun to watch! He has a sweet side like Zac where he smiles and laughs at us, but he's also got a fiesty side like me where he growls when he's angry and will scream when he's hungry and I'm too slow to feed him.

Along with growling, his little voice has made itself known this month! He talks all day long, and uses so many words and sounds. He loves to move and stand and jump, and has found his feet, and loves to play with them when he's lying on his back.

I am so amazed at how different he is compared to a month ago. He's so much more aware, active, vocal, and so much more fun! I just wish I could bottle this little 5 month age and keep it for a while.

At 5 months, Franz...

• has found his feet, and grabs them every time he's lying on his back.
• is laughing more and more, especially when he's tired for some reason. I think he gets slap happy.
• eats every 2 1/2 hours on average, including at night (although he did sleep a 5-hour stretch last night in his carseat!).
• is sleeping in his crib for daytime naps now (I'm making him), and the only way he'll go to sleep there is if he's swaddled.
• wears size 3 diapers, but I'm sure he'd fit into size 4.
• wears 6-9 month clothes, and some 9-12 months.
• is as happy as a clam when he's being held facing out while you walk around. This will cheer him up instantly is he's crying (if he's not hungry).
• has practiced eating solids (homemade rice and oatmeal cereal), but isn't very good at it yet--he just spits it out. 
• gets sooo distracted when he's breastfeeding. He'll pop off, look around, and then open his mouth as wide as he can and scrunch his nose to get back on again, and repeat.
• loves to plank (his way of getting himself to stand up... with our help), and has started using his head to push off of things to try and stand (see last picture above).
• loves to splash in the tub (and plank there, too).
• loves the outdoors and the fresh air. He prefers the car and apartment windows open.
• has started sucking on his bottom lip.
• got a new binky (mam), and LOVES it like no other. And it actually stays in his mouth, so I'm happy (the soothies didn't).
• looks like the baby dinosaur on the TV show Dinosaurs.
• blows the biggest, most forceful raspberries, accompanied by the best spit bubbles.
• still sticks out his tongue.
• loves rides in the stroller, and most rides in the car.
• is okay if strangers hold him. He loves anyone who will pay attention to him. He's such a flirt.
• gets sad/mad (and sometimes growls) if we're not paying attention to him. Then stops when he pick him up.
• has eaten from a bottle a few times, and does great with it (the first one we tried!).
• loves to chew on toys, and is getting so good at grabbing them. His favorites are the ones that make noise.
• loves to squeal and make any other noise he can muster up.
• smiles after he sneezes and toots.
• slept in his crib at night for the first time, but only for a few nights, because this mama missed him (and didn't want to walk down the hall every 2 1/2 hours to feed him).
• started choking on breast milk, and had the ambulance called on him (scary mama moment). He was fine by the time they got here. Happy April Fools to me.
• still can't roll from tummy to back (or maybe he just doesn't want to).
• loves weird and obnoxious noises from his mama and papa.
• will put his hands on either side of your face if you get it close enough and will try to eat you, smile at you, or talk to you.
• has the chubbiest little body, and the best rolls, and the most kissable cheeks.
• tried a carrot stick and hated it.
• sat up without help for the first time (but still needs help from time to time).

This boy. He is a dream. I have so much fun with him! It's crazy to think how much he's grown in the last five months: from a helpless, still, tiny baby, to a chubby, huge, talkative, mobile, smart baby. I remember thinking, when he was brand new, that the first two months would drag on forever (because I was waiting to start him on a schedule), and now he's five months already?! Life goes by pretty fast, but I feel like with a baby, it goes by way faster than normal. It needs to slow down, because my baby can't be six months old next most. Nope. Impossible.

...

four months.

Franz turned 4 months old on Thursday! I can't believe how much more alert and aware he is of his surroundings lately. Just in the last few weeks, he's started looking at you when you call him by name, and he reacts when you talk to him or sing to him from across the room. 

This stage is definitely the funnest so far. He's still such a smily baby (even though most of his pictures don't agree), and still has hair that sticks straight up and a tongue that's always sticking out. 

At four months, Franz...

• can blow raspberries whenever he wants to (as opposed to doing them by accident), and he does quite often, which results in a spit bubble beard.
• has mastered rolling from his back to his belly, and does it every time we lay him down. Then gets mad because he hates tummy time and can't roll back over yet.
• is still in size 3 diapers.
• still fits in his 3-6 month clothes, but is slowly starting to fit in 6-12 month clothes and shoes.
• loves being sung to. His favorite song right now is "My Heavenly Father Loves Me."
• got a taste of his first real food: an piece of apple that mama let him lick. He liked it, and then hated it, and then liked it again.
• has become so vocal, and his baby vocabulary is growing more and more every day. It's nice to hear different sounds instead of just the screaming he did when he was younger.
• has started sucking on his fingers and thumb, instead of his entire fist.
• is 17 pounds and 14 ounces, and 26 inches long.
• does fake coughs that often end in sneezes.
• wants to be held about 95% of the time, and will cry if you put him down.
• loves grabbing/resting his hands on things, especially other peoples' hands.
• is still so good at nursing, and will eat anytime I offer him the boob, even if he's not hungry. Also, nursing is the only thing guaranteed to cheer him up when he's crying.
• has started waking up more often at night (about every 2 hours... thanks, 4-month wakeful period), and has been refusing morning naps the last few days.
• did his first belly laugh while papa was talking to him on the changing table.
• laughs more for papa than mama (but does laugh for mama!).
• is getting really good at grabbing things and putting them straight into his mouth (or eye).
• has recently started refusing his binky.
• loves the outside.

I know this is so cliche, but I really can't believe how big he's growing! It's going by so fast; it makes me sad. But seeing him learn and grow and watching how much more fun he is is sooo worth it! I'm so excited to introduce him to the outside world (we've been staying inside most days because of the cold). The trees and grass and animals. We're also getting ready to start him on solids in the next few weeks, and I'm so excited to see his reaction to real food!

...

three months.

^^^The best smile I could get. I had to hold the camera below my face and sing him a really animated Baby Beluga.

This little boy of mine is three months old! I can hardly believe it! He is such a sweet boy, and I love getting to spend every minute with him. I told Zac yesterday that I don't know how working moms and moms who go to school do it. I miss my baby when I'm at a store in the mall and Zac has him outside on a bench. We are definitely attached at the hip these days, and I'm perfectly okay with it.

As far as a schedule goes, I think we've finally gotten into one over the past few weeks. He sleeps roughly (emphasis on roughly) from about 9:00 pm until about 8:00 am, with 3 nighttime feedings about 3 or 4 hours apart. After being fed and getting his diaper changed at night, he goes right back to sleep, so that's nice. He's still sleeping in our bedroom. I don't think I'll move him to his own bedroom for a few more months, to be honest. In the daytime, he eats every 2-4 hours, and then stays awake and plays with me for about an hour after eating. Then he goes down for his nap, and when he wakes up, it's time to eat again.

At three months old, Franz...

• drools a lot, just like his mama!
• loves to suck on his hands (and has recently started gagging himself with them occasionally).
• likes to talk to things and people, especially his papa.
• has the cutest pouty face and a cry that goes with it.
• sleeps in his pack 'n' play at night, and naps in his swing in the daytime.
• suddenly loves being sung to and smiles without fail when we sing Baby Beluga (at least the parts we know the words to).
• has acquired the nickname "Booga," as well as all of its variations, such as Baby Booga, Booga Boy, and Boogs.
• hates being burped, except at night, then it puts him to sleep.
• loves being walked around facing outward.
• loves his binky, but still can't hold it in for very long.
• has started grabbing at toys and holding them.
• hates tummy time still.
• has giggled a few times, but not much.
• smiles lots and lots, but not for the camera.
• is this close to rolling over (he's rolled over once already, but I think it was by accident).
• loves things that make noise.
• loves sitting up (with help), and really loves standing, and can pull himself up to standing (also with help).
• loves looking at the designs on mama's pajama shirts.
• doesn't hate baths, but doesn't know what to think of them yet.
• fits mostly in 3-6 month clothes, with a couple of 0-3 month outfits here and there.
• wears size 3 diapers.
• almost fits in 6-12 month shoes.
• opens his mouth wide when you kiss him on the cheek.
• has to be touching you or holding your hand when you hold his binky in.
• is about 17 pounds (twice his size at birth!), and a total chunker.
• loves car rides and stroller rides.

I am obsessed with this baby. I literally cannot explain or express how much love I have for him. Now I know what people are talking about when they say, "You think you know what love is? Just wait until you have kids." My heart nearly bursts on a daily basis for this boy. I just love him. :)

...

two months.

My baby boy is two months old already, and he is getting chunky! He has the most kissable chubby cheeks like his papa had when he was a baby, and I kiss them all day long. He also is getting really good at talking! His favorite words are hi, goo, oh, and a whole slew of other random baby words. He says hi pretty consistently though, and we like to say hi back to him and pretend he's greeting us. :)

Another thing he's getting really good at is smiling! It melts my heart each time. He gives most of his smiles out in the mornings to his mama, and I even caught him giggling a few times last week!

In his second month, Franz...

• has gotten really good at tummy time. He went from laying his head down to keeping it up for a few minutes at a time.
• loves to look at himself in the mirror. After I change his diaper, we walk over to the mirror and I talk to him, and he just flashes the biggest open-mouth grins! He also has a mirror above his seat in the swing, and smiles at himself before he falls asleep.
• is getting barely too big for 0-3 month clothes, but not quite big enough for 3-6 month clothes. I can't believe how fast he's growing!
• wears size 1 diapers, and will wear size 2 soon enough.
• has gained 5 1/2 pounds since birth; he's up to 14 pounds already! (Stop growing!)
• has to be holding onto something when he nurses. It's usually my shirt, and sometimes my finger. He also tickles my back with his behind hand while he nurses, too. 
• is somewhat on a schedule. Every 2-4 hours, he'll eat, then get a diaper change, then play, then sleep, then repeat.
• is "sleeping through the night," in that he sleeps about 5 or 6 hours from the time we put him down for bed (around 6 or 7). After that, he still wakes up every 2 to 3 hours until morning. 
• loves to be held facing outward, so he can see what's going on.
• loves to look at lights on the ceiling, the Fleet Foxes poster above our couch, the books in his nursery, and the frames on our living room wall. 
• giggled for the first time, about 5 times in a row.
• has started putting his little fists up by his eyes when he eats, like he did in the ultrasound when I was pregnant with him.
• has his hands clenched in fists about half the time.
• has 2 sets of dimples! (We actually knew this when he was brand new, but now that he's smiling more, you notice them more!)
• has a sad little cough that is slowly going away.
• sleeps in his swing, and loves movement, like car rides (thank goodness) and stroller rides. Driving around in the car puts him to sleep the fastest though, I think.
• still loves to stick out his tongue! This kid's got the longest tongue I've ever seen.
• actually likes to be swaddled now, unlike last month. He takes a few daytime naps swaddled in his crib. 
• pinched Zac's nipple while Zac was rocking him to sleep one night.
• will only smile for his mama most of the time. He loves it when I call him "handsome boy."
• loves to wiggle his arms and legs! (See proof in the blurry pictures above)
• loves his playmat that Grandma Lynn got him for Christmas. He loves looking at the lights and listening to the music (and will get sad when it turns off), and he's starting to swat at the hanging toys.
• can usually put himself to sleep, but lately doesn't like being rocked to sleep by mama or papa. That makes me sad. :(
• has found his hands, and loves sucking on them.
• loves his binky, unless he's hungry.

This second month has been much easier. I feel like as time goes on, I'm getting more and more used to this whole thing, getting on somewhat of a schedule, and I can even distinguish his cries and what they mean now (a few weeks ago, that seemed impossible). 

I am loving his mama gig. I love being with this guy all day, even if it makes me frustrated sometimes. This little boy is such a good baby. I love him!

...

one month.

It's hard to believe that this little guy joined our family a month ago! I feel like it inched by and flew by all at the same time. I'm still shocked that I birthed a baby. I mean, how does that even happen? 

In the last month of getting to know Franz, we've discovered that he's got a sweet side like his papa and a fiesty side like his mama. For example, when he's finished eating, he'll grin the biggest grins and do happy, high-pitched sighs, but when he's hungry, he's hungry, and he'll let you know by screaming his little heart out. 

Other things worth noting about Franz's first month of life:

• He still fits in (most) newborn sized clothes and diapers, but is slowly starting to fit into some of the 0-3 month sized clothes.
• He's had his first cold, and it's still lingering. He and his mama have been sick together.
• He loves to be rocked in his bouncer, so much so that he'll cry if you stop rocking it. So we ordered a swing for him that should be here any day now. I think he (Zac and I, really) will love it.
• He absolutely loves to stick out his tongue. He loves to sleep with his tongue out, and loves to blow raspberries when he sighs, because his tongue is sticking out.
• He hates being burped, unless he's tired. Then he'll fall asleep.
• He loves to eat. It's the only thing that will cheer him up without fail when he's crying. 
• He hates his arms swaddled or even covered by blankets. He likes to keep them out in the open, and oftentimes sleeps with them high above his head.
• He once gave Zac a hickey on the arm because he thought it was a boob.
• He prefers being slightly inclined rather than lying completely flat.
• He loves white noise most of the time, especially shushing noises. He also likes being sung to, for a little while at least.
• He saw the Christmas tree for the first time and couldn't stop staring at the lights!
• He's starting to focus on peoples' faces when they talk, and will copy you if you stick your tongue out.
• He eats every 30-90 minutes in the day (yeesh), and every 2-3 hours at night.
• He hates the hiccups more than anything, and will scream until they go away.

This little boy is such a dream. It's still hard to believe that he's mine! I have a baby?! I'm a mom?! He's the most perfect thing I've ever made, and a cutie, too! I just love him, and I'm so excited to see what this next month brings!

...