Keaton walks like an old man!

Keaton started walking (while pushing a toy) about a week ago. We cannot believe it! It seems he is in a rush to grow up, and we don't share the same sentiment. His latest is pulling up on his push toy and then following it across the room with an unsteady gait much like that of an elderly man with a walker. It is the cutest thing! He can't quite seem to straighten out his left foot, so it sort of drags behind him a bit. Video proof to come!

Whack a Mole

One of Keaton's newest funs...We played Whack a Mole at Target!

Swimming at the Lake

These videos are for daddy who's missing his little Keaton right now. We had so much fun at the lake swimming today. Looks like our baby LOVES the water and doesn't mind splashing in his face or freezing his little toosh off!

8 Months- Keaton does tricks!!!

Sooooo proud of my little learning boy. He is like a sponge picking up on the smallest objects and actions. For example, today while my mom was holding him outside he watched swallows swooping over the lake. He followed a tiny ant by crawling after it across the deck. HE WAVES HI AND BYE BYE! It is just about the cutest thing ever! He also knows how to "jump jump" on command (probably learned from his jumperoo and inspired his halloween costume). He started eating table food cut up and now that he efficiently feeds himself we are having trouble getting him to accept purees from a spoon without trying to grab at it! He says "mama," "dada," and "nana" now and we are working on the sign language for more and please. He hasn't quite caught on to it, yet. He just cut his 5th and 6th teeth (now for four on top and two on bottom). You wouldn't believe how many random strangers comment on his cute teeth!!! He pulls up on EVERYTHING and shimmies across walls and furniture to pull everything off in sight. He also throws things on the floor and then looks at them and then me, waiting for me to pick it up for him. He also gives the sweetest and wettest big mouth kisses! We haven't weighed him recently but I am betting around 20/21 pounds. He has slimmed down a bit from being so active even though he was never really chubby. Just wanted to update with his latest news so I have record of everything that is going on :) He is just my favorite little guy ever!!!

My sweet cardinals fan:

Who says baby food has to be gross?

I make Keaton's baby purees from scratch. Some people may think I'm crazy, but if you know me you know I LOVE to cook. And cooking for baby is EASY. I had been looking forward to cooking for Keaton since before he was born :) Here is step by step what I do to make his baby food...

1. Gather supplies
As tempting as it was to get the Beaba Babycook (from Williams Sonoma for, wait for it, $199!) I decided baby food can be made with supplies I already have (and supplies that can be used for other things).

Baby food "pots" (with lids) for microwaving frozen cubes, a microwave silicone steamer, freezer containers, and spoons (all BPA free).


My pureer of choice (a food processor or blender also do the job)


2. Shop at a local farmer's market for fresh, in season foods.





The goodies at home


Grains and legumes
Left to right: ground oatmeal, chickpeas, and whole grain brown rice


Spice it up
Babies don't always need bland, boring food. After 8 months (according to most) if they have no food allergies or upset stomach, spices and new flavors can be added. Most of these yummies are from my backyard garden. Clockwise from the top: Dill, paprika pepper, cherry tomatoes, shallot, mint, ginger, rosemary, red and yellow onion, parsley, and purple basil.



3. Chop chop (and peel peel)
At first, babies need all food peeled and cooked thoroughly to avoid unnecessary nitrates, pesticides, and bacteria. Here is a sweet potato. Fruits and veggies need not be chopped this fine before steaming, but here I was making homemade "puffs" (little cubed and roasted sweet potatoes) for finger food.


4. Cook
So far I have mainly steamed the fruits and veggies (it is the best way to keep all nutrients). I recently started roasting some veggies with a little olive oil. There is no need to add salt or sugar- fruits and veggies taste great on their own!

5. Puree
Food processors and blenders are nice because babies can advance in their purees. Foe example, when Keaton was 4 months I pureed food for much longer than I do now at 8 months.

6. Portion and freeze.
Ice cube trays work well to portion and freeze purees. I use a tray with each portion about 1 ounce. That way, there is no waste when baby is just starting solids and, a they get older, you can mix a few different types of food to create new flavors.

Apricots, Pear-Melon, and Blueberries


Sweet potato, Parsnip, and Green Beans


I store the cubes in the freezer in these cute reusable containers with erasable labels :)


7. Heat and serve!
Water or breastmilk/formula can be added to make the puree a thinner consistency. I also add ground oatmeal or ice cereal to thicken a puree.

Best Baby Stuff

Congrats to all my beautiful preggo friends! This post is in honor of you. Many have asked my opinion on baby things, so I thought I'd share some of our favorites :)

Baby Trend Snap n Go- Sooooo much better (and cheaper, and smaller) than the huge "travel system," this frame carries an infant car seat so you don't have to wake baby for errands and pediatrician appts. It also helps because those carriers get heavy. I used this every day for the first 6 months...$60...look on craigslist. And don't get a travel system!

Baby Bjorn- A must have! The other brands don't compare! $60 but look for it on clearance or craigslist

Evenflo Triumph- Convertible car seat for $99-$140 that gets just as good of ratings as Britax but for half the price.

Lansinoh Double Electric Breast Pump- The same breast pump as the Medela Pump In Style but advertised under a the original brand name. Why anyone registers for the $299 version is beyond me. This one is great and even has a system that makes it so you don't have to sterilize the tubes! It doesn't come with a bag, but I bought a cute one for $20 and still this is much cheaper (and more stylish)...$150

Aden and Anais Swaddle Wraps- These are somewhat affordable at Target. They are lightweight and great for swaddling (even though swaddling was never Keaton's thing).

Fisher Price Jumperoo- Keaton's FAVORITE activity. He loves this thing and it is sooooo funny. It is the only way I get in a shower AND have a happy, cooing baby when I finish :)

Burt's Bees products- They smell sooo great and worked for Keaton's dry winter skin.

Our New Bathroom!

Since we bought our house over 3 years ago we have wanted to "neutralize" our pink and black bathroom. It was unique, original to the house built in 1931 and set in 6 inches of concrete. We ruled out tearing out the tile and decided to reglaze the ceramic (like reglazing a bathtub). We then laid new tile on the floor, scrubbed the toilet (with the best rust remover EVER Whink), and got a new (super duper clearanced) vanity.

BEFORE:



DURING:

AFTER:

Keaton Crawls!!!

A few weeks ago Keaton was on the move! Here is one of the first longer treks across the floor Keaton when he first learned how to coordinate the crawling. For about a month he had been rocking on his hands and knees, so we knew he was close :) Life is very different with a crawling baby- especially now that he is FAST and can get to something bad in a few milliseconds in our small house. Anyone with baby proofing tips- leave your suggestions here :) Other Keaton 7 month developments include saying "mama" and other fun sounds (we swear he says something close to "hi" when we greet him), pulling up to a stand on everything he can reach, giving slobbery kisses, humming when we tap his lips to make funny sounds, drinking from a sippy cup, and feeding himself cereal! His favorite activities are crawling, playing with his Sesame Street remote control (and real remotes), and riding on Daddy's shoulders :) We can't believe how fast he's growing up!!!

A little of South Carolina

Dan, and I and Keaton just returned from a vacation in South Carolina to celebrate his graduation from medical school. It was such a great time! We spent some time at the beach, lounged by the gorgeous pools at our resort, and explored Charleston and the barrier islands. Here are a few pictures from the first download of pictures :)

The Starkey's Visit

A few weeks ago we were blessed to have Phil and Kourtni Starkey and their son Malakai come and stay with us. We had a fun weekend with them- went to the zoo, tried out Lion's Choice (wasn't terrible), and played at the park. Here are some shots...

The Big Day

Thursday, May 13th was a very important day for our family! Keaton turned 6 months old...Dan graduated form medical school...I received my white coat and clinic privileges...and we celebrated our 4 year anniversary. My parents came to visit to celebrate with us and we had an amazing weekend. On Sunday, we dedicated to raise Keaton to know Christ. Though we are a very busy family, it has been a long time since so many exciting things have happened at once! Here are some pictures from the events:

At white coat with my greatest accomplishment


Getting coated :)


After Dan's Ceremony (He's a doctor!!!)








Keaton's Dedication



Keaton had his 6 month appt on Friday and everything is checking out well. Our only issue is that he spits up- a lot. Those who know him know I am not exaggerating! He still is a huge eater- we are talking 8-16 ounces every 2-4 hours. He is sleeping consistently through the night (most of the time 7-7 which is AMAZING) and he is still NOT a napper at all. He weighed in at 18 lbs 13 oz which is surprising still just over the 50%, and 27 in (75%). He is lunging forward now and only days away from crawling forward but he still just scoots backward. He loves dancing and singing and giggles a fair amount of the day. In the last few weeks he went to his first Cardinals game, had his first few play dates, and went swinging in the park for the first time. Every day (usually multiple times a day) Dan and I tell each other how much fun we have with him and how much we love being parents!









Dan starts his residency 5 weeks from today. We have a lot of family fun planned until then. We'll keep photos updated so you can see our adventures!

7 months!!!

Keaton is just barely 7 months and MOBILE! He is giving us a lot to do as he crawls at full speed around our little house. He said his first word "mama" when we were in Minnesota visiting my family.

He scoots!!!

Keaton is just over 5 months and changing SOOOO much each day. He just started scooting across the floor- backwards of course. It is so funny to watch him on the move! Now it's time to baby proof, I guess! His two bottom teeth are popping up more each day and I'm worried more are on the way. He is interacting with the dogs more and more- he even pulled on Bella's ear and bit it!!! Anyway, just a quick update, and I'll add pictures soon. We're hoping to go to the zoo again tomorrow!

Keaton's First Day at the Zoo

This weekend we had our first family day at the zoo. Keaton slept through most of the River's Edge but caught the important animals like the hippos and elephants. We also saw hyenas, rhinos, grizzly bears, and even took a tour of the penguin and puffin house.

4 Month Update

Keaton is 4 1/2 months and time is flying by. We had such a good time together in Palm Springs. He was a fantastic traveler and has now been on 8 plane ride in his short life! He had fun playing in the pool, trying more and more new solid foods (so far he LOVES them all), going on walks in the stroller, laughing at the puppies, and rolling all over the place. He has been rolling from back to stomach for a few months but now figured out how to get back from stomach to back. AND HE CUT HIS FIRST TWO TEETH! He drank his first sips of water and juice from a cup and he learned to play with a ton of different types of toys. He has started reaching for everything which makes things interesting :) Here are some pictures from the week...

Playing in the shade :)


Purple Carrots from the La Quinta farmer's market


Enjoying Homemade Purple Carrot Puree!


Fun frog toy


New glasses...