Nap Time with Papa

Isaac's been a tired little boy lately.  He's sleeping 12+ hours every night and taking up to 3 naps a day that are 2+ hours each.  He loves papa time when Frazer gets home from work and this evening was no different.

9 Months Old

Nine whole months of life!  Can you believe it?  Isaac, you continue to grow in leaps and bounds.  You are more self confident with each passing day as you continue to develop and improve your balance as well as your independence.  You love pulling yourself up on anything you can get your hands on.  Early on I would watch as you steadied your hands making sure you had a good grip, you diligently maneuvered your feet into the perfect position and then you were up and standing.  Mission accomplished........or so you thought.  You were so determined to stand nothing was going to get in your way but once you were on your feet you would look at me in a complete state of panic as if your entire body was sending the message....help me, help me....I can't fall down!  It was though you had climbed the tallest mountain and once you were standing on the peak looking at the valley below realized there was no strategy for getting back down and you couldn't go back the same way you came up.  In a matter of days you figured out how to balance your weight and transition from one object to the next and before we knew it you had figured out how to "fall down" all on your own.

Play Time at the Park

We had some time to kill today in between errands and what's better than spending some fun time at the park! Isaac is starting to really enjoy the swings but as you can tell from the picture something had his attention.

Let me get it.....

What size container did you say you need mama?

Yo-Yo Giggles

A few days ago I attended the SHRM Atlanta conference.  There is always an exhibit hall full of vendors showcasing the latest and greatest programs, materials, services and trends within human resources.  All of the vendors were armed with marketing collateral and a plethora of swag.  The funny thing about this experience as I meandered from booth to booth was the difference in my perspective.  Usually I'm not interesting in picking up items unless they're relevant.  I'm not a fan of clutter and why pick something up if its not going to be used.  But...this year was different....  This year I found myself looking at items with a different eye....the eye of bringing home a little trinket that would be of interest to Isaac.

An Irish Celebration

Happy St. Patty's Day!  I couldn't pass up the opportunity for Isaac to have a small token in celebration of St. Patrick's Day.  It will certainly be a few years before he's able to enjoy his first Guinness but I am proud of my Irish heritage and want Isaac to be able to do the same.  I'll never forget my first trip to Ireland and can't wait to go back some day.  Hopefully we can take a family trip the next time and maybe I'll have more genealogy information regarding the Brannon's in Kilkenny, Ireland.

Anyways, we didn't have a big celebration.  Gone are the days of spending St. Patty's in the local pub.  But, I love holidays and he looks so darn cute!

Spring Fever

It was a beautiful day outside and we both needed to get some fresh air!  We had cabin fever despite all of the pollen and the lush green grass was calling our name and begging to be enjoyed.

First Shoes for Isaac!

Isaac has been doing a great job of pulling himself up, balancing and taking steps around the coffee table while holding on.  He's spending more time on his feet and his balance has improved so much it won't be too long before he takes his first steps on his own.  While we were out we stopped in the shoe store to check out the process and Isaac was measured for his first pair of shoes!

Milestone Pictures: 8 Months

Every month we attempt to take a few shots of Isaac to capture the important milestones especially for his first year.  I love the monthly milestone stickers that I got from Etsty.com.  When we first started taking these pictures, the task was fairly simple considering Isaac wasn't mobile and had no interest in the sticker placed on his chest.  Once he became mobile....a different story entirely!  His 6 month photos were the most difficult to capture since this was a stage when he was keenly aware of logos and graphics on his clothes.  He would pull his shirts out and drop his head trying to get a better look.  Subsequently each passing month has been a challenge.  As soon as the sticker was placed on his chest he would immediately begin pulling at it, trying to pull it off, scrunching it up to assess the noise and texture factor....among any other creative element he could experiment with.  This month though....oh....

Vroom. Vroom.

The six month reminder arrived in the mail and it was time for me to visit the dentist again.  Since Isaac currently has a dislike for high frequency noises and can't sit still without trying to climb all over me I figured I should have some assistance and "Auntie" Jenn was willing to pitch in and watch little man for me.  My appointment was in the morning so once I was dressed, knowing Jenn was on her way I decided to go ahead and take Isaac downstairs with me to wait on Jenn.  That way I could go ahead and be in the car ready to go and then Jenn could bring Isaac back up stairs to the apartment.  It was a simply time saving measure given the unreliability of the slow elevator.

Office Investigator

I know every kid is different and I'm by no means an expert on children.....but Isaac amazes me sometimes.  Give him a room full of toys, a box of toys, bright colorful noise making toys....is he interested in them....not so much unless I'm playing with them.  Even then, he'll play with his toys briefly and then he's off to investigate.  This is odd to me.  I've seen other small children who would much rather play with toys then explore boring books in an office. Who knows....I'm just glad he can entertain himself even if it is in small spurts. Today, I turned around and he had pulled himself up on the bookshelf and was exploring Papa's books.

Zoo Zoo....Trip to the Zoo....

Given the number of hours Frazer has put in lately with working over weekends and extended last minute travel he decided to take a couple of days off.  No complaints here!  And, it's important to do something fun on days away from work.  Nope, there was no need to waste that time sitting at home or running errands especially when the spring weather has been tremendous! We tossed around a few different options on things to do and since the debate was continuing we packed up the little man, loaded up the car and hit the road....destination unknown.  After weighing the options a bit further....and the interstate on ramps were approaching....we settled on the zoo!

Big. Bad. Bathtub.

I know this is a stage.  I hope.  Up until a few weeks ago, Isaac could be in the bathroom and nothing bothered him.  Running water...no problem.  Turn on the tub...no problem.  Turn on the shower...no problem.  Well, as of late this is not the case.  Turn on the tub or the shower and out comes the screaming banshee.  But not just a scream in protest.  No, a terrifying, quivering, scream.... along with huge alligator sized tears...topped off with the most heart breaking hyperventilating-can't-catch-my-breath-cry.  It's absolutely just awful!  All from turning on the shower.  Even once the water is turned off, the poor thing continues to sob complete with the chest vibrating followed by deep breaths.