Nolan Turns ONE!

I cant believe my baby is 1!

I look back at pictures of this day that sometimes seem like they just happend and then look at him now and think "WOW, It really does go FAST!"

I'll never forget waking up that morning (of the day I was to be induced) with contractions. Nolan was determined to do things at his own pace and on his own terms for that matter-I guess I should have seen that as a sign of things to come. My sweet baby is so strong willed and independent but has the sweetest little heart in the world. He can't stand to see people/animals hurt. It breaks his little heart when he thinks someone is upset and that little lip curls out prompting those big alligator tears. He is such the entertainer, he loves to make people laugh and has some of the funniest expressions and faces I have ever seen.

Ill never for get this day, by far one of the best days of my life!

He is so much fun and we wanted to make sure his First Birthday was as fun for him as he has been for us these past 12 months. From the moment my mom found out that I was having a little boy she has been collecting Ugly Dolls for him, he has gotten one at every month milemarker and he loves them, so it was easy to decide what theme to use. We had such a great time and were so excited that so many friends and family came to help us celebrate.

11 Months

Yes, my son is almost 13 months old and I am just now posting his  10 & 11 month update. It is so hard to sit down and take the time to do these but my driving force is that one day I will look back and be so glad I used this blog to help me account all of the fun quirks, new accomplishments and events we all experienced during Nolan's first year.

At eleven month, Nolan is very expressive. He has more facial expressions that any kid I know. He is eating everything and anything in site. He will NOT give up the bottle or the pacifier and we are NOT at the point we feel the need to withstand the screaming tantrums so for now Nolan is still taking a bottle and the pacifier until we get more willpower...or earplugs.

 

Accomplishments:

-TEETH!! Nolan Finally cut 2 teeth. We thought it would never happen. I haven't been able to catch a photo just yet, he's a fast little booger!

-Free Standing (is that a real thing?)

-Walking Behind Push Toys

Funny Things:

-When he gets excited he will gasp and then vibrate! It is by far the funniest thing Ive ever witnessed. The first time he did it I was frightened because I thought something may be wrong with him.

-He will only suck on his pacifiers up side down. WEIRD!

-He has developed a language specifically used for talking with Beckett. It's a very low growly sound that he likes to attempt to attach words to. If I didn't know better I would say he was casting spells. Haha.

-Will's personal favorite, when anyone says "Touchdown!" his arms immediately fly up into the air to form the appropriate pose. His dad must have gotten to him one day while I wasn't around!

Nolan has also taken a new interest in Penguins--Happy Feet has become my new best friend!!

Fall Fun

We had such a fun October! Now that Nolan has gotten older he really takes part in all of our outings and it is so much fun for all of us. I am aware this is a little behind, the time has really flown!

We started out our October by attending the Scottish Highland Games in Atlanta with Wills family, this is the first year I have gone and I must say it was quite entertaining-lots of authentic games, music, food and drink and there was shopping, so it gets and A+ in my book.

 

We took Nolan to Honeysuckle Hill Farms to pick out his very first pumpkin, it is the coolest pumpkin patch I've ever seen, complete with a corn maze, petting zoo, train ride, corn pit, pumpkin patch and tons more! He will really have a blast there next year!

Then we carved Nolan's very First Pumpkin

All of that to gear up for Halloween! We went to our Fall Festival at church the weekend before Halloween and then stayed at home and handed out LOTS of candy, we get tons of Trick-or-Treaters and Nolan really got a kick out of it! He dressed up as a Giraffe and stayed that way for the three days following, he really like the costume!

Having fun in the leaves!

Vacation in 30A

In September we went to Mirimar beach with my parents, sister and bother-in-law (and nephew to be) for what seemed like our first vacation in WAY TOO LONG. I didn't realize that when you have a baby you slip into a black whole that is nursing, sterilizing, catching up on sleep and cleaning for a good year! I really almost melted into the sand when when we arrived and I'm pretty sure real tears were shed when we left. The weather was PERFECT, the water was clearer than I recall water ever being in Florida, it was like Cozumel clear. Our beach house was about 15 feet from the ocean which is also nice with a child, being able to go back and forth so easy is a luxury not to be taken for granted! Anyways, on with the pictures!

First, the scenery ... Ahhhhhh. So ready to go back.

Fun in the Sun

We lived on the beach for the majority of the trip so thankfully Nolan LOVED IT! He loved the sand (didn't eat it too bad) and the ocean, after getting smacked with a few waves I just knew he would be petrified, but nope, he went right in without a care in the world. FEARLESS! He napped in a little boat in the shade everyday and had his own personal swimming pool out on the beach, rough life, right!? He was AMAZING in the car, I was really nervous that it would be a torturous experience but he only got restless the final hour of the trip. He really is a great baby, I say it all the time and people think I'm being a "mom" but I'm serious when I say he is so content most of the time. Needless to say our first beach trip was a blast and I can't wait to go back, or go anywhere. I love all of our firsts with Nolan and feel so blessed that we have the opportunities to do such fun things with him.

Here are a few of my favorite photos from the trip. 

Rocking the big boy PJs

Nolan is Nine Months Old

 

I am so overdue on this post and about three others. I am pinning all the blame on Nolan; When he's awake he expects me to be holding him, I am hoping this whiny clingy stage is just that, a stage/phase. Don't get me wrong I secretively like it when he wants me, but there are those times when I need to get things accomplished and he has a different agenda.

Nolan is growing like a weed, I think I've been saying this for the past 9 months but it is oh so true! He STILL HAS NO TEETH! He has decided that he doesn't like food anymore. He gags no matter what kind of baby food I give him (even his usual favorites), he stares at our plates when we eat and literally licks his chops, it's a little sad. I have given him a few real items (spaghetti, pot roast, etc. ) chopped up super tiny and he will entertain the idea of eating but he mostly prefers to play with it. I am relying on this being a normal thing that most babies go through and hoping it will sort itself out.

We finally have gotten a hold of ourselves and started the transition to Nolan sleeping in his own bed. It has gone pretty well so far. We are on night five and he is still waking up about once a night and we go up and rock him back to sleep then he's good til about 6:30, there are occasional nights that he actually let's us sleep ALL NIGHT!

Other things our little Nine Month Old is up to:
-Climbing Stairs
-Playdates with Friends
Watching out the window (this is one of his favorite thing to do)
-He likes to "get" people, and chuckle beyond control when they react...SO CUTE.
-Flipping Dog/Cat food bowls
-Standing and Traveling around between objects
-Pulling anything he can find over on top of him (a few eye opening moments)
-Unloading the dishwasher as we load it (all sharp objects have been relocated to the top shelf)
-Growling at us when he is frustrated, excited or mad.
-Taking baths in his big boy tub with no baby tub or inflatable duck.

We are so in love with this precious little man, he is so happy and silly and truly is a great baby. I never feel like these blogs portray how wonderful he is! But he truly is AMAZING. We love every second with him.

Hopefully I will have Beach, Pumpkin Patch & Scottish Festival pictures up very soon!