Toby: A HALF YEAR OLD!

On Friday November, 23 Mr. Mister turned 6 months old.

That is completely absurd! I can't believe it.

A lot has happened in the past month (and 6!). Below please find his most recent stats:

• He has had 1363 diaper changes. Diapers cost us about $.082 cents per diaper, so, that's roughly $115 that we've spent in diapers. Not too bad! (Formula, however, breaks.the.bank).
• At his most recent doctors appointment is was 27.5 inches long (80%) and 16.1 lbs. (31%).
• Since his last update he has experienced a hurricane.
• He learned to turn the pages on his books.
• He stuck out his tongue.
• He gave his first kisses.
• He had his first Halloween AND Thanksgiving.
• He went to his first parade (and he loved the marching bands!)
• He went to vote in his first election (he was really upset about the results... or was that me? I can't remember. One of us wasn't happy.)
• He ate his first solids: avocado and sweet potato. Pumpkin and Peas are all pureed as well; just waiting to pass over his lips. Nanny and I have made all his food!
• He had his first does of "medicine." (I broke down and gave him Ibuprofen for teething.)
• He officially rolled over (intentionally).
• He sat up without help for an extended period of time!
• He (still) sleeps through the night (and has since he was about 2 weeks old.) My kid loves to sleep; 7:30-6:30, baby!
• He loves to babble.
• He Loves story time, music class and bubbles!
• He LOVES the dogs; he is really interested in them.

First time eating Avocado

 

Loving homemade sweet potatoes

Drinking water like a boss

 

 

Finding meal time completely exhausting!

 

 

Fed up with the paparazzi

 

Sitting up like it's his job

 

Updates on Mama & Daddy:

(Not a whole lot to update on our front.)

• Aaron is busy, busy, busy.
• We officially decorated for Christmas and we can't wait to celebrate Christmas in a new way this year.
• I stopped pumping. It was a huge decision. While I am going to nurse as long as I possibly can (hopefully at least through cold and flu season) pumping was becoming more and more unproductive to my supply. November 4th was the last day I pumped.
• My semester is winding down and I'm very much looking forward to a break!
• I'm doing much better in the weight loss department. I'm 7lbs away from my pre-baby weight, but I'd like to lose about 20 more pounds.
• Aaron has been on night watch with Toby lately. This kid has always slept through the night but he's getting over his first cold and Aaron sleeps with one eye open (even though Toby doesn't wake... Aaron hates that Toby was sick and loses sleep over it.) It's pretty adorable!

I'll leave you with a few precious pictures from Toby's first Christmas tree

 

Toby and Aaron, I never thought I was capable of so much love. The past 6 months have been the very best months of my life. I don't need anything for Christmas. I have everything I want.

Wednesday, Oui?

Yesterday, while loading pictures onto the computer from our camera, the picture below loaded. I had no idea it was even taken; it was one of our afternoon naps. I thought it was the sweetest thing. I know I have said hundreds of times that I have the best partner in the whole world and I am going to say it again.

I have the best partner in the whole world
He loves his family so much
He loves his son
He loves being a father
He loves being a husband
He works his butt off so we can afford an amazing Nanny
He works his butt off so I only have to work outside of the home 3 days per week
Often he gets up early with the Baby just so I can sleep in
He tells me on (almost) a daily basis that I'm a great Mom
He tells me daily how much he loves me and hates leaving us to go to work
I know he would do anything for Toby and anything for me
He never says no to me... ever.

I'm not one to get too mushy or divulge some of the more precious details of our marriage but, I would be negligent if I didn't mention here that I know, without a shadow of doubt, that Aaron completely, totally, unconditionally, adoringly, and genuinely, loves his wife and his son.

 

We love him too.

Toby's new chapter

I know I've mentioned it here before because I'm kind of a freak about it but, Toby loves to read! (Or, at least Mama loves to read to him!!) It's no exaggeration that we probably read him well over 20 books per day and we also bring him to storytime at the library. I feel reading is so important and much prefer books over television (remember, we fired our TV last month!?) It's a really good way for him to learn language and begin to discover imaginative play. While he struggles to pay attention when I'm reading I heard this is normal and I should just keep reading.

Toby has a lot of books and it seems I'm always getting him more. We have his regular books, we have a tuperware full of books he hasn't grown into yet, and we also have his seasonal/holiday themed books (Fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Winter, Christmas, Valentine's Day, Spring, and Easter!) Each day we read some from the regular pile (his most "very favoritest" is Little Blue Truck) and then we read him the rest from the seasonal/holiday appropriate "themed" pile.

 

The books in his reading nook.

 

His bookshelf FULL of books

They have even trickled down stairs now; taking over Mama's bookshelf (I think Daddy needs to build us another one!)

 

And these are his themed ones. There are only about 20 Thanksgiving/Fall ones; we just put the Halloween ones away. I have a pile of Christmas ready to go.

 

Well, the point of this is what happened last night. Once Toby gets in his jammies, he gets one more book in his reading nook. As I was reading him Corduroy's Thanksgiving, he hit a HUGE developmental milestone... HE TURNED THE PAGE! I screamed for Aaron to get the camera as I fought back little sobs. Is he just a genius or what? I melted right where I sat.

Veteran's Day

Yesterday we brought Toby to his very first parade. The Molloy family loves all things patriotic so it was a great day to celebrate our Veterans. Toby loved every second of the parade (he especially loved the marching bands and the flag we bought him!)

 

 

 

While there, I stuck my tongue out at him and wouldn't you know it...

 he stuck out his right back at me!

Snow Day!!

Okay, so school wasn't canceled due to snow (I still have to teach later today and Aaron is at school already) but, that didn't prevent me from throwing Toby in the snow first thing this morning.

Okay, soooooo maybe there was only an inch of snow.
Annnnnddd maybe it was kind of slushy.
Annnnnddd maybe he really had no clue what was happening.

But, it meant something to me because I love New England winters and I really hope he will too.

 

 

And this is where his 'lil' butt made his first snow angel (okay, so I totally helped!) It's so exciting to see everything through his eyes for the first time!