Ayden - 8 Months Old!

A post about Ayden is long overdue, he is 8 months TODAY!! I never got a 7 month post written - whoops! But I will start with some random pics of the kids from a couple months ago...(because I started this post - a couple of months ago!)

We had to take my van down to Madison to get checked out and serviced right before our trip to Missouri. We grabbed some lunch and found a park for a little playing. 

"Anything you can do, I can do better!" 

Such a big boy, gotta watch him on a playground!

The kids did great on the trip and while driving through Madison we all noticed a billboard for Rumchata. I didn't say anything. A few miles later, Kate said, "Mom! Did you see that sign for that drink that Andy and Kylie like?"  :)  I said yes. A minute later, I hear her say, "Rum chata." Then I hear Collin saying, "Rum cha cha. Rum cha cha. Rum cha cha." :)  

All three my angels. Yep, they are always angels.  :) 

We were talking about the Peterson's going to see their family in Pennsylvania and Kate asked me why it is called Pennsylvania. (Gotta love the questions!) I said, hmmm, I'm not sure. She thought a moment and then said that she thinks someone has a pencil factory there. And "Vania" must be the name of the guy who built the factory.  Love her logic!

Helping make zucchini muffins

Our beautiful CSA! We continue to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE our CSA
We are probably going to opt in for the "winter/storage share" this fall too!

Now on to Ayden! This chunky monkey is 8 months old. He is changing every day, there is so much that he has started doing since his six month post! He crawls, he pulls up, he is eating puffs. He is doing nuclear science. I mean practically. And I want to cry about it. 

This was his favorite pose during month 7. 

Up and moving! Look out!

Skillz
He started really crawling up on all fours down in Missouri. And then, the day before Kate started Kindergarten (August 31) he started pulling up on furniture. Just tried it once and it worked. Done. Then he wouldn't stop.  :)

This was the first time he pulled up on furniture!

Kate starting all day/every day Kindergarten means a new era in my life at home! It's me and the boys. I'm in trouble :) But it has been wonderful so far. The house is actually quieter (Kate never. stopped. talking. - I know, I know, I have no idea where she got that. Collin is a screecher. He screams. Loudly. Super high pitch. It's awful. And mostly when Kate is chasing him or torturing him. So that is not happening much either:)

Double Trouble

Plotting....

When we went in to get Ayden the morning of Friday, Sept.4 (7.5 months), he was standing in his crib! Boom! He is probably fine with the mattress where it is, but we may lower it just to make sure. The others never crawled out of the crib, but he probably will. 

The boys playing

He will crawl after Abby and try to climb her. Abby is amazing and just sits there. But I kind of have to watch it. He will climb under the table and chairs, occasionally getting stuck. He tried to climb onto the little end table in the living room, I've had to move everything off those again and he'll be getting stuck soon, I'm sure! There is a little more frustration for him these days as he will get standing and then can't get down, or crawl somewhere and then get stuck:) 

We need to get a gate up between the sun room and living room. That won't be fun for the big kids. But Ayden can climb up the step but not down. Though he goes for it. I know it is soft carpet, but there are also hard corners right there. We need a gate, I think. 

Eating
He started eating puffs this week! I hadn't thought too much about it (mostly would forget as soon as I thought of it) and I finally ordered some - yes, I Amazoned it. And yes, I think that is a verb now. Anyway, he loves them! Woo hoo! So excited to break those out during a meal out in a restaurant. We also gave him a teething biscuit/cracker thing and he liked that too. 

He definitely is teething: drooling, endlessly chewing/biting things, fussier than normal sometimes. But it has lasted a long time. Those first two teeth came up much easier. I'm not even sure which ones are coming, I can't seem to see his gums well, he's quite strong! Get ready for me to say he is teething for the next six months straight...

Right here, Mom. It hurts right here...

I'm still nursing him. Less frequently as we are increasing solids. As Collin was (and I'm guessing most babes with older siblings, he is SUPER distractable while nursing which make it hard. The peaceful nursing sessions are the bedtime ones for sure. He is also just..strong and crazy when he nurses. He flails his arms, kicks me, pokes/pulls on my lips, nose, ears, hair...My goal is to nurse him for 12 months. I've always made it through, but I would say I am eager to get down to the nursing when he wakes and before bed. I always treasure those times. The others...:) I'll be happy to say goodbye to sometime in the next 3 months!

He likes most solids we've tried. Sometimes makes a face but keeps eating. I'm still making baby food, in fact, I have some squash and apples to blend up after writing this. But we are also slowly just blending up what we are eating (chicken noodle soup, egg quinoa muffins, etc) It's always fun to feed them at this stage. Experimental, messy, funny:) 

He still spits up! I'd say he does it less these days. But now, you sometimes get the spit up of a little man eating various solids....yuck. And now that he is crawling and pulling up, I find the puddles or hear Collin yell, " 'pit up! 'pit up!" Yuck.

Growth
He is wearing 12 and 18 month clothes. He is currently wearing Collin's winter 12 month clothes, I'm thinking he may surpass his brother in size, so not sure how much longer he will be able to wear hand-me-downs! It would actually be helpful if the weather turned cooler. Then we could get more wear out of them:) 

I just hopped on the scale with and without him... his unofficial weight is 22 lbs 4 oz.
We will get into the doctor in about a month for his 9 month checkup (and Kate's 6 year check!) He is super strong too! When he is in his walker, Collin will hop on the back of it - all the way up on the rail things. Ayden can still walk around, carrying all of Collin's weight. It's like a mini football practice here! Collin is definitely more of a QB or wide receiver. Ayden is more of a linebacker, OL/DL :) But it could change, we'll see!

The big man staring me down

Siblings

Everybody out at The Driftless Cafe & Bakery in Viroqua

Collin and Ayden get a lot more time together these days! They crack each other up and I think will be quite close. Ayden still lights up when he sees his siblings. Kate requests play time with him when she gets home. Collin will crawl around on the floor with him, talk to him, bring him toys, definitely steals toys away and sometimes will try and move his hands, feet for him...eek, that I'm trying to stop. 

They were ready for the first Hawkeye game:) 

We've started bathing the boys together. Ayden sometimes sits in a little blue tub and then Collin in the big one. Apparently, Dave did them together in the big tub tonight!

Sleep
Well, with the teething and his recent cold (he's got it the worst of all of us) he has not been sleeping well. I'm back to a very difficult place in this regard. He's sick and was very snotty, red eyes, coughing and miserable. We soothed him. We picked him up. I nursed him. He is now on the mend, though not all the way better. But we have created some bad habits again. I'd say I'm up every 1.5-2 hours with him lately. (ahhhhhh!!) He usually wants just me and he usually wants to nurse. Since I know he needs fluids, I do it. But I'm ready to cry it out again. I don't think I can keep sleeping (not sleeping) like this. But we don't want to do it until he is healthy. So please pray he gets better soon! And ugh, the upcoming travel is not going to be helping either...we'll definitely get back on tract in October. 

Toys
Let's see, what are his favorite things right now....he likes his lovey, any teether, he'll chew on a pacifier, he's starting to reach and get the cords of things, destroy magazines, pull down the towels in the kitchen. He LOVES to stand up at a toy, like those little play table things. He likes a lot of Collin's cars and his school bus, though Collin doesn't like to let him have them:) He likes Sophie the Giraffe, stacking cups and anything that can make noise. That's a lot. We are really getting into the stage of liking anything he can hold, break or make loud:)
  

He loves the taggie blankies from Gma Bobbi!

He thought this looked good. It does!

He is still a very, very happy baby:) Most of our friends say things like, "Does he every cry?" "I've never heard him fuss!" "Is he always this good?" Now, some of you family members have definitely seen him when he is fussy, but he still takes the title of Happiest, Easiest Lenninger Babe. 

I'm sure there is more I should say, more to put down, but I'm too tired to figure it out! 

He's just a cool dude