the Graham Cracker House

Gabriel is 10 months old !

He babbles nonsense, gives kisses and hugs, climbs up anything in sight, is a good eater, and makes life enjoyable and interesting.

He loves to eat sausage bowtie pasta with the family, and he loves yogurt. He has stopped liking regular oatmeal and cream of wheat, but mommy will help him like those again soon. He eats yogurt and fruit most every morning.

Going to church has become quite interesting!!  He is quite the active boy!   Most days I am not able to get any house cleaning or bill-paying, or girls-camp-figuring done (he likes to maul me as I work on the computer) so we get out of the house and go play. We go to 7-peaks (SLC) for a couple hours, or to the aquarium, we go to the library, or play with friends.  He loves other kids.  Especially older ones. Babies don't interest him, but anybody over the age of 1 is an automatic playmate for Mr. Gabe.

Here are some recent pictures

Gabriel is growing into quite the toddler!  He crawls effortelessly around the house, anywhere he wants to go including up and down stairs (we finally just took down our makeshift baby gate as he would fling himself over it anyway) and out onto the front or back porch if the doors are left open. He doesn't ususally stray too far though- as he likes to be near his mama.

He smiles and laughs all day long. He loves to play peek-a-boo, and to chase and be chased. He really likes Dad's RC car now- he follow it around and then catches it and lifts it up by the antennae like a trophy fish.  He will sit on my lap and let me read books to him if they are entertaining "lift the flap" books which he gets to participate in". Otherwise he is moving.  On the ground, or cruising around furniture, couches, chairs, beds, toilets.  He learned the flush the toilet yesterday and was very proud of himself. He also learned to turn on the bathroom faucets.   If I set him in the sink he'll pull and tug at the handles again and again, while water drips all over him.  He could have stayed and played for an hour- but we compromised on 20 minutes.

He is good in his stroller and usually falls asleep if I am just going for a run.  He doesn't like to run through sprinklers in it though- woops.

He is eating all sorts of big boy stuff:  he loves yogurt and thinks cheese is okay. He tried scrambled eggs and wasn't a fan. He likes crackers, noodles, cooked veggies,  oatmeal, cream of wheat, rice,  and of course cookies.  He helped me make applesauce chocolate chip cookies the other day and was a supreme taste tester.  The mixer fascinated him.

About 3 weeks ago he started sleeping through the night- just like that! On his own.  He has been doing it about 5-6 nights a week now and I couldn't be much happier.

crazy hair profile

love this cheese smile!

nice hat!  It matches! Too bad this kid can't keep white things white- otherwise he'd get to wear it more...

I put my hands up in the air sometimes

through the garden gate

first Baseball game at the BEES

helping with laundry

What better way to celebrate Arbor than walking through amazing gardens and coming home with a tree!  A FREE tree!  It doesn't get much better than this. I only wish Bjorn could have been with us.  Alas, he was at work. Luckily, we had awesome friends to explore the gardens withe and soak up the sun. This was my first time to Red Butte Gardens, and I am told it is much prettier latter in teh summer when more things are growing.  The vines and wires and mazes are usually covered in greenery.  Still- it was great for a nice spring walk.

love Barrett's cheese smile!

Gabe attacks the Giant lizard

Steven and Gabriel chillin'

There's crawling... and then there's CRAWLING.

At first it was really cute as he moved around the room, stopped to pick up toys, smile at us, put something in his mouth every now and then.  Now he is full throttle darting from room to room, never staying put.   Any and everything on the floor goes into his mouth.  I am trying to vacuum a lot more often but it's not easy!  I am becoming quite skilled at the quick blind sweep. He cries from reflex, but I am over and done with it in seconds.   We've started moving "pretty things" into higher locations.  My child is taking over my  house.  I knew this day would come (and secretly- I love it!)


He is a good sleeper and good napper. Not great, not perfect, not bad, just good.

broccoli face

8 months old! (day after)

napping with daddy.... he was feeling sick this day

resting with Daddy- again. why is this the cutest thing in world to me?

matching mommy's blue eyes

here comes trouble!

getting into Daddy's room....

Before 10 am this morning I fished 2 objects out of Gabriel's mouth (candy wrapper and piece of cardboard),  changed a poopy diaper, watched Gabe spill half a bottle of mouthwash onto the bathroom counter and floor, fed the mini-man bare bananas with my bare hands, found pen marks all over his chin (which may or may not have occurred while I was attempting to sleep-in), prevented him from falling down stairs more than once, and snuggled my little one to sleep.

All in a days work for a busy momma.  This is just the morning!  He doesn't hold still for anything anymore. Well- mealtimes. He is very good about eating and not being too messy and stays in his high chair ('cause he's stuck there!). He keeps me on my toes!  We stay active all day long.  He takes naps pretty well, and I have learned to use those nap times to accomplish some of my adult responsibilities.  No more mommy naps for me :(.

I love it when he crawls to me.  When he sees me across the room, and realizes he can get to me- he lights up and charges forward- full speed.  It is awesome.  He love making him laugh and giving him kisses and cuddles and nibbles and tickles.  He is easy going and enjoys it all.

7-months and crawling!
In between visits from family Gabriel started and then perfected the art of crawling.  He also learned to go up stairs..... we are working on the "coming down" part.  He is eating lots of yummy (if any green or orange pureed food can be called yummy) baby foods and loves baby cereals as well.  Bananas are still a top favorite.
He loved seeing his grandparents and various aunts and uncles this month, also 2 boy cousins close to his age- Dainen and Jack.  I hope they will be good buds when they are older. For now we just try to keep them from knocking each other over.