Our 7 Month Old

TJ turned 7 months old today! We can't believe how fast this time has flown by! TJ is growing and changing at a daily rate -- sometimes it feels like an hourly rate!t' :)It's crazy.

He's working on crawling, and he's really trying hard. He's not quite there yet, but it's so fun to hear his little grunts as he tries. He's mastered sitting up, and he's loving all the new foods he gets to try. Mommy & Daddy have been making his baby food, and we've had fun creating new foods for him to experience.

And this child has no problems eating! The other day he got mad because I didn't heat up enough squash, so he resorted to sticking his face in the bowl and licking it! He's such a silly boy.

His personality is coming out a lot more now, and it's so fun seeing what trouble he might be getting into as his curiosity peaks. He continues to be super loving and cuddly, and he's becoming more attached to Mommy by the day. It's really cute... except at 6 in the morning.

On Sunday, TJ had his six (almost 7) month pictures taken. Once again, my girlfriend, Adriane, did an amazing job! It doesn't hurt having such a cute model, either. :) Check out the pictures she took at amnphotography.blogspot.com

I've also uploaded a bunch of new pictures to TJ's photo site... the link is at the bottom of the blog.

Weekend Away...

TJ spent the weekend at Grandma & Grandpa Reno's. He had a great time playing with his grandparents and Auntie Angie. He watched westerns with Grandpa and even got a special visit from his Aunt Debbie and cousin Izzy from California. They loved playing together!

While TJ was at Grandpa & Grandma's, Mommy & Daddy had a mini-staycation downtown. We stayed at a fun, pop culture hotel, The Curtis. Each floor is a different theme, and we stayed on the Big Hair Floor... Marge Simpson's voice welcomed us on the elevator, and pictures of Donald Trump, Poison and Eraserhead lined the walls. It was a blast! We had a great time being together... but it was difficult for Mommy to be away from TJ. I definitely didn't sleep well. I kept waking up all night... wondering why I wasn't hearing anything on the monitor.

We knew he was in great hands, but it didn't stop me from calling every few hours! ;) We were so excited to see our little man this afternoon!

This past week... we moved on from rice cereal to carrots! TJ loved them! He would actually cry after he finished the last of the jar. He is so funny to watch eat...especially when he gets impatient when I'm not fast enough getting him the next spoonful! We plan on making our own baby food, but wanted to see what he liked and didn't like before making a whole bunch of food! Tomorrow we're going to try sweet potatoes... let's see how he does. :)

Things are quieting down a bit. We don't have any plans for the week or weekend -- Finally!

Turning Six Months Old

TJ turned six months old last weekend. The milestone was overshadowed by a trip to the ER the night before. Turns out the little guy had croup. It was the hardest and scariest thing watching your little one struggle to breathe. The doctors and nurses at the Children's Hospital at Parker Adventist were great, and luckily, TJ didn't have to stay overnight.

He's doing MUCH better now. He's happy and playing... and using his new trick over and over and over -- the new trick? Screaming. He's not necessarily upset... he just likes to shriek. It's fun!

TJ's now holding his own bottle consistently. He's been doing it at day care for a while, but still likes to make Mommy, Daddy and Grandma hold it for him at home. Well... not anymore! Unless he's super tired, he's the man with the bottle.

When TJ went to his 6 month checkup, Dr. Marc was still concerned about his breathing, so they gave him a second dose of steroids. This time, the crushed up pill was put in applesauce. TJ's first "solids meal" was in the doctor's office. But... the little guy loves applesauce!

We wanted to wait to introduce solids until after his cough calmed down, so this evening... we started him on rice cereal. He kept making funny faces after each bite, but he continued to reach for the spoonful of food. It was hilarious! He should get used to the texture soon.

This past week Mommy and Grandma had a little photo shoot with TJ's stuffed animals. I think we got a little carried away... but we got some great pictures out of it. :) I've created a new photo site to share all of TJ's pictures. Visit www.theadventuresoftjrenomartin.shutterfly.com to see his albums and video!

We're going to take it easy this week since Mommy and Daddy are now trying to get well. Hopefully the cycle ends with us.