Mommy Minute: Kason's 10 Month Update

We're in the double digits ya'll!! I cannot believe my baby is 10 Months Old. Time is flying by so fast.   I feel like there's not a whole lot to update on this month, but then again there is. I think this was more of a "maturing" month for him, and his little personality has really been shining.

The biggest thing that happened this month is that he started crawling. He still doesn't crawl the "proper" way, and I really don't know if he ever will. He still scoots around using his arms and his butt, and he has gotten fast with it. We had to get a couple baby gates because he was going into every room and was all over the place. He's also started pulling up too. He doesn't pull up to standing on his feet yet, but he does pull up and stand on his knees. I've stood him up while he was holding onto his V-Tech Sit to Stand and he stood there for a good minute. Getting his footing and his balance down is the only issue. I really think he's going to be pulling up completely, and standing, in the next couple of weeks.

He's been eating a lot more table food lately, and less baby food. He still just has his bottom two teeth, but has gotten so much better with textures and flavors. He's chewing a lot more, and is getting so much better at feeding himself. I gave him a waffle for breakfast this morning (no syrup), but on  most days he still has oatmeal. Lunch has been the biggest change so far. Normally he would have one to two packets of baby food, but lately he's been having a sandwich. He's had peanut butter, grilled cheese, and turkey and cheese. I just make him half of a sandwich, minus the crust, and tear it into little pieces, and he feeds himself. For dinner I have been giving him one packet of baby food, and then he has some of what the rest of us are eating. He's had chicken, beef, pasta, veggies, etc.  I haven't notice any kind of food allergies either which is good. 

His favorite toy, or thing to do, has been his wagon. My parent have a wagon, and one day while they were babysitting they took him on his first ride and he absolutely loved it. We finally got one of our own so he's been able to ride in it more. He absolutely loves it and it's the cutest thing. He's so observant, and loves to look at everything and to people watch. Not only does he love riding in his wagon, but he loves being outside. It calms him, and makes him so happy. He also likes to go shopping. He loves riding in shopping carts, and loves seeing all the people. I can't go anywhere without him hamming it up with at least two people. 

Now that he's crawling, I can tell he's getting a little more independent. When we are at home and he gets bored or fussy, he likes to change the scenery and play in his room by himself. Normally he's in the living room with me, but lately he's been liking going to his room for 30 minutes or so and playing in there. My grandmother gave me this little three-tier shelf with colored buckets for my baby shower, so that's what I keep his toys in in his room. I set it up in his closet so when he goes to play, I prop open his closet doors and he pulls everything out. I love how I have that set up because when he's not in there playing, I put all the toys back in the buckets and shut the doors, so the toys are out of sight and his room stays clean and organized. He's also been getting a lot more vocal, but still isn't saying any words, or sounds, except for "Ga". I practice with him every day with "Ba", "Ma", and "Da" but he just laughs and says "Ga". He still is screaming, and making other noises, but isn't pronouncing anything else just yet.

I can't believe he's already 10 months old and that his first birthday is right around the corner. Where has this year gone?? It's seriously so crazy to think that almost a year ago he was born. It makes me sad to think about it, but at the same time I'm excited because he's starting to do more. It's really fun to watch him grow, and to see him have new experiences. He is full of personality already, and is very particular and strong-willed. Both Kevin and I are the same way, so we are definitely going to have our hands full with Kason!

I hope ya'll enjoyed this months update. Kason will be celebrating his first Halloween this Friday, so I will definitely have a blog post up of both him and Lexi in their costumes. We are going to hang around and go trick or treating with our families so it should be fun. I'm thinking of vlogging that evening, but I'm not 100% sure yet. Whatever I decide to do, I will definitely let you know here, and on Twitter & Instagram @caferg_xoxo. 

I hope ya'll have a great rest of the week and a Happy Halloween! 

xoxo,

Casey

What's In My Bag?!

Hey ya'll!!

Today I decided to do the "What's In My Bag" tag. I really like these kinds of posts and videos because I like to see what products other people carry with them and what kind of bag they're carrying. Basically I'm just a nosey-rosey!

My most loved purse is my Michael Kors Selma Large Saffiano Leather Satchel in the shade Luggage. I purchased this bag about a year and a half ago; I remember it was right after Kason's Gender Reveal Party. I justified it with Kevin that I was successful in making him a boy, so I should get a present for all my hard work haha. I absolutely love and adore this bag. It's super chic and classic, and is something that I will be able to carry for a long time and be able to wear it with anything. It's very sturdy and structured which I like a lot. It's very roomy inside, making it perfect when traveling because I can fit my iPad and other gadgets inside. It has a top zipper that closes the bag, four small interior pockets, and an interior zippered pocket. It's a warm, camel brown color. This is my favorite color brown on handbags. It's the perfect brown that can be worn with any other color, even black. All of the hardware is gold, which looks great against the brown. My preferred way of carrying it, is by the small handles. But when I'm running errands during the day with Kason, that's not very practical. Lucky for me, this bag came with a detachable strap so I can carry it on my shoulder if I prefer.

Let's start with the obvious essentials; my keys, my wallet, and my iPhone. My keys are just plain obvious. My wallet is also Michael Kors. I'm not sure exactly what style it is, I got it as a birthday present two years ago. It's black with gold hardware, a gold zipper, and lots of card space inside. I have the iPhone 5 and my current case is this purple swirly one that I recently picked up from Charming Charlies. I don't plan on keeping this case, because it interferes with the flash on the camera and makes all my pictures look purple.

Next up I have a PocketBac and hand lotion from Bath & Body Works, plus a travel sized body mist from Victoria's Secret. I always have hand sanitizer with me, especially since having Kason. I carry a small lotion with me because my hands get so dry from using the hand sanitizer. I carry a small body mist with me because you never know when you're gonna get a little smelly, or feel like freshening up.

Even though we are getting into the cooler months, I've still been rocking my blue Rayban Aviators. Kevin and the kids got these for me for Mother's Day and I absolutely love them. I try to keep them in this case when I'm not wearing them, but let's be honest, they sometimes end up at the bottom of my bag.

I always carry my birth control in my purse. Don't ask me why, it's just something I have always done. I feel like if I kept it at home in my medicine cabinet, or my bathroom, I would forget to take it.

I recently got this little notebook and I'm so glad I did. I'm the kind of person who remembers things, or has ideas, at the most random times. If I write things down, I have a much better chance of remembering to do them. Having this little notebook helps me keep track of things I need to do, items we may need for the house, and ideas I have for my blog and my channel. I also have a little page where I started writing things down of what I am grateful for. Some days I feel burnt out and overwhelmed, or my feelings may have been hurt about something. Have these little things jotted down brings me back to to a happy place, and reminds me how lucky I really am.

Now we are getting to all the random goodies. In the bottom of my bag I have a couple Walmart receipts, three pens, my broken iPhone case, one cough drop, three hair ties, a hair clip, two chocolates, fifteen cents, and two bottles of nail polish. I also have a little clear baggy with extra lace from my wedding gown. I recently took my dress to get cleaned and preserved, and this little extra was attached to the original bag so they gave it to me when I dropped it off at the cleaners. For some reason I just haven't taken it out yet. I guess it's a good thing I decided to do this tag, because my purse clearly needed to be cleaned out!

Now onto what beauty products I like to carry with me. This probably is a little excessive, but I have seven lip pies in my bag right now. I don't start out with this many, they just kind of accumulate throughout the week. Right now I have two lip balms; Carmex and Nivea Olive Oil and Lemon. I also have my holy grail Dior Addict Lip Glow which lives in my purse at all times. I have two lipsticks; Maybelline Creamy Mate Lipstick in Daringly Nude and MAC's Velvet Teddy. Lastly I have two lip glosses; Gerard Cosmetic's gloss in Nude and Urban Decay's Naked gloss in Walk of Shame. I like to carry a translucent powder for touch ups, my favorite right now being Laura Mercier's Invisible Pressed Setting Powder. Sometimes after I touchup my foundation I can look a little washed out so I like to carry a bronzer and a blush with me. For bronzer I like to carry the Too Faced Sun Bunny Bronzer. It's a shimmery bronzer, but not glittery, with two different shades. For blush I have a deluxe sized sample of NARS Orgasm. I also carry an E.L.F. Complexion Brush to apply said products.

I wanted to let ya'll know that I was recently contacted by a new, up-and-coming editing software company called ShowBox. They reached out asking if I would like to try out their site and make a few videos with them. If you've been watching any of my videos then you will notice that this one is a little different and has a little more pizazz! Check it out below and let me know what you think!

That's it for What's In My Bag and I hope ya'll enjoyed it! Let me know any other tags you'd like me to do in the comments below.


xoxo,
Casey

Fall Makeup Look: Berry & Orange Shimmer

Hey ya'll!!

Today I just wanted to sit and play with eyeshadows to create a pretty, colorful Fall look. I recently got a few new things from Makeup Geek (look for a Haul & Collection video in the next week or so), and really wanted to try them out. I am one to normally shy away from color, but I've been feeling a little bold and creative lately. I am really happy with the way this look turned out. I have been loving the shade Glamorous and have been using it on my lid a lot lately. It's a really pretty golden/orange shimmery shade. Another shade I've been wanting to play with is Bitten. It's a gorgeous, deep berry, matte shade. If you want to see how I created this look then check out the video below!

I have been using a ton of new products recently that I am absolutely LOVING! I really want to put together my Must-Have Fall Makeup Picks to share with ya'll. I know I get repetitive in my video about "loving" all the different products, but it's so true. I've discovered so many awesome makeup products lately, and it would only be right to share my discoveries with all of you.

Can we just take a second and admire this glow? I used MAC's Mineralized Skin Finish is Soft & Gentle and I'm addicted! I thought I loved Becca's Opal (trust me, it's still a favorite and a must-have), but goodness-gracious this one is seriously GORG.

I hope ya'll enjoyed this look. I had a lot of fun making it and playing with color. If there's any other type of look you'd like to see, or a look created from certain shadows or palettes, just let me know in the comments below!

xoxo,

Casey

Product Empties & Would I Repurchase?

Hey ya'll!!

It's Empties time! I have been collecting my trash for the last month and a half so I could give you my complete thoughts and feelings on the products I've been using. In my big bag of empties I have a little bit of everything: beauty, skin care, hair care, and lots and lots of candles.

I have quite a bit of beauty products to talk about today. 1. Smashbox Suntan Matte Bronzer: I pulled this out to use during my September No Buy, but had to throw it out because when I applied it to my face it just wasn't applying like it used to. I've had it for forever and forgot about it, so I believe it has lived past it's use date and has expired. 2. Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Twice Baked: Like the Smashbox bronzer, this is also a product that I forgot about and is old and has expired. This is one of my favorite eyeshadow shades ever; this color is the perfect shimmery brown for me. I definitely want to repurchase it. 3. Anastasia Tinted Brow Gel: This is something that I will not be repurchasing. I didn't think it was all that great, and have recently purchased a different brow gel that I'm loving so much more. 4. Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes Pencil in Black: This was a great pencil. It's a dryer formula which I prefer much more than the super creamy formula of the UD 24/7 Pencil's. I am not needing it right now, but when I want another eye pencil, I would repurchase this one. 5. Loreal Magic Lumi Concealer: I really like this product for highlighting purposes. It's a pretty pearlescent color, and I will definitely be repurchasing it. 6. NARS Eyeshadow Primer: My favorite eyeshadow primer ever. I'm finishing up the Urban Decay Primer Potion, so once that's gone I will be purchasing a full size of the NARS. 7. Benefit Porefessional: About halfway through the tube I didn't think I liked this, but once I layered another primer on top I loved it. I do not like this primer on it's own because it makes my skin feel super dry. Since running out of it and just using my other primers, I've noticed a huge difference in my makeup's wear time and appearance. I definitely need to pick up another tube of this. 8. It's A 10 Miracle Leave-In Treatment: I absolutely loved this stuff. I have a full size of the It's a 10 Plus Keratin that I am in the process of finishing up. It's almost gone, and when it is I will be buying a full size of this one. I liked it so much better than the one I'm using now. This one is a deluxe sample that I would bring with me when I would go out of town. 9. Mascara's Galore! - I'm making this short and sweet and am just going to let you know if I'm repurchasing or not (If you want a more in-depth review be sure to check out my video!). Diorshow: Hated it! Loreal Voluminous Collagen: Would repurchase, but not at this time. Benefit They're Real: Loved it, but not repurchasing at this time. Covergirl Clump Crusher: Loved it! Already repurchased it. Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes: Terrible! Hated it!

1. Garnier Nourishing Cleansing Oil: I really like this cleansing oil. I talked about it in my Skin Care Favorites, and have already repurchased it. It does a nice job of removing my makeup, and is super hydrating, leaving my skin feeling super soft. 2. Batiste Dry Shampoo in Original & Fresh: I've said it before and I will say it again, this dry shampoo is so good and is the best I have ever tried. I always stock up when I run out because I go through them so fast. I haven't been to Ulta yet, but probably will one day this week to pick up some more. 3. Aussie Sprunch Mousse: This is mine and Lexi's favorite mousse to use for messy waves. When we are having lazy hair days, we will scrunch this in our hair and let it air dry. It doesn't create a ton of wave, but it's enough to make you look put together. It also doesn't make your hair crunchy which is my favorite thing, I hate crunchy hair. It has a leave-in conditioner in it so it makes your hair super soft and shiny. This is another one of those products where I purchase multiple's at a time.

What kind of Empties would this be without makeup wipes? The Garnier Refreshing Remover Towelettes are my favorite makeup remover wipes and I have already repurchased them. They are super soft and don't irritate my skin or burn my eyes. They also smell really, really good. The Up & Up Wipes are what I use when I'm cleaning up a makeup mistake, or cleaning off swatches. They are also really good at getting makeup off of the bathroom counter! I haven't repurchased them yet but plan to.

"Oh My Candles!" As you can see, I go through candles like crazy. I have them spread out all over my downstairs and burn them for hours at a time. Hawaiian Hibiscus and Red Guava Lava I finished up at the end of August before I started burning the Fall scents. Sandalwood Vanilla was one that I had never purchased before. It smelled really nice but it's not a favorite of mine. Sweater Weather, Mahogany Teakwood, and Leaves on the other hand, are three of my absolute favorite scents from Bath & Body Works. They are super strong and smell so dang good. I am going to be repurchasing them on my next trip to BBW.

I hope ya'll enjoyed this round of Empties. If you liked any of the products that I didn't, let me know. It's always possible that a product is amazing and you just get stuck with a dud!


xoxo,
Casey

Mommy Minute: Kason's Daily Routine - 9 Months Old

Hey ya'll!!

I have a new Mommy Minute for you today, and it's an update on Kason's daily routine. Now that Kason's a little older, his routine has changed and he's doing more than just sitting in a swing or playing in a bouncer. I'm going to go over what he does on a normal day, what he eats, his napping and bedtime routines, and what he does for entertainment throughout the day. I also am going to talk about how we handle running errands and getting out of the house.

Now that Lexi is back in school, Kason gets his day going a little earlier than he was in the summer time. Lexi and I are up and starting our day about 7:15 every morning (Thursday's are great because she has late arrival, so we get an extra hour). Lucky for me, Kason isn't the type to cry as soon as he wakes up. He usually wakes up and plays with his stuffed animals for a while before I go and get him up. I like to focus on Lexi first thing, and get her ready and out the door before getting Kason's day started. After Kason is up and out of bed, he gets a fresh diaper and has his first bottle of the day. He has three 8 ounce bottles a day, for a total of 24 ounces.

After he has his first bottle, he plays in the living room and watches Disney Jr. for about an hour. I keep most of his toys in the living room at all times because that's where he spends most of his time. After he plays for a little while, he's ready for breakfast about 10:00. He has oatmeal for breakfast pretty much every morning. I make 4 ounces of formula and mix it with Gerber's Instant Oatmeal. It's my favorite thing to give him because he meets his daily iron requirement plus extra vitamins and nutrition, he gets that extra formula in case he decides not to drink one of his bottles during the day, plus it's really filling and holds him off until lunch.

After breakfast he's free to play and do what he wants. He literally started scooting around the day after I posted his 9 month update. He's not scooting in the crawling position and instead is hobbling around in a sitting position. I'm so happy he's finally moving around because it's really impacted his overall mood throughout the day. He still gets fussy here and there, but for the most part he has been so much more content. It's opened up a whole new world for him and he is steady exploring around the house and making his way to all the different rooms. After breakfast is also when we will go shopping or run any necessary errands. I like to go after breakfast because he's got some energy and his belly is nice and full, so he's more likely to be content for a longer period of time.

If we aren't leaving the house, he is usually ready to take a nap around 11:00. If we are out and about, he just takes a nap when we get back or will sleep in the car. If he takes this nap, it usually lasts about an hour and a half. When he wakes up, he's ready for lunch. We've been experimenting with different foods, and have been incorporating table food with his baby food. As far as baby food goes, he is on Level 3 (but I still get Level 2 in some flavors because he likes them). He used to only eat Gerber, but once we changed to the Level 3, he no longer would eat it. He's really picky when it comes to textures. It's weird, because he will pretty much each any table food we give him, but if it's baby food with chunks in it, all bets are off. I think he gets confused because he's used to his baby food being really soft and smooth, so when he tastes the same flavor but has to now chew it, it throws him off. Right now he's been trying different brands and types. One's that have worked so far are People's Choice, Beechnut, and Plum Organics. I give him either water, or water mixed with a little apple juice, to wash down his lunch. He continues to sip on that cup of water, or juice, throughout the whole day.

After lunch, he has another little burst of energy to roam around and play. He also has been really loving our dog lately. Ariel, thankfully, has been loving him too. Kason is constantly trying to steal her toys, but she's no push over. She is really gentle and careful with him, but has zero problem taking her toy back from him! About 2:00 in the afternoon, he's ready for his second bottle of the day.

He's ready for another nap around 3:00-4:00. If he had a morning nap then he will sleep for about an hour and a half to two hours. If he hasn't napped all day he will take a really good nap that lasts about three hours. His naps really depend on the day so I don't have a strict napping schedule. If we are running errands in the morning, he may be ready to go down at 1:00 or 2:00, and will eat his lunch when he wakes up. Depending on how hungry he is, he will have a snack before or after nap. He likes the little dissolvable puffs, Goldfish crackers, and frozen fruit in his mesh feeder. His favorite snack is sting cheese. Funny right? I break off little pieces and he loves it. He eats the entire thing, too. 

I cook dinner around 6:00-6:30 most nights, and that's about the time he gets hungry. I feed him a pouch, or jar, of baby food, and then he gets a little bit of what we eat. We had pot roast last night, so he had some beef, veggies, and mashed potatoes, and did great with all of it. Other things he has had and done well with are chicken and pasta. When we go out to eat, we are steadily giving him new things to try. The facial expressions and reactions to different foods are priceless!

After dinner it's bath time. I was bathing him in the kitchen sink, but recently moved him to the real bath tub and he absolutely loves it. He has two rubber ducks and an octopus that he plays with. I fill the tub up about two inches deep with water and bubbles, and he splashes and plays while I scrub the day away. After bath, I lotion him up and put his PJ's on. Sometimes he plays, and sometimes we read a book. He loves it when I read to him. He has a lot of fun looking at all the pictures, and touching all the pages. Right before he goes down for the night he has his third and final bottle. After his bottle, we all give him lots of love and put him in his crib. He is a very good sleeper, and sleeps through the night until morning. Very rarely does he wake up at night. If he does, it's usually a bad dream and he is back asleep in a few minutes. I've only ever had to go in there and comfort him a handful of times since he started sleeping through the night.

I hope you enjoyed today's post! If you have any questions, or video/blog requests, please leave them in the comments below.


xoxo,
Casey

Sephora Haul

Hey ya'll!!

I FINALLY paid Sephora a lovely little visit! It's been so long since I've set foot in one due to my September No Buy. According to my "Purchases" on my Sephora account, the last time I shopped there was August 3. Two months for me not shopping at Sephora is crazy!! I'm a very frequent Sephora shopper, and normally I'm in there about every two weeks. I'm really proud of myself for that accomplishment! Not only did I pick up goodies from Sephora, but a Nordstrom just opened up in one of the mall's in my area, so I picked up a couple of products from there as well.

The first thing I picked up is the Benefit Gimme Brow in the shade Medium/Dark. I recently finished up the Anastasia Tinted Brow Gel in the shade Brunette and was in the market for a new one. I didn't repurchase the Anastasia Brow Gel because I really didn't care for it that much and wanted to try something new. I wanted a brow product that would be great for my minimal makeup days. The Gimme Brow has little fibers in it that make you look like you have fuller brows than you actually do. I've got high hopes for this product and am looking forward to testing it out.

Sticking with the brows, I've been using Benefit's Brow Zing for forever now, and have been wanting to try something new. I decided to go with Anastasia's Dip Brow in the shade Soft Brown. I've heard lots of great things about this product. I have used it once, and when I first applied it I was shocked by how bold and dark my brows looked. I'm so used to using and working with powder, that this mousse formula threw me for a loop. When I first applied it, I thought they looked way too dark. After it dried and the day went on, it started to look normal again. I'm going to wear it for a few more days, and if I still feel like it's too dark then I'm going to exchange it for a lighter shade.

I cannot tell you how happy I am to have this next product back in my life. In August I used up the last little bit of the Dior Addict Lip Glow and have missed it terribly. This lip balm works with the warmth in your skin to give your lips their very own perfect shade of pink. I finally repurchased it and am excited to have it back in my collection. This balm lives in my purse and goes everywhere with me. It gives me the perfect shade of pink and is super moisturizing. I absolutely love it.

This next product I did not intend to buy. It wasn't anywhere on my radar. As I was browsing through Sephora, I stopped by the Marc Jacobs section and remembered seeing a couple beauty bloggers talk about this bronzer. It's definitely not widely talked about, so I honestly never really thought about it. I went back to it about three times before finally caving in a putting it in my bag. I don't self tan as much in the Fall and Winter, so I wanted a lighter, more natural looking bronzer. This is really smooth in texture, and the color is very natural with just a little bit of an orange tone in it. I have only used it once so I can't say too much about it just yet, but I will keep you updated on it.

After Sephora, I popped into Nordstrom. I have been eyeing this brush for months now and finally decided it was time to buy it. I am so happy I got it. It is super easy to use, the bristles are really soft, and it cut the time it usually takes for me to contour in half. It is a pricey brush, but I've been really thinking about it for a long time and decided it was a must have. 

I have been hearing a lot of buzz about this color and decided to finally check it out for myself. This is M.A.C.'s Velvet Teddy. Apparently this is the exact lipstick Kyle Jenner uses. It's really pretty, and is a comfortable matte lipstick. I see myself getting a lot of use out of this in the next couple of months. This is a matte shade that you could easily rock all year long.

I hope ya'll enjoyed today's post! Let me know in the comments below what beauty products you're lusting over, and what products you've recently purchased.

xoxo,

Casey

Beauty And The Books: Books I've Read Recently

Hey ya'll!!

Today I introduced my Beauty And The Books series to my YouTube channel! I talk about the last four books I've read and give mini reviews on each.

The first book I talk about is Born At Midnight by C.C. Hunter. I totally forgot I already did a Book Review on it at the end of August. For some reason I thought I had finished it in the beginning of September, but really it was the very end of August, oops! The other three books mentioned in this video are Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, If I Stay by Gayle Forman, and Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor. Watch the video below for a mini review on each of these books.

I hope ya'll enjoyed this video. Have a great weekend!

xoxo,

Casey

Mommy Minute: Kason's 9 Month Update

Hey ya'll!!

Kason is 9 MONTHS OLD! I can't even believe how fast his first year is going by. We went to the doctor today for his 9 Month Well Check and I have a big boy on my hands. He weighs 21 lbs. 3 oz. (75%), is 29.5 inches long (90%), and has a head circumference of 18.9 inches (99%).

I'm not going to lie, this month was a rough one! I love my boy more than anything, but he sure has put me through the ringer these past few weeks. He's been super fussy, all day every day. I talked to the doctor, and we've summed it up to two things. One, he's still teething. He has his two bottom teeth, and is working on the top teeth. His two bottom teeth came in pretty much a week or two apart so I have a feeling both of his top teeth are trying to come in at the same time. The second reason, I think this is the main reason, is that he gets really frustrated with himself. He hasn't started crawling yet, but he wants to SO BAD! He has been trying really hard, but he just hasn't gotten the hang of it yet. He can roll over both ways, and can move from a sitting position onto his belly, but he can't get up from that belly position which results in a full blow melt down. He's reaching for everything, and is constantly throwing every toy in sight, which make him mad when he can't reach for them and get them back on his own. At this point, I will be throwing a full blown celebration the day he learns to crawl, because I think that will solve a lot of his fussy problems.

He's been really into exploring what his voice can do. He's been making a lot more sounds, and he loves to experiment. Right now, his favorite sound to make is a high pitched scream. He screams so loud! And he doesn't discriminate where or when these screams occur. He will do it at 7am when he decides he doesn't want to sleep in, he will do it in the car, he will even do it in the check out line at Target in the middle of the day when there's only a handful of people around so that they all turn and stare at the same time. He likes to have squealing matches too. We've started the "Battle of the Squeals". He does it, I copy him, he does it back, and thinks it's the funniest thing ever.

He also really, really loves iPhone's & iPad's. Pretty much anything that lights up and makes noise he believes is fair game. He's like a mosquito to a bug zapper. He could be having a full blown mental breakdown until you pull out an iPhone. He immediately shuts up, his eyes get really big, and his mouth makes an "O" shape all while reaching as far as he can with both hands. This boy is something else. It's absolutely hilarious, but can get annoying when we are sitting on the couch and I'm trying to beat a level of Pet Rescue, and he's messing me up by reaching over me to get to the phone and falling into my lap.

His latest toy has been his V-Tech Sit to Stand and he really enjoys it. It has a ton of buttons that he can press that light up and make a ton of different sounds and noises. It can lay flat and sit next to him on the floor, or it can stand up on wheels, which is how we set it up. It will be good for when he starts to walk because he can hold the handle and push it. His favorite thing about it is the little purple telephone that detaches from it. Every time I turn the toy on, the first thing he does is take the phone off. I will put it back on and as soon as my hand moves away he's taking it off again.

He's definitely in the "Separation Anxiety" faze. He freaks out when I leave the room. Screams, kicks, cries, the whole nine yards. I will poke my head from around the corner to let him know I'm still there, or I will talk to him from the other room to let him know I'm close by, and he starts to laugh. But once I think he's ok, I turn back to leave again and the crying ensues.  He doesn't do it every single time I leave the room, but it is a daily occurrence. I know this is just a faze that he will soon grow out of. Again, I will be happy when he can crawl, because if he wants to see me he can just follow me from room to room.

He learned how to drink from a straw this month and I was super excited about it. If you've been keeping up with my Mommy Minute's then you know that I was trying to find a sippy cup that worked for him. He did finally learn how to drink from a regular sippy cup, and shortly after figured out how to use a straw. I really prefer the cups with a straw because they are much easier for him to drink from while sitting up. I mix his cup with half water, half apple juice, and he sips on that through out the day. I also introduced Mesh Feeder's to him at the beginning of the month and we have had a lot of success with them. He's getting a lot of practice with those on how to feed himself, and I've already seen improvements in his ability to feed himself in the last couple of weeks. He doesn't have the "pincer grasp" down quite yet, but he is able to pick things up with his hand and bring his hand to his mouth. He has about a 50% success rate of actually getting the food into his mouth, but it's getting a lot better! Next week I will be doing another update on his Daily Schedule and his eating routine, so I will talk more about that then.

Even though we had a tough month, it was still a good one. Little man is growing like a weed and is learning and doing new things every day. I can't believe it's almost time for me to plan his First Birthday Party. I already have some ideas and am getting pretty excited about it. Poor guy's birthday is four days after Christmas. After I had him I told Kevin that I wondered if it was going to be a bummer for him to have his birthday so close to Christmas. It may not be that big of a deal because he won't ever know any different. If any of you have kid's with birthday's close to Christmas, I'd love to know how it is for you!

If you have any Mommy Minute discussion suggestions, please let me know in the comments below.

xoxo,
Casey