Baby Food Makin' Momma

Since we started Cash on people food I went and bought all the stuff to start making our own baby food. I have been really excited to start doing this.
We bought some organic peas and zucchini to start out with. Then I headed to Babies R Us to find some covered ice cube trays (because apparently they don't sell those at Target or the grocery store). We bought a baby food cookbook the other day at Barnes and Noble so I was all set to make some baby food.

I steamed the veggies so I could keep as much of the nutrients in them as possible.

 Then into the food processor they go after they were run under cold water.

Then we put them in the little trays we got and put them in the freezer!

It was a pretty easy process and SO worth it to know exactly what is going into my baby's food. I can't wait to add more food to his diet! We tried out the peas tonight and he wasn't so sure about those. He made a lot of funny faces but he finished them! So I guess he didn't dislike them too much :)

6 months- Feeling Nostalgic

Wow! I cannot believe we have a 6 month old. When did that happen? I've been especially nostalgic these last few days. Late on the 13th I was thinking "man 6 months ago I was having lots of contractions". And on the 14th at 10:50am I thought about how I was 20 minutes away from meeting my son. It's just amazing how fast time flies. I thought about that first night when it was just the 3 of us in the hospital room soaking in those first moments with him and how wonderful it all was.
6 months later and we have the happiest, most fun baby ever. He's a joy to be around, he's so layed back and easy going. He's SO happy. I love him more than anything in this world.
Let's see...what has happened this month. Jeremy's mom came down one weekend and Jeremy and I were able to go on a date. That was so nice. We have only been out one other time since Cash was born. Mainly because we live so far away from our families that we don't have anyone to watch him. Jeremy planned the whole thing. He got me these beautiful flowers:

 And he bought me a new shirt to wear on our date! He knew I had been fretting about what I would wear so he went and bought me a shirt! Thoughtful, right?! And I happen to really like the shirt.

 Had to get a family pic before we left!

We ate at Vic and Anthony's steakhouse. Oh my gosh it was so good. We had shrimp cocktail to start, then both had steaks and for our sides broccoli, potatoes, and mac and cheese. Wow was it good. It was so nice to not have to rush through dinner.

Then we went to the Houston Aquarium! Yep, at night! On Friday and Saturday nights the aquarium stays open till 11:00pm. That was so much fun! After the aquarium we headed home to our boy!

I also got to go see a movie for the first time since before Cash was born. The boys stayed at home and I went to see The Vow. Really good movie!
Cash got to meet his Uncle Woody too! Our friend Keith was in town and was able to stay with us one night and meet Cash.
Look at our boy looking so grown up!

At 6 months:
Height: 27 inches
Weight: 15 lbs
Size 2 diapers
Some 3-6 month clothes, mostly 6 months
Sitting up on his own like a big boy!

Started eating rice cereal and sweet potatoes

Is really baby talking now, and his little voice is so cute
Loves playing with his blocks
He passes the blocks from one hand to another and back!!
Has so much hair!
Is sitting forward in his stroller now! And he LOVES it!

6 month pictures:

5 months

Well Cash got sick for the first time. :-( We knew it was going to happen because he started daycare and is getting used to being around other kids. So he had bronchiolitis. No antibiotics or anything but we do have to do breathing treatments. That is not fun for a little baby. He doesn't understand what is going on and it breaks my heart when we have to hold the little mask up to his face. But he got better about 2 weeks later. Mommy on the other hand got really sick too. Man, I haven't been that sick in forever. I was trying so hard not to start a pass around the sickness game at the Gray house. Thankfully Jeremy never got sick, but it took me a good 3 weeks before I started feeling better.
We went to San Antonio for TMEA, which for you non music people is Texas Music Educators Association conference. We go every year. Jeremy goes for the conventions and band concerts, I go for the socializing :) This year we all 3 went so everyone could meet Cash. We get extra excited about TMEA now that we live in Houston because the majority of our friends still live in Dallas and it gives us time to catch up. Cash wasn't too fond of SA. He was having a major growth spurt while we were there so he was kind of fussy. We had fun in the hotel room though while Daddy did his thing at the convention center.
We also celebrated Valentines Day! My thoughtful husband came downtown and had lunch with me and then for dinner we stayed home. We made steak and horseradish potatoes and for dessert we had strawberries with chocolate. It was a very nice Valentines Day and I was so happy to spend it with my boys.

At 5 months:
Height: 25.5 inches
Weight: 14 lbs
Size 2 Diapers
3-6 month clothes! We have finally grown out of the 0-3 month clothes for the most part. There are still some 0-3 that fit.
Started sleeping in his crib. He had been sleeping in his pack n play in our room. He was ready, Mommy wasn't. But the transition went great!
Jibber jabbers all the time :)
Loves playing in his Baby Einstein bouncer
Loves his football that he got for Christmas from Santa

He also loves to be read to :)

4 months

On January 2nd Cash started daycare so Mommy could go back to work. I was so very sad to go back. We found a daycare for him before he was born so once he got here we didn't have to stress about finding one.
He did wonderful. No crying or anything. I cried though! The first day I took him I only left him for a few hours, just so he could see how it was and long enough for me to tell myself it was going to be ok :)

The following weekend we went up to visit the Spruiells in Rowlett. Cash and Rorie finally got to meet! We did not take ANY pictures the whole weekend, which makes me sad. But we had a great time. Brittney and I went and got massages that Ashby bought Brittney for her birthday. All 4 boys stayed at home and played! Then we all went out to dinner after we came home. We had a lot of fun and the boys will have more fun as they get older.
I went back to work the following week. It was pretty hard going back to work. I am thankful that we decided to start Cash at daycare the week before I started back so that I didn't have the anxiety of going back to work coupled with sending my baby off to daycare for the first time. I could definitely tell that I hadn't worked in 4.5 months! It took a week or so for my brain to get back in work mode and not mommy/zombie mode.
We have really gotten into a routine now and Cash is doing wonderful with it all. We are SO very blessed that the daycare that we chose was the right one for him. The teachers just love him and he is very popular. He's the youngest so all the teachers want to hold him and feed him.

At 4 months:
Weight: 12 lbs
Height: 24 1/4 inches
Size 1 diapers
Still in 0-3 month clothes.
Has started to reach for things
Rolled over from tummy to back. Has rolled from back to tummy a few times
Has discovered his hands! Looks at them all the time and moves them all around

Christmas 2011

Cash's first Christmas was great. First we celebrated with Jeremy's side of the family. His mom, brother, niece and sister came down. Cash got to meet his cousin Charlotte for the first time and that was really cute. Charlotte is 3 and she just loved Cash.
Cash got all sorts of fun stuff from Gramie and Papa Bill, Uncle Jon and Charlotte, and Aunt Annie.

After we had Christmas with Jeremy's family my mom and grandparents came down. We made Christmas cookies and all the other fixings for a yummy Christmas dinner.

Stockings and presents from Santa on Christmas morning

 Cookies!

 Our wonderful little family on Christmas

 Me, mom, Grandmom, and Cash

 GG and Cash

 Cash and his great grandparents

 All the loot! He is very blessed to have so many people that love him :)

3 months old!

Well our little guy is 3 months old and growing like a weed! He is so much fun! His personality is really starting to come out. He is such a laid back baby. Really the only time he cries is if he's hungry or tired. The rest of the time he just hangs out.
This month we celebrated Cash's first Thanksgiving. It was just the 3 of us but we still had a nice day :)

We have started taking him out a lot more now. We will take him out to eat and to the grocery store. 

Here he is helping us grocery shop:

Cash got a Cowboys onesie from his Mimi and Greatdad so we wear that to cheer them on!

We went and picked out Cash's first Christmas tree! He liked that because he was outside! 

This month was also Daddy's birthday month so we celebrated that by cooking Daddy breakfast and a steak and crab dinner! He got some new tennis shoes and the 1 o'clock lab band CD he wanted. 

Daddy also had his Christmas concert so I took Cash up to the school for the first time. I dressed him up in his tuxedo shirt (so he would fit in!!). We sat in the sound booth just in case Cash wasn't too fond of the music. He fussed a little during the first song of Jeremy's jazz band but after he got used to the music he did great! We are so blessed to have such a chill baby. He just goes with the flow and does great everywhere. He got to meet all of Jeremy's band kids and oh my gosh he was Mr. Popular! All the girls just ooh'd at him and thought he was so adorable (of course we agree!). Oh and Daddy's bands did well too!

At 3 months old:

Weight: 10 lbs. 8 oz

Height: 23 inches

Size 1 diapers finally!

0-3 month clothes and still some newborns! He is really long but isn't very chunky so he can still squeeze into newborn clothes if they don't have footsies. 

This month Cash laughed for the first time. He was in his crib and Jeremy was tickling his belly and he thought that was so funny! A baby's laugh is something else. We love it.