New Blog!

Hey guys!

I've decided to move my blog. I don't know if I'll be migrating all my posts from here yet, but until I decide this one will stay put. I'll just be doing all my posts at the new site. If you're interested you can find it here. There's only one post right now, but Lord willing there are more coming! :)

Special Blanket

Gabriel received so many wonderful gifts, many of them handmade, and a number of them beautiful blankets. Quilts, crocheted, and sewn, there was a little bit of everything. He also has a gorgeous blanket passed down from my Mother-in-love that his daddy used. We brought him home from the hospital in that, and you can see a picture in this post. It's the white one underneath him in the coming home outfit picture. His Grandmama (my Mother-in-love), made him a quilt, as did some other friends. They're all special, and if you'd like a post with pictures of all those let me know in the comments. I'll happily oblige! :)

This one's just about one of his blankets though. :) Here's a picture:

It's crocheted as far as I can tell. When I received this blanket, I folded it up and put it in his blanket box. I technically planned to use it, but there were a lot of other blankets, and really I was a little nervous to use it. You'll understand why soon. 

One night we got a little warm, so Josh turned the air down a bit. However, Gabe had woken up with cold hands the last two nights, so I was worried he might need more warmth. Josh volunteered to go put more blankets on him. The next morning I discovered which one he'd picked up. I'm glad he did. It sort of broke through the invisible protective barrier I'd put around it. 

That blanket, folks, was made by my grandmother's grandmother. In other words Gabriel's great-great-great-grandmother! She made it in 1943 for my grandmother. Now do you see why I was nervous to use it? Babies drool, and spit-up, and blow out of their diapers! But really, how special can an item be that's just passed down, but never used? I'm sure his great-great-great-grandmother would be glad it's being used instead of tucked away in a cedar chest. (Not that I have anything against cedar chests. ;) ) I know I would be. 

Do you have any special baby items (or other items)? How do you handle the decision between whether to use, or preserve? Have you been successful accomplishing both?  

Gabe's First Christmas

Just some pictures of Gabe's first Christmas and some cute pics from December. I know; you REALLY needed to see more pictures of Gabe. :P ;)

The Lambert's Charlie Brown Christmas parade float. Isn't it adorable?

We were in three parades. The first one was cold, so Gabe rode in the car in his carseat. He was NOT happy about that. He screamed almost the whole way. The next two were warm nights, so I rode with him in the float. I think he enjoyed it. :)

Guarding the candy. ;)

Being a good boy.

Somehow, he fell asleep during one of the parades. Even with all the music and sirens from the firetrucks in the parade.

Hangin' with Aunt Jess after the last parade.

Some random, non-chronological pics:

He looks so relaxed in this one. I love the way he crosses his ankles.

I finally got things cleaned up enough in Gabe's room to get out the sewing machine! :)

This one melts me into a puddle.

Finally big enough to sit front facing in the Ergo. He likes chewing on it. :P

Mini maestro. 

Touching the ground! Growing up too fast.

This is what you do when you don't have a play-yard. :P

Or this. ;)

Cuddles. Pardon my disheveled look. I just finished working out. :P

Gabe's Monthly

Okay, so I know I said I wanted to post this way back in November. There were some unforeseen complications though, so I'm just now doing it. I plan to update it as I go.

1 Month Old:

These were actually taken the day he turned a month; a trend that quickly went into a spiral. :P I sadly didn't write down his developments, but I do remember a few. It seems like month one what I really noticed was an expansion in his 'baby noise vocabulary'. 

2 Months Old:

These were not, as far as I can remember, taken on the actual 21st, but they were close. There were more baby sounds, and at this point he had started having different sounding cries too. 

3 Months Old:

Probably my favorite of the first three, this one was a touch more formal (still not on time though). I snapped these about 5 minutes before we left for church one Sunday because he was already dressed up. As you can see, sitting up was coming right along this month. :) And yes, I did have to include ALL of these. It was about here he began to develop his 'Gabe face'. :P

4 Months Old:

This was the month things broke down. I tried to take some 'formal' pictures, but he wasn't having any of it. There was maybe one good one in the lot. The kicker? I can't find ANY of them! So here are some random photos near the 21st. More Gabe face. :D Big development this month? Rolling from tummy to back. Also some laughing. he hasn't quite figured that out yet, but he's working on it. :)

5 Months old:

These were taken by Courtney at Sacred Moments Media. I'm not remembering any big milestones for this month, but he continued to talk more, sleep less during the day, and try new things. :)

6 Months:

First two pics taken by Denalyn at Den's Lens Photography, the rest by me before we left for church one Sunday. The ones I took are actually on the 31st, so way late, but I had to include them. At this point he'd started holding himself in a sitting position pretty well (only fell over occasionally :P), and started really venturing into big boy food. :)

7 Months:

Big milestones this month? Rolling from his back to his tummy, and getting up on his knees! He is thisclose to figuring out crawling, so that'll probably be in his 8 month update.
I don't remember who took these, but it was either me or one of the photographers already mentioned. :)

I just love this so much! Little man!

He loves Wesley. :D

8 Months:

This was my attempt at a cute photo shoot. :P The first pic I just had to include! Needless to say, after that look we decided not to use the basket as a prop. XD Oh, and he did, indeed start crawling this month.

"Is my tie straight?"

9 Months:

Well, once again this month I failed to do a monthly pic shoot, so here are a few random pics taken near the 21st. This months milestone was pulling up. :)

Love. This.

Pulling up!

Month 10:

And, this month I had a very tiny sort of photo shoot, so I included a few more. Mainly because we had kittens this month, and I had to put some pics with them in. :) Milestones included getting better at crawling and eating more and more solids.  

Two from the 'sort-of photo shoot'.

Loving big boy food!

Checking on the kittens.

"It's like a bunch of tiny Wesley's!"

Month 11:

Do you take monthly baby pics? What are your traditions?