Newest Raborns on the Block!: Conner's 6 Month Update and Thanksgiving!!

Happy first half birthday to our sweet Conner James! Our sweet boy is 6 months old today . Conner is 16.8 pounds now and is still in size 2 diapers and is in size 6 month clothes. We have hugely accomplished exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months (goal is 13 months) and I am so proud of us. We are ready to start solids once we are cleared Monday from his pediatrician . Conner loves to babble and chat with you, and a few days ago his babble has turned from noises to more direct sounds that sound like he is trying to communicate with us. Conner said Ma Ma and Da Da a few weeks ago and it melted our hearts into a little puddle (he said mama first). I'm pretty sure he's just making noises but he said both consistently for days. Conner now gives hugs when you are near him and it is the sweetest thing. He recognizes people really well now and has stranger danger with most strangers. He loves to play peek-a-boo. He can now put his paci back in his mouth all by himself. Conner now not only recognizes Lucy he pulls her fur, ears, and pokes her eyes. Thank goodness she's a good sport. He has been rolling over 1/4 of the way still, still not there yet, his brace stops him cold. He's been sitting completely independently now for over 6 weeks and sits like it's his occupation, we can barely get him to lay back for anything especially sleep. When sitting out of his braces he kicks his leg back to reach for far away items signaling he is getting closer and closer to wanting to crawl. He seems unsatisfied to just sit and watch, he wants to be able to move and go so we have been encouraging that to get out of his braces faster. Also while on his tummy he can "swim", spin a slow 360° (also spin when on his back), he can also raise up tall with his arms, and kick his knees up underneath him! Oh and that tooth he was getting last month turned out to be cartilage surfacing and his pediatrician said it would go away soon and sure enough it did. So so odd. We are thrilled to be celebrating Conner's first Christmas this month and I can't wait to start new family traditions with him!

We are SO close to trying to crawl!! I am so proud of what he can overcome.

Conner loves beards so much!! Thankfully Cody's family is full of men with beards haha.

My bear has a face, eyes, nose, and ears!!!

Hug night-night bear!!

Chilly walks on November evenings! Conner is a sport lol.

We also pulled out Conner's bouncer when he turned 5 months old since he was sitting like a pro and he absolutely loved it so much! So did Lucy LOL.

We tried out the high chair in preparation of eating solids soon!!! It was a hit!

Is this really my spoon mom?

I'm so grateful I could cry, this is the life I always dreamed of and I am finally here💙. In this very spot I sat many many times pondering what life would be like right now and how I literally couldn't wait for it. The second picture is from 2018 when I visited this favorite peaceful spot very often, I was traveling a lot for work and it was a very stressful time, Cody was in the thick of his masters degree and we were itching to start building our house to kick start the rest of the journey to now. I was longing for our dream house perfect to grow our future family, I was missing Lucy even though she wasn't even a thought of the breeders yet, I just knew her little soul was coming to me and I was deeply missing Conner, my little blonde haired blue eyed clubbed foot perfect angel😇. I always knew they were mine and how perfect they would be but I just couldn't reach them yet. My heart ached to quickly get to the perfect of what was to come. Little did I know it would take many many many months to start our house, and we would unexpected get pregnant and shortly after even more unexpectedly lose our first baby. Oh what I would give to sit next to that 2018 Kayla on that bench and the knowledge I would share🥰. I always dreamed of leaving that bench with my dog in my hand and my baby in my stroller and the other day, I did just that😍😍. Absolutely everything I could ever want in this entire lifetime is right here right now (minus baby #2 which is NOT on the way yet ;)). I feel like the richest girl in the world because I have my family.

Our first Thanksgiving!! We were in town this year for it since it's hard for us to travel right now long distances. The braces hold us back sometimes but it was nice being so close to home.

No Thanksgiving food for me yet!

Our yearly step picture!

And of course after Thanksgiving we decorated for Christmas! I had been looking forward to decorating my house for Conner for so many years. I know he is only 5 months but he loved the tree so much!

Cody at 4 years old aka future Conner lol!

Our very own nativity scene and advent wreathe. I am so grateful to find the perfect sets!

Not only did we get to put up Conner's stocking this year again but it will actually be in use!!

Both of our Christmas card pictures! I wanted to get them send out quickly this year!

I loved how they turned out this year so so much!

Me and my son!!!

Our Christmas card!! 2022

Conner got fitted for his next brace set!!!

Me and my baby!!! Hanging out on a November morning!

Conner's first playground experience!

And yesterday, just as I imagined for so many years, I am staying home with my son full time and I took him to the park and swung on the combined swing with him at 10am on a chilly November morning just looking at the joy in his deep blue eyes as he swung back and forth with me. This is absolutely heaven on earth.

I've dreamed of taking my son here to swing on the combined swings for years and years! I pictured it as I walked by so many times and here we are!!