CJK: 9 Months Old

So this is what 9 months old looks like, huh? 

Or wait...is it this? 

Yep, that's more like it!! I couldn't help but to bust out laughing at his pediatrician appointment that we had on Friday. Everyone says how fast babies grow during the first year and I'm pretty sure this picture does a great job showing just how much they actually do! It feels like yesterday we were just bringing him in for his first check up and now look at him...he's got the whole check up thing DOWN! Climbing and standing up all over the table and laughing (or admiring?) at himself in the mirror...THAT'S MY BOY! He is such a hoot!

Camden has learned so much this month and is such a lovable little boy! He is always so happy...it's the best. The biggest things being that he's now pulling up onto furniture, standing for short periods of time (even taking a few steps with the help of his push toy), reaches for us to pick him up, and will pass us certain toys when we ask for them! He's also learning how to mimic us more. We will put our hand over our mouth and make noises and tell him, "you do it!" and he will do it right back at us (video below!)

Also, this kid is fearless. When we lay him on our bed, he crawls so fast to the sides to try to fall off (and he would if we let him!) He does this with couches and even in the highchair, haha! He really doesn't seem scared of anything and he is very independent. 

MILESTONES/MOMENTS TO NOTE:
-a little over 18 lbs, 30 inches long!
-has two bottom teeth and FOUR top teeth currently trying to come in! The top middle ones are just about all the way in and we can see the ones next to those about to as well!
-first flight and family vacation to Florida :)
-has been much more clingy and cuddly this month
-prefers to be held facing out
-sleeping 7pm-7am and takes 2 naps: morning, 1015am-12pm & afternoon, 230 or 3-4ish.
-crawls all over the place! he likes to do half normal crawling / half army crawl, ha!
-dances & bobs his head when music comes on
-gives kisses prompted & unprompted
-still eating solid foods like a champ! he shovels the food in his mouth! he's tried a lot more food this month but eggs being the biggest one. 

LOVES:
-hiding under blankets or behind our couches (we say "Where's Camden?!" and he gets really still like he's hiding-it's so precious!)
-story time! He's gotten so much more interested in books this month...he crawls over to sit on my lap every morning and will "pick out" which books he wants to read when I lay a few in front of him.
-giving hugs/kisses
-bouncing up and down 
-hearing his voice at different pitches! I'll be driving and I'll hear him in his car seat practicing how low and high he can make his voice go.
-making silly faces (sticking his tongue out and opening his mouth wide open being his favorite) and shrieking "ahhh!"
-swinging (video below of him cracking up)
-baths!

DISLIKES:
-bibs! he hates them...tries to take them off the second I put them on him
-multiple outfit changes in one day
-having his nose or face wiped
-if we feed him food too slow! (ha) 
-when his paci's fall out of the crib 

favorite videos:

Can Someone Tell Me...

...how people get Christmas shopping done before November comes around? HOW do they do it?! HOW! (this never works for me even if I tell myself I will start really early) 

...what Camden should be for Halloween? He has three costumes right now and I feel borderline insane because of it. I can't decide which one I like best!

...WHY men will walk over to the pantry looking for food and say, "there's nothing to eat!" but then when you go to the store and ask them for suggestions they don't have any. (Or is this just my man? #notbitter)

...if Brooks really has cancer or not? (#RHOC) And did Vicki know if he was lying? Oh and why am I so interested in finding out the truth behind this? 

...a good reason NOT to buy this vest? (I missed the chance last year! love!)

...why voicemail's are still a thing? (I seriously hate checking my voicemail's! is this weird? maybe?)

...if anyone liked the movie Age of Adaline as much as I did? A little sad, but I thought Blake Lively killed it! We've watched it twice. 

...why I want to buy this pair of sneakers when I already have the grey/rose gold pair? (if you don't have either pair-these are a great fall/winter casual shoe, they are so comfy!) 

...if there is anything cuter than a baby in suspenders and a bowtie? I'll answer this one-NO, there is NOT! (We had family pictures done the other night and that's what Camden wore! You guys, he looked so freaking handsome I couldn't even stand it. I can't wait to share the pics when we get them from our photographer!)

...why I think the snapchat mouse/cat/whatever it is filter is so hilarious?

 ...why these booties have to be so expensive?! (on that note-anyone know of a similar pair that are cheaper?) 

...how I've gone a good 6 months without getting a haircut? Finally got some layers put in last night and my hair feels so much lighter and healthier! Amen!

....the best gifts for a one year old? Trying to create a birthday list for Camden a little early (keyword: trying) The fact that his FIRST birthday is quickly approaching is scaring the crap outta me.

he looks so big here! ah! 

...how everyone feels about flared denim coming back in style?! Thoughts? I think this pair is really cute, but I'm not completely on board yet.

So many questions and not enough answers, friends! Anyone else wonder some strange things on a weekly basis?! Happy Friday! Hope everyone has a great weekend! We have date night tonight and hope to make it to the pumpkin patch at some point! Cheers!

Traveling With A Baby

Today I wanted to share some tips for traveling with a little one! More specifically, flying. Let's be serious, it can be overwhelming to think about...from the flights and connections, to time spent in the car, to nap schedules, to what to pack and what not to pack, etc. BUT...the more you plan ahead, the better off everyone will be! Happy and stress-free parents = one happy baby, am I right?! I am definitely not an expert in this area so please remember these are just little things that have helped us!

(1) Book nonstop flights if you're able to do so. Do you really want to worry about a connection (and potentially missing your last flight due to a delay) when it's your little one's first time flying? Heck no! Nonstop is the way to go..totally worth it.

(2) Decide if you want to bring your baby's car seat on the plane or go the lap baby route. Weigh the pros and cons of both and what situation your baby would do best in.  You can purchase a ticket for your baby through your airline (which for us on our last trip would be the same cost as one of our tickets) that will allow you to have a guaranteed seat for your baby in their car seat, or you can just plan for a lap baby (free until they are 2!) but check at the gate before boarding if your flight isn't full and ask if you can bring your car seat on, without having to pay a fee. Sometimes you can get lucky that way, but just know that if the flight is full you won't be able to bring it on.

If your baby is pretty calm on your lap and sleeps well in your arms, then you should go the lap baby route. If you want to be extra safe and have a baby who does great in a car seat and takes good naps in it, then you should try to bring it on or book them a seat. Camden doesn't sleep well in our arms but will take a good nap in his car seat, so having the car seat with us on the flight made ALL of us more relaxed and it went so smooth! 

(3) Gate check the stroller (and car seat if you don't bring it on-you can also check it for free with your luggage) We bought this car seat protector bag-I would definitely buy one to protect your car seat from damage. We loved having the stroller with us up until having to board the plane because it was an easy place for Cam to sit (and be contained so our arms were free!) and we could also walk him around the airport if he got bored or restless. 

(4) Pack a baby carrier! I've heard a lot of people like to wear their baby in the carrier through the airport instead of having them in a stroller, so that would be your personal decision which you think would work best for your family but definitely pack one for your trip. We didn't find the stroller to be an inconvenience going through security (they just check it quickly and I carried Camden through with me) but we just packed our Ergo 360, which I'm convinced is the BEST baby carrier ever, and it came in handy so many times. We took a lot of walks on our trip (the beach, to the pool, etc) and just wore Camden in the carrier. So helpful! 

(5) Pack your baby's clothes in big ziplock bags. I put shorts in one bag, swimsuits in another, sleepers in another, and so on. This made unpacking/finding things so easy. Also, I would recommend putting most of baby's clothes in a carry-on, so that you don't have to worry about the airline losing their bag. 

(6) Buy two new small toys (that they've never seen before) for the flights! And pack snacks! All the puffs...all the melts. :)

(7) Use pacifier clips to hold toys! Just to minimize things dropping all over the gross plane floor. 

(8) Pack diapers and wipes INSIDE of the car seat protector bag (you will still have room-trust me! This saved us so much room in our bags!) 

(9) Pack books in your diaper bag...books are great because they are quiet but can entertain for longer periods of time. Also, download episodes of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (BEFORE you get on the plane) on your iPad! If baby is fussy and nothing else is working, Mickey Mouse it is! 

(10) Nurse/give bottle(or paci) on take off and landing - this will help your baby's ears adjust!

(11) Utilize baby/child rental companies (like Baby's Away) - you can actually rent baby items (high chair, pack and play, crib, bouncer, walker, etc.) through them instead of having to worry about packing them. I've heard great things about doing this - just look on their website to see if they are available in the city that you're traveling to!  

(12) This might be the most important - WORK TOGETHER WITH YOUR SPOUSE AS A TEAM! When one of us would be feeding Cam...the other one would be packing up his bag for the pool/beach. When one of us would be changing him...the other would be getting his bottle ready. It's all about teamwork! This helped us get the most out of our days and made us feel less stressed! 

Oh, and don't forget a copy of your little one's birth certificate for flying! On our one flight they did ask for it, but the other flight they didn't so I guess it just depends but you don't want to be without it if they do ask.  

Overall, the truth is you will probably worry and worry and worry about how your precious little angel will do on the flight (I did) but they will probably do much better than you expect and your memories from the trip will be SO worth it!! And if they don't do that well on the flight... 

You've always got the in-flight alcohol menu to order from! But I didn't suggest that. Nope. Never.

Top 10 Fall Favorites

Striped Top (under $40)
Tunic (many colors-a staple for your closet!)
Booties
Plaid Poncho

Zella Live In Leggings 

Vest

Floppy Hat

Scarf

Jeans (MY FAVORITE BRAND! So comfy!)

Open Cardigan (currently 50% off-under $40)

Monday...Monday...you've come too soon once again! The weather here was all over the place this past weekend. Yesterday was beautiful, which was nice because we had my girlfriend's sons first birthday party, but Saturday it was so cold and raining all day. Did anyone watch the Ohio State game? If not, you didn't miss much! It wasn't our best game, that's for sure...

Anyway...one thing that I'm known for are my obsessive lists. I have them for pretty much everything, including shopping. I love to utilizie the 'save for later' option when shopping online because it keeps all my favorite items in one place and when I finally decide to pull the trigger on something I can find it easily. It's also great because it's easy to pay attention to the price to know when it's on sale or not! I typically have 3 or 4 items that I save for later and then when I see that it's on sale that's when I buy it (or sometimes saving it makes me realize later on that I don't want it anymore-so it can be good for saving $ too because you don't just impulse buy!) 

If I could only pick 10 things to buy for fall - these 10 would be it! My top 3? The leggings, hat, and poncho. 

Tell me your favorite! 

PS: How cute does Billy look with 2 babes in his arms?! Love this guy so much!

(from my friends party on Saturday-happy birthday Macklin!)