This week on Hello Giggles!

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8 Weeks to a Better Me: Recap (kind of)

It's been 9 weeks now since the start of 8 Weeks to a Better Me, and I've absolutely enjoyed setting small goals and (mostly) achieving them!  Some of the goals I set have actually become a part of my daily life/routine, and I think that's pretty awesome. I thought it would be great to recap each of the weeks and break down how I did! So, last night I began doing so (it took me two hours with little flashes of internet window shopping)...hit publish, and blogger gave me an error message...and wouldn't let me go back. I logged in this morning hoping it had saved, but alas, it did not. I believe one of my goals was not to waste my time (if it wasn't it is now), so I am refusing to retype, relink, and rethink all of it! What I will say though, is how much I truly enjoyed this project, and perhaps I'll bring it back closer to the new year with fresh topics and ideas!

I also wanted to say thank you one more time to all of my fabulously inspiring contributors and super supportive (and equally inspiring) readers. I love you guys!

p.s. if you'd like to go back and read through each of the weeks, click the "8 weeks to a better me" tag below!

Henry: 7 months

7 months is so much fun! I love this age, and it's definitely my favorite month yet. Spoiler alert: I think I'm going to end up saying that every month! This past month though has been awesome. Henry's personality is shining through, and just like I thought, he's a funny, sweet, very independent little dude. And getting funnier and sweeter by the day.

This month went transitioned into solids, and started off with rice cereal (hated it), then oatmeal (also hated it), and a week later decided to start vegetables. Our friend Robyn got us the Baby Bullet as a gift and I LOVE it. I've been making batches of homemade baby food and it's just so easy to use. I'll blog more specifically about it sometime soon, but it's really a great tool. So far Henry has tried sweet potatoes (his first food), avocados, and yesterday he tried peas. We've been feeding him once at day around 4pm. Here's a little video from his first pea experience- don't mind my commentary!







Henry has also been moving and grooving like crazy. He has pulling up on anything he can get his hands on, and prefers to be standing. He's even starting to try and take steps while holding onto his crib. It's really weird to see him over by his toy basket, pulling himself up to pick out a toy to play with. I keep thinking back to just a few short months ago, when he was a non-mobile baby, and it's insane to think about what a difference those weeks have made. It's neat though, and I'm excited for him to start being able to get where he wants to go.

This month Henry:

is eating and loving solids
is still breastfeeding
takes 2 naps a day
can pull up on anything
loves to stand
laughs when you squeeze his thighs
loves swimming and being in the water
is starting to get very attached to mama
makes lots of babbling sounds
doesn't have any teeth yet
is wearing 9-12 month clothing
doesn't like to wear shoes or socks
loves being in one of our slings
really enjoys going on walks and jogs in the BOB jogger
lights up with Daddy get homes from work
is fascinated by remote controls, cell phone, and plastic cups
drinks water and breastmilk out of a sippy cup

As far as sleeping goes, he's been wanting to go to bed earlier, and likes to start his bedtime process around 6:30pm. That seems SO early to me, but it's naturally when he gets tired and no matter what we are doing or where we are, he'll curl up against me and start sucking his thumb. The thumb is ALWAYS an indicator of nap time, and during the day I can totally gauge when he needs a nap and when he will actually go down for a nap based on when that thumb gets popped into his mouth. It's almost like clockwork. For the past week Henry has been waking up in the middle of the night wanting to eat around 1am. He eats for about 5-10 minutes then goes back to sleep. I can't tell if it's because he's actually hungry or if he just wants to be comforted, but either way it's okay with me.

And speaking of eating, last week while at my parents', I left Henry for the evening to go to a show. He doesn't take a bottle anymore and hasn't for months, and our doctor advised me against using one this late in the game. So, we used a Born Free sippy cup my Mom got him. I pumped the night before, and my Mom filled the cup with a bottle's worth of breast milk, gave it to him before he went to bed in place of our usual feeding, and he drank the whole thing while sitting in her lap. He went right to bed and slept through the night. I was SO relieved, because I have three different weekends over the next couple of months that I'm going to be leaving him with Hank, and I was so, so nervous. It makes me happy to know that this worked well.

So, happy 7 months to our darling little man. He's the best thing in our life and it's only gets more and more fun everyday. I can't wait to see what this month has in store for us!  And if these photos are any indication, you can bet it's going to be a good time!

Beautiful New Dresses by ANGELO MARANI

Beautiful New Dresses Pictures by ANGELO MARANI

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Tattoo Tuesday V.76

Name and blog name: Morgan // Morgan and Kim

Age: 23

Occupation: Chaplain and Barista

Age of first tattoo: 17

Favorite tattoo: Ship

Featured tattoo/location: Left Thigh

Artist/shop/location of feature tattoo: Tattoo Artist- Sento Shop- Chapel Tattoo / Melbourne, Australia

1) Tell us about your featured tattoo- is there a background story or special meaning? Why did you choose this particular piece of art? 

The ship has two quotes- on the top in a banner it reads 'Ain't no Ship Like Friendship' and on the bottom it reads ' Les Copain D'abbord' which is an old French song by George Brassens which translates to Friends First/Friends Aboard (it's a play on words). I am French and I want to always remember the great friends I have.

2) Do you have any other tattoos? If so, what do you have and where?

I have “In Christ" in script on my wrist (this was my first tattoo), I have a quarter sleeve on my left bicep area - with a lion, lamb and dove, God's hand from michelangelo's sisteen chapel touching a star and written "Patris, Filii, Spiritus Sanctus” which is Latin for “Father, Son, Holy Spirit”. I have matching anchor with my mum on our ankles and I have a French horn on my right arm. I also have a Bike on my ribs which is designed by Melbourne based artist Ghostparol. I got it while getting my Ship, and although one of the smallest tattoos, it is by far the most painful.

 

3) Do you plan on getting more?

Kim would like me to get a pin up girl and lately I have found a few inspirations, so maybe, but I like to thinking a tattoo design for a year before getting it done, so in a year I probably will get one.

4) How do your family and friends feel about your tattoo(s)? Have you run into any adversity or negativity because of them? Do you have a significant other? Does he/she have tattoos? 

My wife Kim loves tattoos and has a big leg piece of her family tree. There is a different animal for each member of her family. She is the Deer and I am the Fox. My parents are ok about it, but it was a challenge at first. My in-laws are pretty old school too, and not so keen. I haven't faced much opposition about them, I'm sure some people judge me from looks before getting to know me. A lot of the time people ask me about different tattoos which is nice.

 

5) Any advice for those interested in getting tattooed but haven't gotten one yet?

Consider your design for a long time before getting it (I wait a year), draw it on if you have to. Ask you friends and family how they feel, because although you don't do it for them, it's nice to include them in your decisions (it also softens the blow once you get it.)