Baby Talk: 9 Months Old

Ethan is officially 9 months old and it finally hit me a few days ago that I need to start planning his first birthday party. Holy cow, right? When did this little guy become almost a whole year old?

Let’s see, so what has Ethan been up to? Absolutely everything! It is crazy to think about all of the things that he can do now vs. what he could do a month ago. Ethan is VERY mobile these days. He is standing and shuffling along items and I know that it is only a few weeks until he will be full on walking. Crazy, right? Another key milestone, the little guy has been sleeping really, really well. In the past two weeks I’ve actually had to wake him up a few times for school, which I’ve never had to do his whole life. I sure have been enjoying it though!

Here are a few updates about life at 9 months:

Food: My boy is an still quite an EATER! There really isn’t anything new with this one, but we are about to start introducing a few new foods and I will probably have a big update next month about how he does with it all.

Favorite Toys: Ethan has been really big into playing with empty bottles, empty containers and pretty much anything that isn’t actually a toy. He also has quite the fondness for books. Maybe he is used to always seeing mommy with a book in hand that he now favors them as well. I’m definitely not complaining.

Things we’ve left behind: Pretty much any and all props, we haven’t used his swing in weeks.

Teeth: Still none. But, he’s had a fluctuating fever all week and tons of drool, so we might have one on the horizon.

Favorite activities: Standing, Letting go of things to work on his balance, Crawling, playing, eating, story time, walks, going to the playground and ANYTHING outdoors.

Daycare: Still loves it. One of his teachers has quite the soft spot for him.

Height/Weight: Oh goodness. Not entirely sure but he is big!

Baby Talk: 8 Months Old

My little baby has officially become a little boy. It is crazy to think about all of the things that Ethan now does that he couldn’t do months, weeks or even days before. Every day brings something brand new and I have got to say that this has been such an exciting time for us. His personality is really coming through and he  is going to be one silly boy and I cannot wait to see it!

My husband and I are constantly trying to snap pictures and videos of him because he is growing and learning at lightning speed and I am so scared that we might miss something. But, I think Ethan is on to us because as soon as he sees our phones come out, he stops doing whatever he is doing completely. What a stinker, right?

Here are a few updates about life at 8 months:

Food: My boy is an EATER! And just like his momma, he loves his veggies! By far his favorite is sweet potato but he has a soft spot for bananas and also for strawberries. Oh, and he loves those little cereal puffs too. I spread them out on his feeding tray so he doesn’t grab too many at once, but he has become a very good self-feeder. I also still nurse him exclusively, so I am glad to say that I have made it this far. Honestly, I am so glad!

Favorite Toys: Goodness, this boy loves everything! He struck gold big time at Christmas this year and our house is over flowing with toys right now. But, a few of his favorites are his Radio Flyer bike (that me and his dad take him for walks in), his standing table, his monkey and elephant rattle, a ball and his stacking cups.

Things we’ve left behind: Pretty much any and all props. He still uses his swings …. sometimes.

Teeth: Still none.

Favorite activities: Crawling, standing, playing, eating, story time, walks, having conversations with his dad (that involve some weird noises) and ANYTHING outdoors.

Daycare: Still loves it.

Height/Weight: Oh goodness. Not entirely sure but he is big!

Baby Talk: Starting Solids

Boy oh boy! I have definitely let the ball slip on my “baby talk” postings but let me tell you, the past six months have flown by. Ethan will be seven months old after Christmas and I can’t believe it! I will have an update on all of those fun things when that time approaches but for now, I thought I would spend a moment to discuss solids.

Ah! Solids! Yes, it has been such an exciting time in taste testing in our home. But, we have been very lucky that everything has gone so well. Ethan LOVES to eat and has picked up solids so easily. Typically, babies start rice cereal around 4 months but around that time, the FDA released a new study that found arsenic in rice (including baby cereal). So, that kind of threw a wrench in our wheel. At first I decided to just stick with breast milk (yep, nursing is still going very, very well) but slowly, I got a little more brave and began to dabble in a few veggies here and there. I have read numerous books and online articles (yep, I’m that mom) that list tips and suggestions for when your baby starts solids, so we followed the guidelines and got started. We fed him a few bites of the same food for a week to test the waters and then would switch it up the next week, and so on and so forth. At around 5 months we really hit solids pretty head on and started introducing oatmeal cereal (no rice in that one!). We started experimenting with flavors and tastes and I have got to say that my little man loves to eat! His favorites by far are sweet potatoes and bananas. We have steered away from feeding him too many fruits (another tip I’ve read) and have stuck mostly to veggies.

So, at a little over six months, that is what we have been up to food wise. Do any of you moms have any suggestions for me? What types of foods did your baby love at this age?

Baby Talk: Life at 4 Months

Goodness. To say that time has flown by would be an understatement. Ethan officially turned 4 months old on Wednesday the 26th and for once, I actually believe it. This month has been huge as far as development goes. Ethan is full of energy and curiosity and treats everyday like a brand new day. As a new parent, you hear often that the first three months are kind bland. Yes, you are on complete survival mode, trying to make it from one minute to the next, but the baby just doesn’t do as much as you once thought he would. But boy, that all changes once you hit the 3-4 month mode. Ethan has now officially found his voice (squealing and yelling for fun), his feet (which are his new best friends), his hands (which immediately shove everything right into his mouth), and he is now mobile! Yep, that’s right, the little guy is really going places these days.

In addition to all of these new developments, he just looks like a completely different kiddo. He doesn’t look brand new anymore and is slowly developing into an actual boy, not just a baby. Although I am sad to see his newborn stage slowly drift behind us, this new stage has been so much fun! He is so excited to interact with us and has quickly become the cool baby at daycare (watch out little girls, I have also told him that y’all have cooties!). Slowly but surely we are developing a routine and the nights have gotten easier (knock on wood as I type this). He usually sleeps from 7pm to 6am with one feeding around 2am. I’m definitely hoping that we are past the sleep regression we saw for most of the last month because boy, I wasn’t sure I was going to make it much longer. LOL! But, life with a baby has been amazing. I can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings … or the many, many days after that.

Food: Still nursing but slowly toying with the idea of introducing a few solids. We were supposed to start cereal but with the new arsenic scare, I think I am going to skip it all together.

Favorite Toys: Exersaucer (or anything that allows him to stand and play), his play mat, his monkey rattles, and his big brother’s floppy ears

Things we’ve left behind: He is completely over his bouncer, boppy and definitely starting to resist the swing.

Teeth: Still none but I think we have one in the works.

Favorite activities: Playing, eating, story time, walks and ANYTHING outdoors.

Daycare: Absolutely loves it and his teachers.

Height/Weight: Nothing official yet but we’re thinking 26 inches and around 17 lbs. Will update next week at his appointment.

Baby Talk: Starting Daycare

It seems like the summer has just flown by. On May 26th, my son was born and I was amazed at all things shiny and new that my new life presented. The first two weeks were a blur but we eventually moved past it all and me and the little man finally got into a routine. The days were filled with naps and feedings and fun time together, but I always knew in the back of my mind that our constant time together would eventually come to a hault once I started back to work full time.

One of the things that fellow moms will tell you when you get pregnant is that one of the most important things you can do is start looking for a daycare- and they couldn’t be more right. My husband and I sat down and went over financials to see where we stood and how much we could (and were willing) to spend on daycare for Ethan. We also went over some values and criteria that we deemed important and with those few tools in my pocket, I started my search when I was about four months pregnant.

No one ever told me how hard it would be to find a good fit. It seemed like most of the places that I loved were completely out of our price range (seriously, who KNEW daycare would cost so much?) and the ones that fit our budget just didn’t seem like a perfect fit. So, the search continued until finally we found a great fit at a Baptist Church that is literally a few blocks away from where I work. Relieved that I finally found THE ONE, I submitted the paper work and paid our deposit.

I continued on through the rest of my pregnancy feeling completely comfortable with my decision and never once though that I would have an issue with Ethan starting daycare, and that feeling continued right up to August, when our days spent together full time were coming to a close. I cried, I prayed and I thought long and hard about just becoming a stay at home mom, but I knew that it wasn’t really an option for us financially. I mean, technically, we could have made it work, but I decided to give it a shot and if I still hated sending Ethan off to daycare and working full time, then I would revisit my decision then. But I had to try first to see how I felt.

The first day crept up on us faster than I care to admit and before I knew it, I was dropping my baby off for his first day. Oh man, I’ve never been more a mess. I’m sure his teacher was used to seeing mom’s react this way, but I was literally choking back tears the entire time we were there. The husband and I said our good bye’s and walked out of the classroom. I silently watched from the window, wondering how I could possibly do this to my baby, the little guy that I carried in my womb for 9 months. I wept as soon as we got inside the car and was seconds away from running back inside and grabbing Ethan from his teacher’s arms, but the husband reassured me that we were making the right decision and that he would be OK. But, would he be? My mind filled with every terrible scenario that you can imagine but I reluctantly agreed and embarked on my first day without Ethan.

The day went by so slow and every thought was filled with Ethan. I stared at pictures of him on my phone and wondered how he was doing. Around lunch time I caved and went to check on him. When I arrived, I was quite surprised with what I saw- he was completely content and wasn’t even crying. Sure, his teacher said that the morning had been difficult, but she reassured me that it always is with a new baby for the first few days. I stayed by his side for a few moments then left, fearing that I would do more damage than good if I stuck around too long. So, I headed back to work albeit still with tears in my eyes.

Each day got easier and so far, he seems to be enjoying it. We have officially survived one full week of daycare and although I miss Ethan like crazy, I know that it is for the best. He can make friends, gain some independence, but most importantly, always know and trust that his parents will be there at the end of the day to take him home and shower him with love. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him smile more than when he sees our faces at the end of the day. I may change my mind in the future but right now, I think we will both survive and in the long run, I think this decision will be one of the best I’ve ever made.

A few tips that I’ve discovered that have helped me along the way:

- Always start your search early. Finding a good fit is much harder than you think.

- Help baby make the adjustment slowly. I had my mom take care of Ethan my first week back at work, that way he could get used to not being around mommy 24/7 and also learn to take the bottle. This also helped make the transition easier for me.

- Work on developing and implementing a schedule before starting. It helps tremendously. Yes, I know this is much easier in theory but definitely helps.

- Leave blankets, toys, and other things that “feel” like home. I feel like it helps soothe him.

- Develop a relationship with their teacher. This has been crucial. Please remember that no one knows your child better than you and I think it is unfair to send the baby off without letting his caregiver know more about him. I filled her in on his feeding schedule, typical behaviors, preferences, napping, etc, etc. I figured the more knowledge the better.

 

Baby Talk – Top Five Baby Necessities

I became a new mom on May 26, 2012. Since then, my life has become quite the whirlwind and I am constantly learning new things. From here on out, I will be blogging about my experience and all of the new things that I learn.

First off, I would like to discuss the few things that I have come to love as a new mom.

1. Pacifier – At first, I was very hesitant to introduce a pacifier to my little guy. Over the past few years, I’ve heard nothing but bad things about them and was very wary of giving in, but thanks to my mom and my husband …  I was over ruled and am glad that I finally gave in. We use the Tommee Tippee brand because they are orthodontically recommended and good for breastfeeding babies. So far, he loves them and I can’t see us introducing anything new.

2. Sleeper – My next item has been a complete lifesaver. When shopping for a bedside sleeper, everyone had their opinion and everyone recommended something different. I was overwhelmed with so many options, so I turned to amazon.com and started doing some research and stumbled upon the Fisher Price Snugabunny sleeper. This thing works like an absolute charm and has Ethan sleeping for 4-5 hour long stretches during the night. The bed is very soft, rocks back and forth, and really snuggles the baby in. This is by far one of my absolute favorite products so far.

3. Stroller – Item number three for us is our jogging stroller. I was a distance runner before getting pregnant, and during my pregnancy, I walked 2-4 miles a day…so needless to say, I was going to need something that would work out for me post-partum. I received this stroller as a baby shower gift and so far, it has held up really, really well. An added bonus, it puts the baby to sleep within minutes and it was relatively priced. I haven’t taken it running yet, but it has been fantastc for walks.

4. Diapers- A few months back, Jessica Alba introduced her new Honest Company that makes quality, eco-friendly products for babies, one of which is diapers. When I first got pregnant, I was pretty adament about using cloth diapers, but I quickly changed my mind once I did my research. I wanted something more convenient but also eco-friendly, so I was very intrigued once I heard about the Honest Company. I received my trial pack in the mail and decided to order them. So far, they work wonderfully and we get compliments on the cute designs constantly.

5. Toiletries – Seeing how our little one is only a month old, we haven’t really experimented with a lot of baby toiletries yet … but our little guy loves the Johnson & Johnson lavendar soothing wash. It is very calming and he always smells so good after his bath.

During the past month, my husband and I have tried out pretty much everything we have for Ethan. Some he likes, some he absolutely loves (like his swing….he is probably the only baby in the world who hates his swing) … but the 5 above have worked out wonderfully for us. What are/were your favorite baby products?