Holt: 7 Months

Another month has come and gone---and what a month it was! Several firsts happened this month:

*Holt saw his first snow (we had 3 storm systems come through in 2 weeks)! He was real tentative and not quite sure what to think about it :)

* Holt and I traveled to Conway to stay with my parents for 5 days. It was so much fun to spend quality time with family and to see some of my best friends and introduce them to Holt! It snowed while we were there too, so we didn't get out as much as we wanted, but it was kind of nice to be stuck at home and relax. I got some great photos of our time with them:

*Holt started crawling! He crawled for the first time at my parents house---I wish I could post videos on here without YouTube or whatever you have to use, but it is so hilarious when he crawls because he gets so excited and starts snorting. Since we have been back home, he crawls some days and others he doesn't. So, we will see how mobile he becomes over the next month.

*He got his first really high fever :( Hurt this momma's heart so much! Over 2 days, he started sleeping SO MUCH. The first day, he took (3) 2 hour naps and the second day, he took a 1 hour, 2 hour, and 3 hour nap. At first I thought it was just a growth spurt or teething or both. But on the second day, he started being lethargic and after his 3 hour nap, he had a temperature of 102.3 (rectally---THAT was fun) and literally just laid on me. I stripped him down to his diaper, rubbed lavender and peppermint oils on his back, chest, and feet and gave him Tylenol. Then I called the pediatrician and they told me to keep that up and come in the next day. All of that happened about 5:30pm. Daniel got home from work and we took turns snuggling him. By 7:00pm, his fever was down to 100 and he was talking and laughing with Daniel on the floor. I was so relieved! The next morning, he was fever free, but we went to the doctor anyway and he checked out fine! I got some adorable, heart-melting photos of Daniel and Holt when he started feeling a little better:

*The biggest story this month was we officially nursed for the last time. I have been very emotional, but  I feel at peace with the decision. It has been somewhat of a slow process---really ever since December we have been supplementing and over time my supply has slowly dried up, which resulted in transitioning over to bottle feedings. At 6.5 months, I was only nursing first thing in the morning. While we were at my parent's house, over the course of about 3 mornings I noticed he really wasn't getting anything at all. At that point, I knew it was time. I cried and was emotional for several days, but on the positive side, I get to have dairy again! Cheese has never tasted so good, let me tell you! I decided I needed pizza to make myself feel better. :) 

*We also started solids this month! I am documenting our solids journey with Baby-Led Feeding. You can read the first post here and you can read all the other posts by clicking on the "baby-led feeding" label found over to the left of the screen. 

Weight: 14 lbs. 14 oz. (3rd percentile)

Height: 27 inches (50th percentile)

Favorites: *momma and daddy *the color red *eating (bottles and solids) *his crib *talking, laughing, cooing *dogs (especially Sophie and JoJo) *paci

Milestones: *sitting up---he totters every now and then, but has learned to stick his arm out and catch himself *crawling *talking with more consonant sounds--still no "mama" or "dada" though *teething--still no teeth *starting solids 

Sleep: Sleep has been a bit more challenging this month. Early in the month, he woke up 3 times a night---I think part of it was he was working on crawling, but also I think he started having nightmares because he would wake up really scared and his heart just racing. It broke my heart! He calmed down as soon as one of us picked him up and cuddled him though. After he crawled, and he has eaten more solids, he started sleeping 12 hours at night (7pm-7am)---GLORIOUS! He might wake up every now and then and talk to himself and crawl around the crib, but he always puts himself back to sleep. YAY! We have also had wonderful progress at nap time where he has consistently put himself to sleep. Somedays he takes 2 naps, sometimes 3. It just depends. 

Feeding: He has a bottle every 4 hours, so we are down to 4 feedings a day. We start the day with a 6-7 oz. bottle, the next two bottles are 6 oz., and the nighttime bottle is 8 oz. And, as mentioned above, we started solids! The first food we gave him was avocado. He has also tried: green beans, broccoli, zucchini, bell pepper, sweet potato, sweet pea puree, carrot puree, and green bean puree. He isn't much of a fan of broccoli, he likes bell pepper but more because it feels good on his gums, and he LOVES everything else. He especially likes sweet potato and zucchini. Next month, I plan to introduce fruits, peanut butter, and maybe eggs. *side note--have you seen the new research about peanut butter? If you introduce it between 4-11 months, there is an 86% drop in the chance your child could have an allergy. Of course, if an allergy runs in your family, be cautious, but doesn't that make so much sense? I always thought it was crazy to wait til 1 year to introduce certain foods and this validates it! Be sure to follow along on our BLF journey! 

And just a few more pictures to leave you with:

Our little valentine

so proud of himself for crawling

we both love when daddy is home

chubby bunny hahaha

those dimples...

just trying on daddy's shoes

Baby-Led Feeding: 1 Month In

We are one whole month into solids and Baby-Led Feeding! Overall, it has been so fun! Very messy, but our dog loves that part ;)

We started with avocados. I cut them in half, and then half again and gave him the strips with the skin on so he could grip it better. It was hilarious to watch him explore the taste and texture and I was amazed at how quickly he figured out to pick up the piece of avocado and bring it to his mouth.

A couple days later, we tried green beans. He LOVED them---I mean, the child could put away some green beans! He did great picking up the smaller object and he actually ingested a lot of it (as evidenced by his poop--TMI I know)! 

Next, I steamed some broccoli until it was really soft and tender. He was very perplexed by this new texture and wasn't quite sure about the taste either. But he tried it! I will keep giving it to him and see if he starts liking it any better. 

When we visited my parents, he continued to eat green beans, avocado, and broccoli. I also had him try sweet pea puree which he really, really liked. I bought the organic, non-GMO baby food from Walmart--I think the brand is "Beech Nut"--and it was only 60 cents for a jar! He doesn't eat that much at a time right now so I got 4 different feedings out of 60 cents. Score! He also liked sweet pea puree combined with mashed avocado. 

Once we got back home, I started introducing orange veggies. Sweet potatoes were first and boy, he devoured them! One day, he ate an entire half of a sweet potato! I cook them in the microwave until they become very soft-- I half them, and then quarter them. I take the skins off of these because he can easily pick up the sweet potato quarters. 

He has also tried and loved roasted zucchini, carrot puree and green bean puree. The zucchini I cut into wedges and then roasted them in the oven at 400 degrees until really soft. I did not season them in any way. I left the skin on, but next time I'll take it off because I started getting worried he would choke on them. 

Here is what I have learned in the month we have been doing BLF:

1) It's very messy! I usually strip Holt down to a diaper and put the high chair in front of the fire so he doesn't get cold because food gets all over his clothes. This saves time and energy doing more laundry! However, sometimes I just put a bib on him and pray the damage isn't too bad. 

2) Some days he eats solids twice and some days he doesn't eat any and that's ok! It all depends on his mood and our schedule and that works---dont' force it!

3) They say to wait 3-5 days before introducing something new…..I didn't really do that. I waited maybe 2 days. The chances of him developing an allergy to veggies and fruits is very slim, especially since neither D or I have any food allergies. I'm still being cautious and watching him though. 

4) He has gagged a few times, but never longer than a couple of seconds. I've been so proud to watch him figure out how to chew and swallow properly! 

5) It's amazing how fast he has picked up how to feed himself

Some days he is very independent and loves to feed himself, and other days he wants me to feed him--either puree or slices of whatever is on his plate. Same thing with time---somedays he will sit in the high chair for 20 minutes and eat and play with the food; other days he doesn't even last 5 before he is screaming and ready to get down. I try to always have a sippy cup with water on his tray. He still doesn't quite get it, but I'm hoping that by at least introducing it at every meal he will get used to it and transition to a sippy cup easily. 

Goals for Month 2: 

1) Introduce fruits---bananas, pears, peaches, melons, plum, prunes

2) Continue to offer veggies and introduce some new ones--asparagus, eggplant, and squash

3) Introduce peanut butter---I have always felt that maybe if you introduce allergens at an earlier age, then the risk of developing that allergy would go down. Have you seen the recent research? I feel so validated! I saw on the news, doctors now recommend (as long as you don't have the allergy running in the family) to introduce peanut butter between 4-11 months of age because studies have shown an 86% DECREASE in developing the allergy. So, I think I will introduce it this month, under close supervision, because what a wonderful source of good fats and protein! 

I hope you're enjoying our journey of solids! Check back next month for another update and more goals!

The Pressure to be Supermom

This has been on my heart for several weeks now. I hope to say the words SOMEONE needs to hear, even if it's just myself. And let me preface that this is not just a focus on moms who stay home---I know there are working moms out there who probably feel the same way. Know you are not alone! Let's stick together as a band of mothers, encouraging one another in love!

So here is what has been on my mind….

The face of a being a mom is changing. There is so much pressure!! With Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest I feel like we are bombarded with moms who have it all together. You all know what I'm talking about---the mom who's house is always sparkling and decorated impeccably; her children are always learning from some sort of activity that she made herself; her children are well-behaved and wonderful sleepers; she always has time for Bible Study and probably even teaches Sunday School or volunteers at Awanas; she has time for fitness and easily lost all of her baby weight; and she contributes financially to her family by being crafty or selling some sort of product.

Lately, I have felt like a huge failure as a wife and a mom. My house is hardly ever sparkling; I don't have the most beautifully decorated home; I have the TV on way too much; I try to stick to a nap routine for my child but he often has other plans; I definitely haven't lost all my baby weight; I don't always have time to read my Bible (and if I do, it's maybe a grand total of 10 minutes); and I am currently not contributing to my family in any financial way. I clearly DON'T have it all together.

Then God whispers to my heart through the hugs and smiles and "goo-goo-gaa-gaa's" of my baby boy; through the words of encouragement from my husband; through the hour of conversation with my other mom friends going through the same struggles. Being a mother is a true calling. I need to be confident that I am the perfect mother for Holt (because God made him especially for our family) and the perfect wife for Daniel. NO, I am not a perfect person (quite imperfect actually), but I can be the best mother and wife that God has created me to be.

It is ok that I don't have it all together. It's ok that there are days where I am so exhausted, I literally sit and lay around and watch TV with Holt; it's ok that there are other days where I am very productive; it's ok that I haven't lost the baby weight--in reality, that is a badge of honor; it's ok that I am not making money---it would probably take my paycheck to cover daycare and someone to clean our house anyway; it's ok that my relationship with God is not where I would like it to be.

This is a temporary season that I am in. One day, I'll blink, and Holt and his siblings will be all grown up and won't need me as much. THEN, I'll have a clean house (and maybe a well decorated one) and time to work and time for fitness and MAYBE I'll have it a little bit more together. And honestly, I'll probably be sad that the "time of having littles" is gone.

Until that time comes, I am going to rest in the grace that our Lord graciously provides and be the best mother I can be to Holt and any other children we are blessed with. I'll do my best to not listen to the lies Satan whispers in my ear (hard as that may be). I will do my best to wake up every single morning, grateful for mercies anew, ready to embrace a new day with my family. I will do my best to not be judgmental of other moms, but instead to shower them with love and hope and encouragement. I hope that you will do the same.

To my own SUPERmom----THANK YOU. I never knew the amount of sacrifice and love it took for you to be my mom. The long hours, no sleep, the worry of "am I doing this right?" or "did I make the right decision?", the giving of your body to grow and nurture me, the absolute UNCONDITIONAL love that you have for me. Thanks mom. I love you with all my heart.

Hug your littles momma. Because YOU are their SUPERmom.