A Day in the Life- My 9 month old and me!

6:50am- I hear babbling coming over the monitor and wake up. I go into Elliot's room where he's standing up at the edge of his crib facing the door. I take him out of his crib and he still seems a little bit sleepy so I go over to our rocking chair and rock him...hoping to get another half hour or so out of him.

After some almost eyes closing Elliot really wakes up, sits up in my arms and smiles at me. It looks like our day is going to get started!

7:10am- We go into Josh and my room to wake up Daddy. Elliot climbs on top of him before I can pull him back to change an his overnight diaper. After some kisses and cuddles with Daddy Elliot and I head to the living room while Josh takes a shower.

We read some books and play with Elliot's blocks. Normally I leave him to play with his toys while I get breakfast started but someone's extra clingy this morning so I just sit and play with him while he's in my lap.

After awhile we head into the kitchen (my sidekick, still clingy, on my hip). Elliot "helps" me make Josh's lunch and then his breakfast.

8am- Josh is out of the shower and dressed and we all sit down to breakfast.

Elliot has oatmeal with fruit puree in it, cheerios in his highchair and a few bites of my banana. It's cereal for Josh and a banana with almond butter for me. Tea on the side :)

I rush to get dressed in my workout clothes while Josh dresses Elliot. I pack up the diaper bag and we kiss Josh good bye to leave for my 9am spin class at the gym. *On the days we don't go to the gym, or when I go earlier without Elliot, we get to hang out with Josh until he leaves for work at 9:30*

8:55am- Elliot is dropped off at the gym daycare and I head to spin class! I pick a tired, just starting to get fussy baby up an hour later!

10:05am- We're home and Elliot is down for a nap. I clean up the kitchen from breakfast, tidy up the master bedroom and take out some ground turkey for lunch. After I'm done I lay on the couch with a glass of water and some roasted almonds...hoping to be able to relax enough to get to feel some baby girl kicks! I do :)

11:26am- Elliot is awake!! We play in his room (crib peekaboo!) for awhile. I take advantage of his happy playtime on the floor while I finish cleaning out a side of his closet that had gotten kind of out of control.

About 15 minutes later I set Elliot down in the living room with his toys and go into the kitchen to make lunch. Halfway through the process of cooking the turkey burgers my little sidekick appears at my feet. He's distracted for a few more minutes by the magnets on the dishwasher and some bites of veggie muffin.

12:30pm- We eat lunch. Lettuce wrapped turkey burger for me (freezing the rest for dinner later this week) and veggie muffin, cheese and mango for Elliot.

After lunch we do some more playing and then I take a shower (with Elliot trapped in his walker in the bathroom doorway). Once I get out and rescue him we cuddle to read some books since he's starting to get sleepy again.

1:45pm- Into his room for a bottle and some rocking chair time. He's down and asleep by 1:55. I get dressed, work on the blog, take out chicken for dinner and sort some laundry.

3:15pm- I wake Elliot up and we head for a playdate at the park! *I normally don't wake Elliot up for anything but we'd been trying to make this playdate happen for a long time and I was determined!* It was at a park with a spash/water area and he had a BLAST. Totally worth waking him up.

5:30pm- We're home and I feed Elliot a quick dinner so that he's hungry again in time for his bedtime bottle. We play around the house, read books, water the plants in the backyard and feed the chickens. Then we come back inside so I can make dinner for Josh and I.

7pm- Josh gets home and it's bedtime for Elliot! Bath, pajamas, prayers and a bottle. Daddy does the bottle so that I can get our dinner together.

7:30pm- Elliot is in his crib asleep. Josh and I eat dinner and then do our weekly updating of the budget. We watch an episode of Breaking Bad on Netflix and head to bed at 10:30!

Baby Number 2

Is A Girl!!!!!!!!!!!!

Play around here at 9 months

At 9 months old Elliot's favorite way to play is to explore. He's crawling/toddling (ahhh!) all over the place and more than anything he likes to just crawl around the house looking at everything. He'll touch whatever he can and pull up on almost any vertical surface (dining room chairs, piano bench, coffee tables, couch, wall, cupboards, bathtub, etc.).

Other than exploring though there are a few toys and games that are his special favorites.

*Hide and Seek
Elliot LOVES hide and seek. It makes him hysterical. We'll start at one end of the hall and then Josh or I will crawl away from Elliot and "hide" in the bathroom. Elliot will crawl to "find" us and when he sees us he laughs and crawls away. We do this all over the place. Around the corners in the kitchen, with him in his crib (when he's standing up...from below eye level to his eye level), around the couch and even around Josh's shoulders when he's being held.

He also plays mini hide and seek (aka peekaboo) with his blankies, the tablecloth and anything that can be pulled back.

*Walking
Elliot basically crawls to things that he knows that he can use to pull up and cruise around. We had to take out our coffee table because it was his favorite toy and there were one too many bonks for my liking.

The walker is a huge hit. He'll take it up and down the hall over and over and over again. He was a little wobbly when we first got it for him right before 8 months but he is super steady now. If only he could steer.... He especially likes it when we chase him down the hall and let him chase us back the other way. Extra fun points added if we scream ;)

*Activity/Music Table
Elliot had played with this table at a few different friends' houses and in the nursery at church and it was a huge hit. We just bought him one used off of a Facebook sales group last week and it's easily his new favorite toy. It combines his love of standing with his love of music. It has a ball thing that he can roll and he loves seeing everything light up.

*Spinning Blocks
These have been his favorite toys since he was 3 months old. Anything that he can roll/spin is automatically a huge hit no matter what and I think it's because of these toys. He's had them for a loooooong time but he'll still choose them out of his toy box over almost anything else.

 

 

*Wood Puzzles with Knobs
This is a new favorite. Elliot likes taking out all the pieces and gnawing at them. No putting them back in yet.

*Stacking Cups
These are also a new discovery and instant hit. As soon as I pull them out Elliot attacks them! He primarily likes taking them apart.

9 Months of Fun

Elliot really perfected crawling this month and the week before he turned 9 months old he pulled himself up to his knees and hasn't army crawled since! He's moving much faster now and not looking back.

 

He stands in his crib all the time. He'll wake up from a nap, babbling, and just do laps around his cribs. It makes me sad that he's growing up so fast but it's absolutely adorable at the same time.

 

 

 

 

Elliot says "Mama" all the time and I love it! I'm not sure that he knows it's me but I'm starting to get more convinced and it melts my heart :) Especially with all of his crawling he'll follow me around all day. Before I know it I have little fingers on my feet and a little voice babbling mama. I'm trying to enjoy this clingy stage because I know that it won't last forever and that when it's over I'll miss it a lot.

 

 

 

He loves everything that he eats and the summer fruit and produce has been amazing. He loves loves loves fruit. My parents have orchards behind their house and we go pick apricots, plums, peaches, apples.....he loves tasting it all.

 

 

9 months has really just been a lot of fun. We've loved watching Elliot become at the same time more independent and even more attached to us and it's been so special. This is such a fun stage and we're enjoying *almost* every moment. The teething tantrums still stink ;)

Elliot- 8 Months!

8 Months

At 7.5 months we nap trained. I was over the first trimester exhaustion and Elliot had gotten used to only sleeping on me. When we tried to let him nap in his crib he'd only sleep for 30 minutes at a time. He'd wake up still tired and grumpy. After a week of nap training he'll now sleep for over an hour at each nap in his crib. Totally worth it again!

 

 

He also slept all the way through the night for the first time this month!

 

And a week and a half before turning 8 months old Elliot started crawling! Now he's army crawling like crazy ALL over the place.

 

 

He's also obsessed with walking. He was only walking using our fingers to hold him up and it was becoming absolutely exhausting. We bought him a walker and it's made life so much easier! Now it's his favorite toy and he loves chasing me or Daddy up and down the hall over and over again!

 

 

*He pulls himself up and loves to walk with us.

*He stands up against the glass door...hoping someone will let him into the backyard. He loves being outside!

*He really likes swimming!

*He cut his first 2 teeth (bottom 2) on May 19th at almost 7.5 months. They're so sharp!

*He always holds his arms out and moves his wrists/hands around when he wants anything.

*He makes the silliest dinosaur noises.

*Bathtime has become difficult because he wants to either stand up or lunge forward.

*He started to feed himself food (apple slices was the first thing!) on May 23rd.

*He discovered bubbles in the tub!

Elliot- 6 and 7 Months

6 Months

 

At 5.5 months we sleep trained Elliot and it made a huge difference in all of our lives. We all went into his 6th month with a lot more sleep, an even happier baby and much better days because of it!

 

 

*Elliot loves solid food! We started at 5.5 months and his first food was apples/carrots. When he got impatient waiting for another bite he'd grab the spoon and pull it toward his mouth.

*He loves exploring different textures. He explores them by opening and closing his hand on top of something. He especially liked our straw placemats.

*At naptime we went into his room, turned on the sleep sheep and rocked with his paci and blankie. Once he fell fast asleep I'd put him down in his crib.

*He started really liking pulling himself to stand up with our fingers. He'd concentrate really hard with his eyes closed and mouth open.

*He coos a lot with a really high voice.

 

 

 

7 Months

 

 

 

*He learned how to drink through a straw. He tried it for the first time at grandma's house and picked it up right away!

*He pulled himself up with our fingers all the time!

*He started reaching for us when he wanted to be held. We love it!

*He took a lot of naps in bed with me that month. It was nice for both of us. He'd sleep longer and I was able to rest....something I really needed since I was in the middle of 1st trimester exhaustion with Baby #2!

*He loved being outside in the backpack carrier with Daddy.

*His favorite food became cheese! He reached for it and pushed as far forward in his highchair as he could with his mouth open.

*He sucked his thumb.

*He began trying really hard to pull himself up.

 

 

 

 

Catch Up Post: Elliot Monthly Updates! 3, 4 and 5 Months

This is going to be a little bit long but I wanted to be able to be completely caught up with Elliot's monthly updates so that we can move on with more current updates/subjects :) At 4 months when his personality really started coming out I started writing down little personality quirks and characteristics.

 

3 Months

In his 3rd month we were still dealing with a lot of gassiness from Elliot. I was breastfeeding/pumping. It was really discouraging because the pediatrician and almost everything that I read about the gas issues said that it usually starts clearing up naturally around 3 months. For us that wasn't the case. It was getting worse. There was a lot of screaming during and after feedings, fussy bouts where it was obvious that little E was in pain and just a lot of stress in general.

At 3 months Elliot was coming really close to rolling over but hadn't quite gotten it yet. He was able to prop himself up on one side...just couldn't figure out the coordination aspect of kicking his leg over and propelling with his arms. He was able to grab toys and hold onto them.

 

 

4 Months

 



As we approached 4 months things had really turned a corner. After Elliot's gas issues got worse at 3 months the pediatrician recommended giving sensitive stomach formula a 2 day trial just to see if anything changed. Within 24 hours we had a different baby. He was happy, eating calmly and his disposition was so cheerful. After the trial I kept trying giving him pumped milk or going back to breastfeeding, only finding that it brought back his discomfort almost instantly. I struggled a lot with quitting breastfeeding. I felt like a complete failure. Eventually I realized that my pride was getting in the way of my child's comfort and health. Once we made the complete switch to formula life became so much easier.

 

 

Elliot rolled over for the first time at almost 4 months! He'd been rolling over in his sleep for awhile (even while swaddled) and even after he rolled over in front of us it took him awhile before he started doing it often.

 

Elliot also got sick right before he turned 4 months old. He had bronchiolitis for 2 weeks and it was miserable. He'd cough so hard he could barely breathe. We took him to urgent care and the pediatrician a few times. He was put on nebulizer treatments. It was so stressful for everyone and we were so thankful when we finally got through it!

 

*Elliot folds his hands while he eats. As soon as you put him into the feeding position his hands are folded and waiting.

*He started giving kisses this month. When you say "Kisses for Daddy!" he leans in with his mouth open.

*He loves things that make a crinkly sound.

*He hates tummy time.

*He loves music and being sung to....all the time.

 

5 Months

 

At 5 months Elliot was rolling over consistently. Once he started he'd barely stop! He was sitting up for a little while, usually supported with someone nearby or with the boppy supporting him.

We took him on a roadtrip to my sister and brother in law's house which is 5 hours away. We left in the late afternoon so he was able to nap in the car, get out to stretch and play a little at dinner time and then fell asleep again until we arrived. He did great while we were there, slept in the pack n play and was quite the social butterfly!

 

 

We also visited the zoo with close friends and Elliot loved it! He was able to take a nap on Daddy in the Ergo once he got tired and really enjoyed looking at the monkeys.

New Adventures

It's been awhile since I've been here and honestly I've missed it a lot. There have been so many times that I've been meaning to get on and post. I log on and then feel like I've been gone too long, chicken out and end up not posting anything. But I decided I need to just jump in.

 

 

 

 

There are so many things that I want to update about. Baby milestones (rolling, sitting, pulling up, crawling, oh my!), baby food, adjusting to life as a stay at home mom, finding my rhythm, improvements we've made around the house (we've been busy!) and pregnancy news.

 

 

 

2 months ago we got a little but of a surprise and found out that we're expecting baby #2 this November. Which is another reason I wanted to get back into a blogging groove...I'm sure I'll have a lot to share with 2 (wayyyy) under 2!

 

 

 

Our favorite little man

 

Obviously life with a newborn/infant is pretty crazy and doesn't lend itself well to blogging normally but I really would like to get back into a semi-frequent blogging schedule. I'm about ready to get back into running, am starting to get holiday baking and get togethers planned and have been working on keeping a pretty regular schedule with Elliot. Those are all things that I'd like to share with you!

 

But this is going to be a quick catch up bullets post because there's been a major growth spurt going on in our house this week and every minute that the baby is sleeping is precious.

 

*Breastfeeding is really hard. During E's first few weeks I was meeting with a lactation consultant every week. I'd highly recommend anyone about to have a baby look into what LC resources are available to them before the fact. That lady was a lifesaver. Right now we're doing pretty well with breastfeeding but every day is still a struggle. I'm just waiting for that magical turning point where it gets easier that everyone talks about.

 

*It was SO nice to have Josh home for Elliot's first week of life. I don't think I could've done it without him...especially with all of our breastfeeding drama!

 

*We've been transitioning Elliot to his crib for the past couple of weeks and gosh that boy loves being held!

 

*Every morning when we wake up for the day I take E out of his swaddle and nurse him skin to skin with only his diaper on and it's one of the best parts of my day.

 

*I absolutely love cloth diapers. He's been in them for almost 3 weeks now and they're amazing (and so flipping cute!). They're definitely worth the extra laundry and initial investment (which actually didn't end up being that much because we were turned on to a discount CD site by a good friend- score!).

 

*My recovery has gone really well...as well as it possibly could have gone. Since I only had 2 tiny internal tears my pain has been minimal and restricted mainly to soreness. It's completely gone now (as is the discharge- yuck) and I'm feeling great. At my 3 week PP appointment with my OB I was cleared for exercise and I've been walking since with a run thrown in here and there. This next week I'm planning on actually getting a running (let's be honest- jogging :)) routing back down and I can't wait.

 

*Josh is the best daddy ever. It makes my heart happy to see him with OUR SON (still unbelievably amazing).

 

*Elliot laughed for the first time last week and he's been smiling like crazy. Both are just soooooo rewarding.

 

AND here are some recent pictures. It's insane to see how much our little fella has grown. Time really has flown.

 

Elliot's first Halloween

 

 

 

One month old!!!

 

 

In the car on the way to Thanksgiving at Grandma's house. LOVE his hat.

 

Napping today with me. Black Friday really took it's toll :)

Introducing...

The little guy is finally sleeping soundly in his basinette so while I have my arms free for a minute I'm going to type this up real fast :) I have a feeling it'll be long winded so this is your warning!

My water broke at around 12:15am Sunday night/Monday morning. I hadn't been able to sleep and had been tossing and turning for about an hour and a half with back pain. The break started just like a little gush and every time I moved it got a little worse. I was kind of nervous that it wasn't my actual water breaking but, knowing that I'd been dilated to 3cm at my doctor's appointment on the Tuesday prior, we knew that it was safer to head to the hospital and check. On the way to the hospital we were both so nervous that we felt like we were going to be sick. Every light that we came up to was red!

The hospital confirmed my water had broken, declared me 4cm dilated and checked me in. We got into our L&D room at about 2:15am. By that time I was having contractions that were about 40 seconds long, every 3-5 minutes. They were pretty painful but the nurse labeled them "mild." That was scary lol.

When the morning shift came on at 7am I was checked again and still at a 4 with my contractions not getting any stronger or closer together. At around 8:30am they started me on pitocin to augment my labor (they had to make sure he came within a certain time period since my waters had broken which opens baby up to more risk of infection). The contractions picked up in intensity fast. It wasn't like anything I could describe. At 10:30am I was at 6cm and my contractions were coming hard. I got an epidural (the worst part of the entire labor was having to sit through an intense contraction with my back hunched in order to get the epi- yikes) and once it kicked in (pretty instantly) it was like Heaven. Josh and I slept for about 2 hours.

At noon they started me on antibiotics since it had been 12 hours since my water had broken. At 1:30pm I was at 7cm. A bunch of family popped in to wish us luck and decorate the baby's crib with ribbons from my baby showers. We were chatting away but I was starting to feel more pressure despite the epi. My nurse (who was AMAZING) checked me at 2:30. I was fully dilated and complete. I labored down for 30 minutes before the doctor got there and baby was at +3 station (getting ready to crown) when I started pushing at about 3pm. After a little over 20 minutes of pushing Elliot was born at 3:26pm, weighing in at 7lb6oz and 20.5in long. He scored 2 9s on the apgar and has been perfect. We were able to come home a little over 24 hours later (last night) and life is good :) I only had 2 minor internal tears and I'm feeling really good- just sore.

Josh was really amazing through the whole thing- I couldn't have done it without him. He was the best support imaginable. And he's still being amazing! He has this week off of work and it's been incredible to have him with us :) I'm not sure what I'll do without him next week! Elliot really loves his daddy and Josh is a natural!

38 Weeks (and 3 days)

How far along? 38 weeks (and 3 days)

Total Weight Gain: 40 pounds.

Maternity Clothes: Yepp! My favorite shirt is a white stretchy one that I bought at about 18 weeks. It's so soft and I'd wear it every day now if I could!

Stretch Marks: Yes. I'm not freaking out too much about it though. There aren't a lot- I'm just hoping that we can hold steady at where I'm at until baby gets here.

Sleep: Eh I'm getting it but the quality of my sleep is definitely lacking. Whenever I wake up I have to get up and go to the bathroom or flip over and both of those things are the opposite of fun. Luckily I'm able to go back to sleep fast usually.

Best moment this week: It's been a good week! I started maternity leave on Monday and I've been able to get a lot done.

Miss anything: Just being comfortable in my body. (Still...)

Movement: Definitely. Loving it while I can!

Food Cravings: Anything with cheese. And pineapple. Not necessarily together ;)

Labor Signs: Serious pelvic pressure (owwwww) and on and off contractions. Nothing consistent though. I'm now a little over 3cm dilated, 85% effaced and my OB swept my membranes last Tuesday at my appointment.

Symptoms: Fatigue, pelvic pressure/discomfort, hip pain, cramps, digestive upset. Same as last week plus heartburn.

Belly button in or out: Kind of in the middle. Weird. When I laugh it definitely pops out and it's pretty funny.

Wedding rings on or off: Off.

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy!

Looking forward to: Next week! After my appointment on Tuesday (if I haven't gone into labor naturally by then) my doctor said that he'd be really comfortable with inducing any day after that (since I'll be over 39 weeks). I really think that we're leaning towards it. I know that the decision isn't for everyone and I'll write a post this week highlighting exactly why.

Nursery Photos! Andddd the bump :)

The nursery is officially DONE. We are officially ready for the little guy to get here :)

 

 

 

And my 38 week bare bump shot. Featuring my lovely new stretch mark lol. Update coming soon!