Follow your inner moonlight

Our son is 8 months old!

He has 5 1/2 teeth, too. One is almost finally out. It has been bothering him a lot.

He is crawling, trying to pull to stand, and just barely starting to babble. I was getting worried that he wasn't yet. But he makes tons of other noises, and is just getting the physical stuff over with. I love him more everyday. My angel.

We did a bit of sleep training at 7 months when we moved to our two-bedroom and since then he sleeps through the night and takes two good naps a day. I fully expected him to still wake up once to eat, and I didn't mind that at all, but I guess with solids he just doesn't need to. I wake him at 630 am (Or he wakes up around 6/6:15 himself) He takes a nap around 9/9:30, and another around 1/2:00. Bedtime is between 6-6:30. Its crazy that he is finally on this consistent schedule. Its crazy that he sleeps all night!

You know what else is crazy? We are going to try to have another baby after he turns one. Insane, right? Lol. I was totally sure I was one and done. But my husband has always wanted two kids close in age. And I really think it would be so great for our son to have a sibling. I am also 28 years old, and I want to have the other one while I'm still relatively young and strong. (And brave, lol) Get the sleepless, difficult over with in one fatal swoop. My reasons for hesitating are mostly purely vain and selfish: My body bounced back so quickly and is back to normal now and I am afraid that it won't this time. :P

Of course I have other reasons to be terrified. Two small children is always difficult, especially with my husband's hours. The normal pregnancy/labor fears. The fact that my last pregnancy and birth were complication free makes my anxious brain sure that this time around it will be extremely hard and being pregnant with a little one will make it even more so. The logistics of two kids scares me as well. But there is only one way to get a baby. <3

The bottom line is that I want him to have a sibling; I want to give my husband another child. And I want to do it while I am still young. I am terrified and hesitant one hour, and then the next hour I am excited and thrilled. We are done at two, for sure. I am going to have the baby and get my tubes tied right after. :D

My husband wanted to start right away, but I feel more comfortable waiting for a year. Time for my body to heal completely and for me to get as fit as possible before we begin. And time for my husband's raise to go through.

We just moved into a two-bedroom... next year, if God wills it, we will be in a 3-bedroom.

I am FOR SURE doing tons of freezer meals this time. I regretted so much not doing it with my first baby. With two it is necessary if I want my husband to have good meals.

Phew! Its all in God's hands. I am already planning and list making. It will be fun not to be a first time Mom and absolutely terrified at every little thing. I also know this time around what things I want to make it easier on me. Its crazy. But after every terrified moment passes I feel in my heart that this is meant to be. :)

My son is in the 97th percentile for height! Lol. I am not surprised. My husband is 6'4" and his Dad is just as tall too. His mom is on the tall side as well. I'm only 5'4" and a half so he sure doesn't get it from me!!

He is 28 and a half inches tall and weighs 18 and a half pounds. I love him more everyday.
His shots went okay. I thought to ask if I could hold him while he got them instead of him laying on the table and the nurse said that was absolutely fine. It made me feel better to hold him. She also said we could take our time afterward so I nursed him right away, something we couldn't do until we got out to the car last time.

His appointment ended at 4:45 pm so we stopped at Wal-Mart for meds and then went home to start his bedtime routine. (Bedtime is usually at 6:00) He woke earlier than normal to eat (At 1100 pm) and then didn't wake up again until 4 am!! He also slept later this morning (waking at almost 7 instead of 530). That means I got 5 hours of sleep in a row, plus an extra hour and a half in the morning. I woke up feeling like I could hike up a mountain, haha.

Then after only an hour of being awake he was ready for his first nap. Usually his first wake time is about 1.75-2 hours. And he slept for 2 hours and 15 minutes!! His longest nap ever! (Well, not counting his first 8 weeks of life.) Those shots made him so tired. He was also fussy and his legs hurt him, but after some baby Ibuprofen and that long nap he seemed pretty much back to normal, except his appetite was a bit off: no interest in solids at all, but a good amount of nursing.

I just can't get over how much stronger my love grows for him as time passes. I'm going to have to grow another heart to make room for all the love I feel.

Finally broke 119 lbs. I've had SO little time to run and I miss it.

My son's two bottom teeth have popped out :) He is sitting on his own and trying to scoot along the ground on his tummy. Sometimes he ends up going backwards though, lol. He is strong willed and knows what he wants. He is starting to get into things and baby proofing is next on the list. He hates having his clothes fussed with and gets frustrated if you take something he has away from him. He is absolutely wonderful. He loves his solids and has had peaches, pears, oatmeal, peas, carrots, prunes and chicken/apple. All purees except for the oatmeal. Going to start him on some real food soon, banana etc.

Cannot wait for a two-bedroom apartment or house. Its so necessary; then my son can nap in his crib instead of out in the living room with me being a huge distraction. And I can get more done! :) I'm being psycho about saving money every little way possible: Heat and lights off as much as possible, exact measuring of laundry/dishwasher detergent etc., budget friendly meals that make lots of leftovers, no extras (except for the occasional merlot my husband likes)/

Its been so cold here! 25 degrees and our power bill was fail this month. I can just bundle up and drink hot liquids, but my little son needs a warm room to play in during the day and a warm room to sleep in at night. Its supposed to get back to the 40's/50's though, yay.

EDIT: Forgot a couple of things:

6 month appointment tomorrow. Shots :( But I always like getting him checked out :)

Sleep: Going really well. Wakes 1-2 nights to eat which I am 100% okay with. Falls asleep on his own. I stopped rocking him to drowsiness and instead do our version of PU/PD. It took 30-40 minutes at first and now I pick him up/put him down 3-4 times and he goes to sleep. I really do think that crying can be healthy for babies: it helps them release the tension they picked up throughout the day etc, but I want him to do it in the safety of my arms. CIO just isn't right for us. I would give in and not be consistent and inconsistency isn't good for babies. I don't think CIO is harmful and I know it works great for many families. I was looking for something between Attachment Parenting and CIO and found something called 'Aware Parenting'. It really struck a chord with me. It talks about allowing your child to feel sad/upset and allow them to cry, but just hold them while they do it. No crazy rocking/bouncing/jiggling in order to force them to stop crying. Sometimes babies just need to cry. And since I know that I couldn't leave him alone to do it works well. Every baby and Momma is so different; I think whatever works for you and baby is what's best. Its good to read books/websites for information, but when it comes down to it, you just have to do what is best for your baby.

So my poor little son is cutting his first tooth! I can see it alllllmost poking through and can feel its sharp little edge with my finger. He is in a lot of pain. :( This has meant my good napper now can only nap on me. He does better at night but has had a couple extra wake ups. I have the baby Orajel and Tylenol, but I am going to try those teething tablets I read about tomorrow. I don't want to keep too much medicine in him.

So its been very hard to get anything done during the day! Even as a newborn he rarely napped on me... he has always liked laying down on his own or being on someone who is moving around. Its been hard to cook as well, but I have been pushing through, and my husband was a huge help to me today. He also hasn't been wanting to nurse as much during the day because the sucking hurts his tooth. He will literally pull away and push at my chest with a mean look on his face. He has so much personality and already knows exactly what he wants. So a couple times a day I have been pumping and giving him a bottle, which lets the milk down easily. Otherwise he eats too much at night and you know how that cycle goes :)

In other news, we started him on some solids. Just 1-2 times a day for now and only after a good nursing session. So far he Loves it. When I hold out the spoon he leans forward and opens his mouth and sticks out his tongue. It is so cute. I want to get him to try a bunch of vegetables first before fruit. So far he has had peas, carrots and also oatmeal (mixed with expressed milk) and has loved them all. I can't wait for him to try more.

Weight is about 119 now. I actually added in a couple extra snacks of healthy fats/protein because the weight loss had stalled and I was feeling sort of weak. The older he gets and the more he moves around the hungrier he is and it can be very draining. I want to make sure he is getting enough good stuff. My supply has never suffered and I don't want it to.


So between the bad naps and the extra wake ups and general worry I have been a tired momma. However, I found this article tonight: http://www.babysleepsite.com/awake-training-for-parents/ and it made me laugh so much. It actually made sleep deprivation humorous and we all need that.

So I am doing great with cardio, a 30-40 minutes of jogging/running every other day/every two days depending on my husband's schedule. My son's naps are 45 minutes so it works out great. I LOVE running so it isn't difficult for me to work hard and push myself, especially with great music in my ears.

Weight lifting/strength training is another story. I like these kind of workouts too, but I get stuck in the rut of "three sets of 12" deal and have a hard time really pushing myself to go to fatigue, or get more reps in. I also like to learn new moves to hit my muscles in new ways.


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I am hoping to get a run today. its cloudy and cool and so far dry, great running weather.

I found two shirts for my son at the consignment shop and paid only $2.50 all together! He needs some more long sleeved shirts. I love consignment. He occasionally gets new stuff from my husband's family so it works out so well for our budget.

Still swaddling at night but trying to wean him from it for naps first.. I read that works best. As I have mentioned before he has slept with one arm out for naps for months now, but both arms out just throws him for a loop. I have been leaving both arms out and swaddling him around the middle in his Halo sleep sack for each nap, and giving him about twenty minutes to try and fall asleep that way. (I don't want him to miss his nap entirely or get so overtired that he wont sleep at all.) He has come close twice, but after 20 minutes of him fussing/talking/crying a little I go, re-swaddle one arm in, and in less than two minute he passes right out, LOL. Who would think just one arm makes such a huge difference?!

His new crib is all put together and has the mattress, we are just waiting on his bedding and breathable bumpers. I am so excited for him to have a bigger bed! I swear, half the time he wakes up at night is because he is uncomfortable in that travel crib. I have a feeling though, that the more space will be weird for him at first, so I am glad we are still swaddling at night to help him feel secure.

Okay, I've got to go dust the living room and prep some dinner. Today is the husband's day off and I am SO excited to be with him after our son goes to bed. I miss him so much everyday. <3

Hope you guys are doing great.

Well our son's sleep seems to have gotten better :) It was rough there for a while though!

His 4 month appt. went well. He dealt with the shots SO much better this time around. At his 2 month appt. he was sleepy and fussy for 4 days and developed a 101.2 degree fever the next day. This time he was sleepier than normal the rest of that night, and today seemed perfectly fine. Even the leg that got the tetanus shot seems okay. Tough little guy.

Weight is down to 123.8, so about 4 pounds lost in just under a month. I'm proud of how moderate that is... I tend to get carried away. So that's down from 129 which is what I weighed 2 weeks after giving birth. I had gained 24 pounds altogether, to 140-142. I'd like to get to 117-118 first, which is what I weighed right before I found out I was pregnant, and hopefully eventually get back to 110-114, what I weighed before we started TTC. That weight did take quite a bit of effort and exercise, so we will have to see what happens. I must put my son and my husband at top priority. My supply doesn't seem to have dipped at all, which I'm glad about.

I do need to up my weight lifting/strength training. Cardio is coming first because I love to run and so when I get to go work out for a half hour I tend to choose the one that also helps me de-stress! Plus I can do weights almost anytime while our son naps.

We ordered his new crib/bedding today! He is just too big for the Graco Travel Crib we bought him. Poor thing ends up diagonal with his little face against the side. Thank goodness for breathable bumpers! (We ordered some for the new crib too.) The bedding is blue stars and really cut, but also generic enough that decorations can be anything we want when we move to the two bedroom in March/April. I dislike brands/themes: Winnie The Pooh, or Cars, or Lion King, etc. When he is older he can of course pick a theme, but for now generic all the way :)

We took the newborn insert out of his bathtub too. And its so crazy to watch him clumsily pick up his toys and roll all over the living room. Every week gets more and more fun. I can't wait to play outside and take him to the park.

Well, just a quick update :) Hope you guys are doing great too and getting some good rest.

Our little son is 3.5 months old and gets more handsome everyday. <3 Naps are going so well. He wakes up twice a night to eat. usually between 1030-midnight, and then again anywhere from 230-4 am. He goes to be around 6 pm (sometimes a tiny bit earlier if his last nap ends early) and wakes up for the day around 6 am. Early, but I am an early bird and the evenings to myself or to be with my husband on his days off are worth it.

I love him more everyday.


I waited until 3 months and my supply was established to workout/watch what I eat and it feels so good to get back to it. Before we started trying to conceive I weighed between 110-114. I gained up to 118-120 because that's my set point where my body naturally stays and I hoped it would help. I gained 24 pounds during pregnancy ending at around 140 the night I went into labor.

All the weight except for 8 pounds dropped almost immediately, within the first two weeks. It fluctuated up and down a few pounds due to insatiable breastfeeding hunger and the fact that I had no time to cook and so ate tons of carbs and easy to grab things.

Now I am jogging whenever I can: usually every other day or every two days. Just a half hour at a time so far while the baby naps and my husband is awake. I also am using weights and strength training in my living room. I use the elliptical in the workout room at our apartment if its raining. Besides weight loss, the cardio keeps me sane. its my time to get away, with music in my ears, breathing the cold fall air and running off any emotions. Yesterday leaves were falling around me as I ran. SO nice.

I am back to eating better. Oatmeal usually twice a day. Yogurt, vegetables, fruit, lean protein. Occasional crackers. 100% whole wheat bread with honey. Spaghetti squash with marinara. etc etc. I drink water constantly and hot tea. An occasional diet soda, but I have to stay so hydrated to breastfeed that its a rarity. I cut out all caffeine when it seemed to affect my son and GOSH I miss it!

So I am down to 126.6 after a few weeks of this. My first goal weight is to be between 117-120. And then I'll have to see. I am working on not working out too much or dropping weight too fast so I don't get carried away as I tend to do. Having enough of a supply for my son is constantly in my mind.

Hope everyone else is doing well. <3

Hello!

Our son is five weeks old today!

I feel like my brain is coming back. These last five weeks it has been like Gabriel and I have been living on this tiny planet where only he and I existed. I couldn't coupon or budget very well. I cooked just barely. I had to spend outside of our grocery budget because paying for convenience was necessary.. not just because of the intense level of exhaustion, but because I could barely remember how to make what I used to make. :D My world consisted of nursing, diaper changes, soothing to sleep, careful watching, checking every so often to make sure his precious breath still filled his lungs. A constant consistent string of worries: Am i doing this right? is he eating enough? is he sleeping enough? is he too hot, too cold? am I being patient enough, loving enough, appreciative enough? can I ruin this little tiny being?

And leaving the house was so hard at first, with or without him. He detested his car seat but was too small to fit in the carrier.. I couldn't stand for him to cry or even whimper in public. Germs. People... other cars.


But the last week has been better. He has gained THREE pounds since birth and I can drive to our location and then wear him while I shop. We have gotten into a routine of nurse, diaper change, nurse, miscellaneous (tummy time, swing time, talking and eye contact), then swaddle and to sleep he goes. He has started to sleep in two and even sometimes three hour stretches. (As opposed to an hour and a half at the most... it was crazy).

I am getting the hang of being a good wife while being a good mom to an infant. I never let the house go completely (I couldn't stand it) but I am getting back to getting to the little details.. cleaning mirrors, the microwave etc. I bathe everyday, LOL!

I am making lists again, planning meals, couponing, going to more than one store at a time. I have gotten to know my son and am more confident in figuring out what's wrong. I am calmer when he yells and fights sleep, or coughs.

He is a good baby and I feel very, very blessed.

My relationship with my husband is still as good and fun and strong as ever. We are ourselves. We live as we did before with the obvious adjustments to a baby.

Summer is almost over and I'm glad. My husband wont be at work till 4 am. The clouds are so calming and lovely to me. Cozy and grateful tucked away in our little apartment. Things get more normal everyday.

An update for the July2012 community and I thought I would post it here too :D



1. Baby Name and Age?
Gabriel. He is 4 weeks 4 days old :D

2. Weight/length/clothing size being worn?
He weighed in yesterday at 8 lbs 11 oz! He was pretty small when he was born @ 6 lbs 1 oz, so it makes the extreme sleep deprivation that comes with nursing on demand totally worth it. He still fits in newborn clothing just fine, but the 0-3 month sizes are starting to not look ridiculous on him. :)

3. Food! What kind? Any feeding issues or new developments?
EBF on demand. Its going great for him. Its exhausting for me. I have had GAD and Panic Disorder since I was nine and something about the hormone letdown or something means a horrible rush of anxiety/claustrophobia often when I nurse him. Its difficult for me as someone who is usually on the go and active and OCD about my house cleaning/cooking. But its so worth it. Even when i am anxious as heck, I adore my son and love looking down at him so happy and milk drunk. Daddy is starting to sometimes give hm a bottle at night sometimes so I can sleep which is so lovely.

4. Sleep habits? Is baby on a schedule?
Not a schedule, per say. We do this: he will nurse on the left side, then we will do a diaper change. Then he nurses on the right side. (I do that because he HATES having his diaper changed, and at night I don't want him to get all milk drunk and sleepy, only to become wide awake when I change him.) Then a burp. Then we will do a little tummy time, or a little time in the swing, eye contact where I will talk to him and sometimes get a little smile.. etc. Then I swaddle him and soothe him to sleep in my arms. So pretty much a feed, change, burp, play, sleep schedule. SOMETIMES I will have him nurse while swaddled, but he doesn't like it and he is such a wiggler when he eats that he loosens it. It works best late at night. he has had a few days of course where he just wont sleep, usually around growth spurts.

He usually will fight sleep a little too.. he will go stiff as a board and YELL! :D Not cry, or shriek, but just yell at me. it bothered me so much at first, but now I just stay calm and keep rocking/jiggling/talking/shh-ing hm and once he stops he gets right to sleep.

He is a good sleeper EXCEPT around 5 am... (When I am the most tired, lol) it seems at this time of day his gassiness/tummy really bothers him and he can't stay asleep. Anyone elses LO have a time of day where they just don't sleep well?

5. Any "changing table" issues?
He pees a lot :) Poop looks normal. I have been peed on a few times, and within his first days home was "traumatized" by a lovely stream of poo flying directly at me. :D Boy it helped me learn to be an efficient diaper changer! Lol.

6. Milestones?
Great weight gain. :) He never lost weight after he was born. I guess he just likes being out of my tummy better than in! He is starting to concentrate on our faces and respond more.. even some smiles! He is just realizing that he has hands.. he uses his hand to feel at his Paci sometimes, etc.

7. What's driving you crazy, if anything?
Sleeping no more than an hour and a half at a time... rarely two hours. twice with the help of my husband I slept for ALMOST 4 hours and oh my goodness... the angels sang and the heavens opened up :D Luckily I don't need a ton of sleep to function... but its crazy how little sleep you can get and still keep on trucking. I am a terrible nap taker, but man have I learned to be a little better.

Also, letting my house/cooking go a bit is super hard for me as I am kind of OCD about it :/ But sleeping when he sleeps has to take top priority. My apartment isn't ever really messy still, but it just isn't spotless like it usually is. The meals I cook have also become less time intensive. I cook things that are easy and quick and that my husband can heat up when he gets home. I can't eat as cleanly/as healthy as I would like because I am nursing/soothing/getting stuff done around the house or trying to nap, so its stuff that's quick and easy.

I miss snuggling with my husband too. He works from 6 pm and gets home between 2-4 am. So right when our son isn't sleeping well is when he goes to bed. His job is very labor intensive and he NEEDS sleep, so usually Gabe and I will be nursing/soothing out in the living room. And then sometimes I get to come back in and snuggle once he is asleep, but not always. (He is sleeping next to our bed for now.) All of this is so small in the general scheme of things though. I am so grateful for my healthy son and hard working husband.

8. How are you doing in general?
I feel like I am doing pretty good. I have had one incident where he was so upset all day unless nursing/on me, and I was exhausted and I missed my husband, that I was breastfeeding and sobbing at the same time. :P There are times when he will wake up for a night feeding and I am so tried that i have to really pray hard, and remind myself how much I love him and am grateful for him so as not to feel impatient toward him. Attitude is EVERYTHING. I know he will sleep for longer stretches soon and it will get easier. Its extremely hard at first; I knew that going into it. :) I am grateful to be able to be a SAHM and Gabriel is getting better at going out and about. I felt so stuck at home at first because he HATES his car seat. But now we drive to the store and I wear him inside to shop. Its awesome! He looks around at the bright lights and usually sleeps through it. I love having him close and safe and people are very polite and kind to a woman wearing a small baby.

So its all kind of a blur and its tough, but I am a tough cookie and it will only get better/easier from here. I'd rather have him here than not no matter what.

9. Are your health and weight loss concerns going well?
I gained 24 pounds throughout my pregnancy and am now about 7 pounds away from my set point. I didn't get any stretch marks and I am surprised how normal my tummy looks. I am looking forward to get the okay to work out again, but until he sleeps for more than an hour and a half at a time, I will have to save my energy. I was so scared to be pregnant and what would happen to my body, but everything is working itself out. I am focusing on eating enough to nurse on demand and have energy to stay awake. I still have a stitch or two though :/. My bleeding is also very light.. I am wearing the thinnest size pads. Thank goodness because I hate them lol.

10. Pictures?
Not right now... I feel nervous about posting pics of him for some reason. <3

Gabriel David was born ON HIS DUE DATE!!! At 12:49 am Thursday, July 19th. :)
19.25 in. long and only 6 lbs 1.5 oz. He was perfectly healthy and has a head full of dark hair. My husband and sister were both amazing and I couldn't have done it without them.


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