nathan james: 11 months

Someone is 11 months and 11 days old, and I still am very much in disbelief that he is almost one!  It also makes me chuckle a bit at how long it has taken me to finally take his 11 month pictures.  We were a bit more successful and he decided to hold still for a bit long while mom looked like a mad woman shouting "boo" from behind the camera.  I remember one day this past month when I picked him up from his crib and thought, "you look like a little boy, where's my baby?".  

Nathan's personality just makes my heart melt.  I absolutely love seeing all of the new little things he notices.  Long gone are the days when ceiling fans were the jam.  Now he is so inquisitive as he looks closely at little specks on the floor and takes after his mama...he loves a good dance party.  This morning I was playing some music and "All About the Bass" came on.  The next thing I know, Nathan is standing up next to the couch bouncing away and dancing with me in the living room.  It was hilariously sweet, and I just can't fathom how much fun we are going to have in the years ahead.  

Growing// Nathan is a whopping 25 lbs. 1 oz.  He has been sick on and off for the last three weeks, and after his cough came back I decided it was time to finally take him into the pediatrician.  Turns out the poor little guy has a sinus and ear infection.  However, you wouldn't know by his pleasant disposition.  He is still the happiest baby making plenty of friends wherever we go.  Anyways, I can definitely feel how heavy he is and wearing him in the Ergo for longer than 20 minutes is starting to become a bit painful.  I need to master the art of wearing him on my back because that feels so much better on my back.  He is becoming one speedy crawler and cruzes around all of our furniture, but I don't see him walking anytime soon.  I think it's going to take him a bit to move those chunky thighs of his.  

Nathan is also babbling up a storm and is beginning to say some words!  He says "mama" and "dada" and we are pretty sure we heard him say "doggy" at my parents house on Thanksgiving.  He also is starting to notice the littlest things outside.  We point to the moon each day when I pick him up from daycare and he is starting to point to the trees on our runs.  I die over his little chubby finger pointing away! 

Eating & Sleeping// I knew it was too good to be true, the sleeping through the night adventures quickly came to an end right about the time we traveled to Arizona.  We've gone from him waking up 1-2 times a night to waking up at 5:30am and refusing to go back to sleep.  Going to sleep has been a bit easier, but I would definitely love him to sleep those full 12 hours at night uninterrupted.  Along with his spunky personality came a bit of a picky eater who enjoys throwing his food on the floor.  I find it a bit ironic because I always thought to myself pre-baby, "oh, my baby will never throw his food on the floor and I'll nip that right in the bud".  I just have to laugh at all of the things I thought I'd do before I had a baby.  Lately, he refuses to eat anything off of a spoon and would much rather feed himself.  He LOVES Skinnytaste's Cheesy Turkey Taco Chili Mac.  His favorite foods are still avocado and sweet potato.  Basically, any fruit and veggie he will gobble down, along with cheese.  Meats and carbs are still up for discussion.  

Loving// Nathan loves books!  It is the cutest thing to look over and see.  He has a huge pile of books in front of him and he is babbling away as he flips through the pages and lifts the flaps (flap-books and touch & feel books are his absolute favorite).  The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Curios George Christmas are his two favorite books right now.  Nathan continues to love bath time and playing peek-a-boo with Mommy and Daddy.  

Loathing//  Who would've thought that getting your diaper changed would be the end of the world?!? Nathan absolutely hates being on his changing table.  He also greatly dislikes when he gets ahold of something he can't have and we take it away from him.  Oddly enough, car washes are terrible and he has screamed both times I've tried to take the car through.  

I just can't get over his infectious personality.  His laugh fills up the entire house and echoes deep down into my soul.  Goodness, I never imagined loving someone so much before! 

nathan james: nine months

Well, folks, things just got real!  The above picture basically exemplifies life with Nathan lately.  He is one busy body, getting into everything, moving non-stop, drooling like crazy.  Let's just say that trying to take his monthly pictures poses as one very hard challenge by myself.  While holding him with one hand I snapped with the other, leaving me with a million pictures where only 5 were useable.  Don't forget about the fact that he started eating his monthly sticker while trying to take pictures as well.  

Growing// Our little man is 22lbs 2.7oz, and 27.5 inches tall.  His weight hasn't increased greatly, but that is mostly due to his activity level.  Poor guy is quite the shorty though.  Each night we highly encourage his legs to grow and take his pot belly with them.  He is growing like a weed in his gross motor development.  This month he has mastered this crawling and is rolling much more less.  He's also able to sit up on his own, and this weekend he showed us his latest trick...pulling himself up onto his feet!  Oh my goodness, we are in trouble!  He is moving all over the house and we've already rearranged quite a few things, but definitely need to baby proof a few areas he is highly intent on getting into.  Right now toys are far less interesting than everything else in the house.  Currently he prefers chewing on whatever shoes he can find lying around, eating Daddy's belts, and getting into the book shelf.  Daniel and I are still a bit dazed and confused on how quickly he became mobile.  

Eating & Sleeping// Nathan is now eating "table foods" like a champ.  Some new things introduced this month were yogurt, quinoa, peas, strawberries, chicken, and salmon.  We also started giving his oatmeal again in the mornings.  I know there are so many things he is able to have, but want to also be very mindful of feeding him whole foods from real ingredients.  His pincer grip is quite sophisticated, and he loves feeding himself veggie puffs anytime of the day.  The one item that is completely not allowed is eggs.  We tried scrambled egg yolk, and the poor babe's face turned very red.  

Sleeping is slowly starting to get better.  We went through a rough spout where he would scream at the top of his lungs when getting transferred to the crib.  He also continues to fight going to sleep so badly.  We are at the point where he has to go to bed by 6:30pm or he gets way too over tired and screams.  He is napping twice a day.  His morning nap is only 30-45 minutes long and his afternoon nap ranges from 1-3 hours.  We would love for him to get a bit more sleep during the day so going down at night is easier, but the question is how do we get him to actually go to sleep?!?!  He sleeps 12 hours at night, waking up once for a feeding.  I'm still nursing him at night, and very much enjoy that time with him, but also worry greatly that I'm creating a bad habit.  

Loving// Nathan loves to be active!  He loves climbing up mommy and daddy when they are sitting on the floor, trying to find new places in the house to get into, and testing his limits.  Bath time is the bomb dot com and his baby laughs just melt me.  When getting his diaper changed he has started covering his face with his pants and initiating "peek-a-boy".  It's basically the cutest thing in the whole wide world.  He loves clapping his hands together, singing "The Itsy Bitsy Spider", and his legs are always in motion.  

Loathing// Other than falling asleep, there's not much he doesn't like.  Car rides that are past his bed time are the worst, so we have to be very mindful of his schedule.  He also does not like to be left alone for a split second while I change over the laundry.  

nathan james: 8 months

It amazes me how quickly these little babies change right before our eyes!  Trying to take our monthly pictures quickly showed us how much Nathan is "on the move".  Usually I take them alone, but this time I definitely needed Daniel's hand because our little bug wanted to climb, yes climb, all over the chair and attempt to jump off.  

Growing// Nathan is right around 22 pounds, and I think he went through a growth spurt this month because all of a sudden he seems so much bigger to me.  I remember thinking how long it would be until I could throw him up on my hip and walk around because his body was so loose.  Now he fits perfectly on my hip, and loves to hold.  He also cut his first tooth on the bottom!  

Development was huge this month.  Nathan is doing his own variation of crawling, which includes lots of upward dogs and pushing off the floors with his belly to go forward.  I think that rolling is his favorite way to get where he wants to go.  He also is easily moving from sitting to crawling without face planting.  I caught him in the bathtub the other night trying to climb!  Yikes!  A ducky was up on the ledge, and he was so close at getting his leg underneath him to help him reach it.  I about died.  Nathan loves to clap, and he is very close at waving.  Right now it's more like an arm flap, but it's super adorable.  He's also noticing when mama is around and wants to be held more often, so he puts his hands out to be picked up.  I think I'm going to be an enabler parent.  Oh dear!  

Eating & Sleeping// We don't have a picky eater on our hands, which is a huge blessing!  This month we stopped feeding Nathan purees and he is now eating fruits and veggies that are steamed or soft enough while raw.  He wants to feed himself when you're not using a spoon, so eating has become quite messy, which causes me to freak out a tad bit inside.  We tried out oatmeal again and he didn't gag on it like he had previously.  Right now his main diet consists of bananas, avocado, watermelon, sweet potato, apple sauce, zucchini, and carrots.  He's nursing five times a day, and I've surprisingly been able to keep up my supply while working full time.  At nighttime I've noticed my supply is the lowest, which is a newer development, and I'm worried he's not getting enough while causes him to wake up 1-2 times still in the middle of the night.  

This month his sleep was all over the place!  Some nights were great, but a majority of them included lots and lots of screaming in the middle of the night.  At one point I crawled into the crib with him because he just would not fall back asleep.  I'm sure it has to do with his teething, but it has been rough!  His naps are finally become more and more routine, and when he is at home he will sleep for about 45 minutes in the morning and three hours in the afternoon.  Now he goes to a home daycare three days a week, and luckily he's been taking a nice long afternoon nap there as well.  When we are out and about, it's game over.  

Loving// Lately he loves to be held, which has been a bit of a challenge, but I'm learning to soak up this time with him.  He also loves his stroller!  I've noticed in the afternoons he can be a bit fussy, so I'll throw him into the stroller and go for a walk or run.  It works like a charm!  Nathan loves playing peek-a-boo, crawling towards you, taking baths, and having all the attention on him.  His laugh is the cutest thing ever! Nathan loves his daddy and can't get enough of him when he gets thrown way up into the air. 

Loathing// Right now this kid does not like sleeping in his crib, ah!  He will be completely asleep in our arms, and the minute we put him in his crib he wakes up screaming.  I've decided it's okay to rock him to sleep since that's my time with him, but I'm worried bad habits are forming and am not quite sure what to do.  He's also not a fan of getting his face washed off after eating, or when you're taking too long to get his next bit to him.  

nathan james: 7 months

This month caught me off guard, and it wasn't until the day of that I realized Nathan was officially 7 months old.  6 months was good, we weren't anywhere near a year and I felt as though it was okay if he wasn't doing certain things because he was "only 6 months".  Well that time has come and gone, and I have to put on my big girl pants and accept that we are now closer to the one year mark than when he was born.  Nathan continues to be the happiest baby, and I daily have to thank God for his perfect personality and how amazing life is with him!  

Growing// Nathan is somewhere in-between 21-22 pounds, and my arms can fell it.  The Ergo carrier was my best friend while on vacation, and whenever I didn't use it and held him in my arms they quickly became tired.  He is starting to move!  He is scooting backwards on his belly, and also can rotate and roll in order to get what he wants.  This past week he rocked up onto all fours, but no crawling has happened yet...which I'm grateful for so I can prolong baby proofing for a bit.  He absolutely loves to bounce and stand up on our laps.  

Eating & Sleeping// We've reached the stage that I'm thoroughly enjoying, solids!  Now he is able to eat a greater variety of solids (that I puree) and we have been slowly pureeing less.  Blueberries and peaches can be eaten raw and in small chunks, and he also ate steamed carrots like a champ.  Really, anything you put in his mouth he will eat!  He is still breastfeeding about 5 times a day, with two meals of solids, and wakes up once in the middle of the night to feed.  I don't mind this feeding, and know that he will eventually drop it.  His sleeping is slowly getting better, and each night he sleeps about 11-12 hours with one wake-up.  Now, if we could just get him to fall asleep a bit faster that would be nice.  He just doesn't want to miss everything that's going on!!

Loving// There really aren't a whole lot of things that Nathan doesn't love.  When he cries you know something is wrong, either he is overtired or over hungry.  He is our social butterfly and loves whenever someone talks to him.  He also loves when others dance, so I will set him in his bouncer and have a dance party for a party of one to crack him up.  Being outdoors is a favorite of his, and as soon as a nice breeze hits his face he gets the biggest smile.  "Old McDonald" continues to be his favorite song, but "Itsy Bitsy Spider" is a close second.  Bath time is a blast now that he is sitting in the tub all on his own.  He plays with his rubber duckies, but this involved making big splashes in the water to watch them disappear and float up in different places. 

Loathing// As of late, we aren't huge fans of getting our face cleaned up after a meal or when the food is taking a while to get into our mouths.  He's also starting to protest a bit when it's time to get in the carseat which is very new.  Other than that, he is a happy camper!! (Although, we are taking him beach camping for the first time this weekend so we will see if he truly is a happy camper!)

nathan james: 6 months

 

The other day I actually thought to myself, "I can't wait until he is bigger and can do...." and it definitely caught me off guard because so much of these past six months has been me wishing he would stop growing so I could soak up all of his little baby goodness.  Each month becomes sweeter and sweeter as Nathan grows, develops, and gains more of his amazing personality.  So I think I'll resolve to not wish for him to grow up faster or slower, but rather enjoy where he is at presently because it is just so good.  

Growing// We actually have our six month check up today so I don't know exactly how much he weighs.  We also don't own a scale, but my guess would be close to 20 pounds.  For a bit I was starting to be self-conscious that he seemed so much larger than other babies.  And then I told myself that it means his body is nice and healthy, and his thighs are just perfect for gobbling up.  Nathan officially mastered sitting up...well he also has mastered the art of face planting and falling backwards...but his balance has improved greatly and he is playing with toys while sitting up as well. This has been my favorite development thus far!  He is rolling over from back to tummy so easily, and even has to kind of hoist his jolly belly over his legs to get there (which cracks me up every time).  He's moving toys from one hand to the other, looking at them closely, and then devours them to help his aching gums.  He does not have any teeth yet, but is drooling this crazy and chomping on anything and everything in sight.  There are two on the bottom that look like they are trying to make an appearance, but they aren't the front teeth so that has me slightly confused.  He is wearing 9 month clothes, and 12 month fits him very easily. 

Eating & Sleeping// Now that we have hit six months, I'm all on board with introducing solids to Nathan.  Because he started eating bananas and avocado at five months, we started introducing others this past week.  In addition to banana and avocado, he is eating sweet potatoes, carrots, and pears, and he loves all of them!  I'm making his baby food with organic produce and loving that dearly (more to come).  We are doing purees for the moment because that is what I feel most comfortable with.  He's still nursing 5 times a day, and wakes up at least once in the night to feed as well.  

The crib has been our saving grace, he sleeps so well in it.  Other than a few nights this past week where he was up like a party animal all night long, he usually goes to sleep by 7pm and wakes up for the day between 7 and 7:30am.  He consistently wakes up at 3:33am (how does this happen?!?!) and has a few days where he wakes up between 12-1am as well.  I gladly nurse him back to sleep and am not too concerned about weaning him just yet.  

Loving// Nathan continues to be the happiest baby, and he has such a content manner that it is good for my soul.  Right now he loves putting anything and everything in his mouth.  Sophie the Giraffe continues to be his main gal.  Nathan loves when we sing "Old McDonald" to him and he giggles every time.  On the rare moments when he has had enough of the car drive I start belting it out at the top of my lungs, and without fail will choke while snorting like a pig.  He LOVES to smile, and scrunches his nose just like so which is pretty much the most adorable thing ever.  He loves when people talk to him.  And we also found out that he loves dogs and cats!  Our cat has had a very big change of heart, and allows him to grab her ears and nose.  He gets the biggest smile on his face when she walks by.  We just tried the swing at the park for the first time, and he couldn't get enough of it.  He also loves the "Colors" book where he can touch and feel the different textures.  

Loathing// So this past week he realized that he wants something and if he can't have it then he will gladly tell you.  While playing in his bouncer, a toy wouldn't reach his mouth so he told that toy how he felt.  Daniel had an iced coffee and Nathan wanted the straw so baldy, so we distracted him with a toy before a meltdown occurred in the coffee shop.  He's not a fan of getting his face cleaned up after eating, or staying still during diaper changes, and he especially doesn't like when all of his food is gone.   We've gone to the pool quite a few times this summer and Nathan definitely prefers warmer water.  Getting out of the pool and chaining is also something he is not a fan of.  

And here are some darling pics because we just can't get enough of him! 

nathan james: 5 months

How are we just one month away from Nathan's first year?  I'm pretty sure I start out every monthly update blog post like this, but it is so incredible how quickly they grow and change.  Nathan is becoming more and more curious about everything, and he thinks the best way to figure something out is by putting it in his mouth.  Right now I just thank my lucky stars he is not mobile yet, because when that day comes we are going to be busy bees baby-proofing and keeping an eye on him.  

Growing// My guess he is just about 18 pounds right about now.  Our poor little guy had RSV for the first time this past month, so we had a solid week spending lots of time at the doctor's office.  At his last appointment two weeks ago he was 17 lbs. 8 oz.  And trust me, I can definitely tell you heavy he is getting every time I have to lug that infant car seat out of the car.  I'm almost ready for a convertible so I don't have to hassle with taking the carseat in and out anymore.  As much as I wish Nathan was itty bitty still, he is able to do so much more now that he is bigger.  He rides in the stroller without the carseat, which is amazing, and he loves it.  The other night he was fussy and I had a stressful day at work, so I put him in the stroller and went for a run.  Needless to say, we both were very happy afterwards. 

This month he rolled over back to front!  He has only done it a couple times where he rolls completely over, other attempts he gets stuck on his arm and just teeters on his side for a bit.  He also is able to sit in the tripod position for more than 30 seconds…depending on his mood at the time.  Right now his 3-6 month jammies are getting pretty snug, so I think it's about time for me to unpack his 6-9 month clothes…and I just cried a bit! 

Eating & Sleeping// Yikes, this is still super challenging.  At night he has been waking up 3 times a night, and every time I try to console him with the soothie or rocking him it turns into screaming fits that are only calmed once I break down and nurse him.  He's still in his co-sleeper next to our bed, but is getting a bit too big for it so this month we're transitioning to the crib…which I'm sure will bring on even more sleeping issues.  He naps three times a day, but the times and length are pretty inconsistent.  

Nathan is an amazing eater.  Upon our pediatrician's suggestion, we started rice cereal, which he loves. Every time he sees the spoon he immediately opens his mouth, and he is also watching me eat like a hawk.  I'm reading Super Nutrition for Babies which has actually taught me a bit more about rice cereal, so we are going to stop feeding him that and start with avocados and bananas this week.  

Loving// There's not a whole lot Nathan doesn't like.  As of late, his toes are the bomb dot com.  He can finally reach them and is trying so hard to put them in his mouth.  Mirrors are about the most fascinating thing ever, and he loves playing with the "baby" he sees staring back at him.  He loves kisses from mommy, and I love kissing him all over.  Getting his feet rubbed at nighttime is pretty spectacular, and he immediately calms down once I start.  Being on his tummy is becoming more comfortable, although now he wants to move so he becomes easily frustrated.  Sophie is his main love.  That giraffe hung the moon for him.  

Loathing// I'm so thankful that there's not much our little bug doesn't like.  Just have food ready and he is set!  

a weekend of firsts

Take me back to the weekend!  Well, specifically Saturday.  It was a jam-packed family day filled so many firsts for our little bug. 

I went to a running group Saturday morning in Encinitas and convinced the Mr. to bring himself and the babe to me afterwards.  Best decision ever.  The weather was absolutely gorgeous, the sky was crystal clear…and someone doesn't need their infant carseat in the stroller anymore!  After our pediatrician visit last week, we got the green light to put him in the stroller (probably because my kid is a giant!).  At first I was a bit worried Nathan wouldn't be a fan.  As per usual Nathan style, he is hunky-dory with everything.  He loved being in the stroller and seeing the world from a different view.  I love how much lighter it is!  

We had our first family trip to the beach for a couple hours.  Nathan even went in the water and didn't scream or cry.  Does this mean he likes it?  Well, he didn't smile but I'll take that any day over a sad baby.  The Mr. is really hoping we have a water baby on our hands since I am not a fan of going into the ocean water.  

Nathan also tried baby cereal for the first time.  Ok, I'm so conflicted over foods for babies right now….there's Baby Led Weaning people who would highly disagree with giving him baby cereal, and then there's me who wants to give my child whole goods.  I did purchase an organic brand that used whole brown rice instead of enriched white rice.  I think it was more for the experience sake.  He took it pretty quickly, but then spit it all back up.  Right now I'm in no rush to move things along!  I will say that he is one neat eater, and totally goes after that spoon-he just loves to eat.  

To end our amazing fun-filled day, we went to our first Padres game as a family of three.  We just so happened to have the perfect outfit to put him in, plus a fedora and shades.  Let's just say that he was the talk of the game.  Girls were swooning over him left and right, and I can't blame them.  He is one super cute kid.  Nathan did so well at the game, which called my anxious mama heart. 

I literally can't wait to see what new adventures we will journey on soon!