feeling like one hot mess

Motherhood.  I feel like someone needs to tell you that you will continually feel like you're going crazy once you enter motherhood.  Now that I've been in this stage for almost a year (?!?!?!?!?!?!?! I'm already crying) I feel like I should have my act together, be able to show up to places on time, know why my baby is crying, and feel altogether synced.  Well, lately I've just been feeling like one hot mess. 

Currently I'm pumping while scouring the cabinets for fenugreek and slathering on fennel essential oil like it's nobody's business because I'm not producing much milk these days.  I panic and struggle between blaming the fact that Nathan's been fussier or waking up more on the fact that he's probably not getting enough to eat and accepting the fact that it just may be time to wean.  I'm also currently googling a typical feeding schedule for 11 month olds because I'm worried he's not getting enough milk on top of his solids, hoping that this will make him sleep through the night.  I definitely remember doing all of these things, googling when I didn't know what was going on, and then coming to terms with the fact that this will always be "new" and I'll continue to learn the ropes as we go.  

And then there was yesterday....Nathan wasn't feeling well, I wasn't feeling well, and we ended up being one hot mess.  We had our annual Christmas concert.  I long for this day all year.  The concert started at 4 but I had to be there at 2:30 to help with kids' check-in.  At the last minute I realize that Nathan has no clean pants so I throw a load into the wash thinking surely there will be enough time to dry them.  Oh, and the Mr. works on Sundays so it was a solo-mama day.  I try to make myself presentable (why didn't I do that earlier?!?!) and let Nathan play in our room/bathroom.  Noticing he's been quiet for some time, I look over only to find his hand in. the. toilet.  Yes.  I freaked out, immediately washed his hands, and we continued on with our hot mess of a day. 

His clothes didn't have enough time to dry, so I pull out the closest pair of pants and decide not to put them on him so they can continue to dry in the car.  We get downtown and successfully park, I put Nathan in the Ergo only to noticed that both eyes are all goopy and gross.  Deciding that he should be fine, I put him in the nursery while I serve and check in kids.  And then it happened.  Right when I thought "we've got this" and was about to enjoy the concert, I was informed Nathan couldn't stay in the nursery because his eyes weren't clearing up and I immediately felt all the shame.  I was "that mom" with "that baby" with "those eyes".  Why did I even put him there in the first place?!?!  Mind you, these aren't truths one bit, but it is exactly where my mind went.  

So I picked him up, strapped him on, oh...and still pantless because they were still damp, and proceeded to the concert.  Well, wearing a 24+ pounder along with a diaper bag and purse definitely starts to take a toll on the body.  Standing in the back of the auditorium I felt like all was lost.  This would have been so much easier if I wasn't by myself doing it alone.  But then I remember that there will always be these challenges with or without the Mr. by my side.  I walked to the car with a dead phone, a sick baby, and aching shoulders and back wishing it had all gone so differently.  And then we got home, Nathan went to bed beautifully, and this morning it all just makes me chuckle.  Of course this will happen again.  He will be sick, I will forget to wash his clothes, he'll have a blowout.  But I really need to remember not to let my mind get sucked into the "shame game" telling myself that I'm a hot mess.  

body after baby

I find it rather funny how nieve I was about my body after having a baby.  There's a million lies that we as a culture flood our minds with.  "It takes 9 months to put it on, so it will take 9 months to take it off" is just one of them.  Then we have the mindset that as a mom we have completely lost our bodies so there's no use in trying.  When I was pregnant I worked so hard to maintain my fitness level.  I continued to exercise 4-5 times a week, ran up until 32 weeks, and modified exercises.  Honestly, I think this made my delivery go so smoothly.  And I would constantly think how quickly I'd gain my body back after having a baby because I'd have all this time to exercise.  Boy was I wrong.

Now that it's been 10 months since having Nathan, I think I'm a bit ready to share what "body after baby" has looked like for me. 

I went from being home to working part-time to being home again to working full-time.  Within all of that I've tried sticking with workout schedules/routines, online fitness programs, tracking calories...and then I would get so tired.  There has always been this constant pull between fitting in time to exercise while also loving on Nathan and Daniel when I'm not at work.  Exercise makes me feel so good but it also has been something that stresses me out.  I also realized I was comparing myself to these fitness bloggers where it was their job to work out, to show off their postpartum body.  So I came back to reality and had a little heart to heart with myself to frame what was realistic for me in my schedule.  That means working out 2-3 times a week, and eating healthy.  

And before we start thinking that I'm the healthiest eater ever, let me just say that chocolate has been my new best friend (oh how I love thee) especially in the stress of it all.  I know, that the best habit to make one bit, but a girl needs a bit of grace. 

Our bodies are miraculous.  Even though I wasn't able to work out as often or as long as I used to, and my eating habits weren't always on point, the weight still came off.  It seemed that as soon as I put my focus and attention on just loving on this sweet little baby and having fun with him, the stress of body issues seemed to melt away.  Throughout my pregnancy I didn't weigh myself but I knew roughly where I started at.  What boggles my mind is that I may weigh a bit less now than before I got pregnant, but by no means am I as strong or toned.  And that's okay for me right now.  There will come a day when I'll be able to put more focus on working out more.  But for right now it is about finding balance. 

When we stop scrutinizing our bodies for a while, inspecting it in the mirror in the morning, and listing all the things we wish were different about it, we all of the sudden have more time to love on others in our lives and find true joy.  My biggest take away in this journey to love myself so that I can love others has been to daily find the successes on how I treated my body and keep a balanced mindset.  

The last thing you'll see here are before/after pictures, because come on...when I see those I just want to cry.  But I do want to actively share healthy tips in this busy life we live.  So love on your body today instead of tearing it down! 

we take our Sundays slow

Our bodies have a keen way of telling us we need to rest, and this morning my body was loudly exclaiming it was time to take it slow when it pulled the pillow over my head as Nathan's cry signaled it was time to get up.  A sick husband and baby meant this week was trying, and Nathan woke up was that cold that refuses to leave our house, so we ditched church to rejuvenate our souls.  A morning run in the fog always makes me giddy with delight, add in lots of playtime, "Martha Stewart" moments in kitchen, and teaching Nathan the beauty that is pumpkin pancakes, and our day was set to be amazingly blissful.  Everything was so good up until a little someone protested an afternoon for a whole three hours.  Luckily time ticks on, and so does letting go of our expectations for baby nap times and checking chores off of our lists.  Memories were made today that melted my mommy heart. 

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.  

one word check-in

It is a common practice in my life groups to do a "one word check-in" before we get going.  We go around and give a word to describe what we are coming with, or how our week is going so far.  I know it's coming all week long, and when it's time to actually give my word I'm always at a loss for words because there are numerous appropriate words in my head.  Well, this morning I planned to write a little update on how our life is going but one word just wouldn't get out of my head:

tired

I. am. so. tired. 

This new rhythm of life has been taking a while to adjust to.  Working along with being a wife and mom has been truly draining these last two weeks, and my emotions are all over the place.  But at this point I think that I'm so tired that my emotions are numbed out.  Yesterday as I was driving home I thought to myself, "If I could close my eyes right now I may never wake up".  Good thing that didn't happen!  And then I remembered the good ol' college days where I wondered how my body would ever get used to 5 hours of sleep while juggling classes, working, and life.  Miraculously, it did and I got through it.  When Nathan was an infant I remembered being so shocked at how quickly my body adapted to all of the interrupted sleep at night with his feedings.  I know that I'll adjust, we will adjust, and that I won't feel so incredibly tired one day.  That day might be when our kids are grown and off at college.  But I guess the beautiful thing in life is that it's worth being tired for.  This little family of mine, and memories we are making, and the love I have for them-it's worth it.  

However, the struggle is real.  It's a daily struggle between cleaning/cooking/chores and relaxing for a bit at night.  My husband must've known I so desperately needed him this week because he ended up having a random weekday off, sent Nathan to daycare for a bit, and cleaned the whole house.  

On Sunday Nathan's nap was a bit rough, and he ended up sleeping on me for an hour.  The internal struggle between putting him back in his crib so I could clean and plopping on the couch with him and watching an episode of Parenthood was so hard.  Fortunately, I chose the latter.  And look, the work still got done!  Nathan rarely sleeps on me, so I know that I have to savor those moments when they do happen.  I feel as though I have to base my self-worth on how clean and organized my house is, if my laundry is done, how healthy I'm cooking, or how many times I'm working out (more to come on that).  Daily I have to remind myself that these things do not state who I am as a person.  But it is a daily reminder I have to keep telling myself.  

I share this not to whine or complain because there are so many moms out there doing the exact same thing with more on their plate, more mouths to feed, more mess to pick up.  I share because this mama community has gotten me through life so far, and I want to add a little nugget of vulnerability and truth to where life is at.  I'm forever thankful for my "Mama Tribe" of moms, working or not, who are my backbone to finding balance in life, bring peace to chaos, and understanding in all these new baby unknowns.  

five tips to balance work and family

I never thought it was possible, but working full-time is getting a bit easier while also taking care of my family!  By the way, the picture really has nothing to do with this post...it just makes me gush so I had to share.  Before going back to work, I'd look at all of the things that would get done around the house and thought it would be a true miracle if I could still keep up with them.  Well, I still find it a miracle if my bathroom is clean, but I'm learning some tricks along the way that have helped me manage my time better so I'm present in my job, with my family, and in the house duties.  There are still a million things to learn, but I wanted to share just a few that have helped me in this transition.  

1. It will still be there tomorrow!  I hate this, but it's so true.  A sink of dirty dishes at night isn't my favorite thing, but I'm learning to let it slide one or two nights a week.  Also, running the dishwasher in the morning helps tremendously so that I can easily unload it when I get home.  Our bathrooms are still a mess, but I like to park that into my "weekend" slot in my brain.  "Saturdays are for bathrooms.  Check."  It makes my head spin a little bit less.  

2. Unpack everything when you get home.  I find that after picking Nathan up from daycare and coming home, I feel so much better if I unpack my lunch box, pump parts/bottles, Nathan's diaper bag first thing.  After I put them all away my mind feels like there's one less thing to do and I can focus all my energy on Nathan. 

3. Turn your phone off or hide it.  Staying "hands-free" is hard but a must when I want to give Nathan all of my attention.  I'm on my email all day, so taking a break for a couple hours won't make the world stop.  Nathan goes to bed at 7pm so I only get a couple hours with him in the afternoon so I have to make them count! 

4. Plan and easy Crock Pot recipe a week.  This week our meal plans have been simple yet delicious and filling.  One night we had Eat Live Run's Green Chicken Curry with quinoa.  Sunday is my prep day, so I chopped all of the veggies and made the sauce ahead of time.  Done and done!  

5. Give yourself grace upon grace upon grace.  Becoming a mother made me clearly see what exactly grace was, and as I continue on this journey I'm realizing that I need to learn how to give myself more grace than I ever imagined.  This means not beating myself up if I don't get to the floors that night, if the laundry remains unfolded, if the mail I need to send still sits on our table, if Nathan and I haven't read a book in a week, if I choose to sit and have a glass of wine with Daniel instead of doing work.  Grace.  Thank goodness for grace! 

These things are small and I'm sure my list will continue to grow.  Staying focused on what is working versus what isn't is powerful and healing.  Stay strong mamas!!

the struggle is real

Things have been a bit quiet over here, but they haven't been quiet in the real world.  Not.  One.  Bit.  Summer is winding down, which means it is back to work for me.  And all of a sudden, I realized that there's quite a bit that this mama is struggling with.

So if I you happened to see a crazy woman yesterday singing "BINGO" in the car while simultaneously crying ugly tears, there's a very small chance that was me.  Nathan has been waking up more than usual during the middle of the night, leaving me pretty tired.  Yesterday I was just plain ol' exhausted.  Side note: why can't every coffee shop be drive-thru???  Although, more coffee doesn't fix the solution.

After waking up, getting myself and Nathan ready to church, and successfully making it out the door early, all I wanted to do was crawl back into bed.  Yes pastor, I hear you, I feel you, but I also am simultaneously wishing that I was hearing you while snuggled up in my sheets and pillows.  From church there was no rest.  Nathan decided to show me this amazing trick and spit up in my hand.  You read that right.  Then he spit up all over my shirt.  Oh but wait...later that day I instantly knew what that warm sensation was that covered my shirt as I drew a bath with my naked baby.  I don't know what I was thinking getting him undressed before having a bath ready for him.  Driving home he decided he would protest sleeping even more since he didn't get in his usual long, afternoon nap.  Hence, the crazy lady singing every single nursery rhyme in the car in order to soothe her crying baby.

And in that moment all I wanted was some patience, for the day to be over, for bedtime to come and go, and to curl up in my bed and hit "reset".  So the tears started rolling.  Because I'm exhausted.  Because I go back to work in two weeks and I'm feeling so many emotions all at once.  Because I feel alone.  Because I realized I still had to make dinner and had no idea what to throw together.  And because I had to unpack a million things accumulating in the car.

So I'm a mess.  And the struggle is real.  And all I wanted in that moment was some fro yo, and then all I could think about was the fact that I didn't work out nearly as much as I wanted to this past week and how much body image is struggling right now too.

That night, bedtime finally came.  And as I nursed Nathan and looked down at his blue eyes that seem to see everything so purely, my chest tightened and ached.  It is surreal how much love one is able to have for another.  And the love that I have for this little boy is unexplainable.  Heck, I'm even crying right now!  That love will help me wake up and face another day with bodily fluids everywhere and it will help me say good-bye as I leave for work because at the end of the day I know I have a smile to great me when I return.

homemade baby food

I've dreamed of the day that I would become a mom, and then I dreamt a little more about feeding my baby foods that nourished their bodies, but were tasty and satisfying, and also homemade.  I'm not quite sure when the "homemade bug" bit me because it wasn't exactly how I was raised.  But somewhere along the way I realized that my preconceived notion of "homemade" equalling "harder" was dismissed and I jumped head in on creating plenty in my own kitchen with my own two hands for us.  And that was before the baby came.  As I started learning how to cook I soon became pretty passionate about eating real food.  I'm talking about fruits and veggies that are so fresh you can still see the dirt and little friends that made it along their trek from the farm our CSA box comes from.  

So it made sense that when I had a baby, I would be passionate about feeding him real food.  

Now, I've quickly learned that everyone has their own way of doing things and some will quickly give you their own opinions.  I'm starting to figure out what it is that we want for our family and how to raise our son, but that doesn't mean it is the way.  So when I started researching what we would first feed Nathan, I came across Baby Led Weaning.  The idea seems so wonderful, but for my own peace of mind I wanted to start with purees and soft foods that didn't need to be cooked.  I started reading Super Nutrition for Babies and quickly realized that there were some things I would take and others that I just wasn't quite ready for (read: I'm not ready to feed him raw egg yolks or bone marrow).  Then there was the controversy over whether or not to give your baby rice cereal, and when I first fed Nathan some I immediately felt like I was a bad mom because it doesn't have much nutritional value and is hard for their bodies to digest.  Holy moly, it felt like everywhere I turned I was going to do something wrong!  

The good news is that I'm learning to let go of my people-pleasing tendencies (and this is going to be a forever-long process) and focus on what I want to stick to my guns on when it comes to feeding Nathan.  Organic fruits and veggies, pureed to start with, and providing a nice variety was where I landed!  

So our first foods were banana and avocado.  Naturally he is my child because he is crazy for bananas, and he is also obviously a Lafuze for his love of avocado.  These two foods are so easy to mash up and feed!  Plus, they are both very easy for our on-the-go lifestyle.  I love sharing my banana with Nathan after our park workouts in the morning, and he is able to now eat chunks of it instead of me mashing it up.  The same goes for avocado.  When we go out to eat, I will just order an extra side and give that to him.  He's been eating them for a good two months now, so I started giving him chunks as well and he gums them like a champ!

Purees have been super easy to make with our Beaba baby food maker, which steams and purees it for you!  Sweet potatoes were Nathan's first puree, and from there we went to carrots.  Now he has tried those along with parsnips, zucchini, pears, and squash.  After I steam the veggies, I add in a little bit of ghee so that he has fat to absorb the nutrients before blending it all up.  Someone asked me the other day what he likes and doesn't like.  It's kind of a silly question for this kid because he basically loves everything you give him!  His reactions when eating are hilarious, but he will always open wide up for the next bite.  

Making his baby food doesn't take much time at all, and I only do it once or twice a week.  I've figured out a pretty great system that work well for us, even when on the go.  After pureeing it, I pour it into these perfect ice cube trays I found on Amazon.  They make perfect squares that are exactly one ounce, and are super easy to pop out once frozen.  After the food is frozen, I then put the squared into large freezer bags with a label and date.  Then in the morning I just pull out 1-2 cubes of whatever he will eat that afternoon and put them in the fridge to defrost.  I don't heat up his food, unless it is still frozen, which makes him super easy to feed when we are out and about.  

My goal is to have him off of purees by 9 months.  Purees are wonderful at getting him used to the taste of different foods but I want him working on his pincer grasp and able to eat what we are eating so that I'm not always preparing a separate meal for him.  Making our meals accessible for him is my goal.  I also hope to not have a picky eater, and would love for him to have a taste of a wide variety of fruits and veggies while I can control it.  I'm sure the time will come (probably sooner than I hope) when he turns away from food, throws it on the floor, and will only eat PB&J.  But until then I'm satisfied knowing that the foods we feed him are healthy, organic, and easy for his body to digest and get nutrients from!  

Nathan is starting to eat some foods raw or steamed, which is fantastic!  We just started sharing blueberries and peaches with him, and he also began eating cut carrots steamed, so we are on  a roll!  

I'm pretty sure that his two solid meals are his favorite time of the day! 

our road trip adventures

Sorry things have been pretty quiet around here.  We recently got back from a road trip, and then took on a house project.  Needless to say, I've been wishing for more hours in the day to get things accomplished!

We accomplished our first road trip with a baby and we would both call it a huge success!  One of Daniel's friends from college got married in Northern California so we decided to make a whole trip out of it and visit Napa, my best friend, and my college town.  I won't lie, I was having some mad anxiety about being on the road for so long with Nathan.  He generally does pretty well in his car seat, but I was nervous it would take us so long to get up there from all our stops to feed and change him.  Well, we made do and I have some tips I'll share in just a bit that helped.  To say Nathan was amazing is a HUGE understatement, he deserves "baby of the year" award for how well he did on our trip!  In 6 nights we slept in 4 different places, he adapted to wherever we went, and didn't cause too much of a fuss albeit his schedule (used very loosely) was totally off.  He was the life of the party wherever we went, and made many new friends thanks to his adorable smile and happy demeanor.

We've decided that Northern California is truly gorgeous!  Everything was so green and lush, a far cry from our very dry and brown mountains in San Diego.  Napa was just splendid.  I had some great recommendations of where to go from some friends.  We visited the Oxbow Market twice, and one trip included picking up some of the most delicious fresh cheese and baguette to take with us on a picnic.  We visited Frog's Leap, Hagafen, Mumm Napa, and Clos de Val wineries.  We had the most phenomenal dinner at Farmstead, and are still dreaming of our meal.  Nathan went wherever we went, enjoyed stretching on the grass lawn while we picnicked, and tried to get a sip of wine on multiple occasions.

After Napa we went south just a bit to visit my best friend who moved up there last summer.  It felt so good to sleep in a house versus a hotel for a night, and we were just so relaxed.  From there we visited Daniel's cousin on our morning as we headed south to the central coast and went to my "happy place", San Luis Obispo.  That town just gets me every time. The charm and quaintness of it all made me reminisce of college days and miss how simple life was back then.

Along the way we had a few hiccups, but soon figured out how to do things differently.  Daniel and I never argued once, and we worked really hard to be as flexible as possible (which is a huge necessity with a baby).  I don't have the most cohesive list, but here are some of the things that worked really well for us to have a happy baby and enjoyable trip.

• I sat in the back seat of the car for the long stretches on our drives up the coast.  This kept Nathan entertained and happy.  I also took my pump, which came with a battery charger, and pumped him a bottle and gave it to him while in his car seat to avoid having to stop one more time.  This worked out really well!!!
• The ergo was my very best friend!  Nathan went wherever we went, and being able to strap him in and go was a breeze.  This is what we used at wineries or even just walking around.  He is able to fall asleep in it, and I've also mastered how to nurse him while in it as well.  Since we couldn't always be at our hotel for him to take a nap, the ergo really helped him get the sleep he needed. 
• Since we stayed in four different places, it was crucial to be organized when packing up and knowing how to load the car efficiently.  I would typically make sure everything was in the proper bag, and Daniel would load the car up in the mornings.  Mine and Nathan's clothes were together in the same suitcase, which helped a ton in the mornings when deciding what to wear.  
• Having a stash of plastic bags is essential!  When we pulled up to our dinner one day, we quickly realized we had a very big diaper situation on our hands and I will definitely spare you the details because it was just awful.  Anyways, the plastic bags were our life savers!  They also were great to quickly throw trash away in and keep the car clean as we went along. 
• Babies eventually sleep.  Nathan's schedule was totally thrown off.  Normally he goes to bed at 7pm, and we wouldn't get back to our room until 9pm most nights and he would still be wide away.  He adapted and eventually fell asleep, and also slept in till 8:30am (which was much needed for me).  I couldn't stress about his naps so I just tried to listen to his cues, and when I noticed he was tired I'd put him in the ergo to ensure he got some sleep throughout the day.  

We still are so surprised how great Nathan did, and now we are crossing our fingers he is just as wonderful when we embark on another new adventure for us...beach camping!!

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!