And It Begins...

The weekend of the dance recital is always super busy for my family. Today was leotard rehearsal and in an effort to take something off of my sister's plate, I went and picked up my nephew and took him with us to story time. Afterward we went to Whole Foods to pick up some lunch and get some snacks to take with us for the rehersal.

When we got home we ate lunch and then I got my nephew busy with some activities:

 while I got to work on putting dinner in the crockpot.

Meat always seems to dry out in the crockpot but not today! I used pork butt (not a very appealing name for that cut of meat...) and it turned out so delicious!!! We also had some collard greens in the fridge that were on their way out so I thought that would be the perfect side. David texted me when he got home and told me how delicious it was. Ayden and I were going to be staying at leotard rehearsal until pretty late so I wouldn't find out for myself until I got home.

I wore Ayden in our Didymos woven wrap for most of the night. All of the kids kept coming up to tell me how cute he was and all of their moms couldn't get over how snugly he looked in the wrap. I just can't believe wraps aren't more common than they are!

When he woke up and ate he got so happy and playful. He was giving everyone smiles and was giggling while I tickled and kissed on him. There was even one point in the night where I tried to make him fly like super baby and he in turn spit up down my shirt... Luckily I had my handy dandy shout wipes!

I, of course, packed Ayden's PJs and nighttime diaper so when he started acting sleepy I got him ready. The problem was that we were probably in the most stimulating environment he's ever been in. He was so sleepy but just looking, wide eyed, all around.  He ended up falling asleep on the way home only to wake again when we got here; but that ended up being a good thing since David got to spend a little more time with him before we got him back to bed.

I also finally got to try the meal that the crock pot slaved over all day and all
I can say is "YUM!" Talk about melt in your mouth, I will definitely be using pork butt as my meat of choice in the crockpot the next time we entertain!

With Ayden's routine being completely out of whack this evening, tonight could pan out to be rather interesting...

 Next up for tomorrow is dress rehearsal and another busy day. Goodnight!

~Sarah

Under the Weather

Poor Ayden was a bit fussy all day today. Kind of funny that I just typed that sentence after talking about how happy he always is in yesterday's post... He wasn't crying, he just wanted to be held all day.  I don't know if it was something to do with the vaccine he got yesterday or if it was the fact that all of his naps were short today.  My bet is it was the naps but it's really hard for me to be consistent with his naps on Little Miss days.  

The weather was so pleasant today that we went for a really long morning walk.  Ayden fell asleep in the Moby toward the beginning of the walk and Little Miss fell asleep in the stroller later in the walk.  By the time we were half way home, Ayden woke up and I was a little worried that he would want out of the wrap before we got home.  When he started to fuss, I started singing to him and the cutest thing happened!  He leaned back, looked up at me and smiled his biggest smile.  He always just looks side to side in the wraps and likes to look at us in mirrors but he's never leaned back to make direct eye contact while hanging in the Moby.  It was yet another moment during which I fell even more in love with him.  He kept doing it all the way home and did it again later in the day when I was wearing him.  I so hope it's a new "thing."

By the end of the day today, I was feeling really crumby.  My throat was hurting a little, it felt like from drainage, and my head was pounding.  I drank some extra water, ate a snack, took a couple of supplements that usually help with headaches with no success.  I think something that would have helped a lot was a nap but it just wasn't in the cards for me today.  By the time David got home I felt like a floating head and could hardly keep my thoughts together.  Ayden sure cheered up when he got home though!

We had to rush through dinner because I had to go to the dance studio to be in the faculty picture for the recital program and was just feeling worse and worse.  When we got home, in a last ditch effort, I had a bowl of paleo crunch cereal and it totally revived me!  I wondered if maybe I didn't eat enough protein today but we had plenty of protein at dinner (chicken), so David suggested that it must have been the honey.  One of the best things about eating a paleo-like lifestyle is the fact that it keeps your blood sugar leveled out but somehow today I had a dip.  Maybe my milk supply recently increased?  I'm just glad I decided to have that pre-bedtime snack because it made me feel like a whole new person!

Since we were going to be gone past Ayden's bedtime, I packed his PJs and Nighttime diaper and David changed him into them while I was getting the photo taken.  He fell asleep on the way home, had a pretty smooth transition to bed when we got here and has been asleep since.  We don't usually like doing extra stuff on week nights because that time is so precious to us.  Here it is after 10:00 and we are just now settling in to bed.  The next few nights won't be much better since all of the recital shenanigans will be under way but after Saturday things will be back to normal.  

Tomorrow I am going to pick my nephew up (my sister's the one that is in charge of said recital), take him with us to story time, then keep him with me for the day until it's time to go to the recital venue for leotard rehearsal.  Should be fun!

~Sarah

It's That Time Again...

Getting closer to sitting up!

If you had told me during the first month that we would have such a happy baby, I probably would have laughed and then accused you of confusing us with some other family. Ayden still has his fussy moments but for the most part he only fusses because of the usual reasons a baby may fuss (hungry, dirty diaper, sleepy, needing snuggles, boredom). And to be honest, if it's just the two of us here all day, he hardly ever fusses at all because he's pretty predictable and I can usually meet his needs before he's fussy about them.  Overall, life with this sweet baby has become so pleasant and we just love him so much!!

Ayden had his 4 month well baby checkup today (at almost 5 months old...).

I gave him a nice, long bath in preparation (any excuse to play with this little man in water!).

"Rubber Ducky, you're the one!"

He measured 24.5 inches and weighed in at 12lbs 11oz.

He's still a little guy but his doctor said he is gaining at a great rate and that he is within the healthy percentile range for his age.

We asked questions about:
Solids - we aren't starting them until 6 months and we will start with avocado. We are also planning to take the Baby Led Weaning approach.
Baby sunscreen: Is it completely necessary to wait until 6 months? He said it would be okay to use it on his legs at this age, if we really feel the need, but to test it on a tiny spot first to make sure it doesn't irritate his skin.

His doctor took note of:
Ayden's seemingly sensitive skin - he had scratched himself soon after we got there and it was bright red. He also had a little contact rash on his back.
Ayden's earwax production - Apparently babies his age aren't usually producing as much as he is. He said the only concern would be that it may effect his hearing a little and by the time he's a teen, he may have to have them cleaned out. Yikes!

He also asked us some other developmentally related questions and we were proud to answer that he had achieved of all the standard milestones that he referenced and then some!
- Rolling over
- Tracking people/things across the room
- Laughing
- Pulling objects towards his mouth
- Vocalizing
- There were a few more but I can't remember them all now...

He ended up getting only one more vaccine today which was PCV13 or Pneumococcal Conjugate.  He got a stacked vaccine last time (DTAP/HIB/Polio) and had a terrible night afterwards.  It actually made us question whether or not we wanted to continue vaccinating him.  We were planning on a staggered schedule with us going every month to spread them out.  Now we've decided to go every other month, while still spreading them out just to give his little body time to readjust between each one.  To prepare Ayden for his vaccinations, I have been taking some supplements so that he could get them through my breast milk.  Turmeric and ginger as anti-inflamatories and milk thistle and N-Acetyl Cysteine for detoxification as well as giving him an infant pro-biotic in his dream feeds.  These were all recommended by our naturopath (through which we got our food intolerance testing) to help Ayden's little body process the vaccines while avoiding as much discomfort as possible without using Tylenol or the like.

Ayden's appointment fell during his nap time, he fell asleep on the way there and was only able to get about 15-20 minutes in before he had to wake up to get measured, weighed, poked and prodded.  Then I let him nurse after his shot to help calm him down which was about a half hour before his next expected feeding; so our usual, predictable routine was all out of whack by the time we got home.  Ayden, the usually happy baby that I mentioned earlier was actually pretty fussy but we don't think it had much to do with his shot and everything to do with the fact that none of us really knew what needed to come next for him.  I tuned in and decided that he was mostly sleepy and probably needed to get in another cat nap so David decided to give the Moby a whirl.  He's usually a Ergo guy but Ayden can't tolerate it for long periods without the infant insert so we thought a fussy night wouldn't be a good time to try.  Ayden was perfectly happy in it but David wasn't a huge fan.  I think part of the problem is that I put it on him and I really feel like it's something you need to troubleshoot with a few times and put on yourself to suite your own personal preferences.  It sure was a nice sight though, seeing my boys together like that.

A baby wearing man is a sexy man! ;)

Ayden did end up falling asleep for a little bit and when he woke up it was time for bed and time to eat at the same time so I put him in his PJs and let him nurse to sleep and he's been out like a light ever since.  Last night had a lot of between feeding wake ups so I'm hoping tonight will be better!

~Sarah

A Hairy Situation

Ayden put himself to sleep a half hour early for his morning nap this morning. I always peek out at him once in a while during my shower to make sure he's okay. About half way through I looked out to see him rubbing both hands down the sides of his face. If that's not a sleepy cue I don't know what is. I finished up my shower, dried off and carried him straight to his bed. He watched his projector for a couple of minutes, rolled to his side and went right to sleep. It only lasted 30 minutes but it was effortless which is what we've been working towards. Small victories! Now if we can just get him to STAY asleep longer...

Speaking of showers, I found myself telling David last night that they have fallen into the same category as Facebook for me these days: Worthless Time Suck. I suppose they aren't really worthless as they do serve the purpose of getting you clean and all. It's just that since I've become a mom I've found that things like showers and even using the bathroom, although necessary, have become what feel like a waste of time. There are just so many other things I can accomplish in the time it takes to shower and get ready.

It also doesn't help that post partum hair loss is in full swing. I find that I'm spending half of my shower time unwinding wet, clingy strands of hair from my fingers. Once I get them free, I try keeping them collected on the wall of the shower so I can throw them away in an effort to keep the drain clear. Despite my effort it's currently clogged so I suppose David's in for a hairball of a treat when he get's around to cleaning it out. My hair also always finds its way wound around Ayden's little fingers too. Apparently during pregnancy, all the hormones slow down your usual hair shedding pattern, then somewhere between 3 and 4 months postpartum, when hormones are beginning to regulate again, the body starts releasing all those hairs it's been holding onto for so long. I hear it will all go back to normal but not until I've made it through the cycle of my already fine head of hair thinning even more, then having spikey baby hairs sticking up everywhere while some of what was released grows back in.

Fresh out of the shower this morning...
Yes, gross, I know... But who said motherhood was all rainbows and sunshine??

As I am going through all of this, along with several other not so sexy necessary postpartum activities (ie: milking myself like a cow regularly, almost always wearing my new perfume al la "Spit Up," having permanent bags and dark circles under my eyes that seem to age me a good 5 years, etc,) it is all starting to come together. I always wondered how new moms could ever let themselves become "frumpy" or "loose themselves" like you always see or hear about. Now almost 5 months into my very own field study it all makes sense. Now you may ask, has it happened to me? The honest answer is... "Maybe a little bit?"  But will I allow it to take over completely? That answer is a definitive, "NO!!"

For the first few months I felt like I had plenty of time for myself.  Newborns sleep a lot and when they're awake they are content to stare at windows and such.  I obviously interacted with him for most of his awake time, but my point is that it was much easier to find some time for myself here and there.  During Aydens 4th month, however, he started becoming more interactive. This is an amazing and very necessary milestone that I am totally excited about; but with it has come a trade off and the need for creativity. I used to be able to have him play independently in his bouncy seat or on his play mat next to me for a bit while I did some photo/video editing (one hobby of mine). Or, I'd get in a good 20-30 minutes of reading in while he nursed, since he used to be a little more lazy and less efficient of an eater. Now I am finding that housework and "me time" mainly has to happen while Ayden sleeps. I need to be careful because as things are right now, house work is almost always winning out over me time and when me time wins it's usually for a much needed nap.  I should note that Ayden still works on and is good at playing independently, which is just as important for a baby's development as interaction, but now that he's becoming more active, his independent play requires some level of supervision preventing me from diving full on into my own activities while he plays.

Loving his door jumper while I got ready this morning :)

I need to work on finding balance so that I can make time for the things that make me...Me. I have a few crafts lined up and lots of videos to make/edit so now I just need to MAKE time for them. I also want to set aside time to paint my nails every week. Even something as small as that will help me hold onto Me. I think this is the mistake those other "lost mommies" make. They feel themselves slipping away and just say, "Oh well... She'll come back once he's 18" but then she never does.

Lucky for me, I have a hubby who is caring and supportive and willing to help. If I go a week without sufficient "me time" he will help ensure that I can get a little time to myself during which I can do whatever I like. I have mentioned several of the many hats I wear in previous posts (wife, mommy, daughter, pet owner, etc) and the Me hat is moving her way back towards the top before she's lost forever.

David and I are also having to get more creative for "us time" if you know what I mean.  But that's possibly another post all by itself.  Bottom line?  It has to happen!  No exceptions here...

Though I feel like taking a shower and getting ready is a waste of time, I obviously will continue to engage in such "frivolous" activities because 1) nobody wants to be a stinky mommy ;) and 2) once I've finished fixing my hair, getting dressed and doing my makeup I look in the mirror and think, "Oh good...You're still here!" which reminds me the effort and "wasted time" was worth it.

<3 And WORTH IT it all of this is!! <3

What do you do to properly balance being a mommy and still being You??

~Sarah

Family Dinners

We started our day today with a couple of errands. We had a few things for the house to get from Lowe's and I needed to swing by Michael's as well.

We waited until after Ayden's morning nap, fed him, changed his diaper and headed out!  He has become such a little trooper in the car.  I suppose this is a prime example of what consistency can do for modifying behaviors.  Since we had no choice but to make him ride it out when he used to scream for an entire car ride, he eventually realized that they weren't the end of the world.  Now we either can't even tell that he's back there or get to listen to him "talk" to himself the whole time.  This development has definitely made for more pleasant car rides and we no longer find ourselves cursing red lights and traffic which is alway a plus...

I teach the pre-dance program at our family dance studio and today was their big performance.  The actual recital is on Saturday but these little ones get a performance of their very own.  We needed to go to Michael's to pick up their end of the year gifts.  We ended up getting them little princess wooden frame kits.  They were only a dollar each and came with tiny markers so they'd be able to decorate them themselves.  They ended up being the perfect little gifts.  I also picked up the supplies to make one of these guys:

source

I've got some crafting to do and I'm looking forward to it!

I left Ayden with David while I went to teach the performance since I needed to be able to focus on my students.  Here I am in my ballet teacher garb:

The performance went really well.  The little ones in their tutus are always adorable and it's really fun to watch the families enjoy their babies.  I was even more aware of that this year now that I have my own little boy to show me the pride of being a parent.  

Ayden is finally big enough for the Ergo without the infant insert but wasn't a huge fan for long. As he grows he'll get more and more comfortable in it.  It just makes his little legs spread so far apart.  I know that's the safe way for them to be positioned but he's just not big enough yet.  David has missed being able to use the Ergo so he was especially happy to see that the time of him wearing Ayden again is near!  

Since he wasn't a fan for very long, I took him out and David played with him while I worked on dinner.  David had him giggling so much and it was so cute. We made our first harvest from our patio container garden!

David may or may not have had a few funny things to say about the shape of this guy...

I put our first zucchini into the sauce for our spaghetti squash with meat sauce.  It was delicious!  We've been putting Ayden at the table with us in his Bumbo with his little bamboo spork and bowl.  

He sits and plays with them the whole time and we actually feel like we are eating as a family.  We even let him gum on a carrot sometimes which he loves!  He'll be 5 months old in eleven days...  Solids are right around the corner.  I purchased the Baby Led Weaning book from Amazon and need to get reading because I'm pretty sure we'll be using that approach to introducing solids.  It will be important for us to have nice family dinners and we think this is a great start!

Are your kids good at the dinner table?  How young did you start having them join you?

~Sarah

Reunion

We had a reunion with the couples we met during our childbirth class today.

 It was so wonderful to be around so many people who are going through the same ups and downs of new parenthood as us. As we saw all of our babies circled around it was bazaar to think of how the last time they were circled around they were in belly form.

We will definitely try to get all of these wonderful folks together again.

I could have stayed at our meet up all day but our dance recital is coming up next weekend and I had a leotard rehearsal to attend. We went home , had lunch, restocked the diaper bag and headed out again. Ayden enjoyed the music and watching the dancers but I think it eventually became a little over stimulating. He took his nap a half hour early and slept for a LONG time like he always does in over stimulating situations. It's neat how babies have a built in standby mode for such circumstances.

After the rehearsal, we headed straight to David's parents' house for a Belmont party. This is horse country after all! We were bummed to hear that "I'll Have Another" was injured and was no longer in the race for the Triple Crown. My dad told us there hasn't been a triple crown winner since 1978. We had another hat drawing and Ayden's horse came in 2nd. We got $6 to put in his piggie bank!

We've gotten pretty good at planning ahead and taking all of Ayden's nighttime gear with us when we're going to be out past his bedtime. We got him ready and we took turns snuggling him as he snoozed on our chests while we hung out.

We just got home and now i'm going to try to get Ayden to take a dream feed and get us all to bed. It ended up being a very busy but really great day!

~Sarah

More Everyday

We fall in love with this guy a little more (or maybe a lot more...) everyday!!

Getting sleepy in his swing while I showered this morning

We had such a great day today.  After my shower this morning I put Ayden in his crib a half hour before I was expecting him to go down for his morning nap, just to see what would happen (whether he'd put himself to sleep or not).  It ended up being pretty adorable.  He played for a while, trying to pick up the sports balls off of his sheets and "talking" to his toys and books.  He's taken a great interest in his soother.  I show him how I push all the buttons to make all the different sounds and then he'll lie there and pat it with his hands.  He actually managed to push one of the buttons and switched it from nature sounds to the music we play at night and he was so surprised and then smiled so big.  I like that he'll be able to push the buttons himself someday to choose what he listens to as he winds down.  He's well on his way!  Here's a clip of him being a cutie in his crib before nap time:

I'm totally a member of the mamarazzi.  I was stuffing diapers on the floor next to his crib and he didn't realize I had stopped to watch him until a little later into filming. He was just minding his own business playing and being his adorable little self. 

Once he got sleepy, I brought the stuff I needed to fix my hair into his bathroom where he could see me and sang "Baby Mine" over and over to him while I finished getting ready.  He laid there on his belly, listening, and looking at me through the crib slats until he drifted off to sleep.  I'm not a great singer but when I sing to him I feel like Celine Dion or some other fabulous singer :).  

That's one thing I always loved about being a teacher.  I could always count on my students to compliment my singing, nail polish, etc. and I always got hugs all day long.  Who wouldn't love a job like that?  They always made me feel so good.  Who cares if they were the opinions of 5 year olds :).  Now,  I have a son who gives me those same warm fuzzies all day long.  It's awesome!

We have another busy weekend ahead so Ayden and I tackled our weekly grocery trip today and then headed straight to the town where I teach dance.  It was hard to get any work done because Ayden wasn't amused with any of the various baby "entertainers" that are available there.  He didn't like the play mat, bouncy seat, swing or exer-saucer.  He wanted to be in my arms.  I wore him in the Lotus hold while I choreographed some arms, then I took him out to just hold him and he was so playful.  I would make him "ride" on my leg or would make him fly around and he would just laugh and laugh.  

We have so many moments everyday that help our bond deepen and I see it happening with him and David too.  He has added this whole new dimension to our lives that has been both challenging and wonderful all at the same time.  We love him so much and we can't wait to fall in love with him a little (or a lot) more tomorrow and everyday after that!

~Sarah