Four Months Old

Four Months New

I did it.  I went back to work, and then kept going back.  On the first day I cried, a lot, like an abnormal amount.  But, by the end of the week I was able to hold back my tears and leave him without black mascara streaming down my face.  Fortunately, I only have one more week of work until I get 8 more wonderful weeks with him- perks of teaching!  I'm lucky to work with such wonderful people who spoiled me with coffee and chocolate upon my return to ease the pain.  I'm also lucky to have an extra large fridge to hold all the wine bottles I need to make the transition easier. 

Although I was an absentee mother at work this month, I actually don't feel like I missed any huge milestones or that my child has forgotten me.  I still got to witness all his new experiences and made it through the day with picture updates.  I feel like working has made me treasure the time I do get with him more and nothing is better than his smile when I walk in the door.  Don't worry husband, I'm still down to be a stay at home mom if the opportunity arises.   

Likes:

-Talking- H has discovered his voice and he has so much to say!  I'm pretty sure the only one who understands him is our dog, but it's adorable either way.

-Jumper- Harrison's feet finally touch the floor in his jumper and he is now obsessed with it.  He's learned to press the buttons to make music, spin the toys around, and bounce a little bit.  Sometimes he just lounges back in it and stares at the fan- he's a simple man.

-Bumbo- If we are in the kitchen cooking or eating, he joins us at the table in his Bumbo.  He loves being able to sit up and join us in light conversation and wine.

-Bath time- We have started giving H real baths where he is submerged in his seat and he is really coming around to them.  He likes being squirted by the toys and kicking his feet in the water.  He really likes when you sing him silly bath songs, so scrub a dub dub has become my new jam.

-Changing Table- He loves having his diapers and clothes changed during the day.  He laughs and smiles and it makes changing poopy diapers way more fun than it should be.  

-Naps!!!!!!!!! FINALLY.

-So many things.. we have one happy kid.

Dislikes:

Honestly, not much.  He gets hangry on occasion, but that runs in the family.

Schedule:

Harrison's schedule changed slightly this month since I abandoned him to hang out with teenagers.  He'll thank me one day when we can continue to pay our mortgage and not have to live in the gazebo across the street.  His sleep schedule is a mystery to me.  He either sleeps through the night from 7:30ish to 5:00ish, or will wake at 1:00 or 3:00.  You never know what you're going to get.  I can't complain though, he is sleeping long stretches either way and goes right back to sleep after he has a midnight snack.  During the day he is still eating every two hours and his formula intake has increased since I can only pump one time at work.  Thanks to that, I've had two clogged ducts and am ready to throw in the towel because OW.  Enough about my boobs, back to the baby.  He takes two to three naps a day, sometimes 20 minutes, sometimes two hours.  We take him everywhere and he's very adaptable to any situation.  We got lucky with this one, which makes me nervous for our second baby in the future. 

Features:

Blue eyes, blonde hair, chunky thighs.  Need I say more?

He's 26 inches long and weighs 14 pounds 13.5 ounces.  He is wearing Pampers Swaddlers, size 2, and is in 3-6 month clothing (6 months in the Carters brand).  He's one chunky monkey.  

Milestones:

-Sitting supported

-Rolling all the way over- back to front to back 

-Babbling

-Reaching for and grabbing toys... then eating them

-Holding his small bottle

-Holding his hands together

Firsts:

-Mother's Day

-Beach trip

-Wore sunscreen 

-Zoo adventure 

Challenges:

The biggest struggle this month was being away from him.  He was fine and probably didn't even notice I was gone, but it was definitely a challenge for me.  We survived though and there is an end in sight...until August.

Thoughts:

Each month gets better and better.  I keep thinking that each stage is the best stage, but then he does something new and it's even cooler than the last thing.  I love watching him grow and learn and celebrate each victory with him.  This little boy is the best thing that's happened to me and I love him more each day, even though that seems impossible.  

Mother's Day 2015

Toes in the sand

Three Months Old

Three Months New

I'm decent at a lot of things, but I've never been great at any one thing (agree to disagree, Mom).  I graduated with honors, my students leave at the end of the year knowing what a thesis statement is, I can cook spaghetti, but I could never say, "I'm awesome at ______."  My husband, on the other hand, is a man of many talents.  He cooks gourmet meals with no recipes, builds custom furniture, can fix whatever I break, and so much more.  I know I'm lucky to have him, but it doesn't stop me from being jealous at times because he is great at everything.  And just so he ego doesn't get too inflated from this, he's not perfect…but he really is great.  

Anyway, I finally found my greatness.  I feel like I can finally say, "I'm awesome at being Harrison's mom."  I have no idea what I'm doing half of the time, but every night, when he is sleeping peacefully in his crib, I feel like a rockstar.  At the end of each day he is clean, full, worn out from activities and outings, and most importantly, he is loved.  So, I might not be great at everything, but I feel pretty great about this one thing.

Likes: 
-Playmat- We start each morning on our play mat and H loves it more and more.  We start on his back and he grabs and kicks the toys, and then we move to tummy time.  

-Mom's singing- or maybe he dislikes it?  I usually have music on while we are playing and when I sing and dance he cracks up.  

-Diaper & Clothing Changes- He is all smiles on his changing pad, unless it's the middle of the night.

-Bath Time-  He doesn't really care about the bath, but he LOVES being dried off and then lotioned up before bedtime.  

-Pooping in his carseat- this has become a thing.

-Bedtime routine

-EATING.  He is over 13 lbs now, fatty. 

-Puppy kisses- our lab gives him a kiss every now and then and H tries to kiss him back with a lick; it's pretty adorable. 

-K'tan Carrier- I returned the Boba and got the K'tan Breeze Carrier- it is AMAZING.  It's a pre-done wrap and makes life so much easier.  

Dislikes:
-When someone besides Mom or Dad holds him when he's sleepy.

-Naps- I've gotten a couple long stretches this month, but he usually fights daytime sleep.

-Being held horizontally- he wants to see what's going on.

Schedule:
Between 2-3 AM Harrison wakes up for a diaper change and a nighttime feed.  He goes right back to bed and sleeps until 5.  From 5 on I feed him about every hour, hour and a half, until 9 because we both fall asleep on the job.  Then we start our day- coffee for me, play time for H.  We do tummy time, cheer for rolling over victories, read books, and practice sitting up in the Bumbo.  Then around 11, H is hungry again.  After that he eats every 2-3 hours.  In the afternoon we run errands and get out of the house or we have more playtime and the occasional nap.  He has a pre-dinner snack around 6, takes a bath, puts on jammies (he's in 6 month jammies, WHAT?!), and eats his final 6 oz bottle for the night.  He is usually asleep by 8, which gives us some time to eat dinner and catch up on trashy TV.  I am currently breastfeeding him all day and only pumping once at night.  For his nighttime bottle he either gets 6 oz of formula or a mixture of breast milk and formula (depending if I have any extra).  On occasion he will get formula during the day if we are out and I don't have any expressed milk.  I'm sure his formula intake will increase soon when I return to work, and it is what it is.      

Features:

He just keeps getting cuter!  I can't believe how much he has changed in 3 months.  His eyes are an incredible shade of blue and continue to lighten.  His hair is starting to come in and it is very blonde.  He is a chunky monkey and I adore each and every roll.  He is now in size 2 diapers and 3-6 month clothing.  His smile is huge and goofy and melts my heart.  He giggles all the time, and it's the best sound I've ever heard.

Milestones:

-Rolling over- At the beginning of the month he started rolling from his stomach to his back.  Now, he has starting rolling from his back to his stomach in his crib, which totally freaks me out.  Now, I spend the night staring at the monitor and creeping in his room to check on him.  More coffee please.  

-Bringing objects to mouth- H is starting to discover different textures by bringing his toys to his mouth and munching on them.
-Blowing bubbles

-Being awesome- he's mastered this skill.

Firsts:

-Road trip- he was great!

-Easter

-Flirting with strangers- he is starting to flash his goofy smile at the ladies.

-Sip & See- Oma held a Sip & See party for H so that everyone could admire him.
-Visting Dad at work
-Visiting Mom's work 

Challenges:

Honestly, this month was pretty challenge free.  Harrison is a great baby and I'm so grateful for that.  He has his witching hour every night, but with a glass of wine it's easy to conquer.  I know we'll have plenty of challenges ahead, so I'll call month 3 a win.   

Thoughts:

Don't google anything.  Once I stopped googling everything, I felt more confident and trusted my instincts instead of strangers on the inter webs.  If I have questions I go to my pediatrician, mommy friends, or grandmas.  New mama's, put your phone down and step away from the community boards.