Post Weekend Brain dump

Updates from the weekend:

• We had a yard sale on Saturday and despite throwing it together last minute we actually had a LOT of people show up (there are always yard sales in my neighborhood on weekends so it's easier to get a lot of traffic), we got rid of a good amount of stuff we never use and made $140 which we are putting towards new curtains in the living room.

• After the yard sale I went for my much needed once-a-month massage. I have a membership to a massage place so for $60 I get an awesome massage once a month (non membership cost is $100). I highly recommended to any new or not-so-new mommy.

• Saturday night I met a good friend for dinner. She's going through a rough time right now and I feel terrible for her. It also made me appreciate even more my amazing husband and awesome little boy. I'm very blessed and this was a great reminder of that.

• Sunday I also got a little more "me" time and was able to go to the pool alone while Kristian stayed home with Hunter during his nap time.

• We took a family trip to Target where per usual we spent WAY too much money and we let Hunter ride in the baby part of the shopping cart for the first time as opposed to keeping him in his carseat. I think he was a mix of fascinated and terrified and kept holding onto the sides of the cart for dear life.

• We watched a lot of the Olympics, diving and gymnastics are my favorite events so I've been loving it right now. What I'm NOT loving is being spoiled with the results prior to it airing. I'm having to be very careful when checking any websites right now.

7 Months Old- 7/30/12

To my little Huntsman,

Today you are 7 months old! You are now closer to being a toddler than to being a newborn which I admit makes me a little sad. I miss my teeny, squishy little baby. BUT you have gotten to be so much fun! You are really like a little person now that interacts with us and plays and laughs. I'm amazed everyday with how smart you are and how quickly you are learning to do things all on your own. I feel like I will blink and you will be driving off to college. Try not to grow up too fast my little man. Mama and Daddy love you very very much. 

Weight/Length- No well check this month and our scale at home has a dead battery but my guess would be that you weigh about 22 pounds and are about 27 inches long. At this rate you'll be sharing clothes with daddy in a few months.

Eating- You are still getting about the same amount of milk during the day- I nurse you in the morning, then you get three 6oz bottles of breastmilk during the day, sometimes I nurse you again when I get home depending on when you've had your last bottle and then you get an 8oz bottle of formula before bed. You've pretty much dropped your middle of the night feeding. In addition to all the milk you are getting two meals of solids a day. You get a jar of either a fruit or veggie for lunch at daycare and then the opposite for dinner. You've loved everything we've given you. You are also able to chew on the MumMum snacks and we've attempted giving you big pieces of fruit but you prefer to just play with it rather than try to eat it.

Sleep- The sleep has gotten MUCH better and I thank you for that. You go to bed between 8-8:30pm and most nights sleep straight through until 6am. Sometimes you'll wake up around 10:30pm needing to be burped or wanting your pacifier and sometimes you'll wake up early around 5am. I usually just bring you into bed and try to get you to go back to sleep. You take 2-3 naps a day, usually a long two hour nap in the morning and then shorter 45 minute naps in the afternoon.

Clothes- You are mainly in 9 month and 12 month clothes though there are still a few 6 month onesies that I can squeeze you into. You outgrow shorts really fast because of your chunky thighs.

Diapers- Still in size 3 diapers and hopefully will be for a little while.

Appearance- Your hair is still a very very light brown with hints of red in the sunlight and it's really filling in now. You have a nice head of hair. Your eyes are still a pretty grey/blue and sometimes even look a little green. I really don't think they will turn brown like your daddy has. You also now have two bottom teeth that make your smile even cuter which I didn't think was possible.

Personality- People always comment on what a happy baby you are and it's true. You only get a little fussy sometimes in the early evening though not nearly as bad as your newborn days. You do great when we're out in public, you love to smile at everyone and just watch what's going on around you. You also are laughing a lot more, though everytime you laugh you get the hiccups. You are learning to entertain yourself and play independently much better. You get very frustrated when you aren't able to get where you want to go or get the attention you feel you deserve at that exact moment. Now that you're more mobile you've become very curious which means we have to keep a constant eye on you.

Likes-

-You love the water. You love the bath and the pool and always splash the water with your feet and hands.
-You still love daycare and get very excited when I drop you off in the mornings. And all the ladies there love you and fuss over you. You've also started to actually play with the other babies.
-You love to eat solids as well as the MumMums
-You love being on your belly and trying to crawl around.
-You love the toys that make noises and have lights or movement.
-You are starting to enjoy sleeping on your belly more.

Milestones-

-You started saying "da da" and now say it ALL. THE. TIME.
-You can now crawl around on your belly and get up on all fours and rock back and forth.
-You celebrated your first 4th of July.
-You can now sit up unassisted for a long stretch of time.
-You sat in your first restaurant high chair and loved it.
-You got your first head ultrasound and did great during it.
-You tried MumMums for the first time.
-You met your future best friend Fisher who is 5 months younger than you.
-You went to the mall for the first time.
-You can now ride in the baby part of the shopping cart without sitting in your carseat.

A few new photos from the past month:

7 Month Photo Shoot

Wearing his "Treasure Hunter" shirt

Fascinated by the outdoors

Playing with a new toy from grandma and grandpa

Excited for football season to start soon.

Napping in his pack n play. He's turned into a belly sleeper.

Wearing daddy's hat.

Things I've learned since becoming a mother

-That I can actually function on very little sleep.

-The greatest sound in the world is my sons laughter, especially when I'm the one making him laugh.

-The greatest sight in the world is seeing my husband and my son playing together and/or cuddling together.

-As much as I love spending time with my child I also really love naptime and bedtime.

-I will choose caffeine over wine anyday.

-As happy as I am that my son is finally sleeping through the night I sometimes miss our middle of the night nursing sessions and rocking him in his dark, quiet room.

-How to eat my dinner and shower in under 5 minutes.

-How to do almost anything with only one hand.

-How much I can get done during a 30 minute nap.

-That it's way more fun shopping for my child than it is to shop for myself.

-That no matter how crappy or tired I feel I still have to take care of him first and foremost.

-That I can never give him enough kisses.

-That your mommy instinct really does just kick in once they're born.

-Things like poop and puke don't gross me out as much as they use to.

-That they really do grow up too fast.

-That just when I think I couldn't love my child any more than I already do, I wake up and love him even more.

SWW

Linking up again with Shannon for another edition of So What! Wednesday.

So what if:

-I'm super jealous of the fact that my son gets to take multiple naps during the day. That kid doesn't know how lucky he has it.

-Yesterday I wore one of my maternity dresses to work. It's a wrap dress that I can make tighter and it's really comfortable and super cute.

-I don't believe in spending a lot of money on fancy salon shampoo and conditioner, the few times I have I didn't notice any difference in my hair.

-As soon as the paint chips on one nail I end up picking the polish off all my other nails.

-We've gotten into the habit of making those frozen meals for two for dinner most nights. They are quick, easy and taste good. We will almost always add a side of veggies to make it somewhat healthy at least.

-I'm just now putting together a pregnancy photobook which includes all my weekly updates and photos. If I'm lucky it will be finished before Hunter turns 1.

-I've lost the little bit of a tan I did have. I haven't been to the pool in a month due to the ridiculously hot temperatures and/or storms every weekend.

Belated Holiday Photo Dump

My mother-in-law just sent me the over 400 (yes over 400!) pictures she took from her mothers birthday celebration and our 4th of July visit to the beach house. So even though these are a few weeks old I wanted to post a few of my favorites (primarily of Hunter of course). For your viewing pleasure.

Hunter and his great-grandmother who is 91 years old. I hope I look that good at 91!

Hunter and his cousin Matt. I guess he's not a fan of Matt's at the moment.

Showing everyone how much he likes to stand.

Determined to get this crawling thing down.

We kinda like each other.

Too much family excitement resulted in him passing out on his Great-Aunt Barbara's shoulder.

All decked out for the 4th of July (our shirts were courtesy of my MIL).

My little dude isn't so little anymore. Chunky Monkey!

Still trying his damndest to crawl.

He was determined to get those keys.

Success!

My water baby just loves his little baby pool.

I don't think I've ever seen a more perfect face.

Me and my dude.

That smile turns me to mush.

He's going to town on his Sophie Giraffe.

Family Photo

Blogger 411

I've seen this on a lot of the other blogs I read so I thought it would be fun to link up with From Mrs. to Mama and do it myself for anyone out there that is just dying to know more about me.


1. How long have you been blogging? And what got you started on blogging? Has your blog changed?
I've been blogging since Feb. 2009. I had been reading other blogs for about a year and after I got engaged I thought it would be fun to start a blog to document my wedding planning. I wasn't sure if I would keep it up after I got married but I really enjoyed it and wanted to continue to document Kristian and my life together so that we would have something to look back on when we're old and senile. My blog has gone from a "wedding blog" to a "newlywed blog" to now I guess a "mommy blog". In reality it just changes as my life changes.

2. Did you go to college? If so where, and what did you study?
I graduated from East Carolina University in Greenville, NC. Go Pirates!!! I graduated 10 years ago! #DamnImOld. I was also in the AOII sorority and I loved my 4 years there. Some of the best of my life. I graduated with a BA in Communication (Public Relations) and a minor in Psychology.

3. Where have you traveled?
I haven't traveled as much as I would like. I've been up and down the East Coast from CT to FL but never out west. I went to the Bahamas when I was 17 with my family. Kristian and I went to Jamaica in 2009 and then to St. Lucia for our honeymoon in 2010. The OuterBanks NC is one of our favorite places to go.

4. If you won the lottery, what would be the first thing you would buy?
First thing I would do is pay off my damn student loans. I'm so sick of paying that bill each month. Then probably a new custom built and professionally decorated house on the water somewhere.

5. What are your 3 biggest pet peeves?
-Being late and people that are late. I'm a very punctual person
-When my husband leaves the cabinets and dresser drawers open. He does this ALL the time and apparently has since childhood. Drives me NUTS!
-People that hold grudges. Life is too short. Get over it.

6. What is your favorite movie?
I don't have one favorite but there are a few that I never get sick of watching like- How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, The Hangover, Sweet Home Alabama, Juno, Love Actually. And pretty much any movie from the 80s.

7. What is your drink of choice; wine, beer, or liquor. Or Water, Soda, Tea?
I haven't done much drinking for the past year and a half but I love the Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka mixed with Lemonade. I'm actually not a big wine drinker but when I do I prefer the sweeter wines like Rieslings.

8. What is something you enjoy to do when you have me time?
What is this "me" time you speak of?? Let's see, in the very little me time I get nowadays I enjoy just lounging on the couch watching bad reality tv shows, reading blogs or Us Weekly or going to the pool when it's not a thousand degrees outside. Also, grocery shopping ALONE has become quite enjoyable for me. Sad huh?

9. If you could have a $10,000 shopping spree to one store, which store would it be?
Ummm Target of course. Seriously you can buy ANYTHING there from shoes to groceries to bedding. The sad thing is I could probably blow that money in about an hour. I'm sure in my lifetime I've already spent that amount at that store.

10. Share with us an embarrassing moment of your past? Or present.
One time in college I got locked in the stairwell of a dorm at 6am wearing just a tshirt and underwear. It was not my dorm and I didn't realize that you needed a key to get onto another floor from the stairwell and I had to go downstairs to the girl floor to use the bathroom (obviously the room I had been staying in was on the boys floor...scandalous right?!) I had to go outside and around to the front of the building to call up to the room I had been staying in and have the person I was staying with come downstairs to get me. All while I had to REALLY pee.

11. What day would you love to relive again?
Probably my wedding day...just because the first time around I was so stressed out and anxious about the weather and everything going according to plan that I had a hard time really enjoying myself until close to the end of the night. I would love to be able to relive it and just enjoy every moment.

That or the day we found out we were having a baby boy. That moment was just awesome.

12. If your life was turned into a movie... what actor would play you?
Maybe a younger Sandra Bullock. She would be great playing me in college since she also went to ECU.

13. What are the jobs you had in high school/college/the early years?
I worked at a movie theater in high school for 3 years. In college I had a lot of various office jobs. Nothing exciting.

14. Show us a picture from high school or college.

This is my college graduation. I'm in the middle bending down.

15. If you could travel anywhere in the world, all expenses paid, where would you go?
I would love to travel through Europe- Italy, France, England, Spain, Greece.

16. Show us the most current picture of you or you, or your family, or anything of meaning to you.

This was taken on my birthday in May and is the only full family photo we have including both pets.

17. Where do you see your life 5 years from now?
Hopefully we'll all still be happy and healthy. Probably living in the same house though it would be nice to move somewhere bigger and hopefully have another child.

SWW

Linking up again with Shannon for another round of So What Wednesday.

So What if:

-I got teary eyed packing up all the baby clothes Hunter has outgrown. I miss my teeny, squishy little newborn.

-I'm keeping all of Hunters clothes for now. If we ever have another boy (preferably in the winter again so the seasons/sizes match) we'll save so much money on clothes.

-There are certain outfits of his I will keep forever even if our next baby is a girl.

-At dinner Saturday night Kristian told me that he really hopes our next kid is a girl (hooray!) so that we have one of each and we even talked about baby girl names. **We are NOT planning on another baby anytime soon!!**

-I've been too scared to write about how Hunter is FINALLY sleeping through the night on a regular basis for fear of jinxing it (which I probably just did).

-If I wish I could work from home more often, when I did it on Monday it meant I was able to actually cook my husband dinner for a change and even have time for an after dinner stroll with the family since I didn't have my normal hour long commute to deal with.

-I have online shopping carts full of stuff I will probably never buy at multiple stores.



Weekend Recap in Pictures

We had a very nice weekend, due in large part to my mom visiting. She and Hunter got in quite a bit of bonding time and Kristian and I got in a bit of a baby break.

Here is a picture from Friday afternoon when Hunter found out via his onesie that he's not allowed to date...for a VERY long time if I have any say in the matter.

Saturday night we got a much needed date night and went out to a Mexican restaurant that we like while my mom and Hunter had a date night involving pureed carrots and lots of playtime. It's so nice to get to be just a couple again for a few hours rather than mom and dad. However we were home by 8:30pm in time for me to put Hunter to bed. Party animals we are not.

*please excuse all the junk on and below our entry table*

*The last time I wore this dress was on our honeymoon, glad I can fit into it again*

On Sunday my mom and I met one of her good friends (and one of the ladies that helped with my wedding) for brunch so that she could see Hunter.

*We all matched in blue*

*One of the best pictures of Hunter and Grandma*

This was the first time we put Hunter into an actual high chair at a restaurant as opposed to just keeping him in his carseat, which he hates while we're out to eat. He did SO well. He loved sitting right next to the table and grabbing at everything. I helped keep him occupied by giving him the baby Mum Mum's to chew on (which he LOVES) and putting some fruit in his mesh feeder which he also LOVES. Even after two hours he didn't really fuss until the very end when I had to give him a bottle.

*When did my baby get so big?!*

After brunch I put him in his stroller and we walked around the little shops. Even in the 90 degree heat he didn't fuss. Best baby ever.

Oh and I also went to Target (alone) on Saturday for some more diapers and formula and walked out $150 later. That damn store gets me everytime.

Big Brain

Yesterday I had to take Hunter back to the hospital where he was born (hello memories!) for an ultrasound of his head. As I mentioned on his 6 month stats post Hunters head is and always has been on the larger side. Not surprisingly considering all the men on my husbands side of the family have big heads. Despite this fact his pediatrician still wanted to get an ultrasound just to make sure there weren't any other issues causing his big headedness.

Hunter did amazing during the ultrasound. He smiled at everyone on the way in and got many "he's so cute" comments. Well duh! The ultrasound tech was a man in his 40's who told me he has 5 kids so he was very good with Hunter. He calmly laid on the bed and didn't seem to mind at all when the tech put globs of ultrasound gel on his head. He seemed fascinated by everything in the room and kept wanting to look at the screen. I gave him one of his stuffies to hold onto and that also seemed to help.

It was such an odd thing watching Hunter in such a similar setting as I was when I got to seem him in my belly. While we waited for the tech I showed him around the room and explained how I got to see him on a similar screen when he was in mommy's tummy.

It was neat seeing his brain on the screen. I tried my damnedest to see if anything looked odd or out of place (as if I would know). The tech never let on that anything was wrong but of course when I asked for confirmation he told me he wasn't allowed to tell me anything good or bad. He told me the radiologist would review the scans and send the results to Hunters pediatrician.

I just got a call from his doctors office and his head is perfect! No abnormalities and that he's obviously a genius (okay she didn't say that last part but we all know it's true right?)

I wasn't worried that anything would be wrong, I knew he would be fine, but it's still such a relief to get the positive phone call.

SWW

Linking up with Shannon again for So What Wednesday.
This week I'm saying So What if:

-Sometimes naptime and bedtime are my favorite times of the day. I love spending time with my kid but mommy needs a break every now and then.

-I've lost the little bit of a tan I had. It's been too damn hot to even go to the pool on the weekends. I just want to hang out inside with my AC.

-I've been letting Hunter cry it out during his EVERY NIGHT 10:30pm wakeup call. I know he's not hungry or needing a diaper change. He's just gotten into this weird habit of waking up then and we need to break it! We're both happier with a good nights sleep.

-I'm really excited for my mom to visit this weekend so my husband and I can get a much needed date night and good nights sleep (hopefully)

-I miss all breastmilk baby poops, now that Hunter is on solids his poops are no joke, they are like real human poops and STINK!

-I've become obsessed with shopping for new curtains and bedding, I'm tired of looking at the same old shit I've had for two years. I blame Pinterest.

Hunter's first 4th

Seeing how it's been almost a week since the 4th of July I figured it was about time to write a little post about how we celebrated Hunter's first 4th. This is going to be short and sweet since I'm running on 2 hours of sleep.

We headed to my inlaws beach house bright and early on Wednesday morning after Hunter decided to poop all over his new 4th of July onesie I had put him in 10 minutes early. But at least I got a few cute pictures of him first. Sprayed it with stain remover, washed it and was able to put him back in it later. I also had bought a backup onesie for him to wear just in case we had such an event.

The trip down was a bit rocky. Kristian had been complaining that his stomach hurt all morning and then proceeded to vomit all over himself, while driving. Lovely. I was able to help him pull over and used up most of my baby wipes cleaning up the car while he finished puking on the side of the road. Fortunately after he got it all out he felt much better and was fine the rest of the weekend.

We got to my inlaws house and spent all day Wednesday and Thursday morning with Kristian's parents and aunt and uncle who were visiting from GA. We spent a lot of time eating, playing with Hunter and the dogs and trying to stay cool in the ridiculous heat. Overall it was a really nice, relaxing time.

"Yay Mom we're at the beach!"

We're a very patriotic family.

Hunter tested out his new mesh feeder with a real GA peach inside. It was a hit.

My MIL bought everyone matching shirts. Cheesy? Absolutely.

Fireworks that Kristian setoff from his dad's stash.

More of our fireworks. There are no official fireworks down there all the neighbors just setoff their own. We put Hunter to bed at 8:30pm and he miraculously slept through them...then proceeded to wake up every 3 hours that night. Sigh.

Blueberry and Peach tarts using the peaches his aunt brought from GA.

My Yankee Doodle baby

After 2 1/2 days off last week I have a feeling this week is going to move VERY slowly.

6 Month Stats

I will post about our 4th of July later but I wanted to blog about Hunter's 6 month checkup and stats before I forget them. This blog is in large part a way to remember as much as I can about him growing up since I'm not so great about updating his baby book in a timely manner.

Weight- 20lbs 14ozs!! He's in the 90th percentile and gained exactly 1 pound since his visit for his ear infection on 6/11
Height- 26.5" He's in the 66% for height. So he's short and fat. HA!
Head Circumference- I can't remember but I know he's in the 97% (more on that later)

Hunters six month checkup went pretty well yesterday. In the past he's always been very smiley and happy during his exams however yesterday he was NOT in the mood for what was taking place. I don't know if he's starting to suffer from stranger danger or he was just pissed that he didn't get his full nap but he fussed and cried during the exam (which was not painful in anyway). Our doc is great, very calming and sweet and tried his damnedest to get a smile out of our dude to no avail. But the main thing is that he's healthy and developing right on schedule if not a little early.

His doctor said we can increase his intake of solids to 2-3 times a day if we want (he currently gets solids just for dinner) and he can eat pretty much anything other than fish, nuts or honey. When discussing his sleep habits and that he's still not regularly sleeping through the night his doc told us to just let him cry and after a few nights he should be better. I'm still on the fence about "crying it out" and have only done it in moderation a few times.

Time for shots! He did fine with the oral vaccine but then poor baby needed 3 shots in his chubby thighs. His face turned red and he did the silent scream before breaking out into heartbreaking cries. But once I picked him up he was fine and he took a nice little nap in the carseat and for about 30 minutes after we got him home. He was fussy last night but other than that was fine.

Now the one issue we did have was in regards to his ginormous head. His head measured large last time and the doctor said he would just keep his eye on the growth of it. Well it's still large, though he does seem to be slowly growing into it. The doctor knows that large heads run in my husbands side of the family (ALL the men have big heads) so he's not really worried but wants us to get an ultrasound of his head just to be on the safe side. I'm not worried at all, as I said it runs in the family and I expected him to have a big head but like the doctor said better safe than sorry. So we go next Wednesday to check out his big brain.

Next well check isn't until 9 months and he'll just need a flu shot, no more vaccines at that one!

Paying respect to my boobies

This weekend I not only celebrated Hunters half birthday but the fact that I've made it through 6 months of breastfeeding. As anyone whose had a baby (or researched having a baby) knows breastfeeding can be HARD. It's also exhausting and time consuming and a huge commitment. I knew from the the moment I saw that positive pregnancy test that I wanted to breastfeed however I also knew that for a lot of women it can be incredibly difficult and often even impossible to do for an extended period of time. As with my labor I tried to keep an open mind and not get my heart set on a specific timeline for fear of disappointment and mommy guilt if it didn't work out.

But I'm happy to say that for the past 6 months, every single day of Hunters life, he has received at least some breastmilk (or colostrum in the early days). And to me this is a HUGE accomplishment.

Fortunately for me Hunter has always been a great eater, he latched without any problems and never had issues going back and forth between the boob and the bottle, breastmilk or formula. Kid just loves to eat, he's not picky. I was lucky. Very lucky. A lot of women don't have it as easy.

Even though I had it easy, all things considered, it's still been a challenge, especially after I went back to work. I have to lug my pump to and from work everyday and make sure I take the time to pump 2-3 times a day. I'm lucky that I have my own office that I can pump in and I'm not forced to go into the bathroom or a closet like some women. I'm fortunate that I have very supportive coworkers that have never once given me a hard time about it. Again, not a lot of women are in that same position, which is sad.

It's also been a challenge to make sure that I either nurse or pump every few hours to not only keep up my supply but also keep from getting painfully engorged. As much as I love it when Hunter sleeps through the night, since I don't get up and pump, I wake up about 2 cup sizes bigger looking like a boob job gone wrong and not even able to sleep on my stomach it hurts so bad.

Whenever I make plans I always have to think ahead about when I will need to nurse or pump again and make sure that I'm never away from either Hunter or my pump for more than 5 hours or I will be in a decent amount of pain.

Has it been inconvenient at times? Sure. Has it been painful at times? Yep! Has it been one of the most rewarding things I've ever done? Absolutely! With the exception of one ear infection (most likely due to teething) he also hasn't really been sick. And I attribute that in large part to breastfeeding especially given that large number of daycare germs he's around all day. I know because I've been sick basically the entire time he's been in daycare.

My kid is huge. People always comment on how big he is for his age. And everytime I hear that I smile inside because I did that. I've provided the primary nourishment that has allowed my child to grow big and healthy. My itty bitties that I always hated growing up have helped nourish my child.

I must also point out that from day one Hunter has also been supplemented with formula since I can't always keep up with his demand and I've never had a problem with that. I'm am by no means anti-formula. I know babies can and do grow and thrive just as well if they are formula fed so I have no problem giving it to my child. And if for some reason I had to stop giving him breastmilk tomorrow I know he would be just fine on formula.

I don't know how much longer Hunter will continue to get breastmilk, right now I'm just taking it day by day. He may decide to wean himself next week or six months from now. I would love to make it a year but if it doesn't happen I won't beat myself up about it, I've already made it longer than I thought I would. For the time being I'm just going to enjoy those moments I have with my son because I really do love nursing him (pumping not so much). I love the way he grabs my hands and stares at me while he eats. It's a bonding moment that I know I will miss whenever it comes to an end.