After his first official word, Ethan slowed down a bit on the talking. He still babbles and says Mama and Dada all day long, but he hasn't said "Ba" for ball or "Boo" for book in a while, and he even stopped saying "Ditty" as much, preferring instead a squeal of glee upon encountering a cat. However, last weekend, he finally figured out the "K" in order to say kitty correctly. But that doesn't really count as a new word, so he's been stuck with the same vocabulary for a few weeks now. Until tonight.
I always put him to bed by myself but only after he says goodnight to his daddy. Usually, I say "Tell Daddy 'Night night!'" and sometimes he waves, sometimes he buries his head into my shoulder, sometimes he bites my nose. Tonight, he grinned and exclaimed "Nite nite!" It was a bit muffled so we weren't sure if he was actually saying it or just jabbering. So I prompted him again, and he yelled "Nite, nite!!!" all the while beaming from ear to ear like he was so proud of himself. This repeated itself a few more times until we were absolutely sure he knew what he was saying.
Saying "Bye bye" first is so passe, apparently.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Back to School, Back to School... (v. 2.0)
I had meant to write this entry before today, but I put it off due to denial, I think. As I mentioned before, I've had very mixed feelings about returning to grad school this semester. This time, I'm leaving Ethan at home with someone from our church, which means if anything happened, it would take me at least an hour to get to him. Plus, since I have to leave during his afternoon nap, he will wake up three days a week to find Mommy has disappeared. I know he'll get used to it, but that doesn't make it any easier to leave.
On the one hand, I'm glad to get a break. For almost 11 hours a week, I don't have a baby hanging off of me. I don't have to listen to him scream on the commute. I get to delve into the material I love, enjoying adult conversations utilizing words like theodicy, apokatastasis, and even arsenokoites. I genuinely enjoy going to class, listening to lecture, and engaging in discussion.
On the other hand, for almost 11 hours a week, I don't get to hold and cuddle with my baby. I miss out on at least one nursing session. I have to worry about what he's doing and if he's OK. I miss out on his life.
Yet on the other hand, it's important that I finish my degree. I cannot move forward with ordination without it, which means I would not be fulfilling my call, nor be as able to find a ministerial job. While the time spent away from him is a sacrifice, it is one for my, and our, future.
Then again, on the other hand, we're spending a decent amount of money for a sitter so that I can PAY to go to school. It's not like I'm going to work, earning money to offset the expense of childcare. Heck, 6 of those 11 hours are just spent driving to campus and taking a bus from my parking lot. I'm paying someone to watch my son so that I can listen to the radio and listen to undergrads talk about who they "banged" at the party last night (true story). It just doesn't make sense!
Since I've more than run out of hands, I'll move on from my ambivalence to recap the first day:
To say I was nervous would be an understatement. I've left Ethan here when I went to class before, but he was with my mom. While I trust Clara, our sitter, a great deal, that's still not the same as family. A bit about Clara first. She first asked if she could babysit Ethan when I was still pregnant. I know the other families she's sat for, and I see how much those kids love her. She's come over three times before to learn the ropes and get Ethan comfortable, and he loves her. But still, she's not Mommy, so I didn't know how he would react.
Clara came about 8 minutes before I needed to leave. We chatted for a few minutes, and just as I was walking out the door, Ethan woke up. We quickly discussed who should go to him, and I ultimately decided to go ahead and go so that I wouldn't upset him by coming in only to immediately leave. I waited in the doorway to the garage, listening, though. He stopped crying when the nursery door opened. A few seconds of silence. A cry at the realization that it wasn't Mommy. And then more silence. I left feeling good about how it would go. Nevertheless, as I drove away, I silently wished for an excuse or a sign to go back home. Driving past a fender-bender, I mused that would by God's way of telling me not to go to class. Heck, even a flat tire would do the job!
When I was less than 10 minutes from campus, in the sketchiest part of the sketchy city I go to school in, I heard a thump and then rumbling. Oh no. I pulled into the parking lot of an urban ministry center and got out to investigate. Flat tire. Crap. Thankfully, I have AAA, so I made the call and was told they would be about 45 minutes, bringing me to 15 minutes after my class was supposed to start. I left a message on my professor's office phone and waited. ((Yes, I do know how to change a flat, but I was worried I'd do it wrong, and in this part of town, I really just wanted to stay in my car)) It only took about 20 minutes, so five minutes before my class started, I was back on the road. I found my new parking lot easily and only had to wait a few minutes for the bus. I raced to my classroom, and amazingly, I was only 15 minutes late. I whispered "Flat tire" to the professor, took a seat, and was reassured by a classmate that I hadn't missed anything =)
After a brief intro to the course, the professor let us out early, so once I apologized again to the professor, said hello to a couple of friends, and got a textbook from the bookstore, I headed home and back to my baby. The bus seemed to take forever, and I sat through two cities' rush hour traffic, but I made it home. Ethan was already in the arms of his daddy, and he seemed pretty thrilled to see me.
Apparently, things went pretty well while I was gone. He started searching for me shortly after I left and burst into tears when he realized I wasn't there, but Clara managed to distract him. He eventually took his bottle, but she had a little trouble with the diapers. Three diapers, one outfit, and a puddle on the carpet later, he was wearing a Polo shirt and no pants when we got home. Hopefully she'll get the hang of it quickly.
So there it is. Sorry this got so long, but you know how I like to record things for posterity. All in all, it was a stressful day, especially with the flat, but we survived. Now to do it all over again tomorrow.
On the one hand, I'm glad to get a break. For almost 11 hours a week, I don't have a baby hanging off of me. I don't have to listen to him scream on the commute. I get to delve into the material I love, enjoying adult conversations utilizing words like theodicy, apokatastasis, and even arsenokoites. I genuinely enjoy going to class, listening to lecture, and engaging in discussion.
On the other hand, for almost 11 hours a week, I don't get to hold and cuddle with my baby. I miss out on at least one nursing session. I have to worry about what he's doing and if he's OK. I miss out on his life.
Yet on the other hand, it's important that I finish my degree. I cannot move forward with ordination without it, which means I would not be fulfilling my call, nor be as able to find a ministerial job. While the time spent away from him is a sacrifice, it is one for my, and our, future.
Then again, on the other hand, we're spending a decent amount of money for a sitter so that I can PAY to go to school. It's not like I'm going to work, earning money to offset the expense of childcare. Heck, 6 of those 11 hours are just spent driving to campus and taking a bus from my parking lot. I'm paying someone to watch my son so that I can listen to the radio and listen to undergrads talk about who they "banged" at the party last night (true story). It just doesn't make sense!
Since I've more than run out of hands, I'll move on from my ambivalence to recap the first day:
To say I was nervous would be an understatement. I've left Ethan here when I went to class before, but he was with my mom. While I trust Clara, our sitter, a great deal, that's still not the same as family. A bit about Clara first. She first asked if she could babysit Ethan when I was still pregnant. I know the other families she's sat for, and I see how much those kids love her. She's come over three times before to learn the ropes and get Ethan comfortable, and he loves her. But still, she's not Mommy, so I didn't know how he would react.
Clara came about 8 minutes before I needed to leave. We chatted for a few minutes, and just as I was walking out the door, Ethan woke up. We quickly discussed who should go to him, and I ultimately decided to go ahead and go so that I wouldn't upset him by coming in only to immediately leave. I waited in the doorway to the garage, listening, though. He stopped crying when the nursery door opened. A few seconds of silence. A cry at the realization that it wasn't Mommy. And then more silence. I left feeling good about how it would go. Nevertheless, as I drove away, I silently wished for an excuse or a sign to go back home. Driving past a fender-bender, I mused that would by God's way of telling me not to go to class. Heck, even a flat tire would do the job!
When I was less than 10 minutes from campus, in the sketchiest part of the sketchy city I go to school in, I heard a thump and then rumbling. Oh no. I pulled into the parking lot of an urban ministry center and got out to investigate. Flat tire. Crap. Thankfully, I have AAA, so I made the call and was told they would be about 45 minutes, bringing me to 15 minutes after my class was supposed to start. I left a message on my professor's office phone and waited. ((Yes, I do know how to change a flat, but I was worried I'd do it wrong, and in this part of town, I really just wanted to stay in my car)) It only took about 20 minutes, so five minutes before my class started, I was back on the road. I found my new parking lot easily and only had to wait a few minutes for the bus. I raced to my classroom, and amazingly, I was only 15 minutes late. I whispered "Flat tire" to the professor, took a seat, and was reassured by a classmate that I hadn't missed anything =)
After a brief intro to the course, the professor let us out early, so once I apologized again to the professor, said hello to a couple of friends, and got a textbook from the bookstore, I headed home and back to my baby. The bus seemed to take forever, and I sat through two cities' rush hour traffic, but I made it home. Ethan was already in the arms of his daddy, and he seemed pretty thrilled to see me.
Apparently, things went pretty well while I was gone. He started searching for me shortly after I left and burst into tears when he realized I wasn't there, but Clara managed to distract him. He eventually took his bottle, but she had a little trouble with the diapers. Three diapers, one outfit, and a puddle on the carpet later, he was wearing a Polo shirt and no pants when we got home. Hopefully she'll get the hang of it quickly.
So there it is. Sorry this got so long, but you know how I like to record things for posterity. All in all, it was a stressful day, especially with the flat, but we survived. Now to do it all over again tomorrow.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Waking a Sleeping Baby
I was a bad mom today. Last week, we had to cancel our attendance at a play date at the last minute because Ethan was woken up right after he went down for his afternoon nap and it took me a while to get him back down, to the point that we would have been inexcusably late by the time he woke up. So this week I made sure to get him into bed in plenty of time and made sure everyone was quiet. Except Ethan. He carried on so much, despite two diaper changes, that it took about 30 minutes before he finally went to sleep. If I let him sleep as long as he wanted, we would end up missing the play date again and it was too late for me to change my RSVP, so I did the thing I swore I would never do: I woke a sleeping baby for my own ends.
But before I did, I took the following pictures since I've never gone into his room after he put himself to sleep before, for fear of waking him (sorry for the poor quality, but they were taken with my iPod):
Thankfully, he stirred briefly, and I was able to just keep him from falling back asleep by rubbing his back. He sleepily (and confusedly) looked up at me and grinned and was a happy baby the rest of the day, despite only getting slightly more than an hour's afternoon nap! Oh, and we had a lot of fun at the play date =)
But before I did, I took the following pictures since I've never gone into his room after he put himself to sleep before, for fear of waking him (sorry for the poor quality, but they were taken with my iPod):
Thankfully, he stirred briefly, and I was able to just keep him from falling back asleep by rubbing his back. He sleepily (and confusedly) looked up at me and grinned and was a happy baby the rest of the day, despite only getting slightly more than an hour's afternoon nap! Oh, and we had a lot of fun at the play date =)
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Yet Another Table Foods Update
This may get a bit rambling. We've had a lot of success in the past week with finger foods so I just want to record some of them, in addition to my continued anxieties.
As Ethan grew closer to the one-year (!!!) mark, I began to be more concerned about his problems with table foods, especially since it seemed every time we had a breakthrough we had a setback soon after. We FINALLY seem to have hit a good stride, though, and Ethan will now eagerly eat off our plates. However, he still refuses a lot of foods in finger-food form, which is quite frustrating since I want him to have well-balanced meals.
His new favorite discovery is meat. In fact, he will turn up his nose at vegetables, fruits, cheese, etc. and just gobble down turkey or chicken. He's getting pretty good at feeding himself off his tray. I can even put a bunch of small pieces down at once because he still usually plays with his food before popping anything in his mouth, dropping half of it before consuming. Anytime we're eating, he refuses to go in his high chair, instead insisting on sitting in my lap so he can cry if I don't feed him off my plate. As a result, in the past couple of days he's had pieces of bagel at breakfast, chicken and turkey in various sauces, potatoes, rice, and even a bit of potato chip (courtesy of his daddy). Unfortunately, he refuses even the vegetables that come off our plates so his diet has been lacking. I can usually get him to eat a banana or two for his breakfast and will often mix in some fruits or veggies into his yogurt with his dinner, at least, so he's getting some still.
While I'm glad he's seeming to get the hang of finger foods, I wish he would be open to more variety. My dad sent me an article this week that hypothesized (based on the experience of a pediatrician) that a child's willingness to accept new foods shuts down at 13 months, meaning the 15 tries it generally takes to make a baby like a new food suddenly becomes 90 tries. Yikes! So hopefully Ethan will come back around to the vegetables he used to love in puree form. I'm going to try him on some new fruits and things like black beans in the weeks to come. Once I get the foods in his mouth, he's usually OK with them, but he just flat out refuses them at first. For example, I finally got him to eat a cherry tomato quarter because he opened his mouth for more chicken without looking up! After initially spitting it out, he then opened his mouth for more tomato and ate it happily! So I guess there may be hope after all.
As Ethan grew closer to the one-year (!!!) mark, I began to be more concerned about his problems with table foods, especially since it seemed every time we had a breakthrough we had a setback soon after. We FINALLY seem to have hit a good stride, though, and Ethan will now eagerly eat off our plates. However, he still refuses a lot of foods in finger-food form, which is quite frustrating since I want him to have well-balanced meals.
His new favorite discovery is meat. In fact, he will turn up his nose at vegetables, fruits, cheese, etc. and just gobble down turkey or chicken. He's getting pretty good at feeding himself off his tray. I can even put a bunch of small pieces down at once because he still usually plays with his food before popping anything in his mouth, dropping half of it before consuming. Anytime we're eating, he refuses to go in his high chair, instead insisting on sitting in my lap so he can cry if I don't feed him off my plate. As a result, in the past couple of days he's had pieces of bagel at breakfast, chicken and turkey in various sauces, potatoes, rice, and even a bit of potato chip (courtesy of his daddy). Unfortunately, he refuses even the vegetables that come off our plates so his diet has been lacking. I can usually get him to eat a banana or two for his breakfast and will often mix in some fruits or veggies into his yogurt with his dinner, at least, so he's getting some still.
While I'm glad he's seeming to get the hang of finger foods, I wish he would be open to more variety. My dad sent me an article this week that hypothesized (based on the experience of a pediatrician) that a child's willingness to accept new foods shuts down at 13 months, meaning the 15 tries it generally takes to make a baby like a new food suddenly becomes 90 tries. Yikes! So hopefully Ethan will come back around to the vegetables he used to love in puree form. I'm going to try him on some new fruits and things like black beans in the weeks to come. Once I get the foods in his mouth, he's usually OK with them, but he just flat out refuses them at first. For example, I finally got him to eat a cherry tomato quarter because he opened his mouth for more chicken without looking up! After initially spitting it out, he then opened his mouth for more tomato and ate it happily! So I guess there may be hope after all.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
A Brief Weekly Recap
I've been neglecting the blog this week. It's not that nothing's been happening; it's just that I've been inexplicably exhausted this week and have chosen to spend my free time after Ethan goes to bed goofing around rather than writing an entry out. A quick recap of the week:
- Last Sunday was a wonderful day in which I got a break from mommyhood to go to coffee with our next-door neighbor. We chatted for almost 2 hours, and it was so nice to visit without interruption. That evening, we had the whole family over for a cookout, and, as always, it was such fun to see the boys play together (now am I talking about the kids or the husbands?). It was one of my favorite days in a while.
- Monday, we went over to the neighbor's for a meetup playdate, and since no one else showed, we basically had a repeat of the previous evening. Thankfully, we have been blessed with fantastic neighbors so this wasn't a problem in the slightest!
- Wednesday, we went to another meetup friend's house for a playdate, which was a lot of fun. Then that afternoon, since Daddy decided to take the rest of the week off now that his busy season is over, Ethan got to go to the park for the first time!
As you can see, he greatly enjoyed it!
- Friday, due to a later-than-planned afternoon nap, we had to cancel our attendance at another playdate. To make up for that outing, we decided to explore some other parks in the area:
Today, I had planned on going to a new LLL group meeting, but Ethan slept later than normal for his morning nap. However, we still had plenty of excitement planned because this evening Ethan and I went to a friend's baby shower in the city where I go to school. Thankfully, Ethan did really well on the drive and did pretty well at the party, despite it not being a very baby-friendly environment in terms of places to play or even walk around safely. There were four other kids there, but they were two, two-and-a-half, three months, and three-and-a-half months so either better at getting around without getting into trouble or not yet mobile. I managed to eat a black bean burger with him wiggling in my lap, and Ethan decided he wanted a taste. After the first bite, he kept signing for more so he ate a good chunk of it! Never would have guessed he'd like that!
This next week will be my last full week at home before classes start back. I have very mixed feelings on the subject, but I'm just going to savor every moment I have until then!
- Last Sunday was a wonderful day in which I got a break from mommyhood to go to coffee with our next-door neighbor. We chatted for almost 2 hours, and it was so nice to visit without interruption. That evening, we had the whole family over for a cookout, and, as always, it was such fun to see the boys play together (now am I talking about the kids or the husbands?). It was one of my favorite days in a while.
- Monday, we went over to the neighbor's for a meetup playdate, and since no one else showed, we basically had a repeat of the previous evening. Thankfully, we have been blessed with fantastic neighbors so this wasn't a problem in the slightest!
- Wednesday, we went to another meetup friend's house for a playdate, which was a lot of fun. Then that afternoon, since Daddy decided to take the rest of the week off now that his busy season is over, Ethan got to go to the park for the first time!
As you can see, he greatly enjoyed it!
- Friday, due to a later-than-planned afternoon nap, we had to cancel our attendance at another playdate. To make up for that outing, we decided to explore some other parks in the area:
Today, I had planned on going to a new LLL group meeting, but Ethan slept later than normal for his morning nap. However, we still had plenty of excitement planned because this evening Ethan and I went to a friend's baby shower in the city where I go to school. Thankfully, Ethan did really well on the drive and did pretty well at the party, despite it not being a very baby-friendly environment in terms of places to play or even walk around safely. There were four other kids there, but they were two, two-and-a-half, three months, and three-and-a-half months so either better at getting around without getting into trouble or not yet mobile. I managed to eat a black bean burger with him wiggling in my lap, and Ethan decided he wanted a taste. After the first bite, he kept signing for more so he ate a good chunk of it! Never would have guessed he'd like that!
This next week will be my last full week at home before classes start back. I have very mixed feelings on the subject, but I'm just going to savor every moment I have until then!
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Eleven Months
Dear Ethan,
In one short month, you will be one year old. Wow. I know I always write this, but I cannot fathom how quickly the time has gone! There's nothing stopping you now. You walk, you talk, you sleep, and you even eat normal people food! In fact, today was the first time you ate nothing but regular food: grits, blueberries (cut in half), cheese, and yogurt. Today we also ditched the bottle, meaning you took all of your supplements from a sippy cup. It made feedings take longer since you kept tossing the sippy in favor of your toys, but you didn't seem to mind too much. Today was also the first time since you were four-months-old that you fell asleep in the car, which also means today was the first day since you were one-day-old that I didn't wrap you for at least one nap. That last part makes me sad, but I guess it's just part of you growing up (and I still wore you several times today, just not for a nap).
While your vocabulary mostly still consists of nonsensical babbles, you pepper your monologues with "mama," "dada," "ba" (ball) "boo" (book) and "ditty" (kitty), all of your favorite things. While you still haven't quite mastered table foods, you are growing more capable every day. And now that you can stand without pulling up on anything, walking is your main mode of transit. Your mommy and daddy couldn't be more proud of you!
In about two weeks, things will change again as classes start back. Three days a week, you'll wake up from your afternoon nap to find Mommy has vanished and left a stranger in her place. Hopefully, this "stranger" will soon become a favorite play mate and Mommy's absences won't be too devastating. I know it will be a rough transition, and I'm dreading having my attention divided again, but it will be over before we know it! And no amount of school work could bump you from the number one spot on your mommy's priority list.
I know this last month of your first year will fly by like all the others so I just hope I remember to take the time to savor every kiss, every snuggle, every giggle, every mischievous grin, everything about you that makes me fall more in love with you each and every day.
Love,
Mommy
In one short month, you will be one year old. Wow. I know I always write this, but I cannot fathom how quickly the time has gone! There's nothing stopping you now. You walk, you talk, you sleep, and you even eat normal people food! In fact, today was the first time you ate nothing but regular food: grits, blueberries (cut in half), cheese, and yogurt. Today we also ditched the bottle, meaning you took all of your supplements from a sippy cup. It made feedings take longer since you kept tossing the sippy in favor of your toys, but you didn't seem to mind too much. Today was also the first time since you were four-months-old that you fell asleep in the car, which also means today was the first day since you were one-day-old that I didn't wrap you for at least one nap. That last part makes me sad, but I guess it's just part of you growing up (and I still wore you several times today, just not for a nap).
While your vocabulary mostly still consists of nonsensical babbles, you pepper your monologues with "mama," "dada," "ba" (ball) "boo" (book) and "ditty" (kitty), all of your favorite things. While you still haven't quite mastered table foods, you are growing more capable every day. And now that you can stand without pulling up on anything, walking is your main mode of transit. Your mommy and daddy couldn't be more proud of you!
In about two weeks, things will change again as classes start back. Three days a week, you'll wake up from your afternoon nap to find Mommy has vanished and left a stranger in her place. Hopefully, this "stranger" will soon become a favorite play mate and Mommy's absences won't be too devastating. I know it will be a rough transition, and I'm dreading having my attention divided again, but it will be over before we know it! And no amount of school work could bump you from the number one spot on your mommy's priority list.
I know this last month of your first year will fly by like all the others so I just hope I remember to take the time to savor every kiss, every snuggle, every giggle, every mischievous grin, everything about you that makes me fall more in love with you each and every day.
Love,
Mommy
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Table Foods Update
Just wanted to give an update on Ethan's attempts with finger foods. The day after our breakthrough, we had a bit of a setback. I fed him banana pieces with a fork, he gagged, he vomited. I mashed up the banana to a puree consistency, he gagged, he vomited. I gave him a puff, he gagged, he vomited. I took his temperature. 102.5. Between the fever and the congestion, he stuck to nursing and his bottle the rest of the day. For Friday-Sunday, I added back purees but stayed away from table foods until his congestion eased up. (That's not entirely true because on Sunday morning at worship, I gave him a bit of my bread, thus giving him his first Eucharist. He grinned and gobbled it up!)
By Monday, he was back to a slightly snottier version of himself, so we tried again with the peas via fork. Success! I even added some grated organic mild cheddar cheese to the meal, and he absolutely loved that! Tuesday and Wednesday, he ate scrambled egg yolks, peas, cheese, and a bit of bread. I also gave him a tiny piece of my chicken on Wednesday night, and he liked that up until he gagged on it (but it had been thoroughly cooked in the slow cooker to be shredded for BBQ so it was probably just too dry for him).
Today, I was feeding him peas with a fork and cheese by hand, per norm. He then reached out and grabbed some of the cheese from me, but he just played with it and almost immediately dropped it. A few pieces later, he reached out again, and this time he stuffed it in his mouth. I handed him another piece, and he popped it in his mouth! I handed him a pea and he squished it. But a few bites later, he plucked the pea off the fork and into his mouth. I placed a pea on the tray, and he picked it up and ate it. He finally figured out how to feed himself table foods!
I tentatively tried putting several peas at once on his tray so that he could feed himself as he liked, but he decided that just meant it was pea playtime. This evening, after he finished his yogurt, I put a few puffs on his tray to see if he could ration those himself. While he picked up several at once, he did a good job of only putting one at a time in his mouth. Just when I was about to declare him capable of feeding himself independently, he put two in his mouth at once and promptly began gagging. Oh well.
By Monday, he was back to a slightly snottier version of himself, so we tried again with the peas via fork. Success! I even added some grated organic mild cheddar cheese to the meal, and he absolutely loved that! Tuesday and Wednesday, he ate scrambled egg yolks, peas, cheese, and a bit of bread. I also gave him a tiny piece of my chicken on Wednesday night, and he liked that up until he gagged on it (but it had been thoroughly cooked in the slow cooker to be shredded for BBQ so it was probably just too dry for him).
Today, I was feeding him peas with a fork and cheese by hand, per norm. He then reached out and grabbed some of the cheese from me, but he just played with it and almost immediately dropped it. A few pieces later, he reached out again, and this time he stuffed it in his mouth. I handed him another piece, and he popped it in his mouth! I handed him a pea and he squished it. But a few bites later, he plucked the pea off the fork and into his mouth. I placed a pea on the tray, and he picked it up and ate it. He finally figured out how to feed himself table foods!
I tentatively tried putting several peas at once on his tray so that he could feed himself as he liked, but he decided that just meant it was pea playtime. This evening, after he finished his yogurt, I put a few puffs on his tray to see if he could ration those himself. While he picked up several at once, he did a good job of only putting one at a time in his mouth. Just when I was about to declare him capable of feeding himself independently, he put two in his mouth at once and promptly began gagging. Oh well.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Formula Free Day
No, I didn't up my supply to the point that we no longer have to supplement. However, I did manage to store up 48 oz. in my freezer stash! Now, that may not seem like a lot to those of you that have a normal supply, but for me, that's 3 months worth of hard work! And since some of the milk was coming up on that 3-month mark, I decided to go hog wild (yes, hog wild) and supplement exclusively with frozen milk instead of formula. So for the first time since he was one-month-old, Ethan received nothing but mommy milk today (with the exception of his solid meals, of course). And it was pretty awesome.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
First Word(s)
Ethan has probably been talking for weeks, if not months. He first said "Dada" at 7 months. He first said "Mama" at 8 months. In the past couple of weeks, he's been saying "ba" for ball, and a couple of times, he's gone up to the bookcase, grabbed a book, and said "boo." However, it's hard to tell when "dada" and "mama" stopped being babbles and started meaning mommy and daddy. And do "ba" and "boo" really count as words? Because of this confusion, we'd held off on counting any of this as his first words.
Finally, a "scientific" method was declared to determine when Ethan says his first word:
1) It has to be unprompted. This means what you can't say "Say mama/dada/ball." The word has to come from him. However, it is acceptable to say "Ethan, what's that?"
2) It has to be repeatable. Just doing it once does not suffice.
3) It has to be clear enough and close enough to the actual word that he is indisputably saying dada/mama/ball.
Today, we achieved all three criteria. Ethan's first word? Kitty. Or more exactly, "Ditty!" since he can't quite make that "k" sound. Ethan has loved the cats for months, excitedly grabbing at them and chasing them around the house. He's said "ditty" or "datty" in reference to the cats before, but today was the first time he said it meeting the above requirements. His daddy held him and pointed out Toby, asking "Who is that? What do we call that?" Ethan let out an excited, "Ditty!" before struggling out of his daddy's arm to attack. Shortly afterwards, Ethan was faced with both Toby and Henry. "What do we call them, Ethan?" "DITTY!!!" he cried in a high-pitched squeal. And there you have it. His first word!
As a result of this achievement, I think we're basically out of major milestones for the time being. This week he also finally started clapping and waving bye-bye. He walks. He talks. What else are we waiting on?
Finally, a "scientific" method was declared to determine when Ethan says his first word:
1) It has to be unprompted. This means what you can't say "Say mama/dada/ball." The word has to come from him. However, it is acceptable to say "Ethan, what's that?"
2) It has to be repeatable. Just doing it once does not suffice.
3) It has to be clear enough and close enough to the actual word that he is indisputably saying dada/mama/ball.
Today, we achieved all three criteria. Ethan's first word? Kitty. Or more exactly, "Ditty!" since he can't quite make that "k" sound. Ethan has loved the cats for months, excitedly grabbing at them and chasing them around the house. He's said "ditty" or "datty" in reference to the cats before, but today was the first time he said it meeting the above requirements. His daddy held him and pointed out Toby, asking "Who is that? What do we call that?" Ethan let out an excited, "Ditty!" before struggling out of his daddy's arm to attack. Shortly afterwards, Ethan was faced with both Toby and Henry. "What do we call them, Ethan?" "DITTY!!!" he cried in a high-pitched squeal. And there you have it. His first word!
As a result of this achievement, I think we're basically out of major milestones for the time being. This week he also finally started clapping and waving bye-bye. He walks. He talks. What else are we waiting on?
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Two Years
Two years ago, I walked across campus in a daze. I repeated the facts to my husband and my mother over the phone. I entered the chapel, avoided eye contact with the attendant, and made my way down the stairs of the crypt. I summoned the associate pastor, who was leading the youth in a reflection exercise after the morning's service activities. Fighting back tears, I informed him that I had gotten some bad news and asked if he could handle the youth the rest of the day so I could go home. He agreed and gave me a hug. I sobbed the whole drive home. Two years ago today, the doctor gave me a new title: Infertile.
I remember the above very clearly, and yet my appointment at student health is a bit of a blur. I was in the midst of leading the congregation's youth in a week of service. The associate pastor agreed to take charge of the kids while I followed up with the doctor I had first seen back in May. Thanks to 9 months of charting, I knew I wasn't ovulating. What I didn't know was why. At least, I didn't know for sure. Something was obviously not working right with my body; plus, I gained 25 lbs. as soon as I stopped taking the birth control pill, even though I was still exercising and eating right. All signs pointed to PCOS, no matter how much I wished I could explain them away. Nevertheless, it's one thing to suspect and another thing entirely to have your fears confirmed and be told you will most likely be unable to have children without medical assistance.
After making this declaration, the doctor recommended Metformin as the first step towards fertility. Thankfully, that's the only step it took, and 5 months later, I saw the second pink line that would become my son. The worries were no where near over, though, since miscarriage occurs in over 45% of PCOS pregnancies (compared to 10-20% of total pregnancies). As a result, I stayed on Metformin throughout the first trimester. Women with PCOS are also more likely to develop gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia, both of which I thankfully avoided.
Two years ago today, I received news that seemed absolutely devastating at the time. But in just a few weeks, my son will turn one. He's a thousand answered prayers and a testament to modern medicine in one. And he makes all the anxiety, fears, and heartache well worth it.
I remember the above very clearly, and yet my appointment at student health is a bit of a blur. I was in the midst of leading the congregation's youth in a week of service. The associate pastor agreed to take charge of the kids while I followed up with the doctor I had first seen back in May. Thanks to 9 months of charting, I knew I wasn't ovulating. What I didn't know was why. At least, I didn't know for sure. Something was obviously not working right with my body; plus, I gained 25 lbs. as soon as I stopped taking the birth control pill, even though I was still exercising and eating right. All signs pointed to PCOS, no matter how much I wished I could explain them away. Nevertheless, it's one thing to suspect and another thing entirely to have your fears confirmed and be told you will most likely be unable to have children without medical assistance.
After making this declaration, the doctor recommended Metformin as the first step towards fertility. Thankfully, that's the only step it took, and 5 months later, I saw the second pink line that would become my son. The worries were no where near over, though, since miscarriage occurs in over 45% of PCOS pregnancies (compared to 10-20% of total pregnancies). As a result, I stayed on Metformin throughout the first trimester. Women with PCOS are also more likely to develop gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia, both of which I thankfully avoided.
Two years ago today, I received news that seemed absolutely devastating at the time. But in just a few weeks, my son will turn one. He's a thousand answered prayers and a testament to modern medicine in one. And he makes all the anxiety, fears, and heartache well worth it.
Friday, August 5, 2011
My Little Social Butterfly
Ethan has a more full social calendar than I have had in years. It's as simple (and as pathetic on my end) as that. Since I've been out of school for the summer, we average between 2 and 4 play dates a week, assuming no one is sick. We've hosted several play dates, the goats being the big appeal, but we've also gone to others' houses, parks, churches, etc. It's been a lot of fun, and I've enjoyed getting to know the other moms and babies. Ethan seems to enjoy himself, too, though whether it's the people or the different toys he's most excited about is hard to tell. Rather than try to recap the past few weeks of play dates, I decided to just do a picture post from three recent play dates. The first series of photos came from a play date we hosted with a local Meetup.com group. The second series is from a play date at one of the organizer's of the same group. The third series is from playing next door at the neighbor's house, which we do regularly. With the exception of the last photos, I didn't get permission to share these, so the moms and babies will be "censored" as usual.
Some of the moms and babies with Meg
The neighbor's oldest and another older boy had a lot of fun chasing the goats around the pens. When the goats wouldn't eat some of the produce I had for the kids to feed them, these boys began trying to feed them rocks instead.
The goats loved this mama, and Ethan loves her, too!
"Whatcha got there? That looks fun!"
"Mmm. This ball tastes better than the ones at home!"
Our neighbor captured one of Ethan's many overly-expressive looks here. I'm not sure what he was upset about, but he was glaring at someone/something
Our neighbor has a sweet dog, but Ethan wasn't sure what to think of her the first time he encountered her. A couple of days later (when this picture was taken), he'd made a new friend!
"What? We're busy!" (We were unable to capture the moment Ethan decided to put the ball in the bucket, but it was pretty cute to see them working together!)
All smiles! These boys are 10 days apart and sure to be best friends growing up!
Some of the moms and babies with Meg
The neighbor's oldest and another older boy had a lot of fun chasing the goats around the pens. When the goats wouldn't eat some of the produce I had for the kids to feed them, these boys began trying to feed them rocks instead.
The goats loved this mama, and Ethan loves her, too!
"Whatcha got there? That looks fun!"
"Mmm. This ball tastes better than the ones at home!"
Our neighbor captured one of Ethan's many overly-expressive looks here. I'm not sure what he was upset about, but he was glaring at someone/something
Our neighbor has a sweet dog, but Ethan wasn't sure what to think of her the first time he encountered her. A couple of days later (when this picture was taken), he'd made a new friend!
"What? We're busy!" (We were unable to capture the moment Ethan decided to put the ball in the bucket, but it was pretty cute to see them working together!)
All smiles! These boys are 10 days apart and sure to be best friends growing up!
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
The Trick to Table Foods
I discovered the key to table foods today. After some more failed attempts at finger foods, I decided to try Ethan on whole sweet peas for lunch since he likes pea puree, and they are relatively small and squishy. I put a few on the tray. He picked one up and gave me a look like "You've GOT to be kidding me." I ate a couple to show him the mechanics. He stared blankly. I tried to feed him one. He pursed his lips and turned his head away. In short, he behaved like he usually does unless I'm giving him Puffs or "Cheerios." Then I remembered how well he ate scrambled egg yolks when I fed him with a fork. I fetched his toddler fork and, right in front of him, stabbed one of the peas from his tray. He opened his mouth.
Now, it wasn't immediate. He gagged several times with the first one, once almost to the point of vomiting. With the second one, he gagged a little less. By the fourth one, he was eating peas like an old pro. He finished off an entire saucer full of peas with no problems.
This evening, after he ate half a banana in his yogurt, I decided to tempt fate and cut up the rest of the banana into small pieces. Remember, this ended in disaster last time, with one piece causing him to throw up thrice. I tentatively offered him a piece on the fork. He opened his mouth and ate it like he'd been eating them all along. He finished off the banana like it was no big deal.
So could this be the end of our table food dilemma? I don't want to jinx us, but it certainly seems to have helped! I still have hopes that he'll figure out how to feed himself, but for now I'm perfectly happy feeding him if it'll get him to eat. The only issue may be figuring out how to get things like toast on a fork!
In other news, Ethan has a couple of new "tricks." If you say "Give mommy a kiss," he immediately leans in, mouth open, and puts his mouth on your cheek and grins. Not quite a traditional kiss, perhaps, but still cute as can be! If you say "No no no!" (in a happy tone), he grins and shakes his head back and forth. And yes, I'm guilty of having him do both of these over and over, both because it's adorable and because I'm in awe of what a smart little guy he is! He's also adding new words to his vocabulary, but that's a story for another post. This is just such a fun age, and I can't wait to see what he'll learn next!
Now, it wasn't immediate. He gagged several times with the first one, once almost to the point of vomiting. With the second one, he gagged a little less. By the fourth one, he was eating peas like an old pro. He finished off an entire saucer full of peas with no problems.
This evening, after he ate half a banana in his yogurt, I decided to tempt fate and cut up the rest of the banana into small pieces. Remember, this ended in disaster last time, with one piece causing him to throw up thrice. I tentatively offered him a piece on the fork. He opened his mouth and ate it like he'd been eating them all along. He finished off the banana like it was no big deal.
So could this be the end of our table food dilemma? I don't want to jinx us, but it certainly seems to have helped! I still have hopes that he'll figure out how to feed himself, but for now I'm perfectly happy feeding him if it'll get him to eat. The only issue may be figuring out how to get things like toast on a fork!
In other news, Ethan has a couple of new "tricks." If you say "Give mommy a kiss," he immediately leans in, mouth open, and puts his mouth on your cheek and grins. Not quite a traditional kiss, perhaps, but still cute as can be! If you say "No no no!" (in a happy tone), he grins and shakes his head back and forth. And yes, I'm guilty of having him do both of these over and over, both because it's adorable and because I'm in awe of what a smart little guy he is! He's also adding new words to his vocabulary, but that's a story for another post. This is just such a fun age, and I can't wait to see what he'll learn next!
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