26 Weeks / Half a Year

I say it every month but somehow, in the blink of an eye, another month has gone by. 
We've known you for half a year.
For 6 months we've watched you grow stronger, watched you hit milestones, watched your personality start to shine through.  
You can sit up on your own for a good chunk of time before tipping over.
You've finally figured out how to eat food off of a spoon. You've had rice cereal, butternut squash, sweet potato, pear, apple, blueberries, pumpkin, banana, prunes and oats. You seem to be a fan of everything so far. 
You love banging on surfaces. We think you're going to love the fact that your uncle is a drummer. The noise you will make.
You love tangling your fists in my hair and yanking what precious little of it I have left out. When I nurse you, you also use that opportunity to reach up and grab fistfuls of my hair. You're lucky you're cute.
You've started to turn into a chatty little baby, babbling and oohing and aahing. You say na-na, ya-ya, and da-da (ma-ma once....only once, but I count it!).
You're still in size 2 diapers and have just a little peach fuzz on your head. 
You laugh when we give you loud kisses and when we smack our lips. You like peek-a-boo now too.
You've been sleeping in your own room for about a week. I miss you not being right beside me but you're only steps away. 
You've also been going to bed around 8:30 at night now, which is nice. 

Oh, kiddo.
There aren't words for us to truly convey how much we love you.
You've given us the best 6 months of our lives so far.

We can't wait to see what the next 6 months bring!

25 Weeks / Into Your Crib

Last night you slept in your crib overnight for the first time.
We're trying to get you into a routine, so that you go to bed a little earlier - selfishly this is because we want a bit of evening time to ourselves but also we want to make sure you're as well-rested as you can be.
We gave you a bath at 6:45, then changed you into your PJs, dad read you a story and then I nursed you. You fell asleep so quickly and peacefully.
Unfortunately you also woke up again at 8:30 and your dad held you and sang to you for half an hour until you fell back asleep (even though you cried for a lot of it because you only wanted to soothe yourself on my boob).
When your dad and I climbed into bed at 10 pm I couldn't help but feel a pang on sadness when I looked at the empty bassinet beside me. For almost 6 months I could peak over at you any time I woke up and listen to your breathing and know that you were safe. 
I only got up to look in on you once overnight (not counting the two times I was up to nurse you).
You slept soundly in your crib and woke up happy.

We're hoping for another 7:30 bedtime tonight!

I'm so happy you're content in your own bed and I love having some time alone with your dad but I missed you beside me.

I hope you always remember that, when you're bigger and can crawl out of your toddler bed, there will always be room for you beside us in our bed.

24 Weeks / An Ode to Single Parents

*written on Tuesday, posted today because I forgot to post it*

For the past few days I've been running the show solo. 
Well, technically that's not true since I have amazing friends, family & in-laws who have been around to lend helping hands. But not having my husband here... I have a whole new respect for single moms and dads.

John is in Seattle climbing Mount Rainier. We drove him to the airport for 6:30 am on Thursday and are anxiously awaiting his return late tomorrow evening. 

Thankfully my kiddo is a happy baby and things haven't felt too overwhelming. She had a few over-tired fusses but nothing serious. 

But this time with my content kid has made me appreciate how lucky I am to have a partner in this parenting adventure, as well as a very supportive family.

Big thank-you's go out to my mom, my sister, my dad, my mother- and father-in-law, John's aunt, and my book-club ladies for the company. 

Single moms and dads - you have my utmost respect.

23 Weeks / Life These Days

You are 23 weeks old today. It sounded like you said mama today too ... I'll post that video later, once I can get some unbiased ears to listen to it.

But I thought we were due for an update so....

Things you like:

• Saying "la-la" and "ya-ya" and generally baby babbling which only just started a few days ago
• Pulling out my hair
• Rolling around and sleeping on your tummy
• Chewing on anything you can get your hands on
• When your dad asks if you smell and then sniffs your neck and tummy and toes
• Baths
• Petting, pulling on, and just watching our dog, Reese

Things you don't like:

• Wearing pants (but who can blame you)
• Rice cereal, carrots, ... or just any food off of a spoon
• Napping for more than 30 mins during the day
• Being anywhere but home after 8 pm when you get tired

I can't believe you have been with us for almost half a year. 

We love you SO much and feel lucky to get to watch you grow up a little more every day.

22 Weeks / New Adventures!

My sweet little baby is officially 5 months old. And looking bigger and bigger everyday. 
We decided to try out some rice cereal this weekend. 
The Canadian Pediatric Society currently recommends waiting til closer to 6 months to introduce foods other than breast milk but she seemed ready. She watches everything we eat and drink with such curiosity. She can sit up in her bumbo chair and support her head and neck perfectly while doing so. 
So on Sunday morning we mixed up some cereal with my milk, got our little girl ready in her seat with a bib and embarked on a new adventure!
It went about as well as you can probably imagine.
She seemed pretty intrigued by the spoon but hasn't mastered the art of swallowing with sucking quite yet. Most (all?) of the cereal ended up on her chin, on her bib, and on her toes. 
Monday morning went about the same. Eventually she'll get the hang of it. I'm not pushing her to have very much of it as it's more for fun & practice than nutritional value right now. 
Check out the most adorable video of baby's first foray into food below. 

21 Weeks / Too Busy to Sleep

Oh my monkey.
You're rolling both ways now - back to front and front to back. But only to the right. When I put you in your crib now it usually results in you smushed up in one of the corners. Time to get some crib bumpers me thinks.
You're getting better at sitting up on your own too. But not really. You like sitting up with us but if we let go to see how you fare you happily face plant into the couch/bed/other soft surface. You'll get there soon enough though.
You like having people hold you so you can walk your feet through the grass. 
You like sleeping on your tummy with your bum in the air. 
During the day you don't like napping anywhere but on your mommy and daddy. 
(As I type that sentence you FINALLY just fell asleep on the couch beside me, as captured in the photo below ... but you keep waking up to watch Kelly & Michael it seems. I know if I put you in the crib you'll be wide awake. You're a funny one)

You're discovering more and more every day. You enjoy your exersaucer even more now that I finally put batteries into it and it makes crazy jungle sounds. 
You're starting to bounce and move side to side in it now too.
You're also very interested in anything your dad and I eat/drink. I bought you a sippy cup because you're not a fan of the traditional bottle. So far you just chew on it but I'm optimistic that one day you'll drink from it.
I also bought you rice cereal because of how interested in food you seem. I was going to wait until 6 months but we're going to try a little bit next week after your 5 month-a-versary. 
 I'm excited for you to try new things but not excited for the reality of constipation (your poor little GI tract is going to have to learn how to process more than just breast milk) and 'human poos' that I've been told smell like ... well, poo. Different from the non-offensive milk poops you have now, anyway. 
Are you reading this in the future? Are you embarrassed that I'm talking about your poos? Don't be. Everybody poos. 

We love you so much and feel so lucky we get to watch you grow each and every day.

20 Weeks / Important Life Lessons

Full disclosure - this post is a day late because of the long weekend. I forgot yesterday was not Monday and was, in fact, Tuesday.

Awhile ago, when I was googling any and every thing mom-related, I read an article written by a mother who resented being told that someday she would wish for what she was currently complaining about. 
Like, "oh, don't complain about having to carry your kid all the time. Someday they won't want you to pick them up and you'll wish you could have that time back."
And I got the author's point - let me complain! I'm tired! My back hurts! I haven't showered in almost a week! Just because you complain doesn't mean you don't cherish the moments with your kid, good and bad.

Then the point really hit home last week.
I was trying to get Evelyn used to napping in her crib during the day because someday we'll eventually transition her into it at night (she'd be fine, it's us who want to keep her beside us) and it would allow me some hands-free time during the day to just do whatever.
I tried a few days in a row with minimal success. She'd fall asleep nursing and then, when I felt pretty certain she was asleep I would gently lay her down in the crib...
and then the eyes would fly open.
I tried giving her 5 minutes to settle herself but it either ended with her crying or happily looking around at all the toys in her room. 
There was no sleep to be had in the crib.
And not-so-great day naps translated to fussy evenings.

So eventually I gave up, somewhat frustrated, and let her nap on my chest again because at least it guaranteed a longer, more restful nap. 

And while I was complaining about having less time to prep dinner, etc, I realized I can't really complain about these moments that are no doubt fleeting. As long as she sleeps better nestled on me then we'll cuddle chest-to-chest. 
She won't always want to cuddle. Someday she'll be too big and too grown up to want to.
And truthfully, there is nothing more I love than having her fast asleep on my chest. I get to kiss her head, watch her sweet face, feel her breathe, and feel my heart swell with more love than I ever, ever thought possible. 

So just know that I DO cherish every moment and I know that some day, probably sooner than I realize, she'll be grown up and independent and won't need me.

I cherish every single second.
But sometimes I also want some me time. 
If I complain, just let me. 
I only half mean it.