Henry: 8 Months

Month 8 has been the month of development.  Holy cow.  Three of Henry's teeth came in a week and a half ago (Yes, they came in within a couple days of each other. It was terrible). Another one is working itself in right now.  That makes 6 teeth!  He looks so different now that you can see teeth when he smiles.  Same cute little kid though.

Henry started crawling a couple days ago.  He had been rocking back and forth for about a week, but he finally decided that Friday was the night.  By Saturday, he was trying to crawl all over me.  Sunday, he was trying to pull up on the couch.  Today, he pulled himself up to his feet in his crib.  When I saw what he was doing and went to check on him, he looked at me with the biggest smile on his face, like he felt such a sense of accomplishment. I believe it's time to lower the mattress down a setting. I can't believe how fast it went.  If he is on his feet with me holding his hands, he can walk with a lot of ease.  A couple months ago, I thought his gross motor skills were lacking compared to his fine motor skills; now it appears they have caught up. Who knows. He may be walking by 10 months considering how fast he went from sitting to rolling to crawling and now pulling up.

Henry is an eating machine.  He has between five and seven 6-ounce bottles a day.  We also sit at the table and have lunch and dinner together. This way, I can somewhat enjoy my meal now.  He loves most fruits, although apples can be a little tart.  His favorite fruit is blueberries.  He's not a fan of green veggies, but green beans seem to be growing on him a little bit.  The kid loves squash and sweet potatoes.

Peek-a-boo can always get him to smile.  So can Piper.  He started to climb on Piper the other night and she just lays there.  Such a good girl.  He is VERY vocal.  When he doesn't like something, he sure does tell you.  He also babbles when I talk to him.  We like to have conversations while I work.  Still no real words yet, but I have a feeling when he does talk, he won't stop.

With how much went on during month 8, I can only image what will happen in month 9!

Henry: 6 Months

Today is Henry's half birthday, although Brett says we don't celebrate half birthdays (for mommy at least).  This past month has been busy for Henry.  He was dedicated at our church.  Brett and I committed to raising Henry to know God's love and the precious gift He gave us in Jesus.  It is our prayer that Henry comes to know Jesus as his Savior at an early age.

Henry has started to sit by himself pretty well the past week.  He still leans a little to one side, but he is getting much better.  If something is out of his reach, he is starting to put his legs under him to try to get to it.  It ends up that he does a small face plant into carpet like a seesaw.  He's one tough kid and doesn't seem to mind.  He continues to roll across the floor and loves to lay or sit next to Piper.  Piper has been our saving grace when Henry is fussy.  He looks at her and just starts to smile or laugh. 

We started some solids this month.  His favorite has been rice cereal, followed by sweet potatoes and carrots.  He doesn't seem to like fruit yet.  He has tried pears, apples, and bananas.  Henry is teething like crazy.  I think his teeth are getting closer to the surface, but still no breaking through.

Henry has his 6 month appointment in 1.5 weeks so I will update on his weight and height when that happens.  In the meantime, enjoy some pictures from Henry's sixth month!

This is what month pictures looks like with a 6 month old

This picture is hilarious to me. Henry kept on eyeing Chris while he ate these chips. And of course, Chris teased him.

Henry: 5 Months

I seem to like odd months for some reason.  Sorry I haven't been more consistent with updates on Henry.  For those of you who don't know, I kept my full time job as an analyst and am keeping Henry at the same time.  I'm a full time, work-at-home mom and a full time, stay-at-home mom.  It is extremely difficult and wears me out, but I'm surviving.  Brett may say otherwise, but we're hanging in there.

These past two months have been full of ups and downs.  Henry went through about a week and a half phase where he woke up every 1.5 hours at night to eat.  When that ended, he slept for 10-11 hours straight.  I reveled in the fact that I was getting extra sleep.  When we went for his 4 month check-up, we found out that he weighed 12 pounds 8 ounces and had only gained 1 pound in two months.  He went from the 35th percentile in weight to the 5th percentile in weight.  The doctor told me that during that 1.5 weeks, shes thinks Henry figured there was nothing when he was hungry, and therefore decided to give up and just sleep the night.  Under doctor's orders, Henry has a specified eating schedule.  Thankfully, he has taken to some formula (I still wasn't producing enough to keep up).  One to two of his daily feedings is formula.  I think that has helped him pack on some extra weight.  He seems to have gotten a little chub on his recently.  We go on Tuesday to get his weight checked again.  Prayers that the feeding schedule and formula has worked.

Henry still doesn't like to take naps during the day.  If he's not in the Ergo, his naps are about 20 minutes on the dot.  He is super active and attentive.  I like to think he's really smart and taking everything in.   He is definitely all boy.

Enough with the downs.  The ups are much more fun to talk about.  Henry has found his voice.  He makes this dolphin sound a ton.  We often have conversations during the day.  He is very interactive.  Oba found out he even likes peek-a-boo now.

He has started to absolutely adore Piper.  Piper has always seemed to like him, but recently, he has really taken to her.  He reaches for her when she's near.  If he gets a hold of her, he tends to pull her hair (as he does with Mommy all the time now).  Piper makes him laugh when she drops the ball and scoots back.  He finds that hilarious.  He just watches her all the time.  They're basically best friends.

I think his fine motor skills are really good. He switches hands all the time with his toys and seems to be aware of distances when he reaches for things.  His gross motor skills may be a little bit slower.  He just started purposefully rolling from tummy to back and is so close to rolling from back to tummy.  He's really stubborn and starts screaming when he can't do it.  I think it will come any day now.  His favorite thing to do is stand when you hold him.  He gets antsy if he's sitting while being held.  He'd rather stand on your lap.

While he can be difficult, Henry is the apple of Mommy and Daddy's eyes.  We just love him!

Henry: 3 Months

Sorry I have been MIA so much recently, but this little boy is keeping me very busy.  Today, Henry turns 3 months old.  Hard to believe it's been three months since he graced us with his presence. 

Henry has changed so much in the past two months since my last post.  Heck, he's changed even in the past week!  He probably weighs around 12.5 pounds and is still pretty slim, although his cheeks have a little fat to them now.   He is in 6 month sleepers and still in 3 month onesies so he must have longer legs.  He is cooing like crazy.  I'll talk to him and sometimes get a response of noises, kicks, and arm waves.  It's pretty neat to see him reacting to something I'm doing.  He smiles a lot when Brett and I talk to him.  Just this past week, he started smiling at non-family members, particularly the football staff.

Henry has now met all of our immediate family, plus a lot of our extended family.  All of my grandparents have been able to meet him.  I'll tell you...those moments are some of my most treasured memories.  For me to have all my grandparents and them get to meet Henry is unusual and something I will never forget.  I am so glad we have pictures to show Henry when he gets older.  Pappaw would just look at him, Mimi couldn't get enough of holding him, and Oba says he has the biggest eyes and wants to take him home...until he starts crying. 

We have been able to go to Sunday School a handful of times.  It is during his nap time, so he is pretty cranky.  He falls asleep in the car, but then wakes up when we get to church since he doesn't like to sit stationary in the car seat.  Katie is our Sunday School whisperer.  She takes him, puts him to sleep, and then returns to the classroom.  While he may not sleep long, Brett and I are able to learn without worrying about Henry since we know he is in more than capable hands. 

This past week, he has started to interact with Piper.  Piper has really taken to him recently.  She's always put the ball in his rock and play, but she has started to lay beside and sometimes on him.  He smiled when she laid on him last week.  Henry follows her with his eyes wherever she goes and gets excited when she's close (for him, that is making noises, moving his arms, and kicking his legs).

He doesn't like tummy time much, but he tolerates it through lots of grunts.  He rolls from his tummy to his back a lot more now.  I think it may be his larger-than-average head tilting him over, but I'll take it however I can.  He's not a great sleeper during the day, but he has been getting 8+ hours of uninterrupted sleep the past two weeks.  Last night, he actually got 10 hours of sleep.  Unreal.

Enjoy the pictures from the past two months.  Henry, Daddy and I love you so much!

10 Mommy Lessons I've Learned: Part II

One of my purposes for writing this two part series is to make sure that new moms don't feel alone.  That is especially true with the lessons in today's post.  These are all thoughts that I've had.  Sometimes I've felt alone when I think these thoughts, but I know that's not true.  Today's post may seem like complaining, but I think they are important points to mention.

Lesson #6: Everyone will have an opinion/advice, but you know your child best.
I have received a lot of advice and opinions about how I should raise Henry. In most cases, I solicited the advice.  I appreciate all of the support and opinions and have tried a lot of them.  The thing I want to tell new moms is that you know your child best.  What works for someone else's child, may not work for yours.  And that is OK.  Take all of the advice as a sign that you are loved and people want to help.  Don't let it bog you down.

Lesson #7: Daddy will most likely father differently than you mother. 
This is a lesson I'm still learning.  I feel like since I'm with Henry all day, I know him best, which is probably true. When I tell Brett something about Henry and he doesn't do it, I often get frustrated.  I have to remember that it's alright that Brett parents a little different on the small things.  There is a reason God gave children mommies and daddies.  We each have different roles at this point in the baby's life. Instead of being frustrated, I have to remind myself how blessed I am that Brett desires to hold, change, and love on Henry. He loves Henry, just like I do. He is a fantastic dad, even when he doesn't do exactly as I say.

Lesson #8: You may get tired of hearing, "This too shall pass," but it's true.
Until about one week ago, Henry had a terrible time falling asleep at night.  I kept on hearing, "This too shall pass."  At that moment in time, it would frustrate me.  I want it to be done now.  Why couldn't Henry be like other babies and sleep all the time? Instead, he would be awake almost all day and be so tired at night that he couldn't fall asleep. But you know what?  It IS passing.  He IS getting better.  His screaming at night is calming down.  While he may not sleep a lot during the day, he is learning.

Lesson #9: You may not like your baby sometimes.
And it makes you feel like a terrible mom.  You are not a terrible mom.  In the beginning, there were many evenings where I had to hand Henry off to Brett because I just couldn't deal with any more.  I think it was healthy for me, Henry, and Brett.  I could regain my composure and breathe.  Henry couldn't sense my frustration.  Brett could learn how to soothe Henry.   Honestly, it saved me from a lot of anger and contempt for Henry.  By taking those moments to myself, I am able to be a better mama for Henry.  Taking a step back for a second isn't something that you should be ashamed of. 

Lesson #10: Love, love, love on your little one.
This one is a given and doesn't need much explanation. Let your little one fall asleep in your arms every once in a while.  Give as many kisses as you can.  Get lots of pictures.  Take in every moment, because it does go by so quickly.

There are plenty of other things that I'm learning, but not enough time in the day to write about them.  Motherhood is hard and has created a lot of tears, but one that brings me great joy and purpose. I love my little Henry!

10 Mommy Lessons I've Learned: Part I

I wanted to document some of the lessons I've learned in my vast amount of time as a mommy. Ha.  I hope this will be informational and an encouragement to mamas-to-be.

Lesson #1: You will learn how prideful you are.
Maybe this doesn't apply to you, but it was honestly shocking to me.  I already knew I was a prideful person, but I didn't realize how much until having a child.  I like the house to be presentable, the bed made, and the kitchen sink empty.  I don't like asking for help.  I want to do it all. Sometimes, it's just not possible.  I've learned spending time with Henry is more important and that the bed can wait.  People generally understand that the house will not be spotless.  I ask Brett for help with the house, Piper, and Henry.  He willingly does it. When my mom or Brett's mom are around, I ask them to watch Henry so I can enjoy my coffee or take a shower.  There is nothing they would rather do than hold Henry.  They also know what they are doing.  I mean, Brett and I turned out pretty well.  Basically, I need to let go of some of my unrealistic expectations that I need to do everything for everyone.

Lesson #2: Don't be embarrassed by your baby crying in public.
This goes along with Lesson #1.  There have been two instances where I have taken Henry in public, and he has just cried.  I fed and changed him before going out, but he still cried.  I was so embarrassed, thinking that everyone around me would think that I was a bad mom because I didn't have the perfect child.  Get a grip, Sara!  He is a baby.  Babies cry.  People didn't judge me, but instead gave me a look of understanding.  It was only me that was giving me a hard time.  I need to learn to lighten up on myself. 

Lesson #3: Breast milk digests fast.  Like, faster than me writing this sentence.
I knew that I would go through a lot of diapers with Henry, but I didn't realize how much.  I didn't know that in the first month, Henry would poop while he was eating.  That is how quickly babies can digest breast milk.  I had to ask the doctor if that was unusual.  She said that was a great sign that he was getting enough to eat and that it was completely normal.  It was and is frustrating when he has been awake a while, I change his diaper, feed him, and while he's eating, he poops again.  He still does it sometimes at almost two months, but definitely not as much. I just have to remind myself that this many diapers is a good sign that he is getting the food he needs.

Lesson #4: Try to take a shower every day.
I cannot stress this enough. I heard this from one of the girls in my Sunday School class and didn't realize how important it would be.  Now I do.  I felt so gross from all of the things coming out of me after delivery and all the changes my body was going through.  Lots of people say to sleep when your baby sleeps, but I say to take a shower during one of those naps.  Even now, it makes me feel less disgusting and more human. So, so important.

Lesson #5: Your body may not bounce back like what you expect or hear.  That's OK.
You may be blessed with a body that bounces back the next day.  I'm not.  I'm going to say it.  I gained between 45 and 55 pounds during pregnancy, depending on what you count as my pre-pregnancy weight.  Given that I'm breastfeeding, the first 30 came off pretty easy.  The rest is a work in progress.  I'm just now getting to the point where I feel like I can do some exercising (needless to say, the aftermath of labor has been tough on my body).  The stretch marks don't do away quickly.  I have actually gotten more in some places (thank you breastfeeding).  I'm learning that it's alright that I don't fit into my old jeans yet.  I'm enjoying spending time with my new buddy.  The time goes by too quickly to be worried about losing every single pound right now.

Hope you enjoyed my first five lessons of being a mama and that it was beneficial to some of you.  Stay tuned for my next five!

Henry: 1 Month

Our little guy turns one month today!  I can't believe how fast time has gone.  Each day is super long but time as a whole has gone by so fast.  Henry had his one month appointment today.  The doctor said he is perfect, but we sort of knew that.  He gained almost 2 pounds since his last appointment three weeks ago so he weighed in at 8 pounds 14.5 ounces.  He is almost 21 inches long (the hospital and doctors' office measure length differently; he hasn't gotten shorter since birth).  At his last appointment, he was in the 10th percentile in weight and length, but now he's in the 25th.  His head circumference is also in the 25th. 

Thanks Tara and Trey for the month tags! I'll remove the flash next time.

These past couple of weeks have been pretty difficult for me.  If you follow me on social media, you know that the kid doesn't like to sleep.  One day this week, he only took two one-hour naps between 9:30 am and midnight.  The mornings and afternoons normally aren't too bad, but the evenings are pretty trying.  He typically wakes up from a nap around 5 and then doesn't go to sleep until between 11 pm and midnight, with maybe a 10 minute nap somewhere in there.  He cries A LOT during this time. We know he's tired, and sometimes he'll fall asleep, but as soon as we put him down, he's wide awake.  He can't seem to stay asleep until he's down for the count.

During this time, he likes to cluster feed.  The doctor actually mentioned that Henry may like his stomach extremely full before falling asleep, instead of the amount normal babies prefer.  Milk supply naturally depletes in the evening, so that may be the cause of his fussiness.  I'm going to load up on water to see if it helps in the evenings.  However, the doctor said he may be slightly colicky too, given that he typically settles down a bit when we walk, bounce, or take him outside.

In the beginning, he liked to be swaddled.  About two weeks ago, he decided he was done with the swaddles.  He would grunt and squirm until he broke free of the Swaddle Me.  The kid is strong-willed.  Now, he normally sleeps with his hands next to his face or straight above his head.  It's pretty cute.

Aside from his sleeping patterns, he LOVES LOVES LOVES to be outside.  I think part of it is the heat, but he also likes the sun on him.  If the wind blows, he starts to move his head like "Ah, that feels good."  His eyes almost instantly close, and his body goes limp.  This has been a life saver in the evenings, although as soon as we walk inside, he's fussy again.  He'd probably like if we set his sleeper up outside and let him sleep there. 

He is extremely alert.  Brett and I have noticed that he is starting to focus on things like our faces when we talk to him.  He used to look past us, but now it seems like he's looking at us.  According to the doctor, around one month, infants can begin to see outlines of faces, as opposed to being legally blind.  Around two months, their vision drastically improves. 

We learned that Henry likes music.  In the beginning, the King (George Strait) would calm him down.  Now it's just any type of music.  He seems to like when I sing Victory in Jesus so that has become his nightly song.  Brett says we have to start him early on those good ole Southern Baptist hymns. 

Here are some pictures from his first month.

The best daddy

The look of love and exhaustion

Piper has become really attached to him.  When he cries, she runs to check on him.  If I'm not in the room, she'll come over to me and look at me like, "Is he ok?"  When I'm nursing, she typically comes and lays right under his feet or his head so he props up on her.  Whenever we change him, Piper follows us into the room and lays down at our feet.  The other day, I leaned Henry against her stomach while she was laying down (don't worry, I was still holding him), and she just put her head on the couch and fell back asleep.  Henry seemed to be intrigued by the feel of her fur, but the coldness of her nose startled him.  It warms my heart and eases my mind to know Piper does well with him.  I was really nervous about that.

Henry got to meet one of his great grandparents this month too.  Mom and Dad braved the trip and brought Oba to our house.  Oba was enamored by him.  She kept saying, "I take him home" and "He such good baby."  When Mom went to take Henry so she could hold him, Oba said, "No," and gave Mom the stink face.  She just loves him.  With my grandparents getting old, I'm really glad he was able to meet Oba.  Next week, he'll get to meet Mimi and Pappaw!

Her first time holding him. I love her face here.

One of my favorite pictures. So much history in this picture.

Well, I think that's a good recap of his first month.  I have learned a lot and plan to write a post about some of the things people didn't tell me or things that I would stress with my vast amount of experience. Ha. Hope you enjoyed learning about our little guy!