Merry Christmas

From our little family to yours, we are wishing you all a wonderful Christmas and all the best in the new year. I'll be taking a little break to really enjoy the holidays with my boys but I'll be back to posting in 2014 :)

Noah 13 Months

I Well the big guy is one month into toddler-hood. I still think of him as my little baby, but often I look at him and think to myself what a big boy he's become so quickly. The week before Xmas we were on a family ski trip, and Tim and I looked down at Noah asleep in his pack n play and we both said look how large he is in that thing! He spans the entire length of it now. 

On to some highlites this month:

Weight: still around 23 lbs.

Health: he's had a few colds here and there since starting daycare, but nothing major to report. Teething issues have subsided for the past little bit as well, nice to have a break from that.

Sleep: other than this week (we've been travelling), he's been sleeping through the night from 7-7. Some nights he's down by 630, and sometimes he's awake between 6-630. Over the holidays he's been sleeping in until 8am every day (amen!!) He only takes one long afternoon nap when he's at daycare, 1230-3. On weekends at home he's down to one nap usually as well.

Clothes: all size 18-24 months and size 4 pampers.

Likes: he loves pushing his walker all over the house, he loves to be outside in the sled or swing, he's also obsessed with mega blocks.

Dislikes: he's not a huge fan of long car rides, or not getting his own way. Doesn't like getting his hair combed at bedtime or waiting for his bedtime bottle.

Milestones: he's waving bye-bye and walking with his walker. Saying a few words but only audible ones are mama and dada.

Food: he eats everything we eat, but most mornings is still having his baby cereal. He loves grilled cheese, pancakes, apple sauce and yogurt. Still taking 3 bottles of whole milk/day but were hoping to get rid of those over the holidays and get down to only one bottle at bedtime.

We've been having a ton of fun this month, little man loves his grampy's (both of them) and is definitely still a mama's boy. He loves to play with the other kids at daycare and push his trucks around making noises. He's a babbler and always chatting to himself. Christmas was so much fun this year, were looking forward to all the joys to come in 2014!!

Returning to Work - The Life of a Working Mama

Well I am finishing my 4th week of being back to work, I am now a Working Mama, and it's been an adjustment on all of our family. The days are long, and busy, and we are all exhausted by the time baby's bedtime hits. We try to be out the door for 7:45am, hubs does drop-offs and I do pick-ups at 4:15pm. Most days we are up at 6:45am, and not home until 4:45. Then its supper, clean-up, followed by some family time, and then bath and bed for Noah. By 7pm he is always asleep, and hubs and I crash on the couch or he goes back to work for the evening. When do people find time to exercise?

 

That being said, I feel incredibly fortunate to live in a country that believes in a work/life balance and that shows that by giving all mother's a year maternity leave with each of their children. Having a year off has been so much fun! Especially with your first child. You never get that time back, because with the next one, there will be two little ones to chase after!

 

I remember thinking when Noah was born that I had heaps of time.  November 2013 was so far away. Now the date has come and gone, and now every morning I get him up and dressed dressed, fed and out the door in the morning like so many other working-out of the house-moms.

Over the last few months leading up to my return to work date I have definitely run through a ton of emotions.  It started with excitement to get back to the "real" world and actually have something in my day to call my own. Then there was anxiety, "how would he nap"? "how would he adjust to life without Mama?" And then there is the guilt...which to be perfectly honest, hasn't really gone away.

 

If I put my mommy brain aside, I realize that there are several people in this world that are completely capable of taking great care of my son.  That being said, it is hard to find anyone you would trust with your life, let alone your baby! But, we found a true gem. Noah is so happy where he is at. It is a little bit out of the way for us, but so so worth it!  

 

I've found that even though we are all so tired when we get home and fed and cleaned up, that those special few hours we have together are so important. I have really learned to appreciate each moment that we spend together. For any new mom or mom-to-be out there, I know it sounds cliche, but enjoy every minute, time really does go way to fast!

 

So so happy to pick this little face up every day :)

 

Weaning: Part 3

Sadly, all good things must come to an end. After 12.5 months, we are now officially done breast-feeding, and have been for about ten days now. Noah handled it without the blink of an eye, honestly its like he couldn't care less. I expected some resistance, maybe a few upset bedtimes, but honesty its been a breeze which sits really well with me. It was the right time. 

It couldn't have been any easier. We gave up the morning session my very 1st day back to work. I offered it to him, and he pushed me away. It was like he knew something was different that day. So I gave him a bottle, which he took no problem, and we kept that up every day since. That was 3 weeks ago.

The bedtime feeding I wasn't in a huge rush to wean from, but last weekend we had a busy few nights in which I wasn't around to nurse him at bedtime. It wasn't my intention to wean him that particular weekend, but it just kind of happened, and once we were back home to our regular routine I just didm't offer and he hasn't been looking so we just kind of finished a week ago Thursday. 

Definitely lots of mixed emotions going on here. At this point, nursing was so easy. He was so quick, efficient, down to business so he could carry on with playtime. But nursing a toddler was never really something I wanted to do. But that being said, I will miss those snuggles, lying in bed together or rocking and feeding him. The way he'd touch my face and smile at me. We still enjoy our nightly rocking/cuddle sessions while he enjoys his bottle of whole milk, but its not quite the same.

Sigh, it's also time for me now to adjust my diet. I no longer have the excuse of being able to eat an extra 500 calories/day because I am breastfeeding. And let me tell you, it doesn't take long to pack on a few lbs!! In 2 weeks, i've gained 1.5 pounds!

I know there will be other babies to nurse, but I will miss nursing THIS baby. My 1st baby. My boy.

How To Survive Your Little One's First Birthday

Well we all survived Noah's first birthday two weeks ago, and what a great day! I can honestly say it went off fabulously. Not that Noah will remember it, but I still wanted each little detail to be done with love.

I actually kind of feel like it was more of a celebration for hubs and I of making it through Noah's first year. We kept our baby healthy, warm, and most of all happy. We endured many MANY sleepless nights, but we made it through the daze together. It's been the best year of our lives!

There was lots we took into consideration in ensuring it was a great day, here's a few things that we kept in mind:

1. Pick a time that works for the birthday boy (or girl) - we debated a few different times, but in the end we went with A time that worked for Noah's schedule, not everyone else. Because nothing is worse that a cranky/overtired bday boy! We chose 3pm after his long 3 hour afternoon nap. He was well rested and ready to party!

2. Don't Over-Invite - it's easy to get carried away with inviting lots of little play date friends, YOUR friends, and family. But that gets really overwhelming for a little person. We kept things small, immediate family, godparents and very close friends. 14-15 people tops.

3. Don't Overdo It - I wanted to decorate, bake, cook, I wanted to do it all for my baby's first birthday. But then I decided I'd rather enjoy my time with my boy, rather than going crazy for days trying to get it all together. So I made a few things myself (and family did some too) and we catered the rest (sandwiches, cupcakes, cake). It worked out so well, and I feel relatively guilt-free at not having made my child's 1st birthday cake myself!

Noah is ONE! (our last monthly update)

Our baby boy you are officially a year old. What a big boy. Gone are the "baby" days and here we go entering toddler-hood. This past month has been one for milestones, your really taking off developmentally and your little personality is really blooming. You are such a pleasant boy. You love to laugh, play with the kitty, and to be carried around like a sack of potatoes (upside down). You also like to bang on the piano at grammy and grampy's, dance to music, read books, play peekaboo, open and close doors, and move around on furniture. You aren't walking on your own yet, but you are close! You prefer to crawl because you can get places so much faster. You had your first big boy hair cut this month, celebrated your 1st Thanksgiving and Halloween.

 

You hate waiting for food to be ready, talk about impatient! You also hate getting your face wiped, or when anything is taken away from you (meltdown). You also don't like strange noises. You say Mama, Dada and Cat (well we think you say cat anyway).

 

You started at a home daycare when Mommy went back to work last week. You are adjusting quite well, better than your Mom I think. The biggest thing was your refusal to nap. The first few days you just weren't having it, which led to one very tired boy when I picked you up. You love the other children though, and they are so sweet to you. Heather, your babysitter, is the most amazing lady and I feel so fortunate that we found her. She is one in a million that is for sure!!

 

You weigh 23 pounds and are 30 inches long, so you haven't grown much at all since your 9 month appointment. You got 3 needles this week. and handled them like a champ. You are down to taking one long nap a day (most days). You are taking whole milk really well but still from a bottle. They told us at your needles we need to get rid of the bottle by xmas. You have a morning bottle and a bottle before your afternoon nap. We still nurse at bedtime. You eat 3 meals a day and 2 snacks at daycare. You basically eat anything that we eat. Some favorites are waffles, grilled cheese, pizza, blueberries, yogurt, and applesauce.

 

You have 12 teeth, including 4 molars. I hope we have a break from teething for awhile. Most nights you sleep 12-13 hours, going down around 7pm. Some nights you wake up once, most times you play in your crib for a bit and then go back to sleep on your own. Other nights you stand up in your crib and toss your soother over the rail and then wail for it until I get up and go in and give it back to you.

 

You like to watch Bubble Guppies, Toopy and Binoo, and my Big Big Friend on Treehouse. You love to play outside, which you do twice a day at daycare as long as it isn't raining out. The fresh air is great for you, and you love to go in the wagon and swing.

I can't believe it has been a year since we welcomed you into the world. We are so lucky to be your parents, and we are thankful for the joy that you bring to us each and every day.

We love you little man! xoxo

 

Our baby is ONE!!!

Tomorrow my baby boy turns one! 

I sit here reflecting on our past year together, and I get so sappy...

Especially so, because this week I returned to work after my year maternity leave,

and Noah started daycare full-time (tear).

(I'll save all that for another post)

One year ago at exactly this time, I was lying on the couch (my water had broken that afternoon) and I was trying (using this word loosely) to watch Gossip Girl while timing my contractions.

I knew I was having a baby within the next 24 hours,

but I had no idea how much our lives were about to change.

Noah has taken us on the emotional rollercoaster of parenthood.

Our lives have been forever changed, and I can't remember what our life was like before he entered this world.

He has been the best baby (well let's be honest his sleeping habits suck), 

he is such an easy going and playful little man 

who loves to laugh, play peekaboo, 

get carried like a sack of potatoes, 

and chase the kitty. 

He really is the love of our lives.

It has been the best year ever,

and I feel incredibly lucky to have spent every day of the 

past year at home being this boy's Mommy.

Best. Job. Ever.

We love you so much little man! 

Happy 1st Birthday xoxo

Noah's Christmas Wishlist: 2013

Our plan for Noah's 1st Birthday and Christmas this year is to go pretty low key. I mean, the kid loves everything that isn't toys lately (paper, coasters, frames, books, tupperware) so why spend a whole pile of money on things he probably won't even play with. Plus, the next few years we can get away with it because he won't even remember! That being said, we are obviously going to get him one of two things, and family will also be going totally overboard I am sure. So I figured it couldn't hurt to put together a little wishlist for the little man.

1. 3 in 1 Smart Trike - I've been eyeing this up for a few months now, just waiting for it to go on sale. These are pricey!! And this week it it $25 off, so I am heading over to Toys R Us to pick one up. It is great, it grows with your child and eventually turns into their very 1st trike. But this summer I can use it to steer Noah around and it has a sun canopy, brilliant! The tires are also air filled instead of the cheaper versions which are plastic and suck.

2. Wooden Toy Box - Noah's toys are getting a little out of control lately and he hasn't even had his birthday or Christmas yet. I saw an adorable personalized hand-made wooden toybox at a xmas craft fair last year and took the man's business card, and this fall I decided to call and order one for Noah. I can't wait to see it!

3. Pottery Barn Everywhere Chair - Well I just found out from another Mommy-friend that Pottery Barn now ships to Canada...ugh oh!! I always loved these Everywhere Chairs that all the other bloggers I follow have for their kids, but figured we'd never have one as they didn't ship here. Well now I have one sitting in my cart ready to check out...but I am going to wait until Black Friday to be sure I don't miss any sales!

4. Costco Rocking Horse- Friends of ours have this horse for their 3 year old, and he loves it. The tail moves, and the horse makes horsey noises and it is so darn cute. Tim and I both had rocking horses as kids, and we thought it would be fun if sometime down the road Noah had his own as well.

5. Imaginarium Cube - Noah plays with this at one of the playgroups that we attend, and he loves it. So it was on sale a month ago and I snagged one for him at Toys R Us for $40 and have been waiting for his bday/xmas to give it to him.

6. John Deere Tractor - I figure every little boy should own a tractor right? So far, he doesn't have any and he loves the one at his daycare and the one at our friend's house that he plays with.

7. Wooden Sled - Last winter Noah was too tiny to spend any time at all outdoors. This year, I hope we spend lots of time outside and what better way then to cart him around in a sled.

And that is it for the little man's list! Any must-have items we are missing mommies??

What We're Loving Lately: 11/12 Month Edition

Well here we are, just a few days away from Noah's 1st birthday so I figured it was time for a "What We're Loving Lately" post. We are obviously still obsessed with a few items on our 10 Month Favorite List such as our wubanub, aquarium, and Nuby sippy cups but we also have some new favorites lately:

1. Stonz Booties - The weather is getting COLD here lately, and we even had our first snow fall today. Noah started at daycare last week, and they spend alot of time outdoors. I contemplated and did alot of research into what kind of footwear I should buy for Noah for this winter. He isn't walking yet, and may not be for a few months so I didn't want anything bulky and heavy which would make walking even more difficult for the little guy. So I decided to go with the Stonz booties (which I found 2nd hand...score!!) and we love love them! They come with fleece liners for when the weather gets really cool, but for now Noah can leave his Robeez on and just put the outer bootie part on right over his shoes. The strings are great, and get nice and tight over his snow pants to keep drafts and snow out. And they are light as a feather. I really recommend these!

2. Baby Einstein DVD's -  We bought a few of these 2nd hand, and Noah loves to watch them. They are the only thing that we watch on TV that really keeps his attention, and they are educational so Mama doesn't feel quite so bad when he watches them.

3. Summer Reusable Placemat - I ran into the pharmacy a few days ago and came across this item in the baby section and thought GENIUS! We eat out a fair bit, and bring Noah with us. And we always leave a huge mess of food behind us and I always feel so bad. We now normally order Noah his own kids meal and let him pick away at it, but I always think ewww he's eating off the table...would I let myself do that, absolutely not! This thing is the greatest invention, when you are done using it you can easily wipe it down and roll it up to put back in your diaper bag.

4. Oral B Baby Toothbrush -  Noah was 12 teeth, thats right 12! So we are brushing his teeth every day with this little toothbrush and he loves it. As soon as we sit him on the counter he reaches directly for his toothbrush in the holder, he knows the drill! He isn't very good at letting us get the top front teeth, but he is getting the hang of it.

5. Silicon Bib - Now that Noah is feeding himself for most meals, we are constantly picking up large pieces of food from his high chair and from the floor. It was getting really annoying so I found these bibs at Walmart and it works great. It catches all those pieces as they fall, and is so easy to wipe down after each meal.

6. Goldfish - We are kind of out of the mum mum phase now, and Noah's new favorite snack are the original goldfish. He gobbles these up like they are candy. I keep a stash in his daycare bag, the diaper bag, and in the car.

Well that is our new 11/12 Month Favorite List!! Next up, Noah's Holiday Wishlist :)

Weaning: Part 2

Well for the past 2+ weeks I have only been nursing Noah in the morning and at bedtime. Again, I gave myself 2 weeks to cut the middle of the day feeding and I haven't had any issues whatsoever going from 3 daily feedings to 2. My body has adjusted really easily.

We had a week's worth of frozen BM to give Noah in a bottle the 1st week, and the 2nd week we introduced cows milk by combining 50% BM and 50% whole milk for his bottle, which he took no problem.

Since going to solely cows milk before his afternoon nap, he hasn't been a huge fan. He prefers to take it in a bottle instead of a sippy, if he takes any at all. It just depends on the day. He will take a few gulps here and there, and then push the bottle or sippy cup away. I don't push it on him, so after he wakes up i'll offer it to him again and then again with his snack after he wakes. Sometimes he takes a few sips, sometimes he just throws it.

I am going to keep up the morning breastfeeding session until he starts to take more whole milk (hopefully a week or 2), and then i'll gradually drop that feeding as well. He is pretty lazy about that feeding, and is normally done within 2-3 minutes.

He nurses like a champ at bedtime though, and takes him time. That will be the last feed to go, so hopefully by 13 months our plan will be to be completely weaned. In the meantime, I want to be sure he is getting enough milk as our family physician told me today he should still be getting about 16 oz/day. He loves table food and eats almost everything we offer him, so I know he is not going hungry.

I'm excited about Noah being sustained on healthy, whole food. Breastfeeding has been an incredible  experience for us, but I can't wait to through my pump at a tree (ok, not really...but atleast boxing it up!!). I am possibly going to shed a tear or two as our bonding time comes to an end...but that's life!

Enjoying all the cuddles I can get before sending the big guy to daycare next week... :(

Noah's 1st Halloween

We celebrated Noah's 1st Halloween last Thursday, and Mr. Monster was a huge hit. 

We decided to keep it short and sweet, knowing Noah can get kind of cranky by 6pm leading up to bedtime. We visited my sister, my parents, a few neighbors and our friends Sue and Brad. I also took Noah into hubs work to Trick or Treat, he (I mean we..) cleaned up!!

getting ready to head out

I took Noah out while hubs stayed home to give out candy to the little trick or treaters. It would have been nice to go together, but we normally get over 70 trick or treaters so someone had to be home. 

It is so nice when friends and family have extra special treats for little ones. Noah got a few baby books, an outfit, some stuffed animals, lots of goldfish and some mum-mums. People are so sweet!

I would say Noah's first Halloween was a pretty great one!!

Being A Parent is HARD!

Some days, I think I have this parent thing down to a fine art. Others, I am about ready to throw myself a toddler sized tantrum and fold in the towel. The past week or two have been a challenge.

Noah has been cranky, clingy, whiny and irritable. Blame it on the molars coming thru...yea ok maybe?
Is it more than that, I am not sure. He isn't sleeping well, he has given up one of his two daily naps, and on top of that, is going thru a major attachment to Mama phase.

When we go on playdates, he refuses to sit and play with the other kids, and instead wants to be held. I try and put him down, and he latches on to my neck for dear life. When I leave the house, he freaks out and throws a tantrum. When we leave him with family, he has fits and is impossible to go to bed. The whining is constant. I can't take him to the grocery store without openings packages of goldfish to keep him from losing his sh*t, and today we had to leave his 1st halloween party early due to a meltdown of epic proportions.

Being a mother is hard. Whether its 1 child or 5, its tough work! Hubs is working night and day, and our social schedule is about as crazy as a 19 year olds lately. It sucks. We have a wedding, and birthdays, and dinner parties, and leaving Noah with anyone lately has been so so hard. It makes going to social events uber stressful. It makes me want to curl up in bed and become a hermit. And instead of having a relaxing last few weeks at home enjoying our family, we are running in a million different directions.

The timing couldn't be worse really. With my countdown of heading back to work fast approaching, I am really quite nervous of how Noah is going to transition into daycare. So here I am saying that adorable, smiley little boy I normally post photos of, well he in fact doesn't smile 24/7 like you may think. And we, just like many other families, have really tough days....


He did manage to turn on the charm today for about .5 seconds, just long enough for me to snap this...

Thank goodness tomorrow is a new day. 

Running Post-Baby

On Sunday I completed my 3rd half-marathon here at home, the 10th Annual PEI Marathon. It was a day made for running, perfect fall weather. The sun was out, the temps were around 14C and the winds were relatively calm. The weather brought out huge numbers of participants and spectators, it was amazing.

All ready to leave the house!

To be honest, I thought I would have been out running another marathon half last spring. I had Noah last November, and I figured by May i'd be right back where I left off pre-pregnancy. I'd seen other Mama's out right after delivery running with their baby, at fitness classes, at hot yoga. But you know, April came around and it was all I could do to finish a short 5km run with the stroller. It was hard. Noah wasn't sleeping, I wasn't sleeping, I was tired all the time. I wanted to be home when Tim and Noah were home, spending time with them.

But running was always my "me time". My way of relaxing (so type A I know!), it was heartbreaking that now I barely had the energy to put my sneakers on.

I didn't realize there would be so many THINGS to consider running post-baby. Gone are the days of just grabbing my Ipod and running out the door when I felt like it. I'd have to make sure I fed Noah/pumped because running with full boobs is excruciating. I had to make sure I ran my running schedule by my husband so that he could be home. I had to buy all new sports bras, and normally had to double up before leaving the house for added support. Then there is the possibility of peeing your pants with the constant up and down motion (KEGELS ladies KEGELS!!), the leaky boobs, drinking/hydrating enough (breastfeeding makes you so thirsty!), the added weight of running with a stroller and the baby weight.

The fun in running wasn't there for me anymore. But then I read this quote from my friend and fitness trainer (and a Mama as well)," I'm just happy to get out for a run. I don't care my distance or speed, I am just grateful to get out." And you know, she was right. Gratitude. Any amount of running I could fit in during the week was better than nothing. I made a point to schedule my long run in a week in advance, so hubs knew and we could properly plan. I didn't push it, and I enjoyed it.

I didn't set any goals this time around for the race.  I finished two prior half's in May 2010 and October 2011, finishing in just under 2 hours both times (1:57.17 and 1:58.28). I figured it would be a stretch to finish in under two hours, but I wanted it...bad! I knew I had to run less than 9:10 min/miles. I had trained most my long runs between 9:00-9:15. I knew it was possible, but I didn't get my hopes up.

stopping to kiss my boys on the race route

I finished Sunday's run in 2:00.29. Not too shabby. It was tough, I started out maybe a bit too strong. My first 4 miles in under 8:30 min/miles and it did me in. I struggled with a stitch from mile 4 onward. There was 3 tough hills in the last 4 miles of the race, and they were killer. But hubs and Noah and my parents, and best friends and sister all came out to cheer me on and I am beyond thankful! I didn't go more than a few miles at a time without seeing a familiar face cheering on the sidelines. It really does make a difference. And of course, they were all there at the finish as well.

Approaching the finish line

One of my bestest friend's ran her 1st half marathon with her husband and I am so so proud of them. They did amazing, and ran and finished strong together.

All in all, it was a pretty great day. Already making mental plans for next year ;)

"Struggle ends when gratitude begins..."

Notes to a New Mom...

Here are a few things I wish I could go back 11 months and tell myself:

*Breastfeeding is so time consuming right now but it does get better, and it does stop hurting.  He does get better at it.  And one day, way too soon, you will be almost done with it. Don't wish it away.

*You will sleep again.  And in the meantime, you'll get used to being tired. 
*Spend those hours alone in the hospital together. Get to know each other, enjoy each other. The visitors...they can wait. The phone...it can wait. Facebook...it can wait. 
*It's not that big of a deal if he falls asleep on you. Enjoy it.  The time is coming quickly that he will never sleep that way. Stare at his peaceful face while he sleeps.
*He will one day be ok when you leave the room.  It seems right now like you can't be away from him for one second.  That changes.  Quickly.  In less than a year he entertains himself quite well.  
*SLEEP WHEN HE SLEEPS!! Napping is not a sign of weakness.  You do not have to have it all together.  Your house doesn't have to be clean.  You don't need a freezer full of baking.  Let your body rest. He's not a good napper for much longer! 
*Put the parenting books down, stop researching things on google, and just love him.  Trust your instincts, your his Mama...you'll figure it out.
*Babies don't keep, it's the little things and the little moments that matter. 
*Stop listening to everyone else's way of parenting.
*Don't compare your baby to anyone else's. They all do things in their own time, on their own plan. 
*You are doing a good job.  It's ok to make mistakes.  It's ok you feel like you have no idea what you are doing.  You aren't failing. He wakes up every day smiling to see you - no matter how badly you think you did the day before.  You are the one he wants when he's upset. When you are gone for even a short time, he is so excited to see you.  He loves you and he knows you are safe and you love him.  
*YOU ARE DOING A GOOD JOB!

In the blink of an eye, they go from this...

To this...

Noah is 11 Months

Well Noah turned 11 months on October 14th, and is now only a few short weeks away from his first birthday. Only a few more weeks of being a baby. My baby...

Where has the time gone? Now I am shopping more and more in the 18-24 months section, and I bought your entire summer wardrobe at Carter's/Osh Kosh in size 2T for next year...tear!

But then we have days like today, and nights like the past few nights, which remind me that you are still my baby boy. And you still need your Mama. And I will do anything in the world I can to make you feel better, to make you laugh, to make you happy. Even if that means getting up 3 times overnight, and bringing you into bed with me, and rocking you for hours on end because those darn molars are making you so miserable.

You change so quickly from week to week. You are finally crawling the "right" way, up on all 4's. You can really motor. You have more teeth than I can count now, at least 12, maybe more! Your new favorite thing to do is to tip the cat's water bowl over. By the time I realize that is where you are headed, I am too late! You are soaked, the floor is soaked, and the kitty has no water left. You are taking steps around the furniture, but not making any indications of standing unassisted or walking at this point.

You've nailed Mama and Dada at this point, and sometimes "buh" for bye bye. 

You love reading your new Thomas the Tank Engine Book that Daddy brought back from his last work trip. It it a lift and peek book, and you love to lift the flaps up to see what is underneath. You also like to play in your tee-pee with the kitty, and to open and close doors. 

You definitely have a temper, and have been known to throw a tantrum or two...normally while we are out in public...sigh. We've been going to a lap sit program for babies at our local library. Instead of sitting on my lap, Noah prefers to go exploring. I have to follow him and bring him back, and every time he throws his back out in full-on meltdown mode.

You also decided to climb up stairs at lap-sit the other day. I turned my head to talk to another Mama for 2 seconds, and when I turned around, you were halfway up a flight of stairs. How did you even learn how to do that? We don't have stairs in our house!!

Foodwise, you are doing pretty good with most things we offer you. Pasta (rigatoni) was a fail the other night. I tried dunking it in yogurt and mangos to disguise it, but you had it figured out every time. Pizza crust was a new one last week, you loved that. You also love your cheerios as an afternoon snack. We cut out a breastfeeding session 2 weeks ago, and cut another one out today. So for the next few weeks we are down to nursing only morning and bedtime, and you get a bottle of frozen BM at 1:30pm.

Sleep has been all over the map for 3 weeks now. Ever since you got sick/hubs was away for a week for work, you've been waking at least once a night...sometimes more! Last night you were up a few times because of your teeth (wailing). I am hoping we get you back to sleeping all night before I head back to work in a few short weeks. You are taking a short (1 hour) morning nap and a longer (2 hours) afternoon nap. You were napping at 9am and 1pm, but some days (like today) you didn't go down until 10:45am because you were cranky, and then again at 3. 

Some days, you hate your stroller. Also, the car seat. You arch your back and make it darn near impossible to get you in a sitting position. Diaper changes are also touch and go some days, you are such a worm!

You do still like to cuddle when you aren't feeling well, or are sleepy. But forget it any other time. You are a man on the move, and there is no stopping you!! You love it when Daddy chases you down the hallway, you try and slam the doors in his face. It's quite hilarious.

I am in full on denial that my baby is going to be 1. I just love being home with him and watching him learn and grow every day. Leaving him at the sitters in a few weeks is going to be so hard, but I am incredibly fortunate to have been home with him as long as I have. 

Happy 11 months baby boy! xoxo

Weaning: Part 1

Well it has officially begun, the slow process of weaning Noah from breast milk to cows milk. He is 1 week shy of 11 months and up until this point, has been breast feeding 4 times a day. 

We are in no hurry...

But with that being said, I am returning to work full time in a month and its time to slowly cut out the two daytime feedings.

It is kind of a sad process. I love my snuggle sessions with my boy. I love that bonding time that we have, I wouldn't trade those minutes and hours for anything.

On the other hand, I am excited at the prospect of getting MY body back. I forget what that feels like since for the past 2 years I have either been carrying a baby to term or nursing. 

in a milk coma at 2 months old

How are we going to wean? Well I plan on cutting one feeding out over the next 2 weeks, so going from 4 to 3 feedings per day. Like I said, no rush. I want my body to adjust gradually. And it also means a change of schedule for Noah. I decided to cut the 4pm feeding first, because it is the one he cares the less about. It is also a time I can offer a snack and a sippy cup of water instead. Some cheerios, maybe a yogurt or some cheese to occupy him until supper.

Our old schedule was something like this: nurse at 8am, noon, 4pm and bedtime (7pm). 

But with only 3 feedings/day, we are doing 8am, 1:30pm (before afternoon nap) and bedtime. 

So we are on day#2 of our new schedule, and so far so good. Yesterday, to be honest, I kind of just forgot to feed him at 4pm. So I figured, why not start this today. Today, he is just carrying on like normal.

Next feed to go will be the 1:30pm feed, and if he is still looking for milk then I still have about 14 bags of frozen milk I can give him over a 1-2 week period to get him to his first birthday. I am hoping to hold off on introducing cows milk as close to his birthday as possible, so this time frame should work out pretty good for us.

More to come on our weaning process in the next few weeks!

Baby Noah: 44 and 45 Weeks

Trying to keep this guy still for his weekly photo is a battle lately! Week 45 is here already, I have been super slack on the weekly updates as I have been trying to maximize my time with the lil man before heading back to work in 5 weeks. Time to play catch up...

Weight: He is lengthening out, but his weight has remained pretty much the same. Around 22-23 lbs.

Health: This week Noah had his first cold. He's been congested, running nose, coughing here and there. Hubs also happens to be out of town for work, so its been a challenging week. On top of the cold, his bottom molars are coming in and his 8th bottom right tooth also cut thru this week. Teething sucks!!

Sleep: Well he has been waking upset multiple times a night this week due to his congestion and his teeth. Normally its before I go to bed, so I don't mind the snuggles and rocking. But he has also been waking before 6am every morning since hubs left. It has not been fun!!

Naps are still good, but this week I have been rocking him to sleep as every time I put him down he stands up in his crib and wails. Again, I blame the teeth...and the cold.

Social: We've been keeping to ourselves this week as to not get anyone else sick. We get out for a walk every day and we made it apple picking on the weekend. Our friends had us over for supper as well, which was a nice treat! And we went to the music man, which Noah loved!!

Diet: Still nursing 4 times a day, and 3 solid meals a day. He has tried lasagna, veggie pot pie, beef stew and ham and scallop potatoes. Slowly introducing more and more people food and straying from purees.

Clothes: 12-18 months and size 4 diapers.

Baby Gear Love: Loves the tupperware drawer and anything he can stand on (the ottoman, furniture, etc).

Crying: Lots of tears this week with his cold and new teeth. There's been alot of rocking, alot of carrying. He no longer cries in the tub, but at times hates getting his diaper changed or getting his jammies on a bedtime.

Likes: He loves the kitty and the kitty's food, I can't keep him away from the cat's dish. He loves standing, and music. Starting to really like cartoons. also still likes mum-mum's, they buy me at least 10 minutes of silence in the car! Loves to play peek-a-boo

Milestones: Noah is now pulling himself from sitting to standing on furniture and toys. Still babbling, alot of da-da's and he reaches for me when he gets upset or wants to be held. He also understands when I say "noooooo" to him. He also opens and closes doors.

Time's a ticking towards the big 1 year! I've been in full on party planning mode :)