First Halloween!

Hope everyone had a happy and safe Halloween! Daniel sure enjoyed it.

Attachment Parenting

I am a firm believer in babywearing, breastfeeding, all natural mothering and so on. Humans are the ONLY species that do not practice parenting the way it should naturally be. We are so quick to throw the baby in the stroller, let them cry it out in their crib, and shove formula down their throats. Does that sound like a natural parent to you? Didn't think so.

Yes I put it bluntly, but there is really no other way to say it. Do you see animals wheeling around a stroller, bottles and having a different place for their offspring to lay? NO! I believe that God intended for ALL species to pretty much parent their children the same. Did you know that only 2% of women are medically not able to breastfeed? Most women either choose not to, don't have the resources, or are misguided by their doctors and other friends. If God gave women breasts to nourish their children, than why wouldn't it work? Yes, Breastfeeding takes patience and it is a learning process on both ends. However that does not mean give up! The first 6 weeks or so were VERY tough on me. I have an oversupply now, but do you think I had that in the first place? NO! If you want something, you have to work at it.

On the topic of cribs. Daniel does sleep in his crib, however we also co-sleep if either A) It is nap time, B) He isn't digging the crib that night, or C) I just want to cuddle. Co-sleeping is NOT bad, you need to practice safety most importantly. I hear people, even doctors say, let you child cry in their crib, that is the only way they will get used to it. Um, nope. Obviously they are crying because they need love from their mother and their needs are not being met. Do you really think that because they stop crying that they are used to the crib? NO. They have stopped crying because they have realized that the person that is supposed to meet their needs has abandoned them. Sad, huh. I NEVER let Daniel cry it out. It is just inhumane to me.

Babywearing! Yes we use our stroller. And yes, I also have a sling or carrier with me at all times. I love babywearing and so does Daniel. It is much easier than pushing around a stroller and it gives baby a sense of security and comfort.

This is just my opinion and way of doing things. I understand each parent has different circumstances and what works for you is great! I, by no means, am aiming to judge anyone!

Thanks for reading :)

Insomnia

The days are starting to feel like such a drag. By the time night comes around I am exhausted and cannot wait until Daniel is asleep and I can go lay down. Well I wish it were that simple. As soon as I lay in bed, I can't fall asleep. It is so frustrating and I just want to sleep. 

Daniel has been a bit irritated about something and I'm not quite sure what's going on. He's been running low grade fevers as well so I think something is brewing. 

He has been such a pain to put him to sleep recently. Nap time and bed time are both horrible times of the day for him. It's really wearing me out.

I just want to sleep and not feel like a zombie anymore. 

:(

He is more than worth it though and I love him to pieces. Especially when he snuggles up on my chest and falls asleep that way. 

Check up!

We had Daniel's 6 month check up yesterday! He is:

16.12 pounds

27.5 inches

He got 5 shots, wah. 

The doctor said he is PERFECT, and that he is advanced and growing like a weed! 

He now sits on his own and is so interested in crawling! Any day now!! I can kind of wait on crawling because then I will have zero down time! But I am so excited for him, learning new things is fun!

House hunting

Why didn't anyone tell me that this process is soooooooo aggrevating and stressful? I am on the verge of ripping my hair out! Our apartment lease is up in January, and although we can rent month to month once it's up, we would much rather be in a home. 

We have found SO many homes, but there is always something. Higher offer, problems with the home, cash offer only, you name it.. We have dealt with it. 

We are looking at a home on Tuesday and I have my fingers crossed tight that this is the one! 

Tooth

His first tooth broke through on Monday October 7th! We are so happy!

Schedule

For about 4 months now, I have been doing the same routine with Daniel, in order to get him used to whats to come next and make life much easier. It has been working really well and I plan on sticking to a schedule with him for a while! I think it really helps him feel secure and know what to expect throughout the day. Give or take hours/minutes or a couple of days if we go somewhere, we stick to this pretty much!

8:00 AM- He wakes up.

8:10 AM (or so)- Nurse

8:30 AM- Playtime (activity mat)

10:00 AM- Breakfast (usually a fruit, I make all his food myself)

11:00 AM- Nurse

11:30 AM- Bouncer playtime

1:00 PM- Nurse

1:30 PM- Get ready for naptime

2:00 PM- We both take a nap

4:00 PM- Nap is over!

4:00 PM- Nurse 

4:30 PM- Bouncer playtime or bumbo

6:00 PM - Nurse 

6:30 PM- Cooks dinner with me In his bouncer or rocker 

7:30 PM- Dinner (usually a vegetable, sometimes mixed with fruit) 

8:15 PM- Bath

8:45 PM- Lotion, Jammies on and wind down

9:00 PM- Nurse & rock to sleep 

9:15- 9:30 PM- In crib and catching some zzzzzzzz's 

Now this is pretty much what we go buy, give or take if he also gets hungrier sooner or later so the times he nurses aren't set in stone, but everything else is! 

What does the future hold?

I'm not exactly sure, but it is somewhere along the lines of me helping others! I have just ordered my books and am starting my certification and training in order to become a Birth Doula. I am so excited to start this journey and begin working with moms during labor and post partum support. I hope to become a midwife one day, but for now this is the route I choose to take and feel that it will give me great joy and knowledge! I receive my books tomorrow or Saturday and cannot wait to start reading! I then have to attend classes and workshops, live births and other requirements, and then I can start working as one! I will keep updates on how the process is going! 

Here are a couple cute pics of Dj :) he just cut his first tooth! Yay!! 

Envy

I am so envious of all the moms who can breastfeed and still eat whatever they want! I have had to cut out EVERYTHING from my diet because my little stinker cannot tolerate a darn thing. This includes dairy (milk,butter,cheese,eggs), caffeine (coffee and soda), fish (including shellfish-which I hate fish but love shrimp). All I want is Oreos and milk! 

So I have cut all these out, and he has been doing great, no more spit up every minute and much happier overall.

Who knew there was butter in wing sauce? Not me! So after I devoured hot wings and a burger with wing sauce, Helloo spit up monster! Back to square one of pumping & dumping for two weeks. 

He's worth it, however I do LOVE wings.

 

Day 30: self assessment

Have I learned anything about myself? Hmmmm.. I don't think so. If anything, this challenge just made me think a lot, which is a good thing! I enjoyed the topics and posts and I hope you enjoyed reading them! 

Half Birthday

Where has time gone? It's hard to believe my 6 pound baby boy is now a 16 pound 6 month old! These past months have been such a joy and a learning process all in one. I cherish every moment with him, even the stressful ones! 

He has grown and changed so much from when he was first born. 

Things that he likes are:

His bouncer 

His high chair and suction toys 

Activity mat 

Blocks 

Baby Remote (he prefers the real one though)

Blankets 

Things that he doesn't like: 

Loud noise 

Being away from home

Teething 

We started foods just recently! He has had:

Bananas 

Apples

Carrots 

I make all the food myself, there is nothing store bought, except the fruits themselves! 

New things he has learned:

Making airplane noises

Chewing 

Scooting

Kind of sitting up (wobbly)

How to say: mum, da da, bubba 

He wears size 6 month clothes, 9 month Jammies, and size 2 shoes!