Stats: Month Eight

River at 8 months:

Sleeping:  We had major sleep regression this month.  River started waking up at least once every night to nurse, sometimes twice.  We decided to leave him in his own room, in his own bed, despite the tempting convenience of just putting him in with us, in order to keep his routine in tact.  He still goes to sleep around 7-7:30 and then wakes up some time between 10-12 to nurse.  Some nights, he wakes up again around 3 to nurse again and then he is usually up around 7 in the morning.  Thankfully, he nurses himself right back to sleep very quickly.  I feel that this is all due to a growth spurt and major teething woes.  With time and consistency, River will start sleeping a lot better soon.  And the rest of us with him...

  

Feeding:  River is ALL ABOUT eating.  He is now eating three meals a day as well as nursing 6-8 times a day.  This month, we added lots of new foods to his menu including pineapples, mangoes, pears, peaches, zucchinis, plums, and steel cut oats.  He loves to snack on organic baby puffs but I really try to limit snacks, just as I do with the girls, to only once a day.  Nursing seems to be River's greatest teething comfort and eating 3 full meals a day has not slowed down his breastfeeding sessions at all.  I am still pumping twice a day while I am at work to keep up with this growing boy's demands.

Health:  River has been teething BAD.  He currently has two bottom middle teeth, one upper middle tooth, and one upper incisor.  He has been working on his other upper middle tooth all month long with lots of crying in between.  His amber necklace keeps the drooling and fever at bay but we also incorporate Ibuprofen and teething tablets when the pain gets too bad.  In the meantime, he chews on everything and has bitten each of us at least once.  Teething is tough business.

Milestones:  This month, River started full on crawling and pulling up in the same week!  He moves FAST and follows us all around the house.  He says "mama", "dada", "baba", and coos and shrieks incessantly. He has the sweetest little laugh and is very ticklish.  River loves to play with his blocks and his Daddy's guitar.  Shawn plays guitar and piano with him a lot and he loves to strum and beat of his instruments.  He loves to be outside and hangs out in his sling while I water the garden every night.  River learned to wave this month. When we bring him downstairs after his nap, he peeks out from our arms and starts waving at everyone, squealing and bouncing up and down.

You are the sweetest boy, River Scott.  I love you so much and need to finish baby proofing this house asap as I can only imagine the kinds of shenanigans you are about to get into!

Easter Weekend: In Photos And A Few Words, Too

Good Friday was for dying Easter eggs using Kool Aid (thank you, Pinterest.  It was the easiest, quickest method we've tried yet).  To be noted: this was the first year that I did not have to end up finishing the egg dying process on my own thanks to kids who lost interest.  Isabelle is at the most wonderful age and really, really loves these sorts of projects.  For the most part, I got to just sit back and relax and let them have fun creating beautiful things.  They made a big mess and I didn't care one bit, also to be noted.

Holy Saturday was for planting flowers and enjoying a cup of tea on the back porch with visiting best friends. We gathered at my cousin's house for a big Easter dinner with our extended family, lots of babies and aunts and uncles and good food. We had our annual egg paqueing contest, a Louisiana tradition that involves lots of egg knocking and people hollering.  Brees said, "Mommy, you wanna paque?  I got the best egg!". The kids hunted for Easter eggs long after the sun set and the grown ups laughed and talked and enjoyed each other, something we don't get to do as often as we'd like in this crazy busy world.  We drove our sleeping babies home and prepared for the Easter Bunny's arrival, feeling completely grateful for the overwhelming amount of love this big crazy family gives us.

Easter Sunday was for a very early wake up call and alone time with my mother in the kitchen as we prepared the Easter feast: slow roasted brisket, fresh green beans, homemade mac n'cheese, and "dirty rice". The kids woke up and took in their Easter basket treats, River still sleepy and annoyed with the bunny ears we forced on him to commemorate his first Easter. He warmed up pretty quickly, though, and smiled big enough for us to discover that he grew two new bunny teeth overnight! We got all dressed up and headed to church, one of the most beautiful masses and a renewed sense of faith filling my soul.  My brother and his family joined us for a relaxing day in the back yard, the cousins playing, the sun warming our faces, our plates overflowing and our laughter big and loud.  It was such a special day, so relaxing, so full of love.  Shawn and I cleaned up the post lunch mess after our guests were gone and then sat on the back porch while the kids napped, talking the whole weekend over and counting our blessings.  "That was a really good weekend, babe.  Everything just worked out so nice" he said to me, smiling proud.  And it was.  A very happy Easter indeed.

Firsts

The first year of a child's life is marked by firsts, memories made and milestones recorded.  I'm a sucker for that kind of stuff, paying close attention to each little detail and celebrating small moments as if they were momentous occasions.  We make big to-dos about things in this family, allowing each family member their own time to shine.  Got an A on your math test?  You're getting that special pancake dinner you've been asking for!  Using the big girl potty and learning to wash your hands all by yourself?  A special treat is coming your way!  And River: well, let's just say he's been wracking up the celebratory first points around here.  He went from sleepy ring sling baby to mover and shaker in the blink of an eye and I find myself scratching my head and wondering HOW?  And please slow down.  Thank you.

I am trying to enjoy his little triumphs, choosing not to dwell on the fact that this might be it for us.  Another baby?  We just aren't sure.  And so while it may be River's first time eating real food, it also might be our last time giving our baby real food for the first time.  Which sounds like an insane thing to consider but that's just where my head is this week.  Trying to wrap my brain around the fact that life is moving FAST and this is one chapter I never want to forget.  I am in no hurry for this phase to evolve into something else.  I love being a mama to a baby, this baby, and I am so happy in my life right now.

He's a good one, our River.  He is happy and sweet and loves to give kisses.  He lets me hold him and rock him and hug him as much as I want and I do so as much as I can.  The big sisters are his best playmates, though, and the three of them can often be found on the living room rug playing and talking and entertaining each other.  I credit the quickness of his firsts to the fact that he is trying to keep up with them, working hard at being able to follow them wherever they go.

River has learned to sit up.

River has learned to crawl.

River ate his first real food.

And he even pulled up for the first time, proudly smiling and showing off his first two teeth.

"The days are long but the years are short" my grandmother always used to say.  And she was right.  A year full of firsts, each day bringing changes and growth and a brand new little person learning his way around this world.  It is a miracle to witness so much life unfolding right before our eyes, to see the day to day adventures that make up a child's first year.

Transitions: Bedding

We moved River to his crib in the nursery this week.  There was no big fanfare, no great debate on if or how or should we wait.  We just knew that it was time.

River has spent every night of his first 6 months of life in our bed, in my arms, in Shawn's arms, or in his bassinet right next to us.  We have lulled each other to sleep, our snores and slow, deep breathes blending together.  We have nursed and rocked and cried and laughed, spent many nights sleeping and many nights not.  Together, the three of us have had an amazing cosleeping journey.

But, things started to change this month.  River started waking up every hour on the hour, crying and fighting his sleep.  Our sweet baby who has been such a great little sleeper from day one suddenly became very uncomfortable in the late night hours.  We tried all of the usual tried and true remedies: walks through the quiet, dark house in his sling, nursing on demand, sleeping on mama's chest in the rocking chair.  The expression we've all used as parents to new babies, "We've been up all night": it was literally happening to us.  After a week of no sleep for any of us, I knew that it was time for the transition.

It's time to put River in his own bed.  I think that he'll be more comfortable, it will be more quiet and there will be less distractions.  I just feel it: he's ready.

Shawn was a bit taken aback by how calm and at peace I seemed with the whole thing: I don't usually embrace theses milestones with my babies all that well.  I want them to stay babies as long as possible, I want them in my arms for as long as they'll have me.  But the third child is different, he has offered me such redemption in all my anxious and controlling ways.  I've learned to just listen, to accept, to read my baby and let him show us what he needs.  And when he does, to do so willingly and not let nostalgia ruin the moment.

We followed our usual bedtime routine, carrying River to his crib and giving him extra kisses and hugs. We put him down and he looked up at us and smiled.  I felt the familiar urge to be sad that this was happening, my nurturing heart longing to scoop him back up and pull him in close.  But it was Shawn who spoke first: "I'm so proud of you buddy!  Look at you, such a big boy in your bed!  I love you, son.  This is a big day for you!"

He was genuinely proud and excited for River, the two of them smiling at each other in such a way that I think they would have high fived if River were big enough to know how.  And this is the way things have been in our parenting journey with River: both Shawn and I growing in confidence, no second guessing ourselves, no holding back.  When he's ready, we follow, empowering him and giving him all of the positive praise we can muster.  He was so ready for a good night's sleep in his crib and we recognized that and facilitated it.  It was one of those really good parenting moments.

The first night, he woke up three times.  I nursed him, rocked him, and put him back to sleep.  The second night, he woke only once.  By the third night, he was back to sleeping 12 hours straight, waking up in the morning all bright eyed and happy, rested and ready for the day. Seeing him in his bed, his favorite blankie curled up around him so peacefully, makes my mama heart full.

This is the first of many transitions, little buddy.  Throughout your life, you will grow and change and we will have to readjust.  You will gain more and more independence and learn to lead with confidence. And we will be right there beside you, cheering you on and supporting you in all that you do.  Our arms are always open, everything we have is here for you.  We're proud of you, buddy.

 

Christmas 2013: In Photos and a Few Words

Christmas 2013 was:

River's first Christmas
Monkey bread for breakfast
Parties and dinners with family and friends for four days straight
Christmas carol singalongs with my brother on guitar and Shawn on the drums
"Miracle on 34th Street" on repeat
Staying up late to wait for Santa with Shawn and my mom
Isabelle serving on the alter at Christmas Eve mass
Peppermint tea and deep talks around the fire
Fighting over Barbies
Christmas Eve pajama party with the cousins
Slowing down and savoring the moment
Adding an extra plate or two as we welcomed more and more visitors
A warm home filled with love and a mama learning to embrace the mess
Cookies before bed

Friday was for a family trip to the zoo for the holiday light safari, Saturday was for last minute shopping and cookie baking, Sunday was for dinner and football with my Dad's side of the family, and Monday was for getting all dressed up for a big party with my Mom's side of the family.

Isabelle played Christmas carols on the piano on Christmas Eve and the boy cousins loved on River.

We are so blessed to have friends who are more like family.

People say we look alike...

When he takes a break from nursing just to look up at me and smile: heart bursting moment.

Matching jammies are a must.  So are silly faces.

Something they want, something they need, something to wear, something to read.  Best, most simple, most appreciated Christmas we've ever had. 

Christmas Day was a slow cooked roast, a honey baked ham, and staying in our jammies all day. 

Last year on Christmas morning, we shared the news with our parents that we were expecting another baby.  This year, we held him in our arms and thanked our lucky stars that he belongs to our family.

Another year of family and traditions and memories made.  I pray that these three will always look forward to spending the holidays with each other as their families grow.