Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Parent of the year

I'm always doing things which qualify me for the 'parent of the year' status. Today Zach licked a truck, specifically the tailgate of grandpa Kenny's truck....who is a farmer...and hauls who knows what...but I mean really, who assumes their brilliant, beautiful child is going to lick a vehicle, but I digress. There are many moments I'm not especially proud of or worry I could be doing better, but then I remind myself to breath & laugh. Granted somedays this is easier said then done. The rational part of me knows we're doing just fine, but the first time mom in me worries that letting Zach watch Arthur for a half hour so I can chug 2 cups of coffee will rot his brain.

Recently someone told me they always thought they would be this great parent but now they aren't so sure (after witnessing what a terror a baby can be). I replied immediately and on instinct; I said that everyone thinks they are going to be a great parent. Their kid is going to eat healthy organic meals they prepare, never watch tv & follow all the guidelines anyone has ever written....but that doesn't happen. You can read all the books & have the best of intentions but it never goes that way. You'll be a good parent, but no one is the unrealistic great one they think they will be with crafts & a Mary Poppins type patience and that is ok. Everyone gets by the best they can. There are moments when I'm like heck yes I got this down & qualify for the great patent status, quickly followed by moments I want to pull my hair out & don't even care if other moms are judging me because I will do anything in that moment for 3 minutes of calm. It's the highest of highs & lowest of lows. It is ok if you haven't found the time or energy to make a handprint craft for all the holidays or teach your kid sign language. Give yourself a break, you're doing just fine. We're all in this together & I promise not to give you the side eye if I see your kid lick a vehicle.

Monday, July 30, 2012

10 Months

I have started and restarted this post many times.  I have not finished partly because we've been busy and partly because it has been a rough month.  This has been the most challenging month since Zach has been born and I was debating if I should put in the rough stuff or not.  I figured I better so some day I can remind myself it's just a phase!

Ok, the nitty gritty.....

Not sure on height and weight, no doctor's appointments this month.

3 month diapers, but we use primarily cloth now.

Finally in his 9-12 month clothes....we probably could have transitioned sooner, but the 6-9 month ones still fit ok and we had so many cute outfits it was hard to put them away.

Schedule....ha, what schedule?!  We were doing well and had a schedule with 2 naps in it....ahh, bliss.  Then came teething, growing, traveling, who knows what.  We're working on getting back to a schedule that involves sleeping without a fight.

He is sleeping anywhere from 8-11 hours a night, but is waking up in the night.  I feel like this is because of teething, or we read sometimes babies have a phase of sleep regression.  Needless to say we were surprised.  Zach has never been a great napper, but has gone down at night no problem for months....until this last month.  It is a fight and he loves to just stand in his crib and scream.  We're trying different things to hopefully remedy this situation, if you have any helpful hints we're all ears.

He loves to be moving around.  He is crawling, but doesn't know his power quite yet.  He goes after something he wants, but doesn't take off yet.  He doesn't realize he can take off quite yet and I'm savoring the moments....but since he doesn't realize he can take off and that is all he wants to do he gets very frustrated.

He is so darn cute and proud of himself when he pulls himself up.  He loves to be standing.

He still loves talking.  He has entire conversations with himself in the car and he must be hilarious because he'll just start randomly laughing.  He added Hi to his words he says.

He has 2 more bottom teeth poking through and we believe top ones are coming.

It was his first multiple night spend over this month at Grandma and Grandpas.

Anything outside is still king.  He loves the baby pool grandma brought for him, but he also loves trying to eat leaves and grass around the pool....

He is still an awesome eater.  He takes 3 bottles, around 20 oz of formula a day...still soy formula.  We're always trying new foods and there isn't much he won't eat.  His favorite is still pancake.  He likes mango and veggie patties.

It's time for a haircut but we keep putting it off.  His hair is coming in so blonde and starting to curl in the back, it is adorable.

His eyes are still blue most of the time, but sometimes I think they look green.

Reading is still a favorite thing to do and he still loves Brown Bear and now a random duck book we got from the pediatrician.

I think this last month has just been a big transition month with more moving, teething and growing.  Everything seems to be changing and we just need to figure out what new schedule and tactics will work now.  Ahhh, being a mother....some moments I'm so overcome with joy I think I may burst, other times I'm ready to pull my hair out and throw a tantrum of my own.


Oh mom, I still think these pictures are dumb...


Ohhh there goes JJ....love him...

Thursday, July 26, 2012

A little r & r

Matt and I went away....by ourselves.....for 3 whole days....I know, be still my heart. We stayed on Kelly's Island and did a whole lot of nothing and it was glorious. We laid on the beach, slept so very much, and drank beachy cocktails like they were going out of style. It was nice to get to sleep in and have some quiet time to actually chat about stuff other than baby poop and schedules. I'm not gonna lie, it was tough leaving the little guy and I was dying to see him by the third day, but it was good for us and good for him. We will make more if an effort to go on dates and be a better married couple, which in turn will make us better parents....or drunks, but since we can't hang like we used to I'm sure going out will be low key so we're safe.

Someday I'll do Zach's 10 month post, hopefully before 11 months.

This is what relaxation (and a full 8 hrs of sleep) looks like....

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Traveling baby

Zach had his first vacation....we start them young with the r&r around here. Me, my mom & Zach went to visit my sister in Florida. Yup, a baby on a plane people loved me. He did great on the way there and not so great on the way home. He didn't scream the whole time but there were longer stretches of crying. He was done. He was exhausted from a long weekend of beaches, teething & schedule changes. I was pooped & would not have survived the plane rides without my moms help. I think I'm still exhausted but it was a blast. Zach does not like the sand but likes the water. It was fun to play & do new things with him. I'm ready for Mexico in December!

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Mommy brain

Scattered thoughts much like my brain....Mommy brain is totally real...

In the 24 hours after my post about losing my mind, I drove off with a full cup of pop on my car and left the car door open all night long.

To be fair Matt got out of the car at the same time and we were trying to be super stealthy to keep Zach asleep and we both forgot to come back out and close it. Thank goodness the Jeep anticipates idiots like us and automatically turns off all lights, etc. Moral of the story, I'm an idiot but the car still starts and there may be a raccoon living under the seat.

Monday, July 2, 2012

Lost my mind

So I was going to post Zach's 9 month pictures since I forgot about them the last post, but I can't find the computer chord....I have apparently lost the chord and my mind. So instead here are random pictures from my phone, it's like getting honorable mention...better then nothing but not what you wanted.