Ring Stackin'.

Nathaniel's latest favorite toy is his ring stacker! He loves this thing! I stack the rings, and he pulls them off, throwing each one when he gets it off.

When they're all off, we clap and cheer! He laughs and waves his arms in excitement--and then we do it all over again! And again!

And again! {Nothing better than an activity that combines sitting, fine motor skills, and fun!)

doctor.

Nathaniel had his 6 month check-up yesterday, and they told us the same thing that we've heard at every appointment--he's perfect! He is 27 inches long now, and he weighs 17 pounds and 11 ounces. Everyone is happy with his growth and development. {Not a word about the lack of rolling, much to Mommy's relief...} We were given the go ahead to continue introducing solid foods, and to start a sippy cup soon. Our baby is strong and healthy--and, oh so brave!
He had to get 4 vaccinations, one oral and three injections. He's never had more than two injections at a time, and the doctors have been super quick about them. Yesterday, a nurse administered his shot.........then she did the next one..........and finally she did the last one. My poor little guy was SHOCKED that someone hurt him, then MAD that she did it again. And AGAIN! I know that practice makes perfect, and somebody has to be practiced upon--but why my baby?! Oh, she was so slow....and, while Nate was quite peeved about the needles, I felt like she was breaking my heart as I watched his eyes well up with tears.

After that ordeal, Nathaniel did calm down relatively quickly. I rocked him until he stopped crying, then I nursed him to sleep before we left the office. Babies don't like shots, but mommies dread them! That being said, we were promised NO SHOTS at our 9 month visit!
Nate has been a trooper, and, after an extra-long nap, he was been his normal cheery self yesterday! He's been a little grouchy and sleepy today, but nothing we can't handle! He's especially excited to have his aunt and future uncle come play with him this evening while Mommy and Daddy have themselves a date night!

Nate isn't worried; he knows that he'll be in good hands since Mommy bribes babysitters with cookies, AND leaves them two typed pages of notes with instructions and his likes/dislikes. He doesn't think it's a bit much; he likes a very thorough mommy...!

STTN?

Sometimes when Nathaniel is sleeping, I grab a sandwich and find myself perusing the chat boards on my favorite baby website. I've been reading {and occasionally participating in} discussions since before I found out that I was pregnant. I've moved from the various trimester boards to the 0-3 month board, then 3-6 month, and recently up to the 6-9 month board. I also find myself frequenting chat boards centered on breastfeeding, cloth diapering, attachment parenting, green living, and a few others. While I don't always agree with opinions and philosophies, I've gleaned lots of valuable information from these chats. The most reassuring being that we are normal! Whether I was worrying about strange pregnancy symptons, the unknown world of labor, the logistics of bathing an infant, or the strange new texture of baby poo--I was reassured that I wasn't the only mother panicking, and that everything I've seen is normal!
One recuring issue that I see discussed by mothers everywhere is sleep. Again and again, I see the question "Does your LO STTN?" posed. (If you're not current on your baby chatboard lingo, that translates as "Does your little one sleep through the night?") Mothers are desperate for their babies to sleep--some new mothers of only a month or two, and some more seasoned mothers of two and three-year-olds. I understand the need/want for sleep. Obviously, an uninterrupted nights sleep is a good thing--and, to a new mother, it's a luxury.
Nathaniel has never had any major sleep issues--he slept in perfect 4 hour increments when we brought him home from the hospital, and was sleeping 6-7 hours straight by 2 months. Recently, we've only been getting about 4 or 5 hour increments at night again. Yes, it's frustrating (why did he used to sleep longer? Isn't it supposed to go the other way?!), but it's do-able. When I'm struggling to open my eyes at 2:30 am, I remind myself that Nathaniel is only 6 months old. Sure, I feel like he's growing up so quickly, and that he's such a big boy now--but he's only 6 months! He's still such a baby. And, babies don't always sleep straight through the night. Big deal.
Ever since Nate was born, I've been confronted with some variations of the same question over and over again--from family, friends, even strangers! "How does he sleep?" "Does he sleep at night?" "How long does he sleep?" "Are you getting much sleep these days?" I know that many people are simply trying to be sympathetic. Or maybe they just don't know what else there is to ask about a baby. To me, this question is a teensy bit intrusive {especially when it's a stranger in the grocery store inquiring about what goes on in our house after dark}. I want to reply with, "Is it really important to you that you know whether or not my baby sleeps all night long?" But, I'm too chicken to be rude. I usually just smile and say that he sleeps well. And, he does! Recently, I've been wishing that he'd sleep in stretches a bit longer, but, overall, he does sleep well. When he wakes up, he simply nurses and goes back to sleep.
I've gone back and forth with myself about whether or not I should be nursing at night any longer. Does he really need more food, or is he just comfort nursing? Is it better to hold him or let him cry alone? Should I still be swaddling at night? Should we splurge and buy a Magic Sleep Suit?! Is it my fault that he's not sleeping as long as he used to be?
I feel like the common concesus is that 6-month-old babies should be sleeping through the entire night. (Random fact: Did you know that "sleeping through the night" is defined as 5 a hour stretch? That's it.) I'm hoping that as we increase Nate's solid foods, he will start sleeping for longer stretches again. But, if he doesn't? That's okay. I know that he's not the only one (thank you chat board moms!), no matter what a friend or the pediatrician might say! Eventually, Nathaniel will settle back into a more convinient {for us} sleep pattern, and until then, I will continue to love on him when he wakes, and I'll assure strangers that he is a fine sleeper!

Wordless Wednesday.

snow.

Remember what the weather was like last summer? Remember those lazy, hot summer days?

(I particularly remember the suffocating heat and not being able to see my {swollen} ankles! But, oh the excitement that came with it!)

Alright, now let's continue down Memory Lane...remember 4 days ago? Remember the breezy, 63 degree day when all the snow melted and we couldn't wait to get outside for a walk? We were all convinced that spring had sprung early! And now we're kicking ourselves for that foolishness--after all, it is still February! Those few warm days were splendid for melting off the snow and giving us an opportunity to get out and stretch our legs. They gave us hope and excitement for spring. But, last night was a harsh reminder that it's still winter for a few more weeks!

Those few days of warmth have really planted a spark of spring fever around here! I can't wait to get back outside with my little man for some more walks! For the time being, we'll stay indoors and enjoy another snow day with Daddy...

Guest Post.

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6 months.

Nathaniel is 6 months old today! 6 MONTHS! That's a whole HALF of a YEAR! I don't feel like we've had him for 6 whole months already--maybe 2, but definitely not 6! I love how big and independent he's getting, but I'm loving that he's still tiny enough to snuggle and smoosh against my body. He's learning so many new things every day, and I couldn't be prouder of my little man! I don't know how much he weighs or how long he is now, but we have a doctor's appointment next Thursday, and I will update afterwards.

Nathaniel likes to read stories--touch & feel books, picture books, soft fabric books, even chapter books when he's sleepy! He loves his baby gym, and he loves to shake rattles (the noisier, the better!). He also loves to chew on and squeak his Sophie the Giraffe toy. He still doesn't like tummy time very much, but he tolerates it (we try to do 30-40 minutes/day). He thinks that Mommy and Daddy are so funny, and he is very ticklish on his tummy and feet! He loves to watch Grover racing through the house. He's been learning to sit up on his own, and can sit for a few seconds alone. He can sit up in the boppy or on someone's lap {supported} for a long time.

Nathaniel laughs and giggles all the time now! He "talks" and squeals and shrieks when he's happy; he rarely cries. When he's excited, he waves his arms and legs around, and makes a funny face. He's getting very good at grabbing things and passing them between his hands. When he's laying on his back, he grabs his toes--especially if he's wearing jammies with animals on the feet!

Nathaniel has two teeth now! His bottom right tooth came in on 2/14, and his left popped through yesterday (2/17). He loves to take baths and splash water everywhere! Recently, he's been waking up once or twice during the night; he eats and immediately goes back to sleep. He still takes several naps during the daytime, although he'll skip them if there's something interesting going on!

We've been having unseasonably warm weather this week, and Nathaniel has been loving going outside for walks. He has not had any stranger anxiety yet, happily going to anybody who has a smile (unless he's very sleepy). He spends the Sunday School hour in the nursery at church every Sunday, where he charms the workers with his own big smile and giggles!

Up until today, Nathaniel has been exclusively breastfed. He has expressed quite an interest in table food when he sees other people eating it. I've allowed him to have a few sips of water from my glass for a few days now, and he loves it!

We started Nathaniel with his first solid food today. He had about a teaspoon of mashed avocado, and he loved it! He wasn't sure what we were doing at first, but when he realized that the spoon was going to his mouth with real food, he was all about it! Although I mixed the avocado with a bit of milk, he didn't seem to really enjoy the flavor. He made this face after every mouthful...

But, despite the silly face, he kept opening his mouth for more, AND he swallowed every drop! I cannot believe that my baby boy is big enough to be eating real food now!

While I'm so glad that Nate is growing and maturing, I am a little sad that I won't be his sole source of nutrition any longer. It might be petty, but I really am so proud that I've exclusively nursed him for 6 whole months (and I don't plan to stop until at least 1 year). He's grown to be such a big boy on his mommy's milk! But, I'll admit, he sure is ready for some real food now!

Happy 6 months, Baby Boy! I love you!!

Wordless Wednesday.

Valentine.

Happy Valentine's Day! I hope you've had a wonderful day, sharing with all those who you love best!

{This might be my newest favorite picture of my little man! And, notice who he's spending his Valentine's Day with...!}
Eric had to work today, but we celebrated when he got home. We had a yummy dinner, a delicious dessert (recipe coming to the blog soon!), and a quiet night at home. We didn't really want to ask anyone to babysit for us on their Valentine's Day, and I'm so glad that we didn't! I know that Valentine's Day is focused primarily on romantic love, but I had a wonderful time with both of the loves of my life!
What an amazing thing it is to think of all the Valentine's Days that Eric and I have spent together! We've spent them together and apart, with throngs of people at restaurants and alone in front of the television set, and, now best of all, with our very own son. And, while I used to think that each year was better than the last; that we were oh-so-romantic with our roses and candlelit dinners, there is nothing better than this year! I'll take a baby interupting my romantic pizza dinner over any of those other dinners! We are older now, and more comfortable together. We have changed, yet we are still in love--it's not a love that needs to impress or flatter, but a love that can relax together. Sure, we still need "couple time" sometimes, and we'll get a sitter now and then for a date night. But, this love that has grown from a shy invitation to a Friday night football game, to a first kiss, to a New Year's Eve proposal, to a walk down the aisle, to a cherub-cheeked little one--this love is real. And, it is strong. And, it is oh so wonderful!

When we were in high school, Eric and I briefly dated, then broke up because we didn't want to break up later and ruin our friendship. Funny, huh? It wasn't so funny then, and it did ruin our friendship--which, ironically, was not truly restored until we began dating again (almost a year later). Anyway, I still remember Eric telling me that he treasured my friendship and didn't want to lose it. He said, "dating is just like being best friends, except that you get to kiss and hold hands." And, to a point, he was right. While marriage is a bit more than that, it still needs a strong foundation of friendship. We still have that, and I am ever so glad.

Eric, I love you more with each passing day, and I am honored to be your wife! Thank you for everything that you have done/are doing for our family. You are a wonderful husband and father--everything I could ever ask for! I love you! Happy Valentine's Day, Darling!

Ironically, Nathaniel had more Valentines than either Eric or I did! And, he got his very own little stuffed "Grover" from Nana. He also celebrated in his own way by popping his very first tooth through this afternoon. What a big boy!

Good buy.

We did a bit of family shopping today. Not just boring old food shopping (although there was a little of that too), but fun shopping! As I've mentioned, Nathaniel has started teething recently. He's been drooling all over, chewing on everything, and has his fingers permanently popped in his mouth.
In my online search for a relief for my little one's mouth, I came across loads of products, from regular old Orajel (ever tried the stuff? it burns!) to newfangled teething tablets (give my almost-6-month-old a pill? no thanks...). I found people who swore that nursing a baby relieved the pain (sure, it worked when he was hungry...and after that, I became the teether--which may or may not have relieved his pain, but it sure didn't help mine!), and I came across lots of ideas of things to let babies chew (damp washcloths, popsicles, vibrating teethers, my knuckle, etc). We tried them all (except the popsicle), and the frozen washcloth was his favorite. But, it still wasn't totally ideal because it made his clothes wet, and I had to continuously rotate it when he chewed a warm spot. Time and time again, I came across rave reviews for the Sophie the Giraffe toy{http://www.sophiegiraffeusa.com}. Supposedly, babies and parents alike love them! They're cute and made of all natural products. They're light and easy for babies to handle. They're stimulating for all of the baby's senses....and they're $20 apiece! I love my baby, but a $20 teething toy sounds like a bit much, right? Right.
Then my local toy store sent us a 20% off coupon. And, I found a gift card in my purse that still had $10.46 on it. So, off we went in search of a Sophie the Giraffe! When we found it, I still wasn't entirely convinced that this would be the miracle toy that everyone seemed to believe. And, even now that Nathaniel has been in possession of his Sophie for a few hours, I'm not totally sold on the price. But, he does love it! He's been happily gnawing on her since I got it out of the packaging in the car. She's light and so perfect for his little hands. She squeaks easily (he can't make any of his other toys squeak yet), and, apparently, feels wonderful on his sore gums! She is made of all natural rubber {and food-grade paint}, so she's a little stinky, but that is supposed to be one of the qualities that babies love about her (Nate doesn't seem to mind at all)! My only complaint so far, is that Grover seems very interested in Nate's new squeaky toy. And, while Grover has never eaten any of Nate's toys to date, I will not be very happy if he starts with the $20 teether!

I also picked up a new coat for Nathaniel today. Winter clothes are finally being shifted to the clearance racks to make way for Easter outfits. I dug through racks of little boy pajamas and mittens before I came across a darling little winter coat. It's thick and wooly with a fleece lining--and it was on sale for $6.50! A little big now, but I've a feeling that he'll fill it out better next winter!

And, as usual, I spent the day with my cutie riding around in the shopping cart, a camera in my purse--and forgot to take a picture! He is so stinkin' cute riding in the cart!! Maybe I'll remember to take a picture by the time he fits into that coat! Hope you all are having a lovely weekend...

What'cha lookin' at?

I happened upon this little fellow hanging out on the limb outside my bedroom window this morning. He munched an acorn for a while, then he noticed me...

I thought he was going to run away...

but he just sat there, body poised to jump and bushy tail flapping in the wind!

Finally, instead of scampering off, he scolded and chattered at me for almost 10 minutes! I believe that I caught something about how dare I harbor such a viscious beast inside my house...whaaat? Oooooh, wait, now I'm suddenly realizing why the cat spends so much of her time perched in that particular window sill!

Wordless Wednesday.

Stream of Conciousness...

We are not very dilligent about watching the Weather Channel around here, unless we have a particular reason for doing so. Recently, we've had no reason, so all of the bitterly cold days with snow flurries and intermittent freezing rain have just been taken in stride. Last night, as Eric struggled to finish homework and lesson plans and grading at a decent hour, he commented that a snow day sure would be nice for today! I laughed at him because all of our snow has melted (while the rest of the country has gotten loads of white stuff recently!). Then, around 9, I took the dog outside, and was surprised to discover that his snow day may very well become a reality! This morning, all of the schools in our county were closed due to the snowy roads and frigid temperatures!

Eric got to sleep in, eat a hot breakfast, squeeze in some last-minute studying for his night class, AND play with Nathaniel today! Lucky guy! And, lucky us to have him home for the day! I know that everyone else seems to be tired of the snow and cold, but it's truly beautiful!

Admist all of this cold and snow, my parents finalized our vacation plans for this summer yesterday! And, while I do love the snow, I'll admit to being pretty excited for hot weather and a week at the lake!

Amidst all of our playing with toys and reading of stories, Nathaniel is getting pretty good at sitting up! He still tilts to one side or the other, and falls when left alone, but his core muscles are getting much stronger. {This might be due to the fact that half of his jammies have animals on the feet, and he LOVES to reach for them, then sit up, then down, then up....I think the boy does the equivalent of about 75 sit-ups daily!} Speaking of strength, I believe that we are getting closer to a roll-over as well!

As you may or may not know, I have two younger brothers, both of whom are in the United States Marine Corps. Tim, the older of the two, has been deployed to Afghanistan for 7 months. He left on Saturday evening, and after almost 24 hours of travel, arrived at an undisclosed location. On the one hand, I admit that I think it's a little bit cool that he gets to go to such an exotic and different culture. On the other hand, as you well know, Afghanistan is a dangerous place right now. I truly admire his strength, courage, and character as he serves his country in this manner. But, he's still my little brother, and I do worry about him! Please, please, please keep him in your prayers!!

Lastly, I will leave you a bit about tomorrow's blog. I'm planning to start a "Wordless Wednesday" post, which means that I won't be able to explain it tomorrow, will I? Basically, this means that I will simply post an entry without any words--it will, however, contain picture(s) and/or video(s). Lazy way to show off my baby? Yeah, maybe...but it sounds fun, right?! I like doing a weekly "challenge" on my blog. Anyone care to join?

Superbowl.

Here We Go, Steelers, Here We Go!!

Well, Nathaniel has experienced his first Superbowl Sunday...and he seemed to enjoy it! We went to church this morning, then stayed for a "souper" luncheon of sandwiches and {you guessed it!} soup! We came home for a few hours, during which Nate took a 4 hour nap. Church is exhausting, ya know? We watched the game at my parents' house, where Nate enjoyed lots and lots of attention. Overall, it was a great day! And, as for the outcome of the game...well, there's always next year, right?

Happy Boy!

What have we been up to around here? See for yourself!

{If you wondered about Nathaniel's raspy voice last week, it was because he spends the majority of his awake/happy time doing this now!}
Other than lots of squealing, we've been practicing sitting and standing recently. Oh, and we might be starting that lovely time entitled Teething. And, while his cries and desperate gnawing on a frozen teething ring just about breaks my heart, I'm so excited by the potential for a cute new baby tooth any day now!

Milestones.

5 months and 2 weeks. That's how old my baby is today. And, he has never rolled over on his own. Never ever. And, I'm okay with that! It's taken me a little bit of time to be okay with it, but I am!

Like, I suspect, most new mothers, I've got a plethora of books about babies and their development. Since I worked at the daycare, I actually have an infant/toddler specialist certification to my name. That means that I took a 12 week course about babies, the way that they grow and learn, and the ways to take care of and teach them. Sure, I know all about babies and developmental timelines! I also know that no two babies develop at the same rate, or even in the same order. We accept that we're all different, so why must our babies be like little robots crawling and popping up teeth on specific, pre-determined dates? I understand that developmental milestones are in place for a reason; if some are not reached {by a certain age}, there may be reason for concern. I get that, I do. Which is why I worried about Nathaniel. It almost seems silly to me now that I've spent days with this little unreached milestone nagging at the back of my mind while we play rattles, do tummy time, and read stories.

Nathaniel has reached every single other milestone in the books with lots of time to spare, but he just would not roll over! I tried pulling interesting toys out of his line of vision. I tried tickling his neck. I tried extra tummy time. I tried pushing him onto his side, and letting him pull the rest of the way over (he can do that, and he can roll to his side...he just won't do both at the same time!). I was so frustrated. And, I'll admit, worried.
I googled "baby won't roll over" and "5 month baby does not roll" and "encouraging baby to roll" about 100 times each. And, the other day, as I searched for something on the internet that magically could make my baby become a super-roller, I realized something. There were lots of people in my Google search who were asking the same question that I was. Wait, so that means that Nate is not the only 5 month old baby who won't roll over?! As I realized this, I scrolled through questions from hundreds of other worried mothers, then I got to the answers. One baby rolled when he was 10 months old. One baby crawled before he rolled. One baby skipped rolling AND crawling, but he can walk and run and roll now at 2 years! And, you know what? Not one person had a child who was at any sort of a disadvantage growing up because he was a "late roller" as a baby.
As I read, I became okay with the fact that Nathaniel isn't rolling yet. Of course, he will roll over eventually, and there is nothing that I can do to force him now. Encouraging answers filled my mind, and then I read one last reply before clicking the X at the top of my page. A young mother, probably only 16 or 17, had this to say to a worried mom: "Don't worry about written milestones! Your precious, beautiful baby will roll over when he is ready!!" It hit me like a load of bricks. Nathaniel will roll over when he is ready (and who cares when that is?!); he is absolutely so precious and beautiful to me, no matter what! I love him, and I don't care when/if he rolls! To me, he is perfect. Why was I wasting so much time worrying and reading when I could be playing with my baby? I felt ridiculous. My baby boy truly is fine. As a matter of fact, he's more than fine; he's precious and beautiful and perfect! His milestones are exactly that--his milestones, and they will be reached when he is ready!
We all want our children to be the stars of the class! We want them to be the first one to talk, crawl, and walk. We want our babies to reach their milestones at least a month early (and then to show off their skills to the other babies' mothers!). Why? Why, so often, must life revolve around showing off? Why must babies be pressured to perform for the sake of the parents? I'm not saying that developmental milestones are not important, but I am saying that they are not concrete. Babies are individuals who grow up differently. And, trust me, they will all grow up quickly, so don't miss it!
Ever since I found out that I was pregnant, I've been reading books about my baby. I read What to Expect When You're Expecting and The Pregnancy Bible weekly throughout my pregnancy. I loved learning how my baby was growing and developing, and I especially loved the photos and true-scaled sketches. It was fascinating. Since Nathaniel was born, I've continued reading about him in What to Expect During the First Year and Your Baby's First Year. I even get a weekly email about what my baby might be doing each week! And, it's cool to know that Nathaniel is probably beginning to recognize his own name or that he will enjoy his touch & feel books now. I'm not bashing these sorts of developmental timelines in any way because I really do enjoy them myself! But, aren't these the exact things that made me (and hundreds of other mothers) worry? Needless worry because our babies didn't quite measure up to the "ideal baby" in the book? I hate that. I hate that I even typed that my baby didn't "measure up", because he does! He does measure up {and even surpasses!} all the other babies in the world! (Yes, I am his mommy and a little biased, but so what? That's what mommies are for!)
My son is perfect. He doesn't roll yet, but I don't care. He's beautiful and precious and amazing. I am so proud of him, and there's not a thing in this world that could break that!

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb." Psalm 139:13
"I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him." 1 Samuel 1:27