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Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Craft: 7 Months (+1.5 weeks!) Old

Blah blah blah I'm so busy blah blah blah.  There, I said it!  Now that we got that out of the way, we can get to the good stuff before 2 more years pass without updates.  :-)

Weight/Length:  No idea on length, but for once I have an idea on weight because Craft was weighed at the doctor last week (more on that later)!  He's somewhere around (a little over) 22 pounds.  Chunker!


Sleep:  No changes here.  Craft goes to bed around 8pm and sleeps until sometime between 7-8am.  It NEVER FAILS that he wakes up with a poop, though. His morning poop is like a human alarm clock (that was Dan's description and it's spot on).  Seriously some mornings I will hear C in his room at 6:30 just chatting away and I know he's working on a good one.  When that happens, I change him (or kick Dan and tell him it's his turn...so stinky) and nurse him and he normally goes back to sleep until 8 or 8:30.  Other mornings he will sleep through the poop and I'll change and feed him when he wakes up and then he's up for the day.  Morning naps are around 10am (sometimes later depending on how late he slept) and last anywhere from 45 minutes - 2 hours.  Afternoon naps are around 2pm and last anywhere from 2-3 hours.  We got lucky twice, I am aware (and thankful!).


Feeding:  It's so funny because looking back at Lilly's 7-month update, I wrote that she was mostly nursing but that we were adding more and more solids (and they were still purees).  I'm sure it will not shock anyone to learn that once Craft started eating, he did not look back!  He nurses four times each day: when he wakes up/before breakfast (between 7a-8a), before lunch (12p), when he gets up from his afternoon nap/before dinner (5p) and before bed (7:45p-ish).  He gets solid foods normally about an hour after each feeding (with the exception of the bedtime feed).  A sample menu is as follows:

Breakfast: Egg with cheese, mini pancakes, kiwi, Greek yogurt
Lunch: Oven-roasted turkey, string cheese, broccoli sprinkled with parm, pears
Dinner: Black beans, tomato, avocado, peaches

Dinner is much more delicious when it is smeared all over your face!
Craft definitely prefers to be able to feed himself (and in fact gets frustrated if there isn't anything that he can pick up and put in his own mouth), which basically consists of grabbing fistfuls of whatever is on his tray and shoveling whatever he can get into his mouth.  I need to get a video, but this kid's eating is unlike anything I have ever seen.  He is hilarious.

Firsts This Month:  Lots of these, many of which I am positive I have forgotten about, but the main "first" I can think of is that Craft experienced his first time riding in a "big boy" (read: convertible) car seat!  Craft still had plenty of leg room (and at least 10 lbs at the time we switched him) left in the infant car seat, but we went ahead and transitioned Lilly to a high-backed booster and homeboy was getting heavy in that infant seat so we went ahead and transitioned him to Lilly's "old" convertible seat.  He seemed confused the first couple of times, but we reclined it and he's been good to go.  The only thing I miss about that infant seat is how much easier it is to move between cars, but I figure I can go ahead and sell it since there are a few years left before it expires.  I may be able to make a decent amount off of a car seat in great condition with no accidents + 2 bases!  C also went to his first tailgate and football game (NCSU v. Georgia Southern).  Finally, we had our first "emergency" trip to the doctor because he rolled off the table at the pool while his diaper was being changed (I will not name names here but would like to state for the record that I was not changing the diaper.  I would also like the record to show that he's fine.).  He's a wiggly little thing...and he's fast.

Developments:  So many!  I swear everything is happening so much more quickly this time around and I hate it (that is not actually true as I just read through Lilly's 7-month post and noted that developmentally Craft is doing the same things that she was doing at his age, but it just seems like it's all happening so much more quickly!).  My big boy is sitting up all by himself, unassisted.  Also he is drinking water out of a sippy cup.  Stop it!


Do you spy my two toofies?!
Craft's primary mode of transportation is to roll all over the place.  I can turn my back for five seconds and he will have rolled all the way to the opposite side of the room from where he was before.  When he's on his belly, he pushes up on all fours and does this funny scooting motion but only goes backwards.  I think we might be close to crawling, and I'm not ready!  He also still loves to "stand" and is starting to learn that if he holds on to something, he can stand on his own (but not for very long at all and I always make sure I'm right there).  

C has also really started to talk A LOT over the past month.  I am not sure whether this can be considered Craft's first word, but he says "hey" a lot.  If I (or anyone) walk(s) into a room, or walk in to get him out of his crib, or really just see him after having not seen him his whole little face will light up and he says "hey!"  I'll have to try to get it on video, it is the cutest.  Again, I'm not sure he knows what he's saying but that is one word that he's very consistent with.  Much to my dismay, his favorite sounds are "da da" and "la la."  I keep telling Dan that "dada" doesn't count as his first word unless he actually associates it with Dan.  So there.  No sign of mama, even though I've been working on it.  Sometimes I swear he is trying to say "Lilly."  

He also got his first two teeth within a few days of each other this month (see above)!  I think that a third is probably on its way based on the current drool situation, but no sign of it yet.

This is not really a "development" but since I don't have a good category to put it in I'll just write it here - I swear to y'all that this is the happiest baby I have ever encountered (and I promise that I'm not just saying that because he's mine).  Craft always has this huge goofy grin on his face and laughs all the time.  It is the best sound.  I have plenty of videos that I should post (I won't tonight because I'm too lazy), but I can demonstrate this point with the following: last week one night Craft cried out for a minute or so when Dan and I were going to bed.  It didn't sound like hysterical crying, more like calling out in his sleep, so when I listened for a minute and he had stopped and stilled and evidently gone back to sleep, I didn't think anything else about it.  The next morning when I went in to get him, I discovered that the poor guy had spit up and slept in it.  And by "spit up" let me be clear that I am talking huge chunks of food caked in his hair.  I went ahead and nursed him and then stripped him down to hop in the shower with me (which he LOVED by the way).  But really...would you be this happy with dried chunky food throw up in your hair?!?!?!







I do remember thinking that Lilly was a happy baby, and she really was but this guy is ecstatic, and the comment we probably get the most is about Craft's happy demeanor.  He is so go-with-the-flow, too, which I am so thankful for.

Likes:  By far his most favorite thing in the whole world is his big sister.  You have never seen a baby belly laugh so hard and so much as when Lilly is even just walking by him.  He LOVES her.  He also loves: Bath time.  Laughing.  Giggling.  Talking.  Squealing.  Eating.  Layla.  Mommy & Daddy.  Singing/songs/music.  Snuggling (only when really tired).  Books.  Sleeping.  Sitting up.  Rolling.  Scooting.  People watching.  Paci.  Lovey.  Being outside.  Walks.  Swimming.  Being worn in the ergo.

Dislikes:  The main thing I can think of here is that it really really hurts Craft's feelings when he thinks he's alone.  Even if he is playing and not paying anyone any attention, if you walk out of the room his little face falls and he gets so sad and cries.  The minute he sees you again, though, he's laughing and happy as a lark.  I don't like to be lonely either, little guy!

What I'm Thankful For:  Two great babies and a rockstar husband.  I have been absolutely swamped at work - last week I don't think I saw the kids for more than 20 minutes a day if that, and Dan has picked up all of the slack at home and kept the house running seamlessly.  I'm thankful that he is supportive of my career and that he is so good with our babies as well and has no problem stepping up to keep things running at home on his own when I can't be home to help.

What I'm Looking Forward To:  A low-key upcoming weekend!  We have had so much going on that I am looking forward to a break.  Although it never turns out that way and we always end up finding things to busy ourselves with!  Also Halloween costume shopping!  AND, Lills is getting her first "pedi" this weekend (really  just getting her toes painted at a nail salon) for a friend's birthday party, so of course I'm ecstatic about that.  We also still haven't gotten C's 6-month photos taken so I'm looking forward to that as well.

Next Pediatrician Appointment:  Our 9-month appointment is on November 3rd, and I'm sure it will be here before we know it.  

I got a really great series of photos this month that I am not even going to attempt to narrow down, so have fun gazing at the same 75 photos below.  :-)  I think we have hit the time when it is going to start getting harder to get good monthly photos, because this stinker is into everything (and has discovered that he can get the sticker off of his onesie).









I know this one is blurry but I can't stand it, he's so excited!











Plenty of updates in the queue that I will hopefully have time someday to share with you all.  Hope your week is great!

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Lillian's First Ballet Class

Well hello there, blog, my old friend - it's been a while.  Oops!  I have no excuses other than the usual: life is busy and I was feeling a little bit of blog burnout.  I have been trying not to feel guilty about the fact that I haven't been documenting as much on my little corner of the Internets lately and have instead been trying to focus my energies on enjoying this time with my babies (which is flying by WAY too quickly)!  Anyway, enough about all of that.  I just dropped by to tell you all about Lilly's first dance class!

Big stuff modeling her new dance outfit.
Lilly loved her gymnastics class, but she would have stayed in the "mommy & me" class at her gym for another year so we thought we'd let her try something new.  She is OBSESSED with ballet and ballerinas and all things pink, so we thought, why not?

I found out about this class from the Mom of one of Lilly's classmates from last school year.  We've had quite a few play dates over the summer and our girls get along really well and love playing together, so when I mentioned that we were thinking of signing Lilly up for a dance class and she told me there was one opening left in her daughter's class, I went for it.  I was a little nervous about this class simply because when I called to reserve our spot and spoke with the teacher (Miss Charlene), she told me that parents can stay for the first class but after that we have to do the "drop and run" and leave the littles with her.  I could tell by talking to Charlene on the phone why the kids love her - she's very dynamic and engaging (also her ringtone is "Hips Don't Lie," she drives a purple car with huge eyelashes over the headlights, and wears enormous fake lashes in crazy colors that the girls think is the best ever).  Miss Charlene told me that she's been teaching dance for 34  years to children ages 2-10 as well as special needs children and that her 2-year-olds are her "sweet treat," so I know Lills will be in good hands, but still I was nervous.

Waiting for class to start.
When I told Lills that she was going to take a ballet class, she was so excited, I can't even tell you.  She immediately wanted to know when she would get ballet slippers, and I told her that Miss Charlene would measure her feet at her first class.  From that point on, any time anyone asked her if she was excited for her ballet class, she would say, "I am going to take ballet!  And Miss Charlene is going to measure my feet for my ballet slippers!"

Today was her first day, so I decided to meet Carney and the kids at the ballet studio and sit in on the first class since I'd never met Miss Charlene in person and I wanted to see what the class was like.  Lilly did awesome (at first, anyway).  I had been so nervous that she would cling to me the whole time, but she did exactly what she was asked to do, she sat with the other little girls and followed instructions and was really exceeding my expectations all around.  Until.




The class is 45 minutes, and Lilly was doing so well that after 20 I decided to sneak out.  I am pretty sure she saw me leave, and I walked to the little store nextdoor to poke around and wait for class to end (BIG mistake - I want to live in that little store and never come out.  I showed tremendous self-restraint in only buying one pair of earrings but seriously could have bought the whole store!).  Carney and Craft walked out a few minutes after I did, and all was well.  We killed 20 minutes in the store and then walked back over to the studio, and opened the door to find poor Lilly practically hyperventilating and in hysterics from crying so hard, sitting in the owner of the studio's lap.  In fact, as soon as the door opened the woman said, "Is Lilly's mommy back yet?"  


Y'all.  "The worst mother in the world" does not even begin to describe how I felt.  I know that I shouldn't beat myself up and that there probably isn't anything I could have done, but I felt sick with guilt for the rest of the afternoon.  I didn't tell her I was leaving, and I kept thinking that maybe that would have helped and she wouldn't have been upset.  Obviously we will never know for sure, but oh my GOSH I felt absolutely terrible.  When we got home, I gave Lills a hug and told her that I was sorry she was upset when she couldn't find mommy at ballet.  She looked at me, sniffled and said, "I'm sorry I cried at ballet."  OMG Y'ALL SHE MAY AS WELL HAVE PUNCHED ME IN THE GUT.  I didn't think it was possible to feel any more guilty until she said that.  !!!!!

I know that she will love this class.  I also know that she will be upset sometimes, that I can't always fix things for her and that I can't always be with her.  All of this will be good for her.  But it still breaks my heart that my baby girl was so upset.  I was telling Stephanie about the events after the fact and she articulated exactly what I've been feeling: that while all of it is good for her, as parents we just never want our children to feel like we let them down.  Oh, the guilt!

This guy, however, had an absolute blast…perhaps because he was surrounded by all of those pretty girls?


I asked Lilly after nap if she had a good time at ballet and if she wanted to go back next week.  She said yes, so I guess that's a good sign.  She also told me that Miss Charlene is funny and nice and that she wants to do ballet by herself.  I don't even know what that means, but I guess I should be happy that she's even still talking about ballet, ha!  I think next week I'll go again, make sure she knows when I'm leaving/tell her goodbye, and let her take lovey in to keep in the cubby as a back up.  Pray for us, y'all.

Hope your holiday weekend was great!  Lilly's lunch is packed, outfit is laid out and chalkboard sign is all ready to go for her first day back to school tomorrow.  Dan aka superdaddy is in the kitchen making some chocolate chip cookies for a lunch box surprise, and I feel sure they need to be taste-tested so I'm out.  :-)


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