Formula

It happened. Wyatt is almost eight months old. Last night, he had his first bottle of formula. Tonight, he'll have his second.

He survived.

So did I.

Despite the stress of getting this far with breastfeeding and worrying about if, when, and whether or not I should add in formula, I now feel much better. And less stressed.

Seven Months

Wyatt, you are seven months old! I feel like we are on a roller coaster; we've reached the top of that first big hill and now we are coasting down the other side. You are now closer to being one year old than you are to being born! Everyone says it goes fast. At first, I couldn't imagine this being true, but now I see.

You are happy, smiley, and giggly. You don't have any teeth yet, but they are soon to pop up soon. You have the cutest, most precious pouty face that I could even imagine. You sleep with your hands behind your head. You love to smack your lips. You are finally a master at rolling onto your back (even though this took you a while, you've been sitting up on your own for well over a month). You LOVE to kick. In the bathtub, you love the sound of your little feet hitting the tub and making big noises (and big splashes). You kick in your crib when you are ready to get up, sometimes so hard that your mattress is sure to be bouncing right along with you. Ah, my cute-pie, Wyatt-cakes!

Wrapping Paper Fun

This could have gone on forever.

Six Months

This little guy is six months old today. I can hardly believe it! Happy Half-Birthday Wyatt!

You are so big. Your dad and I were just looking at your newborn photos and it's amazing how much you've changed and grown. You love to smile and blow bubbles. You can mostly sit up on your own, though you are still working on your rolling. Your favorite toy is your set of keys. You've been eating rice and oatmeal as well as sweet potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, peaches and pears. You've been a joy and I can't wait to see who you become!

Sweetie Pumpkin and an Apple Pie

It's November already...and not only that, it's the END of November already. I can't keep up. Hmm...the reoccurring theme of my life.

Anyway, Wyatt was the sweetest, plump-est (helped by the cold temps and extra layers of clothes), happiest pumpkin ever for Halloween. What a sweetie pumpkin!

The apple pie was a success. And, it really was easy, no lie. I tasted it too and decided that I could tolerate it after all, though the "before" mixture of raw apples, cinnamon and sugar still tastes better to me.

Weekend Recap and a Few Firsts

Even though it's now almost Thursday, the past weekend deserves a mention. The weather was warm, sunny and generally fabulous. We spent Sunday lounging in the backyard. I think I've only sat on the back patio two or three times this whole summer. We spread a blanket on the grass and played with the little guy.

The little guy had a few firsts this week too. Over the weekend, I think he finally "got" the spoon. So far, he's been able to down some rice cereal and pumpkin. Tonight I pureed some sweet potatoes for him; we'll try those tomorrow. Also, he's started grabbing his feet this week and tonight he finally rolled over (tummy to back) all by himself for the first time.

Four Months

I missed taking Wyatt's four month pictures by a little over a week, but that's still better than I did with his three month pictures. Today was his four month check-up with shots (which he didn't even cry about). He now weights 16 pounds, 7 ounces.

And for good measure...

Finding Time

I have post-its, notebook pages and brainwaves full of things I want to post/say, pictures I want to share, and more. Yet I seem to have difficulty finding the time to do everything or anything at all. Maybe though, it's not really about finding the time, but rather being purposeful with my time. I need to find some balance and a way to feel like I can enjoy the little guy but also write, create and share.

Back At It

After 11 and a half weeks at home with the little guy, today is my last day at home. I am excited about retunring to work; I'm looking forward to interacting with other people and feeling a sense of accomplishment at completing work-related tasks.

The first two months at home were really hard! I'm used to being quite active and on the go. Instead, I found myself struggling as I sat on the couch feeding or holding the little guy and watching Living with Ed, Renovation Nation, A Baby Story/Bringing Home Baby, and Say Yes to the Dress. During that time, I rotated between about three outfits consisting of t-shirts and running shorts. Before having the little guy, I didn't really think it was possible to have a day where I didn't even have time to take a shower or brush my teeth, but it's true and it happened!

The last few weeks have been better though. The little guy isn't crying as much and he's become more interactive. We can spend a good 30-45 minutes playing in the morning when he wakes up before he even wants to eat. In the past week or so, he's also (finally!) developed something of a nap pattern, taking one nap during our walk in the morning and another mid-afternoon.

Despite comments from the parents and in-laws, I do not feel guilty about taking him to child care. I really do think it will be good for him in the long run. I do, however, feel challenged about having a 45 hour/week job and knowing that he'll be spending more of his waking hours at child care than he will at home. But for me and my personality, I know that I will cherish my time with him even more when I do see him and spend time with him in the evenings and on weekends. I am anxious about the first day/week in terms of dropping him off, picking him up, and learning the whole process as well as developing our routine.

Big Boy

Yesterday was the little guy's two month check-up. He's certainly growing!

Weight: 12 lbs, 13 ozs (that's a 3 lbs, 1 oz gain in just one month)
Length: 23 1/2"

Some of his 0-3 months clothes don't fit anymore, though it greatly depends on the item/brand. The plain white Gerber onsies (which I love!!) are definitely too small.

Two Months

Sucker!

Gotta love the pacifier hanging out and the little fist!