First Foods

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Look what I made, Ma!!!  For the past 6 months I've exclusively nursed this cutie pie.  I am so proud.  I feel very blessed that I have physically been able to do so and had the life circumstances that have permitted me to do so. I recognize not all moms have the physical ability or the life circumstances that allow them to nurse exclusively, so I am grateful that I can.  Having said all that, Mr. Russ turned 6 months on Sunday, so we celebrated with some first foods.  Russ started with oatmeal (pureed), which he rejected wholesale.  Just like is big bro! Then we moved on to applesauce, which went over a bit better, but he still wasn't entirely sure about it, hence (as you can see in the picture) more of it landed on his face and bib than in his belly.  The next night he tried a banana, which was a huge hit!   Butternut squash and carrots are on the menu for later this week.  This foodie Momma is delighted to start making baby food again.  Now if only I could get Mr. Henry to try some new foods...

As for other updates, Russ is like a rolly-polly potato bug and can roll himself half way across the room now.  He's quite the escape artist too, wiggling out of the Bumbo the other day.  Sad to have to retire it so early, but for safety, I might have to.  He doesn't quite have the core strength to sit up on his own yet, but he easily sits with just a bit of assistance.  I bet he will master sitting by the end of January.  Standing is one of his favorite positions and can do so easily by just holding onto a couple of fingers.  Hopefully this doesn't translate into early walking, otherwise I am in trouble! He is still drooling like a St. Bernard, but no teeth have arrived.  He frequently squeals with delight and is constantly "talking."  My mom routinely tells me "Wow, he's a noisy baby!" He's generally a happy little dude, but he fights sleep with all is might, which is how he acquired his nickname "Fussy Russy."  Unlike his big brother who had a love affair with his pacifiers and could self-sooth easily, Russ hasn't found many self-soothing solutions, so he usually protests naps and bedtime (sometimes with screeching, to make extra sure everyone in the house knows he doesn't want to go to sleep, but really NEEDS to go to sleep).  Speaking of sleep, he continues to be an inconsistent sleeper.  Sometimes he is only up once in the middle of the night, but other times (seems to be more often than not recently), he's up three, four, or five times in the middle of the night.  So glad, this phase is temporary.  Sleep deprivation makes a person a little nutty!  Russ also enjoys reading board books and engages more and more everyday, playing with his baby rattles, cars and stuffed animals.  Two of his favorite "toys" are Mommy's hair (which he pulls every chance he gets) and sweatshirt strings (which instantly go into his mouth). 

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!!!  We had a fabulous Christmas season, celebrating with those we love most, our friends and family.  We are so grateful for all your love and support.  Cheers!!!

Baby Boy

Those big beautiful eyes are nothing but trouble!  He already knows how to give me "the eyes" and manipulate his world through flirtation.  Watch out ladies!!!

Mr. Russy's smile melts my heart.  I can't get enough of it.  Lucky for me, he's generous with the smiles.  Makes my day, every time.

Much like his brother did as a baby, Russ enjoys sitting on the counter while Mama cooks or does the dishes.  He's getting close to being able to sit up on his own, but for know, the Bumbo is a lifesaver.

Handmade Gift

Henry made Mommy and Daddy a calendar at school for Christmas. I totally love it! Each month has a handprint creation. I stole it for my office before Ryan could even think about hanging it anywhere else. I cherish my first homemade gift from Mr. Henry.

We are in such a sweet chapter with Henry right now. On Friday, I visited his classroom for a little holiday party and gift presentation. He loves his school, his teachers and his friends. The inner geek in me is excited that he enjoys school so much. He was so proud to give me his handmade calendar, introduce me to his best friend Arfon, and to show me how the sink and soap dispenser in the classroom work. I am so glad I took the day off of work so I could participate.

Christmas Cookies

We have a tradition in our house of making Christmas cookies to share with our neighbors.  This year, Henry was strong (and coordinated) enough to grind up the walnuts all by himself.  He was so proud of himself. This year's treat box included blondies, coconut macaroons, and frosted sugar cookies.

It is thrilling to Henry to be able to lick the dough off the mixer paddle.  I think everybody has fond childhood memories of licking the cookie dough spoon clean, I know I do!

Sugar cookies make an epic mess of a kitchen, but they are SOOOOOO worth it! Henry and I had so much fun cutting them out (cowboy hats and fire hydrants included...those are Christmas shapes, right!?!) and then frosting them with various colors, but Henry insisted that I not make any "girly colors."

Visiting Santa

After waiting an hour in line to see Santa, I wasn't sure if either boy would have the patience to get their picture taken with Santa, but I was pleasantly surprised by this one.

Henry was shy at first, but after a few minutes, he warmed up to Santa enough to tell him he wanted him to bring him a marble run. We'll see if Santa thinks he's been naughty or nice this year...

Calm before the storm.

Just as our turn was about to end, Henry finally decided Santa was safe enough to stand next to, but Russ decided he was D.O.N.E taking pictures. Perhaps I have a twisted sense of humor, but I find this protest picture with Santa funny, especially given how happy Santa and Henry look.  Real life captured!

Brothers

My favorites.

Happy Halloween

 Cutest mummy ever!

I am still working on getting both boys to look at the camera and smile at the same time, but this is pretty close.  I'll take it. : )

 Is that Leonardo, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, or Henry!?!

OH, it's Henry!  As usual, Henry got to pick his costume.  He chose Leonardo because he's the Ninja Turtle with the blue eye bandanna and blue is Henry's favorite color.  He also has nunchucks that Henry loves...but Mama conveniently forgot them at the store.  We had soooooooo much fun trick or treating this year.  Henry's excitement was infectious.  He even said "trick-or-treat," "thank you," and "Happy Halloween" to almost every neighbor.  So precious.  He made his Mama proud. 

Four Months - Lots of Smiles

Yup, I can't get enough of that smile!  Love, love, love it! Russ is four months today.  Man, oh man, how time flies!  We visited Dr. E this morning and he stated "He looks great!  I don't have any concerns.  He's developing right on track."  Music to a mama's ears.  Here are his current measurements:

Height: 26 1/8 inches - approx. 80th percentile
Weight: 14lbs 7oz - approx. 30th percentile
Head: 16 7/8 inches- approx. 55th percentile

As far as other developments, he is getting sturdier by the day.  His head flops around less and less each day.  He's a drool monger.  He's like a faucet these days!  He can roll from tummy to back and back to tummy, but hasn't mastered the 360 degree rollover yet (but I'm in no hurry for him to start rolling off the bed).  He's also a big flirt, smiling at all the ladies.  He loves for the attention in the room to be centered on him and if it isn't, he creates such a ruckus with what I call his pterodactyl screech that the attention soon moves right to him.  He's an inconsistent napper and sleeper, but he technically sleeps "through the night" according to the experts, because he generally sleeps at least five hours straight.  Those experts are nuts if they think five hours is a "good night sleep!"  Russ loves his big brother Henry and Henry loves him back.  I had no idea how much fun it would be to watch the two of them bond.  I'm amazed at how easily my heart expanded to love another child as much as I love my Little Mister Russ.  And I love Henry even more now (which I didn't think was possible) for loving his little brother.  Family - it completes me.

Returning to work

With a very heavy heart, I returned to work four weeks ago. I didn't cry this time though, so that was a HUGE improvement from the last time around.  I cranked up the radio on my way into the office so that it was blaring teeny-booper pop music.  It is hard to be sad when the music that is vibrating your entire body and car is preaching bumpin', grindin', grovin', shakin', lovin'.   In many ways, it has been an easier journey returning to work. Thank goodness!!!  I think the biggest difference is that I knew what to expect, at least in large part.  Here are some observations about returning to work, the second time around:

Pumping, pumping, pumping. I feel like a human farm animal (this isn't new, I felt this way with Henry too). To ensure I have enough milk for Russ when I am away at work, I have been pumping 4-5 times a day and nursing 5+ times a day as well. It's a huge time suck and logistically challenging! Having said that, I feel honored and blessed that I am able to feed him. I am in awe every time I look at his chubby cheeks and relish in the fact that "I made that!" I feel proud. Motherhood has made me feel proud in so many ways.

Sleep. Ha! What is sleep!?! I don't get much of that these days. It's all just a season, but it makes for growing impatience and wild emotions sometimes.  Russ is inconsistent in his sleep patterns, or should I say lack thereof.  He's a cat napper.  He won't consistently take long naps.  But, then some days, he'll take a 3 hour nap (not often though).  The only consistent thing is when he goes to bed (7-7:15).  But how long he makes it after that is a crap-shoot.  Sometimes I am lucky (rarely) and he will sleep until nearly 4 the next morning.  Other nights he wakes up at 11:45, 12:30, or 1:50.  The last week or so, he's been waking up between 1-2 in the morning.  This wouldn't be so bad if I went to bed at 7 in the evening as well.  But, I don't.  I still have Henry to usher off to bed and then it is dishes, laundry, bills, email (personal and professional), showering, pumping, and whatever else life demands.  So, it means I usually don't get to bed until 10:30-11, so it is rare that I get more than three hours of uninterrupted sleep because once Russ wakes up that first time, he wakes every 1-2 hours after that. Needless to say, I am sleep deprived.

Weekend cooking. Planning out and cooking (or at least prepping) weeknight dinners on the weekend has been a lifesaver.  I remember that weeknight dinnertime used to be really stressful, especially right after I went back to work after Henry was born, so I decided to try doing more of the prep on the weekends this time around.  It has made dinner time during the work week so much less stressful. So far I've made things like Southwestern-style pot roast (that we used to make delicious tacos), potato soup, butternut squash mac and cheese, lentil and sausage soup, and lots of banana chocolate chip muffins. 

Showering at night.  I have always preferred a morning shower.  But, with nursing full time and trying to get everyone out the door at a reasonable hour in the morning, showering is just one more thing that ends up causing stress in the morning, so I moved my shower to the evening after the boys go to bed.  It is a nice way to end the day, but I do miss my morning shower. 

Date nights. I have told many new parents that the biggest mistake I made the first time around was ignoring my marriage, for an entire year (after Henry was born).  I vowed after Henry turned one that I would consciously make more of an effort to nurture my marriage.  Folks, marriage is hard work.  Worth it.  But, hard work.  It doesn't stop at "I do," but rather just begins.  So, I've continued to make an effort to schedule opportunities for Ryan and I to enjoy a few minutes of grown-up time together, without the kiddos.  It isn't as often as we would like, but at least once a month.  That is my promise to myself, is that we will go out as a couple at least once a month.  I think it pays off.  I think I am kinder, more understanding, more patient and just plain more content when we take a few minutes to acknowledge each other, as husband and wife.  We are FAR from perfect, but at least we are trying.  So far, we've been able to continue our dates since Russ was born.  Thank goodness for Grandmas!!!

Self-care.  I (like many women) don't take care of myself as well as I should.  "Me" is often an after-thought.  Putting "me" on the back burner is only sustainable for so long though and then life starts to crumble around itself.  Having found myself sitting on a therapist's couch on more than one occasion has taught me this lesson the hard way, yet I keep forgetting.  So, I have been trying to take better care of myself this time around.  I started exercising a few weeks ago.  Nothing too crazy, but a slow jog on the treadmill 2-3 days a week or a walk through the neighborhood.  I've been reading for pleasure.  I've been watching a few of my favorite shows each week.  I canned pickles and jam this summer.  I worked on refinishing my picnic table this summer.  I blog.  I take long showers. I treat myself to my favorite coffee.  I make time to visit with girlfriends from time to time.  And, I am thinking about starting to meditate. 

Support Network.  I have the utmost gratitude for my mother.  "Thank you" feels inadequate to describe how thankful I am for EVERYTHING she does for me. She constantly does things to make my life easier and less stressful.  She is selfless with her time.  I am soooooooo very, very, very blessed to have her in my life.  And the most endearing thing is that she loves my boys in such a sweet way.  I love her!  If that weren't enough, I have an amazing mother-in-law who regularly lends a helping hand and brings "grandma-magic" to our house.  She has a unique ability to create impressionable memories with the little ones.  I hope I can learn a few of those skilla from her over the years because it really is magical.  And I can't end this paragraph without acknowledging my dear husband who continues to show up, every day, to be an active parent and involved dad (even when it's tough...really tough).  Thank you, honey, for always showing up, no matter what.  I love you for it (even if I don't always show it).

Pumpkin Patch

About 10 days ago I took a random Thursday off of work (something I like to call a "Mommy day"...akin to a "mental health day") and we went to the pumpkin patch as a family.  Henry opted to go back to Lakeview Farms in North Plains (which we visited last year) because the visit includes not only a train ride, but a boat ride too.  The only disappointment for Henry this year was he didn't quite understand why the mechanical water dragon and shark in the pond weren't "real." 

Waiting for everyone to board the train.  Henry of course was the first in line, so he got the first pick of seats.

 One very happy camper.

 Looking for the perfect pumpkin.

 Little Mister seemed content to simply suck on his fingers.  He could have cared less about the train, hay, pumpkins, boats, or goats.  Snuggles were perfectly adequate. Mama had no complaints obliging.

 Henry was old enough this year to navigate the hay maze by himself.  Silly dude would literally run into the dead-ends though before he would turn around and try a new direction.

 The hay maze was even more fun when he convinced Daddy to join him!

 Henry made friends at the top of the hay pyramid. 

Is that Henry....or is it BATMAN!?!  Henry has a new found interest in superheros.  Batman is his favorite. His boots sport Spiderman, which comes in a close second favorite.

3 Months

It is yet to be determined if those big beautiful grey eyes are going to turn blue or brown. Grandma Sherry is still holding her breath for brown, but I'm not too sure they won't be gun metal blue like his Daddy's eyes.

Little Mister has a big gummy smile, just like his big brother did.  Love, love, love it!

There it is again.

And again!  With a giggle this time.

I find him kissably cute. I know I am biased because I'm his Mama, but seriously, I just want to kiss him all the time because he's so darn cute and I love him soooooooooooo much!

Awe, my boys!  They complete me. 

12 weeks

Tomorrow, Russ will be 12 weeks old.  Where oh where does time go!?!  A little tummy time here and there (which he isn't a big fan of...ok...not a fan of at all) is producing a bit more head control.  He's still pretty floppy, but getting stronger by the day.

 Big smiles for Mama!  Melts my heart, every time!!!

Making faces.  He's already a clown, much like his big brother.

Sweetness.  Motherhood brings me so much joy in life.  I am so very, very blessed to be a mother. 

End of Summer Fun

 He indeed is Mommy's little monkey!

 Russ likes it when I talk and sing to him, especially silly songs about zoo animals. 

Henry visited the barber for the first time for a proper haircut right before school started.  It took much coaxing on my part, but after he got there he did AMAZING, waiting patiently (for 45 minutes before it was our turn!), holding still and listening to directions.  Mommy was so proud of him, he earned himself a new Batman Lego.  He was on cloud nine.

 Russ likes the beach just like the rest of our clan.

 Henry loves low tide because he can spend lots of time in the puddles.

 A visit to the park helps put everyone in a good mood.

 Cheesy photo smile.

During our last visit to the beach, we happened upon an old school carnival.  Here, Henry is preparing to win a "scary" plastic snake if he can land a toilet paper roll in a cardboard toilet.  I love small town fun!

 And here is Henry's prize!  I love his expression in this photo (with his squished up nose).  He spent the next 15 minutes chasing me around with the snake trying to scare me (he knows I hate snakes!).

 I can't get enough of his new(ish) smile.

Here it is again!!!  By way of other updates, Russ is growing like a weed, he recently transitioned into 6 month clothes.  Seriously, already! At his two month appointment a couple of weeks ago, Dr. E indicated he looked "very healthy."  His two month stats were: 24.1 inches long, 11 lbs 12 oz, 15.4 inch head (up from 21 inches long, 8 lbs 1.5 oz, 14.25 inch head at his two week appointment). His height is what blows my mind.  He is long bodied liked the rest of us in the family. It is so reassuring to hear the doc confirm your baby is healthy.  He said the bumps on his skin are likely soborrhea, a cousin of cradle cap, which is completely harmless and should resolve itself without treatment by the time Russ is 6 months. Thank goodness it wasn't a viral rash or an allergic reaction (as a person who is allergic to everything under the sun, I am probably hypersensitive about allergies and I always suspect the boys have developed allergies).  He is starting to coo more and more each day and he has pretty good head control, but he's still floppy.  He's sleeping about 6-7 hours each night before he wakes me to eat (a huge improvement from just a few weeks ago)...too bad I don't go to bed when he does (but I usually get 3-4 uninterrupted hours of sleep, 5-6 total).  He eats 7-8 times a day and thankfully will take a bottle.  He is a bigger fan of sucking on his fist than a pacifier at this point.  I wish he was more a pacifier kid because he is often fussy before falling asleep.  The pacifier was magical with Henry for sleep purposes, it helped put him to sleep quickly without a fuss.  Only time will tell if Russ develops a similar fondness, but for now, he's not a fan.