Spence turned 6 months old yesterday! Some days it feels like we’ve known him forever and it’s hard to remember life before him. Yet other days I still feel like such a neophyte – unsure of myself while stumbling and bumbling through parenthood.
We marked the occasion with cupcakes for the "big kids" and Spence got a special treat – prunes. Yum. (Trust me, he’ll thank me for this given his recent "issues".)
New things this month:
– The biggest change is he started eating solids. We started with rice cereal and have been adding in fruits and veggies. He LOVES food. He hasn’t made a face or refused anything. He’s tried sweet potatoes, carrots, peas, apples, and prunes. He just gobbles it all down. He even grabs the spoon and tries to feed himself. It’s super messy, but lots of fun to watch him.
– Actually, this might be the BIGGEST change because it affects the entire family. He’s sleeping in his crib at night. It’s only been 1 week and 1 day so I don’t want to declare victory yet, but he really seems to like sleeping in his crib and we all seem to be getting some more sleep. It’s still difficult to get him to fall asleep some nights. And he still wakes up more often than we like, but it’s a major step forward and it went better than we had expected.
– He outgrew his dairy allergy. We moved from soy formula, to hypoallergenic milk-based formula, to full milk formula. He is doing great with the milk now. And mama is free to eat anything her heart desires!
– His hair is growing in (again). He has more hair and longer hair than ever before. It really makes him seem older. I love rubbing his head and feeling his soft hair.
– He is almost sitting up on his own. When he’s on his back he reaches forward and tries to lift himself up (working out those abs just like his mama. NOT!). When we sit him up, he can balance for a few seconds before falling over to the side. I’ve been surrounding him with pillows and letting him experiment with his balance.
– Still no teeth! The teething will never end. These teeth have been just below the gums for over a month, but they just won’t break through the gums.
– Out with the old and in with the new. The vibrating seat, infant car seat, and bumbo all have gone into storage. They’ve been replaced with a convertible car seat and a booster seat (instead of a high chair to save space.) Every time we make the journey down to storage I get a little choked up. My little boy is growing up SO fast.
How his mama’s doing:
Well, I made it 6 months. Each week comes with new challenges and new rewards. I was sick for the first time this week. Working + taking care of baby + trying to take care of myself is difficult to say the least.
– I’ve begun the weaning process. I’m only pumping twice a day now and not doing any night feedings. My breast pump broke last night AGAIN, so that may speed up the weaning process a bit. I still have mixed feelings emotionally about it. I feel guilty about my decision, not matter how I try to rationalize my decision. I don’t think that will go away. But, it’s been lovely having my husband get up to help with the night wakings the last few nights, especially since I’ve been under the weather.
– Speaking of husbands. I’m so grateful to have his help. He really, really makes this all doable. He’s such a huge help. He approaches parenting like we’re equals which I appreciate more and more as I see how other fathers sometimes act like it’s the mother’s job to take care of the kids and they are only around for play time. Ian’s there for the good and the bad. He jumps out of bed at night when he hears the crying and is willing to pace endlessly with Spencer in his arms trying to get him to fall asleep at night.
– Emotionally I feel good. Sometimes the lack of sleep and the stress of keeping it all together gets to me. But overall, I can honestly say that I’m happier than I can remember being. Ever. Plus, Spencer seems to have this instinct to smile at all the right times. Whenever Ian or I am having a bad time, Spencer seems to give us a big grin out of nowhere and it immediately lifts our spirits.
– Physically I still haven’t yet motivated myself to start exercising or dieting to lose the last 10 pounds. I went dress shopping this weekend and it was horrifying. I hated how I looked in everything. The boobs look saggy. The midsection rolls stick out. The legs are lined with spider veins. It should have motivated me to do something about it, but instead I bought cupcakes. Which brings me back to the point of this post…
Happy Half-Birthday Spence! I love you so much and you’re worth every minute of that excruciating time I spent in the dressing room on Saturday.!
This and These 