Trying to Walk

Isaiah is amazing. We recently started feeding him "breakfast" (some baby cereal mixed with juice) before his first nap....today he started it at daycare too (I don't think this caused the drop in milk because I would still pump after he fell asleep). I gave him Cheerios for the first time this morning too! He has this 2 bottom teeth now and I think one of the top ones is about ready to poke through too! He really likes it when we share our food with him - sometimes even gets upset when we don't! We started giving him chicken nuggets with his jar of food at dinner time so that helps a little with the wanting to share. It also means he gets enough food at dinner that he barely nurses at bedtime (again, I pump after he falls asleep). And I thought that would be the last nursing time to go!

He's not crawling or walking on his own quite yet but is rollin' like nobody's business! He's even figure out how to pivot on his belly so he's getting EVERYWHERE!

My mom bought Isaiah a walker a week or two ago and that has been the best thing (until he gets in the trashcan again). He kind of chases the cats and will follow me around the house when he wants to be picked up. At this point I think its a toss-up as to whether the monster walks or crawls first. He's really starting to pull himself up with stuff lately....even tries to grab and get up with the couch cushions! They're too puffy, so he couldn't get a grip on them. Its like he's working on learning what will work and what won't.

Isaiah @ 6 Months

Stats

20 lbs, 10 oz (90%)

28" (95%)

Isaiah is SIX MONTHS OLD!!! I can't believe it...he's such a wonderful little guy!! I call him my monster, but that's only because he's such a big boy....20lbs 10oz at the doctor yesterday. Poor little guy got shots :( It amazes me that I'm okay with them now...I originally wanted to space them out because it just seemed like so much for a baby but he's such a big boy and takes it all like a trooper. Really, since the first set (which caused a meltdown later that evening) we've only had to deal with a little more fussiness and a sleepier baby. Not too bad, I'd say.

He's been eating solids for a little bit now....he's up to 2 jars a day (which means I have TONS of baby food jars and I don't know where to recycle them!!) I'm still mostly breastfeeding, but Isaiah really seems to enjoy getting something different, a lot of times he gets excited when he sees me holding the jar! It's really no wonder he's such a chunky monkey with as much as he eats!

I HATE MY JOB WITH A PASSION!!!! They keep trying to give me lunches an hour after my first break when for FOUR MONTHS I've been saying "I need more time between breaks so I can pump" apparently it doesn't stick. This happens AT LEAST once a week. This Sunday and next Sunday they scheduled me to close (which means leaving there at 8:00 or 8:30 and THEN making the 30-45 minute drive home. When I tried to explain that this was not going to happen because I had to be home BY 7:00 in order to put my son to bed I was told "going to bed late once wasn't going to hurt him." When I pointed out two hours was waayyy too much for a 6 month old, especially when I have to work at 8:00 the next morning, my manager told me I had to deal with it or give notice and find another job. Anyone know of anything?!?

I'm really starting to feel isolated. With the fact that I basically work or spend time with Isaiah I don't get to see any of my friends or go out and do anything on my own. I DO NOT want to leave my son behind to do anything...I feel guilty and like a part of me is missing when I'm not with him. It's hard to put my feelings in to words in a way that makes any sense. I want the opportunity to spend time with people (other moms would be GREAT) that I have things in common with AND be able to bring Isaiah with me. That way I can socialize with people, can spend time with my son AND I won't feel like I'm stuck in some black hole somewhere....like I don't really belong in the regular world. Ugh, I'm getting REALLLLY tired and can't even explain anymore.

Doggy Love

One of my mom's dogs is rather protective of Isaiah. He got squirmy so I laid him on a blanket on the floor and Walter (the dog) was laying there watching him. A cat come wandering over and Walter jumped up to get in between Isaiah and the cat! He will also lay down right next to the (NEW! :D) playpen the entire time Isaiah's in there. Just now another cat (my mom has 6 or 7) jumped IN the playpen and Walter ran into a footrest trying to chase the cat away even though Isaiah wasn't even in there! Mom thinks Walter will probably be following Isaiah around when he starts moving around on his own.

Isaiah @ 5 Months

Isaiah's going to be five months old in a few days! I can't believe how big the little monster is...it just seems like all he does is eat, sleep and GROW!

We took a small hiatus from feeding him baby food. Last week he had a couple of HUGE spit ups in the middle of the night...once in my bed and once in his. The one in his bed was slightly greenish (from the green beans he'd eaten earlier that night) that coupled with the fact that he started getting really worked up when we were feeding him made me decide to give him a break from the stuff. We're probably going to start back tonight...I shared a couple tiny bites of ice cream with him last night and he really was really excited about it so I think the break was a good thing.

I have such a good baby! We just woke up from a nap, he had a little snack, and now he's just laying on the floor with a couple toys and a blanket, entertaining himself. I'm not sure how long it will last, but I sure do appreciate it!

I don't understand why people seem surprised when I say he doesn't sleep through the night. Should he be? It's not that he (or I) completely wakes up. I usually hear him start to move around long before he starts crying...I will either pop his pacifier back in his mouth or will scoop him up to feed him. The boy doesn't even wake up all the way and usually doesn't make enough noise to wake up my sister. He's ALWAYS been that way....he doesn't wake up and fuss in the dead of night but he does want to be fed. As long as that happens, he will pass right back out.

So I hate my job. I know I've mentioned this before but they really make me want to just walk out the damn door! I'm starting to have some people make me feel uncomfortable with pumping while I'm there. I don't know if that's their intention, but they really should be a little more understanding. I actually had one woman ask me how long I planned on pumping and if I would be done at six months. She isn't a mother, so she might not understand but it upset me. I know I'm pretty sensitive about the whole thing....for whatever reason I start crying when the offices are all full and I have to wait for a chance to get in one...but they really aren't being supportive about it in anyway.

I'm even starting to get comments from the supervisors about how long it takes me! On my first 15 minute break I have to: walk to the back of the store, go to the bathroom, get my pump from my locker, find an open office, pump (7-10 minutes each side), clean up, go to the breakroom, rinse my pump out, put it away, and get back up front. There is NO WAY to do that in 15 minutes!!! I KNOW the company is required to let me pump but technically I'm not allowed longer than my breaks. Grrr, it's making me MAD. I felt bad about it at first but everyone told me not to worry about it but NOW I'm starting to get comments. Did they really think it wouldn't last this long or what?

I don't know....I just really hate that place.

Isaiah @ 4 Months

Stats

18lbs, 3 oz (100%)

26 1/2" (88%)

Isaiah had is 4-month checkup last week. He's now 18lbs and 26 1/2 inches long....maybe that's why he was mistaken for a 6 month old in church the other night!

I am absolutely in love with the doctor we saw!!! Pretty much since he was born, Isaiah had a weepy, then goopy eye. It's been going on sooo long and his first doctor never really mentioned it. I went to another doctor specifically for that and he rushed through, barely looked at Isaiah and prescribed eye drops and said to massage the inner corner of the eye a couple times a day. THIS doctor took his time to look at Isaiah (also part of the 4-month checkup, but I still didn't feel rushed) and told us to leave a warm washcloth on his eye for 30-seconds and then rub down the outside of his nose and do that every time he ate. I didn't know how to do it when he was eating so instead I did it every time he woke up from a nap and within ONE day his eye is 100% better. Absolutely no more goop!! I eased off how often I was doing the washcloth & rubbing thing and the past couple days I haven't done it at ALL and his eye is COMPLETELY fine!! I told Jeremy we will be going to this doctor as long as possible now...I'm soooo happy!

Isaiah's also started eating baby food. I've done rice cereal in his bottle a few times. Yes, they say not to do that because it can lead to childhood obesiety, but I don't believe that because my mom did it with us (starting MUCH younger). Anyway, that's beside the point. He seemed hungry SO often so I tried cereal-in-the-bottle before bed to see if he would sleep better. It didn't help so I stopped doing that. Maybe a week ago I got a few jars of baby food to just to see what he thought of it. We started with banana's and it was a resounding failure. He tried about 2 bites and didn't want anything more to do with the stuff. Tried a couple nights later and had the same result. Then we tried green beans and he loooooooved them! I'm talking ate half a (small) jar with no trouble whatsoever! I actually stopped him because I was afraid he would have some sort of trouble with it or eating too much of something new would upset his stomach. The next night he finished up the jar AND ate some cereal! Last night he at a WHOLE jar of applesauce mixed with rice! He even still nursed before he went to bed...no wonder he's such a chunky guy!

Today my mom found some of the cookie/cracker thingies she would give us when we were little and Isaiah gummed on that for a while before dropping it on the floor for the dogs. He always makes faces when he first tries something new, but then he really seems to enjoy it. The only thing he didn't like was the bananas and I'm going to try it again some time to see if maybe it was just because it was his first baby food experience.

I can't believe my little guy is eating real food now! Now if I can just get him to stop blowing his tongue when I'm feeding him that will be helpful. He blew food ALL over his face (even in to his hair) last night! Now I really need a highchair because we've been feeding him in his swing and that is NOT made for easy cleanup!

Isaiah @ 3 Months

Isaiah's growing like a little weed. Last week he was over SIXTEEN pounds!!!! We've had to get size 3 diapers already...and the little monster is only 3 months old! I love that he's so healthy and chubby! He's also starting to actually need to be entertained when he's awake. I don't always do a very good job because I'm not real sure HOW to entertain a 3-month old....but rattles and tickles seem to do a great job. He's starting to get really grabby and will shove things in his mouth if he can reach them. He's also gotten VERY vocal...likes to make all kinds of sounds (most of them happy gurgles and squeals...sometimes it actually sounds like words).

Isaiah @ 11 Weeks

Isaiah will be 11 weeks old in 2 more days. He's gotten SO big! I only have a quick minute to update because he's been happy and squirmy for a bit so it probably won't last much longer.

He had his 3 month checkup and first shots. He's almost FIFTEEN pounds!!! (14 lbs, 14oz) which everyone says is big so I guess they're probably right. Yeah...he eats REALLY well.

Easter was fun. My family, my brother's finace's family, and some random other people were there. I think we had 16 people there for dinner!

Went back to work 2 weeks ago. Isaiah is in daycare 3 days a week and Jeremy or my mom watches him on weekends (depending on which day I have to go in). I hate it, but it's what I have to do for now. That's why I haven't updated....been super busy!

I'm sure related directly to that is Isaiah's first cold. He's only been coughing and congested so it hasn't been too awful...but I feel so bad for him.

He's hungry again....later!