First Day Back

Well, my intentions to write much more often failed, apparently. But it's October 1, the beginning of a new month -- and we can always start new habits.

Today Adam went back to daycare for the first time in 5 and 1/2 weeks. I think he missed them and was happy to be there. He has changed so much in that time, and they were all amazed at how BIG he got. 3-6 month clothes back then - now he only fits in 9 month clothes and the occassional freak-of-nature large 6 month outfit. Now, he's teething BIG TIME, but the teeth aren't in the front, they are on both sides, top and bottom, and he's got the jaw strength of an alligator. I call him a little vampire because you have to be careful what you do with your limbs and digits because he'll grab them and stick them right where he thinks they belong - in his mouth.

When he was last at daycare his diet was primarily breastmilk (now it consists of zero breastmilk). His appetite, the stress, and the fact that I was naturally a low-milk-producer finally caught up with me. I made it 4 1/2 months, which is not as long as I had hoped but probably longer than it might have lasted had I not devoted every waking moment to trying to make it work (which, come to think of it, may have added to the stress a little bit). I had a tough time, a VERY tough time, quitting, but only emotionally. Physically it took 2 days to be done with it. Now I feel a little bit of relief mixed with the guilt, but the ratio edges a little more in my favor every day. I just keep reminding myself that now I actually can go shopping or take a "real" nap and not have to be back at a certain time - and even though formula is expensive, it's so much easier to watch the uneaten remains of a bottle of formula go down the drain.

Now his diet consists of 30 oz of soy formula, 4-6 oz of diluted juice (so far he's had pear juice and white grape juice), a tablespoon of oatmeal (sometimes with bananas) for breakfast, and a jar of baby food for dinner every day. In the last month he's had rice cereal, oatmeal, oatmeal with bananas, squash, sweet potatoes, and carrots. He can now hold the bottle by himself for a full feeding (if he's in the right position, which is in a half recline or lying down), and he can hold and drink from a sippy cup too (lying down). He eats from the spoon like a champ and will be 5 months old next Tuesday.

Honestly, I'm not pushing the growing up or the "real food" thing at all. I am desperately trying to soak in my little baby while he IS a little baby, but he's not giving me much time. A couple of weeks ago our pediatrician recommended we start more variety when Adam started refusing his bottle - this is in the midst of a flare up of coughing, congestion, and vomiting after the bronchitis was showing signs of going away - she said that he may just be ready for something new and that the constant diet of formula might be making the conjestion worse. She was right. He loves all the vegetables we've given him and has shown a couple of times that he's less than impressed with the oatmeal, which he doesn't really like but will do it just because he doesn't think there is another option.

I worked from home for about 3 weeks in the month of September, which is probably the most exhausting thing I've ever done - work, take conference calls, and care full time for a sick baby. After that he had a variety of care - Shannon stayed home one day, Aunt Brandi came with his cousins Krysta and Caden for three days, he spent a day at Mother's Day Out at the Methodist Church, he spent a day at "Aunt" Lily's house, one day shopping with me on my day off, two days with "Aunt" Val at our house, and one day at my parent's house (Mayme and Grandad - although my mom is still calling my dad "Grandpa"). WHEW.

He is still not very close to sitting up on his own, but I think being back at daycare may get him there faster. He's much further along standing in his walker than he is sitting up - although he does fine in the Bumpo. He's even shown signs of wanting to crawl. He reaches for all of his toys and puts them straight in his mouth. He rolls over from his back to his stomach ALL. THE. TIME. But he still has trouble getting the knack of going back the other way (I think it's because he spent such little time on his tummy when he had the harness on).



Looking in the mirror "Who's THAT awesome guy?"

He'll roll over to get closer to his sippy cup and reaches for it but doesn't really know how to drink it on his tummy (and since he usually doesn't flip back over, he just stares at it, a little forlorn). He LOVES the color red and is mesmerized by it - whatever it is - he wants to have it, like NOW, and stuff it in his mouth . . . but it never does what he wants and he gets mad at it (whatever it is), yells and shakes it or throws it. We've joked that he's a Taurus, the sign of the Bull, and like the bull, the color red gets him all riled up. Just try drinking a coke in front of him and see if you can get him to look away from you.

He's such a great kid - last weekend we went to OK City to visit Brandi and family for Caden's first birthday party - in one day he survived a 3 hour trip there, tons of family passing him around, an hour long 8 year-old soccer game in the sun, more passing around, very little nap, and a 3 hour long drive back . . . and he even smiled and talked to us patiently when we stopped for dinner at Applebee's on the way home. He gives big wet kisses when he sees me or my mom, and he giggles and laughs constantly. Last night I put him in his crib and he rolled on his side and stroked the bumper with his fingers for a while -- but with all the chaos, the teething, and now a raging case of diaper rash (which he is handling quite well actually for the severity of it), he's had a little trouble getting to sleep the last two nights. Poor baby.

Shannon and I's 2 year wedding anniversary is on Sunday. With all the hectic things going on, we almost forgot that it was coming up until about a few days ago. We'll probably go to dinner and see a movie, probably won't exchange gifts (um, dude, babies are EXPENSIVE) - but to be honest, what I really, really want is a NAP and someone to take my car to be inspected.

I got so old, so fast.