iPhone Update

Let's begin with a super special view of what playing with daddy looks like. I'm pretty sure I gave birth so that Trevor and Milo could entertain each other with fart noises and funny faces:

 Faking like Milo can sit in a cart. He conveniently balanced like this for about .3 seconds. But he was really happy about it!

 So then he got a whole new view of the world:

 We've started a new bedtime routine. We read books, sing songs, say prayers, and then I nurse him to sleep. I live for these sweetest parts of the day. He LOVES the singing!

 We've been going on lots of walks in the gorgeous fall evenings. And since we're trying to fatten this little one up, we get creative with the bottle holding:

 Oh, and this happened. That would be my baby standing along the side of the treadmill. He just can't wait to be a runner with me. Seriously though Milo, no rush. He is such a little adventurer, that guy!

 He laid like this for, not kidding, 3 minutes the other morning. It's clearly a rough life when you wake up to cuddle and drink milk in the middle of the night multiple times and then have to play all morning.

 These jams glow!!! And he is happy about it :)

Feeding Babies

This post is about nursing so I'm aware that there are maybe 2 people that will care to read it ever, and one of them is me. FYI.

There's one (ok a lot more than one) conversation my sister and I have a lot. It goes a little bit like this: Once you're pregnant/have kids you spend a lot of time thinking about/planning about food. When you're pregnant, if you're like us and puke the whole time, you try to think of something that actually sounds decent.

When you have kids, you try to give them everything they need. And feed them all the time. And somehow feed yourself as well. 

I still have it pretty easy, thank goodness. I have a 6 month old who basically eats one thing and fake eats other things, but isn't too awesome at the whole fruits and veggies thing yet.

I've had a great experience with breastfeeding. I didn't expect to love it or care about it as much as I do, but I secretly look forward to waking up with Milo in the night and cuddling up on the couch while he eats all groggily. I love being attached at the hip (ahem. Boob.) I love that I have what he needs. I also have built in pacifiers (you know, cause he won't take a real pacifier). It's so darn convenient sometimes!

So, at Milo's 4 month appointment, I was told I needed to start including rice cereal in his milk to help him gain weight. No problem. Pumping doesn't bother me at all. So, I pumped a couple times a day for rice bottles, and still nursed him directly a lot, and started kind of trying to get him to eat solids.

Then on Friday, at his 6 month appointment, my active, smiley, vibrant little man was classified as "failure to thrive" in the first percentile for weight. He's 25 inches (10%), 10% for head circumference, and 13 lb 14 oz, which puts him at the first percentile. Talk about mommy guilt. I promise I feed my baby as often as he tries to eat. He is usually very content and we thought he had pudged up since his last appointment. Wrong!

So the doctor said it was time to start supplementing with formula, and suggested that I do strictly formula for the next month with the option to pump and freeze my milk to keep my supply up if I wanted, and maybe still nurse once a day or so if I felt like it. We made it the recommended 6 months of strictly breast milk. I thought I was OK with letting us be done nursing (it seemed silly to pump and freeze if my milk wasn't enough). So I decided maybe it was just time to wean.

And then I cried about it the whole weekend.

And I'm talking full on basket case. Every time I saw my nursing pillow or bras or pump or child, I had another meltdown. And I talked myself in and out of weaning about 27274 times. I finally talked to my pediatrician again, and teared up within the first 2 seconds. The truth is I just am not ready to be done! And she said, no problem! Keep nursing! Just supplement! Turns out, she just didn't want me to stress about upping my supply.

Oh my heart! It is so happy and relieved! I don't mind supplementing at all if that's what Milo needs! But please oh please never let me try to wean before I'm ready again!

And so, we're still at it. I'm happy. Milo is happy. And he's getting formula as well. And that is just fine with me. I love healthy happy babies (and cuddling with them while they nurse and play with my hair! The best!).

And a big thank you to Trevor for dealing with my crazy and acting like he cares if I wean or not, and supporting me either way :) Love that man!!!

Our Week in Kansas

We made it!

Milo and I just got back from our week long Kansas adventure to visit my parents. He was SO good while we traveled! Thank goodness, because those days were LONG!

After our 2 hour drive to the airport- he slept (almost) the WHOLE WAY! 

AND he fell asleep on my lap while we were on the first plane. Best baby ever.

Milo LOVED playing with Grandma and Grandpa!

Strollin around.

 We got to see Cait! It's been WAY too long and Milo loved meeting her. We are so excited for her baby girl to come in December!

We went to the petting zoo. Since obviously Milo really cares about the animals. :)

 Milo got some glow in the dark skeleton jams. I spent the day supercharging him in the light and then taking him into the bathroom and giggling about my glowing baby.

 I took my jogging stroller so we could run in the gorgeous weather. This little guy just can't help falling asleep every time.

 Dinner with my ladies!

 And my little mister turned 6 MONTHS while we were away!!! He is entering such a fun stage.

He smiles ALL the time

He scoots like a champ

and he talks like crazy.

Tomorrow he has his 6 month checkup!

 We loved being home but we are glad to be back with Daddy now! 

And I chopped my hair again (Thank you Kasey!). I love it. 

XO

Travel Anxiety

If there's one thing that gets me stressed out, it's making flights. 

Trevor always reminds me that if you miss it, you can catch another one. But I've had WAY too many close calls for comfort. Airports are unpredictable. Maybe security will take forever. Maybe it won't. Maybe I'll have to walk across the entire universe to catch my connecting flight. And all the shoe taking off and backpack unzipping and bag checking and etc etc etc... AHH!

Throw in the mix traveling 2+ hours to get to the airport

Just me and Milo

Who is nursing around the clock.

So right now I'm furiously trying to cover EVERY detail of our travel tomorrow. I decided to take my big jogging stroller for the airport and check it plane side. I packed 2 extra outfits just in case of blowouts at the airport (Milo likes to keep me on my toes when we're out and about). A whole container of formula because what if he gets hungry right when we're in the security line? For 45 minutes?? Or decides he doesn't want to be in his stroller??

Any travel tips with infants are MORE than welcome at this point!!!

As are prayers that Milo is happy, gets hungry when I'm able to nurse him, and his little ears don't pop too much.

Sincerely, Travel Anxiety Central over here.

Scoot Mania

Milo is officially very mobile. My days lately consist of listening to him grunt his way across the room followed by lots of pulling his little feet to drag him out of corners and away from shoes. 

He is also very talkative. Usually he prefers to growl and blow bubbles, with the occasional squeal. Sometimes we have growling conversations.

He's been sleeping at least somewhat better. Usually he goes to bed around 9, then wakes up around 1 and 5 and 9 for the day. I can handle every 4 hours! It goes in cycles though, so next week I may just be back to telling you all about how he is up every 2.5. Knock on wood?

Also, next week, I'm going to Kansas again with my Milo. We love Olathe!

Oh, and Trevor and I ordered Insanity to start when I get back. As much fun as it is lounging around every night... it's time to do something more productive so I don't just sit around on the couch eating cereal. So get ready because we're either about to die or get super buff! SO excited to try it out!