Vacation Moments

We went out of town for a wedding and short 4-day vacation to St. Simons Island, GA.  It was Liam's first flight, and despite us feeling like we brought our entire house with us, everything went relatively well!  Here are a few of my favorite shots from the weekend.

I'm also becoming aware of why I like photography so much - looking back at our photos reminds me of everything that I have to be grateful for.  I love capturing the small moments in our day to day life, and being present to the simple beauty that surrounds us.  

We spent much of the weekend at this lovely home, Villa de Suenos, for the wedding rehearsal dinner, ceremony/reception, and Sunday brunch. 

Friday night's Rehearsal Dinner featured a crab and shrimp boil - Amazing!

Liam took his first dips into the pool this weekend, and despite trying to drink the pool water, all went very well!

And first dips into the ocean!

Liam at 6 Months

Wow, where did 1/2 a year go?  Liam, you started the morning by uncharacteristically sleeping in until 9:30am.  I found myself reflecting a bit on our birth today, probably because it's been 6 months and it feels like such a big milestone.  Although, we have many more milestones in front of us than what is behind us.  We snuggled a bit early this morning when you first woke at 6am, and it was lovely.  I hope we have many more years of napping together.  I'm often reminded of a lesson my yoga teacher taught me - whatever moment you're in, you will never have that moment again.  You'll never take a breath in the same way as you're doing right now.  Each moment that passes is unique and sacred.  I think about that each time I sleep next to you, my dreaming baby.

Growth & Appearance
 
You weighed in at 16 lbs 10 oz today, are 27.5 inches long, with a head size of 17.25 inches.  Everything seems very normal in this department.  You've been rolling like crazy.  I'll put you down on the floor, turn around for a second, and when I turn back you've rolled yourself halfway across the room.  Yesterday, I set you down with your toys (which included a ceramic bowl that you were very interested in), and somehow you moved that heavy bowl about 3 feet.  I'm still not sure how you did that.


You sprouted your first two teeth at 5.5 months old.  It was quite a surprise to us!  One Friday night about two weeks ago, your Dad and I had just settled in to watch a movie, when you woke us with some very painful sounding cries.  This was a distinctive, different cry from your normal fussing when you wake up, and we ran in to find you very upset.  I felt along your gums, and lo and behold there was a sharp thing poking out.  I had just bought some teething gel (not thinking we would use it so soon!), and that helped a bit.  We also gave you some things to bite on, and we nursed, and it all seemed to help you get back to sleep.  The next morning, tooth #1 was visible just above the gum line.  Tooth #2 debuted the next week.  I like how you planned these teeth sprouts to appear on the weekend so your Dad could join in on the waking up fun!

Eating

Still only breast milk.  I know.  I'm sorry.  I think you're ready for solid foods, but I've been a bit noncommittal as to what to start you on and really want to delay changing those solid poop diapers for as long as possible.   I promise we'll explore the food world very soon.

Sleeping

Uggh.  I don't even want to talk about it.  I mean, you're a pretty good sleeper.  But some days it's just really difficult to get you to sleep on your own, without someone rocking or nursing you to sleep.   We'll get you to the point where your eyes are closed and you're very relaxed, and then the minute we put you down in the crib, it's hit or miss whether or not you'll just roll over and go to sleep (the best scenario), or you start kicking your legs and fussing (potentially the worst scenario). 

I haven't felt the need to get us on a schedule just yet (which may be part of our problem), so I kind of just roll with whatever you need and adjust our day if I can.  While we're not on a clock schedule, we are on somewhat of a daily rhythm.  In the morning we get up, get ready for the day, eat breakfast, clean up and make beds, and have some time to play.  The morning is the best time for me to observe you quietly while you play on the floor.  Usually by around 8:30 or 9am you're ready for your first nap.  This lasts anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours.  After the morning nap, sometimes we'll take a walk, run errands, or see friends.  Your 2nd nap starts anywhere from 11:30am - 1pm and again lasts anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours.  We'll nap one more time at around 3:30 or 4, and this is our shortest nap of the day, being anywhere from 30 minutes to 60 minutes.  You're usually in bed between 7:30 and 8:30pm.

Development

You've managed to get your knees up under you and can now successfully rock on your hands and knees.  You scootch around a bit trying to go after toys or other interesting things you find around the house, and sometimes end up pushing yourself backward when you really want to go forward.  We estimate that we have about 1-2 more months before we have to Liam proof the house, so now I have to add "baby gates" to my list of items to research (and hopefully find second hand). 

You've been talking up a storm, and in the past few days have added "blah blah blah, dada, mamama, and lalala to your repertoire.  You also often speak in "dolphin" or "pterodactyl" and screech very loudly.  I'm sure our neighbors are pleased. 

Favorites

You're really into the wood bead and crochet teething/nursing necklace I bought off Etsy, and often pull it so hard that I just take it off, untie it (so it's not a choking hazard), and give it to you to play with.  This occupies at least 30 minutes of your time every day.  That necklace is like gold (if time were currency).  You're also still obsessed with your Indestructible books.  And you discovered grass the other day when we were playing outside.  That's another favorite texture of yours. 


Nicknames

• Toothy (for obvious reasons - see Growth & Appearance)
• Bunny (I don't know why I started calling you Bunny, but when you thump your feet and bounce up and down, it reminds me of a little bunny hopping around)

Books and Songs You Love

•  The bird song from Waldorf that took me forever to learn (you know, the one that starts like "Way up in the sky, the little birds fly high"...
• The lamb book that you got from Easter, mostly likely because the lamb is a finger puppet and sticks out of the book. 

Weekend Moments and Mothers Day Firsts

This weekend was active!  Yoga on Saturday morning blended in to night time challenges with Liam coming down with a cold and waking every 20 (!!!!) minutes.  However, it was my first Mothers Day on Sunday, and a really wonderful day.  I was so happy to share the day with my Mom.  We took a picnic out to the Virginia wineries - a tradition I hope we continue!  

Unforgettable date night on Saturday!

Sunday picnic that we relocated inside the winery to escape the wind

 Naps on the go...

...give us more time to taste wine!

Endings and New Beginnings

Today was our last Parent-Infant class at our local Waldorf school.  It was such a joyful class to be in, and one that both Liam and I looked forward to each week.  I'm sad it's over!  There were two other moms and babies in the class, and it was led by a wonderful teacher.  We spent time each class observing our babies in silence, and watching how they interacted with each other and the various toys scattered about the floor.  Over 2 months, we witnessed each of our children tackle various challenges, explore their surroundings, and sometimes even crawl over one another as they moved about the floor.  And each of us moms learned from one another, shared resources, and made plans to continue getting together now that class is over. 

The class lay a foundation for how I hope to continue interacting with Liam.  I want to always be there to support, guide, and comfort him when he needs it.  But I also want him to learn how to overcome his challenges on his own.  If there is a toy that he wants that's just out of his reach, is he able to figure out a way to get to it without me interfering?  (He's rolling and moving a bit, but not crawling yet!)

When we first came home from the hospital, I honestly did not know how to interact with a baby.  I felt like I had to entertain him constantly when he was awake, and I put a lot of pressure on myself.  Recently I came across a video I took of Liam when he was about 6 weeks old.  I was blabbing to him in the background, but when you look at his face and eyes, you can see how disconnected and tired he was.  He just wanted to go to sleep and I was sitting there holding toys in front of him trying to engage him.

Now when I'm with Liam, I sit with him in silence for a while and just observe him.  I watch how he plays with his toys and how he moves about the room.  Today I watched him as he picked up a toy with his feet and passed it to his hands.  Brilliant!  My engagement with him is led by him.  If he's in the middle of independently doing something, I don't get involved.  Occasionally he'll look over at me, or he'll roll closer to my feet, or look like he wants to be picked up.  I know when he's tired by watching his eyes, and we immediately start our nap routine.  Sleep is another issue (and another post) that we're still working on, but I'm confident that we'll get there. 

I'm fully present when I'm with Liam, and it feels a bit like a meditation.  It's the simplest way to be.  Instead of feeling pressured to entertain him, I'm awed by all that he is discovering on his own.  I also don't feel guilty when I need to get up and work on something else.  Liam is comfortable being by himself for short periods of time, so I'll often leave him in a safe space (that's in hearing and visual distance of me) with his toys while I do laundry, send emails, or prepare a meal.  We've developed a balance that serves both of us, and one that I hope will be the foundation for our lives together.

I'm so grateful to the friends we've met and teachers we've had the joy of learning from.  New motherhood is filled with uncertainty, doubt, and sometimes even regret.  I still have those moments.  And I'm grateful that I have a foundation and plenty of resources to ground me when I get caught spinning thoughts and worries in my head.  

Weekend Moments

This was a weekend of highs and lows.  Friday our lunch plans with a friend were cancelled, and it was a gorgeous day.  Our free time resulted in Liam and I spending most of the afternoon outdoors, and then taking a much needed two hour nap together.  I don't nap with Liam often, but I'm always glad when I do.  It's a lovely way to spend a couple of hours snuggled up, and I remind myself that this time is fleeting.  Emails, laundry, and chores can wait.  A baby and his development does not. 

Saturday morning I normally attend a yoga class, but the Husband had a previous plan he couldn't reschedule.  I stayed home and he's coming home early tonight so I can make it to a Monday night class.  That's one of the best things about putting a weekly yoga class on the calendar.  If you can't make it one day for whatever reason, you know you can always get back into it the next week. 

We have been working on encouraging Liam to fall asleep by himself (as in - not nursing or rocking him to sleep).  After our regular morning nap routine on Saturday, I lay him in his crib, and he successfully put himself into a two hour nap.  I began the weekend thinking we had finally nipped his nap problems in the bud.  And then, every other nap for the next two days was met with crying, protesting, and lots of frustration.  Husband and I traded off gently trying to soothe him, rub his back, and encourage him to lay his head down.  The good news - I know he can put himself to sleep.  The bad news - sometimes he forgets and I'm the only one who remembers that he can do it. 

After a frustrating and exhausting Saturday afternoon, I was so excited to attend a friend's cupcake and champagne party.  I baked lemon blueberry cupcakes, but didn't arrive until pretty late since we also had trouble getting Liam to bed that night.  Regardless, I still sampled every single one of those cupcakes, enjoyed a glass of champagne, and caught up with friends.

Sunday, after another frustrating morning of no napping, we attempted to reset our day by going out to brunch.  The afternoon was spent cleaning up, organizing our home office, relaxing, reading, and playing with Liam.  No one felt like cooking, so we treated ourselves to sushi after discovering that we had unused gift cards in our messy office. 

And now it's a new week.  On the schedule - I'm so excited to attend a knitting class for the first time this week!  I just got home from the shop where I picked out my first project. 

Spring and Sprouts

As much as I loved being pregnant, there were a few things I missed during those 10 months:

• Sushi
• Sprouts
• Italian deli sandwiches
• (and of course, wine - but I did have a few sips now and then!)

Now that Liam is here, I've been enjoying my fill of all of the above (except still not so much wine because we're breastfeeding).  I love to grow my own sprouts and have them available to throw on sandwiches and salads.  It's so easy, and there are a ton of health benefits. 

All you need is a mason jar, cheese cloth, and packet of sprout seeds.  I bought my seeds from a health store, but you can also get them online.

Sprout seeds just starting out

Here's what you do:

• Soak 2-3 tbsp. of seeds in a mason jar for 6-8 hours, and cover with a cheese cloth.  Then drain and rinse.
• Place jar in a dark place (like a cabinet) for 3-4 days, and rinse and drain the seeds 2-3 times per day.
• On the 4th day, expose the jar to sunlight for 3-5 hours until the sprouts achieve the desired green effect.  
• Place the jar in the fridge.  They'll last for at least a week! 

After two days

Some places will tell you to use a sprouter.  I've never felt the need for one, and think a mason jar works just as well.

After 5 days - Enjoy!