I didn't really intend to go with a theme here, but it just sort of...happened.
The kid is WAY in to pumpkins.
Thanks to Kate & Andy for the use of their porch and props.
We went up to drop something off and had a totally trespassing-tastic photo shoot.
We only have one sad little pumpkin on our porch.
[This was also fun for me because I purchased this shirt for him over a year ago, when I was shopping for the Big Reveal item from this post. Good guess on size!]
Going on a pumpkin walk! Lots to see in the neighborhood!
Hey BudBud.
This is a good age. I like where we are here. You like to play and explore and really will sit pretty contentedly with toys for a while. You're technically mobile, but not running all around and not really protesting being contained. You're happy to see us and to be held. I don't know much, but I know that doesn't last long and part of me definitely feels like we'll look back on this phase fondly. And mean it, unlike the rest of the wistful looking back that I realize is tainted with a whole load of new-baby amnesia (looking at you, newborn phase).
There are thoughts and themes that I return to over and over again when considering this parenting/baby-wrangling gig. One of these is that
this will all change. And soon. I don't mean that in a smug old lady enjoy-every-minute way--in fact, I think we should do a better job telling people that it's ok if you DON'T enjoy every minute. What I do mean is that at this age they are growing and developing so quickly that if you just wait a couple weeks, the story will be different. Sleep troubles? Sit tight. Odd eating patterns? It's cool. Frustration at learning a new skill? It'll smooth out. Cute little quirk? Sits still? That will be gone in a flash.
I think there's so much advice floating around out there...do this, try that, use this technique...when really, a lot of the time, you don't even need to do anything. It's ok if they wake up at night every 3 hours for a little bit. It's probably not that something's wrong, and you probably can't fix it. I mean, you'll be tired, but you might just wear yourself out more by overanalyzing it. You don't need to rush to sleep train (you
know when you're in that crisis) or try a new method or product. What baby probably needs is for you to just keep doing what you're doing, be a safe base, and ride it out. I realize I'm getting way off the trail here, but it seems important. Important to share with you, if you're reading and you're going through a wild baby patch. And important to celebrate for me, who has just come through a pretty crazy sleep-and-teeth upheaval. And important to remind future me, so that when the next rough spot hits, I have a relatively calm one to look back on and just remember to stay the course. Maybe it's just that I have a chance to think now that the child sleeps longer than 40 minutes. But wherever you are and whatever baby is currently up to--good or bad--it will be totally different in a matter of weeks.
Back to our regularly scheduled programming.
Not much to report of interest in the eating arena. The gig is pretty much the same, but I am noticing that you are really starting to pick things up and try to eat them, as opposed to the yogurt-smearing days of yore. I think your grasp is better and the pincer grasp is coming along. Seems like a pretty major prerequisite skill, so that helps. We just started trying puffs (which are like Cheerios but more dissolvable) and I see definite progress.
I also eat dirt, sticks, and leaves.
Sleep is another story. Major change on that front. I think you have pretty definitively dropped the 3rd nap. Some thing I read somewhere said that if baby resists for about a week, that nap is probably gone. I could tell it was on the way out anyway, as it was pretty short. Overall, though, this is a really good thing. For one, I feel like I spend way less of my day worrying about the next nap and/or trying to put you to sleep. For another, each of the 2 remaining naps is now longer, and this is better for everyone in a multitude of ways.
First nap happens about 2 hours after you get up, and then you'll go down for about an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes. Sometimes it gets closer to 2 hours. This feels substantially different from the 45-minute naps, even though it's not really a ton more time. I can really do stuff. The only challenge is that the next nap is now only about 2.5 hours after that wakeup, and it needs to be more like 3 hours later so that that nap is late enough to get you through until bedtime. I'm trying to stretch it out, but gently.
The other major development is that you'll now pretty much put yourself down for a nap, which is a wonderful skill for you to have and also nice for me. I don't know how exactly this came about, or if I nap trained on accident (there was one day there where we had a pretty epic battle. Guess who's more stubborn than you are? Mommy.). We wind down, and you eat, then I bounce you for a little bit and put you down with the light show on. There are some initial tears when I leave the room, but you usually stop crying pretty quickly. Then you play for a while until falling asleep. Nice gig. You'll also communicate more clearly when you're getting tired, and we have a nice understanding.
Likes:
- The Da's: dada, dogs, duck
- BALLOONS (just to look at not to touch)
- Baby Banana
- board books--they're delicious
- Puffs. He is starting to pick things up purposefully and actually eat them. I know this because I can see it and also because there were definite food pieces in that vomit I saw last night. Yes.
- Thumb
- Foot tickles
- Playing "Boo!"
- Pumpkins. I decided to follow this interest, and we went to the mall today to look at decorative pumpkins (it was raining. That was the best I could do). Williams-Sonoma was a jackpot--they had real ones on lots of display tables that were good sizes for little hands. Turns out...big mistake. Huge. He was so happy to see and bang on all of them, but he cried every time we parted with one. That's what I get for trying to be all education-y, I guess.
Dislikes:
- some separation anxiety (or "stranger" [i.e., not mom or dad] anxiety? Hard to tell).
Milestones:
- TEEF!! (two bottom front)
- Goes from lying down or all fours to sitting
- Pulls to stand
- Babbles, as long as you only want to hear about da da da da da da. Waiting on a new one...
Also ooh ooh ooh ooh
- Dropped (dropping?) 3rd nap
- Creeps and crawls. Well, army crawls pretty effectively and does the stanky leg crawl (copyright: Aunt Miller)
- Searches for someone who is hiding
Stats:
- Well, I don't rightly know. I put him on the scale in our bathroom pretty regularly, but this is probably not precise. He seems to be getting bigger/taller, but not gaining weight like in the past. I am wondering if this is because he's more mobile now and maybe the growth curve flattens out a bit?
- Generally 9-month clothes. Or BabyGap's not-so-helpful 6-12 month size.
- Still trudging our way through the size 3 diaper backlog. Overnight dipes are 4s.
Puffs and Yogis
