5 Months of Merriment

So I realized that all along I should have been posting monthly updates with details about all things William, but the problem is, I've been WAY too busy participating in said shenanigans to take the time away to write about them.  My goal is to be better about this because it'll be neat to look back at each month when he's even more ginormous!  So, here goes!

William & I in front of the Christmas tree

Santa~Baby with Aunty Kristi & I, being silly :)

 Our Christmas card this year, most fun one yet!

Weight: nearly 17 lbs. (around 50th%ile for weight)

Length/Height: 27 inches (100th%ile for length!!!! No wonder his pants are too short!)

New Talents & Milestones: William can sit up independently for short amounts of time, but then will slowly lean until he slumps over, which is still pretty cute.  Rolling over front to back and back to front is easy peasy and he is grasping objects with no difficulty & bringing everything to his mouth, EVERYTHING, including my hair (what's left of it, it's falling out like crazy) which he loves to use as a handle.  We like to watch him pass toys from one hand to the other and he is really curious about everything.  He's doing some pre-crawling sorts of things while in his crib, laying on his tummy and scooting around using his arms and legs, it's funny to see where he ends up compared to where he starts his naps.  I know he'll be mobile in no time so I've already put covers over the outlets!

Likes: TOES!!! When he lays on his tummy he immediately pulls his legs in and those piggies go right in his mouth.  He'll also hold them in his hand and roll around on his back like a little lopsided egg.  Christmas lights on the tree, beams & banister are intriguing and he loves reaching out to touch the ornaments dangling off the tree.  His puppies make him really curious & he watches them run around with a funny little expression.  One thing we love to watch him do is bounce in his Baby Einstein bouncer, so glad we made that purchase!  Aunty Kristi bought him a v-tech sit and stand toy that he LOVES, along with the other items pictured below.

Dislikes: napping for longer than 15-20 minutes, unfortunately!  He is not a big napper during the day at all and never really has been.  The whole putting baby to bed drowsy but awake idea does NOT fly with this little guy... sometimes he will sleep on his own, but normally he likes to be rocked, nursed, read to or sung to, which is fine by me, I'm sure we'll get there, he's just not ready now.

Clothes: mostly in 6-9 month clothes for the past few weeks, along with some 3-6 month items, depending on brand/style. We're loving Christmas-y outfits these days!

Special Events: Thanksgiving weekend Uncle Adam, Nanny & Gramps came to visit for turkey & all the fixins' but mostly to see our little turkey!  The next weekend my mom & sister & cousin came to visit and we decorated the tree & got in the Christmas spirit, watching Elf (again!) and National Lampoons, of course!  

Sleep: Kind of hit-or-miss, when we gave him cereal based on our pediatrician's advisement, William stopped sleeping well.  I thought it might have something to do with his vaccinations, which are on an alternate schedule so he gets fewer vaccines, spread out over longer.  William seemed intrigued by cereal, but when I don't give it to him he doesn't really miss it and seems to sleep better, so we're playing it day by day and breastfeeding still seems to be enough for now and he's not 6 months old yet, so we'll wait.  He still wakes up after a few hours but can usually be settled.  For the past few months he wakes between 12 and 2 and most often we end up co-sleeping for a few reasons. #1. I LOVE it, he won't be this little for long and I know I will miss this terribly.  #2. It's just easier with breastfeeding to have him close by, especially if he's going through a growth spurt & cluster nurses.  #3.  Did I mention I love it?  William does too and he's not old enough that this will mean he's still sleeping with us at age 5, no matter what anyone else thinks!  

Looking Forward to: CHRISTMAS!!! and COMPLETELY house broken pups!

Nicknames: Monster-Man, Pterodactyl (when he makes these funny screechy dinosaur sounds), Willy~Boy, Bugaboo (my favorite thing to call him) Bean, the list goes on an on!!!

5 Month Favorites:

Topsy Tumblers Twirling Tumbling Fun Park  &  Crawl & Go Snail ( both from Aunty Kristi!)  

Sassy Seat Doorway Jumper      &             Mam pacifiers, 0-6 month size

Sit to Stand Learning Walker, 

again from Aunty Kristi, who SPOILS her nephew!

Baby Einstein Stationary Entertainer (bought used for $20, which was $20 well spent!)

             

Christmas Board book from Nanny & ANOTHER gift from Aunty Kristi, a Christmas onesie 

Oh yeah... and THIS happened on Thanksgiving:

Yeah, I know... we're insane... a baby and TWO puppies, but hey, we like things on the adventurous side (I remind myself that when I clean up the occasional puddle).  These little ladies are wonderful and training is coming right along.  They are adorable and we love having the sound of puppy paws on the floor again, even if they aren't Bailey's we can make room in our hearts to love another dog... or two as the case may be!  

           

Christmas stockings I made from a few old sweaters, hung by the chimney with care :)

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays everyone!

Let Him Cry It Out

So it's no secret that kids do not come with an instruction manual and as a new mom, I've had many well intentioned people offer me little gems of wisdom.  Some of these tokens truly are gems, but then there are the "let-him-cry-it-out" types.  I have always believed in nurturing children and my philosophy of teaching centers of true, genuine compassion towards them, so it's not surprise that the idea of letting a baby cry it out seems ludicrous to me.  I can lend sympathy to those who were told years ago that this was "best" for baby, knowing that doctors can instill doubt and make parents feel as though what they prescribe is best, but I find it really difficult to accept this advice as sound or in the best interest of a tiny human being.  I will not mention who has recommended this advice to me, but I have firmly argued my point to no avail.  I may be going out on a limb here, but I do not believe it's possible to "spoil" a baby... it's like saying you can love your baby too much, tell me how that's possible.  From my new mom perspective on my little William, here's what I have gleaned about what a baby needs:

William needs:

• soothing when he's sad, this could take the shape of rocking, slow dancing, stories, music, tummy time, or any number of tricks, but he does not need to cry all alone in some dark room, of that I am sure!
• stories read to him daily
• love
• clean diapers (in abundance!)
• warm knit hats (okay, he may not NEED them per se, but they are SO CUTE!)
• snuggles 
• eye contact
• conversations 
• his daddy
• his mama
• cuddly footsy jammies
• laughter in the tubby
• time exploring the world in his stroller/sling/bjorn/backpack 
• the love of his immediate & extended family
• a warm, cozy quilt at night
• boobs... 2 of them ready at his beck and call ;0)
• parents who are best friends, who love each other, talk to each other, and always put their family first
• LOVE, LOVE, LOVE 

I recently read an article by Brene Brown & have included an excerpt below that I found inspiring as a new parent:

One of the very best pieces of parenting advice that I ever received was from the writer Toni Morrison. It was May of 2000 and my daughter Ellen was just shy of her first birthday. Ms. Morrison was on Oprah talking about her book "The Bluest Eye." Oprah said, "Toni says a beautiful thing about the messages that we get about who we are when a child first walks into a room," and she asked Ms. Morrison to talk about it.

Ms. Morrison explained that it's interesting to watch what happens when a child walks into a room. She asked, "Does your face light up?" She explained, "When my children used to walk in the room when they were little, I looked at them to see if they had buckled their trousers or if their hair was combed or if their socks were up. . . . You think your affection and your deep love is on display because you're caring for them. It's not. When they see you, they see the critical face. What's wrong now?" Her advice was simple, but paradigm- shifting for me. She said, "Let your face speak what's in your heart. When they walk in the room my face says I'm glad to see them. It's just as small as that, you see?"

I literally think about that advice every day -- it's become a practice. When Ellen comes bounding down the stairs dressed for school, I don't want my first comment to be "Pull your hair back" or "Those shoes don't match your dress." I want my face to convey how happy I am to see her -- to be with her. When Charlie comes in the back door and he's sweaty and dirty from catching lizards, I want to flash a smile before I say, "Don't touch anything until you wash your hands." So often we think that we earn parenting points by being critical, put out, and exasperated. Those first looks can be prerequisites or worthiness-builders. I don't want to criticize when my kids walk in the room, I want to light up!

I've come to learn first hand that in most cases, new parents should be allowed to love their sweet little babies the best way they know how without judgement or criticism.  If they choose to co-sleep, use pacifiers, breast feed, whatever... it is their choice based on the needs of their child.   It is really easy to pass judgement but no one knows someone else's child as well as their parents (as long as those parents are truly dedicated to being parents).  I feel truly blessed that our William is such a happy, easy baby.  He smiles nonstop, rarely cries unless he's wet, hungry, or sleepy, and he breast feeds like a champ.  I don't think that gives me the right to criticize anyone else's parenting though... and I think all parents need to feel supported and be trusted to find the parenting style that works for them. 


Brene Brown concluded her article with this little gem that I will carry with me in my heart:

The Wholehearted Parenting Manifesto

Above all else, I want you to know that you are loved and lovable. You will learn this from my words and actions--the lessons on love are in how I treat you and how I treat myself.

I want you to engage with the world from a place of worthiness. You will learn that you are worthy of love, belonging, and joy every time you see me practice self-compassion and embrace my own imperfections.

We will practice courage in our family by showing up, letting ourselves be seen, and honoring vulnerability. We will share our stories of struggle and strength. There will always be room in our home for both.

We will teach you compassion by practicing compassion with ourselves first; then with each other. We will set and respect boundaries; we will honor hard work, hope, and perseverance. Rest and play will be family values, as well as family practices.

You will learn accountability and respect by watching me make mistakes and make amends, and by watching how I ask for what I need and talk about how I feel.

I want you to know joy, so together we will practice gratitude.

I want you to feel joy, so together we will learn how to be vulnerable.

When uncertainty and scarcity visit, you will be able to draw from the spirit that is a part of our everyday life.

Together we will cry and face fear and grief. I will want to take away your pain, but instead I will sit with you and teach you how to feel it.

We will laugh and sing and dance and create. We will always have permission to be ourselves with each other. No matter what, you will always belong here.

As you begin your Wholehearted journey, the greatest gift that I can give to you is to live and love with my whole heart and to dare greatly.

I will not teach or love or show you anything perfectly, but I will let you see me, and I will always hold sacred the gift of seeing you. Truly, deeply, seeing you.