{11} Month Baby Update

HAPPY 11 MONTHS my sweet boy!!! The past month has been my FAVORITE month spent with my boy (I am sure I will say this again in the future - each month brings more and more joy!). I have adjusted and become comfortable in my role as a mother, we have found a routine that works for us and he is in my biased eyes an amazing, perseverant, HAPPY, intelligent, silly boy that overcomes obstacles in an admirable fashion each and every time. I do still miss him being little, but I think that the best is yet to come :)

WEIGHT/HEIGHT - 

My little shorty is 19.5 pounds and still has baby soft and chunky little legs and lots to love! He is short but being tall isn't in his genes exactly (I'm only 5 ft!).

EATING - 

I am still exclusively pumping for Aaron and I am so SO so happy/proud to have reached my personal goal of giving him breast milk for the first year! It has not been in the least bit easy - but it has been worth it! I never thought I would be even thinking about continuing past the first year but since primarily lives off of breast milk at this point - I plan to continue as long as he needs and my body allows me to. On that note  he has recently started to try more and more foods, and eat much more enthusiastically! He is also going to start seeing a speech and language pathologist, and occupational therapist so we can work on his oral aversion issues. Once he is eating enough solids, we can wean him off the "boob", and hopefully remove the g-tube!

*If anyone has questions regarding our oral aversion journey, or exclusively pumping I would be happy to answer them or create a separate blog post?

SLEEPING

Pretty much the same as last month except he has been getting bursts of energy right before bed time, and he  is going to bed around 8:30/9:00 instead now.

HEALTH

Aaron had surgery this month and an MRI for which he had to be put under - I think it was harder on me than it was on him. It was actually the toughest of his procedures for Dad and I. The days prior to his surgery we couldn't stop thinking about the fact that we would soon be forced to hand over OUR little boy to doctors for hours. We are never separated from him, and hate he had to be put under. Thankfully our strong boy took it like a champ! He was happy the entire time leading up to the procedure even though he had to fast for it! He was even clapping, jumping, and raising his hands "hallelujah"! The worst part was when we witnessed him be put under anesthesia - I NEVER want to see that again. Period. He was in pain the first day, BUT the next day he started to crawl for the first time!!! And I never ended up giving him more than Tylenol! He really is resilient and just AMAZING!

Waiting for the surgeons to come get him.

Clapping!

Raising his hands Hallelujah!

              

WHATS NEW?/

*He has learned to sign "all done"!

*He is now FINALLY taking a sippy cup and drinking water from it!

*He is obsessed with balloons, and points them out wherever we go. or in books, saying "booooo". 

*He pulls to stand with a quickness!

*He can clap, high five, and raise his hands in the air

hallelujah!

* He can find mommy, daddy, the ball. the balloon, his bottle, and water!

*Apparently he can also stand on his tippy toes in his crib and reach over to the nearest drawer and pull out all of his pajamas!

*He got his first two bottom teeth! 

*He puts things in his mouth - something he never used to do!

*He graduated from his first helmet - but it getting a second one soon.

* I am probably missing things - I have mommy brain!

Pictures from this month....

 I know I haven't posted any makeup or fashion posts! I have been so busy but I would love to do one - any suggestions? Thank you so much for reading!!!

{8} Month Baby Update

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! I am so glad Aaron turned 8 months old just a day before Christmas because I LOVE this age. He is so active and aware of everything. I have not enjoyed the holidays this much since I was little! Having a child during the holiday season means reliving all of the Christmas traditions like buying him his own ornament, Christmas pijamas, visiting Santa, tree lightings, parades, going on drives to see the lights AND  I can shamelessly sing Christmas songs anywhere:)                                                                                                                                                      

This month has been a rollercoaster for us. On one hand, his eating is very hit and miss (scary at times), he started wearing a head band to help with his head flattening due to sleeping at an angle his whole life, and we found out he has to have another surgery and an MRI which he needs to be on anesthesia to have :( On the other hand, Aaron is a happy, amazing baby and a joy to to see growing. He overcomes obstacles on the daily with a huge smile on his face. Thank God for that because it gives me the strength to keep going!

Weight -  16.11 pounds - the doctor said he is finally chubby!!! He is outgrowing his 6 month clothes now, and starting to wear 9 months.

Aaron's Schedule- 

I call Aaron my pint sized boss because he is always changing the schedule! Just when I think I have it down, he decides he no longer wants to nap or eat at that time. But as of late he...

6:00 am - Wake up

7:00 am - Bottle and attempt solids(Oatmeal and fruit)

8:00 am- Change and get ready for the day/play/look at his fish

9:45 am - Bottle/Nap time

11:00 am - Wake up/play

12:00 pm - Bottle and attempt lunch w/ mom and dad (vegetables/ teething biscuit)

1:00 pm - Run errands

3:00 pm ish Bottle (Might power nap)

4:00 pm - Play

5:00 pm - Nap 

6:00 pm -Attempt Dinner w/ Mom and Dad

6:30 ish - Bottle

7:00 pm - Play w/ Dad

7:45 pm - Bathtime/Brush Teeth/ Books

8:15 pm - Sleep!

New Foods/Solids - 

Eating solids, and even bottle drinking, has slowed down this month after a few choking episodes. He has gone back too eating very little. Thank God for his g-tube, I can still make sure he gets enough to grow and gain weight. A few days ago he had a very scary choking incident, so we have been working hard with his eating and swallowing therapist to get him to eat again. This has to be one of the hardest things to deal with as a mom. Every so often he still really enjoys sweet peas :)

                                                                                                                                                                            

New Discoveries/Accomplishments- 

-Shakes his head "no"

-Waves Bye and gives high fives (Sometimes)

-Cries when I'm out of sight or Dad leaves - decided to develop stranger anxiety the day I started work - broke my heart to pieces!

-Stands with support

-Scoots on his butt to get around

-Tries to stand up in his crib

A few pictures from this month...

First time he tried to pull himself up... and out of the crib!       

Grocery shopping with mommy <3

Ready for the Christmas tree lighting at the Temecula Duck Pond

Here he started at the boppy, and made his way over to put his feet up on the wall!

Thank you so much for reading and Merry Christmas!

Aaron Update {7 Months Young!}

Hey guys! Happy Thanksgiving!  My baby boy BIG boy turned 7 months a few days ago, and in honor of the holiday, I will list what we are thankful for this month!

We are thankful for ...

   Aaron is now sitting on his own entirely!

Pushing off , trying to sit....

Mission accomplished.... bedhead and all!


Uh oh!

Double uh oh!- Needless to say he is supervised in this chair at ALL times!
Food! 
He is starting to overcome a temporary oral aversion scare we had for a couple of weeks -and is          back to enjoying a couple spoonfuls of sweet peas, apples, or sweet potatoes!That being said he is also able to munch down a few 1/2 cheerios, and has been loving teething biscuits!
Chubby legs-
He is gearing up to crawl! 
He has been pushing off and rocking back and forth when trying to reach for his favorite toys!
Immune Systems
 He got a cold and it was no big deal! THIS IS HUGE for him!
Fish

He got an early Christmas present(four actually : Stalone, Fischer, Godfather, and little puppet)

Mommy's new job!

 I just accepted a job offer at SEPHORA!!!

Grandparents

 For all of their unconditional love - we would be lost without them!

Old Traditions

This is my mom and I at the pond... and Aaron and I at the same pond 25 years later.

Loveys and Binkies

Making bed and naptime much easier!

                           

Our Family <3

Mommy Update- I got a new haircut! I went even shorter with a slight A-line long bob! AND I refuse to call it mom hair - denial? Maybe! I am loving it tho! Aaron isn't too sure in this picture haha!

PS excuse this post's horrible picture quality - I asked for a new camera for Christmas ;)!

Hope you all have an Amazing day with your loved ones! THANK YOU for reading!

Happy {1/2} Birthday Little One! - 6 Month Mommy/Baby Update

      

Wow. I can not believe that my little guy is 6 months old! Or that I am now 25. TWENTY FIVE. Where has all the time gone? I was just 4 years old playing house, cooking dinner on my pretend kitchen set while holding my baby-doll, and talking on my Fisher Price house-phone (they existed back then) to my imaginary husband. And now well, I am 25 years old and I am no longer pretending. I am there! How awesome is it that I have become everything I dreamed of as a child?! VERY! This is so important to remember when I am ready to pull my hair out when Aaron decides to skip naps for a week straight! Yup a whole week! Speaking of my little pumpkin, he is growing so fast, learning so much,and developing new skills everyday. Six months is a very fun time, and I am looking forward to it only getting funner from here! Here is our 6 month update!

Weight - 14.2 pounds, he gained a pound! He is just about done wearing size 3-6 mo. and 6 mo. is fitting him perfectly! 

Aaron's Schedule- 

Has been all over the place for the last couple weeks, as we had a either a doctor's, physical therapy, or occupational therapy appointment pretty much every day. It is no wonder he went on strike with his naps! He doesn't have as many appointments for the next few weeks, so we should get back on track. I think if we hadn't kept his family dinner and bedtime routine the same he would have refused sleeping at night too - consistency is key with him! 

Fighting his nap!

Looking a bit nervous before his Dr. visit

Yeah yeah I'll nap, but first let me take a selfie!

New Foods/Solids - 

Aaron is not only eating an entire ounce more than he was last month - he is happily taking solids too! His favorites include apple and sweet potato! So far he has tried avocado, banana, rice cereal, oatmeal cereal, carrots, sweet peas, pears, apple, sweet potato, pumpkin, peaches, and prunes- all without any reactions! Daddy also handed him his first piece of bread today and he chomped/sucked away happily for 10 minutes! Seems baby led weaning may be the way to go with him! I'll keep you posted next month!

Loving his sweet peas - One step closer to removing his Mic-Key Button!

New Discoveries- 

Paper - apparently it is magical! He plays with his napkin at dinner, my grocery list at the store, the paper they pull out for him to lay on at the Dr.'s office (seriously considering buying a roll), the mail... just give him all the paper!

Accomplishments- SO many! It has been a great month! We started physical therapy this month as he lacks muscle tone due to the time he was in the hospital. Certain things are a little more challenging for him such as sitting, rolling over, and tummy time. In a matter of a week he has started to roll over, is sitting for longer periods of time, tolerates tummy time and even pushes up to his elbows. It was so disheartening to hear he would need physical therapy, but he is rocking it like the little champ he is!

-Eating solids
-No longer requires continuous feedings throughout the night and is taking everything except one meal by mouth!!!! AAAAAAAAAH! SO SO SO proud of my little boy!
-He is able to burp (children with fundoplications typically can't/shouldn't)
-Can feed himself!!!!!
-Changes the page when we read books - no joke!
- Can drink from a cup if needed, and is training on straws
- Plays Peek- a-boo

Mr. Independent 

First time drinking from a bottle!

Sitting for his physical therapist!

Wearing the sweater and hat Grandma made him!

Aaron's very first pumpkin patch!

Mommy Update -

• I mentioned that my milk supply was decreasing last month, I am happy to say that it is still going strong! Some days I have less than others but as long as I am consistent, drink a lot of water, and eat enough I am getting more than enough - I have quite the stash in the freezer just in case :)
• My hair is still falling out like crazy - help!
• Being new parents it is so easy to have our lives revolve around Aaron (and in many ways this is exactly as it should be), however we try to make time for ourselves and our relationship also. For example, if we can't go out we have date nights in. This month we had an Italian themed night after Aaron went to bed- complete with Antipasto, wine, and homemade pizza.This takes extra effort, but is so important! I feel that if we are happy and our relationship is strong, Aaron will be happy knowing his parents love each other and have an example of a healthy relationship. I want that for him. I also know that in the end Robert and I will always have eachother :) 
  
• Confesion- I call my mom EVERYDAY. On the tough days and the good days, to vent, to cry, for advice, to brag about Aaron's new skills, for everything! SO glad to have her!

Ok I'll end this now, I can ramble forever and I have a lot of homework! I am looking forward to another great month with my baby boy and family, and wish you ALL the same! Thank you all so much for reading and all of your support! I really appreciate having so many people care about Aaron, and to exchange ideas with! Love you all!