Seven (ahhhh!) Months

Stickers!  Nom nom

Seems like life is really starting to pick up speed.  We are zooming through the last few months of 2012 and I can't help but think about all the changes our world has gone through this year.  But I'll talk about that on a later post.  Thanksgiving is tomorrow, and I have SO.MANY.THINGS to be thankful for at this point in my life.  Sometimes when I think about my son and all the cute/awesome/smart/funny things he does, my heart literally feels like it's going to jump out of my chest and explode.  It's the craziest thing!  Or if I'm not with him and I see another baby close to his age out and about with his/her parents, doing something cute or baby-like, my heart aches for my boy.  Like physically, painfully aches.  Being a mommy and parent is the most amazing, life altering, rock-your-world (in a good way) event.  I am beyond grateful to our ever loving God, that he has chosen me {ME!} to be this little boy's mommy.  Every day my love grows by leaps and bounds to the point that I don't think my heart can possibly take any more.  He is MY joy.

He is now 7 months old and I'm already starting to think about his first birthday.  I can't seem to narrow down the theme just yet, but the wheels are turning.  Andy thinks it's crazy to put so much thought and effort into a first birthday party, but he knows me and my crazy OCD ways so he just goes with the flow.

Here's what JAM has been up to over the last month.

• He weighs a solid 22 pounds (90th %tile) and is still 28.5 (95th %tile) inches long
• Currently wearing 12 month clothes, and even 18 month sizes in some brands
• Eating two meals a day, breakfast (usually blended steal cut oatmeal and a fruit) and dinner (fruit & veggie medleys) and getting really good at eating.  I make all of his food and it's so much fun!
• Loves carrots, yams, acorn squash, green beans, apples, and pears.  Not a big fan of bananas and avocados...we think it has something to do with the texture
• Learning to drink from a sippy cup
• Still nursing and taking 4-5 bottles of pumped milk per day (4-5 oz each)
• Sleeping from 7:30pm - 6am most nights (day light saving time moved bedtime back by about 30 min)
• Totally obsessed with his pacifier and can handle and maneuver that thing like a champ.  He will steal it from you if he sees you have it and can twist and turn it with his hands until it's just right in his mouth.
• No teeth yet
• Laughs all the time and at everything!  Funny faces, silly noises, being tickled.  We call him out little chuckle-head.  It's the greatest sound EVER.
• He does this cute bashful smile when we talk cute to him, and will turn away and bury his head into your shoulder.  LOVE when he does this.
• Has a set of octopus hands, those babies are always moving and opening/closing
• Still not officially crawling, but can scoot/roll/army crawl anywhere he wants to go.  He rolls ALL over the place.  Gotta get this house baby-proofed stat!
• Sitting up well, but still makes me nervous to leave him sitting without a spot
• Thinks its funny to throw himself back when he's in your arms or sitting in your lap
• Really showing an interest in toys now, loves all things that rattle and crinkle
• Sits in a big boy car seat, but still facing the rear...he just go too heavy to carry around in the infant carrier!
• Loves to grab your face with both of his hands and give you "kisses".  These JAM kisses make me want to melt.
• Loves it when Sydney licks his hand and wants to be best friends with her so badly!
• Seems to favor his left hand when he picks things up, which makes sense since his daddy is also left handed
• Really enjoys jumping in his jumperoo (aka, circle of neglect, LOL)
• Shows an interest in other little kids, probably because he stays with two other little boys during the day
• Still needs that hair cut I keep talking about...at least to cut the rat tail or mullet thing he has going on in the back of his head.  But I just can't seem to go through with it yet.  That sweet baby hair is so precious to me!
• Getting baptized next month!

And that's my boy.  He such a funny little guy.  I can't wait to celebrate all the holidays with him and see what next month brings us in terms of milestones.  Jensen Alexander, I love you more than words can ever describe.  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

He loves his giraffe.  You can see the annoyance on his face.  More pictures mom?!?

My always smiling, happy boy.

My favorite.  The last photo of our session.  iPhone and all.  LOOK at that head of HAIR!  He doesn't sit still for too long anymore either.

6 months strong

So you can probably tell my blogging has become non-existent. Ive been back to work for 3 weeks now and can barely keep up with life as it is. The transition was tough on me (not really on JAM). I miss him dreadfully during the day and I really miss our time together. I'm still nursing so pumping at work has become an extra part of my day. But thankfully he loves his babysitter (Hi Ana!) and does great with her. He even seems to nap better for her than anyone else!  So that is a major blessing.

Well, 6 months has come and gone and we could not be more obsessed with JAM. He has changed our lives so much (for the better).  For instance, we would much rather spend our weekends at home with the hubby, baby, and puppy, versus going anywhere, doing anything.  Just having lots of family time.  We cherish every moment.  

Jensen is now eating solids once a day and about to move to twice a day soon. He loves veggies (avocado, yams, carrots, green beans, acorn squash) but could do without bananas or peas. We are trying apples and pears next.

He is grabbing at everything he can get his hands on and is really exploring the world around him. He can sit for a while without support but will teeter over after a while. His preferred method of transportation is rolling all over the place and now he's trying to figure out how to coordinate his body movements to crawl. No teeth yet and no signs of them so far as I can tell. He weighs 20.5 pounds and is 28.5 inches long, 90th percentile for both. He has rolls on top of rolls and I could just squeeze him all day long! He finally dropped his night feeding at around 5 months and *usually* sleeps from 8pm-6am without a peep. Sleep is so lovely and perfect timing for me going back to work!  He LOVES his pacifier (and may be a little obsessed with it...oops!), going for car rides, jumping in his bouncer (man this boy can JUMP!), his Daddy's silly faces, grabbing at Sydney (and pulling out her hair too...!), watching other kids, eating his feet and sucking on his big toe, squealing with excitement, bath time and splashing, blowing raspberries, putting everything he can get his hands on in his mouth, and laughing and smiling all the time. Whew, that was a long list!  His hair is growing in so thick and don't judge me for the fact that he has a really awesome mullet in the back.  I just can't bring myself to cut his hair yet.  And as usual, here are some of his photos from his 6 month session and one from the pumpkin patch. 

 

See you later, ladies.  This pose makes me think of a Will Ferrel skit were he poses as a nude model...LOL!

My sweetness keeps growing...

And now he's 5 months old! I cannot even tell you how that happened. The months seem to be flying by. I'm in a state of delirious happiness and love for this little guy. Words just cannot do this feeling justice. I cannot get enough of him, his smell, his giggle, his chunkiness. I know I will probably say this every month from now on, but we are having a blast with him at this age.

Grabbing those feet, his favorite pastime.

Little flirt

A few things I want to remember about him at this age:
--He laughs at everything.  Funny faces, noises, being tickled, being tossed up in the air (gently).  He seems to be a thrill-seeker too. 
--He's starting to roll all over the place.  I put him on his back to play under his floor gym, walk into the kitchen to get something, come back and he's over a yard away on his tummy in the middle of the rug...!
--Rolling all over his crib and his leg even got stuck in between the rails (no injuries occurred though!)...I think its time to put on a breatable bumper
--Tried sweet potatoes and avocado so far...not a big fan of sweet potatoes but really started to like avocade by the 5th day
--Sucking the food off of the spoon instead of opening wide for it, but he is definitely eating it!
--Always trying to get his feet into his mouth
--Grabs any type of glass/cup and opens his mouth REAL big to try and get a drink of it
--When he sees his bottle coming, he starts opening and closing his mouth to signal he wants it, NOW!
--Enjoys getting out of the house to run errands and is usually very well behaved...and a great shopping partner!
--Loves to screech and squeal and learning to use his voice
--When he cries I could bet money he is saying "Mama"! (at least it sure does sound like it)
--Really starting to show an interest in Sydney...Sydney still tries to avoid him
--Has a short attention span and needs constant entertainment, it's hard to get much done, but that's OK.
--Learned how to use his jumperoo this month and loves it!
--Still loves his pacifier, but sometimes finds his thumb
--Loves to splash his legs in the water at bathtime
--Weighs 20 pounds and 27 inches long...still a very BIG boy.
--Still struggling with nap times, somedays he sleeps well, other days he sleeps for only 35-45 min at a times
--Finally dropped the night time feeding, but still having to put his pacifier back in his mouth 2-3 times per night
--Loves grabbing my hair, which is the longest it's ever been in my life...go figure.
--One of the smiley-est babies I've ever met.

We love every.single.thing. about this baby.  Sometimes we wonder why we waited so long to have children because he is really THAT awesome.  Can't get enough.  

Love those cheeks.

ROOOOLLLLLLS! 

Houston, I have a problem..

 

 ..and it's called dessert! I love, love, LOVE dessert. Ice cream. Cake. Cupcakes. Cookies. Brownies. Pretty much any baked good that I can get my hands on. And I feel the need to eat dessert after every meal. NOT GOOD, when you still have a few pounds of baby weight to lose.

It's an addiction for me. And I've heard it said that the first step to beating an addiction is to admit you have a problem. So here it is ladies and gentlemen. I, Taryn, am addicted to dessert. But am I ready to give this addiction up?!? I'm not entirely sure. Cut back, yes. Give up all together? NEVER!

It's something I inherited from my family, so it's not my entirely fault! We're the family that has more desserts at our family reunion meal than actual food. We might even eat dessert first. And we've been known to duke it out over the last scoop of my Mom's famous banana pudding.

I once got a fortune cookie with a fortune that said very eloquently "Dessert CAN make you happy". So fitting and perfect for me. I saved it to keep forever.  And have you seen the Duke's Mayonnaise commercial?  If you haven't then that's probably best.  It will make you want a piece of chocolate cake *immediately*.  It sounds weird, I know. Mayo and chocolate cake...?  But the commercial claims that adding a little Duke's Mayo to your favorites chocolate cake recipe will make the most moist cake you've ever eaten.  Then they show a fork cutting into a big slice of super moist, rich chocolate cake.  YUM.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure this little guy is going to like dessert too when he finally gets a taste of it. But I'm not going to let him eat too much or too often so he doesn't get obsessed (or addicted) like his momma...

Hair, hair everywhere!

One of the most awesome postpartum side effects is hair loss. Tons of it. Everywhere. I've heard from others about this lovely side effect, but thought (yet again, remember my stretch mark story?) that I would slide by unscathed since my hair seemed to be looking better than ever those first few months after JAM was born. Well, flash forward to the 4 month mark and it seems like I lose enough hair to use on a Barbie doll. Every.single.day. So very sad. But its all worth it for my sweetness. Let's just hope this let's up so I don't go bald soon.

And because no post would be complete without a photo of JAM man; I think he has some really long eye lashes for a baby. Not sure if this picture does them justice though.

Needed to write this down...

Today in between JAM screeching like a dinosaur (his new trick since he learned how to use his vocal cords, it's so cute...video to come) and changing a massively big, blown out diaper and outfit...I was thinking about life and it hit me like a ton of bricks. I am the happiest I have *ever* been right now. With this family. This home. This life the Lord has given me. In all of these special and fleeting moments. I am going to cherish every single second because I know it may change in an instant. We are so, so very blessed.

Tick tock

One thing about parenting that I never realized was how much my life would revolve around watching the clock. When did he finally go down for bed? What time did he wake up? When did he eat last? When did I change his diaper last? How long did he nap? It's almost bath time!...The list goes on. I feel like I am constantly keeping time for something!

Another random thought: when someone says their child is 4 months old, do they mean 16 weeks or do they determine his age by his actual 4 month birthday? I've heard it done both ways so I'm curious how others decide when to take their baby's monthly sticker photos.

Lastly, I think Sydney is finally starting to come around with baby Jam as evidenced by the following photo. For the record, she chose to lay above his head this way. I just LOVE me some puppy & baby love.

My 4 month old little man

Jensen is now 4 months and growing like a weed!  It seems like he has become so alert lately and paying more attention to his favorite people (me and his daddy) and surroundings now.  Over the last month, his hair has thickened up, he weighs 18 lbs and 9.5 oz (95th %), 26.25 in long (95th %), and sure does have a strong personality!  He used to whine a little before going to a full out cry when he didn't like something...now he gives us very little to no warning at all before losing his cool.  I cannot begin to describe how head-over-heels we are in love with him.  After we put him to bed, I have this crazy desire to go get him out of his crib to give him a few more snuggles and kisses.  I just can't seem to wait until the morning (or night time feeding) to hold him again.  We got the approval to start solids at his most recent doctor's appointment, so I'm looking forward to that. I'm hoping to make his baby food from scratch...well see how that goes!

He does so well with tummy time and has started trying to figure out how to crawl.  He can scoot around a little by face planting into the floor and lifting his butt in the air.  Bath time is his most favorite time of the day.  He figured out how to splash his little legs and doesn't mind getting water poured over his head and eyes. He blows raspberries and bubbles with his mouth all day long, so a bib is a permanent part of his outfit. He smiles and laughs constantly, and it is the best sound in the world. He loves to lay on his changing table and grab at his feet, so much that it makes diaper changes a challenge. His chunky little thighs are an obsession of mine...!

His nighttime sleeping has improved since his 3 month birthday (thank goodness!). Now he sleeps in footed pajamas and will usually wake up 1-2 times per night to eat. Sooooo much better than the 7 times he was waking up when we first stopped swaddling him. Nap times can be a struggle still, but we're working on it. He slept 8 hours without waking about a week ago so we know it's possible...! Just need to figure out how to make it happen each night...ha!

One night I had a photo shoot, so he stayed with my parents for a few hours. From the period of 4-9pm that evening he drank over 19 ounces of milk, in addition to all the times he nursed during the day. This baby can EAT! He can drink over a 9 ounce bottle at night before we put him to bed (daddy takes the night time feeding everyday to give me a break and so we can measure his intake before bed). Usually he nurses every 3-4 hours during the day.

He really seems to enjoy going to the gym and watching everyone workout. And he loves taking our nightly walks around the neighborhood with Sydney. He sits in his stroller so contently and looks all around.

Overall, life is starting to get into a nice rhythm and we feel so very blessed. Here are some of his 4 month photos.

Weekly wrap-up from the iPhone

We've had a busy past few weeks. I'm getting ready to go back to work in 3 weeks so I've been trying to get everything taken care of before D-Day. Jensen will be 5 months exactly on my first day back at school and I feel so very blessed to have had all this time off to spend with him. I'm sure other moms can relate...sometimes I so desperately want to stay home with him full-time; other times I'm so ready to have an adult conversation with someone (even an 8th grader!). I do enjoy my job and the subjects I teach, but I'm going to miss those sweet smiles and giggles during the day. I pray the transition into our new "normal" will go smoothly. Lately JAM has become a pretty big momma's boy so I'm concerned about leaving him all day long with someone new.

I took JAM to his first Gymboree class today and he did great and really seemed to enjoy it. In case you're wondering, they sing songs that incorporate hand movements for the babies to track, do tummy time on a mirror to look at themselves and their friends, play with a colorful parachute above their heads, watch bubbles float in the air, watch hand puppets sing songs, play with a beach ball...lots of fun stuff for babies less than 6 months old.

And finally, here's the weekly wrap up from my iPhone's perspective. Have a great weekend!

Our breakfast Sunday morning.  Sour dough french toast with home made whipped cream & strawberries.

JAM's first trip to Niko Niko's. Yum!

Talking up a storm.  He's very animated,

Love this pic of "Jensen Dirt".

His Halloween costume!  I know I'm a little early, but I just couldn't help myself.

His cute mud pie outfit that he almost grew out of before wearing for the first time.

He found his thumb for a brief moment, but hasn't found it since.

I know it's blurry, but look at that face!

His morning look. 

How many hands can you fit in one mouth?

Looking less than thrilled at his 4 month doctor's appt.

After the Filthy Fifty WOD.

He finally found his feet!  This makes diaper changes a little difficult...

Jensen's 3 month photo shoot

Jensen got to be my model this past weekend for my new in-home studio equipment.  He's such a little stud and chub!  Here are a few of my favorite shots.

JAM is 3 Months Old

Whatcha lookin' at?

This is only a few weeks late, oops!  It seems it's getting harder to blog the busier I get with photography, but I'm trying!  Jensen turned three months old on July 19th.  He weighed about 17 pounds, was 25.5 inches long, and had a 16.5 inch head circumference.  His height and weight put him in the 95% percentiles!  I can't believe he's such a big and fast growing boy!  He moved up to size three diapers and is currently wearing 6 month clothes.  He is a super smiley boy now and loves to laugh, especially at his daddy, Pops, and Grandpa.  He really is a little ham!  He rolled over four times on his 3 month birthday and is starting to like tummy time a little more...most of the time.  He is trying to sit up on his own and even stand on his chubby little legs.  He still hasn't figured out just how to use his hands yet, but he loves to chew and suck on them.

He USED to be a fabulous sleeper and we had gotten him down to only waking once per night to eat which we thought was great!  But that was when we were graced with the ability to swaddle him at night.  Unfortunately, our time with the swaddle has come to an abrupt end.  He started busting out of them about a week ago, and after trying multiple brands of swaddle blankets, we decided it was pointless.  Not sure how he does it, but he manages to break out of each and every type of swaddle blanket.  So now we are training him to sleep without it, and it's been rough.  We went from waking one time per night to...wait for it....7 times!  Ahhhh!  I'm exhausted.  Andy's exhausted.  Sydney is too.  So I'm hoping he will learn to go to sleep without the swaddle soon.  I don't know if I will use the swaddle on the next baby...this is hard at 3.5 months! 

Other than that, life is pretty great.  Jensen is such a little sweetheart, and no matter how tired I am, he can take away all the frustration with that sweet little smile of his.  I can listen to his laugh all day long.  I love the way his hair refuses to lay down no matter how I brush it after bath time.  I love our time together when I'm nursing him.  I can't get enough of his cute little feet and rolls on his legs and arms.

We did several photo shoots this past month.  Enjoy.

Lots of rolllls!

JAM and the Beach

JAM's first trip to the beach

We went on a long weekend/mini-vacay to Rockport in mid-July with my parents and brother Ryan (Colin had plans to float the river with friends, but he was missed!).  We also got to visit with my aunt who lives in Rockport and she got to give some loving to JAM man.  This was our first road trip with baby in tow, and it was seriously a miracle that we fit all of the baby gear, our bags, us, and Sydney in my truck.  And it took me half the day to pack up ALL of the baby gear we may need (which I'm proud to say we used every single baby thing we took with us).  By the time we have our next baby, we're definitely going to need to invest in a larger vehicle.  Jensen did awesome in the car and slept for the majority of both trips.  While we were there, we got to fish off the dock, sleep in, take blissfully long naps, eat some yummy crab and fish, and take Jensen to the beach for the first time.  I wasn't sure how successful the beach trip was going to be considering Jensen gets fussy when he is either a) too hot, or b) the sun blasts him in the face.  BUT he does love bath time and I found the cutest swim shorts and top for him to wear, so we had to make a go of it.  He was content for about the first 30 minutes we were there, which is when we snapped all of these photos of him looking like a little surfer dude.  And then he got hungry/sleepy/hot.  He took a nice long nap on the beach and by the time he woke, we were all ready to call it a day. 

And I know I am biased, but I am SO obsessed with all of these photos.  His Loli bought him the super cool shades, which were still a little big for him but still served their purpose of making him look like a little stud-muffin.