17-month Milestone Monday

Spring Break Hammock Time in the backyard!

It has been a long time since I documented all the changes Emerson has gone through and I realized that I am blogging so that he can look back at his "baby blog" and learn all about the early years of his life (or maybe it will just be me reading and reminiscing after his high school graduation).

As a 17-month old, Emerson has been steadily walking for 3 months, is practically running in his bull-legged toddler way, and he climbs on everything.

Over the past month, he started to learn how to dance (he bobs up and down and shakes his head), has climbed up the playground and gone down the slide by himself (the BIG slide, included), enjoys swinging and giggles the entire time, likes to push things around the room, store, park, and is trying his hardest to "tumble" after watching his older cousin somersault.

Emerson still eats more than his mom and dad! His average meal consists of some chicken, cheese, yogurt, fruit, and veggies when we can. He LOVES bread (even though we don't have it around the house much), has recently become a fan of grilled cheese sandwiches, still loves blueberries and bananas, and will pretty much each anything he can "dip" into some form of sauce, mainly ketchup or ranch, which are his favorites.  Since he has all but 2 of his baby teeth (except for the 2-year molars), he is getting better and better at biting and chewing.

"Dipper" in ketchup- which he then bathed in!

Hair and head covered in ketchup!

Emerson is also getting better and better at communicating. He signs "more" and "please" and "thank you" regularly. He blows kisses. He says "yea!" to almost any question you ask him (guessing he can tell the tone of your voice means you are asking a question). But he has a bunch of words he uses regularly. He says "ma" and "da" for mom and dad, socks and shoes, truck, ball, airplane ("aaahh poon"), and makes a number of animal noises.  He can tell you what an elephant says complete with the trunk motion (his arm). But when you ask him what a pig says, he just blinks his eyes really hard. Who knows?!

While Emerson is constantly changing, I am still working on changing! The 2 months of workouts and the 1 month of dieting (I'll be real, eating what people SHOULD eat and not just what I WANT to eat), I am getting stronger and stronger, and hopefully soon will be able to proudly sport a bikini again after almost 2 years of avoiding it. As it reached 90 today in Phoenix, I better get a move on! Good thing it is Spring Break and I have spent the majority of the time off working out and organizing our house. Luckily I have found some time for fun (a pedicure, a massage, a hair cut) and for Emerson to hang out with friends.

Happy St. Patrick's Day and Happy Spring Break 2015!

Emerson's St. Patrick's Day Shirt

St. Patrick's Day Selfie

We had a Target date but he didn't like the hat

Play date with Levon! Levon was so affectionate and was hugging Emerson all day!

Levon hug!

My St. Patrick's Day Green Vokda Diet Tonic! Cheers to health!

Feeding Frenzy!

No matter what research I have done, and what resources I have read, nothing has really been able to accurately prepare me for the challenge that is converting Emerson to "people food".

This. Kid. Loves. Food.

Squash goodness...

Chik-Fil-A is the most kid-friendly place to get fast food!

I am so happy to sit in big-boy chairs!

I am eternally grateful that he hasn't had any obvious food aversions, allergies, or digestion issues. However, nothing is more nerve-wracking than trying to figure out "what to try next".

At first, we had some fun making baby food with our Beaba baby food maker. Vegetables were almost always perfectly pureed, but fruit was sometimes too watery. The trick was the thicken it up with some baby cereal.

Although I truly felt like the healthiest route was to be making food without preservatives and without additives, for full disclosure, if you are considering going this route, keep these things I learned in mind:
1. Preparation in a baby food maker is easy. Preparation to PUT food in a baby food maker, is not.
2. Gerber will not kill your child.
3. Baby foods will dye their containers, so I suggest using glass for longevity, even if they are a bigger up-front expense.
4. The 4-day rule is probably a good rule to follow (try 1 food for 4 days before introducing a new one).
5. Get ready for smelly poos.

I want to share this experience because it was one of the moments when I felt like this was much more than I was anticipating as far as work load is concerned. When making Emerson some peach puree, I learned just why we don't normally peel peaches. Peeling the peach, pitting it, and then cutting it, times 3, took about 45 minutes. That is a 45 minute prep time, 15 minutes to cook, and then, what did I have, 4 servings (about). 1 hour for barely 1 day's worth of baby food. And that was just the FRUIT. Once Emerson got started, we were doing 1 fruit and 1 vegetable per meal. Then, with 2 of those meals a day, adding up the time spent preparing anything beyond green beans (no cutting or pealing required), it became a sort of second job just making food. We managed this by tag-teaming the preparation and making food in large quantities on Sundays or one evening a week.

The good news, however, was that the pureed baby food stage was short lived- we moved onto roasted veggies and steamed fruits soon after, because Emerson quickly realized that he wanted independence during feeding, and stopped cooperating when being spoon fed.

Now, feeding time is still a chore. We cut the foods up in tiny pieces, because he doesn't chew much, and we prepare more food than I believe any 1-year-old could consume in a single setting. He has never turned down food, however, sometimes in recent feedings he is actually slowing down enough that we can recognize that he is full. A good sign is him trying to crawl out of his chair or spitting his food back onto his tray. He also starts to play with the food in his fingers and letting it fall onto his lap. With all the extra work each meal time requires, it is still entertaining to watch as Emerson gets super excited for his next bite, and how he likes to talk to himself when eating because he is just so happy. He squeals in glee!

I will say that our best friends are Happy Baby puffs and Happy Yogi bites. While we prepare his meals, we can keep him occupied with these and he is really good at picking them up himself and staying content, even if not patient.

Also, we have learned recently that even if we feed him a full meal, if we eat after him and he is still with us, he wants more food, too. So we have already learned the purpose of and value of family meal time.

Things have progressed well in the feeding world, and now we feel comfortable taking Emerson to restaurants and ordering him food. Most places have at least some chicken or turkey for kids. We have ordered salads with extra chicken to give to him, noodles without sauce, and plenty of different types of seasonings to expose him to multiple flavors.

And, oh yea, one more note on feedings, today Emerson ate his first inedible object, part of his mobile. He is tall enough to reach it when standing in bed. We should have known something was up when we put him in bed and he was pleasantly quiet for awhile. When he cried a bit later and I checked on him, part of the mobile was on the floor with a bead bitten off...

We'll see how that one turns out tomorrow, I hope... :)

Emerson's 11th Month Photos!

So, life has been hectic, crazy, and so much fun as Emerson learns more and more each day.

Right now, he is eating like he is a 2-year-old. He likes everything you put on his tray. He loves to feed himself. He eats meat, veggies, cheese, and fruit. He likes to drink his water but usually chokes.

Emerson loves being in the water still. He is never upset, no matter what happens. If he swallows a bunch of water, then he just coughs and smiles. He is getting better at holding onto the side of the pool and letting himself fall in face-first from a seated position on the edge.

He stands and holds onto the couch, fence, or anything that is easy for him and at his height. He isn't quite brave enough to walk along the edge of the furniture, but he will walk if we hold his hands.

He has started climbing as well. He can climb stairs and has climbed into and out of the bathtub.

Last, he is as talkative as ever. He sings to himself, has entire conversations with me while we drive to work in the morning, and always makes his frustration verbally known if we aren't restocking his food fast enough during meal times. I swear that in Target, when he dropped a box on the floor, that he repeated "Uh oh" after me, and that when he is really wanting something, he whines for "mamamama".

His last photo shoot was a total riot. Here are the pictures we were able to narrow it down to!

Posing Pretty

I love my new freedom of movement

I am kind of a trouble maker sometimes, but I'm cute!

Mom! I am too big for this chair!

I escaped!!!

Emerson at 9 Months!

My two front teeth!

Emerson has certainly been busy growing and changing over the past month. We've been off the blog for a number of weeks because we have been out of the country, back to work/school, and busy trying to get Emerson to learn how to go to bed before 11.

Right now, Emerson has 5 teeth with a sixth popping through. Both middle bottom teeth can be seen in his pictures now, and his top middle are just making their appearance. The two adjacent top teeth are out, and look like fangs from the right angle. I'll have to try to get a picture somehow.

I got this, mom and dad.

Emerson has started to move a lot more. He isn't fully crawling, but he recently started to pull himself up and over toys, people, and anything that he can get a grip on. He gets on his hands and knees often, but then doesn't know what to do next. He can scoot backwards on his tummy, and this leads to much frustration as the toys continue to move further away instead of closer. Last night, he successfully got himself from his tummy to a sitting position, and then up onto his knees while grabbing the couch. He would have made it all the way to his feet if he had a good grip. He likes to stand, and can turn around when in a standing position if holding onto someone or something.

Waving to you!

Apart from movement, Emerson is also still very vocal. His favorite past time is using his maracas and "singing" into them like microphones while shaking his head and them at the same time. It is pretty loud. He also talks regularly, seeming to have conversations with us when we are doing things and he is happy. He mimics sounds like tongue clicking and lip smacking. He also likes when we use our hands while he is talking to pat his mouth and make that, excuse me if this is totally politically incorrect but I have no other way to describe it, the "Indian" call.

Emerson is also getting much better at recognizing signs that we've been practicing with him. He knows "milk" and occasionally does the sign on his own. He also seems to know the signs for "food" and "more" and "all done". I want to teach him "diaper" and "tired" next.

Emerson likes to eat a lot. He seems to enjoy all the food we've given him so far. I am making most of his baby food, but he does get oatmeal and rice cereals. We have just transitioned into "chunking" his food and not just pureeing it. He seems to be doing fairly well with cooked and soft foods and only gags once in awhile. I hope this is a step in the positive direction so we can stop having 6-7 daily feedings and focus more on 4 or 5.

I like to pull all my toys out of my toy bucket.

Lastly, Emerson waves at people, usually just randomly, but he is getting pretty good at it. He also gives a low five, especially when his dad holds out his hand.

On the bad side of things, Emerson has learned how to play a game called "bite my mom while I am eating" to see what he can get away with. This has left his momma with some major soreness and has left his little belly a bit hungry a few times! He also likes to stay up WAY too late, with an average bedtime of after 10:00 p.m. We hope this starts to taper off as he has to get up earlier once again for daycare. He also won't go down without a huge fight. He likes to scream, even after falling asleep while rocking, if he is put down in his crib. We read books, rock, sometimes we even eat, and still, he fights it. I think it is F.O.M.O. (Fear of Missing Out). But it could also be our fault for taking him completely off of a schedule while we jet-setted around the world.

9 months in the womb, 9 months out. Crazy how the time has flown. Another new school year has begun and many, many more changes are to come soon, I am sure.

All smiles for the camera, always.

My best Elvis impression

See ya later!

A Mega Milestone Monday

Well, I have gotten off my routine for blogging with trying to get that work and home balance. But I have a lot of milestones to share for this Monday.

1. Emerson is eating solids regularly now. We started with rice cereal then moved on to oatmeal and now he has had avocado, watermelon, and sweet potatoes. We have a hilarious video of his first meal and first avocado bite, if I can figure out how to load them.

2. Emerson sits up on his own without support for extended periods of time.

3. Emerson learned how to smack his lips like mommy and daddy and copies us and grins.

4. Emerson likes to shake his head like he is saying no. Or just because he hears a noise. We think he is exploring peripheral vision.

5. Emerson went on his first solo plane trip with mom. He is now at that age where playing and socializing is way may fun than sleeping on a plane. Good thing we sat next to kids.

6. Mom got her first scorpion sting while solo parenting Emerson because Kyle was backpacking.  After spending an afternoon on the floor and couch because I couldn't walk, we actually felt good enough and went to a graduation party. Trying to sleep in such pain was the worst part. But we survived the weekend.

As you can see, we have been busy, with more changes and learning happening every day. But we are living life to the fullest while I am on summer break.

Is breast feeding the best feeding??

This post began in week 5. Since then, my issues have been partially resolved, however my attitude continues to fluctuate. I finally got out skiing this past week during Spring Break in Colorado. It amazed me how much I had to alter my old routine to fit in the breastfeeding. I never realized just how much was involved with skiing until I had to think about pumping, feeding, child care, and how to transport everyone and everything. I wound up feeding Emerson on the sidewalk outside a coffee shop because I had no where else to feed him. This experience reminded me of this old post that I had yet to complete, and I decided to complete it.

Emerson owns this Old Navy onesie...

Here is the original post:
I admit to being a bit self-righteous when I declared that I'd be breast feeding Emerson. I did not anticipate the true challenge that was ahead of me at that time. I feel that I need to write this post to help other to-be moms who are making the decision on whether or not to breast feed, as well as be a support for those moms going through the same situation, and struggle, as me.

I really believe that there is something natural to breastfeeding. I know that I am providing the nutrients Emerson needs. But, being that he is only in the 15% range for weight right now, I found myself afraid that I wasn't providing what he needs, although he is still showing weight gain and growth, the only requirements for a doctor to determine whether or not breastfeeding is working out exclusively. So this is one of the moments when I feared that I may need to rethink my original decision for him.

Then, there is the discomfort. I don't know at this moment how I am going to ever work out and bounce again?! It is not the chapped pain, but more like I am bruised, and each suck causes excruciating pain. I may be one of the blessed few who never get past the pain of beginning breastfeeding. This is honestly quite devastating to me. I really want to continue to feed him, but I also cannot sacrifice myself.

So, I began to pump, and it isn't necessarily unsuccessful, but it feels like I never get enough out to save for a whole feeding, I always have to combine one or two pumps for a whole bottle. I don't know how in the next 2 and a half weeks I will build up a store for going back to work. And then there is work. That is seriously stressing me out. How will I schedule pumpings, feedings, and sleep?! I cannot think about it too long or I just lose my mind!

Unless, of course, I start supplementing with formula. Which I did. I gave in and it makes me feel like I have failed. I feel like now that I've used a bottle, my milk will slowly start to diminish, my son's tastes will turn to formula over breastmilk, and this whole goal will go out the window. I wanted to make it at least a month without formula, and I did, but now that I've seen the bit of peace and joy I can have from giving a bottle instead of breastfeeding- freedom! Tempting, really tempting.

And here are my added thoughts after 5 months of exclusively breast-feeding:
It is truly tempting to give up breastfeeding and instead give Emerson bottles. I can now completely understand and respect women who either cannot breastfeed due to complications, discomfort, or lifestyle. I sometimes think of how nice it would be to have Kyle take one night so I could sleep completely uninterrupted. Not to mention having the ability to enjoy a glass of wine without thinking "how long until I need to feed Emerson again?" I have a personal goal to make it through our upcoming travels to Peru exclusively breastfeeding. After that, I may need to face the reality that I just can't get as much done as needs to get done with a baby attached to me between 5 and 7 times a day.  Considering that I have to go in to the nursery at work to feed him twice a day, I also am not nearly as productive at work during my prep time. This continuous pattern of feeding led to a near mental breakdown. Hence why it may not be worth it for much longer if I want to regain some of my freedom and sanity.

On the other hand, I also now completely respect the women who, like me, chose to take the breastfeeding route. It takes serious commitment, a high tolerance for pain, patience, and lots of cell phone data usage. I do not miss the hour-and-a-half feeding sessions of the first two months of Emerson's life, but I do miss the extra time that I used to spend with him. I love the smile on Emerson's face when he sees me and his "tent" (my drape), and his little grins when he is full and looking up at me with a sense of gratitude. I love of satisfaction of getting a good burp out of him, and the hilarity of his "rooting" behaviors (shoulders, arms, belly... all are fair game when he is hungry). Since it is no longer painful, and Emerson eats in about 20 minutes or less, this breastfeeding thing was worth sticking to and I think that, for me, it was the right decision.

But, it has been one long-strange trip. I was nowhere NEAR prepared for the actual discomfort, for the frustration, for the stress of pumping and saving to return to work, but I can assure other struggling moms out there that it DOES get easier. Also, don't believe that 2-3 weeks is all it may take, like I did, but know that it could be much longer before it begins to be painless and become a routine and not a struggle.

I will recommend a breastfeeding app to help you keep track of which side you last fed on, rotating sides to help balance out the supply (so one boob isn't leaking and the other empty), and turning to other moms for support when you need it. Also, as my good friend told me, don't fear the occasional bottle of formula to help you "get ahead" in the storage game. I am lucky in that Emery didn't seem to know the difference, except for smelly poo afterwards, and I wish I wouldn't have been so afraid of the bottle.

So, there you have it, my thoughts on the ever-embattled topic of breast vs. bottle feeding. To sum it up, do what you want, what works for you and your family, and don't be ashamed to give up or to give in, but also don't give in too soon.

Flashback to San Diego Saturday!

Back in June, Kyle and I went to San Diego for a weekend to get out of the heat, to see his sister, and for me to attend a bachelorette party for my good friend Lindsay. This trip meant that Blueberry got to get his first taste of BOTH the "Atlantic" (Gulf of Mexico) and the Pacific oceans within the span of 1 week.

Little Blue will probably be a water lover because of Kyle's genes to begin with, but then I am sure that I only added to it with 2 beach trips, a lot of pool time, and plenty of sun during this pregnancy.

I did learn, the hard way, that "laying out" on the beach is not nearly as comfortable pregnant. I cannot imagine how cumbersome I'd be on the sand now that I can't get off a couch without assistance some days.

The bachelorette weekend was actually really fun. Great girl time, great food, some sun, and some dancing! I made it out until almost 2:00 a.m. both Friday and Saturday evening, but I did make everyone stop to get some ice-cream cookie sandwiches in Pacific Beach. There was a snafu about not being allowed in the Speakeasy because I didn't wear heels (what pregnant woman in her right mind would wear them for an evening of walking around the Gaslamp district downtown), but I still enjoyed the evening!

Here are some pictures that make me really appreciate how truly little the baby bump was (see prior post for the more recent bump size!)

The ladies in the harbor

I was a trooper I guess!

On Pacific Beach

Blue was not that big at all yet!

Camping with Blue

I have accomplished something many pregnant women will not attempt.

I went camping at nearly 7 months pregnant!

And I survived.

Why did I do it, you ask? First, the prospect of missing out on a summer camping trip this summer was far too depressing. We go every summer, so I didn't want to miss it this summer (even though we should have planned to go earlier in the summer). Second, it is so gosh darn hot in Phoenix that getting away to the woods and shade was far more appealing than staying in town for another record-breaking weekend in the heat. Even if it did mean roughing it with food and bathroom facilities.

So off towards Flagstaff we went. Ashurst Campground, with a lake, trees, and a breeze that is below 80 degrees!

Leaving the campground and still smiling!

I brought reinforcements of course. Plenty of snacks. An air mattress for inside the tent. And all my pillows with extra blankets! Besides getting out of the tent, I didn't have too many problems being bigger than usual. However, I did have to resort to using the outhouse toilets, but we made sure our campsite was close to one so I wouldn't have to go as far for the frequent bathroom breaks.

We had a lot of fun with some of our camping-afficionado friends. Friday night was party time, complete with beer pong like we were still in college, and not parents/soon-to-be parents. (Don't worry, I did not drink the beer!) Saturday we enjoyed the rain from under our pop-up shelter. We built big campfires, and we made all the campfire classic meals: Pudgie Pies, Hobo Stew, and S'mores!

On our way out of town, I couldn't quite bear leaving the cooler temperatures, so we stopped at Macy's European Cafe for a breakfast pastry (delicious) and then went on a Kyle and Erica style adventure- off roading in the Honda Accord up Shultz Pass Road (we have a thing for driving over mountain passes and documenting them).

Here are some more pictures from the weekend!

Add another mountain pass to our list- and this one is NOT in Colorado!

Me at 29 weeks (almost)

Kyle and Casey kayaking in the rain

Yea for a breeze, water, clouds!!!

The campsite- with TREES!

This is what trouble looks like

Blueberry's Vegas Adventure!

You already heard about our week in Colorado. Even before that time, Blueberry had the opportunity to go to Vegas. I know, every fetus' dream, much less every pregnant woman's.

Oh yes, I highly recommend traveling to Vegas when pregnant. Nothing is more fun than a city full of smoke and other unpleasant smells when your nose is like a bloodhound. There is so much you can do pregnant throughout the city, like stare at the drunk people, stay up past 2 a.m., enjoy the free drinks (non-alcoholic and non-caffeinated) while gambling...

Or, you can hang out in the pool, go to bed at midnight, and at least appreciate the hotel linens.

Kyle and I did make it to our first cirque show, so that was great fun, and we did attend our friends' wedding, and even made a stop at the Hoover Dam. Overall, even with the long drives and the short time there, I was happy to get away and have a little bit of rest and relaxation towards the end of my school year. (This was all the last weekend of April).

But there is one HUGE benefit to being pregnant in Vegas... you really make the most out of the buffets. Thank you, Paris, for feeding me some of the best breakfast/lunch food anywhere around!

Outside the Bellagio

Wedding day at the Bellagio in the garden

With the bride and groom Amy and Brad Swinson

Blueberry at 12 weeks was a really little bump!

Pregnant Workouts

I have a bit of a confession. I really thought I was hot stuff at the beginning of this pregnancy.
The weekend we found out I was pregnant, I decided, being my Spring Break, that I'd get back into my workout routine. I jogged around the neighborhood daily, went hiking, lifted weights, and did so nearly everyday for 2 weeks. Yes, one day I got totally wiped out after Barbell class, was on the couch the rest of the day, and realized that I'd have to increase my food intake to keep up that kind of schedule, but I knew I was on the path to staying fit this pregnancy.

Then I only gained 1 pound my entire first trimester. I gloated a bit. I kicked bootie at Zumba, and lifted all I was allowed during weights.

And then one doctor visit, at 20 weeks to be exact, the nurse declared "Well, you must have your appetite again."

Jaw on ground.

Did I really gain THAT much? (Ok, it was like 8 pounds total, nothing to freak out about, but did she need to POINT THAT OUT SO BLUNTLY?!)

This wouldn't be as harsh had I not just recently, last summer  to be exact, lost nearly 25 pounds. I look at those wedding and honeymoon pictures and I am like "DAAAMMNNN, GIRL!" To know that I am back to where I started this journey (but, yes, for a good reason) is more than my fragile, hormone-driven ego can handle some days.

So I continue to work out whenever I can muster the energy. But today it kind of hit me that an hour class at the gym is maybe more than my body wants to handle, as I danced away and continued to feel my uterus contract at a disconcerting rate. I stopped early, and switched over to some seated dumbbell curls. I did learn that doing weights and building muscle were more effective than cardio, after all, in looking lean (and actually being lean, I am sure).  I guess I will just have to modify my workout schedule to include more leisurely-paced cardio with my weightlifting.

I feel a bit defeated. I feel like I've failed myself and now I am going to spiral down a path of ultimate laziness and gain an atrocious amount of weight in these last 3(ish) months. It is really hard as a pregnant woman (who only reads Fit Pregnancy) to let go of that control and succumb to the calls of my body. I am just eternally grateful to little Blueberry for only making me crave fruit and salad! That will certainly help combat the extra poundage (even with my occasional indulgence from Dairy Queen).

I think I will give in, push my pride to the side, and start attending Water Aerobics with the little old ladies (no offense, mom.)

My favorite workouts were long walks around the lake path back home in Minnesota. Can't wait for cooler temps!

With Scoobie as a companion!