10 Months

We are starting to "hit our stride" and are really starting to figure out what being a parent is. Now…that changes pretty regularly based on what Miles needs but he is starting to be somewhat more predictable, sort of. He likes to be on the move and rarely sits still. He's crawling around a ton and starting to cruise on the couch, coffee table, and use his little push-cart-walker-thing. I think he'll probably be walking by his 1st birthday but I have no idea. Overall he is a really happy and social guy. Really likes taking outings and loves people watching and waving. This is a pretty fun age and I cannot believe he's getting closer to a year. Can't wait to start planning his 1st birthday party!! On to the details:

Stats: 

• Weight: 22 pounds, 4 ounces (62%)
• Height: 29.75" (89%)
• Head: 96%…um what?!

Likes:

• Waving
• Pointing (can identify da-da and ma-ma and Kirky…points towards us when we ask "Where's da-da? etc…it's pretty cute)
• Crawling…everywhere
• Standing up/cruising
• Catfood (despite our attempts to keep the bowls out of reach, he's managed to sample a few pieces…but hasn't swallowed any…that we are aware of)
• Laughing…he is SUCH a great laugher too and is always looking for the next funny thing
• Balls…anything round that resembles a ball or anything he can "throw"

Dislikes:

• Sleeping in: He seems to think that the 5 o'clock hour is an acceptable wake up period most days. We have tried to put him back in his crib after a quick nursing session but when that fails we'll bring him in bed with us and I have had varied success nursing him back to sleep until 6:15-6:30…even a few until 7 am. 
• Diaper changes/clothing changes: this has gotten a bit better than last month but it's still a challenge. We try to keep a few "special" toys that are just for the changing pad but even that isn't a guarantee
• Getting in the car seat: what's the expression…it's like trying to put coyotes in a bathtub? He'll be fine and I talk to him before I actually do it "Ok Miles, it's time to go in the car seat, we have to go home" and once I make the move to put him in the seat he loses his mind and starts screaming. Once I get him strapped in he's totally cool, just something about the initial "put in" that he's disturbed by
• Having things taken away or not getting his way: so he DOES make it to the catfood dish and then we pull it away…how DARE we not grant him his desire to eat the catfood. Wants to pull on Kirky's tail. Wants to hold our iPhones (the remote control, iPad). You know…normal kid/parent stuff. This is going to get tougher, I know that.

Eating:

• Milk: I've been sending 2-7 ounce bottles of 1/2 breast milk 1/2 formula and then another 4 ounce bottle with dry formula if he needs it. This past week he has just been drinking the 2 "big bottles" and even then isn't taking the whole thing.
• Pumping: I'm still pumping and pretty proud that I'm keeping it up. I'm getting between 6-10 ounces daily (depending on how much he nurses in the morning when he wakes up before I leave for work). My goal is to pump until he turns 1 and then I'll wean off the pumping at work and the nursing during the day (when I'm with him). I'm planning to nurse him at bedtime and in the morning as long as he wants to. He is a comfort nurser and it's part of our bedtime routine when I'm with him (which is 99% of the time at night)
• Solids: Hasn't met a food he doesn't like. We give him any food that we are trying. "I can't list everything, but if we eat it we offer it to him. Most of his meals consist of some type of protein (egg for breakfast, lean organic deli meat), carb (whole grain bread, tortilla, cheerios/puffs) and lots of fruit and veggies. Matt has gone gangbusters with making food for Miles. He steams and purees everything and then freezes it into cubes or pouches. We have some Little Green Pouches and just got some of the Infantino Fresh Squeezed station. We do a good mix of finger foods for Miles and "mush" as we lovingly call it. He prefers to feed himself and won't shy away from green food but we like to make sure he's getting his veggies and it is more guaranteed when we spoon feed it to him, or put it in pouch form. 

Sleep: 

• goes to bed at 7pm, we have a solid routine that we've stuck to for the last 6 months and it's working
• this week he's been waking up a lot more during the nights. we think he's getting another tooth and he's been fighting a cold and is going through a developmental leap now so he's waking up more. he usually nurses/soothes for a few minutes and then goes back down pretty easily. i can zombie feed him that way and it's been working. when he starts feeling better we'll start to let him cry a bit longer through some of his middle-of-the-night wake ups but when he's not feeling well I just can't let him cry. 
• naps are better. he pretty consistently (although not today) does two 1-hour naps. the first one is around 9:30-9:45 until 10:30-10:45 and the 2nd is between 1:30-2. today (i think because he's congested) slept for 15 minutes in his crib and then fell asleep on me, but when i tried to put him back in the crib he would instantly wake up. 

Diapers:

• regular: bumped up to size 4 Honest diapers
• cloth: Bum Genius 4.0 all snaps undone (starting this week)
• nighttime: size 4, using the Seventh Generation diapers and they work well to contain the volumne of overnight use

Toys:

• balls: he loves rolling this ball 
• we have this fisher price gumball type machiney thing where you put balls in the top and push a lever and then come swirling down. he really likes it. (it's a hand-me-down and not this exact one, but you get the idea)
• fisher price puppy's piano…he loves this thing
• fisher price laugh & learn table…would stand here for so long pushing (pounding) all the buttons
• brio toddler wobbler…this was a shower gift that we re-wrapped and gifted to him for Christmas and he loves it!!

Development:

• teeth: he's working on his 6th tooth. he has his lower two middle, upper two middle and one to his left on the top. working on the one to the right on the top. it's so strange to me that he will never (hopefully) be a toothless gummy guy anymore. he'll always have teeth flashing through that big grin
• crawling: everywhere
• pulling up to standing: is very comfortable pulling up to standing and getting himself safely back to his bottom to start crawling again
• cruising: cruises around the sofa, around the coffee table, to his play table to the ottoman
• walking holding our fingers. when he's reached the edge of his cruising props he'll reach out to us and grab a finger and wants to walk up & down the hallway or over to the door
• not sure what else to note, no words yet but he's making sounds that sound like the right thing. ba=ball (but it's not only the ball), da=da-da or that or over there, kinda hear ca=cat. babbles a ton in the car and at home and it's fun to have mini conversations with him. it's going to be so strange and awesome when he actually starts talking to us. 

Photos:

>>the chair shot was the only one i got of him sitting still. after this he lunged forward and wanted out of the chair. the towel (green & white shot) was him reaching for the book i was holding to try to get him to sit still. proof that he doesn't ALWAYS smile. 

>>yep. he's a dude alright.

>>hanging out with the 'raf's at the oakland zoo. Miles seems unimpressed

>>family selfie from Christmas

>>trying out the ergo as a backpack for the first time. he lasted maybe 10 minutes but i think it was because he was hungry.

>>trying out the big boy car at Kane and Ben's house. 4 boys+same t-shirt=adorable…and I cannot believe that helmet fits a 2.5 year old and my 10 month old…GIANT head. (video of this below, he loved his ride)

 

 

Videos:

//player.vimeo.com/video/84546321

Miles – Swinging from Home Sweet Oakland on Vimeo.

>>i had higher hopes for him on the swing. i thought he was going to just laugh but he was like "oh, this? no big deal."

//player.vimeo.com/video/84545742

Miles – Christmas 2013 – Jingle Bells from Home Sweet Oakland on Vimeo.

>>this is one of my favorite videos. he kinda shakes the bells at one point but other than that he keeps looking around like "what the HECK are you all doing?" there were six adults wearing a variety of reindeer antlers singing a song around him. maybe my favorite Christmas moment.

//player.vimeo.com/video/84547465

Miles – January 2014 – Karate at dinner from Home Sweet Oakland on Vimeo.

 >>love his little laugh and also…look at those teeth!! 

//player.vimeo.com/video/84552375

Miles – Dec 2013 – Big boy car from Home Sweet Oakland on Vimeo.

 >>his first big boy car ride. he was gripping the steering wheel super tight but loved this so much.

 

 

9 Months – in photos

We have Miles 10 month appointment on Friday so I'll finish his 10 month post and get that up soon. We are also starting to do some more work on the house so I'll get some actual house posts set up too so this doesn't turn completely into a baby blog.

I forgot to post the 9 month photos so here those are…

>>on his 9 month birthday, holding a stuffed snowball since it was December and nearing Christmas…and because it resembles a ball…which he loves.

>>Group playdate with some friends from the Lair and all their kiddos…it was chaos and SO fun. I love how Miles is holding on to Hope's little skirt (who he just met for the first time during this photo). 

 

>>Having Christmas dinner with everyone. He LOVED the lasagna!!

And some cute videos from this timeframe…

//player.vimeo.com/video/82482300

//player.vimeo.com/video/82496667

Miles – Cruising the Couch from Home Sweet Oakland on Vimeo.

 //player.vimeo.com/video/84183932

Miles – Where's Kirky? from Home Sweet Oakland on Vimeo.

 

 //player.vimeo.com/video/82482368

Miles – Crawling at Thanksgiving from Home Sweet Oakland on Vimeo.

 

 

8 and 9 Month Update

I'm going to roll these into one "update" post and then post 9 month photos next week when Miles actually turns 9 months. I cannot believe that he'll be 9 months in a week. It's such a strange feeling to absolutely love watching him grow and also already missing the "baby" that he was. I know that everyone says it goes fast and it really really does. It is so amazing to be him mama and I am so utterly happy. Having said that, the last month and a half have been challenging. The entire month of November was possibly the toughest month I've had so far. We pulled him out of daycare and moved him into a nanny-share, which was the BEST decision, I couldn't be happier to have him in the new/better arrangement but I learned a lot from a tough situation. I learned to trust my mom instinct and to just follow my gut. I learned that there are ALWAYS other solutions.

Reasons that November was a hard month: We finally broke him of napping in the baby swing and it's still not an ideal situation as he's taking short naps, but we're working on it. I regret not getting him out of that swing sooner. He popped another tooth, which took about a week for him to be less fussy which led to: daylight savings time, which messed up his sleep even more. He got his first cold…then 2nd and 3rd…it seemed like he was sick all. month. long. He also decided that he didn't want to eat solid food so he seemed to lose weight and only wanted to nurse (although we had no way of really checking aside from  me getting on the scale with him). He didn't want to take food from us, he only wanted to feed himself finger foods or take a pouch of food and even then it wasn't a guarantee. Then we traveled to Colorado (first flight) and he was such a champ on the flights, but slept terribly all weekend. Then he got a stomach bug and projectile vomited about 5 times in one night. Thankfully he slept okay that night but it was pretty scary for him and for Matt and me. Things started to cheer up around Thanksgiving and he started feeling better and man am I glad THAT phase is behind us. It was rough. Tears were shed from both Miles and me. This mama thing is such a hard job. Sleep has regressed a bit and he's back to waking up at 2'ish and 5-5:30'ish but thankfully he'll nurse quickly and get a diaper change if needed and then he'll go back down relatively easy (within 5-10 minutes total around 2am and same at 5). The other good news about him being sick and waking up more at night is that he is back to nursing. He wouldn't take a bottle from me or Matt, he only wanted the boob so I am no longer exclusively pumping. I only pump when I'm away from Miles at work. 

Stats: 

• Weight: 19 pounds 7 ounces he dropped from 72% in weight to 44%. He only gained 1 pound in two months. The doctor wasn't worried at all because he's still gaining and hasn't fallen off the curve AND is more active and burning more calories, but I gotta say that drop had me worried.
• Height: 29.25 inches (90%)…which means he's pretty much outgrown his "bucket" car seat and moved into the "big boy" car seat. Moved him on Oct. 24.
• Head: 18.5 inches (94%)

Likes:

• Eating: he's back on the "I like food" train, thank goodness, more details about food below
• Crawling: he had been dragging himself across the floor with his hands for about a week but "officially" started crawling on Nov. 20 a few days after turning 8 months old
• Pulling up to standing: he started doing this on Nov. 28…only a week after he started officially crawling, over Thanksgiving weekend, which meant that we dropped his crib mattress lower too so that he'll be contained if he decides to pull himself up in his crib.
• Waving: he'll sorta wave at people with a huge smile when they wave back, then he'll start clapping…it might be the cutest thing ever. 
• Talking: he loves to babble and he's pretty solid on "da-da" and "ba" and even "ca" and "ga"
• Kirky: Miles is obsessed with the cat, smiles at him, and chases him (now that he can crawl), loves to try and "pet" him (we are teaching him to be gentle and to not grab)…Kirky is sweet when he wants to be, and can also be the biggest shithead and scratch/bite so there are no un-supervised visits between Miles and Kirky. 
• Being outside and in public: he loves to people watch and loves being outdoors. We had a 45 minute trip to Whole Foods last week and he was SO fascinated with all the people and the fans and all the bright colors. He was totally making friends with everyone we saw. 

Dislikes:

• Sleeping in: We had a couple days where he'd go back to sleep until 6:30-7 but most normal wake ups are 5:30-6 these days. I keep reminding myself (and Matt too) that there will be a day when we are trying to pry him out of bed at noon. This is just a phase. This too shall pass. But damn I miss sleeping. I haven't set my alarm clock since he's been born. I was the queen of the snooze button. I'd set my alarm for an hour before I had to get up so that I could hit snooze like 5 times. That doesn't work with an infant. No matter how I plead with him "shhhh…it's still bedtime…go back to bed for just 10 more minutes".
• Diaper changes/clothing changes: oh my gawd. it's like a WWF match every dang time I try to change his diaper or put clothes on him. I need some advice. He is so strong and squirmy and gets SO pissed!! How DARE we try and put clothes on. It's even worse that it's been so cold lately which means layers and sleeves and socks AND pants. So far there have been no issues with the messy diapers…maybe because he knows that he needs to get cleaned up and "allows" us a quick window to do the deed but once the new diaper is on…wham…he's flipped over to his tummy and trying to climb off the changing pad. I'm one step away from gluing my iPad to the wall next to his changing pad to buy 60 seconds to get his clothes on without me having to flip him back over 20 times and him screaming and me saying in my calm "mom voice", "Miles, we don't flip over on the changing pad, that's not safe. Please just let me put your clothes on and then you can go play". 

Eating:

• Milk: I send 3, 8 ounces bottles with him to the nanny. They are about 1/2 breast milk and 1/2 formula. I'm getting anywhere from 11-14 ounces a day pumping at work. I pump three times a day for 15 minutes each session. I'm usually getting 3-4 ounces per session. When I'm with Miles I nurse on demand and before naps and haven't had to supplement with formula at all. 
• Solids: We are in full on food mode. We started with purees when he hit 6 months and moved into finger foods as well, with some guidance from Baby Led Weaning. He much prefers to feed himself over being fed. Although he will now suck down a pouch quickly if he's hungry and then likes to graze with the finger foods. Here are all the things that we've given Miles: oatmeal, banana, avocado, spinach, green beans, broccoli, kale, sweet potato, mashed potato, peach, pear, apple, melon, berries, bagels, bread, pita bread, noodles, peanut butter, eggs, turkey, cheese, veggie burger, waffles, black beans, brown rice, salmon, and his favorite puffs…we are at the point now that we'll just give him the same food we are eating. He hasn't shied away from anything we've given him. We started out with just veggies and fruit and then moved forward and he's pretty happy with the variety. It's so amazing to watch him feed himself. He's got a great pincer grasp and will pick out the ONE tiny piece of cheese among the sea of fruits and veggies. If I had to pick I'd say his favorite foods are cheese, applesauce, and bread/carbs…I guess he takes after me in that regard. 

Sleep: 

• goes to bed at 7pm, we have a solid routine that we've stuck to for the last 6 months and it's working
• gets up 5:45-6 most mornings
• wakes up twice a night now. He was going 7pm-6am before November hit and then when he was teething/sick I couldn't let him cry at night and now I think he's back in the habit of waking up at 2 and 5, although some nights he's only up at 4 and then back to sleep until 6…basically it's still changing and I don't have it figured out and it can always be better. But I guess it can be worse too. I'm not complaining, just stating our reality right now.
• naps are a struggle. we've been getting better/more consistent at home but he is napping poorly with the nanny. at home I can get at least an hour in the AM and about 45-1 hour in the PM. With the nanny he'll do about an hour in the AM and only a 1/2 hour in the PM. He's had a few days with only one 1 hour nap as he cries and cries when she tries to put him down. He's been super happy with the nanny and isn't fussy, she actually always comments on what a happy/smiley kid he is…he's just tired. There are 2-3 other kids around too so I always joke that he has FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) and doesn't want to nap for fear that he'll miss the party. we're working on it. napping is important and he needs his rest, but he is one stubborn dude when he doesn't want to do something. 

Diapers:

• regular: size 3 Honest diapers
• cloth: Bum Genius 4.0 one snap down and four snaps open across
• nighttime: size 4

Toys:

• teethers: he has a few teether toys that he likes. mOmma walrus, honest butterfly, wubbanub Teddy
• exersaucer: he loves hanging out in this. he'll bounce straight for 2 minutes, it's hilarious
• play table: sorta of like this one but it has food on it.it was a hand-me-down from a friend and Miles loves it. i on the other hand think it is biased towards junk food. there is a pizza and when you push the buttons it says "yummy pizza", and a juice cup that says "yay juice. more please" and cookies…oh the cookies. There is one small section with a banana, blue berries and an apple…and the noises for that are so boring. maybe I've been living in berkeley/oakland too long but i with this little table would get as excited about the healthy food as it does the junk food. 
• balls: he loves rolling this ball 

Development:

• teeth: he has two teeth, the bottom two. I haven't seen/felt any on top yet but I know they are coming next
• crawling: he is super mobile now and crawls over things and under things…don't get in his way
• pulling up to standing: on the play table, on the couch, on my leg, on the dishwasher door (when it's down), on the bottom shelf of the kitchen island…we have an amazon order coming with a bunch more baby proofing items. 

And for the photos…enjoy!!

^^8 months old

^^Hanging out with Dad at 1/2 time of the Cal game

^^Miles and mama getting to meet Oski for the 2nd time this season

^^Good morning Miles

^^First trip on an airplane "The Boss" loved it!!

^^Eating his puffs on a big boy plate

^^Little bear before the Cal v. Colorado game in Boulder

^^Miles and Matt heading to brunch in Denver

^^Helping mama shop at Trader Joe's

^^1st Thanksgiving

^^Post-Thanksgiving trip to Apple Hill

 

 

7 Months Old

Seven Months. Closer to one year old…and I'm mentally brainstorming birthday ideas (I'm a planner…who's surprised??). 

General Info: After September I realized that working from home on Fridays wasn't working well. I was feeling like I wasn't 100% with work and I wasn't 100% with Miles and that's not good for either party. So we looked at our budget and are making it work for me to work 80% time (started October 1) and be home on Fridays just with Miles. I feel so incredibly fortunate that I have a job that allows me this option. And I feel so very lucky to be able to have more time with Miles. 

Stats: No doctor appointment this month so the only stat we have is using our home scale

• Weight: 20+ pounds…little man likes his food

Likes:

• Eating: he hasn't met a food that he doesn't like, he's really enjoying solid foods. 
• Laughing: I could listen to him laugh all day it is the best sound in the world
• Moving: he is always moving around and love to be on the go (eventhough he's not crawling just yet)
• People: he is SO social and loves being around other people
• Being outside

Dislikes:

• Sleeping in. I think he got my dad's genes and is an early riser. He seems well rested though and wakes up happy. And we've been trying to let him cry a bit to see if he'll put himself back to sleep, but his "normal" waketime lately has been 5:30'ish.

Eating:

• Milk: exclusively pumping with one nursing session in the AM and any middle-of-the-night wake ups
• Solids: I'll go into more detail about this in the next post (mainly because I drafted this in October but didn't finish it until today…oops)

Sleep: 

• sleep trained after 6 month appointment to drop the 2am wake up…after 2 nights he started sleeping 7pm-6am
• gets up 5:45-6 most mornings
• naps – cold turkey out of the swing Oct. 11-14 and then when he went back to daycare she put him back in the swing and that set us back a bit. 

Diapers:

• regular: size 3 Honest diapers
• cloth: Bum Genius 4.0 one snap down and four snaps open across
• nighttime: we started using nighttime diapers and the smallest we've found are size 4

Development:

• teething: he popped his first tooth Oct. 10 (bottom left)
• pre-crawling: he's been rocking back and forth on hands and knees for a while, we keep saying "he'll start crawling any day"
• Discovered that he's a boy…not sure if this is really developmental but worth noting, he found his penis and is fascinated. 

 

^^Dressed and ready for the Cal football game.

^^Hanging out with his "cousin" Quidnet

^^Loving his frozen berries…SO messy

^^Planking…he wants to MOVE

^^I had to. He loves being naked…obviously

^^The "official" 7 month shot, sitting up, kicking his leg…pretty standard.

 

6 Months Old

Six months. Half a year. My goodness. 

Note: I started this post closer to his six month birthday but then have {obviously} neglected to finish it. Right now (at Miles 6 month birthday) I work 4 days a week in the office and am working from home on Fridays. We are using the month of September to see if this is a good plan. To see if I'm getting enough done at work and to see how it's going. We will re-evaluate at the end of the month and see if anything needs to change. I also understand that this is a lot of text so if you want to skip ahead to just look at the cute pictures go for it…they are the bottom of the post. I like keeping track of all this information for myself so I can look back and see where we were at different points in Miles life. He's changing so much now that it's really fun to see all the changes that happen month to month. 

Stats: We have official stats this month since he had a doctor appointment. 

•  Weight: 18 pounds, 7 ounces (69%)
• Height: 26 3/4 inches (61%)
• Head: 45 cm (92%!!!…and I wonder why I needed a c-section)

Likes: This will blend with his 7 month post (in 5 days) but it's worth saying. 

• Ergo – loves being carried in the Ergo and it's an almost guarantee nap if we are having trouble getting him to sleep. 
• Exersaucer – we received this as a hand-me-down and Miles LOVES it (video evidence below) 
• Smiling/laughing – he is a very social kiddo and he really likes people and has really started laughing more
• Kirky – Miles has really started to notice the cat more and will follow him as he crosses the room. He laughs when Kirky jumps on things and will try and reach out and grab him if he gets too close. The feeling is mostly mutual as Kirky does come up and lick Miles. 
• Chewing on everything & drooling
• Bath time – Kid loves the water and really enjoys the bath toys that we have added to the mix

Dislikes:

• Being hungry or tired…c'mon who does actually like being hungry or tired. Usually when he's fussy it's for one of these reasons. 

Eating:

• Milk: around 5.5 months I ran out of the frozen breast milk supply. He drinks WAY more milk at daycare then I can pump so we needed/decided to start supplementing with formula. It was a really hard decision for me because I was (and continue) to be determined to breast feed as long as I can…it just will not be exclusively. I am committed to pumping and will admit that I am way less stressed out now since I know that I'll pump what I can pump and then supplement with formula to get him what he needs. Knowing that he'll be getting over 1/2 his milk every day from breast milk makes me happy and the rest will be from formula and all that matters is that he is fed and happy and thriving. At work I pump three times a day (9:30am, 12:30pm, and 3:30pm) and get on average from 14-18 ounces a day in total. We use this formula and mix bottles with at least 1/2 breast milk 1/2 formula often it's more breast milk.  I still nurse him during the night, first thing in the morning and in the evening before bed. I still nurse him to sleep. 
• Solids: When Miles turned 5 months old we began "introducing" solid food. We gave him some rice cereal and then some banana a week or so after that. It was a good start. The banana did some funky stuff to his poops (black squigglies…sorry if that's TMI) and I freaked out but it didn't seem to bother him and his doctor didn't seem concerned at all either. At his 6 month appointment we got the green light to move forward with solid food so stay tuned to hear how that's been going. 

Sleep:

• Routine: On a "normal" day here is what sleeping looks like (I plan to do a "day-in-the-life" post soon to capture how our days look now)
• He still wakes up at 2am and 5am pretty consistently. At 2am he nurses quickly in the glider chair (5 minutes max) and then I transfer him back to his crib and he falls back asleep with no trouble. At 5am we usually get up and change his diaper (Matt) and then I feed him side-lying in bed and we can usually get him to fall back asleep this way. 
• He takes two naps a day…in the swing still…but it's working so we are doing it. He naps in the swing at home and at daycare. He is still swaddled for naps. We use the Aden & Anais swaddle blankets and just wrap his arms so that we can still buckle him into the seat. His naps range from 1-2 hours each but 1.5 hours is about average. 

Diapers:

• Size 3: We use the Honest company disposable diapers for daycare, travel and nighttime. They are amazing! We haven't had ANY diaper rash since we moved out of the Pampers newborn diapers. We do preventatively put some Aquaphor ointment on him but only at night before bed. Daycare uses other creams on him but really doesn't need to. I think she does it out of habit and also preventatively. 
• Cloth: 4 open snaps across and one up. We use the Bum Genius 4.0 when we are home with him (so 3-days a week and evenings after daycare and before bed). We do about 2 loads of diaper laundry a week so every 3 days. We use this awesome wet bag to store the dirty diapers and it keeps the smell contained and there are no leaks. We have two large bags on rotation. One is being washed while the other is serving a function. We have the "Orange Woods" one and the "Spring Dots" as well. Cloth diapering has come a long way in the last 30 years (and especially in the last 10). These diapers are (dare I say) easy. They are cute, and soft and relatively easy to care for and keep clean. We haven't had much trouble with them. We've never had a blow out and breastfed poop isn't that hard to clean out. 

Toys:These are the items that we have in frequent rotation and he really seems fond of them all. A giraffe "theme" has developed not really on purpose but it'll be fun to see if it continues. 

• Sophie the Giraffe: I have heard this referred to as "baby crack" and I have to say that it's true. Miles loves this dang toy. Loves chewing on it and loves bending her legs and neck (like he's snapping into a Slim Jim) and when he's on his back playing on the ground he'll slap her so she'll squeak. 
• Giraffe Lovey: We received one as a gift before Miles was born and this has been the go-to security item. He does all his naps with it. I decided to buy two more so he has one in his daycare bag, one at home and mama gets to keep on in my pumping back at work. 
• Giraffe White Noise
• Sassy Rattlin Ring (ours is a different color pattern but it's this same style)
• Sassy Bird (we have the green one and it's the mainstay on his car seat)
• Freddie the Firefly
• Sassy Loopy Ball
• Blue Teddy Bear Wubbanub (he doesn't actually use this as a pacifier, he uses it to chew on and stare at the bear)
• Haba Salto Rattle

 Development:

• Sitting up – Can sit for a short while on his own before toppling over. We either sit behind him or use the boppy as bumper for when he decides he doesn't want to sit up anymore and just leans backwards
• Cobra "push ups" – Tummy time is turing into pre-crawling time these giant push ups also lead into scooching backwards a bit
• I am forgetting what was between 5-6 months and what was 6-7 months so there will be more on this in the 7 month post because it's been a big month. 

Ok…cue the cute photos! See you for the 7 month post in about a week!!

//player.vimeo.com/video/74596655

Miles – Exersaucer from Home Sweet Oakland on Vimeo.

 

 

Backyard M(adn)ess

This is the first home project I'm blogging since Miles was born. We are so excited about our backyard potential.

We have plans to turn our lower level of the backyard into an outdoor living room. We started looking towards the end of August at furniture knowing that there would be some great prices for end-of-summer outdoor furniture. We looked around a bit at Target, Lowe's, Home Depot etc but most of what we saw was over $1,000 which was more than we really wanted to spend. Then came Mr. Craig and his lovely lovely list. 

We were the first ones to email about it (we happened to look 20 minutes after it was posted). After some back and forth emails and a truck rental it was ours. We feel so lucky and fortunate that this amazing piece of furniture is now ours. It's 9' x 6' and will fit our space perfectly. It's in great shape aside from some sun wear but we love the color and know the quality is excellent. We also have a fire pit that we'll use in place of the ottoman. 

Now comes the tough part. 

Here are some "before" shots of the backyard:

And some "during/in progress" photos. I'll admit that I'm not a very good gardener (maybe for lack of trying) but I'm really freakin' good at what I can ungardening. I pulled up those plants/bushes in about two hours. Hacked, shoveled, ripped…and I was so proud of myself. The last thing in our way was the Japanese maple. 

 

 

We decided that we really did want to salvage it and replant it higher up in the backyard. Matt did some research and then started digging. 

We'll see how long it lasts but so far it's doing great. Now onto the rest of the project. Drainage rock, weed cloth, sand, paver stones and then grass or clover in between. Also some tree stakes to use for string lights. Can't wait to show more progress photos and also the finished product! Hoping to get it up next weekend so we can use the space for a little while before the rain starts. 

Any suggestions on how to do the patio part? Have you done a backyard project recently? Would love to hear from you!

Lair of the Bear

We had an awesome time on our annual family vacation to the Lair of the Golden Bear in Pinecrest, CA. Lots of sleeping and eating and staying cool (during the day) and staying warm at night. We all got dirty and got to see some good friends and have some wonderful quality family time. I have camped here since I was about 6  years old and it is so amazing to be able to bring my son here and introduce him to a place that is so special to me. He loved it and I cannot wait to take him back year after year. 

Here is a collection of some of my favorite photos from the week…

Hanging out in his dining chair at the dining hall:

All bundled up in his bear sleep suit in the lodge (at about 7am):

Lounging in the go-pod:

Bundled up for the night…temps were in the high 40s:

Hanging with Rebecca and Juniper (who is 1 year older than Miles):

Family time at the Guac Party:

Kickin' it in his baby Uggs in front of our tent:

Rosy cheeks in the Bob Jogging stroller:

Rosy cheeks {again} in his Baby Bjorn chair:

Family costumes at the Tiki Party:

Hanging with is buddy Braden (10 months old):

Obligatory family photo in front of our tent {right before we hopped in the car to head home}:

Love this photo of my little Happy Camper…see you next year 10th week!:

My mind is elsewhere now thinking of this place I love. The Yosemite Rim Fire is too close for my liking and is destroying so much in its wake. The Berkeley Family Camp (which is different than the Lair) was destroyed in the fire and I was in tears thinking of those families who have spent their lives attending that camp that is so close to them. I have joined a Facebook group talking about rebuilding already and I will volunteer to help them rebuild. The fire is only about 25% contained and is spreading every day. I have been praying and sending positive thoughts to the firefighters to please do all they can to tame this beast of a fire and keep it from harming this place I love. 

5 Months Old

Another month in the books. And what a great month it was. Miles continues to be such a joy in our life. And we feel so lucky to be his parents. He is super smiley that we often call him S-Miles. He is starting to laugh more freely and is WAY into moving. This kid does not sit still…even when he's sleeping. Miles turned 5 months old on our last day at the Lair and he had such a great week up there. I have another post about our week that will be published next. 

Likes

• Eating – He is still exclusively breastfed but we started to do a little rice cereal the day he turned 5 months old. I do one "meal" a day of solid food around 5:30pm each night. He gets about a tablespoon of rice cereal mixed with warm water. He is a total mess afterwards, but seems to get the hang of swallowing and reaches out for the spoon as it's coming towards him. He'll grab the spoon and suck all the contents off it and it is no easy task to retrieve the spoon from him. I plan to wait until he hits 6 months before introducing any additional solids. Planning on his first few to be banana, avocado, and sweet potato. I have been pumping at work three times a day and am producing about 14 ounces while I'm away from him…and he's eating 20-22 ounces!!! We have been okay using up the reserve of frozen milk that I had stored from when I was on maternity leave but I only have one bag left. I think we are going to have to start supplementing with some formula mixed in. I am going to figure out the best way to do this with his pediatrician. On the days that I'm with him I feed on demand as needed and he seems satisfied. My "goal" has been to try and breastfeed as long as possible. Ideally I'd love to make it to the 1-year mark and I am committed to pumping at work to make this possible but if I don't make it then I'm trying to be okay with that. 
• Chewing – On. Everything. We are pretty sure that he is teething. Nothing visible just yet but he is becoming kinda whiny and seems happier when he's chewing on something.
• Sophie Giraffe – I don't know what it is about this toy but oh. mah. gawd. Miles loves the heck outta this thing. I still think it's a glorified dog chew toy but if he likes it I'm totally fine with it.
• Giraffes – Not really sure how it happened but the lovey that he naps with is a giraffe. We have a white noise animal that we use for naps and bedtime…it's a giraffe. And his play mat has animals that hang from it and he does love the giraffe in it. I always call them 'Raf because I think it will be easier to say once he starts talking and requesting his 'Raf. 
• Moving – This guy. I place him on his back under his play gym…he flips over on his tummy and starts "swimming" and grunting and gets frustrated that he can't move, is crawling on the horizon? Need to get on the baby-proofing. He is doing super push ups while on his tummy similar to the cobra yoga pose. He would spend all waking hours in his bouncer/jumper and he is constantly looking around the room. When the cat walks in or when someone walks by or he hears a noise he needs to check it all out…makes it kinda difficult to nurse him but I think it's adorable. He'll crane his head towards whatever direction the noise comes from. Stare for a few seconds then whip his head back towards the um…food source…and flash up a huge smile at me and then go back to eating for maybe a minute until it happens again. 
• Feet – he found his feet just before turing 5 months and while we were at the Lair he brought his toes to his mouth, left foot first which seems to be a pattern with all his new development. I cannot wait to see if he'll be a lefty. 
• Being outside – He loves the trees and fresh air. If he's starting to get fussy inside we'll take him into the backyard and just sit and he'll stare up at the trees. He's also better about going on walks. He tolerates the stroller much more now. I usually take him when I get home from work for a quick spin around the block. It's about a 1 mile walk and is kinda hilly but he just hangs out and takes in the sights. 
• People – He really enjoys meeting new people. He'll smile at people in line at the grocery store (you know the 2 times I've been brave enough to take him with me). He was such a friendly dude at the Lair. I think he gets this trait from both Matt and me :).

Dislikes

• Being hungry – This kid gets hangry. He wants to eat when he wants to eat and is pissed if he's not fed quickly enough…I can totally respect that :). 
• Being alone – Not completely but he is starting to notice if we leave a room or if he thinks we are ignoring him (which I assure you we are not). We do try and let him have some independent time to play under his play gym or in his Bjorn chair so that he can learn to entertain himself but he is such a social kiddo that he would much rather be where the action and people are. I have read that the separation anxiety can begin between 6-7 months as they start to become more aware of when the people they love leave the room. 

Sleeping: If I have to pick a normal routine this seems to be happening more frequently:

• Scenario Cool Beans: Falls asleep by 7-7:15pm; Wakes quickly to eat at 3:30am, back to sleep; Wakes up at 5:45-6am and we bring him into our bed and I nurse him and he will often fall back asleep until 6:45-7am.
• Scenario Meh: (as has been happening occasionally) Falls asleep by 7-7:15pm; Wakes at 1:45am to eat, back to sleep; Wakes at 4:45am and I try to nurse him back to sleep but he stays awake in his crib until 5:30am when we bring him into our bed and try to get him to sleep a little longer because 4:45am is NOT an acceptable wake up time.
• Scenario Awful: He goes down at 7-7:15pm; Wakes to eat at 12:30, 2:30, 4:30…this does not happen frequently but this is my least favorite option.

We have a pretty solid bedtime routine that involves a bath at 6:45pm then pjs, swaddle sack (starting with arms in but he busts out and that's okay, the swaddle helps him fall asleep), fan on, black-out shade down, white noise on, I nurse him for 8-10 minutes and then put him in his crib with eyes open and he'll either just quietly close his eyes or sometimes he'll fuss a bit and I'll pop in his Wubbanub. Other times he rolls around/flips over and cries for 5-10 minutes. Sometimes he'll require a check in and back pat or a quick pick up to burp/soothe. But we usually wait until 10 minutes has passed before going back in. The next thing we need to work on is weaning off the middle-of-the-night waking up. He should be able to sleep 12 hours so we'll see if his doctor has any recommendations when we see her in a few weeks.

Development

• Sitting up – We have been working on this since his 4 month appointment. Miles is getting better and the tripod sit and will go for a minute or two if you sorta help him from tottering/tipping over. He seems to like the new perspective but also bends forward to try and put his toes in his mouth…and doesn't quite have the ab strength to pull himself back up. 
• Solid food – Started rice cereal on Aug. 17, one "meal" a day.
• Rolling over – He did it for the first time back in early July but then seemed to forget about it. He's more into it now and goes back to tummy and tummy to back in both directions.

Stats

• We don't go see the pediatrician until Sep. 13 so the only estimated stat this month is his weight. Matt gets on our bathroom scale holding Miles and then gets on solo…two days ago he was just over 17 pounds (Miles…not Matt). 

Diapers

• Disposable – Size 3
• Cloth – 4 snaps across the width and one snap down

See you for month 6!!

Laughing at Chips

This cracks me up! I was eating pita chips and he thought it was hilarious. I'm glad that he thinks I'm so funny. 

Miles – Laughing at chips from Home Sweet Oakland on Vimeo.

 

Happy guy

Miles is just so smiley {almost} all the time now. He is starting to blow raspberries and sticks his tongue out and I think he may be teething. Nothing visible yet but he is always gumming everything and is the king of drooling. This video totally cracks me up. He's trying SO hard.

Miles – Blowing Raspberries from Home Sweet Oakland on Vimeo.

 He is the most happy first thing in the morning. Don't know who he gets that from because I am so not a morning person. I'll give Matt the credit here. I may be turning into a morning person because I absolutely cannot resist waking up happy when this is the sight I see. 

 

Here he is with his buddy Jesse (who is 6 days older than Miles). He is already giving me the "geeze mom ANOTHER photo? You are so embarassing" look. 

This kid and his blonde hair…I love it. 

The last photo is his amber teething necklace. He doesn't actually chew on it. It's meant to help naturally alleviate the negative symptoms of teething. Allegedly. We're trying it out. Hey if it doesn't hurt what's the harm?