~ 5 Month Update~

Bear wanted a picture too :)

Size:  Parker is still in a size 2 diaper and they are fitting him really good right now.  He's wearing mostly size 3-6 month clothes, but there are a FEW items that he can still wear that are 3 month.  He's getting so tall, I'm sure he'll be tall like Justin!

Parker discovered his toes DO reach his mouth!

Breastfeeding: Still going strong!!  This has been the best decision I've ever made and I'm so happy that I stuck with it!  I'm still pumping 3x a day and that's going well too.  I recommend that everyone give it a good, honest attempt!  I, for one, will never regret doing it!


Sleeping: Parker's sleeping habits haven't changed too much during the last month.  He still wakes up around 4:45 - 5am and then sleeps until I wake him up to leave for Nana's.  He still refuses to nap like most babies do, but that seems to work for him.  He's a very happy baby, but I honestly don't know how he stays so content w/o getting a longer nap!


Firsts: Friday (8/19/11) - I made Parker some homemade apple puree in my Baby Bullet.  Parker absolutely loved it!!  He ate about 1/2 tablespoon and I've let him have a little each morning since then (about 1/2-1 tbsp each day).  I let him taste carrots on Saturday the 20th and sweet peas on Monday the 22nd.  He's really showing interest in the foods we are eating now, but he seems content to just "taste" them rather than eat.  Although I let him taste carrots and peas, I doubt I will add that to our regular routine any time soon.  However, I'm really trying to go off of his cues, so if he seems more interested in the coming weeks, then I suppose I'll make some changes.  Soon, I'll post a video clip of Parker trying some apples for the first time - he wasn't too sure about it all!

We had Parker's Christening on August 21st.  He was so adorable and he did very well during the ceremony!  Here's a few photos from Sunday:

Favorites:  My mom bought Parker a Sophie Giraffe and he loves it!  I thought it was a little pricey ($22) for a teething toy, but he really adores it and it's the perfect size for his little hands.  Parker also love to watch Bear!  He'll stare at him and get the biggest grin :)  I know he just wants to run around chasing Bear all over the house!  Here's a photo of Parker with his new "friend," Sophie!

Guess that's all for now!  I suppose I ought to get started on his 6 month update since he'll be 6 months in 2 weeks!

4 Month Update

I took Parker to the doctor for his 4 month appointment yesterday (8/3/11).  He actually turned 4 months on the 21st of July, but I was trying to schedule an appointment for both of us on the same day and had to delay his by 2 wks to do so.  Everything at the appointment went great - but before the appointment I had a little meltdown in the car...lol...I will go into that later!!  First, I'll fill you in on how my sweet, sweet boy is doing!!

Size:  Parker is 14 lbs 13oz and 25.25 inches long!!  He's in the 50th percentile for height and the 38th percentile for weight.  The doctor said that this was great and that he'd gained 3lbs since his last visit - he said that was excellent!  I finally had to start putting size 2 diapers on Parker.  The funny thing is that the size 1 still fits perfectly around his tummy, but he's getting too tall for them!  The size 2 look too big, but fit in length (oh well, what can you do?!)!!  Parker can still wear "some" size 3 month clothes (mostly onesies that are stretchy).  I generally put him in things that say 3-6 months.  Some dressier outfits of his (Polo, MudPie, and the cute little jon jons) seem to be made shorter in length and he has had to move into the 6 month size in those.  He's finally about to outgrow his little Sperrys (insert sad face).  I LOVE them on him, but think it's a little silly of me to get another pair since he's just going to outgrow them in a few months again!  I guess I'm going to wait until he's a year to buy his next pair.  I bought the infant ones b/c their 1/2 the price of regular (around $35-$40 versus $65).  Obviously, it's still a little wastefull since babies don't "need" shoes, but THEY'RE SO CUTE!!! 

Breastfeeding:  Still going strong!  I'm sticking to my same pumping schedule and just praying my supply continues to stay where it is right now!  I did experience my first clogged milk duct a couple of weeks ago.  It hurt and it was very interesting (I could see the clog, but couldn't get it out).  I learned a lot that weekend reading up on home remedies and such :)  I won't go in to too many details b/c it would take forever to explain ALL that I tried - if any of you moms need someone to discuss it with let me know!  Other than the pain (bad, but not awful), I was very intrigued as to how I would get it out.  This sounds gross, but you know when you have a blemish on your face and part of you wants to leave it be and the other part wants to mess with it?  Well, this felt the same way!  I wanted to keep trying to get it out, but at the same time I was making myself more uncomfortable each time I messed with it!

Firsts:  Parker started to truely laugh on Saturday (7/31/11).  He's been making "laughing" sounds for the past month or so, but a real chuckle came out on Saturday!  It was the CUTEST sound I've ever heard and I've given the poor boy hiccups 3 times doing things that make him laugh.  I feel so bad, but I just couldn't stop doing things to make him giggle.  Parker realized that his toes can reach his mouth on Sunday (7/31/11).  He was just a mess all day pulling his big toe to his mouth! Then, on Monday night (8/1/11), he rolled from his back to his stomach!  I don't think it was intentional - he was actually more interested in getting his big toe into his mouth.  He seemed a little startled after he rolled over like "I didn't want to end up this way!"  On Sunday August 7th, Parker and I went to his first baby shower for his new friend to be, Logan, who is due in September.  Parker is always such a calm baby, but he got startled during the shower and screamed like he has NEVER screamed before!  I, quite honestly, wasn't sure what to do with him b/c it's that unusual for him to cry that bad.  I ended up walking outside with him and he calmed down.  Needless to say, we experienced our FIRST meltdown!

Food:Breastmilk and the litte formula that I supplement are still all that Parker is having.  I've increased his bottles to 5oz this month, but he's not showing a lot of interest in food right now.  His pediatrician supported the fact that I wanted to wait a little while longer, but did mention that babies show windows of interest in trying other foods.  He said instead of setting a goal "I" want to follow that I should take cues from Parker and if he "seems" really interested in what I'm eating, then consider letting him try some (if it's something that I can puree) or either mixing him some cereal (which I also plan to make). I liked that idea b/c it doesn't try to "sway" a parent into doing one thing or the other.  I'm comfortable letting Parker taste things, but I'd really like to wait until he's closer to 6 months before making solids part of his daily routine.

Well, if I keep prastinating working on this post, it will never be finished.  That being said, I'll just add my pictures that go with this post a little later this week! 

Schedules ~ Schedules~ Schedules

Schedules - you always hear people joke about how the "together" moms always have them.  People often have joked with me about my OCDness and said they'd imagine I was so organized at home.  Maybe I "appear" that way to some people, but let me tell you I feel so UNORGANIZED right how!!  I really do have some serious OCD tendencies (medically undiagnosed, of course) and often you will see me lining things up "just right" or repeatedly wiping the countertop ( I HATE CRUMBS).   That being said, it should be pretty easy to imagine what a little mess can do to me!  I have intended to clean my house for the past 2 weekends, but by the time Saturday rolls around, I'm simply just too tired to get the job done.  Obviously, I'm not living in a dump, but in my little world, it's beginning to feel that way!  I don't feel like a complete failure yet b/c I do "straighten up" on  daily basis.  I get up pretty early in the morning and try to allow a little time to tidy up a bit before heading off to work. 

I've struggled with my schedule over the last week because I feel that I'm purely exhausted.  I'm hitting the snooze and then rushing around like a mad woman to get ready on time.  I think part of my problem is my long pumping sessions ( 30+minutes some days).  It really doesn't bother me to pump that long.  I use the time as "me time" and take advantage of my multitasking skills (such as typing this as I pump,  catching up on shows I've dvr'd, and eating my morning oatmeal).  SN: oatmeal is good for you breastfeeding moms!!  I've recently talked with a fellow BF mom and she suggested I buy the hands free bra - SIGN ME UP!!  I've yet to order one, but it's on my ever growing "to do" list!

I'm curious to know what other mom's schedules are like?  Do you stick to it or just "see what happens?"  I like for things to go as planned, so my frequent hectic mornings are really catching up to me!  I try to allot for variance in my routine, but I just really can't seem to get it together lately!  Anyway, below is my schedule (weekdays only - weekends are schedule free). Let me know what you think and how you keep it all together.  :)

5am - wake up, get shower, do makeup
5:30am-pump, eat oatmeal, computer time, catch up on recorded shows, play with Bear (all simultaneously!)
6:00-fix Parker's bottles, prepare any extra milk to freeze, wash pump, fix hair
6:30-wake Parker, nurse for 5min (helps him wait until 8am for his 1st bottle at mom's), spend time together, get dressed
7am- leave for Nana's
7:15-spend time with Parker before leaving for work
7:30-leave for work

As you can see, I try to get to work by 7:45am everyday.  Unfortunately, I am waking up closer to 5:30 every morning and I spend my "time with Parker" time playing catch up.  I get so sad b/c I don't want his mornings to feel rushed (even if mine do), so that's why I had planned a little time to wake him up gently, nurse, and just be. It's a work in progress is all I can say!  In the meantime- I'm a zombie, dirty clothes are piling up in the laundry room, the SAME dishes are repeatedly washed in the dishwasher b/c I never unload it, all my plants have died (existing problem...lol), and my floors/house are really dusty - BUT, Parker is a healthy, happy baby and, at the end of the day, that's all that really matters.  :)

A weekend of firsts & Pictures!

This 4th of July weekend marked many firsts for my sweet little man!  We started off Friday July 1 with his first baseball game!  We joined friends in Mobile to watch the Mobile Bay Bears play the Montgomery Biscuits!  Parker did amazing - I don't know why I'm surprised, he's such a wonderful baby!  The mascots would not leave us alone though!  I was getting a little nervous with those smelly things putting their "hands" all around his face and hands, but I guess you gotta start letting them get germy at some point right?  After the game, we set off to Elberta to spend the weekend at our friend's (Robert & Lena) home.  Cindy and Ryan  were also in town from TX for the weekend!  The boys took care of breakfast Saturday morning (Justin cracked the eggs...lol) and then we started on our treck to the beach.  Parker did amazing yet again and I'm still in shock of how much he seemed to enjoy being on the beach.   He was so happy and content.  I did miss getting to lay out a lot, but it was worth it to have my sweet little man next to me all day long.

Size: no change in this department!  Parker is still wearing mostly 3 or 3-6 month clothes and a size 1 diaper.  Today is the 13th and I weighed Parker last night....if my scales are correct (which they may not be), then Parker is right around 14.6lbs.  Of course I googled "average" size for his age and he's in the healthy range - I wonder what he'll be when we see the dr?

Breastfeeding:  BFing is going GREAT!!  I'm happy with my routine and it's working for us!!  We're still nursing every morning, evening, and all weekends (while I pump 3x a day on weekdays).  If anyone ever struggles with it, please talk to me!!  I joked about wanting to quit many times, but the SECOND I thought I was really going to have to quit, I turned into an emotional wreck until I figured something out!  I wasn't prepared for "my" attachment to it; I always thought I would be able to stop at any given time.  Luckily, I figured this out my first week back to work and my supply hasn't decreased too much (it's inevitable that it wouldn't at all since I'm taking such long stretches b/w pumping).  We're supplementing no more than 8oz of formula during the day (I alternate his bottles), but many days, I'm able to provide enough of my own!  I'm trying to leave my freezer stash alone in case I do have to stop for some reason (he won't have to stop at the same time).  I notice such a difference in Parker on the days where he gets only my milk.  He seems more content and his diapers are more frequent...which makes me feel better (sometimes if he has more formula, he will go longer periods with out a dirty...I don't like that...I like to know everything is working...lol).  I've also noticed that I'm so confident talking about it now and want to discuss it with every mom/pregnant lady out there!  It's really an empowering type of feeling - I can't describe it, but it feels wonderful to know what I'm doing for Parker (maybe it's b/c I struggled and found my way, maybe not).  Do all other BFing moms feel this way?  The financial side is nice too, I don't have to buy formula very often (actually, I found a great deal right afer Parker was born and had 3 $5 off coupons, so I went ahead and stocked up with the double refills).  It takes me close to 3-4 weeks to use one container. Okay, I'll stop now....see, I really could go on and on! :)

Firsts: Parker rolled over for the first time on Tuesday, July 5, 2011!!  I was in the bathroom getting ready for work and he was lying in mine and Justin's bed.  I heard him start to cry and when I walked into our room he was on his back all startled!  He rolled over again at my moms and then once more that evening!  His first day of rolling and he does it 3 times!  It was such a bittersweet moment for me b/c I was so proud of him, but I really felt like crying because he is just growing up too fast.  He also officially found his thumb and feet in the last month!  He's so cute playing with his toes!  He grabs everything now and holds on to it - he loves to look around too!  He'll follow anything that's moving in his view; this new habit is starting to interfere with feeding!  Parker also got to wear his little Sperrys for the first time!  I sure hope they fit around 6mo, b/c I want to have some pictures made with him wearing them - so cute!!

Thoughts:I've been thinking of a couple of things lately.  One is whether or not I'm going to start cereal at 4 months (I know the doctor will say it's okay).  I've heard of a lot of BFing moms say that they were going to hold off until closer to 6 months.  I'm trying to research it a little before deciding.  I feel that I would be comfortable giving him some in the mornings, but I'm concerned about nighttime b/c that's when I'm able to nurse.  I don't want to offer it to him to try to get him to sleep through the night (he's actually sleeping from around 9:30 to 4:30 or 5am - which I think is GREAT).  I don't mind if he wakes up in the middle of the night to eat - I cherish that time with him.  I also don't want to deprive him of something he may need.  He's only drinking 4oz every 3-4 oz, so he's starving by any means.  I've offered 5oz bottles, but he never finishes them, so I'm trying to follow his pace.  ADVICE on this would be appreciated fellow bloggers!!  Also, I'm trying to decide if he's teething or not.  He is drooling like crazy, but he pretty much has no other symptoms.  He is starting to "gum" things, so that is what made me think he might be.  Oh, it would be so wonderful if he continues to be such a happy baby during teething. :)  I won't expect it, but I sure would love if that is the case!!

1st time wearing Sperrys!

1st Father's Day

Sucking that thumb!

1st BayBears Game 7/1/11

Great Game w/ Great People



1st Trip to the Beach 7/2/11



1st 4th of July

Giving Daddy his 1st Father's Day gift - a Carrot Stick!

Well, that's about if for now!  I really need to work on my blog photo skills!  Since I haven't taken the time to figure it all out, my photos are just in one big clump at the end!

I forgot!!

I totally forgot to mention in the past post that we had Parker's 3 month pictures taken on Thursday (6/23/11).  Ryan Clements (Legacy Studios) is our photographer and we just love him!  He is so patient and does such a wonderful job!  You can check out his website at http://www.yourlegacystudios.com/.  We are already looking foward to our 6 month session (although I don't want Parker to get older...lol)!  The picture of him sitting up was actually Justin and I holding him up against a white backdrop, but he looks so grown up with our hands photo-shopped out!  Here are 2 sneak peeks of our precious boy :) enjoy!!

3 Month Update

So many things are changing, it seems hard to keep them all straight!  I always try to make a mental note of what I want to include in the blog, but when I finally have the time to sit down and type - I forget :(  Guess I'm going to have to start writing it all down the old fashioned way...lol!

Size: If I had to guess, I would say that Parker is probably in the 13lb range right now!  He is still wearing a lot of size 3-6 month clothes, although many of his onesies are size 6mo (to fit length-wise).  He is still wearing a size 1 diaper and they fit really good right now, so I'm not sure when he'll graduate into the size 2s (b/c I think he's entering the size 2 weight range - but 1s are still a perfect fit). 

Breastfeeding: Breastfeeding is always giving me new challenges!  My first week back to work was very trying on my patience for pumping and I thought I was going to have to quit altogether.  The oddest thing is that I always figured I'd stop after I started back to work and it didn't bother me....or so I thought.  After 4 days of trying to make pumping at work a success, I came home in tears b/c I just couldn't seem to stick to the schedule.  It wasn't by choice, but just that every SINGLE TIME I needed to pump, something would come up that kept me from going upstairs to do so.  Add that to the fact that by the time I usually made it upstairs (around an hour or two later) I was so stressed about being quick and behind schedule that it started taking me twice as long to pump.  I was miserable and everyone told me that I really needed to stick to a 3-4 hour routine.  Luckily for me, I decided to try one last thing and discussed my plan with a fellow blogger - mummies nummies - who has become a wonderful advice giver!  For the past week and a half, I've pumped at 6am, 11am (lunch), and as soon as I get home from work.  Once I'm home, I strictly nurse until 6am and also strictly nurse on the weekends (if possible).  So far, this is working great!!  I alternate Parker's bottles b/w breast milk and formula during the day and I'm currently pumping around 12oz for the entire day.  Pumping away from work has also relaxed me and we all know that makes pumping easier!  I'm sure my supply will eventually decrease a little as it already has somewhat in the past few weeks, but anything is better than stopping completely.  I just wanted to still be able to nurse in the evenings and weekends.  I never knew how attached I would get until I thought I'd not be able to - hopefully my unusual schedule will continue to work :) 

Sleeping: Parker is still on the same sleeping pattern!  We usually lay him down around 9 or 9:30pm and he's up at 4am ready to eat!  This past week, however, I opted not to give him any formula at night and just strictly nurse, so he's added an additional feeding around 1am.  I'm so happy to nurse him though, it totally makes up for my sleep deprivation!

Firsts: I'm sure that I forgot to mention some firsts in my last post, so I wanted to make sure I included them here!  In the past 3 months we've celebrated Parker's first Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Memorial Day, wedding, and road trip!  I'll post some pictures of Father's day soon - Parker started out right by getting daddy a Carrot Stick fishing rod.  I haven't surprised Justin in years, so I knew it would be special since this was his first "gift" from Parker.  It also was perfect timing b/c Justin's favorite abu garcia rod had broken about 3 weeks before Father's day giving us a perfect excuse to talk about fishing rods :)  I've got some cute pictures of my boys outside with their "toy!"  We also took a trip up to Camden, AL the weekend of Father's day for my Uncle's wedding.  We went to a place called Gaines Ridge - an old home that has been turned into a restaurant.  The wedding was beautiful and Parker was so well behaved (road trip and wedding), so it made the whole day a success! :)  We will venture out on our next adventure the weekend of the 4th when we plan to stay with our two friends, Robert and Lena, at their home!  Our friends Ryan and Cindy will be in from TX too, so it should be lots of fun!  Wish us luck b/c this will be the first "trip" away from home with Parker!  Below are some pictures of other firsts :)

1st time in swimsuit and toes in water - Memorial Day '11

1st time in overalls :)  May 2011

1st time wearing mommy's old jammies :)  May 2011

Squeals of Delight!

I forgot to mention in my post yesterday that Parker squealed and smiled at the same time on 6/10/11!!  It was so adorable!  I'm sure that he'll be laughing in no time!