Quick Naptime Update

I don't have a whole lot of time recently to blog what with Oliver crawling everywhere, our new playgroups and my new full time career as a Professional Troll Hunter. I realize I have left everyone hanging on a few topics so I thought I would update while the lion sleeps.

Food
He is doing much better with solids. He gets about two tablespoons of rice cereal in the morning, but only if Daddy feeds him. Who knew such bonding could occur over mush!? We have also found that he loves sweet potato fries (baked not fried) because he gets to hold it while he munches, and the only puree we have found he enjoys is peaches, can't say as I blame him...it is delish. He is still breastfeeding most of the time, but we are almost up to three solids a day. I hate solids. Well, lets just say that I hate what solids do to his "Number Twos". GAG! I actually thought about switching to disposibles again after having to rinse an especially heinous poop this morning. Smelled like bad breath...from a corpse...a homeless corpse...a homeless corpse drowned in hot dog water.

Playtime
His favorite toy is a box that we put a bunch of wooden blocks in. He enjoys sitting and pulling everything out of the box, and then dragging the box around with him or wearing it as a hat. My dog's favorite toy is all of the wooden blocks we put in the box. In a related story, my living room looks like a saw mill.

Development
He is 19lbs, which is just over 50th percentile for weight. Apparently the solids are good for something, and he is getting way taller, we just had to lower his crib. The funny part about this is that I now need a step stool to put him in his crib for sleepy times. Embarrassing. He is scooting/crawling all over the place and he sits up on his own which is so cute to watch. He has also started pulling up on things this week, usually resulting in me lurching for him as he crashes to the ground. He is ready to stand, gravity is not.

Life in General
He has been a bit depressed lately as his dearest Aunty and Uncle B have moved to New Mexico. Also, one of his prime love interests, Hope, moved to Maine the same week with her parents, leaving him heartbroken. He is however excited about his first plane trip in a few weeks to visit his Britty and also about going to Maine to see the Hopester in November!

I will update with video of crawling and playing when I can, the Ollie is up from his Ollie Nap.

Arts and Crafts

Not only is my son brilliant and handsome, but he is also very artistic. Look out Jackson Pollock, there is a new kid in town! This weekend, Oliver decided that for his Great-Grandmother's (or Cranberry as he calls her) annual 39th birthday, he would make her a card along with a special art project. So I got up early in the morning on Saturday and went and got all the supplies. Apparently Michael's is one of the lazier stores, and didn't open until 10am. 10am?! Don't old ladies shop there? What about knitting emergencies?! So, it being 8am - don't judge me, I don't even recognize myself! I had to settle for Target.

So, I strapped on my Target blinders (if I don't I go in for one thing and end up buying $200 worth of stuff I don't need) and went in to see what I could find. Success!! Finger paints, construction paper and the piece de resestance: a handprint frame. As I checked out, I felt this sense of pride! I am a fun, creative and nurturing mama, my kids won't watch TV, they will do art projects and play outside!! My daydreams of genius offspring were interrupted by an overenthusiastic Target employee complimenting every single thing I bought (do they train them to do that?!) and I quickly rushed out to avoid starting a meaningful relationship with Alex, the Checkout Guy.

By the time I got home, I knew from the escalating whines that we had about 10 minutes of good quality time before Nap Time. Have you ever tried to get a 7 month old to do Arts and Crafts right before Nap Time? It is a bit like trying to force a square peg into a round hole, but the square peg has teeth and a really loud voice, and the round hole is a highchair. In the end, we had a blast. All I can say is thank goodness fingerpaints are non-toxic because he really enjoyed putting the paint in his mouth.

And the Breastfeeding Emmy goes to...

...CSI!! I admit, I have been watching FAR too many back episodes of this show. They have 80 seasons by now, so it keeps me entertained while I am "cleaning" or the boy is sleeping. I have noted on SEVERAL occasions that breastfeeding is a theme. Ok, I admit, one time it was a grown man who liked to dress as a baby and suckle off his "mommy" but still, I feel the theme is still there. Lactation itself has been shown at least three times. In this age of Enfamil commercials cutting into programming to remind us that "Breast is Best" it is awesome to see this show taking a positive stand for breastfeeding.

-The following are mentions of pro-breastfeeding:
-Catherine (hot red head CSI) mentions breastfeeding her daughter exclusively
-Brass (policeman far left) admits he was breastfed
-A girl starts lactating in front of Catherine, leading her to realize the girl was pregnant
-The mother of a kidnapped little boy is shown lactating
-The mother of the "giant baby" says breastfeeding is coddling but then again, she is the mother of a grown man who dresses as a baby, so if that isn't a promo for the boob I don't know what is...
-The only episode formula is mentioned being used, the parents end up being the killer
-A mother stocks her fridge with breastmilk before 'committing suicide'
-The child who was breastfed was standing in his crib and therefore older than most babies shown breastfeeding on TV
-Catherine comments, "She wanted to make sure her baby was feed properly before she killed herself."

All of these mentions couldn't possibly be coincidence. Am I the only person who has noticed all of these?! Am I the only person who watches far too much CSI? Probably. Anyway, I leave you with the Oliver crawling around while what is on in the background? You guessed it! CSI!

No thank you!

In an effort to be a mainstream, follow-doctor's-orders, Round Rock Republican, conformist sort of mom (what was I thinking!?) I started Oliver on solids at the prescribed 6 months. It started well enough, he seemed to like avocado as well as banana when we gave it to him in his teether - so he could do it himself. Then, at our 6 month appointment, the doctor stressed that we needed to start him on rice cereal ASAP because his little body was depleted of iron and that is the only way to get it back...news to me by the way.

So we tried it. He. Hates. It. No, despise is a better word. As in, he gets lock jaw as soon as he sees the box of cereal and only opens his mouth in order to scream his protest. It isn't just cereal he hates, he hates fruit, veggies, all of it. I don't get it! All these women I hear about, saying how their kids LOVE solids, gobble everything right up! Mine is like, this is gross, give me a boob. He had a serious meltdown today when I tried to give him some, because I just keep trying.

Well, I am done trying. I refuse to force my child to eat something that is supposed to be FUN just because some person with a degree tells me to. From my research, children who refuse solids may be prone to food allergies, so in this line of thought, I am not forcing the issue any longer. It is a stress to me, him and a waste of money because everything I make goes down the drain. We will try again in a couple of weeks, but even then, the issue won't be forced.

It really is too bad cause he is SUPER cute with food all over his face.

Thank you for all of your concerns! I wanted to add the sources of my research to show I wasn't going to starve my baby just for my ideals. Also, just a reminder, you can lead a baby to a spoon but you can't make him swallow.

Things I have learned, pt. 2...am

Somethings only become apparent to you in the wee small hours of morning. Others only become apparent to you before the wee small hours of morning somewhere between the ballsack of midnight and the buttcrack of dawn. This is commonly referred to the "taint-ing" hour. This is when the real rumination begins. Personally, I have had many hours of this contemplation time lately, as Oliver has decided that 3am-5am is the time when all babies in the know like to party (this is how we do it!). Let me take this time to share with you some of my deep thoughts, also there are some shallow thoughts to fill in here and there.

-The dog will start barking only if the baby is asleep for the first time in 48 hours.
-The humane society only takes drop offs from the hours of 2pm-6pm.
-Risking your head exploding by holding in a sneeze is better than waking a sleeping baby.
-Your camera will run out of room right before the baby does something amazing.
-Begging has no effect on small children.
-Baby's have 6 foot long arms. Don't believe me? Put a plate of jalepenos on a table.
-Cats will only meow when the baby is almost sleeping.
-There is more than one way to skin a cat.
-It is possible for you to love AND hate your baby. Sometimes at the same time.
-There is a thin line between a laugh and a cry.
-Vaccuum cleaners are scary.
-Babies make good brooms once they become mobile.
-The person who said, "don't force it" has never tried to put a 6 month old in a carseat.
-Sometimes all you need to sleep is someone to hold you.
-If you try to do too much, God will break your toe.
-Babies love puppets.
-Weekends are for daddies.
-The amount of poop is inversely proportional to the amount of wipes you have with you.
-Sleep is a luxury. Babies hate luxuries.

These are the things I have learned in my 6 months of being a mommy. Now that it is 5am, and I can no longer stand one more bad Samantha pun (I have been watching Sex and the City reruns during my midnight rendezvous) so I will bid you farewell, with a video of my son, and his first love.

Simple Yoga with Oliver

This is Oliver.

Oliver is a very serious student of the art of yoga. He would like to walk you through some of his favorite poses. Remember, he is an expert and these poses should only be attempted under supervision.

First, lets center ourself with some meditation. It sometimes helps to have a focal point. Oliver prefers fuzz. Ommmmm...


Next, we start in lotus position, it really isn't hard once you get the hang of it!




Next, lets get ready for some sun salutations. We shall start in Cobra pose.




In one fluid motion, move to Bridge pose, remembering to relax your face!


From here, we breathe into Downward Dog pose, you can modify this pose as shown here, if your body is telling you to.


Beware of cramps!! If you get one, be sure to stretch it out!!


We will finish in plank pose. This pose can burn a bit, but that is how you can tell it is working.



Oliver is not impressed with your yoga skills.