milk mustache

Jack is on his way to milk mustaches! Yesterday was the first day we starting weaning Jack onto milk! Tonya is giving him half formula half milk bottles now! I think we are going to do this for a week or so and then start giving him less and less formula until he is off formula! I'm aiming by his first birthday! Tonya said HE LOVED the milk - I was affraid he might not drink it or it would upset his tummy...he did wake up alot last night, but that's really nothing new so I'm not sure if the milk had anything to do with it or not...We shall see!

Here we go on the "No More Formula Ride!" keep your fingers crossed its a smooth ride!

xoxo

11 Month Birthday!

Today Jack turned 11 months old! I can't believe we will be celebrating his 1 year birthday in just another 4 short weeks! Time has flown by...I remember like it was yesterday sitting at the house on maternity leave thinking, "OMG - what have I done?" Haha. It definitely took some time for me to adjust to being a mom, but now I wouldn't change a thing!

Here's an update of some of Jack's developments:

• Jack is pointing.
• Jack is clapping.
• Jack is waving.
• Jack gives kisses when asked and sometimes when he isn't asked.
• Jack says Mama, Dada, No, and Huh-uh reguarly and I'm convinced he knows who Mama and Dada are when he says them...well Mama for sure.
• Jack doesn't like when he see Mom walk by and not come to see him - he screams until I come back to get him!
• Jack still loves daycare.
• Jack loves to give you a pat on the back for picking him up!
• Jack is starting to observe the world around him more and more everyday.
• Jack has mastered his "split scoot" and I'm not sure he will ever crawl.
• Jack is starting to try and discover how to pull up to things and if I give him my hands to hold he will stand up by himself, but I haven't found him standing next to any furniture yet.
• Jack drinks 3-4 bottles a day and is now back to eating his baby food as well as table food!
• Jack has ZERO teeth.
• Jack loves to flirt.
• Jack has a mean bone in his little monster body.
• Jack is starting to use toys in the manner they are meant (drives trucks around on the floor, etc.)
• Jack throws fits.
• Jack is starting to semi-sleep better (I'll regret that).
• Jack loves to throw things.
• Jack goes from sitting to knees and back to sitting.
• Jack will stand when placed as long as there is someone to entertain him.
• Jack can sometimes sit up on his own, but this isn't consistent and mainly only happens in his crib or pack n play.
• Jack weighs just under 21 pounds - I'm not sure on his length as Chris didn't pay attention at the dr. this week.

This is all I can really think of. All in all Jack is doing great (minus the whole pneumonia thing)!

xoxo

10 and a Half Month Update

I know, I know - I've been a bad blogger lately! I have some time so I wanted to update (document) some of Jack's favorite activities! This will be in bullet point form!

• Jack is a clapping fool! He loves to clap - he claps when he is happy, he claps when he is mad, he claps to himself in the back seat, he claps when I sing, he claps when he screams! He is all around just a CLAPPER!
• Not only is Jack a clapping fool, but he is a dancing fool as well! He loves music (which became apparent to me around 4 months of age)! He loves his nursery rhymes, sung by myself or his singing book, he loves the radio, he loves phones that play music, he loves commercials with music (especially that new "I can't believe it's not butter" commercial with the lady from Will and Grace - anyone know it?), but the best part about his love of music is his DANCING! He will bounce up and down and shrug up his little shoulders and can that boy keep a beat! He has good rhythm! He bounces in perfect beat with the music and when he gets really excited he will also throw in a little swaying front and back! When standing up he will bend his knees and bounce his whole body up and down! It's so CUTE!
• Last week Jack starting pointing - doesn't sound like a big milestone, but it's so cute! I have to admit the first few times he raised his arm up and pointed; Chris and I thought he was doing the "gay" hey wave! But after watching him a few times I realized he was pointing at me, then I noticed him pointing at lots of things! So that's a new favorite of his!
• Jack also will give kisses when asked probably 40-50% of the time and then randomly he does it without being asked! I love it!
• Jack also has become more and more in love with the fact that he can shake his head "no"! He now knows what it means as well - see he is starting to reject his baby food (that's a whole 'nother story) and if he even sees me pick up the container or the spoon he screams and shakes his head no! It's cute, but FRUSTRATING!
• Jack also loves balls - play balls/toys that is! He loves to throw them and then scream til you throw it back! He pretty much is throwing or pushing anything off of anything! And he thinks it's funny - Momma on the other hand does not!
• Jack still has ZERO teeth, although he has been working on them pretty hard lately!

That's pretty much it for his new tricks. A quick update on the physical therapy and leg situation: We have been working with him a ton and he has been spending tons of time in his Jumperoo and Walker and he is now standing (no PT needed) so we have decided to forego the physical therapy for now. I talked with a PT I know and he said that until Jack is at least 12 months old we would probably be wasting lots of time and money. He still isn't crawling, but army crawling (backwards only) all over the place, he is still getting up on all fours and bouncing and every once in awhile lunging forward. Yesterday he was on the bed while Chris was packing his suitcase and Jack went from sitting up onto his knees to look over the edge of the suitcase! He has also been working on sitting up by himself - that's still a work in progress though for sure!

We took Jack to the doctor last week (he has had really bad allergies which lead to double ear infections) and he was still only 27 inches - maybe 27.5 inches long and weighed 20 pounds 2.5 ounces!

Well this turned out much longer then I had anticipated! Thanks for sticking through it! :-)

xoxo

Great Debate Update

I thought an update or more info was necessary after some of the comments I have received on the whole teething debate. Everyone thinks it sounds like teething to them, which is good and bad in my case.

I have tried Tylenol alternating with Motrin - doesn't seem to help much. We've tried the Teething Tablets - didn't see anything come of that at all. I haven't tried Baby Orajel, but I'm going to get some (hence we I haven't tried it), but I looked last night and I seriously DO NOT SEE ANYTHING in his mouth! No swollen gums, no white spots, no nada!?

I mean I totally wish/hope that he is teething because I'm dying to let him try more table food and I'm starting to wonder if he even has teeth anywhere under those gums - I mean he is 9.5 months old for goodness sake!

But I did start him back on his reflux meds this morning because the more I watched him the more I thought he was showing some signs of reflux - rearing his head back, not wanting to lay down on his back, the non-stop hiccups, it's always worse at night after he has ate all day long (Tonya says he is fine all day at daycare, but around 5:30 or so he gets super duper cranky!), wanting bottles over food - this soothes the pain in his throat, the wet burps have begun again as well and waking at 2am screaming.

Either way - his reflux meds won't hurt him and we can try weaning again in another few months and if it's teeth then teething TOTALLY sucks! We'll see hopefully here in the next week or so if we pop a tooth through or if his meds take his symptoms away (it takes about 5-7 days for the medicine to start working again - grr...).

xoxo

Great Debate

With myself that is...I can't decide if it's teething or reflux?

Jack has been a bit of Mr. Cranky Pants here lately and I can't tell if it's that he is teething or if it's his reflux? We took him off his reflux medicine on the 3rd of March to see if he didn't need it any longer because who wants their baby on medicine if it's not necessary?

I had actually forgot about the fact that we stopped his medicine until this weekend. He is either teething or having reflux pain and I just can't decide which one? He is chomping like an alligator, not wanting to eat his baby food, cries sporadically (screams in pain), is cuddlier than normal, drools, hiccuping more often, chews on his fingers, only wants cheerios and puffs or other finger foods, taking bottles well, he isn't spitting up (but he never really did with his reflux - it was "silent" - yes that is a medical term), no fever, he has been waking up earlier in the mornings screaming, screams when he wakes up from a nap (which is unusual - he is usually in a great mood upon waking), so all in all I don't know what the culprit is?

I'm going to check his mouth good tonight and if I don't see anything then I'm going to start his reflux meds again in the morning I guess...He still doesn't have any teeth so I have nothing to compare to in the teething behavior department.

Wish me luck...

xoxo

7 Months Old...Already!!

So my little boy turned 7 months old on Monday! Time is flying by! Here is a quick update on his development and new skills!

• Jack is sitting completely unassited and without any pillows or people for support/security! I can leave him on the floor and he is perfectly fine. He lifts both hands off the floor to play with toys, he turns from side to side and leans over to grab toys and then sits back up. He hasn't figured out how to sit from laying down though - I think it has to do with him not liking to roll?
• Jack is still sleeping from 7pm until anywhere between 5:30-7:30am. If he wakes early he gets a bottle and goes back to bed - sometimes until 9:00am! What a good boy!
• Jack has started eating baby food. We skipped over cereal for now and he has had Pears and Squash with no tummy troubles! I think every weekend we will be adding a new food and see how it goes!
• Jack still doesn't have any teeth, but has been teething hard lately so hopefully soon!
• Jack is a jabber box! Dadadadadadadadada is all I hear!
• Jack is also a major screamer! He screams when he is excited mostly and flaps his arms up and down to add to the excitement! Tonya says he screams at all the kids all day long at daycare! I'm sure she loves that! But its how he communicates so I'm fine with it!
• Jack is starting to show some seperation anxiety tendencies - mostly when Momma leaves, but he loves daycare so we never have the problem there! It's mainly when cranky, tired, or hungry!
• Just last night Jack started getting his knees under him while on his tummy and pushing backwards! He's been wiggling around on his belly spinning circles for a few weeks now though. Hopefully crawling is in the future in the next couple months! Although he still has no desire to stand, at least not for too long.

xoxo

Bad Cereal...

Yes, rice cereal is B.A.D! I gave in this past Saturday and we gave Jack his first little bit of rice cereal. I have to admit I was excited; excited to feed him with a spoon, excited to see how he did with the spoon, excited and hopeful all would go well...

He did awesome with the whole spoon concept! From bite 1 he was waiting with an open mouth! And once I figured out I needed to put the spoon in a bit farther he never even spit any out! So obviously developmentally he is ready for solids. I was hopeful after the great experience of the actual feeding/eating...

6 hours later however - I regretted it! Jack was screaming in pain, pulling his legs to his chest and passing gas like I've never heard! Poor guy! He would cry and cry and toot and toot and wiggle around so uncomfortable! I seriously haven't heard him cry like that in over a good 2 months - it was an all out screaming cry! I tried to hold him, rock him, calm him, I even ended up swaddling him - nothing was helping, so I finally gave him some gripe water and that seemed to settle his tummy and he fell asleep!

Needless to say it's going to be a few more weeks before we try cereal again! And I might even skip the rice and go for oatmeal b/c I heard it doesn't give them gas/constipation like the rice can...we'll see. I'm just like when is he going to be able to eat normally? I mean he still can't even digest a "regular" formula for goodness sake! Is he is going to be a toddler and living off milk? YIKES!

xoxo

Food for Thought

Here we are at 5 months and 1 week old and "The Mean Momma" (aka me!) has yet to let my little man have any food even brush across his perfect little lips (well except for that one BBQ chip Daddy let him lick before I had a chance to scream NO!).

I'm just not ready, it's not that I don't necessarily think Jack is/isn't ready, but I'm not ready either. I'm worried about his little tummy! He still seems to have a rough go at it as far as digestion goes - have I mentioned he has had hard BM's for about 3 weeks now? He goes once if not twice a day but some are formed, some just dry, some really pasty - I know it's from the formula switch, but I was hoping his little system would adjust but so far no luck! The only thing that is keeping me from flipping out is that he doesn't seem bothered at all my any tummy troubles - no more gas then usual, his belly is soft and not hard, he doesn't cry or scream while having a BM, etc. He seems perfectly fine, but doesn't it sound wrong? For a 5 month old who is still formula only to have hard, dry BM's? IDK - maybe it's normal?!

I also know that there are some foods that will make it worse (BRAT - bananas, rice, apples, toast - the ole BRAT diet staples), but I'm not sure what everything else will do to further stop him up! Poor little guy! I know there are foods that should help, but I don't really know which foods those are - I mean in baby food world?

I swear everyone looks at me like I'm "The Mean Momma" and not letting him have food, "He must be starving!" they say, well more like they give me a weird look and I know what they are thinking...Ugh! Well you know what, my 5 month old is close to 17 pounds, chunky, happy, healthy, and sleeping through the night for 10 hours (knock on wood - we don't want to go down the sleep path again) so I say, or scream - HE IS NOT HUNGRY OR STARVING - BACK THE TRUCK UP! OK?

xoxo