43 weeks old....10 months already!

10 months. We're now in the home stretch into toddlerhood. Everyday it becomes more evident that Logan is not a baby, but a little boy.

He's still sleeping in (except for this morning). This feels like a miracle to have your baby sleep for so long. I forgot what life was like with a decent amount of sleep. His naps are consistently an hour or so, compared to the 20-45 minutes in the past. Sometimes he still takes two naps & will have one nap days when we're running around doing our thing.

His is still a wonderful eater. I'm not really making "baby food" anymore, other than applesauce & pearsauce (because I like them too). He's eating all table foods & mostly feeds himself. I only feed him breakfast because it's really messy. Oatmeal, banana & yogurt combo isn't a great finger food. Since our vacation, when we go out to eat, Logan sits with us at his own place with his own meal. It's a lot of fun to order off the kids menu. It's also interesting to see what kids eat off the menu. There have been times that I have to order a side dish that is a lot healthier for him. But he loves it nonetheless. He looks so "grown-up" & I think he feels that way too.

Playtime is still a barrel of laughs. He is really into his books right now. He is constantly sitting on the floor reading a book to himself, upside down. He loves it when I lay on my stomach next to him so we're at the same level & I read to him. He pays such close attention. Just not for very long. He is great at putting his blocks away in the bucket. We're working on hand-eye coordination so he can put them through the shape sorter. He is playing pee-a-boo by himself (sort of) by pulling a blanket up to his face, or hiding behind the couch. This is far & few between. His new "trick" is walking with his push-walker across the room, back & forth, over & over again. I'm going to try & get some video of this.
He still pulls himself up onto everything & cruises very fast. Bill & I play "balance" with him where he stands by himself & gently sits down. He thinks this is pretty fun. We watched him doing squats holding on to his walker the other day. I wonder where he got that from! Today we started practicing taking unassisted steps between us.

His social development is great. He's becoming more confident at playgroup & wanders off, exploring the house we're visiting. He plays next to the other kids, but still prefers attention from other Moms. There's still a touch of stranger anxiety, but it's turned into more of a separation anxiety. This is hard for me. While it's cute to always have him hanging on me, it gets old fast. He has total melt downs if I leave the living room/play room to go into the kitchen to load the dishwasher or cook him a meal. He hangs on the side of the baby gate, watching me, screaming & crying at the top of his lungs. It's very frustrating & I really hope this phase doesn't last long.

He is totally having temper tantrums now. He's been having them for a while, but his frustration is more evident. This mostly happens when I can't hold him, or he doesn't want a diaper change (staying still) or he can't make up his mind on what to do (on the couch or on the floor....over & over & over). When he's really frustrated he grunts, & strains his arms, flexes his stomach & grits his tooth.

He isn't talking yet & the very rare "Mom" is extremely elusive. He is working on "K", "Ga", "Ah" & "Ki". He still loves to "sing" at the top of his lungs almost all day long. He has a really cute squeak that he makes just when he sees Kitty or Buddha (or any other animal for that matter). Our pets are his best friends.

I was looking through all of our pictures last night & was in shock. Logan has changed so much in such a short amount of time. It really is amazing & I'm so happy that I could be around for all of it. We're looking forward to having a great holiday month & all of the new adventures with Logan.

Starting good dental hygiene
Logan's tooth has erupted enough that it can be brushed. We got him his first tooth brush & toddler tooth paste yesterday afternoon. So after dinner, I showed it to him, put a little tooth paste on his brush & brushed his tooth.
He was so good! He sat there & kept his mouth open & didn't try to push the brush away. I was very impressed. After I brushed his tooth & gums, I gave him the brush to try it out for himself. It was really cute. He did a fantastic job.

Two Colds & a Flu
Our house is not only filled with the holiday spirit, but germs as well. Logan got his cold the day we were coming home from vacation. It didn't seem that bad, just a runny nose. Then the next day, I start to get it. Then yesterday Bill came home early from work because he was sick to his stomach. Now we're all sick.

Logan seems to have the most mild case in the house. A little cough here & there, some sneezes & sometimes a little runny nose. Lucky guy. I've been hopped up on Vicks Vapo rub & & hoarding tissues like there going out of style. Bill seems to be better today, maybe he had the 24 hour crap.

Nothing like a house full of sick people!

Officially sleeping in now?
Ever since we've been back from Oregon, Logan has been sleeping in until 8 am & has dropped his 6 am nursing time. He might wake up for a minute, but then falls back asleep. Nothing too major & I usually don't hear him enough to get up. He's now sleeping a good 12 hours at night. This is awesome! I get to sleep in & really get a full nights rest now! 8 solid hours!

This makes me wonder if he's starting to self wean. He still nurses at all of his other usual times & he isn't putting up a fight. I'm still going to shoot for breast feeding for 12-18 months, but it looks like I'll have to start reading up on weaning & baby self weaning. Just in case.

I love this time of the year
Other than Halloween, Christmas is my next favorite holiday. I don't know what it is; the holiday feeling, the lights, the smells, warm fires, Christmas carols; it's just a great time of year.

I've spent the morning cleaning the house (our vacuum cleaner broke before I left) & had Bill pull down the holiday decorations from the garage. I've been playing Christmas music all day & getting the house full of that holiday feeling.

This year feels a little different too. It feels a little more special than Christmases of the past. I think this year being Logan's first Christmas makes it feel that way. I am so excited to pass down & create our own traditions & watch him open his first presents. I've been on the hunt for a first Christmas ornament, but I can't find one that I like. I may have to make it.

Then there's the shopping. Oh, my. I don't typically like to shop with the masses, but this year I would be willing to brave crowds, insanity, rain, wind, sleet, snow & enjoy it because I'm getting Christmas presents for Logan. It's so exciting!

Home again, home again
It feels good to be home. To be sleeping in my own bed. To be next to Bill. To have Kitty snuggled up. Logan & I had a great time on vacation, but it always feels so good to be home.

Logan's first Thanksgiving was great. Uncle K made a great dinner. His turkey was so moist & juicy & just so good. I was going to hold Logan on my lap to feed him, but them Aunt R mentioned that we could put a towel on the floor & Logan could feed himself. That was an excellent idea. I got Logan's plate made up with sweet potatoes, green beans, carrots, dinner roll & turkey. He went to town & loved it. He even tried to feed the cat & dog too.
After dinner we vegged out watching TV & taking pictures. I tired to get pictures of Logan & Baby M, but I think Aunt R got some better ones. Aunt J took a lot too, but they're all on her camera phone. We had fun just hanging out as a family & playing with our babies.
On Friday, Aunt J took us out & about again. We started our day with crepes for breakfast. They were so good. Crepes are one of my favorites & we don't have them here in town. Logan was good & ate a bagel with cream cheese. He was such a little flirt too. There were two blond girls sitting behind him in his stroller. He would take a bite & then turn around to look at them & smile, with cream cheese all over his mouth. Then he would play peek-a-boo with them. They got a kick out of that. So did we.

After breakfast we went downtown to do some after Thanksgiving shopping. We found some Christmas presents for Logan & battled the holiday crowds. We went out for lunch where Logan did his little antics again, making friends where ever he goes.

We then said our good-byes to Aunt R, Uncle K & Baby M, then Aunt J took us to the airport. We got there really early because I thought it was going to be a mad house. It was practically empty. We hung out for a bit & then Logan & I headed through security. We ate dinner & waited to board the plane.

The trip back was a little stressful. Logan was not a happy camper. He was tired & got another cold that morning. Fortunately we were smart & packed some medicine. He fussed & cried & screamed at the top of his lungs while we waited. I could tell that the rest of the passengers were thinking "I hope this doesn't go on for the whole flight". After his meltdown, we boarded & got settled in. He had a couple more episodes, but I didn't feel that stressed about it because there were a few other families with screaming children.

Overall, it was a great week. It was nice to see my sisters again, introduce them to Logan & meet Baby M while she was still so small. We had a lot of fun.

I'm thankful...
To have a home with room for Logan to play
For a reliable car that fits a car seat, stroller & everything else we need to lug around
For the ability to stay at home with Logan
That Logan is a good sleeper
Being married to Bill, even during the rough times
For sisters that I can talk, cry & laugh with
To have a son that makes me smile & laugh more than I ever thought I would
For Kitty & Buddha & their ability to be good baby entertainers & cute cuddlers
For everyone's good health
That Bill found a job before Christmas
For the experiences & life lessons that I've learned this year as a Mom
That I found a nice MOMS club
For the internet & everything I can learn at the stroke of a key
To have met so many awesome Moms through blogging
That I blog so I remember what happened yesterday, let alone last year
For my exercise education & experience
That we live in the mountains & have the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors
For coffee, chocolate & wine!
For nights by the fireplace when Logan is asleep
That we have a DVR
That Bill is really smart
That Bill likes to cook & is a incredible one at that
That Logan is not a picky eater
That we took a million pictures this first year as a family

I have a lot to be thankful for.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder
Next time we go on vacation & someone has to stay home, I'll need to be reminded of how much being apart is going to suck. Sleeping alone is not fun. Especially when you're not angry with each other.

Other than missing Bill, our day was pretty good. Aunt J came over again & picked us up to go shopping. We ate at The Cheesecake Factory where they brought Logan banana slices & bread to eat while we pondered our orders. This vacation is the first time Logan sat in a high chair & ate from the kids menu. Today was the first time he ate bread too. He loves it.

After our lunch/dinner, we walked the mall looking for good deals. We found a really cute outfit for Logan at Gymboree that was on sale. That almost never happens. Then we went into Victoria's Secret.

Now, I have a gift certificate that I've had since March. I haven't been able to find anything that I like, or justify spending an arm & a leg on, especially when I would rather use that money to buy something for Logan. Then there's the whole identity crisis that happens when you become a Mother. I was telling Aunt J that getting something other than underwear just seemed silly now. I've walked out of the store on two separate occasions, almost in tears, because of these two issues.

Aunt J pushed Logan in the stroller while I browsed around. We walked by their Italian line & noticed the 40% off sign. And there it was. Something nice, not that pink & black crap that would make me feel silly & they had my size. This almost never happens. This time I almost walked out of the store in tears because I was so happy. It's kind of ridiculous, but it really made my day.

We came back to Aunt R's place & Logan was super hyper-active boy. He crawled around everywhere, chasing the cat & dog, getting into everything. It was like he just a a big cup o' joe. Aunt J & Aunt R had a good time laughing at his craziness.

Vacation post
Yesterday morning, we got up practically in the middle of the night to drive to the airport. Logan stayed in his PJ's. Traveling wasn't that bad. It was kind of a pain going through airport security, but there were a few people who helped me collapse the stroller & get our bags through the xray. There was another man on the flight who helped me get our carry-on on & off the plane. He mentioned that he had a two year old & his wife often traveled alone, so he knew what a pain it was. It was really nice to have this help.

Logan was pretty good on the flight. However, next time we fly, he's going to have his own seat. He was a wiggle worm. He fussed only a bit & I nursed him without any problems. I'm glad we had such an early flight because he slept for most of it.

He was a bit grumpy for the rest of the day because his schedule was all out of wack & he didn't have much of an appetite. We got to Aunt R's house & Logan was so excited to play with their cat & dog. The dog kind of freaked him out a bit because he has a million times more energy than Buddha, but he got used to it & crawled around after them. All day long. He had a good time.

We met Baby M too. She's relly cute & tiny. It's crazy to try & remember that Logan was that small at one time. Well, she's a tad smaller. She was born a little more than 4 pounds. Seeing the two of them together, it really hit me that Logan is almost a toddler. Not so much a baby anymore. That & his temper tantrums. Wow.

We hung out for the rest of the day yesterday & today I took Logan for about a 2 hour stroller walk (because I got lost). Aunt J came over & took us out to an early dinner. We did a little shopping (or browsing) & laughed at Logan singing at the top of his lungs in the stores. She also thinks that Logan sounds like an owl, hooting all of the time.

Our vacation has been really good so far. I really miss Oregon. A lot. Plus, it's been nice to have my sisters finally meet Logan & see his cuteness up close & personal.

Getting ready for Thanksgiving vacation
Tomorrow morning Logan & I fly out to Oregon to see my sisters & new niece for Thanksgiving. I haven't seen them for almost three years & they have yet to meet Logan. I'm pretty excited. It sucks that Bill has to stay home, but I'm sure he's going to have a great time playing video games non-stop, eating whatever & enjoying the Thanksgiving party that he'll go to with Aunt Ju-Ju, Uncle J & Baby B. So at least he won't be alone.

Other than eating dim sum & crepes from my favorite places, we don't have any plans. I might do some shopping (no sales tax). I was thinking about taking Logan to the coast, but it's been flooding for weeks & the roads are destroyed. Maybe next year. It will be nice to just hang out, play with Logan & talk about our new kiddos.

This is just ridiculous
So ridiculous that I had to post about it. What is going on in this world??? Why is breast feeding so offensive? It just blows my mind that something so natural, healthy & beneficial; something that has nourished human kind since the BEGINNING OF TIME is "offensive".

I knew that I wanted to breast feed Logan from the start. Fortunately, it came easy for us & we've been going strong. I hope to continue until he's between 12 & 18 months old.

In our months of nursing, I've had some "comments" about breast feeding (mostly from family). I'm relieved we haven't been humiliated in public. But then again, I actually go out of my way to find a private spot to breast feed Logan. Not because I'm ashamed, but because if anyone said something negative to me about it, I wouldn't be able to keep my mouth shut.

When we're out & Logan needs to nurse, I hang out in the car or find a "mother's room" if there is one. We've been to the zoo & I nursed him under a blanket by the monkeys. When we went on vacation this summer, I nursed him on the plane. So far, so good. No comments from the public & no glaring looks either.

Logan & I will be flying out to Portland to see my sisters & meet Baby M for Thanksgiving in a couple of days. The flight times are crazy (so we could maximize our time there) & Logan will have to nurse on the flight & in the airport. I'm a little nervous because Bill won't be able to come with us. He starts his new job the day we fly out. I hope our successful nursing in public streak continues.

However, that fact that this is even a concern is stupid. Why do Mother's have to think about what may happen if they need to feed their babies in public? The rest of the world thinks the US is insane because it's an issue. Mother's in Norway don't have to think twice about it.

I just don't get it. I really don't.

There is a petition from Moms Rising to help support Mother's rights to breast feed in public. I signed it & I hope all of the other blogging Moms will sign it too.

Turtle, Sloth, Snail
Logan may be a fast crawler, but he sure does have some slow growing teeth. Two weeks later, his first tooth has finally cut enough to show some sharp edged white (without having to open his mouth or squint). Finally! He's been teething for how long now? It's going to be a while longer, because this is only tooth number one.

His second tooth is on it's way, but I have no idea when seeing as though these teeth like to take their sweet time. I'm hoping they all pop up at the same time. But that would be kind of weird. I might be a little freaked out if I got him out of his crib & he suddenly had a mouth full of pearly whites.

I've figured that getting a picture will be next to impossible, especially since it's getting more difficult by the day to get just a regular old sitting picture. We'll see if miracles happen.

40 weeks old
This has been a fun week for Logan. Physically, he keeps moving & moving. He's been crawling faster than his arms will go & occasionally trips over them, resulting in a face plant on the floor. He continues to pull up onto everything, especially the couch. He's cruising faster as well. He stands by himself for a few seconds. We practice, but he thinks it's a game to sit, rather than balance. I'll hold his hands & ask him if he's ready. He giggles & squeals & gently sits down. It's pretty funny. We've been "walking" around the living room while I hold only one of his hands. He does really well with that. His favorite however, is pushing an empty Pampers box across the room. He walks all over the place with that. Who says you really need baby toys?

Logan is more involved with his toys now. He sits & "reads" to himself. He'll flip the pages of his books. He knows how to put blocks in his bucket & toys in the toy box. He knows how to turn on all of his battery powered toys. When he gets really excited, he kicks his legs up & down. He does this when he has a tantrum too. The playgroup has been great for him because he gets to play with a lot of new toys. He likes puzzles & cars (of course). He loves to play with the activity tables too. He thinks being chased is the most fun game ever. He tries to get Buddha to chase him still, but with no luck. He also tries to give Buddha his binky. Gross, but funny. He's tried to get some of the kids in the playgroup to chase him, but they haven't caught on yet.

Socially, he's having a blast. He still has a bit of stranger anxiety. Some days are better than others. After he warms up, he becomes adventurous & explores who's home were at. He's not as timid with the other kids & has started to take his toys back if someone takes them from him. He's even been the one to take away toys from someone else. He still flirts with the Moms more though & they all think he's so cute.

Logan is more vocal this week. He's been making "K" sounds, but not much more than that. We haven't heard anymore "Mom" cries. He made some "G' sounds for a few days, but it didn't last long. His ultimate favorite is singing. He sings "Ahhhh" at the top of his lungs, where ever we go. In the car (for the entire ride), on the changing table, in the store. We went grocery shopping yesterday & he sang the whole time in the cart. So much that the old ladies laughed & commented on how they think we have a natural born singer on our hands.

He continues to eat mostly table food. He still stores spoonfuls in his cheeks like a squirrel. It still scares the crap out of me. We think he might be allergic to eggplant because after he eats, his mouth turns red just like a Kool-aid smile. He's had yogurt & cheese & it hasn't bothered him at all. He continues to nurse every three hours, but we're working on every four to five hours. He's made it a few times. I think he is getting more to eat that way because I've noticed a small decrease in his appetite at the table. He's not that interested at times. I've also read that this is a normal stage at this age, so who knows.

His sleeping habits are starting to change a little. He still goes to bed at 8 pm. He still wakes up between 6 & 8 am. It's his naps that are off. Some days he's now taking just one morning nap. But others, he's back to two or three nap days. I think he's trying to ween down to one, but he's so busy that he just wears himself out.

Logan is a snuggle baby. He won't cuddle with Bill, but when I'm on the floor playing with him, he is constantly laying over my lap so I can rub his back, or laying his head on my lap so I can play with his hair. He will stop playing every now & then to climb up into my arms & watch TV for a minute, then goes back to whatever he was playing with. Sometimes I wonder if he's learned how to kiss because he'll come at my knees with a wide open mouth, but he doesn't bite or gum. Just drools. He did this with my hand while at the store yesterday. I'm still wondering if it's teething (which will be a topic for another day).

This month with Logan has been so fun. He is growing up to be such a cute, sweet & smart little man & way too fast!

Working my stay at home skills
This afternoon was a playgroup & baby shower combo. The shower was for one of the Moms in the group. I've only met her twice, so I decided to make cookies instead of bringing a gift.

A few weeks ago we saw a recipe for a cookie on one of the national morning news shows. It sounded so good, we just had to make them. Bill & I looked high & low for this recipe. It turned out to be slightly different from what we understood. We thought it was a pumpkin chocolate hazelnut cookie. It turned out to be just chocolate hazelnut & we couldn't find a chocolate pumpkin hazelnut recipe at all. I ended up making one up.

These cookies are awesome. The other Moms really liked them too. I told Bill that I want to send the recipe to a cookie competition & see what happens. He happily agreed to be the cookie quality tester.

This was a little gross
This morning Logan & I went to the Moms club meeting. We sat on the floor & played with other kids while I listened about upcoming plans & events. After about an hour, Logan decides to be more adventurous & crawls away to the other side of the room (which is quite large) to follow some other kids. Then he stops. He sits still for a second. He then proceeds to puke all over the place. I'm not talking spit up here. This was projectile. Not once, but three times.

"Oh no!", I gasp & jump up from the floor to go grab him. I swoop him up & out of the room, making a mad dash to the restroom to clean him up & move him away from the other kids, just in case there was more to come.

While we were in there, he seemed fine. No more purging. In the process of getting him out of there, I forgot the diaper bag. We went back to go get it while one of the Moms met me in the hallway asking which bag was ours. I forgot to pack a pair of pants, but fortunately had a onesie.

Back in the room, the Moms had blocked off the spots where Logan lost his breakfast. They said that they were going to get a carpet cleaner in there & to not worry about it. They had it taken care of. They were all very nice, asking if we needed anything, offering their babies clothes, blankets & plastic bags to put his dirty clothes in. They also assured me that this has happened before.

I thanked them for all of their help, gathered out things & said our good-byes. I didn't want to keep Logan around, just in case he was going to get sick again. I got him in his car seat wearing a short sleeved onesie, a winter hat & wrapped in a blanket. I cranked up the heat in the car & we went home.

Bill kind of laughed at how he was dressed when we walked in the door & I told him what had happened. Even while dressed funny, Logan still is adorable. He took his nap & hasn't been sick since. I guess this was a random act of upset stomach. He's been eating fine, playing in the living room with Bill & watching me make cookies.

It's kind of funny being a Mom. I used to get sick at just the site of puke. Today however, it didn't even phase me. It's like it wasn't even there. I didn't bother me that I had it all over me either. I'm just glad that Logan isn't very sick.

A little less stressed
Well, this has been a productive few days. We got the rest of our stuff from the house & got it set up for a short sale & then as of today, Bill is no longer unemployed.

He sent resumes out the day after he lost his job. He talked to three or four different gyms here in town. He met with the manager of one last week & they offered him a job on the spot. Bill thought about it for the rest of the week & waited to see what the other managers had to offer. He met with the same manager again today & took the position.

He'll be home on "vacation" until next week. He still plans on following up with the other gyms just to see if they have something better to offer. It sounds like this will be pretty good though.

Not that I was really too worried about it, but I can sleep better knowing these two tasks can be checked off of the "worry list" & the holidays won't be as tight as we might have planned.

Now we're just waiting
This morning Bill got a truck from U-Haul & went back to the house to FINALLY get the rest of our stuff. Logan & I stayed back where we have heat & toys. I never thought I would be so excited to get our washing machine, dryer & the rest of our appliances back.

After loading the rest of the house & sweeping it out, Bill took our friend that helped him load out to lunch & is on his way back now. Uncle J is coming over to help unload. Once the truck goes back, we are finished with the house. Now we just continue to wait for a buyer.

This is the part that kind of sucks. Waiting. We have done everything we can to sell the house & we're now looking at a short sale. According to Bill, our (crappy) realtor has filled out all of the needed paperwork & is just waiting for an offer.

I feel better knowing that it's out of our control. Whatever happens, happens.

Random Cuteness

39 weeks old with a fauxhawk, guitar T & his favorite puppy dog slipper. This boy is too cute for words.

Having fun on the slide at the park for maybe the last time this year. It may be all about sledding in the next few weeks.

Researching
After Logan woke up from his nap yesterday afternoon, he seemed to be a little bit better. So, at Bill's urging, we went to playgroup. Logan wasn't himself, clingy & mostly sitting in my lap. It wasn't like last week where he roamed around, climbing on the other Moms. He even was fussy & stayed a bit grumpy. We got home & it was like night & day. He was back to himself. Thank God.

Bill & I had another discussion about his vaccinations after he went to bed. We have different views on the subject & it's difficult to compromise. What we have in common is that we both want what's best for Logan & we're both concerned.

Bill is all about conventional medicine & believes everything that he's told. He doesn't question anything. I, on the other hand, question everything. I research. I'm involved in health care decisions. I get second & sometimes even third opinions. I work things out in my head until I know that I'm making an educated, rational & ultimately, the best decision.

Before Logan was born, or even a twinkle in our eyes, I had been involved in pro & anti-vaccination education for myself. I worked in chiropractic & read many articles & papers on the subject. I researched the topic even more when Logan was about to get his 2nd month shots.

I didn't want to do go through with it, but after talking with his first pediatrician & compromising with Bill, Logan got all of his scheduled vaccinations. He ended up having a reaction that was reported to VAERS.

At his 4th month check-up & a new pediatrician, we talked about his reaction. I told her that initially I wanted to do single dose shots & was told that it wasn't an option. I was very worried about Logan going through another reaction. She was awesome. She said that we could do single doses & was willing to work with us on a personalized vaccination schedule for Logan. She figured that it was DTaP-HBV-POL (Diptheria, Tetanus, acellular Pertussis, Hepatitis B, Polio) combo. We did a single shot for DT (Diptheria, Tetanus). Logan was fine & didn't have any reactions.

Because of our insurance coverage mess & the move, Logan missed his 6th month check-up & the subsequent vaccinations. Now we're picking up where we left off with a new clinic. I'm not at all worried that he missed his shots. I'm a fan of delayed & spaced out vaccinations. Bill is on the other end.

My only worry is that we don't know what caused Logan's reaction. So every time he gets a shot, it's like playing Russian roulette. The only way to figure out what shots work for him & what ones don't is trial & error. This doesn't make me very comfortable. Bill is worried about what would happen if Logan contracted one of these diseases.

Now I'm doing more research. More specific anyway. I'm looking into all reported cases of these diseases in our state. Then I'll find the reported cases of reactions (which may be challenging because most of them don't get reported). I'll break them down into statistics to weigh out the pro's & con's. It's looking like it will be quite a bit of work. But, Logan's health is worth it.

9th month check-up
Our health insurance fiasco is finally sorted out (for Logan anyway, I'm still waiting for my approval) so we got Logan in for his 9th month check-up.

They measured him at 28 inches (40%), 16 lbs 14 oz (5%) & his head was 17 1/4 inches (15%). They checked his ears & eyes, reflexes & his mouth. The white spot on his gums that has been there since he was about 5 months old, is just a cyst that will go away on it's own. No big deal. He checked out healthy & looking good (& cute).

It was pretty funny when the nurse was looking him over. She gave him a couple of blocks to play with. He held on to one of them, trying to put it in her mouth. Everything is a binky to this boy. I thought it was really sweet though.

His weight percentile dropped, but the nurse wasn't too concerned about it. She said that it's normal at this time for breast fed babies to kind of "plateau" on weight gain. She talked about trying to stretch his nursing times from every three hours to every four & that way he'll eat more during that time. That might be challenging just because Logan is pretty insistent on eating every three hours. Bill agreed.

We talked about his vaccinations again. We decided to go with single doses, starting with the most important & going in every few weeks or so to get the rest. I still don't think I want him to get the flu or chicken pox vaccinations. We started with Hib (Haemophilus Influenzae Type b).

Logan didn't notice that he got stuck at first, but then it dawned on him & he cried. It wasn't for long though. He calmed down & we checked out, going on with the rest of our day.

Logan was pretty tired because his appointment was right in the middle of his morning nap. Then we went & ran a few errands. We got home & I put him to bed. He slept for about an hour & woke up incredibly grumpy.

I nursed him & fed him lunch. He wouldn't eat all of it, especially the chicken & rice. He cried & cried & cried. I got him out & cuddled on the couch. He was OK for a minute, then started crying again. This off & on went on for about an hour. I gave him some Tylenol & put him back to bed.

I don't think we're going to make it to the playgroup this afternoon & I don't think I ever want to put Logan through this hell again. I'm having a really difficult time believing that a shot that makes you feel like absolute crap for a while is good for you. We'll see how it goes for the rest of the day.

I'm not voting today
This is the first year that I won't vote. I'm usually proud to vote, especially as a woman. Many women before me made it possible for me to put in my two cents. When I turned 18, I was excited to be a part of the election process. The novelty has worn off.

I'm not voting this year because I don't like any of the candidates. It's like I'm voting for dumb or dumber. We've been bombarded by negative add campaigns that just make me roll my eyes. There are very important issues that I feel need to be addressed; stem cell research, immigration, abortion laws, taxes, support of our libraries...the list goes on. Both parties are too busy bashing each other to really be proactive about anything. I don't feel like anyone has our State or our county in their best interest. I feel like it's all about money & power to them. That's the impression I get from their campaigns anyway.

What's happened in our government since the last couple of elections has totally turned me off. I voted. Who's in office now, I didn't vote for & I don't think highly of them. We're often told that "every vote counts". I don't feel that way. At least not any more. This is the year that I've become jaded.

Hopefully by the next election we'll have people worthwhile running for office. People who will get to the issues rather than each others throats.

I had a heart attack today
It was this afternoon during Logan's snack time. I gave him puffs & sliced avocado to eat for his finger foods. I'm always with him in the kitchen while he eats & it's a really good thing because he started choking.

I saw him start retching & turning red, trying to cry. "Oh my god, Billy!", I gasped. I did a finger sweep & got the food out of his mouth while trying to unbuckle his "seatbelt" at the same time. Bill ran upstairs, Logan started crying & I just kind of stood there for a second.

He was OK, just a little scared. I don't blame him. So was I. I took his avocado & sliced them into even smaller bits. Bill & I stood next to him while he continued to pick up avocado & cram it in to his mouth.

"Are you OK?", Bill asks me. "Yeah", I say half convincing myself & trying to fight back the tears. He gives me a hug.

There's nothing in this world that can scare me as much as Logan being in some kind of danger. I literally felt my heart stop, but I'm thankful that I could act quickly rather than freezing up in fear. Snack time is going to be scary for a little while.

An eventful uneventful day
Today was just a regular day. Full of running errands & hanging out at home. We picked up a sippy cup with a straw for Logan while we were out. He's been putting up a fight with drinking out of a cup because I'm helping him out. He would rather hold the cup & throw water all over the place. He won't drink from a regular sippy cup & ends up chewing on the nub, not realizing that he has to tilt his head back. We'll see how it goes tomorrow morning.

When we got home & settled in, Bill had the stereo blasting, looking for more CD's to burn. Logan was in the computer room with him while I was reading baby magazines at the kitchen table. Bill started laughing. "He really likes this! He's dancing!" I looked down into the den & sure enough, there he was, hanging onto the futon & bouncing up & down with a big smile. I couldn't help but laugh to see him dancing to Phish.

He didn't sleep very well in his naps today. His morning nap was 30 minutes & he really didn't even sleep at all while we were driving around. After dancing in the den, I took him up into the living room to play. Logan was playing on the floor & I was laying on the couch. He started to get grumpy, crawled over to me & pulled himself up by the couch, holding out his arms for me to pick him up. I picked him up while he fussed, practically collapsing on my chest from exhaustion. He quickly cuddled up, snuggled in, rested his head on my chest & fell asleep. For two hours. I was hostage, but didn't mind one bit. He was so cute. I didn't want to sleep, so it gave me some time to catch up on whatever I had on the DVR while basking in the sweetness of the sleeping little man.

After he woke up, I made him some dinner. He ate watermelon for the first time (as a finger food) this afternoon & instead of pureeing his chicken, I broke it up into little chunks. He ate it just fine. Even without any teeth (the one is still trying to poke through). I can't believe how "big" he's getting.

Even during a run of the mill, regular old day, there were some "eventful" happenings. It's funny how life with a baby is never really boring.

It doesn't get more fun than this
My favorite part of today so far has to be play time with Logan. Bill left to go drop off some resumes at a few other gyms in town. While he was gone, Logan & I played & had a blast. He crawled all over me giving me baby hugs, played hide & go seek behind the couch & chased him around the living room. Every time I chased after him, he would giggle & squeal with excitement. Then it was a barrel of laughs when I caught him. This 15 or 30 short minutes in our 24 hour day makes up for all of the grumpy early mornings & teething whines. It's moments like this that I remember why we make sacrifices so I can stay at home with him. It's all worth it. Every penny.

At 39 weeks, he's now 9 months old
9 months. Wow. It's gone by so fast. Just like the pregnancy. 9 months isn't a very long time, but so much has happened that it seems like years.

Daylight savings has really messed with Logan's sleep schedule. He wakes up really early & won't relax back to sleep. He used to wake up at 6 am, nurse & then fall back asleep to wake back up between 7 & 8 am. Well, now he's up at 6, no matter what. It was worse when he was waking up at 5 am. He didn't fuss too much when I decided that I couldn't drag my lifeless body out of bed. He was content to play with the music buttons on his mobile & I made sure to leave one of his puppy dog slippers in there to play with. He loves those slippers.

Now he's pretty grumpy in the morning because he's tired. After he nurses for the second time, right before breakfast, he usually falls asleep still latched on. So now, instead of nurse, play, nurse, eat breakfast & then nap; we're nurse, grumpy play & complain, nurse, nap, eat breakfast, happy play (sometimes). He's also been taking 3 to 4 naps a day. I think it might take another week to adjust & we'll be back to "normal". Or maybe this will be the new routine.

Logan is doing a great job with finger foods. I still feed him breakfast, lunch & dinner, but snacks are all finger foods. Buddha loves it because it turns out to be snack time for the both of them. I gave Logan some kiwi, but I think it may not sit well with him. He got a really bad diaper rash again. It's either that, or teething.

Speaking of which...his first tooth is finally on it's way out! Yesterday afternoon I noticed his bottom gums were red & swollen. Every time I brought the spoon to his mouth at breakfast, he would open wide & I could get a really good look. I saw the top of the tooth getting ready to erupt. Finally! Here I thought my baby was born without teeth or he would be teething for the rest of his life.

Playtime has been so much fun recently. He's all over the place & everything is a "car" to him. He pushes slippers, remotes & every thing else across the floor. When we're at playgroup & he sees a toy car or truck, he's instantly drawn to it. He knows how to put his blocks in his block sorter (without the sorting lid on), loves to make noise with his instruments & laughs when we play with stuffed animals & puppets.

His mobility is amazing. He crawls at lightning speed, climbs up onto everything & just started cruising long distances. He has a great time playing with Buddha. He wants Buddha to chase him, but he's such a lazy dog, he won't. He crawls for a couple of steps, then quickly turns around to see if he's being chased. He loves to step up onto his walker & play with the toys on the tray. He'll make some kind of sound or play a song & he turns around to see our reaction. It's hilarious. In the morning when we hang out & play on the bed, he loves to climb over the pillows to pat the window & look out over the back yard. We practice climbing the stairs & he's understanding how to get down them as well. Well, at least the bottom stair. He knows how to climb off the couch, but we still have to help him.

He's been waving "bye-bye" for the last couple of weeks. We've been laughing because it's backwards & he ends up waving to himself, but then we figured out why. He sees us waving with our palm to him, so he mimics what he sees. His palm to him. It was one of those "duh" moments where I realized that Logan is clearly smarter than us. Another funny thing is if he doesn't wave back, I just hold up his arm & he automatically starts waving. He's starting to give high fives too.

It seems that Logan is starting to get over his stranger anxiety. He wasn't freaked out at all when we were at yesterdays playgroup. He crawled around to everyone & even out of sight (but I could still see him). I hope this really is the end of it.

Logan is also starting to hug me more often. He tries to lay his head on my shoulders, but it's not that comfortable because I have pretty prominent collar bones. He still does it though. Then when he's cruising long the couch, he'll stop to lay his head on my lap. I love it. Baby hugs are the best!

Logan is becoming quite a handful & I swear he's starting toddler temper tantrums. There are a few times where he'll be fussy & I'll pick him up & he wants nothing to do with me. But he doesn't want to be on the floor & play with toys. He doesn't want to cuddle or read books. Sometimes I have to let him have his fit & ignore it. After a while he gets tired of screaming & is able to calm back down. I pick him up to cuddle & it's like nothing ever happened. He starts to smile again.

This is the month where he's grown so much. Physically, mentally, emotionally, socially. He is so freakin' cute & so much fun. Even if he does throw fits every now & then.

New family, another fork in the road & fun with friends
This morning at 6 am, I just finished nursing Logan & got back into bed. Then I heard my phone ring. I got a text from my sister, Logan's Aunt R that her water broke & that Baby M would be born today. 3 weeks early. Then she called saying that everything was OK, but her blood pressure was a little high.

The rest of the morning was spent text messaging Aunt R, Aunt J & phone calls with my Dad too. It was pretty busy. Then in the early afternoon, Aunt R calls me, all out of sorts, trying to explain that things didn't go as planned. She had to have an emergency C-section. She said she was OK, just really sore & that the baby was OK. Because she wasn't quite back to planet Earth, I didn't get much more than that. She called again a little while later, not remembering the first call, but confirmed that everyone was OK. Her blood pressure was high & Baby M's heart rate dropped & they had to get her out fast. I totally forgot to ask about how big she was because Aunt R was still kind of groggy.

Logan & I dropped Bill off at work so we could take the car for our playgroup date this afternoon. We were almost home when Bill called me telling me that he needed us to turn back around. He had been let go. Apparently, somebody had a personal problem working with him. Bill was hired to make this person actually work & get off her high horse. Give her some competition. Well, we guess she didn't like it too much & complained. The manager buckled. So even though Bill's performance was awesome, they've had record breaking numbers every month since he's been there & he's implemented all sorts of changes to be more efficient & productive, they still let him go. They suck.

Surprisingly, we aren't too stressed about it. Bill has a plan of action & we've been doing OK with our savings. We've been through it before, so we'll get through it again.

Needless to say, I really didn't feel like going to our playgroup today. Bill insisted that we still go. After dropping him back off at home & grabbing a quick bite to eat, Logan & I rushed back out the door. I was really glad we went. We had such a good time. It only took Logan a few minutes to adjust to all of the activity & then he was all over the place. He made lots of friends, all girls of course. One girl kept taking his binky out & putting it back in his mouth. It was so cute. He got tired a few times, but never fussed about it, so we stuck around for the full two hours. It was great.

It's been one whirl wind of a crazy day, that's for sure.