Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Nighty, Night


It's 6:45pm. You rub your eyes furiously. You fidget while I put your night-time diaper on. I give you a toy to distract you for a few seconds and it illicits a short smile. You whimper. You are tired. It's bedtime.

You're awake when you begin nursing. Sometimes you play with my hair or slap your legs with your hands. Or you show how you can multi-task by nursing and kicking your legs. Five minutes later, you slow down. Your eyes shut. Your arms, hands and legs get relaxed. I rub your arms, legs and back. You are comfortable, relaxed and drifting off. You are so sweet.

You finish nursing one side, so I sit you up to burp you. You whimper because you'd rather be laying on your back, sleeping. You barely have enough strength to hold your head, so it rolls to the side. You're so tired that I need to hold you up so you don't fall over. A burp escapes, so I lower you to the other side to nurse. You eagerly start to nurse again as if to say, "Can I finish nursing so I can go to sleep?"

Eight minutes later and you've stopped nursing. You've fallen asleep, but you're still latched on. I look at you for a few minutes. You're cuddled up against me and you're softly breathing into dreamland. So sweet, so gentle and so completely trusting. Can we sit like this for a few more hours?

While you're still sleeping, I pull you to my shoulder to get a burp out from you. You stir, a little out of sorts because you've been sleeping. Your head drops to nestle your cheek on my shoulder. I pat your back till you give up a burp. You've drifted off to sleep again. Your arms and legs are completely relaxed and limp. Your breathing is soft and sleepy, right in my ear. Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. I rock you back and forth as I stand in your nursery. I look in the mirror. Do I really have this sweet, adorable baby in my arms with his cheek on my shoulder and soft, sleepy breathing in my ear?

Can we stand like this for a few more hours?

Monday, August 16, 2010

8 months

Seth, you are 8 months old!

You are such a joy to me and your daddy! Your seventh month has been very busy for you. You've had some big firsts:

- first long road trip to Lake Geneva, WI, for Seth's first Counihan family reunion
- first time to get up on all fours
- first army crawl
- sitting up by yourself without mommy or daddy hovering behind you

Your stats:
Height: Over 27.5 inches (which was your stat at your 6 month apt)
Weight: 18lbs 6oz

You have a very nice routine for your day. You wake up at 7am and nurse. You have oatmeal mixed with fruit before you play. After playtime, you take a nap at 9am and sleep about 1.5-2 hours. At 11am, you either nurse or have a bottle, then some yummy fruits and vegetables. You play or run errands with mommy or daddy before you take another nap at 1pm. You typically nap for another 1.5-2 hours. After you wake up, you nurse and then eat fruits, vegetables and rice cereal. You play or go for a walk. Sometimes if you woke up early from your naps, you get a little tired so you take a catnap around 5pm - right when I get home from work and just want to play with you!

We take your helmet off around 5:45pm after your nap. We play or you sit in your high chair at the table while we eat dinner. Because you're so easy going, you play with a toy and watch us eat. After that, I always wash your head - your head smells soooo good and your hair is so silky! Your blond hair is really starting to grow finally!

Your bedtime routine consists of washing your head, a quick change into your jammies (a onesie) and then you nurse. Most times you are so tired by the time you're done. I always pray for you before you go down. You lay your head on my shoulder and suck your thumb. I lay you down in your crib and zip you up in your sleep sack. It's like you know it's bedtime. You are so content when I lay you down. Sometimes you are wide awake and you chat for a few minutes until your room is quiet. I think you fall asleep pretty quickly.

Knock on wood - you sleep until 6:30-7am. I don't know what I'd do if you woke up in the middle of the night! Most days I hear you chatting to yourself around 6:45am. You call out for me if I haven't come into your room by 7am. You nurse and then have breakfast.

Lately, you are almost too "busy" to nurse or take a bottle. You'd rather kick your legs around, play with my hair, touch my nose, play with my necklace or coo. I have to work hard to keep you focused on eating, so I always keep your room quiet while you nurse.

You love to eat! How do we know this? You always say, "Mmmmm!!" after each bite....of the foods that you like to eat, that is! You love oatmeal mixed with apples or the fruit du jour. You like all fruits - pears, peaches, apples and bananas. You like peas and sweet potatoes. You used to like carrots, but now you just make a funny, disgusted face and let the carrots run out of your mouth. You tried avocados the other day. I don't know - the gagging sound you made after you squished it around your mouth probably indicated that you and avocados don't jive right now. It's okay, Scooter. I feel the same way about french green bean casserole.

At playtime, you've nearly abandoned your tried and true toys for the new world: the living room floor and everything in its path! You army crawl your way under the piano, under the dining room chairs, and under your bouncer. What is so fascinating about a piano's underbelly, I'll never know.

You also really like your stuffed animals in your room. I think you like them for their quishiness.

Here are some of your eight month pictures: