..... or it seems like something of that liking. Not really, but I have sure seemed to have fallen off the map when it comes to blogging about a toddler. It might be because "said toddler" keeps me so busy, I don't have the time. I do miss writing here ever so dearly, though. It had become a sort of journal or diary about our whole pregnancy and child rearing experience. It was a place I could share my joy, frustrations and even some things I had learned along the way. I think I want that again. So, here I am. Or shall I say, here we are..... :)
We have been in Florida now for almost 4 months. And I feel like Ryden has grown a whole year or something. It's amazing, still, that one week or even one DAY can make such a difference in his development. It's also nice that Eric gets to see him not only in the mornings, but at night time now, too!! :)
Ryden will be 18 months on the 25th, and I assure you, he is quite the handful. He is clever, active, sneaky, adorable, sweet and everything else you could ask for in an 18 month old. Reminds me of Ilsa a couple of years ago... haha!!!
Here are 10 things that are going on the world of Ryden......
1. He is at least 27 lbs. and probably pushing a little more
2. Can't remember how tall he was at his last appt. but he is tall!!
3. He still has a good relationship with food- eats pretty healthy for a toddler
- I am happy to say, he StiLL has not met candy, soda, copious amounts of junk food, processed foods or even a JUICE BOX (other than the sips he has stolen from cousins:)) He also has never had a jar of food or been supplemented with any type of formula. Not that those last two are entirely bad, but they weren't the right choice for us. It has been hard work maintaining this, especially when I was back at work, so, it is something I am proud of.
4. He has a pretty wide vocabulary, though he has only put several words together.
5. He and I found a fascination of playing with letters, and at this point, he can identify about half of them. :)
6. He has just started to climb into chairs and loves to sit like a big boy
7. Progress on the potty is back and forth. He often tells me when he pees (just usually after) and has one time told me before he has pooped!!!
8. and now I am working on sleeping through the night, because for the past several weeks, Ryden has been!!! This is a big YAY after many many months of getting up several times a night. A true blessing.
9. He loves all of his family (outside of mama and dada) and this is an awesome thing to watch. He even recognizes his cousin Allen in pictures and says his name.
10. And Ryden still nurses 3 times a day. When he wakes up, before his nap and before bed. This might surprise some of you, unless you know me well enough, but that is why I love my blog- because I don't care what someone my think. I was hoping to get past all of his teeth coming in (help with the pain) and making it to 2 or close to that. That's not too far away, and this makes me both really happy and a little sad. and anyone wondering if nursing is still even necessary.... here ya go
* I only mention all of this, because I never knew this before I got pregnant, and now that I do, I feel it is important to spread this info for other moms and soon-to-be moms to know.
ans lastly, lately I have been looking at pics of Ryden as a little baby. It is just heartbreaking!! I absolutely love the little man that he is today, but I already miss the sweet little baby he use to be. :(
and even though I love it here and am so happy to be back, I do miss our life in California.
OK... this has come up a lot recently for some reason. Sadly, I wish it were more of the norm and there was more information out there, so, people like myself didn't have to defend doing something that is completely natural and the best choice for her child. I am a modest nurser. I have never been out-there about it, especially in public. I've noticed that most people are pretty supportive about it, but when I read comments on the internet (where people can be anonymous) I notice a completely different tone. This makes me want to address the situation... now wondering how people REALLY feel! A friend of mine (thanks Kristin) posted a link on facebook about a nurse-in at a park in Orlando where some breastfeeding moms were told to leave. Reading the internet comments on that article, blew my mind. Especially, the comments from other WOMEN!
FIRST: Breastfeeding is LEGAL and even exposing yourself is legal in most states. It is not indecent exposure like some would think. Also, some states find it ILLEGAL to ask a woman to cover herself.
When in doubt, check your state laws and educate those around you-
SECONDLY: Babies nurse often. People, especially older women, tend to think a baby should only eat every 4 hours or something insane like that. You know, to avoid snacking or making a spoiled baby. That is complete BS and sadly, very harmful information to be given to new moms. The relationship between baby and mama's milk is very delicate. It is the law of supply and demand and if a baby isn't nursing often enough, then the milk stops getting made. Therefore a baby should always be fed on-demand when they are newborns. As they get older, when an even milk supply is established, you can start spacing out the timing in between. Also, during the summer and other hot months, babies should nurse quite often so that they stay hydrated. Mothers also need to remember to stay hydrated.
And don't forget that nursing is a source of comfort for children. I nurse Ryden immediately after all of his shots or any other times he has been hurt. It is the best boo boo fix out there. Also, since we never used a pacifier, I am often the pacifier.
THIRDLY: Breast is Best. I am sorry for those of you that got poor information from your health care provider that made it complicated for you to establish a wonderful breastfeeding relationship. I say that because there is a very SMALL population that can actually not breastfeed- it is usually just mal info that keeps a mama from having success. There are a lot of problems that can also happen, but with persistence you can get through them. Luckily, Ryden never had latch problems, but he does have food allergies/intolerances. Therefore I have been dairy-free for almost 6 months, soy-free for almost 5 months and partially corn-free for a little over month. So, don't tell me it was too hard and you had to stop. I know HARD, but I feel it is worth it. I would much prefer a woman to say it just wasn't for them, and carry on with life. I have nothing against someone making an educated decision not to. We all have a choice. With that being said, EVERYONE agrees that nothing matches breast milk. NOTHING!
This truly says it all. If you have any doubts after reading this, then I don't know what to say........ 101 REasons to BREASTFEED
LASTLY: From the comments I read on that article about the nurse-in, I have started to notice that some people think that moms that nurse their children beyond newborns into infants and toddlerhood are only doing it for selfish reasons. Breastfeeding is very bonding in the beginning, but at this point, it is just a job like everything else. I do it because I should... that's it. I even read where someone wrote that there is no nutritional benefit for a toddler to still nurse. I have to clarify and educate any of you that feel that way. Milk changes as a baby gets older and is always suited for them. They continue to benefit from breast milk no matter what the age. Again, since I am a person of FACTS and not misguided information, I will do the research, so that you can educate yourself!!!!
Information about nursing past a year- Please Read!
and quotes form the AAP and WHO-
It is recommended that breastfeeding continue for at least 12 months, and thereafter for as long as mutually desired.
from the mouth of the American Academy of Pediatircs, themselves.... read it yourself
Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended up to 6 months of age, with continued breastfeeding along with appropriate complementary foods up to two years of age or beyond.
And for any of you that might be wondering why I seem so defensive about this, it is because I am. A lot of moms do not nurse because they do not have the right information, or they stop too soon because they feel like they are being judged by people around them. and as my wonderful pediatrician put it.... In the late 1800's women were told to exclusively breastfeed until the age of 2 and those were the boys that went on to win the war! haha... and yes, he really did say that. Anecdotal I know, but I still like it. =)
The beginning of this week we went to Ryden's four month check-up. Thank God I don't have check-ups this often. I can hardly make it to my yearly ones. I think he might be starting to figure out that the doctor is not going to be a fun place to visit on such a regular basis. Sad but true. However, just like last time, he is doing stellar.
You should have heard Eric use his proud man/daddy voice when the doc said that he was around the size of a 9 month old. "Really"! said the deep voiced daddy.
Here are the stats.......
weight: 18.6 lbs.
height: 26 inches (although I think his head was a little crooked when she measured him... maybe add a 1/2 inch to it)
this still puts our little man in the 90th percentile in both weight and height. He is a healthy boy with a healthy appetite. I guess while I am at it, I might run down the whole list.
let's see.........
HAIR- somewhere between dark blonde and light brown. It's fine, but coming in pretty well. It's starting to get a little longer right down the middle on the top. I think he will have a natural mohawk in no time. Pretty normal baby fluff.
EYES- Absolutely dreamy. I think Ryden is definitely going to have daddy's eyes. Which is a light brown with a hint of yellow, and on some days hints of green. Not to mention, they take up most of his face... also just like his daddy.
TEETH- He got his bottom two almost a month ago. They are coming in pretty well and are absolutely stunning! I am surprised that it went as smooth as it did and I can only hope the rest will follow suit. I ordered him a Sophie the Giraffe that should be here in a couple of days. I hear it is a favorite to teething babies.
SLEEP- I hear there is a nasty monster called the 4 month sleep regression. Well, at least on a minor note, I think it has paid a visit to our house. I also hear sleep is over-rated, but it must have been an insomniac that made up that nonsense.
First off there are naps. These are probably hardest to deal with because it is like an endless cycle of putting him down.... all day long. Since he only sleeps for 45 minutes, he ends up having either 4 or sometimes 5 naps a day. We walk him around and usually jiggle him a little in our arms. Eric calls it the "palsy". I swear that the wooden floors in our house are creaking way more than they ever have. Then there is the whole transferring of the "time bomb" when he does fall asleep in your arms and you go to put him in his crib *without him waking*. I have also gotten to know my neighborhood extremely well. Driving home with a baby that is almost asleep always requires just a few more blocks to finish off the job.
As for nights, that is an entirely different routine. First off, we put Ryden's crib in the bedroom, next to the bed, a couple of weeks ago, because he was almost reaching the weight limit in his cosleeper. Typically, I start his bedtime routine some where around 6:15 or so. Bath (which is starting to be really cute), diaper and PJ's, brush his fuzz head, nursing and then some rocking. This usually puts him in bed sometime between 7 and 7:30. There has been a few times we have put him in his crib awake and he actually fell asleep. Dang fluke. Then his first wake up (feeding) is sometime between 10pm and midnight. I bring him into the bed for this and then put him back in his crib when he is done. Lately, the next wake up is around 1-ish (for the past week or so). he use to make it until about 3am. Again, I nurse and then put him back... that is unless I fall back to sleep and then he stays in the bed until I wake back up. Usually, his last wake up has been sometime around 6am. At this point, I nurse him and typically just leave him in bed until we get up, which is usually somewhere between 8-9am. I look forward to the days, when he goes back to just one or two night feedings. I won't hold my breath waiting for them, though.
Oh yeah, and last night is an example of why we have his crib in our room. I woke up to him rustling in his crib. Since he wasn't crying, I was about to turn over and go back to sleep, but I just happened to peak over at him. That is when I noticed his leg was sticking through the slats in his crib. What the heck!?!? As I stood up, I then noticed that the floor was wet. That is when I saw that he was laying diagonal in his crib, his leg was hanging out, his diaper was halfway removed and apparently he had proceeded to pee on himself and the floor. To my amazement, he was ok and wasn't even upset... at least, yet. BOYS. For this reason and many others, I have no regrets about sharing our room with him.
EATING- Ryden is still breast fed only. I plan to start introducing solids slowly once he turns 6 months. I am waiting for his gut to close fully (usually somewhere between 4-6 months) and for his tongue thrust reflex to go away. Then I will know he is ready. We are really looking forward to this, especially, if he shows the same enthusiasm towards solids as he does nursing. I will continue to nurse along with feeding him food.
LIKES- his fingers, my fingers, diaper changes, toys, trying to chew on things, laughing at Ilsa, nursing, being wrapped up in the Moby wrap, exercises to get his gas out, cooing at the ceiling fan, being a chatty chatterson, smiling at mommy and daddy, waking up, sitting on his potty-pot, looking in the mirror, bath time and did I mention nursing :)
DISLIKES- being put in and taken out of the carseat, overly long tummy time, sitting on the couch for too long, falling asleep alone, falling asleep in general, strong wind on his face, and depending on the day... half of the things on his likes list.
I guess this about sums up the life of a four month old and what it's like for those of us that are along for the ride. New things each day and once you think you have something down, there is always a wrench that comes out of nowhere to muck things up. Living with a baby is not easy, but I know it just so small in the whole scheme of things. So, I try to manage it with grace which is really hard considering half the time I don't even know where to find it.
The holidays were lovely even though Ryden was really to young to partake in the festivities. Still, celebrating everything as a new family was just lovely. Eric has to go back to work on Monday. We are all sad :(
Not too many new pics as of late, but here are a few and then some from the holiday cards I sent out and a short little video of him babbling..........
