Just a Taste

Today, I went to school for several hours to clean up and organize my classroom. I'm lucky that my maternity leave substitute did a fabulous job of keeping my room tidy, so I didn't have a ton of work to do. I left Ethan in the very capable hands of my friend, Debra.

As soon as I was handed back my classroom keys, I knew it was happening: I was no longer just a stay-at-home mom. Although I don't have to get back into the classroom for a little while, it is all becoming real. I know that navigating my way through working mommyhood will be challenging. Period. I have some real fears about going back to work, on which I plan to elaborate in future block posts.

For now, I'm just going to enjoy my time with Ethan, and worry about work later. 

Baby on a Boat

Memorial Day was a day to honor all of the men and women who have served, currently serve, or have died serving in the armed forces for the sake of our freedom. 

For us, it was also a day to spend together with some of our dearest friends. We are fortunate enough to have friends who have a boat and slip on a reservoir near our house. Therefore, Memorial Day is usually the kick-off to the summer boating season. 

This was Ethan's very first trip on the boat, and he had a great time. He refused to take his morning nap, I'm pretty sure it was because of his excitement. We made sure to lather up with sunscreen before we went...and two more times on the boat. He ate, played with his friends A.J. and Ashley, and snoozed on the boat. He has yet to get into the water, but I'm sure there will be plenty more chances to take a dip in the months to come.

Happy 7-Month Birthday, Ethan!

OK. This is not funny anymore. Time is just racing by! Seven months have gone by in a flash. At this time last year, I was so looking forward to my summer break from school. Now, I'm willing time to slow down so I can enjoy my last few months of stay-at-home motherhood. 

Stats: No official stats this month. No unofficial stats this month either, for that matter. If I had to guess, I'd say Ethan weighed 16 pounds, 8 ounces, or thereabouts. He's still a very long baby. In fact, at least three people tell me that per day. No joke.

Likes: Gymboree would rank highly on his list of likes. Thanks to their Summer Passport, we go at least two or three times a week. He does Tummy Time there without protest. He has recently discovered his love for balls. We are working on rolling balls back and forth. Ethan is still a huge fan of Sophie the Giraffe. Sometimes in the car, he gets carried away with her, throws her out of his seat, and when he finds she is not coming back, he starts whining and fussing. It took me a few times before I connected the fussing with the strewn aside Sophie. Ethan also likes to play with musical toys, like his Baby Einstein radio. He enjoys controlling all the sounds and tunes.

Dislikes: Fortunately, this list is dwindling. There are very few things I can add to this. In terms of food, anything green (save zucchini) continue to be rejected by Ethan. He does not like being in his car seat unless it is moving, which is kind of a pain. He's outgrown the whole "nap in the car seat" thing, unless he's in the car or the stroller. If he's napping and I take him out, he wakes up within 15 minutes.

Tricks: Ethan is now sitting, unassisted, and he's really good at it, too. He loves sitting amongst his toys, reaching for different things, and putting them in his mouth. Since he is sitting so well, we stopped using the baby bathtub, and have Ethan sitting in the regular tub. It's adorable. He is successfully rolling onto his side from his back, but that's as far as he's gotten. He did manage to roll onto his tummy in the crib at Momma and Pops' house (while his legs were stuck between the bars), which he was not happy about, but we've never actually seen him do it. He is reaching out to be held. He mostly does it for me and Kevin, but he has also reached out for Uncle Yuval! Some new Ethan-approved solids are apricots, peaches, zucchini, and prunes. Most importantly, Ethan is no longer swaddled!! Wahoo! He now sleeps with a larger version of GiGi. The transition went pretty well, although some nights I still think he's transitioning, but we are very fortunate that he did as well as he did.

Mom: I'm making great strides. My anxiety in the morning is slowly diminishing. I'm on my third or fourth (can't remember anymore!) week staying by myself while Kevin is gone, and I'm doing well with it. I've also decided to get back into running. I went to the gym and dropped Ethan off in the babysitting room. We both did well! I've set some goals for myself, and am confident that I can reach them. 

Run, Kevin, Run!

Well, he did it! Kevin ran his first half-marathon...and I think he is addicted. He's decided that he's definitely running the Geist Half-Marathon next year, and he'd like to run the 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, too! 

Official Time: 2:01:48

A very special "Thank You" to my mom, who stayed home to watch Ethan!

Meanwhile, Kevin has inspired me to start running again. You may remember that in my post-baby life, I enjoyed running. You can read about my mini-marathon experience here. First, I had to dig out {and dust off} my running shoes. To get back in running shape, I've downloaded the Couch to 10K App on my iPhone. I'm such a goal-oriented, checklist-loving person, and this program seems like the perfect fit for me. My goal, as of now, is to run a 10K in November, however, I'd love to run the Geist Half-Marathon next year, too!

iLove my iPhone

Yep. It's true. 

I finally got one and I'm in love.

I love my Instagram, Words With Friends, ability to group my apps, the sheer amount of apps I can buy, Facetime, and this chevron case I bought for my new love.

Although Kevin is anti-Apple, he agrees that this iPhone is my perfect phone match!

Mother's Day

Well, I wish I had some pictures to share of my first official Mother's Day, but I was too busy spending time with my little guy! We spent the weekend in Cincinnati, where my in-laws hosted a family get together. My parents and brother came, too. 

Kevin and Ethan got me these...

But that's not really what Mother's Day is about.

Last year, I was pregnant with Ethan, and had no idea just how much he would change my life. He has turned my world upside down, but in the best possible way. As hard as motherhood gets, and trust me, it is one of the most challenging things I've ever done, it is still the best thing that has ever happened to me. I know how fortunate I am to have the opportunity to have a healthy, happy, beautiful little boy. On Ethan's best days, I am awed by the little person he is becoming. On Ethan's worst days, I am awed by the little person he is becoming. 

In the six-plus months since becoming a mom, I've learned so, so much. I've learned...

...it's more than fine to ask for {and accept} help.
...sometimes, you baby just has to cry-it-out.
...you don't have to have all the answers all the time.
...books and "experts" don't know your baby best...you do.
...rely on your instincts, even if you don't feel you have any.
...it's OK to admit you have no idea what you're doing.
...it's OK to admit you're wrong.
...nothing you do will "break" your baby.
...you can never hold your baby too much.
...you don't have to listen to anybody's everybody's opinion.
...watching your baby develop new skills will be bittersweet.
...time will always go by too quickly.
...your baby is perfect, just the way he or she is.

A Marathon Weekend

Last weekend, we took a trip to Cincinnati to visit family, and support Kevin's brother, Steve, as he ran his first marathon. Kevin ran with Steve for the last 10 miles, and pushed him to get to the end. Here are some pictures of the festivities.

Pre-Marathon Dinner

(Look at all those carbs!)

Run, Steve, Ruuuuunnnn!

We are very proud of Steve's accomplishment. Next up, a half-marathon for Kevin???

Swaddle {Free}

Oh, the swaddle. How I both love and loathe you. From the day Ethan was born, we swaddled him - first, with the Halo Blanket, and then with the Miracle Blanket, which we've been using religiously for naps and at night. 

At first, it seemed to be the answer to our prayers. Ethan would {usually} calm down when we wrapped him up, and started sleeping for long periods at night. Then, I started thinking, when do I stop swaddling him? Most of my friends didn't swaddle their kids, or stopped when their kids were pretty little. I thought maybe I would stop swaddling him when he rolled...but he's been pretty hit or miss with that. Sure, we'd tried here and there to let him sleep without it, but it usually ended up in a screaming fit, and battle of wills {usually we gave in...just to make it stop}. I think we became just as dependent on it as he did! 

I had visions of me having to swaddle a 10-year-old! 

And what would he do in August when he had to go to daycare? Surely, they would not swaddle him, and even if they did, I didn't want him to be that child. You know, the one that has all the rules bent for him, and can only do certain things under special circumstances.

Then I thought, he'll tell me when he's ready. I mean, he "told" me when he needed an earlier bedtime, right? Wrong. The child was content to be wrapped, even though he'd {technically} grown out of his swaddle. 

Finally, Kevin and I took matters into our own hands, and decided that the swaddling needed to stop. Although these ideas might not work for everyone, they worked for Ethan, and they might work for others trying to wean their babes from the swaddle.

• Start Slowly...we started by leaving his legs out. After about two or three weeks, we left one arm out. He did regress, at which point we had to swaddle both arms again, but after another three weeks, he became the "one arm bandit" again. 
• Appeal to Other Senses...we noticed that Ethan had an affinity to a certain giraffe lovie {GiGi} made by Angel Dear. The texture really appeals to him, and he seems to be comforted by it. He takes it with him everywhere he goes. Recently, we found that Angel Dear makes napping blankets! Perfect. We got him this one for his 6-month birthday. I slept with it for three nights, so that it smelled like me. Now, I know  you aren't supposed to put anything in the crib with baby, but in my opinion, You gotta do what you gotta do. I think this, along with a plethora of other things, are a parents' prerogative. For me, I am comforted to know that we use the AngelCare Baby Monitor, which detects a stop in your baby's breathing. 
• Cry it Out {Yep, I said it!}...only you know your baby, so you decide if it's right for you. I know Ethan's cries pretty well, and I can tell a tired one from an actual one. Therefore, when I hear a tired cry, I know I can let him cry it out. I also know that if he works himself up enough, he will never go to sleep, no matter how long I let him cry. Our first night sans swaddle, I had to go in 30 minutes after I put him down, then he started fussing 20 minutes after that, and after 10 minutes of crying, he fell asleep. He woke at 2am and 5:45am, but went back to sleep after his pacifier was reinserted. The second night he slept from 8:15pm to 5:35am, and once his pacifier was reinserted, woke up at 6:15am. Those are wins in my book. 
• Begin with Bedtime...for us, it was because we have a bedtime routine down. Ethan knows that it's time to sleep. Nap times are not at regular times yet, so we were afraid he'd think it was time to play rather than sleep. For the most part {see above}, it worked. He transitioned seamlessly to unswaddled naps after his first night with his blankie, too.

Good luck, and Happy Un-Swaddling!!

Like Father, Like Son

I feel like I'm raising a mini-Kevin. Here are some things I've noticed, that make this lad just like his dad:

• Both very fidgety
• Both dislike green beans and peas
• Both love zucchini, sweet potatoes, squash, and bananas
• Both have the longest eyelashes I've ever seen
• Both have adorable sleepy eyes
• Both have a long second toe
• Both look super handsome in cargo shorts and a polo shirt
• Both would rather observe others than "talk"
• Both love their mothers
• Both love being active
• Both sweat...a lot
• Both are captivated by computers and the television

It's so neat to see Ethan's personality develop, and mimic Kevin's traits. I am lucky to have not just one, but two men that I'm absolutely, head-over-heels, in love with!