Blink! There goes another month! Thought I better get an update up before we celebrate Hunter’s FIRSTH BIRTHDAY (GAH!). It is funny to sit down and write these updates. Sometimes I feel like the day to day life of a mom with a baby is pretty routine but other times I feel like SO much happens in a month and I can’t even begin to remember it all!
I tried to get a picture of how big Hunter is these days but he doesn’t sit still or pose with the elephant for long!
I jumped on the scale the other day with him and according to that he weighs almost 21lbs! He also seems REALLY long to me these days! I won’t know the “official measurements” until his 1 year doctor’s appointment later in February.
One fun and excited thing we did this month was take Hunter to his first swim lessons!
It is a parent and child class which basically means we get the babies use to the water by singing songs, having them reach/swim for toys while we hold them, have them “jump” off the side of the pool into our arms, and dunk them underwater! Hunter seems to really like it, especially when Daddy blows bubbles in the water. I like it because for 30 minutes I get to hold him and he doesn’t weigh a thing! Plus he is really cuddly! Grandma Charlene often stops by when she’s done with her exercise classes to say “hi” and help get Hunter cleaned up and changed!
Sleep has been going ok. I have buckled down and started “nap training” which basically means I don’t rock Hunter to sleep for naps any more and let him fall asleep on his own. The crazy part his he doesn’t cry at nap time he just goes crazy playing and rolling around, talking, knocking his paci on the slats, sticking his arms and legs in the slats (we use to have breathable bumpers but he played with those too). I use to go in and “make him” go to sleep by rocking him but he was even resisting that and then not sleeping very long! So, I let him try for an hour on his own. Sometimes he falls asleep but most times he doesn’t and then I get really lost on what to do next. Do I keep him up until the next nap/bedtime? Do I try again in 30 minutes? Is he ready for 1 nap (I don’t really think so but that is what everyone tells me.)? If he skips his morning naps he usually crashes hard for the after noon nap. If he misses the afternoon nap then it is usually too late in the day and too close to bedtime to try again. Either way I end up with a cranky overtired baby. I really don’t know what to do and I am afraid if this keeps up it will affect his night time sleep which has been really good lately, usually 11 hours a night! I’m sure as you can tell from past posts, sleep is one thing that really stresses me out! I have no idea why I think it is SO important for Hunter to get enough sleep. I guess I just know my baby, and I know what he needs to be a happy guy and this includes a few good naps.
Eating still seems to be going well. I have to admit I am a little slow to introduce new foods to Hunter. He just has his “favorites” and since most of them are healthy we just keep rolling with it. A new recipe I tried this month was Broccoli Cheddar Bites.
Super easy and he LOVES them!
Not sure if you can tell from the above picture but Hunter has 3 new teeth this month! So that makes 4 on the top and 3 on the bottom, not really sure where the 4th one on the bottom is, it seems like he has been teething FORVER and I know that this is just the beginning!
Our friend Gardner came for a visit this past month and look! He and Hunter have matching jackets!
Hunter becomes more mobile each day. He is still army crawling but pushing up on his hands and knees more frequently and even crawling forward a little bit. Still not pulling up to standing on his own but he’ll get there. He is definitely working on verbal and fine motor skills. Boy! Can that little guy talk. Sometimes he reads books to me! I don’t know what he is saying but he sure seems to think he knows what the story is about! He is also getting very good a mimicing us and naming specific items. The quilt that he always plays on has pictures of labrador retrievers, deer, fish and ducks. He will point to each animal and make a some what correct sound. It’s pretty cute. And of course there is always the endearing momma and daddy!
He still LOVES trucks! Every night before bed we sing the “Clean Up” song and pick up our toys. The last thing to get put away is the big truck and Brian and I will push Hunter on it while he “parks” it for the night!
That’s it for this month! We are already looking ahead to celebrating his 1st birthday in almost 2 weeks! Hard to believe that last year at this time I was 39 weeks pregnant! Watching Hunter grow and change this past year sure has been amazing! I am sure I will have more reflections to share on my first year as a mom in the up coming weeks. And the fun has just begun!
How is it possible that you have an 11-month-old? How is it possible that I have a 4-month-old????