Friday, June 27, 2014

Surviving

Where have the last 4 months gone?  We have been busy surviving around here.  Parenthood brings days that are full of joy, love but exhausting all at once.  There were so many nights that I went to bed thinking, "What in the world am I doing?"  I would be excited for work the next morning but then miss my boy terribly when I walked through the office door.  Motherhood is full of so many ups and downs.  I have learned to embrace those downs because they make the wonderful moments so so good.

Bennett is the best.  I know all moms think their babies are pretty awesome, but I am just so in love.  He is such a ham lately.  He has two teeth.  They popped through right at 5 months.  And he is so close to getting his top two.  I check every morning to see if they have erupted.  I keep thinking maybe he is teething and that is why he is still not sleeping through the night... wishful thinking!  He wakes up once to eat around midnight or 1pm.  But he goes right back to sleep so its not a big deal.

He has been sitting unsupported since about 5 months as well.  He is getting braver and reaching for toys that are further away so I know crawling is not far off.  He will push himself backwards across the entire room.  My little monkey!  He can roll but chooses not to most of the time.  He is also chatting all day and clapping!

Bennett is finally starting to enjoy solids, or purees I should say.  I think he had so much trouble in the beginning because of all of his allergies and reflux.  He still is sensitive to a lot of foods: avocado, bananas, peaches, coconut and quinoa to name a few.  His allergist confirmed his allergy to milk, eggs and peanuts.  I still eat tree nuts and they seem to not bother him at all.  I am sure about the peaches, coconut and quinoa but the days I ate those he was fussier so I have just avoided them.  I am so that crazy person.  In a few months I'll reintroduce them.  Food allergies are a challenge but when I think of all the other health issues Bennett could have... we are blessed to just have allergies.

I am still able to exclusively breastfeed and that makes me so happy!  Not because I feel breastmilk is best- I think anyway you choose to feed your baby is best- I just love the bonding nursing brings.  It is the time during the day when it is just him and I.  There have been so many hurdles that we have overcome!  First the oversupply, then going back to work, and the food allergies!! But through all of that we are still successfully nursing and I am thankful.  I sometimes curse my pump as I feel like it has to go EVERYWHERE with me and I stress out about getting all my sessions in at work, and then not to mention that I can't have a date night that is longer than three hours because I am engorged.  But in the long scheme of life, this is a very short chapter and I am grateful for it.

Bennett spent the entire week at "Daddy Daycare" this past week.  I try not think about all of the money we are spending for a daycare the he rarely goes to, but this is the best we could do in the situation we were in.  Next year we are going to re evaluate and try to work our schedules so that he only has daycare two days a week instead of four.  Then maybe I wouldn't feel so bad about the 1000+ dollars we spend a month on daycare when he generally only goes 3 - 4 days per month!  Bennett is lucky that he has a dad that is willing to take such good care of him.  And I am lucky to have married a man that is such a good dad and an even better husband.