It was a busy month for our little family! New schools, new routines, birthdays, long car rides, long flights on airplanes . . . we did a lot. In the midst of all the hustle and bustle- Matthew turned 8 months old. The time is passing faster and faster the older Matthew gets. He continues to be a go-with-the-flow kind of baby which we appreciate to the fullest! The lack of sleep and all the normal fussiness associated with a baby has been countered with cute smiles, little jagged teeth, and hugs- yes Matthew hugs! Boy, this is getting fun!!!
Matthew is a big boy! He topped out this month at 22.5 lbs. and his appetite is not dimin- ishing! He is an eater- no doubt about it. When I feed him his dinner (cereal/veggie/fruit), he doesn't have to wear a bib. He doesn't let a morsel of food out of his cute little mouth- rather he inhales it as quickly as possible. I have really started emphasizing 'no more, all done' because I think that Matthew thinks he could sit and eat all day long! He has never rejected a food or even made a sour face. Any kind of vegetable or fruit will do! He is eating little Gerber snacks (which are a life saver!) and likes to take nibbles of what we are eating. He loves drinking water from a sippie cup, but still breastfeeds every 3 hours. He actually got the concept of biting this month and was able to bite a cracker instead of sucking it until it fell apart. He is now able to take his chubby fingers and pick up the snacks and put them in his mouth while he is in the high chair and stroller. This is great because it keeps him busy and allows me to get a few things done- go figure!
Matthew has hit a few more milestones in the physical area. He will sit for prolonged periods of time and play. He likes to go 'rockie rockie rockie' (basically he rocks back and forth) when he hears music. It is his own way to dance. He loves to sit in front of his Chicken Dance Elmo which was a gift for Michael's 2nd birthday from my friend Amy. Yes, it is annoying at times but if it keeps Matthew occupied- I am all about it! He is now twisting his trunk to look behind him. He goes from a seated position to the floor and then will roll to get what he wants. Still no crawling- but we are on our way! He will pivot in a full circle on his tummy and he is getting the concept that he needs to move in order to get a toy. He lifts his chest completely off the ground but just hasn't quite figured out how to incorporate the lower half of his body. I looked in Claire's baby book and she didn't crawl until 9 months so he seems to be doing a lot of what she did. Matthew rolls completely from his tummy to back and vice versa. He loves to stand and if you give him your two pointer fingers, he will grab on and pull himself to stand all by himself. He is entertaining the idea of pulling up on our coffee table. So basically, trouble is on it's way!
Matthew definitely is more aware this month to both people and sounds. He can see me a mile away and I actually have already had to do the 'distraction drill' to get out of the house without him crying. Just he other night when I had a basketball game, he wouldn't take his eyes off of me so I had to quickly distract him and run out of the house without him seeing me. And so it begins . . . If I ask him where Daddy, Michael, or Claire are- he will find them in seconds. He understands 'Put your head down' if he is on my shoulder and also knows 'Put your pluggie (pacifier) in'.
Matthew is a big smiley guy. It is so sweet to see him smile because you can see the two adorable little teeth in this bottom gums. He loves to laugh and is definitely ticklish. If he is sad and I start talking in a sad voice, he will start to cry. It is so cute. He also started waving this month. His big chubby arm goes up and down and it just makes me and Damien smile. Ah, I love having a baby! Also, Matthew's all-time favorite thing to do is to be held. He loves riding around on my hip as I get things done or drop the kids off at school. While sometimes my arms ache, I do love that he wants to be with me!
Matthew traveled quite a bit this month. He took another flight up to see my family and was awesome. He was quite good in the car to go visit Damien's parent's too. He doesn't mind the car during the day but gets fussy when it is dark because there is nothing to look at! To help solve his fussiness, we turn on the interior lights in the minivan. So, yes we are the dorky family driving at night with an illuminated car where everyone can see what we are doing.
Nighttime still poses a bit of a challenge- mostly because of the habits I have created for Matthew. I like to call it survival, but I am sure most parenting books would call what I do 'creating bad habits'. He still sleeps in bed with me and I feed him about every 2-3 hours during the night. At 7:00 a.m. every morning I HAVE to be up to get myself, Matthew and the bigger kids ready for school. I have to get them dressed, feed them, pack a lunch, comb their hair, and brush their teeth, sometimes breastfeed Matthew, and get out the door! The school doesn't care if I am sleep deprived or if Matthew had a hard night. I have to get Michael and Claire to school on time. So, I do whatever it takes to get through the night- knowing full well that sooner rather than later, Matthew will let me know when he is able to sleep longer and even move to a crib. So, I try not to be too hard on myself or Matthew for getting up at night and not sleeping through the night yet (although that would be divine). It just gives me something to look forward to, I guess. Plus, I've been here before and I have the knowledge that eventually, it all works out.
Matthew is a sweet little boy. I am constantly being stared at with his big blue eyes, smiled at with his dimply left cheek and two little teeth, waved at by his chubby big rollie arm, and patted on my back with his open hand. I love it and the kids love it. I can't imagine life being any other way. I know that Matthew will start crawling soon so I have been enjoying his true babyness. We are having so much fun with him and each new day brings a something new for Matthew. Whether we are calling him BigBear, BabyBear, Goose, BooBoo, BooBooBear (Claire calls him this), Buddy (Michael calls him this), or Huge (long story- ask my Dad)- we are loving this little guy with so many different names. This next month should be fun because of all the fun Halloween things he will be able to look at! We continue to take it one day at time and love the heck out of Matthew.
It was a busy month for our little family! New schools, new routines, birthdays, long car rides, long flights on airplanes . . . we did a lot. In the midst of all the hustle and bustle- Matthew turned 8 months old. The time is passing faster and faster the older Matthew gets. He continues to be a go-with-the-flow kind of baby which we appreciate to the fullest! The lack of sleep and all the normal fussiness associated with a baby has been countered with cute smiles, little jagged teeth, and hugs- yes Matthew hugs! Boy, this is getting fun!!!
Matthew is a big boy! He topped out this month at 22.5 lbs. and his appetite is not dimin- ishing! He is an eater- no doubt about it. When I feed him his dinner (cereal/veggie/fruit), he doesn't have to wear a bib. He doesn't let a morsel of food out of his cute little mouth- rather he inhales it as quickly as possible. I have really started emphasizing 'no more, all done' because I think that Matthew thinks he could sit and eat all day long! He has never rejected a food or even made a sour face. Any kind of vegetable or fruit will do! He is eating little Gerber snacks (which are a life saver!) and likes to take nibbles of what we are eating. He loves drinking water from a sippie cup, but still breastfeeds every 3 hours. He actually got the concept of biting this month and was able to bite a cracker instead of sucking it until it fell apart. He is now able to take his chubby fingers and pick up the snacks and put them in his mouth while he is in the high chair and stroller. This is great because it keeps him busy and allows me to get a few things done- go figure!
Matthew has hit a few more milestones in the physical area. He will sit for prolonged periods of time and play. He likes to go 'rockie rockie rockie' (basically he rocks back and forth) when he hears music. It is his own way to dance. He loves to sit in front of his Chicken Dance Elmo which was a gift for Michael's 2nd birthday from my friend Amy. Yes, it is annoying at times but if it keeps Matthew occupied- I am all about it! He is now twisting his trunk to look behind him. He goes from a seated position to the floor and then will roll to get what he wants. Still no crawling- but we are on our way! He will pivot in a full circle on his tummy and he is getting the concept that he needs to move in order to get a toy. He lifts his chest completely off the ground but just hasn't quite figured out how to incorporate the lower half of his body. I looked in Claire's baby book and she didn't crawl until 9 months so he seems to be doing a lot of what she did. Matthew rolls completely from his tummy to back and vice versa. He loves to stand and if you give him your two pointer fingers, he will grab on and pull himself to stand all by himself. He is entertaining the idea of pulling up on our coffee table. So basically, trouble is on it's way!
Matthew definitely is more aware this month to both people and sounds. He can see me a mile away and I actually have already had to do the 'distraction drill' to get out of the house without him crying. Just he other night when I had a basketball game, he wouldn't take his eyes off of me so I had to quickly distract him and run out of the house without him seeing me. And so it begins . . . If I ask him where Daddy, Michael, or Claire are- he will find them in seconds. He understands 'Put your head down' if he is on my shoulder and also knows 'Put your pluggie (pacifier) in'.
Matthew is a big smiley guy. It is so sweet to see him smile because you can see the two adorable little teeth in this bottom gums. He loves to laugh and is definitely ticklish. If he is sad and I start talking in a sad voice, he will start to cry. It is so cute. He also started waving this month. His big chubby arm goes up and down and it just makes me and Damien smile. Ah, I love having a baby! Also, Matthew's all-time favorite thing to do is to be held. He loves riding around on my hip as I get things done or drop the kids off at school. While sometimes my arms ache, I do love that he wants to be with me!
Matthew traveled quite a bit this month. He took another flight up to see my family and was awesome. He was quite good in the car to go visit Damien's parent's too. He doesn't mind the car during the day but gets fussy when it is dark because there is nothing to look at! To help solve his fussiness, we turn on the interior lights in the minivan. So, yes we are the dorky family driving at night with an illuminated car where everyone can see what we are doing.
Nighttime still poses a bit of a challenge- mostly because of the habits I have created for Matthew. I like to call it survival, but I am sure most parenting books would call what I do 'creating bad habits'. He still sleeps in bed with me and I feed him about every 2-3 hours during the night. At 7:00 a.m. every morning I HAVE to be up to get myself, Matthew and the bigger kids ready for school. I have to get them dressed, feed them, pack a lunch, comb their hair, and brush their teeth, sometimes breastfeed Matthew, and get out the door! The school doesn't care if I am sleep deprived or if Matthew had a hard night. I have to get Michael and Claire to school on time. So, I do whatever it takes to get through the night- knowing full well that sooner rather than later, Matthew will let me know when he is able to sleep longer and even move to a crib. So, I try not to be too hard on myself or Matthew for getting up at night and not sleeping through the night yet (although that would be divine). It just gives me something to look forward to, I guess. Plus, I've been here before and I have the knowledge that eventually, it all works out.
Matthew is a sweet little boy. I am constantly being stared at with his big blue eyes, smiled at with his dimply left cheek and two little teeth, waved at by his chubby big rollie arm, and patted on my back with his open hand. I love it and the kids love it. I can't imagine life being any other way. I know that Matthew will start crawling soon so I have been enjoying his true babyness. We are having so much fun with him and each new day brings a something new for Matthew. Whether we are calling him BigBear, BabyBear, Goose, BooBoo, BooBooBear (Claire calls him this), Buddy (Michael calls him this), or Huge (long story- ask my Dad)- we are loving this little guy with so many different names. This next month should be fun because of all the fun Halloween things he will be able to look at! We continue to take it one day at time and love the heck out of Matthew.
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