So much not blogged about

I know I have few readers at this point (it has been 5 months since I blogged!) but I wanted to write down a few things that have happened in T's development. I keep saying that the 1st 6 months are for growing and the next 6 months are about development. After a sad few months of severe sleep deprivation we went to the Dr. who told me to try some formula. Something I had been contemplating for a few weeks but was reluctant to do because I was worried about my supply. This visit alleviated some concerns because the Dr. felt my supply may be poor anyway due to my sleep deprivation. We started T on formula that night. It helped some and he seemed to sleep a little better every night after that. After about a month we switched to Earth's Best Organic Formula and that was the first night ever that T slept through the night. There is definitely something to formula keeping baby's tummy's full. I also went back to work so T was getting more and more bottles. My supply was dwindling due to all the pumping and eventually I decided to feed him formula during the day and breastfeed him while we were together. T decided he liked bottles more than breastfeeding so I stopped breastfeeding during the day and only continued at night. Then he started to bite me in the middle of the night. I am sure he bits his bottles but they don't shout. He got really upset at night after I yelled in pain after he bit me. That eventually ended our breastfeeding relationship. I know T basically weaned himself. He wasn't that interested in breastfeeding by the end. Bottles were much easier for him and he probably got more to eat since he could stop drinking when distracted and then go back for more. I was also able to tell how much he was eating which made me happy. Some days I am sad that we ended this relationship so early and other parts of me are happier. GT and I can switch off night feedings, I don't have to worry about always being home for him to eat, I can always tell how much he is getting, and he seems to be happy. When we went to his 9 month appointment he had fallen off his growth curve into the 8th percentile for weight (although 93rd for height)and I didn't have to beat myself up because I didn't think I wasn't producing enough milk. Some days I look at my breastfeeding friends and I get a little sad and envy their relationship with their babies. I once told this to one of my mom friends and she said "but you are both so much happier now." I think about that whenever I get a little sad because it is true. We are both so much happier and it is obvious to all of those people around us. We have a better relationship now then we did when we were all sleep deprived and stressed.

So trying to remember T's firsts so that I can have a record of them!
First tooth-popped a few days before his 6 month b-day
Second tooth appeared approximately one month later
Top teeth are almost here.

Sitting without support- he could sit a little by 6.5 months but really got the hang of it by 7 months
Pulling up-8 months. He would stand almost all of his waking hours and play on his musical table
Cruising-8 months. He loved to walk on the edges of the couch.
Crawling-9 months. I never thought he would crawl. He had all the skills he needed to crawl but would just cry when he ended up on his tummy. He ended up going to his babysitters house on 7/19/10 because we were having the windows in our house replaced. He came home that night and GT and I both saw him move one knee in front of the other while on his belly. While T had been at his babysitters her baby (who is 3 days younger and had been crawling for a couple of months)was crawling all over the house. T must have watched him and figured out what needed to be done. This is similar to what happened when his older cousin came to visit in June. T watched Toby walk around and stand up and by the time they left that was all he wanted to do. Babies do learn by observation. It is pretty neat to watch.

Right after T learned to crawl we went to Alabama. He met many many new people and was held by a lot of strangers. For the first time T became very clingy. He also said Mama for the first time. When he was stressed he would crawl towards me going Ma ma ma ma ma or if I was in the room and someone else was holding him he would do the same thing. It was nice to hear him say my name! Since we have returned he has not said Mama again! At least I know he can say it though!

Unfortunately T still has some noise sensitivity issues. He definitely doesn't like other babies to cry or shout. It upsets him and he will begin to cry. He doesn't like loud noises (even the kind he makes on his own). He doesn't really like to bang spoons and pots and pans which I have seen plenty of other babies his age do. When other baby's cry or make a lot of noise he always looks to me for assurance and if he is really tired or it is really loud he cries. It can be difficult sometimes but it just clues me into T's personality. I think he is a sensitive little guy who is going to grow up into a caring empathetic person. He seems tuned into others. I have to remember this when I get frustrated or stressed! He definitely picks up on these vibes and reacts. When I am happy and excited he also seems to pick up on this. It has been exciting to see his little personality emerge.

There is so much that I want to remember from this first year (and it has almost been one whole year!) and I am sad that I didn't write much of it down (which was the whole point of this blog) but I am glad that I could at least get some of it down. Already I have forgotten so much about what happened those first few months. GT likes to remind me. I am having so much fun being a mom. While it is probably the hardest job I have ever done I am probably happier overall then I have ever been and that is all that matters.