Happy 1st Birthday, my love

Isaac,

Time flies.

You are ONE...1...12 months!!!

We had a wonderful party with family from near and far.

I set up a photo shoot, and baked 2 sticky date puddings, and I baked an apple sauce spice cake for you. We didn't need the smash cake photo, but wanted to ring in the year with something mildly sweet (without sugar).

We celebrated your life along with Mommy and Daddy's accomplishment of surviving a very sleepless first year. We struggled with nursing, postpartum preeclampsia, anxiety, sleeping as you nap, and just giving in and cosleeping...and with that we all got sleep. I am so blessed and happy I listened to your needs instead of reading a book about you.

We have loved nursing so much that we continue to do it (into 16months and going strong)! I love your acrobatics, how you say "na na" when you want to nurse, and how much comfort it gives both of us. Daddy has told me recently he is very proud of me that we are able to continue nursing and loves the health and emotional benefits it gives you.

Isaac, you are now very interested in destroying stacks of toys (not stacking them yet). You are making more and more sounds, signing more often, walking, you love the outdoors, every minute you get we are outside (even in the bitter cold). I love to see you exploring and how you are soaking every interaction up like a sponge.

Each month you were above average on the growth charts, I never felt like I had a little baby due to you being in the 92%tile for height! Each developmental marker you hit right on cue, and sometimes you were ahead of the game, such as rolling over when you were 3 months old.

We continue to go to Thursday Moms group as we rotate houses. You have started to parallel play with the other kids. You love "Mama Brynn," and always want to cuddle with her as well. It's probably since we play with Brynn and Benjamin 2-3x per week.

But here I will spam you with more pictures from your party and Birthday month.

I am blessed!

 Great Uncle Robert, Grandpop, and Uncle Neal

You are obsessed with exploring Daddy's office

11 Months

Dearest Baby Isaac,

Nov. 2nd your Dad and I were getting ready for our Anniversary dinner date (it's really Nov. 7th). Grandma G was in town to babysit. As I was getting ready to go, Daddy got to experience you take your first steps!!!! We weren't able to get a video until the next day, but were able to celebrate the moment as soon as it happened! Especially since Daddy is at work most of the time providing for all of us, it was extra special for him to see you do this!

November is the month of WALKING!

You never sit still, I have lost over 10lbs since my pre-pregnancy weight of 150lbs. I'm not even doing extra exercising, it's you being active and me still nursing you. I am HUNGRY ALL of the time...I have been doing a light Primal/Paleo diet. I definatly still need the fats from diary, and we have some carbs. But the real change in our diet is us being smart and me researching healthy REAL foods. We eat grass fed only meats, fresh range free eggs, we don't eat the "dirty dozen list" unless it's organic. I feel smart, healthy and in charge of our futures. It has even gotten me excited about researching due to the Nutritionist in me. I hate vitamin "horse" pills, and I really haven't been taking them since I've given birth. But to me I have such a well rounded healthy diet that I don't feel the need to take "horse pills." I did find a good gummy pregnancy vitamin to take which Daddy takes too, hehe. Next on our list is to research all of our body products on EWG.org and toss anything "poisonous" to us. On average a women's body is exposed to 500 chemicals a day! Yikes! For me, knowing both diet and body products that are bad for me and researching what I have has really helped with my Mommy Anxiety and helps me feel like a better Mom. Being aware is so important to me! This is just the beginning of my journey into "Urban Homesteading."

Speaking of nursing, I am still in love. You are in love and we have such a strong bond because of it. It is our peaceful quiet cuddle time. It especially helps if you are not feeling well or teething, and sleeping as well. We are currently trying you in a toddler bed transformed from your crib. You won't let me put you down, so I am nursing you to sleep in this short bed, luckily I fit! You go down till 11pm and then I bring you back to bed for the rest of the night, because I'm alone in getting you to sleep and honestly I'm not going to "sleep train" you because I enjoy the sleep I get now, and don't plan on decreasing it!

I hug and hold you close when you let me, I can't believe 1 year is almost gone! We have so many wonderful memories and enjoy each minute with you. I am proud to be your mother. Even when I'm exhausted and have the TV in the background or even breakdown and watch it with you in the room, I know this is a very low percentage you are watching and you are a well adapted, well rounded baby. You are social, talkative, you have no seperate or stranger anxiety. You are everything I dreamed about and more.

You have started to cuddle a bit more since you learned how to walk, which of course I love, and missed once you started crawling.

A special present from your friend Benjamin, a fuzzy book about Koala's that he picked out while visiting family in Australia! You love it!

10 Months

Dear Isaac,

My love, my fun loving child. You are brilliant! You are testing the waters with walking, wanting Daddy and I to hold your hands while you take small steps around the house. I am so very excited, for you to walk. Especially since you zoom so fast when crawling. A slower pace helps me to keep up with you!

It's hard to get a good shot these days, you are very wiggly and not wanting to sit still. Beginning of October you started to help me dress you by putting your arms through your sleeves, which is another exciting step in your development. You are signing: Light (and love to switch on & off light switches), fan, and dog. We are working on more (food), all done, bath time, other animal signs, and activity signs.

You love to read books, and you understand when we ask you if you want to read, by signing "book." Up stairs and down we have a small collection and we try to read almost every hour, you also LOVE signing/music. Our musical instruments are very handy. You have a tambourine, jingle bells, and a xylophone. As well as any kitchen gadgets you can find to bang on.

9 Months

Ahh...I can't keep up! Isaac you are one busy bee! 

Isaac you still have your precious blue eyes! And you're hair is thickening and curly (at night as you fall asleep I love to stroke your hair through my fingers..one of the many things I know won't last as you become a toddler). I love your curly hair! 

At your Doctor appointment you weighed in at 21lbs 13oz, height: 30inches

You have started to sign "dog", and can now say "doggie!" You say "na na" when you want to nurse, and when you are desperate you say "ma ma na na"... You say "ba ba" for ball. You are now signing "fan." You are still shy with who you wave to, but you did wave to the sushi chefs at Kumo! You love sweet potato rolls from Kumo. It is a lot of fun to watch you eat a veggie roll!

I never get to cuddle except for nursing, all you want to do is crawl EVERY WHERE! Since you've started to crawl I've lost 3 lbs! Since you rarely sit in our laps to read a story (only before bed lately), as you are playing I sit and read your books while you are busy. I also have bought an "as you grow" weekly activity book, so far I am very pleased. 

Last month we thought we wanted to crib train you, we tried for 2 nights, where (I ended up doing it alone) and you consistently woke up and was impossible for me, Daddy didn't want to wake up and realized the work I was doing and together we decided that we really are happy that all of us are getting sleep by bed sharing. We are happy to bed share and will continue to do so. Especially for breastfeeding, we still nurse throughout the night "dream feeding," both of us, and luckily I still haven't gotten "Aunt Flow," and that is due to nursing through the night and day.

Most recently you are starting to stand by yourself (not holding onto anything) for a few seconds, and every time you do, Daddy calls me into the room to see! You also love to walk with your "walker," you also are starting to learn how to turn it so you don't run into furniture!

Today Daddy put up gates so now we can safely have you in the dinning room (play room), while we cook, clean, or just relax and play with you without you escaping! I'm looking forward to adding new furniture too! 

Today we went shopping to the outlets, and I now fit into size 6 jeans! I haven't been that size in 6 years! Breastfeeding is amazing!! I have only been able to walk due to some postpartum issues. I also have been eating fats/sugars like crazy, I hear it's due to exhaustion. So the whole loosing weight despite not having the best diet is awesome! Now I'm motivated to cut out the fats/sugars and sustain a healthier diet so that I can tone up. A couple of my Mama friends want to switch shifts watching the babes so that we can get our work outs in!

Love,

Mama

Mmm toes taste so good! 

8.5 Months

You guessed it....

You are crawling!!!!!! It started a week after you turned 8 Months! The day Grandma left, right before her plane, she got to watch you crawl!

Along with crawling you have finally learned how to roll from your back to stomach. Most recently all you want to do is climb and stand up (and shake your booty). 

You have been keeping us busy in this house, there has been no time to update this blog! 

You have a tooth budding through, it's the front lower middle tooth. I am so happy and relieved for you, although at the same time a little nervous for biting. Once the tooth has popped you haven't been crying in pain, just a little irritated. 

Our playing relationship has totally changed, you are becoming more independent, and keep me very busy chasing after you. You love the 1 step into the entry way or dining room, you are also mastering how to climb up the brick hearth which the woodstove sits on (we have no clue how to child proof...we may just end up teaching you not to go up there). You love love love buttons, especially the ones on the TV stand. Instead of saying "no" all of the time, we have been teaching you by steering you to a toy and saying "Sorry bud we can't play with (the object)." It's been working out well for us. I am down to my pre-pregnancy weight, and now with all of this activity and chasing you, my pre-pregnancy cloths are falling off...still thanks to you nursing! It is so so so true, about the weight loss myth and nursing. 

Our nursing relationship has evolved, and I love how it has changed over the months, always still comforting and loving to you. You understand the sign for nurse, and laugh when you are hungry, this tells me you understand, and is quite adorable. You now want to try to position yourself to feed, as in crawling up to me, or laying on my back you kneel over me, it's it very cute and I love when you initiate nursing for comfort while playing like this. 

Our bond is as strong as ever, and you are a well adjusted baby, so very bright and cheery in front of strangers, you especially love men with facial hair. So next time Uncle Neal visits he should have facial hair...hint hint. When we are in a room with family or strangers, you look and initiate 

I was able to get you 18months winter wardrobe and a play walker for $40, what a deal!

Love, 

Mama