Happy 1st Birthday, my love

Isaac,

Time flies.

You are 12 months!!!

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, I am so blessed and happy that you are my son!

We have loved nursing so much that we continue to do it! I love your acrobatics, how you say "na na" when you want to nurse, and how much comfort it gives both of us.

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!

11 Months

Dearest Baby Isaac,

November is the month of WALKING!

Speaking of nursing, 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. 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. You are social, talkative. You are everything I dreamed about and more.

You have started to cuddle again 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. 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, 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 upset 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. 

Most recently you are starting to stand by yourself (not holding onto anything) for a few seconds! 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!

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! 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.

Love, 

Mama

7 Months

My little Peanut, you are growing, growing, growing. 

We switched to Baby Led Weaning. But 95% of the time we only introduce solids to you by handing you the actual stalk (hand size) of broccoli, sweet potato fry, and so on...For the first week it felt like you were only going to gag for forever. But we are now on week 2 and you have picked up chewing really well already. The first couple of days with this method were very stressful. Gagging is very stressful, but by doing so you have learned to move foods forward, and out of your mouth. This is how you've also learned to chew. I finally bought the BLW book and I feel so much more confident in this method. Tonight we gave you angel hair pasta with sauce, you did so well with it, mainly you just sucked the sauce off of it! The 2 most important reasons why I made the switch were your gag reflex will eventually move further back down your throat and it's most important for you to learn now how to chew and swallow. Second and most important reason is, I want you to learn how much you need and decide what to eat.

Developmentally you are challenging yourself daily. You continue to sit well, you mostly fall forward recently since you now want to reach for everything. What I thought was once out of your reach is now right at it. Especially since you have learned how to climb. You have also slowly started to pull yourself up, when either in our laps, or on the exersaucer. We are still working on our crawling skills, but now that you know you can get around with climbing easier, this is all you want to do. Which is fine by me, I'm not ready for a mobile baby just yet.

Two days ago you said "Dada" out of the blue, and now continue to say it quite frequently throughout the day. When you feel like you've forgotten how to say it, you'll first mouth it then switch to sound (my brilliant baby)! Two weeks ago you start with saying "Up," but now that you are saying "Dada," Dada feels like that is your true first word! To me it doesn't matter, it has just been so rewarding to see how proud you are of yourself when you say a word or pull yourself up!

Your relationship with our "Gi" or doggie (Sydney) has really blossomed. She of course still sneaks kisses on you. She knows when you are about to spit up and comes running from anywhere she's been. She has learned to be a loyal companion at dinner time, waiting for any droppings from your high chair. If you're upset she knows to come find me, tell me, and runs to you. She greets us when you wake up, and you have the biggest smile anytime she comes bursting in the room, or she needs cuddle time while we are playing. I wouldn't trade having a dog with a baby any day, it is so so so worth it!

You are more invested in your books, we read to you often, and instrumental music really helps you calm down to sleep. I have found one of my favorite children's folk artists: Elizabeth Mitchell. This is the kind of music I remember growing up and it helps me feel connected to my childhood by having us listen to this, and sing. You have started to sing once in awhile. Maybe you'll follow into your parents musical shoes when you are older.

And now it is time for bed.

Love,

Mama

6 Months

Dear Isaac,

As you grow my love expands in ways I never knew how. Such as how tonight you cried while asleep. So I swooped in and picked you up. You went straight for my shoulder and said "Mama." I know you had no clue what you were trying to say, or mean. It meant the world to me. And now I am looking forward to the day you look at me and call me by my name.

Developmentally you are challenging yourself each and everyday. I encourage by telling you, "you are doing so well, next time you will try a little longer" or "great job buddy you'll get it soon enough." I don't care if you can't understand- you are hearing a positive emotion to something you are struggling with, and with that you know Mama is there for support.

You have sadly aged out of 'free' swim class- it was such a lovely time for us to bond together, but to also meet other SAHM's. Grandma also got to see you at Swimkids for your last 2 classes. As I mentioned previously, they had us practice "cup pours" all of the time- I would say 1-2-3 lift then pour water on your face- you cried the first couple of classes, then became used to it- and even though I hated that most of class was built around this exercise. It eventually paid off, because at the end of 4 months of classes on the count of 3- you close your eyes!!!!! Mama was so very impressed with you! This is my #1 brag lately. 

he's 27inches, 18#13oz

You are sitting up very well these days, still I place a pillow behind just in case.

We have started to practice with a sippy cup so that you can get water in this hot summer. I think you enjoy chewing on it more than actual drinking. 

Only about 2x a week you get teething pain if that you love to chew on your thumb or the ribbon blanket I made you (or any other cloth blanket/toy). I can only feel both of your eye teeth coming in, and those are the most painful- I'm wondering if I'll have a little vampire- and with that I'm so scared of nursing with teeth- hopefully it's an easy transition.

You LOVE nectarines! Pears and peaches as well- I eat away the skin and you love to suck and gum at the pulp. We went to the outdoor pool with Brynn and Benjamin for the first time this week- burr the water was cold! You were decked out in a long sleeve top as well and still fussed, but I wasn't sure if it was due to you being sleepy or cold. Because you actually fell asleep while we were in the pool! It was super cute.   
While on your tummy you tend to get most frustrated, because you want to reach for everything, once in a while you'll attempt at schootching your way a few inches at a time. You haven't rolled over from your back to front by yourself yet.

People now comment that you are starting to look more like me. I think it's due to you still having your blue eyes. Which I'm so excited about- that you visibly have something from Mama.

Love,
Mama