My First Mother's Day

Tripod

Our besties came over today!

Benjamin and Aubrey are some of your best baby friends, we were only missing a few of your others (but I haven't gotten permission from their Mama's to mention them here). I love their mom's Katie and Brynn. We met through Swimkids and have been joined to the hip ever since.

Today we planned to go to the Reston Zoo, luckily Katie got there before us and told us to make other plans since about 25 school buses showed up. We then re-routed our plans to Frying Pan Farm Park, which is even better since it is free! Isaac enjoyed watching piglets nurse, mama and ewe's were in the buttercup field. Then of course I started to nurse in the barn and a baby goat went rogue and started to try to nibble on my shirt, it was quite comical.

Once it started to rain we headed back to my house. Where the tripod exploded into and awesome play date! Here are the pictures to show their love for each other!

I can't wait to see these 3 grow up together!

Anyone have a good caption for this picture?

Benjamin decided to celebrate Chanukah a bit early :)

All of the mamas I've been hanging out with, we all have so much in common, and I'm sooo happy that I got pregnant when I did not only to be fortunate for G-d to chose Isaac for me, but for him to choose these mamas for me too. They all really seem like sisters in a way. I am one lucky mama and feel so blessed. 

5 Months to Love

Dearest Baby Isaac,

I love you so much baby. I continue to be amazed at your progress thus far. Ever since Mother's Day you have been wanting to say "ga-ga-ga" or any "G" noise. When you were 4 months old you said "Da" for the first time. You continue to babble frequently and scream for fun!

We continue to help you strengthen your muscles in order to sit up/ start to crawl. You can now sit by yourself for a few seconds until you roll into a tummy face plant. You still haven't rolled from "Back to front" but we daily continue to have lots of play time on your back/front. When you are doing tummy time you continue to only want to "super man" or now a recent development is that you like to do "push ups" which is very fun, I am still loving my stationary baby who smiles at me. Isaac you know your name and you also know the word "love" which is adorable to watch you smile after we say this word.

We have a plentiful social calendar these days. We have met so many wonderful Mama's and their babes. I'm so thankful to Swimkids for having their free swim classes for 2-5 month olds (4 months free!). I have met more Mama's to hang out with here than at our INOVA Mom's group. And through Brynn, I have met so many friends. Isaac and I usually hang out with Brynn and Benjamin on a daily basis. Through lunches, hanging at eachother's homes, walks, Frying Pan Farm, Claude Moore Rec Center, story time at Ashburn Library and then getting our families together for dinner/ brunches. We also have enjoyed getting to know Katie and Aubrey. 

We are so fortunate for those free swim classes. We started you at exactly 2 months old, and I am so thankful we have, not only to meet great friends but for you physically. YOU LOVE THE WATER, just like your Mama! I really enjoy the times we are in the pool together, especially now that you are so comfortable in the water. You've learned to hold your breath, for a quick second as you test me when you dunk your self while in the back float position. Hands down this is my favorite activity together.

These days you are mainly chewing on your fingers all the time, you don't seem to like chewing on plastics/ silicon- which I prefer you chew on fabric any ways. 

Tonight you started to roll from back to front, with some assistance but the hardest part of actually getting your torso to roll was all you buddy! The best part was you knew what was happening and you were so proud of yourself! We also accomplished today sitting up even more, each day you continue to change and grow, looking back at your newborn, and first couple of months saddens me knowing we can only look forward, but also excited for what is to come.

Love,

Mama

3 and 4 month update

3 months

Time has flown by, Isaac flies by his developmental milestones. This month we had a 2 week visit from Grandma! Isaac learned to click his tongue. He began to smile and laugh. He is sleeping well, co-sleeping has worked out really well for all of us. Because we are all sleeping at night. 

We are also officially 100% using cloth diapers, his rash has completely gone away. And not only are we saving money we are saving the environment as well. We are still using disposable wipes, but I do have a recipe for reusable ones that once all the wipes are gone we plan to start using.

Isaac continues to enjoy swim class, and he is getting more comfortable with floating on his back. Working with Isaac in the tub has caused him to excel when he is in the pool.

4 months

Isaac continues to smile and laugh, he now loves to test his lungs and squeal, and sometimes scream (so when we are driving it is hard to tell if he is upset or just having fun). Isaac has also started to babble to himself a lot more, especially in the car, so I've started to leave the radio off so I can enjoy these sweet moments).

He wants to sit up assisted all the time now, and loves to stand. He still loves tummy time and doesn't roll over as much anymore but he does love doing "superman". We bought him a used exersaucer for $25, and only place him in there for about 10 minutes till his neck gets stronger but he sits well and loves the light up/singing toys since he's never had that experience before.

From 3.5months on he has started to drool more and chewing on things for teething, lately (he's now 4.5 months as I write this update) he chews on his fingers all the time. And he has started to do the "raspberries" with his lips/blow bubbles alllll the time, and I mean all the time. He is so amused by this new trick he can do that he even can manage chewing on his fingers while doing it.

Last week we did visit my parents in Texas, but I plan on another post for that update, but we did have a great visit, and the flight wasn't too bad there on the way home, was not fun at all. And Isaac develomptally and physically has blossomed just in the 10 days we were gone!




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On the Other Side

I started babysitting at the age of 10. I even took a course through our local hospital...I always loved being around babies, kids, and their mothers. I had always dreamed of being a mother one day. So it just fit for me to become a Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). It has been such a rewarding job. I especially love getting to counsel NICU moms, by helping them put their sick or preemie baby to the breast. Or by helping them through their struggles, just by giving them kind words of encouragement, and giving them the support they need emotionally. 

I've gotten 16 weeks of unpaid maternity leave. I go back to work at the end of March, and luckily Michael will watch him while I work. At first when we were struggling with Isaac's tongue tie, with exclusive bottle feeds, him upset at the breast, using a nipple shield, and then his acid reflux, but at 6 weeks when he got on Zantac, he instantly started to breastfeed. Before 6 weeks, it was extremely painful for me, I felt like a failure- that I couldn't get Isaac to breastfeed. 

Around 6 weeks old, Isaac started to breastfeed after getting on zantac, he got a few bottles in the beginning, but by two weeks later I had trained him off the nipple shield, and we were exclusively breastfeeding. 

When I was in the midst of these struggles, I remember telling Mr. B in tears or breaking down that there was no way I was capable of going back to work and helping mothers breastfeed, I feared it. But now that we are on the other side, I can't wait to go back. I feel like it is now my mission to do this service and help mom's when they are most vulnerable to not only get their babies to the breast, or help them give formula when it is medically needed, but just to nurture them through this "new mom process." I plan on eventually getting to do out patient follow up, since this is what I really needed. 

In the near future I want to become a Postpartum anxiety/ depression counselor, and certified in infant massage. I feel my hospital could really benefit our patients by supporting them after they've gone home not only with lactation and learning to bond with their babies, but by leading a support group for PPD as well. I have no clue how to become a counselor in this field, but I'm beginning to research and ask my colleagues. 

But truly what a beautiful gift breastfeeding is, once it is established. I always loved watching a mom nurse her newborn, it is truly a beautiful thing to watch. And now I get to interact with Isaac as he nurses for his nutrients, but I really love now getting to comfort him. This is another blessing all on it's own. I am so thankful to my baby for sticking with me through his pain, and rarely ever breastfeeding to now exclusively breastfeeding. I am in awe of my amazing baby.

Covered in Kisses

Happy Valentines day, I'm 10 weeks old!

Dear Baby boy,

I am so in love with you!

This week you found your hand to suck on and self soothe. Grandma is visiting us for 2 weeks. Monday morning Grandmom and I were talking to you in our bedroom and as we started to have our own conversation Grandma noticed you making a different noise than usual...you were clucking your tongue! Once we praised you, you became so proud of yourself! After a few clucks, you lost how you had managed to organize your tongue, but we keep practicing, (later that evening Daddy was trying to get you to cluck, but instead you farted hehe). 

You are still doing wonders with your development at swim class. Grandma was so excited to be able to watch you in the water! She also constantly tells me of what a wonderful job I am in letting you explore you environments and in teaching you. This week the water was colder, and you particularly did not like floating on your back, Mommy has patience and will slowly acclimate you to this position, the most important this is that you are having fun.

We've been working on your ability to grasp items, I hold the link of rings above you as you lay on your back, and dangle them until you hit them enough to stop them. And eventually you are able to grasp on to them!

I have also laid down the wardrobe mirror we have, so that you can admire yourself in it! But most importantly you are learning about movement, and watching yourself. I can't tell if you know that baby is you in the mirror or not. But you especially like when you are naked and looking in the mirror. 

Today was your 2 month check up at the Pediatrician's office. You have started to consistently throw up after meals, but Dr. Bill reassured me that it is "Delayed gastric emptying." And this, plus the reflux baby's tend to grow out of. Especially once solids are started, they help hold down the bolus of milk. Dr. Bill was proud to hear that you started breastfeeding as soon as we got you on the Zantac medication. Mommy really appreciates him, since he was very empathetic to our feeding struggles in the beginning, since his wife had the same experience. You got 2 shots, which was hard to watch, putting you on the breast did not help (next time I'm bringing a bottle of breast milk to help soothe you, this helped the first time you had a shot). You have slept most of the day, but this afternoon and night I've had to give you tylenol to calm you down. It hurts to see you in pain. 

Leaving on a better note, I'm looking forward to your second infant massage class tomorrow!

Smiles

Photoshoot!

 He loves to drool 

Sharon my dear coworker made these booties for Isaac, with a matching hat, but the his head grew so fast that unfortunately the hat is too small now.