A Letter to Jayce: Six Months!

Sweet baby boy,

(This picture was taken on your half birthday. We were going to the doctor 2 days later so I didn't have your measurements yet.)

You are growing up right before our eyes. This month has been full of changes and growth. As soon as you turned 5 months, you forgot how to sleep through the night. Mommy had a couple rough weeks with you so Daddy could get enough sleep for work. I just had to tell myself that this "regression" meant something big was coming. Here's what those 2 weeks produced:

1) Sitting unsupported for a minute or so (September 22),

2) Sitting up in the grocery cart with support from the side and back of the seat (September 23),

3) Rolling from your back to your tummy (on September 25, finally!) and then a week later,

 

4) Sitting up on your own consistently! 

This picture also shows your new favorite time of the day: waiting in the yard for Daddy to come home. I'm not gonna lie, it's my favorite too. I love seeing the look on your face every time a car drives by or you feel a breeze. Even better, when that white truck pulls in our driveway next to you and you recognize the guy getting out. Both of you are so cute! 

Another thing you love to do is talk, or babble, or make sounds. Whatever it is called, you love it. It does hurt my feelings that "da" is the sound you repeat the most. Of course, Daddy loves it. You can entertain yourself a little bit this way (and by sitting up). I can actually put your laundry away while you do this:

The latest sounds you are making is the "motor boat" sound with your lips and grunting with frustration. 

A few memorable events happened this month too. 

1) You met your Rodgers great grandparents for the first time. They drove all the way down to Houston with Nana & Poppy to meet you. 

2) You got your very first Bible from Dr. Young. 

3) You started trying food. 

-Avocado

-Banana

-Apple

I don't know what to do!! This month has brought so much new! But one this is the same...

You love to watch sports like Mommy & Daddy. And we couldn't be happier. 

-Oklahoma State

-Houston Texans 

-Second Baptist Eagles

-Houston Astros in the playoffs!!

Oh that picture reminds me...you finally got your first pair of boots from Grandma! She has bought them for all of your California second cousins and now you have some. I think you like them. 

We've had a couple of moments this month of you standing too. Of course, you had something to lean on but it wasn't me or Daddy. You were totally propped up and staged though. 

For your half birthday, Daddy let me take you to a pumpkin patch to take your picture. Even if it was in front of Trader Joe's, I'm super happy we did it. 

You can fit into the shoes we used to announce we were pregnant!!! So cute!!

The last few days have shown us that you are growing still. You are leaning forward while sitting, falling forward onto your tummy, pushing backwards, and sometimes even getting your knees under you and rocking back and forth. 

You will be mobile before I know it. So, I'm trying to soak in every moment of you being dependent on me. I love watching you grow and change and learn. But, I will miss you need me to eat, move, and determine what you are needing. 

"As long as you're living, my baby you'll always be."

A Letter to Jayce: Five Months

You're keeping me so busy I'm getting behind on writing these!

How has it been 5 months?!

This picture shows what this month has been about. You have gotten more rolls and more personality this month. I love it! 

You know when someone is talking to you and you turn to look when they say your name. You are trying to interact and move. 

There hasn't been a huge leap besides those 2 things so I'm expecting this next month to be lots of fussiness leading to mental and physical leaps. 

The big event this past month was our family vacation to San Antonio with Daddy's family.

You got to go to Sea World

And see the whales. 

We went swimming a lot. 

You got to go to the Riverwalk. 

Like every true Texan, you went to the Alamo. 

Notice a pattern?! You slept at all the interesting places. I guess you were getting your energy built up to become a chatterbox. 😄

You also went to your first wedding. You looked so handsome!

You even took part in the photobooth. 

You are getting so big baby boy. The next time I write to you, you will be 6 months old and half way to 1 year. I'm trying not to wish away the days even if they are rough. Your smile, giggles, & babbling are what keep me going. That and God. You are just starting to grow and I know rough nights are ahead (This past week has been awful for me but that part of your next letter. 😊) Soon, you will be mobile and my normal will change immensely. I am so glad God gave you to us. I'm learning so much about Daddy, me, & God's plan because of you. You may not fall asleep on your own right now but I'm "treasuring these things in (my) heart" because it won't be this way forever. 

"I'll love you forever. I'll love you for always. As long as I'm living, my baby you'll be."

Mommy

Getting something off my chest

Before we had our baby, I had a few goals about how I wanted things to go. I was going to stay home, have a completely natural child birth, and breastfeed as long as possible. So far, I've met my goals. I know the pros and cons to all of these and deem them all good things to do. I'm proud and blessed that I can do all 3 of these things. But there is a con to breastfeeding no one seems to talk about, at least to me. 

We have done our best to be socially  "normal" after having our baby boy. We still go out with friends, hang out with them at someone's house, and plan trips with them all with our baby in tow. We didn't want to be the couple that is couped up at home because we have a baby and we let his needs and schedule control our wants and schedules. BUT THAT'S WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN! They need a schedule or you go crazy! I didn't think I'd ever say that. 

Our schedule has been baby-led. That means we didn't (and still don't) force anything to happen according to our wants. We let baby boy tell us when he's hungry, he's tired, and when he should go to bed. This eventually turned into a routine that became our schedule. Thankfully, our little one is a social butterfly and loves being in the know. This allows us to take him with us and he's not a burden. 

But there's still the "issue" of breastfeeding. Baby boy over here is starting to realize he's missing out on life when he's feeding under a cover. He's also starting to sweat profusely when under it too. The cover is only useable half of the time now. 

So what do I do when he won't eat under the cover? I go in a room by myself to feed him. If we are in public, I go to the bathroom or back to the car. 

Everyone tells you that breastfeeding is constant, time consuming, painful (at first), the battle of doing it in public, and whether or not to cover up. Another positive is getting out of undesirable situations or chores because "the baby is hungry and I need to go feed him." =) 

But the con no one told me about breastfeeding is the loneliness. No one ever told me it would be lonely. Breastfeeding is so time consuming that it causes you to feel lonely at times. When I have to leave my friends and fun to feed my baby, I get lonely. When I have to go to the car during a wedding reception, I get lonely.  When I have to stop watching my favorite teams play to go to a room with no tv, I get lonely (thank goodness for iPhones, Hulu subscriptions, & a TV addiction).  But even with technology, it doesn't change the fact that I'm in a room by myself feeding my baby.

Don't get me wrong, I love my baby. I love being able to provide for him in a way no one else can. I love the bonding we have when he is awake and eating. But lots of times, he needs to focus on eating and not life around him. To do that, we need to go somewhere that he won't fight with a cover, won't be trying to look around, and won't get scared by a sudden sound.  

It's a struggle being a breastfeeding mom. Don't ever let anyone talk you out of it if it's something you want to do. Only you know what's best for your baby. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise.  I just wanted to let others out there know that the loneliness is real, totally normal, and still worth it. 

A Letter to Jayce: Four Months

Baby boy,

You are one third through your first year in our lives. I. Love. You. 

You have grown emotionally, mentally, and physically. I want to slow time down but I want to see you grow too. #mommyproblems

A big moment for me this month was finally packing up all of your newborn size clothes. I didn't think you would be able to wear them to 3 months. I also didn't think I would cry when I packed them up. But I did. What makes it easier is that you can still fit in some 0-3 month clothes. 

Another hard moment was putting you down to sleep in your crib for the first time. It's in your room and not ours. I was using the monitor overnight and not just for a nap. What if I didn't wake up and you were crying? What if I never went to sleep because I was so paranoid? What if you didn't like it and neither one of us could sleep? 

We were both fine. I was able to sleep and so were you. I was also able to wake up when you started to cry or wake up.  After almost a month, Daddy packed up the pack and play that was on my side of the bed. I now have a dresser/nightstand again. I miss you being next to me but I'm proud of both of us moving forward. 

You are pretty consistent about sleeping from 11pm to 9am. New mom over here! You also still take pretty good naps, especially starting on car rides. 

But all your sleep is showing Daddy and I how much you're growing. You follow movement, people and voices really well now. You smile way more, showing your "shy" smile and being so cute. You are starting to figure out how to giggle and laugh. It's so fun to see you trying to figure it out.

Physically, you have gotten so tall (hence the clothes being packed up). You are really good at eating now but still too active to keep on much weight. BUT I was super excited to see you get your first rolls!

A big jump you made this month was grasping and holding onto objects! I wish I had a picture of you with your keys and elephant since you grab them the most. Sophie and your hands not only get grabbed, but they also make their way to your mouth. I'm waiting on those teeth to arrive! It seems like you are gnawing to alleviate the pain of them coming. 

All of this gnawing brought us to the first time you were ok with your paci too. 

But the biggest moment of all this month was when you rolled from your tummy to your back! You found a way to avoid tummy time and love it. 

You're even kicking your feet up a lot and thinking about rolling from your back to your tummy. 

My teacher friends went back to work last week and the first day of school was the day after you turned 4 months. It feels weird not getting a classroom ready this year. Even with the fussy days, I wouldn't trade my new job for anything. Some days are harder and more tiring than others (physically and emotionally). But it's still my dream job. I'm so thankful that Daddy supports this dream and God made a way for it to be real. I hope you are grateful for my career change when you get older. I wouldn't trade these days for anything. 

I love you little bear. 

To the moon and back.