Monday, March 3, 2014

Fun Overload!




Is it possible to have a fun overload? I'm not so sure. We'll take all the fun we can get!!

As I sit to write this post, freezing rain is coming down outside and all schools and activities have been cancelled for the day. Ian and I were planning on staying home anyway. These pictures are warming me up and reminding me that more sun and fun activities are coming soon.

This week Ian had his first shoulder ride! He loved his new viewpoint and getting to use his papa's hair as reins. He especially loves looking at himself in the mirror. Papa is so fun! In these photos you can really tell that they have the same eyes (even though it's a bit dark)!

He sampled baby organic oatmeal this week and gobbled it down!!! The consistency was very similar to breastmilk, so it was quite easy for him to handle. He likes having something to eat while we're eating. He also seems to love bananas! The first couple bites always incur a surprised face, but then he's crazy about them. Sometimes we spoon some directly off of the banana and sometimes we place a chunk on his tray. Those bananas are so slippery, though, so we have to roll them in oatmeal after a few tries. I've been doing a lot of reading on baby-led weaning this week and think we may move to that route instead. We'll see what works best for our family!

I am constantly learning that there are SO many opinions out there for everything related to parenting. Sleep, food, nursing, swaddling, diapers.... it's amazing, but also overwhelming.  I am learning that we just need to do what's best for us and our circumstances, and especially for our child.

Ian and the flaming red hair! I love it when the sun catches it just right and produces this flaming look.

His faces and noises are getting more and more expressive and dynamic. Every phase of being a baby is more and more fun. It makes it easier to transition into bigger sizes, reading about feeding other than nursing, and starting to really think about baby-proofing.

He is starting to put his big toe in his mouth! Babies and their awesome flexibility.

One day last week it was warm enough to take Ian outside without having to bundle him up too much. I took out a blanket and let Leif run and explore for a while, while Ian and I played. The playing was only possible when the dogs weren't running within eyesight of Ian. He is so fascinated by dogs and their movements. It's nice to have another distraction in the house, since he doesn't have siblings (yet).

We also have taken many walks, some with our friends and their baby and pup, and some around our property. Ian has sat to play in the leaves, feeling them with his fingers and crunching them in his fists. One time Leif started rolling in something gross right at the same time as Ian fell in the leaves. Oh man. Womp.
Our time outside made me look forward to when we can do activities like this every day. By the time warm weather comes around, we'll be desperate to get outside for him to MOVE.  He already loves time outdoors and for that I am grateful. We just have to make sure our red-headed boy is protected from the sun!

 He is sitting very well, these days. Ian can last for a long, long time before tipping over. Normally the only reason he falls or needs a spotter is if he reaches for something just a little out of his range. Most often, he reaches for something in front of him and leans just a bit too far forward and nose-dives. My hand is normally there to catch him, and then he gets up without a cry. If I make a sound or miss him, then there's usually a good wail! Breathe baby, breathe. I can normally make it without a sound and catch him, though. Don't worry!

This week we finally went to visit the school where I taught 6th grade language arts! It was so fun to introduce my old colleagues to Ian and it did my heart good to see many of them. Ian was, of course, a huge hit!

He's really raising his bum into the air! The beginning stages of a crawl are coming. If on his stomach he will turn in circles, observing the goings on in our home. If we call his name, then he'll turn around to see us. Most of the time he is very happy, but he still needs to be turned from his stomach to his back after too much time.

Squeals, shouts, and giggles fill our home.

He is taking three naps a day now. One around 9 AM, the next between 12 and 1 PM, and a third around 3-4 PM. Each nap usually lasts from 45 minutes to 1 hour. For a couple days before we went to Richmond, he was taking two hour naps. No more! He falls asleep between 7:30-8:30, depending on earlier naps and wakes up three times, sometimes two, finally waking up between 7-7:30 AM.
Always trying new things, Jim threw a blanket over Ian's playard and made a fort. In order to capture this photo, I lifted the blanket on one side and this is what I found. Sweet father-son moment.

Perhaps our favorite memories from this week came from our trip to the Christiansburg Aquatic Center! It's a huge inside facility complete with a regulation size pool, therapy pool, recreational pool (with slide, fountains, and fun dumping-water contraptions), and family changing rooms.
Video Camera Still Photo: Not crazy about me, but look at that adorable boy! So excited for the pool!
We took Ian into the warm therapy pool, where he had his first experience in a pool. It didn't take long for him to start paddling with his hands and kicking with his feet. It's incredible that we naturally know how to swim!

He loved it. He'd squeal and splash. Smile and giggle. He didn't mind the water on his face or in his hair. He was desperate to drink it, but that was not encouraged. Kick, kick, kick! Splash, splash, splash. So much fun.
Since the water was warm, he lasted quite a long time. We went in circles around the pool and used a noodle to assist in helping him float. Surprisingly, he was like lead in that pool. Must be all of the muscle, eh?

We've decided that we need to get some sort of family membership because it was just too fun. As he gets older, this facility will be even more of a blast for him, especially in the winter. We shall see.

Mom & Pheebs, that may have been the first and the last time that swim diaper fits! Glad we got him into it!!! We were grateful to have one to use :)

Happy 23 weeks, little swimming baby!!!

You are just so much fun.

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