Approaching the 4-Month Mark

First of all, I can't even believe it's been 4 months since we first met our precious Eli! EVERYONE tells you how fast time passes when you're watching your little one grow, but you don't really understand until it's happening. I've actually caught myself saying tearful goodbyes to some of my favorite little outfits as he outgrows them! It's the weirdest experience because you're simultaneously mourning the tiny infant you fell in love with that you'll never get to hold again, but also falling deeper and deeper in love with this new, bigger, more interactive, smiling bundle of joy! Kind of like every stage is a sad goodbye and an exciting hello all at once. And it can happen in a matter of days right now! Weird! But a blessing nonetheless!

Well, we are finally through with what most people would consider "early infancy"! This is the time that the pacifier size changes, you start using new bottle nipples with a faster flow, some people start introducing rice cereal and solids, and babies are finally starting to play with toys and interact purposefully with the world around them! Right now Eli is about 15 lbs and already wearing 6-9 month clothing (but that's also because he's so long!) He is doing SO much lately - I barely have time to blog about it to keep friends and family updated! But here are some of his favorite things right now:

1. Rolling - originally he would only roll from his left side to his back, but now he's doing it with both sides, and even though he hasn't QUITE gotten the front to back thing down yet, he can do it from his tummy as long as one of his arms is moved out of the way! For whatever reason, he has been bearing weight on his legs since he was born, and even jumping and making crawling movements with his LEGS, but he refuses to use his arms! Instead he prefers to spread out his arms like a plane during the short time he tolerates tummy time!

2. Singing and talking!! This boy KNOWS music!! He sings along at church - friends and family have confirmed it! And he LOVES to dance when music is playing. I'll hold his hands to balance him while he's standing, and wave them around to the music and he will CRACK UP! I loves it when his little eyes light up when we dance around to worship music in the mornings. I'm hoping and praying that Eli will be a worshiper! We all thought because of his calm, gentle little spirit that he'd be a quiet baby...HAH! He rarely cries, but WOW does he love to talk! Especially in quiet environments like church. He coos, hums, squawks, and even says, "MA!!" over and over! Perhaps he'll be less like Jake and more like his mommy in this regard...

3. Using his hands - I guess a lot of babies are motivated by toys around this age. He could take them or leave them (he'll sometimes reach out to grab something, but is perfectly content to just observe). However, he likes to sit at the piano with me for at least 10 or 20 minutes and use both his hands on the keys to make sounds. He also finger painted his daddy a picture for daddy's birthday - his very first piece of artwork, and he was concentrated on moving his little fingers around the paper for nearly 30 minutes! My favorite thing about his hands is when he gently grabs onto my shirt/chest or fingers while I'm feeding him, or even during play. While he's not the biggest cuddle-bug in the world, he LOVES just a simple touch from his mommy or daddy.

4. Laughing!! About a month ago, he started laughing!! And I think his giggles actually surprised him at first! He would giggle and suck air into his throat making a rather loud noise which would then surprise him, make him jump a little, and then result in more laughing! The things he finds funniest are moving fabric/cloth (yeah...I know, hilarious, right?), peek-a-boo, and other people laughing. Sometimes, he'll just start laughing at nothing apparently. We were in the mall the other day and Jake was holding him facing outward while I went to get a coffee. When I came back, he was cracking up for no apparent reason, but looking straight ahead. I tell Jake that I think he still sees angels. Interestingly, he doesn't seem ticklish at all! He might be more like his daddy in that respect (who is SO ticklish that it doesn't even tickle anymore; it almost hurts!).

5. EVERYTHING in the mouth! Yeah, we're beginning to suspect some pre-teething behavior given all this drool and trouble with eating (which is also due to a recent thrush infection..ugh!). But it's rather cute to watch him gnawing away at his hands/fingers while making squealing noises during a diaper change. He also enjoys eating my bare shoulder and chewing on cold things - particularly fabric (like a cold wash cloth). So far though, we haven't seen much fussiness and he's still sleeping 9-10 hours at night so we're hoping that if it IS due to teething, he'll come through it pretty easily.

6. Standing up - with all the standing he's done since the time he was born, it's no wonder that his favorite toy right now is his stationary jumper. Being upright/able to look around combined with a way to balance and jump at the same time is HEAVEN to him! And he likes the little toys, lights, and music, too! I wonder sometimes if he'll be an early walker, or at least do less crawling and proceed right to walking since he's apparently not a fan of using his arms so much. We'll see!

Some of his least favorite things right now are tummy time, Orajel (yeah, we tried that because of the teething stuff...didn't work out so well), getting into his car seat (never really an issue until recently), and cuddling. He is ALL ABOUT looking around and taking everything in, and if you force him to face you tummy-to-tummy, he'll spend most of the time burrowing his head into your chest or head-butting your face in rebellion (though he'll rarely actually cry about it). He is bright-eyed, curious, and ready to take in the world around him! And a lot of people are finally saying that he's starting to look like me instead of an exact replica of his daddy! I'd say it's finally about 50-50 now!

Make Way for Milk!

Ok, I KNOW it's been forever since my last post, but I had a pretty good excuse! Jake and I have been in the throws of parenthood for the last 3 months, and are SO. AMAZINGLY. UNABASHEDLY. In LOVE with this little boy of ours!! I know every parent feels this way (or should, at least), but for whatever reason, in all my years of working with babies, I really think we hit the jackpot with this one! Not to say it's been without its challenges...challenges that you don't always hear about beforehand. So, I figured I'd list some amazing blessings we've experienced so far, as well as some challenges we've been dealing with, and what they've taught us! Let's start with....

BREASTFEEDING!!!
To be quite honest, I haven't had as many issues with this as a lot of women I know, and for that I am SO thankful! My milk came in almost immediately while we were still at the hospital, and Eli's been eating really well ever since. In fact, I never even needed to bottle feed him until close to the 3 month mark, and very rarely still. I really felt passionate about nursing as much as possible for the 1st 12 months, so we prayed about it leading up to Eli's arrival. God really came through. Not only has he been eating well, but it hasn't been nearly as painful as I expected (though that first week or 2 of engorgement is another story!). I absolutely LOVE looking down at those bright blue eyes and feeling his little hands move against my skin while he chows down. He also likes to affectionately grip the center of my shirt or my fingers while he eats. All of which makes me feel SO fulfilled, like I'm doing exactly what I was created to do to keep this precious little person alive and growing strong. It's quite a feeling!

HOWEVER...there have been some rather unexpected bumps in the road that I thought ya'll might either want to know about, or at least be mildly entertained by. Here are some details I'd have loved to know ahead of time (DISCLAIMER - you may NOT want to know all these details, in which case I'd advise you to stop reading):

1. Ever wondered what it would feel like to have breast augmentation surgery? Welcome to the first 1-2 weeks post-partum. Your ta-tas will swell up like rock-hard cantaloupes and you should be prepared to twinge in pain at even the *thought* of anything coming within arm's reach of them. Luckily, as awkward and uncomfortable as nursing may seem during that time, it actually provides some relief from the engorgement, which motivates you to keep going. On a side note, your husband may not mind this cantaloupe stage quite as much as you do..."look but don't touch" was our agreed-upon policy.

2. I don't care WHAT you do or how high your pain tolerance is. Your nipples are going to hurt in the beginning. Thank goodness this only lasts for a little while until you get used to it (provided the baby is latching properly). The first thing you'll grab is some lanolin breast cream - but TAKE NOTE!! Smearing it all over your entire boob because it hurts is NOT effective, nor does it make for a very happy baby at meal-time. Apparently you're just supposed to dab the very tip of your nipple with it. Who knew.

3. There's this little thing called the "milk letdown reflex" that I was generally aware of before becoming a mom. I had heard that it was kind of "tingly" and that it would happen when you heard a baby cry, etc. I did not know, however, that it would feel like some combination of twisting, getting electrocuted, and being hit by a dodgeball...all on those already-sensitive cantaloupe melons. Mind you, this isn't necessarily a typical experience; I must just be one of the "lucky" ones.

4. Last but not least, when the aforementioned milk letdown occurs, be prepared for some pretty interesting phenomena down there. I of course knew about "leaking" and expected some sort of drippy-faucet thing, which happens on occasion. What I wasn't expecting is a constant stream with enough pressure to shoot out almost a foot from my body in various directions. (I warned you to stop reading if you didn't want to hear the details) Yeah. Imagine holding your thumb over the spout of a hose. Not only is this kind of awkward when you're (hypothetically) showering with your husband and facing his direction, but imagine what your BABY goes through in the beginning of each feeding! I've finally developed a technique of pulling him off right before it happens and grabbing a burp cloth instead to prevent drowning!

Now for the important part. Clearly the blessing of breastfeeding comes with its challenges (and I haven't even had to deal with mastitis, infection, cracked nipples, or difficulty with latching!). BUT I don't want this to discourage anyone from doing it! Mostly I want to point out that even in these obstacles, God is teaching me valuable things about not just parenthood, but His love for us. First and foremost, breastfeeding is teaching me about patience and sacrifice. It's not always convenient or comfortable, but it's SO rewarding, and SO worth it! In fact, the sacrifice involved only lends more value to my unconditional love for Eli. It's such an enjoyable sacrifice because I was MADE to love and sacrifice is the most significant expression of love. Secondly, my nipples might hurt, but imagine how Eli's chapped little lips and mouth must be feeling! I might be awkwardly spewing milk all over the place, but that little baby has to deal with choking and potentially drowning each time he tries to eat...to SURVIVE! The other important thing I'm learning is how selfish it is to focus on myself and all MY difficulties with this. For thousands of years, breastfeeding has been every helpless little infants' lifeline; it's probably not always easy for them either, but what choice do they have? Plus, it provides for an awesome bonding experience. It is a GIFT that I really shouldn't complain about or take for granted! And God is faithful in reminding me of this every time my sweet Eli gets his fill and looks up with those bright blue eyes and a heart-warming smile. It's All. TOTALLY. WORTH EVERY SECOND! <3