Amazed

Corb.en is amazing me everyday with the new things that he does. I'm blown away at how smart he is and what a little boy he's becoming. His first word was "yummy" and  now he's been saying "tickle" for a few days, but I didn't know that he connected it to the meaning. Tonight I was changing his diaper and he tickled my arm and said "tickle tickle". AWW! He completed melted my heart! He says "key" when he goes and picks up his favorite stuffed monkey. He also understands a lot of what I'm saying now as well. Before bed tonight he was crying pretty hard and the moment I said "do you want to read a book", he got silent and smiled. Another thing is he has these fish that suction cup to our back patio window. He likes to play with them and they're also used for PT for slight overlapping toes that he has (placing them high up and having him reach for them on his tip toes helps stretch out and work the muscles)... anyways.... One day I randomly said "Corben go get your fish", not thinking he would actually know what I was talking about, and he surprised me when he toddled off and plucked a fish off the window! Now he does it every time. Here's a video:

He also dances now too:

 BUT my favorite thing that he does: If you hold out your hand, he loves to grab it and walk wherever you want to go. Oooh how I love holding hands with my precious baby boy.

Wordless Wednesday

 

He loves to carry books around, flip through the pages, and "read" them.

 

 

Finally!-- Chomp, chomp, chomp!

My little bambino finally got a tooth in! It's the middle left tooth and the right tooth is going to push through any moment too. Yaaaay! I was seriously starting to doubt it was ever going to happen. For the past week you could see the white bumps on his gums, but this time they didn't recede like they normally did and they were much more evident. He's also been a little fussy (especially in the evenings), a little clingy (I was loving it), and sleepier than usual. He definitely wasn't as miserable as he was in the early days of teething, so I was pleasantly surprised. Now hopefully he will stop biting everything and everyone. It's tolerable... and a little cute.... when it's all gums, but not quite as charming when there are sharp teeth.

I know getting teeth in isn't that big of a deal, and maybe not blog worthy to some, but it is when you're baby is almost 1 and just getting his first tooth in :)

(sort of) Wordless Wednesday

Corbe.n thought Admiral needed the remote. What a nice boy.

Mmm Mommy's wallet is good!

11 Months

He is a walking machine! At this point he definitely walks more often then he crawls. I'm also happy to say that finger food rehab has been a success. Thank goodness! True to form, Corb.en has been up to new things. He's been copying words that we say and I must say it's pretty cute. I'll say that until he embarrasses us one day, lol. He's also been making new noises of his own and chatting up a storm in his little baby language. He loves being outdoors or even just looking out the windows. Too bad it's been so freaking HOT here. He loves to be read to even more than before and will turn the page when you ask him to. Our favorites are definitely Sandra Boynton. He laughs when I read him the stories and I have to say that I really enjoy reading them to him.

I love you Corb.en!

Naked

That's the best title I could come up with because that's how I feel. DH and I have re-entered the world of TTC... or should I say battlefield. We just had our 3rd failed cycle. The past 2 cycles I was so sure that I had conceived. Crushing. I've been wanting to talk about this for awhile, but for some reason I feel so much more vulnerable and exposed this time around. I don't know why it feels so different. I've decided that I need to just get over it and let myself feel naked and exposed because I really need the support. 

I'm scared. It took us over two years of trying to get Corbe.n. It was the hardest thing that I've ever been through and I don't know if I have it in me to go through another battle. I'll do it because I want more children, but it will take everything I have in me. Just the thought of it exhausts me and makes me want to cry. I've decided that I need to take next month off of actively trying and just let nature take its course. The emotions of trying and then the 2WW are too much right now... ugh and then the few days leading up to AF are the worst! Analyzing every symptom, wondering if the cramps you feel are because you're pregnant or because you're about to start. Worrying if what you're eating or drinking (coffee addict here) could effect your chances of conceiving. Worrying if your stress levels are too high.... worry, worry, worry. When is it going to happen? I really want Corbe.n to have a sibling close in age to him. Is that going to be a reality? Agggghhhhh! Too many thoughts. I really need to chill out. It is a different feeling and a different worry then before. I'm constantly having to remind myself to turn to God and give my worries to him. He has proved himself faithful and that he does have a beautiful and wonderful plan for my life. I know this to be true. I see it everyday in the face of my son.

Because of my concerns that endo has returned I'm going to see about getting in for another laparoscopy to see what's going on in there. Hopefully that can be done soon! To be continued....

Finger Food Woes

My little man is going through a patch of finger food regression. He had always done great with food and then BAM.... bump in the road. He will still eat finger food, but only if fed to him. I am completely flabbergasted because he will feed himself cheerios, but anything else he picks up and then immediately drop with a disgusted look on his face. After some researching (thank GOD for the internet) I found out that this is extremely common and also got some great advice:

• Give him finger foods for breakfast. This is the meal when babies are the hungriest and may be more receptive to finger foods.I generally did oatmeal or something of the sort.

• Only give the cheerios after they've eaten their finger foods. I was putting them on his high chair to pacify him while I prepared his meals.

• Put his highchair up to the table and eat with him. Our high chair was by the table, but not directly facing it and his meal times aren't at times when I'm usually hungry. Eating with him makes a difference, even if I just nibble.

• Don't stare at him when he eats and don't make meal times a big deal. It sounds crazy now that I think about it, but when I gave him finger foods before I would pull up a chair and sit right in front of him while he ate. WHY?! I have no idea. I guess out of habit from when I fed him cereals or purees. When he started regressing, I would stress about it and stare at him thinking  "Is he going to eat or not? "

• He isn't going to let himself starve! He will eat if he's hungry enough. This has been a big stress reliever to mentally remind myself of this. He's not going to starve to death, he's not going to starve to death!

Reading these tips it's like DUR, who wouldn't automatically do those things, but sometimes with parenting you are thinking about so many things and trying so hard to get the big things right that the small things slip your mind. We're on day 2 of our finger food rehab. Yesterday he immediately did great and I was so surprised. This morning at breakfast time I could tell he was really hungry (think begging little bird), but he would not have anything to do with finger foods. I so badly wanted to cave and get him some cereal or yogurt, but I had to remind myself that I wasn't doing Corbe.n any good and it wouldn't help us in the long term. That's the thing about parenting, you can't do what is easiest in that moment, you have to think about your long term goal. Begin as you mean to go. I got him out of his high chair and he played for another 45 minutes and then we tried again. This time he eagerly ate his food! Victory! I won't say that he ate a ton, but it's a step in the right direction and with patience I know we'll get back to where we were before. Parenting is complicated that's for sure!