An Update and an Instagram Photo Dump

It has been almost two months since I have made a post, and lot has happened in the last several weeks! So here's a little update for ya.
- Fox developed a love obsession for Yo Gabba Gabba. We can't even grab the remote without him getting excited and dancing in front of the TV thinking we are about to turn it on for him.
- His vocabulary has exploded yet again. He is starting to speak more clearly, and now we are focusing on manners. He is stubborn just like his daddy and it is like pulling teeth to get him to say "please" and "thank you".
- He had a rough few weeks of sickness. He got another ear infection which made it his second ear infection in less than 3 months. About a week and a half after he finished his antibiotics he came down with strep throat so he got put back on another antibiotic, and then he developed an eye infection because of it. He was absolutely miserable and it killed me seeing him that way!
- At his 15 month visit in January he weighed 22.7 lbs and was 32" tall, and last week at his sick visit he weighed 24.4 lbs.
- We found an awesome stroller on Craigslist for a heck of a deal. I will dedicate a separate post about how much I'm in love with it.
- Fox had his very first popsicle. I didn't take any pictures because he wasn't feeling good (the popsicle was an attempt to soothe his sore throat) but he loved it!
That pretty much sums it up! Now for some random Instagram photos...

Chatterbox

Fox is such a talker now! He has a good mix of baby babble and real words. There are around 20 words he knows and can identify, and he repeats several random words we say [like "psycho"].

Here's his current vocabulary list:
- Hello
- Hey
- Bye Bye
- See Ya
- Night Night
- Daddy
- Momma
- Titan [our dog]
- Dog
- Who's That? "whosat"
- Here You Go "heego"
- Bath
- Teeth
- Ball "baa"
- Yeah
- This
- No
- Uh Oh
- Banana "nla nla" [not sure why he puts the L sound in there...]
- Yay
- Paci "dadi"
- Milk "muh"
- Fish

Yesterday he started saying Poo Poo, Blanket, and Diaper after me. So we may be adding that to this list soon. And I swear he has correctly identified a boobie twice on both Brent and I, but I can't bring myself to say that is part of his vocabulary yet haha. We are also working on his animal sounds. He barks like a dog "ruff ruff" and makes monkey sounds "ooh ooh ahh ahh" and occasionally will quack like a duck. He also says a bunch of stuff that I have no idea how to translate. His little voice is so stinkin' adorable and he always has such enthusiasm about everything.

He also amazes me every single day with how much he knows. I told him something he picked up off the floor was trash, and he went and threw it away. I didn't even know he knew what the trash can was! And yesterday Brent was bringing firewood upstairs and when Fox saw him, he ran over to the fireplace and excitedly pointed and said something I couldn't understand.

After doing some reading online, it seems like Fox falls right into place with other average 15-month-olds. Maybe a tiny bit ahead. But to me, he'll always be my little genius! Haha :)

The Ending of a Breastfeeding Journey

437 days. 

I am so proud of that number. Why? Well, because breastfeeding isn't a walk in the park. And I am so glad I made it so long without giving up.

My journey started in the hospital, when the nurse handed me my tiny, hungry baby. I will always remember the first time he latched. The look on his face said it all. I knew I was doing the right thing for him and I when I saw that look of satisfaction.

We faced several obstacles over the last 1 year, 2 weeks, and 10 days. One was the STUPID nipple shield. I hated that thing! If you've ever used one, you know just how annoying and frustrating these things are. Another, and probably my biggest obstacle, was pumping. I loathed the entire act from start to finish.

But in that moment when your baby is nursing, his eyes getting heavier and heavier, and he dozes off and looks so peaceful with a full belly and in a milk drunken stupor, all of the struggles are 100% worth it.

I started the weaning process just after Fox's first birthday, eliminating nursing sessions and giving him milk in a cup. Slowly making my way to this past month where he was only breastfeeding once at night. This past Monday night after putting him down for bed I realized -- he hadn't asked for my milk at all. I have been allowing him to nurse at night whenever he asked because I felt he was attached and not ready to let go of that last session just yet. Or maybe I was the one attached. Either way, it slipped both of our minds. Then tonight rolled around and the same thing happened. He went to bed happy and content -- without nursing.

my little milk drunk baby :)

A very rare occasion - he is sitting still!

It is a very bittersweet feeling.

There were many challenges, but I'd do it over again in a heartbeat.

And I sort of already miss it.

Done With Antibiotics!

Our prescription of Amoxicillin said to give it twice a day for 10 days, but tonight we gave Fox the last drops left in the bottle after only a week. So that's it, we're done. Right? Gosh I hope so. He is acting much better, we have no stains in our cloth diapers, and it didn't upset his tummy. Hopefully our first ear infection is under our belt and he doesn't have any more, ever! Fingers crossed...

Surprise! Fox's First Ear Infection

I was always relieved when I'd take Fox to the doctor thinking he had an ear infection and the doctor would assure me it was just teething. He was always tugging his ear, never wanted me to touch them, and hated to lay down except to sleep. After a few false alarms I stopped worrying every time he'd mess with his ear.
Well yesterday he had a runny nose and a productive cough so I decided to take him in to get checked out because he ALWAYS gets sick on a Friday and I hate waiting all weekend not knowing what's up. So while we were in there she was shining the light in his ear and like every other time she has to get her little ear wax tool and remove some junk that's in her way. She checked his right ear and said it was all clear, then checked his left ear and after fighting with some ear wax for a bit, she said "It's his ear." I was so surprised! She told me his other symptoms were an upper respiratory infection caused by the infection. Boo :(
When she told me she was going to put him on an antibiotic a million things went through my head... yucky poop! Ruined cloth diapers! Diaper rash! But luckily I have amazing, knowledgeable friends who helped me with what to do. I got him some yogurt, a probiotic from the pharmacy, and said who cares about stains in my diapers. And my Grandma El's just arrived in the mail. So I am fully prepared for whatever the antibiotics bring my way!

Fox is One Year Old

What an exciting year!

My little 7 pound newborn is now a 20 pound toddler. In such a short time, he has went from a baby who slept all day to a little boy who practically runs across the living room floor. I cherish every single hug, kiss, and giggle. I never miss an opportunity to get in the floor and chase him on all fours. Surprisingly I haven't shed a tear and I think it is because even though I miss the tiny, wrinkled infant... I love more what he is growing up to be.

Watching Fox learn and grow has been so amazing! I have been able to witness every single milestone and I feel so blessed to be able to do so. His first smile, his first laugh, rolling over, sitting up, crawling, pulling up, walking, and everything in between. His vocabulary is growing and I swear he picks up a new word or two each week. Currently he can say hello, bye, daddy, who's that, yes, eat, and momma (which is very rare). He points at everything, understands when I ask him a question ("Where's your cup?") or give a command ("Give me your paci."), and he has different gestures to let us know what he wants. He amazes me each day with what he knows. 

 

This first year has been so great and I thank God every day for such an awesome little boy.

Monster First Birthday

Sunday, September 30, we celebrated Fox's first birthday.With the help of my family and friends it all came together nicely. Here are a few pictures from his big day!

A few of his gifts and the drinks

One of the centerpieces made by me. The monsters were cut with my Cricut using the Mini Monsters cartridge.

Cute balloon banner inspired by Pinterest

The birthday boy in his high chair

Momma & Fox

Ceramic "1" I found on sale at Michael's and a few of the cupcakes I made

The smash cake I baked and the lettering was cut out with a Cricut Cake

This idea was inspired by a friend. Water bottles wrapped with duct tape. I found the monster tape at Target.

He had a blast!