Sam's Mommy Vents!

So I think the most ridiculous thing I heard in the first few months of Sam's life was, "Don't put rice cereal in his bottles because he won't learn how to properly swallow. You always should spoon feed it." To which I answered with a perplexed, "huh?" I mean don't you think they'll get the swallowing thing down eventually?

I know what its like as a new mother to hear info from someone's else's pediatrician that conflicts with your own. Early on (and even sometimes now), people would tell me things with such finality that I questioned my own laid back pediatrician and worried that Sam would somehow suffer at the hands of my poor choices about rice cereal. I mean, shouldn't ALL the pediatricians be on the same page? ESPECIALLY when it comes to feeding. I started with fruits where other pediatricians are anti starting with fruits. I put rice in Sam's bottle at about ten weeks and well, you saw the comment above. Apparently it impairs swallowing...whatever.

Some people's pediatricians have their new moms so tied up in knots about mixed fruits and veggies that they don't know what to give their kids. They treat eating like one wrong spoonful will make or break your child's future and then look at you like you're crazy when you question vaccinations and if they are really safe. Like carrots are more dangerous than viruses injected into your baby's system. It makes me insane. I'm lucky...I could order Sam a pizza and my pediatrician would simply ask me if he liked it. But not everyone wants a pediatrician as laid back as mine. I get that...but why the needless worry? They can make it sound like starting with the wrong thing can ruin your baby for life. It's completely unnecessary in my opinion.


I think it goes further than pediatricians. For example: "What to Expect When you're Expecting" and the equally evil sequel about the first year...should be called. "Are you a Good Mother or a Bad Mother...read this book and see, Rachel" We won't even get into the number of "rules" I broke while pregnant. Sam's here, he's fine. Let's just move on to the part about caring for your child. That book can create so much pressure. As well as all the other books out there about raising kids. In fact, my one rule about my parenting is that I will NOT read a book until I have an actual problem that needs solving (i.e. sleeping, behavior, etc). I'm not going to pick up a book called, "How to Raise your Baby to not be a Schitzophrenic" unless I feel that Sam might actually be a schitzophrenic. It will only say things like "Studies show that babies who were not breastfed and slept in a room decorated with airplanes and blue crib sheets are more prone to having multiple personalities." Don't you think I have enough pressure? I work hard every day to deal with the little things like keeping my son from choking on finger puffs and eating ball point pens when I'm not looking. Stop telling me that too many orange veggies will turn him orange. I don't see the long term effects and oh, by the way, I simply don't care.

DISCLAIMER: THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THE PREVIOUS PARAGRAPHS ARE OF THE BLOGGERS ALONE! NO OFFENSE MEANT IF YOU READ PARENTING BOOKS...MORE POWER TO YA FOR NOT LETTING THEM STRESS YOU OUT! THEY COMPLETELY STRESS ME OUT!

I feel much better! Okay, now to the Sam update. Sam is 8.5 months, and he is up to size four
diapers (for his strong legs) and is now cruising and trying to balance without holding on. We will most definitely have an early walker...we're just not sure how early. He is just in a hurry and busy! We have one bottom tooth and the second one about to bust through. It has created some fussiness at times but for the most part he's been a trooper.

One milestone my son has that I didn't read about or expect is that he now checks out women at the grocery store. Yes, you read it right. Ladies will stop to talk to us in the grocery store and as they walk past to go in the other direction, he will lean out to the side around me so he can watch them them walk away while smiling. He's like checkin' them out! Let's hope he didn't learn that from his father :) haha! Uh Oh...I guess I'll have to go buy the book, "What to do when your baby checks out women."

All in all, Sam is doing great. He smiles, he laughs, he loves other babies. He's enjoying his Sunday School visits as well as play dates with his friend, Ashley. Andy and I love our little family and we are so excited about fall, Halloween, first birthdays and Christmas. What a joy it is to have a baby. I could have never truly known how amazing this experience would be!

Have a great day!

Rachel

He must stay entertained!

Okay, so I never wanted to be one of those moms that felt like I needed to entertain my child all day long. I felt like children should learn to sit patiently until their parents are finished doing whatever chore that needs to be completed. Of course, this theory of mine developed in the quiet moments of not having any children. And you are probably saying to yourself, Ah yes, how is the "learning to sit patiently" going with your 7.5 month old, Rachel?

Okay, so there were ALOT of things that I thought should happen before I knew any better. For instance, I used to roll my eyes at women who nagged their husbands, but then I got married. That's when it dawned on me that those women weren't nagging their husbands, they were trying to have a conversation and their husbands were choosing not to participate in it. Why men don't want to sit in the living room and talk through the "going on vacation checklist" or "Christmas gift buying" for an hour and a half completely baffles me. To me there is nothing better than making lists and spreadsheets. Oh and lest you think I'm insulting my husband, that is no the case, I know a good thing when I got it!

So back to entertaining Sam. Lately I have found myself rushing from one mound of toys to the next; one activity to another in the hopes that something will catch Sam's attention for more than five minutes. On the two days I come home from work early, I load him up in the car and we go wander around CVS or Office Depot (riveting, I know) so that he will have a change of scenery and I can wear him out so he'll be good and sleepy at bedtime. I put the smaller size nipples back on the bottles just so the activity of eating would be slower. I know, it sounds horrible and lately I have felt like Sam is running things in my house. Then someone told me (a few people actually) something that made me feel better. It was what an awkward and hard age this is. Pulling up and crawling. He wants to get out and explore the world around him, but he's not steady on his feet and he has no sense of danger. Also being in the Pack N Play is just not that interesting anymore. It is a hard age, I'm finding. I've baby-proofed areas, but being that he is unstable when pulling up, there is no safe place to let him play. I'm like the constant bouncer and he is a rowdy clubber. There are mornings that I confine him to his Baby Pen that I've fashioned out of couches and ottomans and I doze off only to wake up and see him chewing on his father's house shoe or trying to hop the pillow wall I've made so he can get to the phone cord. I just find it exhausting at times, and its not like I wasn't warned. But I find that, as a new mother, I really don't want you to tell me anything, I really just want you to wait until I ask or let me experience it myself.
But as exhausting as it can be at times, I wouldn't trade this age for anything. When he was younger, you had a few weeks and even months in between milestones. He wasn't interactive, he didn't care if you were his mother or the Orkin man. For Sam, at this age, everyday is a new discovery. He's learned to clap. He can walk a little while holding onto the ottoman. He makes new and interesting noises everyday. He likes the Wiggles (unfortunately). It's just such an amazing look back at how far he's come and all babies come in such a short amount of time.

In terms of the entertainment, I've solved part of my problem. Is it really necessary to pull out all 46 of his toys each morning? Do they all need to be crammed into his pack n play so he won't get bored? The answer to both of these questions is of course no. I'm finding that the many options are a bit overwhelming and if I leave him in his PNP with one or two toys, he stays in there longer. I also just sometimes let him get disgruntled about his predicaments. Mommy has to get ready for work. Everyday she does this. That means, you are in baby jail for 30 minutes. Life is hard, but you ain't seen nothing yet, Kid. One day you will wish you could crawl in that Pack N Play and drool all over "Roo". There are days I sure wish I could.

We also visited Nanny and G-daddy this weekend and had SUCH a good time!

Mommy Loves Sammy!
Rachel