Thanksgiving 2011

Kason's first Thanksgiving...in pictures:

Bobaloo

I love going into small baby boutiques.  It's so fun to look at the handmade, unique products they sell.  I have a favorite one called Nurture.  Every time I go in there I find something new that I love.  Yesterday I was downtown, so I decided to stop in.  After all..it was "Small Business Saturday"! :)  I picked up these two items....

I was really excited about the bib, which is from "Bobaloo".  It is handmade and the lady that makes them was actually in the store doing s trunk show last night.  I LOVE all of the products she sells.  The fabric she uses is bright and cherry.  The bibs are actually backed with what looks like a towel, so they absorb a lot more than a typical bib.  I was telling the Sam (the lady that makes the products) that I had been looking for a Christmas bib, but didn't want a cheesy one.  She said, "Like one that says Santa's little helper" (Which is exactly what I was thinking).  I'm so glad for people like her that have such a creative talent!

So if you're looking for unique burp cloths, bibs, and other products check out her website, here.  And if you're looking for unique clothes, check out Nurture.  Their website doesn't have a whole lot for sale, but the store has lots of really cute things!  Don't get me wrong, I love places like Baby Gap and Children's Place, but then I see 20 other little boys wearing the same thing as Kason.  That's why I really like shopping at these little boutiques.  I can find cute, different things to dress my sweet boy in.

Happy shopping!

Kason is 8 months!

Our sweet baby boy is 8 months (well has been for 1.5 weeks, I'm just getting around to posting this)!  He is a BUSY eight month old and is so curious.  I can't keep up with this cute kid!

Current Stats...

We went to the doctor last week and weighed 15 lb. 10 oz.  Still a little guy, but I was excited we finally crossed the 15 lb. mark!  He is finally wearing 3-6 month pants and is in some 6-9 month shirts, but mostly still 3-6.  He's also wearing size 3 diapers.  Still no teeth!

Here's what Kason is up to...

...Talking!  Although I'm not so sure he's said any actual "words" yet, he has been a talking up a storm.  The only word I think he's said is "hi".  If you say hi to him over and over again, he'll eventually repeat it.  Other than that, it's just babbling and squealing.

...Moving!  It is hard to keep up with him.  He is crawling everywhere and no longer just likes to stay in the same room Duane and I are in.  He likes to explore the house which means that Duane and I are constantly exploring the house as well.  He's not so much into "playing" yet so if we sit him in front of us and try to read or play with him, he just crawls away.  Ha!  I won't take it too personally. :)  He is also pulling up on everything.  He takes a lot of tumbles on a daily basis and I know he must get head aches! He is also starting to let go of what he pulls up on and will stand for about 20 seconds on his own.  He hold onto the table or couch and can walk around it or switch from one piece of furniture to the other.  He also walks behind a walker toy all the way across the room!  I think he is gearing up for walking!  Watch out!

...Eating..lots!  He still is taking formula 4 times a day.  That's the biggest change for us, Kason is no longer taking any breast milk.  He is on only formula and did GREAT with the switch!!  On top of formula he eats cereal in the morning, a fruit and veggie at lunch and one of each at dinner.  I feel like he eats all the time!  Ha!

Here's our sweet little guy this month.  He wasn't in the mood for a photoshoot so we didn't take many photos!

And a couple of pictures when he was in the mood for pictures...

{Love this shirt, I'm sure he won't always be on the nice list! :)}

A humble reminder {Thankful}

This was me a year ago on Thanksgiving...

Today I am obviously thankful that instead of carrying that sweet baby boy inside of me, I will be spending the day watching my son giggle and smile.   I could go on and on about the joy he brings me and how thankful I am for him, but I think that's already pretty clear.  However, yesterday, I was reminded of how grateful I am that Kason is happy and healthy.

Last night I went to visit one of my students in the hospital.  She is in the ICU at the local children's hospital.  They don't know what is wrong with her, but her body is basically failing on her, and they can't find an exact cause.  Today they will be placing her into a drug induced coma because her body is working too hard at fighting the disease that has taken over her body. As I walked through the halls of the ICU last night, my heart slowly broke.  I literally felt like I could be sick to my stomach.  I walked by rooms where babies were laying in cribs with tubes attached to every visible part of their bodies.  I saw families with tears in their eyes as they looked at their child laying helpless in a hospital bed.  I have tears in my eyes just thinking about it.

That experience brought me to a humbling realization.  No matter what is going wrong in my life, I have a healthy son.  I can come home and hug him everyday after work.  I can spend Thanksgiving with him today.  Some parents don't have that.  As a parent, I can't even begin to fathom my baby being sick in the hospital (let alone the ICU) or even worse, my baby not being here.

So today, I am thankful to God, and him only, for blessing me with a healthy child.  I am blessed beyond measures and far beyond what I deserve.  So while I am thankful, I am also being prayerful for those families that are finding it hard to be thankful on this holiday.  My hear hurts for them, and I am praying that God will comfort them in these dark times. 

 Please pray for my student.  She is such a sweet girl after seeing her last night, I am going to be praying all day that God comforts her and brings love and guidance to her family.  I don't want to give a lot of details, but she was just at school on Monday, and I sent her to the nurse because she had a fever.  How quickly life can change.

Sorry to be such a downer, but I feel like I had to blog about this because it is such a humbling reminder to me, and you.  No matter how bad I think things are, I will always be thankful that at this moment, I have a healthy, beautiful baby boy.  

I am thankful that I get to see this smile all day...

Happy Thanksgiving!

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will for you in Christ." --1 Thessalonians 5:18

Motivation

Today was a long day.  I was feeling defeated, and like a failure.  I was tired and ready to break down.  

And then came bath time.  Suddenly, I forgot all about my awful day.  I remembered my motivation to get up and go to work everyday.  It's this sweet face...

And if that's not motivation enough.  I don't know what is.

Today, I am thankful for bath time.  And my baby boy, who motivates me to keep going, even when I don't want to.  

 The amount of love I feel for him is unreal.  That love keeps me going.  Thank you Kason, for motivating me to be a better person for you.

Thankful

I wanted to blog about what I am thankful for each day of November, but let's face it, there's no time for that!  It's November 13 and I have yet to blog one thing!  I've been trying to think of 5 original things that I am thankful for.  Obviously I am thankful for Kason and Duane (and the rest of my friends and family) but I wanted to think of some more unique ones.  Here's what I came up with...

I am thanfuld for...

1. Mom friends.  I have a lot of friends that have older kids, and it is SO nice to be able to call or text them with any questions I have.  I also have several friends that have babies (all of them boys) that were born within a few weeks of Kason.  It's always reassuring to talk to them and realize that you are going through the same things.  They understand how hard it is to be a working mom.  They understand that not all babies sleep through the night at 6 weeks and continue doing so.  They understand that it's hard to take an 8 month old out in public past his bedtime.  They just get it, and I'm so thankful for that and them.

2. Kason's curiosity and innocence.  Ok maybe that's two things, but I'm putting them together as one!  It is so sweet to watch Kason figure out the world around him.  I love how curious he is.  He is so interested in the most simple things.  His favorite toy right now is a wooden spoon.  He can sit and play with that thing for 15 minutes which let's face it, is a long time for an 8 month old.  Sometimes I get sad to know that Kason will someday not be so innocent.  He will have to deal with heartache and pain.  He will have to deal with people being mean.  Someday he will want fancy things like an iPad or a iPod.  It makes me so sad to think about that, so for now, I'm going to cherish his innocence and the fact that a wooden spoon is pretty much the coolest thing in Kason's life. :)


3. Date nights.  Sadly, these have been few and far between.  However, they are making a come back!  I'm setting my guilt aside and realizing how important alone time with my husband is.  Last night we went to dinner with some friends.  We all have babies that were born in March and we all struggle to leave those sweet boys.  Saturday night we all got babysitters, went out, and had so much fun!  We were laughing because we nearly closed down the frozen yogurt place we went to after dinner.  Staying out past 10 is a big deal for exhausted parents!  We all agreed that date nights every other month are a must.

4. My students.  I complain about working a lot.  It's been a hard transition and I've just settled on the fact that it's not going to get easier.  That being said, everyday I am so thankful for the 25 sixth graders that walk through my classroom door.  Our school has about 75% (or more) of our kids that receive free or reduced lunch.  Some of my kids have rough lives.  I know I am there to show them love and to show them God's love.  It just breaks my heart to know what they go through, and I don't even know the half of it.  I'm so thankful God placed them in my life.  They teach me so much on a daily basis.  So as much as I dislike being a working mom, I do love teaching and feeling like I have an influence on kids' lives.

5. Pictures.  I know, I know, I take at least 100 pictures each day.  I just can't help it.  These past 8 months have just flown by.  Considering my horrible memory, I like to snap a picture of Kason each day.  He changes so much in such a short amount of time, I want to make sure I remember each of the stages he goes through.  I'm working on putting together a book for Kason's first year of life, so I know I'll be so thankful I took and edited so many pictures! :)

Holding on

There are many things that have been happening lately that have made me realize that my baby is getting older.  I so much wish I could freeze time, because it is moving way too quickly.  It's hard to let go of things that remind me of my sweet newborn.  It was hard to put away his newborn clothes, it was hard to take the swing down to the basement, and it was hard lower his crib mattress.  All of these things I put off because they were a constant reminder that my newborn wasn't a newborn any longer.  He is getting older. It's happening quickly and I'm trying to savor every moment.

Although there have been lots of reminders of my growing baby, nothing served as a greater reminder than deciding that it was time to stop nursing Kason.  As much as I (and Kason) have struggled with this whole breastfeeding process, I'm honestly going to miss it so much.  It was such a bonding experience and I'm so glad that I was able to spend those 8 months providing nutrients for my sweet little boy.  As much as I wanted to hold on to this time...there were several signs that it was time to stop.

When I went back to work my milk supply quickly dropped.  I went from getting 10 oz. in about 20 minutes to getting about 4 ounces in 20 minutes.  I was having to leave my class for 20 minutes and on top of that I was giving up 20 minutes of prep. time to pump again.  All for a measly 4 or 5 ounces.  I tried taking vitamin supplements and they helped somewhat, but still, my supply was diminishing.  I began to weigh my options.  Do I keep pumping and try to keep up with my baby's growing appetite.  Or do I just give in and switch to formula.  It was a tough decision!

When Kason was born, I had a goal to nurse him until he was a year.  This goal has been hard to let go of.  I'm only 4 months away, but it's just time.  Luckily, Kason has been showing little interest in nursing for the past couple of weeks.  I can just tell, he is ready to be done as well.  I feel like if I were to keep nursing him, it would be more for myself than him. I'm so grateful for this sign from him.  Although It's been a hard decision, I know ultimately it is the right one.

I remember when Kason was about two months old.  We were at full battle with reflux and he was screaming every time I nursed him.  I can remember sitting on the couch and crying as Kason cried.  On multiple occasions I would say "I will NEVER breastfeed my next baby!" or "Duane, please go buy some formula..I cannot do this."  I am SO glad I stuck with it.  It has been such a rewarding journey that I wouldn't trade for anything.  I know without a doubt that I will nurse my next baby (not that I need to think about that for a long while..ha!).

So, today marks the weaning process.  I am currently nursing him in the morning and at night and the other two feedings are formula.  So far he is doing great!  I think the night feeding will be hard for both of us to let go of, but I know we can do it!  Our goal is to have him completely weaned in about 3 weeks.  Since I've had mastitis multiple times, I'm going to take my time and let the rest of my milk slowly go away.

Goodbye breastfeeding...I will miss that time with my baby!

Randomness

Here are some random things going through my head on this Sunday evening...

...I'm trying to get into this whole couponing thing.  Not extreme by any means.  I would just like to save some money when I go grocery shopping.  So far, I feel like it's a failed attempt.  I saved about $18 tonight..that's a start right?  I even was able to manage to go to Target and Walmart with Kason by myself. Money saving and solo shopping...I think I deserve some kind of gold star.

...Speaking of solo shopping, what are you supposed to do with your almost 8 month old baby when you need to use the restroom while your shopping?  I haven't figured that one out, so I just hold it...which sometimes isn't a good idea..if you get my drift. 

...I usually hate winter.  I have never liked the cold and think snow is only good the first time it happens.  However, this year I am actually looking forward to it.  I'm excited for snowy days that I can spend inside with my boys.  Something about that makes me so excited for the cold.  I can't believe I just typed those words.

...I still think it's weird that I was pregnant at this time last year.  It seems like so long ago!

...I can't decide if I want to go Black Friday shopping this year.  I have gone with a friend for the past few years and love it. However, the past few years I have been able to come home and go back to bed after a long morning of shopping. This year I have a baby and going back to sleep might not be an option.  Do I value a good deal more than sleep?  I have yet to decide.

...We have a tree in our yard that is rather large.  I'm not sure what kind it is because I'm not really into knowing the names of trees and plants..but it has leaves that are shaped like little fans.  Anyways, every year about this time it turns yellow.  I mean bright yellow.  So yellow that when the sun is shinning the color of the leaves shine into our kitchen giving it a yellow tint.  This weekend it started to turn yellow and I love it!  A lot of the leaves have already fallen off the other trees in our yard, so it's nice to still have one sign of fall.  When the leaves fall off of my favorite tree I consider that the official start of winter.

...Is it weird that I have a favorite tree in our yard?  Probably.

...I am going to attempt to start working out again this week.  Other than walking, I haven't done much since I was pregnant with Kason.  However, the baby bump isn't so cute now that there's no baby in there...so it's off to the gym I go.  There is a kickboxing class at my church that meets 2 nights a week.  I used to go all the time and loved it.  It's a great workout and is fun at the same time.  I'm hoping to make it there this week.  We will see!

...I think hooded sweatshirts on baby boys are absolutely adorable!  They make Kason look like such a little boy! :)

...I am really hoping for a new camera for Christmas.  I look at the one I want online at least 4 times a week. 

...I'm having a really hard time with this working mom thing.  I just don't know how people do it.  It is by far one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life.  I hate leaving Kason and honestly still cry most Sunday nights in anticipation for the coming week.  I know..this is probably not normal. One of my biggest struggles right now is finding time to spend with just Duane.  We used to go on dates all of the time, but since Kason has been born, we haven't been on many.  I know how important these dates are.  I just feel guilty leaving Kason after being away from him all day/week.  It's hard to even go out with friends anymore because they all like to go out to eat late and we just can't do that with an 8 month old.  I'm hoping I'm just in a funk right now and things will get better soon.

Well that's all for right now.  Here's to hoping the work week goes fast! :)

Halloween 2011!

Halloween this year was so much fun!  I have lots of fun memories of getting dressed up, eating pizza with my family, and going trick-or-treating for many of my childhood years.  Kason's first Halloween was pretty low key.  He doesn't eat much in the candy department, so we just took him to see friends and family.  He looked pretty darn cute in his lion costume!  I took lots of pictures (big surprise) but here are a few of my favorites!

Our sweet little lion...




{He's been making this face a lot lately..so cute!}



Kason got to visit with some of his friends....





{2 things about the above pictures...1: it is VERY hard to get a picture of 4 very active baby boys! 2: I think they will hate us for these pictures someday! :)}

He also got to see lots of family members!





And at about 9:15, Kason had a very delirious,  tired look on his sweet face...


I think it's safe to say, he had a very good first Halloween! :)

Side-note....I saw the pumpkin idea below on someone else's blog.  I thought it was such a cute, inexpensive idea so I had Duane carve some for me!  I lined the porch rail with them on Halloween and they looked so fall-ish!