Sunday, August 19, 2012

8 months? You must be trippin'!


Remember that time I had a baby?
Because it was 8 months ago!!!
I have an 8 month old child!!!
It blows my mind that my tiny, sweet girl is a mere 4 months from being a year old!
Here are some of the big changes.
She is a champion sitter! She very rarely topples over anymore. She looks so grown up when she's sitting on the floor with one of her books.
We got her a big girl stroller...for $8! It's not that she wasn't ready for one before, it was always just easier to snap the car seat into the stroller base and go. But girly is getting heavy(!) and now that she joins me for rehearsal (For Ave. Q opening in October at Red Branch Theater!) she likes to be able to sit up and listen to those tenors wail!
Food wise there have also been some changes. I have always gone with the philosophy of "before a year, food is for fun". I have been lucky enough to breastfeed this whole time and hope that I am able to make it to a year. With that said we have done the cereal and I feel like it's done it's job. She can swallow, loves her spoon and makes chewing motions with her jaw so we have moved forward...slightly. I am terrified of food! I know that someday she will have to just choke a little and work through it, that's how she'll learn. But that's really scary! Sometimes I feel like my fears will be a disadvantage for her. But after talking to a good friend I realized we are doing just fine...for now. She eats bananas, some homemade purees(green beans, carrots), sweet potatoes, her Mum Mum crackers and even a bit of a banana cupcake!
And finally, Button went on a roadtrip! A 10 hour roadtrip! We drove to Woodstock, Vermont to a family reunion that is held every other year. While we were super excited to get outta dodge, we were a bit wary of taking an infant on such a long car ride. Here are some observations.

-Prepare yourself for the stress. Now I'm not saying to anticipate it so that you are stressed out the whole time. But if you know that some things will not go AT ALL the way you planned you can roll with it a little better.
-Break the law. Judge all you want. I may have nursed my child in a moving vehicle.
-No matter how lovely the place you stay, you will desperately crave the familiar, creature comforts of home.
I rock Evie Sue to sleep every night (and nap). We snuggle up in our ancient recliner chair and rock and sing until she falls asleep in my arms. They had plenty of rockers where we stayed. But the combination of old floors, old chairs and the excitement of meeting so many people who love her, made putting Button to sleep a bit challenging.
-Bring your monitor! Yes, we were all in the same house and there were plenty of people who could hear her if she cried. But it gave me so much more confidence to sit out with my family chatting late into the night with that tiny little monitor next to me. Anything for some peace of mind.
-People want to help you! I went into this trip with the feeling that Evie Sue is my child. She is my responsibility, not anyone else's. Ty and I will take care of her. I had to be reminded that we were with family. And family helps each other. Not once did I feel like I was taking advantage of anyone. Everyone was happy to watch the Button for a few minutes while I made the salad or had to pee.
-No matter how many "precautions" you take, a road trip and staying somewhere other than home will jack up your baby's schedule big time! She won't poop or sleep or eat at any of your regular times. Go with it.

All in all, it was a good trip (even with the horrendous traffic that kept us from getting home until 1 am). I have always enjoyed our Vermont trips and it was great to share it with the Button. It was also so wonderful to share her with so many people who love her. And it showed me what a great team my husband and I are.