Closing A Chapter

In breastfeeding, that is. I've started to wean Cael. Five nights ago was the first night that I didn't nurse Cael. March 14, 2013. Cael was 18 months and 10 days old. I have to say, I'm pretty darn proud of myself, and extremely thankful that I was able to nurse so long. I'm really sad, though. I don't feel ready. But I can't be selfish. I would love to just start nursing again, but I can't. Plus, I go to a work conference in Ohio for 4 days at the end of April, so I have to be weaned by then. 

These are two of my most cherished pictures of Cael nursing. Some people may think it's weird or inappropriate that I took pictures of Cael nursing. But they are precious to me, because nursing has been a huge part of my life for the past 18 months.

March 12 - A few days before we weaned

December 2012. I tried to blur my areola out.

17 Months Old!!

 January 5, 2013 - February 4, 2013

Throwing a fit

Here we are at 17 months old. And my Little Man has been one huge ball of crankiness lately. We chalk it up to teething, since he's a hot, drooly mess, and is constantly chewing on his fingers. Plus, after feeling around in his mouth, I noticed last week that he has cut 2 more teeth - his left top and bottom right canine teeth, bringing the total teeth count to 14 teeth. The other 2 canine teeth are almost on their way to breaking through. Last night he had one of the worst nights he's had in a while. He was up most of the night, couldn't get comfortable, and was only (semi) happy in our bed. Sprawled out laying on top of both Matt and I of course. But that's ok because, despite the exhaustion I had today while at work, I enjoyed the cuddles and having him in bed with us.

Mister Little Man was so cranky

Cael is also on the brink of weaning. I just know it. And I'm slowly coming to terms with it. Fortunately, I feel like my breasts are adjusting comfortably to it (as opposed to being engorged and painful). He hasn't nursed the last few nights, as he shows no interest in nursing or cuddling for that matter. But he's been nursing most mornings when he gets up between 5:30-6:30. Some mornings he'll go back to sleep in his crib if it's early enough, but others, he's up for the day. Lucky Matt. My original goal was to breast feed for 18 months, and I'm almost there. I can't force Cael to nurse if he doesn't want to, just because I want to. I've been fortunate to get 17 solid months (minus the 5 day nursing strike) of nursing, and that makes me really proud. Plus, my job is sending me to a conference in Ohio at the end of April for 3 days (4 days with travel), so I really should be weaned by then. There'll be no sense in not nursing for 4 days, and then going back to nursing. It's bittersweet for me, but I'm handing it better than I thought. And better than I would have if Cael started weaning a few months ago. Unfortunately, that means the Girls with deflate completely, and there's no going back from that :-/. Oh well, I should have expected it. It is what it is, and definitely worth the breastfeeding.

Cael in his new car seat. He looks comfy

We reached a "milestone" this weekend. Well, I consider it a milestone. Others wouldn't. We traded in Cael's infant car seat, and got an all-in-one convertible car seat. I had a really hard time getting rid of the infant seat, but we really had to. We will most likely not have any use for the infant car seat in the future, and it would only take up room. Plus, Cael was almost too big for it, being 31.5" tall, and the seat went up to 32 inches. His head was supposed to be no less than an inch below the top of the seat back, and it was getting closer. So it was time. Plus, by trading in the seat, we saved 25% off the new seat, which took $57 off the $230 price tag. In addition, we managed to earn $55 in R'Us Bucks by using our BRU MasterCard so much when we moved. A point for every dollar. So we got the seat for $128 after taxes, and it goes up to 100 pounds. It can be used as an infant/toddler seat rear-facing, a booster seat forward-facing, and a booster seat with the seat belts in the car.

And yes, we still have Cael rear-facing, and he'll be that way for a while longer. It's the safest for him. But I won't get on my soap-box about that. Matt doesn't think Cael will be comfortable with his legs bent and/or folded in the rf'ing position, but I assured him he'll be fine and doesn't know any different. So rear-facing he will stay. Oh yea, we got the Evenflo Symphony 65 seat. So far, Cael looks really comfy in it.

Mama and Cael after his bath

Cael still isn't talking much, but is still chatting in baby language. I keep reminding him that he has one more month to get his butt in gear and start talking. Otherwise, the pediatrician will think about sending him for an evaluation. I know he's probably just being stubborn, or being a boy, because I know he understands most of what we say. He's just not talking. He still doesn't say "mama", which pains me, but he also doesn't say "dada" too often or in the right context. He's gone back to saying "what's that" or "what's this", but in a high-pitched, question-asking tone. He also says "thanks" when you give him something. He is also still saying "nice" whenever he pets the dogs, but his "nice" can also be confused with "Tyson", which we also think he's trying to say. Hopefully he'll start picking up talking shortly.

Setting up and playing with his dinosaurs

I know he's understanding more and more with each passing day. For example, he knows (and gets excited) when I ask if he wants to take a bath. He runs to his bathroom excitedly, and bangs on the bathroom door to get in. Once I open the door, he points into the tub, and jabbers. He even tries to climb in with his clothes on. He also understands when I tell him to take off his socks and pants, because he sits down and starts tugging on his socks. He can't get them off on his own, but if I pull them down most of the way, he can pull them the rest of the way off. I started teaching him to put his dirty clothes in the hamper, so while the tub is filling up, I'll tell him to "go put your socks and pants in the hamper", and he'll pick them up off the floor, walk into his room, and put them in the hamper. It makes me so proud, and teary-eyed at the same time, because he's getting so big and independent.

Like father like son!

Cael goes back to the pediatrician on March 5th. That'll be his 18 month appointment, right back on schedule. I believe he gets a few shots then too. But I'm also anxious (in a good way) to see what he weighs and how tall he is. I've been keeping track every other month of Cael's height on the growth chart. Right now, he still fits into most of his 12-18 month shirts, and is also now wearing 18-24 month shirts. He is in 18-24 month pants, otherwise they're too short on him. I absolutely adore the Children's Place jeans on Cael. They fit him so well, and he looks so cute in them. He's also rocking the size 5W StrideRite shoes we got him for Christmas. My Little Man has a big foot. Unfortunately, I think that means he won't fit into the Keen water shoes I bought last summer on Zulilly for an awesome price. I think they're a size 5 or 6, and they'll probably be too small come the warm weather. Bummer.

I haven't done this in a few months, so I'll do it this month:

Some of Cael's Likes
Country music! Every morning, Matt will put on the country music channel, and Cael will sit on the floor or couch, and watch music videos wide-eyed. He also loves dancing (bouncing) to some of the songs.
Grapes! Cael will eat a whole bag of grapes, by himself, in about 3 days. He goes NUTS over grapes.
Chasing the dogs He gets such a kick out of chasing Tyson with an empty water bottle. He swats at him, and laughs hysterically as Tyson sprints past him, almost bumping into him.
Reading books He will still sit on his bedroom floor and flip through his books. They don't stay in his basket for long. Currently, all his books are NOT in his basket, and are sprawled all over his bedroom floor. Currently, his most favorite book is Go Dogs Go by Dr. Seuss.

Some of Cael's Dislikes
Brushing his teeth Cael screams every time I brush his teeth. Initially, when we started brushing, he liked it. Now, he hates it, and I have to basically hold him down.
Diaper changes Still. After 17 months, you would think he'd figure out we're not trying to kill him, but clean his butt. But nope, he screams bloody murder.
Getting changed There are many a days where I come home from work, and Cael is still in his PJ's. Some days, Cael will throw a fit if Matt tries to dress him. So he just doesn't bother, and I don't blame him. Cael has almost mastered the "going boneless" technique, as Matt calls it. Basically, if you pick him up under his arms, he throws his arms up, and slips through your hands, falling to the ground like a wet noodle. I have to go through this each night as I try to get him changed into his PJ's for bedtime.

Just reading my book on a car ride to MD

Baby feet!

14 Months Old!!

October 5 - November 4

So here we are, 14 months old. I'm a little late to writing this post, as I have been lately. But you'll have to understand that. We've been packing up what we can, and preparing to move on the 19th. Not to mention the tons of phone calls I've had to make between HR, moving companies, apartments, etc.

So anyway, back to Cael. I feel like he's started doing so much the last month. Here are some key achievements/accomplishments/milestones from over the last month:

• Cael has cut both top 1 year molars, and finally his bottom left lateral incisor. This brings the total teeth count to 10!
• Starting to run. Or at least gain speed while walking. The boy is quick.
• Dancing! More like alternating which foot he stomps, but he will do it if you tell him to dance.
• Clapping! FINALLY! I couldn't wait for him to start doing this. And he understands when you tell him to clap too, so he knows what it means.
• Temper tantrums. Oi veh. Consisting of throwing himself on the floor and screaming.
• Learning how to use a spoon. He knows what he has to do, and the concept of how a spoon works, but hasn't mastered how to scoop the food onto the spoon.
• Walks backwards.
• Further breast weaning. He's down to 2 times a day - once when he wakes up, and again right before he goes to sleep.
• Gives "high-fives" and "low-fives".
• Shakes his head side to side, which Matt taught him. However, he doesn't yet know that also means "no". Which is good for me.

Cael babbles A LOT, and talks his own language, which mostly consists of similar syllables, but he hasn't really started saying anymore words. I guess I'm a little concerned, because I hear of lots of babies close to his age talking sentences, and Cael isn't anywhere near that. But at the same time, there are also babies that are doing what Cael is doing. So I know I shouldn't be too worried. He will constantly babble "dada", even when Matt isn't around. He still doesn't really say "mama" or "mom", but he will say "yum" whenever he eats or drinks something. I just have to keep reminding myself that babies all develop at different rates. AND once he starts talking, I'll probably wish he didn't talk..Haha.

Using a spoon

Milk dribble!

Helping mommy pack!

Big belly!!

Little Man fell off the couch, and onto a roll of parchment paper he was playing with earlier

November 6th - Election day!

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes!!

Oh my goodness, where to start!? I have been slacking on my blog entries lately - I've been so busy. Between chasing after a toddler, doing errands, and the recent happenings going on our lives, I haven't had a chance. But finally, I have time to write.

First and foremost, I'll discuss the changes with breastfeeding. I've successfully managed to wean Cael from all nursing sessions during the day. Lucky for me, he didn't put up a fight when I dropped the session during the day, right before his nap. He whined a little that first day he didn't nurse before his nap, but fell asleep relatively quickly. And each following day got easier and easier. No fight whatsoever. I was really concerned about the possibility of going through hell dropping that feeding, but he did really well. That was about a week ago. He still nurses in the morning when he first wakes up, usually around 6 am, and then right before he goes to bed at around 8 pm. If he's not feeling well, or teething and wakes in the middle of the night, then I'll nurse him then too, but that hasn't been happening too often :::knocks on wood:::. He'll usually sleep through the night from 8 to 5-6 am, so I'm happy about that.

I'm surprisingly ok with weaning all daytime nursing sessions. I think because it was gradual, it made it easier on me. It makes the day so much easier, because he doesn't have to nurse if I'm out, and I don't get engorged. I'm happy that my breasts and milk supply have adjusted so well to the change. And I know I still have milk, because when he nurses in the morning and at night, and I compress my breast, milk will come shooting out. So it makes me happy to know it's still there, but I didn't have to go through engorgement issues. I'm happy with the nursing schedule we have now, and I hope it continues until Cael is at least 18 months old. That was my long-term goal. Anything past that is a plus. I do get looks and questions when people find out that I still nurse. But I don't care. It's such an important and intimate bonding experience between my son and I, and I will continue to do so for as long as I see fit. And there is no research anywhere  that suggests nursing past the age of 1 is harmful. In fact, it's quite the opposite. If Cael and I are happy, and it's benefiting both him and I, then we'll continue to nurse. :-)

Secondly, I've been slacking in the cloth diapering department. To be honest, Cael hasn't had a cloth diaper on in about a week. :( I know, I know. I'm extremely disappointed in myself. I've caved into disposables. And I don't have a real reason as to why, either. I always just found it easier to put him in a disposable when we go out, and of course he wears a disposable at night because he leaks really bad through the cloth diaper. And then when my mother-in-law watches him, I have her use disposables because it's easier for her. So since we use them at night and with my mil, I have them around, and I'm more tempted to just reach for them. I'm going to make a much better effort to start using them again.

Finally, the biggest change and update of all! No, we are not pregnant. I'm returning back to work full-time! In another state!! Yes, Matt, Cael and I are moving to northern Virginia at the end of November. After many discussions between Matt and I, and a lack of jobs here, we decided that we would look elsewhere. Since our friends moved to VA last year that was always an option. So the search for jobs began there. And BAM! Tons of jobs are posted in the Fredericksburg, VA area. After months of thought and debating, and MONTHS and MONTHS of struggling financially, I finally decided to take the leap, and apply to a few ultrasound positions in VA. Within HOURS, I got a personalized e-mail from HR, expressing interest in my resume, and that they wanted to do a phone interview. I applied on Monday October 1st. Three and a half weeks ago. Yes. Weeks!

Enter a roller coaster of emotions! Honestly, I only gave into Matt and applied for the position because he wanted to really move down there, and there was nothing here. At that point, I just did it to shut Matt up. I didn't really want to move down there. I didn't want to go back to work. What had I done!? I didn't want to move, and leave my friends and family. I was disappointed, sad and terrified. But. But they responded to me within hours. Am I that desirable? Could this be a good opportunity? I guess we'll have to see how the phone interview goes.

I had my phone interview on Thursday the 4th, and it went well. She was impressed, and said that she would definitely pass my application along to hiring manager. The next step would be a technical assessment, and she said I will definitely be hearing from someone shortly. Wonderful I thought. I don't want this. I don't want to move. But deep down inside, I was starting to feel something. What is it...is that...excitement?? Shhh!! Don't tell Matt!

The next week on Wednesday I think, I had a surprise phone call from the chief sonographer at the imaging center for women. I was completely caught off guard, but our conversation went even better than the first phone interview. We were on the phone for over an hour, and I was so comfortable speaking to her. She did character questions, we talked about my breast ultrasound experience, equipment, etc. She told me that she is definitely impressed with me, and she would love to have me visit the hospital for an on-site meeting/interview. Say what!?!? I said that I would be more than willing to do that. I asked her when they were looking to fill the position. Her answer? As soon as you can come down here. Whenever you can start. WHAT?!?? Not, "As soon as we find the right candidate," or "As soon as we are finished interviewing candidates." It was as soon as YOU. Holy.Fuck.

The next day, I got a call from HR again, confirming that I wanted to come on-site. I agreed, and she said she would send me the hotel information via email, and that the hospital would cover the costs of our hotel stay. I got the hotel reservations on Friday the 12th. We were going to VA Tuesday night, and staying until Thursday. This is going way to fast. WAY too fast for me to deal with!

Virginia is beautiful, I have to admit that. The hospital is beautiful. This would be a nice place to work and live. Everyone was so nice, especially at the hotel. It was a 1 bedroom suite we stayed in, and the entire staff was so friendly. I told one person that I had a job interview, and before I knew it, everyone was saying "good luck on your interview!", or asking how my interview went. Wow. It's crazy, and almost sickening, how nice everyone is.

I went on my interview on Wednesday the 17th. I first toured the on-site daycare center, which was really nice. A bit pricey, but I love that it's curriculum and education based. Plus, they have an open door policy, so I can call or visit anytime I want. Perfect! Then the recruiting rep took me on a tour of the hospital, bought me lunch, and then we headed over to the woman's center. I met with the chief sonographer and she showed me around the center. We talked for a while, and then she had me scan.

I knew I'd be scanning someone, and I thought it would all come back to me like riding a bike. Well, let me tell you, I felt like a complete.failure. She was quizzing me on abdominal anatomy that I SHOULD have known. But because it's been a couple years since I've scanned general ultrasound, I was really sketchy and iffy on the answers. And even got some answers wrong. I told her to let me scan breast, because that is where I really shine. So I did, and she was impressed with my scanning. Since the center scans 85% breast, she was more concerned about how I scanned breast, and because I did well, she wasn't concerned about my incorrect answers, or discomfort with scanning general. I, on the other hand, was very upset. I hate being wrong, especially when it's about something I know I know well. I just need a refresher, and she said that is something I can work on.

After I scanned, she told me that she definitely wants me to join their team. I told her I would love that, and then she said she would inform HR, and I'd be hearing from them. Holy.Fuck. I'm going to be getting a job offer!

I'll skip the other details and get right to it. I got a call on Friday from the recruiter in HR, and she offered me the position! Unfortunately, the hourly pay was a little less than I needed in order for us to move down there with just my salary. Matt and I had been crunching numbers and figuring out different scenarios, and we knew what I needed in order to move there. She also told me that they would cover my relocation expenses up to $8000!! I tried to negotiate salary with her, but she informed me that the salary is created using a formula, and there will probably be little leeway for negotiating. She said that she would talk to the manager, and if they couldn't increase the salary, maybe they could do something like a sign-on bonus for me. Perfect! I hung up, and waited for the phone call. A couple of hours later, she made me an "offer I couldn't refuse."

Salary would remain the same, $8000 towards relocation AND a $10,000 sign-on bonus. Excuse me, what? I told her I would call her right back, and I called Matt at work. I told him what they just offered me, and he nearly shit himself. My same reaction. He said that is something we can definitely work with, and even though the salary is less, we will be more than okay with that sign-on bonus (which I get in my first paycheck) until Matt can find a job. I called her back, and accepted the offer. How could I not?

I got my hire letter via e-mail today. My start date is December 3rd, in which I have to do 1.5 days of orientation. I have to so much to do! I have pre-employment paperwork to fill out, pre-employment physical to do, renew my CPR, oh and yea, FIND A PLACE TO LIVE all in 5 weeks! We want to be there the last week in November, which, unfortunately, is around Thanksgiving. But maybe we can have our first Thanksgiving there with our best friends. Not to mention I have to solicit estimates from 3 moving companies for my relocation costs.

What an amazing opportunity. At this point, I'm still really upset about moving, in addition to feeling sad and terrified. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little excited. What an incredible offer and opportunity for me. We can finally be out on our own, and we won't be struggling. We won't be living paycheck to paycheck, and we can give Cael everything we want; give him things we didn't have growing up. I'm not a big fan of change, but I think this change is worth the stress and anxiety.

Happy 1st Birthday, Cael!!!

I cannot believe that it has been a year since Cael was born. I know this day has been coming for the last few months, but I feel like it crept up rather quickly. But the most shocking fact, is that I didn't have a breakdown like I thought I would today. Even while singing Happy Birthday to him upstairs with the family. I thought, if anything, that would be the time I would have a cry-fest. But no. It was all happy. Don't get me wrong, I had a couple of moments during the day today where my eyes got a little teary, and I felt like crying, but I just couldn't. I'm sad I don't have my squishy, tiny newborn baby anymore, but at the same time, I'm happy and excited at this incredible milestone. I'm excited to see all the new things that Cael will learn and discover.

The past year has been a complete and utter whirlwind. We've had ups and downs; highs and lows. More highs and ups, though, which I'm grateful for. We've had breastfeeding problems, weight issues, fussy days and nights, screaming fits, health scares, doctor visits and complete chaos. But at the same time, we've had nothing but joy and love. There are parts of my heart that I feel filled with love, that I never knew existed until September 4, 2011. Being a mother has completely changed me, for the better. Over the last year, I've learned to become an extremely patient person. I can deal with Cael's crying and fussing much more easily, more than I was ever able to deal with before. Maybe it's because he's my son, or because I'm home with him all day, but nonetheless, I can deal with it. Matt can't handle even Cael's playful screeches. They're loud and hurt, but don't bother me. I guess men's ears are more sensitive.

Matt is such a wonderful father. I know that, over the past year, he's learned things about himself from being a father, that he never knew before. It was rough in the beginning for Matt, because a newborn isn't very interesting, and only eats, sleeps, cries and poops. So he wasn't really "interested" in everything; or, rather, didn't really know what to do, since Cael was so dependent on me. But once he started getting older, and sitting up, crawling, and interacting with us, Matt blossomed as a father. I love seeing the joy in his eyes when Cael greets him when he gets home from work. And it melts my heart hearing and watching him oogle Cael and play with him when he gets him undressed for his bath at night.

So, we don't have any new stats on Cael as of now. He goes on Monday for his 1 year well-visit, so I'll update then. But I'll break down where Cael currently stands as far as his development and everything.

Mobility

Everything! Basically, the only thing that Cael isn't doing, is running. But he tries. He walks everywhere, crawls, stands, squats, kneels, rolls, does a "downward facing dog", and CLIMBS!! He climbs everywhere he possibly can. He has mastered climbing onto the couch by using his walker as a stepping stone. He can get his leg up pretty high, so he has no problem getting up onto the walker. He'll also use his toy table. One day, he got up on top of his toy table, and just sat there. I am just in awe of what he can do. And I now absolutely CANNOT leave him unattended. He gets up onto the couch with ease now, that I can't trust him anymore. He doesn't know how to properly get off the couch yet, so I would hate for him to fall and get hurt.

Cognition

Cael is really starting to understand what we tell him. You can tell by the way he looks at you when you talk to him, or his reaction to what you say (i.e. - "No" triggers a tantrum). He is also starting to figure out how to put things together. For example, he knows that a bottle cap goes on top of the bottle, and he will put it on the correct way. Of course, he can't screw it on, but he knows where it goes. Same thing with the lotion tub. After his bath, I always put lotion on him, and he always tries to put the lid back on the lotion.

He's also started pointing at things with his index finger, and trying to say (or at least, trying to say) "What's this/that?" And of course, we'll tell him what it is he's pointing to.

Personality

Cael is a little flirt. He's also shy when new people talk to him, or say hi. He'll smile at them, but then put his head on my shoulder and burrow into my neck. He's also just like his father. He's a dare devil, who is stubborn and does what he wants, no matter what you say. He has a tendency to ignore you when you're trying to reprimand him, or he'll turn and look at you for a second, and then turn back around and continue what he was doing. Basically, he's "scary". Scary, because it seems as though he's turning into his father. Attitude and personality entirely.

Food

I know that a lot of babies are picky eaters or fussy when it comes to food. Luckily for me, Cael isn't one of those babies. He'll eat basically anything I put in front of him. His favorite food is probably chicken and ground beef. He loves Shepherd's Pie, sloppy Joe's and taco's. He definitely loves eating 3 meals a day, with snacks in between.

As far as breast feeding goes, Cael has definitely cut back. He's down to a nursing session every 4-6 hours or so. Usually, it's when he first wakes up, around 7, then again before his nap at around 11:30, then in the afternoon, maybe around 4 or so, and then finally after dinner, right before he goes to bed. He's been good with sleeping through the night, but every so often, he may wake at either 1am or 4am to nurse, but go right back to sleep. I'm surprisingly ok with the start of this weaning process. I know making it to 1 year of breast feeding is a major accomplishment, and I'm so happy about that. But I would really like to get to 18 months. That's my long term goal. If I go beyond that, it's just a plus. Even if he's nursing only once or twice by 18 months, I'd still be happy.

I think that's pretty much everything I wanted to post an update on. Now for some pictures of the birthday boy on his birthday!

Cake time!

A tradition in our family - put letters on our heads from the cake.

Diving in!

Weaning

With Cael possibly starting to drink whole cow's milk (wcm) in about a month, I've been thinking about the weaning process of breastfeeding. Of course, as I've probably stated before, I would like to breastfeed for 18 months. And I'm fully aware that after a year old, breast milk isn't a sole source of nutrition anymore, so therefore, the baby won't be nursing every 2-3 hours. I've heard that around 18 months, they may nurse maybe 2-3 times during the day, and I'm fine with that (obviously). Up until maybe a few weeks ago (and I hadn't noticed until now, really), Cael was still nursing every 2-3 hours during the day. Slowly, he's been going longer between nursing sessions, probably because he's eating more solids during the day. Currently, he's nursing maybe every 4-5 hours during the day. Therefore, he has dropped a nursing session. This may be the start of the weaning process. And surprisingly, I'm ok with that. That is, as long as he's not fully weaned before 18 months. However, I also think that the decrease in nursing may bring on my first period. I know when nursing lessens, it can make your period come.

In other breast news, thanks to Cael, I have some sort of breast pain/issue/infection going on. He bit my left nipple about a week ago. Initially, besides the pain, nothing was really wrong. He didn't break the skin or anything, and after the shock of the bite wore off, the pain went away. However, a few days after "the bite", I started getting sore. It would only hurt when he latched on, and then it started hurting during the latch, and during the nursing session. And then 2 days ago, my nipple would throb even when I wasn't nursing. I noticed there was a tiny break in the skin that was oozing some pus and bleeding. I called the doctor yesterday, and they said to call today to get an immediate appointment, but I didn't. I think it's starting to feel a little better. I'm just nursing through the pain. I'll take a wait and see approach, and hope that it doesn't develop into an abscess.

43 Weeks Old!

I'm pretty sure the nursing strike is completely over. He nursed all day yesterday, and all day today. It feels a little "different" than it used to, but it could be because he has 2 new teeth he has to maneuver his tongue around to suck. He does still try to nip and bite me several times during the day, but no where near as hard as he was. I'm so happy he's back to nursing. I really hope to make it to 18 months of breast feeding. I really appreciate and enjoy each nursing session we have from now on, and I don't take it for granted anymore. It is really a wonderful bonding experience, and I love the closeness we share while he nurses.

I checked his mouth again today, and it appears he's working on his upper left lateral incisor. The poor boy can't catch a break. At least he doesn't seem to be in as much pain as he was. He hasn't had Tylenol or Advil in a few days, so that's good.

I haven't done much more of anything regarding Cael's birthday party in September. I've been looking for themes through websites, and I have found a few that I like. I really like the owl theme that says "Look Whoo's Turning One", but Matt wasn't too excited over it. He seemed to like the "Lil' Quarterback's 1st Birthday" theme (http://www.birthdayexpress.com/Lil-Quarterback-1st-Birthday-Party-Supplies/58027/PartyKitDetail.aspx). It has orange, green and brown as the main colors, so it would be easy to find accenting supplies, like napkins, cups and cray paper. I would buy the important stuff with the theme on it, like a banner, cake plates and a big balloon. I really don't want to spend a lot of money on his party, but I honestly wouldn't be surprised if we do. 

Rocking on the awesome consignment find!

I finally went to a consignment store that I've passed innumerable times. They carry a lot of baby things, toys and clothes there, and get new stuff in weekly. I had seen a Little Tykes rocking cow on their Facebook page that I wanted to look at and possibly buy for $15. But when I got there, I wasn't really impressed with it because the color was faded in some spots. I didn't feel comfortable buying it for Cael. But right next to the rocking cow was an old-ish looking wooden rocking horse. It was solid with a finish on it, leather fabric for ears, oogly eyes and salt and pepper faux hair for a mane. It was $9.99, and Cael seemed to like sitting on it, so I decided to buy that one. Can't go wrong with $10! I got it home and wiped it down really well. It skeeves me out that I couldn't wash the fur, but I can deal with that. I have plans for it anyway. I really want to sand the whole thing down - which is good, because there are some rough areas on the wood - and either paint it or refinish it. I also want to buy new faux fur for the mane, and replace that as well. It will be my little project for Cael. I'm excited about doing it.

My handsome, blue-eyed boy

Speaking of projects, I really want to make a growth chart for Cael by his 1st birthday. I'm guessing by the time he's 1, he'll be able to stand without assistance, so it would be the perfect time to start tracking his growth. After looking through some websites, I'm pretty sure I want to make it out of canvas cloth. I was thinking about a wooden one, but then it's too bulky, and will be difficult to store and/or move around. You'd be talking about a 4 foot-long piece of wood, so it would be quite bulky. I found a few on Etsy, and another on a website for $25 that I liked. It would be much easier to just buy it, but I figured it would be more personal if I made it myself. I'll have to keep checking Pinterest for ideas. But one project at a time.

Cael crawled into Tyson's cage by himself.

Drying off after playing in the sprinklers

Matt's mug finally came in! Better late than never. I love how it came out! And I love the pictures of Cael.