Busting Out

Declan's second top tooth has finally started to show itself through the gums and there was a kind of noticeable difference in his behavior yesterday, I think as a result. He hasn't been extremely fussy through any of the teething so far but I hear it is a lot more painful with the molars. I never really thought much about how high my pain tolerance was but the nurse on duty when I was being induced seemed to think I had a pretty high pain tolerance based on my reactions to the various IVs being inserted and my reaction to the contractions I was having before I got my epidural. Maybe the little man takes after me in that respect? Hard to say. Anyway he was so full of energy and so smiley yesterday, it was wonderful. He spent an hour in his jumperoo after we got back from a birthday party for his daycare buddy who is turning 2 this week. The party was at a gymnastics place and although he was too little to participate he loved watching the other kids run around and bounce. I got my upper body workout for the day bouncing him up and down on the edge of a trampoline. We don't normally have him in the jumperoo for so long but he was having such a good time playing, smiling at us, smiling at the toys, smiling at the dog, I figured I'd just let him have at it. It gave me a chance to make some food for him for the week.

We've increased his solid feedings to twice a day now. Previously he was getting 5 bottles of 7oz a day and one feeding of fruit or veggies right after getting home in the evening. Now he's getting 4 bottles of 8oz and two solid feedings. I left it up to our nanny to decide whether she wanted to give him the solids in the morning or at lunch time. He will get fruit or a fruit/cereal mix during the day and veggies and eventually meat/veggies in the evening. I know many people feel the cereal isn't worth much but it is pretty high in iron which I know he needs so I want to keep incorporating it for now. I made green bean puree and apple puree yesterday. It was really very easy and I find I enjoy making his food. I'll be honest, I am surprised at my enthusiasm. If I would have had to predict I would have guessed I would have given up on it by now. It surprises me though how so much of certain veggies (broccoli, green beans) makes so little puree while others make so much more (apples). We're debating now when to start trying to teach him to use a sippy cup. I have one that someone gave me as a gift but it is still in the packaging. He's still getting enough formula right now that he doesn't really need to drink water but eventually he'll need to and he's almost 7 months so perhaps it is time to start practicing. I don't plan on introducing any juice or, of course milk, until after he's a year old.

I also realized that we're only about 3 weeks away from leaving for our vacation in Maine. I had to try and track down some sheets for our playard that we haven't used yet. Unlike the pack n play, the playard is 38" square giving him more room for play and sleep. We plan to take it with us but I want him to be comfortable sleeping in it. Fortunately I found an Amazon seller who sells sheets in that size so I ordered one padded and two jersey knit. I need to start thinking about our meal plan for that week since we need to have everything with us when we board the ferry. Last year I feel like we had a ton of food, too much actually, and then my in-laws who overlapped at the beginning of our week left us more. This time, although our meals might be more boring, I am planning based more on saving space. This means meals with fewer ingredients and more fresh fruit and veggies that we can either give away or compost before we leave. We have procrastinated long enough that the idea of getting a rooftop carrier to test out on our vehicle isn't really feasible so we have to make sure we can fit everything. I think we'll be okay this year but once we have two kids the rooftop carrier will be a necessity.

Declan and I visited my parents this past weekend while Jake took time to catch up on a few things at home. I so appreciated his willingness to roll up his sleeves and clean and organize for us. Our home needed it. My mom commented about eventually having Declan spend a weekend with them from time to time. She is really invested in her and my dad bonding with our kids and having them be just as comfortable at their house as they are at home. This turned into them taking him this weekend to give us some alone time. I am dropping him off on Friday morning while Jake teleworks and then I will pick him up on Sunday. It will definitely feel weird just being at home without him there but I'm happy to have the time to get things done at home and for Jake and I to focus on each other a little more. We are definitely planning to go see the Star Trek movie and go out to eat a couple of times. I hope the little guy enjoys his time with the grandparents. They bought a small kiddie pool and I think he will enjoy splashing around in if the weather permits this weekend.

I'm hoping to catch up with a few friends over the coming weeks. Email has been instrumental lately especially since May was such a busy month but it'll be nice to put in some face time too. Summer is off to a roaring start! Have an enjoyable week everyone!