Day 11 of the nursing strike, and I'm feeling better

Is stubbornness an inherited trait?

Well, I'm coming to terms with the idea that I may never again nurse this stubborn little boy. Now, I'm focusing on the freedom I'll have once we're fully weaned. I do plan to include this story in a speech at Trav's graduation or wedding or something...just to prove how stubborn (or persistent) he was from a very early age. I think he got some stubbornness from me. Not that I believe much in astrology, but I am a Taurus, and we're notoriously bull-headed.

Since I'm a silver-lining kind of gal at heart (not mentioned in Taurus astrology, hence, it's probably a crock), I'm starting to think about all the positives of not having to nurse or pump again:  I can leave the boy for longer than 3 hours, I don't have to worry about keeping the milk at the right temperature, other people can share in feeding time, and most importantly, I don't have to wonder if I'm going to get bitten anymore. So, this could be a good thing...

He's really standing on his own, Abbi is just barely supporting him!

In other good news, Travis is crawling EVERYWHERE! I'll leave him in his room and then call him from the kitchen, and he'll crawl down the hallway and through the living room as fast as his chubby knees will let him. It's pretty cute. He's also starting to stand up, with help. I think he'll be walking soon, which is both awesome and scary. He's learning to clap, and eat real, solid food like cantaloupe, watermelon, Cheerios. It's really messy, but pretty neat. I just realized that we don't have any videos of crawling or eating, so I'll try to get some for you this week.

Standing up with help from the coffee table

Give me back my binky!

Travis and Adrian had such a fun time playing, and I just realized that I have a short video of them "fighting" over the binky, so I just had to post it.

Happy Easter to All

Family Photo

We had a wonderful Easter; this year, we visited Pappaw and Mimi in Baytown, and then hunted Easter eggs in Jasper. Travis had such fun with his cousins and loved being spoiled by aunts, uncles, pappaw, mimi, mawmaw, cousins and everyone else we met. That boy is going to turn out rotten!! I've been waiting for the stranger anxiety to kick in, and sometimes it seems like he's a little uncomfortable when we're not around, but I've seen family pass him around for hours, and he's still happy and giggly. I'm thankful he loves people so much, but I confess I still kept an eye out "just in case."

Travis had such fun playing with his cousin Adrian, who is a month younger. They sat in Uncle Tim and Aunt Sherryl's laps in Jasper. Adrian kept trying to take Trav's binky and finally succeeded. It was hilarious! I love watching Travis laugh with MamMaw, and the aunts and uncles. They know just what to do to make him giggle.

The nursing strike continues; we are now at day 8. My heart is no longer breaking, and I'm starting to turn to formula. I'm not entirely happy about it, but I have such trouble drawing out milk that I know I can't do it for the next 4 months. I know that he'll be fine, and that he still loves me (well, as much as an 8-month-old understands love). I will check with the Dr., but I'm preparing myself to be done with pumping when T turns 9mos.

Life rarely sticks to the plan I have mapped out in my head, and I generally try to go with the flow. But this threw me for such a loop that I was wholly unprepared for it. Ken recently reminded me that I need to be flexible; we strive to live drama-free lives, and I've been acting pretty dramatic lately (some might call it childish). There is generally a reason behind everything that happens, and though we can't see it now, someday we will. I just need to trust God that all will be well, and that Travis will still be a smart, happy, fun baby--even on formula!

Easter egg hunting mission-impossible-style

Put the egg in the basket

Yep, right here...in the basket

Yay!

With Aunt Sherryl, Uncle Tim, and cousin Adrian (who just took his binky)

Pappaw with his grandchildren 

Travis and cousin Alyssa

Day 3 of the Nursing Strike

So, here we are at day 3 of the nursing strike. It started Tuesday morning after Travis bit me 3 times, and I told him no and put him on the floor to play. I didn't realize it was a strike until Tuesday evening when I thought back over how little he ate all day and the big fit he threw when I tried to feed him dinner. We've been using bottles because any time he thinks I'm trying to feed him, he starts screaming and crying like he's being tortured. So here we are...and my heart is breaking.

Sure, I know he still loves me; he follows me around the house like a puppy, and cries when I get too far ahead. He crawls towards me when I'm on the floor, and wants to be held while he plays with his toys. I know it's not a rejection of me. I know he's scared, teething, and in pain, and doesn't want to keep biting me. But there's a difference in knowing all that, and then listening to his screams, and watching his little lip pucker and the tears start when I try to cuddle him. I'm trying to be patient and upbeat, but surely he knows something is wrong, and my distress continues to keep him away.

I had planned to wean early, but I hadn't planned to wean at 8 months, and certainly not like this. He still can't drink regular milk, and I worked so hard to get him off of formula in his first few months that I refuse to put him back on it for 4 more months (until he's 12mos and can drink milk). Since I am an information gatherer, I've already done tons of research to discover what is going on and what I should do. Babies don't self-wean before a year, so I know it's not that. It's likely that he got scared after he bit me and I yelped. The prevailing suggestion is to have patience. Great, just what I'm good at, but meanwhile, my heart is breaking and my baby is crying.

Dear God, please let this end soon, and please don't let me give up...

Heigh ho, Silver, Away!

Travis has been on the move lately, happily playing in his room. Our neighbors gave us a rocking horse that their kids grew out of, and though T is still a little young for it, he did enjoy rocking on it this morning. Don't worry, he was supervised! These photos were taken with our new camera.

Heigh ho Silver, AWAY!!!

Today, we had a play date with a little boy born to one of Ken's co-workers. Noah is just 10 days younger than Travis, and his mom and I wanted to get the boys together to see how they got along. At first, Noah talked to Travis, and unfortunately, Travis thought he was being yelled at and started crying! Eventually, though, they learned to enjoy each other, and Travis realized that Noah was talking to him, and not yelling at him! We're hoping to get the boys together again in a few weeks. Once I get her permission, I'll upload some of the photos we took.

Travis and I have enjoyed staying home lately; it's been a nice change from running around. This weekend, we had family over, and had a really great time showing off T's new skills. He is such a happy boy, and loves company. I suspect he'll be spoiled rotten in no time! :-)

We hope you all have a wonderful and happy Easter, celebrating the triumph of our Lord!

Well, I won't be winning any mother of the year awards...

There comes a time in every blogging mother's life when she has to 'fess up and tell an unflattering adventure story. My time has come...

 Life would be so boring if there were only happy baby adventure stories, and our lives needed a little spice (apparently), so let me start out by saying that Travis is FINE! This morning we had a little bit of a scare: Travis fell out of a Wal-Mart shopping cart. I won't go into the particulars, but it had something to do with not being buckled into his car seat, and the car seat not being buckled into the shopping cart, and my back being turned... All of a sudden, I heard a loud bang, and turned to see Travis on the ground, crying for all he was worth. I picked him up and calmed him down, and he seemed quiet but subdued as we headed through the check-out counter. However, the friendly Wal-Mart employee's suggestion that I not let Travis fall asleep worried me a bit, so I decided to call the Dr. Now, I'm not one of those moms who call the Dr. for every little sniffle or cranky night, but I'm not messing around with a potential head injury.

Since I didn't see him fall and couldn't say if he hit his head (great, now I feel even worse), the nurse recommended I bring him in just to check. However, I forgot to ask if I could let Travis fall asleep, so I assumed that I couldn't, and I had to use mean mommy voice to keep Travis awake for the 40-minute trip to the Dr.'s office. As if he wasn't having a bad enough day already. At the Dr.'s office, I have to tell the story of my negligence yet again, this time to a Dr. we hadn't met before, and then again to another Dr., who was brought in to consult. They weren't taking any chances with a potential head injury either. Turns out, he's fine. He let them poke and prod his bruise, shine lights in his eyes, and look in his ears. They decided that, based on his behavior and how he looked, they didn't need an x-ray of his head. For not having eaten or had a nap in 4 hours, he was surprisingly happy.

So like I said, he's fine (though he will have quite a shiner), and I have learned a valuable lesson: NEVER, NEVER leave baby unbuckled in a car seat and turn your back.

Video Diary

I just transferred some videos from my Blackberry to my computer, and then, of course, I had to play a few to see this ridiculously cute child (since right now he's asleep and it wakes him up if I watch him too long--just  kidding! I don't watch him sleep; that's creepy). Watching them reminds me all over again why I decided to stay home with this little bundle of joy. I can't express how grateful and happy I am that we are able to live on one salary. Ken, being a whiz with budgets and money, is amazing, and I probably don't tell him enough how wonderful he is. Honey, you're wonderful, and I'm so thankful that you are happy to have me and Travis stay home together, but we miss you, so retire soon and play with us!

Here are some of the videos that made me smile:

This one is before T could crawl - taken in March before our trip to Arizona. I love that hat, but Nana and Papa agreed that it made him look like a girl.

Here's one where Ken teaches Travis to drum - taken last week (sans girlie hat).

Here is a sampling of our day - taken this week:

First, we wake up, eat, change the diaper, etc. T is a morning baby, and he loves to giggle, so here we are giggling together.

Then we play for awhile with T's toys. Sometimes T plays cheerfully by himself, and sometimes Mama likes to play with him (but always there is laughter at his crazy antics).

Now that T is mobile, a lot of our day is exploring the house. So sometimes we follow Mama, and sometimes Saige (and sometimes we like to go off and explore on our own, but that's another story). Look how good he's gotten at crawling!

Then Abbi comes over after school, and we just hang out and pretend we aren't anywhere near tired. (here, Mama was entertaining Travis while Abbi finished her homework).

Sometimes, we just like to sit and play with our toys. Here's one where T learned that he could bang things together and make lots of noise. I keep trying to teach him to clap, but it's not nearly as fun because it doesn't make much noise.

So there you have a sampling of our day; looks fun doesn't it? Sometimes we go shopping or to lunch with friends, but we enjoy our days at home, which are anything but quiet and boring! I'm constantly surprised at how busy we stay, and how the house can remain cluttered even though I'm continuously straightening up throughout the day. Oh well, I suppose life is meant to be lived, not cleaned. Anyways, I hope you have enjoyed our video diary of life at home with Travis.

The Wonder of Parenthood

Today I had lunch with a good friend who is expecting her first child in a few months. Talking to her brought back sweet memories of my own pregnancy, and how eagerly I waited to meet my child. It was like someone gave me a Christmas gift in March...but told me I couldn't open it yet...and then dropped hints each week as to what was inside. But nothing could have prepared me for the awe and love that overwhelmed me (once the pain meds finally kicked in) when at last, I opened my gift, and held my son. Watching him sleep, watching him nurse, feeling his warmth cuddled up next to me, holding his hand all made the long months of waiting and wondering (and, let's face it, the uncomfortable swelling) worth every moment.

Even now, God's gift to us is a mystery. What does his life hold? Who will he be, what will he accomplish, what failures will he experience? I feel like our journey into parenthood is just beginning, and I can't wait to see the man my son will grow into. Sure, I have hopes and dreams for him--I want him to be content, to respect his elders, to help those less fortunate, to be generous and kind-hearted. But mostly, I want him to love God, and to seek his own path in life, just like I wanted a happy, healthy baby at the end of my pregnancy, no matter how he arrived.

I don't want to forget the joy and the anticipation that Ken and I felt, or that first moment of awe when we met our little Travis. Even with the wrinkled, old man skin and the mohawk hair. He was so tiny and delicate. I had always been scared of babies; they were loud, tiny, and so fragile. I was never willing to hold one, what if I dropped it? Looking back, I'm sad that I didn't have more experience with babies, but I also believe God leads us down our own unique path. Luckily, it didn't take me long to learn how to hold him, swaddle him, change his diaper. It's amazing what love gives you the strength to do!

I am so thankful to be given the opportunity to watch and help my fragile little baby grow into manhood. I know that it will be a challenge, but I'm looking forward to the journey. Stay tuned for our adventures...

Splish splash I was takin' a bath...and then we went to the park

Splish Splash

T-man hasn't been too excited about bathtime, so I was prepared for another quick, upsetting bath this morning. I filled his little tub to overflowing, sat him in it, and prepared to quickly scrub. All of a sudden, I heard a loud squeal before Travis smacked the water with both hands, drenching us both! He squealed again and reached out for his bath toys..."YAY" I said ("finally," I thought). And we had fun in the bathtub; he didn't mind my scrubbing, and only got slightly annoyed when I wet and washed his hair. But as long as I didn't get between him and his toys, he was happy!

Photo by Ashley Terry (2011)

Afterwards, I was feeling pretty brave, so I suggested a walk in the park.We loaded up and headed out. Trav enjoyed the swings, and the long walk. Ken got attacked by an aggressive goose backed up by his geesey gang, but we finally made it past them safely. Walking along Bastrop Main Street, we stopped in a bakery and ice cream shop where we all shared a mint chocolate chip ice cream cone. Travis kept yelling for more, and the lady running the shop asked if he was always that happy. To which we replied, yes, so long as he's not hungry or tired. Later on, in the library, Travis squealed loudly before I told him libraries were for being quiet. So, he spit up his ice cream instead. Yuk. I think I preferred him being loud.

Our Sweet Family (Photo by Ashley Terry-2011)

Finally, we headed back to the truck, and turned towards home, where we fed Trav and put him down for a nap (which he's taking as I'm typing). It's been a lovely family day watching squirrels climb trees, birds chase each other, and turtles sit by the side of the river. Now, as I look out the window, watching the trees blow in the breeze, and the promise of spring hovering in the air, I am filled with contentment on this beautiful Saturday afternoon, happy to be part of my sweet family.

What brings you contentment today?

The Week with Four Kids

Blueberry, grape, and blackberry bushes planted

So, this week, Travis got a taste of what it would be like to be the younger brother of 3 girls, and I got a taste of what it would be like to have 4 kids! I watched our neighbor's 3 girls (Abbi-10, Ericka-6, and Sophia-3) for several hours each day. I should let you know that the oldest, Abbi, is the reason Ken and I decided to have kids. All three are great - sweet, well-behaved, friendly, and very helpful! They took turns feeding Saige, blowing bubbles, and watering and planting our plants. They all played with and held Travis, making him giggle and laugh. They loved helping teach him how to drink from his sippy cup and blowing bubbles for him. Ken was home for two days, and the girls helped us plant some fruit bushes.

Our planting helpers: Ericka and Sophia

Abbi and Travis cuddling

I will admit they have so much energy, and I tried so hard come up with things for us to do to keep them busy. Luckily, bubbles are awesome! They were happy to blow bubbles outside for hours! They also hid treats for Saige in the backyard, colored at the table, played with Travis and his toys, and helped me with any little task possible.
We had a great time, and the house will seem so quiet next week when it's just me and Abbi, who still gets to hang out with me after school. It was a nice change, and all three of us will miss them!

Fun in the Sun

Our Fam at the AZ Sonoran Desert Museum

Recently, we drove to Tucson, Arizona, to visit my family. Travis got to visit his Nana, meet his great-grandparents, his Tata, great-aunts/uncles, cousins, second cousins and some of my good friends. Luckily, he is such a sweet, happy baby and traveled really well. He is really starting to move around, and scooted around Nana and Tata's house, and we walked around the neighborhood where I grew up. It was so fun.

We traveled through a cave (Carlsbad Caverns), which Travis seemed to enjoy, and drove through the Saguaro National Monument to see cactus (apparently, it is a hot destination for out-of-towners). We got this awesome backpack that Ken used to carry Travis around all over the place. It was nifty.

The Coolest Backpack Ever!

We went shopping with Nana, traveled to Bisbee and the Arizonan Sonoran Desert Museum. T-Rav was a hit wherever we went, and I found myself so proud of our great baby. I'm glad that he also got to meet my grandparents. It was so sweet watching them together...

Travis with Nana

Travis with Grammy

Travis with Grampy

Travis with Nana and Tata