Hudson - Seven months

His stats:

Weight - 19.8 pounds

Height - 71 centimeters

His likes/dislikes:

Still loves walks in the pram, although his face still says otherwise.

Grill watching remains high on the list. And new fun includes banging his hand on the table.

He loves getting carried in the bouncer, which is usually where he sits while we eat our dinner.

Dislikes - being hungry.

His adventures:

He met his 1st cousin, and within 5 seconds of me holding her he screamed with jealousy. I guess he wanted her to know she needed to get her own mommy, because I'm taken.

He's been going to sing-a-long time at the library. I can't say he's a fan of it, but maybe he'll catch on.


New changes this month:

He enjoys standing a lot (with assistance, of course). He's also getting better at unassisted sitting.

He's going well with the solids. It took a few weeks before he started to enjoy things.

He loves watermelon.

He started using a jumperoo.

 He's growing like a weed!

He was sick for the first time (darn daycare!). It was a 24hr bug that involved a lot of throwing up, and lots of cuddles with dad.

And a really big change for the lil man is his very first tooth! It popped through on my birthday, so I like to think of it as a little present from him ;)

Thoughts on the month:    

I am overwhelmed on a daily basis with how much I love him. It's amazing to watch him grow, and I feel honored to be his mom. He has the most incredible belly laugh.

 Off to read in bed,

B

Hudson - Six Months

His stats:

Weight - 18.5 pounds

Height - 69 centimeters

His likes/dislikes:

He loves clapping, songs, and getting a good bounce on his bouncer (he kicks his little feet so hard to go fast).

He dislikes being hungry and that's about it. He's really an incredibly happy and sweet baby.  And he can sleep in very strange positions.

His adventures:

This week was his first time in daycare. I think it was hardest on dad! I'm just grateful that he only has to go one day for a bit (then two days from June onwards).


He explored the clothes basket.

He went to the park for his first slide and swing ride. He didn't seem overly thrilled with either. I suppose he's still a little young, but I thought for sure he'd love the swing because he loves the wind on his face.

He also got his first visit from the Easter bunny.

And he celebrated Auntie Chels' birthday. He was mesmerized by the candles.

New changes this month:

He started solids a few days ago. We're doing a combination of baby led weaning and traditional.
He's had the following so far:

• organic carrot
• rolled oats (blended into a flour and mixed with water)
• organic plum (he was a big fan)
• organic apple
• avocado

There has been a surprising amount of bib eating.

Thoughts on the month: 

I cannot believe my little baby is celebrating his half-birthday! Time is flying. I realised just how much he's grown when I was putting away his newborn clothes.

He looks massive!

He's turning into a little boy.

Off to clean some dishes,

B

Hudson - Five Months

His stats:

Weight - 18 pounds

Height - 68 centimeters

His likes/dislikes:

He loves my made up songs and pram rides. Although pram rides always start with excitement, but as soon as we get going he goes into deep concentration mode. At least that is what it looks like. He doesn't crack a smile for the whole trip.

Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:

He's a giraffe-eater.

He enjoys quality time with his blocks.

His love for the outdoors only seems to increase. A favourite of his is still laying in the "parkie" and staring at trees.

He's finally enjoying bath time now, and goes crazy kicking his legs.

And, of course, thumb sucking is a good way to make yourself feel better.

Dislikes - waiting to eat and not getting his way

 His adventures:

He went to the hospital to visit dad (more on that below). He took the train into the city, and he seemed to enjoy watching things go by. He went to lots of coffee shops (his mom has a current iced coffee addiction).

New changes this month:

Although he rolled last month, he really wasn't into the rolling this month until this past week (right after he heard me tell a mom from my mothers' group that he doesn't like rolling - he came home and rolled a dozen times! The stinker was just proving a point, I suppose). He does it so much that I've been able to catch it on camera, which was a nice video to send to dad in the hospital.

 

Thoughts on the month: 

It's been a tough month. The Hubs has been in the hospital for almost all of it due to two lung surgeries. I managed pretty well in the role of single parent but it's taken it's toll on me. I need to spend this month trying to breathe deeper. The Aussie and I are also hoping to organise our life a bit - join the gym, rein in the monthly food bill, think about long term goals (perhaps finally saying goodbye to student loans and enjoying some fun trips), and maybe (just maybe) get in some date nights. Wish us luck!

Off to unwind from this long day,

B

Living the Life of a Single Parent

For the past week I've been living the life of a single parent while the Hubs recovers in the hospital from surgery to fix his collapsed lung. We're hoping he'll be out in the next few days. Honestly, it hasn't been too bad. Hudson is a great baby who barely ever cries (at least so far! I'm sure he'll give me plenty of grief as a teenager to make up for it). At the moment he's snoozing in his swing, looking absolutely adorable sucking his thumb.

Our days have consisted of:

- waking up between 4-7am for a feed
- waking up to start the day around 9am
- having breakfast
- going into town (Mama needs her iced coffee and Hudson loves pram rides)
- wash (lots of wash)
- nappy changes (a lot, especially now that we're cloth diapering)
- tummy time and playing with toys
- reading books
- plenty of feedings
- bath time (Hudson is loving bath time now)
- eating dinner at 8:30 when the little one is finally asleep.

It's not a great deal different from our normal days, but I am definitely missing the adult talk. I could use many great adjectives to describe Hudson, but great conversationalist would not be one of them.

I have started another Coursera class - Confronting the Big Questions - Highlights of Modern Astronomy. It's incredibly interesting. I didn't realise that the first exoplanet (a planet outside our solar system) was only discovered in 1995! It's an exciting time to be alive (from an astronomy/astrophysics perspective). The course does a great job of taking complex ideas and breaking them into easy to follow discussions.

Picture dump time . . .

 Hudson almost always looks incredibly bored when he's riding in the pram, but he's so excited when I first put him into it. I like to think that he's just a deep thinker who spends his time outdoors pondering life's biggest questions (or at least thinking about what toy he wants to eat next).

 This picture does not convey how steep the hill was! Pushing a pram and a chunky baby is a good workout.

As you can see, there have been some ups and downs. Luckily, Hudson's breakdowns usually last about .2 seconds.

Off to enjoy the rest of Hudson's nap time (aka watch vlogs),

B

Hudson - Four Months

With each passing day I am more amazed by my little man. I love watching his personality develop, and I do everything in my power to bring out those precious smiles.

His stats:

Weight - 17 pounds 5 ounces

Height - 67 centimeters

His likes/dislikes:

He still loves "the blue hole" (aka the missing part of our roof). He, unlike the rest of the world, also loves to hear me sing (mostly I go with random noises like "a boo, a ba, a bee", so perhaps the term "singing" isn't entirely accurate).  He really enjoys rides in the pram (Australian word for stroller). I know this because when he gets put in the pram he kicks his legs wildly and smiles. He's also still fascinated by his baby Einstein take along tunes and is starting to enjoy soft blocks.

He loves being outside - looking at trees and feeling the wind. 

Dislikes are unchanging - being cold after a shower and having to wait to eat.

His adventures:

He was babysat by his grandmom for the first time (my mom).

He flew co-piloted a helicopter

He got naked in the park.

New changes this month:

He rolled over! It was so exciting, even though we all missed the actual roll. We were eating dinner and one second he was on his back and the next he was on his stomach. Of course as soon as I realised what happened, I ran to get my camera. He hasn't done it since (the slacker!).

Thoughts on the month: 

It's been a big transition going back to work, but I feel incredibly lucky that I have a very flexible work environment. I do believe challenging myself outside the home will make me a better mom - one who appreciates the time I do have with Hudson. Some women can be completely satisfied staying at home full-time, but I knew (even before Hudson was born) that I was not one of those women. I just want to find the right work/life balance.

I love that Hudson is now holding onto you when you carry him. I love that he seems to genuinely enjoy my presence. I love that he brings so much joy into our lives. And I love falling asleep with my favourite two men beside me (even if one is a heavy breather and the other bangs his legs constantly).

Off to clean the wood floors (aka chase down all the dust bunnies taking over the house),

B