Home Portraits

Yesterday, I made a Christmas outfit for Billy to wear when we open presents and for holiday pictures.  I think it came out GREAT!  After shooting these pictures, I also made a matching bib and I still plan to make a pair of little elf booties from the same material.  Here's my pick of the best 5 shots from the home photo session... enjoy!

I thought the tractor and hammer were a nice touch because it looks like he's one of Santa's little helpers, making and inspecting toys.  lol 

I made this outfit all by hand.  I still don't have a sewing machine yet and it's been very difficult to try to match up schedules and transportation to go to either of my friends' houses to use theirs.  I really don't mind sewing by hand with fleece.  The needles slide right through and since the material has a little bit of stretch to it, a lot of people find it difficult to work with when they first start out.  So, it's not so bad when you aren't running it through a machine.  This was the first time I tried finishing off a button hole and I think I did a really good job.  Maybe later I'll take some close up shots of my handywork.  Not that it really matters how they look anyway... they get covered up by the buttons.  What I found the MOST difficult was attaching the velcro to the tabs of the bib portion.  Man... that stuff is thick and hard to push a needle through... at least by hand.  But, I managed. 

The fit of all the pieces is practically perfect too.  I learned a little bit when I made the first pair of longies.  On the first pair, (the ones made with that pastel western print), I made the waist band the same width as the seat, so there wasn't any gathering.  Well, they ended up being really loose on him and they fall down if I don't gather it with pins.  So this time, I gathered.  Even using the diaper and safety pins, I didn't have enough to go around to do a smoothe gathering, so it has 2 small pleats in the front and two larger pleats in the back.  They are still a bit loose in the waist, but it doesn't really matter with the suspenders.  The hat is a PERFECT fit.  It's snug enough that I have to stretch it just a bit to get it on, but that means that it stays in place even when he turns his head and I can push the hat down tightly so that it pushes the top of his ears out a little which makes him look even more elf-like. The bib isn't shown here, but it turned out to fit perfectly too.  Some of the bibs I have are wide in the neck so that the neck of the shirt underneath still gets wet when he drools a lot.  Well, I grabbed one that doesn't have a wide neck and traced that for my pattern.  I made it a tad shorter than the bib I started with because I didn't want the bib to cover up too much of the suspender straps or the buttons. 

Now... if I can just get those elf booties put together and have them look as nice as the rest I'll be SUPER proud of myself.  lol  I'm already pretty darn proud. 

Well, Billy and I took a 3 hour nap in the rocking chair so now it's almost 5am and I need to get to bed for a few hours. 

Thanks for reading!

<3 SuZ

Thanksgiving and Black Friday

Last night, Xanga must have been down because I could not open my page or any page associated with Xanga.com.  So, today you get a double blog... Billy's first Thanksgiving and my Black Friday shopping haul.  lol

Here is Billy "sitting" with Grandma before dinner.  He was back and forth between watching the Cowboys/Raiders game and chewing on the wooden arm of the chair.

Billy's first Thanksgiving was AWESOME!  The family all had a good time together, the food was great, Billy was in a good mood and he ate a baby sized portion of EVERYTHING except for the relish tray items.  Here's what his plates looked like before he started with them...

Clockwise from top left - Green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, turkey, stuffing/dressing (all 3 with turkey gravy on top) and candied yams.  I ground the turkey in the baby food grinder and I used a spoon to chop the yams up into baby bite sized pieces, but other than that, it was all the same consistency that we ate.  In the cold dish, from top, there is cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie and watergate salad. 

I started by spoon feeding him a taste of everything.  He LOVED cold items and candied yams, seemed to like the green bean casserole pretty well, but the dressing, turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy was only appealing to him after I mixed them all together.  I think the dressing was a little too seasoned for his baby taste buds and the other stuff was a little bland.  So, mixed together it was the perfect amount of seasoning for his liking.

He kept trying to reach for the plate and grab hand fulls of food out for himself, so after he ate all the stuff he liked the best, I put the turkey/dressing/taters/gravy mixture and the green bean casserole directly on the tray for him to handle himself.  He really dug in!

This was his first ALL SOLIDS meal and he handled it FANTASTICLY!  We were all soooo proud of what a big boy he is becoming.  Of course, some ended up on the floor, in his chair and on his body, but not nearly as much as you would think for a 6 month old with only 2 bottom teeth.

I cleaned up a thin layer from his face, arms and legs, but THIS is ALL that he left behind besides that.  I can't believe how MUCH he ate!  lol  This is even what I wiped out of the seat of the highchair onto the floor!  hahaha.  What a good little eater!

After dinner, Billy fell victim to "the itis" and took an almost 2 hour nap.  (The rest of us all napped for at least an hour also, except Zeb who probably only rested for 30 mins.)  Billy was up until almost 1am that night, but he only woke once and for a very short diaper change and  a rock in the chair before going right back down for the rest of the night.  He slept until about 9am this morning.

Black Friday

Yesterday, Mike made plans with his girlfriend to go shopping at the mall today, and my mom was to provide the transportation.  I wanted to get some fleece to make a x-mas outfit for Billy, so I looked at the weekly budget and decided that I could afford to spend $30 today.  I nearly doubled my budget, but I only paid a third of regular price for my entire haul.  Then, knowing how tight the budget is anyway, Mom kicked in about $30 so that I would still have all I needed for the bills.  Here's what I got...

FLEECE - The medium blue background and the lighter blue rolled up piece on the top right are both "microplush throws".  I'm using them as floor throws for Billy to play on right now, but once he gets to really crawling around they won't be much use for that so I'm going to make some double panels for inside his diapers and maybe some more pants.  The skulls, the two camo prints and the music notes are all "blizzard fleece" and I will use those to make some long and short pants, some bibs and I'm not sure what else.  I got a yard of each and 1 yard goes a long way.

 I also have 3 other fleece prints here.  Both puppy paw prints and the red white and green strips are also blizzard fleece.  The xmasy one is going to be used to make Billy's xmas outfit and the puppy ones will be used like the other fleece prints.  The others pictured here are FLANNEL.  There is a blue and green tie dye with skulls, a blue tie dye without skulls, blue skulls of various sizes and shades, yellow monkeys and a hockey print.  I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to do with the flannels yet, but I just COULDN'T pass up the sale prices.  They were all only $1.49 a yard and most of the regular prices were $5.99.  I will probably make at lease a few bibs, some diaper doublers, and then I think I'll search our some simple starter patterns for shirts or pajamas.  I don't know though... the fleece works soooo well without a cover and the flannel would just let the wetness bleed through without one.  So maybe I'll use it all as absorbers or try my first dipes with them.  I'll have to do some thinking on those.

I also picked up a few things that I knew Nicole would like and use.  I only spent a grand total of $6 on her things.  The two folded pieces are each a yard of snuggle flannel, the rolled up piece is a little over a 1/2 yard of fleece and the little happy bunny thing in the middle is a 2 year planner/calendar for 2010-2011.  I don't mind spoiling the surprise because I already told her.  LOL  I didn't want her to go out and buy the same prints unless she wanted to have more of it, so I figured it was best to tell her.  Besides, she's having to make more for Raven than she planned on anyway, so hopefully it will all come in handy for her.

AND... I picked up a few miscellaneous notions.  I got two 500 yard spools of dual purpose thread (red and black), a set of 3 gold colored buttons (for the xmas outfit), another happy bunny planner for myself, and some black elastic type ribbon that I'm using for suspenders on the xmas outfit.  I should have picked up some hook and loop fasteners, but I didn't think of it.  I have several pieces here that I can use to start with if I need it and I didn't see any "touchtape" or "aplix" brand even in the online store from JoAnn, so I'll probably end up ordering that from a different site where I found both brands and the touchtape comes in different colors. 

So, the xmas shopping for me and part of Billy's is already done!  Yay!  THANKS MOM!!!

Besides kicking in to help me get all these fabrics, Mom took me out for a soda and to share an appetizer at Cheddar's while we waited for the kids to finish up at the mall.  We talked about my plans for the fabrics and chit chatted for a while, then we called the kids to tell them to get ready to be picked up.  It took them a bit to get their butts in gear, but eventually they did.  We started to take Mike's g/f home, but she ended up asking her parents if she could come over to our place to meet Billy.  From there, the plan changed to her and Mike both spending the night at my Mom and Dad's house.  Don't worry... no hanky panky in THEIR house.  lol  Mom is planning to sleep in the room with the g/f and Mike will sleep in with my dad. 

It truly has been a wonderful past few days.  I got to go out and have some drinks for my b-day and spend some quality time with my parents, I had a FABULOUS Thanksgiving, and for the first time in at least 3 years I actually had a little money to take advantage of the black friday sales!  We have soooo much to be thankful for.  In my life, it always seems like things could/should be better than they are, but it also could be SOOOO much worse.  We have our health, we have our love for eachother, the support of our family, and many many "things" that could never be bought.  Money isn't the most important thing in life.  I wouldn't give up any of it and I rarely pine for monetary things that I don't have.  Sure, there are lots of times I wish I could spend more (on myself and my loved ones) or have "nicer" or newer things...  I guess that's why I'm going to school.  But overall, I've got a damn great life and I'm VERY thankful for it! 

Well, Billy finally crashed, so I guess I should do the same.

Thanks for reading!

<3 Suz

Mommy's Little Metal Head

Billy has a cute shirt with a skull on it that says "Mommy's Little Metal Head".  Today, he happened to be wearing it and he played with his "Wiggles" guitar.  So, I spiked up his hair and took some shots... enjoy!

Isn't he just ADORABLE!?!  lol

Today is my birthday.  I have a grand total of $17 that I can spend on my birthday, but I will probably use most of it to buy some more microfiber towels because the rest of Billy's diapers are now on their way!  Well, I assume so.  Nicole sent me SOMETHING because I got a click and ship notification and she has mentioned wanting to send them for a while now, she just didn't have the spare money for the shipping.  Well, she still hasn't been paid (STILL waiting on my damn school money) so I think it's really awesome of her to be willing to send it even though it's not paid for yet.  I'm sure she knows she'll get her money as soon as I get my school checks, so I guess she decided to make it a bit of a bithday present.  LOL  I haven't heard confirmation from her yet what exactly is being sent, but I'm sure she's super busy with a brand new baby and two other yungins in the house.

So, I'm going to celebrate my birthday by....  

1) Going out to have a couple of drinks and play pool with my Mom and Dad
2) Spending the rest of my $17 on microfiber and cigarettes
3) Taking the evening off from baby duty (except when I WANT to have him, when he cries he'll be Daddy's, lol)
4) Spending "quality time" with my hubby after the boys are asleep    and...
5) Pretty much doing whatever I feel like tonight and tomorrow!  hahaha  (Mike is out of school and I have prep cooking to do!)

Thanks for reading!

<3 Suz

Holiday Wish Lists

Originally posted 11-19-09, updated with some links today.

My birthday is in 5 days and Christmas is just around the corner from that.  Not that I expect any of my readers to buy me or my family members gifts, but Grandparents might be interested in what things I've thought of for Billy and that Mike has expressed wanting.  Also, this is a place I can easily access the list when I'm ready to do our holiday shopping.  We won't have a lot of money for x-mas, but we will have funds for everyone to be content.  Some of these items are way beyond our budget, and some could be obtained for only a dollar or two.  Naturally, I'm starting with myself.  LOL

My Wish List (in no particular order)

Tennis Shoes (size 8 1/2 or 9 if no 1/2 sizes, slip ons preferred,neutral color)
Dress Shoes (also size 8 1/2, black or brown mary jane style with semi-wide heel)
Fleece Fabric (any polyester fleece will do, but I prefer masculine prints for Billy in the anti-pill variety)
Dual Purpose Thread (assorted colors, the kind that is used for machines and/or hand sewing)
Fabric Dye (black, royal blue, red, baby blue, green, orange, yellow)
Hook and Loop Fasteners (the kind sold in yards, more loop than hook, prefer Touchtape or Aplix, NOT Velcro brand)
Seam Ripper (tool for undoing sewn seams)
Straight Pins
Decorative Diaper Pins (I'd rather have cute little animal shapes, but I found THESE in a variety of solid colors)
Thirsties Diaper Covers (white, sky blue or baby blue - size Small or Medium- he wears small right now)
Sewing Machine (prefer Janome, Singer, or Brother brand, something with 10+ stitches, and maybe a few simple embroidery options)
Flannel Fabric (again, masculine prints for Billy, any variety)
Sewing Pattern Board (a large plastic sheet with marked measurements and standard shapes like circles)
Pattern Paper or large tissue paper (for making my own custom sewing patterns)
Vacuum Cleaner (preferably something bagless and designed for pet hair and dander)
Carpet Shampooer (steamer preferred, something that works with water only, not expensive solutions)
Queen Sized Bed in a Bag (something Zeb wouldn't mind looking at and sleeping on, nothing too flowery)
Waterproof Matress Pad, Queen Size
Nintendo Wii (and Wii Fit and the New Mario game)
Waffle Iron (for food, not for hair, lol)
Food Processor
Blender
Pyrex bake and store cookware with lids
Ethernet cord and headset for Xbox 360
Any "Guitar Hero" or "Rock Band" game for PS2 or XBox 360 (or Wii if I get that)
Nice Winter Coat (size XL)
Gift Cards (Walmart, JoAnn Fabrics, Babies/ToysR'Us, Restaurants, Movies or generic Visa pre-paid, but those visa pre-paids charge you every time you use them, so I'd rather have something that is store specific)
Plunger (a high quality one for unclogging the various clogs in our toilet and bathtub)

Zeb's Wish List

Belts (one sturdy for working in, one nice for dress)
Razor/s (I know he'd love an electric trimmer/razor, or a nice manual razor designed to replace the blades only)
NoSkid Tennis Shoes (size 13)
Pretzels and Beer (Budweiser regular and stick pretzels)
Model Glue
New Eyeglass Frames
Wood Chipper - or 1 week of rental (use to make mulch from yard waste)
Bicycle - and for Mike too  (Zeb would REALLY like a good bicycle and hopes to encourage Mike to ride it too, but Mike doesn't really have much interest in getting a bike.)
Lawn and Garden Tools - pruning sheers, small chain saw, weed eater, lawn mower, rakes
Home and/or Auto Tools with storage box
Gift Cards - Sears, Walmart, AutoZone, PepBoys

Tucker's Wish List

Rawhide or real bone chew toys
Liver Treats or other tastey/chewy treats
Milkbone Biscuits
Gormet Doggie Cookies
Decorative ID Tag with his name, our last name, address and phone number
Large sturdy and rubbery toy designed to stuff treats in and withstand lots of chewing and licking
Fetch Toys (balls, frizbees, etc.)
Tug Toys (Ropes and such)
Puppy Chow or Dog Chow brand dog food (tasty and chewy bits)
Raised Food and Water Dishes
Large comfy dog bed
Vet Quality Flea and Tick control (like Frontline, Atvantage, or Advantix)
Gift Cards (Pet Warehouse, PetSmart, Walmart)

Mike's Wish List

Tripp® Pants with Chains (sold at Hot Topic, size XL or 38W/32L, any all black and silver, or with red or blue)
Queen Sized Bed in a Bag (black and red are favorite colors, definately something masculine)
Naruto Gloves,Headband and other accessories (sold at Hot Topic and comic book/game stores)
New Video Game Systems - PS3, PSP, DSi (but he won't be getting one because he still hasn't earned the XBox we got him LAST year, lol)
Games for systems he already has (Gamecube, PS2, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS - he probably won't get those either, lol)
Quality Rifle (I need more details, but he would like the same thing used in JROTC to practice for rifle team next year)
Scene It Simpson's game
Mad Gab game
other board games
Kunai Set (ninja knives)
CDs and/or Band Shirts - Avenge 7 Fold (A7X), 3 Days Grace,Staind, Disturbed... new hard rock
iPod (any, but Nano is favorite, black or red)
Cell Phone & Service (again, not allowed because of grades)
DVDs - Funny People (and others, though that's all he could think of off hand)
Manga - Bleach, Naruto, Inuyasha, Shonen Jump (subscription would be awesome), Ranma 1/2
Comic Books - Punisher, Ghost Rider, Conan, Hellboy, Spawn, Daredevil, X-Men, Kiss, Heavy Metal
Ampt Guard Stuff  (funoodles, duct tape, Super Glue, 1/2 inch PVC pipe - 5 to 7 foot length)
Gift Cards (Vintage Stock, Game Stop, Hot Topic, Walmart)

Billy's Wish List

Tickle Me Elmo
Elmo Tickle Hands
Elmo Live Encore!
Anything Elmo or Sesame Street related (loves Elmo, Grover, Oscar and Cookie Monster best)
Walk and Ride toy (Fisher Price has a really cute Lion one that makes music and sounds and an Elmo one)
Bath Seat (or the kind with suction cups and a part that goes around the waist to help them sit in a regular bath tub)
Jammin' Band Musical Microphone
Stack and Surprise Blocks, Silly Town
V-Smile Baby Cartridges (he already has the one that came with the system and a Baby Einstein "world of discoveries")
6-9 month size socks
Sock Ons (these really cool flexible rubbery things that keep socks on baby's feet)
Baby Legs™ leg/arm warmers (masculine prints or solid colors)
Size 2 booties or shoes
Lil' Outlaws Diaper Safe Laundry Detergent (prefer "laundromat" with extra heavy scent, any would be great though)
Texas Ranger Rump Solution (make at home wipe solution cakes)
Anything that plays music, talks or makes noises
Anything age appropriate for 6 months to 1 year
Baby Dishes (plates, bowls, sippy cups, bottles with handles, baby forks)
Books - Dr. Seuss, Disney or other
DVD's - Disney animated classics or children's educational
Bath Toys
Solid Color Long Sleeve T-Shirts (black, blues, white, or other - size 6 mos. or 6-9 mos.) 
Gift Cards (WalMart, Babies/ToysR'Us, Other Mothers)

As the December holidays approach I will probably get more input from the guys and think of more things for me and Billy.  I also plan to add links for most of these items, but I can only put one link one each item so it won't mean that that's the ONLY thing I would like.  For instance, I found some awesome tennis shoes sold only online at Walmart.com.  Well, they are over $100, but I'm sure we can find something similar that isn't so expensive.  I've never been one who cares about name brands, but on the BabyLegs for Billy, yes, I know I like that brand and would probably only buy that brand of leg warmers.

Billy is 6 Months Old!

Wow, half a year already... where HAS the time gone?  Billy is growing and maturing every day it seems.  Since my last milestones post (really at 4 months) he has made several more.  I just can't believe how fast he's growing.  I wish we could be closer to all of our family so that they could see all of this too.  Okay, here's the run down...

Physical Growth-

Height/Length:  26 1/8 inches
Weight:  14 lbs. 5 oz.
Clothing Size:  Still some 0-3 months, mostly 3-6 months, and some 6-9 month t-shirts.

Milestones-

 
First Tooth:  The front right bottom tooth apeared on Friday, October 30th and by Sunday, November 1st, the left one was through the skin as well.  They are getting bigger and more prominent by the day it seems.

First Word?: "No,no" This was witnessed by Grandma Paula and her friend on the phone, about 1 month ago.  I still haven't heard him say anything that sounded like an actual word, but one day he said something that sounded very close to "mah-mee".  Of course, I was the only one who was here with him and I think it was wishful thinking more than anything, so I'm not sure if I should really count either of these.  But, It's documented anyway. 

 
Sits Completely Unassisted: (11-06-09, 5 1/2 months)  On Mike's birthday (when Billy was just shy of 3 months old) Billy sat up away from the Boppy pillow on his own strength long enough for me to shoot a picture of it.  But, until November 6th, he had never sat without support for more than about 10 seconds.  Then, on Friday the 6th, we went over to visit Camilla and he sat next to her for several minutes before he fell the first time.  We went home that night and shot the 5+ minute video, and now it's like a normal thing.  I put him on the floor for playtime for about 30 minutes to an hour at least twice a day and at least 15 minutes of that time is spent sitting.  I help him get back to a sitting position the first couple of times and then I let him move around on his belly or by rolling until he gets tired of it.   

First "Goose Egg":  (also 11-06-09)  Yeah, I know, that's not normally something you put in the baby book, but it's a first so I'm putting it here.  lol  After he fell the first time at Camilla's place, I sat him closer to her and he grabbed onto her shirt after he touched her face and hair a little.  Well, he got a little excited and fell backward again.  He still had a grip on her shirt, so she fell back too, conking the back of her head to the front of Billy's.  He had a small bump over his left eye for a few days, but it never bruised up or even seemed to cause him any pain except for when it first happened.  A few kisses and hugs from Mommy and he was all better.    

Improvements-

Dexterity/Hand-Eye Coordination:  Billy is able to reach out and grab almost anything right away and put it directly into his mouth at will.  It used to take him several attempts, but now it's just natural for him.  Ocassionally he will struggle with coordination of the left hand (I guess he's going to be a righty), but for the most part he can do exactly what he wants, when he wants... at least where his hands are concerned.

 
Mobility:  As you can see in the video below, Billy is starting to learn how to crawl.  He can't quite get the legs and arms going at the same time, but he makes headway none the less.  He has also figured out that he can roll (back to belly, to back and repeat) until he gets where he wants to.  lol  Even when he's sitting in a secured seat/toy or being held, it seems he is constantly moving.  He's waving around his arms or kicking his legs or reaching for something to examine or chew on, and sometimes all of the above at the same time!  lol




Vocabulary:  Billy is really exploring his voice.  Not only is there the "no,no" and "mah-mee" thing, but he loves figuring out new sounds that he can make like the "motor boat" and "raspberries" sounds.  He also does a tongue clicking noise, several kinds of "squeals", a fake cough and various vowel sounds with different mouth shapes.  He doesn't really mimick us that often, but he LOVES it when we mimick the sounds that he makes.    

   
New Interests:  Billy is much more interested in a variety of toys now.  I used to only give him soft toys unless I was sitting right with him, but he has several "hard" toys that he really likes playing with now.  Sometimes he will accidentally smack himself in the head with excitement, but he's so coordinated now that it doesn't happen often.  He also likes anything with lights, music or funny sounds.  He's really getting into the V-Smile Baby that Nanny and PawPaw brought to him too.  Each cartridge has a section that teaches "baby sign language" and he loves that part the most I think.  I reinforce the lessons by using the signs on the two discs we have whenever I use those words.  He hasn't yet tried to mimick the signs, but he gets a BIG grin on his face when I use the sign for "milk" even before I say the word and I think that he's hungry.  He is also getting more and more interested in playing with Tucker.  Tuck is still as tollerant as ever and seems to enjoy interacting with him more now that Billy can pet him more deliberately and inch toward Tuck.  Tucker even shares his toys!   

Schedule:  Billy sleeps through most nights, waking about 1/3 of the time for a short feeding and diaper change before returning back to sleep.  Sometimes he will want to be awake for an hour or two in the middle of the night, but those times are few and far between.  He usually sleeps from around 11pm to 9am, give or take an hour or two, but almost always for 10 hours.  He very seldom naps in the daytime anymore.  When he does, he crashes out after having his milk and lays down for about 10-15 minutes and then he's ready to be up and at it again.  He generally does that about 4 times a day.  Our normal routine goes as follows...  9am wake up, have some milk and watch Sesame Street (if Mommy remembers to turn the TV from Animal Planet, lol).  Then, it's time to play.  He will often entertain himself in the exersaucer while Sesame Street is on, but as soon as it's over (10am) he wants interactive play with Mommy.  This is usually one of the times we have floor play.  Around 11am he has infant rice cereal mixed with pureed fruit (apples, bananas, pears or peaches).  After that we get him and the high chair cleaned up and he has some more milk and a short nap.  Then it's time for more play.  About every 2 hours he wants some kind of food or milk.  I usually give him milk two times after his cereal and then he will have a "snack" that consists of small pieces of banana and/or a teether biscuit around 2 or 3pm.  IF he takes a long nap, this is when he does it.  That works for Grandma and Grandpa because it makes their babysitting time on Tuesdays and Thursdays a little less hectic.  (It's nice when he does that on the days I don't go to school too, but he seldom wants to sleep when it's just the two of us)  The past few times they've sat, he has slept from around 2:30 all the way to 5pm when Zeb gets home.  If he doesn't nap, we just do our best to keep him entertained.  After Daddy gets home, when we all sit down to eat dinner, Billy eats his dinner too.  His dinner is a full stage 1 sized container of vegetables or something that I have pureed and put into the containers for him.  He really seems to like my chicken and dumplings, especially if it's mixed with some extra pureed carrots.  After dinner, it's bath time.  I usually only give him an actual tub bath every other day, but after dinner he at LEAST gets a sponge bath on the changing table.  Then, it's time for more play, but he rarely wants to be in any of his activity seats during that time.  I think he knows that this is usually our "family time" where we all gather in the livingroom and watch TV and visit, so he wants to be a part of it.  He practically INSISTS on being in someone's arms or, at the very least, having someone right next to him on the floor.  Around 8pm, he starts winding down a bit.  This is when he likes to cuddle, play while laying on his back, and likes to increase his milk intake until he's ready to go to sleep.  Then, we start the cycle all over again.      

 
Food:  When I say "milk", it can mean either breast milk or formula.  He's not old enough for regular cow's milk yet.  He seems to be weening himself off the breast though.  Maybe some of that is my doing, but I really try my best and that's all I can do.  I always offer the breast first (if I'm here of course), but lately he has been rejecting it.  I guess he likes the simplicity of the bottle and frequently he will bear down and now that he has two teeth it is QUITE painful when he does.  Of course, it doesn't hurt the bottle any when he bears down on that.  I've tried pumping and expressing, but it just doesn't work for me.  I'm going to try to implement the things that WIC told me try to discourage biting and increase my milk production, but I guess we will just have to see how that goes.  As for "other" foods, I already mentioned most of that in the schedule section.  I've also given him dry Cheerios, cheese puffs, honey comb type cereal and anything that we have that is already mashed up and fairly bland (like mashed taters).  Nanny and PawPaw gave us this wonderful food grinder and I've pureed a few things with that, but we like a lot of seasoning (and salt) in our food, so usually I just buy the veggies in the baby isle and I mix them up the way he likes.  It's weird.  He LOVES carrots, even plain, but he won't eat ANY of the green veggies unless they are mixed with either carrots or sweet potatoes.  He doesn't like squash either, but he will eat it if it's mixed.  He HATES the baby food meats.  Beachnut has stage 1 consistency meats, but he spits them out and cries when I try to give them to him (even if they are mixed with his favorite veggies or fruits).  I can't say I blame him though, it smells like tuna, hot dogs, liver, and canned Alpo all mixed together.  LOL  The nutritionists at WIC say he doesn't need meat until around 9 months or so anyway, so I guess I won't worry about that.  He has eaten my pureed chicken with dumplings and veggies and I'll start introducing more meats that I puree at home very soon.  He eats his cereal and fruit at the same consistency as the stage 2 foods and now that he sits unassisted, I think I'm going to get those at our next shopping trip.  I've been told to stay away from the "dinners" though.  When they say "chicken and noodles" it's mostly noodles and just filling him up on unhealthy starches without a lot of nutritional value.  At least when I puree my own I know the ratio of meat and veggies to noodles/dumplings.  I also know how to read labels and that what is found in the greatest quantity is listed first, so if I get any "blends" I will look to make sure that the good stuff comes first.

Video Updates-

Billy doing the "Push Up Crawl" toward Tucker

Billy sitting up all by himself for over 5 minutes.

Well, I guess that about does it for this month.  I sure hope you enjoyed reading this!

Thanks for reading,

<3 SuZ