Jacob: 8 Months

We're almost hitting the 9 month mark, but I didn't want to completely skip the 8 month update, so here we go...

Nicknames:

Mostly nugget or nug.

Weight/Height:
21.8 pounds (90th percentile) / 29 inches (95th percentile, although after a recent trip at the doctor he measured I think closer to 28.5 so we were a little off)

Things we can't live without:

It's so silly that I can't think of anything that's been a lifesaver, but we're planning a trip and it's making me realize how much harder it would be to function without a crib, a high chair, his fan and white noise machine he's used to, etc.

Things he likes: 

Now that he's so good at sitting up we don't use the Jumperoo as much, instead letting him sit on the floor with his toys. The classic stacker toy and bucket of the different shaped blocks have been his go to, just more for waving around and chewing on. The kid also loves all tags so he's always on the look out for any that are within his reach. 

Things he dislikes:

Just about when he hit the 8 month mark he went through this phase of waking up multiple times and being really tough to get back to sleep, and he went on a bottle strike at daycare and was picky with food. It was a guessing game each day at daycare to figure out what he decided he actually like that day. The only benefit this exhausted momma came up with from that whole experience is that I went from 5 ounces of frozen milk to probably closer to 50 stashed away! Also, he's not a fan of the pacifier anymore, which I'm more than ok with. 

Favorite characteristics:

Such a happy baby! He's definitely not stingy with the smiles, unless it's when I drop him off at daycare in the morning then I often get the straight faced stare. :)

Milestones:

He's so much better at sitting up on his own, there's hardly any wobbling anymore! He's also on the move, with a cute little upright bounce/scoot trick. We're also starting to try some finger foods. So far the dude loves his puffs and will go for little pieces of pasta. And teeth! The bottom two have officially made their appearance. 

Since I've Been Gone

tee: Sam's Club, pants & necklace: Target, shoes: Old Navy

I have the quiet around here to blame on the usual excuse of the demands of being a full time working momma not leaving much time or energy for this little hobby blog of mine, but after rebounding from a particularly challenging several weeks of parenthood that resulted in a lot of lost sleep I'm feeling better and wanting to reconnect with this space. In terms of outfit selection, you really haven't missed much. I'm beginning to think that if you just gave me a black tee for every day of the week I'd be completely happy just pairing them with different bottoms and accessories. But for fun, I thought I'd share some things that have happened since I last blogged:

I gave up dairy...

This actually happened back in May and I'm truthfully pretty surprised I've stuck with it for the most part. Jacob had really itchy and rashy skin and I'm still nursing him so eliminating dairy was a little bit of an experiment. His skin almost entirely cleared up so I'd say there's a good chance the dairy was the culprit. After about a month I started experimenting with eating products made out of either goat or sheeps milk and I've been able to do that with no problem. Thank goodness for Trader Joe's and their cherry chocolate chip soy ice cream for saving my summer! :)

I started running again...

I signed up for a half marathon in October and it was finally time to stop mentally blocking out that fact. It's still a bit sporadic and the distances or times are nothing impressive but the comeback feels good. Since I started back up I've had a lot more energy throughout the day which is a huge added bonus.

We committed to our first trip as a family of 3...

Plane tickets are booked and we're spending a week out in California to visit family next month. I can't decide what I'm more nervous about - how Jacob will behave on a cross country flight or about the logistics of traveling with everything needed for a baby. I'm trying to let that go and just let the excitement of taking our first vacation in almost 2 years take over instead!

These pants fit...

This feels like a really big deal so I had to include. Have you ever bought a pair of pants on clearance without trying them on because they're your size and you're sure they'll fit, and then they don't? That was what happened with the pants pictured in this post several years ago. Like so many years ago I can't remember when and my pack rat ways prevented me from ever getting rid of them. I decided to try them on again and they actually fit! Thank you nursing and thank you baby for preventing me from having the time and energy to drink my calories or snack the evening away. I had gained some weight before I got pregnant and it feels good to have that be gone, but I've got this fear that it'll one day soon very easily return. Always a struggle!

Tomorrow I have a post to talk about what Jacob has been up to in the 8 month update now that he's closer to 9 months. You know, right on time. ;)

Jacob: 7 Months

And here we are at 7 months already (and it's already been another week!), and this past month sure has been a favorite of mine!

Nicknames:

Biggy, funny bunny, silly goose, nugget.

Weight/Height:
20.8 pounds (75th percentile) / 27ish inches (somewhere around 50th percentile)
The length is definitely an estimate - it's hard to get a measurement on a baby who wiggles around so much! I feel like we haven't seen much difference in length the past couple of months, but 9 month pants are starting to look short on him so there's definitely been some change.

Things we can't live without:

Bibs for our little drool monster. We've also had some issues with him having really sensitive, itchy skin so the little cotton mittens go on him every time he goes to sleep to stop him from scratching so much. 

Things he likes: 

Little dude still loves his Jumperoo and tries to bounce like he's in the thing all the time. Also - his crib, finally! Maybe saying that he likes it is exaggerating a little bit, but he now spends every night in it which is a huge relief. Now if I could just get him to sleep all through the night in it....

Things he dislikes:

Sleeping through the night. I've done a really bad job of making him learn to put himself to sleep and now I'm paying for it. Every night involves two wake ups, sometimes three and too many nights in a row of three wake ups leaves me seriously struggling to function. We're working on it though, just very slowly!

Favorite characteristics:

I'm sure I'll be like a broken record each month, but his laid back personality is really the biggest blessing. Leaving the house always felt like such an exhausting endeavor for the first several months, but this month I've seen the biggest shift. Need to run an errand? Take him along, no big deal! He's always happy to go along. 

Milestones:

We finally got a laugh!! And I got it on video. :) This only happened about a week ago so we've been trying to get him to keep doing it with no such luck. He also tried purees for the first time. That first picture shows what he thought of sweet potatoes, but thankfully he's come around to them! But the biggest game changer has been that if you put him in the sitting position he can stay there and usually only topples over if he sees something he wants that's just out of arms reach and he makes a go for it. Now we can sit him down, put the boppy around him for cushion, and toys in front of him for entertainment and we have no problem getting some things around the house done while he entertains himself. 

Currently

...with this little nugget. Kiddo is excellent at taking the rings off while my job is to stack them right back on so he can take them right back off. 

...out to do some things as a couple this month. We did a brewery tour through downtown Columbus and then also an annual bar crawl for charity with friends while Jacob hung out with grandparents. This was a big deal for us because I've totally been that mom that's really struggled to leave her baby. 

...open toed shoes - finally busting them out this year! (Photo filtered of course because girlfriend needs a pedicure - ha!)











...smoothies! When I was pregnant I had to avoid eating large amounts at once and always found myself hungrier throughout the mornings. That hasn't changed, so drinking a smoothie mid-morning has been the perfect way to prevent myself from starving by lunchtime. 

...about 10 pages of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain. It was the book selected for an online book club of sorts for a professional organization in my field of work and I got the book from the library with such high intentions of reading it and participating, and then I just didn't. I'm still trying to get back into it now that we're hitting a little bit slower time at work. The more likely outcome though is that I just watch her 20 minute TED Talk...

Linking up with Anne and Jenna!

Stripes

shirt: Sam's Club

sweater: Kohl's

jeggings: Discount Fashion Warehouse (Express brand)

boots: Target

*Once again life got in the way and stole all my energy but here I am again, giving this a go! 

I've been pretty open in the past about my openness to buying clothes just about anywhere, and have been known to find items I love at the dollar store, Sam's Club, and even the grocery store. I have no shame! :) This striped shirt is one of my Sam's Club finds so I'm sure I scored it for no more than $15. I purchased it early last summer when the fit allowed it to accommodate the baby bump I had going on at that time and now I appreciate the fit even more for its forgiving nature. 

Jacob: 6 Months

As I'm starting this post (never mind that it's almost a week and a half later now!), it's 6 months to the day that Jacob was born. So 6 months ago today I was exhausted from being up and in labor since the night before, and today I'm exhausted from struggling to get Jacob to take his medicine for the ear infection he currently has and then the 40 minute struggle to get him down for the morning nap that followed. :) Every smile and every snuggle have made it totally worth it of course. Here's a look at how the last month has treated us... 

Nicknames: 
Lovey and now I've started calling him biggy too. Maybe I should actually start calling my kid by his name sometimes. :)

Weight/Height: 

18 lbs 14 oz (75th percentile) and somewhere between 26.5 and 27 inches (around the 50th percentile). 

Things we can't live without: 
These for sure. Jacob scratches his head in his sleep so I've been swaddling him up in one of these for naps and when he goes to bed at night. They're so lightweight and breathable that they let me not worry about him getting to hot while he sleeps. Added bonus, they really do make great nursing covers too when needed. 6 months in the rock n play is still a must as well since we're still not great at getting him in the crib. 

Things he likes: 
His Fisher-Price Jumperoo. That thing can easily buy me some hands free time when I need it, plus it's so much fun to watch him smile while jumping like crazy. :) We've been trying to get him to laugh, but that still hasn't happened yet. One of the things I do to try to get a laugh out of him is still give loud obnoxious kisses. He always smiles, but just the other day he added grabbing my cheeks when I'm coming in for a kiss and I think that's the sweetest thing ever. Maybe we should file that under things momma likes...

Things he dislikes: 
His crib and when I stop him from scratching his head.

Favorite characteristics: 
Still his easy going nature, that will probably be included in every single one of these updates. Also, that smile he's showing more and more will get me every single time. We're looking forward to even more of his personality showing through too in these next few months to see what we've gotten ourselves into. :)

Milestones: 
Starting foods! As a breast feeding momma I really had a hard time starting this stage. I was so nervous and on the fence about breast feeding when I was pregnant, so the emotional side of the experience is not one I anticipated, that's for sure. But we've just been having rice cereal for the past 3 weeks, first purees to start soon. He's also grabbing things and picking them up so we have to really watch what's within his reach and I've gotten him to sit up on his own. For probably not even 10 seconds and just that one time, but it counts! 

Looking Ahead

blouse: Buffalo Exchange

blazer: Sam's Club

jeggings: Discount Fashion Warehouse (Express brand)

shoes: Target

While this is a space obviously has a focus on clothes, there’s times I treat it like a journal. A little “deep thoughts by Jess” from time to time if you will. :) And today is one of those days. I attended a seminar recently at work that focused on how to lead effective organizational change. I won’t get into the details of what the speaker said, but the session really made me realize that I am completely content with where I am now professionally. It’s comfortable and I like it. But I realize I don’t even have a vision for what I want my future to look like. And that’s starting to terrify me…

I’ve always struggled with looking ahead. I’m not much of a goal setter and in college I was that student who waited until their junior year to actually declare their major, then freaked out 2 terms later and declared a secondary major as well. But before I decided to get really disappointed in myself, I had a thought – what if this idea of my career development is cyclical?

For example, I really enjoyed the first job I had out of college, but about 3 years in I decided that it had led me to what I wanted to do next – be an Academic Advisor. From there it took me another 3 years to select an academic program, apply and enroll, complete that degree, then get hired as an Academic Advisor. At the beginning of that journey I had the courage to leave that job I loved in favor of a position that I thought would provide me with related experienced that would help me when I finally had my graduate degree and was looking for a position I would truly enjoy.

And here I am a little more than 2.5 years later in that same position. It’s had its challenges and I haven’t always been incredibly happy, but I’m content, overall it’s enjoyable, and I currently have no plan for the future. Yikes! But looking back, my journey to get to this point at least shows me that I’m capable. That when I’m ready for the next phase, I’m capable of analyzing my options and taking steps to prepare myself for the next opportunity. So maybe I just need to sit tight and keep an open mind. My next goal might come to me when I least expect it. It might be 3 months from now, it might be 3 years from now. But I’ll be ready! I think... :)