Half a Year

Holy Moly, I’ve had a baby for more than half a year.  We have settled into our new normal and I can hardly remember what life was like before a baby. So here’s an update on what’s happening with us.

Cooper

banana pop

Sleep: He is sleeping! We did sleep training at about 5 months and transitioned him from the Rock N Play to the crib. It went way better than we expected and he is now consistently sleeping 8-10 hours and sometimes even makes it through the whole night.

Eating: We are still breast-feeding. Kudos to all those breastfeeding Moms out there- breastfeeding is hard! I had an over-supply at first which had one set of problems, and now that I’m back at work I can’t pump enough to keep up with my greedy little guy. Feeding him at the moment is like trying to wrestle a distracted alligator because he is getting so big and is so curious about everything around him. We started solids a month ago and that has been a lot of fun. It is great to watch him experience new things. He LOVES food- especially bananas, avocado, and peanut butter. He bangs his spoon and yells if we aren’t feeding him quickly enough for his liking.

Favorites: Baby Einstein Jumper- he will jump and jump and jump. Bath Time and the pool- he loves to kick. Chewy Q- We now have 3 of these and it is his favorite toy by far.

naked baby

Milestones: He is rolling, sitting, and desperately wants to crawl. He responds to his name and is “talking” up a storm. His first tooth is just about ready to pop through.

So far month 6 has been my favorite age. He is so interactive and fun- and sleeping again makes life so much better! I can't wait to see what the next 6 months brings

Me

Work: I went back to work at 12 weeks and am working 2-3 days a week. I am so conflicted about work. At times I love getting to be  a real adult- to be someone other than Mom. But at the same time I miss my baby so much on work days. These are also such a long days- I am completely wiped by the end of them. I’ll post a day in the life post soon. Pumping while working is also a challenge, despite having a supportive work environment. At times it feels like the worst of both worlds- I’m away from Cooper more than I want to be, and yet I’m still not working enough to make much money. I do recognize though that I am lucky that I don’t have to work full time, like many people do.

Body: I’m actually below my pre-pregnancy weight and have been since about a month post-partum. This just happened naturally and I didn’t feel any pressure that I had to “get my body back.” It was relatively easy because I didn’t gain much weight while pregnant (because I was sick for so long). The extra calories from breastfeeding definitely help too! However everything on my body seems to have shifted, so none of my old clothes fit quite right! My sweet tooth also came roaring back with a vengeance as soon as I delivered. I was hoping I could continue the better eating habits I developed when pregnant (fewer sweets and smaller portions), but I have not. Whomp. Oh well- my days are very long and having a bowl (or 2) of ice cream at the end of the day is not the worst thing.

Running: I ran my first races this month (a 5 miler and 10) and was very happy with my times. I’m back to my pre-pregnancy running, if not faster, thanks to weighing less and gaining some fitness from running with the stroller. Given that I’m really tempted to sign up for a fall half marathon to see if I can break 2 hours. However, I just don’t know if I can devote the time to it that I need. My husband and I work alternate schedules, so I either am working or have the baby. Fitting 2 + hr training runs into that schedule is going to be nearly impossible and I don’t think it is fair to the baby to stick him in the stroller for that long. I keep vacillating and probably will continue to do so until it is winter and too late (way to put off making decisions).

Also Sushi would like me to remind you that she still exists and that since she is now horribly neglected, you should feel bad for her and send treats.

Baby is up for his nap so bye for now!