eric [28 years]

 

Three weeks ago, we celebrated Eric's 28th birthday.  While the celebration wasn't quite the hoopla as last year's was, we had a great weekend with our little family and our close friends.  Eric's birthday fell on Sunday, October 6th, but we planned a trip up to Apple Hill on Saturday the 5th.  Our friends James and Athena with their daughter, Lillyan; Taylor and Stephanie with their children, Christian and Farrah; Jordon and Brianna with their dog, Minnie; Nick and his girlfriend, Lilia; and Justin all joined Eric, Simon, and me for a wonderful day of sunshine and sweet treats.  Apple Hill is an annual destination for us each Fall, but this was the first group trip we had done with all of our friends in 7 years.

 

with the birthday boy

 

the whole gang

Our group hit Eric's and my three favorite orchards, plus the always amazing Jack Russell Farm Brewery.  We gorged ourselves on all of Apple Hill's best staples: pie, cheesecake, beer, cyser, and the most delicious apple milkshake ever imagined.  To Eric's disappointment, Fudge Factory Farm was closed at High Hill Ranch, which means we will definitely have to make another trip back to pick up some delicious fudge.  We didn't leave empty-handed, though, as Eric purchased some fresh Fuji apples from Kids Inc.  Simon was awesome the whole day, aside from fighting his midday nap with strong determination.  We had so much fun sharing the day with our son and showing him the wonderful sights, smells, and sounds of Apple Hill in Autumn.

Daddy's birthday breakfast

We began Eric's birthday on Sunday morning with opening his present.  Eric had been wanting new non-stick pans for a while, and I found a 12-piece set for him that he was really excited about.  He also got birthday cards, one signed by me and one signed by Simon.  We then had breakfast and I made peanut butter morsel pancakes with chocolate milk for the birthday boy.  It was a beautiful morning, so we enjoyed our meal outside on the front porch with Simon in his high chair.  We spent the rest of the morning relaxing and unwinding from the previous busy day.

birthday dinner at Blue Nami

Lester and Benjamin stopped by for a short visit in the afternoon to give Eric his birthday cards and present: The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, the full chronology of The Legend of Zelda video games and stories.  Eric has barely put this book down since he got it, clearly making it an awesome gift from his dad and brother.  In the early evening, we went to dinner at Blue Nami in Orangevale, our first visit since this location was remodeled.  Simon was a champ in his high chair with his own meal brought from home, as Eric and I dined on our favorite sushi rolls.  At the end of our meal, I informed our server about Eric's birthday, and she brought him complimentary mochi with a birthday candle in the middle.  A few of the ladies sang "Happy Birthday" to him and we enjoyed our beautiful dessert.  Everything about Eric's first birthday as a father was happy and wonderful, and we were so thankful to have a fun-filled weekend as a family of three.

marriage [3 years]

 

Yesterday, Eric and I celebrated 3 wonderful years of marriage.  The day was special to us in more ways than one, because our beautiful son also turned 8 months old.  We were so incredibly overjoyed to be sharing the celebration of our anniversary with Simon, whom just one year ago was still nestled cozily inside of my belly.

 

I remember writing our anniversary blog post last year, guessing that our yet-to-be-named boy "[would] be roughly 7 months old, making baby noises and rolling around and possibly even trying to crawl or pull himself up."  Amazingly, my predictions were correct, as our love bug has already hit all of these milestones and is headed toward accomplishing even more.

 

Eric remarked yesterday that he doesn't remember what our lives were like before Simon; I do, because it doesn't seem like it was that long ago.  Eight months went by so quickly, and three years even faster.  What I do know is that the journey Eric and I are traveling together, now with the addition of our little angel, is one I am beyond happy to be on with the two most important people in my world.

 

Happy Anniversary to us.  Happy 8 Months to our Son.

Simon [7 months]

 

Simon turning 7 months old was quite an emotional event for me.  It's of course exciting and surprising when he reaches a new age each month, but this time was different.  I'm now back at work full time, gone from the house for 7.5 hours, Monday through Friday.  Not getting to be with Simon all day on September 10th was gut-wrenching for me, and forgetting to wish him a "Happy 7 Months!" before leaving him that morning left me close to tears for the rest of the day.  Simon, on the other hand, has adapted to the transition quite well; my dad is babysitting again, which seems to be very fun for both of them.  For me, however, being back at work is becoming increasingly difficult.  I'm having to pump more often in order to provide enough milk for Simon while I'm gone, which leaves me sore for days at a time.  When I first returned to work, I had a good rhythm and schedule set in place and was able to pump enough each day to freeze one storage bag and have enough milk remaining to sustain him the next day.  Then out of no where, Simon had a growth spurt and began gulping down all the milk left in the fridge plus freezer bags that I've been saving as a reserve.  My supply hasn't been able to easily keep up with his demand, which has given me a great deal of stress, which has (I think) further negatively affected my milk, which has led to even more emotional melt downs for me.  No one ever said that being a working mom while breastfeeding would be an easy feat, but it felt so easy before I returned to work.  I constantly remind myself, though, that I am 100%  dedicated to giving my son the absolute best for his health, nutrition, and life; and that's what keeps me going. 

 

the teeth!

 

our growing boy

 

a moment's sleep

 

Back to what you came here to read about: SIMON!  He's blossoming just beautifully, and as I mentioned above, it is a lot of work to keep up with him.  His four little teeth sprouted perfectly (and sharply!) last month, and though I continue to check quite often, I've yet to see the beginnings of a fifth or sixth cutting through.  Simon is still growing like a weed, but is mysteriously still fitting into many of his 3-month onesies.  Despite this phenomenon, he is definitely getting taller, as evidenced by the fact that most of his pants are too short.  This leads me to believe that he must be getting most of his growth in his legs rather than his trunk, as he sure is quite a leggy boy.  I'm thinking that his growth and teething must be attributing to his sleep habits as well.  Just as I began thinking about starting to wean him from night feedings, Simon began doing it on his own.  He slept through the night TWICE (the first night needing to be soothed only once, the second without waking at all) right before I went back to work and then had a few nights of only waking once.  Then, as if teasing Eric and me, Simon returned to waking multiple times a night, leaving me fumbling and foggy while sleepily trying to get ready for work in the morning.  I know the infrequency of his sleep cycles won't last forever, but this working mama sure is a tired one! 

 

first solids: avocado!

 

next: sweet potato!

 

then: carrot!

 

Over the course of the last month, our munchkin has begun eating solids!  To be honest, I was scared and nervous to begin this new adventure, but as I mentioned last month, Simon was definitely ready for food.  Between the time I was pregnant and Simon's early infancy, Eric and I discussed making our own baby food.  I wasn't comfortable with the idea of giving him jarred purées with the possibility of added sugars and preservatives, so we planned to cook, mash, and store our own fruits and veggies to ensure Simon would get whole, complete nutrition.  Then as I began reading more about the introduction of solids, I discovered Baby Led Weaning.  I won't go into a long explanation since the link is right here, but essentially BLW is described as "letting your child feed themselves from the very start of weaning."  Rather than mashing and puréeing, BLW allows your baby to discover food at his or her own pace, to self-feed and learn the motion of bringing food to mouth, and to chew before swallowing... which actually reduces the possibility of choking.  We present Simon with raw and cooked (sans salt/butter/oil), fresh vegetables cut into spears and let him have a go at it.  His first foods were avocado, sweet potato, and carrot, and they've all been a hit.  He of course sometimes plays with his meal more than he actually dines on it, but that's part of the learning process of BLW.  I've read that "food before one is just for fun," and so far introducing solids has been so much fun for all of us.  I love that I know exactly what Simon is eating, and I love watching him discover flavors and textures.  And of course, watching our boy learn to munch down and gobble up his dinner is the best part of all! 

 

pulling himself up for first time

 

following Mommy into the kitchen

 

baby-gated in!

 

This boy of ours is definitely keeping us on his toes, while beginning to get up on his own toes as well!  Simon figured out his cute little army crawl about a month ago and is quickly gaining speed.  He began scooting around the living room floor, chasing after his rolling toys or mischievously trying to get into the dog's.  One day, out of no where, I watched him make his way over to his swing, grab the seat, and pull himself up onto his knees for the first time!  Simon was so proud of himself, and continued practicing pulling himself up on that swing until he was able to make it up onto his feet.  Our silly little scooter also quickly learned how to follow me around the house and began getting into the magazines, grabbing Daddy's videogame controllers, knocking over the tower fan in the living room, and going after any and all electronics in sight.  Then when I caught him on my heels in the kitchen (and then dumping over the dog's water bowl), I quickly realized that we couldn't put off baby proofing any longer.  I put up the baby gate between the living room and the kitchen, and our goofy boy immediately scooted right over and pulled himself to his feet.  I knew that the day would come where Simon would become so mobile that there'd be no turning back, but I think that maybe part of me was hoping that this time was still a little further off.  I guess that's just part of being a new mom... never underestimate the amazing capacity at which your child will learn something new!

meeting Nundhia

 

 chillin' with "Uncle Bean"

 

 with Mommy and Daddy's high school friends

 

Eric and I recently had our second opportunity to go out together alone without baby.  On August 10th, we had our 10-year high school reunion at Suede Blue.  Our graduating class had the patio reserved and everyone in attendance gathered for drinks and appetizers.  While there were a few people missing who I had been looking forward to seeing, most of our closest friends joined us and had an amazing time.  The celebration was so much fun that a large portion of the group continued the party at The Boxing Donkey after leaving the restaurant.  Eric and I ended up staying out until last call, finally making it home (thanks to our designated driver) in the wee hours of the morning.  I was shocked to realize that we had left Simon for 8 hours, but the two of us really had deserved a fun night out.  As always, my dad didn't mind babysitting, and Simon had lucky slept for most of the time.  While our reunion was probably the best night out we've had since our wedding, the morning after was even more special.  Eric and I, along with my girlfriends, Hayley and Erica, were able to meet for coffee with two of our friends who had driven in from Southern California for the reunion.  Simon got to visit with our friend, Dave, for the second time (they first met back in June), and he was introduced to my friend Nundhia, whom I've known since we were in 9th grade.  Our visit was short and sweet, but I truly cherished the time spent with them, as well as our other friends, during the reunion and again the morning after.  Eric and I were so happy to share some valuable time out alone, as well as having the opportunity for Simon to visit with some of our oldest and dearest friends.

 

Lilly's 4th birthday

 

snoozing at Daddy's work BBQ

 

hanging out with Baby Kinlee

 

We also enjoyed a busy and fun Labor Day weekend with our boy.  This was the first 3-day holiday weekend Eric was able to have off from work since being at his new job (when he was at the restaurant, he always worked Saturdays and was off on Mondays, so he wasn't able to share the full 3-day holiday weekends with me).  On Saturday, we attended two birthday parties: one for Lilly, the daughter of our friends, James and Athena; and another for Ryan, our friend from Eric's last hockey team.  Lilly turned 4 years old, and James and Athena threw a water-play birthday party for her at Memorial Park with family and friends.  Later that evening, we went to Q'bole to celebrate Ryan's birthday with our "hockey family" from the rink.  On Sunday, we went to Eric's boss' home for a pool party for all of his branch's employees and their families.  Simon and I got to meet the wonderful guys Eric works with and had a great day in the sun.  On Monday, we BBQ'd with our close friends and enjoyed a casual day of visiting and relaxing.  I was happy that a quick photo was finally caught of Simon and Kinlee together after missing a number of former opportunities.  I love that we are welcome to bring Simon to hang out with our awesome friends and that there are now other children around for him to socialize with.  He was quite the social butterfly over the holiday weekend!

 

napping poolside

teething on a lime

 

tuckered out from tons of fun

 

It's no surprise to us, but it remains a blessing that Simon continues to do so well when we take him out of the house.  Whether it be to birthday parties, restaurants, or bars (hehe yes, our son has frequented Eric's favorite sports bar and grill, Mandango's, where every employee knows Eric well because it is next door to The Squeeze), Simon always behaves like a little prince and fondly catches the attention of those around us.  He has begun to grow out of his 'immediately falling asleep in the car' stage, which is fine by me and is just another sign of him getting older.  I have a mirror in my car attached to the headrest in front of Simon's car seat, and it keeps him pretty well entertained and enables me to chat and play with him from the driver's seat.  I've also noticed that he is starting to enjoy looking out at the world around him, gazing out the windows and watching things pass by as we drive.  When we go somewhere, the constant that we hear from everyone we know is that Simon appears to be happy all the time.  This boy always has a smile on his face, is a flirt with every lady he knows and meets, and is truly mesmerized by the sights and sounds he experiences when we are out.  Eric and I are so incredibly thankful to be able to take Simon virtually everywhere we need to go.  We absolutely love introducing him to new faces and interesting places, and Simon without a doubt enjoys being a part of everything we do as a family.

 

first restaurant high chair

 

independent play

 

happiest baby on the block

 

As hard as being a parent can be sometimes, I wouldn't for a second change having Simon our lives.  Some days are more challenging than others, but I just keep reminding Eric and myself that this baby stage isn't going to last forever, and we'll soon be missing the time when our boy was so small.  I still often miss when Simon was a young infant, and he would spend hours in my arms cuddled up and asleep.  Now, our little firecracker rarely stays in one place for long, but watching him hit all his milestones is still so much fun.  Sometimes I have to blink and ask myself, "When the heck did my baby start sitting in high chairs, and playing by himself, and needing me less and less?!?"  I know that last part isn't true, but this process of watching my once-upon-a-time newborn learn to do things by himself, and teaching him to do things himself, is as mind-boggling as it is rewarding.  As hard as being a parent can be sometimes, it is also the best thing I have ever done with my life.

Simon [6 months]

I've had to attempt keeping myself from succumbing to tears several times this month, as Simon has been hitting milestone after milestone at lightening speed.  Of course, the constant threat of tears stems from happiness, but it's difficult as a parent to not feel a bit sad about watching your child grow and change right before your eyes even when feeling excited and proud at the same time.  But, as rain is meant to fall and the sun is meant to shine, our children are meant to advance and develop into wonderful, older, human beings.  That being said, I am delighted to share with you the many new things Simon is now doing all on his own.  His sixth month was sure full of surprises and fun.

6-month checkup

chew monster

last toothless smile

 

At 27 weeks, Simon had his 6-month well baby checkup.  His weight came in at 16 pounds and 14.7 ounces, putting him in the 35th percentile, and his height measured 27 3/4 inches, making the 86th percentile.  Our pediatrician was very pleased with Simon's progress and even called him "perfect," and Eric and I were proud to watch him sit unassisted on the scale all by himself.  We are also happy to announce that our boy has begun to cut teeth!  He started the teething adventure around month 4, and we're now seeing the final result of a few little chompers sprouting through.  The craziest thing about Simon's teeth showing up is that he cut his first one without either of us knowing!  He's been drooling and chewing on everything he can get his little hands on for weeks now, but nothing in his behavior signaled that he was in any pain or discomfort from his teeth coming in.  I'm now of course checking his mouth at every chance I get, looking for new teeth and tracking the progress of those that are about to cut.  Only our kid would get his first teeth under the radar without Mommy and Daddy knowing about it first! 

 

1st ride in the big boy part of the stroller

practicing sitting upright

snoozing in his crib

Simon is showing us that he is less of a baby and more of a Big Boy everyday.  Being so tall, I can no longer hold him in a cradle position in my arms without him flailing about until he wiggles free to roll away.  I've also been nervously checking his height to see if he's getting close to outgrowing his infant car seat and needing to transition to a convertible, but luckily we still have some time.  Out of curiosity, I decided to try him out riding in the "big boy" part of his stroller instead of clicking his car seat into the stroller base during one of our morning walks.  The change of scenery to front-facing from rear-facing seemed to pique his curiosity, but he still has a bit of growing to do before he can permanently ride comfortably in the front.  Simon's also been getting a lot of sitting practice with the help of his Bumbo chair and spending time in Mommy's lap.  I've been giving him lots of opportunities to sit with his hands propped up on a toy or other surface to help him steady his own balance, and I think all this practice has really been helping to develop his abdominal strength.  The other major Big Boy milestone we began working on this month was crib training.  With it being my last month at home before going back to work and poor Eric being constantly roused by Simon's frequent wiggles in our bed, I decided that it was finally the right time to begin the transition of Simon sleeping on his own.  The first night went pretty well, which led me into having too great of expectations for the second night and resulted in a disaster, but I've now learned to just follow Simon's lead for success.  Because he screams bloody murder when put down in his crib awake, my tactic is nursing him in our bed until he falls asleep and unlatches, and then transferring him to his crib.  When he wakes up, I nurse him again until he goes back down, and I repeat the cycle.  In the beginning, I was staying awake by reading or playing on my phone until he was done eating, but I quickly learned that I was loosing too much sleep.  Now I fall back asleep with him while he nurses until he unlatches, which wakes me to return him to his room.  He was up every few hours during the first few nights of training, but by the end of the first week Simon was back on his routine of waking only twice during the night for feedings as he did when we were co-sleeping.  While I sometimes miss cuddling with my baby in our bed, it's also nice to be able to cuddle with my wonderful husband again!  

yummy teether

face plant into mashed potatoes

investigating the spoon

It was hard for me to admit it, but Simon started showing signs he was ready for solids kind of early.  He's been working on his hand-eye coordination for a while now, and watching him pick up or grab his teethers when handed to him and bring them to his mouth with such ease was one of the first clues that he was ready for food.  Another was when he began watching me eat; his eyes would not leave my food as it traveled from the plate to my mouth and he'd stare with intent focus.  Then he started grabbing for my food, whether it be on a utensil or in my fingers, by reaching for my hand and trying to direct it toward his mouth instead of mine.  When he couldn't make the food come to him, Simon decided it was time to take himself to the food, and thus began the roll or scoot in the direction of whatever tasty dish being enjoyed by Mommy or Daddy.  Finally, there came the day that our darling boy lunged himself at my dinner and took a premeditated face plant right into my plate of mashed potatoes!  It was here that I could no longer deny the fact that this kid wanted real food, and he wanted it now.  I started letting him play with silverware as an introduction and even successfully spoon-fed him his liquid Vitamin D supplements as a tryout.  Now that we have cleared the 6-month mark, we are now diving into the world of introducing solids.  Check back next month for a recap of our experience!

best buddies

always in each others' business

twinsies

Our silly boy has recently discovered the awesomeness of his doggy and has completely fallen in love.  As I mentioned in Simon's first month blog post, Courage has been curious of and protective over Simon from Day 1, and Eric and I have had no doubts about their future budding relationship.  Over the last few months, Courage has learned to calm down and relax around Simon, although greeting baby first thing in the morning and covering him in kisses is still one of his favorite things to do.  In the recent weeks, Simon has begun to reciprocate Courage's advances by giving that dog a taste of his own medicine.  He's not quite licking his canine brother in the face, but Simon does find joy in pulling Courage's tail, climbing on him, and practicing his own version of "petting" (gathering a handful of hair and skin in his little palm and squeezing it tight).  For the most part, Courage is actually a really great sport about it, and even when Simon tugs at him a little too hard, Courage always returns later for kisses.  My favorite part to watch is the smile that lights up Simon's face when Courage enters the room, and we actually have our beloved dog to thank for causing Simon to have his first official laugh!  We've always known our dog is silly, but Simon finds him to be downright hysterical.  It looks like the two of them are off to a great start on becoming the best of friends.

 

Simon's first time swimming 

testing the water

the reaction

Late into summer, we finally took Simon swimming for the first time.  Our friends, Jeff and Kerry, invited us and a few other families to their home for dinner, and they generously allowed us to use their awesome pool for Simon's first dip.  As you can see from the photos, he wasn't quite a fan of the water.  We made the mistake of waiting until after dinner to get in, when the sun was no longer over the pool and the water was considerably less warm.  Simon cried the minute the cold water touched his little legs, so we tried moving him to the spa where the water temperature was more comfortable.  Simulating a bath, the spa was more comforting and less scary, and Simon almost immediately fell asleep in my arms.  We made swim attempt #2 the next weekend at Pappy's house, this time in the early afternoon when the sun was still plenty high in the sky.  While the weather was warmer, our second attempt initially bombed when Simon began fussing and crying instantly.  After catching a snack and a small nap, we gave it another try and our sleepy baby almost wasn't having it.  Then to our surprise, he fell asleep in my arms while I was holding him in the pool, and later woke up smiling and began enjoying the sensation of the water.  We hope that with more experiences in the pool, Simon will learn to love swimming and become the little water baby we know he can be.

1st State Fair

Robyn's baby shower for her son, Baby Boy Parvin

 

coolest baby ever

During my last few weeks at home before returning to work full time, I made the most of my remaining days alone with my boy.  Simon was often back in our bed in the early morning after spending the beginning of the night in his crib, so when we woke up together I would start each day by strapping him in my Ergo carrier and taking Courage for a walk.  We went on lunch dates with Mommy's friends and enjoyed lots of family time with Daddy, either hanging out at home in the evenings or on outings to go shopping on the weekends.  I was so happy that we were able to make it to the State Fair this year, and we just so happened to go on the same day as several of our friends.  Our darling son hung out in the Ergo and was a happy little clam, completely in awe of all the lights, sounds, and spectacles to be seen.  Simon and I also went to our fourth baby shower, celebrating Robyn and her soon-to-arrive baby boy... finally, a boy!  Other fun things we did included spending mommy/baby time with two of my mom friends and their babies; Kesley invited us to a few moms group meetups at Sutter Roseville with her daughter, Kinlee, where we got to see lots of other babies and talk about life as new moms, and we spent a lovely afternoon out at the Roseville Fountains with Nicole and her daughter, Lila (neither of which I got photos of, grrrr).  I will forever cherish all the special time that Simon and I had together when I was home, and I will now look forward to the day when I will be able to stay at home with my love bug again.

 

learning the bass with Daddy

monkey business

silly baby

If I could stop time to keep my baby boy from growing up, I might seriously consider it.  But then again, as I keep saying, it is so fun and rewarding to see Simon achieve something new.  I haven't talked about it much yet, but I've of course been signing American Sign Language (ASL) to our boy.  I believe in the concept of Baby Signs, but am signing the true ASL signs instead of modifying them.  Naturally, I began with the sign MILK around 2 months, when I was sure he'd be able to see clearly enough and pay attention to me while producing the sign.  After a few months of repetition, Simon is now producing the sign on his own, first signing MILK during a feeding (nursing and bottle), then signing it when he was fussy and most likely actually hungry, and now sometimes signing it arbitrarily, like when he's being changed.  I'm now showing him the sign CHANGE for diaper time and getting dressed, and he is somewhat starting to show me that he seems to be getting an idea of what it means by calming down after I sign it, although he is no where close to replicating the sign himself.  Which is fine... because trying to keep up with his constant rolling/crawling attempts, hair pulling, object grabbing, reaching for Mommy, and big smiles when Daddy comes home is sometimes almost too much for my heart to handle!