Simon [8 months]

 

This beautiful boy is 8 months old and quickly becoming less of a baby and more of a Big Boy.  He melts my heart with every little look, his chatty baby babble, and his interest in everything around him.  Adored by everyone who knows him and loved like crazy by his goofy parents, Simon is truly living the life.  It still seems like it was only yesterday that he was sleeping in my arms all day rather than always climbing out of them.  Our son keeps our lives fun, exciting, and interesting; and while every day isn't the easiest, his smile makes those difficult days worth it all.

 

standing pro

 

sitting practice

 

cutie patootie

 

Our monkey is a mobile machine!  His favorite activity during the last month was still playing on his swing, using it as a support for standing rather than a seat for swinging.  He managed to turn on the music by himself a few times, by sheer coincidence I think, and would get really excited and stare at the red light next to the power button.  While most of the time we catch him sitting on his knees, Simon is also continuing to improve his proper sitting skills.  He sometimes needs support to sit for longer periods of time, but it shows that his trunk muscles and balance are getting stronger and stronger.  For the second time, Simon sat on the scale all by himself (weighing in at 17 lbs. and 3.5 oz.) when we went to his new pediatrician's office.  Eric's benefits kicked in on September 1st, so we switched Simon from my Kaiser insurance to Eric's Blue Cross Blue Shield plan to save money.  With BCBS, Simon will now see Eric's childhood pediatrician!  We did not get to meet with the doctor for our first visit, but the nurse practitioner and office staff were very nice.  Our first appointment with his new doctor will be next month at Simon's 9-month well baby checkup.

 

working on balance

 

growing in the crib

 

first shoes!

 

As I mentioned before and evidence by the previous month, this kid can stand up all on his own and absolutely loves to do so.  Completely fearless, Simon looks for anything and everything to use to pull himself to his feet.  It's become a little scary when he uses an inappropriate object to support his weight, (i.e., the car seat, a leaning baby gate, his unlocked swing), but he can be very determined and will always go for it.  The one occasion when Simon stood and scared me to death was the morning he pulled himself up into a standing position in his crib; this boy is so tall that when he stood, more than half of his torso was above the crib railing!  I watched the entire thing happen on the monitor and dashed up the stairs to his room as quickly as possible, fearing that his body would at any minute propel over the railing and down onto the floor.  Thankfully, I scooped him up into my arms before he could even entertain the idea of throwing himself overboard, and Eric was tasked to lower the crib mattress as soon as possible.  Simon is still so big that even with the mattress at the lowest position, Simon is at mouth-level with the crib railing.  With that danger now mostly out of the way, we are encouraging Simon to stand outside with the addition of his first big boy shoes.  I figure that the extra padding of the sole will give him more support, and of course help those pesky little socks stay on his feet and keep those toes warm as the temperatures begin to cool.

  

cauliflower face

grilled zucchini goodness

 

homemade apple sauce

 

Simon continues to do well with Baby Led Weaning.  He's become very fond of avocado and carrot, and over the last month we introduced cauliflower, zucchini, and apple.  When we first gave cauliflower to Simon, Eric had accidentally overcooked it, causing the floret to crumbled right in Simon's hand and get all over the high chair more than in his mouth.  When Simon first tasted zucchini it was grilled with the skin on, so he only sucked the juice off of the meat since he wasn't able to bite through the skin.  Finally, we had greater success with apple; when we went to Apple Hill for Eric's birthday, I asked Eric to make a quick apple sauce for the trip so Simon could enjoy an apple treat along with the rest of us.  All it took was peeling, cutting, and boiling the slices from one apple, then mashing them up after it was finished cooking.  Being the first food that we prepared to spoon-feed him, Simon did great and loved the sour sweetness of his apple sauce (which tasted bland to me since we didn't add anything to it).  As we are still dedicated to BLW, we now give Simon raw apple slices and he eats them like a champ.
 

campfire cuddles with Mommy

resting in the tent with Daddy

our family - Union Valley Reservoir

 

The big event that happened last month was Simon's first camping trip!  Eric, Simon, Courage, and I along with James, Athena, and their daughter, Lilly; Jordon, Brianna, and their dog, Minnie; Ashley and Taryn; Justin; and Brett and his girlfriend, Maggie, and friend, Andy spent the last weekend of September camping up in Polluck Pines at the West Point Campgrounds in the Eldorado National Forest.  Our campsite was just a short walk to the beautiful Union Valley Reservoir, where we took many pictures and enjoyed the great view.  Simon absolutely loved being outdoors all weekend, and never seemed to mind the cold day and nighttime temperatures.  He ate a couple meals in his high chair, cuddled quietly with us at night in the tent, and was so incredibly happy during the entire trip.  Eric was mostly thrilled about having the opportunity to take a cozy afternoon nap with Simon in the tent, something that has never happened at home.  Courage was quite well-behaved as well, as this was his first camping trip with us, too.  We really had a great time and enjoyed the relaxation, the beautiful scenery, our yummy campfire meals, and the good company of our friends.

 

with the big boys

playing with "Cousin" Lilly

Auntie Thena's birthday

 

We went over to James and Athena's home for dinner to celebrate Athena's 29th birthday.  Since Eric and I have been trying to feed Simon solids more often, we brought his high chair with us so he could eat dinner while we enjoyed our meal.  Being the first time that Simon ate at someone else's home other than ours, I was a little worried about him being willing to sit in his high chair instead of on my lap.  As always, Simon ended up behaving wonderfully and ate his carrot and zucchini very well all on his own.  After dinner, we enjoyed visiting with our friends and Simon played with Daddy and Lilly.  It makes me smile just how much Lilly adores Simon; she is always excited to see him and wants to hug him and interact with him immediately.  Having been friends with Athena since we were in 9th grade, it is really special to me to be able to have our little families spend time together and our children socialize and play.  Despite their age difference, I hope that Simon and Lilly will grow to be sweet friends.

 

Simon's first football game!
 

cozy with Daddy
 

with Mommy's coworker, Terryl

 

One of my former students who is now a 9th grader in high school invited my coworker, Terryl, and I to come watch his football game at Del Oro High School.  I thought it would be fun to make it a family affair, so Eric and Simon joined me at the game.  Terryl and I ran into two of our other former students, so I was thrilled to have Simon with me to see everyone.  No stranger to spectating, Simon really enjoyed watching the game and talking up a storm.  It was one of the first chillier evenings of Autumn, so unfortunately we weren't able to stay until the end of the game.  I was so happy that we were able to make the time to go to the game, and I was so grateful to have my family with me.  Watching the football game made Eric and I so excited for when Simon is older and hopefully interested in sports.  We plan to support our children in participating in team sports and extra curricular activities to the best of our abilities.

 

skilled self-eater

first date with Bliss

 

snuggly sleeper

Eric and I continue to fall head-over-heals for our darling son.  A part of me wishes that I could keep him from growing right before my eyes, because time just seems to be moving way too fast.  With each day, Simon becomes more and more independent; whether it be with eating, moving, or playing; we love to see what he is going to do next.  Jen and I recently got Simon and her new baby girl, Bliss, together for an outing, and it blew me away looking at Bliss, remembering like it was only yesterday when Simon was a newborn.  I know I will feel a sense of nostalgia every month for the next several years to come, but it almost breaks my heart that my baby is already growing up.  On the other hand, it seems as though we've hit the 8-month sleep regression stage, as my big boy has out of no where decided he doesn't like sleeping in his crib as much anymore.  Maybe this is his way of agreeing to slow down on growing up?  The exhausted side of me isn't so sure... I guess you win some and you lose some!

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.