Tonight I am writing about one of those “lasts” that ended a very special part of Hunter and my relationship. A week ago today I nursed Hunter for the last time. I didn’t know that it would be the last time but I did have a sense that it would be coming sooner rather than later.

When I was pregnant with Hunter I knew that I wanted to at least try breastfeeding. I had no expectations and didn’t put any pressure on myself to do it or not but I at least wanted to try. After getting through those first few challenging weeks of breast feeding I knew I wanted to sick with it for at least the recommended 6 months. 

(Hunter’s favorite nursing position with his hand behind his head)

I was really fortunate that I got to take Hunter to work with me for three months so I didn’t have to worry about pumping until he was 6 months old. Once Hunter started  daycare I told myself  if I couldn’t pump “enough” then I would not feel bad supplementing with formula. Luckily I was able to keep up. I think starting solids around this time also helped.

I seem to recall that when Hunter was very small he nursed 8-9 times in a 24 hour period. I think once he went to daycare I started nursing him 4 times a day (morning, night, after daycare, and a dream feed), pumping 3 times a day, and he drank 2 bottles of expressed milk. When I was home with him I nursed him 6 times a day. Eventually we got down to 4 times a day (I dropped the dream feed). At one year of age, when Hunter dropped the morning nap we also dropped the “after morning” nursing session. I also stopped pumping at work without affecting my supply. Gradually we dropped the nursing session after his one nap. Hunter’s daycare provider gave him whole milk and a snack after his nap and so I started doing that too. We were going pretty strong with two nursing sessions a day when I found out I was pregnant with Baby Sneaker 2.0. Actually that should have been one of the clues that I was pregnant. Nursing suddenly became very uncomfortable. I knew that now I had a decision to make. After we made it to the one year mark I told myself that I would let Hunter lead the way as far as our nursing relationship would go. I never encouraged him NOT to nurse but I also didn’t offer. I left it up to him and I planned to do so until he wanted to quit. But I began to worry that he would want to continue even after the new baby came. I just didn’t know how I felt about nursing two babies at once. I had read that it was done all the time and it even helped the older sibling to adjust to the new baby. I wanted to do what was best for Hunter but I also remembered how demanding a newborn’s nursing needs were. My doctor told me that sometimes the first baby weans themselves because the taste of the milk changes and the supply drops. I just decided to keep doing what we were doing. Our regular routine would be to wake up, change Hunter’s diaper and immediately nurse him. He would often tap on my chest and whimper even before I changed him. Then one morning he didn’t. He pointed towards his books so we sat down to read. So, the next morning I asked him if he wanted to read and we did. Maybe once or twice while we were reading in the morning he would tap on my chest at which point I would say, “Let’s go make breakfast” since I knew he was hungry. So, then we were just down to the before bedtime nursing session. This session was getting shorter and shorter and I could tell Hunter wasn’t really drinking much, just using me for comfort. But, I just kept at it. Until last week that is. Tuesday we did our bedtime routine nursing just before I laid him down. Wednesday Brian had to put Hunter to bed since I had to work. He’s been doing this for most of the year so no big deal. I believe he offered him whole milk in a cup. Then the next night instead of asking to nurse Hunter pointed towards his pacifier so I gave it to him and snuggled before laying him down. And that was it! Since then he has sort of “asked” to nurse but I think what he really likes is the skin to skin contact. So we try to snuggle a lot and it all seems to work out.

Sometimes I can’t believe we nursed as long as we did. I had no expectations when I started our breastfeeding journey and I certainly didn’t know what “extended breastfeeding” (nursing past one year) or “tandem nursing” (nursing while pregnant or nursing two children at the same time) was but I guess I did both! I think nursing was a very special bond Hunter and I shared. Sure it was hard and maybe it was one of the reasons Hunter didn’t sleep as well but I think it was worth it.

With baby number 2 I’m going in with the same attitude. I want to try and breastfeed and we’ll see where it goes from there. I know that every baby is different and we might have a totally different experience. This is definitely something I never thought much about until becoming a mother and I am grateful for the experience.

*Please note this post is not meant to discriminate against mothers who chose not to nurse. I believe it is a very personal decision that every mother needs to make. I know it is not possible for all mothers to nurse. I just wanted to share and document my own journey.*

I actually didn’t take/get a positive pregnancy test until I was already 8 weeks along, so almost done with the first trimester. Shortly after Hunter’s 1st Birthday (which is about the time we are pretty certain I got pregnant). I stopped pumping at work and instead used my lunch hour to go work out. I also started really watching what I ate and the pounds just seemed to fly off (little did I know it was because I was pregnant). My monthly cycles had started up when Hunter was 9 months old but they were very different/irregular from my cycles before pregnancy. I just dealt with it and chalked it up to still breastfeeding but also somewhat weaning (a full post to come soon on this topic). So, when my monthly “friend” didn’t show up “on time” I didn’t think too much of it. I did take a pregnancy test but it was negative so I went about my merry way drinking margaritas and eating sushi (ok so I didn’t really eat sushi during that time but I may have had a few adult beverages). When another month went by I decided to take another test and just like with my first pregnancy that positive plus sign appeared instantly. Yep! Definitely pregnant! (sorry Baby Sneaker 2.0, I didn’t take a picture of the “pee stick” this time, it seems funny to me now that I think about it).

To be quite honest I was pretty shocked. I really didn’t think I was pregnant. I virtually had no symptoms (much like my first pregnancy duh!) and with all the illnesses that had been plaguing our household any symptoms I did have I just chalked up to being sick. After I got that positive pregnancy test things started to make more sense. I was EXTREMELY tired during day which I thought was just because I was up with a sick baby or not feeling well myself. Fatigue has been one of my most persistent symptoms. I asked Brian if I was this tired the first time around and he said “yes.” The one BIG difference was that I didn’t have a 15 month old to chase around. And during the first trimester last time things were a lot quieter at my job. I remember literally coming home from work, eating dinner, and laying on the couch watching syndicated episodes of The Office on TBS and going to bed at 8:30pm! Not this time around! Most nights I had to get that little guy to bed (hopefully by 7:30!) or go back to work until 9:00pm for some event. It was pretty rough for awhile. Other than that and a few nights of insomnia things weren’t too bad. I was a little queasy here and there but no real morning sickness of which I am very grateful for!

Another difference between this pregnancy and my first is my health care. About halfway through my first pregnancy our health insurance switched and our preferred provider was actually a different clinic/hospital in town. We were still covered at the old one but had to pay A LOT more for our care. We decided to stick with it through my pregnancy because that is where I felt comfortable. Once Hunter was born we switched since we knew that babies go to the doctor a lot and we wanted to be covered. I established care with a resident doctor at the Family Health Clinic. All of the doctors there are essentially still in training and work under an attending (think Grey’s Anatomy only not with surgeons just general practitioners). I had only seen my doctor once for something minor but I did like her. When I went in for my first appointment, which was just meeting with a nurse for maternity counseling, I told her how I had seen midwives at the other clinic and wasn’t sure if I should stick with my current doctor. The nurse said I was more than welcome to meet with the midwives at this clinic but just like at my previous clinic there are several midwives and you never know which one will be on call when you deliver.  She told me it would be about 95% that my doctor would be the one to deliver my baby. I was almost sold at that point but I wanted to wait until my first appointment before deciding. Well, that first appointment went splendidly! I REALLY like how my doctor handles things. I went in at 10 weeks and wasn’t expecting to hear a heart beat since it was so early. She tried, but couldn’t find it but then called in her attending who DID find it! The attending (who was a sweet older woman) said, “I just think it’s so nice to hear that little heart beat don’t you?” I was sold! My doctor also told me that one of the nice things about having her deliver is that is I want a intervention free delivery she has no problem with that but if I need or want some medical intervention she is able to do it because she is a doctor. So, yes I really like her and I am very pleased with my care thus far! She also said she doesn’t like to induce labor unless ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY which I appreciated. I was pretty sure those midwives would have done it if I had gone a few more days!

One other difference I am experience is the growth of “the bump” this time around. I had heard that most women start showing earlier the second time around. At first I didn’t feel like this was going to be true for me but then all of the sudden all I can see when I look down is this little bump! I am not sure if anyone else can tell but I can. Here are some comparison photos for you.

Me, 16 weeks during my first pregnancy on the right and 16 weeks today on the left!

Please excuse the wet hair I was waiting for Hunter to wake up from a nap before running the hair dryer, not sure why my stomach is blurry either, blame Brian!

So yeah, definitely look different! I feel like the top of my stomach is growing faster this time where as last time I got big from the bottom up. I attribute this to my core not being as strong and my uterus pushing my core muscles out OR MAYBE I’m just carrying differently (could it be girl?).  However, I have only gained about 4lbs so far where last time at this point I had gained 10!! I am really trying to watch my weight gain since a. I was NOT back to healthy weight when I got pregnant, and b. I gained OVER The amount of weight I was suppose to during my last pregnancy. I guess in the end it really didn’t make a difference, I had healthy baby and delivery but I am not in the same shape I was either. I just want to do what’s best for me and the baby.

Oh! I could write so much more but this post is getting long enough! Sadly, I don’t think I will be doing weekly posts this time around. I will be sure to check in with pregnancy as well as Hunter updates but I have to realize that my life is VERY different from the last time I was pregnant. This pregnancy is no less exciting or important it’s just different. I have to focus on the little one I already have too!

Thanks for reading and sharing in this next adventure in my life! More to come for sure!

Unfortunately the illnesses that have plagued us since February continue on! As an after affect of Hunter’s last cold he got an ear infection AND pink eye! He was put on antibiotics which knocked those infections right out of him. He seemed fine and healthy for awhile but now he has a minor cold again. Brian was REALLY sick for awhile there too. He was diagnosed with a sinus infection and given antibiotics but all of us still seem to be hanging on to some annoying cold symptoms. Not sure if it really is a cold or allergies! So annoying!

On the plus side the weather did eventually warm up and we have been able to get outside a lot more frequently!

Out for a walk through the Marsh!

As you can tell it is still a little cold here since we are all bundled up but we just had to get out and enjoy the sunshine that day!

We have also been enjoying taking Hunter to the great little park down the street from us.

Loving the swing!

Daddy helping Hunter down the slide!

Mommy and Hunter on the big slide! I think Hunter will REALLY enjoy this park once he gets a little older and starts running around.

Hunter also likes to play in out backyard with the fun outdoor toy he got for his birthday!

Hunter STILL is not walking. But according to my Mom (who is a pediatric O.T.) that is just fine. He has been pulling up to standing a lot more frequently and doing some minor cruising. He loves pulling himself up on the tub and watching his bath toys floating in the water.

Hunter has also discovered a new favorite place to play!

Why yes! He is in Izzy’s kennel! One day he discovered our back porch and decided that the kennel was the perfect place to hang out. I don’t let him go back there very often since it is probably the dirtiest place in our house but every once in awhile I don’t catch him fast enough and that is right where he goes. Even when Izzy is in there!

Izzy is so tolerant!

As the start of summer approaches it is usually the time for road trips and visitors! We already went on one road trip, just a day trip, to visit Brian’s brother and family to celebrate our niece’s First Communion!

Hunter still does not do so well in the car. Definitely better than last summer! He just doesn’t like to sleep in the car! The First Communion was right during nap time so we figured he’d sleep all the way home. He did dose off but woke up every 30 minutes crying! He did this about three times! Other than that he stayed pretty entertained as long as I sat in the back with him and handed toys and books.

We also had some special visitors from Alaska come to town!

Brian’s friend Bob and his family came to town sadly, because his grandma died. It has still been nice to see them these past few weeks. His daughter’s adore Hunter (as if you couldn’t tell).

Well, I guess that’s about it for this month. Oh yeah! Except for one more important new development in Hunter’s life….

Yep! That’s right! Hunter is going to be a big brother in November!!!! Pretty exciting news huh? We’ve actually known about this for a long time but were just waiting to tell a few people in person before we put anything online. It is going to be one crazy adventure that is for sure! More thoughts on Baby Sneaker 2.0 to come!

Now on to fun stuff! These past two months Hunter’s language has REALLY developed! He says several words (or versions of these words) truck, cheese, fish, giraffe, duck, whale, and I am sure more. He also signs “help” “please” and “all done”.” He also can imitate the sounds of a TON of animals. So far he does: cow, dog, cat, duck, rooster, bear, tiger, lion, monkey, frog, horse, turkey and my favorite squirrel (Brian taught him most of these). It is so cute!  He still LOVES to read books but really only likes books that have animals in them so he can make the sounds. When I come home from work I usually find Hunter and daddy engrossed in a marathon reading session.

When our friend Gardner came to visit Hunter even convinced him to get in on the reading action.

How can you say “no” to that face! This is a very different picture from last year when Gardner came to visit.

Why was Gardner visiting might you ask? Well, it’s is the season of Gardner after all but this particular weekend it was turkey hunting. Brian got to share the victory of getting a turkey with Hunter too!

Again, very different from last year!

Hunter doesn’t seem to have much interest in walking. He doesn’t even really pull himself up that often. We encourage him to do so by putting his toys on the the love seat. We usually have to help him to stand up and he will stand for some time playing with his toys. We also hold his hands and walk with him. Sometimes he thinks it’s funny and laughs but other times he gets kind of mad. I think he wonders what we are trying to do to him because he thinks he can get around just fine on his hands in knees. He didn’t seem that interested in crawling until one day he did so I guess I am not that worried. His pediatrician is not worried either. She said he is working on more verbal and cogitative skills right now. Boy is that the truth! It amazes me how much he understands and how quickly he learns things. I love watching him play because you can just see the little wheels turning in his brain, soaking it all in.

One MAJOR change in Hunter these past two months is sleep. We transitioned to one nap a day shortly after he turned one. It wasn’t that tough of a transition and it really helped that daylight savings happened around that time too. At first  I worried and  thought Hunter needed more sleep but I soon got over that. One nap a day is very nice! You can get more done in the morning (like maybe even go work out without having to rush back for a morning nap!) and Hunter doesn’t fight his nap like he use to. He takes AT LEAST a 1 hour nap if not longer (closer to 90 minutes on average when he is home with me usually 2 hours (plus!) when he is at daycare. I still struggle with him getting up too early which besides being annoying (especially on the weekend!) kind of throws him off for the day. Night time sleep has just been ok lately but I am hoping that is just due to the illnesses.

Hunter is slowly moving away from eating anything resembling baby food. He doesn’t even like it when I feed him yogurt or cottage cheese. He much rather feed himself. I try to give him a little bit of what we are eating for meals and sometimes he likes it sometimes he doesn’t. He still really loves cheese, most fruits, peanut butter on a bagel, green beans, broccoli cheddar bites and sweet potatoes. Everything else is hit or miss!

Well I guess that is it for this update. I barely took any pictures this month! Here is one we tried to get of all of us at Easter and one with him and his cousins!

Until next time!

Well! There seemed to be so much anticipation leading up to Hunter’s big day that when it was all said and done I took my sweet time getting around to writing this update. I know that some people make a big deal about a baby’s first birthday and yes I agree it is kind of a big deal the reality is it’s more of an “event” for the people celebrating it than actual baby who is being honored! I wanted to commemorate this day in a special way but I also did not feel the need to go over the top with a BIG party.

My in-laws graciously offered to host the party at their house and we were lucky enough that Hunter’s birthday fell on a weekend so we were able to celebrate on his actual birthday. We invited a small number of guests, mostly family, and close friends. Our theme for the party was froggies since one of Hunter’s favorite toys are his bath froggies. I ordered Hunter an adorable first birthday shirt just for the occasion.

I just wish I would have gotten a better picture of him in it! It says, “Hoppy 1st Birthday!”

We served a simple lunch and of course some of Hunter’s favorite foods, broccoli cheddar bites, and sweet potato fries.

My sister-in law, who owns her own bakery, made the adorable cake.

The only decoration we had was one that I am very proud of because I made it myself! Now, I am not a very crafty person but when I saw that one of my favorite bloggers made  this cute banner I knew I wanted to try and do it myself. I actually found a FREE template for the triangles here.  I printed out a TON of pictures. Probably the hardest part of this project was deciding which pictures to use and making sure I had a good smattering from the early days of Hunter’s life to now. Other than that it was pretty easy! Here is the end result.

So cute and fun! We currently have the banner hanging between our dining room and living room.  Hunter had fun opening his presents, and hanging out with his cousins, grandmas and grandpas, aunt and uncle and his buddy Henry.

Cousins!

Henry is observing Hunter as he opens his presents. His birthday was just two weeks later!

That Grandma Charlene sure knows how to find his tickle spot!

When it came time to blow out his candle Hunter was pretty excited.

But he wasn’t a big fan of eating the cake. I guess it was just more fun to play with!

True to form, Hunter refused to take a nap before his party so he was pretty tired after all was said and done. We tried to get a good family shot but I think too many people taking a picture at the same time since none of us are all looking at the camera in any photo.

But my dad did get this adorable shot of my and my one year old baby!

No post can describe the joy this little guy brings to my heart every day!

Probably the biggest change during Hunter’s 12th month was mobility! He stopped army crawling and REALLY took off on those hands and knees. If Brian or I try to leave the room he comes tearing after of us.

Brian was excited because Hunter was finally awake when he came home from ice fishing with a nice fresh catch of fish. He tried to recreate a photo he has of him and his grandpa.

When I took Hunter to his 1 year doctor’s appointment he weighed 21lbs. 4oz and measured 2ft. 6in. That’s a long way from 8.1lbs and 20.75 inches.

I am so grateful each day that God has allowed me to be Hunter’s Mom. I hope to continue these updates as he grows up. It helps me too look for the extraordinary in each day and to remember all the joys and challenges of being a parent.  I also hope to get back to writing about fitness and healthy eating only this time from the perspective of a mom. For the most part though I want to live life rather than write about so if my posts are a little few and far between oh well! I busy enjoying this guy!

Well, it’s the day before Hunter’s first birthday and for the past several days I have had many many many thoughts about the past 366 days (remember 2012 was a leap year!). I am not sure if I can put into words the reflections I’ve had on what it has meant to take on this new role of mommy and how it has so profoundly changed my life.

I’ve been remembering those early days in Hunter’s life where I felt like I was moving in a sleep deprived fog and always had an ache in the pit of my stomach because I was afraid of doing something “wrong.”

But at the same time I would look at this tiny being that Brian and I had brought into this world, my heart would swell and I would weep with joy. I couldn’t believe that something so small could fill my heart with such love and I couldn’t believe that he was mine! My son!

I wish I could tell you that things have completely changed, that in a year I have gained complete confidence in my mothering skills and that I always know what to do! I am pretty sure that NO MOM is ever 100% confident in EVERYTHING they do. But, that scary feeling  I would mess up eventually went a way. Sure I have my moments of doubt but as I’ve gotten to know my son over the past year my abilities to respond to him have become second nature.

Probably a major turning point in my journey as a mother is when Hunter began reacting and responding to me in ways other than crying and demanding more from me than just food. It’s like he woke up one day and said, “Hi Mom!” I couldn’t tell you exactly when this happened but it definitely changed things!

Probably the most surprising and challenging thing that I’ve had to deal with (and I’m sure this will come as no surprise) as a new mom is sleep (or lack there of!). I had no idea you had to teach your baby to sleep or that their sleeping patterns (much like everything else!) change SO MUCH in the first year. After I got over the shock and realized that what they say is true (you will NEVER sleep the same again) it wasn’t so bad. I still get frustrated and anxious when Hunter isn’t sleeping because I can see how it affects him. For the most part he is a happy easy going guy but when he gets low on sleep it is a different story!

I’ll admit I do kind of miss those first three months when I would let him sleep ANYWHERE especially on my chest!

It has been so fun to watch Hunter change, grow, and learn so many new things in just one year. When you think about it they start out as a cute little blob that only eats, sleep, and poops.

And by one year they talk, can get themselves where they want to go, have preferences for things, understand what your saying, and eat solid food.

When I think about it I have given up a lot of my “old life” to be a mom and I haven’t quite gotten it back yet. I don’t workout as much, my house isn’t in the order that it use to be, I don’t cook as much, I don’t blog as much, I don’t even read blogs very much, my focus at my job has changed and so much more. But for right now I am ok with that. I have embraced this new role and as long as I can do some things that I enjoy occasionally I am good with that. Perhaps as Hunter gets older that I will start taking more me time but honestly when I am not working and home with him, I just want to be with him, playing with him, and interacting with him.

Sometimes at night as I am holding him, right before I put him in his crib I still find myself shedding a few tears. My love for this little guy is so profound. I sometimes still can’t believe how lucky I am. I try my hardest to cherish each day, each precious moment I have with him. This past year has gone so fast and I am sure things never slow down. I love being a mom and I am so grateful that I have my Hunter boy in my life. I look forward to watching him continue to grow and change and to discover how my role as a mom evolves and changes too!

Celebrating one year as a mom!

I tried to get a picture of how big Hunter is these days but he doesn’t sit still or pose with the elephant  for long!

I jumped on the scale the other day with him and according to that he weighs almost 21lbs! He also seems REALLY long to me these days! I won’t know the “official measurements” until his 1 year doctor’s appointment later in February.

One fun and excited thing we did this month was take Hunter to his first swim lessons!

It is a parent and child class which basically means we get the babies use to the water by singing songs, having them reach/swim for toys while we hold them, have them “jump” off the side of the pool into our arms, and dunk them underwater! Hunter seems to really like it, especially when Daddy blows bubbles in the water. I like it because for 30 minutes I get to hold him and he doesn’t weigh a thing! Plus he is really cuddly! Grandma Charlene often stops by when she’s done with her exercise classes to say “hi” and help get Hunter cleaned up and changed!

Sleep has been going ok. I have buckled down and started “nap training” which basically means I don’t rock Hunter to sleep for naps any more and let him fall asleep on his own. The crazy part his he doesn’t cry at nap time he just goes crazy playing and rolling around, talking, knocking his paci on the slats, sticking his arms and legs in the slats (we use to have breathable bumpers but he played with those too). I use to go in and “make him” go to sleep by rocking him but he was even resisting that and then not sleeping very long! So, I let him try for an hour on his own. Sometimes he falls asleep but most times he doesn’t and then I get really lost on what to do next. Do I keep him up until the next nap/bedtime? Do I try again in 30 minutes? Is he ready for 1 nap (I don’t really think so but that is what everyone tells me.)? If he skips his morning naps he usually crashes hard for the after noon nap. If he misses the afternoon nap then it is usually too late in the day and too close to bedtime to try again. Either way I end up with a cranky overtired baby. I really don’t know what to do and  I am afraid if this keeps up it will affect his night time sleep which has been really good lately, usually 11 hours a night! I’m sure as you can tell from past posts, sleep is one thing that really  stresses me out! I have no idea why I think it is SO important for Hunter to get enough sleep. I guess I just know my baby, and I know what he needs to be a happy guy and this includes a few good naps.

Eating still seems to be going well. I have to admit I am a little slow to introduce new foods to Hunter. He just has his “favorites” and since most of them are healthy we just keep rolling with it. A new recipe I tried this month was Broccoli Cheddar Bites.

Super easy and he LOVES them!

Not sure if you can tell from the above picture but Hunter has 3 new teeth this month! So that makes 4 on the top and 3 on the bottom, not really sure where the 4th one on the bottom is, it seems like he has been teething FORVER and I know that this is just the beginning!

Our friend Gardner came for a visit this past month and look! He and Hunter have matching jackets!

Hunter becomes more mobile each day. He is still army crawling but pushing up on his hands and knees more frequently and even crawling forward a little bit. Still not pulling up to standing on his own but he’ll get there. He is definitely working on verbal and fine motor skills. Boy! Can that little guy talk. Sometimes he reads books to me! I don’t know what he is saying but he sure seems to think he knows what the story is about! He is also getting very good a mimicing us and naming specific items. The quilt that he always plays on has pictures of labrador retrievers, deer, fish and ducks. He will point to each animal and make a some what correct sound. It’s pretty cute. And of course there is always the endearing momma and daddy!

He still LOVES trucks! Every night before bed we sing the “Clean Up” song and pick up our toys. The last thing to get put away is the big truck and Brian and I will push Hunter on it while he “parks” it for the night!

That’s it for this month! We are already looking ahead to celebrating his 1st birthday in almost 2 weeks! Hard to believe that last year at this time I was 39 weeks pregnant! Watching Hunter grow and change this past year sure has been amazing! I am sure I will have more reflections to share on my first year as a mom in the up coming weeks. And the fun has just begun!

I am sure I say this every month but can time PLEASE just SLOW DOWN a little bit?! I feel like before I know it I’ll be sending Hunter off to college! I am sure this month went even faster because of the business of the Holiday season. For the first time in a long time I found myself getting more into the Christmas spirit.

For the first time, in a couple of years we actually went to cut down a Christmas Tree!

It was so fun and pretty to have in the house during these dark days of Winter and Hunter LOVED the lights!

As you might be able to see from the above picture Hunter got his two front teeth! Here’s a little better picture!

I seriously sat on the floor taking TONS of pictures of him before getting this one! So cute! We thing the next top two will soon be on there way!

Another Christmas tradition Hunter got to experience was making Lefse and Christmas Cookies with Grandma and Grandpa Johnson.

Well, he watched and played with grandma while mom and dad helped. He really loved the Lefse sticks!

Hunter also experienced his first snowfall!

Unfortunately he wasn’t a big fan of being all bundled up. He could barely move!

Unfortunately, Hunter’s stranger anxiety really kicked in this month. The day before Christmas Eve Hunter was really having an “off” day. My friend Marianne and I planned to meet up and take Hunter to the Mall to see Santa. Bad idea!

My usually happy go lucky guy was all tears that day! He wouldn’t even allow me to push him in his stroller through the mall, I had to carry him the whole time! He was still pretty emotional that evening when I took him to my brother’s house for a pre-Christmas celebration. Fortunately he perked up for Christmas Eve.

We started our official Christmas celebration with the 5pm Family Mass at Church. To be honest I was a little distracted by how cute Hunter was interacting with his buddy Henry who just happened to sit by us.

Remember how little they were the first time they hung out? After Mass it was home for a quick supper and then to bed for our little man.

It was really nice to spend Christmas morning in our house with just our family. We opened the presents we got for each other and some extra special ones our friends gave Hunter.

Hunter also watched a Christmas classic with his Daddy, A Christmas Story, while I made breakfast!

After Hunter’s morning nap we spent Christmas day with my family. Hunter still has a great love for trucks and Grandpa Bob picked out the PERFECT present for him!

A BIG truck! This toy is pretty cool! When he starts walking he can push it from behind and when he is even bigger he can ride on it. For now he is content just to roll it back and forth and press the fun buttons that make noise.  Hunter isn’t fully crawling yet (with his tummy off the ground) but when we put him down on his back he immediately rolls and army crawls towards the truck!

Our Christmas festivities didn’t end there! Brian’s family rolled into town the day after Christmas! It was the first time since this summer that Hunter got to be with all his cousins!

He had such fun playing with all of them! So much fun that he took some MEGA naps back at our house during their visit. I wasn’t about to try to get him to nap at Grandma and Grandpa’s house with all that excitement going on! There always seemed to be someone to play with and make him laugh!

Brian’s cousin Barb sure made him laugh!

Of course there were more fun presents to open!

It was so much fun to experience our first Christmas with Hunter. I know he won’t remember any of it but I found myself trying to hold on an cherish these very special first memories!

Eating solid foods continues to go well. Hunter is starting to eat more “chunky” food and less purees and he enjoys feeding himself when possible. I find myself getting in a rut and feeding him the same things over and over again. I just need to get more creative!

Sleep has been all over the place lately. Before Christmas Hunter was having trouble sleeping through the night. Not sure if it was teeth or a sleep regression or what. The Holidays really messed with his schedule and there several late nights and missed naps. Other times he slept like a champ, probably because he was so exhausted. After Christmas an illness swept through the house so sleep  was disrupted once again. I guess the one thing you can count on with babies is you can’t count on anything!

Not sure how much he weighs these days but he is growing an changing into a toddler before my eyes!

As I mentioned before he is not fully crawling, just rolling and army crawling. He can stand for a few seconds while holding on to something but is not pulling up yet. He’s so close and he wants to be mobile so badly. I know that once he is, we are in for some trouble. I  think he is just sitting and observing his surroundings figuring out all the stuff he can get into once he is mobile!

Becoming a mom was definitely the highlight of 2012 for me! I love him more and more each day!

I know I owe you a 10 month update on Hunter plus all the fun of our first Christmas as a family of three and I promise that I will get to those soon!

Tonight I want to share with you how we are celebrating the conclusion of 2012 and ringing in the New Year! Brian and I were never really into celebrating the New Year in a BIG way. Usually Brian’s family was still in town so we would spend the evening with them SOMETIMES making it to midnight. Well, Brian’s family is already home after the holidays and with a baby that goes to bed at 7pm and wakes up at 6am we new we would not be “tearing it up.” Brian did however suggest making some of our favorite appetizers and eating in “shifts” throughout the day! We tagged teamed watching Hunter and did some of work while he napped.

We started out with lunch; Brian made us a HUGE plate of venison steak nachos.

He marinated some venison chops, pan fried them and put them on top of chips sprinkled with cheese and jalapeños. He put it all in the oven and when it was good and melted we took it out and topped it with salsa and avocados.

For dinner he made mushrooms stuffed with cooked shrimp, scallops and parmesan cheese.

After dinner Brian played with Hunter while I got the next appetizer ready, twisty pizza bread! I haven’t made this since our last Packer party way back in 2011!

So delicious and so easy! I don’t know why I don’t make this more often!

For dessert I made something REALLY special and I am proud to say a Kristin Original Recipe! A Bailey’s Irish Cream Trifle!

I used some ideas from this recipe but made some changes to make it my own!

Ingredients:

• 1 Devil’s Food Cake Mix (and the ingredients to make the cake)
• 2 pkgs white chocolate instant pudding mix
• 3 C of cold Milk
• 1 small container of Cool Whip
• 1 carton of Whoppers Candy (crush most of them placing them in a plastic bag and rolling over them with a rolling pin) reserve some for garnish
• 1 C of Bailey’s Irish Cream

Directions

• The night before you need the trifle make cake according to directions on the package
• Once the cake is cooled poke holes in it using the handle of a wooden spoon 
• Pour 1 Cup of Bailey’s over the cake and in the holes
• Put in the fridge and let soak over night. The next day cut the cake into cubes.
• Whisk the pudding and the milk together let sit for 2 minutes
• Fold the Cool Whip into the pudding
• Get ready to layer! You can do this any way you want. I did cake, pudding mixture, candy and repeated 3 times!

I also considered another  layer of whip creamed with more Bailey’s mixed in but it was just a little too much!

Trifle’s are so easy and fun to get creative with. We haven’t dipped into this bad boy yet but I can’t wait to try all the flavors together!

Well, I don’t know if we’ll make it until midnight but it was fun to get back in the kitchen!

I hope to have a 10 months update on Hunter and a reflection on 2012 and becoming a mom!

Have a fun and safe night and Happy New Year!

Trying to get a picture with him and his elephant is not easy these days!

At his 9 month check up he weighed in at 18lbs 3oz and was 2 feet 4 inches long! I felt like it took him awhile to fit into 6-9 month clothes but he is DEFINITELY ready to move into 12 month clothes!

Hunter’s personality is developing more and more each day. It is amazing to me that he already has likes and dislikes and he can understand what we are saying. I like to think we are raising a very well rounded boy. His favorite toys to play with are trucks and baby dolls.

He sits for long periods of times rolling his trucks back and forth. He even makes a little vrrrroooommm sound! It is too funny! I don’t know how he knows that is what he is suppose to do!

He may be your typical boy loving his trucks but he also likes baby dolls! I discovered this when I dropped Hunter off at daycare. He saw one of Lilly’s dolls and got SUPER excited. That night when we got home I got out the baby doll we used to get Izzy use to the idea of a baby in the house and he went crazy for it! He loves to pat the baby’s head and when we ask him if he can kiss the baby he does it! It is too cute!

Hunter also really loves books!

We read every night before bed and also before nap times as a way to quite down. He loves to turn the pages, open the flaps on some books, and feel the different textures on the touch and feel books.

Speaking of sleep, things have been going really well in that department (hope I didn’t just jinx myself!) and dare I say we might finally be falling into a predictable schedule? Hunter usually goes to bed by 7pm and sleeps through the night ( I still dream feed him before I go to bed, not really sure when, if, or how I should drop this), waking up between 6am and 7am. He also takes two naps a day usually in the morning starting between 9am and 10am and an afternoon nap starting between 2pm and 3pm. I would say 95% of the time he falls asleep on his own at bedtime. Naps are another story. He seems to fall asleep and nap for an hour or more just fine when he is at daycare but home is a different story! I will watch him and he seems to get tired, yawning, rubbing eyes, quiet, maybe fussy. So I get his room ready change his diaper, maybe read a book, snuggle him and put him in his crib. Then he seems to spring to life! He rolls all over the crib laughing, talking, squealing! I let him try to put himself to sleep for 15-30 minutes but 9 times out of 10 I have to rock him to sleep and then he only sleeps for 45 minutes! It is kind of frustrating! I’ve tried putting him down earlier and later but nothing seems to help. His doctor said I should keep doing what I’m doing and try to let him fall asleep on his own. Oh well! Something to keep working on! All I know is that well rested baby is a happy baby (and momma too!).

Feeding also continues to go well. Hunter is eating more chunky food and even feeding himself! I really get a kick out of him eating! I would say his favorite foods are banana and avocado (mashed together) and sweet potatoes!  It has been so much fun trying new foods and being able to offer him food from my own plate. He has two bottom teeth and is working on getting his top two teeth so he can chew chew chew!

He is not crawling yet but he finds his own way to be mobile. He rolls, or scoots himself backwards or in a circle. He is so close to crawling and tries so hard! I keep thinking it will be any day now!

(Blurry because he’s bouncing up and down)

Hunter is VERY social with other babies! I  am sure this comes from all the play time he gets with Lily at daycare! When ever he sees other babies or even kids in general he gets super excited and doesn’t want to stay in my arms. He had so much fun playing with his cousins at Thanksgiving. He is a little hesitant with other adults, especially men without beards (weird I know!).

I didn’t know it was possible buy my love for my little boy just keeps growing and growing every day. I love to watch him explore his world and continue to grow into the little person he will one day become. I am really looking forward to watching him experience his first Christmas and before you know it it will be his first birthday (gasp!).

That’s all for now! I hope to update more frequently with all our Christmas adventures!