At first, it wasn't so easy being a mommy. We struggled with nursing A LOT during the first two weeks, and gradually everything became much easier throughout the first six weeks. Now at five and a half months old, Peter is a pro! Lately he's been very distracted, and the final feeding of the night (around 4pm) is a struggle - I'm thinking it's because he just got his first tooth! Otherwise, we're nursing so well that I haven't got the little guy to consistently take a bottle - my most recent mommy challenge. I would love to be pregnant again in the not too distant future, so I'm hoping that when we introduce solids, a bottle transition will be easier. Please leave me any advice you have on bottle transitioning!
My little man is a champion night time sleeper. At two months, he was pulling eight hour stretches and now, he can sleep for 12-13 hours straight! This is amazing! Except he doesn't nap long or consistently throughout the day. He is a very active kid, always bouncing around, and I think he just doesn't want to miss a thing. I have been a crazy lady about preserving his nap times, making sure we're home so I can feed him and get him into the crib within 30 minutes of our schedule. Trouble is, when he's awake, I want to make sure he get's time to play and work those muscles! So I rarely get out of the house except to go on an afternoon walk. I feel guilty for not taking Peter to mommy & me classes or something, but there's not enough time between naps, feeding, playing and reading! How do all you Mommies going to activities do it?!
With that extra play time though, Peter is already great at sitting up. He twists around, lunges for toys, looks up, and can do pretty much everything in that position except sit up on his own. Rolling belly to back came pretty early for him, too, but back to belly took a little longer. He's recently been "scooching" around on his belly and does this funny move where he get on his legs and rocks back & forth like he wants to crawl! Oh, and he sleeps like that, too - bum in the air! So cute!
As for me, I am so happy and feel so crazed - it's hard to believe I can feel both so intensely. My husband works ridiculously long hours, and that's been so hard for me. I would love to spend every minute of my life with him - we somehow never get sick of each other! And I know he is madly in love with our son. I feel badly that he doesn't get to see his son for more than an hour each day. :( We're still in Massachusetts, and are constantly on the look out for jobs so we can move back to Vermont. This has been a major stress in my life for the past year, and even more since Peter was born.
I feel wonderful about motherhood and everything that comes with it. It feels good to know that I can handle it, and I would absolutely LOVE to have lots more babies. There are times when I feel overwhelmed, but I mostly feel confident about how my boy and I are progressing. One thing that is hard for me is watching my baby grow. I thought I would be so excited and anxious to have him achieve milestones early - but I'm not. When Peter got his first tooth last week, I cried. Stop growing so fast!!
Another thing that has been difficult for me is losing the baby weight. UGH! I worked out and ate healthily during pregnancy to make this easier!! But because my baby doesn't nap - it's been a long journey. I have about 8lbs to go, and I would really like to lose at least 5lbs before becoming pregnant again. I'm mentally & emotionally ready, but not physically - so that's hard. Breastfeeding did not help me lose weight. Exercise was helpful, but my diet was the toughest part. I don't eat junk food, but I love to eat. I started losing after I cut calories - which caused a drop in my milk supply - so it's a delicate balance. It takes time, right?
I hope this ramble is relateable to you. I miss you! I miss writing - now I feel too frantic to truly write well. I miss my blogger friends. I still check on your pages to see how you're doing. I know I'm not alone in needing a break! Being a mom is the best and most important job in the world. It's my life now. :) You can follow me on Instagram for photo updates - I try to post at least weekly! I don't know when I'll post here next, but I'll leave you with this:
The days are long, but the years are short.
xo kristen genevieve
