Monday, January 22, 2018

Baby at Ten Months

Wow it has been an exciting month! Lucas is getting into everything...and I mean everything. He is a real daredevil, willing to crawl over and off of pretty much anything, and I can't believe his first birthday is just a few short months away!





Read on for what we've been up to including Lucas's current schedule!





Baby Update!

Lucas is still on his 2-nap schedule which we started last month and doing well. We've pushed back his morning nap a little further. His new thing is standing up in the crib and hanging onto the crib rail! I think in another month we will have to lower his mattress.

7:30 Wake and Breastfeed
8:00 Breakfast
10:00 Nap
11:15 Wake and Breastfeed
11:30 Lunch
2:00 Nap
3:30 Wake and Breastfeed
5:15 Dinner
7:00 Breastfeed and Bed

I am getting really excited about weaning. I know moms who have breastfed until age 2 and beyond and go them! but it's just not for me. I'll keep up 4 feedings until 11 months when we will go to 3. I'm considering moving his mid-day breastfeeding to before his afternoon nap once we make the change since he eats lunch right after his morning nap. Lucas still isn't taking to his sippy cup of water that well, probably because he isn't thirsty from all the breastmilk ;-), he mostly likes to throw it on the floor and watch it fall...so I'm hoping that improves by next month. 

In other news, Lucas passed the peanut test! Neither of our families have a history of nut allergies, so I just fed him a little peanut butter on a piece of waffle and observed him. No reaction! He's had a second small serving since then. My pediatrician recommends feeding peanuts at least weekly once you've established there isn't an allergy.

Lucas also finally has a third toothHis right top tooth has cut through and I'm hoping its pair is soon to follow. He's been drooling like crazy, going through 8-10 bibs a day...




I've started brushing his teeth twice a day in his highchair after breakfast and dinner. This is still what we do with our toddler! Henry is a little short for standing at the sink and he is so used to getting his teeth brushed at the table after meals. It works out great! For Lucas I've brought back our original tooth brushing song to the tune of Row, Row, Row your Boat:

Brush, brush, brush your teeth,
Brush them twice a day,
Keep them nice and shiny and clean,
And keep the cavities away!

Feel free to use it! Henry has advanced to three verses of Old McDonald during his brushing. He likes to announce which animals were on the farm at the conclusion of brushing.

Lucas also enjoyed his first snow day! (We get excited here in NC when it snows...)  And got this great pic with him and my mother when she was here the first week in January!







We are considering taking down the photo studio which is in our formal living room (and the reason for the pristine backdrop in the above picture!) in order to move my office down there and set up a bigger play room for the boys in our loft area. I think if they are not so bunched together, perhaps Lucas will annoy Henry less!


Mom Update!

I've had some mixed feelings about blogging this past year. It was my big project for 2017. Coincidentally this will be my 101st published blog post!

As I've been reviewing my 2018 Goals (one of which was blogging, I know) and things to do, I find myself directing my energy towards other projects. I've nearly completed our 2017 Family photo album and finished Lucas's "Birth to One Year" Album through 9 months!

I did not make baby albums for my boys...I started one with Henry but found myself just duplicating the work I was doing in our yearly family photo album. Each of my boys have an album of newborn pictures and will have a "Birth to One Year" album. This was one of my favorite projects I did with pictures of Henry:


Cover

Inside Cover Page

Four Month Spread

The inside cover page has a pic from each month (in clockwise order), I made a full-page spread for each month starting at birth featuring two of my favorite pictures, and printed it as an 8x8 hardcover book. It made a great gift for the grandparents too!

We have a busy spring coming up with Lucas turning one in March, family visiting, and a wedding to attend!


Toddler Update!

Henry is still loving coloring and his easel. He also got some toddler games for the holiday. The German company HABA has some great Games and Activities for Toddlers. They are a little more expensive, but such great quality! I love the real wood pieces and jumbo wooden dice.




Unfortunately, most of the activities Henry currently enjoys include items (puzzle pieces, book pages, crayons, magnets, cards) which are not suitable for a crawling/standing baby. Lucas is so persistent about getting at whatever Henry is doing and Henry is getting annoyed. 




I've come to notice when Henry begins acting out, he often just needs some alone time to play by himself without his brother in his way. I'm part way though a toddler behavior book (2018 Goal!) No Bad Kids: Toddler Discipline without Shame which I read about in this post. Her advice definitely differs from the behavior strategies my husband and I have been employing and I'm finding it all very logical and practical. The book is short and I have requested my husband to read it as well so we can be consistent. 

Next on my shelf isThere's No Such Thing as Bad Weather written by a Scandinavian-born mother which is not entirely a behavior book but looked interesting to me. 

I've also pinned this post on Talking about Feelings with toddlers which I thought had very practical advice.



Like Monday's...I think some unpleasant toddler behaviors are inevitable! 
Happy Monday!




2 comments:

  1. We have the same reading list! I just started the audiobook for No Bad Kids (thanks for the link to my blog!) a couple of days ago, and have There's No Such Thing as Bad Weather waiting for me at the library, I'm hoping to pick it up today. I love making photo books too, this is a good reminder for me to finish the second half of my son's baby book so I can finally order it. Hope you're having a great day!

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    1. Thanks! I've been really pleased with the recommendations I've tried from No Bad Kids, I definitely recognize some of the Montessori principals you talk about. You always have the best reading suggestions on your blog!

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