parks james | six months

i feel like in the past he changed a tad here and there each month; however, this month brought lots of changes. he moves more and is way more interactive than in the past {and i think he doubled in size from month five to six} overall, on a day-to-day basis, i don’t really worry about him- there are no red flags and he just seems really healthy. his six month check-up this morning went really well- yay! {minus the shots- my heart breaks into one million pieces when he cries during them!} by the way, a friend told me today to put lavender on the vaccine spots and to rub cilantro on his feet to draw out the heavy metals. but there are always stories in the news {or on blogs} and i am just trying not to fixate on those {while reminding myself to keep him as safe as possible.} i have been proud of myself for savoring the moments and not over-stressing about the little things- yet. and we’ve got our problems here and there, just like everyone else, but worrying about whether i love this baby enough certainly isn’t one of them. 

let’s talk milk. | quite possibly the most boring and yet fraught subject in all of motherhood. the milk situation has been challenging for me – that’s for sure. honestly, i would much rather carry a baby than nurse/pump again. but i know i will attempt to do my best with each child we have in the future- just like i believe i have with parks. after going back and forth for the first three months, i have been exclusively pumping for the last three months. enter a lot of pain, clogged ducts, and thrush/itching non-stop off and on for fourteen weeks {while recovering from a major surgery.} there are so many things i have learned and hope to pass onto you all soon; in hopes that i can help at least one other mom {or hopefully more.} i won’t lie- i strongly dislike pumping. it’s time consuming, really boring {thank God for instagram} and isn’t ideal- especially when packing up to leave the house. but when your kid is happy, you do things like this. i am playing it one month at a time and will keep you all posted. before i had parks, i was very passionate about breastfeeding. however, i have learned that it’s much harder than people usually mention. especially while you are in the hospital {with no sleep} and you can’t move/pick up your baby to feed him… and he never leaves the room. it’s really hard. i also feel that, as women, we put so much pressure on ourselves to do it. as i have mentioned on here before, i am a ‘fed is best’ advocate and believe that whatever you choose for your family, is absolutely perfect. after april came and i promised to pray daily about this situation, things have been much better. to celebrate six months, i treated myself to a latte from starbuck’s- thanks to the app, postmates. meaning they delivered it to my door yesterday morning- something i have never considered nor intended to ever do in life. {and won’t continue, but i felt like i deserved this little treat.} and it was amazing. 

the sleeping situation | has been pretty much extraordinary. he sleeps in his crib {with some morning cuddles *often* with momma}. parks usually sleeps from 7:30pm-6am. he usually takes about three naps during the day and self soothes/puts himself to sleep. so no complaints at all. or the opposite of pumping. we usually give him a bath (every other night) and then read him a few books/rock and then lay him down and he’s good. we are very thankful for this. today, he celebrated his half birthday by sleeping until 8:20am – it was wonderful. i was up until 1am {#hardcorenightowl} so i really loved this. 

milestone blanket: batzkids 

+ still just two bottom front teeth

+ rolling over – each way 

+ parks can sit up on his own for several minutes but does fall over frequently 

+ sleeps on his stomach and side now – goodbye, sleep suit- you were very good to us. 

+ no longer uses a binky – he’s officially a thumb sucker now and i love it. he can self- soothe anywhere and at any time. ask me again in a few years… but for now- i love. 

+ eating avocados, sweet potatoes, carrots, peas, and green beans
+ we are starting fruits, lots of other veggies, and a sippy cup/water starting today 

+ you put him down on a play mat in one corner – and two seconds later, he’s five feet away

six month stats |

he currently wears 6-12 month clothing and is in size three diapers {the honest company} and grovia cloth diapers when at home