7 Months!

Maxim is 7 months old today! A few highlights:

He is not a fan of solids. We've put them on hold until he shows more interest and try maybe once or twice a week. So far he firmly clamps his mouth shut and turns his head. However yesterday, he was batting at DH's banana so DH gave him a small piece. He didnt spit it out. Progress!! 7 months breast feeding milestone, so so proud of both of us!

He is sitting independently with pillows around him. He can sit for a very long time before he'll tip over usually tipping because he is trying to reach for an object. Another month and he wont need the pillows anymore. He loves sitting, its like a whole new world has opened up for him. He can play pretty well now this way. Watching him play is so exciting. I just watch and observe instead of playing with him sometimes and you can see the gears grinding in his head about his toys, the way he manipulates them, moves them, and of course, puts everything in his mouth.

As for crawling or rolling....nope. He's perfectly content just hanging out. He moves a TON in his crib at night though so I know something is working in his brain about these milestones but during his awake time, he doesnt do much by way of practicing.

Speaking of sleep, he's started with weird sleep patterns too. He gets up more often now, some nights just the normal once at 5am to eat, and other nights its 3-4 times, every 2 hours. He isnt hungry, just weird night waking and not able to get himself settled. Part separation anxiety, part developmental brain activity. I have gone back to taking at least one nap a day while he is napping, usually the morning nap.

He absolutely HATES it when I leave the room. He screams and cries if I walk away for a few seconds and he cant see me. This is highly annoying to me as I feel I cant even pee or get a bowl of cereal without him freaking out. Separation anxiety setting in, however, not making strange with people. And its not consistent either...he was perfectly happy with all my co-workers on Thursday at the Christmas potluck and I wasnt around for at least an hour. He is so so social, he loves people.

He's started to pull my hair, pat and touch my face and if Figaro gets too close, pull on his hair or tail. I think he just likes the new textures and he loves to explore my face. Its so cute. I am already teaching him not to pull my hair or hit my glasses off my face.

Maxim loves playing peek-a-boo with his Aden and Anais blankets. Those blankets are his favorite, good thing Santa is bringing some Issies for him. He squeals and moves so much when we play this game.

He is growing and changing so much. DH raves about him all the time, it is so moving to listen to him talk about his son. He gets so emotional and open about him, never before has he been this way and I love it. They are quite the pair and one of their favorite things to do together is watch Montreal Canadiens hockey.

I really cant believe we're on the downward slope towards turning 1!! It has gone so fast. Everybody I cherish the cuddles and kisses, knowing that he wont be able to snuggle in my arms for much longer. I say it all the time but he really is wonderful in so many ways and I'm so lucky to be his Maman.

12 Months of Blogging

I thought this was fun!! 12 months of blogging :)

January 2010 - Happy New Year! A very happy new year in 2010 to all!

February 2010 - 24 Weeks! Holy cow, 6 months already! Time has flown by, it really has!

March 2010 - 30 Weeks!! Only 10 weeks to go! Can we say, holy shit, where does the time go?

April 2010 - No posts for April!

May 2010 - 37 Weeks! Its been awhile but I've been super busy too! 37 Weeks today = a full term baby! Woot!

June 2010 - On the Night You Were Born... I found this beautiful book, "On the Night You Were Born" before Maxim was born and I fell in love with the opening words. ~~On the night you were born, the moon smiled with such wonder that the stars peeked in to see you and the night wind whispered, "Life will never be the same."~~

July 2010 - Long Distance Grandparents. This is going to be a really hard post to write but I have to get it out.

August 2010 - World Breast Feeding Week. August 1-7 is World Breastfeeding Week.

September 2010 - More Pics From Our Trip. Eventually I'll get a written update in here..Maxim has been a nap time monster for the last 2 weeks so needless to say we aren't getting much done around here during the day or at night.

October 2010 - Best Day... Today is our 3rd anniversary :)

November 2010 - 6 Months!! Mon bébé précieux, Today you are 6 months old!

December 2010 - The Good Baby. Is he a good baby?"

The Good Baby

"Is he a good baby?"

Ummm...

What is said out loud...

Yes?!

What is running through my head...

I suppose....am I supposed to be honest here or...no wait, I must say yes, lest I be judged for being a shitty mother who hates her kid.

This question bugs me almost as much as the nursing/sleeping/pablum questions. How does a parent even answer this question other than "OF COURSE!!!! He's a GREAT baby ALL the time....dont you see the rainbows, unicorns and fluffy puppies shooting out his ass?!?! Dont you see the choir of angels singing boisterously behind me as I describe my perfect baby??" Haha!

What bugs me even more is that babies and kids are measured "good" by stupid things that are completely developmentally normal. Babies can only communicate by crying, non-verbal body language, or random cooing...they dont have words or language to articulate their needs and desires. So when a baby cries they are attempting to communicate their needs and desires.

Crying gets on my damn nerves. Especially when I've done everything I can possibly think of to soothe him and it doesnt work. I think any parent if they were honest would say that unending crying drives them nuts after awhile. Sometimes, I have to consciously remind myself that he is communicating, not getting on my nerves purposely.

My baby is a good baby because he is a good person. Not because he is a perfect angel 24 hours a day, never cries, sleeps on "schedule," "eats good" and all the other things that are supposed to be "good" about a kid. He's a normal human...he has good days and bad days. He has his preferences and mannerisms just like anybody else.

I wish we wouldn't measure good and bad this way. I read a blog post recently and be damned if I can remember what the blog was called but it talked about this very thing that made so much sense, it reminded me and my DH not to judge him as good or bad but normal.

So I hate it when people ask if he's a good baby...because they are expecting the answer yes and dont really give a shit about all the daily hassles and troubles that come with raising a normal baby. If I respond with anything other than yes, then I'm complaining, condescended to or dismissed. I'll gladly take a question about nursing anytime over the good baby question.

It seems that mothers can never be honest about raising their kids because there is all sorts of judgment and less than helpful comments that come with it. I think this is detrimental because new mothers don't get the right information about what it can be really like to raise a child. Its also detrimental to the mother that doesn't have an outlet. We seek support for "safe" topics with other people, we don't seek an ear to listen to our difficulties or the emotional toll that this can bring.

Most days are a joy, most moments are unforgettable, my heart bursts with happiness. Other days are so damn hard, so damn exhausting, so damn hair-graying, I briefly consider drinking and recreational pot use.

And I am so damn lucky. So so lucky and so so blessed.

Even though he's been driving me right up the nut house since Monday, he is a fabulous little human being and you're damn right...he is "good."

Funky. Funkeriffic. Funkified.

In a word. In a funk.

The last few weeks have been hard.

I dont really know why.

I have nothing to add to this blog right now mostly because I find myself boring.

So why write about boring things? My day-to-day doesnt change much. My son is still beautiful, still makes me laugh, still stresses me out sometimes, still makes me smile through it all.

Im feeling very disconnected from myself and my DH. It seems that 1000% of my life and focus is on my baby and that is not healthy at all.

Oh and to add to the misery is the continuing job woes. So glad I spent a small mortgage worth of money on my education to get shit-canned before even getting an interview. So glad I hear how smart I am and how good I am at my work but never get hired for something worthwhile. Even better....it stresses out my DH which is in turn put on me again and adds to the pressure. Again. Its not his fault but its not pleasant. This process really adds to...rather rips to shreds, chews up and explosively shits out my self-worth if you know what I mean.

Awesome.

No wait...

This boy is awesome. He gets it from his father.

6 Months!!

Mon bébé précieux,

Today you are 6 months old! To mark this special milestone our day looked like this:

Maman got you dressed in a onesie and diaper for your annual monthly picture with your tall penguin on the chair in your room. Its been so fun to chronicle these monthly pictures and your growth and it is amazing to see the changes.

You practiced sitting, safely tucked between Maman's legs and with many toys to keep your attention and stimulate your imagination.

We took a nap together this afternoon. You rested peacefully on my chest and I immediately recalled the first moment you laid on my chest after your birth. It was as beautiful today as it was then. It makes Maman very emotional thinking about it.

When Papa got home, we had dinner together. You got your very first taste of food today. We tried mashed sweet potato. Not your favorite thing. Then we tried some mashed banana...nope that was a no go as well. You did enjoy your first taste of water but I think that was more because it helped wash down the food. We'll try again tomorrow.

After your bath, Maman put you to bed and reflected on the last month. Not much has changed since month 5 other than you are more sturdy when you sit but sometimes your head still takes you in all sorts of directions. You get very upset when you bonk your head on the floor. You are still only rolling onto your tummy but you did roll back...just twice. You get frustrated very easily when on your belly. You're also pushing your butt into the air so you're practicing some crawling moves. I think it will be awhile yet.

When you are eating, you make sweet little noises and grunts and then come off Maman's breast with great flourish and a big smile. It is hilarious and makes Maman laugh a lot.

We are still waiting to hear some baby giggles and your voice is very soft yet though sometimes you let out a scream that gets our attention! You also have the attention of Figaro the cat and sometimes he'll lay on the carpet close to you and lick your hand or forehead. He gets your attention too, you are curious when he walks by or licks you.

You are teething something fierce but so far nothing has come out. Maman requested that the Tooth Fairy surrender those teeth soon, on the promise that she would get them back in 4-7 years...provided she swap for shiny quarters! :)

Your favorite toys are your rings, your dragonfly, your baseball rattle, and your penguins. You love to be sung to and you love when Maman reads to you as well.

As for your parents, we have hit our stride finally and feel somewhat normal again....a new normal of course. The days aren't as long as they once were for Maman but some days are still very hard. Papa loves coming home to us and has the happiest face for his son. Papa plays the Lion Game with you. Papa pretends he is a lion and crawls around on all four's, growling, pawing and then "attacking" your neck. It makes you smile and distracts you when Maman is trying to get you dressed for bed. We are getting better at this parenting thing though every day is something new.

Maxim, you are our most precious joy, the light of our days, our world. Even when Maman and Papa have bad days, you make us smile. Even on your bad days, you still smile. You have changed our hearts in ways you cant possibly imagine. Maman cant find the words to describe how beautiful you are, how loving you are and how much my heart swells with love for you. All I know is that you have fundamentally changed me as a person for the good, you have changed my heart and you have changed my perspective on life. We cannot wait to see what the next 6 months bring, not hoping things will speed up but savoring every single moment with you.

We love you sweet boy!

Happy Halloween

Maxim and PeeWee

K, the meeting will start...thanks for showing up Monsieur Polar and Bonhomme. Bonhomme, Bonhomme, c'est tout jouer...

Maman!! Was that you or Figaro?!

Maman, I have no words...

Well hello there PeeWee, nice of you to show up.

Alright PeeWee. Do your worst.

Victory is mine!!