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Six months. It has been slow yet fast at the same time. I’ve learned that I need to back off on some things, I can’t do it all. And while realizing that I needed to say no was hard, it has been SO good for our family.
Seth is finishing up some of his kindergarten books this spring, others he will continue in even though he is technically starting first grade in the fall. I have loved the Horizon’s books that we have used this year but I think we might look into other curriculums for Math. Seth is reading so well and I think a lot of that is due to reading out loud to him- he is introduced to different words and learns how to use them, going at his pace- I’m really trying not to push him, and making sure that he is having fun while reading. If he starts getting whiny or cries, we finish up the section we were on and then put it away.
Cameron is starting to want to “do school” like Seth, so we signed him up for a library program that encourages parents to read 1000 books to their children before Kindergarten. Most days he picks out a couple of short books for us to read together and then he also listens to a longer chapter or two from our pre-nap chapter book. We just finished Little Town on the Prairie and I think we will be reading either The Adventures of Tom Sawyer {Great Illustrated Classics} or Caddie Woodlawn next.
Ben and his team finished up a great basketball season. We had three tournaments on three consecutive weekends in February and March so that made things a bit hectic for a while. Now we’re trying to get used to having Daddy home in the evenings again. Walleye season is here which means that Ben will head down to the Detroit River, if the weather is good, to get some fresh fish for the freezer. I’m also hoping he will be able to get some Steelhead this spring, it’s like Salmon, and nice for a change of pace in the fish dinner department.
Andrew- Six months
At six months Andrew is now sitting without assistance, army crawling, and getting into everything. On the bright side of having a mobile little one is the fact that my floors have been so clean lately. The other day he actually started to go down the hall {I’m still meaning to do a home tour for you all sometime} and I realized I had to worry about the basement door being shut now. I’m sure eventually there will be a trip down the stairs, but I’m hoping it isn’t for a long time, and that it happens at Nana’s or Grandma’s ‘cause they have softer landings then we do.
I’m not sure how much Andrew weighs at the moment, but if we go by my way of weighing him at Nana’s then he is over 17 pounds. Pretty sure he is the biggest baby so far, which is crazy since he was born at 35 weeks. We’ll see what his weight and length are at his well child next week.
Andrew still hasn’t giggled, but he gets the biggest smile on his face when he thinks something is funny. He talks and coos when he wants, usually in the morning right after he wakes up or in the middle of the night when he and momma are having midnight feeding cuddles.
Speaking of midnight feedings, Andrew nurses between two and three times per 10-12 hour night. None of my boys have slept through the night until 15-18 months. If you go by the technical term of sleeping through the night, 6 hours, usually happens around one year, and the adult term, 10-12 hours, happens between 15-18 months. Since it seems common for my boys to do this, I’m not too worried about it and figure when it happens it happens.
We will probably start solids with Andrew sometime this month. I have squash sitting on the counter waiting for me to cook it up, I just haven’t done it yet. Andrew will not be eating any grains until at least 18 months because babies don’t produce the enzymes needed to break carbohydrates down until around 1 ½ years. I’m also hoping that this will help him to be able avoid food intolerances later in life.
Momma- Six months postpartum
I mentioned in the last update that I would be getting some BioMeridian testing done in early March and I did have that done. It seems I have some metal issues, so I’m taking a special herbal tincture to help my body detox from that. I also show signs of yeast overgrowth, no surprise, and learned that I’m not digesting fats properly. So I’m taking some digestive enzymes, hydrochloric acid, apple cider vinegar tablets, and probiotics.
I’ve been reading a really great book by Dr. Josh Axe lately called Eat Dirt and I’m learning quite a bit from it. All of my issues, Hashimotos Thyroiditis, Candida overgrowth, Eczema, and food intolerances, are signs of leaky gut. I’m not surprised by this, but I will be following the protocol he recommends in the hopes that I will be able to conquer these. It seems like the “Eat Dirt Protocol” {that is just my name for it} is very similar to the GAPS diet, but it breaks things down into more specific groups and disorders.
I’m trying to train for the Fifth Third Riverbank Run in May, but honestly I haven’t been too good with that so far. I’m going for a long, hilly run this weekend and then I need to sit down and schedule out my plan of attack.
Ben and I decided that it would be best if I cut back on some activities in hopes that I wouldn’t feel so overwhelmed some days. It was a hard decision, but it has helped a lot. Our house is cleaner, I don’t have so much anxiety, and I think I’ve been more patient with the boys. We are still working on having a more defined schedule, but I also want to be flexible and be able to go with the flow.
I have two mother’s helpers and one comes each week to help out with the boys while I teach piano. They are such a blessing to me. At first I was resistant to the idea of getting the second one, but I’ve been so blessed to have the helping hand around.
Tips for other mommas who are in the midst of the first year postpartum:
*if you are feeling overwhelmed, admit it. Talk to someone. Ask for help. Hire a mother’s helper or a cleaning service. Maybe even a postpartum doula if there is one around.
*drop some activities, even if they are “good” things. Stick to what is needed for now.
*be encouraged that this is just a season. You will get back to your “normal” life eventually.
*continue to make time for you. Try to ignore those feelings of momma guilt. You can’t give 100% to your family if you aren’t taking time to recharge.
*nourish your body with the best foods you can. This is important for your health and for your baby if you are breastfeeding.
*eat off paper plates. ‘Cause it is easier.
*make simple meals that center around protein {it doesn’t have to be meat!}
*remember the greatness of our Heavenly Father
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