First Father's Day

 This blog is dedicated to my two favorite boys...My baby boy and his amazing Daddy!  These are two peas on a pod if I've ever seen it.  Nick has amazed me at how quickly he has taken to loving his role as a dad.  He is protective, responsible, loving, affectionate, (increasingly) patient, and literally obsessed with this little boy.  It has been such a blessing giving my hubby a first born son, what a cool and amazing thing?! For Nick's first Father's day, Wyatt helped me make "man style" pancakes, which basically just means I fried and egg and stuck it on top of his stack of cakes (thanks for the idea, Corrie) and we ended up staying home and watching church online this week.  Wyatt went down for an early nap, which was strange but he was obviously very tired, so that threw a wrench in going to church, so we took the morning off and watched it in Nick's "man cave.."  see a resounding theme???  Pastor Rummage gave some very wise words of wisdom and guidance to all the Fathers in the audience.  I took some notes, I'm going to record them here so we can refer back whenever we want!

1. Always honor Mom (woot woot!!! Go pastor!!)

2. Teach children respect

3. Provide spiritual direction (you are a mirror, thermostat, and compass to them)

4. Encourage your children (tell them they have what it takes and that you love them.)

5. Invest quality time

6. Walk with God.

Colossians 2:6-7

Just as you received him, WALK WITH HIM.

This was his basic message for the day. 

 This is one of my absolute favorite pictures!! My two boys huggin' and squeezin' and laughing together.  Wyatt and Nick have such a beautiful connection as father and son.  I can't wait to see the fun they have and what amazing things Nick will get to teach Wyatt growing up.

The rest of our Father's day we spent doing some of Nick's favorite things.  We went to Tampa Bay Brewing Company for lunch and sat outside.  Wyatt loved this because there were lots of other people and kids around and he also could see the cable car passing by from where we were sitting.  It was a beautiful day.  We made sure to have some real manly food too....sliders with all kinds of things on them..and of course a mug of home brew.  We spent the afternoon just enjoying the day as a family.  The new dad's last request(s) was to order pizza (which we have not done in almost 8 months because of the elimination diet I had been on so that I could breastfeed Wyatt).  So ordering pizza was  BIG DAY in this house over the weekend!!  And lastly, he cutely asked if we could watch a tough guy movie in the man cave once Wyatt went to bed.  Of course I said YES! So we bunked up in the man cave after our pizza and watched "Saving Private Ryan", which I had never seen, amazingly enough.  Nick mentioned that I should take notes on this Father's day and remember all the details because it was perfect.  That is what BLOGGING is for!! Because my pea brain will forget in like 5 days what we did on Sunday.  It truly was a great weekend. 

Weaning

Not the best quality pictures in the world...but just a reminder of those early days...having my little snuggle bunny so comfy sound asleep on me.  PRECIOUS!  I will never forget how that feels.  

 I somewhat abruptly weaned Wyatt last week.  It has been a constant battle trying to make his tummy comfortable and minimize the acid reflux.  I was determined to nurse him for as long as I could and give him the best possible start in life, as well as that bonding experience between me and him.  I was anxious, sad, excited, hormonal, and so many other things once I needed to stop.  I was weaning gradually because he needed to gain a little weight, which he was not getting sufficient calories from nursing anymore.  He actually seemed to gain quickly and had more energy, and was also less fussy on the hypoallergenic formula as opposed to breast milk.  We were reaching that point of needing to do what is best going forward, as sad as it is to leave this beautiful stage of motherhood behind.  So I have been in the process of stopping milk production (not fun).   Basically my mood swings are ridiculous and I just feel over all emotional!!  It's quite silly.  Today I am feeling MUCH better, day 4 of no nursing.  I'm anxious for my body to go back to normal...hopefully within a week or so, we will see.  Another manly progression of the weekend, I guess.  Wyatt moving on to bigger and better things!! (bottles).  It has been such a bitter sweet transition, but I'm sure there will be MANY more of those to come as a mother.  So, I didn't necessarily get to my goal of nursing him for a year, but I also had no idea I'd be on an elimination diet of milk and soy proteins....considering that's the curve ball God threw me, I'd say I'm pretty proud of myself.  Almost 8 months of having to obsess over everything I ate just so that he would not have a reaction was equivalent to like 2 years of nursing a baby that has no issues!!!  That's what I'm going to tell myself anyways.  So cheers to Wyatt, to his daddy, to mommy having some freedom, and to many more milestones to come.  

Foodies.

It seems like everyday he is learning or accomplishing something new.  It's amazing how quickly he catches onto things...smart little booger that's for sure.  This week he has been trying lots of new foods...I think we are at the point where it's pretty safe for him to experiment a little as long as we stay away from the NO NO list!  Today Wyatt had pears and banana mashed into his oatmeal for breakfast.  I make most of his food using the Baby Bullet, which I love..but not everything is so simple or readily available.  I like the organic Plum pouches of baby food or Earth's best because they're organic also.  Today we tried quinoa cooked in chicken brother.  Nick and I have been eating a lot of it lately because it is so healthy and way cheaper at Costco by the way.  (It's also easy for me to eat with the pain from the braces)

So here's what I did...

1 cup dry quinoa

2 cups chicken broth

bring to fierce boil

reduce and cover 20 minutes

VOILA!

For baby dukes' lunch I spooned a little of the creation into his little bowl along with about half an avacado and mashed it in real well and served it up!  He LOVED IT.  He will be eating more quinoa I can tell already.  It's such a perfect food so I hope he digests it easily.  

 We have also been experimenting with the "puffs" that are so famous at this stage of infancy.  Ahh the joys of letting him learn to pick things up and eat on his own...well not quite.  At least he is picking them up..boy has got good hand-eye coordination.  As far as getting them in his mouth- we are working on it.  I usually end up putting them in his mouth and he gums at them until they dissolve.  Today we tried dipping his puffs into hummus...yummmmm....he's tried hummus before because mommy stands around and picks at it everyday.  Here he is playing in his saucer having some puffs.  (organic happy bellies green variation of puffs).

Little dude is getting big and strong.  He's a lean machine.  Sometimes I wonder if I'm feeding him enough but honestly the kid eats whatever/whenever I tell him and sleeps great...I guess that's all that matters!  

For my own future reference, with Wyatt's milk intolerance, we've been using Enfamil's high dollar stuff called Nutramigen Lipil.  It's broken down so babes like him can digest it without having colic/severe gas, rashes, etc again.  (it was AWFUL when he was newborn due to the milk protein in my diet...took weeks to eliminate it, and a lot of sleepless nights and even more tears). I started using some formula recently because I was making less and less at night when I would pump.  He prefers at bottle at bedtime, and honestly so does mommy because it gives me a little break from nursing.  So when he was like 4 months we started bedtime bottle and from then on out I'd pump before bed...welll....long story short it became futile to even pump at night because I was making less and less, thus now he gets formula at bedtime.  Eventually I may make the switch all together but haven't made that decision yet.  We tried a couple of different formulas mixed with the spendy stuff to see if he could tolerate it now that he's 7 months old.  Didn't go well.  Three nights of getting a mixture of Nutramigen and Good start Soothe, he was a grumpy, screaming, gassy mess until about 9 pm (bedtime is 7 pm nightly).  Poor guy- we have been taking turns going in to rock him and help him pass his gas.  Moral of the story...if Wyatt gets formula ITS THE EXPENSIVE stuff. 

 But, it is good that he can tolerate something other than breast milk well.  I'm tiring of being ragingly hungry, yet miraculously dairy free, even the hidden milk that's in sneaky stuff...now top that with SUPER sore teeth from getting my braces cranked every few weeks- eating is as much of a challenge for me as it is for him sometimes!!  SIGH.  enough of that- it is a JOY :)  

James 1:2-5 says it.

 ² Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, (and breast feeding mommies) whenever you face trials of many kinds,³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you (and your sweet little baby) may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
my emphasis, obviously, although Jesus should consider adding this in.

7 Months Old.

 So just a quick recap on our Tropical Storm Beryl party at Mimi's house...then we will get to the 7 month update...

Boys and their toys...anything they can bang repeatedly on the ground, various pieces of furniture, their heads, our heads, is perfect for these dudes...The maracas, as I like to call them, have a superior rattle feature that surpasses any rattle I have ever seen...thus...they stay at Mimi's so they do not get lost :)
Curran (11 months next week) and Wyatt (7 months today), just jammin.  

Isabelle showed up prepared for the storm with her head lamp...and we later realized if we were to lose power she would be the only one prepared...thankfully we did not lose power!

Curran posing for the camera....not quite walking but pulling himself up, walking while holding on to things as seen here.  

Hello Kitty Stickers for all!  Thanks Izzy. 

It was Memorial Day, after all.  At least Jeff and Curran were dressed patriotically. 

attempting to get a photo of the cousins snuggled next to Wyatt's giant bear...this was the best I got...

Playing in the baby Einstein saucer 

You know life is good when your house is starting to remind you of Chuck-E-Cheese, or the like.  Nick likes to tease me and say that I am subconsiously putting Wyatt through "Circuit training" with all his gadgets...maybe it just comes as second nature to me now?!?!?  
Not that anyone else cares, but I took a couple pictures of the living room and kitchen, which is the most trafficked in the house, so that I can cherish the MESS forever!!!  

TODAY is Wyatt's 7 month anniversary for entering the world!  He has continued to capture our hearts just as he did the day he was born.  His latest milestones...

rocking on hands and knees

almost crawling

sitting up all day

drinks from a sippy cup

likes everything we've let him try

no teeth...yet...

loves sweet potatoes and salmon

still spits up like a mad man

loves to go to publix

still breastfeeding...wow..

still sucking two middle fingers (so cute but will be hard to break later I'm sure!)

7 pm bedtime, 7 am rise/feeding.  AMEN TO THAT!

has started eating puffs, but cannot feed himself yet (or doesn't want to..)

loves his squeaky giraffe (sophie)

Those are the major highlights that I can think of... All I know is that he is the cutest little dude ever.  Nick and I constantly are saying how the heck did we make such a stud!!!  

As for us- we are just truckin' each day.  Enjoying life as mommy and daddy, it is so sweet!  Nick is so in love with his little buddy, he even bathes him EVERY NIGHT!! How awesome is that?  Other moms can appreciate that I'm sure.  Occasionally he takes a night off, but I'm glad to do it because 90 percent of the time Nick bathes him and they play and laugh and it is just the most precious thing!  

 It wouldn't be bath time without a little ELMO!!!

For my own future reference, and anyone in the same position with a sensitive skinned bambino, this stuff works the best...

Now that he's splish splashing we needed some bubbles...this does really well for him and smells delicious!

 He loves his little inflatable Sesame Street bathtub.  It's perfect for the in between can't sit up-sitting up phase..Now that he is sitting up it's just the right size.  

Wyatt thinks Mickey Mouse is silly, and actually thinks Minnie is even funnier!  He doesn't watch for long, but a few minutes of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse never hurt anybody!!  "OH TOODLES!"

Wyatt is a good little traveler.  We go to Jacksonville/Ponte Vedra pretty often to visit family and celebrate various events.  We went most recently to see family and to see Isabelle's (My brother's daughter) first dance recital.  Wyatt actually thought it was quite entertaining!

Wyatt got to snuggle with his Great Grandmother at the recital.

He is so blessed to have 4 great grandparents!!  

Bobba and Big Daddy

Handsome like his daddy, a fancy night at Capital Grill with Mimi and Nana, Wyatt's grandmother and other great grandmother (need a pic Nana!)

Sitting out on the inter-coastal at CAPS!

Delicious seafood with a view...thanks for the treat G-daddy and BG!

Getting a snuggle from G-Daddy.

(my daddy)

Hangin at the pool with G-Daddy and BG after lunch, waiting on Tropical Storm Beryl...

 Wyatt loves the pool, he doesn't do much splashing yet, but we are getting there!!  My dear friend, Corrie, has an awesome pool old Florida style!  Big and no screen!  It's so fun, we just bop around and enjoy the sunshine...usually he is completely covered with swim clothes on, this picture is probably making his grandma's cringe because he's practically naked!! TRUST ME he was lathered in sunscreen and we were only out for a few minutes, due to the impending storm!!

Mimi always workin'!  She works hard so she can spoil the rest of us :)  Love you Mommy.

Think she had anything to do with Wyatt's good looks???

I see one STRIKING resemblance...

This picture is of Jeff and Erin with Isabelle after her recital, she was showered with hugs, kisses, and of course FLOWERS!!  What a pretty family. 

MOMMY + DADDY = ISABELLE GRACE

This post turned out to be much longer than I expected...that's what happens when you combine baby  nap time and mommy caffeine time.  PRODUCTIVITY!!!  I need to capture these moments when I can!!  In my quiet time with God today, I was brought again to a scripture that has been popping up lots lately...

Deuteronomy 11:18-21

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁸ Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. ¹⁹ Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.²⁰ Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, ²¹ so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.

I am thankful for all of our family, Whitaker's, Hulling's, McAuliffe's, Dryer's, and everyone in between!!!  Let the days of our children be many!

 

My 6 month old baby.

My heart is overflowing as I look at the photos from Wyatt's 6 month photo shoot for the first time...I cannot possibly think of a better way to bottle up his mannerisms and milestones than taking irreplaceable pictures with an amazing photographer.  Here are a few of the highlights I wanted to share...It's amazing how she captured so much of Wyatt's personality in these pictures.  These photos were taken on his six month birthday, May 4, 2012 in Sarasota at the marina.  He actually learned to sit up all on his own the night before the photo shoot, so the pictures of him sitting up are one of the very first times he ever did it, which is so special to me :)  Thank you Samantha Wacker Photography, the pictures are absolutely gorgeous, just like his newborn photos too.