Nolan: eight months old


I started thinking about our summer vacation coming up, feeling like I had very little time to organize everything. And then I realized our trip is the week after Nolan turns one.

Nolan, turning one year old.

What?!?! {sigh}


Just a few weeks ago Nolan had his well-baby exam and was right at 17 1/2lbs and 28" tall but I swear he's grown taller because all of his size 6-9mo clothes actually fit. They seemed so baggy and long on him when I first washed and hung everything up. He's still in a size 3 Pampers Swaddlers diaper (Swaddlers stop at size 3 and you have to move either into a Baby Dry or a Cruisers and I'm sad about that, sort of silly I know) and is still wearing his 6-9mo pajamas though those are looking snug. The most obvious sign of his growth is the fact that I had to move his exersaucer to the highest setting and he can still stand up out of the seat! He still looks like an infant in his infant car seat though we have Emily's convertible Britax cleaned and ready to go for when he's ready now that she's moved on to the Britax Frontier harness-to-booster seat.


I'm still breastfeeding five times a day (upon waking up, after each of his two to three naps, and before bed) and we are experimenting with giving Nolan solids three times a day. He's gone through an enormous growth spurt this past week and had a touch of a stomach virus, both of which left him completely uninterested in eating solids but we still offered for consistency purposes. I have his little high chair up on the kitchen counter so I can feed him and Emily and prep future meals or clean up but he's spending so much time craning his neck around the side of his chair to see Emily that little eating happens. I think I'll move it to a dining room chair in the dining room and sit Emily across from him so he can see her. She can eat with him or do homework and I can cook and clean up later.


Nolan sleeps through the night 11-13 hours on his tummy! A brand new thing for him is being a tummy sleeper (like his Aunt Jenny!). He rolled to his side and slept on his side for a few days and then rolled all the way over and seemed to really like it. Some times he's completely flat and straight and other times his knees are pulled under him making his butt go up in the air. So cute! He's also napping very regularly, about every two hours, in his mini crib. He goes down easily and quietly and sleeps on his tummy. His naps still range from 45minutes to 2 hours and occur two to three times a day. His total sleep in a 24 hour period is 14-15 hours, which is just right so, we don't stress about nap length. He's up around 6-6:30am every day and is asleep around 5:30-6pm every night.


During the day, Nolan loves time in his jumperoo, exersaucer, sitting up in his high chair, playing with his blocks and musical toys, tummy time on the floor, being worn in the ergo, going on walks in the stroller, running errands in the car, and bath time. Especially bath time! He's so quiet and happy to just be, it's easy to forget he's there. He never ever cries, I'm not sure I even know what his cry sounds like because I haven't heard it since he was a newborn! He screeches and huffs and groans and makes this sound like you're clearing your throat. He's very reserved and observant; he turns his head when he hears Emily, myself or David and loves to watch the cat slink across the room. He plays with his feet, pulling off his socks, and loves to put his hands in my mouth. He's very ticklish under his arms, along his rib cage, and loves when you blow raspberries on his tummy.


His two little bottom teeth have grown in quite a bit, you can see them when he flashes you a big smile, which Emily is getting more and more these days.


Besides rolling from his back to his tummy (and back), Nolan is up on all fours and rocking like it's his job! All day, even at night while getting comfortable. He pops up so fast and I have seen him twice now reach for a toy while up on all fours. My bet is that he starts crawling before 10 months! He has also, ummm... "discovered his manhood" as David calls it. It was bound to happen, right? Any time his diaper is off, his grabbing and pulling at it, but the worst is when he has a poopy diaper because he's so fast and poop ends up every where. Lord. We seem to have his eczema under control with Cortizone cream and less frequent bathing, which is a nice change from last month.


Emily is such a great big sister, we really could've have asked for a better experience, having a second child. She loves to read to him the books she's made and things she's written, we just have to be careful not to let him get to her things and tear them up! ;)


Life is very manageable, easy, and fun these days! My kids' personalities, their age difference, the support I have from David, family and friends, and my own ability to juggle our crazy daily life all contribute to me feeling this way. Nolan is very predictable (for now) and, with Emily in school from 8-2 two days a week and 8-1 the other three days, it's almost like I only have one child most of the time. There isn't a lot of time in between naps right now to do much but we have fun with the time we have. I'm really looking forward to Music Together and Gymboree as well as Mom & Baby yoga, swim, and some play dates as Nolan gets a little bit older and his naps are further apart in the day.

Comments

  1. What a good little guy! He's adorable and a nice mix of you and your husband. So funny about him "discovering" himself. I guess that's what I have to look forward to...

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  2. Our babies are growing too fast!! :) I just love his hair, such a cute lil guy!!

    Adelyn has the very same high chair & toy!! And reading your update sounds just like Adelyn...even the tummy & side sleeper part!!

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