So other than a quick post a couple of weeks ago, I've been MIA... well, in the blog world, at least! I wrote about our bathroom renovation on July 17, 2010 - that was eight months ago, and the day our baby was due to be born.
He decided to wait five days longer...
August Dylan Johnson was born at home on July 22, 2010 at 2:56pm. He was 10 lbs and 21 inches. Labor and birth was fast, and dare I say, painless! Under the amazing care of our
CHOICE midwives, Abby and Jill, we couldn't have had a more perfect and beautiful experience!
Eight months later, August is a happy, smiley baby, full of personality. It's been so fun to watch him grow and change. Everyone says it... blah, blah, blah... but's it's true... they grow up so fast!
In the last eight months, we've changed a lot of these...
Our favorites are FuzziBunz One Size, but we also have some BumGenius 3.0, and we started with organic cotton prefolds and Thirsties covers when he was little.
We've done a lot of this...
And we worked HARD for it too - three different lacation consultants, four appointments with the last one, several hundred dollars, many many tears, a push to supplement with formula from the pediatrition, and dozens of obsessive (on my part) weight checks.
Alison Hazelbaker helped relieve some minor torticollis and improve his suck with CranioSacral Therapy. I had never heard of such a thing, but I was so stubborn and determined to make breastfeeding work that I was willing to try anything - quitting wasn't an option. We are so grateful for finding Alison - not only did she help us through the physical aspects of breastfeeding, but she validated my instincts as a mother at a time when I could not have been full of so much doubt in myself. I'm proud that August has been 100% breastfed, nursing and taking bottles of pumped milk - not only because I know it's what is best, but also because the nursing relationship is priceless, and it represents perseverance and success and the great lengths that parents go to for their child.
I went back to work, training my loyal clients, about six weeks after August was born. We're so fortunate to have a fabulous work/baby balance, accomodating bosses, and family willing to help out. I go to work early, Ben brings August to
Move Your Mind where he hangs in the playroom until I'm done working late morning. Three days a week, Grandma and August get to hang out while I go to
F.A.N. Club for
Nationwide Children's Hospital.
We took a vacation...
August visited his first National Park, The Great Smoky Mountains, at 2.5 months old.
The holidays came, and quickly went...
August was spoiled rotten - and it wasn't by his parents!
We took swim lessons...
Because this swimmin' mama would love to have a little Speedo-clad fish on a swim team someday! (And it gave us a reason to get out of the house on cold winter Sundays!)
I organized the basement...
Because we had to make room for more boxes - boxes like these...
I've done a lot of cooking...
Much of it for a certain someone. Sweet potatoes are definitely his favorite!
We're eager for spring around here. This weekend, Ben got some maintenance done on the patio, we cleared a few flower beds, the mulch got delivered, and we took the Radio Flyer for its first spin. Now if only it would warm up just a little!
We have many more projects ahead. Yesterday we made list:
- babyproof - August is thisclose to crawling and is testing his pulling up abilities
- change over the bed linens for spring and summer
- wash the windows - HATE this job!
- patio maintenance - sunken pavers need repaired
- spread all that mulch!
- touch up the patio furniture with another coat of stain
- maybe sew some new outdoor furniture covers?
- maybe do new porch flooring and ceiling?
- go hiking at a Metro Park or State Park
- get the bikes tuned up
Ah, so much to do, so much to do! We'll get there - it just won't be as fast as our projects happened pre-Gus!
