Wyatt's Birthday and 1 year pictures

"On the night you were born, the moon shone with such wonder that the stars peeked in to see you and the night wind whispered, 'Life will never be the same.' Because there had never been anyone like you...ever in the world."

Today I'm celebrating Wyatt's day of birth. This year has taught me a different kind of strength, patience, and joy that I've never known before. Happy Birthday to my sweet baby boy who has changed my world forever.

Wyatt got to open some presents before his party and this is what he got! 

A chair! Wyatt has been obsessed with little chair for a few months now so when I was thinking about what to get him for his first birthday I knew this was it! He absolutely loves this chair!

 

Wyatt is all smiles on his birthday this year

Where has the year gone and first steps!

They say that when you have children that the time moves more quickly. Here I sit, on the last day of Wyatt's first year thinking just that.

I must first apologize that I've skipped two months of updating. Lots of changes have come our way and I haven't been able to keep up but I need to learn to make time to remember all of Wyatt's firsts as well as is lasts.

Wyatt has been getting stronger and stronger and although he can stand up he hasn't officially started to walk yet. We always thinks he so close but then it never fails, he drops to his knees every time. In mid-July Wyatt and I went on a visit to Grammy and Pappy's house where we all watched Wyatt take his very first steps. It was about four solid steps until he sunk to the ground. I knew at this point that he was well on his way to being a walker. Here are some pictures from that weekend.

Now to fill in the gaps of the last two months I have a long list of pictures to share. 

June-Playing in the mushroom pool

Trying on clothes from the basket

First trip to Hershey park

  

 

 

A playdate with Mason

 

Peeking

May Progress Report

I don’t talk about Wyatt’s daycare too much but I really only have great things to say about them.

Every day I get a chart that outlines nap times/lengths, feeding times/amounts, diaper changes, general mood and a few sentences about what Wyatt did that day. You can tell that the teachers who work with him genuinely enjoy having Wyatt there and I have never questioned the quality of care that he receives.

Wyatt received his very first progress report from Daycare this week. The report represents your child’s progress that is observed within a group setting. It’s a two page list of 0-12 month milestones in the following areas: language, cognitive, physical, social and emotional traits. A letter “B” represents Beginning and a letter “M” represents Mastered. Once observed, the teachers place a B or an M next to the skill or leave it blank if it has not yet been observed. All Milestones from 0-8 months have been mastered and many milestones from the 12 month category are in the beginning phase. He’s right on track in all areas and excels in the physical cognitive traits.

Listed below the score sheet are the teachers comments. This is what Wyatt’s teachers had to say about Wyatt: “Wyatt is a very happy little boy. He has an infectious smile and loves to cuddle with his teachers and play with his friends. He does a great job with his fruits and vegetables. He is able to move around the room and uses his upper body strength to push himself up onto his feet to gain balance. Soon he will be walking around the room! We are very lucky to have Wyatt and his loving personality in our room!”

The very last sheet outlines strengths of different areas and the next developmental milestones that he is expected to reach. It also lists ways to help your child learn and develop to the next level.

All in all it was a nice little treat and it’s nice to know that he’s doing so well at daycare.

Letting go and enjoying life

One Sunday morning Wyatt and I were hanging out in the kitchen together. Wyatt was crawling around, talking to the dog while I was cleaning the kitchen and making him some banana pancakes for breakfast. About 1 pancake in, Wyatt discovers how to open the bottom drawer on the island and soon the contents of that drawer all all over the kitchen floor.

My first instinct was to tell him no, that he couldn't play with that stuff and to shove everything back in the drawer and close it. As I was about to do this I pondered "Why". Nothing in that drawer is a danger to him (it's  full of bottles, sippy cups, etc) and he will do no harm by playing with those items. At first I kind of bit my lip because I'm not used to having a cluttered/unorganized house with bottle parts laying all over the floor. I am a self-proclaimed control freak when it comes to my house and seeing him throw hose toys about was like a constant scratch on my arm.

Then a few minutes pass and he's laughing and smiling and having a blast closing and opening the drawer and playing with it's contents. I then realize that its time to let go. He's having a great time and so what if my house is a little messy? I should be less fixated on the fact that there are random items on my kitchen floor and encourage him to explore, discover and learn.

After breakfast was ready, I put Wyatt into his highchair with a delicious pancake, I took 30 seconds to clean the items off of the floor. Then I look over at his face and see this staring back at me and realize that I would live with a kitchen floor full of items every day just to see that smile.

Nine Months

Pictures from month nine are coming soon*

Just as anticipated, tooth number two shortly followed tooth number one on the day of Wyatt’s 8 month Birthday. I had no idea teeth could be that sharp and why does he insist on biting things like my fingers or my arm. Wyatt definitely notices his new, pearly white teeth; He can’t stop tonguing them and biting down on objects with them. Hopefully this will soon pass and we will have a child that doesn’t stick his tongue out all the time.

 

Wyatt’s mobility has gotten really out of hand. He can sprint from the living room into the kitchen (and more specifically, into the dogs food bowl) before I can even rinse out a bottle. Four times now has he eaten dog food on my watch. He’s obsessed with crunchy snacks and foods that he can put into his mouth and the dog food just sits there day in and day out, taunting him. It’s hard not to laugh when he sprints for the bowl and immediately picks up a handful of crunchy meat flavored treats and stuffs them in his mouth but I really don’t want to make a habit of it. Dog food isn’t exactly something I wish to feed my son. Mostly because the meaty dog breath that comes from my son’s mouth is disgusting.

 

Wyatt is obsessed with things that he can’t, or should I say, shouldn’t have. Computer cords, remotes, wires, plastic bags and pretty much anything else random around the house that isn’t meant for baby hands. I could have tons of toys sprawled out across the floor and he wants to crawl to the corner of the room and play with the computer cord, or crawl over to the fireplace and try to crawl on top of it. How does he know exactly what to do to drive me nuts? Oh, and have I mentioned that if I say “NO”, he just smiles and mocks me with a loud grunt?

 

This certainly hasn’t been an easy month for parenting, or for just being an adult. This brings me to what I never thought I’d have to face; losing my job. I found out on Tuesday April 10^th that my position was being eliminated. The company I work for isn’t making enough money and have made poor financial decisions that now result in my position being eliminated. I’m absolutely heartbroken that after June 1^st, I will no longer be in HR with my current employer. This has really taken its toll on me emotionally and physically. I never imagined being in this position and I didn’t see it coming. At first I just cried. Every day, all day. I then stopped eating. After about 5 days of refusing to eat, I finally made a trip to my family physician where he put me on anti-anxiety medications. They helped me sleep at night and that’s about it. After losing a good bit of weight, I realized that I needed to try to eat, for nothing else but my family. It’s just so hard to eat, drink or think positively when you’re presented with a big change that’s out of your control. Many thoughts filled my head such as, how will I provide for my family? How will I get weekend care for Wyatt (providing I stay with my company in a different position which requires weekend work). I’m not exactly sure how I’m going to do it and I don’t feel happy or comfortable with anything right now but it doesn’t change that I’m losing my job and I need to do something. So, I’ve been applying for positions with other companies in HR, hoping that I get a an interview. I’m a little better now but my thoughts are still consumed with questions about my future and the unknown. Obviously this is something that was not expected and it’s very hard on us, but we know that with change comes opportunity. Opportunity for a better job, for better pay, and most importantly, stability. I’m not exactly sure where I’ll be in a few weeks but I’m hopeful that eventually, I’ll be in a good, secure place once again. Please continue to send us positive vibes and say a little prayer for us.

 

Luckily, I’ve had a lot of support and encouragement from my friends and family and it really does help. I have to just thank my on-line mommies group for the kind words and thoughtful gifts. They have really made this easier on me in more ways than one and for that, I am thankful.

 

I’ve been reading a lot lately. I burned through the Hunger Games trilogy just to realize how much I miss making time for reading. Maybe it’s just an excuse to escape reality, but I enjoy using my imagination. I joined a book club and hope to continue making time for me and my books.

 

With my 30^th birthday around the corner, Glen asked me what I wanted this year. Normally we don’t exchange large gifts but this year was special, so I wanted to do something different and special. I’ve decided to get a tattoo. A tattoo that represents Wyatt. A tattoo is symbolic to me and although I always wanted one, I could never decide what I wanted to get. Once Wyatt was born, I knew that I wanted to get something that symbolized him. After much thought, I decided to get a Simba tattoo from Disney’s The Lion King. Wyatt being represented by a lion (he’s a Leo) mixed with my love for Disney. I got this idea from the drawing Rifiki makes of Simba when he’s born and named the new king. Although it was painful, I’m very happy with it and believe it’s the perfect representation of my son.

 

Eight Months

 Month 8 Pictures coming soon*

The fact that by baby is now fully mobile, is a little intimidating. I’m not ready to chase around a person from room to room while guarding my cabinet doors, grabage cans, cat litter and steps. Wyatt is very curious with the world around him and now that he’s moving (forward) he’s all about exploring just about anything. This means that I can no longer leave the room for “just a minute” because when I return there is trouble often brewing. A quick trip to the bathroom means that I come back to Wyatt tipping over the trash can and playing with it’s contents. Or running to another room for a brief second means that he pulled the wipes box out, learned to open it, and is pulling out wipes like it’s the funniest thing in the world.  For weeks I’m been coaching and encouraging Wyatt to move and now I’m somewhat regretting it because I’ve created a little monster. Certianly I didn’t consider the consequances of Wyatt being able to really move around the house and what that would mean for Glen and me. These milestones happen so fast. One day, Wyatt is stationary and the next day he’s crawling across the room in a matter of seconds. It’s really impressive and intersting how they learn so quickly.

Wyatt had a very eventful month and I attribute his success with hitting milestones to starting daycare. To be honest, the first day was somewhat difficult for me. It was a reminder of how much Wyatt is growing up and how independent he’s becoming. When I dropped him off on that very first day, he instantly started smiling and cooing with the other babies and he seemed so content. He hard;y noticed that I left him that day and because of this, I shed a tear or two. I was anxious for 4:00 to come that day. So anxious that I ended up leaving work at 3:50. When I went to pick him up he was playing with the other babies and smiled at me when I picked him up. He had an amazing first day at daycare and was very well behaved. His teachers loved him! Shortly following his first day he ended up getting a stomach virus, then a cold, and finally an ear infection. Then when he was starting to feel better from the various viruses, he got a little grumpy due to the discomfort of teething. It was a rough couple of weeks. I never had to clean up so much vomit and diarrhea in my life. I guess this was my first real ‘test’ as a parent. To take care of a sick, teething baby and still be on my game.

Since starting daycare, Wyatt has learned to crawl, pull up, stand without holding onto anything (albeit only for a few seconds), sit on his knees, ask to be held (visual cues), Say dadadadadada (not associated with Dad) and say MA (associates it with me), pinch small foods and self feed, open cabinets and doors and clap. A funny moment happened very recently when Wyatt chased the cat away then proceeded to sit up and clap. It was hilarious, especially to me who isn’t a cat person. I’m really proud of his accomplishments this month.

Wyatt also has a little baby crush on a girl in his daycare named Ellie. Ellie has brown eyes and blonde hair, just like Wyatt and she was born in June of 2011. The teachers at daycare describe them as being inseparable. It started one day when Ellie fel over into the crawling position and Wyatt pinched her butt. Then another day the babies were placed on opposite sides of the room, turned away to make a bottle, then turned back to see them foot-to-foot playing together. When I bring him in, he just stares at her as if no one else is even in the room. It’s so interesting that he’s formed such a strong bond with her over the course of two weeks.

I’m incredibly biased when it comes to my son. I think he’s super adorable and sweet and his personality is infectious. He is very social and smiley and this is what I believe makes him so appealing to other people. The one teacher from the toddler room will often take him outside with her and play favorites with him because he’s so cheerful and friendly. I’m very proud of his accomplishments.

On Easter Eve, at nearly 8 months old, it happened. He got his first tooth! I anticipated that maybe he was teething because of a somewhat sour behavior (really, he just wanted to be held and cuddled more) and the draining of his nose and mouth, although this could have been left over from his cold. He had a particularly rough morning in daycare on Thursday (the 5^th of April) and I was hoping that we would see a tooth sometime soon after that. Every time I think he’s teething and nothing happens, I get discouraged. I was surprised when I actually saw the pearly white tooth in his mouth on Saturday. It is on the bottom left. I anticipate that the right one will be soon to follow.

Milestones:

Sitting on knees

Reaching to be held

First tooth (is that a milestone?)

Crawling on all fours

Properly playing with toys

Banging toys/hands

Clapping

Pulling up

Babbling

Mastered pinching motion

Personality Traits:

Likes to be held/cuddled and take weekend naps with parents

Prefers to self feed

Giggles at other people and animals

Likes to touch animals & pet their soft fur

Likes to chase the animals around the house

Tolerates getting dressed and pushes arms through sleeves

Likes to explore surroundings

I too, was afraid of the poo. A review on Cloth Diapering from a DAD!

 Written by  G.A.C, JR

Let me start off by saying that my wife only asked me to do this once.  Not because it is a subject that I am overly excited to talk about, but because I think it is something that many men have a hard time agreeing to.  I know this because I too was one of those men.  The last months leading up to our sons birth were filled with discussion.  Fears, hopes, dreams, name ideas, and poop.  I myself thought "why the hell can't we just throw it away like normal people?"  Needless to say my entire view on the subject of cloth diapering has changed.  Having used disposables on family trips and emergency situations while out shopping I can honestly say I have been converted. 

The most common misconception among my male friends when they heard we would be cloth diapering was that our house would suddenly smell like our son was using a litter box.  The truth is, the only time I have ever been able to smell the putrid bum brownies after a diaper change has been with disposables.  When using a cloth diaper most of the doo doo (said in a Bill Cosby voice for comedic effect) is either flushed down the toilet, or rinsed off with cold water.  That to me is much nicer than having the disposables festering in a trash can until they are taken outside for the flies to feast upon. 

 The rinsing of the diapers brings me to my next cloth diapering myth I aim to dispel.  "Using cloth diapers will fill your washing machine so full of crap that all of your clothes will turn brown (or green, yellow, and sometimes slightly orangish depending on the stage) and smell like rotting deer carcasses."  If you are lazy and just toss them in the washing machine I am sure you would have some issues with a single cycle.  The trick is proper prep prior to washing.  When we first began using them our son was still on a liquid diet.  Because of that the only prep needed was a quick rinse in the sink and they were ready for washing.  Now that he is on a solid/semi solid diet the only added step is to dispose of any larger solid waste first, followed by a good rinse.  My wife purchased a small wand sprayer that hooks directly up to the toilet to simplify the rinsing process.  These can easily be made with a few water fittings and some PVC.  The waste is then flushed down the toilet never to return (hopefully).

I'd also like to point out some of the obvious benefits to cloth diapering.  The first one being that you never have to make midnight trips to the store for a case of diapers.  Sure you may need to do a little more laundry, but the cost of water (sorry hippies) is far cheaper than that of disposable diapers.  I have heard some people argue that the diapers themselves are expensive, which is not entirely false.  Your wife may become addicted to collecting the fancy prints much like my own has.  The plus side of this is that she has managed to break even on every diaper she has ever purchased by reselling them as our son outgrows them.  Try reselling a disposable after it has been used.  It doesn't work well. 

Now I will admit, I am not the most green person in the world (although there is some green on me somewhere) but I do like that we are not adding to the massive amount of diapers being sent to landfills every year.  This seems to be a huge selling point for most people cloth diapering, but for us it has just been a little icing on the cake.

Although I can't say for sure because we have never used disposables for more than a few hours at a time there seems to be some health benefits.  Our son has never had any serious diaper rash.  I contribute this to the cloth being far more absorbent than the disposable materials that tend to wick moisture away from themselves like a windbreaker in the rain.  Because of the absorbency they seem to stay comfortable before being changed.  It is always nice avoiding a meltdown whenever possible. 

Hopefully this will help some men change their mind about the idea of cloth diapering.  I know that with our next child and any thereafter we will surely continue the practice.  We have had many ups and downs but overall the experience has been extremely positive.  From massive blowouts being avoided to the overall comfort our sons backside, the benefits have been well worth the extra work.  There are many brands out there, all with their own pros and cons.  Experiment and see what fits your little tike best, you will certainly find the right fit and never go back to filling your trash can with perfume scented Sesame Street characters again.