This week in milestones...

So I realize these particular posts are probably only really interesting to, well... us, and maybe grandparents, but I like that I have a place to log these things so we can keep track of all this fast growth!  We're less than 2 weeks away from 6 months (how did that happen?) and Beau seems to be right on track with where he "should" be in the milestone department.  I kind of hate the "shoulds" because really they all get there when they get there and there's no use in feeling crappy about why your baby isn't where he "should" be if they just need a little more time! Each milestone comes when it comes and for us they're all exciting no matter when they happen!

This week Beau has definitely increased his strength in sitting alone.  He's almost there completely!  He's been able to sit propped forever... something crazy like 8 weeks, but lately he's really been trying to sit on his own a ton.  He can definitely do the "tripod sit" (where he balances with his hands) and still timbers over occasionally but it's just crazy how quickly he turned into my little sitter!  And he's all about trying to do sit ups while lying down. Too cute!  (And we're clearly going to be in trouble once he does master that one... diaper changes I can see are already becoming a squirmy challenge!)


He's been rolling over this way and that for some time now as well, but nothing was ever all that consistent.  He'd have a day here and there where he'd roll over a million times but then a few weeks would pass and he wouldn't roll once.  He'd also started rolling over in bed but would completely freak out crying because he didn't want to be there and didn't seem to remember that he could actually get himself out of this little predicament.  Yesterday was the first day that I looked into the monitor to find him sleeping on his tummy!  I couldn't believe it since he usually has a fit.  I hoped that this would give us a longer nap (and tried to trust that he could breathe ok!)... I know I sleep best on my tummy, but alas it didn't help.  Once he woke up I saw his head lift and look around like a turtle... then I imagine he got confused and the tears started.  I also woke to him fussing in the night in this same situation.  I have no idea if he'd been sleeping on his tummy prior to waking that time, or if he had just flipped and got upset by it.  But now that this seems to be a recurring theme, I'm hoping that he'll start sleeping a little better... one can dream.


And finally, we have a Chatty Charlie over here!  He's been quite the vocal one for months now, finding his voice more and more every day, but this last week I remember thinking that I had heard a "da-da" or two mixed in his usual chatter.  Prior to that we had a ton of squealing and oohs and ahs and grunts and just general noisiness.  But I can now say he has officially found his consonants!  It's amazing to me how one day you think he slipped in a "da-da" to now.... "dadadadadadadada..." (all day!).  Poor Andy... we joke that he thought I was talkative!  The man can't get a word in edgewise between and Beau and me!   Thankfully I know not to take too much stock in his first word of choice... seeing as though it's the easiest consonant to say rather than necessarily his favorite parent ;)

I realize this video is kind of anti-climactic but the monitor video is easiest because he can't see me capturing it!  Oh, and that yucky noise in the background is me stirring my oatmeal.  Awesome.

Oh... and Beau thinks it's hilarious when I say "da-da-da" or "be-be-be" to him (I try "ma-ma-ma" but the d's and b's are clearly funniest!)  It's like he's thinking "YES!  That's what I'VE been saying!  You get me mom, you REALLY get me!" (Or more realistically he likes the tickles).  I'll attach a video of that below.  But I have to say capturing these moments on video is getting harder and harder.. he's totally on to us and stops everything and is just mesmerized by the camera these days.  So we try the sneak attack with the camera which works every once in a while.  Please excuse the old haggard lady in this video.  She's not a looker, but she's the woman I um hired to take care of my baby :)

So that's this week!  Goodness this time is going quickly!

The Tired Hamster

So here it is almost 6 months after Beau was born and I've had so many thoughts running through my mind... a gazillion really... about things I'd love to sit down and blog over.  But up until now I've always opted to sleep whenever I get a (rare) spare moment and so it seems that the hot topics of my mind have often passed me by.  So many thoughts and decisions and highs and lows have come and gone.. (and cycled their way back in, because hey, over-thinking is what i do best.), and yet I always talked myself out of writing about them.  Lately I'd been thinking about the fact that my first blog, Journey of the Bump, was created for sharing my professional life as a doula... aka all things pregnancy and birth. And yes, while that melded into my personal life as I began my own journey into motherhood, I sort of froze once the posts (in my head) were no longer about my work.  I thought "no one would want to read about that... it's not about being a doula."  So I've decided to put an end to that concern and just start a separate personal blog to share this journey of motherhood that I'm taking.  Just wee ol' me trying to figure out how to be the best mother that I can be while learning as I go.  No professional opinion or advice, but a voice that I know many other new mamas can clink their one late- night glass of wine to... a place to commiserate.  I had NO IDEA how helpful that would be prior to having a baby.  But once those littles arrive, you find yourself scouring the internet at all hours of the night for just a nugget of like-mindedness from someone else going through it with you.  So here's my nugget offering :)

I've also wanted something to look back on in the future to remember this amazingly special time in my life. I'm really seeing how fast this parenting journey flies. You hear that one all the time... "don't blink, before you know it they're grown", but oh. my. god... It's unreal.  I also want Beau to have something to look back on and read when he's older. Oh and I want to share my life with my friends and family since nowadays it's that much harder to pick up a phone and catch up with anyone.  And within all of those things, what I really want is clarity of mind, and maybe a smidge of peace and harmony~ and quite frankly I often find it through writing. I didn't say anything about good writing (or correct grammar)... in fact I love that I have my own little place where I can write exactly the way that I think or speak without worrying about formulating a sentence correctly...because let's be honest, these days I'm so tired that I can hardly think of simple words that I want to say, much less a proper sentence! So I vote for real and authentic over proper.  K.. you've been warned.

The name of my blog, The Tired Hamster, is devoted to just this.  One tired mama who has a tired ass hamster running constantly on a wheel of thoughts in her mind... all the time.. never ending.  Worrying, over-thinking, trying SO friggin hard to make the best decisions, the right decisions, trying to shield my baby from pain or harm (or germs!) without completely sheltering him (...too much), and trying to play detective and doctor all in one each and every day so that I can "figure out" this amazing little person and all that he goes through... all the while realizing that I'll never really figure him out, and then realizing that I actually don't need to... (ha, told you I may no longer make any sense!).  It's late, it's a rough start.  But I wanted to at least get my butt on here and type something.  Anything.  I've made some new friendships through this whole motherhood thing and deepened some others along the way.  One of my friends and I like to refer to our motherly craziness as our hamster just cycling away in our minds... {you know who you are, Loblolly!}... and hence The Tired Hamster was born.  So here we go.  I hope I can find the time to make something of this little space, and for those of you who would like to join in my crazy, you are welcome to follow along!  (Come on...Don't even play like you're not cray too!)

OH.. and I'm crafty too.  ha.  I've always wanted to post my many DIY's somewhere... and I may end up starting yet another blog for that because for some reason it seems that I need to compartmentalize my various interests, but I'd like to think that I can add them here.  So while I reheat my tea for the millionth time today and kick up my heels, I'm excited to begin this new little project that I can hopefully find time to enjoy :)