Turkey baby!

My son Brenton had his first birthday on Thanksgiving this year!  It is almost as if the last year was a collage of milestones, memories and many many pictures. I cannot imagine life without my turkey baby. He is what I am absolutely positively most thankful for this year.

He was born two days before Thanksgiving last year and his birthday will always be close to Thanksgiving, so he will always be my one and only turkey baby.  I do not refer to him as such unless it is near the day of his birth.

He doesn't remind me of a turkey because he is such a lean baby.  Perhaps if he was more of a butterball I would be inclined to give the nickname more permenancy.  Still he smiles when I tickle under his chin and I call him my turkey baby.

Two days before his birthday he began feeding himself.  Prior to that he would put the food in his hands and wave it around.  Then finally after a pancake was broken into small pieces and laid out before him on the tray of his high chair did he make the connection.

I wonder now if he realized he was scheduled to shove cake into his mouth in two days.  It was almost as if he knew it was time.  When that time came he did not disappoint.  After a round of "Happy Birthday" tunes and a candle to blow out, he had a plate of small cupcakes after his first real Thanksgiving dinner.

He started with a small taste of chocolate icing and then his eyes lit up.  It was clearly delicious.  He continued to slowly feed himself making more and more of a mess as he went then he furiously shoved his hands into the cupcakes and then into his mouth over and over. 

It was exactly what I had been waiting for. I will not forget it. The feverish moment of joy as he devoured his makshift first birthday cake. Then he began to slow down and gave me the look. My turkey baby was stuffed!!!

 

Full Grown Baby

In the past few months so much has happened. My son has become an FGB. A full grown baby! He has four teeth now. I swore he would never cut that first tooth. He chewed on his hands and drooled and drooled and drooled some more and nothing.

He pulled his ears for a solid two days at which point I made his father take him to the doctor who said no ear infection he is just teething. So I thought for sure in a few days a tooth would appear. Nope, still no tooth.

I asked friends and family who all assured me it was normal and it could take a year or maybe more. It wasn't until he was ten months old that the first small white sliver of enamel made its way through that swollen pink gum.

Then not a month later bam three more all at once. It was a reminder how quickly things change. Now Brenton smiles at me with 4 teeth. Two top two bottom right in the middle.

I love these teeth not just because they were anxiously anticipated and not just because they are my babies first teeth but also because they mean he can chew food and he can bite with them and smile and show them and someday he will brush those teeth and they will fall out and the tooth fairy will come and his permanent teeth will replace them.

My son is growing up and I am reminded to stop and look at his no longer toothless grin and enjoy the changes no matter how small and look back at how he has grown as he approaches his first birthday. Four teeth amazing! My FGB is such a little man. Now if only he would call me mama.

Bee Stings

Today was a perfect fall day.  The perfect day to head to Terhune orchards for a day of family fun.  We wandered around the farm. It turns out the baby is afraid of large furry animals.  He does not like horses or sheep.  He is uneffected by ducks and geese. I guess feathers are less scary than wool or hair.

After a picture of baby and daddy on the big farm tractor we made our way to the food tent.  We reviewed the menu of pork sandwiches and fruit salad and cider and donuts. Then it happened.  A bee.

It landed right on the baby's hand and I quickly went to shoo it away when he moved his hand into mine and he was stung.  Clear as day there was the stinger right in his fourth finger on his right hand. Without thinking I plucked it right out and waited for the crying to commence.  It didn't happen.  He was displeased, but no crying no tears.

I looked at my husband who was concerned.  He is allergic to bees.  It is not a serious allergy, but this is our baby or tiny baby and we did not know what to expect.  We hurried off to find first aid and still the baby was not upset.  Surprisingly I kept calm as well. 

A lovely older gentleman said they had analgesic to take away the sting, but because the baby was not upset or crying he advocated just putting some ice on it instead.  He got us a bag and we put it on his little hand.  It was slightly swollen and he liked the ice.  I am unsure of it was the sound of the crinkling bag or the feeling on his hand but he was soothed either way.

As a mother the fears of the unknown never cease.  Since my husband is allergic to bees we have always worried if that allergy was passed to our son. Today was a reminder that no matter how much I worry I cannot stop things from happening. I can only control my reaction to these events. 

I believe my calmness helped the baby to stay calm as well. I have to say the cider and bits of donut I gave him probably helped his mood as well; however, it is a reminder.  A reminder to react with an unruffled presence of mind as well as swiftly in those moments of uncertainty.

Our day continued and we went through the corn maze.  We watched other families with older children pick their own pumpkins.  I thought about next year and how much fun it will be for Brenton to participate in picking his very own pumpkin.

I had almost forgotten about the bee sting until we came to the candy apples and they were everywhere, so my husband took the baby away and I made the purchase. One final stop at the farm store rounded out the day.  As I put Brenton into his carseat I glanced at his slightly swollen finger and thought about how lucky we were that he is such a brave boy and also that the allergy seemed to have passed him over.

We will never forget his first trip to Terhune.  The same place I spent fall days growing up.  I look forward to next year, but without a bee sting and maybe with more donuts.

Babbling

Moms worry about their children.  It is no secret, but when it comes to development the emails we receive about what to expect and what our children should be doing is sometimes enough to tie you into knots.  They have a disclaimer that each child is different.  Surely this is true and we see it every day, so why do these expectations about progress keep us up at night?

For me it began recently when I realized Brenton is not babbling with consonants.  At 6 months many babies are stringing together mamamamas and dadadadas and bababas.  Baby B is 7 months and although he is verbal he is not babbling in this way. 

I spoke with my husband about my concern about his language development and since he cares for Brenton during the day he began some additional exercises to spurn his progress.  We implemented some baby sign language as well.  He loves the sign for happy baby.  After all he is one happy baby.  We speak to him directly and read to him frequently and have since birth.  Still no babbling. 

He squeals with delight and smiles and laughs in ways that melt my heart.  He also babbles with vowel sounds.  This should be enough, but in the days of increased diagnosis of autism and learning disabilities I find myself jumping to the worst case scenarios.  Just as I get myself into this dark and scary place my son will do something new.  He can stand up and hold onto the table now.

It is incredible how this unrelated task can make me feel better about his development.  Perhaps he is just putting his focus into the physical endeavors.  Regardless I have a happy baby and that should be enough. I wish I could definitively say that I will not have these moments of concern again; however, I cannot make such a bold statement and I can only claim that these mom worries come from a place of deep love for my child and a hope for a relatively easy and happy existence.   

I rest assured that I take joy in his milestones that he has reached and he has surprised me with meeting some ahead of schedule.  Clearly he does things in his own time.  My husband reminds me I will one day look back and long for the days when he was unable to speak.  I laugh and think about my own mother who probably wished for that during my belligerent teen years.  

Secretly I continue to repeat over and over to my beautiful baby B….mamamamama.  It is my shameless plug to say my “name” first.  This will inevitably lead to his first word being dada, but I can live with that as long as he remains my happy baby.

Road Trip: Oriental, NC

After a five hour drive from Charlotte we rolled into the very tiny town of Oriental, North Carolina.  This is where my parents have decided to retire.  They have lived there for 5 years now building their dream home on a lot with a water view.  It is pretty perfect and they love it.

It hit me as we pulled into the driveway the last time I was here the baby that was in the backseat would soon be six months old was only 7 weeks gestation.  It is amazing how quickly the time goes by.  I was so excited to show him his grandparents home.

He was instantly more at ease in the house than he was in the hotel.  He knew this place somehow.  I think he could feel this was his grandparents home.  He knows them well after all they can never stay away from us too long and for that we are grateful.

The next two days were spent lounging and relaxing after our busy time in Charlotte.  It was a welcome relief to just be calm and quiet.  The baby was back to a regular bedtime and even taking naps.  This was a vacation!

Baby B had the chance to meet some of my parents dear friends.  He also went for a ride on the Applecrate my father’s monk 36!  We went to New Bern and had lunch at Persimmon on the water.  He went to the Trawl Door and also the Toucan.  He was all about town and he did so well. 

He turned 6 months old while he was in Oriental and I truly enjoy that this milestone was reached at his grandparents home wearing his Oriental, NC onesie!  The half year is a special one although I marked each monthiversary thus far.  He is so miraculous at this age.  Sitting and smiling and grabbing and giggling while his eyes shine.  We have been through so much already and the journey is just beginning. 

After a fabulously relaxing visit we were back on the road for the 8 hour trip back home.  After 4 stops we arrived at 5pm.  It was a wonderful trip, but so good to be home. 

We put the baby in his jumperoo and he jumped and jumped and jumped. We should have brought that rather than the pack and play in retrospect, but traveling with a baby is a live and learn experience really just like any other day with a baby. We did it. We all survived baby’s first road trip!!!

Ritzy Baby

A few weeks ago my little man went on his first road trip.  Just a few days shy of 6 months old we hit the road for Charlotte NC.  I was working for 3 days and we determined it would be a good time to bring the family to my company’s hub and then swing over to my parents on the coast.

Sunday night we packed up the car with the necessary baby gear and two large suitcases.  Included in the extravaganza of baby gear was the following shameless list of items.  Stroller, Pack and Play, bouncy seat, and all the toys we could manage to bring that would keep him entertained without taking up to much space. We also of course brought the essentials as well.  It just fit! 

Once we were on the road Baby B was content.  He slept for two hours then woke then we went for another 30 minutes without a place to stop and then he went back to sleep, so we pushed on.  My fearless husband behind the wheel making excellent time. 

Finally we could go no farther, so we stopped to feed and change the baby and walk him around in the Virginia rest stop that ate our $20 bill in the vending machine!  No food for us and it was already past noon.  In my hustle and bustle I had forgotten grown up snacks.  But as you know if your nursing the baby is always easily fed, so the rest is moot.

Back on the road for another two hours with a sleeping baby.  It was time to eat even though he still slept.  We stopped at a Hardees and grabbed a quick bite at which point the baby was awake and whamming so changed him and we put the bouncy seat in the front of the car and I made it to the back to entertain his brain and feed him a bottle. 

Another two hours had passed of me shaking rattles and toys and feeding a bottle in between.  Then another stop to feed and change baby B.  He was happy most of the trip save a few bouts of crying that lasted between 5 and 15 minutes.  Not bad for a 9 hour trip with 4 stops.

We rolled into the driveway of the Ritz Carlton in Charlotte, NC a little after 7 just as we planned!  That’s right me and my blended family at the Ritz.  We were met by the valet and the doormen and bellman anxious to assist with the unpacking of our crammed vehicle.  We were already a hit with the staff because of the baby and our long journey. 

I checked in with the baby while the hubs coordinated the rest.  After a quick elevator ride we collapsed onto the king sized bed on the 16th floor and awaited the arrival of our bags.  We made it!

The bags arrived and I unpacked us as quickly as possible.  I must interject that the pack and play was a fail for this trip.  It served only as a changing table and even rarely at that.  Any how we ordered some room service and ate while the baby played.  He was full of unexpelled energy!  Then to bed for all of us.  I was road weary and working the next day.

Off to conduct my first training session since returning from maternity leave was a wonderful reunion with coworkers I’d missed.  I was a little off my game initially when facilitating, but then it all fell into place.  Rolston and the baby were off to the museums, but not before purchasing an $80 belt.  That’s right a very expensive packing oversight.

They went all over Charlotte together. A father and a baby in a stroller.  The African American museum, the museum of the new South, the Betchler, and even the NASCAR hall of fame. They even stopped on the last day to have lunch with me and my colleagues.  Baby B was a star and behaved through the entire meal.

On this final day we ended a little early and as a family we went to the pool at the hotel.  Baby B’s first time “swimming”.  He was unsure at first and then relaxed into the water and kicked his little legs.  He was a natural, enjoying the water just like his parents.

Next was a leisurely meal at my favorite Charlotte restaurant called Harvest Moon.  It’s farm to table and I adore it.  We sat outside in the warm evening air and the owner came out to meet the baby.  She fawned over him and he smiled at her. It was a lovely end to the first leg of our vacation. 

We packed up and went to sleep and in the morning called the bellman to assist with all the gear.  We packed up and again it all just fit.  On our way out of the driveway they called, “Bye Jersey!” and we were off to Oriental, NC to see the grandparents.

Starting Solids

There was a time I thought I would not feed my baby solids until he was at least six months old.  That changed like most of the stringent beliefs I have held about raising my child.  Around the 4 month mark when the pediatrician said I could begin and I was up each night to nurse 4 or more times, I began to come around. 

Everyone told me I would know when he was ready for food. They kept reassuring me, but I didn’t know.  It was not clear to me. Sure he was sitting in his high chair holding his head up and playing with a spoon, but he did not clearly tell me he was ready.  I believe it was I who was ready and we started with organic whole grain rice cereal. 

After the first go we determined it was not time quite yet and waited another week.  What a difference a week made.  He moved the food to the back of his mouth and swallowed leaving barely a remnant on his bib.  He grabbed the spoon and fed himself.  This was what people meant. He was ready.

I was thrilled by his reaction to food and even more that he dropped one nightly nursing session.  He ate his dinner while we ate ours and I was able to have family mealtime.  This time is special where we talk about our days and laugh and feed the baby. We took turns and my husband was finally able to be truly involved in the feeding process without a preceding pumping session.  He could prepare the meal and feed it to him with no involvement from me. 

Now people who know me know that I am a true food snob.  From the time I watched Food Inc I changed my ways and said goodbye to fast food and conventional produce. I became a Whole Foods shopper and frequented local farmers markets.  I do believe that Monsanto may in fact end the world as we know it if we are not careful with our approach to agriculture in this country. So clearly I was planning to make my own baby food.

I purchased the baby bullet after a failed experiment with my larger food processor.  I like having the right tools for the right job and for me the baby bullet is just right.  Carefully steaming carrots and peas and blending them to the perfect consistency for my baby is a joy like it is to prepare a meal for myself and my husband.  I freeze remaining portions and serve them up as needed.

The first vegetable Brenton tasted was carrots.  My kid loves carrots!  The second food was peas and my kid loves peas!  Then came avocado.  My kid does not like avocado!  At least not yet.  I refer to it as our first fail because not only did he spit it out he also vomited.  So no more avocado for Baby B for now.

There are so many rules to feeding babies that I never knew about.  You have to feed them only one new thing at a time to watch for allergies.  Common sense maybe, but it escaped me until I had my own child.

So far he has eaten, rice cereal, oatmeal, carrots, peas, sweet potato, banana, avocado, peaches, pears, prunes, and blueberries.  As a side note when my baby eats blueberries it looks oddly like a murder has taken place and it is best of there are no clothes on except his bib. He likes to try to “help” with his hands causing the food to cover his face and arms.  Sometimes it will wind up on his forehead or in his nose. I just laugh at him and he laughs back at me.

I can say I do not believe we have a picky eater, but my husband and I are adventurous when it comes to food. Only time will tell if he follows in our footsteps. Until then we will introduce new foods one at a time and see how it goes. Who knows maybe one day he will even try avocado again and like it next time

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