Wallace | Nine Months

Seems like he is 'almost a year old', but really---nine months. Still big and still growing way too quickly for my liking. And his birthday in July seems like a million years away, mostly because it's legitimately very much winter weather here at the moment.

But yes, my Wallace baby is nine months old now.



First tooth FINALLY sprouted this month. So now I'm on the look out for numero dos because baby Wallace can be incredibly cranky, so I am forced to blame the teeth.

I have failed to get a picture of the cherished tooth, but that closed-lip smile though.


Actually, that isn't entirely true. He is happy as a clam during the daytime hours. But at night? We are majorly struggling with sleep deprivation here. FOR REAL, something needs to change. I can't even form a coherent sentence regarding night time sleep (lack thereof), but I will just say this: I need to be ready to fully night-wean this 'boob baby'. And in order for that to happen, I need to be ready to wean all together in case my supply drops or I have to push bottles more to ensure he's completely full/meeting his milk requirements. It's a long story and a convoluted mess in my head, but we will get to a point when we aren't drowning...hopefully soon.



Picture by Truman:


I am flying with Ace and Lois in two days, and we are going to Oregon for a total of six days. (EXCITED!! Going for my sister-in-law's baby shower). After this trip, I promise to focus on night weaning and sleep. But I'm not bringing my pump and haven't had to start formula yet, so for this trip at least we will be nursing and not doing bottles.



Nighttime sleep blows, he's up at least twice a night and sometimes more (and sometimes cries after nursing). Naps are all over the place but usually happen after being awake for 3 hours, then again after 3 hours, and finally bedtime happens after 4 hours of wake time. I'd guess he's up for the day around 6-7 am and I try to get him down for the night by 7:30pm. Each nap ranges from 30 minutes to sometimes 2 hours. Meh.

My screen saver at work:


Also, he's nursing but this month I can tell my supply is dropping. I'm down to pumping just four times per week (at work) and he usually drinks 11 bottles a week. But recently he's been refusing bottles so I don't even know.  Happy to have my big freezer stash from when he didn't take ANY bottles! Regardless, I'm nursing only from my right side now, so let the lopsided fun begin! I'll pump about 4 oz from righty so I'm guessing he gets at least that when he nurses about three times a day, plus the two-ish times at night. See how those numbers don't totally add up? I want to keep nursing him but also want to sleep, and want to know my baby is full/satisfied. Ah, fourth time around and eating/sleeping is still a 'thing'.



Solids are not a problem at all, as Wallace eats three times per day and loves mostly anything we give him. He eats whole milk yogurt for breakfast, fruit and veggie purees for lunch and dinner, and then I'm still giving plenty of 'real' food that we are eating as a family. So far he love goldfish crackers, graham crackers, and Veggie Straws the most. Go figure!



Besides the typical sleep and eating talk, Wallace is still incredibly mobile. He's walking along furniture and has even stood unsupported for a few seconds recently. He crawled up three of our stairs and then fell backwards, because I had no idea he could climb stairs. So that was a fun milestone this month;) He will clap, raise his arms above his head when we say 'so big!', and can sometimes wave goodbye. Oh, and the screaming! Add that to his list of tricks, because kid loves to screech like the rest of the children. The louder the better.

Cannot with this face.


Truly, he is the sweetest baby, you guys. My favorite is when he nuzzles his face into my neck after waking up for the day. Either that, or when I come home from work and his face lights up with the biggest smile ever.

This is not his big smile, but it is a great shot of his double chin.



Best.


Wallace loves to be with the big kids and will crawl at lightning speeds to keep up with the crew. He has a particular obsession with Porter's train table and enjoys destroying any and all train tracks that big brother has built. I'm really proud of Porter for being patient with destructive baby but I wonder how long that patience will last. Wallace just adores the big siblings and will follow them around like a puppy dog. It's the best.





Super pumped about his first Easter, obvi.



Balls are a big deal this month as Wallace likes to throw them and then chase the balls all over the house. He will slap his hands on the table/high chair over and over again as if to say, 'Feed me, woman!' He definitely knows his name when I ask him to stay out of trouble (ie, don't suck on our shoes or crawl into the bathroom to explore trash cans).

Spring break 2018 at a museum with the kids. Nate has been working 12 hour days at his new clinic and we are all OVER WINTER already, obviously.


#blessed


What else? This past month also contained Truman's first broken bone (his wrist, during a soccer game), Cecelia's awesome dance recital, Nate had his kidney stone surgically removed and also opened his clinic, and we had a good but short visit from my mom, Memaw, and my Aunt Dana. It was a total whirlwind of a month, I guess!



Kind of can't believe our baby is nine months old already. But it also feels like eleventy hundred years since I was pregnant.

Love this little caboose of perfection, even if he won't sleep and gives me more gray hairs than I've ever had before.