Months 7 & 8 Thanks for the Mammaries

At 8 months, Will:

• Is about one step away from crawling. He gets on all fours and rocks all the time. He's taken the first steps of hand and knee forward together but that's as far as it's gone. I am in no hurry what so ever for him to start crawling! We haven't even started baby proofing yet...
• Is completely weaned from nursing. Thankfully he took to the formula just fine. We started him on formula right after he turned six months and I took 6 or 7 weeks to wean him. During that time I managed to suffer from a milk blister and a plugged duct. Thank God that didn't happen when we were just starting out, otherwise I really think I would've given up on BF'ing right then and there. It was awful. The pain from the plugged duct was excruciating, and let me say there is nothing more terrifying than watching your breast swell like a balloon. After seeing me in a full on panic over it Bill was a lifesaver. This poor man bathed me and cleaned my incision after my c section, had to deal with the many hormonal days that come postpartum, saw and heard things no man ever wants to know about, and then, just when he thought it was safe, has this grossness to help me with. Thank God one of my friends in my moms group had it happen to her and she recommended soaking in hot water and Epsom salt, (tit dip as Bill affectionately called it); so between that and Bill pressing on my chest as hard as he could several minutes everyday for about three days (worst pain ever; way worse than any childbirth-related pain), voila. So after all that I was more than ready to call it quits. Will handled it great. I think it helped that he's still relatively young and he's been bottle fed since day 1.  
• Is still loving eating solid foods and we're slowly working on the transition now to finger foods. He's started grabbing the spoon more and more so I've started giving him things like those teething biscuits and tiny banana pieces. Last night was actually the first time he didn't gag every time he swallowed it so he's starting to get used to the sensation. I'm very nervous about choking though. I never took an infant CPR class. I know, shame on me. So I really don't know what I would do if he started choking. I just break the food up into the tiniest pieces I can manage. My mom tells the story of when it happened to my little brother. He had terrible reflux and was only a couple weeks old when he choked, like turned blue and everything. She grabbed him by both feet and flipped him upside down and that forced the vomit out and thankfully all was well. I pray I'd have the same resolve should we find ourselves in that situation. 
• Loves being around people, being in public, mimicking facial expressions, talking, singing, laughing, animals. We found he likes the pool. Of course he likes the water; he's a water dragon. He's just a happy, easy to please baby. I say it all the time but we really are lucky. We are  blessed beyond measure. Everyone loves to be around Will. I could go on and on but if you're reading this you've probably been around our baby, so you already know ;-p

Being free of breast feeding has allowed me some time to focus a little more on myself again. And that mainly entails getting back into shape, (and hopefully losing a couple pounds in the process). I've started working out every day on my lunch break and this week I'll start working out before work too. I have a lot of work to do so I have to fit it in when I can, without missing out on my time with Will. It's felt great to be back into it again. It's hard to believe it now, but I used to work out 10 - 12 hours/week. While I probably won't be in that kind of shape again any time soon, I'm enjoying that old feeling I get from routine exercise and I know how great it'll feel to fit into more of my pre-pregnancy clothes again. And the best part is that Bill is doing it with me! We're doing the same training program. It brings us closer in a whole new way.

So here's to a beautiful Fall! We're excited to celebrate our birthdays (Bill's is in Oct.), take our first family trip to the State Fair, a tradition Bill and I have had together the past 9 years, celebrate Bill's favorite holiday, Halloween. It makes my heart burst when I see Bill's face light up at every baby costume, toy, book, pumpkin, etc., because I know how excited he is to share it with Will this year. It's a dream come true. For both of us.

Loves the pool!

LOVES riding in shopping carts!

High chair = mess!

Floor time

How good is Nalani to put up with that?