Gerrit: 12 Months

November 6, 2015 nk3302 Comments

Happy birthday, Gerrit Allen!

Age: 12 months on 27 October 2015
Weight: 23.04 lbs
Height: 31-1/2 inches
Teeth: 4
Clothing Size: 12-18 months & 18 months
Diaper Size: size 3
Milestones: walking, signing “all done,” signing “milk,” following simple commands, recognizing animals and objects, helps with getting dressed and undressed (responds to “arms up,” pushes arms through sleeves, tries to take socks off), giving kisses (the big messy open mouth kind haha)

Sleeping: What a month, ha. It was pretty rough, not going to lie. Our best night was 3 night wakings, our worst was probably about 10 wakings (yeah…10), and our average was 4-5 wakings. I probably don’t have to tell you that I’ve been very tired. It’s been pretty frustrating not knowing what is waking Gerrit up and making it hard for him to settle back down to sleep. I’m sure part of it was the tail end of Leap #7 (Wonder Weeks), but he should have been done with that leap by the end of the first week in October. The worst sleep he got was when we went to the beach for a few days the week before his birthday. I don’t know if waking up in a strange room was freaking him out or what, but it was a rough few nights. I barely felt like I slept at all while we were there! Things got a little better once we got back home, but it was nothing spectacular.

Most days, Gerrit got 2 naps in. He had a couple of days where he skipped a nap, but most of the month he did well. Thankfully he was getting 2+ hours of sleep in naps each day for the most part, which made it slightly better that he was only averaging between 9-10 hours of sleep at night. I still feel like he was a little low on sleep hours, but there wasn’t much I could do to improve on that.

When it came to going to sleep, Gerrit perfected the intentional cry. As soon as I would lay him in his crib, he’d start his fake cry, which quickly moved into a real cry. It’s like he knows how to make me feel guilty! 🙂 I usually would let him whine and cry for a few minutes to get it out of his system, but I always ended up rocking and nursing him to sleep. I don’t even remember the last time he fell asleep on his own.

Eating: Eating is about the same. Gerrit continues to nurse well, and he does it frequently. Just in the daytime hours, he probably nurses about 6 times. Plus however many times he gets up at night. In terms of solids, he is still pretty hit-or-miss.

His favorite things to eat are Cheerios and fruit for breakfast and penne with spaghetti sauce and meatballs for dinner. He’s generally pretty good about eating any meat I offer him. Veggies are not a favorite lately, but he does pretty well with fruit (except for bananas).

While Andrew’s parents were here, we ate out a few times, and Gerrit did really well eating those nights! I think it was all the new things to see and hear that distracted him as he ate, haha. When we went out for sushi, Gerrit ate quite a bit of edamame, which surprised me. We didn’t give him any sushi yet, but he did well with the grilled cheese and oranges he got. 🙂

Once we went to Gerrit’s 12 month well baby appointment, I found out why he was nursing so much: he had a big growth spurt! From his 9 month appointment to his 12 month appointment he went from the 55th percentile for height to the 92nd percentile! Wow! He’s never been much higher than average for height, so I was pretty surprised. His weight gain has definitely slowed down, and I’m sure that’s because he became much more mobile in the last 3 months. His weight was at the 71st percentile in July, and it’s now only at the 53rd percentile.

Mommy Update: Tired. I’m really really tired. The lack of sleep definitely seems to bring on the depressive feelings. My motivation has been low, my general outlook is not that positive, and it’s just really tough not getting enough good rest. I still nap almost daily, and I’m sure it’s a necessity. I’m trying to get myself to be more energetic and plan some fun activities, but I feel like I constantly have other things that I need to get done.

The picture above is from our trip to the pumpkin patch! We don’t get out a lot, but it’s fun when we find something nearby to do as a family. I struggle with letting go of our nap schedule to get out and do things, but it’s always good to get out of the house. And I guess I just have to accept that there will be bad nap days.

My stress level was definitely higher with family coming into town (I love you all, but you know I like my space!) and planning Gerrit’s birthday party. I did get the house pretty well cleaned and organized for guests, but I came down with a cold just a few days before his party. That combined with terrible sleep at night had me feeling pretty miserable. I hate being sick, but having to be a mom on top of that? Ugh… Thankfully, our families were there to help out with running errands, cooking, and setting up for the party. I don’t know how we would have done it without them!

Best Moments: Watching Gerrit get the hang of walking! Right around his birthday, he really showed how confident he was getting with standing and walking on his own. We are so proud of him! And he’s pretty proud of himself too.

It was also wonderful to watch Gerrit with Andrew’s parents, who hadn’t seen him since February (when he was 3 months old). Needless to say, Gerrit had changed a lot in 8 months! He loved having so much attention and new people to entertain.

Of course, we had so much fun celebrating Gerrit’s first birthday! Although I didn’t get to do everything I wanted for his party (I’m still mad about being sick!), it came together well and was really cute. Gerrit loved the decorations for his Brown Bear themed party, and he had so much fun with the kids that came to celebrate with him. More photos and details to come!

Likes & Dislikes: I don’t think the things Gerrit likes have changed much from last month. He still likes being busy and moving all the time. He loves his walking toys, especially his lion one that makes silly sounds. I think he likes how fast he can go with the help of his walkers! He also loves climbing the stairs. When Andrew’s parents were here, he would be happy climbing the stairs over and over again with them! You’d think burning all that energy would help him sleep…

Gerrit still really enjoys his books too. Some new favorites include Little Blue Truck, Trains Go (and others in the series), any singing type books like this one, and lift-the-flap books like Dear Zoo, which he just got. He’s gotten so many new books, I don’t think he knows which one he wants to read lately haha!

Gerrit still LOVES Lamby. Not only does Lamby have to be in his crib for him to sleep, he now needs to bring Lamby around the house too. I really don’t mind, except for when I forget to grab Lamby when it’s nap time. If I lay him in his crib half-asleep and Lamby isn’t in reach to cuddle, he’s awake and upset! I’m very glad we bought a back-up lamb, because this toy gets dirty pretty quickly.

Gerrit also likes hiding/chasing games. I know it’s probably bad of me, but I end up playing along with him when he takes off crawling or walking after his bath when I’m trying to get his pajamas on him. I’m sure it gets him a little too riled up, but we have fun! I love hearing that little giggle when he knows I’m crawling after him. 🙂

Gerrit has always liked bath time, I think, but he really enjoys it lately. He has figured out how to squeeze his squirting toys, and he finds that to be pretty amusing. He also loves splashing (of course)!

As for dislikes… Gerrit still dislikes getting his diaper changed and getting dressed. I don’t even know that he truly dislikes it, or if he just likes making me chase after him to get a diaper or clothes on him! He also still dislikes me being in the kitchen prepping food. He starts whining and clinging to my legs even if I’m just sticking something in the microwave! When I get really frustrated, I stick him in his high chair with a little snack so I can get things done. Other than those things, he’s usually pretty content.

Memorable Events: The first thing that comes to mind is going to the pumpkin patch for the first time! The day I originally wanted to go, it was really rainy, and Andrew was tired (he’s on mids right now), so we decided to go the weekend after Andrew’s parents arrived. I’m glad we saved it for when they were here — it was a fun time!

Gerrit also got to play in real sand for the first time when we went to the beach with Andrew’s parents! Despite it being October, the weather was really nice. Not quite nice enough for me to go swimming, but we all enjoyed playing in the sand and getting our toes wet. Gerrit especially loved watching all the birds!

During our beach trip, we also went to the aquarium. Gerrit loved seeing all the fish! I was a little surprised by how much he enjoyed it actually. We even sat for a little presentation about sharks, and he did great! He was either listening to the woman describing things or watching the other kids participating the whole time.

Last but not least… Gerrit turned one! The celebration began with the birthday party the Saturday before he actually turned one. He woke up from his 2nd nap about 20 minutes before people started arriving… I couldn’t have planned that better! He seemed to really enjoy all the people, the snacks, and the presents. And he got his first taste of cake!

The next day we went to a nearby park for a proper photo session for his first birthday. I was impressed by the cute photos we got, since we kept it pretty short & sweet! My sister did an amazing job, as usual. Thank you, Becki!

The following day, we did Gerrit’s official cake smash session. Yes, this was the never ending birthday celebration! 🙂

VanderWarfPhotography-9580 — Photo by Vander Warf Photography

And then we had to celebrate on Gerrit’s actual birthday, of course! We didn’t do another cake, so I gave him a treat: pancakes with real maple syrup! He had had pancakes before, but not syrup. I was disappointed that he wasn’t more impressed haha.

He also had more presents to open that afternoon. Andrew’s parents saved the ones they got for him for his actual birthday, and we saved ours for that day as well.

I admittedly went overboard with gifts… I didn’t realize how much I had gotten him until I wrapped them all! Fortunately, a lot of the gifts are for when he’s a bit older. Since his birthday is only 2 months before Christmas, I wanted gifts he could grow into next spring and summer.

All in all, I think Gerrit had a great first birthday! It’s too bad he won’t remember any of it. But I think the first birthday is as much a celebration for the parents as it is for the baby. I mean, we did it! We survived the first year!

Month 12 was a crazy blur of little sleep, fun events, and a big birthday celebration for Gerrit. I can’t believe my little baby is already a year old. He’s really turning into a little person, and I’m excited to see him continue to grow and change.

You're so funny, Momma! — You’re so funny, Momma!

Happy 12 months, Gerrit! You are a whole year old already! I’m so proud of all your accomplishments, your fun personality, and how far we’ve come. You are a wonderful blessing in my life, and I’m so glad I get to be your momma. I love you, Gerrit!

Gerrit: 11 Months

September 30, 2015November 5, 2015 nk3302 Comments

Ahhh, 1 month until my baby is a year old! I am in full blown first-birthday-party planning mode, although I’m trying not to go overboard with it. Social media sets the bar high with birthday parties, but I’m determined not to go crazy!

Age: 11 months on 27 September 2015
Weight: 23 lbs
Height: 30 inches
Teeth: 4
Clothing Size: 12 months & 12-18 months
Diaper Size: size 3
Milestones: cruising, climbing stairs, taking steps, waving, pointing, handing us items, shaking his head “no,” a lot more babbling, saying “Dada” and “dat” (that), vocal volume (whispering and yelling)

Sleeping: I’m getting really used to broken sleep at night. We’ve had some pretty rough nights this month again. We were dealing with yet another Mental Leap (Wonder Week #7 – The World of Sequences), which really hurt Gerrit’s sleep. Sometimes it seems to affect him more at night (we’ve had up to 8… yes, EIGHT night wakings), while other times it really kills his naps. He had days of 30-45 minute naps (normal naps are 90 minutes to 2 hours) as well as a few days where he totally boycotted nap time and skipped one completely. Those were fun days.

Unfortunately, most of Gerrit’s nights had 5 or more night wakings. I’ve tried just rocking him back to sleep, but he gets really mad if I don’t offer the boob. And I’m not in the mood to argue about it at 2 in the morning, so boob it is. Despite all the wakings, he still managed to get between 10 & 11 hours of sleep most nights, which isn’t terrible. I’d really like him to get 11 hours a night, but you can’t force a baby to sleep. Or if you can, I haven’t figured out how!

Gerrit had 3 days this month where he only got 1 nap in. It really pissed me off when those days happened. I take it personally when I can’t get him to nap for some reason. But I used to feel the same way when I couldn’t get a kid to nap at the CDC I worked at too. I saw it as a failure on my part if a nap was short or if it got skipped completely. Why do I feel that way?? Like I said above, you can’t force a baby to sleep. Most days, his nap hours totaled between 2 and 3 hours, which is good. Apparently, babies this age should be sleeping at least an hour per nap, so Gerrit is pretty much on track.

I feel like Gerrit does pretty well with making up sleep when he doesn’t sleep well. For example, if he doesn’t get a lot of sleep at night, he tends to sleep better for naps. And if he gets crappy naps, he tends to sleep in the next morning for me, which feels awesome. I have read that babies often sleep really poorly when they are learning to stand and walk. So I hope that when he conquers that milestone, he will sleep better! I just have to keep hoping for improvement.

Eating: My son has been obsessed with my boobs this month. I mean, Gerrit wants to nurse all the time! I feel like he often just wants to comfort nurse and get some cuddles, which is totally fine. It’s when he wants to comfort nurse while standing or climbing that doesn’t work so well. I’m thankful he isn’t too bad with his teeth with all the moving around he does. Crazy baby.

In terms of solids, Gerrit was really hit or miss with meals this month. Sometimes he did pretty well, other times I felt like he just played around and made up for it nursing later on. I’m really trying not to worry about it, since I’m told “food before 1 is just for fun,” but he is quickly approaching his first birthday. I don’t expect his eating patterns to change overnight, so I am a little concerned. He’s still gaining weight, but I wonder how much of that is from breast milk and how much is from solid food.

Mommy Update: I’m hanging in there, haha. The broken sleep has become normal to me again, and I don’t like that. I’ve needed a nap nearly every morning when Gerrit naps to try to make up some lost sleep. I really want to start getting away from the daily naps since I need to start the job hunt. I don’t want to start a job with my body being used to getting a daily siesta at 9:30 in the morning!

Despite dealing with another Wonder Week, Gerrit has not been terrible mood-wise. I feel like a lot of the “neediness” he normally displays is coming through with the constant nursing and wanting to be held. It’s easy for me to get him to smile and giggle, and he loves playing and interacting with me. When he is a little moody, he really just wants Momma. I feel bad for Andrew when he’s like this, but I don’t know what I can really do about it.

I have been tackling some cleaning and organizing of my craft things, which is something I get done during Gerrit’s afternoon nap. I usually put on some HGTV and get to work (except today… I’m blogging instead haha). This alone time is really good for me. I don’t love cleaning, but I love having some time to myself. So important for me!

Best Moments: I feel like Gerrit has learned a LOT of new things this month! It’s been so fun seeing him master new skills, especially the physical ones. He has come a long way with balance while standing this month. With better balance, he’s also gotten more confident with standing and taking steps. He technically started taking some steps last month, but it was more “moving his feet while falling” haha. I went back and added it to his milestones from last month, but it has really improved in September. Andrew has estimated that he can walk 6-8 feet by himself when he’s focused. We are so proud of him! Practicing walking has been a fun activity for the three of us to do. When Andrew gets home from work, Gerrit can walk between the two of us with lots of cheering and someone to catch him when he loses his balance. Plus I hope it tires him out for bedtime! 😉

I also have loved watching Gerrit’s new facial expressions and hearing his new sounds. I have come to realize that I am always asking him, “What’s that?” both in the house and out and about. I thought he was starting to say “dada,” but instead I think he has been saying “dat” (that) when looking at things outside and around the house. Sometimes he whispers, “Dat” while pointing at something. It’s so cute! Happily, he has also been saying “dada,” although we’re not sure if he really pairs it with Andrew yet. When I ask him, “Where’s Dada?” he looks for Andrew though, so I think he understands the connection to some extent.

Gerrit has definitely been trying to copy more of our facial expressions, and it cracks me up! I’m aware that I make a lot of exaggerated expressions when I interact with him, so I don’t know if that’s why he has recently been making more funny faces or what. He has also acquired some vocal volume! I already mentioned that he whispers “dat” fairly often, but he has also learned how to shout and screech too. We had one dinner where he was yelling happily about something! Andrew and I were pretty amused, although we have no idea what he was telling us.

Likes & Dislikes: Gerrit still loves moving! He no longer army crawls at all; he’s on all fours anytime he’s not standing or trying to walk. And he’s speedy! I suspect that once he gets this walking thing figured out, he will not be walking… he’ll be running everywhere!

20150927_121355 — Happily walking to Momma!

Gerrit still really likes his books. He likes to read one over and over before moving on to another one. Once I say, “The end!” and put it on the floor, he picks it up and hands it back to me. He still loves his lift-the-flap books, and I continue to tape them when he rips another flap out. One of these days he’ll learn what “gentle” means, right??

He also has shown more interest in that caterpillar toy in the picture above. He’s had it since Christmas, but just recently started playing with it. He also likes this caterpillar toy and reading “The Very Hungry Caterpillar.” Not sure if there’s a theme here or just a coincidence, but I’m always glad when he starts playing with new toys!

Gerrit has started showing interest in his stuffed animals. He really doesn’t have many since he didn’t care much about them in the past, but he likes to give them hugs and kisses, which is adorable. He’s also become very attached to Lamby, the little lamb that Andrew bought for him when I was early in my pregnancy.

He likes to suck & chew on Lamby’s ears and tail. It’s cute but kind of gross. Lamby takes frequent baths in the washing machine, pretty much anytime he starts smelling funky. I’ve also purchased Lamby 2.0 if/when it’s necessary to replace the original or at least give the original Lamby a little break.

Speaking of Lamby, Gerrit also really likes to throw everything out of his crib at nap time. If he doesn’t go to sleep right away, all of his stuffed animals and blankets end up tossed out onto the floor. And if I take my time getting him up from a nap, I also end up having to pick up all of the contents of his crib. He likes to drop his cup onto the floor at meals too, so I guess gravity is just fascinating for a 10 month old!

Gerrit is really enjoying playing on his own a lot more, which is wonderful for me. He will play with his puzzle pieces, plastic plates and bowls and measuring cups, his magnet blocks (a new favorite… anyone need an idea for a birthday gift? wink wink), and books. He loves dragging around plastic spoons and chewing on them too. Unfortunately, when he’s playing alone, the only thing I can really do is go on my phone. I tried working on my weekly menu & grocery list, and he was way too curious to let me get away with that! So that’s the goal: Gerrit playing independently while I do something productive!

Some of Gerrit’s dislikes? Getting his diaper changed. Well, really just putting a clean diaper on. As soon as his diaper is off, he rolls and scrambles away, usually to go stand and look out the window with a bare tush. He also is such a wiggle worm when I DO get a hold of him again. Along the same lines, Gerrit is a handful when getting his pajamas on. I certainly work up a sweat getting him ready for bed!

Gerrit still dislikes it when I do anything without him. Cooking dinner is the big one. I’m thankful Andrew is usually there to distract and play with him, but Gerrit still frequently gets underfoot while I’m cooking. I’ve tried putting him in the Ergo on my back, and he wasn’t pleased with it. I tried putting him on my hip in the Ergo, but I didn’t get it figured out before Gerrit got sick of being jostled around. So that’s on my to-do list. I would really like to figure out a way to cook while holding or wearing Gerrit.

The only other thing I can think of that he really dislikes is getting his face washed after meals. He’s getting better about it, but for awhile he got really upset with me when I wiped his mouth.

Memorable Events: Shortly after Gerrit turned 10 months old, we were invited to join our friends at their family’s beach house on the coast for Labor Day weekend. It was hot and humid, which meant we had to battle the mosquitoes, so Gerrit and I didn’t spend a lot of time outside. We still had fun though! I know Andrew had a good time: he got to try his hand at clamming and went for a few kayak rides.

Gerrit enjoyed playing with his friends Nathan and Audrey inside. Nathan is 2-1/2, so he is just fascinating to Gerrit! And Audrey is 6 months younger than Gerrit, so he is intrigued by her, but seems confused by why she won’t play with him haha.

Andrew even took Gerrit for his first kayak ride! Apparently Gerrit really enjoyed it — he loved checking everything out!

After this kayak ride, Andrew and I took Gerrit swimming in salt water for the first time. He loved it! He is such a water baby. I think the salt water probably surprised him a bit, but he really enjoyed splashing around with us.

Another fun event was checking out the children’s museum in Raleigh. It’s a little above Gerrit’s level right now, but he absolutely loves exploring new areas and seeing other babies and children. I can’t wait to take him again!

20150919_111909 — Checking out the mirror wall at Marbles

Marbles, the museum, was so cute. It’s really geared toward preschool and elementary school aged kids, but I was happy they had an infant area for Gerrit to explore. We let Gerrit check out a few other areas, but it will be easier once he’s walking and not sticking absolutely everything in his mouth!

So that was Month #11! Sleep was crappy, but the wake time hours were great! I just love our little guy so much. He brings us so much joy and makes us smile every day. It’s amazing watching Gerrit learn new things and gain confidence with his new skills. I’m so thankful for another month of being at home with him to see things from his perspective and share all of his memories.

20150927_121350 — Wait, I’m 11 months today?!

20150927_121709 — Not big on smiling for the camera… but he’s still cute!

Happy 11 months, my sweet Gerrit! I can’t believe how big you are and how close to your birthday we are getting. We love you so much!

Daily living · Parenting · Travel

Gerrit: 10 Months

September 2, 2015September 29, 2015 nk3302 Comments

Age: 10 months on 27 August 2015
Weight: 22.5 lbs
Height: 28.75 inches
Teeth: 4
Clothing Size: 12 months
Diaper Size: size 3
Milestones: pulling up to standing, taking steps

Sleeping: Right after Gerrit turned 9 months old, we were still going through a Wonder Week (#6 – Categories), so sleep was not great. And pretty much as soon as he was out of the leap, we were on a trip to Michigan. I think this trip and sleeping in several different places kind of messed him up too. He was just a restless sleeper. Sharing a room with him meant that I heard him tossing and turning throughout the night… so I didn’t sleep great either!

Once we got home from our trip, sleep started getting back on track. Naps became a little better (but still irregular) and night wakings decreased quite a bit. But that only lasted a few days. Things got pretty rough for the rest of the month in terms of night sleep. I have decided I’m blaming it on those 2 top front teeth. They were much worse than the bottom 2 teeth!

Naps seemed unaffected by it, but night sleep was brutal. There’s supposed to be another sleep regression between 8 and 10 months as well, so maybe we were dealing with all of that together… who knows. Most nights in August had 4 or more night wakings. I am happy to say that most of those wakings were brief: I’d nurse him back to sleep within 10 minutes. But there were a few nights where I was back and forth and back and forth trying to get him to settle back down to sleep. Hopefully things improve in month 11!

Eating: I feel like almost to to day, eating solids improved when Gerrit turned 9 months old. I suddenly realized that the food on his tray was disappearing… and not into the recesses of his high chair or the floor! It didn’t appear that he was consuming a lot, but he obviously was. It was pretty exciting!

20150818_085250 — Eating breakfast: French toast and nectarines

Some favorite foods? Blueberries and nectarines are probably his favorite fruits. He still enjoys green veggies, especially broccoli. Although Gerrit will sample any meat, I think he still prefers having a slice of steak or pork to gnaw on. Chicken seems to be a bit dry for him yet, and he’s not impressed with ground beef. Carbs are hit or miss: sometimes he really seems to enjoy pasta and bread and other days it gets swiped to the side for fruit or veg instead. He also LOVES these:

I’ve tried them, and I like them too! I think he probably likes that they have a yummy fruit flavor and that they melt in his mouth pretty quickly. He doesn’t have to work too hard to ingest those!

Breastfeeding is going great! I feel like after Leap #6 (Wonder Week), he started nursing better during the day. I also think Gerrit is getting better at letting me know that he wants to nurse. He either smashes his face into my boob or starts fiddling with my straps. But he still nurses the best right before he sleeps. I’m really starting to cling to these moments of breastfeeding. I can tell that I’m going to be sad to see it end, and I hope he doesn’t rush the weaning process.

Nursing really increased during those weeks of teething with those top teeth. I now know it was comfort nursing, and I’m so glad it was something that comforted Gerrit. I am really hesitant to give pain meds to him since he’s so little, so if he could be comforted by nursing, that is much better in my opinion.

Mommy Update: I feel like I need to do a separate post on Wonder Weeks, because my mood during those times versus “sunny” weeks is very different. As soon as a Wonder Week ends, I absolutely love being with Gerrit. Not that I don’t love being with him all the time, he’s just a lot more demanding during Wonder Weeks. So Wonder Week = stressed out, tired, grumpy Momma. And after it passes, I love my days with my little guy.

We have so much fun together during the day! Sometimes I feel like we really didn’t do anything at all, but we both enjoyed lots of smiles and cuddles, so it must have been a good day, right? 🙂 I will really miss our time together when I have to go back to work.

I was pretty sleep-deprived during this month. I started drinking coffee again (which I hadn’t done regularly since early in my pregnancy) to get through the afternoons. I also took a nap during Gerrit’s morning nap most days — I would barely make it back to my bed sometimes before I passed out!

Best Moments: Gerrit meeting more of my extended family. Everyone was completely smitten with him! He was so friendly and easygoing… I was pleasantly surprised! I was afraid he would have some stranger anxiety, but he did so well.

20150807_134007 — Spending time with Grandma Great

It was great for ALL of us to spend time with family! We had so much fun with my family, and I’m so glad that so many of us were able to get together.

Likes & Dislikes: Gerrit still enjoys being on the move! He crawls all over the place now, although he still does the army crawl when he’s frustrated or tired. He still likes us to walk him around, but he’s pulling up on furniture now (and me when I’m standing in the kitchen!) and walking along. He is still not sure about turning around corners though!

He also enjoys nursing in crazy positions now. He’s rarely content to let me just hold him to nurse unless he’s going to sleep. He likes to stand and bend over to nurse, lay across me, grab his feet and swing his arms around… it’s like breastfeeding a monkey.

Gerrit also loves getting into things! The biggest issue is keeping him away from cords. I’ve had to block off lamp cords in the living room and the cords in our bedroom too. He also likes going into the bathroom and pulling up on the bathtub so he can push his bath toys in.

He still loves books, and his favorites now are lift-the-flap books. This is his absolute favorite. I’ve had to use tape to fix this book several times already. I have started rotating his books and toys to help keep him interested in his toys, minimize wear and tear, and help cut down on clutter and clean up time. Every Monday (“New” Toy Day), Gerrit quickly digs out his favorite books and toys that he hasn’t seen in a few weeks!

Gerrit is playing with one of his favorite toys in the photo above with his cousin Kaiden. Here’s a link to it on Amazon. He started out just enjoying looking at the different sized cups, but he’s starting to try to stack them now. My favorite thing about this toy is that there are several ways to play with it, and I think he will be able to enjoy it for a good amount of time.

Gerrit dislikes being left behind or not being included in things. He hates it when I walk away from him since he can’t keep up with me yet. He’ll normally just crawl after me while vocally complaining, but if he’s tired or cranky, he starts crying, wanting me to pick him up. He doesn’t like it when I’m cooking because he can’t be a part of that. I tried carrying him in the Ergo on my back while cooking, but that just wasn’t good enough for him! All chores include Gerrit: he needs to unfold clothes as I fold them and he tries to crawl into the dishwasher when I load and unload it.

Gerrit also dislikes getting ready for bed. He has never particularly enjoyed getting ready to sleep, but toward the end of the month he really started fighting it. It’s really tough to get a diaper on him as he’s trying to flip himself over the whole time. It’s pretty much a two-man job to get his pajamas on him now. And he gets so upset when he realizes that his fun his over and the parents are going to win again. I seriously need to try to get a video of his shenanigans!

Memorable Events: I think the biggest event for this month was our road trip to Michigan! After a lot of thought, we decided to split the 15 hour drive into two days with a stop near Columbus, OH (we stayed with friends there) to get the best result from Gerrit. He is a very busy little boy, and being stuck in his car seat for hours and hours is really hard on him. He is not the type of baby to just conk out for a nap or two while traveling, which means he needs lots of interaction and entertainment. Because he is not guaranteed to sleep in the car, I felt pretty wary about trying to drive through the night. Especially because that meant minimal sleep for Mommy & Daddy too. Not good!

We planned both driving days to begin shortly before Gerrit’s morning nap. Yes, that meant a later start than we may have wanted, but it also meant we got some relaxation and play time between breakfast and driving. And giving Gerrit the opportunity to burn some energy is always a plus! So he got a morning nap on our driving days, but he refused his afternoon nap those days too. That’s a LONG time for him to be awake, but he also wasn’t able to burn any energy either.

I spent the first part of the driving days in the front seat. It gave Gerrit less distraction when trying to fall asleep for that morning nap, plus I got some time to crochet or just rest. But once he was awake, I moved to the back seat to begin my entertainment routine! I packed a big bag of Gerrit’s favorite books and toys, plus we had his kid music playing on Pandora so I could sing for him too. It worked pretty well, although it was pretty tiring for me.

20150811_163416 — Hello, North Carolina! We’re back!

But it paid off: Gerrit really did quite well on the road trip. I was so anxious about the trip because of our last big road trip (back in February). But I knew he was older and more easily entertained now, so I tried to be optimistic. The trip back down to North Carolina was not as great, because he was over all the driving by that point. In desperation, I actually breastfed while we were driving! I buckled myself into the middle seat, then leaned over into the car seat for Gerrit to nurse. It really helped out Gerrit, and I only got a few weird bruises from it, haha. I avoided looking out the window, because I wasn’t sure what kind of looks I would get from other drivers!

Overall, month #10 was pretty good. Despite the crappy sleep Gerrit and I got, we had so much fun seeing family and friends! This is such a great age, and I love playing and interacting with Gerrit. I love watching him discover new things, and his personality just makes me smile. There is no better feeling than being loved by this little boy!

Here are some more photos from his 10 month photo shoot: