The Secret Ingredient

Let me first exclaim that I know I'm not the first to figure this out or the last and I'm sure it isn't some super secret, but for me I had never heard about it so it is now my secret ingredient success story.

Nathaniel hasn't been a bad or good eater. I figure he probably falls somewhere in the middle. Sometimes he will quickly eat up his puree and other times not so much. To be fair to the little guy I'd say he eats good a lot more than he eats bad. When he eats poorly it is definitely a test of patience as you sit in the kitchen staring at each other as he spits it back at you or just flails his arms in some sort of baby revolt. His spitting is mostly just pushing the food back out of his mouth. This in turn gets all over his hands and usually ends up pretty much everywhere since he then rubs his eyes, his hair, etc. He does the spitting with all the food whether he likes it or not. Sometimes I guess he is just in a mood. The puree's he doesn't like he just gives stink face and pretty much turns his head from you.

He has been doing better with finger foods. I think he likes his independence. The problem with finger foods is that he tends to 'squirrel' a lot of the more starchy finger foods (pasta, bread). By squirreling I mean he just packs it in but doesn't swallow. Eventually he will have 10 pieces of pasta in his mouth. As he stuffs more in a few fall out, but overall his cheeks just get bigger and bigger.  He does eat beans, cheese, melons, blueberries and cheerios like a champ still. I haven't tried pasta or bread in a while so I might soon just to see if the 'squirreling' phase is over.

Ok, back to the puree's that get super stink face. Green beans, carrots and chicken are probably the worst offenders.

Quick side story. I go through some work to make homemade food for Nathaniel. I buy organically grown fresh veggies and fruit and I steam or bake them, puree then freeze. I use jarred or pouch foods if we aren't at home, if it is food that I don't know how to make *prunes* or if I leave Kevin home to feed him. Well, it always seems like Nathaniel gobbles up these foods much quicker than mine. Little punk! Maybe he likes them more because the consistency is smoother. Or maybe they just taste better... who knows. But, it is a little offensive ;) Even though on occasion I feel like just giving him the store bought organic food all of the time - I continue to primarily use the food I make because overall I think they retain more vitamins when compared to the jarred. I have been using more jars/pouches that have spinach mixed in the puree. I can't puree spinach and if you remember he is low on iron so I do add those store bought ones to the rotation. Ask me again in a few weeks and maybe I'll have transitioned to store bought haha.

On to the secret... not 'The Secret' the famous book by Rhonda Byrne... but my little secret.

So green beans (both jarred and mine - yes I performed a mini experiment), carrots and chicken are big stink face causers. But but but they go down successfully with my secret ingredient. Drum roll please........ pear or apple sauce. I add a tiny bit of pear puree to carrots and you'd think they were sweet potatoes (one of his favorites). A little bit of apple puree in broccoli and down the hatch it goes. Pear and green beans is a winning combination. The secret ingredient for chicken seems to be squash (not pear or apple, but I'll take it). I've decided to change the classic Mary Poppin song 'a little bit of sugar makes the medicine go down' to 'a little bit of apple or pear makes the veggies go down, the veggies go down, the veggies go down'

You might be thinking that I am going to run into trouble when he eats these veggies as real food since I can't mask the flavor. I figure I will tackle that problem when it comes. For now he is getting these essential veggies and learning to at least like the flavor even though it is slightly diluted since it is still primarily carrot or green bean, just with a ** shhhh** secret yummy ingredient.

My New Job

Well folks, I have a new job. I'm not sure it is my dream job (a veterinarian, dog daycare owner, geneticist to name a few) or maybe it is...My new job is to be an all day 'spotter' for Nathaniel. No not the type of spotter that removes spots from clothing (well actually I do remove a lot of orangey stuff from Nate's clothes) and no not the type of spotter that watches for enemy aircraft, but the type of spotter that finds the most effective place to keep someone from injuring themselves in the act of executing a maneuver. In this case the 'someone' is Nate and the 'maneuver' is pulling up on things. When I say things I mean THINGS. He tries pulling himself up on everything... the wall, a swing, Mocha's crate, the couch, me, the stairway rail and his favorite... the window sill.

He can pull up on most things, but he hasn't quite mastered how to get down. He gets brave on occasion and falls on his butt. This works great especially upstairs where there is carpet. However, down on the wood floors I get nervous. I basically follow him around 'spotting' to make sure he doesn't fall straight backwards on his head. I'm like the coaches during the uneven bar routine in gymnastics. It is also great fun to run up and down the stairs when I lay him down to nap. He pulls himself up and can't get back down. So I run up, lay him back down, tell him to take a nap. I do this about 15 times before he actually starts to stay put. He gets such a kick out of himself when he is up there though. He celebrates every time with a little body jiggle and excited giggle noise.

There are worse jobs in the world than following a funny little dude around the house I guess ;) so I will embrace my new job as a 'spotter'

The Next Michael Phelps

In the spirit of the Olympic games of 2012 in London I figured it was appropriate to give a shout out to the greatest Olympic swimmer of all time - Michael Phelps. He is arguably the greatest olympian ever based on medal count and repeat gold medals. He obviously had some athletic *swim* genes. As a new parent you wonder what talents your kid might be harboring in their genetic code. Do you ever wonder sometimes if you were suppose to be a great Javelin thrower, but you never picked up a javelin so you were never an Olympian. Haha, it is funny to think about.

Well, in an effort to see if Nathaniel has *swimming* in his genes we took him to his first swim lesson today. We just went to a parent/child class at the YMCA. We ended being the only people in class so we essentially are getting private lessons. I'm not sure we have a coach like Bob Bowman (Phelps coach), but she will do and seems nice. Kevin went in the pool with him for his first lesson.

Nathaniel, while stiffening a bit in the beginning, didn't cry or squirm too much. The first lesson went pretty well. Mostly, Kevin just swooshed him around using a few different techniques and singing a few swimming type nursery songs. The instructor is used to a few more people in class so she said Kevin had to sing too so it wasn't just her haha... funny. Kevin had to do a few almost dunks and Nate didn't necessarily like those. Nate did great for almost all of it though. We have lessons for the next 3 Sundays. While we would like to start him on his Olympic training path mostly we just want him to start getting used to water.  We are hoping this makes him more confident in the water in case anything was to happen, plus he will take to real swimming much better.  Although if he wants to be an Olympic swimmer I'll support him ;) 

 

Kiss Kiss?

There are all kinds of articles, book chapters and emails that explain baby milestones. Always, always always with the caveat 'Remember all babies develop at different rates, yada yada yada, blah blah, contact your Dr. if you are concerned' The online articles are always followed by people claiming their baby did this or that months earlier than the milestone has listed as an average (typical) age. You start to get nervous when you read the comments. You read things like ' My baby was walking at 5 months, eating finger foods by 6 months, rolling over at 1 month, talking by 3 months, changing their own diapers by 9 months, flying by 10 months, shouting the ABC's by 8 months. You get my point. It appears everyone's baby is an overachiever except yours. Then you sit back and realize that several of these people must be crazy. I think sometimes a baby lucks out and rolls by accident and doesn't do it again for months, but the parents mark that as the ability to roll over. I don't mean to sound negative, but come on. I'm sure there are lots of babies that beat a milestone here or there, but I have a hard time believing all of the 'fish stories' online. :) 

Ok, back to my original thought. No where have I seen 'Parent Milestones' listed. These would be things you achieve as you go through the eye opening experience of taking care of a baby for the first time. For instance, the first time you realize (and I mean actually realize and come to terms with) that you will not get to all of the things you have on your to do list. You might have 10 super cute crafts you plan on creating for your little bundle of joy, but forget it you will only get to a few of those in any timely manner. Once you let the long to do list go your life feels a little more relaxed. Or another milestone might be the first time you get your baby to laugh (The milestone where you visibly bring joy to your baby) You know, the laugh that just melts your heart and you are the one making it happen. You continue to act ridiculous or whatever method you do just to hear it over and over. What about a milestone when you stop thinking about all of the theories and sleep secrets you have read about and just tune in to your kid and finally FINALLY just get it and get them. Well, get them as much as you can :) I'm sure we can all think of those few times (milestones) that just really changed you and how you approached the next day. When you get to these parental milestones it is like a door opens to lots of new things. Sometimes of course the new things bring even more questions, but you moved forward. You move forward gaining little nuggets of confidence. Now along with confidence are the milestones that are just pure joy and probably don't teach you a thing, but it is something you have been waiting to happen. This is the milestone that just happened in the Hahm household.

Nathaniel gave me a Kiss last Monday. Oh I think every parent just cannot wait for this. The kiss isn't much of a kiss. It is more like a slobbery open mouth fish lick, but I'll take it. I'm pretty sure he doesn't even really understand the significance of a kiss or what emotion it evokes. But, for me anyway, it is one of the first times as a parent you feel like he is loving you back visibly. I can not get enough of these. He doesn't always do it on command and if there is any other distraction forget it, but it is just too cool. Right after naps is his most kissy time. I was feeling pretty good about this parental milestone until I saw him giving these same slobbery kisses to the stairway rail, the wall and his crib. Owell, maybe he just loves all of those things too!

I do think as a new parent there are things that just click or happen at certain times that are worthy of being called a milestone. I can't wait to experience more of these. You just know them when they happen. The day just feels different.

Nathaniel is sleeping now and I can't wait to go ask for a, 'kiss kiss' ....

Downward Facing Dog

Something I should do more of is yoga. I did it a bit at the beginning of my pregnancy and certain poses throughout my pregnancy (child pose, cat and cow) and it really did feel great stretching. It felt especially good to stretch and make that right side pain feel a little better when possible. A pain that did indeed go away immediately after that kicking little baby was out of there like the doctor said. Anyway, what I never knew would happen is that Nathaniel would practice a yoga pose at such a young age. He can be seen doing 'downward facing dog' several times a day. I guess Mocha and Kona taught him the move. He doesn't quite do it with the precision of an experienced yoga expert, but he is well on his way. 

Or.... instead of being a yoga expert.... it could be the beginning stages of trying to stand up. He is FAR from being able to balance, but he is trying to do something. The something does look a lot like downward facing dog though :)

The funny thing he does is walk and stand on his toes. When he is playing in his walk around toy my mom got him he pushes himself around on the top side of his toes. Yes, it is a little strange, but the way the walker is set up allows him to do that kind of easy and still whip around fast. Also, when he stands up against the couch or window sill he likes to stand up on his toes (at least the bottom side of them instead of the front which is a little better). We figure once he realizes he can't balance very well that way he will try some other methods. Or maybe just maybe he will be a ballet dancer.

Music with Mommie

Nathaniel and I have been attending Music with Mommie for 2 weeks now. It is a group class for kids 5 months to 5 years that has songs and musical instruments and stuff. I, of course, took advantage of the first free class to see if it was any good. Because we don't get out much around other kids Nate pretty much just stared at them. Granted most of them are older and mobile so I think he was amazed they could grab their own instruments and walk around.

It is funny when we are suppose to make motions with a song. To help him have fun I move his arms etc. ... for example the song might say 'swim like a dolphin' so I move his arms in a swimming motion. The problem is that he locks up and won't let me move anything. He becomes as stiff as a statue. And when we are suppose to be snuggie during an 'I love you' type song he is jumping (on my leg as I hold him) and worming all around. He was also more interested in the live frog that was sitting next to us more than the music at times... me too though so maybe he gets that from me.

The second class was a little more crowded than the first. Which would be fine except for it is in a back storage room of a toy store so it got a little crowded and hot. I do think he likes it and enjoys watching the other kids so I'm going to stick with it for at least a session or two. There are 2 other kids about his age so that is good. The registration fee included an intro musical instrument pack and cd. He LOVES the egg shaker. I'm thinking since he has used it so much at home he may actually try and use it during class next time, which would be cool. I ordered him a few more kid friendly instruments. Maracas, another egg shaker and a baby sized tambourine. If he gets familiar with them at home he may be a little more open to them during that part of class. He also really enjoys sitting under the parachute while the moms wave it above the kids heads. (and yes it is a sexist class I think... there are no dads)

Class is on Wednesday mornings - so feel free to have the image of Nate as stiff as a statue and me singing off key on those mornings (and feel free to laugh at me as I strain to get up and down a billion times during class because I'm old and out of shape.... by the end of class I'm just as tired as Nate. Actually towards the end I smile at the older kids and get them to put our instruments back in the bucket after each song so I don't have to hahaha)   

So So Funny

Man, where is time going. I always give a little chuckle when people say, "enjoy it, his childhood goes by fast" because it always sounds so rehearsed and just what people say during small talk. But, Holy Moly I'm starting to think that statement is hugely understated. I just got a blanket email from some website mentioning baby milestones. The milestone was Nathaniel's first birthday. WHAT WHAT. I started to panic. I don't have a theme, as a matter of fact I don't have any plans for his first birthday. We don't even really have anybody to invite since most of our friends and family live elsewhere. So as of right now Nathaniel is going to have some lame cupcake, a cardboard bday hat from the Dollar Tree and me and Kevin singing some off key birthday song. AAAAaaahhh I'm going to win the worst mom award. Good moms would have 1000 ideas posted to Pinterest by now. I'd have themes narrowed to 3 top choices. I'd have a homemade 'I'm One' t-shirt made. The cake would be planned. People would have cute homemade invites to look at even if I knew they couldn't realistically be here. Then I spiraled out of control thinking... I don't have anything planned for his Halloween costume yet either. And no Christmas traditions being worked out. AAAaaahhh, what preschool will he attend? Do we have enough saved for his college fund? ...... ok ok ok, after a deep breath I regained my sanity. 

To be fair, I am still a little panicked about making his birthday special. I'll keep you posted on my neurosis.

Ok, now on to so so so funny..

Nathaniel cracks himself up on occasion. It is so cute. I really can't get enough of his laugh. Now that he is an 'expert' crawler he loves to crawl over your legs. He basically high centers on your legs and then face plants into the ground. As he is face planting he is laughing hysterically. It looks a tiny bit painful, but apparently not. He will do this several times and just loves it every time. It is only slightly less funny for him when he goes over a fluffy pillow. Another thing that is so so funny is playing chase around the couch. he crawls off in one direction and if you go in another and pop out from the side he flops over and just laughs. When I'm driving I'll hear a giggle from the back seat. This one is still a mystery to me, I'm not sure what is so so funny. I'm not sure how he is actually cracking himself up back there. He kicks the mirror with his feet, throws his toys at the door (something I like to call the backseat toy graveyard) and make motorboat sounds (YES, he still loves to spit all over himself - is this a boy thing do you think?) .. it could be any of these things or perhaps something I haven't witnessed, but what I do know is random laughing happens on occasion from back there.

Overall, he is a pretty happy baby still. This is something I try every day not to take for granted. Don't get me wrong he has gotten quicker to let you know when he isn't happy about something. He has a kind of a 'whiner whine' about him. He doesn't cry, but gives this 'whiner whine'.

Nate Note: For a month now Nathaniel does this 'No no no' thing. He kind of smiles and shakes his head back and forth super fast in a 'no no no' sort of way. It is actually kind of cute and we think he has fun doing it. I don't think he has any clue what the word NO means so we aren't sure why he does this. He does it at random times too. It isn't just when he is tired or excited or hungry or full. He has done it during all of those times and many more random events. Once we figure out the mystery of the 'no no no' we will let you know.

Historical Note: Ernie Els won The Open Championship today by one stroke.  I only bring this up because we saw Ernie Els at The Square Grouper when we were in Jupiter, FL for vacation while I was pregnant with Baby Hahm :) Ernie had pulled his yacht in and he and his friends sat at the table right next to us.  

Who Can Sit? I Can Sit!

For about a week now the little guy will sit up from a crawl. See video below. He is so much more mobile now. One of his favorite things to do is crawl to the dog's water dish and stick his hands in the water and play with it. Not exactly my favorite thing for him to do since he sticks his fingers in his mouth to taste the water. Needless to say, I change that water out quite a bit (which happens anyway because Kona won't drink unfresh water) and redirect the curious boy to different areas several times a day. He still poses while he crawls too.   

Looks like Nathaniel will have to share his pool... or is it the
other way around and Mocha will have to share his pool.
I'm pretty sure Kona is looking at him like he is crazy.

Mocha, "It is sooooooo Hot - Thanks for the pool"

What Time Is It?

What time is it?  Did you guess?  It is time to lower the crib.  It became quite a game between Nathaniel and myself - I'd lay him down and he'd giggle and kneel on the side of the crib.  This went on about 50 times. I decided to leave the room to see if he'd actually try taking a nap and he decided instead of kneeling he would stand against the side of the crib.  I, of course, ran up the stairs just as fast as I could.  I didn't think he'd stand up that fast from kneeling.  Although it was sad to take his fun new game away, the crib was lowered pretty much immediately.  He did not take to it very well for the first nap, but after that he has done just fine.  Little stinker.  On a side note, the lowered crib is much harder for a shortie like me to change the sheets and pick him up (I guess Kevin will just have to change the sheets from now on... woo hoo)

Showing Off

Two of my VERY favorite people in the world

The Fourth of July had many exciting fireworks this year. It started off on July 3rd with my sister coming for a visit from Arizona. YaY. If you remember we visited Arizona just a bit ago (I still need to write a real blog entry for that trip). Well, Nathaniel decided to show off at Aunt Krista's and start crawling. The army man crawl. He has become a master at that technique. He can get around pretty fast. It is a true army man crawl where he gets his legs and arms going. Occasionally, he gets on all fours with his stomach off the ground and rocks back and forth. Of course since my sister was here in Nashville he decided to show off again for her. He took the rocking back and forth to another level and started a real crawl. So July 4th was his first real crawl moves. He would go about 2-3 moves and then revert back to army crawling. By the end of her visit he was going a lot more than 2-3 moves and is becoming quite efficient at that type of crawling. Here is a quick video below. We have some better ones, but this was a quick one on the iPhone :)

It was fun having my sister here for the 4th. We actually went and watched real fireworks on a blanket in a park and everything. Kevin stayed home to watch Nathaniel (Although Nathaniel was almost in bed when we left and Kevin rented 'Act of Valor' to watch and had a Samuel Adams to enjoy so I'm pretty sure he had a good time too)

This is his 'old man' face ... he does this lately and it is so goofy

Nathaniel also had his first high chair experience in a restaurant. We had been using his infant carseat in a restaurant for his seat, but since we now are using a convertible car seat that isn't an option any longer (hhhmmm have I mentioned that yet? He has transitioned to the next carseat). I have my new floppy seat to put over the high chair so we decided to try out. My sister and I headed to Bosco's for happy hour appetizers since we were hungry. Here is a picture of Nate enjoying a teething biscuit sitting in the high chair (And no he doesn't have any teeth yet so he was just gumming the biscuit). He was showing off as usual and was super good. He just hung out in the high chair while we enjoyed our snacks and didn't even get too squirrely.

This showing off continued at a few other restaurants we went to while my sister was in town. He loves looking at the people at the other tables. His head looks like it is on a swivel as he glances from one side to the other. The people around us seem to get a kick out of him looking at their tables. If I stare at a table next to us they think I'm creepy, but if Nate does the exact same thing apparently it is cute ;) Looking at people and eating Organic cheerio like snacks kept him pretty occupied while we ate. He only gets a little antsy towards the end when he lets you know he is ready to go.

My sister left yesterday afternoon :( It was so nice to hang out. Nate is going to miss his Aunt showering him with snuggles and playing with him. He was even a good boy while she babysat while me and Kevin ran an errand. Actually, I was a little insulted he didn't cry or anything while we were gone - isn't he suppose to have separation anxiety from us at this age?!? haha, I'm glad he isn't showing signs of that, but it is a little insulting ;)

He poses as he crawls.  This is his crawl-crawl-crawl-pose look

Kevin and Nate at Arrington Vineyards

Aunt Krista and Nate at Arrington Vineyards

Aunt Krista and Nate in downtown Franklin, TN.

9 month appt

The stats.

9/30 - He was born and was 21 inches tall and 8 lbs 7 oz
10/11 - He was 11 days old and was 21 inches tall and 8 lbs 9 oz
10/24 - He was 3 and 3/7 wks old and was 21 3/4 inches tall and 9 lbs 9 oz
12/1 - He is 2 months old and 24 inches tall and 11 lbs 10 oz

1/20 - He is 3 1/2 months old and 25 3/4 inches tall and 14 lbs 8 oz

3/30 - He is 6 months old and 27 inches tall and 17 lbs 4 oz

6/28 - He is a lil under 9 months old and 28 3/4 inches tall and 20 lbs 12 oz.

 

Nathaniel had his routine 9 month checkup yesterday. This one was so much better because there weren't any shots - YAY! Although they prick his finger to check for anemia and then proceed to squeeze blood out of it for a bit. He didn't cry so while it seemed uncomfortable he must have not thought it was so bad. Everything seemed pretty much on track. One of the things we will be doing is adding more food to his diet. Pretty much everything goes now except for the big no no's (honey, fish, egg whites, salt, peanut butter etc.). Also, we don't usually practice walking or put him near things to pull up on so we might start doing a little more of that so he starts to have an interest in that stuff (we just thought that - the Dr. didn't mention anything). We did get a call later in the day about his anemia test results. He is a tiny bit anemic so they suggested we use a daily vitamin that has iron in it. Nothing too big, but he will be retested at 12 months. I'm going to try and add a few natural iron rich veggies to his diet too. Maybe secretly pureeing a spinach leaf here or there in something else and trying some beans as finger foods. Overall though the doctor said he looks great and healthy. Always, good news. Oh yeah, we asked about his teeth (since he doesn't have any yet) and she looked in there and didn't notice anything odd so he just might get teeth a bit late.

 

Since I mentioned food above I figured I'd give an update on how that is going. Fruits are still his favorite. He loves pretty much any fruit we've tried (apples, pears, mangos, peaches, blueberries, melons, etc.). He likes yogurt. I bought vanilla flavored baby yogurt and it was a big winner. Oatmeal goes down pretty easy too. Veggies are a different story. Green beans and carrots are still big losers. We even tried pieces of green bean to see if we allowed him to feed himself it would make it better - it was a big NO. Sweet potatoes and any type of squash (acorn, spaghetti, butternut) are his favorites. He gave super stink face to mashed potatoes, tofu :( and still doesn't like avocado. Finger foods are like a roller coaster ... sometimes he does ok and sometimes not so much. He eats cheerios, puffs, bananas and honeydew pieces great. If you give him noodles or cheese he just puts them in his mouth and holds them there. He never chews or swallows and they end up coming back out, but mostly he just holds them there forever. crazy kid. He is doing great picking up stuff and getting it in there so it is just the chewing and swallowing :)

 

On a side note... Kevin said we have a 'Baby Roomba' since as he crawls around he just sweeps everything up onto his clothes (funny, but not funny). I'll pick him up and there is probably 1000 dog hairs on him. Even after I just vacuumed. I think because we have had record setting temperatures the dogs are losing all of their hair! haha. The occasional floor lick catches me by surprise too. I'm getting better about my cringe facial expression I make, but it will take time.

 

My sis is coming out in a few days! I can't wait to spend some more time with her. She hasn't been to Nashville since right after my c-section so this trip should be much more fun. (well hopefully, since it just has to be more fun than sitting around watching tv as I whined and wore the same nightgown for a week straight ;) while trying to figure out what to do with a 1 wk old baby - the best comfort though was having her there and I'm still so thankful)

 

Cheers to a healthy and happy little boy! Next appt is Oct 1st (I figured we'd schedule it after his bday since he has to get more shots and that is a lame bday present)

Buggy Big Boy

Ok, so I call a shopping cart a buggy.  I've called it a buggy all my life.  I'm pretty sure my mom calls it a buggy and maybe my dad... hhhmmm I can't remember exactly, but someone somewhere calls it that for sure since that is all I know.


Nathaniel had his first taste of sitting up high in a buggy this past Sunday.  I have just been putting him in his stroller and only buying what groceries would fit in the stroller basket.  He has probably been ready for this new adventure for awhile, but I hadn't bought a cart cover.  Yes, I am one of those people who is afraid of the germs on the buggy.  I always use those free wipes they offer in the store.  I have seen Nate pretty much lick everything and I just couldn't handle watching him lick the handle... not after reading articles about kids getting ringworm from a cart.  Yep, you read that right RINGWORM.  Ok, ok I know the odds of him actually contracting ringworm from a cart are statistically low, but the fact that there is a statistic for that is enough for me.


I read a little bit on different covers and looked around at a few stores.  This one fits the bigger carts so I decided to go with it - Floppy Seat.  It isn't compact, but I just throw it in my car.

Nathaniel wasn't sure what to think at first as captured in the picture below.  By the end he was looking around, leaning back and enjoying himself.  These pictures are at Costco. 

On a side note we got to meet Harper while we were at Costco on Saturday (we went to Costco twice this weekend since we forgot to buy something).  Harper is the daughter of one of Kevin's coworkers (Allison).  Harper was so pretty and super happy!  She was clapping her hands and smiling at Nate.  Nate just kind of stared at her (Once again this is a subject for another blog - I need to get this boy around more people his own age since I think he just can't believe his eyes when there is another baby around)

The Airport

Before Nathaniel: 2 carry on pieces of luggage and a large purse.
After Nathaniel: 3 checked pieces of luggage, a diaper bag, a purse, a camera bag, a carseat, a stroller, a stroller bag and a carseat bag... oh and Nathaniel

Needless to say, I was more anxious than usual for this flight. Will he cry for 3.5 hrs? Will I? Will Kevin and I yell at each other out of frustration 100 times? Would we put Nate through the security machine in a bucket by accident? Will I have to change a poopy diaper midflight in a tiny bathroom with a squiggly kid? Do I have enough toys, food, burp rags, diapers etc to make through the airport part of this trip? Will we sit next to grumpy mcgee on the plane and I'll feel nervous the whole time? How am I going to sit with a baby on my lap for 3.5 hrs. (Nathaniel hasn't sit still for more than 5 minutes on any given day) How many foreign (and domestic) germs will he pick up at the airport GERMS GERMS GERMS? How are we possibly going to carry all of this stuff through the airport and not hurt ourselves (or someone else)? I guess that is where being a young whipper snapper might help. Will I want to kill Kevin every other 5 minutes? I bring this up twice because I think it is super easy to get mad at your partner when things get awkward and uncomfortable. What if they lose our luggage do I have enough back up to keep the baby from a complete meltdown for a few hours? After all of this anxiety we should just wait to travel on an airplane until he is in high school :o)

Our first strategic move was to buy tickets that had us departing about when Nate has his last bottle of the day and then goes to sleep. We were hopeful that the bottle sucking would help with his ears and that the sound of the plane would put him to sleep the whole time. The downside of this strategy is that you don't get into Phoenix until 11:30pm, but we figured once we got on the road he'd fall to sleep again (hopefully anyway). This plan of course depended on the airline being on time. If the plane started running late Plan B would have to happen (BTW, there was NO Plan B). We also bought Nonstop - a connection wasn't even an option I considered.

So, it was A-day (airport day). After a night of packing, what felt like pretty much EVERYTHING in our house, we loaded ourselves into the car. Our first obstacle was getting us and all of our crap actually up to the check in counter. We decided to pull up to the curbside check in and see if Kevin could run out and check us in so we could leave our suitcases. If this works it would definitely make it easier to get from the economy lot to the airport. Success. He just had to run back to the car and get my license and I had to wave to the guy and we were checked in. There was one add'l step. We had to show them Nathaniel's birth certificate so that he could have a lap seat ticket with me.

Ok, A-day continues (Oh actually this brings back memories.... I forgot there was an A-day at the University of Arizona... I think I made it to the final group of gals to be the freshman A-day queen, but didn't win... I was so young) Ok, back to the new A-day. We were headed to the economy lot. We got all of our stuff out, didn't forget Nathaniel and managed to get it all on the shuttle without to much of a hassle. Basically I took Nate in his carseat while Kevin loaded everything. We decided to feed him his bottle before we went through security just in case it took awhile since it was close to his eating time anyway. We were calm and collected. Nate however was very distracted by the people and only ate so so. Off we went to the dreaded security line. We must have had 10 buckets, plus the carseat and stroller. We actually went through pretty well and somewhat quickly. It was a little funny to watch Kevin move in super speed getting everything folded and up on the belt. I had Nate and just watched.  The only debacle was his favorite chew toy, the giraffe, fell to the floor and then was just put willy nilly on the belt Yucko!

Next, we headed to eat and feed Nate solids.  I went to buy us sandwiches while Kevin entertained the now pretty hyper boy.  Upon my return I noticed all of his toys on the dirty airport table.  Kevin said it is fine. I said, that is why I bought disposable eating mats.  I guess he survived ….. barely ;)

We then headed to the crowded gate area for some more waiting and entertaining of the little guy.  We found out that the flight was full so we wouldn’t be able to use the carseat in an extra seat for Nate L We proceeded to get gate check tags for the stroller and carseat.  Now we were carrying everything, no more strolling stuff around because the stroller and carseat were in bags.  We didn’t want to be rushed shoving stuff into the bags as we boarded so we did it a little early.  One of us would just walk around with Nate while the other sat with ALL of our stuff.

Nathaniel met someone as we were waiting. It was this cute little 9 month old baby that kept reaching over the seat to grab his hand.  I didn’t even notice them there at first.  So the two babies just stared at each other for a bit.  It was cute.  Nathaniel doesn’t see too many kids (that is a subject for another blog) so it was good for him. 

Now it is time to board.  We get on.  We spend about a minute deciding on window/middle or aisle/middle.  We decided on window/middle seat so that if Nate sleeps and the person sitting in our row needed to use the restroom he wouldn’t be woken up.  We figured we’d rather bother them then us be bothered.  We were off, I made the bottle and then we sat on the runway a bit… a bit longer… eckk … he is getting hungry, but I wanted him to drink on the ascent.  Finally, in the air and we gave him his bottle.  He sucked it down, his ears didn’t seem to hurt.  I put on his special vest we bought him.  It is a vest that attaches him to you in case there are turbulence.  He fell asleep.  He pretty much slept the whole time until the descent into Phoenix.  YAY.  A VERY low stress flight YAY.

Now, getting to the rental car with all of our stuff at 11:30pm would hopefully go smooth.  We managed to get to the shuttle bus somehow… dragging 3 suitcases along with everything else.  We got a luggage cart at the car rental place, which made it a bit easier.  I sat there with Nate for what felt like forever while Kevin got the car.  We got our car, put in the carseat and off we went. 

Next up, a 4 hour drive to Bullhead City, AZ.  Nathaniel fell asleep pretty much as soon as we were on the road YAY.  Besides my splitting headache, hunger and sleepiness we made it.  Kevin did most of the driving.  We figured it was easier just to get there rather than unpack somewhere for a few hours then reload and drive in the morning.  Plus, we got more time with my mom in the morning.  It helps that both Kevin and I are night owls. 

Well, that is our A-Day #1.  If you found it a bit boring …. I’m GLAD… that means nothing to crazy happened!!

A-Day #2 went pretty much the same… except that Phoenix Sky Harbor airport is so much bigger so it took a little extra patience and lugging around stuff.  We did manage to get an extra seat on the plane ride home.  This luxury came with a bit of last minute excitement as our plane kept waiting for late passengers from other flights.  We saw all the extra seats being taken.  We were afraid they'd ask us to put him on our lap because they ran out of extra seats.  They kept delaying and more people kept getting on... we were like shut that door.  No more people :) Finally, they shut the door - this meant Nate got to sit in his carseat for sure.  It felt so much safer and we had a little bit more room.  Once again he drank his bottle on the ascent and fell asleep pretty much the whole time. 

I was trying to think about what I’d do differently to make the trip smoother next time.  We could probably buy a smaller stroller (the $20 umbrella kind) I could leave a few bibs, outfits etc behind to free up some space.  I’d combine my purse and diaper bag (or maybe bring a small roller suitcase/backpack to hold that stuff instead).  I would STILL bring the disposable bibs, placemats, changing table pad and Clorox wipes since they really helped at the airport.  I’d probably spend the $4 immediately on the luggage cart.  Overall, I think it went about as well as possible (mostly due to Nate being a happy boy) and (Kevin lugging more than he probably should have with his bad back). 

It went so well (stressful, but well) maybe I’ll try it myself next time if Kevin has to work, but with considerably less stuff of course ;) 

I wonder if Kevin would describe this whole thing differently hhhhmmm???

Nathaniel on the Plane

A Few Things I Didn't Know I'd Say or Do

- "Let me take that booger"
- Be able to change a baby as he lays on his stomach. (That silly boy rolls over the minute you lay him down and squiggles and squirms) Diaper and outfit changing has become quite the test in patience
- "What was his poop like?"
- Laugh as Nathaniel thinks the door stopper is the most exciting thing EVER. boing boing boing. He loves that spring.
- Learn that even the smallest particle on the floor is a new discovery so I have to clean areas I didn't even know existed (well sort of)
- That I'd repeat Kona or Mocha's name repeatedly and in a weird voice so that they keep wagging their tails. Nate LOVES watching those tails and tries to grab them.
- That I'd kiss anyone's feet so much. Baby feet are soo cute. I figure I have limited time until they become dirty ;)
- Learn to watch TV through babbling and not really care
- "Is that honeydew in his hair?"
- "Oh no, we forgot the giraffe, turn around" This is important because the giraffe is his favorite chew toy.
- "Does the pooh bear thingy say the bath is the right temp?"
- Sing every song I know (or don't know with made up words) to keep Nathaniel occupied while I'm in the shower, or car, or anywhere else requiring it
- Cheer loudly just for someone to put something in their mouth by themselves... haha ...he is doing well with his yogurt melts (and has eaten honeydew and banana pieces)  :)
- Freak out more now when I drive (or Kevin drives) since I have extra special cargo!
- Know and can sing songs like 'hot diggity dog' or the beginning of baby einstein
- Have an opinion on Elmo's voice - SUPER annoying btw
- Put a sign on the door that says 'Don't knock or ring bell' just leave whatever you have... haha... Kona barks loud so it isn't worth it to have anyone disturb the nap!
- Go to the mall and not go into ANY woman's clothing stores
- Put serious effort into experimenting with the best way to mix formula and water
- Get spit on repeatedly during lunch and sort of chuckle because that is the messiest raspberry making face I've ever seen.
- Learn that I don't have the shortest attention span of anyone I know (Nate does)
- That I'd have to carry a baby around superman style - you know like he is flying (he will wiggle endlessly until you do this so I just give in)
- "Does this smell?" "Does this?" "Does this feel wet to you"

- Learn to maneuver a stroller through doors that don't open automatically. Some doors are quite challenging.

 

This was just a quick list off the top of my head... more lists to come

 

Nate Note: Nathaniel is officially doing the army man crawl.  Somewhere in Arizona he managed to become quite skilled at roaming around the floor. He no longer rolls to his destination but crawls there army man style.  He does get up on all fours and rocks back and forth so a true crawl will probably be coming soon.  I have mixed feelings because while I'm happy for his progress I'm already having to chase him around more.  I can already imagine what my days are going to be like.....  I will be chasing Nate and Mocha around like a crazy woman.  I better go buy a baby fence (jail) Wish me luck!

Memorial Day with the Hahm's

Our Memorial day wasn't filled with BBQ or cornhole (a game I had never ever heard of until I moved out of AZ), but it was filled with little home improvement projects and staring at Nathaniel. Kevin's parents knew we had a few things on our list so they were ready to help. We thought they were only going to stay one night and they were able to stay a few more so we got to work. We were glad they could stay a few extra nights but sad that Kevin's mom's (Sandy) brother Alan lost his battle with cancer this past weekend. Our thoughts are with her and Alan's family)  I know Kevin especially had fond memories with him golfing - his joyous personality will be missed :(  

There were almost record setting temperatures so we didn't do anything outside for fun. We did change the coach lights outside our garage and back porch, paint our laundry room and install a utility sink with a cabinet. While Kevin's mom helped here or there she was primarily given the job of watching Nate. A job I don't think she minded! I was doing something at one point and I went upstairs to find everyone. Everyone was in Nate's room laughing at him. He was doing this new inch wormy scooch backwards move. Goofy little boy. I think he is trying out new ways to move. Maybe just maybe he will crawl - we'll see.  .

Nathaniel really enjoys playing with Grandma Hahm's earrings and eyeglasses.  Since I don't wear earrings these were very fun things to explore.  He also enjoyed staring at Grandpa Hahm working on his computer.  It always looked like he wanted to know what he was doing.  I think he was secretly hoping Grandpa was ordering toys for him ;)

This is us being cool :) Even Kona got in the picture

Mr. Independent

Look at what I can do

When Nathaniel drinks his bottle now he can pretty much do it himself. Unless, of course, he is tired in which case he has a VERY lazy hold and needs help to not just suck air. He also only does it laying down. I'm not sure he could get it high enough to do it sitting up. I feel like he looks at me like, 'see I can do it, I don't need you, feel free to do other things' That being said, it does still feel nice to cuddle with him and hold him while he drinks so he doesn't get to become Mr. Independent yet :)

Nathaniel also rolls over to the dog to pet him now. It is always funny to watch him work hard to roll over to the dog (usually Mocha) and when he finally gets there the dog moves. It is usually Mocha because when we have floor time Mocha is down there with us while Kona is up on the bed. Kona is a little more jumpy too so as Nate starts rolling towards her she senses the situation and leaves. Mocha on the other hand lets Nate roll right into him. It usually takes a few kicks or swats and Mocha will reposition himself, BUT Nate just rolls a bit more and gets next to him again. I think Mocha has actually figured out that if he sits still long enough the baby loses interest and goes away on his own or that he will be in prime position to steal Nate's toy and sticks it out. Either way a boy and a dog is always cute.

And here is a picture of him pondering world peace HaHa... j/k but he oozes independence in this picture. I think it is the fact that he can roll to the window himself.

An Unexpected Visit

My Aunt Dana and cousin Kelly came to visit May 2nd and 3rd. They were driving to Knoxville for a wedding and luckily they had a few days to stop in and hang out with us in Nashville. I haven't seen them in quite awhile so it was great that they could come and see us along with meeting Baby Hahm. We had a few nice meals out, went to a winery and got to spend some time catching up. Nathaniel was on his best behavior and made it pretty easy to mosey around town a little bit. I did need some reinforcements in the bathroom at The Loveless Cafe (Nate isn't a big fan of changing stations so I texted my Aunt for a little back-up help). The entire time we were at the winery Nate just bounced in his bouncy seat - he was content I guess. My cousin is a DVM, and I love animals, so it was fun to listen to some silly stories she had of patients while we enjoyed some great wine and weather.

Nate Note:  It has been a few weeks, but I wanted to mention that Nathaniel is solidly sitting up.  Sometime in the 6th month he was sitting, but wobbly.  The 7th month has been pretty solid.  He can play with both hands occupied with toys and stay balanced.  I do still put a pillow behind him when he sits because on occasion he gets a little bored and just flings himself backwards.  This is never a good situation for his baby head.  I can't always predict when he might do this so the pillow makes me feel a little more secure.  

 

My First Mother's Day

It felt weird to actually be a mom on mother's day. I, along with several others, really never thought I'd be celebrating this day other than to celebrate my own mom. Actually, I take that back, I've been a pet parent/pet *mom* for years. That counts - I don't care what anyone says! :) We don't really over celebrate any holiday in our house - we kind of just try and have a nice day, maybe a present, maybe not, it all depends if we need something. Very practical of us, I know (some might say 'not fun'). That being said, this holiday felt different. I felt so proud to be a mom. It is like I joined a secret society. A secret society that you just don't completely understand until you meet the requirements to join - being an actual mom. I have always heard people say things like, 'It is so special to have a kid' and 'I can't imagine my life without a kid' blah blah blah things like that. I always just kind of shrugged and figured it was special, but how much more special than other stuff??

Well, it does feel pretty darn special and I feel SOOOOOO lucky to be experiencing motherhood. I remember when I was in high school my mom had posted something on a board outside her classroom. I believe the board asked the question - 'What was your favorite day or memory?' or something to that effect. Students (and maybe other teachers) had answers posted up there. My mom had pointed out hers and asked me to read it. It said the birth of my daughter. It was far more descriptive than that, but that is what I remember the point being. I'm sure it was plural so that it included my sister too (or maybe it was that she was a mom for the first time so since I'm the oldest it was just me). Either way I was in high school which meant everything was always about *me* who cared about my sister ;) Because I was in high school I am pretty sure I shrugged and said 'Cool' and walked off. I of course did not understand AT ALL what it felt like to be a mom and why my mom thought it was so special. So this is to say to my mom, 'I get it!! I totally GET IT. Now, if I read that same sentiment I'd probably get teary eyed since the content is so much more relevant to my own experience. So, Thanks mom, thanks for always loving me (and Krista).

BTW, Kevin who isn't always a man of many words gave me the sweetest card (along with some spa time) from him and Nathaniel. I loved it. It is going in the Hahm archives.