What a difference 6 months makes

Happy 1/2 year birthday Ben! At his check-up today, he weighed 19lbs & 3/4 of an ounce, and was 72cm long (about 28.5 inches) - so he's still nice and long and lean. He tolerated his vaccinations in both thighs, with barely a cry. He's such a strong little guy. And our doctor says that he's advanced for his age (of course the proud parents already knew this). He can sit up unsupported, roll and babble like it's going out of style, and it seems like he may be close to breaking his 2 front teeth (oh no! he's still nursing!).

It's amazing the changes that occur in 6 months. I knew that this time would pass quickly and the changes are phenomenal, so I'm trying my best to enjoy every moment and document everything!

I always thought newborns were the cutest because they're small and helpless, but now I know that babies get cuter as they get older. I can think of 10 great reasons why they're better...

A 6 month old baby...
10. ... can play and entertain themselves
9. ... produces slightly less spit-up
8. ... is much less fragile, so daddy can play more physical games
7. ...loves bath time, rather than thrashing and screaming throughout the process
6. ... can sit-up, therefore doesn't need to be held/propped up at all times
5. ... actually enjoys "tummy time" rather than screaming through it
4. ... interacts with his environment and people around him - no longer just a (cute) lump!
3. ...knows and prefers his mommy over anyone else
2. ...nurses every 4 hours instead of every 2-3, and only for 10-15 minutes (instead of 15-30)
1. ... produces a lot less poo (Ben used to poop multiple times daily, now it's once every 1-3 days)

Oh, and sleeps through the night (most of the time.. ahem..)

Crazy biatch!

Aliza Shvarts - have you heard of this girl? She's an "art" student at Yale who may or may not have artificially inseminated herself and then induced abortions for a 9 month period, then videotaped and kept (ew!) the "results". There are lots of links (here's one for your viewing "pleasure": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aliza_Shvarts for the full story, so I won't be repeating the gory details here.
Abortion as art is crossing the line, in my opinion (and I'm sure 99.9% of normal people would agree with me - Aliza does not strike me as normal!) . I am not pro-life, but I only believe in abortions when needed (to protect the health of the mother or when a mother would not be able to care for the baby) - not for the purposes of an "art" project. When I think of what this woman may or may not have done (there are conflicting reports) I feel sick - not only because it is physically disgusting, but so ethically and morally wrong.
I can only hope it's a hoax with the purpose of attracting attention and creating discussion.

4:30am

Ben has been fussing in his crib since 2:58am. He usually sleeps from 8pm until 6am, so I know he can go all night without feeding. However, last night he awoke at 2:45am, and fussed and fussed and fussed, so I got fed up, caved in, and fed him so I could get some peace. Babies are smart though- he will wake up every night at this time if I continue to feed him. So, I am letting him cry it out. A controversial method, but I know it works for us - we got him to sleep through the night by using this method. I know Ben is not fussing to piss me off or to manipulate me, but it is frustrating to say the least! You can't reason with him, and explain that he's not really hungry and just needs to go back to sleep.
This is the worst part of parenting for me - the sleep issues (mine and Ben's). I am thankful that I don't need to go to work in the morning, but I do feel bad for T who does have to be up at 6am (eek!). T did get up @ 3:40 to check in on Ben, but promptly went back to sleep/started snoring. Between Ben's "eh eh ehhhhhhhhs" and T's snoring, I am not getting any sleep any time soon - even with ear plugs in and a pillow over my head! It is physically impossible for me to sleep when I can hear Ben - nature's way of ensuring I'm looking after my baby, I guess.
4:37 and still going strong... god help me....

Here comes the sun!

Ben and I just spent the last 2 hours sitting on a blanket in the backyard. It is 20 degrees, with a bright blue sky and lots of sun - simply gorgeous. He was sitting up unsupported for most of the time, only toppled over a couple times. It's amazing how much he's changed in 6 months. The next steps are crawling, walking, talking... oh my!

T is working late tonight, so it's just me and the boy for the rest of the day. We may venture out on a walk since the weather is so nice - the exercise would do me some good :)

A light on the horizon

What better to break me out of this funk than a week-long visit with my parents? Next week I leave for 7 days with my folks on beautiful Vancouver Island. My mother saw Ben in February, but my dad hasn't seen him since Christmas... a lot changes from 2 months to 6 months old, so he is anxious to see him, to say the least!
While there, my best friend and her husband will be driving up from Washington state - she hasn't met Ben, and we haven't seen each other since a brief (one evening) visit in September, when I was hugely pregnant. We've been friends since 1999, when we were both attending a boarding school in Italy for our final year of high school. We attended the same university and lived together the year following graduation, until I moved out here in August '05. The fact that we've been friends for 9 years is amazing, considering I'm a military brat and spent my childhood moving every year or two.
The only potential problem with this trip is the fact that I will be flying alone with Ben. He's already flown 6 times, but not since he was 2 months old, and always with both T and me. I worry that now that he's older and not sleeping all the time, he might be fussy and vocal (!) on the flight. My savior will be the TV screen on the back of the seat - I'm flying WestJet, and I think they're standard issue? Fingers crossed!

Monotony

Life with a 6-month old is rewarding, generally enjoyable, occasionally unpleasant, but mostly it is monotonous. My day revolves around Ben's nap schedule (he takes 3, sometimes only 2) and I am always amazed how quickly the day passes without actually "doing anything." I love that I have the opportunity to stay home with my son, but as none of my friends have babies and everyone I know is at work all day, I tend to be alone most of the time. I know I need to get out of the house more, but I can't seem to motivate myself to do so. As I lie in bed at night, I plan for the next day, but as each day begins, my plans always go out the window, and we end up doing the same old things... bouncing in the exersaucer, singing our little songs, having "conversations", diaper changes, naps, nursing sessions... lather, rinse repeat...
I need a little jolt, a little something to motivate me to get out and live my life, and expose my little guy to something beyond these 4 walls.

First post... what to say? I am the mother of an almost 6 month old boy (Ben) and engaged to my wonderful boyfriend of 5+ years (we'll call him T).
I am currently on maternity leave from my job as a dietitian, and have far too much time on my hands. Time which is too often spent perusing "mommy blogs" and eating cookie dough. My fiance suggested I write a blog as an outlet, so this is it! Topics I plan on discussing include my love affair with Jamie Oliver, my unhealthy attraction to Michael Cera (so awkward, so sexy!) but mostly I will talk about my sweet little guy, Ben!