Six months in. Again, this is purely personal feelings. If there is anything I have learned about baby feeding, it is that there are lots of nuances that go into what works and what doesn't work. On that note.
How's breastfeeding going? In the sense that Bear is well fed, gaining weight, and I don't want to cry every time he needs to eat, good.
How do I feel about it? Not great. I mean, I don't hate it like I did. I feel rather non-commital and/or a little lost. Like, I have no idea how to night wean because I can't use the strategy we used with Z. I am not sure how to go about weaning onto regular milk when that time comes. Bear still eats every 2-3 hours, which is more than I was anticipating at this age. Since he still eats so often, I still feel pretty tethered to him which makes it hard for me to do things like leave to go grade. By the time I get somewhere, get situated and start working I don't have much time before I need to come home and feed him, which has made it really hard for me to keep up with my classes this semester.
This is where the nuance comes in. Things would be different if:
- I could pump more than 2-3 oz at a time (that takes me about 30 minutes). That's pretty much always the best I can do in spite of trying every tip and trick to increase my production. I've pumped 5 oz once and 6 oz once. I have no idea what I did differently, but I've not been able to replicate it. As a result, after the great breastmilk purge when I found out I had high lipase, I rarely have more than one bottle's worth of milk saved for a rainy day, which is stressful. It basically always takes two times of pumping for at least 30 minutes to get enough to replace one feeding which means I don't often pass Bear's feedings off for a bottle because that makes more work for me than just nursing him. I've honestly wondered if my breasts just can't really hold as much milk as other people. At night when Bear nurses before bed he will keep at it until he's stimulated 2-3 letdowns before he will finally settle down.
- Bear would take any formula. We're working on it to try to alleviate my stress over pumping but he's not been very amenable to the idea. So far I've managed to get him to slowly and begrudgingly drink about 6 ounces of formula at two different times.
-Our family dynamic was different. I'm realizing that breastfeeding isn't fitting into our lives very well. If (and I mean IF) we have another baby, I am really going to approach things very differently. I need to be able to do things. Having to sit and nurse Bear when Z needs a nap, or dinner needs to be made, or etc. etc. etc. makes me completely crazy. It's just not the same when you bottle feed. I loved giving Z bottles, but being able to have Joe, or anyone else, feed him too was really, really nice. Plus, Joe loved it. He used to always take the early morning feeding and just snuggle up with Z on the couch. I know Joe has missed being involved with that part of Bear's babyhood and I don't really feel like I can discount that.
Again, if I could pump enough to supply bottles, then I would probably go with that option, but my body just doesn't seem work that way. When I couldn't pump much with Z I thought it was because he never brought in my milk supply, but I know Bear has because he is healthy and thriving on breast milk. I just can't seem to work with a pump. And, seriously, I have tried everything. Different pumps, hand expression, supplements, diet changes, heating compresses, etc, etc, etc.
So, where does that leave us?
It really depends on Bear. I am not going to just stop nursing him and force him onto formula because I don't want to do that to him. So, we're just going to keep offering formula here and there to see if he will start taking it. Ideally I would like to figure out some sort of combo feeding situation, but we'll see what happens. In the meantime I'll just keep pressing on, one day at a time.
I still really like that it's free... minus all the mother's milk tea, pumping supplies, etc ;)
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Monday, November 9, 2015
SIX MONTHS!?
My little Bear is six months old! Yikes!
There were so many things that I was putting off until Bear was 6 months that this has really crept up on me. Examples are: working on transitioning Bear out of our room, changing up our bedtime routine, establishing solids, my bimonthly "how's breastfeeding going?" check in. The time is now upon us, so next month I guess we'll see how these things are going.
Stats!
Weight:16 lbs, 14 oz
Height: 28.75 inches! Holy smokes! We grow them tall.
The GOOD!
Bear's personality is really emerging and it's so fun for me to get to know him more and more. He loves to roll around on the floor, loves his jumper, loves to be around people, LOVES Z with all his heart, loves munching on mum-mums and eating banana-avocado smush. He likes to squeal and giggle when he's happy and isn't very fussy at all. He looks like he might be more blonde then Z and like he's going to have brown eyes like his mama. He's more into trying to eat books than have them read to him, likes to steal Z's "string pillow" at every opportunity and is very motivated to be on the move. He will squirm and roll his way to toys or objects he wants to look at with great gusto. He's not very interested in trying to sit up but he is still learning to do it and is doing pretty well. He likes to go in the swings at the park and be spun around in circles.
Bear has also started grabbing my face with his hands and giving me zombie baby kisses. I love it.
The BAD
Bear cut his first teeth this month and that was sad for us sleep wise. His sleep the nights before his teeth cut were awful. Like, to the point that I was thinking wild thoughts like, Oh my gosh, I will never sleep again! Ever! I just know it! I think he's working on another one now. Lord, help me. Thus, we enter the teething days again. I didn't miss them.
Bear also seems to have had a giant growth spurt in the last week or two, which would explain his intense need to eat ALL THE THINGS. He got much longer but is still not a super chubby baby, though he can hold his own.
He still does not approve of his car seat 50% of the time.
The AWESOME!
I can't really explain how much joy I get when the boys interact. Z is still 50/50 on whether or not he likes Bear but Bear is 100% enamored. All Z has to do is smile at Bear and Bear bursts into hysterical baby giggles. They have had some pretty wonderful moments together this last month.
I'll round this off saying that while parenting can be really exhausting and hard, I feel so lucky that I get to spend so much time with these two little souls. They are so special and wonderful.
There were so many things that I was putting off until Bear was 6 months that this has really crept up on me. Examples are: working on transitioning Bear out of our room, changing up our bedtime routine, establishing solids, my bimonthly "how's breastfeeding going?" check in. The time is now upon us, so next month I guess we'll see how these things are going.
Stats!
Weight:16 lbs, 14 oz
Height: 28.75 inches! Holy smokes! We grow them tall.
The GOOD!
Bear's personality is really emerging and it's so fun for me to get to know him more and more. He loves to roll around on the floor, loves his jumper, loves to be around people, LOVES Z with all his heart, loves munching on mum-mums and eating banana-avocado smush. He likes to squeal and giggle when he's happy and isn't very fussy at all. He looks like he might be more blonde then Z and like he's going to have brown eyes like his mama. He's more into trying to eat books than have them read to him, likes to steal Z's "string pillow" at every opportunity and is very motivated to be on the move. He will squirm and roll his way to toys or objects he wants to look at with great gusto. He's not very interested in trying to sit up but he is still learning to do it and is doing pretty well. He likes to go in the swings at the park and be spun around in circles.
Bear has also started grabbing my face with his hands and giving me zombie baby kisses. I love it.
The BAD
Bear cut his first teeth this month and that was sad for us sleep wise. His sleep the nights before his teeth cut were awful. Like, to the point that I was thinking wild thoughts like, Oh my gosh, I will never sleep again! Ever! I just know it! I think he's working on another one now. Lord, help me. Thus, we enter the teething days again. I didn't miss them.Bear also seems to have had a giant growth spurt in the last week or two, which would explain his intense need to eat ALL THE THINGS. He got much longer but is still not a super chubby baby, though he can hold his own.
He still does not approve of his car seat 50% of the time.
The AWESOME!
I can't really explain how much joy I get when the boys interact. Z is still 50/50 on whether or not he likes Bear but Bear is 100% enamored. All Z has to do is smile at Bear and Bear bursts into hysterical baby giggles. They have had some pretty wonderful moments together this last month.
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| Pre-bed gazing and giggling |
I'll round this off saying that while parenting can be really exhausting and hard, I feel so lucky that I get to spend so much time with these two little souls. They are so special and wonderful.
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| Fascinated by the dancing Halloween bag from Grandma B |
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
We're both learning
I was really humbled by my 2 year old today.
We went to preschool open gym this morning, as we do every Tuesday morning. The first half, Z was playing happily by himself so well that I got out a blanket for Bear to lay on and get out some wiggles instead of doing my usual and wearing him in the carrier. All was well...
until Z suddenly started getting upset. He started coming over to me and kicking, hitting or headbutting me and I could not figure out why for the life of me. I felt like he had something in his head because he was making eye contact with me and not smiling or getting angry. It was odd. I thought maybe he was getting hungry and it was just about snack time so I figured he would settle down then. Meanwhile Bear was getting fussy so I thought we could sit down for the snack and story time and Bear could nurse while Z ate. This... did not go well. Bear was nursing, Z started redoubling his assault. I felt even more confused because this is a kid that does not say no to snack. He wouldn't sit down, he wouldn't eat, he wouldn't calm down. He wasn't screaming or crying, he was just attacking me. I couldn't really nurse Bear well, Bear then spit up all over me, and that was it. I put Bear in the carrier, Z in the stroller and left early.
I was frustrated and angry that he was acting out and I'd had to leave during the quiet snack and story time when our early departure would be noted by all. I could feel the stares and imagine the conversations some of the ladies would have: "She's been having a rough time with him lately... She's really got her hands full... She should try [ ]... If it were my son..."
I should have seen the signs, but I was too busy being worried about what the other parents were thinking about me.
Z had yawned before we even left. He'd resisted running around with me. When I whispered, "If you don't cut it out, we're going home," he redoubled his efforts instead of crying or stopping. He didn't want to eat. He tried to lay his head on my lap when I was nursing Bear. He didn't cry when I pulled him over to the stroller. He didn't protest when I hauled him out of there early.
The kid was tired! Exhausted! He fell asleep the second we got home just before 10:30 and slept for three hours. He usually doesn't nap until noon so I just didn't even think that he would be so tired. He'd slept well last night. I had no idea.
I felt so badly when I realized that he'd basically been begging me to take him home, he just didn't know how to tell me because he doesn't have the words yet. I'd told him that if he kept kicking I was going to take him home and he wanted to go home so he kept kicking. Makes sense. He was frustrated and tired. If I'd been paying attention, I would have realized that. If I wasn't so concerned with needing to be there the whole time.
I'm realizing that I need to try to be more focused on my sons' needs, not what I think we should be doing. They are little guys. They get tired and hungry. It's more important to make sure they are rested and comfortable, not going to all these things and events all the time. I am their mommy, not their social director.
I'm learning y'all.
We went to preschool open gym this morning, as we do every Tuesday morning. The first half, Z was playing happily by himself so well that I got out a blanket for Bear to lay on and get out some wiggles instead of doing my usual and wearing him in the carrier. All was well...
until Z suddenly started getting upset. He started coming over to me and kicking, hitting or headbutting me and I could not figure out why for the life of me. I felt like he had something in his head because he was making eye contact with me and not smiling or getting angry. It was odd. I thought maybe he was getting hungry and it was just about snack time so I figured he would settle down then. Meanwhile Bear was getting fussy so I thought we could sit down for the snack and story time and Bear could nurse while Z ate. This... did not go well. Bear was nursing, Z started redoubling his assault. I felt even more confused because this is a kid that does not say no to snack. He wouldn't sit down, he wouldn't eat, he wouldn't calm down. He wasn't screaming or crying, he was just attacking me. I couldn't really nurse Bear well, Bear then spit up all over me, and that was it. I put Bear in the carrier, Z in the stroller and left early.
I was frustrated and angry that he was acting out and I'd had to leave during the quiet snack and story time when our early departure would be noted by all. I could feel the stares and imagine the conversations some of the ladies would have: "She's been having a rough time with him lately... She's really got her hands full... She should try [ ]... If it were my son..."
I should have seen the signs, but I was too busy being worried about what the other parents were thinking about me.
Z had yawned before we even left. He'd resisted running around with me. When I whispered, "If you don't cut it out, we're going home," he redoubled his efforts instead of crying or stopping. He didn't want to eat. He tried to lay his head on my lap when I was nursing Bear. He didn't cry when I pulled him over to the stroller. He didn't protest when I hauled him out of there early.
The kid was tired! Exhausted! He fell asleep the second we got home just before 10:30 and slept for three hours. He usually doesn't nap until noon so I just didn't even think that he would be so tired. He'd slept well last night. I had no idea.
I felt so badly when I realized that he'd basically been begging me to take him home, he just didn't know how to tell me because he doesn't have the words yet. I'd told him that if he kept kicking I was going to take him home and he wanted to go home so he kept kicking. Makes sense. He was frustrated and tired. If I'd been paying attention, I would have realized that. If I wasn't so concerned with needing to be there the whole time.
I'm realizing that I need to try to be more focused on my sons' needs, not what I think we should be doing. They are little guys. They get tired and hungry. It's more important to make sure they are rested and comfortable, not going to all these things and events all the time. I am their mommy, not their social director.
I'm learning y'all.
Monday, October 26, 2015
It flies by!!! Except....
...when they are screaming in public
...throwing a tantrum
...won't sleep
...won't eat
...won't stop whining
...won't stop [insert naughty activity here]
At those moments, time stops.
It's all temporary, it's only a phase, this will pass... Deep breath.
...throwing a tantrum
...won't sleep
...won't eat
...won't stop whining
...won't stop [insert naughty activity here]
At those moments, time stops.
It's all temporary, it's only a phase, this will pass... Deep breath.
October, Fare Thee Well.
Time is really flying for me right now. Yikes.
Joe: Busy month for him. He's got a lot going on at work and a lot going on with improv. The new class he's co-teaching this semester where the students create a webseries is having typical and not typical first time growing pains. It's always hard when you create a new class but one on this scale that requires collaboration between departments is particularly tricky.
Sara: I feel like I blinked and this month went by. I've honestly been feeling pretty overwhelmed by my current life status and I think I'm looking forward to a break more than my students are. It's just difficult balancing all of my responsibilities. Especially with...
Z: We are waist deep in with early intervention now and are seeing both an uptick in Z's language development and his emotional reactions. The speech pathologist assures me that this is normal and we're reaching out to an occupational therapist to help us learn some coping techniques to help Z through this transitional time. He has been suddenly exhibiting a lot more jealousy towards Bear, anxiety in certain situations, and a lot of frustration when he can't communicate what he wants/needs.
He's also just a sensitive kid. I'm realizing more and more the traits he's picked up from us that are not ideal, though we've learned to cope so I'm sure he will too. Also, he's two. Toddlers are hot messes. However, hearing him learning so much and trying so hard is pretty amazing. I'm definitely thankful for the Birth to 3 program.
Bear gets his own post because he's almost six months! WHAT?
We've enjoyed the fall weather as a family and had a nice visit from my parents this month! My sanity barely survived the siding on our town homes being redone. Oh. My. Gosh. A full week of trying to get two kids to nap while a work crew wandered around and there was constant hammering. It was a nightmare.
Joe: Busy month for him. He's got a lot going on at work and a lot going on with improv. The new class he's co-teaching this semester where the students create a webseries is having typical and not typical first time growing pains. It's always hard when you create a new class but one on this scale that requires collaboration between departments is particularly tricky.
Sara: I feel like I blinked and this month went by. I've honestly been feeling pretty overwhelmed by my current life status and I think I'm looking forward to a break more than my students are. It's just difficult balancing all of my responsibilities. Especially with...
Z: We are waist deep in with early intervention now and are seeing both an uptick in Z's language development and his emotional reactions. The speech pathologist assures me that this is normal and we're reaching out to an occupational therapist to help us learn some coping techniques to help Z through this transitional time. He has been suddenly exhibiting a lot more jealousy towards Bear, anxiety in certain situations, and a lot of frustration when he can't communicate what he wants/needs.
He's also just a sensitive kid. I'm realizing more and more the traits he's picked up from us that are not ideal, though we've learned to cope so I'm sure he will too. Also, he's two. Toddlers are hot messes. However, hearing him learning so much and trying so hard is pretty amazing. I'm definitely thankful for the Birth to 3 program.
Bear gets his own post because he's almost six months! WHAT?
We've enjoyed the fall weather as a family and had a nice visit from my parents this month! My sanity barely survived the siding on our town homes being redone. Oh. My. Gosh. A full week of trying to get two kids to nap while a work crew wandered around and there was constant hammering. It was a nightmare.
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| A full week of mostly car naps. Z was not amused. |
 |
| Spider-man needed to take a silly selfie with Mama to get ready for Trunk or Treat. |
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| Grampy swinging with Z. |
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| Bear modeling the sweater Aunt Marti knitted! |
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| Z plays in the giant leaf pile! |
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| Papa is often found double snuggling his boys. |
Monday, October 12, 2015
Five Months Old!
Well, the Bear is 5 months! Whoa! This last month went by in such a haze that this has legitimately taken me off guard.
The GOOD
Bear gets more mellow and jolly as he ages, which is nice. He smiles all the time. It's adorable. He rides well in the stroller and carrier now, as needed, and takes great naps during the day (at home). He likes to laugh, roll over, try to crawl and attempt to sit unassisted. He loves baths and loves being naked post-bath even more.
We started solids with him per his doctor's recommendation since he wasn't drinking milk at daycare and was a very sad baby as a result. Fortunately, we solved that problem, but since he took to solids like a duck to water we've kept with it. His first time he had no tongue thrust and swallowed easily while mashing his jaws. (?!) He's enjoyed avocado, sweet potatoes, pears, apples, peas and oatmeal thus far, and just this week started eating Baby Mum-Mums, which he is crazy about. He hated the green beans, alas. He nurses very well and is getting quite chubby!
Bear is also adding to his vocabulary. He especially likes, "bla bla bla!" right now, but has thrown in a "mamamama" on occasion.
The BAD
Bear is still not a great car companion on a semi-regular basis, which is not fun for any of us. Z is particularly not amused when his brother decides to scream to high heaven when we are driving somewhere. If he decides he's not happy about his car life, there is basically nothing you can do to stop him.This is really where the majority of his crying in life occurs. In his day to day he doesn't really cry very much because he grumbles like an crabby old man for quite awhile before he will resort to all out crying.
Bear also appears to be having a growth spurt, which I was not expecting. He started waking more frequently to eat in the night with intense fervor just a couple days before turning 5 months. The silver lining is he eats very rapidly (10 minutes?) and then is back to sleep. The downside is that I really have to make sure he burps after that frenzied gulping or things can get gross. Like, shower gross. The other bright side is he has stopped any nocturnal pooping, so I never have to change his diaper in the night anymore. Win!
Bear also appears to be working pretty hard on teeth that just. won't. cut. BAH! Poor guy.
The AWESOME
Guys, he smiles all the time. I am not joking. This kid is so smiley, it is crazy. He wakes up and smiles. He finishes eating, looks at me, and smiles. He sees me from across the room and smiles. He sees Z do anything and smiles abound. Joe gets near him, he smiles. A random stranger talks to him, he smiles. You get the picture. He is just a really happy baby. We love him!
The GOOD
Bear gets more mellow and jolly as he ages, which is nice. He smiles all the time. It's adorable. He rides well in the stroller and carrier now, as needed, and takes great naps during the day (at home). He likes to laugh, roll over, try to crawl and attempt to sit unassisted. He loves baths and loves being naked post-bath even more.
We started solids with him per his doctor's recommendation since he wasn't drinking milk at daycare and was a very sad baby as a result. Fortunately, we solved that problem, but since he took to solids like a duck to water we've kept with it. His first time he had no tongue thrust and swallowed easily while mashing his jaws. (?!) He's enjoyed avocado, sweet potatoes, pears, apples, peas and oatmeal thus far, and just this week started eating Baby Mum-Mums, which he is crazy about. He hated the green beans, alas. He nurses very well and is getting quite chubby!
Bear is also adding to his vocabulary. He especially likes, "bla bla bla!" right now, but has thrown in a "mamamama" on occasion.
The BAD
Bear is still not a great car companion on a semi-regular basis, which is not fun for any of us. Z is particularly not amused when his brother decides to scream to high heaven when we are driving somewhere. If he decides he's not happy about his car life, there is basically nothing you can do to stop him.This is really where the majority of his crying in life occurs. In his day to day he doesn't really cry very much because he grumbles like an crabby old man for quite awhile before he will resort to all out crying.
Bear also appears to be having a growth spurt, which I was not expecting. He started waking more frequently to eat in the night with intense fervor just a couple days before turning 5 months. The silver lining is he eats very rapidly (10 minutes?) and then is back to sleep. The downside is that I really have to make sure he burps after that frenzied gulping or things can get gross. Like, shower gross. The other bright side is he has stopped any nocturnal pooping, so I never have to change his diaper in the night anymore. Win!
Bear also appears to be working pretty hard on teeth that just. won't. cut. BAH! Poor guy.
The AWESOME
Guys, he smiles all the time. I am not joking. This kid is so smiley, it is crazy. He wakes up and smiles. He finishes eating, looks at me, and smiles. He sees me from across the room and smiles. He sees Z do anything and smiles abound. Joe gets near him, he smiles. A random stranger talks to him, he smiles. You get the picture. He is just a really happy baby. We love him!
Saturday, October 3, 2015
Wake me up when September En- wait, WHAT?
September flew by in a haze of stress and insanity for me. Adjusting to the new school year, having more than twice as many students than last semester, teaching a new course, getting the kids settled into a new daycare, having 3 out of 4 of us get sick, trying to find time to grade, cook, clean, eat, sleep, play... pshew. I was seriously taken by surprise to realize the month was almost over!
Joe has been really busy at work as he started new classes and responsibilities are getting redistributed. He's been doing a great job of trying to balance everything and give me some much needed "me" time. He continues to be the zen baby master to Bear and the adventure king to Z. He's been pretty stressed, but I hope as we settle into a routine that he can get in some yoga or something to help with that. Send him love.
I have been a hot mess. Oh my gosh. A coffee dependent hot mess! But, my students are great for the most part so far and I'm really liking teaching English 100. I'm hoping that I might get to repeat this schedule in the spring. It's hard since I go straight from my second class to pick up the kids, so I don't really have much time to get grading or planning done at school, which means I have to work it in at home. But, I am still liking the schedule overall and I'm thankful to have it.
We started off the school year with a bang, aka having to bring a feverish Z into work with us on the first day of classes. Z lulled me into a false sense of security by quietly watching Frozen while eating snacks in his stroller for a good 35 minutes before he suddenly decided to scream hysterically right as I was in the middle of taking attendance. I had to take him into the hallway to calm down and then hold him the rest of my class. He then calmed for a bit when I took him back to my office to pump breast milk for Bear, but again abruptly fell apart, causing my neighbor to think I was sobbing in my office. She started knocking on my door, anxiously asking if I was okay or needed help. Ten minutes later, the pump was put away and Z was dancing in puddles.
Joe has been really busy at work as he started new classes and responsibilities are getting redistributed. He's been doing a great job of trying to balance everything and give me some much needed "me" time. He continues to be the zen baby master to Bear and the adventure king to Z. He's been pretty stressed, but I hope as we settle into a routine that he can get in some yoga or something to help with that. Send him love.
I have been a hot mess. Oh my gosh. A coffee dependent hot mess! But, my students are great for the most part so far and I'm really liking teaching English 100. I'm hoping that I might get to repeat this schedule in the spring. It's hard since I go straight from my second class to pick up the kids, so I don't really have much time to get grading or planning done at school, which means I have to work it in at home. But, I am still liking the schedule overall and I'm thankful to have it.
We started off the school year with a bang, aka having to bring a feverish Z into work with us on the first day of classes. Z lulled me into a false sense of security by quietly watching Frozen while eating snacks in his stroller for a good 35 minutes before he suddenly decided to scream hysterically right as I was in the middle of taking attendance. I had to take him into the hallway to calm down and then hold him the rest of my class. He then calmed for a bit when I took him back to my office to pump breast milk for Bear, but again abruptly fell apart, causing my neighbor to think I was sobbing in my office. She started knocking on my door, anxiously asking if I was okay or needed help. Ten minutes later, the pump was put away and Z was dancing in puddles.
This was a Wednesday. His fever broke that evening and he was fine on Friday. I was dizzy, confused and shaking, but I thought it was just severe exhaustion from barely sleeping for two days. NOPE! I had gotten sick too. Ever since I got pregnant with Bear, my immune system has been in the toilet. What seemed to mildly bother Z for 24 hours completely destroyed me for three days. Bear also spiked a fever for not even a full day and was fine. I look back and am not entirely certain how I taught my classes that day, but I did.
So, that was our start to the school year. At the same time as trying to sort out work, both kids were having some adjustment pains at daycare.
Bear was refusing to eat, which was really stressful. After the first weekish I discovered I have high lipase in my breast milk which means it develops a soapy taste after it has been expressed unless I scald it to disable the protein. Some babies don't care. Bear does. Which meant I had to toss my freezer stash that I had so painstakingly assembled. I cried. A lot.
After we corrected that, Bear would deign to eat one ounce and that was it. He was crabby and hungry while he was there and would completely freak out when I came to get him because he wanted to nurse NOW, which was not an option since Z needed to get home for a nap, which meant Bear would scream hysterically in the car on the way home and while I got Z down for his nap. Not fun. Finally, after trying four different kinds of bottles unsuccessfully, I tried giving Bear a sippy cup instead and that did the trick. Now he is a happy guy who naps, eats and plays while at daycare and is not a ravenous ball of rage when I pick him up.
I was just breathing a sigh of relief over that when I was notified that Z had been exhibiting anxiety and frustration at times and they wanted permission to try some therapy methods to help him cope. Of course my red alert worry alarms went wild, because I'm apparently completely insane now that I have children. In the end, we tried one method and that seems to be working, so now I just have to get over my own fears/prejudices/anxieties about the stigma of "therapy" and everything will be fine.
We all think his frustrations are mainly stemming from not being able to verbally communicate, so on that note, I took the leap and had Z evaluated for Early Intervention this month. I was scared and anxious about this as well (are you sensing a theme? I mean, seriously, I wonder what my blood pressure has been like this month) but the people at EI could not possibly be more caring and helpful. I have a lot more to say about that so I will make it a separate post.
We also had fun! I promise! Apple picking, hanging with friends, going to parks, playing new games, having cook outs with our new grill, etc. I do hope October will offer a bit of a reprieve though.
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