Super Siege

It seems like this past month has been huge for Siege in terms of development. He can clap his hands, which I've heard some babies do at like 9 months but Siege just started and now he loves to clap all the time. He also has started waving hello and shaking his head no. Of course he doesn't perform on command or else I would have had video of all this to share with you. He is too busy for pictures these days so all of his pictures end up looking like a big blur. I think that means I may have to resort to a real camera and not only depend on my iphone. He is loving the backyard and is finally walking sturdy enough to not fall over at each bump in the sidewalk- which minimizes my panic attacks by almost 50%. Siege has finally mastered "mama" and "dada" and he uses them when he wants our attention, but also when he wants Nadi's attention or grandma's attention, so we're giving him partial credit. For the past week he has been waking up between 6:45 & 7:00 which is sooooooo much better than the 5:15- 5:30 (pre-sun) wake up call I had been getting.

On my end, I'm still going strong with the running. I did 7 miles on Saturday and I've got 8 for the long run this week. Chris and I also got a living social deal for CrossFit. We've done it 3 times now, and each time we've been pathetically (can't even pick up Siege) sore afterward. My mom has committed to babysitting for us 3 times a week so Chris and I can work out together. Chris and I have never worked out together unless you count golf as working out, which was years ago, so spending this new time together has been really fun.

Halloween is coming up and we are definitely looking forward to some trick-or-treating and parties! Here's a little sneak peak of Super Siege!

Confessions of a lazy mother...

Lately- I have been in a funk. I'm hoping I can write the funk right out of me. I haven't coupon'd in several weeks, my eating habits/choices have been horrendous, and I am feeling tired all the time (which is most likely linked to my Cheezit diet). My only redeeming quality that I can feel semi-proud of is that I've stuck to my running/training schedule. It's saving me right now.

Today, at our MOPS meeting, we had a nutritionist come talk to us about the importance of feeding your kids fruits and vegetables, small portions, less preservatives etc. and what a big impact diet can have on behavior. It made me realize what a horrible planner I am when it comes to meals. I mean, Siege can down a can of spaghetti O's like nobody's business. The speaker had some really good ideas of how to spice up kids' lunches with variety. My favorite idea was her "Go to drawer". She says she has a drawer in her fridge and a basket in her pantry that her kids are allowed in when they say, "Mom, I'm hungry!" The drawers are loaded with fruits, veggies, nuts, deli meat, hummus, homemade cereal bars, etc. Anyway, obviously Siege doesn't say, "Mom, I'm hungry," but I was thinking I need a drawer like that for me- where everything else (dove chocolate, tortilla chips, Milano cookies, ) is off limits.

She also talked about how the serving size for toddlers is a Tablespoon! That's right, I said a Tablespoon. Siege ate about 1 cup of Mac n Cheese today. And, in my head I would justify it by saying, he'll just be hungry later if I don't keep feeding him.

Until the speaker said, "...And if you're feeding your child large portions because you're afraid they'll be hungry later- you must realize, they're supposed to be hungry later. Their stomachs are the same size as their fist."

It's scary to think I'm passing on my lazy eating habits to innocent Siege. He's not even demanding the pizza and french fries yet, but I'm passing them right on over because I don't plan healthy meals ahead, especially for lunches. Poor kid. And I don't even have the "I've got a newborn that doesn't let me sleep" excuse or the "I've got 2+ kids and no time to prepare" excuse. I've just got one- that still takes 2 naps daily. Plenty of time indeed.

Well, this debbie downer is turning her frown upside down. Good eating starts tomorrow! Well, maybe Monday...

Happy Birthday to Siege

It's official... our baby is one. I can't help but feel a sense of accomplishment that we made it through the first year. It has been filled with ups and downs and my knowledge of babies and motherhood has grown tremendously.

The Downs (in no particular order)...

1. Diarrhea baby:

Self explanatory.

2. the NICU:

Siege spent 15 days in the NICU right after he was born because he came so early. Just thinking about it makes me sad. I do not know what it's like to take a baby home after delivery. I'm praying I'll get to experience this with my next baby. Even though I adored the NICU nurses, the NICU made me feel like the most helpless parent.

3. Sleepless nights:

Siege didn't sleep through the night until about 7 months. This made for one very tired mommy. He still will cry every once in a while but nothing like the first few months. That was rough!

4. Worry, worry, worry over every little thing:

I think I went to the Pediatrician every time Siege had a sniffle, which made for about 7 useless copays. Each time I went I got the same response, "Wait it out."

5. Nursing:

I know that some mothers love this more than anything and everything. I am not one of those mothers. It was demanding, painful at times, and it always seemed like it would take forever. Don't worry La Leche League, I'm still going to nurse my 2nd child because it's best for the baby. Just saying.

The up, up, UP's:

1. Experiencing a love I cannot put into words.

2. Development:

Nothing is cooler than watching Siege change or learn something new. I will never forget the first time Siege laughed. Chris and I were in the kitchen and I made some silly face and Siege laughed like he'd been laughing in his head all along but just finally figured out how to make the noise. Chris and I both looked like kids on Christmas.

3. Play dates:

I've mentioned this before in previous posts, but I have made some truly great friends this year.

4. Food:

Siege loves it and I love watching him eat it. I'm so lucky I don't have a picky eater.

5. Growing closer to my hubs:

We now cherish the time we get to spend together. Date nights can be few and far between so going out to dinner, just the two of us (something we used to do all the time), is a treasure. Plus any two people that can make as cute of a baby as ours were clearly just meant to be together.

6. Grandma & Grandpa/ Aunts & Uncles:

I love watching Siege interact with his grandparents and aunts/uncles. He's lucky enough to have 3 grandpas, 2 grandmas, 3 aunts, and 4 uncles. All of who live in Las Vegas and love him dearly. It is such a blessing for Siege to grow up with so much love.

7. Walking:

Everyone says mobility can be a nightmare and how hard it is once the baby's on the move. I agree that it can be challenging, but I like this stage so much more than I thought I would. He's so curious and happy.

8. Momma's boy:

I love that Siege is such a momma's boy. This might not be on Chris's list of ups, but it's definitely on mine. I love being the one he needs comfort from after he bonks his head or gets scared.

9. Babble:

There's nothing cuter than Da-da-da-da-da-fa-fa-la-la-la-nay-nay. Well I'm sure actual talking might be cuter, but he hasn't done that yet, so I'm enjoying all of his babble.

10. Runner baby:

I started running with Siege in the jogger stroller at about 4 or 5 months and he's always loved it. Just when he'd start to get crankier than I could handle I would go out for a jog and it would fix everything. He must have been antsy for me to lose the baby weight too. Now we're training for a 1/2 marathon together. He just did 40 minutes in the stroller without a peep.

11. Siege and his sister:

And by his sister- I mean Nadia of course. They play tug-o-war and share toys so well. It's very entertaining to watch.

12. Happy Siege:

He really is a good baby. Siege has been to Chicago, San Diego, and Laguna Beach and was great on all 3 trips. Lucky me!

Happy Birthday to my Happy little Siege.