Baby Jack is 7 months old, and we love him more each day. Life has been nonstop, but we are taking each day in stride, and making it all count. Let’s jump right in!

Growth:

We had our check up last month around 6 months, and Jack is growing well! Weight: 17 lb 13 oz; 50th %ile Height: 26.75 in; 50th %ile Head: 18.25 in; 98%ile. He wears size 3 diapers and is filling out his 3-6m clothing. We are about to officially move to 9m+ clothing. I actually put him in a 12m onesie this morning!

Development:

Jack is doing all the things. At first he was tripod-ing, and we were so excited. Then all of a sudden (around week 28), he started sitting with no assistance and plays with his toys with both hands. He has the the ability to roll both ways, but he does not do it often. I think it is because we don’t have a large play area for him to practice, which will soon change!! When we visited my parents in Lake Charles, he became a master roller, because there was ample space to move. He also loves rolling around on our bed–with supervision of course!

We continue practicing tummy time everyday, and I’m hoping this will eventually lead him to sleep on his tummy without distress. On occasion, Jack will wake up on his tummy and cry and be very upset. He looks like he is stuck, although he knows how to roll, so I’m thinking he just needs some practice.

Jack loves to talk and babble. He has been saying mama for months and months, and it catches people by surprise. I know he is just making the consonant and not really calling me ‘mama,’ but it’s funny to see people’s reaction.  He smiles and laughs all the time and everything goes into his mouth, including his feet! He loves his toys, most of all, Sophie the giraffe. He loves to read, and his favorite books are Little Blue Truck and Dr. Seuss’ ABC. 

Jack has recently started to reach out to a light switch when he sees one, so we are practicing turning on and off lights. We are also teaching him sign language. 

Eating: 

At the beginning of April, Jack made a very noticeable shift in eating a lot better. He drinks up to 30 oz per day, and he’s taking more per bottle now. It’s not consistent, but he is no longer taking 2 oz at a time. Sometimes he will drink a whole 7-8oz first thing in the morning.

We started solids right around 6 months, and it was slow going at first. He took a little while to get used to his highchair, but since then, he is loving all of his food. We are doing all sorts of purees and are planning to incorporate baby led weaning soon, but I’m nervous about the choking hazards. I’m going through the infant Feeding Littles course at the moment. With the solids, there has been a shift in the amount of breast milk he takes, and it has come down to 24-25oz per day. We are working towards eating solids 3 times per day.

Sleep:

Right around 5 months of age, I was starting to grow weary. Jack’s overnight sleep was starting to go downhill, and he was waking up multiple times overnight. You can call it sleep regression, but I would say for something to regress, it had to have been good at some point. Whatever it was, it was getting worse. Naptime and bedtime were becoming so stressful. We couldn’t put him down awake anymore, because he would just scream, and we began rocking and feeding to sleep, and sometimes that didn’t even work well. We were trying to wean the swaddle, and that was also giving us grief, because Jack’s hands would fly around everywhere and startle him awake. His sweet little fingernails would also scratch up his face at night. Yung and I were struggling. We could hardly find a few minutes to talk and I felt like I was running around 24/7…literally. 

We’ve been following Taking Cara Babies since the beginning, so we purchased her sleep course and started on April 14th. We took away the swaddle cold turkey a few weeks before we started sleep training. By day 6, Jack was sleeping through the night (7p-6a). By day 2, he was falling asleep on his own with no crying. We are currently still working battling the “early morning wakenings.” Jack often thinks 5am is an appropriate time to wake up, so hopefully his body eventually shifts and is able to stay asleep a little longer. We also “nap trained” so now he falls asleep for naps without fussing. We are so proud of our Jack Jack. I may work on a separate post about sleep at some point. 

Miscellaneous:

Jack took his first road trip to Lake Charles and got to play with some new friends! He has also recently started loving the pacifier. He has learned how to place it in his mouth, which is very cute, and nice because in the middle of the night, he can reach for it. We try to distract him with toys during the day so he mainly uses the paci for sleep. 

We have already cut Jack’s hair twice, which makes me laugh. He has a healthy head of hair! 

Jack started cutting his bottom 2 teeth this week. Just like any other milestone, this one surprised me to tears. I know-I’m ridiculous. I’m guessing this explains why the day before I discovered the teeth, he was excessively fussy and didn’t want to be put down. 

We are still working on weaning Zantac and I hope by 9-10 months, he will be done with the medicine. 

Life update:

We are moving to a new house this summer, and could not be more excited! This is a big development for us, and we are happy to start life in the suburbs. I have been living in Uptown/downtown for about 12 years, so it is time. Jack has been sharing a room with us due to our limited space, which seemed ideal at first, but it will be nice once every one has their own space again, and we don’t have to tip toe around his sleep schedule. We feel very fortunate for this opportunity and cannot wait to settle into our new neighborhood.

Yung and I have gotten to go out on a couple date nights recently because my mom was here helping us, and we hope to continue that on a regular basis. When we aren’t able to get out, we make it a point to schedule an in home date, like getting take out and watching a movie. 

Mama update:

I am loving being a mom, and know that this is what I was built for. It is my calling to take care of others, and I have found that in my career outside of the home, but all of my dreams came true on the day that I married Yung and the night Jack was born. Despite all the love and gratefulness comes the hardship. The transition to being a mama has been a different kind of challenge. A friend once told me that motherhood is like a secret club. Isn’t that so true? 

It’s hard to explain, and it’s not really talked about much because when people ask you how your baby is doing, they are looking for you to say “We are doing well. Things are amazing.” While we are doing well for the most part, and yes, it is amazing, I am grateful to have girl friends, family members, and my husband to lean on when things get rough, which let’s be honest. This happens more so than we would like to admit to one another. 

I am still learning how to become a better mother, wife, daughter, sister, friend, and colleague, without compromising too much of one role. Thankful for this journey and my membership to the motherhood club. 

Wishing you a happy first week of June! 

XOXO