Barker's Mommy "Logo"

Barker's newest adventure

Every day now Barker is able to sit up a little longer on his own. I don't think he's quite ready to be left sitting and unattended for long, or to try sitting on a hard surface yet, but he is definitely getting there.

At the same time...

Over the past couple weeks it has become harder and harder to give Barker a bath because he is getting too big for his baby bath tub and he just wants to play.
So, I decided it was time to try out sitting in the big boy tub.
Now, I still need to get a bathtub mat because it's a bit slippery, but I was very impressed with how well he was able to sit up and chase his tub toys all while splashing as much as possible. =)

I can't believe how fast he's growing, but it sure is fun to watch.

First Bath

First Big Boy Bath

The Saddest Thing in my Mommy World

I know I've only officially been a mom for about 6 months now but in that time I've discovered this:

One of the saddest things in the world is when your child is hurting and the only thing you can do is hold him while he cries.

We have been blessed with an amazingly sweet and cheerful boy that is not easily upset, but there have been times when he is sick or simply has growing pains and there is nothing I can do to make him feel better. Over the weekend Barker's first two teeth began to break through the gums and while I know the pain will be over soon, my little baby doesn't quite understand what is going on in his mouth. He especially has a hard time when it is time to nap or sleep at night.

During his afternoon nap yesterday Barker woke up in serious pain (or at least very upsetting pain). I tried holding him different ways, bouncing, teething toys, a washcloth and just cuddling in bed. Finally I gave him some Tylenol and just held my crying boy until it kicked in and he was able to sleep.

As I was lying there just holding my son I wondered if this is how God feels sometimes. We are all his children and he knows where we are headed--all the good things in store--but he also see the pain we must go through to get there and all he can do is offer us comfort.

I have to believe that even in the hard times, God knows what is coming and as we experience our spiritual growing pains, he will be there to hold us through to our victory.

"The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him." Nahum 1:7

What am I loving right now?

NEEDTOBREATE!!!

Their new album Rivers in the Wasteland came out a couple weeks ago and I'm loving it. Here's why:

1. It's perfect driving music. (Mellow with a touch of nostalgia.)
2. It's encouraging and worshipful.
3. It's got a good beat and you can dance to it. ;)
4. It's super fun to sing and make up harmonies to go along with their songs.

Even my son seems to enjoy it. I can tell because it's made him fall asleep during a few car rides. =)

For now I'll leave you with the song currently stuck in my head.

I pretty much memorized their last album The Reckoning, I'm pretty sure I'll be doing the same with this one.

Changes for Puppy Once Baby Arrived

Our dog (Sahara) is big. Small for an Alaskan Malamute, but still a good 72lbs, strong and a little pushy. I lovingly refer to her as a punk and those who know her tend to agree as they can't help but smile at the things she does.

Before our son was born she was already snatching food off the counter when our backs were turned, but now that Barker is here she is taking advantage. Twice she has finished off my lunch (even an entire 6" sub once!) while I was quickly changing a diaper or otherwise tending to our infant. My friends joke that they are in "cahoots." Barker cries so Sahara can swoop in and grab a snack. Then one night I had just finished experimenting with a new dinner idea and it was finally finished to eat. I took it hot out of the oven and plated it, heard that the baby still wasn't settling down for a nap and went to check on him. Jokingly I texted my husband to make sure the dog didn't eat our dinner... About 5 minutes later he came upstairs to ask where it was. She had eaten the whole thing! Ohhh Sahara. I should have known better.

Aside from her normal shenangeans I could tell she wasn't too fond of the new baby. Every time she came near him it seemed we were telling her to back off so I shouldn't have been surprised that she didn't like me helping him pet her. Luckily he is winning her over.

Every time he's on the floor downstairs he is looking for Sahara. He talks to her all day long, giggles when she growls and attempts to crawl towards her. Just this past week he figure out how to roll with a purpose and now she's in trouble. Yesterday he got her in a choke hold! It seems she is beginning to like this new attention though. Check out what I caught on video yesterday:


The best of pals in the making. =)

Did you know that basically everything your baby does is a sign of teething?

Okay, so that may not be entirely accurate, but, over the past 3 months I have read multiple blogs and articles on the subject and my conclusion is anything COULD be a sign of teething and you'll never really know until that first tooth breaks through.

Here are the (possible) signs:

- chewing on fingers (also a sign that your baby has found his hands)
- putting everything in the mouth (also how a baby first explores the world around him)
- fever (note that infant temperatures tend to vary between 98-100.4 and fevers also fight off illnesses)
- rash (note that babies have sensitive skin and are prone to diaper rashes)
- pulling on ears (also a sign of an ear infection and note that babies get excited about finding new  body parts and like to play with them)
- night wakings (ummm, do babies not typically wake up at night?)
- eating less frequently (also a sign that he is growing and is able to go longer between feedings)
- diarrhea (I still haven't figured out how you can tell with this one. The range of acceptably normal  dirty diapers is pretty wide.)
- red cheeks (also a sign that your baby is hot and note that some babies just have rosie cheeks)
- drooling (note that if you're exploring through your mouth, you're probably going to drool)

Naturally there are more signs, but those are the ones I've heard most frequently. And guess what? My baby has shown almost all of those within the past 2.5 months and it wasn't until yesterday I finally felt a tooth break through! Were those signs actual indicators? Who knows. But I couldn't be prouder of my nearly 6 month old son and his new tooth. =)

Barker's budding first tooth (trust me, it's there)

If you're in the limbo area of is it or isn't it a sign take comfort in this: "he's teething" is a wonderful catchall excuse for any "less than proper" behavior and no one can really prove you wrong.

Good Luck Mommies!

For real information on teething here are some sources: What to Expect  Parent's Magazine