Happy 10 months Rowan!

10 months.

WHAT?!?!?!



Omg people, I can't even handle that this kid is heading towards 12 months. I am in some serious denial about it. We are enjoying every second of this insanely fast journey!








Name: Rowan Decaris Potter

Rowan's age: 10 months old, 8.5 months adjusted age

Weight: Holy tank baby...she weighs  22.8 pounds. She is HEAVY and sturdy! To be honest, I'm going to be sad when her chubbies melt away! She is so yummy!!! 

Solids?  Yeppers! We are now heading into the ever so trendy baby led weaning. She especially likes chicken and let's be honest, pretty much everything else.

Clothing size: Gulp, size 24, even venturing in 2T for pants! Her summer bathing suit is even 2T! She can still fit into 18 months, but we are heading down the 24 m path. Wearing size 4 diapers!

Rowan milestones (for her adjusted age, 8.5months):

Sigh, I need to be honest here. I am really having hard time with these damn milestones. Rowan isn't crawling and quite frankly, she's not that interested. She also isn't pulling herself up. Now, I know y'all are going to say "relax" and "go by her adjusted age" but its hard when even some 6 month old babies I know are crawling, some 9 month babes are walking, etc. Her physical therapist doesn't seemed too concerned.  However, when it seems like EVERYONE around you is going above and beyond, well, one can't help but worry. It also doesn't help that this weekend 2 ladies around my mom's age asked why she isn't walking yet. UGH.

-Despite her not crawling, she definitely moves. She slithers, slides, rolls and moves backwards on her belly. She IS (at times) getting on her hands and knees, but doesn't want to really move forward.

 

-While Rowan may not be physical, she is SUPER verbal. Besides "mama" and "Dada" she says "nananana" for banana and also says (at times) "mo mo" for more. She says a BUNCH of other random blends and sounds that leads me to believe we may have a true talker pretty soon. This makes me feel better.

-Rowan is cutting 3 teeth in the top front!! Her first front tooth is almost out, as well as one next to it. Her other front tooth is starting to make its way. Poor babe is trying to be such a trooper!

-Rowan doesn't pull herself up yet, but we have been standing her up against things. She will hold on and stand for a good 15-20 seconds before she plops down. She LOVES it, as this is something new to her.

 

-Rowan is doing a really good job at grabbing small food objects. I think this is in part that she loves to eat!



-Rowan loves to "wrestle" with objects. We have some big blow up toys and she has a big dolly. SHe will climb on top of them, roll over them, pull them on to herself, etc. It is quite funny to watch!


-Rowan is starting to give high fives. So cute!

 

 Rowan loves: 

-Baby Einstein! Now, people get so freaking judgey about TV but this is the ONLY way Rowan will take her daily nebulizer treatments (more on that below).  She will joyfully scream anytime the beginning music comes on. Its so cute!


-loves mum mums and cheerios! HOLY CRAP. We created a monster! If we go out to eat, we have to have a good supply on hand as that makes her happy and preoccupied!


-loves to clap at everything!


-also loves to drink out of straws

Rowan doesn't like:

-waiting for anything. LOL. She is so impatient!



-being left alone for a second. Often, (like most parents) we just need to drop something off in the sink or go put something away. Well, this girl isn't a fan of being alone and will totally cry. Oh Rowan...



-Rowan is getting to the stage where she gets upset if you take something away, like oh you know, chewing the curtains, etc. She gets so mad!

New things/happenings this month:

-We celebrated our first Valentine's day with her! Nothing especially out of the ordinary but we gave her a present and had lots of snuggles! Hubs and I were able to go on a date which was so nice!

-Rowan got a UTI. It was awful! She had a super high fever with ZERO symptoms. She ended up with antibiotics which helped tremendously. It was nerve wracking!



-At one of her appointments, it was brought up that she always seems to have constant wheeziness. One of the doctors recommended that we do breathing treatments every morning with a medicine called Pulmicort. In short, it's like taking blood pressure medicine so you don't have a heart attack. This has changed our lives! She still seems a bit wheezy at times, but the true test was when she caught a cold this month. Normally, its big, dramatic and usually turns to bronchiolitis. HOWEVER...this time it was a tiny, plain, regular ol' cold. It was amazing! We are thankful for this treatment!



-We recently got into the crazy trend of baby reps on instagram. There is a huge wave of baby clothing/accessories shops on IG (basically like etsy on IG). Shops will then open up for baby brand representatives. You takecute, styled pics of your baby and enter them in these searches. If you are picked, you get free merch in exchange for photos they use for marketing. After 3 weeks, Rowan got picked to be a brand enthusiast for Her_Bowtique! Its a lot of fun but its work! I basically try to just take pictures of her during the weekend.

How is Rowan's spit up?: Practically non-existent!

 

Sleep:
Rowan is on a great nap and sleep routine. It took work in the beginning but it paid off! And yes, I am furiously knocking on wood. I am SO thankful. I know a lot of babies even her age don't sleep through the night.

Rowan's personality so far: 
Rowan is Miss Personality. She is so sweet, joyful and loveable. She is also a major firecracker and definitely has my strong personality. I love watching Rowan discover life. It is incredible and amazing!


I am so thankful God picked me to the mother of this extraordinary baby girl! I love you forever Rowan!


Here is my monthly Rowan dump:

 

 

 

my own worst critic

Disclaimer:
This isn't a pity me post, believe it or not. Sorry in advance if it looks like this, but certainly this is not the intent.

Let's continue..

I think as moms we are our own worst critic. I sure am.

In Rowan's short 9 months of life, she has gotten 2 small colds, 2 big bouts of bronchiolitis, and a UTI.

Each time (besides the UTI) she has had an illness, an accusing, judgey voice in my head fills up space. I call this voice my own worst enemy.  In my head, I hear:



"she's sick because you couldn't breastfeed. She would be fine if she would have been breastfed"



Sigh, I know. Why the hell do I think and feel this? I know some of you are going to lecture me how I shouldn't even be thinking these emotions after so long, but friends, dem' thoughts are still there.
I threw in the disclaimer because I don't want pity or for you to feel sorry for me. I am posting this because I am in the process of kicking these negative thoughts out of my mind, and this one way for me to release it.



I am sure as mamas, you have one thing that you may have guilt over. Breastfeeding is mine. Most of y'all know my story. If not, read it here.





My experience was heartbreaking and painful. My heart still aches a little when I am in public and I see a woman whip out her boob to feed. I wish so badly that were me. I see breastfeeding groups on facebook, and I wish I could be part of that club. To this day, some milk comes out, oddly enough.  Nothing to even suffice, more like drops. I have even resorted to scooping that and giving it to Rowan.



I don't see this too often on facebook, but I have had friends/family post pictures that proudly state "I am superhero, I breastfeed" or "breast is best",   etc. I remember somebody commented "you go girl, keep giving them that boob. That's the only thing that's the best for them."



Ouch.



 Yes, they should be proud and happy! I should be happy too, which I am, but those things sting. I know it shouldn't. I should be able to read through that and scroll on, but instead, I read it and feel shame. It makes me feel like Rowan isn't getting the best, and I am not doing a good enough job. This is my enemy, my own worst critic talking. The thing is, I am doing a good enough job. Rowan is happy, thriving, and well taken care of. She is loved more than life itself, its properly looked after/fed/clothed. We work hard to provide an incredible, beautiful life. She is loved and adored by so many, it brings tears to my eyes. She is truly the happiest baby on the block. Why the f%$& am I still worked up over not being able to breastfeed?


Rowan's pediatrician gave me some validation without realizing it. I love her pedi. She is a preemie mama herself, and it makes her so relatable. She shared with me that breastfed or not, preemies have a tendency to get sicker than their termie friends. For whatever reason, this solidified that I didn't mess her up because I couldn't breastfeed. She was getting sick because that is just the way life goes. Babies get sick. Breastfed or not, this was going to happen.


So to my own worst critic, you can go suck it.

if you are still on the fence...

The other day, I was chatting with a sweet coworker/ friend of mine about kids. She was wondering how I do it in the mornings, dropping off a baby at preschool, driving 2 towns to work and still making it before the school bell.





She shared with me her fear of having kids, because quite frankly, her life was pretty decent how it is. Her fear is how life will dramatically change after having kids. She wondered if it was worth giving up her "freedom" so to speak.





As she was describing all this, it hit me hard because she reminds me of myself pre-Rowan. Before kids, we had a whole lot of fun. Brunches, going to the movies every week, weekly date nights, bar hopping/dancing in downtown with friends, wine tasting trips, spontaneous trips were basically our MO before Rowan. As most of y'all know I was extremely resistant to having kids. I had  LOUSY, TERRIBLE attitude about kids.  I am sure I offended some of my friends with kids because of my attitude. A lot of it was because I was so afraid of the massive life change.





A few days after our 4th wedding anniversary, I found out I was pregnant. We had barely tried for a month. I remember sitting in the bathroom laughing and crying at the same time. That's when I fell madly in love with the life that was within me.





Let me be straight. Don't rush having kids. Having kids does change your life. Anyone who says different is a lyin' fool. Your priorities and sleep shift, life is no longer the same. Parenting is hard. The newborn stage can be rough, at least it was for me.




HOWEVER....




That tiny human that you made from scratch will engulf your heart in a way that I can't even explain. Rowan has filled my heart with a joy I can't describe. For someone as selfish as me prior to her, I can't imagine life without her.




 Sure, its not like the movies. I didn't''t anticipate her early birth, the NICU stay was rough. I didn't anticipate I would have a very tough time in the beginning, and I MAJORLY had the baby blues. We have our good days, and our bad days. Her sicknesses have literally have made me almost have brain aneurysms.






HOWEVER...




this chubby, 22 pound human has captivated my heart and I haven't looked back since.






So, to my wonderful friend who is scared, trust me, it's worth it.

Happy 9 months Rowan!!!!

What a month it has been! 9 months have flown quicker than I would have liked. This month was huge for my precious girl. Each month she has achieved some sort of milestone or discovery, but this month, she truly blossomed. For example, she said "mama" and "dada" this month! She is going from my precious little infant to my big girl! I am a little sad about this!

To be honest, I cried the other day at the thought of her turning one. I LOVE babies, and I savored and loved this time of her life. I know I will never get it back. I also have been so nervous of the toddler years, which I have heard is HARD. Sigh, let's enjoy the present!


Here we go!




Name: Rowan Decaris Potter

Rowan's age: 9 months old, 7.5 months adjusted

Weight: This girl is huge and stands at 21.10 pounds of chunky goodness. I just love it so much, I just love chubby babies!! I can't get enough of her!

Solids?  Yes! This girl has LOVED every fruit and veggie we have given her, LOL!!!! Drinks four 6 oz bottles throughout the day.

Clothing size: 18 month clothing for this girl! She still wears some 12 months, but we are fitting much more nicely in 18. Size 24 months or 2T in pants, LOL! Those chubby thighs are no joke!  Still in size 3 diapers, but we might have to slowly transition to size 4 soon, as size 3 is a bit tight. Still the tiniest feet in the land!

Rowan milestones (for her adjusted age, 7.5 months):

-Rowan is THISCLOSE to crawling. She gets up and moves her legs up but hasn't totally mastered it. She did scoot backwards! To move, she slithers on her belly, roll super fast or will spin on her belly, LOL!  According to her therapist, she is right on track and kindly reminded me that some babies don't even crawl till 10 months, some don't at all! As much as I want her to achieve this milestone, I am not super rushing it as that means BABY PROOFING. Gulp.

 

-Rowan has always been very verbal, and babbles LOUDLY AND CONSTANTLY. However, she said "Dada" and "Mama" very clearly this month. It could be chalked up to babbling, but during a shopping trip at Target, she looked right at me and said "mama" with a smile. This makes my heart so happy!!!

-Rowan is starting to clap! When she sees something she likes or gets excited, she will clap her hands together. It's so precious!

 

-Rowan is also starting to wave. If you wave at her, she will lift her hand and will try to wiggle her fingers.

-Rowan "dances" when held, lol. She will bounce up and down and move her tushy, lol. 

 Rowan loves: 

-Any toy that plays music or lights up. She gets so excited!

-LOVES her wubnub paci. That thing has saved our lives so many times!

-any sort of lights. Christmas was so fun looking at lights and any type of light makes her squeal

-she loves being outdoors and in public. She loves watching people, and gets easily intrigued by everything.

-she loves her big ol' baby doll. She got one from my mom for Christmas and adores it! She thinks big ol' baby is real, lmao!

Rowan doesn't like:
-the dreaded nose Frida. Her mortal enemy.

-LOUD NOISES. Despite being a super loud girl herself, she doesn't LIKE any shrill, loud noises.

 

New/fun things we did this month:

-We did an overnight trip to the bay and met up with my bff and her family. It was so fun and Rowan did a great job! I am so thankful she loves to travel!

-CHRISTMAS! Gosh it was so fun!

Honestly, not a whole ton, as Rowan ONCE AGAIN caught bronchiolitis. SIGH! However, I feel we caught it early and since we knew how to treat it, it didn't seem so severe. Despite being sick, this girl is a trooper!

How is Rowan's spit up?: Practically non-existent!

 

Sleep:

Sleep has been disrupted because she has had many coughing fits at night that wake her up. Poor babe! We are now back on track and she sleeps straight through from 7:30-5:30, sometimes 6 am. I am so happy about this, but makes for tough weekends when she doesn't get the memo that we don't have to be up that early. Oh well, not complaining! 

 Naps?

3 naps, a short AM nap (40 minutes), a mid morning nap that lasts about 2 hours, and 1 late afternoon nap (30 minutes-1 hour)

 
Rowan's personality so far: 
Rowan is seriously such a good baby! She is super easy going and goes with the flow, just like her "dada". Despite she is a mover and shaker, she is so cuddly. I try to savor those cuddles and nibble those yummy cheeks!  I am so thankful to be the mother of this fabulous baby girl!

My Rowan dump:

A Christmas break recap...

It should come to no surprise I'm blogging this over 3 weeks late. SIGH.

Christmas was amazing! One of the major perks of working at my particular district is we get 2 glorious weeks off!!! Those two weeks were spent cuddling/kissing the crap out of Rowan, sleeping in (yes, more on that later), relaxing, and spending time with family and friends. Best of all, enjoying the wonderful holidays!

Our first week of break we did a overnight trip to the bay area, met up with my best friend and her beautiful family. They were visiting from Texas, so any time we get to see them it is super special! It was the first time our kids finally were able to meet! We were pregnant at the same time and both had girls! It was so awesome the babies could finally meet! SO fun!

The rest of the weekend was awesome, and Rowan was a great traveler!

 We came home and basically relaxed the rest of the week as we geared up for Christmas. One thing that was super awesome was that Rowan let us "sleep in" most of the break! I will admit, her schedule got pushed as she went to bed later than normal (8 rather than 7). Because of that, most mornings she would "sleep in" till 7:30, and few times she didn't get up till 8! IT WAS AMAZING. I never felt so awake and rested, lol!!!

Christmas Eve was amazing and we spent it with my side of the family. Rowan got the most precious, poofiest dress from Target! She looked just exquisite!:

We went to church and had THE MOST delicious feast after. The kids were just precious in their Christmas clothes!  Of course, I had to do a "photo shoot'' with my fancy camera . Since my blog is public, I'm not posting my sister's kids out of respect for their privacy. However, you get the idea.

After, the cousins and Rowan changed into coordinating Christmas jammies! We wanted matching ones, but boy, it was so hard to find! Rowan's jammies were a little snug but good heavens she looked so yummy with her little chubby rolls sticking out:

We all ended up in cozy jammies and opened gifts. Rowan loved it, BUT was clearly more interested in tissue paper and the wrapping paper!

Christmas morning was very low key. My sister, her family and my mom usually drive up to San Jose to spend it with my sister's in laws. My in law family usually goes to their perspective in law families, so usually its just my little family in town! I kind of don't mind, because as our family grows (MAYBE, don't get ideas!) it will be nice to just be home!  We got up around 8ish and opened gifts as a new family of 3. It was super fun and very special. I just can't wait for more Christmases with Rowan!!! She once again had a ton of fun opening gifts!

After gifts, Rowan went down for a nap and we felt tired as well. We all ended up taking a 2 hour nap! After we woke up, we all just snuggled in bed and watched Duck Dynasty. It was quite a hilarious sight! Usually on Christmas Day we go to the movies and get pizza or Chinese. Since we had Rowan, we obviously couldn't go, but we still kept our dinner tradition!

On the 26th, we got to have lunch and spend some quality time with my in law family. They are quite the hoot and super fun to be around. Rowan of course got lots of love, snuggles and gifts! We had a pizza lunch and then spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing with the family. The one thing that IRKS me is that I didn't take pictures! I left the fancy camera at home and my phone died! SIGH....
The holidays were super fun! It was seriously magical to see it through Rowan's eyes. Even though she probably didn't get what was going on half the time, it was still so fun!

  

catch up series: 6 month pictures and the diva

Haha, her 6 month pictures made it into the catch up series!

Back in late October,  we set out to take her 6 month pictures. We were also going to take our fall pictures at the same time. We once again used the fabulous Jamie Cardoza.

We took our pictures at West 12 Ranch in Lodi, which is seriously the most perfect place to take pictures. I was nervous about how Rowan would be, as babies are unpredictable at times. Sure enough, she was miss grumpy, and was very serious.

The shoot started off well. Despite being a grump (especially in the first pic) she warmed up:

Then, Jamie incorporated us into the shots...but that's when the s%$# hit the fan. There is one picture where Shannon had to lift Rowan so we could look at her. Apparently, she DID NOT find that amusing, which hence came the biggest meltdown/temper tantrum in history. Holy heavens. All because Daddy lifted her in the air.

This is the offending picture. You can even see her little face is clearly displeased:

The embarrassing thing, was there were tons of families doing shoots. She was screaming so loudly, and people were looking at us. I know, I know, I shouldn't care, but I did. A baby boy her age was doing his shoot and he was sitting perfectly, cooing and giving these best smiles. I magically got boiling hot and sweaty as I was trying to wrangle my chubby, screaming 6 month old who at the same time, was trying to rip my hair out.

Us newbies forgot her paci in the car, so hubby ran to go get it. Miraculously, she stopped crying. However, the minute she saw her father, she screamed at him and proceeded to cry. Almost like she did it on purpose because she saw him, LOL!

After 20 minutes of incessant screaming, stares from strangers, and us about to lose our minds, our awesome photog wisely advised maybe we try again later. We packed up our crazy diva, and went home.

About a week later during the first part of Thanksgiving break, we met again. This time we met after her first morning nap. Hubby and I wore the same outfits, Rowan wore different ones. This was Rowan during this shoot, thank goodness!:

It was a good thing to meet in the morning and Rowan did loads better. However, she scares me! She is SUCH a happy, sweet, joyful baby, BUT when she gets mad, lookout! I am SO nervous for the 2's and 3's. Anyway, the shoot turned out amazing and we are so thankful to Jamie Cardoza Photography for being so flexible and doing such a great job! What did I learn? BE FLEXIBLE. Babies clearly have their own agenda at times, and flexibility is key!! Here are some of my faves.....

Happy 8 months Rowan!

Wait, didn't I just do a 7 month post? Time is flying faster than I can keep up. The past 8 months flew at the blink of an eye!
Parenthood is definitely not an easy job but at the same time I love it! Rowan keeps me on my toes and we love her with such intensity! It's so insane how fast time is flying!!!

Name: Rowan Decaris Potter

Rowan's age: 8 months old, 6.5 months adjusted age

Weight: My tank baby now weighs 20.2 pounds. Holy heavens. This girl is so dang heavy. She is so yummy!



Solids?  Yes! This girl loves to eat! We took a break from solids when she had bronchiolitis, but now we are back at it!


Clothing size: 12 month clothing for this girl! Still in size 3 diapers. We fit into SOME 9 months, but I am starting to pack it away :(. She wears 18m in pants, and we are even venturing into size 24m for pants. She is growing so much!

Rowan milestones (for her adjusted age, 6.5 months):

-Rowan is completely sitting up. She loves it, and it has opened a new world for her! She sits like a big girl, so fun!




-Rowan is pretty darn mobile, rolls all over wherever she can, and tries to slither on her belly, like a snake. She is super fast and VERY mischievous! She has been trying to play with our DVR and TV system, rolls into the tree and tries to eat the presents. Oh boy. So it begins! She seems so anxious to move! I wonder if we might see crawling soon. 

-Rowan is becoming more of an expert on grabbing! She reaches, throws really hard, starts to pick small objects, and passes toys from hand to hand. She is getting good at pulling things (her favorite is my hair, ouch!),pushing objects and buttons!


-Rowan cut her first 2 teeth at the same time! She has 2 cutie little teeth on the bottom, which caused her a lot of pain. However, it is so dang cute! 

-Rowan is very aware of people she sees often and will reach out to be held. If you say "where is mama" (for example), she will turn to find and look at me!

-Rowan FINALLY found her feet! I feel like she is such a late bloomer with this! She will also grab her thighs which makes me laugh!


Rowan loves: 

-her food! She is eating about 6 oz most bottles, 8 oz at bedtime.



-toys! She definitely has preferences!



- TISSUE PAPER. Holy crap, you put anything remotely tissue paper like, she will tear it up and scream with delight. I think the million doctors visits weren't so bad because she loved the paper on the table!


-Showers! We give her baths, but since she was so sick, we would steam up the bathroom and shower with her, as the steam would help her lungs. She is IN LOVE with water, loves when it runs down her face. She now gets so excited when she sees any sort of running water.


Rowan doesn't like: Being burped, breathing treatments, putting her arms through sleeves. The nose frida (the ONLY thing that will clear her nose). Oh Rowan.



New/fun things we did this month:

-Well, this isn't fun, but she caught bronchiolitis. Thanksgiving night was spent in the ER, and took her a little over a week to kick its butt.



-we celebrated her first Thanksgiving! It wasn't how I thought it would be, but regardless, it was a time to give thanks for the true blessings in our lives! 

-we took a road trip to Angel's Camp and it was so fun! She was a wonderful traveler but didn't want to nap!!

-We have tried to participate in Elk Grove's super cute Christmas activities! We attended the light parade and Rowan really seemed to enjoy  it!

How is Rowan's spit up?: Only happens if she is overly active after eating. No biggie.

Sleep:
We have kept the same nighttime routine of solids, bath, prayers/reading and her bottle. She has become a CRAZY mover in her sleep! She will tumble down her crib, move in all sorts of directions! She will sleep from about 7-7:30 to about 5:45/6.





Naps?
3 naps, a short AM nap (40 minutes), a mid morning nap that lasts about 2 hours, and 1 late afternoon nap (30 minutes-1 hour)

Rowan's personality so far: 
Rowan is super fun! She is so snuggly, happy, and LOVES people! She isn't shy and loves to smile at people! She also adores watching the big kids play at preschool! She is generally a super happy baby. However, if she gets upset, watch out! LOL!


Love you forever Rowan!