What has Ian been up to lately?

Ian Joel as of October 21, 2012

Ian is coming up on 7 months old. I don't even like saying that! SEVEN MONTHS?! That's like more than half way to a year! So what's new with the growing boy..?

He has teeth! 

Four teeth to be exact. He has 1 on top and 3 on bottom. He's been a fussy teether but teething tablets have helped a TON. I'm sure you're all wondering, "Are you going to stop breastfeeding now?" and the simple answer is no. Teeth actually do not make any difference in breastfeeding. Sure they can bite but all babies bite. You teach them not to. Whether it's biting your shoulder when you're burping them or biting at the breast, you teach them not to. If baby's latch is correct (his is), you can't really feel the teeth at all when they're nursing because the tongue covers the bottom teeth. 

He can talk!

Most of my family has already heard this first hand. He can say "Dada" perfectly. He knows who Dada is,too. He always looks right at Joel and starts babbling, "Daaa Daaa, Dada!" Joel is very proud, but he still said "Mama" first! We will be really excited when he starts acknowledging his favorite member of our family, big brother Christian. We're working on a nickname for him since Christian is such a mouth full. 

He's a scooter!

He isn't crawling just yet but he can definitely get to where he needs to be. He scoots on his belly or slides on his booty. Our house is having to be baby proofed. It isn't easy since the majority of choking hazards are Christian's toys. He gets up on his knees and rocks all the time. I'm sure he'll be crawling full speed very soon. We are in no hurry.

He's an eater!

Ok, so this isn't exactly new news but it's still his favorite thing to do. We are practicing baby led weaning, which is where you skip baby foods and just offer pieces of what you eat. You can read more about it by clicking the link. He's a professional eater at this point. He eats meats well, eats all fruits and veggies, and even breads! There isn't much he turns his nose up to. He does not like baby food at all. We thought we'd use it as a filler between breastfeeding and actual meals but he doesn't like it and wants no part of it, not that I blame him! That stuff stinks.

Our little man is growing very,very quickly. On one hand, I'm loving watching his new tricks,but on the other hand I miss him being a fragile little infant. Hug your children tight, they grow entirely too quick. 

Christian's therapy sessions

Update on Christian's Therapy

Christian has a "feeding disorder". You can read about the differences between a feeding disorder and picky eating here. He goes to therapy once a week at Sports Plus Rehab center here in Dyersburg. It is important to understand that his feeding disorder is directly connected to his sensory issues. The reason he isn't accepting of foods is because of the different textures. What we are doing in therapy is teaching him to accept different textures using all of his senses. We first have him just accept seeing the food. After that, he can try touching the food. Eventually he will learn to smell the food and lick the food which eventually leads to eating the food. When he started he would only eat tortilla chips, granola bars, and cereal. Now he eats all of that plus fries, grapes, apples, yogurt, and raisins. He has only been in therapy for 4 months. I think he is making GREAT progress!

So, what's new?

Christian has jittery hands. When he tries to write, color, button, zip, tie, or anything else that requires precision, his hands shake. They now think that he poor hand-eye-coordination as well as poor hand control.  He should be able to draw simple shapes by now, but he can not. They have written an order for him to start  occupational therapy and also have sent a request for him to be evaluated by a neurologist at Lebonheur Children's Medical Center to rule out any neurological issues. While he is there he will also be evaluated by the physical therapist there. We will keep everyone updated with whatever happens and how he progresses.

Guess who's growing?

My boys are growing!

I recently realized how behind I am in blogging! Oops.. I promise I have a good excuse. You see, between school, growing boys, Joel getting a new job and also being in school, daily life, household responsibilities, and of course networking it just honestly slipped my mind! 
Anyway, the reason you're here is not to here me ramble so now I must play catch up. Enjoy! 

Christian being a little boy!

Christian pees on everything! I swear it!