Appendages

I realized I never really 'updated' about my arm.  It took about 3 full months to reach "clinically healed".  I'd been doing physical/occupational therapy for ~6 weeks over an 8 week period at that point.  The doctor was able to twist, turn, shake my arm and I had no pain.  The X-ray showed that my bone was starting to grow back.  He estimated a full recovery in about 6-7 months post injury.

As for me... I'm good.  I can do all daily routines again.  It took about 3 months for me to feel like I was back to normal.  However, carrying a child in my left arm and some things that require a lot of manipulation, pushing a stroller with just my left hand, are still hard.  Although, I can do them, just not for very long.  The scars are looking really good.

Mentally, I am still pretty freaked out.  I still can't carry Reid while walking without a little fear creepy up in my throat.  Weston, I can mostly carry, and walk just fine... but still no putting them on my shoulders!  And stairs, well, let's just say, between a broken leg 10 years ago, a super sprained foot 1.5 years ago due to stairs, and me having "small bones" I don't EVER rush down the stairs.  For me there is always time to take it slow.

About once a month, I still need to do a good rub on the scar tissue.  It's still building up and probably will for up to two years.  When the scar tissue builds up, I have more pain because the scar tissue pulls on my muscles/ligaments/tendons, etc.  So I just have to give myself a deep arm massage, and I'm mostly pain free again.

I was very surprised how hard the trial was, but I am so grateful for the love and support I've gotten.  I'm so very grateful for the recovery and our super cool bodies that are self-healing!


The Battle Scars:

Baby 2: 6 and 7 months

6 Months
- This has been all about figuring how to sit up.  That's all he does now.  He rarely chooses to fall over and explore on his belly, unless he can't quite reach that toy that he wants.
- Reid and Weston play all the time!  I love it, it reminds me why I wanted more kids!  If Reid is running, spinning, riding a truck or anything... it cracks Weston up.  Occasionally they will play on the same toy... assuming Reid doesn't just steal it.  They often laugh at the dinner table.  Reid loves to help Weston bounce when he is in his bouncy seat or jumper, and while we worry that he is being too rough, Weston cracks up.  He will more happily sit on the ground as long as Reid is running around doing his thing, just as long as he can watch Reid.
Reid likes to play chase, and if you are carrying Weston and he can see Reid, he thinks it is a GREAT game too.
My favorite was the other day he grabbed Reid when he tried to walk away... he's got a strong grip!... so as not to lose his buddy.
- He is a vegetable boy, much like Reid (I wonder if he'll hate desserts like Reid does too).  Hates bananas, doesn't care much for peaches.  Carrots were a no on the first try, but we just tried them again and they are a yes!  We're gonna try green beans again.  I just got a baby food grinder from a friend, so I'll be trying table food real soon here.
- Weston still struggles with naps.  He is moving around more and has a lot more strength, so swaddling isn't work so much anymore.  So there is some crying at the beginning, we're working on it.  So far we've had a couple times he's cried more than an hour, by that time, its time to feed him again, so I just go get him.  I'm hoping he'll eventually learn to calm himself down.
- He sleeps about 10 hours at night, then eats and sleeps another 1.5-2.5 hours.
- Can fully roll around, but usually doesn't choose... I guess I don't put his toys far enough away.

(trial run of hair for our family photoshoot)

(Our family photoshoot, I think he's 6 months 1 week here)

7 Months  (well a little past)
Mobility?  Almost....
- fully sits up and then started leaning to a side to get toys
- which then moved to kinda leaning over one leg to reach a toy
- now he fully leans over one leg, with the back leg supporting with his knee then he can kinda sit back down, swing his legs around and has actually moved 4 ft.  I'm sure he could go more, but always get what he wants by then
Eating, he's a super eater! 
- He LOVES table food, he's had roll, french fries, spaghetti, stroganoff, tunafish, rice (with various sauces), quinoa salad, grapes, and a bunch of other things.  Hasn't rejected anything.
- Still will eat bottle vegetables with a little cereal, but only squash, peas, sweet potates or something that contains those (mixed veggies or carrots&peas)
- He eats cheerios or my cereal for breakfast, then I let him snack whatever we're eating for lunch (pot pie, PB&J sandwich, grapes, crackers, etc), then for dinner he gets as much jar food and cereal as he will eat, then its all table food after that
- He also loves to drink water from his sippy cup... its hard to get it away from him at times.
Growing up
- Matt has never been a baby person, but I am realizing 6+ months is my favorite age, they aren't causing too much trouble, but still have lots of personality
- He is SOOO ticklish, even his back!
- He has the cutest belly, that I just can't resist zberting it all the time!
- He loves to have conversations with us, he'll grunt or squak or yell, and if we do it back, he'll do it again, such a fun game!
- He loves big brother!  But big brother likes his space.  (Reid is finally learning about personal space)
- He takes two naps (see below) and sleeps ~12 hours at night, sometimes with a 6am feeding to finish out his rest

(waking up from a nap!  I love how happy he is!)

(snuggling in his sleep with his monkey)

TRIALS - I am documenting these, not to complain, but because this was frustrating and I want to remember how I got through it with the next kids.
So around 5 months I was struggling with his nap schedule, and then he seemed really interest in table food, so we started solids.  That first week was awesome!  He slept so much better.  Then it slowly tapered off again.  And we continued to struggle with how many naps, sometimes 2, sometimes 4.. what?  I didn't know what to do. 
Also, he has started doing what all babies do, easy distraction from nursing.  He seriously would latch and unlatch without even sucking.  Look all around, and do that for a while, until he got fully frustrated and would start crying.  Yeah frustrating for me too, cuz then I was struggling with my let-down, which then made him have to keep trying to suck longer.... it was a downward spiral.
So around 6 months, I started wondering how much milk he was getting... I started pumping during the day and bottle feeding.  I even added in a pumping late at night before bed, and I started taking fenugreek, which is supposed to help your production.  Fenugreek helped a little, but I was still only getting 18oz at most for the day, and that just wasn't enough. 
Because I was doing all this, I was getting more and more stressed.  It felt like it was all just piling on top of each other.  So then after a couple times of being too stressed to even get let down, I lost it.... tears and all.  After a conversation with my hubby, we decided me being stressed out worse than forking out the money for formula. 
So I stopped the fenugreek and the extra pumping at night, and started supplementing Weston's meals.  He still nurses first thing in the morning (when i'm full), then for the 10am, 1-2pm feedings I add at least 2 oz of formula to the milk I pump (making sure it's at least 4 oz a feeding), plus whatever solids we feed him in between. For the 4-5pm feeding it just depends, cuz he gets dinner shortly after.  Then for bed time I nurse and then give him 4-6 oz of formula.
After doing this for a few days, he's napping peacefully at 10:30am and 2:30pm and the naps just keep getting longer!  Hallelujah!  I thought I was losing my mind!  He's been so much happier and less needy.  He does still very much have a bed time.  He wants to be drinking those bottles for bed by 8pm or he is NO fun!
We EVEN had someone watch the kids from 5pm-11pm and they said he was easy!  That was a first!  Thanks to good friends for a fun night out, and here's to figuring out that your baby really is hungry!