The month of '3's

This has been a BUSY month for us, as we've gotten to watch couple after couple walk down the aisle and say "I Do".  Three weddings in three weeks, with three couples who have met at Capernwray during our three years here!  The first wedding was 2 hours away, the second wedding was 8 hours away, and the third wedding was 3 hours away.   It was a lot of driving (which ends up being pretty exhausting with a little one who wouldn't sleep much!), but we were super glad we were able to go to all three.  For the 2nd wedding, which was in Massachusetts,  I was overseeing all the food for the reception, which meant Andrew got to spend lots of time with Isaiah for a few days while I cooked and prepared for the big day.  It was a fun week!

At the 4th wedding - a total pro by now...in an Isaiah-sized chair!
(photo by Vanessa Siemens)

Isaiah was a champ in putting up with the travel, lack of good routine, poor sleep, and tons of new people everywhere. And, of course, he was cute, cute, cute through it all. It's taken a while to recover, but we think he is finally getting rested up and back on a normal schedule.  One night last week he even went to bed at 6pm! The earliest yet...but he slept until about 6:45 the next morning, with a quick snack and back to bed around 4am, so it seems like he needed the rest.

He is now 8 1/2 months.  This last week he has had three distinct leaps of learning, so I wanted to share them.

Happy in the Ergo!

  #1: Crawling.  Yes, he is crawling!  He's been army crawling for weeks, but in the past week he had made a big progression to up on his hands and knees, even on the slippery laminate floor throughout our house.  He likes to boogy around quickly, and is making huge messes everywhere he goes.

  #2: Sippy Cup.  He sucks! (As a verb, not an adjective, ha!) Since 4-5 days he has figured out how to suck, swallow, suck, swallow, without taking his mouth off of the spout.  He had gotten really good out of drinking from a cup (as he wasn't getting much water from the sippy, we gave him a cup after meals), but it is super exciting to see him progress with the sippy! Especially since he doesn't know how to drink from a bottle. So, I recommend the Avent sippy cup to start...it's the 4th kind we bought, and the one that he figured it out on.

  #3: Obedience.   This is a big one for us!  With him being able to move around so well the last couple weeks doing his army crawl, he has started getting into everything.  The trashes, bookcases, kitty food & water bowls, wires, plugs, shoes, etc etc.  We have baby-proofed a bit, but we also wanted to teach him that some thing are just off limits for Isaiah. The item that he grabs we tap and say "No, Not for Isaiah", while removing his hand from the item.
   Over and over again he reaches, and over and over again we take his hand away and say, "No, not for Isaiah".  Eventually he would turn away and start crawling somewhere else...but of course, those items also became very fascinating for him as well. :)   In the last week he has started to obey when we say "Not for Isaiah", even when we're across the room and he has his hand out to grab it!  He will put his hand down, and crawl away from it--no fuss, no protest--just matter-of-factly obeying Mommy or Daddy.   Wow, it's like a miracle.   He has willingly abandoned the kitty bowls (which were put away into the bathroom because they were extra tempting and extra yucky), the candles with lids on the bookcase, and the kitchen trash.  I feel so proud of him each time. 

On another note, his fifth tooth just broke through today, the one left of his two front teeth. The one to the right of his two front teeth is just there below the surface, a white nub. I am still surprised at how fast he has gotten his teeth!  In this midst of all this learning came another new thing which was NOT fun...he bit me twice yesterday while nursing, and twice today.  Lightly each time, experimentally, like he was playing.   It is not a fun game.  I am now vigilantly on the lookout - so much for a few minutes to relax!  Hopefully he will not continue....he needs to find something else to try all his teeth on - not on Mommy!

**Well, it's been a few days since I wrote the previous paragraphs, I guess that's what happens when you have a small child!**

He now has six teeth!  Yup, they come quick, without much bother.  He also has not bitten me again - I keep nursing all business and no play now.

 Also, in other news,  the last 3 out of 5 nights he has slept through the night (about 6:45pm-6:30 am). Yippee!  I have really been praying that he would do it on his own without us needing to 'help' him stop waking up to nurse in the early morning hours.  It's exciting to think that more sleep will be our way soon, on a more permanent basis. :)

He is such a joy, and I am so thankful each day that God is letting us taking care of this beautiful, precious life.

Super crawler!
(And thanks Aunt Michelle for the cute pullover and pants set!)
(photo by Vanessa Siemens)