Rowan at 7.5 Months

Rowan has reached an age where he’s beginning to really express his preferences – the yells and laughs are both aplenty, and it’s quite amusing to see what he finds funny (mainly strange sounds, being gently ‘thrown’ onto the big bed, taking a toy out of our hands, banging his hands on the high chair and, most recently breastfeeding...?)

And good grief, everything is about standing lately. Pull over box of toys? Great to stand up against. Couch? Got it covered. Pull runner off the coffee table? Ten times a day, thankyouverymuch. Little mister adventure, anything that should and shouldn’t be pulled on suddenly is. He’s exhausting work, though I feel guilty admitting it because he does it all with a gleeful look on his face. Daytime naps are still okay (although I’m listening to Rowan gleefully banging his feet against the side of the wall through the cot slats instead of napping; it’s the point of no return now – no napping and he’ll be up until bedtime *le sigh*). Nighttimes are a bit hit and miss though, alternating through sleeping through and waking every 2 hours or so – exhausting work when your body doesn’t get the chance to get through one or the other. We both had colds last week, and at the tail end of his, Rowan started teething again – he’s got an ulcer spot on one of his top front teeth so I’m expecting that through within the next couple of weeks (unless it goes back up into the gum, hope not though). One of the girls in mother’s group said that when baby’s re-learning to breastfeed with a top tooth it makes for interesting times and feeding is never quite the same again, comfort-wise. I’m not sure what to think about that, I know that we’ll get through it just like every other feeding challenge we’ve faced. Those of you who have breastfed children with a mouthful of teeth, reassure me will you?

(more on feeding, I’m supposed to be updating my first aid certification tomorrow morning – getting ready for working next year - and with Rowan up early today and refusing an afternoon nap I haven’t had the chance to pump... unless I can get more than the 20ml I have so far, doesn’t look as though I’ll be going :/)

Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful... incredibly grateful. It's just that sometimes when you haven't had much sleep it can get on top of you - I'm only human after all, and we've all been there whether through babies, children, insomnia or a combination or the three!

I must remember this face, and how quickly it's changing - with its bumps and scratches, lumps and dribble/citrus rashes, blue-grey eyes becoming brown - on the path from baby to impending toddlerhood.