Julian is 9 Months!

Okay, okay, I'm sorry it has been way too long since I have blogged. I'm really not a very good blogger, so I'm sure you haven't miss it. Anyhow, this month Julian turned 9 months old! 9 months in + 9 months out = 18 months of total life. Every day I look at my son, squeeze him tight, and can't believe how much love I have for him. This is just a little bragging/update on Julian post, btw, so beware of the many proud mommy moments to come.

Some things he knows how to do:

· Clap on command and whenever he hears music or we say "yaaay!" He was clapping in church the other day during music worship (he was actually the only one clapping, lol. I'm still not used to how conservative our worship services are, especially growing up in a Foursquare church!) He also started clapping while in Trader Joe's when he hear the music on the overhead speakers. So cute, I must say.

· He waves "hi" and "bye"! He picked up on that one fairly quickly. He does it on command, as well. He's a genius child, I tell you. No, I'm not biased. ;)

· He can crawl/pull himself up/cruise. WOOT! That's my boy. All mobile and such. It's like he seems the world in a whole new way now and he loves it!

· He can even stand for a few seconds on his own, but only when he's not paying attention the fact that he's not holding onto anything.

· He imitates sounds such as monkeys and cats. He also imitates mommy and daddy when we make silly noises or sing.

· He can point and reach for objects that he wants.

· He can, and does, throw a fit when he doesn't get his way. It's pretty cute, really. He throws his head back and wails and then I proceed to laugh at him. Probably not the best response, but I'm only human.

· He can tip his sippy cup back when he's drinking out of it - finally! He's obsessed with water and drinking out of regular cups, too. And don't you dare take that cup away as he WILL freak out.

· He eats everything! (Except the usual no-no's like honey, etc). He loves food of all kinds, just not when we actually feed it to him. He likes to do it himself, because ya know, he's a big boy and all. His favorite is still plain ol' bananers, but he eats whatever we are eating for dinner, whether it be chicken enchiladas or a spinach and pasta casserole.

· He can point out the lion and the baby in his bed time story book. Impressive, right? I know, I know, I'm soooo bragging!

Some things he doesn't do:

· He doesn't "sleep through the night". I'm not sure if that will happen any time soon, really. I don't mind. I like being able to tend to his needs. He's waking anywhere from 3-6 times a night and I nurse him back to sleep. Since we co-sleep it is really quite easy. Thanks to the amber necklace, our night time sleep has vastly improved.

· Though I was having him sleep in his crib for naps, that has temporarily stopped. He just doesn't sleep well in there. He wakes up after 40 minutes still tired and cranky, yet cannot fall back asleep. He sleeps swaddled and in his swing. This method works for us and I honestly don't believe it is damaging to him in any way. Pretty soon he will outgrow it and we will have no choice but to put him in his crib, but for now, it is what it is.

· He doesn't self-soothe. He really has no idea how. I'm his soother (well, my boobie milk is his soother). I comfort nurse, I nurse to sleep, I nurse for nourishment. I nurse A LOT. But, I LOVE nursing.

I really love being his mommy. Some people might think I'm not doing things the right way. But is there really "one right way" to parent a baby? I don't think there is. This is the way that I have chosen to parent my baby. It doesn't make me better or worse. Sure, he may be in my bed till he's 2. Sure, he may never be left with a baby sitter. Sure, he may need the boob to fall asleep for another year. I don't mind. Jordan doesn't mind either. I think that's what is important. Mom and dad need to be on the same page when it comes to parenting. If Jordan were against me cosleeping or nursing for comfort, then there would be some changes. But I'm happy to report that he is all for it. He encourages it, even. I'm becoming crunchier and crunchier in my parenting expedition. It's kinda fun. I kinda like it. I like being a little "edgy" and dare we say, controversial??

I’ve had to learn the hard way how to keep my mouth shut and my opinions to myself. Those who know me know that I can get quite passionate about certain topics. (Such as childbirth and extended breastfeeding). I’m learning that if someone has an interest in these topics, they will come to me. Otherwise, I should zip it! Bear with me on this, I’m a slow learner, but I will do my best to stop being offensive!

I'm still learning, researching, making mistakes, changing my mind. That's what parenting is all about. None of us are perfect. :)