7 Months and Into 2017

Wow, where did that time go?!

Legan update!

WOW!

His hands are always going going going!

He's convinced he can crawl away from this madness!

Weight: 19.5 lbs 

Length: 27"

Head: 19"

Percentiles: 87%, 68%, and 100+% in that order.

New Skills: Drinking from a straw, sitting up MOSTLY by himself - even though he can't get there by himself, scooting backwards on the floor. Putting smaller pieces of food in his mouth, on the first try.

Likes: Playing with faces with his hands, going anywhere, smiling and talking to people, blowing bubbles, taking off his socks, bouncing!

Dislikes: The snot suckers, and being unable to chase the dog. 

Tummy problems: We haven't increased our Zantac in a long time now, but his weight has stabilized too. He's been doing OK with his new diet of some solids. He hasn't had issues laying down. He's gotten a little more prone to spitting up, but I haven't been 100% dairy free - just very very very low dairy. He hasn't been super uncomfortable in at least a month though!

Eating progress: He now gets two meals of real food every day. We do eggs, steamed broccoli or carrots, peeled apples, various berries/oranges in a mesh feeder, potatoes, fish, tiny bits of venison (small enough to not need chewing - like smaller than a grain of rice), rice, noodles, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes. Mostly fruit and veg, but working on some protein now. 

Sleeping: Yeah, pretty much the same as last month. Goes back and forth. We'll have a week of OK - up only once or twice in 12 hours overnight, with maybe 1 75 minute nap, and 2 short ones. Then we have a week or two of terrible - up 4-5 times overnight (every 1-3 hours) with 4 or 5 15-25 minute naps during the day. There's not much I can do about it, other than cry. On the bad days he gets totally overtired and can't sleep and won't let me put him down either...

Clothing sizes: Mostly 9 month and some 12s, the pants all need to be slightly bigger to adjust for his large cloth diaper butt.

Other new updates: Still no teeth, but sometimes he's chewing like he expects them. 

First thing in the morning happy baby!

Frequently now we need a friend to hold while me eat!

 Mommy Update!

I decided not to post new pictures of me this month as physically nothing has changed and we just started at a gym.

STILL waiting on my insurance card. SO FRUSTRATED with the State of Illinois, but totally not willing to spend hours on hold on their phone system. So irked. So pretty much nothing has changed.

I try to do my at home workout once or twice a week. Check it out here!

UPDATE: we were gifted a membership to a local rec center with fitness classes, exercise equipment, a pool, AND free childcare - so we're working on getting there at least twice a week, and I am figuring out what exactly I can and can't do. 

Physical stuff: Still having super sensitive skin anywhere near incision. It's probably nerve damage and I shouldn't expect it to improve in less than 3-5 years. That is how long my nerve damage from Lasik took. I definitely have tightness and scar tissue deep in the incision. That probably won't change much either. The looseness in my pelvis that causes problems with running/riding/stairs/yoga hasn't improved now in 4 ish months - so that's going to be what limits me the most in trying to get back in even some sort of shape. 

I'll do my best to put together an entire post of what exercises do/don't work.

Emotionally: Pretty much nothing has changed on this front. I got up on my horse again, and then had a rough patch where my husband was sick just before and over Christmas Eve and Legan was clingy plus I had a million errands to do so I couldn't put him down for days. I limped around for 2-4 days after that. It's just so disheartening. I keep having friends/family try to reassure me that it just takes time for your abs to heal up after babies...but while I can handle the fact that due to my c-section my tummy (and it's skin) will NEVER be the same again and will probably always be weaker than it was when I was young & fit, and it will probably always be a little tight/sore....none of that comes anywhere near the amount of disability and pain I have from my pelvic issues. No, I don't have incontinence issues, and for that I'm glad, but stairs that are too tall are a problem, I can't ride or run without HUGE debilitating pain. I tried to use the assisted pull up machine and I can't get on it by myself because I can't step up more than an average stair height - or it's excruciating. So people were staring at me at the gym and telling me "No, it's really easy to get up there." even when I tried to show them how high I can lift my foot. I have an invisible injury that no one takes seriously/believes because it's so ridiculous and it's unheard of. 

It's very very very mentally and emotionally harmful for me to hear that "things just get better with time" and "childbirth is hard on everyone" when I am having significantly more than the average issues and no one has been able to help me. I haven't healed up more since Legan was 3 months old. So.........I lost my previous body and life? 

I get asked when I'm thinking about taking up running, riding, and rock climbing again. Ha. When? What about if? I can't even do yoga, as there are only about 3 poses I know that don't involve weight bearing with my knees more than a foot apart. 

So.....I take pictures and videos of Legan. Because this is the best I can do, and it's most of the only things I can do.

I try to work a few shifts, and I physically pay for it and can't sleep due to pain for 2-3 days.

I can't find much time to write or color yet as Legan only gives me 15 minute segments to myself and I normally have to use them to eat, poop, laundry, or let out my housemates' puppy.

So...cute baby!

Me, hubby, and Barley cuddle for warmth while Legan naps during a polar vortex!

While Eric was sick he did what he could to entertain Legan without touching him. So he gave him the dog bone. Barley was not amused.

Passed OUT!

The final Christmas outfit pic I took. Love the santa feet, and going to miss that hat!

Happy baby sitting in the corner so I can brush my teeth in the morning!

All baby/kids hoods should have animal ears attached, amiright?

The day the blackberries were massacred. It was great fun.

Little man loves playing with his tongue lately!

There's a sound effect that goes along with this. It's like "oooooooo"

First time he noticed the blocks!

So listen guys, I'm gonna make a break for it...

And rolled away!

This is how we keep the star happy between shoots...

Awkward bright selfie!

His worst angle and me looking like a demon. Very attractive of us.

Christmas morning with GiGi. "Holy cow guys, this thing is going to put my eye out!"

Family Christmas selfie, Legan with his new favorite necklace of mine.

And I really couldn't get enough of the creepy juice splattered baby....looks like he was just eating animals raw and he's ready to move on to bigger game, like the one behind the camera!