The Struggle is Real

I don't think I've mentioned it here before, but we have some serious bath-time issues with ERP. It all started about a year ago; which is a long time when you consider he's not even two. Suddenly he hated baths. 

Really.

Hated.

Baths.

We're talking full on panic attacks, on his part; over taking a bath. 

Red faced.

Hyperventilating.

Scaling the walls.

Screaming.

Crying.

Total panic melt down.

It is not pretty. These days it takes both Husband and I to wash him. The bath takes about three minutes and that is three minutes too long.

We've tried many things - bathes in the sink, bathes in the baby tub, bathes in the big tub with me, bathes in the big tub with TT, showers with me, showers with Husband, showers with TT. 

Nothing.

Nada.

Zilch.

Until about a week ago he hated most forms of water - except a random puddle or his water table. Earlier in the summer TT accidentally pushed him into the wading pool, he froze; and would have drowned if I wasn't right there. Drowning is silent.

Then one day we got him into the "big" pool with me. He clung to me, like the "baby cling-on" that he is. But he was OK. We went in the pool more and more times. He warmed up to it.

It was progress but we still dreaded taking him to the beach. He hated it. HATED IT. Last summer.

But then we went to the beach last week. And he loved it.

He willingly went into the water. Over and over again. He let me toss him up in the air. He let RR toss him in the air. He played ball. He splashed. He even went under and didn't totally lose him mind. He was like a new kid. Husband and I were on cloud nine from this. This was progress. Huge progress.

This past weekend I moved the small climber and slide onto the deck, and set the slide into the wading pool. TT and ERP gladly went down the slide. ERP willingly and happily went into the little pool. 

We went in the big pool again. He loved it. Floated on his own in his ring.

I was feeling great about bath-time!

And then bath-time came.

And it sucked.

Majorly.

All his fears and panics over the bath came back. 

My original plan was to bath him and TT at the same time. As I have attempted many times in the past. But once we walked into the bathroom ERP lost his shit. Yup... lost it.

So TT showered. ERP continued to cry. Even though he was fully clothed. Normally when he's naked in the bathroom he tries to redress himself in his panic attacks.He got a towel and made me wrap him up in it. And unless he was sitting on my lap, he was crying. Thankfully TT can bath himself, he just needs gentle guidance and someone to dispense the shampoo and soap.

So... the struggle is real. The struggle to bath ERP continues. Rages on.

Seriously - how can someone that happy hate the water so much?

18 Months!

A few days ago the baby, aka ERP, turned 18 months.

How did that happen?

Oh I know. I blinked.

Don't blink.

Ever.


I often forget that he is not a baby anymore, but rather a toddler.

This also leads me to forget that TT isn't a toddler anymore, but rather a preschooler.

And when did that happen?

And don't even get me started on the biggest boy, and his hairy upper lip and deep baritone singing voice.

Anyhow, I digress....

ERP is still a little squirt. I call him Bird. Husband calls him Mouse. He has his 18 month check-up next week and he may finally weigh 20 lbs. He is certainly going through a growth spurt these days.

He may look a lot like TT and have some of RR's mannerisms, but he is certainly not his brothers. He has broken the mold in every way possible. From his blue eyes and curly hair, to his temper and all of those teeth. He is one tooth shy of having all of his first set of molars, and then on to cutting his eye teeth.

And that temper I mentioned. Oh the temper. He pitches the biggest fits. He bites toys and furniture. He turns beat red. He throws things. He just gets so mad. It takes all of mine and Husband's strength not to laugh at his over the top pint size melt downs.

He is still nursing. Which is another post in itself. I recall being so happy with reaching this milestone with TT. These days nursing is the same as breathing. It just happens.

ERP has a total disgust for getting wet. And as we found out the other day, when we went to the park; he also hates sand. Really hates sand. As in "clean my hands every time it touches me" hates sand. He should be a ball of fun at the beach this summer.

So the water thing. He hates it. Unless it's the dogs dish, a small puddle or his water table. Water he has to get into. Forget it. When he has to be bathed, it's a two person job. One to hold him down and the other to wash him. He totally looses his shit. Seriously. And he tries to escape from the water like it was on fire. He will scale you like a cat climbing a tree to get away from a dog.

Actually he tries to climb me a lot. He is without a doubt a "worn child". He is also a mama's boy. He likes Husband enough, until I'm around. When I am around, everyone else if chop liver... assuming you don't like chop liver.

Food. Food is all over the place. Some days he's eats, and eats a variety of stuff. Other days he turns his nose up at everything.

He's all about doing what his brothers do. He loves hanging out with them. He likes RR to take him for walks in the stroller, and he loves playing play-doh and coloring with TT.

But he doesn't plenty his brother's never did. He climbs. Oh, he climbs. On everything. He likes to stand on chairs. He races from one side of the couch to the other. And it's not like we endorse these activities; they happen in a blink of an eye. He certainly keeps us on our toes.

And for everyone that ask - how's he's sleeping? He's not. We'll just leave it at that.

And now... the photos.

14 Months

About a week ago ERP turned 14 months. He has gotten so big. Shortly before then he started walking and now he's walking all over the place.

It really took me by surprise. With TT and RR they stood first. Just stood around with no support, in the middle of the run, just chilling. ERP was showing some signs of walking back around Christmas. But I kept telling myself, not yet. He isn't standing on his own yet. Apparently standing is not a prerequisite for walking. Because he's walking and starting to run now.

He has developed a deep love of books and will bring you them to read. Over and over again. As toddlers like. My baby now a toddler, sigh.

Shortly after he turned 14 months he added a new word to his lexicon - "book". So now he's up to five words.

His, butt, which is my measure as to just how big he is getting; is just about too big to fit into the palm of my hand. He is such a peanut regardless. It's really funny to see this little person walking around.

He loves being with his brothers. And pretending to talk on the phone.

He has been very clingy to me lately and I am eating it up. While I am making dinner there is no place he would rather be, than being carried on my back.

He still hate the shower and we are trying to get him to like bathes. But it's a process. Bathing him is not an easy task and requires a lot of mental preparation on mine and Husband's part.

He does not like snow. And we've had more than our fair share. But this was to be expected seeing how much he hated the beach.

Things I don't want to forget from this month
~ his soft and fine, wispy hair
~ the softness of his check
~ the way he does "swivel hips" when getting his diaper changed
~ his smile with his seven little teeth

13 Months

ERP is 13 months. He really hasn't grown, physically; since last month. So no need to rehash those details.

But what he has done is grow developmentally. I had thought he would be walking by now, but he isn't. He is taking a few steps here and a few steps there, independently,which is cool. I can tell you TT is not ready for ERP to be walking. He is climbing on everything - the furniture, into the dishwasher, out of the bathtub, up the stairs... you get the idea.

He is totally petrified of the shower. The running shower and being in it, to be specific. He starts crying upon hearing the shower. He notches the screaming up a few degrees upon entering the shower, and once he is done and out he is as calm as a clam, even when sitting right next to a running shower.

He is really starting to need a haircut. It's getting pretty unruly and wild. And his hair is so strange - curly in the back and sides, straight as a pin on the top. Bizarre.

Sorry no photos this month... just a quick little blurb to remember my boy at 13 months.

A Year!

ERP is a year old. Actually one year and five days. But, who's counting?

We had his one year well child check today. And guess what? He is still a peanut. Getting more and more peanutty as he gets older. He is a whooping 18 lbs. and is 28.5 inches long - note this was said dripping in sarcasm. For ever inch TT is a giant, ERP is just the opposite. His weight is holding steady at the 3 to 5% but his height has gone from about 20% down to 5%. He's petite as his doctor put it. He is easily 4 inches shorter and 4 pounds lighter than his brothers were at this age.

What he's got that they didn't have - sixth teeth!!  And more coming in. He has four top ones just about in, the two bottom ones (he's had those for months) and some random ones further back making their way on through.

He is "this close" to walking. He's taking a couple steps between Husband and I. He cruises along furniture, but still loves to crawl. And he is FAST.

He is still nursing on demand - read all night long - and eating three meals a day and two snacks as well. He is fully eating table food and has what we are having (as long as the sodium isn't insane). The only food he doesn't like - eggs - scrambled or fried. But he will eat them boiled.

He says "mama" and "dada" and RR swears he says his name. He makes lots of other sounds as well, but I don't think they mean anything at this time.

He is still napping two times a day. Some days he still naps three times.

He is stacking blocks and putting things in and out of containers. He waves bye-bye and loves to clap and read books. In his jumper he rocks it back and forth, and gets some serious air time.

We celebrated his birthday on December 6th with a circus themed party. His brothers even had clown wigs to wear. Husband and brother-in-law did an awesome job with the streamers and I made a five layer rainbow cake.

And I didn't cry. OK, maybe once...

Oh yes... and the crazy hair. He has some serious crazy hair.

Things I don't want to forget from this last months
~ How the hair on the back of his head is so course - and he sleeps on his belly so that's not it
~ How the rest of his hair is super wispy and fine
~ The way he HATES and I mean HATES the shower
~ The way he arches his back and becomes stiff as a board while crying and turning red when he doesn't want to do something - like go to bed or get a diaper change
~ His smile and his giggle
~ The "stork bite" on the back of his neck - I am guessing it's a faint birthmark by now.
~ The way he will happily lay on me in the darkness for hours on end
~ How afraid of meeting St. Nick he was
~ The way he looks in he morning with his hair all a mess
~ How he loves his pacifiers and will crawl around with one in his mouth and one in each hand
~ The way he plays with TT and they are doing more actual playing these days
~ The way RR simply adores him and dotes on him
~ The face he made when he saw his light up book for his birthday
~ His baby smell
~ The softness of his skin and hair

11 Months

OK, ok, oh-kaaayyyy.... I am really late on this one.

I've been wrestling about this post since days before ERP turned 11 months, way back on November 5th. I guess I am in a little denial that my baby is going to be a year, very very soon. At this point he'll be 1 year old in a week and a day. EEEKKK!!!

11 months has been a good one for ERP. Lots of growth. But also lots of sickness. First he had a little cold, then he had hand-foot-and-mouth-disease. Actually all three boys had HFMD. How RR made it nearly 11 years without getting it is beyond me. RR and ERP had it the worst, and ERP actually has some scars on his little fingers from it. Poor baby.

Halloween was a good one. Like his brother's before him ERP was a little lion. The costume was HUGE on him. But cute, none the less. We went trick-or-treating at my Godparents' house. It was a really nice night and we finished shortly before the rain started.

ERP is now regularly clapping and waving bye-bye.

He is still a peanut. My pocket-baby. At a sick child visit a couple weeks ago he wasn't even 18 pounds.

But he does love to eat. Oh does he love food. He still nurses around the clock, but he loves his food. He is eating 3 meals a day, plus 2 or 3 snacks. He crawling all over the place and loves chasing his brothers and the dog. He loves playing with the Little People. And he still loves his jumper and rocks it back and forth getting it off the floor.

He is still a mama's boy and curls himself small into my chest.

Speaking of which things I don't want to forget form the last month:
~ how he curls himself into me
~ his super extra fluffy soft hair
~ how happy he is, nearly all the time; unless he's going through a developmental leap
~ how he likes to have his butt rubbed while he's falling asleep
~ the way his eyes light up when he sees me when I get home from work
~ the way he loves mashed potatoes
~ how blue his eyes are on days when the sky is super blue
~ the way he giggles and crawls away from me when he's playing
~ the little games he plays with his pacifer
~ how he cries when he's on the changing table unless he's holding something -like his lotion bottle
~ the way he wants to take the strangest things to bed with him - like his nose sucker or a medicine syringe

Love you baby!!!

Pictures to come later.... Happy Thanksgiving!!

Nursing Milestone

With RR I had set myself up for failure (i.e. not meeting a breastfeeding goal I set myself), with one boobie trap after another. So when TT came along I was educated and determined to meet the goals I set for myself. I made small goals, and then bigger and bigger goals. I celebrated them. Two weeks, one month, three months, six months, a year, eighteen months, two years.... I am still celebrating nursing milestones with TT.

I celebrate tandem nursing milestones. I've been tandem nursing for nearly a year. 

But some how I forgot to celebrate the nursing milestones of ERP and ERP alone.

The plans are well under way for ERP's first birthday. And that means, we are well on our way to hitting the one year milestone for nursing. One year. 

ERP's nursing experience has been nothing like my nursing experiences with his brothers. He has been full of unique and different challenges. Most lately we've been dealing with biting. We are working through this most recent (8 weeks worth) series of events. And it will not stop us... we will learn and push through. We will celebrate our one year nurse-anniversary in December. 

10 Months

Well here we are - ERP is 10 months old!  ACK!!!

He is getting so big so fast. I say that every month don't I.

But this month, he is clearly closer to being a toddler than being a newborn. ERP is crawling all over the place.  Let me re-phrase that - ALL. OVER. THE. PLACE. He is little, he is quick, he can squeeze into the small, small places. Clearly he is presenting parenting challenges we have never in our wildest dreams imagined.  #3 clearly is the "wild card". He is pulling up on everything in sight, and cursing along his toys.

He is eating everything insight. Still just two meals a day, but he loves FOOD. Oh does he love food. With TT we had some "fears" with using BLW (baby lead weaning) and a couple of gagging instances, but ERP just seems to be one with food.

As with all previous months, he is still a peanut. Still wearing mostly 6 months clothes. Some 9 month and some 12 months... and some 3 month clothes.

ERP is rocking it out with two bottom teeth.

And sleep - while sleep is a crap shoot - pardon my "French". Let's not get into that.

Things I don't want to forget from this month:
~ how his little butt still fits into one of my hands, I remember holding his butt when he was in my womb
~ how soft and fine and wispy his hair his, how when I breath him in it gets caught in my mouth
~ the first night I went to get him from his crib and he was standing waiting for me
~ when he won Judge's Choice Award in the Baby Contest
~ his first cookie - as a prize for winning - and the chocolate mess that ensued
~ carrying him around at the Big E while he was eating a giant pickle
~ watching him "bounce" in his bouncer like he was riding a horse
~ seeing him crawl across the grass for the first time
~ taking him apple picking
~ how excited he gets at dinner time and how he tries to help put the tray on his highchair
~ watching him double fist eat bananas
~ seeing how he has RR wrapped around his little finger
~ the way his face looks so sweet, as his cheek is resting on my breast after he's finished nursing, his eyelids lightly fluttering as he starts drifting off to sleep
~ the night he slept 11.5 hours!  YES!
~ the first night his new babysitter was putting him to sleep, seeing his sitter trying to hard and succeeding - if only we hadn't come home
~ knowing that he will only be this little once and taking every chance I can get to soak up all of his sweet sweet babyness

Silent Saturday: He'll be a Rodeo Star

Just One Picture

All I wanted was one picture of ERP in his super extra cute First Halloween sleeper.

Easier said than done... and this isn't even all of the pictures; I've already deleted the worst ones.

Just one good picture... apparently that was too much to ask this morning.