Baby Battles

Parker will be 14 months in 4 days. I'm sure I've said it about a gazillion times, but he is one tough cookie. He throws me for a loop every day. There are days he literally follows me around whining to be held or whining for no reason at all. He is VERY high maintenance.

I really don't mind it. I get most of my stuff done or have me time during his nap. I don't consider trying to change his behavior, because I figure, he'll grow out of it. I try to gently discipline when I can, but there's no way I'm going to try to MAKE him not want to be around me. That's just dumb.

And he's not miserable, we laugh and play most of the time. He even shocks me on occasion and will independently play for up to 20 minutes. He loves being outside, I can always calm him down by letting him play in the front yard or taking him for a walk. The cooler it gets, the happier I know he'll be. Sometimes it annoys me when people call him clingy and a Mama's boy, but I just ignore them. It's a dream that I get to stay home with him, and I kind of like that he's my little spoiled boy.

Parker STILL wakes up occasionally at night. I tried forever to help him sleep through the night...including topping him off with one more nursing session right before I went to sleep, attempting to night wean (fail, and too much work, I'm too tired), making sure he ate a big dinner, sound machines, dressing him differently, considering it teething and giving him Orajel, you name it. But I try to imagine, being one, waking up in the dark in a crib alone, I get it. So it's rare he'll wake at midnight or three, it's usually around 5 or 6 am. He knows what he wants too: he'll come snuggle and nurse in the bed for about 20 minutes while I doze, and then he'll start to fuss and want to go back to his crib. It's quite a spectacle, but we all sleep in such close quarters, that I cater to him in this way because I know it's important for Shane and Lily to get their sleep for the next day as well.

But there is one battle that I just have GOT to figure out how to win: food. Parker still nurses, so he does get a variety of what he needs from me. The doctor told me he needs to put weight on, and I think he's probably put a pound on. I just NEVER know what he wants. Yesterday, he ate an entire scrambled egg with some cheese, but today, he spit it out all over the floor and wouldn't swallow a bite. He ate almost a whole bowl of oatmeal though, go figure. Some days spaghetti is amazing, other days, the dog eats really well.

Sigh...that's the life of a mama. Always hoping you are doing your best and stressing over your fails... its tough!