myles oliver : monthbymonth 8

No matter what we did while trying to take the picture, you just were not a happy camper... This was the best I could do this time :/.  You did smile in one.... with your feet up in the air... which defeats the purpose of this monthly picture :-P.

Myles Oliver you turned 8 months old on Sunday.  You are such a stinker.  You have mastered crawling on your belly.  You don't really show any interest in getting your belly off the floor though.  Except to pull up on things.  You have done that a few times on the side of the tub to watch the water fill... but otherwise we refer to it as "mountain climbing" because that is what you are doing... pulling yourself up and over things.  You explore EVERYTHING and make these excited noises and grin ear to ear the entire time you crawl.  Every time that you do, the "Everything is Awesome" becomes the theme song for your adventures in my head.

You are getting bigger too!  I just didn't realize how much!  You recently (with clothes on) weighed in around 18 pounds and about 28 inches!  I knew you were getting heavy but based on the last pediatrician's visit I was thinking maybe only 17 pounds.  No wonder you have headed more towards 9 month clothes.  Though 6mo clothes still fit you just fine.  

Weighing in brings me to your most recent doctor's visit.  This time for the allergist.  I completely expected to go in there and have them decide to do all sorts of shots on your back and everything come out negative and you in tears and me continuing to be paranoid about your food.  Boy was I wrong!  Based on the information I gave them, they did want to do an allergy test... but there were no needles... just a stiff plastic thing that they put the chosen allergens (eggs, shellfish, fish, orange, strawberry, pineapple) on and pressed it on your back.  You barely noticed.  Then I had to keep you from touching those spots for 15 minutes.  Within 3 minutes we knew you had an allergy.  Eggs.  Who know eggs were in sherbet?  Looks like you won't be having any birthday cake for your birthday.  I like pie better anyway.  We will retest in 6 months to see if you have outgrown it or not.  As for me... they recommended I be more careful about my egg intake while I breastfeed you.  They are confident that is the reason for your eczema.  I'm not going to freak out about having some bread or a muffin on occasion but no more scrambled eggs at breakfast for a while.

your first 4th of July was uneventful.  I think we went shopping and then your dad went to work.  But you were pretty darn cute for it.

Still not saying "dada".  You have occasionally made "baba" sounds but for the most part it is still "mamamama" and trilling your lips.  You do smack your lips a lot now and my favorite is where you hold your breath then slowly blow it out with your cheeks puffed and humming.  No idea where that came from but it cracks me up.

You are getting more adventurous in the pool.  Splashing like a madman.  Your friends Eliza and Grayson look at you like you are crazy but oh well.  I think this fall we are planning on giving you swim lessons at the Y.  

PaPa and Nonna came to visit one weekend.  We got a few good family photos in while they were here.  This was a spontaneous shot.  You LOVE being upside down so right when the camera started going off your dad flipped you around!

Food is still no issue for you.  I'm still buying some jars of baby food and making some.  I like making our own because I am getting to slowly get you more used to different textures and thicknesses.  I started just chopping things up in the food processor instead of liquifying it in the blender.  I think you like having that extra element to deal with when you eat.

  

you don't really share though...you both took turns stealing all the toys from each other.  the basic principle of "she has it so I want it" and vice versa.

You have also randomly shown that you know how to "share".  By this I mean you offer things to us and your friends while holding on tight to it.  I did NOT teach you this.  Just one day you were gnawing on  a teether and I asked "can I have some?"  Without missing a beat you put it in my mouth.  No joke.  I made a big deal about it and now you are biting your toys and then literally ramming them against our faces and laugh so hard when we act like we are eating them.  We should probably work on that...

we had a week with Gamma and Gampa plus the dogs. which I was sick during.  we did manage a little fun time out though.  and then Gamma got sick too.

Your sleeping habits are weird.  You are still taking 2-3 naps a day but sometimes they are awesome naps and other times you fight it forever and then only sleep for like 20 minutes.  And the past couple of days you have still wanted to go to bed at 7pm but are waking up earlier and earlier each day.  This morning was 5:50am.  I was not enthused.

I guess I should also mention that you are also sitting up really well now.  You almost never fall over unless you mean to.  You can even go from sitting to crawling relatively easily.  It has been nice to be able to just sit you next to your basket of toys and let you play while I get a few things done.  I love how independent you can be.

But you aren't always.  You have also become clingy.  Sometimes you start freaking out when you realize I am setting you down and you hook your arm around my arm or leg.  And I am not always leaving you.. I'm just sitting down with you.  Its really sweet but a little annoying too.  

But if you get too fussy and all else fails, we just go swing!  Gampa installed your own swing in the backyard and you LOVE it!  You make everything so much fun Mr. Man!

one year down.

...four more to go.  This momentous week marks the end of intern year and welcomes in more responsibilities, big boy Call nights, and longer hours (though of course he will never exceed his 80 hours/week!)  I gotta say... I think Kyle is pretty excited!  But what did I learn this year?

1.  It is important to make friends with the other wives/girlfriends that are in this with you... so that you have people that understand what you are going through.  Thankfully this year, several of the wives started a monthly get-together... one girl was in charge of planning the dinner either at home or out every month.  It was/is something I have looked forward to since it is sometimes the only time that I get to see some of them.

2.  Conversely, it is also important to make friends outside of the residency world.  It has been SO good to have people that keep me in touch with "reality".  Because this life is really sort of surreal.  And everyone else that is in it is capitalizing on their limited family time with their own families... so it is nice to have friends with normal "9-5" lives.  They are also the ones you can talk to about residency life a little more freely with...even if they don't understand it all.

3.  Because here is something else I have learned : never brag about your husband getting off work early, or having an easy rotation etc to your residency life friends.  Jealousy will ensue.  Awkwardness happens.  Just keep it to yourself... or rejoice with your normal life friends.

4.  Having a baby doesn't mean life is over.  It just means stepping out of your comfort zone more often.  You CAN get out of the house.  You CAN still have hobbies.  You CAN still meet up with friends for lunch.  You CAN still have dates with your husband.  It just might mean planning around nap times, or paying for a babysitter, or packing a suitcase size purse with bottles and food pouches and toys so you can stay away from home longer.  In fact, my baby seems much happier if we DO get out of the house every now and then.  I don't have to use my baby as an excuse for why we can't do things... because we really can.

5. Hobbies keep me sane.  Sometimes being a stay at home mom gets a little depressing... being home all day and sometimes night alone with him.  Realizing that I have already watched everything I ever wanted to catch up on with Netflix.  Is my life seriously about the next meal Myles is ready for or the next diaper to change?  And then I remember that no... I can stop being lazy and get off my butt.  He takes pretty good naps, he is getting more able to entertain himself.  I CAN do something fun.  Like teach myself to sew, or paint a small piece of furniture. Or bake muffins for the residents.  Or landscape the house.  Doing something for ME during the day doesn't make me selfish.  It helps keep me ME.

6.  I can do everything.  I choose to do everything.  If I am able to mow the lawn myself, then Kyle gets to spend time with us when he gets home.  If I cook dinner, we get to eat together.  If I take care of chores around the house, we can relax a little easier.  Sure I ask for help when I am feeling overwhelmed, and I still leave the litter-box and de-spidering up to him... but if I get the errands run or the laundry washed before he gets home, then he gets that extra time to relax and play with Myles or snuggle with me instead of leaving work to come home and work.  And that is worth it.  I also love knowing that I am capable of doing everything when I put my mind to it.