Edgar Facts I Ponder on a Daily Basis

I know that Edgar has really hijacked my blog for the past few months, but how could he not? He is the single most important person in my life right now, and taking care of him is my endless job day in and day out. I didn't realize until K and C arrived just how much I had lost my centre because of the intensity that taking care of a baby is without a backup helper. I didn't know what it was like to step out of the house without Edgar because I just couldn't. I honestly envy those who have their parents nearby to help out or to babysit; they are all so very fortunate and I hope that they are aware of that fact.

I also didn't realize just how close I was skirting the line of PPD. I think that being in the same apartment day in and day out with only Edgar as company all day long and limited outings didn't do much for my mental health. K is on top of making sure that we get out at least every few days. We're even going to the pool (almost) every Sunday!

Here are some thoughts about Edgar that I ponder on a daily basis:

Edgar has been teething for three and a half months.

The doctor didn't believe me when I told her he was teething at his two-month checkup. He's been working on the same tooth since then. He's a drool fountain and a Mr. Grumpy-Pants when the teething gets really bad. He'll gnaw on anything and everything near his face with the ferocity of a tiger working on its latest kill. His nose even wrinkles up.

Edgar is huge.

Edgar has been in the upper 97+ percentiles since he was born, so that's not new. We've been on size 4 diapers for the last few weeks to accomodate his thunder thighs. To put this into some perspective; Edgar's 3-year-old cousin wears size 4 diapers. He has outgrown his baby bucket carseat as well as a plethora of some of my favourite clothes that I dressed him in on a regular basis. I'm not really allowed to fall in love with any outfits of his, I guess. I do worry sometimes, but I've been assured by everyone that he'll thin out once he starts walking. I still worry.

Two hours after he was born at 10lbs 11oz

1 month old, weighing around 12-13lbs.

Just a few days ago. A month ago (4 months), he weighed in at 18lbs 5oz.

 
Edgar loves solid food and hasn't really disliked anything other than avocado.

Avocado was a massive failure. He gagged and spat out every single bite, and then the diaper afterward was horrific. I swear it was the worst diaper I had every seen. No more avocado. Solids have been super easy otherwise. He also took to formula like it was regular breastmilk. I was pretty concerned that he'd reject it, but he was happy as a clam!

Edgar hasn't really been sick yet.

At almost six months old now, Edgar has yet to have a cold. He's had a touch of one when both DH and I were sick, but other than that he hasn't been sick. Are we super careful with germs and such? Nope! I don't usually wash my hands after coming back from the grocery store unless I'm about to prep a bottle for him, we don't sterilize anything of his unless I'm in the mood to do it (which is like once a month maybe), I've taken him on public transit about a dozen times and don't hesistate to take him out of the house, if his pacifier drops on the floor at home it goes right back into his mouth unless there's a hair or something on it and then it gets rinsed with plain tap water, and he's allowed to chew on anything he wants (within reason, of course). Maybe that has something to do with it? He's had plenty of chances and exposure to get sick, but he just hasn't!

I'm pretty biased about that fact, actually. See, I'm the firstborn. From what I've seen and what I've heard, the first baby is subjected to far less exposure to germs than subsequent babies. I have a fairly crappy immune system, have asthma, and had eczema fairly often as a child. I don't want that for Edgar, so I'm not going to shelter him from all the germs out there. I can understand why parents want to protect their babies, but they'll never develop an immune system if everything that goes into their mouth is sterilized.

Okay. Ranty-rant is done.


Edgar can be so intense.

Edgar loves to just absorb everything before making a decision on whether he likes something or not. He doesn't seem to cry at sensory input until he's had a while to judge whether or not he dislikes it. When we took him to the pool the first time, he didn't cry. He didn't become happy, either. He just absorbed everything. He took it all in. The next time, he was familiar with the scenario and seemed to like the pool. He even kicked and splashed around a bit. Edgar does the same thing with new foods and toys. It's amazing sometimes to just see his concentration and know that the gears in his head are just turning and he's wrapping his mind around new sensory input.

Hmm...

... I dunno about these, Mommy...

I love my Edgar more than life itself.

I honestly cannot imagine life without Edgar around. I wonder sometimes how we could have lived without him in our lives; the joy that he brings to my life is just so complete that I can't imagine how he couldn't have existed before now. How could I have never known how much love I could receive from or give to another person every single day of my life?

I'll never know, and I'll never question why. All I know is that Edgar is my baby; I worry about him, I care for him every day, I can't imagine my life without him, and I love him so dearly that it blows my mind.

On Trying New Things

I'm sure you've probably noticed by now that my site looks a bit different from your last visit. It has been over a year since I started my blog, and I felt like trying out a new look. Feel free to give me some feedback in the comments section below!

I haven't been posting as often as I would like to be the past month or so, as we've been getting ready for the arrival of K and C. Well, they are now here and we couldn't be happier to have them staying with us. Not only is this an opportunity for all of us to save financially, but I am more than happy to have Edgar grow up around more family and in an environment that is positive and warm. Dividing up daily chores also makes life with a little one a lot more tidy, I must say.

Edgar's had his own firsts the past few weeks as well. Now that we're onto solids, he's been having fun trying out a few new foods. I've been making big batches of baby food for Edgar and freezing them in ice cube trays. I'm so happy to know exactly what is in his food! Last week, he tried out sweet potatoes for the first time. He wasn't too sure about those.

Then, today, we tried apple. He was really a fan!

We also took Edgar to the pool for the first time yesterday. Sadly, I don't have any photos, but I can assure you that he was pretty okay with the whole thing. He just seemed to be taking it all in; all the noise, the swimsuit, and the feeling of being in the water. Edgar didn't cry or fuss, but he didn't really smile either. We'll see how he does next week when we go again. I promise you all that I'll take pictures next time!

I love seeing Edgar experience his own firsts and developing his own tastes. It's so neat to think that someday he'll have his own favorite meals that he'll like to cook (yes, I will make sure my son knows how to cook!), and his own favorite activities, but for now everything is so new to him. Every taste that we take for granted as knowing is completely and utterly unknown to him. "The wonder of a child" has never been so apt a phrase.

I can only hope to take this as a lesson for myself. At one point, we all were a blank slate; whether it be foods or experiences. I knew nothing of the world nor of what it held for me when I was a baby, and why should I let myself be held back simply because something is unknown? Why should anybody? How much more rich would our lives be if we just let go and experienced life the same way as a child?

Edgar has also started trying to sit up on his own. I think he's pretty close to getting it, don't you?

I am so excited for what the future holds; all of the new experiences, tastes, and feelings for both Edgar and myself. Sharing all of this with my family is also truly a joy for me.

Changes on the Horizon

The next few weeks are going to be filled with lots of change, and I am excited for all of it!

First of all, one of my two younger sisters, Kaitlyn (K) of Keeping it Kait, and her boyfriend, Chris (C), are moving up to Calgary on March 20th. Just like us, they are in search of work for C. Calgary seems to have a much more stable job market than Vancouver, and we are more than glad to have them move up here.

The one catch, though, is that they are going to be living with us. We're totally fine with having K and C staying with us, except for the fact that it is going to be a tight fit until our lease runs out at the end of April.

Yes, they are staying with us in our little two-bedroom apartment until the lease runs out.

Yes, it is going to be a very tight squeeze until the end of April.

No, I am not insane. They had me checked.

It is all going to pay off for all of us once we move into a larger rental house. Once we are all situated and K and C are both working, life is going to be much more comfortable for all of us, and we each will have a better opportunity to save up to buy either a house for all of us to live together in, or separate houses. I better start packing pretty soon, actually!

K and Me, on my wedding day 2 years ago

Another big change is that Edgar is growing up too fast. At his doctor's appointment this afternoon, the doctor said that we should start him on solids. She also said that we could start supplementing with formula if we wanted so that I could start weaning off of pumping at 6 months with a very nice freezer stash. The plan is to switch his morning bottle from 6oz down to 4oz and give him his solids experience after that. Then, once we're sure that rice cereal is okay, we're going to switch that 4oz bottle from breastmilk to formula. The rest of his bottles for the foreseeable will be breastmilk. I'm hoping that this will give me the ability to store enough milk to give Edgar at least a bottle a day of my breastmilk until he's one year old.

While I'm excited to give Edgar solids, I am also nervous about the process and a little sad that he is growing up so fast. There are a lot of food sensitivities on my side of the family, so the doctor recommended starting with rice cereal and waiting a week between different foods. She said that she's never heard of any babies under her care ever having a reaction or sensitivity to it, so according to her, rice cereal is a good place for Edgar to start. I had originally wanted to start with veggies instead, but I think that her reasoning is sound and we'll follow her instructions.

My chunky boy!

DH is also hoping to switch job positions (in the same company) fairly soon. I can't go too much into it, but it's another change that is in the works. He's pretty excited about that one.

All in all, the next few weeks are going to be interesting. I can hardly wait!