Starting solids

We gave Jackson his first taste of solid foods a few days ago. He is a little over 5 1/2 months old and has really shown signs of being ready lately. He loves to watch us eat and will stick his tongue out, make a chewing motion, and laugh when he is watching us. He is also constantly grabbing my water bottle and trying to drink it like a bottle. It is so funny! We started with rice cereal, and so far he seems to love it! He tries to grab the spoon/bowl and shove it in his mouth, so we have to make sure that the bowl is out of arms reach. He does great opening up wide for the spoon but then he tries to propel himself toward it. I guess he gets really excited! :) Starting solids is kinda sad to me, as this is the very first step in the weaning process. But we still have a while before I plan to wean him completely. I am shooting for a year of breastfeeding, so I am almost halfway there!

My sister in law recently made a post on her blog about breastfeeding her twins (for a whole year-you go girl!) and how difficult it was (emotionally) to eventually wean them. I think I am beginning to understand what she means. For me, breastfeeding has been a wonderful experience, despite its painful beginning. I think it's discouraging when people tell mothers-to-be that breastfeeding doesnt hurt-because it DOES...at first. When Jackson was born, I remember watching the clock and dreading when the third hour came because I knew he would need to feed. My toes would just curl up from the pain of Jackson latching and re-latching, just trying to get the hang of it. One time he had a bad latch which resulted in cracking...and well, you get the drift. The lactation consultant was great in giving me confidence that I would have a good supply and that it would get better. I dont know exactly when it clicked, but the first day home we were doing much better and after the first week, we had it down! They dont lie when they say it is truly a bonding experience and there is something so peaceful about nursing your baby and knowing that you are providing all that your baby needs to grow and thrive. It has been a bit of a sacrifice for me because I am still getting up in the middle of the night to pump. I dont even know if it's necessary, but I do it anyway to ensure that my supply stays high and to also have fresh bottles for the days while I am at work. I am also proud of my frozen stash-It has taken over our freezer! Also, I have cut out several things of my diet that have seemed to upset his immature digestive system in the past (i.e. ice cream , salads, onions, hot dogs, spicy foods, pickles, peanuts, etc). They may not bother him at all these days, but I dont want to chance it. A couple of nights with an unhappy baby are enough for me to eat turkey sandwiches for the rest of the year if I have to :) In addition, I have still not had ONE drop of alcohol since two weeks before he was conceived (Nov 08!). I know it's perfectly fine if I do, but I have gone this long so I might as well hold out until he is completely weaned. So all this, and I STILL wouldnt trade nursing him for the world. Because the good truly outweighs the small sacrifices! Exclusively breastfeeding Jackson for as long as possible was one of my biggest goals for his first year of life and I consider it a great accomplishment to be almost halfway there!!

The last week or so, Jackson has also learned how to sit up all by himself. Check out the video! He is SO proud of himself and he gets better at it every day. Also, naptime is getting more predictible as well. He normally wakes up at 7 AM and then naps from 10-12 and then 3-5. He goes to bed around 8:30 at night. Overall our nights are still going well, although we do have the occasional night waking still. For the most part, though he will sleep until about 4 AM, nurse, then go back to sleep until the morning. He is so cute in the mornings when we go to get him from his crib. When we begin to change his clothes for the day, he gets so tickled and laughs and laughs. He is just the happiest little guy!