8.31.2015

8 Months as Mommy


Eight months and I am starting to see my baby turning into a little person! I have to admit, since I've never been a kid person, there's a part of me that's nervous for Charlie to become a full-blown child. I don't particularly like and am not even remotely comfortable being around other people's kids, so I worry that I won't love the toddler/school-aged phases as much as I adore Charlie's baby stage. But then, I think about how I don't love Charlie because he's a baby. I love him because he's my Charlie and I have to believe that that kind of love will transcend age. Regardless, I'm the kind of person with my head always in the clouds, and always thinking about the future. Right now, my present is being a Mommy to the most mild-mannered, sweet eight month old around!

A video posted by Kaity Stuckert (@beeautifulblessings) on


WORK
I won't say for the umpteenth time that I feel like I've settled into a rhythm. Not because I haven't, but because every time I write that for the world to see, something happens that causes me to want to curl up in the fetal position, never return to work again and spend all day snuggling my baby. Dramatic much? I had the naive notion that one day, it would just magically become easier to spend the majority of my week away from Charlie. But it hasn't. It is still just as hard to kiss those sweet cheeks goodbye in the morning, I think I am just becoming more realistic about the fact that this is my truth. I am a working mama, whether I like it or not, and that can't and won't change any time soon.

BREASTFEEDING
Eight months and going strong! Though "strong" might be an overstatement, because this category is definitely not perfect. Charlie is such a curious and observant little guy, which in and of itself is wonderful. But when it comes time to feed him before bedtime, we spend probably 25% of our time actually nursing, and the other 75% looking in every other direction but the one where my boob is, and calling out for Daddy. He is obsessed with Chuck and twists his whole body around when Chuck leaves the room to see where he went. If it wasn't so precious, it'd be kind of annoying. Patience is not my strong suit...

BABY FAT
Ugh. Our gym membership is still being royally wasted. I get to work from home for a half day every Monday, so I make sure to try and go for a walk with Charlie in the afternoons- sometimes to the playground, sometimes to visit his Papaw, or just downtown. It's so much fun to spend that time with him, and it is quite honestly, the only exercise I'm getting these days. I really do want that to change- I miss being in shape. I am hoping now that the summer is drawing to a close and Chuck will no longer be playing live music every week, I will have a bit more flexibility in being able to visit the gym after work. Wish me luck!

As for Charlie...


MILESTONES
He's sooo close to crawling. He is at the point where he gets on his knees and rocks back and forth, but thankfully, no crawling yet. Our new house has a staircase in the living room that will definitely be needing a baby gate soon! He is also laughing so much more which is easily the best sound in the world. The other day Chuck and I were on the floor with him reading one of his books. There was a picture of a fish making a "bloop" noise and every time Chuck said "Bloop goes the fish," Charlie cracked up. As soon as he started laughing, Chuck and I couldn't stop laughing at him and by the fifteenth, "Bloop goes the fish," we were in tears because his laughter is the most wonderful, infectious thing ever. Seriously, it is impossible not to smile when you hear baby giggles!

Solid foods are still a challenge. He's pretty much figured out the eating thing by now, but that doesn't mean he makes it easy on us. His favorite purees seem to be anything with sweet potatoes or carrots, but he's eaten nearly everything we've put in front of him. Charlie also had his first real people food this month! So far, I've given him a boiled egg, french toast and regular toast. He mostly just played with his egg, but he's gotten better with his toast. It's just so nerve wracking to watch him eat because he gags and chokes the entire time. He hasn't really eaten much yet, but he's certainly practicing!

FAMILY
As I mentioned, Charlie is completely obsessed with his Daddy. He lights up whenever he sees him and will sometimes downright refuse to nurse at night and just calls out for his Dada. He continues to spend his days with his Aunt Ashlee (who we affectionately refer to as, Aunt Mommy) and his cousin Lucie. Lucie is now going on seven months and is totally schooling him when it comes to eating. I'm hoping he can learn a thing or two from her! Charlie frequently gets to visit his Papaw and loves playing with his cane. He also got to see his Grandma and Grandpa when they stayed for a night on their return trip from the 75th Annual Sturgis Motorcyle Rally in South Dakota.

STATS
Charlie hasn't been weighed since his 6-month appointment, but I'm guessing he weighs probably all of 15 lbs right now. I'll be honest, sometimes I do still worry that he's not getting enough to eat, but we feed him as much as we can and he's still so stinkin' tiny! Where he lacks in weight, he makes up for in height. Although, none of his pants fit him around the waist, I have him in 6-9 and 9-month clothes, as well as Size 3 diapers.

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It's been another month for the books! Every month just gets more and more fun with this baby boy of ours. Happy Eight Months, Charlie. I can't wait to create even more memories in your new house!


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8.27.2015

The Beans Have Been Spilled!


At long last, I can stop with the cryptic "I'm so busy" introductory sentence and say the words out loud (err, write them out loud?)- as of about 4:30 pm, August 26, 2015, Chuck and I can officially say, we are...



HOMEOWNERS!!!

If you were thinking there was a bun in this oven, I apologize for the disappointment. But guys- we own a house! That's a big deal!

My mind is currently fixated on packing, buying about a thousand curtain panels and rods and moving all of our stuff into our bright, shiny new place! Oh, and also, our dishwasher. Guys, we have lived the last three years without a dishwasher. Do you even know how it feels to once again have a sink free of dirty dishes?! If you think I'm overstating my excitement, please see this photo that I insisted on taking when we finally got the keys to our home:


And because I am nosy and love looking at pictures of other people's homes, here are a few pictures from the realtor:








There are four bedrooms (well, technically three, because one of the upstairs rooms doesn't have a window. Weird) and a partially finished basement. And did I mention...a dishwasher?!

When we started house hunting we really debated what to buy. There are very few new homes in our area and leaving Chuck's hometown wasn't an option for us, so we had to decide if we wanted to buy a big, older home that needed some work or a smaller home that was move-in ready. I quickly realized that 1. Neither Chuck or I are handy and 2. I cannot live in a state of half-finished chaos. I'm in love with our quaint little house- it really does feel perfect for us and I cannot wait to create a lifetime of memories in it with my two favorite guys.


8.21.2015

Blogger Love v.11


I'm not sure if you're aware, but today is August 21. It is also a Friday. Which means...only 18 Fridays until Christmas!!!! I'm a freak, I know. I'm just Christmas-obsessed and the fact that I have a little one to vicariously live through and experience childhood Christmas magic with all over again has me so stinkin' excited!!! I may or may not have watched Love Actually, Elf and Frozen in the last two weeks and then taken it as a personal offense when Chuck wouldn't watch The Santa Clause with me. Moving on...

Here are some relatively sane-er people whom you should probably read instead of me, the delusional Christmas elf. 

All the Joys - Blogger Love


Our addiction story by TrustyChucks | This is such a brave post written from the perspective of someone married to an addict.

For the sake of the gospel, drop the persecution complex by Rachel Held Evans | I sincerely hope that I am not the only believer who gets into an internal rage when privileged, white Christians claim to be persecuted. Evans puts into words exactly why this is such a disgrace to the gospel and does it so much better than I ever could.

"Mommy Blogger" by unexpected.org | I love, love, love this post about wearing the title of "Mommy Blogger" with pride. It's such a shame that the term carries such a negative connotation. I, for one, am so darn proud to be a Mommy blogger.

My No Nonsense Post by The Life of Bon | Straight up real talk. I love that Bonnie skips the fluff and dives straight into the things that are weighing on her heart and mind. 

R's Birth Story (Part 1) by The Lady Okie | Because birth stories. Duh.

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Do tell- what bloggers have you been loving on lately?

8.13.2015

On Baby Fever and Baby #2?


Way back in the day when I was pregnant with Charlie, I remember reading on some kind of motherhood/pregnancy-related message board a thread about this phantom feeling of leaving the house feeling you were forgetting someone. Or the feeling that someone was missing from your family. At the time, I thought nothing of it, because let's face it, I'm pretty sure the majority of people who post on message boards be cray. And then in the last week or so, suddenly, I got it.



I have a 7 month old baby, and somehow, my baby fever is off the charts. Maybe it's precisely because Charlie is the age that he is. I'm far enough out of the overwhelming eat-sleep-poop newborn phase, but not even close yet to the Terrible Twos/toddler tantrum phase. Charlie is at the super fun age where he's smiley, laughy, all-around fun, but not 100% mobile yet. And it's kind of the best. Which makes me want like 13 more clones of him because he is honestly the best baby in the world. Easy, sweet, cuddly. There's nothing not to love about him (not that I'm biased or anything).

So it could be all of those things. Or maybe this weird feeling I have is the little voice inside whispering, "Kaity, it's time to give Charlie a sibling." I always thought my kids would be more spaced out. My sister and I have 3.5 years between the two of us and we have been besties pretty much from Day One (or at least once I got over my no-longer-an-only-child grief). I just assumed this was the ideal age gap since it worked so well for us, except that my Mom didn't really plan it that way. And it wasn't until recently that she admitted, she actually had wanted us to be closer together in age. This kind of blew my mind and got me obsessively thinking about the ideal age gap. I began Googling and researching parenting sites like a mad woman looking for the one-size-fits-all answer to my question: What is the perfect age gap between siblings?

Perhaps not so surprisingly, the resounding answer was: there is none! Any age gap has its pros and cons and lately I have been toying with the idea of trying to give Charlie a sibling sooner rather than later. I know that nothing in life is a guarantee, and if we were only able to have Charlie, I would still be blessed beyond measure. But there is this odd part of me that feels like our family is not yet complete. It's almost spooky!

So yeah, that's where my head has been lately. You're welcome for that stream of consciousness.

And for my dear, dear friends and family, you can calm down. It is physically impossible for me to be pregnant right now. So long as I keep breastfeeding Charlie, there will be no more Stuckert babies any time soon.

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So what has your experience been? Do you like the age gap in your family?


8.10.2015

Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery: A Vlog




Vlogging is weird. I suppose no weirder than blogging, but still. For whatever reason, well, for several reasons, I just haven't been able to make blogging a priority lately. So, for your viewing pleasure, here is me in all of my awkward vlogging glory. Enjoy!


Links mentioned: 
Alyx @ Everyday is a New Adventure | Where Have I Been?? A Vlog
Amanda @ The Lady Okie | Currently: August [The Vlog Edition]

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