Happy Half Birthday - 6 Months of Fun!

6 Month Update - Development & Milestones

I've said it and I will say it again, I can't believe it has been 6 months already since our sweet baby was born. 1/2 of a year! It went by so, so fast.

Asher is so much more lively and interactive now than ever before. He is happy all day and lets us know with a huge, as John would say, "Kool-Aid grin" that stretched from ear to ear. He laughs, he plays, he is curious... and he is so smart!

SIGN LANGUAGE UPDATE - 6 Months

Asher is now signing:

Dog

Milk

Up

Eat

More

We have seen glimpses of...

Cereal

Mama

Dada

Water

He gave up on:

Banana 

Carrot

I have now introduced these new signs:

Diaper

Change

Sleep

Sleep Clothes aka Pajamas

Train

Airplane

Car

Ball

Bath

Pacifier/Binky

Play

SIGNING IN USE...

The other night, I had to change Asher's diaper after having already put him to bed. While on the changing pad, he signed "milk". I wouldn't have otherwise given him any since he had just eaten, but once I did he ate the whole thing! This is just amazing to me and really solidifies our desire to continue with baby signing.

Here's a video of our little signer showing off his skills signing "dog" when he sees and hears the pugs during his pictures this morning...

MILESTONES @ 6 MONTHS

• Asher can now sit without using his hands for support (still topples over after a minute or so).
• Crawling "inchworm" style, still, only he is now making more progress in terms of moving across the floor. He can't yet lift his belly and support himself on his hands and knees, but once he figures that out - watch out! He'll be unstoppable.
• Sounding out "brrrr", "thhh", "deh", "meh", and blowing spit bubbles. I swear I heard "mama" and "dada" tonight but it may just be wishful thinking. ;) I DID hear "eee-ooo" while he was trying to  do peek-a-boo and I'm pretty sure he wants to say "doggy" so badly!
• Can drink from a sippy cup (but loses his grip within a few seconds). Just a tiny bit of water with his "crackers" (which I then discovered "may contain milk or soy" - oops - so I made homemade ones and will share the recipe soon. They also said they contain "organic flavor"? What the heck is "organic flavor"??? I am getting crunchier by the minute...)

Half-birthday onesie from Kakabaka on Etsy.

TEETHING UPDATE

We are still on "tooth watch"! Nothing yet, but lots of crankiness in the evenings, so something must be moving around in there. We've got a close eye out for anything breaking through...

We've been giving Asher 2-3 Hyland's Homeopathic Teething Tablets in his bottles whenever he seems to be experiencing teething pain. We also picked up some BabyGanics Teething Pods which I have only had to break out once and it really seemed to have helped a lot. 

SOLID FOOD UPDATE

Asher loves solid foods! He loves them so much that he will only drink half his usual amount of milk in the mornings and is extra finicky with bottles now. I had to start giving him brown rice cereal (against my original plan) so that I could mix more milk into his solids to thicken everything up.

It's been about 2 weeks now that he has been eating brown rice cereal and over the past week or so we have seen an onset of mild eczema on his face, arms, legs, and chest. I am not sure if this is related to the rice cereal or the introduction of stage 2 baby foods (which have multiple ingredients in them) so I am going to be doing some backtracking to stage ones and hopefully I can figure out what is causing this issue. Our city has also made changes to the water recently and it smells like awful chlorine now, so maybe it could be related to that... It's so frustrating! His next doctor's appointment is just around the corner, so unless the skin issue takes a turn for the worse before then, we'll address it then.

POSTPARTUM UPDATE

My hair is still shedding like crazy - when does this stop?!?! Otherwise, things are pretty much back to normal, for the most part. Thank goodness!

Giving Suki the "stink eye". :)

Happy Half-Birthday to our ENERGETIC little jumping bean. He is so sweet and loving but he is also showing signs of never ending ENERGY! Those feet - they just go and go and go. We have our work cut out for us with this one, I think. Oh and that mischievous smile... Yes, we are in trouble. 

We love you baby Asher! 

Don't tell Daddy, but now it is time to start planning your 1-year birthday...

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The Zarski Household Update

This week is flying by and Asher is getting bigger and bigger with each passing day. We're out of almost all of our 3-6 month clothes now. I need to do some serious closet pruning. It's so tempting to buy new, cute clothes in bigger sizes, but knowing that he will only be in them for 2-3 months at the most helps keep my debit card in my wallet and my eyes away from Zulily. We've got so many things already that should last him awhile longer, thanks to our wonderful baby shower gifts and a plethora of outfits from both Grandmas in a range of sizes. They love spoiling him!

We're not quite crawling yet, but I'm sure any day now Asher is just going to take off across the living room. He "inchworm" crawls and sometimes moves in a circle or backwards.

In light of this quickly approaching development, I was able to talk John into letting me get a new rug for our living room. I found a great one on overstock.com that matches almost too well. It came yesterday! I also put away the baby swing that we haven't used in months and our living room looks so much bigger now! It's crazy how such a small change can really brighten up a room.

Suki likes to incessantly LICK the couch, so we have to protect it with a million throw blankets to avoid wet spots everywhere. Pugs are weird. I'm also going to replace the pillows and throws with ivory ones to keep the focus on the rug. Thanks to my sis, April, for the suggestion! :)

I also finally got around to covering all of our outlet plugs with safety covers. Yay! Next is the cabinet safety latches, but we still have a little time for those. They require some drilling, it looks like, so I'll be recruiting John for some help there. You don't want to see what I can do with a drill.

After our disastrous doggy-poo incident (happened twice more after that first morning, yuck!), I took Sumo to the vet and it turns out his gastrointestinal issues are stress-related. Our furry friend seems to still be upset from his recent boarding and/or still having a hard time adjusting to Asher having taken away some of his attention from Mommy (that's me!). I'll admit that I haven't been paying enough attention to him since we first brought Asher home, so I am making it a priority to give him some extra love. I've been getting him more involved when I am sitting with Asher, too, so that he warms up to him - and it's working! He's been letting Asher pet him more than ever and has been licking him like crazy (he likes to search out delicious dried hypoallergenic spit-up; but who can blame him? Yum!).



We have a new sleep routine going on due to some serious growing! I put Asher down around 7:30pm and he is up like clockwork between 10:30 and 11 for a bottle. It coincides with John getting home from work, so I almost wonder if Asher has recognized that pattern and wants to see his daddy. (Too much "crazy mommy" on that one? My baby is a genius? Sorry.) He'll stay up for about 45 minutes or so and then is back down until around 8:00am. I'm happy that we're getting that extra bottle in and also that he gets to see his dad a little more! When wedding season starts to taper off soon, he'll get more daddy time during the day with John not having to spend so much time at our shop.

I snapped this is NC on our vaca, but he has picked the habit back up starting a few days ago.
{ Love the Honest Co. dipes, BTW. Post to come soon on that. }

While on the sleep subject, Asher has started sleeping on his side, which is going to be a tremendous help for correcting his "flat head". This morning, though, he woke up with extremely puffy eyes! From a quick Google search, it seems pretty normal for when they start sleeping on their tummies/sides and should resolve quickly, but I am going to keep a close eye and definitely mention it to the doctor at our next appointment. Has anyone else had this happen?

The swelling had started to subside at this point, (like 1 hour after waking, but you can still see it a little on his right eye. :(

I've been gathering ideas for 6 month (half birthday!!) photos of Asher. So far I am thinking of having him wear a denim overall outfit with no shirt underneath for one outfit, a cute Mudpie chevron and giraffe coverall that I purchased before he was born (perfect fit now!), a onesie/leg-warmer from Kakabaka on Etsy, and of course some bare-bottomed baby pics :). I have my eyes on the CUTEST newsboy set with vest, bow-tie, and hat, but can't justify spending $75+ on a one time wear outfit. I'll have to save that sort of thing for 1 year pics. Maybe I'll just get the hat. And bow-tie. And vest. Ha! Any cute ideas? I'm all ears!

I'm kind of excited, I am going to attempt a semi-pro photo shoot with him on my own... we'll see how it goes and if I'm not pleased I'll have our photog. on speed dial. :) I'm sure we'll try to fit in a session with her anyways, but I'm going to challenge myself to get some professional looking photos on my own. I've ordered a 5 in 1 reflector because I think even lighting is one of the things I am missing when I don't use a flash, but I LOVE the look of natural light. I also have been looking at backdrops and some other fun props... I'm going to try and get a post together showing my "behind the scenes" with tips for taking pics yourself and FINALLY getting together some info on photography including my equipment, tips, etc. So look out for that in about a month!

We've introduced sweet potatoes now and all seems to be going well! I really need to get to the grocery store and pick up some more of those Happy Baby and Sprout food pouches. We're doing great with the stage 1 pouches right now and bananas are easy enough to mash up in the mornings, so I'll wait to make homemade baby food that until the "fun" combinations can begin!

So that's our week so far and now I need to stop procrastinating, for real! As usual, here are some more cute pics! :)

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Why My Angel-Baby Scares the Crap Out of Me

My baby is an angel. No, really. Yes, he has his moments like all babies do. But he sleeps through the night 99.9% of the time. 12 hours +, people. He's happy everyday. He smiles at everyone. He patiently waits while I prepare his bottles (sometimes). He sits happily in my lap when I am watching TV or eating or working on the computer. He cries maybe 3 minutes a day on average. No, I'm not bragging. Read on.

I'm telling you this because I am scared #$%*less to ever have another baby because you know that ISH ain't happenin' twice! Since having a baby, we've now been exposed numerous horror stories from other parents who've had difficult babies. Babies who had colic and cried all day or babies who would not sleep. There have been a few nights when our little guy has woken up for an hour at 4am and just a handful where he has woken a second time and I am an absolute sleep-deprived zombie the next day! Even with our sleeping champ, my house is currently a disaster and I still have a hard time keeping up with daily duties like laundry. How in the world would I handle a baby who wakes up multiple times a night or does not go back to sleep or cries and cries and cries???

Let me back myself up a bit. I feel like I have 3 kids already in some ways. I have 2 pugs that are so high maintenance, they are like children. Ok, I'm slightly exaggerating; but at least combined they are like one child. They are allergic to anything and everything, so we have to homemake food for them and heat it up twice a day. Luckily, John can make and freeze large batches once a week at the restaurant. If they don't get their homemade meals, they start losing their hair and smelling really, really bad. The grass makes them itch so they poo on the porch - yay. They have been to the vet more than Asher has been to the pediatrician in the past 5 months. They always have ear infections and even need a special shampoo. They try to eat anything of Asher's, so I have to make sure to move all of his things to an unreachable-by-pugs spot before leaving the room with him. The get into the bathroom trash at least 3 times a week even though it's gated off (I need to get a trash with a lid in there... it's on my list.) And here's the real kicker - they randomly get fits of vomiting and diarrhea such as this morning when I let them out of their cage only to release poo-covered dogs to go running through the house. That's right - think mop, vacuum, mop again, the disposal of two rugs, and some serious dog baths before Asher's morning bottle. I think it was a test of my patience and strength. I hope I passed.

We haven't been talking about expanding our cozy little family any time soon. I never imagined stopping at one, though. I feel like Asher might be lonely without a sibling to play with or grow up alongside. I grew up the middle girl of three girls, and we had our fights and your normal familial disagreements that may or may not have gotten physical from time to time, but we have so many wonderful memories with each other. We text or talk to each other almost everyday. We share silly jokes that no one else gets. We're there for each other when we need advice or just to vent. I would hate for Asher to miss out on that.

In all honesty, I know its something we could handle, either way; we would make it work like so many have done before. Every baby is a blessing, even the difficult ones. Maybe we are blessed to have had our first be easy so that we can settle into this new life and all the changes that come along before having our world flipped upside down by a little night partier. I mean, at least we have most of the basics down and know some of what is coming our way. Praise-worthy parents who have been there can assure that you find ways to adjust, you learn to make it work. And, yes, those early days do pass and these are only short stages that do not last a lifetime. In fact, they pass more quickly than you can even imagine. That still doesn't ease my anxiety that we may down the road end up with a tiny little tornado that keeps us up all night or drives us to invest in earmuffs. It makes me happy that we are in no rush to add another to our roster. Or maybe we will pull our chips while we're still ahead and our magical number will just be one.

Have any of you dealt with a difficult baby or was there a big difference between your babies' temperaments? Pin It Now!

Happy Father's Day to the #1 Dad

I always knew John would make a wonderful father. He just has the qualities that an amazing dad should. He's kind, patient, loving, and I can just tell he is so proud to be a father. He does so well with Asher, has since the day Asher was born, so tiny and fragile. He talks of the future when he and Asher will be "boys" together - hunting, fishing, playing soccer in the yard. The truth is, he will love and support Asher no matter if he wants to do those things or not. He will not judge or hold him up to any standards. He will be there for him during the proudest of moments and the moments that a dad is needed most.

Asher is blessed to have John as a dad, of that I am sure. He already lights up when John is around. A few days ago, John was home when Asher was getting his bath, which is unusual with our current work schedules. Asher looked up while playing with his bath toys and saw John standing behind me. His eyes grew wide and the biggest smile spread across his face. He started playing more actively with his toys as if to show his dad all the new, fun things he could do. It was a beautiful, simple moment that so perfectly captured what this first Father's Day is about - a new dad, a new baby, and the wonderful relationship that is growing between them. 

Happy Father's Day, John. You are and always will be a perfect father to our little baby Asher. He loves you more than anything already. Soon you'll be an inseparable pair. I love you!

Here are some of the first moments captured of our new father and son duo:

Asher's first diaper change.

We celebrated Father's Day early in the morning as the rest of the day would be spent with our extended families. John loved the shoes Asher picked out for him ;) and I found some inspiration on Pinterest for a fun Father's Day craft.

I had some father-son pictures printed on CHOCOLATE at Cocoagraph.com for a unique Father's Day treat for John.

Asher helped me craft this Pinterest idea!

Then, we headed to John's dad's house to wish him a happy Father's Day. After that, it was out to dinner with my family to celebrate some more. Happy Father's Day to all the great dad's out there!

 

I'll finish up with some fun outtakes from our attempted Father's Day photo shoot... 

Asher was not in the mood! :)

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Asher, My Partner in Crime

SOMETIMES YOU JUST HAVE TO SMILE!

Asher was my partner in crime today - and Daddy got a laugh when he came home from work to see a giraffe driving his boat. I guess we both just felt like being a little silly!

Sidenote - My neighbors officially think I'm nuts, running outside with a huge blowup giraffe and taking pictures from our driveway. 

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iPhone Favorites

We had a very busy weekend for baby! Saturday was my 2 nephews' combined birthday party at Chuck E Cheese. It was Asher and my first time there - what a whirlwind! That place is sure to be one of Asher's favorites once he gets a little older.

Sunday, we went to John's cousin's wife's (got that??) baby shower. Another second cousin for baby Asher is on his way! It was a beautiful shower with the cutest nautical theme. I fully intended on taking a million pics but unfortunately didn't even get one due to disposable diaper fiasco and overwhelmed baby episode.

This was the second day in a row that I found out just how unreliable Seventh Generation disposable diapers are for us. Asher doesn't fit into his cute little shorts in his cloth diapers, plus I am still waiting on 2 wet bags to arrive (my current wet bag will only fit 1 diaper at a time). I ventured back into the world of disposables again with a brand I thought might cut back on the redness. Well, yes, there was much less irritation but for the price of changing his clothes at each diaper change due to leakage! Ugh. Not impressed - taking suggestions for another disposable alternative. I wish our gDiapers would fit already!

NEW Developments 17 Weeks:

• Looks like Asher wants to crawl. He kicks his legs while on his tummy and tucks his head under with frustration. 
• Suki & Sumo (pugs) howl when Asher cries! It's the cutest thing ever. They think their little bro is in distress.
• More chewing than sucking on the pacifier during the day. Could we be teething?? No signs of pain. We'll see!
• Moving around in bassinet more now. We'll soon need to raise the side next to the bed or think about migrating to the nursery... :( Sad day for mommy!
• Giggles when ticked! It's still intermittent - but happens more and more often. 
• 4 Month shots coming up on Tuesday. Wish us luck! Maybe mommy can hold back her tears this time.
• Ordered a chicken wing shaped teething toy. Extremely excited for it to arrive. May have to break out the chef hat again for a photo op we won't ever forget!
• Asher smiles and laughs when mommy says, "SQUISHY!", and pinches his cheeks. This is the one source of laughter that works again and again. 

Asher, I love you more than ever. How is it possible that my love grows for you everyday? I hope you know how much mommy and daddy love you and care for you. You are our world stuffed into one very small and extremely adorable package of cuteness. 

Today I am leaving you with our latest iPhone Favorites. Asher is getting more animated each day and it's amazing to witness his budding sweet and silly personality.

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Pregnancy, Labor & Delivery

I am so happy that I had a very easy pregnancy. During the first 3 months, I did have some nausea in the mornings and was pretty tired, but once 14 weeks or so came around, I felt more like myself again.

Around 36 weeks, though, things got uncomfortable. Right after my baby shower, I got a horrible cold that turned into a sinus infection and then into an ear infection! I was miserable! I couldn't hear out of either ear and literally had to hold a heating pad up to the side of my head to slightly mask the pain. I finally gave in and got a z-pack. Then, the symptoms started to return and I had to get a second z-pack to fully knock it out. Luckily, z-packs are safe to take during pregnancy. I was TERRIFIED of going into labor while so miserably sick!

Photo taken by my mom 9 Days before Asher was born.

The last week of pregnancy was mainly uncomfortable because:
1. I had to pee every 15 minutes.
2. I had a difficult time getting up (see #1).

Even at 36 weeks pregnant, I did have an AMAZING baby shower. Both my mom and my mother in law put so much effort into throwing me the best shower possible. I love them both!

Diaper cakes made by my mom! She's so talented!

John and I made the wooden signs that added to the vintage, chic look of the decor. We sell similar items in our store. :)

John's mom was the life of the party, helping coordinate the games and keeping a smile on everyone's face.

My wonderful mother!

Me with my two sisters!

The belly cast made the perfect "guestbook". This will be a wonderful keepsake!

{ My dress was designed by Olian and rented from Mine for Nine. }

PRODUCTS THAT GOT ME THROUGH PREGNANCY

Adidas FitFoam Flip-Flops - A must have for sore feet!!
Yoga Pants - Lots of them!
Pea in the Pod Linen Pants - Especially during the last 4 weeks when nothing else would fit!
'Words with Friends' App for iPad or iPhone - When you're couch-bound, this game is a must.
Mine for Nine - Perfect for wearing designer maternity clothes or a designer dress to your baby shower without breaking the bank.


I WISH...

I had taken monthly belly pictures! Here is the closest thing I have to a belly timeline...

...sporadic pictures, some with the iPad. I highly recommend documenting your belly's growth! It would be so fun to look back on my growing belly and see the monthly change wearing similar outfits, taken in the same spot, or even with cut props or signs. Next time!

We were expecting a Valentine's Day baby, but Asher decided to make an early arrival. Although I had been having irregular contractions for about 2 days, I told my husband to go ahead and work at the restaurant Friday night on the 8th. I figured they would stay irregular and it couldn't possibly be the real thing yet. As luck would have it, at 6pm my water broke - during dinner rush on the busiest night of the week! John quickly hurried home and we rushed to the hospital. We checked in at 8pm, I started pushing around 5:30am, and at 5:59am Saturday, February 9th, baby Asher was born. :)

We've all seen the hospital bag lists available on various websites. I won't go through everything I brought with me since these lists are so readily available, but here are some uncommon items I brought that I am SO glad I did:

- One roll of soft toilet paper (trust me, you'll be happy you have it!)
- My cute hospital gown from Gownies

I wish I had brought a cute receiving blanket to make those first pictures more personal. Other than that, there wasn't really anything we weren't prepared for. That said, I did not realize just how absolutely exhausted I would be after giving birth. I'm glad family and visitors were respectful and gave us some time to rest up.

How was your pregnancy or birth experience?

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