Seven.

Height and Weight: Ehhh. I don't know? We really don't check on his weight and height except for during his well checks. The next one isn't schedule until March, so until then I'm left to my own estimation (which, for the record, is terrible.) BUT, if I had to throw a number out there... let's go with 19 lbs. No clue about the height, but I can tell ya he's certainly not getting any smaller.

Accomplishments: Finn is officially a sitter. You can plop him down anywhere and he'll SIT there. He's still a teensy bit wobbly, but he's got to start somewhere. He's also working SO HARD on crawling. He can get himself on all fours and then starts to rock. I know it's only a matter of days before he's truly mobile.

Sleep Habits: Sigh. Still fairly predictable but a few bad nights have been thrown in for good fun. He goes down between 7-8, and is up for the day between 7-8. The issues have been surfacing in the middle of the night. Some nights he wakes and starts to play for an hour or so. Others, he wakes seeking attention. Hoping it's just a phase that passes soon.


What's in His Belly: So much more than at six months. Finn has made his love for fruits well known. He also is not a fan of green vegetables. Or carrots. Really, the only veggie he's currently gettin' down with is sweet potato. And isn't that technically a root? He's loving pears, prunes (GROSS), bananas, sweet potatoes, and oatmeal. Not impressed with peas, green beans, carrots, zucchini. We're workin' on it.

Best Moments:
Without a doubt, Christmas. How much fun is Christmas with a seven month old? Like, a lot. Finn was such a trooper throughout both Christmas Eve and Christmas (naps? What naps?). In typical baby fashion, he showed way more interest in wrapping and tissue paper than any of the gifts he received. Our living room now looks like Toys 'R Us headquarters. What do we do with all of it?

Also, thought  he was sleeping, when the clock struck midnight on New Year's Eve, I quickly ran up and looked at the best thing that happened to me this year. Awww. That one gave you a cavity, didn't it?

Worst Moments:
As a mother, I could easily have put one of this month's "worst' moment in the best category, but I don't wish to be cruel. On December 21, Nathan, Sarah and I took Finn to see Santa at Bass Pro Shops. We got there at 5:00, and they were giving out tickets for the 8:30 slot, which, if you're keeping up, is way past the bedtime of the Finn. Fortunately, we must have had the first-time-parents-what-the-hell-is-going-on-here look about us, because the lady at the counter slipped us a 6:30 ticket instead. She was an angel. Waiting in line was easy. Finn smiled at anybody who wanted to look his way. He did this up until the minute I put him in St. Nick's lap. That kid took one look at Santa and promptly burst into sobs. Click, click. I scoop him up after the picture and whaddya know. He's all smiles again. Whatever. At least it makes for a good picture.

Ok, and for the real worst moment award. I had put Finn down for a nap one afternoon, and as he sometimes does, he was playing around in his crib. I didn't have the monitor with me because I could hear up the stairs. I heard Finn talking, and then I started hearing a whacking noise. It took me a minute to realize that there was nothing in his crib that could be making that noise, so I walked up the stairs and found that Finn had somehow maneuvered the cord from the monitor camera into the crib with him and was flinging it all around. He was beyond thrilled with himself. Don't worry. We fixed that immediately.

Half a Dozen Months

Little dude is six months old. Seriously, what?

Height and Weight: 18 lbs 8 oz, and 26 5/8 inches. He is exactly double his birth weight.

Accomplishments:
He has perfected the roll both ways. This includes during attempted diaper and outfit changes. He's also officially out of our room and in his own crib, unswaddled! And he's working on sitting up on his own. He can tripod with his arms, and sit up for a moment or two before he topples over.

Sleep Habits: 
Going to bed between 7 and 8, and sleeping until 5-6, and on mornings when we don't have to be up it's bottle and back to bed until 8 or so. Please continue these sleep habits. Please.
Since we've taken the swaddle away, he's also become a belly sleeper. He sticks his butt up in the air and his face into the mattress. I am not kidding.

What's in His Belly:
Not avocado. See below.
For the most part, he is still taking  4-5 7-ounce bottles a day.


Best moments: 
Attempting to give Finn solids for the first time was a really interesting experience. We tried giving him some pieces of avocado, but it was a disaster in the most adorable way. First, he couldn't pick it up because it was slippery. Then, he decided he didn't like the way it tasted so he flung it everywhere and beat it into his high chair tray. I decided to mash some up and offer it to him on a spoon, and he started gagging before the spoon touched his lips. Really? Like, REALLY? Must you be that dramatic?

We're also going to include Halloween in this month, even though it technically occurred on his five month birthday. We called him, "Finn the Courageous," and we paraded him around trunk or treat at Nathan's family's church. Cutest lion there.

Worst moments:
The worst moment of the month goes to me! Because Finn has been working really hard at being able to sit up on his own, he has refused to lay nicely in his little infant bath hammocky thing. I was holding him upright by his shoulder during a bath one night, when he lunged for the rubber duck hanging out in the tub with him. He slipped out of my hands, smacked his forehead on the side of the tub, and fell face first into the water. He was slightly traumatized, but got over it quickly. Meanwhile, Nathan's yelling up the stairs demanding to know WHY I've dropped the baby.

It's seriously so hard to believe that Finn is already halfway to his first birthday. Time, please slow down.

Six Things I've Learned About Motherhood

I'm sure in a couple of my last posts I've touched on the fact that there are some things that no one tells you about motherhood. So either people didn't tell me what was coming my way, or I was incredibly blind, naive and just plain ignorant. It's probably a combination of everything, but the fact of the matter is that there are so many things that I feel like "been there, done that" mothers leave out when trying to prepare a new mom for life with baby. Probably because if they told you, you'd spend the rest of your pregnancy weeping. Just kidding.  I certainly heard the old, "sleep while you can!" and, "life is no longer about you" spiels, but in honor of the fact that I have (almost) made it to six months of motherhood, here are six things I've learned on my own about being a mom.

1. Having a baby is the equivalent to being on a different planet. It's an alternative universe. Sure, everything LOOKS the same, but it's not. One day you leave to go have a baby, and when you return you bring this scary, albeit adorable, roommate in with you. This new roommate is here to change things up, and you've got to figure him out. He runs the show now, and you have to wipe his butt. Sometimes he's not very considerate and will puke in your hair. Who does this guy think he is?

2. Baby sleep is elusive. It's like Bigfoot, or a unicorn. Every now and then, you are SURE you've seen it - let's shout it from the mountains because you're that confident - but then reality smacks you square across the face and you're left wondering what just happened. Seriously. What. Just. Happened. The whole notion of, "sleeping like a baby," is utter garbage. Most babies sleep terribly and, in Finn's case, it's pretty unpredictable and inconsistent. One night he's sleeping like a dream and the next he's waking up every 45 minutes. One day he'll nap for two hours and the next day 20 minutes. Seriously, what gives? Like right now, he's been rolling around in his crib for an hour. GO TO SLEEP. PLEASE.

3. There are moments when I don't like being a mom. Yep, I said it. These moments are rare, and have always taken place in my darkest moments as a mother (which coincidentally also occur in the darkest moments of the night and are usually related to revelation number 2). One night a couple of week's ago when Nathan was at work, Finn cried for an hour and a half at bedtime. Not little fussy cries, but straight ANGER. That little dude was pissed. And he wanted everyone within a five-mile radius to know. I tried everything I could think of to calm him down; all the recommended techniques - shushing, patting, heavy handing, white noise, swaddling, unswaddling, reswaddling, half-swaddling, crying along side him - and he just wailed. Finally, he fell asleep around 9 pm. Well, around 12:30 he woke up... and started crying again. For another 90 minutes. I was seriously about to lose it when I walked to the living room, sat down, and texted Nathan, "Ok, I don't want to be a mom anymore." Obviously, I was half-joking, but the reality is that being a mom is HARD sometimes, and sleep-deprivation makes you crazy. After all, there's a reason why it's used as a torture technique. 

Now, just to clarify, I love Finn, and I love being his mother. When I say there are fleeting moments when I don't want to be a mom anymore, it has nothing to do with him or the way I feel about him, and everything to do with the fact that sometimes the responsibilities of being a mom are overwhelming. Sometimes, you just want to escape to the old life and sleep when you want to, eat when you want to, buy things spontaneously, and go somewhere without it being as logistically planned-out as an escape from Alcatraz. And dammit, some days I just want to lay in bed and eat Cheetos and watched Snapped.

4. Everyone has got an opinion. Ok, this one I could have seen coming, but it is one of those things I started learning when we shared Finn's chosen name. I get that it's unique, but people will still give you a look, or drop the, "Oh, that's interesting. Is it a family name?" gem. Also, more recently, after discussing it with Finn's pediatrician, Nathan and I decided to hold off on introducing solids until Finn is six months. I fully understand that this is something that is from a new school of thought but as I mentioned, we discussed it with our pediatrician, and as first-time parents we heeded his advice. Still, everyone and their cousins want to know why Finn isn't eating steak yet, or licking icing off a cupcake. Or they joke about slipping him something when, "mommy isn't looking." You do that. I dare you.

5. Rocking a baby to sleep is easily the best part of my day. I have prohibited Nathan from this because I enjoy it so much. We put on our PJs, sometimes read a book, and I rock him while giving him his last bottle of the day and listening to lullabies. I try to put him down drowsy so he can learn how to put himself to sleep, but hearing his little sighs and seeing how he rolls into me makes me want to hold on to him forever. I know I will miss these days in two years when he's hitting me or throwing stuff at me. Or when he's bigger than me, which will be in about a month.

6. Being a part of a baby's firsts is absolutely amazing. Seeing Finn roll for the first time, or sit on his own, or even eat a piece of avocado for the first time, is incredible. I always knew how proud my mom was of me and my siblings for the most ridiculous things. Now, I totally get it. I want to cajole up the marching bands and fling sparkly confetti around the house every time Finn accomplishes something new. HOORAY! You put your feet in your mouth! You've put your own paci in?! YOU ARE A ROCK STAR! I am positive the list of ridiculous things I'm proud over is only going to grow. I'm going to be THAT mom, and I'm totally cool with it.

BONUS!

7. No one tells you how much you're going to talk about poop. Right? It's just poop! But, my GOD, there's so much to discuss! What did it look like? Did it happen today? Why hasn't he pooped in three days? Why is there SO MUCH POOP?! Dammit, it's up the back again. Annnnd he's still pooping... I feel like 75 percent on mine and Nathan's conversations these days revolve around poop. It's insane.

Obviously, I've learned a lot more about being a mom and what is means to be a parent. It's easily been the most challenging and rewarding experience. It simultaneously makes my heart burst with happiness and makes me want to drink an entire bottle of wine. BUT, I do love it, and I wouldn't trade that little critter for anything.

The End.

Tonight is the night that I've been dreading since May 29, the last time I really worked. (Ok, maybe that's not true. I did go in to work for eight days in August to get things straight in my classroom and meet my kiddos, but I hardly count that as work.) Tonight is the last night of my maternity leave. 

It's amazing the transformation that can take place in a person in a mere five months. Prior to having Finn, everyone asked me if I would be returning to work. My obvious answer at the time was, "Duh." I thought there was no way I would find fulfillment as a stay-at-home mom. Seriously, what do you do all day? I've worked since I was 15 and I genuinely like being productive (although I'm pretty lazy at home. I like to say that I'm so productive at work that I can be a little lazy on my own time. But I digress).

Then, Finn was born. The first couple of weeks home with him I would watch from the window in despair as Nathan got to leave the house every day to go to his job. He got to escape the madness that is Newborn 101. He left me home alone with this tiny human who required so much of me, and I had no idea how to meet all of his needs. I (briefly) thought about cutting my leave short and heading back full time when summer ended. I was not cut out to stay at home with a BABY.

But as the hormones began to level out (seriously, NO ONE tells you about this part, but it plays into everything!), I realized that Finn just needed four basic things. He needed to be fed. He needed to take a lot of naps. He needed to have his diaper changed. I could do these, but he still sometimes cried. In the early days when Finn would cry, I would literally say to him, "What do you want? Tell me!" I thought my motherly instincts were comparable to a rock - aka pretty much nonexistent. Then one day, I picked him up and I rubbed his back, and I shushed quietly in his ear. You know what? He was quiet. He was content. That's when I realized the fourth thing he needed from me. He needed to be loved. Since then, this has been the easiest need for me to meet. I love him with every fiber of my being, every second of every day.

Yep. Even this face is easy to love.

Since my mom-instincts kicked into high gear, I found that Finn and I had found our groove; created our own routines. From the morning ritual of eating breakfast and playing and reading a story, to the afternoon nap on mama, to the evening bedtime regime, our days were predictable. Our days were ours. Me and Finn. Finn and me. We were a team. A package deal!

Five months ago, I thought being a stay-at-home mom would be an unsatisfactory way for me to live. Now, I fully understand what a stay-at-home mom does all day every day. She mothers her child. She teaches, she learns, she loves. She spends hours making funny faces and noises, doing what it takes to make her baby smile or laugh. She cheers him on when he learns new tasks, be it finding his hands and feet or rolling over for the first time. She takes pride in those small accomplishments. Occasionally when she's feeling motivated she'll do the dishes or laundry or cook some dinner. 

Ask me now how I feel about going back to work, and I'm a bird singing a different tune. What I once would have done anything to get out (staying home with a baby) of is now one of my greatest joys in life. Sadly, it's come to an end.

So, tomorrow begins the next chapter of life in the House of Harris. The chapter where I'm a full-time working mom, and Finn spends more waking hours at a sitter's than he does with me (so sad, right?). I know this is just an adjustment, and we'll make new routines. But man if I won't miss the old ones.

Month Four

Finn is officially a third of a year old. Four months have passed since I gave birth. That has to be one of the hardest facts for me to believe, and it seems more absurd with each passing day.

Currently at four months, Finn weighs 15 pounds, 13 ounces, and is 25ish inches long. He's still in the 75th percentile for everything, including head circumference (which is 17 inches). He got his next round of vaccines at his four month appointment, and while I still made Nathan hold him, I was at least able to stand next to them this time. Oh, and I didn't cry, but Finn sure did. Unlike his two month vaccinations, this time we saw a spike in his temperature. He was still happy and content, but that kid was radiating heat like a furnace in January. Fortunately, it only lasted 24 hours and he got plenty of extra snuggles between mom, dad, and grandma.

Also at four months, Finn is rolling from tummy to back, but only when he feels like it. He'll have days when he'll roll and roll and roll, and then go weeks without doing it again.  I've caught it on video, but it's so sporadic that Nathan is convinced I tied fishing line to him and pull him over myself. Ha! He's also a split second away from rolling back to belly. He'll make it to his side, lay there for a few minutes, and then flop back onto his back. He'll get there eventually, I'm sure on his own terms.

He has found his hands and his feet, and everything ends up in his mouth - from toys, to blankets, to fingers. Anything he can wrap his slimy little fingers around is going to his mouth - or at least in that direction. He's still working on accuracy.

He coos, he shrieks, he LAUGHS. He still cries, but mostly when it's bedtime and he thinks he should be able to stay up with us big kids. Finn certainly enjoys listening to his voice, and it's been entertaining watching him try to figure out how it works and what he can do with it. Sometimes it's as though he's trying his hardest to form words. He'll sit with his little moth open and move his lips. Ultimately, a grunt or gurgle comes out, but I'm looking forward to the day when a real word is formed.

At four months, Finn is still a genuinely happy dude. And he is still ultimately the best thing I've ever done.

OBXcitement

It probably goes without saying that you learn a lot of new things when you have a kid. Strange things, such as babies need to sleep on their backs, honey before the age of one can cause botulism (don't worry, I didn't learn this the hard way), and it's ok if your baby doesn't poop for seven days. Seriously. The doctors say so.

Not only do you learn weird and random new facts, but you also develop a new way of looking at and thinking about things. I'm always trying to figure out a way to streamline my activities so they have minimal impact on Finn's schedule. Trust me if you don't already know, a fussy baby equals a no fun baby. I'll do what it takes to prevent those epic meltdowns, thanks. So, when my family planned a week-long vacation to the Outer Banks, Nathan and I had to discuss the best way to get the Finley down there. Four hours in a car? That equals at least two naps, one feeding, and a varying amount of alert "wake-time." To date, Finn has been a wonderful traveler. He generally will stare out the window or chew on his BFF Morty Moose until he falls asleep and wakes up upon our arrival to our destination. This trip, however, would be nearly four times as long as we've ever taken with him. What if he hated being strapped in that long? What if we listened to FOUR HOURS of a wailing, unhappy child? Not much you can do to soothe a baby when you're traveling 70+ miles on the interstate. That thought, right there, is the stuff, "Horror Stories for New Moms," is made of.

Nathan and I decided the best way to prevent this possibility from becoming a reality would be to drive through the night after Nay got off work at 2 am. And you know what? It turned out beautifully. Finn did sleep the entire drive down, there was minimal - ie, ZERO - traffic and we made the usually four hour trip in 3.5 hours, and that included a fuel stop and a quick trip to McDonalds.

On top of my fear of Finn suddenly hating life in a car, I was also worried about how he was going to react to the beach itself. Nathan and I have always enjoyed spending the entire day on the beach. Clearly, our usual routines would be different with a baby, but how much so? I wasn't looking forward to having to alternate who stayed at the house and longingly watch as everyone lounged on the beach. Fortunately, Finn was a champ. He woke up from his morning nap around lunch time and joined us on the beach all day. He stayed in his adorable swim trunks and rash guard in his rocker under the shade of the canopy. He slept, he played, he was awesome. Although he hated the water. Like, HATED it. Instant crying. But if that's the only thing that got his blood boiling, then hey! I'll take it.

On top of Finn being an exceptional beach bum, he also met a new milestone while we were there - laughing out loud! He made us work for it, but he was giggling! Seriously, he's growing up too fast.


Overall, we had an amazing trip to the beach with my family. The weather was perfect and the company fulfilling. Nathan and I were even able to sneak in a date night to Captain George's with Jake and Kelsey while Mom and Dad watched Finn. Call me lame, but I always look forward to our annual trip to the beach simply so we can go to Captain George's. It's seriously a manic food-fest whenever I'm in there. So. Good.

The week certainly went by quickly. If only work days went by as fast as vacation days. Or maybe not. I don't want to wish time away...I'm still working on soaking up every single second with my little stinker before I return to work in three weeks. But that'll be a blog post all in itself.

Pinterest WIN: DIY Canvas Photos

I am unabashedly unashamed to admit that I am an avid pinner (psst... follow me over here!). Now, I'm also not afraid to admit that 85 percent of what I pin to my well-meaning boards will never come to fruition. That's ok. I had good intentions. BUT. I do still have a 15% success rate going for myself. Thank you, thank you! I have successfully used Pinterest to find new and interactive ideas for my classroom (including my dry erase objective picture frames, our moon finders, and noodle butterfly life cycles). I've attempted several new recipes, most with successful outcomes (um, helloooo Oreo cheecake cookies!), and I even created a Valentine's Day gift for Nathan here. Pinterest has been my go-to digital idea book, and not too long ago I came across the next project I was ready to attempt - canvas photos.

When Finn was born, we had his newborn and first family photos taken by the wonderful Denise Feagans Photography. Naturally, we were (and still remain) in love with her photos of our sweet little redhead. I had this vision for what I wanted to do with those photos, and it included much more than simply framing them and hanging them on the wall. I wanted to showcase them. I looked into creating them into wrap canvases... but SWEET CHEESUS, have you seen how expensive they are? To get everything I wanted I probably would have had to sell Finn on the black market. No thanks.

A little dismayed but deeply motivated, I took to Pinterest to find a new idea. I came across a pin that linked me to Ginger over at Literally Inspired on how to create canvas photo look-alikes for a FRACTION of the cost. Color me thrilled! I wasn't going to have to sell my baby after all!

For this project, you need only simple materials. Pictures, canvases (mine are from Hobby Lobby), black paint, mod podge and an application brush. I bought my pictures from mpix. Although they can be a bit pricier than other online printers their quality is amazing, and I happen to believe you get what you pay for. For the application brush, I had success using a 1 inch sponge brush leftover from a previous project.

Step 1: Paint the edges of your canvas black. I did two coats.

Step 2: Using the application brush, spread a thin, even layer of mod podge over the top of the canvas.

Step 3: Working quickly, place the photo face up on the canvas. Smooth out. I had little (as in zero) trouble with bubbles, but that was probably because of the weight of the photos I had.

Step 4: Spread a thin layer of Mod Podge over the top of the photo. I debated about whether to complete this step (fear of ruining those pricier photos, you know), but ultimately I am beyond happy I did. I did a layer of horizontal swipes followed by a layer of veritcal swipes. I found this gave my pictures an almost-canvas look to them, which after all was the look I was going for.

That was it! Super simple! Dearest husband hung them for me and is convinced we now need a few more to even out the look. I might just oblige him.