The Weaner

This was originally written on Thursday, April 9, 2009:

I realized that I didn't ever write an update from my 11.5 Months Old post when I said that Joe went to the doctor for his divirticulitis again. His doctor said it was probably just that he is "aware" of that area now, since once you have it you always have it -- so he might feel it from time to time (but with no pain which was the case this time), but if he was worried he could see a Gastroenterologist. The next day, though, he didn't feel anything so all is good again. . .whew. (You can read about his experience here.)

Logan continues to have flawless days at Babysitter's! When I picked up Logan on Monday, she had the radio station on where I used to work. I didn't tell her I used to be a radio host there. . .I just took that as another good sign!

Guess what? In my 11.5 Months Old post, I said that Logan had weaned himself from baby food last week. Well now he has practically weaned himself ON HIS OWN from bottles. I don't get him at all (we've never had to wean him from anything - he weaned himself from his pacifier at 4 months, breastfeeding at 9 months, and baby food at 11.5 months). I was all prepared to start the process in 2.5 weeks but - good news - he beat me to it!

I also said that I was going to try one sippy cup a day but we weren't going to stop bottles until a week AFTER his 12-month birthday. Well the whole "one sippy cup a day" idea hasn't been successful. Even though we started him on it at 6 months he thinks it's a toy and does not like to drink out of it. He'll take a couple of sips on his own but that is it ALL DAY. I'll try to feed it to him like I would a bottle, but that doesn't help because it doesn't flow like a bottle.

At first I thought maybe he just didn't like water. We've given him juice a couple of times in his life, but he won't take formula in there, either. So imagine my shock on Monday when I picked up Logan from Babysitter's and she said, "He's probably going to want a bottle, he didn't have any here today." The other four days he'd had THREE in the four hours!!!

I thought maybe that was just because this was the first week that he didn't cry, but when I brought him home, he showed no interest. He took his nap and when he awoke I actually forgot about it because he usually whines and that reminds me, haha. This time he was perfectly content so it wasn't until an hour later that I was like, ohmygosh you haven't had a bottle since you woke up this morning! But he still refused -- it was just like when he stopped breastfeeding: he jerked his head back, clamped his lips shut, threw his body around and was ready to scream! So I tried again later. . .same thing. . .and again later. . .finally before bed he took one, so he had 16 oz of formula which is only 8 less than what he "should" have (but his normal is 32 to 40 oz! :p). On Tuesday he only had 16 oz again and then yesterday only had about 10! I haven't had to worry about him being dehydrated since his first week of life.

The good news is that he is fine with a regular cup. He can drink a cup of water, one sip after another, so maybe it's not necessary to master the sippy cup. (In my 7 Months Old post I mentioned that the What To Expect book isn't big on pushing sippy cups.) I guess I'll just watch his cues and if he wants to eat like us for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (by the way, during this 11th month he started eating real meat like it was no problem, so it must just have been baby food meat he never liked!) and if he is fine drinking water (and in a couple of weeks whole milk) out of a regular cup (since that's the ultimate goal anyway), then hopefully he'll still be healthy. Maybe now that he's older he simply doesn't need as much.

My mom said maybe all of his self-weaning of everything in his life means he will be easy to potty-train -- gosh I hope so!
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LATER THAT DAY. . .My friend Melissa had her baby! (The second of my three friends due this month.) She called me yesterday (her due date) to say they stripped her membranes to see if they could get things going naturally because she didn't want to be induced.  Otherwise, this Friday she was going to have to be admitted to the hospital to ripen her cervix (it's when they put gel on to see if she will start dilating). 50% of women go into labor the same day of the cervix ripening, so that's why she'd have to spend the night in the hospital. If she'd been in the 50% who didn't, they would have sent her home -- but then she would have been induced on Tuesday, April 14th. Her last words to me were, "I really hope I go into labor on my own before this Friday." So I was so excited to get a text message this morning that her water broke at 10:30 pm last night! She went to the hospital at 11:30 and it was AMAZING - after not being dilated at all yesterday, it only took her until 5:30 am for baby boy Axton to enter the world! He weighed 6 lbs 12 oz and was 19.5 inches long! Congrats Jake & Melissa!!!!

Logan & I had a fun week. He went with me shopping so that I could get a new outfit for pictures tomorrow (as well as one for Joe among several other clothes for him), a new purse & billfold (which I needed majorly since it'd been since 1994 for the billfold and 2007 for the purse), and stuff to finish decorating our living room/dining room. He was so good and the weather was so nice, it was very pleasant.

I forgot to mention that on Monday I went to Panera for breakfast and ate by myself which I've never done before but have always wanted to. I know it sounds silly, but it's true. I just LOVE places like that - coffee houses even though I don't drink coffee (haha) and bookstores. . .they're just so cozy and I've always thought people there look so relaxed, but I've only gone with other people, so this time I was able to experience "the other side."

Joe starts golf next Tuesday (which means he won't be home those evenings) so I think that on Thursday evenings I will go someplace like that and work on my novel! (I blog during Logan's naps during the week and/or on the weekends when Joe's watching Logan.)

Anyway, I also took a bath with Logan for the second time which was so sweet, although unlike in January, he didn't fall asleep -- instead, he wanted to play, so after one gulp of water we were done :( But it was still a sentimental moment; I had on my Plumb CD (mom/baby songs). . .gosh, I wish my period would just start already, with Logan's birthday in just 9 days I have been way to sentimental this week!!!!!!

(And no I'm not pregnant, I've had mild cramps off & on since Monday and it's day 33 so I'm guessing it will start today or tomorrow.)

To conclude today's post, I have another baby prayer request (since my post, What Is Going On Here?). This is for a girl I went to high school with (she lived in the house behind me and graduated a year after me). Before I left Facebook, I bookmarked her family's blog. I was in awe of her because she had her first son in October 2007 and then her second son in November 2008 -- yes, that would be like me having another baby born next month! (Impossible for me to fathom.)

Anyway, my heart went out to her when I read on her Facebook page back in February that her youngest had RSV and had to go to the hospital. But, I know that is not uncommon and that most come out of it just fine. So I was shocked to just now read that while her baby was in the hospital they discovered he has cancer! I pray that their little guy is going to be okay!!!!