Luke’s 10 Month Update

Whew – it’s been a while since I’ve posted here! This season of life has been so busy, crazy, and fun, but with working full time and trying to spend every other minute possible with Luke and Blake, the blog has 100% taken a backseat. And I needed the break – writing here is definitely a release for me, but choosing quality time with Blake or extra zzz’s has been what I needed to focus on when I did have any free time after Luke was asleep.

All that to say…I’m back with an update post on Luke! I feel like SO much has happened in the past two months and I can’t wait to document it here. He has gotten so curious and extra sweet and I just love every minute I get to spend with him.

Stats

When we went in a few weeks ago for a Doctor’s appointment, Luke clocked in right at 19 pounds. He’s been eating a TON since then, so I think he’s packed on even more weight since then! We found out at his 9 month appointment that he had a double ear infection, so went through his first round of antibiotics for that. He really didn’t have any symptoms, so I was surprised when we found out. We went back two weeks later on a Friday for his shots and they confirmed the infection was gone, and then come Sunday he had a high fever and seemed miserable. I took him back in to the doctor Monday and he had ANOTHER double ear infection. This time was totally different – he was in so much pain and had a fever for several days and it broke my mama heart. It was a tough week for all of us – not a lot of sleep, trying to figure out how to balance a busy workload with a sick baby, and watching our little babe suffer which was the hardest thing of all. Finally this round of a stronger antibiotic kicked in and he was back to acting like himself. Fingers crossed for a healthy fall and winter!!

Eating

We started introducing real solids (ie things he could pick up as opposed to purees) right around 8 months. His favorites are black beans, carrots, peas, peaches, potatoes, bananas, and scrambled egg. We waited to introduce eggs until closer to 10 months and started with the yolk before introducing the entire egg. He has gone through phases over the past two months where he either eats like a champ or will struggle getting through 3 “meals” a day. The lack of interest in food seems to correlate to teething or when he had his ear infection, so when he’s feeling good and hungry, we try to let him eat as much as he wants! He’s starting to get to the point where he only wants to be able to pick up food or feed himself, and since he’s not so great at using a spoon, we’ll  probably move towards only offering true solids so he can keep getting better and better at those! Some days he’s so insistent on being independent that he refuses to even take one bite of the puree…but as soon as we give him something to pick up, he can’t get enough haha!

Sleep

Sleep has been a roller coaster for us over here, but I think we’re finally on the up and up! Luke typically goes to bed at night with no issues and will sleep through until the morning. It’s just that for awhile he decided his morning wakeup time was between 4:45 – 5:15am. Which is wayyy too early for me (and him!). I swear we tried everything – earlier bedtime, later bedtime, white noise, black out curtains, making sure he ate a ton before bed…and nothing worked. I finally sent an email to the Moms on Call author (this book has been a lifesaver to us since we started using it at 4 months) and posted in a Moms on Call Support Group on Facebook. We implemented a few changes and consistently kept at it for a few days and I’m happy to say that he’s been sleeping until 6:45 – 7 for at least a month now! It’s been incredible. He obviously has some set backs when he’s sick, in which case we throw most everything out of the window to make sure he’s taken care of and hydrated. But once he’s feeling better and we’re back on schedule…we typically have a great night of sleep!

Schedule

We are following the Moms on Call schedule for 8-10 month olds and it seems to work really well for Luke. He still is drinking 4 bottles a day and usually finishes the entire 8 ounces. He has three meals a day and a snack. We’re going to start adding in some more snacks here and there because he has been eating like a champ and seems to want a little more throughout the day. Naps are hit or miss during the week – he almost always goes down for a 9:00am nap, but the afternoons are not as structured when he’s at Daycare (there’s too much to see and do haha!). He always takes a second nap, but sometimes will need a quick third nap to stretch him to bedtime.

7:00 – Wake up – Blake goes and gets him while I finish getting ready and gets him up and dressed for the day.

7:00 – Bottle (8 oz).

8:00 – Get to daycare and typically will play for a few minutes before eating breakfast (usually cut up fruit of some kind or a scrambled egg)

9:00 – Nap

11:00 – Bottle (8 oz)

12:00 – Solids (usually diced veggies of some type + maybe black beans or other protein depending on the day)

1:00/1:30 – Nap

3:00 – Bottle (8 oz)

3:30 – Snack

4:30/5 – Solids (this is where I try to sneak in a puree if possible. He seems to eat them better at school – I think because other kids are eating them too so he sees them and isn’t as distracted as at home)

6:45 – Bathtime

7:00 – Pajamas, Books, & Bottle (8 0z)

7:30 – Bedtime

Some nights he’s so tired he falls asleep in our arms after he finishes the bottle. He usually takes a break halfway through the bottle and wants to crawl around and play with his books to expend a little extra energy. Then he crawls back to us, we turn the lights off, sound machine on, and finish up the bottle. Even if he’s fallen asleep on us, he always wakes up when we get up to put him in the crib, so he goes in the crib awake, flips on his belly, babbles for a few minute, and then fall asleep!

Other

Where oh where to begin?? I feel like SO much has happened between 8-10 months!! Luke loves his sippy cup now – he gets SO excited when we bring it out and Daycare asked us to bring one in because he was trying to take the cups from all of the older kids ha! Right around 8 months he started pulling up to standing in his crib, walking with his walker, and then eventually started scooting around the couch. Blake and I had our first night both being away from him – we went to Delaware for a family wedding and my parents came to stay with him at our house. He started to wave bye bye just before 9 months and it’s the cutest thing ever. He also started clapping and now claps all the time – after a song plays, when we give him food, after we sing, etc. He is getting very close to walking, but still is afraid to let go of things. He’ll stand for a few seconds and then remembers he’s not holding on to anything and slowly sits down with a panicked look on his face! He will say Mama and Dada, but not consistently and more from mimicking than truly talking. He’s definitely going through the separation anxiety stage, which makes it hard to leave him. He cries as soon as he can tell we’re about to leave. I’m hoping this will slowly get better as he gets older!

He has 4 teeth on the top and 3 on the bottom and when he smiles it’s the cutest thing EVER. He laughs hysterically when you tickle his belly or smother him in kisses. He throws EVERYTHING and loves sitting with one of us and playing catch with various balls.

The past 10 months have been some of the best of my life. I truly was not prepared for how motherhood would change me. I was so nervous for the change to occur, but it has 100% been the most amazing and best experience. Blake and I are so lucky to have our little family and I’m grateful every day to have a husband that is such an incredible and involved father. Luke lights UP as soon as Blake walks into the room and can’t crawl over to him fast enough.

I can’t wait to see what the next few months have in store for us. I can’t believe there are only 2 months until his FIRST birthday!! What??? The time is going by so quickly.

Thanks for stopping by and catching up on our little Luke!