Ewan’s 6 Month Update

I can’t believe Ewan is 6 months old already!  The days seems long, but time is flying by and Ewan is learning and changing everyday.

Growth

This guy weighed in at 18 pounds 3.5 ounces. He is a “solid” little man!

Food

Ewan has four 6 ounce bottles and one 8 ounce bottle (at night) a day.  He started solids at about 4 months.  So far he has tried sweet potato, carrots, green beans, avocado, and banana.  I think his favorite is banana!  We haven’t been too terribly consistent with giving him solids everyday.  When we do, it is in between his last two bottles.  We just recently started to take solids to daycare so he can eat “breakfast” and “lunch” there.

Sleep

We have a GREAT sleeper!  Ewan from 7pm to 7am most days (give or take 15 minutes in the morning).  When we stay home all day or he is in daycare he takes 3 naps a day that vary from 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Motor Skills

Ewan’s biggest development is he can sit up on his own!  Momma is happy because he can play independently.  Ewan can roll from his back to his tummy and back to his back again, but he doesn’t roll to his back often.

Teeth

Ewan has two teeth on the bottom!

Communication

Ewan loves to talk, especially in the morning!  He has recently found his screaming voice in a wonderfully high octave and also practices his whisper voice.  I want to start signing some basic words to him (milk, food, more…) so he can see the signs and start to learn them even though he can’t sign back yet.

Swim

Ewan goes to Aqua-Tots once a week.  He is learning how to adapt to the water while I am learning safe holds and techniques to help him.  We are enjoying it so far!

6 Month Postpartum Depression Update

If you haven’t read my Postpartum Depression Story, click here!

First of all, I feel great!  In fact, I feel better than I did before I even got pregnant. I started out going to therapy every week now I go every month.  I am still on medication and will be for 9 months to a year from when I started before I can be weaned off.  My next appointment with my psychiatrist is soon and I’m curious to see what happens during/after that appointment.  There are still days and nights that are rough, but most of the time it is the normal hard Mommy times and not the depression creeping back in.

Being home with Ewan during the summer was a major adjustment.  I wish I was still exercising, but truth be told I was so tired at the end of the school year that I stopped. However, I recently started riding our stationary bike.  At least I can watch my shows and Ewan can play on the floor next to me while I do that!  The goal isn’t to have a bikini body (although that would be nice…), but for mental health and to feel good physically (not appearance).  Mommas, you know how much your body changes after birth!

As for bonding with Ewan, I love him so much I don’t know what to do with myself!  I now understand when people say their children are the best thing they ever did.  I was very emotionally disconnected with him in the beginning, but as I started to feel better that changed.  I was scared that I wouldn’t have that special bond with him because I wasn’t breastfeeding, but that couldn’t be further from the truth!

I can officially say that I am very comfortable with giving Ewan a bottle of formula in public.  Just recently we spent 4 hours at a dealership while my car was being serviced.  We played on the floor with toys, I walked him around in the stroller inside and outside, and fed him a bottle while we waited.  While at Target we sat in the food court while I gave Ewan a bottle.  That would not have been possible even a couple months ago.

Every time I think I can’t feel any better, I do.  Little things like being home with him 4 days in a row gets easier.  (He goes to daycare 3 days a week during the summer so Mom and Dad can catch up on life and sleep!)  Making trips out of the house where I have to feed and change him goes more smoothly.

Postpartum depression and other mental disorders are treatable and recovery happens! Praise God!