Bananas!

Dear Teagan:
Well I was very set on waiting until you were 6 months for you to try any solids, but curiosity got the best of me! I was going with the baby-led weaning approach where you decide what and how much to eat with your fingers. I whole heartedly believe that this first year solids is more for learning and I don't see much learning by me shoving a spoonful of some nasty puree packed with preservatives down your throat. Sooooo I want you to be able to see colors, feel textures and make choices on your own as far as food. That's why we were waiting until 6 months. But....I get too excited. So Sunday night I bought you a nice ripe banana. I took 2 slices out of it and mashed it up real good. Then I cut off a chunk for you to play with. I figured you could taste it off the spoon, but still see it and play with it on your tray. So it still meshed well with my baby-led theory. Well...here's how it went.

You enjoyed checking it out and all but when it came time to taste it....

You weren't a fan. It was the funniest thing!! Daddy and I couldn't stop laughing at you! You would randomly quiver like you were having a cold chill after the fact. Must be the taste was still with you and you didn't like it.
So now that I got that first taste out of my system, we can go back to waiting until you are 6 months. Only 3 more weeks, and I'm sure it'll fly! Just like the past 5 months have!
I hope it warms up a little around here so we can take you out in the snow. Just for a few pictures if anything! Its been so cold lately I'm so glad Dad is home with you so I don't have to bring you out at all! Sunday night it was like 30 below, no joke! It was insane!
The other night we were eating dinner and you started flipping out so I put you on my lap and what do you know, you had pooped out your diaper and and it was all over the place. So I go in to change you and I this was the first diaper that required both me and your dad. There was more poop on the OUTSIDE of the diaper than on the inside. And you kept trying to stick your hands in it and then wanted your hands on you feet and in your mouth. That's why I needed daddy to help me before we had poop all over the place.
Well, back to work for me.
Can't wait for the weekend!
I love you to the moon and back baby!
Love,
Mommy

You're So Much Fun!

Dear Teagan:
You are getting more and more fun by the day! You're little personality is really starting to come out too! You're constantly smiling and laughing. I love to hear you laugh. I especially love it that only I can make you laugh the hardest. Maybe you think I'm funny looking or something. I'm not really sure, but you think I'm just so funny.
Last week daddy went ice fishing and fell and hurt himself. He couldn't walk very well. Nana had to come over and babysit both of you guys on Tuesday and then I ended up taking Wednesday off. He's up and able to move now thank goodness.
Tomorrow you will be 5 months old! 5 Months?!? I can hardly believe that at this time 5 months ago I was getting checked out by the doctor and he was telling me I'd be having a baby within the next 24 hours. It seems like just yesterday!
I bought you some cute new stuff today. I'm learning to buy stuff ahead while its on sale. So I got some clothes for you for next fall/winter time. They're super cute and from Old Navy. But I have to admit, I have a shopping problem. I can't resist cute things and I can't resist a good "deal." And this is why I have so many bills...
I just got my W-2 today and hopefully I will get "rich" off taxes. Daddy and I still have to pay off the floor and a few things and I would also like to save a small some for our wedding in the fall. But then again, I'd also like to pay off some of my other bills.
Oh so many bills, so many things to buy and nowhere near enough money!! I really hope to get a new job sometime soon. I was offered one last week but it didn't sound like a very secure job so I'll keep looking.
I love you to the moon and back baby.
Love,
Mommy

Winter Fun!

Dear Teagan:
Your first Christmas was fantastic! You got so many new presents- mostly toys that you can't play with yet! You're getting the hang of them now though. Daddy and I got engaged, so I will finally get the same last name as you! And when we get married next fall, you should be walking and you will be our ring bearer! And what a cute ring bearer you will be!
Christmas Eve & New Years Eve I had the day off, so we got to spend some extra time together! That was fun! Then starting this past Monday, Daddy has been home with you! He got laid off, so you and him get to hang out everyday! I'm so jealous of him for it, but also very glad you guys get to have some quality time together!
You're still boycotting sleep, but I think I may have found the reason to it. All week Daddy has been feeding you 5 ounce bottles and says you've been eating the whole thing, so today I told Aunt Erin to try giving you 6 ounces and sure enough, you ate the whole thing. So maybe the reason you have been getting up at night is because you were hungry since you weren't getting enough during the day! I hope this is the reasoning anyway, or else I might go crazy. Last night you were up 3 times! You ate twice and one of the times I just gave you your binky because I'd really like to break the habit of you getting up every night to eat!
I love daddy being home with you. He cleans and organizes and gets lots done while I work. So that means I get to spend more time with you when I get home from work! I bought you a new jumperoo the other day and you love it! It has way more toys around it than the one we borrowed from grandma has. So you will never get bored with it!
Although Daddy is home everyday now (for at least a few weeks) Aunt Erin still will be watching you on Fridays. She likes to spend time with you and Grandma likes to see you in the morning when I drop you off. Also, Daddy deserves a day to himself to do what he wants to do. He'd like to have time to go ice fishiing and coyote hunting. When you get older you'll be able to do these things with daddy too! Although I've never been ice fishing because I'm scared the ice will break, so I probably won't be letting you go for quite some time. We'll see.
OOOH! You rolled over the other day!! You've rolled before, but I think it was by default since it was on the couch and the cushions slant that way. But you rolled from belly to back. Daddy said he started clapping and saying yay and you were confused! You also scoot backwards when we lay you on your belly. You will be mobile soon!! It's bittersweet. You now weigh 14 pounds and 3 ounces. You've gained over 2 pounds in the past month! It's crazy! You're growing up sooo fast! I can't even take it!
I love you to the moon and back little man!
Love,
Mommy