Reporting in...

Another update of all the little stories, tidbits and photographs involving the B-Man:

My little pork chop!

Banner is obsessed with my iPhone.  Not only does it look like something he'd really enjoy gnawing on, it also makes random noises.  And sometimes there is nothing like a little FaceTime with Auntie Mimi to help soothe the savage beast.  He loves looking at himself on the screen!

Yep.  Butt still in air.

Banner is such a flirt, and I just melt every time he flashes his little, crooked smile in my direction!

He is also obsessed with tags.  As in tags on clothing, tags on his sheet savor, tags on his activity mat, tags on his blankets, bibs and burp cloths.  The kid just likes tags.

Sophie the Giraffe is the best teething invention EV-VER.  Banner is a big fan.  
He now has one for school and one for home.  And woe is the baby that tries to touch his Sophie at daycare!

Banner weighs more than many of the other babies at daycare that are much older than he is, and everyone is always commenting on how strong he is.  His teachers think he is going to grow up to be an athlete.  He is definitely determined.  

He is also VERY protective of his mommy.  The other day, when I went to pick up Banner from daycare, another baby crawled over and wanted me to pick him up.  Ban had seen me come into the classroom, and started to wail when he saw the other baby make a play for his momma.  I went and picked him up out of his crib, dried his little tears and assured him that I would never trade him for any one else.  He calmed down, but wouldn't stop staring at the other baby and giving him the stink eye. 

Speaking of teeth, do you see his two little chompers above?
(please disregard the giant pile of dry-cleaning in the background)

Banner is working on one of his upper, front teeth now, and it has been a doozy.  Pain and swollen gums have actually made our little bambino uncharacteristically fussy, and even daycare called me at the office to tell me about it (I could hear the little guy screaming in the background, which just about broke my heart).  Thanks to the new FDA warnings regarding benzocaine, our pediatrician does not recommend the use of anything like Orajel or teething tablets to ease Banner's discomfort.  Instead, we are giving him lots to chew on (he LOVES the frozen teethers) and Tylenol when the pain gets really bad (which it hasn't yet, but at least it is available if necessary).  Poor baby.  Teething really is no fun!

Wiggle worm.

He is still growing like a weed.  Everyone comments on how LOOOOOONG he is.  The bad news is that all of the nine month sleepers I just bought him are fitting perfectly from the get-go.  I have a feeling we won't be in them very long at this rate.  But it really is only a length issue, because his sixth month shorts are still too big in the waist and thighs.  Banner has his daddy's skinny legs and nonexistant buttocks.  I've said it before, but baby suspenders would be perfect for our little guy.

The two pictures above are self portraits that Banner took of himself using my iPhone. 

I don't know why it looks like he is wearing lipstick and gloss.

Banner is not interested in taking naps recently.  I mean, he will sleep, but only for twenty or thirty minutes at a stretch (if we are lucky).  He is just too busy and always wants to be moving, doing or otherwise exploring something.  This has resulted with him wanting to go to bed at 7:30 instead of the usual 8 PM, which is really cutting into mommy/daddy time with him after work.  We miss our baby!

Sweet angel.

Daycare reported last week that Banner was caught making out with Emma.  Hehe...well maybe not "making out" per say, but they kept smiling at each other and trying to give the other baby kisses.  Banner's first girlfriend.

I love his little tush!

One of his teachers also told me that Banner is quite stealthy now that he is mobile.  She didn't realize he had learned to army crawl (or that he had teeth!) and had her back to him while playing with another baby on the floor.  All of a sudden, she felt something bite her hand.  When she looked down, she was surprised to see Banner (who, just moments before, had been halfway across the room) at her side demonstrating how sharp his new little teeth are on her finger.  Stinker.

Tummy Time!

Army crawling is no longer fast enough for Banner to get from point A to point B, so he has added rolling to the mix.  According to his teachers, he rolled himself clear across the room yesterday afternoon to get where he was going.  Apparently, it was quite the (funny) sight.  He looked like a tumbleweed.  

Four more reasons why I love Banner's daycare. 
They are pretty ballsy, too, and will waddle right up to you.

Banner has started working on his D, G and B noises in addition to all his vowel sounds and coos.  He now "talks" all the time.  Sometimes even in his sleep.

Banner flirting with the baby in the mirror.

 

Much to my dismay, I've been sick AGAIN.  Started feeling off with yet another sore throat on Saturday, fever Sunday and horrible nausea, chills and body aches by Monday evening.  Luckily, it was short lived and I started to rebound by Tuesday, but none of this bodes well for my chronic sinus infection that I just can't seem to shake.  I am crossing my fingers that it was an unrelated virus or something, and not the continuation of the same pattern that I've been dealing with since April.  Because:  C'mon immune system!

It has also taken a giant toll on my milk production.  All week, I've been lucky to get 3-5 ounces at a time (I used to easily get 8-14 a couple of months ago).  We've almost completely exhausted my frozen milk supply, and were (sniff, sniff) forced to start supplementing with formula on Wednesday, June 20th.  So much for my goal of having Banner exclusively breast fed for six months!  Although, he DID turn 24 weeks on Wednesday morning.  4 goes into 24 a total of 6 times, so I'm going to claim victory any way.  Hey, you got to take what you can get, right?!

Speaking of formula, we are going with Similac Advanced for no other reason than it was what Banner ate for a day and a half while in the hospital to help treat his jaundice before my milk came in.  Whenever he has formula instead of breast milk, Trevor calls it his "milkshake".  I call it "junkfood".  I was worried Banner might refuse to eat it, but he didn't even acknowledge that he tasted a difference.  He just downed nine ounces in a blink of an eye.  Apparently, that boy is just like his dad and will eat anything when hungry. 

Still it is sad.  Up until 7 PM on Wednesday, my body was solely and directly responsible for every little ounce on that little guy's body since his conception (well, except for those few ccs of Similac he got at Baylor).  I don't know how much he weighs at the moment, but I am going to guess it is somewhere around 18 pounds.  I did that.  I'm not a big fan that I now have to start sharing some of the credit with Similac, even if I know it was inevidable.  Plus, I really need to introduce solids.  Banner is more than ready.  Daycare even reports that he's staring like a starving puppy at the other babies when he sees them experiment with solids.  And one of the other moms gave me a bunch of organic baby food that her daughter is no longer interested in.  She couldn't believe that Banner hadn't tried cereal yet.  Sigh, maybe this weekend.

I'm planning to continue to pump and nurse Banner.  Of course, a lot depends on whether or not the infection returns and I have no choice than to take the not-nursing-friendly antibiotics.  Or if my milk just dries up.  Since I've been sick for so long, this really feels like a possibility.  No matter what I do, I just can't seem to get my production back up to preinfection levels.  I'll pump on HIGH for 45+ minutes, nurse all weekend, etc., and see no marked improvement.  Disheartening, but I am trying to take solace in the fact that I've done my very best and Banner is healthy and happy.

Plus, the pediatrican says that as long as I can continue to provide him with at least one bottle of breast milk a day, Banner will continue to receive the immune support and benefits of a breastfed baby.  So, that is my new goal:  AT LEAST ONE BOTTLE A DAY FOR AS LONG AS I CAN KEEP IT UP.

And, well, that's really it for now, but I'll wrap this entry up with a video of Banner playing with his daddy and Gran last night.  Happy Friday, everyone!