Getting back to our normal routine

I think it's the same for everyone no matter where you live when out of town guest come to visit your daily life is put on hold. It can be disruptive especially for a baby who is used to his naps in his own bed and early dinners in a relatively quiet kitchen. But Maximilien did pretty well going out to dinner nearly every weekend. It helped a lot that my father brought with him an awesome portable high chair that we used while dining out. Paris restaurants won't always have seating for infants and Max is too mobile to sit on our laps anymore. The high chair folds down and we were able to strap it onto the MacLaren without it bothering the person pushing the stroller. Since we were constantly eating out I opted to feed Max jar food from the grocery store. I had visions before Max was born that I'd make all his food for him. Well, things didn't work out as I had planned. In the beginning, Max actually preferred jarred food over what I was making him. It perplexed me. But it turns out that he just wasn't really into solids yet. Now nearing the 7.5 month mark, he's really into solid foods. I no longer puree his foods. I just use my food processor or robot as the French say to mash up his food and he eats eagerly. Last night I made fish cakes for Julien and I and I used the potatoes, fish and green beans from the recipe for Max's dinner. I just cooked the fish in the leftover water from the pressure cooker and then threw everything in the robot. In case you're curious, I made Max perch. We'll try salmon soon. He absolutely adored the fish. Seafood lover like his Mama and Papa. Another new thing has been Quinoa and rice cakes have been good for fussy moments. They are entertaining and he enjoys trying to eat them. Though he mostly sucks on them and they dissolve in his mouth.

I have also started him on rice cereal for breakfast.  Another quinoa and rice melange that I found at the new organic coop by my house. I have been using formula to make the cereal and like a true French child he drinks his breakfast from a bowl albeit Mama has to be the one to hold the bowl for him. For a few months now Max has refused to take a bottle of any sort. It sort of coincided with the moment we started solids and eliminated his extra bottle of breast milk at bed time. My stash of breast milk in the freezer has long been used and the breast pump returned.   Nearly 8 months into breast feeding I am starting feel ready to get my body back. I will keep it up until Maximilien is one  but I am preparing him for the transition to happen after his first birthday in March.  Getting him to take formula with his cereal has been a little mini victory for me because before he literally would spit the formula out all over the place.

I don't know why I was nervous about making the transition to solids but things just happen to work themselves out.  Max nurses less during the day but has been making up for it at night.  Textbook speaking, he is not sleeping through the night. He goes to bed around 7pm and sleeps until one am-ish. Then from there on out it's awake crying to nurse every two hours until around 5am and then he sleeps until around 8am.  I am tired but I don't feel it. I've gotten used to this sporadic sleep every night. I believe the teeth are really bothering him and he's gotten used to Mama's comfort in the middle of the night.  I don't want to take away the comfort I give him at night especially since his teeth are hurting him so much. But I don't know what else I can do.  I've decided to keep on keepin' on. I'm dedicated to breast feeding for the first year of Max's life. After that we'll have to make changes if need be. I am hoping after this second wave of teeth(top two) he (and I) might get a break.

Two weeks of family visiting was fun. Sad to say goodbye in the end.  It does makes me miss the US but I appreciate my life in France. I've finally found my way here. My routine.

 

Comments

[mamie]

hi aimee, thanks for the post, i really love reading about the routines of other new mamas out there. it also kinda' sucks in a way to say this, but i am glad to hear my boys are not the only ones who are not sleeping through. they are about the same as max, but have no teeth yet (just never caught on to the sleep thing) and there are two. but you are right, somehow, you just adjust. it has always been a pleasure to follow along on your journey with max, here's hopes your way that after the teeth you can find a semblance of night sleep. smiles. amiee

[The Bold Soul]

When I was a kid, I used to visit my friend Claire's house and have lunch there, and come home and rave about Mrs. Verguson's macaroni and cheese. So my mother, being a real Martha Stewart type, started making macaroni and cheese for me, from scratch, baked in the oven, the old fashioned way. I refused to eat it. In desperation, my mother asked Mrs. Verguson for her recipe for mac & cheese. Mrs. Verguson nearly wet herself laughing; her "secret" was Kraft Mac & Cheese out of the box, the kind with the POWDERED "cheese" mix!

I lived off that stuff (as did Claire) well into adulthood. In fact it was only in the past 5 years I finally lost my taste for it.

[Beverly]

I know you have checked this out, and since he has already eaten it, but, is it ok for him to eat fish before he is one year???It seems my grandchildren did not.
I love reading your blog, and have been since right before Max was born. My first grandson is named Max.

[amy]

I like yr blog...I have a good fish pie recipe on my site
wee max sounds wonderful
I have a small one around his age :)

[Amanda]

Sounds lovely. Funny how the life we anticipate and the life we live take such different shapes.

[Ivelisse]

I stumbled onto your marvelous Blog and Pictures today as I was googling the wonderfull Rue Mouffetard in Paris.Let me tell you I spent two hours looking at your great pictures of the Rue but what I enjoyed most was Max. No wonder you are in love with your baby he is beautiful. The picture of Max in his silk clothing is my favorite. Don't worry to much if you do not make his food all homemade what he will remember are these memories not his menu of the day.Keep up the wonderful pictures.I don't regularly Blog but Max was a treat not to be missed. Regards Ive