5 months.

It has been a busy month here in the Bohle residence. May always seems to be busy anyways, but adding a baby on top if it makes life even busier. Between end of the year celebrations, wrapping up the school year, birthday celebrations and trips to see family, we’ve been on the go. Here are the highlights from August’s past month of life.

Likes: He LOVES his toys—rattles, balls, Sophie the giraffe, anything he can grab and put in his mouth. He has become a big fan of his exer-saucer. His activity mat is the home to his giggles and wiggles while pulling the toy that plays the same song over and over and over and over. August loves being with other people and enjoying new surroundings. He always seems to surprise us with how well he does in new settings. He is often found in the yoga pose “happy baby”, kind of like this:

Dislikes: Sleeping at night.  Long story short, we are getting desperate for some more sleep at night and are trying to supplement with formula while avoiding milk based formula (the doctor is convinced he has a dairy allergy).  The doctor gave us a several tins of hypo-allergenic formula. The first time we gave it to him ended with him swatting at his bottle and more tears than when we started. I can’t blame the little man, it smelled like dog food.

We also discovered he doesn’t like the bitter cold water of Lake Michigan.

Firsts/Milestones: He has teeth!! Two little ones on the bottom. I am thinking the two top ones are on their way in as well. Considering his bibs always look like this:

He’s starting to scoot himself around on his tummy. He also is starting to find his way around while laying on his back. Grabbing toys off his car seat, belly laughs, and squeals of delight. All that to say—he’s becoming quite the charmer. Another big one—we have tear free baths!

August experienced his first Tulip Time this month along with 13 family and friends while we celebrated Grandpa Wissman’s 65^th Birthday!

He also took his first trip to Greenville to celebrate Great Grandpa Bohle’s 80th Birthday. He loved meeting so many family members!

Sleep/Schedule: He is on a good daytime schedule. Taking naps around the same time each day. He’ll usually take a morning and afternoon nap and sometimes a mid-day nap. Sleeping at night has become horrendous. Worse than our first days/weeks at home with them. Screaming for hours on end at night. Inconsolable crying. And frankly, I’m too tired to talk about it.  This has been our most frustrating month of sleep yet. I thought by now, we’d be getting full nights of rest.

Enjoyable Moments: Although this has been one of the most frustrating months for us, it has also been really fun and enjoyable. Our days are full of smiles, coos, laughs, cuddles, and seeing his personality grow. Everywhere we go we always hear the same compliments: “He’s SO bright eyed.” “He has SUCH big eyes!” “His nickname should bed ‘smiley’!”  “He is so cute!” We are pretty proud parents!

Big Changes for Mom: This month I accepted a new job! Next school year I will be teaching part-time first grade. I will still be teaching at Holland Christian but will be moving to a different school. The first grade job will be shared with the principal and myself. I will teach every morning and she will teach in the afternoons. I am VERY excited about this opportunity and am really looking forward to being back in the 1^st grade classroom and seeing how God will use me in this new capacity. God has proven to be faithful and I couldn’t be more thankful for that.

Whew—if you made it to the end of this post, you deserve a treat. We’ve had a lot going on this month. Good and bad. Would you join us in praying for us as we continue try to figure out life with August.

my first mothers day.

Today is my first Mother’s Day as a mom. It was four and a half short months ago where I gained a new job title, one that will last a life time: mom. While I was pregnant, I knew motherhood would be hard. I knew there would be challenges. And if I am honest, I wasn’t sure how good I would be at being a loving mom through those challenges. “Mom” is the hardest job I’ve had. [harder than scooping manure on the farm as a child! 😉 ]

I am sure a lot of my other first-time-mom friends can relate to this: there is A LOT of pressure to do everything “right” as a mom. I have felt an immense amount of expectations of what my baby should be doing and if he isn’t doing it, it’s my fault. He should be taking great naps, sleeping through the night and be on a consistent schedule. I’ve heard it all: let him cry, get him as soon as he starts crying, don’t get up at night with him anymore,  give him formula to make him sleep longer, breastfeed for a year (at least), follow Baby-Wise, feed and sleep on a schedule, but it’s better if you feed on demand, start rice cereal at 4 months, no 6 months, read this book, have you tried “that”, well my baby… And the list could continue.

I don’t say all this to sound cynical or ungrateful for help/advice I’ve been given but to help prove that motherhood is hard. I often feel at a loss of what to do. My second job is a teacher. I went to college for four years, completed an entire year of student teaching, paid $75,000, took over 40 credit hours to learn how to teach Pre-k through 2nd grade. And what “prep” did I take to become a mom (the hardest, most important job there is)? I read a few books that each told me something different, sat through a 3 hour birthing class at Holland Hospital, and paid the hospital bills a month after delivery.

Even though I often feel like I am falling short as a mom: [August isn’t sleeping through the night, he won’t take good naps, he needs to be rocked to sleep, “crying it out” only results in an hours worth of crying and a worked up baby, I probably won’t breastfed for a year, I’ve given him formula every now and then, he’s eaten rice cereal before the doctor said it was okay…]

There is one thing I know I AM doing right. I am loving him more than I ever thought possible. Throwing out the “schedule” and “by the books” to snuggle and take a nap together on the couch. Allowing “family cuddle” time in our bed at 4:45 a.m. when August won’t go back to sleep, and providing him with a safe, secure home. And the the most important thing I know that we are doing right?  Praying and working towards raising him to know and love the Lord and in return loving others.

Motherhood is hard. Never before has my heart melted when a baby looks up at me smiles and gives a big “ooogah!”. Never before did I think I would be “okay” with my new lack of freedom. Never before did I think being pooped, peed and spit up on wouldn’t phase me. Never before would I have found satisfaction in aspirating boogers from my baby’s nose. Never before did I think I would find the most rewarding, joyful job I could ever ask for.

My heart is full. My cup overflow. My love for August will only grow deeper. Here’s to the little boy who has taught me a whole new type of love!